Chapter 236 The Japanese Army Suffers a Complete Defeat

Inside the command post of the Third Field Artillery Regiment of the Japanese Army, Regiment Commander Takeida Seiichi and Regiment Commander Nakajima Mitsugi of the Third Engineer Regiment stared at each other.

Although both Japanese officers were regiment commanders, and both were colonels, Regiment Commander Nakajima Mitsugi knew his place.

In any case, the field artillery regiment was the main force of the imperial army, so he had to follow Regiment Commander Takeda Seiichi's lead.

After receiving the retreat order from Brigade Commander Katayama Riichiro, Regiment Commander Nakajima Mitsugi had been thinking about what to do.

What to do?

With the brigade commander's order, it was certain that they would retreat to Pingluo Village.

The question was how to retreat.

Regiment Commander Takeda Seiichi of the Third Field Artillery Regiment was also thinking: What to do?

His regiment was not like the engineer regiment, which could just leave.

There were still forty-eight complete cannons outside, and even the tractors were intact.

There were more than thirty Japanese soldiers in the command post. Although they could not take all the cannons with them, taking a few cannons was not a problem.

The key now was whether to take the cannons or not.

Looking at the attacking planes circling at low altitude and occasionally strafing the ground.

Regiment Commander Takeda Seiichi finally made up his mind: "Gentlemen! The cannons will be stored here for the time being.

We will continue to use them when we return."

As soon as these words came out, the entire command post erupted in cheers, and all the Japanese soldiers were happy.

"Your Excellency, the Regiment Commander, is wise!"

"Your Excellency, the Regiment Commander, is wise!"

Even Regiment Commander Nakajima Mitsugi of the Third Engineer Regiment said with a smile, "Takeda-kun is insightful!"

Since they had decided to abandon the cannons and escape with only their clothes on their backs.

The thirty or so Japanese soldiers in Regiment Commander Takeda Seiichi's command post were immediately divided into ten breakout groups.

Each group had only two or three Japanese soldiers, which they had observed from inside the command post:

The fewer the Japanese soldiers in a team, the safer it was. In fact, if only a single Japanese soldier walked out,

There was a 90% chance that it would not attract strafing from the planes.

For safety, Regiment Commander Takeda Seiichi had torn off his rank insignia and randomly changed into the clothes of a sergeant's corpse on the ground.

The only thing that could prove his identity now was the officer's sword at his waist, indicating that he was definitely not an ordinary soldier.

To ensure the regiment commander's safety as much as possible, his bodyguard, Honda Juichiro, accompanied him in the escape.

After three or four groups of deserters had already rushed out, the two Japanese soldiers also rushed out.

These Japanese soldiers rushed out and immediately dispersed.

They scattered very widely, which was also part of the plan.

The more scattered they were, the less likely they were to attract the planes in the air to swoop down and strafe.

Regiment Commander Takeda Seiichi ran in the wilderness, taking one last look at the cannons neatly parked by the roadside.

He couldn't help but burst into tears. He was very clear: This was the last time he would see these cannons.

Even if the Eleventh Army sent heavy troops to reinforce them, there would be no chance to rescue these cannons.

Originally, he wanted to blow up these cannons, but it was just a thought.

Bodyguard Honda Juichiro, who had been by the regiment commander's side for a long time, could still guess some of his thoughts.

Seeing that the regiment commander's escape pace had slowed down a bit, he immediately advised, "Your Excellency, the Regiment Commander: Preserve yourself for future use, and return to fight another day."

Regiment Commander Takeda Seiichi had absolutely no intention of dying here; he was trying to survive.

Hearing Honda Juichiro's words, he stopped his tears and said in a low voice, "Let's go!"

The Japanese field artillery and engineers were in complete collapse.

The situation of the Third Transport Regiment of the Japanese Army was the same. Regiment Commander Kurihara Shoji's regiment had already lost all its supplies in the initial artillery bombardment.

After receiving the news from the brigade commander that the entire army was to break through to Pingluo Village, Regiment Commander Kurihara Shoji immediately set off with the remaining regiment of less than one hundred Japanese soldiers.

He was not a fool either. The way the breakout team moved was the same as that of the Third Field Artillery Regiment. All the Japanese soldiers were gathering together in groups of two or three to escape.

It was just that although there were only two in each group of these Japanese soldiers, there were many groups.

Bian Gang, who was patrolling in the air, discovered that the Japanese soldiers on the ground were moving like ants, heading towards Pingluo Village in groups.

He immediately swooped down and opened fire. For him, patrolling in the air required fuel, and strafing the Japanese soldiers also cost the same amount of fuel.

It only cost a few more bullets, and then he could harvest some Japanese soldiers' lives.

No matter how you calculated it, it was worthwhile to launch an attack on the Japanese soldiers.

Brigade Commander Katayama Riichiro's retreat order caused the Japanese soldiers of the entire brigade to retreat.

It also caused some of the originally established defense lines to be abandoned.

This made the attacks of the three infantry regiments of the Special Operations Brigade even smoother.

Under the aerial guidance of Bian Gang, the Fifth Company of the Seventh Regiment finally rushed to the location of the Third Field Artillery Regiment of the Japanese Army.

Looking at the neat cannons, even the tractors were complete.

This was a weapon that the brigade commander had ordered to be well protected before the battle, saying that it was to be a gift for the Fifty-Ninth Army.

Lin Fan heard that all forty-eight cannons of the Japanese field artillery regiment had been safely seized.

He immediately notified the headquarters of the Fifty-Ninth Army of this good news.

The headquarters of the Fifty-Ninth Army quickly sent this good news to Chongqing.

Their commander, Zhang Zizhong, was at Jiangbei Airport in Chongqing.

In order to send the captured Japanese infantry regiment commanders, Kaho Ishii of the 186th Regiment and Hachiro Tagami of the 34th Regiment, to Chongqing as soon as possible, Lin Fan specially sent a plane to escort them.

As a result, Chiang Kai-shek asked Zhang Zizhong to personally send them over. At this time, Zhang Zizhong was at Jiangbei Airport, presenting the captives to Chiang Kai-shek in front of hundreds of Chinese and foreign reporters.

Zhang Zizhong stood on a temporarily built high platform, introducing the two dejected Japanese infantry regiment commanders and five infantry battalion commanders in a loud voice.

He had almost captured all the high-level commanders of a Japanese brigade.

Chiang Kai-shek stood in the main seat, extremely satisfied with this scene today. It was the first time in two years of the War of Resistance against Japan that he had shown his face so much in front of the world.

Being able to capture so many commanders from the same brigade at once was a first, and it set a precedent.

The reporters below took pictures one after another, and many reporters asked, "General Zhang! Please tell us how the great victory at Luying Town was fought?"

Chiang Kai-shek's expression changed slightly. Of course, he knew that the great victory at Luying Town was just a temporary decision.

Zhang Zizhong said with a smile, "When the Military Commission formulated the April offensive plan earlier, it made many targeted actions by our army based on the actions of the Japanese army.

This Luying Town battle plan is a kind of change. It is a kind of plan of the Chairman's April plan.

We conducted this battle under the guidance of the Military Commission."

These words caused an uproar among the reporters below, "The Chairman had already formulated this plan when he planned in April.

The Chairman is really far-sighted, taking one step and looking three steps ahead!"

Chiang Kai-shek's just now cold eyes, at this time already revealed an uncontrollable joy: "This Zhang Zizhong is so sensible, how did he not discover it before?"

Now he too needed a great victory to prove himself, a great victory like Luying Town, which wiped out more than 10,000 Japanese soldiers with few casualties.

Zhang Zizhong did not take credit at all, and pushed the credit for the battle plan to himself: Pushed well! Pushed wonderfully!

Chiang Kai-shek could not help but want to give a speech.

Someone among the reporters below immediately asked him, "Mr. Chairman! Please tell us, when you formulated the plan, did you consider that there would be this great victory?"

"When formulating the plan, we considered that the Japanese army's advance would leave a big gap in the rear.

Based on this situation, we formulated a plan to cut off the central route, attack its vitals, and force the Japanese army to retreat.

At that time, we only considered that it could inflict heavy damage on the Japanese army. We really did not consider that General Zhang's Fifty-Ninth Army was so brave that it could wipe out a Japanese brigade with the strength of one army.

In addition, the battle around Luying Town has not ended yet, and it is still continuing.

Just now, I received a good news from the front line: The Japanese Fifth Infantry Brigade has been defeated, and the Third Field Artillery Regiment of the Japanese Army, with its forty-eight cannons and all its ammunition and supplies, has been completely captured.

Now the Japanese Fifth Infantry Brigade is fleeing in the direction of Luying Town.

I believe that the officers and soldiers of the Fifty-Ninth Army will continue to win, and continue to win!"

Chiang Kai-shek was very happy that Zhang Zizhong pushed the opportunity to announce this good news to himself, and personally walked up to Zhang Zizhong.

Holding his hand, he said, "You have worked hard! The generals on the front line have worked hard!"

Zhang Zizhong stood at attention and reported, "Chairman! This matter is over! Your subordinate will immediately return to the battlefield! The front line is in fierce battle, and your subordinate must go back to command."

Chiang Kai-shek said with a smile, "Bring the wine! I will offer General Zhang three cups of farewell wine."

"The first cup! I wish General Zhang a smooth journey!"

Zhang Zizhong drank it all in one gulp.

Chiang Kai-shek personally filled it up: "The second cup! I wish General Zhang to continue his efforts!"

Zhang Zizhong drank it all again.

"The third cup! Respect to all the officers and soldiers of the Fifty-Ninth Army! It is their bravery that has led to today's great victory!"

"Respect to all the soldiers and people who are fighting against Japan!" Zhang Zizhong drank it all again.

Standing at attention and saluting: "Chairman! Your subordinate is leaving!"

Chiang Kai-shek returned the salute: "I will see you off to the plane!"

Walking up and holding hands, this was something he had never done to his subordinates.

While walking, he said to Zhang Zizhong, "This time, it has really boosted the morale of our army and inspired the enthusiasm of the people to resist Japan.

The Party and the country will not forget!

And I will not forget!"

Zhang Zizhong