Shan Shanyuan boarded a transport ship of the Navy's Third Fleet and boarded the ship from Osaka Port at the same time as a group of reinforcements. When the battle of Nantong was at its most intense, he had just arrived off the coast of Wusong.
In the lounge, Shan Shanyuan was deep in thought looking at the map on the table.
The map is an entire map of China. The Northeast, North China and East China regions have all been dyed red, which represents the Japanese-occupied areas. In addition, there are several large red arrows on the map, which are rising from the red Japanese-occupied areas. The area is advancing towards the colorless blank area, among which the two red arrows in East China are the most eye-catching.
These two red arrows, one represents the Central China Condemnation Army, and the other represents Yanagawa Heisuke's 11th Army. These two armies are like a pair of scorpions, forming a semi-encirclement of Nanjing, the capital of China.
According to the latest battle report, the condemnation troops sent from Central China have successively captured Zhonghua Gate and Guanghua Gate. Nanjing's city wall fortifications have been destroyed. The most brutal street fighting should follow.
If given a choice, Shan Shanyuan doesn't want to engage in street fighting.
Shan Shanyuan once participated in the Russo-Japanese War and was injured on the head, so he knows better than anyone else how terrible and cruel street fighting is, because in street fighting, the Japanese army's superiority in firepower and equipment will no longer exist, and China and Japan will no longer have the advantage. The two armies were like two groups of trapped beasts in the jungle, and they could only rely on instinct to fight to the death.
In street fighting, the casualty ratio is basically one to one.
Even if the final result will be different, it won't be too different.
Therefore, Shan Shanyuan does not want to engage in street fighting with the Chinese army.
However, judging from the current situation, Shan Shanyuan feels that the Japanese army has no choice.
Although the Chinese army suffered great losses in the Battle of Songhu, especially in the final retreat stage, due to chaotic organization and poor command, it lost a large amount of weapons and equipment. However, even so, the troops who retreated from the Songhu Battlefield The Nationalist Army cannot be underestimated, especially the dozen or so divisions that defend Nanjing. They are all direct troops of Chiang Kai-shek, and their combat effectiveness is not generally strong.
To say that such an army will collapse without a fight or abandon the city, is possible only in one situation, that is, the senior generals in the army will take the lead in fleeing. However, Tang Wu, who was entrusted with important tasks by Chiang, has already expressed his intention to fight with Nanjing. The city will live and die together. Shan Shanyuan does not think that Tang Wu will take the lead in escaping. In any case, this man was once a hard-blooded soldier.
Therefore, in the street fighting in Nanjing, the Central China Front could fight if they wanted to, but they would have to fight if they didn't want to.
Shan Shanyuan's only concern now is the Battle of Nanjing. How much price will the Central China Front pay
If the price paid is too heavy, it will inevitably affect subsequent combat operations. Among other things, the move north to Xuzhou along the Jinpu Railway to join the North China Front Army will be postponed.
Just when Shan Shan Yuan was thinking about it, footsteps suddenly sounded from behind him, and then stopped one step behind him. Then a clear voice sounded: "Your Excellency, Commander, urgent report from the front!"
Shan Shan Yuan waved his hand and said: "Nian."
"Hai." The person behind him said, "Front Army Headquarters: According to the news from the inside, Nanjing Garrison Commander Tang Wu has escaped. The hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops stationed in Nanjing have collapsed and are currently gathering in the area from Xiaguan to Yanziji. On the riverside, we are removing door panels and other items from the city to build a raft, preparing to cross the river and escape north."
"Nani?" Shan Shan Yuan turned around suddenly, unable to conceal the excitement in his expression.
"Hai." The Japanese major behind him paused heavily and said again, "Your Excellency, Commander, this news has been confirmed by the frontline troops. The Chinese army has indeed collapsed across the board, and is indeed heading down to the vicinity of Yanziji. They gathered at the riverside and were preparing to cross the river. In addition, there were a small number of Chinese troops trying to break out from the direction of Xuanwu Gate and Shuixi Gate. Except for one group that broke out from Qixia Mountain, the rest have been gathered and wiped out by the imperial army."
"Yo West, Yo West, Yo West!" Shan Shanyuan said "Yo Xi" three times in a row, turned around, and once again stared at the map of China with glaring eyes, excitement beyond words, "As soon as the Chinese army collapsed, the imperial army will The city of Nanjing can be captured without a single blow, and after capturing Nanjing, the Central China Front Army can move north to join up with the North China Front Army."
After capturing Nanjing, the Central China Front's next plan is of course to go north along the Jin-Pu Railway and strive to join forces with the North China Front near Xuzhou, which is also heading south along the Jin-Pu Railway. As long as the two fronts complete the rendezvous, China's richest and most densely populated Half of the country fell into the hands of the empire.
The Empire could then use this to negotiate with Chiang.
Shan Shanyuan has reason to believe that Chiang will definitely yield under the strong military pressure of the Japanese army.
Thinking of this, Shan Shan Yuan's face turned slightly red and his breathing became heavy.
Because the big plan to open a second battlefield from Shanghai and then the two Japanese armies from the north and the south to join forces in the Central Plains was drawn up by Shan Shanyuan under the guidance of the General Staff Headquarters. If this plan really becomes a reality, then he Shan Shanyuan will also Became a famous figure in history because his achievement was...conquered China!
You know, this is a dream that even Toyotomi Hideyoshi could not realize!
Shanshan Yuan immediately said: "Order, the Kunisaki Detachment and the Iijima Division immediately encircle Pukou, cut off the Nanjing defenders' northward escape route, and then request the Navy's Fourth Fleet Jiang Defense Detachment to immediately block the section of the Yangtze River from Xiaguan to Yanziji. To prevent the Chinese army from crossing the river and guarding Nanjing, not one of the hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops was allowed to go, not one to let go, not one to let go... "
At the end of the sentence, Shan Shanyuan almost shouted at the top of his lungs. One was because of excitement, and the other was because of anticipation, because after annihilating the Nanjing defenders, Chiang's direct troops were basically wiped out. After that, whether it is heading north to Xuzhou to rendezvous with the North China Front, or heading west along the Yangtze River to Wuhan, it will become much easier.
Therefore, no matter what, we must annihilate all the hundreds of thousands of Nanjing defenders in Nanjing City, and not let a single one escape!
"Hai!" The major staff officer paused heavily and returned to the communications office with Shan Shanyuan's instructions to deliver the order.
It was already lunch break time. Shan Shan Yuan had a strict schedule and had to take a half-hour nap at noon every day. However, today, Shan Shan Yuan was not sleepy at all because he was so happy.
In the evening, the transport ship docked at the Hongkou Pier. Major General Tsukada, Chief of Staff of the Central China Front Army, and Major General Mamoru Iinuma, Chief of Staff of the Central China Condemnation Army, together with all the staff of majors and above from the two headquarters, had gathered at the pier and lined up to welcome him to take office. The welcome ceremony for Shanshan Yuan was nothing short of grand.
Matsui Iwane did not appear in the welcome queue.
Before Sugimoto arrived, Matsui Iwane had already been admitted to the Naval Hospital in Hongkou. Matsui Iwane was not being pretentious or resentful, but he was really ill. Since ancient times, generals with heavy troops have often suffered from occupational diseases. , when they were in the army, they were happy no matter how hard and tired they were, but once they were allowed to be idle, they would immediately fall ill. Matsui Iwane's health was not good to begin with, and he fell ill when he was suddenly dismissed.
However, the smug and smug Yuan Sugi will not pay attention to the loser Matsui Iwane.
In front of reporters from Western countries, Shan Shanyuan gave an impassioned speech at the Hongkou Pier, officially announcing that the Central China Front Army had entered the Shan Shanyuan era.
(Dividing line)
Among the guests on the auditorium, Cherev and Stilwell were whispering.
Although the Sino-Japanese War has fully broken out, and half of China's rivers and mountains have been burned red by the flames of war, the Nationalist Government has not yet declared war on Japan. Chairman Chiang Kai-shek's much-talked-about saying "the land has no distinction between north and south, people." "No distinction between young and old" speech was only an internal speech and not an official declaration of war against Japan.
So this has created a very strange situation. The Chinese and Japanese armies have been fighting each other tomorrow morning, but the Chinese and Japanese governments are still in a state of non-war. Therefore, most of Shanghai has been destroyed by the war. However, the Public Concession and the French Concession were not damaged at all, and envoys and diplomats from various countries stationed in China remained at ease.
Out of etiquette, both Cherev and Stilwell were invited to attend Shan Shanyuan's inauguration ceremony.
Watching Shan Shanyuan's impassioned speech on the stage, Cherev turned to Stilwell and whispered: "How long do you think Shan Shanyuan can stay as the commander of the Central China Front?"
Stilwell smiled slightly and whispered: "You should ask me, how many times will the Japanese army change its commanders this time?"
Cherev smiled when he heard this. As a diplomat with KGB background, Cherev naturally knew about the 128th Shanghai Anti-Japanese War six years ago. During the 128th Shanghai Anti-Japanese War, the 79th Route Army once invaded China. The Japanese army changed their commanders four times and fought hard for more than a month without making any progress. In the end, they had to accept Western mediation.
After laughing, Cherev shook his head again and said: "However, it is not six years ago now. After six years of concentrated development, Japan's national power and military power have made great progress, while China's national power and military power are comparable. Backsliding, especially the 79th Route Army, which was the most capable, no longer exists.”
"No." Stilwell retorted in a low voice, "The 79th Route Army is still there!"
"You mean the remnant of the temporary 79th Division?" Cherev shook his head and sighed, "After all, it is just a remnant of only a few hundred people. What can it do in such a large-scale war?" What’s the effect?”
"Cherev, my friend, you are wrong." Stilwell waved his hand and said, "An army, as long as its military spirit is still there, as long as its backbone veterans are not dead, then this army It is still possible for the army to rise from the ashes, and I firmly believe that this army will definitely rise from the ashes in another form."
"I hope." Cherev nodded and said, "I hope this army can rise from the ashes."
Compared to Cherev, Stilwell was obviously more confident in the remnants of the temporary 79th Division. He also said: "I have a feeling, a very wonderful feeling. Maybe the remnants of the 79th Division will be temporarily established." Sugimoto gives you a great gift." (To be continued.)