Cherev simply couldn't imagine how this battle was fought.
According to the intelligence fed back from all parties, the remnants of the temporary 79th Division that broke out from Wuxi only had 500 people at full strength. After several consecutive fierce battles, there are at most 200 or 300 people left, even if one unit was taken in on the way. The number of soldiers who were routed from the Songhu battlefield would hardly exceed a thousand. 23us. com is the fastest updated
They were defeated with less than a thousand soldiers, but they actually annihilated a Japanese detachment and captured the detachment leader Chiaki Shigeto and his two regiment captains. This was a total annihilation, not a defeat. This was a total annihilation! Although Cherev was a member of the KGB, he had also been a soldier and knew that defeat and total annihilation were completely different concepts.
In the history of the world, there are many examples of battles in which an absolutely superior force was defeated by an absolutely inferior force, but there is no such thing as a complete annihilation of an absolutely superior force by an absolutely inferior force!
Therefore, the temporary 79th Division can be said to have created an unprecedented miracle!
Cherev was very curious, how did the temporary 79th Division fight in this battle
Cherev couldn't believe it, and Stilwell couldn't believe it either.
"My friend, are you mistaken?" Stilwell said with difficulty after swallowing his saliva.
"Frankly speaking, I can't believe this is true." Cherev shrugged his shoulders and said, "But the facts are facts after all. This news is true and absolutely true and reliable."
Cherev would not tell Stilwell that the KGB had undercover agents in the Japanese military police in Shanghai.
In recent years, as Japan and Germany have grown closer, the Soviet Union has also stepped up its penetration into Japan.
Although the Soviet Union has a vast territory and great strategic depth, at the same time, it also faces military threats from fascist countries on both the east and west fronts. On the west front is Germany and on the east front is Japan. In order to avoid fighting on two fronts, the Soviet Union On the one hand, it signed non-aggression treaties with Germany and Japan, but on the other hand, it strengthened its intelligence penetration into the two countries.
Therefore, almost at the same time that the Japanese Military Police in Shanghai received the telegram, the Soviet Embassy in Shanghai also learned the news.
"So, is all this true?" Stilwell said solemnly, "It's simply unbelievable. I can't imagine how the remnants of the temporary 79th Division did all this? With less than three hundred People actually wiped out a Japanese detachment. This can no longer be simply called a miracle, but a miracle!"
"A miracle?" Cherev was dumbfounded. Only God can perform miracles. Doesn't Stilwell's implication mean that the commander of the remnant of the temporary 79th Division is a god-like existence
However, judging from the battle in Nantong alone, the performance of the remnants of the temporary 79th Division was indeed a miracle!
There has never been such a battle in the history of world military warfare, at least Cherev has not seen it.
"I must meet this commander of the temporary 79th Division, I must meet him!" Stilwell said, "This is really crazy, this is really crazy, so crazy, I just can't unbelievable!"
While the two were talking, the grand banquet hall suddenly fell into commotion.
When Stilwell and Cherev looked back hurriedly, they saw that a dozen Western reporters who had been allowed to enter the grand banquet hall for impromptu interviews had surrounded the Japanese Army's Chief of Staff Tsukada of the Central China Front and the Chief of Staff of the Central China Condemnation Army. Numamaru, and the reporters, including New York Times reporter Selina, were asking questions eagerly.
"General Tsukada, why didn't His Excellency General Sugimoto come back?"
"General Iinuma, I seemed to hear General Sugimoto's roar just now. Did something happen?"
"General Tsukada, did the temporary 79th Division break out from Nantong City again? Did the Chongteng detachment responsible for mopping up the remnants of the temporary 79th Division suffer a defeat?"
"General Iinuma, how many casualties did the Shigeto detachment suffer?"
Facing the continuous questions from more than a dozen reporters, Tsukada Tsukada and Iinuma Mamoru looked embarrassed and didn't know how to answer at all. Despite their embarrassment, Tsukada Tsukada and Iinuma Mamoru couldn't help but criticize Sugisugimoto, trying to show off. , what kind of welcome dinner are you having? Is this a joke now? It's nice of you to leave and leave us here.
Seeing Tsukada Kaoru and Iinuma Mamoru sweating profusely while dealing with reporters, Cherev couldn't help but sneer at the corners of his mouth. These reporters were already so crazy just after hearing some rumors. If they were to know The truth, why don’t Tsukada Tsukada and Iinuma Mamoru be torn apart
Shaking his head, Cherev turned to Stilwell and said, "Colonel Stilwell, do you remember what you told me at the Navy Pier during the day?"
Stilwell said: "I said that the temporary 79th Division will not collapse so easily. They will give Shan Shanyuan a big gift."
Cherev said: "I must admit that you have amazing judgment. The temporary 79th Division has indeed not been defeated. The gift they gave Shan Shanyuan is really not an ordinary one."
While talking, the roar of a car engine suddenly came from outside the balcony.
When the two looked back, they saw a motorcade slowly driving out of the foyer of the Navy Club.
This is a Japanese convoy, starting with two three-wheeled motorcycles, followed by three armored fighting vehicles, then two Type 94 heavy-duty trucks, and finally about a squadron of infantry running to follow. Just watch From this formation, we knew that this was definitely Shan Shan Yuan's guard convoy.
Cherev said: "It seems that Shan Shanyuan will not come back to attend the dinner."
"It's weird that he dares to come back." Stilwell said, "The clear code used by the temporary 79th Division is energized. The news that the Chongteng detachment has been completely wiped out will soon spread at the dinner party. Then we will face reporters from all over the world. , how does Shan Shanyuan explain? However, he can't escape even if he leaves. It is conceivable that the headlines of major newspapers in Shanghai tomorrow will be about the temporary 79th Division's annihilation of the Chongteng Detachment. I heard It is said that Shanshan Yuan always likes to talk about pomp and circumstance, but this time he really became a star."
Cherev chuckled and said, "But if he had a choice, Sugimoto wouldn't be willing to be famous, right? I really want to see what happens when Emperor Hirohito and the bureaucrats of the Japanese Army Ministry know this terrible news. , what kind of expression should be on their faces? Shocked? Disappointed? Or angry?"
After a pause, Cherev said again: "Will the Japanese royal family change their coaches again?"
"There shouldn't be a coaching change. After all, Shan Shanyuan just arrived in Shanghai today." Stilwell shook his head and said, "However, I'm afraid I won't be able to escape a reprimand."
Cherev nodded and added: "Of course Shan Shan Yuan cannot escape this admonishment, but in the future, Shan Shan Yuan will probably vent his anger on the remnants of the temporary 79th Division. If the detachment is not enough, Shanshan Yuan may mobilize an entire infantry brigade or even an entire division to encircle and suppress the remnants of the temporary 79th Division."
Stilwell said with deep approval: "You are right. The Japanese army suffered such a big loss and lost such a big face. They will definitely find a way to take revenge. It is entirely possible to dispatch a brigade or even an entire division. , the remnants of the temporary 79th Division alone may not be able to survive, so we should provide them with the help we can."
"You mean to put pressure on the Nationalist Government again through the embassy?" Cherev shook his head and frowned and said, "I heard that the Nationalist Government sent several divisions to pick up the remnants of the temporary 79th Division, but... The liaison personnel sent by the Third War Zone to contact the temporary 79th Division were very unhappy, and the two sides seemed to have broken down."
Cherev said it very implicitly, but in fact he knew much more than that.
In fact, Cherev not only knew that the remnants of the temporary 79th Division were having a very unhappy relationship with the Third War Zone, he also knew that the temporary 79th Division had shown obvious signs of independent resistance. To put it more bluntly, In other words, the remnants of the temporary 79th Division have actually broken away from the order of battle of the Kuomintang Army.
Under such circumstances, how could the Nationalist Government send troops to temporarily support the remnants of the 79th Division
"Did the talks between the remnants of the temporary 79th Division and China's Third Theater Command break down?" Stilwell was surprised when he heard this.
"I just heard about it." Cherev shrugged and explained in a subtle way, "As you know, there have always been many factions in the Chinese military. Ever since the Beiyang government overthrew the Manchu Qing Dynasty, there have been fights and wars between the factions. And, it has never stopped, and we foreigners simply don’t understand the situation.”
Stilwell was silent after hearing this. Although he had not been in China for a long time, he still had a considerable understanding of the situation within the Chinese Communist Army.
There are many factions within the Chinese army. The major factions include the Central Army, Shanxi-Sui Army, Northwest Army, Northeast Army, Sichuan Army, Guangxi Army, Yunnan Army, Guangdong Army and Hunan Army, as well as the Eighth Route Army of the Communist Party, all of which are half Independent in nature, each faction is also full of hills and mountains, and they are constantly attracted to each other.
For example, within the Central Army, there are Hu clique, Chen clique, Tang clique, etc.
The temporary 79th Division was formerly known as the 79th Route Army and was part of the Guangdong Army.
However, during the Fujian Incident, the 79th Route Army was dismembered by the Central Army and was reduced to the temporary 79th Division. The hatred between the two armies should have been from there. The main force of the temporary 79th Division is currently in Wuxi. After being exhausted, it is completely reasonable for the small number of remaining soldiers who broke out to try to escape from the control of the Central Army.
But as a result, Stilwell was unable to provide some help to the remnants of the temporary 79th Division.
At that moment, Stilwell sighed: "To be honest, I really appreciate the remnant of the temporary 79th Division, and I admire the commander of this remnant even more. If possible, I really want to meet him. Let’s meet the commander of the temporary 79th Division and see how he directs the war? I really want to know how he led the remaining defeated troops to break out of the siege of Wuxi? How did he ambush Fushimi Palace? Toshiyan's special train? How did he escape the pursuit and interception of three infantry regiments? And this time, how did he wipe out an entire detachment? "
Cherev said: "If such a day comes, remember to take me with you."
Stilwell said: "Oh, if such a day comes, I will definitely take you with me." (To be continued...)