Chapter 198: Retreat
Just as a huge uproar was caused in the rear due to the news of Ushijima Sanehisa’s capture, and even the Military Affairs Committee far away in Wuhan became tense because of it, Su Yaoyang on the front lines and his Shanxi Militia had no time to savor the joy of victory.
The cruelty of war lies in that it never pauses because one side has achieved a phased victory.
Capturing Ushijima Sanehisa and Kineura Hisakazu was indeed a glorious victory worth praising, which greatly demoralized the Japanese 20th Division and paralyzed its command system.
However, the 20th Division was after all an old elite Type A division of the Japanese army, and after losing command, part of its remaining troops were still resisting stubbornly, while another part, led by officers at all levels, desperately broke through toward the predetermined rendezvous point or friendly forces.
The Shanxi Militia commanded by Su Yaoyang, including the tank battalion commanded by John, as well as the militia’s 1st and 2nd main regiments, after achieving a breakthrough, launched a fierce pursuit along the route of the Japanese rout toward Taiyuan.
There was only one goal: to annihilate as many Japanese living forces as possible and expand the victory.
On the dusty, bumpy dirt road, Dodge ten-wheel trucks loaded with supplies were advancing with difficulty—not because the drivers didn’t want to go faster, but because the broken road only allowed this speed.
On both sides of the road, many soldiers were marching on foot carrying their weapons.
Old Cao was marching forward carrying his M1919 Browning machine gun. The August sun was exceptionally scorching, and Old Cao and many soldiers were sunburned with layers of skin peeling off; they all cursed while marching.
“Old Cao, do you think we’re going to attack Taiyuan?” a private first class carrying a Garand rifle asked Old Cao.
“Don’t ask me, I don’t know either.” Old Cao replied irritably. The machine gun on his shoulder weighed 28 jin, and just carrying this iron beast while marching was already exhausting; where would he have the extra energy to answer such questions.
“Old Cao, you’re a sergeant, don’t even you know?” the private first class continued to ask.
Old Cao felt his patience was about to be exhausted by this kid and rolled his eyes: “A sergeant is shit; wait until I get promoted to lieutenant colonel before you ask me that question again.
Also, stop asking; let me have some peace.”
Just as the two were talking, a sudden change occurred!
From a dense hilly area on the right side of the road, intensive gunfire suddenly rang out!
The soldiers, already very familiar with war, immediately discerned that it was absolutely not the firepower that the remnants of the 20th Division could produce, but organized, fierce shooting like a rainstorm!
“Bang bang bang!”
“Pa pa pa!”
“Da da da da da!”
The crisp burst firing of Type 38 rifles, the rapid bursts of Type 99 light machine guns, and the dull, rhythmic roar of Type 92 heavy machine guns instantly intertwined into a net of deathly fire, sweeping head-on toward the flank of the militia pursuit force!
“Ambush! Enemy attack! Hit the dirt!” The soldiers at the front immediately felt this sudden blow.
Experienced veterans almost reflexively threw themselves to the ground, seeking cover. Some inexperienced recruits, after initial stunned surprise, let out panicked shouts, and some were even hit by bullets, falling with painful groans.
“Boom!” A grenade from a grenade discharger accurately landed in the midst of a group of soldiers charging forward. The blast wave flipped two soldiers to the ground, severed limbs and arms mixed with dirt and blood splattering everywhere. Piercing screams tore through the original clamor of the battlefield.
“It’s the little devils’ reinforcements! Damn it! Where did these bastards come from!” Wang Shouxin lay behind a dirt embankment, observing the enemy with binoculars while cursing loudly.
Through the binoculars, he could clearly see a large number of Japanese soldiers in khaki uniforms surging out from that hilly area. They quickly formed combat formations, relying on favorable terrain to build lines of interlocking fire.
These men’s marksmanship was quite accurate, and their coordination tacit; clearly a well-trained elite unit.
And this Japanese force that appeared suddenly was the Japanese 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade ordered to rescue the 20th Division, which consisted of four infantry battalions.
The commander of the 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade was Imaagawa Toshihito, a gloomy man. After learning of the 20th Division’s rout, he did not blindly rush to reinforce but ordered his troops to hide, like a venomous snake lurking in the dark, revealing its fatal fangs at the critical moment toward the Shanxi Militia.
After the sudden attack, the tank battalion reacted the fastest.
Upon discovering the flank under attack, John immediately ordered all Sherman tanks to turn, facing the enemy with their thick frontal armor while fiercely sweeping Japanese fire points with vehicle-mounted machine guns.
“All tanks! Fire toward 3 o’clock direction! Suppress enemy fire! Infantry! Find cover, hold position!” John’s voice was hoarse from continuous shouting but still clear and decisive.
But it was obvious that the Japanese 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade also knew about the Shanxi Militia’s armored forces and had even prepared quite a few weapons specifically for tanks.
They did not foolishly use rifles to engage tanks head-on but quickly organized anti-tank teams.
Some Japanese soldiers crouched low, using terrain cover to quietly approach the Sherman tanks on the road. They carried either bundled grenades or magnetic anti-tank grenades on their backs, their eyes filled with madness and determination.
“Whoosh!”
An armor-piercing round from a Type 97 anti-tank rifle whistled past a Sherman tank’s turret with a piercing screech. Though it failed to penetrate the armor, it still startled the crew inside into a cold sweat.
Immediately after, several Japanese soldiers suddenly rushed out from a hidden ditch, howling as they charged toward a Sherman tank that was firing fiercely.
One of the Japanese soldiers was turned into Swiss cheese by the tank’s Browning 12.7mm M2 machine gun when still over ten meters away, his body flipping backward like a ragged sack.
But another Japanese soldier successfully reached the tank’s side, slamming the magnetic anti-tank mine onto the track guard, then quickly rolling back to evade.
“Boom!” With a loud explosion, the Sherman tank’s left track was blown off, belching thick smoke. The massive vehicle slewed to a halt, immobile.
Although the crew inside might not have suffered fatal injuries, this tank temporarily lost its combat capability.
“Damn it! They have anti-tank weapons! Infantry! Protect the tanks! Take out those little devils’ demolition men!” Seeing his own tank damaged, Major John roared in fury.
Fortunately, after the initial panic, the soldiers quickly organized a counterattack under the command of officers at all levels.
They relied on tanks or terrain to engage in fierce firefights with the suddenly appearing Japanese. Bullets whistled back and forth between positions, with soldiers occasionally hit and falling.
On the battlefield, gunfire, cannon fire, explosions, shouts, and screams mixed together, forming a cruel and bloody scene.
“Damn it, which Japanese unit is this? How did they appear so suddenly?”
Less than three minutes after the attack, Su Yaoyang received a report from the front-line troops and cursed in surprise.
Although the 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade was not as elite as the 20th Division, they were rested and waiting, with unusually tenacious combat will.
Occupying favorable terrain, they used temporary defensive lines built with precise rifle fire, grenade dischargers, and Type 92 heavy machine guns to pour fierce fire on the pursuing Shanxi Militia.
“Bang bang bang!”
“Da da da!”
Dense bullets rained toward the road like pellets, many striking tank armor with clanging sounds and sparking.
Some militia soldiers around the tanks had no time to dodge and were hit, falling one after another.
“Take cover! Quick, take cover! The little devils’ reinforcements are here!”
Officers shouted themselves hoarse, directing soldiers to find cover on the spot and organize return fire.
In this sudden encounter, the tank battalion also seemed somewhat unprepared.
Although Sherman tanks were powerful, in this encounter against prepared Japanese infantry anti-tank teams（ who carried a considerable number of magnetic anti-tank mines and bundled grenades）, the tank crews did not dare to advance too aggressively.
The tanks’ advance slowed, gunners nervously searching for Japanese fire points while suppressing with 75mm main guns and vehicle-mounted machine guns.
The originally unstoppable momentum was slowed by the stubborn resistance of these four Japanese battalions.
Both sides engaged in fierce tug-of-war among hills and gullies. Gunfire, explosions, and shouts merged into a cacophony, smoke once again shrouding the battlefield.
Although the militia soldiers remained high-spirited, facing the Japanese precise fire and stubborn defense, casualties began to mount rapidly. Soldiers were continuously hit and carried to the rear on stretchers, the cruelty of the battlefield evident.
The battlefield became a massive meat grinder, mercilessly devouring soldiers’ lives from both sides. Blood stained the yellow earth, smoke obscured the sky. The intensity of the battle exceeded many people’s expectations.
“Commander! Commander! Request reinforcements… the little devils’ fire is too fierce! We’ve taken heavy losses!” First Regiment Chief of Staff Wu Qingyun urgently reported to Su Yaoyang via radio.
“Tank Battalion report! Multiple Japanese anti-tank positions ahead! Request infantry coordination to clear!” Tank Battalion commander John also sent a request.
Su Yaoyang, who had just arrived, stood on a dirt slope with binoculars, frowning as he watched the stalemated battle. He knew well that if they couldn’t quickly break through this Japanese blocking force, not only would they fail to annihilate the 20th Division remnants, but their own troops might also bog down in prolonged fighting and be worn down by the enemy.
At that moment, a communications staff officer ran up in panic, handing over freshly received intelligence: “Commander! Urgent intel!
Recon units about five li east of Wutaixian have spotted signs of large-scale Japanese assembly! Their vanguard seems to be moving toward our flank!
Per recon, they belong to the 108th Division.”
“What?!” Su Yaoyang’s heart sank upon hearing this.
The 108th Division—this was another main Japanese division in Shanxi near the Zhongtiao Mountains! If they really pressed from the east, his troops would face being pinched by Japanese on two sides! One side the stubborn 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade, the other the stronger 108th Division—once encircled, the consequences would be dire!
Cold sweat beaded on Su Yaoyang’s forehead. He quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind. Though the temptation to annihilate the 20th Division remnants was great, preserving strength and avoiding disaster was more important.
This operation had already achieved the glorious feat of capturing Ushijima Sanehisa; the strategic objective was basically met, no need to risk total annihilation by fighting the devils head-on.
“Damn! The little devils react fast enough!” Su Yaoyang muttered a curse, a flash of reluctance in his eyes quickly replaced by resolve.
He abruptly lowered the binoculars and decisively ordered: “Pass my order! All units cease pursuit immediately! Alternate cover, gradually disengage from the enemy! Tank Battalion rear guard, cover main force withdrawal! Entire army contract defense toward Wutaixian direction!”
“Commander! Letting the 20th Division go like this—isn’t that too much of a pity?” a young staff officer couldn’t help saying.
Su Yaoyang glanced at him and said gravely: “This isn’t the time to pity! Preserve strength to win more battles! Execute!”
“Yes! Commander!”
With Su Yaoyang’s order, the Shanxi Militia units, which had been fiercely engaging the Japanese 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade, began alternating withdrawals.
John led the tank battalion, using the Sherman tanks’ thick armor and powerful firepower to continuously fire from the rear, suppressing Japanese pursuit and covering the infantry’s safe withdrawal.
Although the Japanese 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade temporarily blocked the militia’s offensive, they also paid a heavy price, and their main purpose was to rescue the 20th Division remnants, not to fight the militia to the death.
After the militia’s active withdrawal, they did not pursue too deeply but quickly gathered the 20th Division stragglers and began building new defenses.
A pursuit that could have turned into a larger annihilation battle ended with the Shanxi Militia’s active withdrawal due to new enemy intelligence and the commander’s decisive decision.
The battlefield situation changes in an instant, full of unknowns and dangers.
Although Su Yaoyang regretted not finishing the job in one go, he was glad to have timely avoided greater danger for his troops, after all, war is never just one triumphant advance.
In the vast river of human history, examples of triumphant advance one second and total annihilation the next are all too common.
Zhuge all his life was only cautious… this was also a phrase Su Yaoyang often reminded himself of.
Never lightly advance at any time, or the next failure will be yours.
