Chapter 501 Return to Yuanhua County
"Don't worry, Commander, I will definitely bring Miss Sun back to you intact." Gao Cang saluted Zhao Zhiguo, "Tian Kezhi, collect the ammunition in the hands of other soldiers, take your soldiers and follow me."
Takakura and Katsuda mounted their horses.
"Gao Cang, let's meet in Yuanhua County." Zhao Zhiguo said.
"I know, Tian Kezhi, let's go, drive!"
The horse's hooves galloped, kicking up a puff of dust and smoke, leaving behind thin silhouettes of their backs. Zhao Zhiguo looked at Gao Cang, Tian Kezhi and the others walking away, feeling vaguely uneasy in his heart.
"Yao Pengju, arrange for two soldiers with quick legs and feet to go to Yuanhua County to find Captain Cao Jiyu and Cao Cao! Tell him that I have important information."
The destination of Zhao Zhiguo and the others this time is the county seat of Yuanhua County, where Cao Jiyu and his regiment are located.
Now that the 68th Division has ceased to exist in name only, with only 700 or 800 men left in a division of 7,000 to 8,000 men, Zhao Zhiguo can only take his troops to Yuanhua County to temporarily seek refuge with Cao Jiyu.
At this time, both the Jinsui Army and the Central Army were in chaos.
In order to stabilize the situation in Bingzhou, superiors ordered a division and a cavalry regiment of the Ma Jiajun to also station in Bingzhou.
The Central Army is also deploying troops to the Bingzhou area.
Commander-in-Chief Yan was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot. In this battle, almost all the five main divisions were lost.
Only two divisions had withdrawn from the Jinyang area, and both had only half their strength.
There are still two divisions struggling to support themselves in the Jinyang area, and Jinyang is in danger of being lost at any time.
After taking control of Pingcheng, the Japanese army had a big appetite.
Some troops supported the troops attacking Jinyang, and some troops directly pursued the defeated troops of the Chinese army and headed toward Bingzhou.
If the Japanese army were allowed to open the door to Bingzhou, the Japs would inevitably send more troops to the front.
Just like a dam about to burst, if the first wave of flood peaks cannot be blocked, a steady stream of water will rush down the gap.
Pingcheng was lost and Hutong fell. The commander-in-chief of the Jin-Sui Army was already in dire straits and was mobilizing troops everywhere.
However, one thing is very fortunate. Most of the roads from Hutong area to Bingzhou area are mountain roads.
No matter how fast the little devil's infantry runs, the longer the battle line becomes, and the supplies cannot keep up with the frontline combat troops.
The weather was good, a cold air swept in, and the howling cold wind blew through the skin as if it had been cut by a razor blade.
The sudden drop in temperature slowed down the march of the Japanese army. The Japanese troops on the front line were ordered to set up defenses on the spot and wait for supplies.
The cold air lasted for two full days, allowing the Jinsui Army to breathe a sigh of relief.
The troops who came to support were urgently deployed by the commander-in-chief to the pass to block the Japanese attack.
Zhao Zhiguo was in no mood to gather the defeated troops, so he rushed to Yuanhua County with his troops without stopping.
Zhao Zhiguo could already feel the smell of war when he entered Yuanhua County.
In the past few days, the Japanese army had bombed Bingzhou City many times, and the densely populated towns along the way also suffered.
Although towns were not the key targets of the Japanese bombings, the Japs still hunted rabbits and used airplanes to cause psychological terror to the Chinese troops and people along the way.
"Old Zhao, I knew you would not die in the hands of the Japanese army. When Pingcheng fell, I kept sending people to inquire about you. How is the 68th Division?" Cao Jiyu had already received the news that Zhao Zhiguo was coming to Yuanhua County.
news.
Pingcheng was captured by the Japanese army, and the Shanxi-Sui army was shaken. Cao Jiyu also heard some news from the front line.
"We encountered two Japanese regiments in the mountains. The one who broke through was killed in the battle. Commander Chu died in the battle. The two retreating divisions plus our 68th Division are the only ones left with the brothers I brought back."
Zhao Zhiguo endured the pain in his heart. The more than 20,000 troops in three divisions were almost completely wiped out.
"Hey~ This battle was miserable. Jinyang was not optimistic either. Two divisions of the Central Army were also crippled. Three days after Pingcheng fell, the Japanese army transferred troops from the direction of Pingcheng to support the direction of Jinyang and guard Longyan.
He's troops were caught off guard by the Japanese from the flank, and had no choice but to abandon the Longyan River position and retreat to Jinyang. The Japanese army crossed the Longyan River and surrounded Jinyang City on three sides."
In this battle, the Jinsui Army lost a lot of capital, and several divisions were beaten down to less than a thousand men.
"Is there any decision from above?"
"Secure Jinyang. This is not an order from the Commander-in-Chief. It is an order from the Central Army. No matter what the cost, we must defend Jinyang City."
Cao Jiyu pulled Zhao Zhiguo and walked towards his headquarters while introducing Zhao Zhiguo to the recent situation on the battlefield.
"Adjutant, find a place for Commander Zhao's troops to rest." Cao Jiyu ordered the adjutant beside him again, "Where is the little brother you brought last time? Why didn't he follow you this time?"
"He's dead, beaten to death by his own people!"
"He was beaten to death by his own people?" Cao Jiyu stopped and looked at Zhao Zhiguo in disbelief.
"It's a long story."
Zhao Zhiguo couldn't bear to remember Ning Wenbin. His death was so unjust.
"The Central Army is worried that after the Jinyang and Bingzhou areas are lost, the Japs will take the opportunity to control the entire north bank of the Yellow River."
"I understand this. Your defense area was also bombed by the Japanese army?" Zhao Zhiguo changed the topic. They did not even have the power to make suggestions regarding grand strategy.
"The Japanese army occasionally dropped a few bombs, hoping to break our psychological defenses with bombing."
"Aren't your anti-aircraft guns used?"
Cao Jiyu shook his head: "The Japanese aircraft have no intention of bombing Yuanhua County yet, so they flew too high. The probability of our two anti-aircraft guns hitting them is too small."
"Come on, go to your headquarters quickly. I have something important to tell you."
Zhao Zhiguo not only came to seek refuge with Cao Jiyu, but also asked Cao Jiyu to help him because some officers within the Jinsui Army might be bribed by the Japanese army.
"What?! Maybe a group of officers within the Jinsui Army have been bribed?"
Cao Jiyu was shocked. If one or two officers were bribed by the Japanese army with huge sums of money, it would be normal during the war.
But when Zhao Zhiguo said that a group of military officers had been bribed, who wouldn't feel frightened after hearing this?
"The Japanese soldier who had the main intelligence died, leaving only a Japanese agent in charge of liaison. He didn't know much."
"Once the news of this kind of thing leaks out, the entire frontline troops may be hit!"
If the officers on the front line knew that someone in the army had defected to the Japanese army, they would no longer easily trust the officers around them.
If trust between officers is lost, information will not be conveyed in a timely manner, and the secrets of one's own unit will be leaked, all of which will lead to fatal problems.
"So I need you to report to the Commander-in-Chief."
Chapter completed!