novelAbuy Chapter 280 The Showdown at Huangkan Village, the Approach of the 3rd Division
Chapter 280 The Showdown at Huangkan Village, the Approach of the 3rd Division
He emphasized the words "from Whampoa Military Academy," as if afraid that others would forget that Xiao Shanling was his student.
Commander He understood immediately, smiled and responded, then turned to arrange the issuance of the commendation order, his steps becoming much lighter.
The principal glanced down at the telegram in his hand again, unable to suppress the smile on his lips, which was as sweet as honey.
The night outside the window was still very dark, as dark as ink that couldn't be dissolved, but his mood was much brighter than before.
Over at Huangkan Village, Wang Dayong was holding up binoculars, watching the approaching Japanese troops.
He had received Li Jianghe's orders: after putting up a fierce resistance in the Huangkan Village area, retreat.
The objective was simple—to lure the enemy deep into our territory, leading the Japanese troops step by step into the Minshan Township area, and then guiding them by the nose like leading an ox.
The attacking forces were two Japanese divisions: the 107th Division and the 3rd Class A Division.
The two divisions together numbered around 50,000 men, a dark mass like a locust swarm passing by.
In addition, there were two extra heavy artillery wings, plus a large number of air force units, providing overwhelming fire support.
In order to deal with the large number of armored vehicles of Li Jianghe's Third Column, the Japanese army even added anti-tank guns.
Meanwhile, Okamura Yasuji had already arrived in Chaisang and was personally overseeing the encirclement and annihilation of the Third Column.
He knew very well that if he could win this battle, it would greatly benefit his future career advancement.
After all, Li Jianghe's Third Column was a key focus of the entire headquarters, and had already caused them great losses on the Chinese battlefield.
Commander Yukawa Shota, commander of the Japanese 3rd Division, placed a report in front of Okamura Yasuji; the paper carried a faint scent of ink.
"Commander, this is a report from the frontline reconnaissance troops. They have basically ascertained the enemy's troop deployment in the Huangkan Village area."
"Their total strength should be around five thousand men. If our army launches a full-scale attack, we can tear their defenses apart in two days at most."
At this point, Yu Chuanxiang pointed to the map and tapped it a few times with his finger.
"Of course, we also need to pay attention to the flanks. These enemy armored units like to outflank and infiltrate, harassing the flanks and rear."
"However, considering the terrain limitations, it is unlikely that the enemy will adopt this tactic to launch a direct surprise attack on Chaisang."
"But as the troops advance, the frontline troops will face this risk, which must be guarded against."
Okamura Neiji smiled calmly, a smile like thin ice in winter, seemingly hard, but actually fragile enough to shatter at the slightest touch.
"By then, the entire Third Column might be completely incapable of retaliating."
As he spoke, his gaze fell on Wutai Ridge on the map, his eyes filled with a sense of determination.
"The main forces of the 7th and 106th Divisions have arrived here. If nothing unexpected happens, they will launch an attack on the 11th Army at Wutai Ridge before nightfall."
Yu Chuanxiang was a cautious person. He looked at the troop deployment on the map and frowned slightly.
"But the Jiamu Brigade has just suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the 11th Army. This enemy force is no longer the 11th Army we know."
"Perhaps it's a combination of Li Jianghe's Third Column and the original Eleventh Army. In any case, even a joint attack by the Seventh Division and the 106th Division would probably not be able to break through this defensive line within five days."
Compared to Okamura Neiji's confidence, Yuukawa Shota was not so optimistic.
His intuition told him that Li Jianghe definitely had many trump cards up his sleeve, like daggers hidden in his sleeves.
Even the enemy troops in the Huangkan Village area don't seem to be too many, which is strange in itself.
In other words, before confirming the annihilation of the main force of the Third Column, this enemy force was fully capable of turning against them and inflicting heavy losses.
Okamura Neiji waved his hand, his tone tinged with impatience: "Yuukawa Shota, you're being overly cautious."
"When facing Li Jianghe's third column, excessive caution and hesitation will only expose weaknesses and allow the enemy to seize opportunities."
As he said this, he was more inclined to act swiftly and decisively, and not to give Wuhan any more time to transfer troops to the battlefield.
After saying that, he stretched out his finger and tapped the location of Huangkan Village hard, his knuckles making a dull thud on the table.
"Your mission is to take this place as quickly as possible, without fail."
"Hai!!!" Yu Chuan Xiangtai said no more, stood at attention and bowed his head, but there was still a trace of worry in his heart.
The attack began precisely at nine o'clock in the morning, the sky was overcast, like an old rag that could not be washed properly.
More than two hundred Japanese artillery pieces roared for a full half hour, the sound so loud it made people's ears tingle.
Nearly ten thousand shells of different calibers were unleashed on the outer perimeter of Huangkan Village, sending mud and gravel flying everywhere.
The scene resembled a red-hot iron block being repeatedly hammered in a blacksmith's shop, with sparks flying and thick smoke billowing.
After the shelling, the Japanese infantry launched their formal offensive, with soldiers carrying rifles and crouching low as they advanced.
After the shelling, the Japanese infantry launched their formal offensive, with soldiers carrying rifles and crouching low as they advanced.
Amidst the smoke and fire, Wang Dayong used binoculars to observe the location of the Japanese troops, a smile spreading across his face.
"What a generous gesture! They're really giving us face, hehe." He muttered to himself, his voice mostly drowned out by the sound of artillery fire.
"Come on, I'll kill as many as you come, you bunch of worthless bastards, I'll make sure you're all wiped out."
After he finished speaking, he gave the order to fire to the front-line troops, his tone as decisive as snapping a dry branch.
Gunfire and explosions instantly engulfed the entire battlefield, like a pot of boiling porridge, bubbling and gurgling.
The advancing Japanese troops suddenly came to a halt, as if someone had pressed the pause button.
Those Japanese soldiers who couldn't dodge in time were hit by the dense machine gun fire from the front and fell like wheat being harvested.
The battle to capture and defend Huangkan Village officially began, with gunfire and artillery sounds continuing from morning till night.
The fighting here continued until nightfall. The Japanese advance was not entirely fruitless, but it was better than nothing.
After expending a large amount of ammunition and suffering considerable casualties, the entire unit only advanced three hundred meters.
At this distance, you could hear a shout from a high place, yet it took them an entire day.
This was completely different from what Yu Chuanxiang had originally envisioned; he had thought he could advance at least one or two kilometers.
As the sun set, the sky looked as if it had been splashed with blood. He stared at that red expanse, a sense of unease rising in his heart.
"Be careful, the enemy might launch a counterattack at night," said Yuukawa Shota, looking at the setting sun.
"This is their usual tactic, especially targeting the flanks of our forces, which may be the main targets of enemy armored units."
His voice wasn't loud, but every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a heavy tone.
As he spoke, the night, like a huge black cloth, slowly, slowly descended.