Chapter 274: Over A Dozen Divisions
Miyano Doichi had not yet had time to answer Shinozuka Yoshio’s question.
A staff officer rushed over holding the newly arrived telegram and presented it with both hands: “Your Excellency Commander, urgent telegram from the Intelligence Department.”
Urgent telegram from the Intelligence Department??
As soon as Shinozuka Yoshio heard this, his brows instantly furrowed.
Now the Kumamoto Army’s logistics and supplies were gone, the situation was already very bad, and at this time the Intelligence Department sent an urgent telegram—could there be even worse news?
Before Shinozuka Yoshio could take the telegram, Miyano Doichi took it first.
Miyano Doichi merely glanced at it, and his face immediately turned as white as a sheet: “Baka, it really turned out as I feared.”
Just now, Miyano Doichi’s bad premonition was that more Chinese Troops would take the opportunity to attack the Kumamoto Division.
Because the Kumamoto Division had seized five trucks of strategic metal, this was something that made others envious.
Of course, the Kumamoto Division’s combat power was strong, so those envious Chinese Troops did not dare to act rashly.
But if they learned that the Kumamoto Division Army’s logistics and supplies were cut off, then for those envious Chinese Troops, this would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Now, this urgent telegram indeed described it.
More than a dozen direct line armies had already rapidly charged toward the Kumamoto Division.
More than a dozen direct line divisions, plus harassment from Eighth Route Army Troops, if the Kumamoto Division Army’s material supply could not keep up, it would really be a dead end.
Shinozuka Yoshio did not take the telegram, but instead looked nervously at Miyano Doichi: “Miyano-kun, what bad news is this?”
“Your Excellency Commander, you should look at it yourself.” Miyano Doichi handed the telegram to Shinozuka Yoshio.
Shinozuka Yoshio could only grit his teeth and accept it, lowering his head to look.
Seeing this content, Shinozuka Yoshio’s scalp immediately tingled: “Baka, more than a dozen direct line armies are heading toward Kumamoto-kun, this is simply taking advantage of someone’s misfortune.”
Originally, the Kumamoto Division side was hunkered down in defense, and even with Eighth Route harassment, it could still hold steady.
But with these more than a dozen direct line armies going over, it was different.
Clearly, these direct line armies were heading to annihilate the Kumamoto Division Army and seize the tungsten ore.
Miyano Doichi immediately said solemnly to Shinozuka Yoshio: “Your Excellency Commander, we must urgently communicate with the commanders of the nearby war zones, aerial reinforcements must provide emergency assistance, otherwise, the Kumamoto Division Commander is really in danger.”
“You go send a telegram to the Kumamoto Division Commander, tell him more than a dozen direct line armies are charging toward him, he must hold the line, I’ll figure out reinforcements for him.” Shinozuka Yoshio immediately said to the staff officer.
“Yes.” The staff officer quickly left.
“You go tell Kawashima, have him deliver the supplies at all costs as quickly as possible.” Shinozuka Yoshio said to Miyano Doichi.
Aerial reinforcements would ultimately not match the delivery of ground supplies, so the things in Major General Kawashima’s hands were, to some extent, the Kumamoto Army’s lifeline.
“Good.” Miyano Doichi quickly went.
Shinozuka Yoshio picked up the microphone on the table and began contacting Gangcun and the commanders of the nearby war zones.
——
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
……
Kitano Chuji’s speed was fast, and he rendezvoused with Major General Kawashima’s team.
Both were escorting supplies, rapidly reinforcing toward the Kumamoto Division.
But they had not gone halfway when they could not proceed.
Because the road was destroyed, and the detour paths also had jumping mines buried.
The vanguard scouts suffered considerable casualties from the jumping mines, plus the Eighth Route Army hiding in the dark for sniper attacks, even carrying shoulder-mounted cannons for sneak attacks.
Many waves of these vanguard scouts had been rotated, but still… well.
The Eighth Route Army’s harassment and delays were not the main reasons.
The most important reason was that the Eighth Route Army had destroyed the roads very severely, and with such heavy supplies, they could not proceed without repairing the roads.
Therefore, the marching speed of Major General Kawashima and Kitano Chuji’s two teams was completely tied to road repairs.
Looking at the efficiency of the engineers in front of him, Major General Kawashima cursed: “Baka, at this rate, it will take at least half a month for these supplies to reach the Kumamoto Division Commander.”
Kitano Chuji was also extremely annoyed: “Forget half a month, if we can’t deliver within a week, you and I will be court-martialed!”
“Baka, it’s all because of you, you bastard, you lost the supplies!” Major General Kawashima cursed loudly, “You should be court-martialed right now.”
“If not to make up for my mistakes with meritorious service, I would have already committed seppuku.” There was a hint of deathly resolve in Kitano Chuji’s tone.
Losing the army’s supplies, and reporting truthfully that the Eighth Route Army had likely produced cannonballs that could be fired from dirt pits, he had been harshly scolded, no one believed him.
To tell the truth, Kitano Chuji really did not want to live.
But direct seppuku was the act of a coward.
He still wanted to help as much as possible, even if he had to commit seppuku, it could wait until later.
Major General Kawashima did not stimulate Kitano Chuji further, he knew that if he said a couple more words, this bastard might really end himself.
Then, if the supplies could not be delivered, he would take the blame.
“Brigade Commander, urgent telegram from Headquarters.” At this time, a communications officer handed the newly arrived telegram to Major General Kawashima.
Major General Kawashima took it and looked, his face instantly turning serious: “Baka, now we’re really in trouble.”
“What happened?” Kitano Chuji’s gaze turned over.
“The Commander says more than a dozen direct line divisions are rapidly charging toward the Kumamoto Division Commander, ordering us to deliver the supplies and provisions at all costs as fast as possible.” Major General Kawashima annoyedly scratched his scalp, “These damned local Eighth Route Army destroyed the roads, how are we supposed to deliver?”
Upon hearing this, Kitano Chuji’s expression froze: “Baka, with more than a dozen direct line divisions coming, this is a flood dragon stuck in shallow waters, toyed with by shrimp!”
Normally, the Kumamoto Division would not even glance at more than a dozen direct line divisions.
But now, with the Kumamoto Division Army’s supplies and logistics cut off, they could not ignore it.
“I do have a method, not sure if the two of you are willing to listen?” Fujita Ichi appeared out of nowhere.
“What method?” At this time, Major General Kawashima and Kitano Chuji actually did not want to hear Fujita Ichi’s suggestion.
After all, Fujita Ichi’s reputation was not good, and Major General Kawashima had heard about it long ago.
As for Kitano Chuji, in the previous Battle of Luoxue Slope, the army’s logistics and supplies were destroyed, and if not for Fujita Ichi’s suggestion to go to Luoxue Slope, it would not have turned into this deadly mess.
But there was no choice.
Now the Eighth Route Army had destroyed the roads too severely, and the engineers’ road repair efficiency was limited.
More than a dozen direct line divisions were already approaching the Kumamoto Division Army, the situation was extremely precarious.
So, Major General Kawashima and Kitano Chuji decided to listen to what suggestion Fujita Ichi had.
“Right now, the Eighth Route Army has destroyed the roads too severely, relying on engineers to repair them clearly cannot complete the task.” Fujita Ichi said, “I suggest immediately capturing a large number of Chinese civilians, have the Chinese civilians carry the ammunition on their shoulders and by hand for us. We can also have the civilians walk in front—they local Eighth Route Army always say they cannot casually harm civilians, so this way, it can also prevent them from burying mines ahead.”
Kitano Chuji and Major General Kawashima looked at each other upon hearing this, joy showing in their eyes.
Kitano Chuji immediately nodded: “Mr. Fujita’s method seems feasible, there are plenty of Chinese civilians anyway, we can unload the supplies from the vehicles and have civilians carry them. The local Eighth Route Army will hesitate, they not only won’t dare bury mines ahead easily, even their sniper attacks and artillery will have to hold back.”
“Yoshi, this is indeed a method.” Major General Kawashima nodded, immediately calling over several Puppet Army officers and ordering: “Go immediately and grab Chinese civilians for me, the more the better, hurry.”
“Yes, Sir.”
……
Kumamoto Division Headquarters
“Report to the Division Commander, up to now, we have not discovered the Eighth Route Army harassing us using cannonballs fired from dirt pits.” A staff officer came before the Kumamoto Division Commander to report.
Immediately after, the staff officer puzzled: “Division Commander, firing cannonballs from dirt pits, without chamber pressure, how would they fire? This is absurd.”
The Kumamoto Division Commander did not directly answer this question. When Kitano Chuji reported that the Eighth Route Army used cannonballs that could be fired from dirt pits, he was furious and disbelieving at the time, but after calming down, Kitano Chuji was not one to fabricate lies casually, especially such an absurd excuse.
So the Kumamoto Division Commander felt it best to have the troops below keep a slight eye out.
As a result, up to now, the Eighth Route Army had not used such weapons, and the Kumamoto Division Commander changed the topic: “Can we still hold against the Eighth Route Army’s harassment?”
“Yes, although their harassment is frequent and intense, no matter how many ants there are, they cannot shake an elephant.” The staff officer was confident.
“Yoshi, that’s good, as long as our reinforcements arrive…” The Kumamoto Division Commander’s words trailed off.
The communications officer rushed over holding the newly arrived telegram: “Bad news, Division Commander, urgent telegram from the Commander, more than a dozen direct line divisions are rapidly heading this way.”
More than a dozen direct line divisions rapidly coming!!!
Upon hearing this, the Kumamoto Division Commander’s eyes widened in shock.
Now with the army’s logistics and supplies cut off, the Eighth Route Army could not chew through us, but these more than a dozen direct line divisions coming would be hard to handle.
The Kumamoto Division Commander hurriedly grabbed the telegram and looked at it.
The Kumamoto Division Commander’s face paled: “These direct line vermin are simply taking advantage of someone’s weakness, clearly they are coming for the five trucks of tungsten ore in my hands.”
The staff officer quickly said: “Division Commander, since the enemy is coming for our tungsten ore, while we still have fighting strength, should we quickly set up an arrangement?”
Of course the Kumamoto Division Commander understood what the staff officer meant: since these more than a dozen direct line divisions were coming for the five trucks of tungsten ore, then we use the five trucks of tungsten ore as bait to set a trap for them.
“Go, immediately call all the combat staff officers for a meeting.” The Kumamoto Division Commander did not hesitate.
These damned vermin want to take advantage of someone’s weakness, this flood dragon even if stranded in shallow waters is not something any shrimp can toy with!
“Hai.”
