Songhu: Never Give Up

Chapter 89: The Flesh Grinding Wheel (1) (Please read and collect)
Kaga aircraft carrier, Shanghai Expeditionary Force Headquarters
As the 9th, 13th, and 101st Divisions arrived one after another, Matsui Iwane became more confident and had more ideas. He said to his Chief of Staff, Major General Iinuma Mamoru:
"Mr. Iinuma, as the three divisions of reinforcements arrived at the battle zone, the Chinese began to withdraw their forces and retreated to fight in the areas of Shanghai North Station, Jiangwan, Miaohang, and Luodian. The enemy and our offensive and defensive positions were reversed;

This means that the Chinese have exhausted their three axes, and it is time for the Imperial Army to launch an offensive. How can they break through the Chinese's airtight defense? "

Iinuma Mamoru was already prepared. When the commander asked, he immediately walked to the huge map and said:

"Commander, the focus of the Chinese defense is still the area south and west of Luodian. Although the Imperial Army has temporarily occupied Luodian, the two sides are still deadlocked near Luodian. The main force of the enemy's 15th Army has gathered here, and the Imperial Army cannot advance an inch.

The Imperial Army should continue to attack west and south of Luodian, break through the enemy's defense line and continue to attack westwards, occupy Jiading and then move south to cut off the rear of the National Army in Shanghai."

After Iinuma Mamoru finished speaking, he used his baton to draw a beautiful attack arc on the map, which just included the hundreds of thousands of national troops gathered in Shanghai. His appetite was not small.

Matsui Iwane nodded, motioning him to continue. It was obvious that this was just a grand strategy and required a specific implementation plan.

Iinuma Mamoru continued:
"After occupying Luodian, the main force of the imperial army split into two groups. One group went south to capture Dachang and headed straight for the Ninth Army in Zhabei, first encircling and annihilating the elite Chinese troops in the urban area."

Matsui Iwane asked without comment:
"Iinuma-kun, what if the attack in the direction of Luodian is thwarted?"

"Commander, have the 11th and 3rd Divisions use continuous attacks in the Luodian direction to contain the main force of the enemy's 9th Group. The 13th, 101th, and st Divisions will land in the Yuepu area, break through the enemy's Yunzaobang defense line, and then attack Dachang.
As long as Dachang is occupied, the main force of the Chinese Army on the north bank of Suzhou River will be attacked from both sides. If they do not want to be annihilated, they can only abandon positions such as Beizhan and Jiangwan and flee to the south bank of Suzhou River.

After the Imperial Army defeated the enemy in the center, the enemy's left flank was opened, and there was no need to hold on, so they had to retreat. In this way, the entire SH city was captured by the Imperial Army. "

Matsui Iwane finally smiled and nodded with satisfaction.
"Let's formulate a battle plan based on this plan. Order the 11th Division to immediately launch an attack on the Chinese defenders west and south of Luodian. The 3rd Division will launch a diversionary attack in the direction of Yangxing. Order the 13th Division and the 101st Division to prepare for landing. Order the 9th Division..."

Following an order from Matsui Iwane, the main force of the 11th Division in Luodian and the Tiangu Detachment (with the 12th Regiment as the core) continued to attack westward and southward in two routes. The Luodian battlefield, which had been silent for several days, was filled with smoke again.

The six divisions of the 6th Army commanded by Luo Zhuoying defended the line to the death and refused to give up an inch of territory. The two sides fought fiercely for a week, with corpses everywhere. The 11th Division only advanced less than 500 meters, leaving behind a field of corpses.

At the headquarters of the 74st Division of the 51th Army, the division commander, Wang Yaowu, a third-term graduate, was discussing countermeasures with several brigade and regiment commanders. The main force of the 74th Army was under tremendous pressure. Wang Yaowu, who had always disliked playing by the rules, was ready to take the initiative and do something to relieve the pressure on the main force.

Zhang Zhongling, the leader of the 305th Regiment of the Fourth Class, was also a guy who didn't play by the rules. He immediately stood up and said:

"Master, we should have taken the initiative a long time ago. How can we just passively take the beating?
I have a plan to surround the enemy and attack their reinforcements, so that I can teach those arrogant devils a lesson."

Wang Yaowu immediately became interested and said to Zhang Zhongling:
"Lingfu, if you have any good ideas, just tell me. If they are feasible, we can give it a try."

Zhang Zhongling was fearless and immediately told Wang Yaowu his idea, which coincided with Wang Yaowu's idea of ​​taking the initiative. He immediately agreed to his battle plan and designated the 305th Regiment to play the leading role. He personally led the main force of the 51st Division to fight the reinforcements. East of Luodian, on the Japanese supply line, a baggage unit was transporting combat supplies to the 11th Division;
Due to the intense fighting on the front line and huge consumption, the Japanese Army's supply corps was under tremendous pressure to provide support. Although their speed was already fast enough, the battalion commander, Major Matsuyama, was still urging them on and would whip them if they were any slow.

Many of these baggage soldiers were Koreans, just wearing the skin of the devils. Some of them had already considered themselves to be real devils, such as the driver Park Chengen. He even changed his name to a Japanese name, Inoue Chengen.

It is said that his parents also worked in Inoue, and then he was born, so he had no pressure to change his surname from Park to Inoue. The Koreans are used to taking what is needed.

Since the Japanese army's supplies were mainly carried out by mule and horse carts, drivers who could drive horse carts would receive certain preferential treatment. Inoue Chengen was the best driver, so the battalion commander, Major Matsuyama, smiled at him the most, and Inoue Chengen was so happy that his tail was lifted up to the sky.

"Bagayalu, you are so slow at work, you have a very bad conscience!"

Inoue Chengen whipped his deputy several times in front of the Japanese. He had disliked Tanaka Xingwen for a long time. What a jerk! Such a lowly guy dared to change his name to a Japanese surname.

"Yoshi, Mr. Park, you have done a good job. You will be rewarded after the supplies are delivered."

Major Matsuyama symbolically praised Park Seung-eun, and he was so happy that he excitedly said to the other Koreans:

“Did you hear that?

The captain called me "Jun"! This means that he has recognized that I am also Japanese. You bastards are not allowed to use Japanese surnames anymore. What qualifications do you have to use Japanese surnames?"

After saying this, he whipped Tanaka Xingwen twice as a warning to others, and then shouted at the cart to speed up;
He had already thought it through. This time, as a reward, he would ask the captain to allow him to change his ancestral roots. He was not Mr. Park - he was Mr. Inoue!
A few hundred meters away, Zhang Zhongling put down his telescope and excitedly said to the battalion commander:
"The Japanese are about to enter the trap. You should defeat their guards first and remember to send some of them back to report the news.
Don’t destroy the enemy’s baggage. There are dozens of carts here, and they all belong to me.”

"Don't worry, Captain. We are very reliable and won't even hit a large truck."

After the battalion commander finished speaking, he took the order and left excitedly. Zhang Zhongling picked up the telescope and continued to watch the show. The protagonists were naturally the brothers below, and he, as the regiment commander, just had to make plans.

He had seen clearly the strength of the Japs. They had only one squad of guards and the rest were baggage soldiers, many of whom did not even have guns. If one of his main regiments could not even handle these scumbags, he, as the regiment commander, could go back to the cell. He could not afford to lose face.

Zhang Zhongling was sentenced to ten years in prison for shooting his wife. If it weren't for the war, he would have spent several more years in prison. It was the principal who pardoned him and reinstated him. This favor can only be repaid with military merit.

The battalion commander did not disappoint him. Just as the Japanese baggage train entered the pocket formation, he suddenly opened fire on the escort team, instantly knocking down a large number of them. Major Matsuyama exclaimed:
"Enemy attack!"

(End of this chapter)