I'm killing enemies with my sword and exploding equipment

After a night of fierce fighting, various units of our army in northwestern Shanxi achieved considerable results.

From cadres at all levels to ordinary soldiers, everyone is happy.

But the Japanese were just the opposite, they were all crying.

……

In the temporary headquarters of the Japanese First Division.

The division commander, Saburo Nakazawa, summoned the few capable men left under his command and ordered them to report their respective situations.

The first to bear the brunt was naturally the commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, Major General Masao Yano.

At this moment, he was covered in dust and his originally straight major general uniform was tattered. Facing Nakazawa Saburo's question, he stammered:
"Your Excellency, the commander of the division, our 2nd Infantry Brigade has...more than 2100 brave warriors...died in battle, and more than 1500 were injured."

"What? 2100 dead and 1500 injured???

"Bageyalu! You're a piece of trash!!!"

Saburo Nakazawa almost vomited blood.

He knew very well that originally the 2nd Brigade only had one 3rd Regiment, and after absorbing the incomplete 49th Regiment, it only had about to people.

There were 3600 casualties or serious injuries tonight, which means that more than half of the brigade was killed or wounded, and it was reduced to an entire regiment!

I simply couldn’t see it!

……

Masao Yano felt very wronged when he was scolded.

As soon as he thought of it, he quickly said:
"Your Excellency, the heavy losses are not my fault!
It was entirely because the Eighth Route Army had too many attacking troops, the artillery fire was too fierce, and they also had a large number of incendiary bombs!

It’s not a crime of war!”

"Baga! Are you still trying to shirk responsibility???"

Hearing this guy use such a word, Nakazawa Saburo was so angry that he wanted to jump up and hit him.

But just as he had this impulse, he felt a sharp pain in his right foot. He could only sit still and stare at Masao Yano with bloodshot eyes.

The division chief of staff, Takahashi Mantang, noticed that he looked like he was going to eat someone and couldn't help but feel a little frightened.

Fearing that he might suddenly go crazy and do whatever he wanted, he ordered the guards to take Yano Masao out and execute him.

He immediately stood up and said:

"Yano-kun, there is no shame in failure!
But it is shameful if you don’t dare to take your own responsibilities!
As an imperial warrior, you should shoulder your responsibilities!"

As he spoke, he winked at Masao Yano, suggesting that he should stop being angry with Sawa Saburo.

Now is not the time for internal strife!

However, Yano Masao, a major general, did not give face to the colonel and continued to blame:
“Takahashi-kun, it’s not that I, Yano Masao, am unwilling to take responsibility.

The 49th Regiment that Yoshino Hideki handed over to me simply had a large number of wounded soldiers and did not have much combat effectiveness at all!
Our 2nd Brigade appears to have two infantry regiments, but in reality, there are only less than 6000 people who can fight!
And the enemy we faced last night was at least tens of thousands of people!"

Anyway, he had already heard that the unlucky guy Yoshino Hideki was doomed, so there was no way he would jump out and debate with him.

So at this moment, he can unscrupulously put the blame on the other party.

Hearing about this defeat and how Yoshino Hideki was to blame, Nakazawa Saburo was so angry that his heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys ached. He could no longer control his anger and shouted angrily:
“Bagya Road!
That damn bastard Yoshino Hideki caused my First Division to suffer such a defeat!

I want—cough cough cough…”

Before he could finish his curse, he suddenly started coughing violently.

As he coughed, a mouthful of blood spurted out, scaring everyone present and causing them to exclaim:

"Your Excellency, Division Commander!"

……

With the full treatment of the two military doctors, after about twenty minutes, Saburo Nakazawa's cough finally stopped.

However, his face was still pale.

Now, he was no longer able to argue with Masao Yano and could only let this guy stand aside so as not to get in his way.

Then I asked the commander of the 1st Field Artillery Regiment, Masahiko Imai:
"Imai-kun, how many guns are left in your field artillery regiment?

I seemed to have heard earlier that you had a shell explosion?"

When Masahiko Imai was summoned to the headquarters, he felt as if his father had died.

However, seeing Yano Masao pass the test successfully, he was relieved and answered honestly:

"Your Excellency, the division commander, our artillery position was attacked by dozens of mortars from the Tubalu Army.

The range of these mortars was estimated to be about two or three kilometers, causing us to lose a large number of artillery and artillery.

目前，我们只剩下了2门150毫米榴弹炮、4门105毫米榴弹炮和3门75毫米山炮了。

The artillery also lost nearly 400 people and seriously injured to people. "

He didn't know that there was such a thing as a recoilless gun in the world, and he thought that what Chu Kun and others were using were mortars.

After all, the M18 recoilless rifle was not put into production until 44, and now it is only 42.

……

"What? You only have 9 guns left in your field artillery regiment?"

Saburo Nakazawa screamed in shock.

The anger in my heart that had just been suppressed suddenly rose up again.

It went straight to the top of his head, causing his right hand to involuntarily grasp the hilt of the saber at his waist!

Seeing that the division commander was about to vomit blood in anger, Gao Qiao Mantang quickly interrupted and asked:

"Imai-kun, why isn't Nishijima-kun from the Engineer Regiment here?

Didn’t their engineering corps go to support you?
Why did you suffer such heavy losses?
Could it be that this bastard was afraid of the enemy and fled from the battlefield?"

When he mentioned Nishijima Yuya, Saburo Nakazawa's attention was indeed slightly diverted. He stared at Masahiko Imai, waiting for him to give a reasonable explanation!

Imai Masahiko replied with a sad face:
"Nishijima-kun led the brave warriors of the Engineer Regiment to counterattack the incoming artillery of the Eighth Route Army.

But they were ambushed by the enemy and were killed.

Their regiment also lost at least half of its troops.

Now it is Lieutenant Colonel Osaki Keiki, the Chief of Staff of the Engineer Regiment, who is leading their warriors."

"What? Nishijima-kun died? And lost half of his troops?
this--"

Takahashi Mantang's jaw almost dropped to the ground, his face full of horror.

"B-G-Ya-Lu!"

Saburo Nakazawa's teeth were clenching.

I almost broke my teeth.

But this was not the most devastating thing for him.

The next second, another squadron leader of the Supply Corps, Captain Hattori Mitsuki, came to report:

"Your Excellency, the division commander, the food we brought with us was stolen by the Eighth Route Army during the chaos last night!"

Upon hearing this, Nakazawa Saburo stood there in a daze, gasping for breath.

In his heart, he even wanted to pull out the pistol from his waist and shoot himself to put an end to it all!
The loss of troops would be bad enough, but now we are almost out of food. What’s the point of fighting this war?

It’s fun!
Seeing that he didn't say anything for a while, Gao Qiao Mantang came to his senses and asked hurriedly:

"Hattori-kun, how long will the remaining food last for us?"

"Based on the original size of our division of 2 people, the remaining food would be difficult to sustain for even a day.

But I heard that there are only a few thousand people left in the entire division, so the food may only last for two to three days.

In addition, the warriors were also given some dry food, and with this in mind, they should be able to hold out for three days."

After hearing what he said, everyone present didn't know whether to cry or laugh for a moment.

The bad news: Food is running low.

The good news: there are fewer mouths to feed, so the food can last a few more days!

This is really a bit unbearable. …

The situation was so bad that the senior officers of the 1st Division all looked at each other, some of them not knowing what to do.

They have never fought such an outrageous battle!

Given the current strength and food situation of the First Division, it is obvious that this battle cannot be fought.

But if they were to retreat in such a disgraceful manner, then every one of them would have to go to the reserve.

Even going to the reserve is still a good outcome.

The greater possibility is that he will be ordered to commit suicide.

This way it can be considered a death in battle, so as to avoid bringing disgrace to the family!
……

Takahashi Mandou came out and sent Hattori Mitsuki away, then turned around and asked Nakazawa Saburo who was sitting on the ammunition box in a daze:

"Your Excellency, Division Commander, what should we do now?"

As he spoke, Masao Yano, Masahiko Imai and others also looked at Saburo Nakazawa.

I want to see what brilliant ideas this division commander has that can turn the tide of the war and restore the glory of the 1st Division!

However, the First Division now has only a few thousand soldiers, more than a dozen cannons, and only enough food for three days. What can Saburo Nakazawa do?
Do you really think he is Yamashita Tomoyuki?
If he had more outstanding abilities, the First Division wouldn't have ended up in such a state!
……

After thinking hard for a long time, Saburo Nakazawa still couldn't come up with any good solution.

I can only blame Takahashi Mantang:
"Takahashi-kun, what do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Qiao Mantang was speechless.

I thought to myself: Now I am the one asking you how are you?

You ask me how I watch it? I watch it standing up!
Although he was complaining in his heart, he could only bite the bullet and suggest:

"Your Excellency, our First Division has suffered heavy casualties and I'm afraid we can no longer undertake the main offensive mission."

"Takahashi-kun, please explain it clearly!"

Saburo Nakazawa felt a faint light in front of his eyes, but it was not clear enough, so he asked anxiously.

"Your Excellency, my question is, can we... can we consider letting the 8th Division take the lead and continue to advance?
My First Division will stay behind to protect the transportation line and transport the wounded back to Shimen City first?"

"Yoshi! Quick, send someone to invite Honda-kun over here. I want to discuss this with him!"

Without even a second's thought, Saburo Nakazawa chose to accept the other party's suggestion and made the decision without hesitation.

He was really scared by the Eighth Route Army in northwestern Shanxi, so he decided to pass this hot potato to the commander of the Eighth Division, Honda Masazai!
……

At this moment, over at the 8th Division, Honda Masazai was also in a bad mood.

Last night, his Eighth Division was also attacked by a large number of enemies, causing them considerable casualties.

Although in the end, he relied on his powerful strength to repel the opponent.

But after a night of fighting, the Eighth Division lost at least 1000 people and nearly 1500 were injured.

Almost an entire regiment was lost in one fell swoop.

He could barely accept the loss of manpower, but what made him most unbearable was that the officer from the baggage corps just reported to him that their food could only last for two days at most.

As the saying goes, "Before the army moves, food and fodder must go first." Without food, soldiers can only fight on an empty stomach, and even the most elite troops will become weaklings.

He immediately ordered his chief of staff, Colonel Keihito Nagakubo, to reorganize the troops.

And I myself was going to go to the First Division to discuss things with Saburo Nakazawa.

However, before he could take any action, the messenger sent by Saburo Nakazawa hurried over and asked him to pass.

Honda Masazai did not hesitate. He told Kubo Keijin to lead the troops, called a few guards, and hurried away with the messenger.

……

Soon, he arrived at the First Division, and in the dim morning light, he saw that the battlefield was in a mess.

There were bullet holes and broken limbs everywhere.

It seems that it is several times worse than his 8th Division!
Seeing this situation, Honda Masazai couldn't help but feel a little frightened.

I started to wonder in my heart: This trip to northwest Shanxi feels ten times more dangerous than the sweep in central Hebei!

It’s incredible!
Aren’t they all Tubalu? Why is there such a big gap in their strength?

……

While thinking as he walked, Honda Masazai arrived at Nakazawa Saburo's temporary command post.

Then I realized that apart from a few telegraph operators, one or two staff members and a small number of guards, there was basically no one here, and it looked very desolate.

As for Saburo Nakazawa himself, he sat on an ammunition box with his head down, looking haggard, like a defeated rooster.

His right foot was not wearing a military boot, but was bandaged, and it was obvious at a glance that he was injured.

Seeing this scene, he was immediately very confused and thought: Could it be that Saburo Nakazawa is so brave that he personally went into battle last night?
Otherwise, how could he get hurt?

He immediately pretended to be concerned and asked:

"Nakazawa-kun, are you hurt? What happened?"

When Nakazawa Saburo heard his words, he quickly looked up, forced a smile, and apologized:

"Honda-kun, my foot was accidentally injured and it is difficult for me to stand. Please forgive me, Honda-kun."

He didn't want to tell the other party that he had broken his leg by kicking it himself.

……

After the two exchanged a few pleasantries, Honda Masazai asked curiously:

“Nakazawa-kun, why are your guards so scarce?
If the Eighth Route Army breaks through the outer defense line and infiltrates, it will be extremely dangerous!"

Nakazawa Saburo smiled bitterly:

"Last night I evacuated all the personnel from the division headquarters and gave them to the idiot Yoshino Hideki to lead to attack the Tubalu position. As a result, all of them were killed."

"What? Yoshino-kun died???

This this……"

Honda Masashi didn't know what to say.

A major general of the Imperial Army died just like that. This is definitely not a trivial matter!

Apart from anything else, at least Saburo Nakazawa will be reprimanded by the headquarters.

Nakazawa Saburo couldn't bear to hear the name of Yoshino Hideki. Seeing Honda Masashi still looking regretful, he couldn't help but get angry and immediately cursed:
“This idiot deserves to die!

He destroyed my entire 1st Infantry Brigade!"

"Nani? What's going on?"

Honda Masashi was shocked.

An entire infantry brigade was completely destroyed. Isn't this loss too tragic?
Is this still the invincible great locust army?
Why do I feel that we are worse than those useless Locust Army?

Saburo Nakazawa told the other party about Yoshino Hideki's stupid behavior while cursing.

At this moment, Honda Masazai felt a little numb.

He felt that the current situation of the First Division seemed even worse than he had imagined.

There are only two infantry brigades in total, and now one is gone. What’s going on?
So he quickly asked:
"Mr. Nakazawa, how many troops do you have in the First Division now?"

"There are less than 5000 soldiers capable of fighting!"

Nakazawa Saburo answered with a sad face.

In fact, the number of 5000 is a result of forced beautification.

If the wounded are not counted, there are only two or three thousand combat-capable soldiers left in his First Division.

Speaking of it, it’s really unbearable to watch!
……

When Honda Masazai heard that the huge First Division only had such a small number of troops left, his eyes immediately widened and his mouth opened wide.

He had just seen that the First Division was in a miserable state, but he never expected that it would be so miserable!
A Class A division, just a few days after coming out of Shimen, it has become a regiment!
If I tell this to anyone, no one will believe it!
...(End of chapter)