Chapter 259: Bullshit Special Operations
Yang’er Mountain
“Hurry, hurry, hurry, dig faster for me!”
“Load the vehicles quickly!”
“Faster, even faster!”
“Even if we’re just loading and putting on a show, we have to make it look real. The Japanese aircraft must have taken off by now.”
……
The brigade commander and staff officer had already withdrawn. The Japanese invaders’ main raid force was drawn over, and the brigade commander still had to personally command.
The excavation, transfer, and acting work here was handed over to Cheng Xiazi of the 772nd Regiment.
Cheng Xiazi led the team and transportation team, working furiously.
As expected, just as Cheng Xiazi started the task, a small black dot appeared on the horizon in the distance.
The small black dot drew closer, and the roar of the engine grew louder and louder.
Clearly, that was the Japanese invaders’ reconnaissance aircraft.
“Get the machine guns ready for me. Once the Japanese aircraft lowers its altitude for low-level reconnaissance, shoot it down for me!”
Cheng Xiazi ordered the three machine gun companies.
“Regiment commander, this Japanese aircraft is just one plane. If we shoot it down, won’t it ruin the plan?” a machine gun company commander shouted.
“If you can shoot it down, I’ll promote you to battalion commander right away.” Cheng Xiazi roared, “If you have the skill, shoot it down for me.”
This Japanese invaders’ aircraft was just one plane. If they could shoot it down, the act would be even more realistic.
The Japanese invaders’ airport wouldn’t be able to contact the aircraft and would definitely send new planes again.
When they discover we’ve shot down the aircraft, and see the grand scene of our ground transfer, they will surely conclude that this is tungsten ore.
“Haha, regiment commander, then get ready to promote me.” The machine gun company commander laughed heartily.
The other two machine gun company commanders were also secretly competing, watching the Japanese aircraft swoop in.
Rat-tat-tat!
In the sky, the reconnaissance aircraft opened fire.
Bullets swept toward the transportation team on the ground. Although the transportation team members had dodged in advance, casualties still occurred.
The reconnaissance aircraft was conducting low-level reconnaissance and was shot at by Cheng Xiazi’s three machine gun companies.
After all, they weren’t professional anti-aircraft machine guns, so the bullets’ lethality was limited.
The reconnaissance aircraft was hit by bullets but didn’t smoke or crash. Instead, after circling once, it quickly flew away.
“Damn it, my battalion commander position just flew away.” Watching the Japanese invaders’ reconnaissance aircraft fly off, that machine gun company commander cursed loudly.
“What’s the rush? There will definitely be more Japanese aircraft coming later. You’ll have your chance then.” Cheng Xiazi said, then continued, “Don’t stop. Dig faster for me, move faster.”
“Yes.”
Although the Japanese aircraft had left, Cheng Xiazi’s work here didn’t stop.
On the contrary, they worked even harder, because the Japanese aircraft would return.
Cheng Xiazi’s subsequent act had to continue, until the Japanese invaders’ division arrived with heavy troops to seize the tungsten ore, and Cheng Xiazi was unable to take it back.
……
Kumamoto Division Headquarters
The Kumamoto Division commander looked up at the sky. The sun had risen.
Another new day had begun.
Sato Jino’s scent-tracking had gone on all night, yet no news had come through.
Even the exquisitely made fish sushi brought by Fujita Ichi didn’t tempt the Kumamoto Division commander to eat.
Muto Juichi and Brigade Commander Miyai beside him were also fidgeting restlessly.
Their teams and the Kumamoto Division were all ready for rapid deployment, just waiting for news from Sato Jino.
It could be said that everything was ready, just waiting for the east wind.
Now, this east wind was tardy, making everyone anxious.
Fujita Ichi explained, “If the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal is deep in the mountains and forests, Deputy Minister Sato’s scent-tracking will have a long way to go. Gentlemen, you should eat something first.”
Then Fujita Ichi said, “When the news comes, the army will have to set out immediately. There probably won’t even be time to eat then.”
The Kumamoto Division commander and the other two brigade commanders all said, “We’d rather not have time to eat!”
“Well, that makes sense too.” Fujita Ichi was momentarily at a loss for words.
Fortunately, Fujita Ichi’s awkwardness didn’t last long. Soon, a communications soldier rushed over with a new telegram: “This is an urgent telegram from Colonel Yamamoto Ichiki!”
Upon hearing this, the Kumamoto Division commander and the other two brigade commanders were all somewhat stunned.
Shouldn’t it be a report from Sato Jino? What did this urgent telegram from Yamamoto Ichiki mean?
As for Yamamoto Ichiki, the Kumamoto Division commander and the other two brigade commanders actually all held strong opinions.
Yamamoto Ichiki had brought back special operations theory from Germany and hoped someone would support him in forming a special operations team.
These army officers like the Kumamoto Division commander scoffed at it.
Because in their view, China’s territory was too vast.
To thoroughly conquer this land, it could only be done through large-scale legion operations.
Yamamoto Ichiki’s so-called special operations team had only a hundred or so people.
That number of people was a joke in the face of China’s vast territory.
So, no army officers supported Yamamoto Ichiki; they were all waiting to see him make a fool of himself.
Yet Lieutenant General Shinozuka Yoshio, the First Army commander, supported Yamamoto Ichiki and helped him form the special operations team.
This left these army officers like the Kumamoto Division commander in a bad mood.
In their view, Commander Shinozuka Yoshio must have been deceived by Yamamoto Ichiki.
No one could persuade Commander Shinozuka Yoshio, so everyone held back on the matter and just waited to see how Yamamoto Ichiki would embarrass himself.
Soon, Yamamoto Ichiki’s first opportunity came. He led the special operations team to sneak attack the Eighth Route Army Headquarters at Daxia Bay, but ended up fighting another Eighth Route Army regiment at Yang Village.
Although Yamamoto Ichiki achieved a record of two hundred to zero, it still dissatisfied these army officers like the Kumamoto Division commander.
The Eighth Route Army Headquarters position had been discovered and locked. What a great decapitation strike opportunity.
Directly surround with heavy ground troops, send in any two divisions, then have air groups conduct fierce bombardment, and Daxia Bay could be completely erased from the map.
Such a great decapitation strike opportunity was given to Yamamoto Ichiki.
He only brought back the feat of two hundred ordinary Eighth Route Army soldiers, yet lost the prime decapitation strike opportunity, and still got praise from Commander Shinozuka Yoshio. How could this satisfy these army officers like the Kumamoto Division commander?
To promote Yamamoto Ichiki’s special operations, Commander Shinozuka Yoshio soon organized an observer group, with Hattori Naotsumi as the group leader, the former brigade commander of the Twenty-first Brigade.
This time, the intelligence department discovered again that the Eighth Route Army Headquarters was at Chenjiayu.
Another prime decapitation strike action. Commander Shinozuka sent Yamamoto Ichiki again, to perform for the observer group.
The result?
The observer group was decapitated by an Eighth Route Army troop.
Even more infuriating!
This idiot Yamamoto Ichiki actually gave up continuing the attack on Chenjiayu and rapidly withdrew his troops!
This was utter stupidity, hopelessly stupid!
That was the Eighth Route Army Headquarters position. Your special operations team had reached right under their noses, and upon hearing the observer group was decapitated, you say no audience means no performance!
Big brother!
That was the Eighth Route Army Headquarters. This is combat, not performing on stage. Did you really think it was a stage play!
Even stepping back, with the observer group wiped out, shouldn’t you, Yamamoto Ichiki, have taken Chenjiayu and the Eighth Route Army Headquarters to make up for your mistakes with meritorious service!
Didn’t you, Yamamoto Ichiki, always say your special operations team had only two targets in the Second War Zone, one of which was the Eighth Route Army Headquarters?
The Eighth Route Army Headquarters was delivered to you, and you didn’t take it, you threw it away. What kind of bullshit special operations is this? It’s like your head is filled with dog shit.
After this incident, the army officers became even more resistant and rejecting of Yamamoto Ichiki’s bullshit special operations.
Now, hearing it was an urgent telegram from Yamamoto Ichiki, they naturally couldn’t understand it.
It seemed that such an important task as tracking the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal had somehow involved Yamamoto Ichiki.
Almost instantly, the Kumamoto Division commander and the two brigade commanders concluded that Yamamoto Ichiki’s tracking operation had failed.
He, Yamamoto Ichiki, most likely wanted them to bail him out.
The Kumamoto Division commander quickly exchanged glances with the other two brigade commanders.
Although the three didn’t speak, they had a tacit understanding.
If this idiot Yamamoto Ichiki had screwed up Deputy Minister Sato’s task and gotten trapped in an Eighth Route Army encirclement expecting them to rescue him, they would all know without saying what to do.
The Kumamoto Division commander took the telegram and looked at it.
At this look, the Kumamoto Division commander’s expression became somewhat strange.
Muto Juichi asked suspiciously, “Kumamoto Division commander, what’s wrong?”
Brigade Commander Miyai also wondered, “What does the telegram say?”
The Kumamoto Division commander said irritably, “Baka, as expected, this idiot Yamamoto Ichiki has botched Deputy Minister Sato’s task. His tracking of the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal has failed!”
Upon hearing this, Muto Juichi and Major General Miyai both jumped up in fury: “Baka, this damn idiot, why let him get involved, why let this idiot meddle and ruin things, baka!”
Their current raid on the Eighth Route Army was not going very smoothly.
The group of Eighth Route Army outside had pulled in the Jin Sui Army. Although Major General Kawashima and the reinforcements from Taiyuan were blocking them, the effect wasn’t that good.
That group of Eighth Route Army had too much firepower and had broken out even with the Jin Sui Army.
What they hoped most now was that Sato Jino’s operation would succeed, finding and locking the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal’s position, so they could firmly seize the initiative.
And now, this hope had been snuffed out by the damn Yamamoto Ichiki. Infuriating!
The Kumamoto Division commander then softened his tone a bit and said, “Yamamoto Ichiki’s blunder isn’t completely disastrous.”
“How so?” Muto Juichi and Major General Miyai both looked at the Kumamoto Division commander.
“He discovered important supplies buried by the Eighth Route Army at Yang’er Mountain. Preliminary judgment suggests it’s very likely tungsten ore,” the Kumamoto Division commander said.
Discovered the tungsten ore seized by the Eighth Route Army?
Muto Juichi and Major General Miyai were immediately stunned upon hearing this: “Real or fake?”
The loss of five carts of tungsten ore had enraged the cabinet, and even Commander Shinozuka had been scolded.
If they could seize back the five carts of tungsten ore, that would be an opportunity too.
This was five carts of tungsten ore; the Eighth Route Army would surely desperately defend it.
In other words, the Eighth Route Army’s main force was definitely with their tungsten ore.
They could hurry over and seek a decisive battle with the Eighth Route Army’s main force.
As long as they could crush their main force, they could firmly grasp the initiative in this raid operation.
“You two, let’s immediately order the troops to rapidly converge on Yang’er Mountain,” the Kumamoto Division commander said decisively.
“Should we confirm with the commander first?” Muto Juichi said. “Mobilizing our tens of thousands of men on just one urgent telegram from Yamamoto Ichiki isn’t reasonable.”
“Combat opportunities are rare. Let’s issue the orders first, then communicate with the commander via telegram,” the Kumamoto Division commander said.
“Mm.” Muto Juichi and Major General Miyai both nodded.
And so, the Kumamoto Division, the Twenty-first Brigade, and the Ninth Brigade’s troops immediately surged fiercely toward Yang’er Mountain.
