bayedsolid Chapter 393: Water and Food Cuts
Chapter 393: Water and Food Cuts
At the Japanese 11th Army Headquarters, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadaichi also came to the commander Lieutenant General Okamura Yasuji with the latest telegram and reported: "Your Excellency Commander, the Air Force sent a telegram that they have carried out airdrops to the 16th Division troops in the encirclement in accordance with the request of Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, the commander of the 16th Division."
"Well, is there any news from the 16th Division?" Commander Lieutenant General Yasuji Okamura was still concentrating on the sand table simulation in front of him, and asked Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sadaichi Yoshimoto without turning his head.
"Um, Commander, the commander of the 16th Division, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, has just sent a telegram. They have received airdrop supplies from the Air Force. However, the Chinese army's offensive was too fierce, and the outer defense line behind the 16th Division was breached by the Chinese army in many places. As a result, many airdrop sites were caught in the crossfire between the two sides. The airdrop supplies and ammunition they could collect were less than half of all the airdrop supplies and ammunition. According to the estimate of the 16th Division, they can only rely on these supplies and ammunition for two to three days at most." Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadaichi explained the current predicament of the 16th Division to Commander Lieutenant General Okamura Yasuji.
"In addition, the commander of the 16th Division, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, has already withdrawn all the outer troops to the last defensive position. We will no longer be able to continue to use airdrops to supply the surrounded 16th Division." Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadaichi continued to bring the bad news to Commander Lieutenant General Okamura Yasuji.
After talking about these upsetting things, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sadaichi Yoshimoto felt a sense of relief. During this period of time, he and Commander Lieutenant General Yasuji Okamura had hardly had any rest. They were all worried about the surrounded 16th Division, but the situation on the battlefield was getting worse and worse, and there was no improvement at all because of their worry and busyness.
After hearing Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sadaichi Yoshimoto's report on the current situation of the 16th Division, Commander Lieutenant General Yasuji Okamura also became worried.
The 16th Division can only hold out for two or three more days, and then the surrounded 16th Division troops will be out of ammunition and food. In other words, a breakthrough must be made on the battlefield on the Xiangzao Highway within two days, otherwise, the 16th Division will be in danger.
"Is there any news from Lieutenant General Ogisu Rikuhei, the commander of the 13th Division? How is their current progress?" Commander Lieutenant General Okamura Yasuji also collected his thoughts and focused his attention on the battlefield in the direction of the Xiangzao Highway.
Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sadaichi Yoshimoto knew that the 16th Division now had no room for maneuver. Everything that could be done had been done. The rest depended on the 16th Division itself. How long it could hold out depended on God's will.
Now it depends on when Lieutenant General Ogisu Rikuhei, commander of the 13th Division on the Xiang-Zao Highway, can lead the reinforcements to break through the Chinese army's blocking positions. However, judging from the current situation, it will be difficult for the reinforcements on the Xiang-Zao Highway to break through the Chinese army's blocking positions within two days.
"Your Excellency the Commander, Lieutenant General Ogisu Rikuhei has not made any progress so far. Currently, the reinforcements, under the command of Lieutenant General Ogisu Rikuhei, are launching an attack on the Chinese army's defensive blocking positions on the north side of the Xiang-Zao Highway." Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadaichi also described the situation on the battlefield on the Xiang-Zao Highway.
Upon hearing Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sadaichi Yoshimoto say that there was still no progress on the battlefield on the Xiang-Zao Highway, Commander Lieutenant General Yasuji Okamura couldn't help but frown.
However, Commander Lieutenant General Okamura Yasuji also understood that the Chinese army must have deployed heavy troops to defend the battlefield on the Xiangzao Highway, and their Commander Li from the Fifth War Zone would not be unaware of the importance of this battlefield.
Commander Lieutenant General Yasuji Okamura even had serious suspicions that Commander Li of the Fifth War Zone of the Chinese government had secretly transferred a large number of troops from other war zones to strengthen the defense of the Xiangzao Highway.
Otherwise, according to the size of the reinforcement force led by the commander of the 13th Division, Ogisu Rikuhei, they would not have been unable to make any breakthrough on the battlefield in the direction of the Xiangzao Highway until now.
You know, Commander Lieutenant General Yasuji Okamura learned about the consumption of artillery shells by the reinforcement troops from the battle report of Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sadaichi Yoshimoto last night.
Judging from the amount of shells consumed, the battle on the Xiangzao Highway must have been very intense. Under such fierce artillery fire and infantry attacks, the Chinese army must have suffered very heavy casualties.
If the Fifth War Zone of the Chinese Government had not had a large number of troops to continuously rotate the defense on the Xiangzao kilometer battlefield, Lieutenant General Ogisu Rikiei would have rushed to the Sixteenth Division with reinforcements long ago.
"Mr. Yoshimoto, tell the Air Force to ensure air support for the 16th Division. At the same time, tell the Air Force to pay more attention to the Xiang-Zao Highway and assist Lieutenant General Ogisu Rikuhei's reinforcements to break through the Chinese army's blocking positions as soon as possible. Also, pay close attention to the troops mobilized from other places by the Chinese government's Fifth War Zone. Tell the intelligence department. If they are unaware of the reinforcement of the Chinese government's Fifth War Zone again, I will make them pay." Commander Lieutenant General Okamura Yasuji had no place to vent his anger and could only temporarily shift the focus of the conflict to the intelligence department that had made serious mistakes before.
After hearing the angry words of Commander Lieutenant General Okamura Yasuji, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadaichi said in a serious tone: "Please rest assured, Commander, I will personally supervise the intelligence department this time, and there will definitely not be a serious mistake like last time."
Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sadaichi Yoshimoto also secretly swore in his heart that he must not make any mistakes this time. After all, he was the direct supervisor of the intelligence department. At the summary meeting after this battle, he would inevitably have to spend some time to defend himself.
On the battlefield in the direction of Zaoyang, after a day of fierce fighting, the Second Army and the New 22nd Army cooperated with each other and basically wiped out the small groups of Japanese troops that had been surrounded behind their attacking forces. Only four small encirclements with relatively larger numbers of Japanese troops had not been dealt with in time.
However, the Second Army and the New 22nd Army had also agreed to launch a unified night attack on the Japanese troops in these four small encirclements at night, in an effort to eliminate all these Japanese troops in one go.
If the resistance of these Japanese troops is too fierce, in order to avoid unnecessary casualties, we can just send some troops to encircle them and see how long the Japanese troops can survive without water and food.