mtl008 Chapter 429: No Good News
Chapter 429: No Good News
After the 15th Army retreated, the local people of Hunan Province, in accordance with the previous government orders, dug up rice fields and ponds and soaked all the original dirt roads in water under the supervision of some small Chinese troops left behind.
When the Japanese 6th Division and its two attached detachments occupied the positions on the south bank of the Xinqiang River and advanced towards Changsha, they discovered that the Xiangbei area had become a swamp. The original roads had been soaked in river and lake water and turned into mud.
The Japanese troops could only advance slowly on such muddy roads. The cars and tanks that were supposed to ensure the speed of the Japanese attack were all stuck in the muddy roads and moved forward slowly at a snail's pace.
The Japanese infantrymen were not much better off. They were issued leather boots made of pig skin, a material that is very absorbent. Once they stepped on water, the boots would immediately absorb water and swell. When the Japanese soldiers walked in these boots, it was as if they were wearing two large lead blocks on their feet - extremely heavy.
Therefore, the officers and soldiers of the Japanese army could only take off their leather boots and hang them around their waists, or tie the laces of both shoes and put them on their shoulders. This was very rare for the Japanese army, which had strict requirements on military discipline and style. There was no way around it. Now the entire Japanese army had the same style, and no one could blame anyone else.
The Japanese officers and soldiers walked through the muddy Xiangbei area for three days before the vanguard troops arrived at the Miluo River. The 15th Army Group, which had been waiting here for a long time, was relieved when they saw the appearance of the Japanese troops. If the Japanese troops did not come again, he wanted to send people to find them.
After the Japanese 6th Division and its two attached detachments arrived at the Chinese army's defense line at Miluo River, they did not launch an attack immediately. They were extremely tired. For the past three days, the officers and soldiers had been walking barefoot with their trouser legs rolled up in water that was above their ankles or knees. The physical energy consumed in the process was enormous.
The Japanese army rested until the next morning, then launched an attack on the Chinese army's defense line on the Miluo River. However, the officers and soldiers of the Chinese government's 15th Army Group had been waiting for several days, and some of the Japanese army's heavy equipment was simply moving in the mud halfway, so in terms of firepower, the Chinese government's 15th Army Group did not have much disadvantage.
The attack of the Japanese 6th Division on Changsha City was blocked again. However, this time, not only was the attack of the Japanese offensive force blocked by the Chinese army's defense line at the front, but now even the Japanese supply has been unable to keep up.
The Ninth War Zone had already left behind a large number of small guerrilla forces behind the Japanese advance. The main task of these guerrilla forces was to harass the Japanese army's transportation lines and attack the Japanese army's material transportation, which made the Japanese army's logistics forces, which were already suffering from the harsh traffic environment, even worse.
Under the harassment of the Chinese guerrilla forces, the Japanese army's logistics forces were simply unable to guarantee the supplies and ammunition needs of the front-line troops. Even the new recruits sent to the front-line troops were often ambushed by the Chinese guerrilla forces. This made the Japanese army's front-line troops, which were already unable to obtain sufficient supplies of materials and ammunition due to the difficult roads, even more unstable.
In the headquarters of the 106th Japanese Army, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadaichi was reporting to the commander Lieutenant General Okamura Neiji with a bitter face: "Your Excellency the Commander, Lieutenant General Junrokuro Matsuura, the commander of the 106th Division, sent a telegram. Now the 106th Division is fighting with the troops of the seven armies of the Chinese government. As of now, Gaoan has been recaptured by the Chinese army. The other troops of the 106th Division are also continuing to fight with the Chinese army in the Shangfu area. However, the division commander Lieutenant General Junrokuro Matsuura believes that the th Division has lost the ability to continue to attack westward under the attack of the seven armies of the Chinese government."
"Lieutenant General Shigetaro Amakasu, the commander of the 33rd Division, called to report that the 33rd Division has made no progress in the Bakufu Mountains. The flanking troops on the east side of the Bakufu Mountains were blocked by the Chinese army. The Chinese army used the terrain in the Bakufu Mountains to block the enemy layer by layer. In addition, the Chinese army sent many troops to conduct guerrilla warfare in the rear of the 33rd Division. This forced Lieutenant General Shigetaro Amakasu to withdraw a large number of troops to protect their own rear routes and logistics supply lines. As a result, they had no way to concentrate enough troops to attack from the front."
"The commander of the Sixth Division, Lieutenant Inaba Shiro, will call. The troops attacking the front have continued to attack the Chinese army's defense line on the Miluo River today. However, the Chinese army has hidden a large number of guerrilla forces behind the Sixth Division. These forces often harass the Sixth Division's transportation and supply lines. In addition, due to the recent continuous rain, the originally muddy transportation lines are now even more difficult to travel. Most of our cars, artillery and tanks are stuck in the muddy roads and cannot provide sufficient firepower support for the front-line attack. In addition, there are problems with the supply of the troops. I hope the headquarters can provide sufficient supplies as soon as possible."
After reporting these depressing news, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadaichi breathed a sigh of relief. This was simply not a job for a human being. Every day, he had to report problems on the battlefields everywhere. They were all complaints and telegrams urging for solutions to the problems. There was not a single piece of news that could make people happy.
Commander Lieutenant General Okamura Neiji also gritted his teeth and listened to the battle report from Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadaichi. When Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadaichi breathed a sigh of relief after he finished speaking, Commander Lieutenant General Okamura Neiji also breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. He also listened to the news in agony.
"Mr. Yoshimoto, ask the logistics department to increase the transportation of supplies to the 106th Division, and order the th Division to break through the Chinese army's defense line on the Miluo River as soon as possible. We must not let the Chinese government's th Army escape this time. We must destroy this unit at the Miluo River position. Let the th Division and the rd Division contain the Chinese army on their side. Their mission is to support and contain." Commander Lieutenant General Ningji Okamura also made new order adjustments to the front-line troops.
After recording the order from Lieutenant General Okamura Neiji, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadaichi also reminded him quietly, "Commander, we don't have much in reserve. If the Sixth Division cannot make a breakthrough as soon as possible, it will be difficult for us to maintain the material needs of the frontline troops."