Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

The 74th Army, Forward Command

The command post was located in a temporary Japanese stronghold that had just been cleared out two days earlier.

A faint smell of gunpowder and blood still lingered in the air.

But on everyone's face was a radiant smile of victory.

Army Commander Wang Yaowu held the phone, listening to reports from the division commanders at the front, his face beaming with an irrepressible smile.

"Good! Well played!"

Speaking into the microphone, he didn't hold back his praise, "Tell the brothers that they've worked hard. After this battle is over, I will personally recommend them for commendation!"

He hung up the phone and strode to the battle map.

Their 74th and 79th Armies formed a solid barrier around the waist of the Japanese 11th Army, like a steel plate.

They successfully cut off the Japanese forces along the entire south bank of the Yangtze River.

The only remaining combat units of the 11th Army in the Yichang area were the 13th Division, the 39th Division, the Nagano Unit, and the 14th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment of the Japanese Army.

As for the combat troops not within the encirclement, they consisted of parts of the Japanese 40th Division, 34th Division, 39th Division, 58th Division, and remnants of the 3rd Division.

Note: The Yegou Detachment was formed by drawing troops from the 58th Division, and the Yedi Detachment was formed by drawing troops from the 39th Division. Therefore, in the Yichang area, the detachments are no longer distinguished and the division numbers are used instead.

The 11th Army had more than that, but these troops were tied down in the Ninth War Zone and in Anxiang, Nanxian and other places where the 10th Army Group was located.

At this time, units like the Hariya Detachment and the Toda Detachment were engaged in battle with the 10th Army in the Sanxianhu area south of Nanxian County.

"Commander," Deputy Commander Li Tianxia said, pointing to the number of the defeated 17th Mixed Brigade on the map, her tone full of pride, "This time, our 74th Army has really made a name for itself!"

"Especially the 51st Division, which decimated an entire Japanese brigade. This achievement is probably unmatched by any of the participating units."

Wang Yaowu nodded slightly, a sense of pride welling up inside him.

Before he could finish speaking, a confidential staff officer strode in, holding a telegram, his face beaming with joy.

"Commander! A commendation order from the General Staff!"

"Read!"

"The 74th Army of the National Revolutionary Army acted decisively and with great bravery in this Battle of Western Hubei, successfully dividing the battlefield and creating an excellent opportunity to annihilate the stubborn enemy. This order is hereby issued to the entire army to commend them! Army Commander Wang Yaowu, for his calm and decisive command, is hereby awarded a major merit."

Before the telegram was even finished being read, the entire command post erupted in enthusiastic cheers!

"Furthermore," the confidential staff officer's voice rose a few decibels, "The Chairman has personally ordered the Central News Agency to send a dedicated reporter to the front lines to report extensively on our army's illustrious achievements. Commander, the General Headquarters also mentioned in the telegram that they would conduct an exclusive interview with you."

This last piece of news made all the officers present breathe rapidly.

They knew what that meant.

This means that, after a year, the 74th Army has once again polished its reputation as an "Iron Army of the Anti-Japanese War" and a "Tiger Warrior" in front of the people of the whole country!

And Wang Yaowu will once again step into the limelight and become a renowned anti-Japanese general in the public eye!
"Okay! Okay!"

Wang Yaowu clapped his hands loudly, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

the other side.

The 18th Army, forward command post at Niejiahe line.

In stark contrast to the jubilation on the 74th Army's side, the atmosphere here was rather somber.

Army Commander Fang Tianzheng stood silently in front of the map, his hands behind his back.

Behind him, Chief of Staff Zhao Xiukun's face was filled with resentment.

"Commander," he finally couldn't help but say in a low voice, "The 74th Army has captured Songzi. It is said that the garrison has less than a battalion of troops. The main force of the Japanese army is deployed in the areas surrounding Yichang and Yidu. They have gotten a great advantage."

"I know."

Fang Tian's voice was utterly calm.

Both are operational attack forces directly under the General Headquarters.

The 74th Army, advancing with unstoppable momentum, is dividing the battlefield and is about to become famous once again.

As the core trump card of the Civil Engineering Department.

Meanwhile, their 18th Army was still engaged in a difficult seesaw battle with the main force of the Japanese 39th Division along the Niejiahe and Yutaishan line.

Compared to the 74th Army, their mountain assault campaign progressed relatively slowly.

"Wang Zuomin really got a huge advantage!" Zhao Xiukun's tone was full of bitterness: "The main force of the Japanese army was tied up on the front lines by us and the river defense army. He just went around in circles and attacked their weak point. If we were to fight this battle..."

Fang Tian slowly turned around, interrupting him: "Hey~!"

He looked at his resentful chief of staff and shook his head.

"You can't say that."

His voice remained calm, "We both know how capable Brother Zuomin is."

"To be able to make such a bold move in such a short time, this courage and ability are not something everyone has."

He had dealt with Wang Yaowu many times and knew that although the other party was shrewd, he was also a real military talent who could fight and was willing to take risks.

"Besides."

Fang Tian's gaze returned to the map, and a fierce fighting spirit rekindled in his eyes: "Our battle has only just begun!"

The 74th Army completed its division.

So, as the main force of the river defense army in the counterattack.

The 18th Army naturally became the "leading actor" in the encirclement and annihilation battle.

“Jealousy is the emotion of the weak.” Fang Tian looked at Zhao Xiukun and said, word by word, “Our 18th Army has no need to be jealous of anyone!”

"That's what we're going to do."

His baton slammed heavily on Yidu, his eyes fierce as a wolf's!
"We'll use the heads of those Japanese devils to prove it to everyone!"

"We are also the elite main force of the National Revolutionary Army, and we are equally worthy of the title of campaign attack army!"

"Yes, Commander!"
-
On the Japanese side

A railway hub station in North China.

"Ugh——!"

The long, mournful whistle shattered the evening's tranquility.

A long, stuffy freight train, like a weary steel behemoth, slowly pulled up to a stop on the platform, panting heavily.

"Crack-!"

The heavy metal doors were roughly pulled open, and a foul stench, a mixture of sweat, rust, and excrement, billowed out of the carriage.

Countless Japanese soldiers in khaki uniforms stood like sardines being dumped out of the ground.

They emerged from the carriage, their faces sallow and their expressions listless.

Captain Shinya Sato, the company commander of the 3rd Company of the 1st Infantry Battalion of the Ito Detachment, held onto the car door and was the last to jump out of the vehicle.

The moment his feet touched the solid ground, he staggered and nearly fell to his knees.

Six hours.

For a full six hours, they were stuffed into that airtight, constantly shaking "can" like livestock.

The lack of oxygen, the bumpy ride, and the overflowing filth in the corner of the carriage almost exhausted all his strength.

"Squad Leader!"

A sergeant handed over a jug of ice-cold water.

Shinya Sato took the water bottle, tilted his head back and gulped down several mouthfuls. The cold liquid slid down his throat, which made his brain, which was dazed from lack of oxygen, a little clearer.

How long should you rest?

He wiped the rain and sweat from his face and asked in a hoarse voice.

"Reporting to the captain, one hour!" The sergeant's face was also full of exhaustion. "We only have one hour to eat, relieve ourselves, and then get back on the vehicle."

"One hour?"

Shinya Sato's brows furrowed tightly.

He looked around and saw that the platform was crowded with soldiers like himself, their expressions blank and their movements sluggish. Some were greedily breathing in the fresh air, while others were slumped on the cold ground, too exhausted to even move.

In the distance, several soldiers in charge of logistics were pushing large wooden buckets, distributing cold, sticky rice balls and a few slices of dried pickled radish to the crowd.

This is their dinner.

"Those bastards in the military"

"This isn't going to provide reinforcements, it's clearly going to their deaths!"

"If we are tortured like this, what kind of fighting power will we have even on the battlefield?"

Not far away, a suppressed voice, full of complaints, came from nearby.

A young soldier muttered curses under his breath to his comrade, "Where are we going? Why are we in such a hurry? Has the situation in Central China deteriorated to this extent?"

His words immediately drew a murmur of agreement from those around him.

"Exactly! We were pulled out from our respective elite divisions, and we thought we were going on some glorious mission!"

"The result is that we'll be riding in these damn stuffy freight cars to some unknown place, fighting a battle that has no meaning at all."

However, their complaints were not yet finished.

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound suddenly rang out.

That was the cracking sound of a whip striking flesh.

A military police officer, holding a riding crop, stood in front of the complaining soldier with a ferocious expression; the end of the whip was still trembling slightly.

The scene before their eyes instantly silenced all the discussion!

"Shut up!" he shouted sternly. "Your task is to obey orders!"

"Can such behavior still be considered that of a warrior of the brother nation?"

The soldier covered the burning welts on his face, his eyes filled with fear and resentment.

He lowered his head tightly, not daring to utter another word.

The soldiers around them also lowered their heads and silently ate the rice balls in their hands.

On the platform.

All that remained were the sounds of chewing and the hissing of a train exhaust in the distance.

Silent repression and discontent spread quietly among the people like a plague.

As Shinya Sato watched all this, his heart turned ice-cold.

The superiors did not tell him where the reinforcements were headed, nor what kind of enemy they would be facing.

Even though he was a company commander.

All he knew was that this "Ito Detachment" was a temporary contingent of key personnel drawn from various elite units.

From the very first moment it was born, it was destined to have a bad ending.

He looked up at the south, at the sky shrouded in twilight.

Sato Shin muttered to himself, "Another eight hours of sitting."

Travel south by train for eight hours.

This is sufficient proof that their destination was Central China.

The Central China region was previously engaged in the Jiangnan annihilation campaign.

Their arrival to provide support would inevitably indicate a worsening of the situation.

The situation is bound to worsen, otherwise why would they be redeploying troops like this?
Clearly, heading south is a one-way street!
-
Nanjing, the headquarters of the China Expeditionary Army.

Commander-in-Chief General Hata Shunroku was frozen in place for an entire afternoon, as if nailed to that enormous battle map.

His bloodshot eyes were fixed on the red area that had been completely submerged by blue arrows, and the baton in his hand was clenched so tightly that it creaked.

"Your Excellency Commander"

Chief of the General Staff Masazo Kawabe's hoarse voice broke the suffocating silence.

He pointed to two other directions on the map, his face filled with exhaustion and helplessness.

"We have just received telegrams from the 17th and 68th Divisions. The Chinese armies of the Third and Ninth War Zones in China have also launched offensives at the same time."

"Xue Yue's main force in the Ninth War Zone is launching a fierce attack on the Yueyang-Linxiang line."

"Gu Zhutong of the Third War Zone also mobilized several armies to launch a diversionary attack along the south bank of the Yangtze River towards Wuhu and Tongling."

Hata Shunroku didn't speak, but slowly closed his eyes.

Expected.

The wall fell and everyone pushed.

When the pillar of the 11th Army begins to falter, all the jackals will pounce without hesitation and take a bite.

"They just want to keep all our reserves pinned down in one place!"

Kawabe Masazo's voice was filled with resentment, "It's all so that we won't have any chance to reinforce the 11th Army commanded by Yokoyama-kun!"

Hata Shunroku has no cards left to play.

The hastily assembled reinforcements, the "Ito Detachment," are still bouncing along the long, arduous road.

If troops from the North China front continue to be drawn from here.

Then the North China Front Army would inevitably be unable to protect itself.

He had no more cards left to play to support the battlefield that was about to be submerged in blood.

Part of the 13th Division and the 39th Division.

The two forces combined, which had not yet been able to retreat to the north bank of the Yangtze River, numbered more than 20,000 of the empire's most elite warriors.

Now, they can only rely on themselves.

"Commander, there is no need to be so pessimistic!"

A young, promising staff officer, seemingly unwilling to accept this harsh reality, stepped forward and tried to boost morale: "General Akashi no Risa and General Sumita command the Empire's elite troops, veterans of countless battles!"

He pointed to the map, his voice brimming with passion: "Back in the day, during the battle in eastern Henan!"

"General Doihara's 14th Division was also facing an attack from eight Chinese armies, totaling 150,000 troops."

"But they remained unmoved, and could even launch a counterattack!"

"I firmly believe it!"

The staff officer bowed deeply: "The 13th and 39th Divisions will definitely withstand the pressure and wait for the Ito Detachment to arrive before launching a counterattack that blossoms from the center!"

Kawabe Masazo simply shook his head bitterly: "Don't forget what the final fate of the 14th Division was."

These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over my head!

The young staff officer's excitement froze instantly.

Yes, the 14th Division was incredibly brave in battle (from the Japanese perspective).
But in the end, they were completely wiped out by Chu Yunfei and the division commander Tu Feiyuan in Lanfeng County, right on the banks of the Yellow River.

This cemented Chu Yunfei's and 358's reputation.

The name "Flying Tigers" comes from this battle.

The number of troops that Chu Yunfei can mobilize now far exceeds what he had back then.

At this moment, the number of troops participating in the battle in western and northern Hubei far exceeds the combat strength of ten armies.

His command abilities have also improved considerably.

Combat troops face even greater dangers.

For the Japanese army, if there were no other ways to break the deadlock...

Yichang and Yidu have only one path forward: fall. The main force of the 13th Division and part of the 39th Division on the south bank of the Yangtze River are destined for annihilation! (End of Chapter)