Chapter 192: The Battle of Anqing (6)

In the headquarters of the Snow Fox Corps in Yuexi County, even Li Wenxiu's face was full of joy. But when they saw Xue Ru, who was standing in front of the map with a calm face and couldn't see any joy, everyone didn't dare to say anything.

They didn't know if Xue Ru was because of the heavy casualties of the snow fox, or because of the news they had just received, anyway, there was no joy after the victory.

We have just received a report from the theater that the Japanese troops have landed at Daya Bay in Guangzhou and have already occupied Guangzhou yesterday, which has caused a shock on the part of the national government.

The Guangdong-Hankou Railway was cut off, and the Japanese army had opened the southern passage to Wuhan, and it was meaningless for Wuhan to hold on any longer. In addition, Tianjiazhen was lost, Xinyang was lost, and the national army fully retreated, Xue Ru glanced at the report and did not say anything. That is, there is no surprise, and there is no anger, because that is no longer necessary.

She mentioned to Bai Chongxi that the Japanese army would land from Guangzhou and open up the Guangdong-Hanzhou Railway, but even Bai Chongxi thought it was impossible at that time. The Japanese army concentrated all its forces in Wuhan, and the vast occupied areas also needed troops to hold on, so how could they have troops to attack Guangzhou?

As for whether Bai Chongxi reported to the military committee, Xue Ru did not ask again, and she did not report to the above. Time and time again, Xue Ru also understood that although she was no longer what she used to be, she was no longer a small captain, but she was just an ordinary general commanding two divisions. For the Military Commission, it was still difficult to solve the problem, and what was said may not be believed, and Chiang Kai-shek's mind could not be changed.

Explain that the position is still too low, but what can be done, let alone her, I'm afraid that Bai Chongxi, Li Zongren, Yan Xishan, these bigwigs can't change Chiang Kai-shek's mind, right? On the contrary, they will think that they are timid and afraid of war, and want to preserve their strength.

Xue Ru had already decided that he would no longer care about this, the Battle of Wuhan was about to end, and there would be no large-scale offensive battles in the war, and the end of the Battle of Guangzhou also meant that the Japanese army no longer had any strategic points to attack.

For the Japanese army, it was also a strong crossbow, and it was no longer capable of launching a large-scale offensive war. Then fight your own battles and try your best to kill and wound the Japanese and make them pay a heavier price.

Xue Ru didn't care about whether the Japanese army occupied Guangzhou and Wuhan, and whether the national army retreated, she still cared about the battle in front of her. I feel uncomfortable, or because of this battle. In the first battle of Tao Chong, the 36th Division lost more than 3,000 people, and the independent division also lost nearly 3,000 people.

At the cost of 5,000 people, 8,000 Japanese troops have been wiped out, and the gains outweigh the losses! Such a battle turned out to be very costly. Sakai Naoji only led more than 2,000 people to break through and escape, but the 30th Brigade still responded.

It is impossible for Snow Fox to fight with the 30 Brigade again, and the soldiers have not rested for two days and two nights, and they have lost their combat effectiveness at all. The 36th Division set up a defensive position at Gaopingling to guard the western direction of Yue, and the Independent Division entered the hidden mountain, and the battle ended at dawn.

When King Dongkunomiya received the report, he sat on the chair and was stunned, a brigade was gone, Anqing was a battle, Tao Chong was a battle, and Snow Fox wiped out the strength equal to a division. His 3rd Division had already attacked Xiaxinyang in the direction of Macheng Huangchuan, and the 10th Division was attacking in the direction of Xinyang, and it was impossible to return reinforcements. Wuhan has reached the last moment, and the 13th Division is used to encircle and suppress Snow Fox, but what should Hefei do?

The troops of Xu Yuanquan of the 10th Army and Liao Lei of the 21st Army have occupied Huoshan and forced into Lu'an, and Shucheng has not been taken, I believe that the 13th Division will not let go of the opportunity as soon as the 13th Division moves, and it will inevitably attack, and Hefei will be in danger.

He hurriedly asked Commander Toshiroku Hata for reinforcements, otherwise it would be difficult to control the situation in Chenzhong, and ordered the 27th Division Honma Masaharu to hold on to Anqing, ensure the rear guard of the 6th Division, and ensure the victory of the Battle of Wuhan.

After receiving the report of the 2nd Army, Shunroku Hata was also so angry that only two divisions and two brigades were really engaged in combat in Jiangnan, and four divisions and regiments in Jiangbei, which turned out to be a complete defeat. Although they had occupied the Pinghan Railway, captured the town of Tianjia, and forced into Wuhan, the Hefei area had lost as many as two divisions, and the number of casualties was almost the same as in several major battles.

No matter how angry he was, General Shunliu Hata could not help but admit that the Snow Fox Corps was too strong, and for the sake of the situation in Chenzhong, he did not have to destroy the Snow Fox Corps, and ordered the 22nd Division to prepare to cross the river, and at the same time asked the General Staff Headquarters to order the 34th Division of the North China Front Army to march towards Hefei.

In this way, the Japanese army is equivalent to increasing the strength of two divisions and regiments to make up for the losses, but it is a pity that it is so easy to transfer troops, and it can only order King Dongkumiya to temporarily stick to Lu'an, Hefei and Tongcheng, and not let the Fifth Theater return to Wuhan to ensure the victory of Wuhan.

Guangzhou was lost, Wuhan had lost the meaning of defense, and if it persisted, it would be surrounded by the Japanese army on all sides, and the main force of the national army would be wiped out in Wuhan. Chairman Chiang understood this, and he no longer insisted on the need to defend Wuhan, and ordered the troops in all theaters to withdraw from Wuhan and retreat beyond the line of attack of the Japanese army.

From the moment of the fall of Guangzhou, the entire battle in Wuhan seemed to have calmed down, and both sides understood what was going on, only the 101st and 106th Divisions under the command of Okamura Ninji stepped up their offensive and wanted to block the way for the Chinese army to retreat. The battles in the northern part of the Dabie Mountains and on the north bank of the Yangtze River were much more depressing.

At this time, Taihu, Qianshan, Huaining, Lujiang, Wuwei, Hexian, Quanjiao, and Hanshan are all Chinese places, only the east of Chuxian on Jinpu Road is the area controlled by the Japanese army, and then Anqing is in the hands of the Japanese army, and Tongcheng is also in the hands of the Japanese army.

Xue Ru finally stopped thinking and asked without looking back: "Wenxiu, give an order to Wu Yuzhao and Chen Ruihe, concentrate one brigade of the 36th Division, two brigades of the independent division, launch an attack on Anqing, and capture Anqing." ”

"Yes," Li Wenxiu agreed, and gave orders to the two troops.

Xue Ru said: "Inform Chief Bai to send troops to take over the area of Anqing and Qianshan in Yuexi. ”

Li Wenxiu was stunned: "Miss, they took over these places, where are we going?" ”

Xue Ru turned his head and glanced out the window: "Snow fox crosses the river." ”

At this time, even Li Wenxiu was a little puzzled: "Miss, why did you remember to go to Jiangnan?" Besides, it doesn't seem to be Snow Fox's own decision, right? Snow Fox is already a military-level unit, and with such a big transfer, I'm afraid the theater will not be able to do it without consent. ”

Xue Ru said: "Don't worry, you just need to inform Chief Bai." Li Wenxiu didn't ask much, she didn't doubt Miss at all, there must be some reason for this, to send a telegram to Bai Chongxi.

The most reports Xue Ru has received in the past few days are from Wei Ming's intelligence department. The Intelligence Service is no longer a battlefield scout, they know all kinds of intelligence. A report in front of Xue Ru caught her attention, because the snow fox was fighting in the area of Taihu Lake and Qianshan, and Chaoxian had no troops for the national army.

The four detachments of the New Fourth Army developed eastward, and had already established a base in Dingyuan, and at the same time also established a guerrilla zone in Lu'an, and fought many battles with the Japanese army on the Jinpu Road. The place where the snow fox fell, after withdrawing, became the rear of the four detachments, and Gao Jingting quickly controlled these areas with his ability. Zhao Fengzao is obviously not an opponent, and he can't get anyone else at all. Another piece of information is that the Eighth Route Army has advanced into the northern area and is moving south.

This made Xue Ru scared in her heart, she would not forget the Battle of Huangqiao and the Southern Incident. Last time I wasn't there, but what about this time? The four detachments are developing so fast, once the troops of the Fifth Theater end the Wuhan operation, they will inevitably enter these areas, what should Snow Fox do? Do you want to listen to the Nationalist Government's suppression of the Communist Party?

At this point, there are also serious differences within Snow Fox, led by Liu Yuanshan, who believe that they should not interfere, the CCP is also an anti-Japanese force, and it is good for the common people, and it is an enlightened political party.

But with Dai Zong's thoughts, that is, the chaotic party should be exterminated, and now Chen Duanhe and Wu Yuzhao have been added, and they are all * characters. Guo Jingchu hasn't arrived yet, I don't know if I don't want to come. Zheng Weimin, the director of the political department sent to the Snow Fox Corps by Wuhan, did not come, and once he arrived, Xue Ruzhen didn't know what to do.

After thinking about it repeatedly, Xue Ru decided to be a retracted turtle, unable to provoke him to hide, and left this place in advance. Originally, it was planned to concentrate forces to capture Hefei, so that there would be no Japanese troops in the central area. But Tao Chong's battle also made Xue Ru afraid, and if he continued to fight like this, it wouldn't take long for the snow fox to be gone.

The War of Resistance is not an overnight thing, you can't be in a hurry, you should find a place where you can maneuver in a wide range and give Snow Fox space. You can't fight this kind of battle that you have to fight like this, because if you don't fight several divisions of the Japanese army, Snow Fox can't stand it.

The concentration of Japanese troops in this area is due to the Battle of Wuhan, once the Battle of Wuhan is over, with the record set by Snow Fox, neither Shunroku Hata nor Shouzo Nishio will let go of Snow Fox, and they must be surrounded and suppressed by heavy troops.

Whatever the reason, Snow Fox must leave here, it's not impossible to go north, but that's where the Eighth Route Army is active, and it's more troublesome. Besides, Xue Ruxuan remembered the supplies, if not, what would he use to fight devils? But the more you go north, the less opportunities you have to get supplies, you want to buy weapons with money, and you can only get closer to the sea when you leave the Yangtze River, so you can't go north, you can only go south.

Besides, what about the expeditionary force that she was thinking about a year or two later? That's your own money, why give it to the British? If you have the opportunity to enter Myanmar, you have the opportunity to inherit that money. It's not much, but it's more than 100 million dollars! Snow Fox is rich, and the end of the Japanese devil has arrived.

After more than a day of thinking, she decided to withdraw from these places and turn her troops to Jiangnan. Xue Ru also knew that the military committee had decided that the theater had no right to decide on the transfer across the theater, and the Snow Fox must be two divisions, equivalent to the troops of one army, and it would not be possible to act privately without an order, and the Japanese army would intercept them along the way, and the national army would not let them pass. Besides, what about 20,000 people who eat it? The credibility that has just been built cannot be ruined in this way.

If you want to cross the river, you must have a place to cross the river, and what is the best place, of course, Anqing, besides, the 27th Division still has more than half of its troops, and they cannot be replenished from the Yangtze River, and it will not be possible to recover their troops for a long time and then seize Anqing.

Xue Ru just gave Snow Fox and the 36th Division a day and a night of rest, and the troops were initially reorganized, and the three brigades rushed to Lu'an from three directions.

It is impossible not to let the Japanese army know about such a large troop movement, besides, the Japanese army has a radio station, and Honma Masaharu has become a bird of surprise, and when he saw the snow fox attacking, he immediately reported to the two commanders and asked for reinforcements. They were originally from the 11th Army, but after crossing the river, they were temporarily under the command of the 2nd Army, so he asked for reinforcements from the two fronts.

King Twist of Dongjiu Palace did not dare to ignore it, and immediately ordered the 13th Division to attack Huaining in order to rescue the 27th Division. The Botian detachment in the south of the Yangtze River had entered the periphery of Wuhan, and the two divisions were fighting with Xue Yue, attacking Wuhan from the Nanxun Railway, and for a time only the Japanese army in the north of the Yangtze River could save him.

Originally, he could have given up Anqing to cross the river, but Shunroku Hata was reluctant to do so. As soon as the Battle of Wuhan ended, Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi also freed up their hands, and the forces of the Fifth Theater would be completely concentrated east of the Dabie Mountains, and Anqing would lose and would not be able to cross the river, and there would be no hope of counterattacking these areas. How can you eliminate the snow fox, if the snow fox is there, Hefei must be dangerous.

If Hefei is lost, the Chinese army may counterattack Wuhan. Therefore, the 27th Division was ordered to hold Anqing, and the 11th Army would send reinforcements from Nanjing, while the troops of the 2nd Army were ordered to attack from behind and threaten to rescue the 27th Division.

In the Jinzhai Headquarters, Bai Chongxi's face was bitter: "Xue Ru didn't stop at all, she stirred up the battle in Anqing again." ”

Xu Zuyi also said: "I thought she could rest for a while, attack again so quickly, a girl, she really can be called a fierce general, but what should we do?" ”

Bai Chongxi said helplessly: "What else can I do?" Cooperate with it, or else he will have something to say. ”

Xu Zuyi knew that if the Fifth War Zone did not cooperate with Xue Ru's battle, I was afraid that not to mention that Chairman Jiang would catch the reason, and the public opinion of the whole country would be able to crush them.

Bai Chongxi said: "Send the 21st Group Army into Yuexi, and the 23rd Army into the area of Qianshan Taihu Lake, and order the 10th Army to hold Shucheng and attack Lu'an at the same time, forcing the Japanese army to stop reinforcements. ”

"Yes" Xu Zuyi understood that the Japanese army was mobilized in the fifth theater with several divisions alone, and they could not rescue Anqing, so it depended on when Xue Ru could take Anqing. If Wuhan can be captured before the withdrawal is completed, it is okay, but if it takes a long time, I am afraid it will be enough.

Whether or not Anqing can be captured and the 27th Division can be eliminated depends on whether Xue Ru can quickly capture Anqing. However, no one is sure in their hearts that Anqing is the bridgehead of the Japanese army in Jiangbei, Honma Masaharu will not retreat, and the Japanese army will not easily lose Anqing.

Bai Chongxi helped in this way, because he knew very well that if the national army took back Anqing, then the situation in central and northern Anhui would change greatly.

From Anqing to Chuxian, the Yangtze River will be in the hands of the national army, and the Japanese army will only have one Hefei and Lu'an. Coupled with the Dabie Mountains, the central Anhui region is all controlled by the national army, so if you can recapture the fertilizer, then even central Anhui may also be recaptured. In Xue Ru's strategic vision, Bai Chongxi still admires it very much, and of course he hopes that Xue Ru can capture and recapture Lu'an.

Of course Xue Ru is not worried about whether she can capture Lu'an, she has her own way, and now she is concerned about how to withdraw the Yangtze River, Wu Yuzhao did not go to the front line, but was found in Yuexi, listened to Xue Ru's words, and nodded: "I understand, I will leave immediately, contact Yuqiang, and Miss will send someone to cross the Yangtze River to find a way." ”

Xue Ru nodded: "I know, it's up to you this time." ”