Chapter 144: Combat Deployment At Lugou Bridge And Nanyuan
At the Nanyuan Command Post of the 29th Army, Deputy Army Commander Tong was convening Division Commander Feng Zhian of the 37th Division, Division Commander Zhang Zizhong of the 38th Division, and Division Commander Zhao Dengyu of the 132nd Division for an operations meeting, because Army Commander Song Zheyuan of the 29th Army and his advance appointment of Zhao Dengyu as Nanyuan Commander, stationed at Nanyuan, were together responsible for commanding all military forces at Nanyuan, to guard against a sudden sneak attack by the Japanese Army.
Although Army Commander Song of the 29th Army at this moment still harbored illusions about the Japanese Army that they would not fully invade Beiping and Tianjin, so he was also striving to meet with Tianjin Japanese Army Chief of Staff Hashimoto Gun and Japanese North China Garrison Army Commander Katsuki Kiyoshi, for meetings and negotiations, hoping to resolve the constant conflicts and friction recently arising between their two armies,
hoping to control the situation and prevent war from breaking out.
So at this moment, the Nanyuan Command Post had only Deputy Army Commander Tong and the three division commanders holding the meeting.
The rest of the division commanders had all been assigned to other places for combat deployment.
“The Japanese people’s intent to annihilate us will always exist, so we must absolutely guard against them!”
“Recently they have frequently initiated provocative actions. I think these Japanese people are probably about to launch war, just like the warfare on the Northeast side back then. The Japanese people’s behavior first involves tentative provocations, then increasingly unrestrained challenges to our troops’ bottom line!”
“Finally, they launch sneak attack operations!”
“So the purpose of calling you all here today is to hope that the troops of your 38th Division and 37th Division will also cautiously treat this provocative action by the Japanese troops. This is their long-planned combat deployment!”
“I hope everyone remembers our slogan: ‘Better to be a war ghost than a slave to the conquered nation!'”
“Especially to be slaves to the Japanese people is even more absolutely not allowed!”
“The 37th Division’s 110th Brigade 219th Regiment Third Battalion is guarding Wanping Lugou Bridge. I want to hear how the combat deployment on your side is going? Division Commander Feng!”
After everyone had sat down,
Deputy Army Commander Tong immediately got straight to the point, speaking loudly.
“I have already had Battalion Commander Jin Zhenzhong deploy the 11th Company at the east end of the iron bridge and the Dragon King Temple area to the north, the 12th Company from the southwest corner of the city to the South River Fork area, the 9th Company inside the city, and the 10th Company as the reserve team; the heavy mortar company at the west end of the iron bridge, specifically targeting the annihilation of the Japanese Army’s tank troops, or dense assault combat troops; and as for the light mortar company, I deployed it inside the east gate to support various combat troops; the heavy machine gun company is deployed at the southeast corner and northeast corner inside the city, to support the various frontline combat troops.”
“Although I don’t know if the Japanese Army will really have the audacity to launch war and charge against Lugou Bridge!”
“But the combat defensive works that should be deployed, and the deployment for defensive operations, I have all completed!”
“So if war really breaks out around Lugou Bridge, we can still cope!”
“The Japanese Army won’t get through Lugou Bridge so easily!”
Division Commander Feng Zhian of the 37th Division replied.
He was still very confident in the combat deployment of his own troops.
“Hm! I just like your confidence!”
“Since your side has already been arranged properly, then for the battle line on this side of Nanyuan that Zhao Dengyu and I are responsible for defending, I will also deploy comprehensively. This time, it really was foreseen by that boss Zhou Li of Xili Company who donated large amounts of supplies and money to us! The Japanese people’s wolf’s ambition will indeed start to be exposed in July!”
“It seems even outsiders’ eyes are more accurate than ours! The most regrettable thing is that our army commander is still harboring illusions of peace toward those Japanese troops! I’m afraid the upcoming battles and negotiations won’t be optimistic!”
Deputy Army Commander Tong nodded in great satisfaction and responded.
At the same time, he also sighed lightly, marveling at how precise Zhou Wenhua’s words were.
Although he only knew Zhou Wenhua’s fake name Zhou Li, that didn’t mean he couldn’t admire Zhou Wenhua’s foresight.
It’s just a pity that even after being reminded by Zhou Wenhua, their Army Commander Song still completely failed to prepare in advance defensive operations to guard against the Japanese Army’s full-scale invasion operations.
So Deputy Army Commander Tong couldn’t help but sigh repeatedly.
