novelAbuy Chapter 278 Li Jianghe's Scheme
Chapter 278 Li Jianghe's Scheme
Chapter 278 of this book contains a surprise about Li Jianghe's plan. Click here to unlock it now.
The dim light in the command post illuminated half of his face, making it appear both bright and dark.
He would occasionally raise his wrist to check his watch, then put it down, then look at it again, then put it down again.
The hands seemed to move much slower than usual, and every second felt like torture.
Finally, a communications soldier ran in.
The young soldier was running so fast he almost tripped on the threshold, but before he could regain his footing, he started shouting at the top of his lungs:
"Report! The Japanese troops have begun to retreat. Should our troops pursue them?"
His voice trembled slightly with excitement, his face was streaked with black and white from the smoke of gunpowder, but his eyes shone like two stars.
Hearing this, Xiao Shanling finally felt relieved.
He exhaled a long breath, which condensed into a cloud of white mist in the cool night air before quickly dissipating.
He jumped to his feet, waved his hand, and shouted in a voice as loud as a battle cry: "Pursue! Pursue them immediately! Kill all these little devils!!!"
As he finished speaking, his hand lingered in the air for a moment, as if trying to nail those words into everyone's heart.
Meanwhile, in the command post of Li Jianghe's Third Column, news of the Eleventh Army's victory also arrived.
Yang Ruifu walked over with the telegram in his hand, unable to hide the smile on his face.
He handed over the telegram, then reached up and pushed up his glasses, saying slowly, "Not bad, the 11th Army fought really well."
When he said this, his tone carried a hint of envy, as well as a touch of eagerness.
However, his expression quickly turned serious, and he changed the subject:
"Shouldn't we also take some action on our side?"
The Japanese troops in the Chaisang direction are accumulating more and more forces, and they are also sending a large number of reconnaissance troops to Minshan Township, which we occupy.
This afternoon, reconnaissance planes circled overhead several times.
There was no doubt that the Japanese troops on the other side were planning to launch an attack.
Judging from various signs, it is highly likely to happen tomorrow morning.
This is a conclusion that can be drawn without guessing, because the Japanese army's actions have become increasingly obvious and almost undisguised.
They were like the rising tide, surging up wave after wave, higher and higher, closer and closer.
After capturing Minshan Township, Li Jianghe's Third Column had already constructed defensive positions in the northern part of Minshan Township.
Meanwhile, numerous tanks, trucks, and other heavy equipment were hidden in the mountains and forests on the flanks, completely covered with branches and camouflage nets. From the air, they looked like an ordinary forest, and nothing could be found.
This was done to evade reconnaissance by Japanese air fire—those planes didn't care whether you were a military target or not; they would bomb you as soon as they saw you, and then strafe you again after bombing you.
Today, the trench defense line in the north has been basically completed.
Long Wenzhang spoke up at this moment, his voice unhurried but each word carrying weight: "If you ask me, we should take the initiative."
Choosing to defend, in fact, gave the Japanese time to prepare.
As he spoke, he walked to the map, placed his finger on the location of Chaisang, and drew a circle in that small area.
At least two divisions have now been assembled there, and more Japanese troops will arrive later.
The number of Japanese aircraft also increased, and they began bombing raids before the war.
Although the air defense forces of the Third Column had built a relatively tight air defense network on the perimeter, these Japanese air force units had obviously received a death order—to resolutely carry out bombing missions even under anti-aircraft fire.
Those pilots were risking their lives. Some planes had several holes in their wings from anti-aircraft guns and were wobbling, but they were still dropping bombs.
Li Jianghe didn't seem nervous at all.
"What's the rush?" he said slowly. "If we simply attack Chaisang, we'll suffer unnecessary losses."
Our primary task is still to eliminate the Japanese army's manpower.
As he spoke, he tapped his finger lightly on the table, as if emphasizing something.
He paused, then added, "If I'm not mistaken, Okamura on the other side most likely intends to make eliminating us his primary objective in this operation."
When he said this, there was no fear or anger in his tone; instead, there was the composure of a hunter waiting for his prey to take the bait.
This feeling was strange, but Long Wenzhang and Yang Ruifu both felt it.
This judgment was based not only on the basic combat situation, but also on another very important factor—the movements of the 6th and 106th Divisions.
These two divisions, which were clearly engaged in battle with Xue Yue's army, suddenly abandoned their attack on Xue Yue's army and instead moved towards the Wutai Ridge area.
What does this mean? It means their goals have changed.
The objective was simple: to launch an attack on the Third Column, which was assembled around Mahuiling Town and Minshan Township.
Okamura Yasuji was determined to take down the tough nut of the Third Column.
At this point, Li Jianghe issued an order.
His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear: "Call Lin Yongzhi in Huangjiakan and tell him that if the Japanese launch a fierce attack tomorrow, hold out for a while and then retreat."
"Retreat?" Wang Dayong was stunned. He frowned and asked, somewhat puzzled, "Shouldn't we use the terrain around Huangjiakan to ambush them?"
As he said this, he leaned forward slightly, as if trying to get a closer look at the map.
After all, their strategic depth is not very large, and there are only a few places they can defend.
Huangjiakan controls a relatively flat, narrow passage, surrounded by gently rolling hills. The terrain is varied and makes it a good place for ambush.
If we abandon this place, subsequent defenses will only become more difficult.
Everyone understands this principle, but what Wang Dayong doesn't understand is why Li Jianghe is doing the opposite.
Long Wenzhang, however, had already understood Li Jianghe's intentions.
He nodded and slowly said, "The corps commander's intention is probably the same as that of the 11th Army—to lure the enemy deep into our territory and then annihilate them in one fell swoop."
After he finished speaking, he looked at Li Jianghe, as if seeking confirmation.
Li Jianghe chuckled, a sly smile playing on his lips, like an old fox eyeing its prey that had stumbled into a trap.
"That's right," he said, "but this scene needs to be more realistic, otherwise the Japanese won't fall for it."
He paused, then added, "During the day, the 11th Army set an example for us; now it's our turn."
The key is to act convincingly, so they don't notice anything amiss.
From the perspective of the Japanese army, the Third Column was now a trapped beast.
This is a judgment that Okamura Neiji must have had in mind.
The only force capable of providing support to the Third Column was the Eleventh Army at Wutailing—the combined strength of the two units was around 50,000, or perhaps even less.
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