coobybook Chapter 964 "Picking the Peaches"
Chapter 964 "Picking the Peaches"
The order, transmitted through the underpowered Type 94 radio transmitter with its intermittent signal, struggled through the smoke-filled sky with its "drip-drip" radio waves to reach the command posts of the 18th and 114th Divisions, which were locked in a fierce standoff with the "rebel" forces southwest of Nanjing.
When the commanders of the two divisions, Lieutenant General Sadao Nakajima, commander of the 18th Division, and Lieutenant General Shigeharu Suematsu, commander of the 114th Division, received this top-secret telegram from the "Supreme Commander" at almost the same time, their hearts were heavy.
The telegram was clear and brutal: abandon the rescue of Nanjing and concentrate forces to break through towards Jurong.
Sadao Nakajima read the telegram repeatedly under the dim light of a kerosene lamp, his brow furrowed.
He knew the tragic situation in Nanjing and understood that Matsui Iwane's actions were out of necessity.
But he knew all too well that the chances of success in carrying out such a difficult breakout mission with his exhausted troops were extremely slim.
This was almost tantamount to sending his men to their deaths in exchange for a slim chance of survival for his comrades in the city, or rather, to give Matsui Iwane some psychological comfort.
Colonel Kofuji, the division's chief of staff, stood to the side, his face grave, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.
Shigeharu Suematsu's reaction was even more direct; he practically crumpled the telegram up and muttered a curse under his breath.
His division is relatively weak and is likely to collapse first during the breakout.
But military orders are absolute, especially at times like these, and the consequences of disobeying orders are unimaginable.
After a brief but painful internal struggle and urgent consultations with the main regimental commanders, the two divisional commanders ultimately made the same decision.
Excuting an order.
On the one hand, it is a soldier's duty to obey; on the other hand, continuing to confront the superior "rebels" in place will also lead to destruction, while breaking out might offer a glimmer of hope for survival.
Despite the fact that this vitality seemed so dim.
Soon, two encrypted orders were issued from the two divisions respectively, halting all support operations for Nanjing, secretly regrouping troops, inventorying all available ammunition, vehicles, and pack animals, moving artillery forward, and lightly equipped infantry.
They are preparing to launch a desperate, all-or-nothing attack on Jurong in the southeast.
Like a cornered beast, the prelude to a final struggle quietly unfolds amidst despair and helplessness.
However, they were unaware that while they were making intensive preparations for this tragic breakout, an even more deadly new force from the north had already turned its spearhead against them, about to completely extinguish their last hope.
January 25, 1938, at dawn.
The Nanjing area was shrouded in thick fog and lingering smoke of gunpowder on a winter morning, with extremely low visibility.
The fierce fighting that had lasted for several days seemed to have temporarily fallen into a stalemate of exhaustion, with only sporadic gunfire breaking the silence, foreshadowing the start of another day of carnage.
In the southeast of Nanjing, the last remaining hope of the Central China Expeditionary Army, the 18th and 114th Divisions, were making tense preparations for their final breakout during this brief respite.
The soldiers silently checked their dwindling ammunition, while the officers conducted their final simulations in front of the map. A heavy weight pressed on everyone's hearts, filled with fear and uncertainty about the impending death sprint.
However, beneath this deathly silence and oppression, a dramatic change that would completely alter the battlefield was quietly approaching from the northeast.
At around 5:30 a.m., a deep and dense roar of engines came from the direction of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
The sound was different from the noise of the Type 95 passenger car or the Type 92 heavy armored vehicle commonly used by the army; it was heavier, more continuous, and carried a sense of oppression unique to a steel torrent. Soon, the vibrations in the ground became clearly audible.
"What's that sound?" A sentry at the front of the 114th Division looked up in confusion, gazing at the end of the road blocked by thick fog.
“It looks like… lots of trucks? And tanks?” Another veteran listened intently, a look of unease on his face.
Suddenly, several shells, accompanied by sharp whistling sounds, pierced through the thick fog and landed accurately on the 114th Division's forward guard positions in Tangshan!
With a deafening roar, the sandbag fortifications were hurled into the air, catching the guard squad off guard and resulting in heavy casualties in an instant!
"Enemy attack! Southeast!" The surviving sentry shouted the alarm at the top of his lungs.
In the thick fog, brand-new military flags could be vaguely seen; they were the flags of the North China Front Army!
Immediately following, emerging from the fog like ghosts were rows of Type 95 light tanks and Type 89 medium tanks, followed by a dense troop of infantrymen wearing helmets and the distinctive khaki winter uniforms of the North China Front Army.
Their attack formation was well-organized and their firepower was fierce. As soon as they made contact, they launched an overwhelming assault on the 114th Division's positions!
This unexpected reinforcement was one of the most elite units under the North China Area Army, the 14th Division!
Under the personal command of Lieutenant General Bunzaburo Kawagishi, the division secretly landed in the Jiangyin area last night. Then, disregarding fatigue, it marched dozens of kilometers overnight, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, directly piercing the weak point of the Nanjing battlefield, the line from Tangshan to Chunhua Town in the southeast!
The sudden intervention of the 14th Division was by no means accidental, but a ruthless move made after careful consideration by General Terauchi Hisaichi, commander of the North China Area Army.
In the North China Area Army's headquarters in Beiping, the cunning warlord Terauchi Hisaichi, like a patient vulture, had been observing the sudden infighting in Central China with a cold eye.
He fiddled with an exquisite command ruler in his hand, his gaze never leaving the huge military map of Central China.
As the battle situation around Nanjing evolved, each piece of intelligence that arrived made his assessment of the situation clearer.
At first, he scoffed at the fact that Matsui Iwane's stubbornness had led to this situation, but soon he keenly sensed the huge opportunity it contained.
The clashes between the Kwantung Army system, the military police system, and the Central China Expeditionary Army not only presented a good opportunity to weaken these two potential rivals, but also provided him with an excellent excuse to expand his influence southward with the North China Area Army and seize a favorable position in the allocation of resources and the internal power structure of the army in the future war against China.
He clearly saw several points:
With the outcome already decided, the combined attitude of several elite divisions of the Kwantung Army and the Navy had essentially sealed Matsui Iwane's defeat, and the annihilation of the Central China Expeditionary Army was only a matter of time.
The potential benefits are enormous. Central China, especially the area surrounding Nanjing, is a crucial center for China's finances and taxation and a key strategic location for the future.
Whoever gains the upper hand after this internal power struggle will control enormous political and economic interests, as well as have more say in future conflicts with China.
The opportune moment to "reap the rewards" must be before the Kwantung Army system deals with Matsui Iwane alone and fully digests the spoils of war; only then can decisive intervention be made.
Under the guise of "assisting in suppressing the rebellion" and "maintaining the overall situation," they actually shared the spoils of war.