Film and Television World Life Record

On Luojia Mountain in Hankou.

The principal stood by the window of his official residence, gazing at the scenery of East Lake. Ever since his son, Benjamin Butler, captured Nanjing, he had often stood by the window, lost in thought. He both hoped for a great victory, allowing the Guo family a much-needed respite and sufficient time to recuperate. Yet, he also didn't want to see his old rival achieve great merit. This conflicting sentiment was truly agonizing.

After much deliberation, he made two preparations: he sent his elite 81st Army to join the Fifth War Zone to increase its combat effectiveness, ensuring victory while also infiltrating the Fifth War Zone with spies.

Originally, he was quite satisfied with his arrangements, thinking that this would allow him to control the overall situation on the front lines.

Surprisingly, the Fifth War Zone, relying solely on a ragtag army, performed remarkably well. Then there was the air force, which appeared out of nowhere and proved even more formidable, frequently launching night raids on Japanese troops with brilliant results.

Not only domestic newspapers praised it, but newspapers in the concessions, Hong Kong, and even overseas praised the victory, saying it greatly boosted morale and public spirit.

Even he has been beaming with pride lately, and now he has the confidence to ask other countries for loans and aid.

However, Tang En's move seems to have backfired. Leaving aside their dismal performance in the defense of Tengxian, they watched helplessly as the entire 122nd Division was wiped out, losing a strategically vital location without taking any action.

The public also condemned the incident. Wang Mingzhang's martyrdom led Sichuan army generals to shout the slogan "Kill Tang En to atone for the heroic spirit of Commander Wang."

If it weren't for the great effort the government put into propaganda and explanation, Tengxian would have been bombed and burned, with thousands of Japanese soldiers killed, thus diverting attention.

Faced with public opinion, Tang En has likely followed in the footsteps of Han Qu from Shandong Province. With the "stain" of Teng County, the miscellaneous generals of the Fifth War Zone now hold Tang En in utter contempt! The plan to infiltrate his forces has completely failed and is no longer feasible.

He had personally chosen them, and while they were indeed loyal, their poor performance greatly angered him.

At that moment, the adjutant, holding a blue folder, gently pushed open the office door and walked in.

"Principal, it's Commander Li's telegram!"

"Read!"

The telegrams all began in the same way, starting with the usual greetings and a recount of today's battle reports. In fact, the Fifth War Zone Command sent a telegram every few hours to report on military affairs, and he already knew about the information mentioned in the telegram.

After finishing the uninformative parts, they got to the key point, which was about Tang Enbu. They briefly recounted how Tang Enbu disobeyed orders.

The principal was silent for a moment, then asked his adjutant, "That old Li is at it again, complaining about Tang En's troops. He never lets us have a moment's peace. Tell me, what are the chances that the Fifth War Zone's current encirclement strategy against the Isogai Division will completely annihilate it?"

He was just asking casually and didn't expect any real insights.

The adjutant said, "From our department's perspective, the Isogai Division is now trapped. As long as the Fifth War Zone acts cautiously, the results will be substantial. If things go well, we might even be able to kill Isogai Renge at Taierzhuang. However, there is still a variable involved. If the encirclement goes awry and the Fifth Division breaks through the defenses and merges with the reinforcements from the north, then the situation will be completely different."

The principal tapped the table, sighed, and seemed to be talking to himself: "Tang En's troops are still very capable fighters. In the Battle of Nankou, Tang En fought the Japanese army for ten days in a bloody battle along the Huailai, Nankou and Juyongguan line, suffering more than 10,000 casualties, showing extremely tenacity. Otherwise, I would not have given him such an important task. Who knew that now he would be accused of being cowardly and hesitant to advance? I think some people are making a mountain out of a molehill."

As she spoke, she became a little angry.

Pointing to the telegram, he reported: "Actually, the 81st Army fought several battles on the northern line of the Jinpu Railway, suffered losses, and no one appreciated it; instead, there was a barrage of criticism. Sometimes, I really think Tang En was a fool!"

In his rage, the principal vented his anger on Tang En, while the adjutant dared not utter a word, listening silently with his head down.

After a long while, his anger finally subsided, and the adjutant cautiously asked, "What should we do with Commander Li's telegram? And what about the 81st Army...?"

With the fighting at the front lines becoming increasingly intense, the adjutant had to remind him that there were still some unresolved issues.

The principal wasn't as angry as before. He paused for a moment, then picked up the telegram on the table and said, "I will oversee Tang En's side! We must be fully committed to the Battle of Taierzhuang. Don't be afraid of difficulties! Victory is the only option; defeat is not an option. As for other matters, let's discuss them after the battle!"

He then instructed a telegram to Tang Enbo's troops: "The battle near Taierzhuang has lasted for more than half a month. Your corps is positioned on the enemy's flank and rear, which is a particularly advantageous position. Yet the attack has failed. How do you explain this? You must immediately and strictly supervise your troops, strive for success, and annihilate this enemy. Do not fail to live up to their expectations."

.........

On the other side, after reading the telegram, Tang En seemed like a completely different person. He knew he could no longer conserve his strength and cower in place. He berated Commander Li several times, and the 81st Army completely changed its previous hesitant attitude, began to actively deploy, and launched a full-scale offensive.

The situation of the battle is now clear. The Fifth War Zone has launched a full-scale counter-offensive and it seems that the Japanese 10th Division will be annihilated soon!

Meanwhile, the Japanese troops near Taierzhuang were stunned by the attacks from all directions. They had only retreated a short distance when Sun Lianzhong led his troops to attack from both flanks of Taierzhuang! After half a day of fierce fighting, Guan Linzheng's 52nd Army arrived and joined the battle. Facing the siege of four army-level units, the already heavily damaged 4th Division finally collapsed during its retreat!

Pursued by the army, they fled in disarray, abandoning their armor and weapons and a large amount of military supplies.

Several armies joined forces and pursued them relentlessly. Corpses, food supplies, ammunition, and clothing were scattered everywhere on both sides of the road.

The fleeing soldiers, facing relentless attacks from all sides, suffered increasing casualties, their numbers dwindling, and black smoke billowed everywhere, with corpses strewn across the battlefield.

The elite 10th Division was suddenly in what felt like hell!

In the end, under the intense encirclement and pressure from various armies, the 10th Division, with only a small number of remnants, retreated to the Yixian area at great cost.

After the great battle, the battlefield from Yixian to Taierzhuang was littered with burning trucks and the corpses of Japanese soldiers. There were also numerous artillery pieces of various calibers, hundreds of trucks, artillery tractors, dozens of tanks, and countless firearms and ammunition!

The great victory at Taierzhuang!

Chapter 435 Dawn

The small notebook was routed and surrounded by the Fifth War Zone, which was trying to trap and beat it. As one victory after another came from the front, Li Mu was in high spirits.

That noon, on a whim, I took a plane for a spin around the front lines.

To avoid misunderstandings, the fighter jets flew very high and took a quick look around. Commander Li's methods were indeed extraordinary, one step leading to another. The 10th Division was already severely weakened by Li Mu's bombing tactics, and he was becoming increasingly adept at carrying out these schemes. The Japanese were truly doomed.

After flying around for a short while, Li Mu arrived above Haierzhuang again.

Now, the troops here have all gone to intercept the Japanese, and only some wounded soldiers have been left here.

Li Mu lowered his flight altitude, took out his binoculars, and looked down at this famous place from later generations.

After days of gunfire and smoke cleared, the small town by the canal finally returned to peace.

After being ravaged by artillery fire, not a single intact building could be found on the ground. Of the four city walls, only the south side facing the canal remained relatively intact; the other three sides were riddled with holes.

As for the houses, they are now all ruins, with walls collapsed and houses crumbling. The collapsed buildings have piled up into small hills on the streets, and the stone slab roads have been blasted into deep pits. The ground is covered with scorched earth, which shows how terrible the destruction was.

In some areas where the fighting was intense, the ground was covered with a thick layer of grenade shrapnel and artillery shell fragments! Heaven knows how fierce the battles were between the soldiers on both sides as they fought and charged around Taierzhuang, creating such a battlefield.

Looking at everything before him, Li Mu seemed to suddenly understand what a scorched-earth resistance was. It was truly remarkable that Sun Lianzhong's troops could hold out for so long.

It is both awe-inspiring to the bravery of the soldiers and a tragedy that the war is taking place on our land.

After the war, all that remained was scorched earth, and the people suffered terribly. One day, we will make those little devils taste the bitterness of Japan being reduced to ashes.

……

The following morning, the government couldn't wait to announce the news of the great victory at Taierzhuang, a truly great victory.

From Linyi to Ju County, from Teng County to Taierzhuang, the Japanese 5th and 10th Divisions, totaling more than 50,000 men, escaped with only a cavalry unit from the 5th Division and a small remnant of the 10th Division, totaling less than 10,000 men.

Of the more than 50,000 men in the two divisions, more than 40,000 were buried here. The two old and elite divisions of the "Little Book" were thus removed from the list.

What's even more unbelievable is that the two armies suffered casualties at a 1:1 ratio, with the Japanese even incurring more casualties. This is truly astonishing considering Japan's inferior equipment, firepower, and training.

When the good news spread, people across the country and overseas Chinese communities were overjoyed. In all the major cities that had not fallen, hundreds of thousands of people held unprecedented rallies and parades to celebrate the victory.

As the temporary residence of Guo Degang, all the people of Hankou, regardless of age or gender, were immersed in a festive atmosphere, with cheering crowds everywhere. Large banners, both horizontal and vertical, proclaimed: "Celebrating the Great Victory at Taierzhuang!" and "China Will Prevail!"

The joyous sound of firecrackers turned the whole city upside down.

Newspaper staff loaded trucks with bundles of extra editions, but demand still exceeded supply. Some newspapers, in a moment of impulsiveness, simply gave up payment and scattered newspapers proclaiming the great victory all over the streets, where countless people read them again and again.

All sorts of national salvation groups flocked to the streets, marching, chanting slogans, singing, giving impromptu speeches, and performing operas to inspire everyone's enthusiasm for the war of resistance and to call on the public to donate money and supplies to support the front lines.

The government also played a significant role in these activities. It launched and organized various celebrations, inspiring the masses' patriotic fervor in resisting Japanese aggression. Many passionate young people took to the streets, delivering impassioned speeches and calling on people to unite against the invaders.

But in Xiao Rizi's local area, it's a completely different story.

The near-total annihilation of Itagashi and Isogai is an undeniable fact that they cannot accept.

Since their invasion, they have been invincible. In their eyes, the so-called Fifth War Zone consisted of only a motley crew and was not worth mentioning; any division could easily sweep it away.

Now, two veteran elite divisions have been almost completely annihilated. How can they accept this?

The army, in particular, is currently embroiled in a fierce dispute between the army and navy, unable to accept the battle reports from the front lines, and continues to make excuses in the face of public opinion at home.

Yu was furious and equally unable to accept it.

He angrily instructed the cabinet: "Choose an opportunity to launch a larger offensive, vowing to avenge the disastrous defeat at Taierzhuang and restore the reputation of the invincible Locust Army."

Lu Xiang knew very well that Xuzhou was an important town, and Guo Fu would not give it up easily. If he could not mobilize a large army to surround it from all sides, it would be difficult to open up the Jinpu Railway and connect the two major battle lines.

After much deliberation, he reported to Hirohito: "The loss of only two divisions cannot shake our army's significant advantage. As for the Fifth War Zone, our army should seize the opportunity to strike hard with a large force, or even annihilate it in one fell swoop. This will have a great effect on crushing the will of the people of Taiwan to resist, and can also reverse the negative impact of the Battle of Taierzhuang."

Hirohito was overjoyed upon seeing this and immediately approved it: "The plan to encircle and annihilate the Fifth War Zone is permitted. It is required that this offensive must achieve great results, and that not a single soldier of the Fifth War Zone should escape. The goal is to annihilate them all."

In order to achieve a swift victory and seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the Prime Minister immediately issued the order to encircle Xuzhou.

……

On the other hand, the victory ahead greatly stimulated the principal's desire to win and caused him to misjudge the true strength of both sides.

He even personally went to the front line to supervise the battle by special plane, and transferred a large number of troops from various war zones, increasing the strength of the Fifth War Zone to 60.

Meanwhile, Hu Songnan, Huang Jie, Gui Qing, Yu Jishi, Song Lian and other troops were also deployed in eastern Henan as backup forces, in an attempt to fight the Japanese in Xuzhou.

Upon disembarking from the plane, the principal immediately convened a war meeting, addressing the generals of the Fifth War Zone: "Gentlemen... Xuzhou is a strategic location at the crossroads of the Yellow and Huai Rivers, at the junction of Shandong, Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu provinces, serving as a vital passage between north and south, and a shield for the Central Plains... The gain or loss of Xuzhou is a matter of national destiny..."

Immediately someone chimed in, "The principal is absolutely right. Xuzhou has always been a strategic location fought over by military strategists. If we defend it to the south, we can conquer Henan and Shandong; if we defend it to the north, we can overlook the Huai River... It is imperative to defend it."

Several others chimed in, but Commander Li remained silent. He knew perfectly well that Xuzhou could not be held. Although they had won this battle, the overall situation of the enemy being stronger and them being weaker remained unchanged.

With the various armies of the Japanese army disengaging from their respective battlefields and launching a pincer attack from all sides, Xuzhou is bound to be in turmoil.

Seeing that no one was speaking, the principal continued to emphasize, "We must fight this battle in Xuzhou well. A decisive battle in Xuzhou can buy us more time. The longer we hold Xuzhou, the more time Wuhan will have to prepare, and the better we can do our preparations."

Seeing that the principal had made up his mind, Commander Li said nothing more. After the victory at Taierzhuang, a blind optimism arose within Guo's administration. However, as the highest-ranking officer of the Fifth War Zone, he was not optimistic about the future situation. Xuzhou was surrounded by plains with no natural defenses. The Japanese army was a mechanized force, heavily supported by air power. Fighting there would result in heavy losses.

Under the current circumstances, engaging in a war of attrition with the Japanese army in a positional stalemate is the most foolish course of action. Given the equipment of our domestic army, it is best suited to utilize the terrain to wage mobile warfare against the enemy.

But everyone was still basking in the victory at Taierzhuang, so what could they do but obey orders and plan for the new Battle of Xuzhou?

……

When Li Mu saw in the newspaper that the Guo government was mobilizing troops to prepare for a major battle with the Japanese in Xuzhou, he chuckled a few times.