si-mexico Chapter 1102 Pilot to Instructor
Chapter 1102 Pilot to Instructor
"When I was in Pujiang, you said the Japanese Second Army's attack was very sharp. I've been here for three days now, are the men of the Second Army asleep?"
When passing by the Yellow River embankment, Li Shaoyi stopped to take a look. Looking through binoculars, he saw that it was indeed the position of the Japanese Second Army in the distance, but at this moment he could only see a few scattered people. The rest of the Japanese soldiers had disappeared. Even our artillery bombardment had not hit many people. The artillery observer concluded that the enemy troops had probably all withdrawn, leaving only a few observers behind.
"Who says otherwise? I was wondering the same thing. Well, the military intelligence department sent word that the Japanese heard that a large number of our troops were heading north, especially some of our elite troops in Huangpu. These guys were so scared that they made adjustments overnight, fearing that our troops would land directly on the north bank after they arrived. So they set up a new defensive line five kilometers behind them."
Ma Leizi said somewhat speechlessly, and quickly brought over the news from the military intelligence office. Sure enough, as he said, the Japanese were no longer planning to defend the north bank dike. Mainly, there was nothing to defend, and the firing points on this side had been almost completely cleared, making it difficult to defend.
Moreover, the Japanese high command believed they held the advantage. Japan had reinforced its troops with over a dozen divisions, originally intended for the Huangpu River region. However, due to the retreat of the Nationalist troops in Huangpu, the Second Army also received some support. Continuing to fight near the Yellow River dike would make the battlefield too narrow. Since their numerical advantage was limited, it was better to retreat to the north bank and draw Li Shaoyi's army there.
"Then what are you waiting for? The monkey will cause havoc wherever he goes. I haven't heard any cannon fire these past few days, so I haven't been sleeping well. Since the Japanese have given up the north bank of the Yellow River, we can't refuse their kindness. After we get there, we should make use of our advantages and capabilities. Except for armored vehicles and tanks, no other troops should be deployed."
Li Shaoyi thought for a moment and said, "We won't make any major battle plans for now, but these old men around the provincial capital are really bored. They're all local garrison regiments organized by Ma Leizi. Other recruits have been training for three months, but these guys have been training for a full seven months. They're all holding back their energy."
If you don't let them go out there, they'll be causing trouble and fighting in the barracks every day. Even though they don't use tools and just use their fists, there are still more than a dozen people locked up every day. If you send them all to the battlefield now, they'll be brothers in arms today, even if they were fighting red-faced yesterday.
"That's what I was thinking too, but I didn't expect that you and the Chief of Staff would be here. What if we need a new strategy? It's a piece of cake for me to cross the river, and it's the dry season now. They can easily set up two pontoon bridges for me. Our tanks and armored vehicles are no problem either."
Ma Lei was telling the truth. If Li Shaoyi hadn't come, he would have ordered his men to attack that very day. No one knew the fighting strength of his men better than Ma Lei. Even if they only deployed armored units, or even just their infantry, they could wipe out a batch of Japanese soldiers every day.
Under Li Shaoyi's tutelage, the officers of the 72nd Army developed a characteristic: they didn't care much about gaining or losing territory. They might think, "This territory is in my hands today, and it might be in yours tomorrow, but I can wipe out two thousand of your men. I'll still benefit from it. I can take the territory back in a couple of days, but will those two thousand men survive?"
It was precisely because of Li Shaoyi's strategy that some insightful people in the Japanese General Headquarters gradually felt the pressure of a total war. The damage was simply too great. Japan did not lack labor force; it was a country with a population of 60 to 70 million, and there were plenty of young and middle-aged men. The problem was that the country did not have many resources.
In terms of soldiers alone, the Japanese could even recruit millions of troops and form hundreds of divisions. However, equipping these soldiers with weapons would be extremely difficult for Japan, and they also lacked sufficient officers.
Becoming an officer in Japan is extremely difficult. First, one must come from a powerful family. If one is a nobleman, one can start as an officer. Even a nobleman's henchman can become an officer, but this group only makes up a very small fraction of the entire Japanese army.
For an ordinary soldier to become an officer is extremely difficult; they almost have to fight to the death, or find a good superior to be promoted to officer. The Japanese government and military have also realized this. Expanding the army is very easy, but equipping it with weapons and officers is much more difficult. This is one of the reasons why their army expansion is relatively slow. They have enough soldiers, but the expansion speed is as slow as an old woman's bound feet.
"Since there are no problems, then you should hurry up and get to work. I don't have many requirements for you. As long as the troops that have landed on the north bank are killed, you only need to kill 1,000 to 1,500 of them every day. Also, you need to set up a strong defensive line on the north bank. Otherwise, if the Japanese really fight you to the death, it won't be easy for them to retreat to the south bank temporarily. As for the pontoon bridges, you need to ensure that there are at least two, and two more should be hidden."
If we cross the Yellow River to fight, our area on the north bank isn't that large. If the Japanese advance all the way up, it will put considerable pressure on us. So after we cross, don't think about attacking yet. First, we need to fortify our own territory. At least if two divisions come, we can hold them off. That would be equivalent to establishing a foothold on the north bank.
"No problem. The pilots who came back from the south have all arrived. I've seen these young men; they're far more capable than my own pilots. They can do the work of five or six planes with just two or three. They don't waste a single bomb or bullet on their planes. A few days ago, they launched an attack on the north bank and completely impressed my pilots."
Speaking of the pilots returning north from Huangpu, Ma Leizi's eyes lit up. Having experienced the baptism of fire on the Huangpu battlefield, these men were undoubtedly the most elite pilots of the 72nd Army. During the months-long battles with the Japanese, each of their planes had at least five five-pointed stars on it, signifying that they had shot down five Japanese aircraft.
"Don't even think about getting involved with these people. When I go back north this time, I'm taking them with me—their best flight instructors. I'm not going to waste them on the battlefield like this..."
Chief of Staff Cui tapped the table, shook his pipe, and announced the fate of these pilots…