Nanjing, Garrison Theater Command.

Commander Tang Shengzhi was discussing the military situation with Deputy Commanders Liu Xing and Luo Zhuoying around the battle map, and their brows were furrowed.

Since yesterday, the Japanese front army in Central China has increased its troops again, sending the 13th and 11th divisions to the Nanjing front, plus the original 6th, 16th and 9th divisions, and the Japanese army attacking Nanjing has suddenly increased to five and a half divisions, with more than 100,000 troops.

The pressure on the perimeter defense line of the Nanjing Garrison Theater suddenly doubled, the casualties were extremely heavy, and the outer defense line was now in danger!

In fact, Tang Shengzhi and the three of them are all understanding people, and if the war situation continues to develop like this, the outer defense line will be broken through by the Japanese army in a few days, and the Fulang position will definitely not last, and the fall of Nanjing is only a matter of time.

However, more than 700,000 people in Nanjing City have only been evacuated by now, and there are still 300,000 or 400,000 people in the city, after all, such a large-scale evacuation of personnel is not a child's house, Rao is the national government has done its best, God is very helpful, and the bad weather has eliminated the possibility of Japanese air raids.

If you want to evacuate the remaining people in the city, you have to hold on for at least half a month, although the soldiers of the garrison theater outside Nanjing still add up to 70,000 or 80,000 people.

But if this little force wants to resist the onslaught of more than 100,000 wolf-like Japanese troops, Tang Shengzhi, an old guy, has no confidence.

Therefore, the three of them discussed and discussed, but they couldn't come up with a reason, because except for the more upright Liu Xing, Tang Shengzhi and Luo Zhuoying had already begun to retreat in their hearts.

In fact, they cannot be blamed for this, because not long ago, Chairman Chiang, who was far away in Wuhan, learned of the increase in Japanese troops and sent them a telegram to the effect that Nanjing could do its best to defend it, but if it could not be defended, it could arrange for the troops of the garrison theater to retreat and break through.

After all, the 36th, 88th, 87th and several ace divisions of the Central Army, such as the Central Teaching Corps, were all in the garrison theater, since he knew that Nanjing could not be defended, there was no need to let these elite divisions who had spent countless manpower, material resources and painstaking efforts be buried in vain under the city of Nanjing.

As for the remaining people in Nanjing, he can't take care of it, in the final analysis, he is still a politician through and through, from the overall situation, sacrificing some ordinary people is nothing, otherwise there will be no historical tragedy in history after the defeat of the Battle of Xuzhou, such as the bursting of the embankment at Huayuankou.

Moreover, it is not certain whether the Japanese army will carry out a massacre in Nanjing, and Chairman Chiang still has such a trace of luck.

It's just that he didn't know that due to Qiao Youhua's birth, the Japanese army suffered much more losses in the battle of attacking Nanjing than in the original history, and at this time the anger and hatred of the Japanese army from top to bottom reached the extreme, once the city of Nanjing was broken, it was bound to usher in the crazy revenge of more than 100,000 Japanese troops.

This can be seen from Matsui Ishone's additional reinforcements at any cost.

Just when Tang Shengzhi and the others were a little depressed and ended this meaningless discussion, a communications staff officer suddenly ran out of the confidential room on the side with joy.

He stood up and saluted the three of them, "Three chiefs, good news! ”

"What's the good news?" Luo Zhuoying couldn't think of any good news at this juncture.

"I just received the good news from the Dragon Tooth Task Force, they fought a bloody battle in Yizheng for one day and one night, completely annihilated the Japanese heavy vine detachment, and ran non-stop for a hundred miles, and now they have recovered Yangzhou!" The communications staff officer couldn't hold back his excitement.

"What?" Luo Zhuoying, Tang Shengzhi and Liu Xing all changed their faces greatly, looking at each other, and they all saw the incredible in each other's eyes.

"What do you say? Qiao Youhua not only killed the Chongdo detachment, but also recovered Yangzhou, which had just been lost from the Third War Zone? Just with the hundreds of remnants of his army, plus two miscellaneous Sichuan legions? Tang Shengzhi's face was full of disbelief.

The communications staff officer handed him the telegram in his hand, and nodded seriously: "Commander, this is an urgent telegram from Qiao Youhua, take a look." ”

After the three of them circulated this good news, Deputy Commander Liu Xing couldn't help but praise: "Well done!" This battle is really fucking relieving! Qiao Youhua is worthy of being a famous general in the world! What kind of team can immediately burst out with twelve points of combat power in his hands.

First the Kunisaki detachment, then the more elite marines, and now they have killed the Shigedo detachment non-stop, and the elite of the devil is a group of local chickens and dogs under his hands! ”

Tang Shengzhi's face twitched a few times, he didn't speak, and he didn't know what to think again.

After Luo Zhuoying recovered from the shock, he sighed and said: "Brother Liu, it's not much to be happy about, it is true that Qiao Youhua has created a miracle again, but the pressure on the frontal battlefield has increased dramatically, even if he Qiao Youhua fights beautifully in Jiangbei, it will not help."

The current battle situation is very different from before the war, where the war began, the Japanese army in Central China had just experienced three months of fighting in the Battle of Songhu, and many troops suffered heavy losses, so they could only send two master regiments to attack from the front, plus two detachments to attack from the side, trying to win the Nanjing Raid at the minimum cost.

Killing the enemy's two roundabout troops would be able to defeat the Japanese army's strategic plan and relieve the pressure on the frontal battlefield in the Nanjing Garrison Theater.

But now, after this period of rest, the Japanese have recovered some strength, and they have decided to make a desperate bet after suffering great losses under Qiao Youhua one after another.

You and I know very well that with the strength of the five divisions we have and the actual situation of each unit at present, how can we resist the attack of the Japanese army and hold Nanjing? ”

Although Liu Xing had to admit that what Luo Zhuoying said was the truth, he still couldn't help but forcefully said: "We don't need to win the battle to defend Nanjing, we only need to hold out for ten days and half a month, and when all the civilians in Nanjing City are evacuated, we can retreat and break through!" ”

Luo Zhuoying smiled bitterly: "Brother Liu, do you think we can still block the frontal onslaught of the Japanese army for half a month?" And there is a sentence that Luo Zhuoying did not say explicitly, that is, knowing that the loss of Nanjing is inevitable, will Chairman Jiang let him hold on?

Isn't the previous instruction to retreat the camera the best proof of this?

Liu Xing was silent, deeply regretful, but helpless, and couldn't help but set his eyes on the heroic and dry clouds before, and issued a 36-character combat order, claiming to lead all the officers and men of the Nanjing Garrison Theater to swear to live and die with Nanjing.

Tang Shengzhi was suddenly unconscious and did not speak.

Seeing this, the communications staff officer on the side said: "Commander, Qiao Youhua also claimed in the telegram that his troops had suffered great losses and were unable to hold Yangzhou, so he asked the headquarters to send troops to take over the defense of Yangzhou." ”

Tang Shengzhi said angrily: "I'll go there now to find troops for him to take over the defense of Yangzhou?" ”

whined, Tang Shengzhi felt that Qiao Youhua had overfulfilled the task no matter what, and killed the Shigedo detachment of the Japanese army on the North Road, and took a few deep breaths and said: "Let's do it, send a telegram to the Commander's Department of the Third War Zone, Yangzhou is their jurisdiction, and now that my garrison has helped them recover, do you want Gu Zhutong to watch it." ”

"And how is the Dragon's Tooth Task Force arranged?" The communications staff officer asked.

"Let them stay where they are for the time being, if Gu Mosan is willing to send troops to take over Yangzhou, it can be handed over." Tang Shengzhi waved his hand without thinking.