si-mexico Chapter 1167 No Prisoners
Chapter 1167 No Prisoners
If we're going to take prisoners, we'll probably have to prepare all sorts of things. Even if the brothers work all day, they might not be able to set up a simple POW camp. And we don't know what these guys are thinking, so we have to be on guard against them at all times.
But if we don't need prisoners, things are much easier. The squad leader gives a look, and seven or eight men spit out their cigarettes, turn around, and unleash a barrage of fire. Anyway, if one bullet isn't enough, we have plenty.
Many Japanese prisoners hadn't even realized what was happening before they were riddled with over a dozen holes in their bodies. Some hid under others, hoping to escape. But before leaving, the 12.7mm heavy machine guns fired again, ensuring no one escaped. Even if there were more than two or three corpses on top of you, they could still kill you.
Besides, after our team passes, there will be many more teams following behind. How long can you play dead inside? Probably very short. When the troops behind find you, your life will probably be even worse. You might as well just take a hit on the head now and be done with it.
The 9th Division suffered heavy losses, losing over 2000 men within an hour. This news quickly reached the 9th Division commander's desk, and he could hardly believe it was true. Wasn't the plan to advance in unison and encircle and annihilate the enemy? Why was the enemy showing no sign of retreating, but instead charging directly at his 9th Division?
"Order the 16th Brigade to stop the army in front of them at all costs. Even if they are all killed, they must not be allowed to pass."
The commander of the 9th Division stood before the map, already understanding the enemy's intentions. If the enemy broke through the 16th Brigade's positions, they would immediately reach the 9th Division's command post. At that point, the entire Third Army in the south would likely be thrown into chaos.
The strategic objective of securing the Jinpu Railway is extremely important. If the advance of this single infantry division causes chaos among the southern divisions, it will be at least two or three months before we can organize another offensive. Who knows what might happen in those two or three months?
So even if it meant sacrificing the entire 16th Brigade, they absolutely could not be allowed to advance another step. Unfortunately, after he issued the order, the 16th Brigade headquarters did not respond at all.
"Send out a communications soldier to check the line immediately."
After finishing his speech, the commander of the 9th Division slumped into his chair, dejected. He then ordered his operations staff to warn the surrounding divisions to immediately enter combat readiness. This invading army was no ordinary force. Although their unit designation was still unknown, the fact that they could defeat the 16th Brigade within an hour suggested they were no ordinary unit.
When the Japanese divisions received the orders, they could hardly believe it was real. They were supposed to launch an encirclement and annihilation operation, but this time the enemy was behaving completely differently. They showed no intention of retreating north; instead, they continued to advance head-on. Moreover, their first battle was exceptionally successful, routing the 16th Brigade and even killing its commander.
Upon learning of the death of the commander of the 16th Brigade, the 9th Division immediately fell silent. How could it have been so quick?
It should be noted that the brigade commander of the 5th Brigade was a relatively experienced veteran officer, but unfortunately, he was unlucky. Less than five minutes after rushing out of the command post, a 105mm howitzer shell landed nearby, and shrapnel directly shaved off half of the old man's head.
The 16th Brigade quickly fell into a state of leaderlessness. Although there were still some young officers in various units, these men had never been on the battlefield. They had forgotten everything they had learned in military academy and were only focused on leading their men south. In their escape, they directly breached two lines of defense.
The 16th Brigade, with over 10,000 men, led Zhang Haiguang nearly 40 kilometers south in a single day. Within that 40-kilometer radius, the people on several defensive lines suffered terribly; they wished they could hang up and whip all 16th Brigade's 10,000 men to death.
When you fled over, we couldn't fire. After you ran past our lines, it was like our territory had been attacked by bandits. As a result, just as we were preparing to engage them, they were already upon us.
To put it bluntly, without the escape of the 16th Brigade, Zhang Haiguang wouldn't have been able to advance 40 kilometers in a single day. Only when Zhang Haiguang stood at the former headquarters of the 9th Division did the day's battle truly come to an end.
The 9th Division suffered over 10,000 casualties throughout the day, along with some supporting troops in the surrounding area. Today, these men witnessed the armored warfare capabilities of the 72nd Army Group. Fortunately, they had reached northern Jiangsu, where they had dug numerous tank trenches; otherwise, they would have continued their attack tonight.
Given their current offensive momentum, they are very likely to rush south directly. The land we have captured is simply indefensible, as the North Jiangsu Plain offers no natural defenses.
The commanders of the Japanese divisions heading north quickly assembled and drew a group of men from their respective units to stop Zhang Haiguang's infantry division. Even if they couldn't wipe him out, they absolutely couldn't let him run around aimlessly.
While they were in meeting, a scout came to report that the area where Zhang Haiguang's Fourth Division was originally stationed was gone, and no one knew where the men had gone. There was no way to take off for reconnaissance that night.
While the division commanders were still discussing how to keep Zhang Haiguang there, these guys disappeared from the map again. Once the commanders of the nearby armies arrived, they realized that within a 50-kilometer radius of Zhang Haiguang, these armies might all be attacked.
Go back now!
These were the three words on the minds of all the Japanese officers; they couldn't afford to waste any more time in the meeting room. Zhang Haiguang's army was extremely mobile; if they weren't prepared, they would be like the 16th Brigade—they could be breached within an hour.
The Japanese army had no experience in dealing with such rapid counterattacks, so they could only prepare in advance and use the lives of their soldiers to delay Zhang Haiguang's attack.
Although we are reluctant to use this method of warfare, it seems to be the only option at present.