ATPnovel Chapter 250 The Principal's Fury
Chapter 250 The Principal's Fury
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Ogisu Ritsuhei looked at Tani Hisao with a serious expression and made a suggestion:
"Concentrate the main forces to defend the east, since that is the main force of the Third Column."
If we move all the available reserves there, we might be able to hold out until dawn.
Tani Hisao shook his head with a bitter smile, a smile more painful than a grimace.
Do you think the enemy's attack from the west isn't fierce?
With the Central Army's tank convoys, Li Jianghe's large armored forces, and the Northwest Army's fearless fighting spirit, the western defense line collapsed in an instant.
Tani Hisao had never taken the Central Army and the Northwest Army seriously before.
In his view, those troops were poorly equipped, poorly trained, and had low morale, making them no match for the Imperial Army.
But this time, he really suffered a great loss.
The 6th Division's troops in the west had suffered heavy casualties in just three hours.
A significant portion of them were killed or wounded by the Northwest Army and the Central Army tank convoys.
Those Northwest Army soldiers fought like ravenous wolves, biting and never letting go.
Ogisu Rippei frowned and asked, "So what should we do now?"
They can't hold out. Those bastards from the Imperial Guard Division and the 13th Division haven't broken through the enemy's lines yet.
Should we consider breaking out to the south?
According to Ogisu Ritsuhei, if the situation were to drag on any longer, both the 6th and 10th Divisions would be at risk of being completely annihilated by the enemy.
This is not alarmist talk, but a fact that is right before our eyes.
Especially now that it's still some time before dawn, the air force can't provide any support.
Those bombers and fighters were useless at night.
Even after dawn?
The enemy's air defense forces had long since laid a tight net, and in the past two days, they had lost too many aircraft.
Every plane crash was like a slap in the face to the military.
Hisao Tani was silent for a moment, then asked the most practical question:
How much ammunition do we have left?
The chief of staff, standing to the side, opened his notebook, his voice low and bitter:
"Report... Not much left. The intensity of the fighting these past few days has been too high, and ammunition consumption has far exceeded expectations. We can only last for one more day at most."
This answer is not surprising.
The supply line has been cut off for some time now.
Even without fighting, the supplies consumed by a force of over 70,000 people just for food and water are astronomical.
Moreover, they have been engaged in high-intensity combat for the past few days, and their ammunition is being used up like water.
Right now, even the tanks and armored vehicles are out of fuel. Those lumps of iron are just sitting there, unable to move, nothing more than a pile of scrap metal.
"Damn it... are we really going to have to retreat?"
Tani Hisao gritted his teeth, still somewhat unwilling to give up.
His 6th Division achieved remarkable feats under the walls of Nanjing and was the elite force of the entire Central China Expeditionary Army.
Now, if he's asked to break out and run away like a stray dog, where would he put his face?
Ogishu Rippei noticed his hesitation and advised him:
"At least we should consult Commander Nishio."
This illustrates our current predicament—if reinforcements cannot arrive by noon tomorrow, we will have no choice but to break out.
This isn't cowardice; it's preserving strength.
After a long silence, Tani Hisao finally nodded slowly.
"Alright, that's the only way."
His voice was very soft, like ashes scattered by the wind.
Outside the window, the sound of gunfire continued.
The flash of the explosion shone through the gap in the curtains, casting flickering light and shadow on the wall.
The light and shadow resembled an invisible hand, constantly patting the wall, as if urging or warning.
The night is still long.
Before dawn, no one knows what will happen.
On the western front, Qiu Qingquan's tank convoy had already pierced through the flank like a sharp knife.
The tracks rolled over the muddy ground, kicking up large clouds of dust and gravel.
The tanks roared forward, their cannons occasionally spitting out sparks as they eliminated scattered Japanese firing positions along the way.
He kept his promise to Li Jianghe, truly defied Hu Zongnan's military orders, and threw himself into the counterattack without hesitation.
Qiu Qingquan sat in the command vehicle, looking through the observation window at the sky illuminated by artillery fire, a slight smile playing on his lips.
He thought, "Commander Hu's telegram is probably coming again. Let it come, I don't plan to read it anyway."
The atmosphere in the Wuhan headquarters was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring.
The principal was pacing anxiously, his leather shoes clicking rapidly on the floor. His face was flushed with anger, like a volcano about to erupt, though it hadn't fully burst forth yet.
Commander He walked over from the opposite side and said in a low voice:
"It is now confirmed that the Northwest Army and the Third Column have launched a full-scale counter-offensive, and the fighting is extremely fierce. There is also another message from Hu Zongnan."
The principal stopped and asked in a cold voice:
However, Hu Zongnan's First Army could not possibly be buried with these lunatics from the Fifth War Zone.
Those were his loyal followers, his family's wealth. He would be heartbroken if they were lost to the Japanese army, but it would be a joke if they were lost to his own people.
Commander He shook his head, his tone tinged with helplessness:
"No. It was Qiu Qingquan's tank unit—that madman Qiu—who led the tank unit directly towards the Japanese army on the eastern front. Hu Zongnan sent seven or eight telegrams, but received no reply."
"What?"
The principal slammed his hand on the table, his anger finally bursting forth like a flood breaking through a dam:
"What is this madman Qiu doing? Is he going to throw my tank convoy onto the battlefield to be buried with the Fifth War Zone?"
His voice echoed through the camp, and the staff officers all lowered their heads, not daring to breathe.
Commander He lowered his voice and said:
"But right now Qiu Qingquan isn't even replying to telegrams, so it's probably impossible to get him back."
The principal, however, ignored all of this and said with a sidelong glance:
"Send a telegram directly to Qiu Qingquan! Tell him to immediately withdraw his troops from the battlefield, or he will be court-martialed!"
As he spoke, his gaze fell on the military map on the wall.
At this moment, the entire area surrounding Huoqiu County was in complete chaos. Arrows of various colors were crisscrossed, making it dizzying to look at.
The Japanese Imperial Guard Division and the 13th Division are concentrating their forces to launch a fierce attack on Gushi.
If it weren't for Zhang Zizhong leading his troops to defend the front and withstanding the most ferocious wave of Japanese attacks, the Nationalist army's retreat route on the east bank would probably have been cut off by the Japanese long ago.
Now things have gotten even worse. The Northwest Army and Li Jianghe's troops have gone all in, even bringing Qiu Qingquan's tank convoy into the fray, and together they are besieging the Sixth and Tenth Divisions.
The principal sensed that the battle was slipping completely out of his control.
The next chapter is even more exciting: Chapter 250, The Principal's Fury. We look forward to your visit.