Quartermasters can also fight the devils

Chapter 398: So this is what the division commander thought

Colonel Nobuaki Ohno, commander of the 20th Regiment of the 16th Division of the Japanese Army, had a bandage wrapped around his head, and blood had stained a large area of ​​the bandage red. This was the wound left by a stray bullet that had just hit his forehead during the attack by the Chinese army.

The regiment commander, Colonel Nobuaki Ohno, felt that he was lucky. If the stray bullet fired by the Chinese army had deviated a little more, he would have gone to see Amaterasu on the spot. But even just a slight touch frightened Colonel Nobuaki Ohno and he screamed.

When the medical soldier hurriedly bandaged the wound of the regiment commander, Colonel Nobuaki Ohno, Colonel Nobuaki Ohno felt a sense of fear in his heart, and at the same time, he felt a deep sense of powerlessness about the current battle.

Up to now, the 20th Infantry Regiment led by Colonel Nobuaki Ohno has only about a thousand officers and soldiers left, including a large number of lightly wounded. The positions originally defended by the 20th Regiment have become smaller and smaller under the continuous attacks of the Chinese army.

The order that the division commander had previously sent was that his troops must hold out until tomorrow morning and then retreat to the vicinity of the division headquarters for the final defensive operation.

However, according to the current attack strength of the Chinese army, it is completely impossible for the 20th Regiment to hold out until tomorrow morning. Not to mention tomorrow morning, even whether it can survive the night attack of the Chinese army tonight is a big problem.

You know, it's only noon now. The Chinese army will certainly continue to launch fierce attacks along the trenches in the afternoon, and our troops will continue to lose men. Even if we can hold out against the Chinese army's attacks during the day, by night, with the exhausted forces left in our troops, it will be impossible to withstand the night raid by the Chinese army.

The regiment commander, Colonel Nobuaki Ohno, wanted to lead his troops to retreat to the division headquarters after dark. Only in this way could he continue to survive. If he stayed in the position here, Colonel Nobuaki Ohno felt that he would most likely not see the sunrise tomorrow morning.

However, the regiment commander, Colonel Nobuaki Ono, did not dare to lead the troops to retreat without permission. He knew that the division commander, Lieutenant General Keisuke Fujie, was already furious. If he disobeyed the order and led the troops to retreat, Lieutenant General Keisuke Fujie might really chop him to death to enforce military discipline.

The regiment commander, Colonel Nobuaki Ohno, leaned back in the trench, listening to the gunfire and grenade explosions of the fierce battle, and felt extremely annoyed. Looking at the seriously wounded officers and soldiers being carried away from him, the regiment commander, Colonel Nobuaki Ohno, made up his mind: retreat.

The regiment commander, Colonel Nobuaki Ohno, told himself in his heart that this was not disobeying military orders. He was thinking about all the officers and soldiers of the 20th Infantry Regiment. He could not let the 20th Infantry Regiment with a glorious history completely disappear in his hands. He was not afraid even if the division commander killed him.

Of course, the regiment commander, Colonel Nobuaki Ohno, would not lead the troops to retreat in broad daylight. If he did that, the division commander would really shoot him. Retreat also requires timing and timing. The division commander must not be able to vent his anger and cannot shift all the responsibility onto himself.

The regiment commander, Colonel Nobuaki Ohno, decided to hold the position until dark and then quietly move the troops back. When the Chinese army launched a night attack, he would lead his troops to run away.

In this case, I am not retreating without authorization, but I am unable to withstand the large-scale attack of the Chinese army. This cannot be regarded as disobeying military orders. At most, I am fighting ineffectively and have no military capability. The division commander will not have sufficient reason to shoot me.

As for the post-war summary, I might be questioned about my ability to command a regiment in combat or be ridiculed by others, but these are not important. There is hope as long as I am alive. I can clear the name of myself and the 20th Regiment through future battles. If I die, what's the use of being called a hero?

After making up his mind, the regiment commander, Colonel Nobuaki Ohno, ordered his troops to withstand the attack of the Chinese army during the day and to hold out until dark. At the same time, the regiment commander, Colonel Nobuaki Ohno, also ordered his troops to slowly retreat under the attack of the Chinese army.

Since we have no intention of defending the position to the death, there is no need to fight the Chinese army to the death and waste precious manpower on this position. As long as we can retain some positions before dark, it will give the Chinese army a reason to launch a night attack.

At the 16th Division Headquarters, the Chief of Staff, Major General Nakazawa Mitsuo, put down the phone in his hand, and said to the Division Commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, with a frustrated look on his face: "Your Excellency, the 9th Regiment's phone is still unreachable. I guess the phone line was cut by the Chinese army's offensive artillery fire."

The division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, said with a tired look on his face, "Hurry up and send someone to the 9th Regiment to check on their current situation, and have the signalmen repair the telephone line as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir, division commander. However, sir, judging from the strength of the Chinese army's attack today, our troops in the circular position will find it difficult to hold out until tomorrow morning. Can we withdraw the troops early tonight? This will at least add a little strength to our final defense." Chief of Staff Major General Nakazawa Mitsuo suggested to the division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, with great concern.

"No, Mr. Nakazawa, the Chinese army obviously wants to quickly compress our space for movement and then eliminate us as quickly as possible. This shows that the Chinese army's blocking position on the Xiangzao Highway is already in danger. They can only buy time on the battlefield here. We must delay time as much as possible. If we withdraw the troops to the vicinity of the division headquarters in advance, then in such a small defensive position, it will be easier for the Chinese army to use artillery fire to consume our manpower, which is very uneconomical for us." The division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, firmly rejected the proposal of the chief of staff, Major General Nakazawa Mitsuyoshi.

Only now did Chief of Staff Major General Mitsuo Nakazawa truly understand the battle strategy of the division commander, Lieutenant General Keisuke Fujie, which was to fight to the death with both the 9th and 20th Regiments and use the lives of all the officers and soldiers of these two regiments to delay the advance of the Chinese army.

In other words, as long as the division headquarters is safe, everything else can be abandoned. No wonder the division commander has been reluctant to send the division's escort squadron to reinforce the battle. Now the Chief of Staff, Major General Mitsuo Nakazawa, has completely come to his senses.

Chief of Staff Major General Mitsuo Nakazawa also had to be wary of his division commander, Lieutenant General Keisuke Fujie. This plan and idea was too cruel. These were all officers and soldiers of his own division.