Quartermasters can also fight the devils

Chapter 410: The Destruction of the 9th Regiment

Chief of Staff Major General Takuma Ishikawa blinked his eyes and said, "Your Excellency the division commander, you are predicting that the 16th Division will not survive more than two days."

After the Chinese army completely wiped out the remnants of the 16th Division, the troops of the New 22nd Army of the Chinese government responsible for blocking the Xiangzao Highway would certainly withdraw. By then, the reinforcements would surely be able to occupy and break through the Chinese army's blocking positions, but a breakthrough at this time would be meaningless.

However, the cleverness of His Excellency the division commander is that he issued the military order when it was necessary. In this way, no one can find any fault with it after the war. Maybe you should even be commended for your courage to take responsibility and brave fighting spirit.

As for the late breakthrough, there is nothing we can do about it. It was the 16th Division that couldn't hold on a little longer, right? It has nothing to do with us.

"Your Excellency the Division Commander is wise. I will send a telegram to the headquarters right away and report in detail to Commander Okamura Yasuji the battle report of our overnight attack today and your Excellency's words." Chief of Staff Major General Takuma Ishikawa also hurriedly bent down and bowed, and said respectfully to the division commander Lieutenant General Ogisu Rikuhei.

After the Chief of Staff, Major General Ishikawa Takuma, left the tent, the division commander, Lieutenant General Ogisu Rikuei, picked up the telegram on the table and read it, then said to himself: "Fujie Keisuke, if you dare to abandon my 104th Regiment, then I dare to abandon your th Division. People always have to pay for their mistakes. This is called cause and effect."

And now the commander of the 16th Division, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, has no time to consider what other people are thinking. The intensity of the attack by the Chinese night attack force has already made it difficult for the officers and soldiers of the 16th Division of the Japanese Army on the defensive positions to breathe.

Since twelve o'clock in the evening, the night attack troops of the Chinese army have been attacking continuously for six hours. During this period, they have not stopped attacking various defensive positions. A steady stream of Chinese troops are encroaching on both sides through the gap in the mountain position, and another part of the troops are rushing towards the division headquarters through the opened gap.

Now, the Chinese army's attack force has rushed to within 400 meters of the division headquarters. The division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, has dispatched all the combat officers and soldiers he can, but the Chinese army is still slowly advancing towards the division headquarters.

"Your Excellency the division commander, the Chinese army's attack force is not far from the division headquarters. Please move immediately." Chief of Staff Major General Nakazawa Mitsuo trotted into the division headquarters and loudly persuaded the division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, without caring about his image.

The division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, looked at the sweaty Chief of Staff, Major General Nakazawa Sanfu, and said with a wry smile: "Mr. Nakazawa, where can we move to now? The surrounding defensive positions are being fiercely attacked by the Chinese army. Which direction can we move to? I am here. What is the current situation of the troops?"

After hearing what the division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke said, Chief of Staff Major General Nakazawa Mitsuo was speechless for a moment. Indeed, it seemed useless to move anywhere now, and the Chinese army was attacking from all directions in such a small area. It might be the rear one minute and the front line the next. There was no safe place.

"Your Excellency the division commander, we have lost contact with many positions. We have no control over the specific situation of our troops now. We can only roughly judge the situation of our troops based on the current offensive of the Chinese army." Chief of Staff Major General Mitsuo Nakazawa also explained the situation with a blush on his face. This was really too embarrassing that the situation of his own troops had to be judged based on the offensive of the Chinese army.

"Mr. Nakazawa, tell me your judgment. There are fierce battles going on in various positions now. It is normal that we cannot fully grasp the situation of the troops." The division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, also comforted the chief of staff, Major General Nakazawa Mitsuo.

"Mr. Division Commander, according to my judgment, our troops should only have about half of their strength left now, and the defensive positions have been breached by the Chinese army in many places." Chief of Staff Major General Nakazawa Mitsuo gritted his teeth and stated his judgment.

"Mr. Nakazawa, keep talking. At this point, there is no need to be cautious. How long do you think we can hold on?" The division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, looked at the chief of staff, Major General Nakazawa Mitsuo, who was hesitant to speak, and encouraged him.

"This... Mr. Division Commander, please forgive me for being frank, but I personally think that if we are lucky, we can hold out until tomorrow morning. If the Chinese army continues to attack like this, we estimate that we can only hold out until tonight at most." Chief of Staff Major General Mitsuo Nakazawa expressed his prediction pessimistically. He also knew that he had to state the conclusion directly now.

The division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, understood that his troops could probably only hold out until tonight at most. The Chinese army had been attacking continuously for such a long time, which meant that the Chinese army was adequately prepared. Moreover, the Chinese army's manpower was fully capable of replacing the attacking troops. If he were the commander of the Chinese army, he would certainly order his troops to continue to attack without stopping.

"Mr. Nakazawa, send a telegram to Commander Okamura Yasuji to report our current situation, and tell the commander that if Lieutenant General Ogisu Rippei cannot arrive with reinforcements this afternoon, the 16th Division will be completely wiped out." The division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, felt that he still had to put pressure on the headquarters. There was no hope at all with the troops they had now.

Just as the division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, gave the order, Colonel Katagiri Morio, commander of the 9th Regiment on the battlefield, was also making the final resistance with the remaining 300-odd officers and soldiers.

This resistance was silent, because the regiment commander, Colonel Katagiri Morio, was waving his command sword and leading the remaining 300-odd officers and soldiers to fight with bayonets against the several times larger Chinese offensive forces.

The regiment commander, Colonel Katagiri Morio, felt that the Chinese army was too unmartial. How could so many people come up to fight with more than 300 people in his regiment with bayonets? This was not a one-on-one fight between warriors, this was simply a group fight, and it was a group fight of one person against more than ten people. The most important thing was that their side was the one being beaten.

As the officers and soldiers of the 9th Regiment gradually fell, China's attack finally completely occupied this position. The regiment commander, Colonel Katagiri Morio, had his neck chopped off by a big knife, and fell on the position, dead.

The 9th Regiment of the 16th Division of the Japanese Army was also completely wiped out by the Chinese troops.