mtl008 Chapter 460: Retreat is victory
Chapter 460: Retreat is victory
The commander of the 6th Division, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, held the telescope tightly in both hands from beginning to end, and watched the Japanese officers and soldiers retreating in the Xinqiang River without saying a word. Although the commander of the division, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, tried his best to conceal his anger, his hands holding the telescope had turned slightly pale and trembled because he was holding too tightly.
The division commander, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, could only cheer for these officers and soldiers in his heart. Most of the heavy weapons had been lost and abandoned, and the little heavy equipment that had just been withdrawn to the north bank had not yet been moved to a suitable launching position, and could not provide any heavy firepower support to the Japanese officers and soldiers in the Xinqiang River.
As for the loud gunfire on the north bank, it could only give courage to the officers and soldiers in the Xinqiang River. Apart from the heavy machine guns and mortars that could pose a little threat to the Chinese army, other weapons were useless. They could only watch the Chinese army slaughtering the officers and soldiers in the Xinqiang River, which was a very unpleasant feeling.
The division commander, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, seemed to see the ridicule and mockery on the faces of the Chinese officers and soldiers on the opposite side, and saw the sad and angry expressions of every officer and soldier who was hit by the Chinese army in the water of the Xinqiang River.
Every time he saw an officer or soldier disappear on the river, the division commander, Lieutenant General Inaba Shiro, felt as if his chest was hit hard by a huge hammer. This made him very uncomfortable. He wanted to vomit and get rid of all the bad emotions, which might make him feel a little better.
The Chief of Staff, Major General Sadatsumi Nozaki, was so anxious that he kept cursing the Chinese army. This was the only thing he could do now, and it was also the only action he felt could make him feel a little better.
Looking at the decreasing number of officers and soldiers in the Xinqiang River, the curses of the Chief of Staff, Major General Nozaki Sadatsumi, became weaker and weaker. His mind was now completely focused on whether the remaining officers and soldiers could successfully return to the north bank. It seemed that as long as these officers and soldiers could successfully withdraw to the north bank, it would be the greatest victory.
Chief of Staff Major General Sadami Nozaki was also cheering for the officers and soldiers in the Xinqiang River in his heart. Whenever he saw the soldier he encouraged disappear on the river, he would sigh in his heart and then quickly find the next officer or soldier who needed encouragement.
As time went by, the number of Japanese officers and soldiers struggling in the Xinqiang River decreased. Some were killed by the shooting and artillery bombardment of the Chinese army, while others were swallowed up by the water of the Xinqiang River due to exhaustion.
Of the more than ten rubber boats that set out from the south bank of the Xinqiang River, only three are left. The division commander, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, and the chief of staff, Major General Sadatsumi Nozaki, also shifted their attention to these three rubber boats. As for the soldiers swimming in the Xinqiang River, both of them chose to give up, because it would take a lot of luck to swim to the north bank under the shooting and artillery bombardment of the Chinese army. The probability of success is really too small.
"boom"
The division commander, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, and the chief of staff, Major General Sadatsumi Nozaki, saw that an inflatable boat was unfortunately hit directly by a mortar shell of the Chinese army. The inflatable boat was blown into the air, and the officers and soldiers on the inflatable boat were also blown into the air. The soldiers hanging in the water around the inflatable boat were floating in the river in groups.
The division commander, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, and the chief of staff, Major General Sadatsumi Nozaki, sighed in their hearts at the same time, and then focused their attention on the last two remaining kayaks. This was their last hope. Even if only one rubber boat came back in the end, it would be considered a victory.
Another mortar shell exploded beside an inflatable boat, instantly knocking several officers and soldiers who were rowing hard onto the inflatable boat. What was even more disappointing was that the fragments of the mortar shell pierced the hull of the inflatable boat, and now the entire inflatable boat was leaking air and sinking rapidly.
"Alas, there is no hope for this rubber boat and the officers and soldiers surrounding it." The division commander, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, and the chief of staff, Major General Sadatsumi Nozaki, made their judgment on the officers and soldiers on the rubber boat almost at the same time.
There is one last rubber boat, and this one has attracted everyone's attention. The division commander, Lieutenant General Inaba Shiro, and the chief of staff, Major General Nozaki Sadatsumi, have also pointed their telescopes at this only rubber boat that is still moving. This is their last obsession and hope for this retreat.
The division commander, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, and the chief of staff, Major General Sadatsumi Nozaki, are both extremely nervous now. It seems that this has become their last expectation and hope. This nervous mood is even more nervous than when they were on this rubber boat.
Of course, this only remaining rubber boat attracted the attention not only of all the Japanese troops on the north bank of the Xinqiang River, but also of all the officers and soldiers of the New 22nd Army on the south bank of the Xinqiang River. For the officers and soldiers of the New 22nd Army, only by destroying this last rubber boat of the Japanese army could it be considered a perfect ending. If this rubber boat of the Japanese army was allowed to run to the north bank, the result of the battle would not be so pleasant, and there would be some regrets to a certain extent.
"Aim and fire. Tell the mortars to destroy the last Japanese rubber boat. We can't let a single Japanese soldier escape to the north bank." On the side of the New 22nd Army, a colonel officer loudly gave orders to everyone.
For a moment, the firepower of the New 22nd Army on the south bank of the Xinqiang River suddenly increased a lot, sending all the Japanese soldiers still swimming in the Xinqiang River to see Amaterasu, and the last rubber boat was handed over to the mortar to deal with.
However, perhaps it was this last rubber boat that carried the hopes of all the Japanese officers and soldiers on the north bank of the Xinqiang River. The mortar shells of the New 22nd Army were always unable to accurately hit the rubber boat, and not even a bomb fell beside the rubber boat. This greatly increased the hope of the division commander, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, the chief of staff, Major General Sadatsumi Nozaki, and all the Japanese officers and soldiers.
We're almost there, only about twenty meters to the north bank. That's great, this is a slap in the face of the Chinese army. So many of them were unable to stop our retreat. This is a great victory for the Sixth Division. Chief of Staff Major General Sadatsumi Nozaki was ecstatic and felt that victory was just around the corner.
"boom"
An explosion was heard, and the last rubber boat, which was only about 20 meters away from the north bank, disappeared on the river. There was nothing left except a pile of corpses floating on the water.
(Thanks to the gift support from Duke Weiguo who loves beef jerky, the one who eats dumplings without vinegar, and the director of Shenlong Library! Thank you all for your support and encouragement!)