mtlumby2d Chapter 714: The soldiers surrounded the nine southern states
Chapter 714: The soldiers surrounded the nine southern states
After two rounds of fierce firepower coverage, the sky outside the city of Minami-Kyushu gradually returned to tranquility, but under that tranquility was hidden endless sadness and despair. The garrison area of the Xiangchun Division was now a hell on earth, with smoke and dust intertwined, and fire and shadows coexisting.
Division commander Ichiro Asakawa stood in the makeshift command post, looking out the window through blurry vision, only to see that the once well-organized fortifications were now in ruins, with scorched earth and broken walls everywhere. His heart sank to the bottom, and an unprecedented sense of frustration surged in his heart.
"Reporting to the division commander, after the first round of fire coverage, the number of casualties we counted has exceeded 5,000. After the second round, it directly exceeded 10,000..." A staff officer covered in blood and tattered clothes stumbled into the command post and reported the chilling casualty figures in a trembling voice.
Asakawa Ichiro's face turned pale as paper in an instant. He clenched his fists tightly, his nails almost digging into his palms, but he didn't feel any pain. He never thought that the defense line he had carefully arranged would be so vulnerable to the enemy's long-range firepower attack.
"How...how is this possible?" He muttered to himself, his eyes full of disbelief and regret. He realized that he had made a fatal mistake - he underestimated the long-range firepower of the Chinese army. Those seemingly solid fortifications were as fragile as paper in the face of the enemy's overwhelming artillery fire.
"We must retreat and redeploy!" Asakawa Ichiro suddenly came to his senses and shouted orders. He knew that continuing to hold the position would only cause more soldiers to die in vain and become live targets under the enemy's artillery fire.
However, although the order was issued, it was difficult to execute. In the chaos, the army's communication system was severely damaged, and command signals were difficult to convey; the soldiers' morale was low, and facing such tragic casualties, many people had already given up.
Ichiro Asakawa stood in front of the command post, looking at the panicked and bewildered soldiers, feeling powerless. He understood that this war was far more cruel than they had imagined. He regretted that he had not realized the long-range firepower threat of the Chinese army earlier and had not developed a more flexible tactical strategy in advance.
But now that things have come to this, regret is useless. Asakawa Ichiro can only grit his teeth, force himself to calm down, and think about how to turn the situation around in the next battle. He knows that if he wants to continue to fight with the Chinese army, he must maintain the secrecy and mobility of the troops to avoid becoming a victim of the enemy's artillery fire again.
On a hidden hillside several kilometers away from the Fuso position, Zheng Zeyu, wearing combat uniform and holding a high-powered telescope, locked his sharp eyes on the battlefield in the distance. The smoke had not yet completely dissipated, but through the telescope, he could clearly see the miserable scene of the Fuso position - the fortifications were in pieces, the fire and smoke were intertwined into a mess, and the once solid defense line had now disappeared.
A sneer appeared unconsciously on the corner of his mouth, and a hint of satisfaction and determination flashed in Zheng Zeyu's eyes. He knew very well that although these two rounds of covering firepower strikes consumed tens of thousands of rockets, the effect they brought was immeasurable. The enemy's defense positions outside the city were almost completely destroyed, and their morale and combat effectiveness would undoubtedly be severely damaged.
"Awesome! It's really awesome!" At this time, Liu Ershun on the side could no longer hold back his excitement and shouted loudly. His face was flushed, and his eyes were shining with excitement, as if he had witnessed the moment when the enemy was destroyed. "I finally understand what it means to 'insert tactics when poor, and cover with firepower when rich'! Commander, your two rounds of long-range firepower strikes are simply a stroke of genius. At least tens of thousands of enemies have been killed by us!"
As soon as Liu Ershun finished speaking, the generals around him nodded in agreement, their faces filled with the same joy and relief. They gathered around Zheng Zeyu, discussing the results of the battle just now, and everyone's face was full of disdain for the enemy and pride in their own army.
"Commander, you played this move beautifully. The Japanese have suffered a big setback this time!"
"Damn you little Japanese, I finally got to experience what it means to be struck by thunder from the sky!"
Zheng Zeyu's eyes turned away from the smoke-filled battlefield in the distance and fell on the battle map in his hand, his eyes revealing determination and coldness. He took a deep breath, turned to face the generals behind him, and said in a deep and powerful voice: "Now, it's time to 'close the door and beat the dog' on the enemy!"
He slowly unfolded the map and ran his finger along the preset encirclement route. Every movement revealed his careful consideration and precision. "I order the First and Second Armies to immediately follow the established plan and quickly launch an operation to fully encircle Southern Kyushu. Our goal is to trap these two Class A divisions in the city, cut off all their escape routes, and make them trapped in a jar with nowhere to escape."
Zheng Zeyu's voice struck the generals' hearts like a heavy hammer.
"The First Army will be led by you personally and will attack from the east. Taking advantage of the terrain, you will quickly occupy the commanding heights outside the city of Nanjiuzhou and create a suppressive posture against the enemy." Zheng Zeyu looked at Liu Ershun, the commander of the First Army.
"Yes, Commander! I will ensure that the mission is accomplished!" Liu Ershun responded loudly, then turned and left, ready to execute the order.
"Second Army, your mission is to advance from the west and south at the same time to form a siege with the First Army. You must maintain a high degree of coordinated combat capabilities to ensure that the encirclement is impeccable." Zheng Zeyu then gave orders to the commander of the Second Army.
"Please rest assured, Commander. Our Second Army will definitely live up to its mission!"
"Remember, we will make Southern Kyushu the burial place of these two Class A divisions! We must use practical actions to tell the enemy that any invader who dares to invade our territory and harm our compatriots will be punished accordingly, and blood debt must be paid with blood! Anyone who offends China will be punished no matter how far away they are!"
As Zheng Zeyu's order was issued, the First Army and the Second Army were like two sharp steel knives, quickly and accurately inserting into the surrounding areas of Nanjiuzhou City. One of the two forces quietly approached from the mountains and forests on the east side, taking advantage of the complex terrain, quietly occupied many commanding heights, and formed a close surveillance and suppression of the eastern part of Nanjiuzhou City; the other launched an offensive from the west and south, advancing with a thunderous force, and the enemy strongholds along the way were removed one by one, with unstoppable force.
As the encirclement gradually narrowed, the southern Kyushu city seemed to be tightly bound by an invisible giant net, and the air in the city became unusually heavy. Asakawa Ichiro, the once confident division commander, was now in an unprecedented predicament. He stood on the city wall, looking out the window at the gradually approaching enemy troops, his face livid and his brows furrowed.
He knew that retreat was an impossible task. The city was surrounded by enemy forces on all sides, and every retreat route was cut off. They had become trapped in a small space, with nowhere to escape. What worried him even more was that the morale of the Changfeng Division had fallen to the bottom. Facing this sudden desperate situation, the soldiers were filled with fear and despair, and their combat effectiveness was greatly reduced.
On the streets of the city, panicked soldiers occasionally passed by, their eyes revealing a deep fear of an unknown fate. The once bustling city was now dead silent, with only the sound of artillery fire and occasional explosions from afar, reminding people of the cruelty and ruthlessness of war.
Ichiro Asakawa paced back and forth in the command post, trying to find a way out of the situation. But the reality was like an insurmountable mountain, weighing him down and making him breathless.