pappabearbooks Chapter 269 Xue Yue's Doubts and Worries
Chapter 269 Xue Yue's Doubts and Worries
Therefore, Li Jianghe's third column became a key factor that could influence the course of the battle at the very beginning.
It's like the last weight on a scale; whichever side you put it on, that side will sink.
Three days later, the main force of the Japanese 7th Division entered the Liujialing and Wanjialing line.
The soldiers in their khaki uniforms surged across the mountains and fields like a tide, their footsteps and the clanging of guns blending into a deep, rumbling sound.
At this time, the National Revolutionary Army and the Japanese 106th Division were engaged in fierce fighting.
The Japanese artillery roared incessantly, and shells rained down on the Nationalist army's positions like hail.
The planes flew overhead, dropping bombs that sent up plumes of smoke that blotted out half the sky.
The First Army Corps had almost all of its available troops concentrated along the Wanjialing line.
The soldiers ran from one trench to another, from one position to another, as if guided by an invisible thread, going wherever they were needed.
Even so, the casualties were still heavy.
Some companies went up with more than a hundred men, but when they came down, they couldn't even muster thirty.
Now that the 7th Division has entered the battlefield, the already precarious front line is in dire straits.
It's like a rubber band stretched to its limit; if you apply even a tiny bit more force, it will snap.
Xue Yue stood in the command post, listening to the distant artillery fire, his face as expressionless as a frozen iron plate.
"Telephone Li Jianghe again to inquire when his troops will arrive."
Xue Yue's voice carried a hint of urgency, like a string that was being stretched tighter and tighter.
He stood before the map, while in the distance, the muffled roar of cannons rolled across the sky, shaking dust from the windowpane.
"Our army is under too much pressure. If the Third Column does not reach its designated position soon, there may be gaps on the front line."
In the past few days, he sent several telegrams to Li Jianghe, and every time he inquired, he received the same reply—"On its way."
Xue Yue was furious, but had nowhere to vent his anger.
In fact, Li Jianghe's third column has indeed been marching these past few days.
But to remain concealed, they only traveled at night, and each journey was deliberately kept very short.
The mountain roads in northern Jiangxi are rugged and difficult to traverse, and the large group of troops moved like a slow-moving, undulating snake.
In addition, there was another reason that could not be said openly—if they entered the battlefield too early, how could the second Japanese division dare to confidently enter the encirclement of Wanjialing?
However, in Xue Yue's view, this was clearly avoiding battle and missing a crucial opportunity.
Five days is more than enough time to get from Futu Town to Wanjialing; he could easily crawl across on foot. He walked to the window and lifted the curtain. The sky outside was hazy and gray, and in the distance, he could vaguely see several plumes of black smoke rising from the mountain ridge—scars left by Japanese planes bombing during the day.
"Bo Ling, there's no need to rush."
Chen Cheng sat on a bamboo chair, holding a cup of cooled tea, his tone still quite calm.
"I think Li Jianghe's troops were having difficulty maneuvering in the mountains, which is why they were moving slowly."
Chen Cheng's perception of Li Jianghe underwent a significant change.
At first, he thought this person was all talk and no action, but later the Third Column achieved a series of victories on the northern slope of the Dabie Mountains, and took the lead in annihilating two Japanese reorganized divisions - Class A divisions. Chen Cheng, the elite of the elite, had to look at him with new respect.
Ultimately, soldiers are judged by their battlefield performance.
I admire you, Li Jianghe, for being able to kill so many Japanese soldiers.
A pang of regret rose in Chen Cheng's heart—why did such outstanding talent have to be from the Guangxi clique instead of the civil engineering department he had painstakingly cultivated?
Xue Yue turned around, his face bearing an inescapable shadow of helplessness. Exclusive! A late-life interview with Wu Yun and behind-the-scenes details of the creation of "You Were Asked to Guard the Sihang Warehouse, Yet You Developed a German-Equipped Division," available only.
"Commander, I don't want to rush things either. But originally it was just the 106th Division, which our army could handle with ease. Now the 7th Division has arrived, and you can imagine the pressure on our front."
He paused, "Moreover, the Japanese bombing has become more frequent in the past two days, and the front lines are suffering huge casualties every day."
Chen Cheng didn't speak. He walked to the map, pressed his fingertip on the Wanjialing area, and frowned.
He was thinking about another possibility.
"Perhaps there is another possibility."
Chen Cheng spoke slowly.
"What's possible?" Xue Yue looked up.
Chen Cheng drew a circle on the map with his fingertip, from Wanjialing to Mahuiling, and then tapped it twice.
"What if Li Jianghe did it on purpose? He deliberately let the Japanese 7th Division in, and then wiped them out along with the 106th Division."
Xue Yue was stunned. A moment of silence fell over the command post; even the distant sounds of artillery fire seemed faint.
"So you mean... Li Jianghe plans to wipe out two divisions in one fell swoop?"
If this were someone else's idea, Xue Boling would certainly scoff at it.
But this was Li Jianghe's idea, so he had to consider it carefully. After all, Li Jianghe had just wiped out two of the Japanese's top-tier divisions in Huainan.
Xue Yue silently compared the two ideas in his mind and felt that the speculation was not without reason.
Perhaps in Li Jianghe's view, it was not satisfying that the Ninth War Zone had gone to such great lengths to only wipe out the small 106th Division.
It's like putting on a huge feast, only to be served a plate of peanuts. If you're going to do something, do it with two divisions.
Xue Yue was startled by the thought, yet also felt a surge of excitement. He looked at Chen Cheng, his voice lowered:
"If that's the case, why didn't he inform me beforehand?"
Chen Cheng chuckled, a smile that carried the wisdom of someone who had been through it all.
He took out a cigarette, struck a match, and lit it. The match head hissed and a small ball of orange light ignited, illuminating half of his face before fading away.
I took a deep breath, and the smoke slowly dissipated in the command center.
"If you were in this situation, would you think this plan is feasible?"
Xue Yue was taken aback for a moment, then answered truthfully:
"To be honest, I'd most likely think he's crazy."
He laughed after saying that. There's no precedent in any textbook for wiping out two Japanese divisions in one fell swoop.
If someone else had proposed this plan, he would have definitely slammed his fist on the table and cursed.
"But things have come to this point, and there's no other way but to do it."
Xue Yue's tone carried a sense of desperation and resignation.
"That's right." Chen Cheng stubbed out his cigarette. "I think Li Jianghe's third column will definitely appear behind these two divisions within the next two days."
Xue Yue stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the map on the wall that was densely marked with red and blue pencils.
Wanjialing, Liujialing, Wutailing, Mahuiling... these unfamiliar place names will soon be written into the history of the war.
He said softly, "I hope so."
Wutailing is located north of Wanjialing and Liujialing.
This is the main passage connecting two Japanese divisions with the rear.
The highway winds through the valley like a gray-white ribbon, flanked by rolling low hills.
If the Japanese army wanted to withdraw to Mahuiling Town, the Wutailing-Minshan line was the only way through.
On a moonless night, soldiers of the 11th Army quietly entered Wutai Ridge.