Even if I'm a useless bum at Whampoa Military Academy, I'll be invincible in the War of Re

Southern Henan, Shangcheng, Fifth War Zone Headquarters

The night was deep, but the lights in the operations room were still on. The military map of Anhui, Henan and Hubei provinces hanging on the wall was covered with red and blue markings. Telegrams were being sent out from time to time, and staff officers were busy moving around.

The battle in Lu'an City has captured everyone's attention. The two sides have been fighting fiercely for three days. Acting Commander Bai Jiansheng's gaze is deep, and the air in the command post is heavy and oppressive.

Commander Li Delin of the war zone went to Jiangcheng for medical treatment due to illness. Bai Jiansheng, who was also a bigwig in the Guangxi clique, was appointed to temporarily take over as commander-in-chief and command the battle on the northern foothills of the Dabie Mountains.

Chief of Staff Zhang Shouling strode in, holding an urgent battle report, his expression solemn:

"Reporting to Acting Commander, Chief of Staff Xu! Urgent report from the front lines in western Anhui!"

Chief of Staff Xu Yanmou rushed forward to take the telegram, casually waved Zhang Shouling away, and said in a deep voice:

"At the hour of Xu tonight, the city of Liuan has completely fallen."

Since the battle began on the 26th, the 114th Division of the 51st Army under Yu Xuezhong has been holding out in the city for three days and nights without reinforcements or heavy artillery to defend against the enemy.

The Japanese army launched a fierce combined land and air attack, causing many sections of the city walls to collapse. The street fighting inside the city was extremely brutal, with more than half of the defending soldiers killed or wounded, leaving them unable to fight any longer.

The remnants of the 51st Army have all crossed the Pi River and are breaking through towards Gushi to regroup. Furthermore, according to forward reconnaissance, the Huoshan defense line is also in grave danger and will likely fall by dawn tomorrow.

Bai Jiansheng's expression changed drastically. He didn't rush to speak, but instead bent down to look at the map, focusing his gaze on the line between Lu'an and Huoshan.

Xu Yanmou leaned closer and said:

"Lu'an and Huoshan are the first gateways on the northern foothills of the Dabie Mountains. They collapsed one after another within a few days, and the situation is dire."

The enemy's Second Army's main force's westward advance was clearly aimed at: relying on the Liushang Highway to advance rapidly, break through the defense lines of Yejiaji and Fujinshan, and directly attack Shangcheng and Huangchuan, cutting off the Pinghan Railway and completely encircling Jiangcheng from the north.

Currently, the front of Sun Lianzhong's Third Army Corps' defensive line has been breached, and the defending troops are exhausted from prolonged fighting, with no mobile reserves available.

Acting Commander Bai Jiansheng's gaze was cold, and his voice was deep:

"The 51st Army, with its depleted forces, held off an enemy several times its size for three days, having already done its utmost. This was not a fault of its own."

But with the battle at this point, there was no room for regret. The Japanese army was at its peak and would certainly not rest, advancing westward at full speed;

The line between Fujinshan and Yejiaji is the last line of defense between Henan and Anhui provinces. If it falls, the entire defense line along the northern foothills of the Dabie Mountains will collapse, and Wuhan will be in imminent danger.

The two then fell silent. Bai Jiansheng needed to come up with a solution as soon as possible, as the situation was urgent.

After a moment, Bai Jiansheng asked:

"Chief of Staff Xu, report on the current gaps in troop deployment."

Xu Yanmou stepped forward to answer:

"Jian Gong, currently the right wing Li Pinxian's army is holding back the enemy on the north bank of the Yangtze River and cannot divide its forces."

Sun Lianzhong's army group had long battle lines and suffered heavy casualties, with its defenses stretched thin and no troops left to fill the gap at Yejiaji. If the enemy's main force were to advance directly on Fujinshan, the forward guard units alone would be absolutely unable to withstand the onslaught of the Japanese 13th Division.

Bai Jiansheng's gaze swept across the map repeatedly, and soon he made a decision:

"Telegram to the Tiger Army, ordering them to immediately end their rest and reorganize their entire main force, and to dispatch no less than an infantry division to advance eastward overnight to reinforce the positions of Yejiaji and Fujinshan."

Bai Jiansheng then reiterated:

"In this operation, the Tiger Legion was placed under the unified command of Sun Lianzhong's Third Army Corps, and had only two core tasks."

First, quickly move into the flank defense line of Fujinshan, take over the position defense, and plug the frontal gap after the fall of Lu'an;

Second, relying on mountain fortifications and the Shihe River, they held their ground to block the Japanese army's westward advance, buying time for the main force to assemble and deploy along the entire line.

The Japanese army is eager to open up the Henan-Anhui passage, so they will inevitably launch a fierce attack. After your unit arrives at the front line, you should take in the scattered officers and soldiers and wounded soldiers of the 51st Army who have retreated, reorganize them and reintegrate them into the defensive line, and stabilize the morale of the front line.

Tell Zhao Yunwen that he must hold off the Japanese for at least seven days. Don't worry about casualties; whatever they lose, I'll replenish their ranks!

Xu Yanmou then drafted the combat order, affixed the official seal of the war zone, and sent it to the Tiger Army after Bai Jiansheng signed and confirmed it.

At the same time, orders were sent to all counties along the route, including Gushi and Shangcheng, to mobilize laborers, stretchers, and provisions to ensure the supply of the relief troops throughout their march.

Xinyang, Tiger Legion Command

As night deepened, Zhao Yunwen had barely lain down when he was awakened from his sleep by Chief of Staff Xie Polu, whose voice was urgent:

"Commander, urgent telegram from headquarters!"

Zhao Yunwen knew he definitely wouldn't be able to sleep, so he yawned and asked:

"What is it?"

"Commander, Lu'an City has fallen, and the command is worried that Huoshan will not be able to hold out for long either. At present, the only option is to defend Fujinshan to the death."

The Japanese invaders were advancing fiercely, and Fujinshan only had the 36th Division of the 71st Army. The acting commander, worried about the loss of Fujinshan, ordered our troops to rush to its aid, with a force of no less than an infantry division.

After Xie Polu finished speaking briefly, he handed the telegram to Zhao Yunwen after Zhao Yunwen had quickly washed his face with cold water.

Zhao Yunwen, clutching the telegram, walked directly to the map, his finger moving westward along the route from Lu'an, Yejiaji, Fujinshan, Shangcheng, and Gushi, finally landing on Xinyang. He said in a deep voice:

"The shopping mall is where the headquarters is located, and Fujin Mountain is the shield of the shopping mall. If the shopping mall is lost, the headquarters will have to face the enemy's army head-on."

The Japanese devils' ultimate goal is still Xinyang. I will let them know that Xinyang is the most difficult obstacle for them to overcome!

Xie Polu asked with concern:

"Commander, what about the direction of Fujin Mountain?"

"The command has ordered that Fujinshan must be reinforced. The military situation is urgent. I will personally lead the 323rd Division, the mountain artillery battalion, the cavalry regiment, a reconnaissance battalion, and a supply battalion to form an eastward detachment to rush to the aid. This time, I will fight alongside my old classmate."

You immediately telegraph the 323rd Division and all its units, instructing them to complete their assembly before dawn and prepare the supplies needed for half a month of combat. The field hospital should also send some medical personnel to provide support.

Xie Polu gladly accepted the order and left. Zhao Yunwen then summoned Lu Ping, briefly explained the situation, and began to instruct Lu Ping:

"While I am away from Xinyang, you will be in full charge of the troops, with Chief of Staff Xie providing assistance."

With me and the Eastward Advance Detachment holding the line, the Japanese won't be able to reach Xinyang for a while. During this time, you must make preparations for battle and evacuate the people on both sides of the road to prevent the Japanese from causing harm.

A portion of the large amount of supplies stockpiled in Xinyang City needs to be transferred to the mountainous areas in advance for long-term operations.

Surplus grain from the people was also collected and purchased by the Tiger Army, or the people themselves were allowed to move it; it absolutely could not be left to the Japanese.

Lupin continued, saying:

"I know what to do. Even if we have to hold out to the death, we need to be prepared for both possibilities. Should we also sabotage the Pinghan Railway?"

Zhao Yunwen remembered that Xinyang did not fall until a few days before the end of the battle. Now that there was the Tiger Army as a variable, it was not impossible to hold it. At least a part of it would be left to fight in the mountains.

As long as the Tiger Army is there, the Japanese will not be able to use the Pinghan Railway to advance south. Once Jiangcheng falls, Xinyang will lose its strategic value, and the Japanese may have to retreat.

Having thought this through, he made up his mind, shook his head, and said:

"No rush. We just need to evacuate some people and supplies to the mountainous areas first to prevent the Japanese from causing a large number of casualties due to aerial bombing."

Effective immediately, wartime control will be implemented in Xinyang City to screen suspicious individuals and prevent enemy infiltration and sabotage.

At the same time, the people were organized into militias. The people of Xinyang have always been known for their fierceness, so the surplus weapons were distributed to them, and key members were sent out for basic military training.

"As long as the people are armed, small groups of Japanese soldiers will not dare to venture deep into the mountains to harm the people, and the main force can focus all its efforts on fighting the enemy."

Lupin's eyes lit up after hearing this, and he said excitedly:

"If that's the case, Xinyang will have tens of thousands more armed personnel, and with joint defense and coordination among villages and towns, self-defense will be possible."

Zhao Yunwen naturally knew that this tactic was effective. Mobilizing and arming the masses was not something only the Eighth Route Army knew how to do; the Tiger Army could do it too.

The Tiger Legion will need to establish bases in the future, so this can serve as a pilot project to accumulate experience.

After handing over the duties to Lu Ping, Zhao Yunwen led the First Battalion of the Guard Regiment and rushed to the 323rd Division's garrison overnight.

The other units will arrive one after another, and we can set off after we have assembled by dawn.

When Zhao Yunwen arrived at the 323rd Division, Division Commander Qiu Fengzi was already waiting for him.

Without much small talk, Zhao Yunwen got straight to the point and asked:

"Have the troops all assembled?"

Qiu the Madman reported loudly:

"The main force has been assembled, but the supplies will take some time."

"No rush, there's still more than an hour until dawn. It will take time for the artillery battalion and the supply battalion to arrive."

The Japanese had just captured Lu'an, and Huoshan was still holding out. It would be at least a few days before the Japanese reached Fujinshan.

I'll take a nap first, and wake me up when all the troops have arrived.