bayedsolid Chapter 619 Request for Retreat
Chapter 619 Request for Retreat
Two hours after the battalion commander, Major Okubo Haruno, sent a squadron directly to Suichang to check the situation, a second lieutenant officer ran hurriedly to the battalion commander, Major Okubo Haruno, who was leading his troops in a slow search.
"Your Excellency the Captain, I am Kawasaki Munenori, the squadron leader of the first squadron of the third squadron. Our squadron was ambushed by the Chinese army on the way to Suichang. The squadron leader asked me to come back to report to you and request tactical guidance." After Lieutenant Kawasaki Munenori saluted the captain, Major Okubo Haruno, he quickly reported the situation ahead breathlessly.
"What? As expected, the Chinese army has really occupied Suichang. Lieutenant Kawasaki, you quickly go and notify your squadron leader and ask him to withdraw his troops. I will be here with all the officers and soldiers of the battalion to support your squadron." The battalion commander, Major Okubo Haruno, also quickly ordered Lieutenant Kawasaki Munenori to convey his retreat order.
The battalion commander, Major Haruno Okubo, knew that Suichang must have been reoccupied by the Chinese army. The troops in the Songyang area were in trouble now. He had to inform the brigade commander, Major General Jiro Harada, of the news as soon as possible and ask the brigade commander to lead the troops to move quickly.
When the brigade commander, Major General Jiro Harada, received the news from Major Haruno Okubo, the commander of the 88th Brigade of the Independent Force, he was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat. His first reaction was, could it be that the tragedy of the annihilation of the Xiaojunjiang Brigade was about to happen to his own Harada Brigade? The Chinese army had tasted the sweetness of the Xiaojunjiang Brigade before, and now they were addicted to encirclement.
The brigade commander, Major General Jiro Harada, knew that after Suichang was reoccupied by the West China Army, the Japanese troops in the Songyang area had only one way to retreat to Lishui. If they did not retreat quickly to Lishui, who knew when the Chinese Army would block the retreat route to Lishui.
However, the brigade commander, Major General Jiro Harada, could not make the decision to retreat now, because the combat order given to him by Lieutenant General Shigeru Sawada, commander of the Japanese 13th Army, was to occupy the Songyang area and drive out all the Chinese troops in the Songyang area to cover the flank safety of the main force of the 13th Army.
Now, Songyang City has been occupied, but the troops of the Third War Zone of the Chinese Government in the Songyang area are still resisting. The troops of the 35th Division of the Third War Zone of the Chinese Government in Yuankou are still holding their positions, and their combat missions have not been completed.
Moreover, the order given to him by Lieutenant General Shigeru Sawada, commander of the 13th Army of the Japanese Army, was to occupy the Songyang area. If he wanted to retreat, he must obtain the personal order of Lieutenant General Shigeru Sawada, commander of the 13th Army, otherwise he would be held accountable after the war.
However, the current situation is already very dangerous for the Harada Mixed Brigade and the Nara Detachment. Their troops may be completely surrounded by the Chinese army in Songyang area at any time. Although their troops are more than a thousand people more than the previously annihilated Xiaojunjiang Brigade, it only took the Chinese government's New 22nd Army one day and one night to completely eliminate the Xiaojunjiang Brigade.
With this calculation, the brigade commander, Major General Jiro Harada, felt that his troops could only hold out for about a day longer than the Kojunjiang Brigade. However, during this period of time, it would be difficult for the reinforcements of the Japanese 13th Army to arrive.
Moreover, the brigade commander, Major General Jiro Harada, knew that the troop deployment of the 13th Army was already very tight. If his troops were surrounded in Songyang by the troops of the Third War Zone of the Chinese government, the 13th Army would not have any sizable troops that could be drawn out to reinforce him. His troops would most likely be completely wiped out in Songyang by the Chinese government's troops.
As for requesting retreat from Lieutenant General Sawada Shigeru, commander of the 13th Army of the Japanese Army, it might damage his own combat capability and reputation, but in the face of life, everything else is false. Only by surviving can he regain the reputation he has lost this time.
Therefore, the brigade commander, Major General Jiro Harada, sent a battle report to Lieutenant General Shigeru Sawada, commander of the 13th Army of the Japanese Army, and emphasized that Suichang had been reoccupied by the troops of the Third War Zone of the Chinese government, and that his troops in the Songyang area had been surrounded on three sides by the Chinese army. Moreover, the ammunition and material supplies of the troops had been cut off by the Chinese army. Even if his troops drove all the troops of the Third War Zone of the Chinese government in Songyang area out of Songyang area, they would not be able to hold Songyang under the siege of the Chinese army.
Therefore, the brigade commander, Major General Jiro Harada, hoped that Lieutenant General Shigeru Sawada, commander of the 13th Army of the Japanese Army, would approve his withdrawal of his troops to Lishui to avoid his troops being surrounded by the Third War Zone of the Chinese government and repeating the fate of the Xiaojunjiang Brigade, which was completely annihilated by the Chinese army.
After receiving the emergency telegram from Major General Jiro Harada, commander of the Harada Mixed Brigade, Lieutenant General Sawada Shigeru, commander of the 13th Army of the Japanese Army, felt bitter. Why was it so difficult for him to save his face before leaving office?
Lieutenant General Shigeru Sawada, commander of the 13th Army of the Japanese Army, felt that the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Campaign, which had been going very smoothly, had to suffer two setbacks at the very end, making the battle, which could have been a complete victory, become so unsatisfactory.
"Your Excellency the Commander, I think the retreat request of Major General Jiro Harada, commander of the Harada Mixed Brigade, can be approved. Just as Commander Jiro Harada said in the telegram, even if the Harada Mixed Brigade and the Nara Detachment are allowed to stay in the Songyang area, they will not be able to hold on. It is better to take advantage of the fact that the army of the Third War Zone of the Chinese government has not blocked the retreat road in the direction of Lishui, and let the brigade commander, Major General Jiro Harada, quickly withdraw his troops to Lishui. In this way, we can reduce a lot of unnecessary losses. What's more, this time the combat objectives of the Harada Mixed Brigade and the Nara Detachment have basically been achieved. This is an active retreat after victory." Major General Yasuo Karakawa, Chief of Staff of the 13th Army of the Japanese Army, also put forward his views at the right time.
Lieutenant General Sawada Shigeru, commander of the 13th Japanese Army, knew that this was a way for the Chief of Staff, Major General Karakawa Yasuo, to save face. Did the Harada Mixed Brigade and the Nara Detachment achieve their combat objectives? No, it could even be said that they had only achieved one-third of their objectives.
The main purpose of letting the Harada Mixed Brigade and the Nara Detachment attack and occupy the Songyang area was to protect the flank security of the main force of the 13th Army. Now, the flank security of the 13th Army has not changed at all. Can it be said that the combat mission has been basically completed?
(Thanks to the gift support from Wei Guogong who loves beef jerky, Li Ruofei who only eats dumplings without vinegar, and Li Ruofei who likes deciduous trees! Thank you all for your support and encouragement!)