For Yuzo Sakata, if he had been asked to move forward at full speed a day ago, he would have moved at full speed.
Even if the superior commander does not allow him to advance at full speed, Yuzo Sakata must advance at full speed. The 13th Regiment must be like an unsheathed sword, sharp and bloody!
Since the landing at Hangzhou Bay, the tough battles have been fought by the 23rd Regiment (Miyako Regiment), the 45th Regiment (Kagoshima Regiment), and the 47th Regiment (Oita Regiment), but they are from Kumamoto City. But this number one ace was hidden.
It's not that Sakata is cowardly, it's because the blood from the wound hasn't dried yet. You can't forget about the pain after the scar is healed. Besides, the wound is still bleeding, right?
"Takahashi-kun, I think that pursuit at night is extremely detrimental to our army." Sakata said something that he would never say out loud at ordinary times. The explosion on Niushoushan was clearly visible. The strength of a brigade, in just two seconds, was It was gone in ten minutes.
That is more than 1,100 people, and that is not the main force of this Chinese army. To be honest, Sakata Yuzo has no idea how strong the main force of this Chinese army is.
People with God's vision will not experience the fear of unknown enemies. To be more precise, it was Ni Dayong's death squad that cast a psychological shadow on him, Sakata Yuzo.
That’s right, it’s psychological shadow!
Let's not say it's as big as eighty square meters, but at least twenty or thirty square meters.
After hearing this, Masatake Takahashi frowned: "But wouldn't this mean that the China Army would run away? As we all know, under such circumstances, in order to avoid the tracking and bombing of our military aircraft, the China Army basically It rests during the day and travels at night."
"I think Mr. Takahashi's remarks are inappropriate. First of all, our westward detachment has been advancing along this route for nearly a day and a night. Our warriors are already quite exhausted. If under such circumstances, we will suffer When the China Army ambushes us, will we be able to exert our strongest combat power?" Sakata Yuzo asked in return.
"But according to our estimates, this China Army is at most a brigade of troops. The number of troops they left behind in Chunhua Town is only more than a thousand people. The establishment of this China Army is only about two battalions. ." Masatake Takahashi frowned and analyzed.
"Wow, don't forget it, Mr. Takahashi. Those who are able to break through now must be organized troops. There are more than a thousand people. They are most likely a regiment crippled by the China Army. From this point of view, This unit is most likely a division of the China Army. So it must be treated with caution!" Sakata Yuzo said seriously.
"What Sakata-kun said makes sense. Let's move on after dawn!" Masatake Takahashi finally agreed with Yuzo Sakata.
Like the regiment of the 18th Division, since Takahashi Masatake's westward detachment pursued along the railway line, they did not carry heavy weapons such as artillery. At most, they could only carry mortars and heavy machine guns. A kind of one.
At Sakata Yuzo's suggestion, Takahashi Masatake finally ordered the troops to stop advancing and resume pursuit after dawn.
After all, they were also chasing on foot, so it was a very sour experience.
As for the cavalry brigade, they had already been taken southward by Ogisu Ripei to pursue the troops.
Just when Takahashi Masatake and others wanted to take a rest, a combat staff officer ran in: "Report an urgent message to General Captain Takahashi, Captain Sakata, and Commander of the 13th Division, General Ogisu Tatehei!"
"Nani?" Masatake Takahashi and Yuzo Sakata looked at each other, and both saw the shock in each other's eyes - if there were no accidents, they might have to terminate the pursuit.
Yes, even if it was terminated, it was already midnight, and it was still an urgent telegram. It must be something big happening in Nanjing City!
"Read it quickly!" Takahashi Masatake said.
"Hai!" the combat staff officer responded loudly, and then began to read the urgent message.
"Captains of the three regiments of the Western Detachment, Takahashi Masatake and Sakata Isamu, are now receiving orders from His Excellency General Matsui Iwane, the commander of the Central China Expedition Army, and His Highness Prince Asaka Palace Hatohiko, the commander of the Shanghai Expedition Army, to order your troops to return to Nanjing as quickly as possible. , to prepare for the grand entrance ceremony held by His Excellency General Matsui Iwane and His Royal Highness Prince Asaka Palace Hatohiko on the 16th! The entire 13th Division, as well as the 13th Regiment of the 6th Division, and the morning of the 15th At that time, all personnel must arrive! The commander of the 13th Division, Ogisu Tatebei, sent an urgent call at 11 o'clock in the evening on December 14, 1937! Over!"
After finishing reading, the combat staff officer closed the folder and waited for Takahashi Masaru's instructions.
After hearing this order, Takahashi Masatake's expression changed and became a little ugly - could it be that the losses they suffered were in vain? That was two entire brigades, plus the loss of the 13th Regiment.
"Takahashi-kun, are you okay?" Seeing Takahashi Masatake's expression, Sakata Yuzo asked.
Masatake Takahashi shook his head and said, "That's it, just carry out the order! I'm just unwilling to do it, so I won't get in the way."
"As Sun Tzu said in the Art of War, failure is a common occurrence in victory and defeat. This time we suffered a loss, it is not a big problem. Next time, we will win back. Anyway, we have captured their capital, and they are just lost dogs. "Sakata Yuzo patted Takahashi Masatake on the shoulder and said, his situation is the same as Takahashi Masatake's, so he can understand Takahashi Masatake.
"That's it. Retreat!" Masaru Takahashi finally issued the retreat order.
"Hai!" the combat staff responded.
…
It was impossible for Zhang Tianhai to know about the withdrawal of Takahashi Masatake's westward detachment. According to Zhou Fangjie's previous suggestion, Zhang Tianhai placed the tank company, the infantry company of the 215th Regiment, and the machine gun company under Liu Houming's command. At the front, the troops of the Third Battalion followed. Li Zuoliang's Fourth Battalion continued to be responsible for following up on the transfer of the people, while the Second Battalion continued to be responsible for the rear.
"Liu Houming, go and send a few brothers who can run faster to explore the way ahead." As the top commander of this patchwork team, Zhang Tianhai must be on the front line to direct the follow-up. command.
Once the outpost troops are finished, all the remaining troops will be in chaos.
Regarding this point, Zhang Tianhai has a clear understanding - these veterans who are part of the penetration regiment are a sharp sword if they are used well, but if they are not used properly, they will only hurt themselves.
Don't forget, these veterans are definitely good hands when fighting. If the situation is out of control, their life-saving skills are definitely excellent.
"Yes, group seats." After Liu Houming responded, he quickly picked a few people and went up.
…
PS: Update is coming. Let’s keep it short for a day or two…
good night, everyone.
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