Chapter 496: Lao Jiang became a fragrant glutton

August 2 was another nice day, at least in Nanjing.

It's just that the planes coming and going in the sky obscure the clouds, and the smoke of gunpowder billowing from the Yangtze River makes the summer morning light mixed with some dark spots.

The sound of gunfire from the direction of Pukou was also much weaker. After a night of fierce attack, the devils who came to support suffered great losses, especially last night, the amphibious armored troops who arrived in time in the vanguard army rushed to kill them, causing them heavy casualties. In addition, during the day, the vanguard army relied on air superiority and regained the initiative in the entire battle situation. At this time, the devil's reinforcements could no longer be attacked.

"Isn't there any other way?" Shunroku Hatata, who hadn't slept all night, sat down in his chair and muttered to himself. In the early hours of the morning, Hata had already heard that an army of the 56th Army had passed through the county seat of Chuzhou by train. If it weren't for the devils who sabotaged a section of the railway, they would have rushed directly to Pukou.

But even if the sabotaged railroad blocked the passage of trains, it could not stop the army's march on foot. After the regiment of the 56th Division of the 22nd Army got off the train, after a midnight trek of more than 30 miles, it had reached the vicinity of Pukou. Behind them, after overnight repairs by railroad workers, the train started again. At least one more regiment of the vanguard was transported to the vicinity of Pukou. At this time, there are only less than two wings of devils around Pukou, how can they be the enemy?

"Pukou seems to be unable to hold on." Shunroku Hata's heart had to admit this fact. Now that the train is moving again, the vanguard army will continue to pour in. If it's night, there's still some chance. The devils who crossed the river in the dark yesterday had two successful landings, and if it weren't for those amphibious chariots, I am afraid that they would have been able to gain a foothold on the other side.

But by this time it was already daylight. Thinking of the plane in the sky, Shunroku Hata also felt that he didn't have much confidence in his heart. With the support of aircraft, the vanguard army's defense line at Pukou will be more stable. He had already begun to give up a little bit on this place in his heart.

In fact, it is not only Pukou that may be lost today. The offensive of the vanguard army has become clear. Anqing was besieged by the New First Army, and the devils on the Wuhan front line and Jiujiang and other places were involved by the Central Army and the 57th Army. As a result, Hefei, which was trapped in a lonely city, was also in crisis, not to mention Huainan and other places.

Bengbu also went through a night of fighting, and there was no news there. I don't know how, but Shunroku Hata estimates that there is also a lot of luck over there. Also suffering all night in the war were Huai'an, Hongze, Baoying and other places were occupied, plus Hai'an, Xinghua and other places were occupied, and the 20th Division cut off the back road, they could only fight on their own.

"I'd rather die in battle than retreat!" This is the instruction from the base camp.

Soldiers killed in battle can inspire more young people to join the army, and once the seeds of retreat begin to sprout in the army, the morale of the army begins to disperse. Seishiro Itagaki's death stimulated the devil to shout the slogan of Tamama.

But Shunroku Hata knew that these were just fooling those middle and lower-level officers and soldiers, no matter where they were, they couldn't do anything without soldiers and horses in their hands. Jade crushing is inevitable, but it also needs to retain some vitality.

Knowing what you can't do, and still fighting to the death, then the Japanese are really brainless. It is necessary to sacrifice some people to boost morale, but it is absolutely impossible to lose all of them here. So the base camp came only as an instruction, not as an order. And Shunroku Hata also knew that it was time for him to carry the black pot.

After this attack by the vanguard army, he will inevitably step down. At that time, if we can protect some old divisions and regiments, and win more support from the allies behind them, there may be a chance to make a comeback. Otherwise, he is really stupid to bury all these divisions here, not to mention that he needs to apologize to the world in the end, I am afraid that those military bigwigs who came out from behind the old divisions will also trouble him again.

"Someone!" He slammed to his feet, and the adjutant entered, and hurried away with a few secret telegrams a short time later.

In the secret message, he naturally didn't say it too clearly, but some carefully considered words can still make people understand that there is no fool who is the head of the master.

However, Bengbu can't run out, and even Huainan is about to be surrounded.

The Second Army had already conquered Zhengyangguan, Shouxian and Wabu, and was encircling Huainan.

"Order the 6th Wing to reinforce Hefei." Fujita was still the commander of the 3rd Division at this time, and was not replaced by Yamawaki Masataka. At this time, in the face of the constant information asking for support, he still compiled the seeds selected by several other wings into the 6th wing and sent them to Hefei. At this time, the vanguard army had not yet occupied the Huainan Railway, and could directly take the train from Huainan directly to Hefei.

That's all he can do, and it is impossible for the Third Division to withdraw, which is related to the honor of the Third Division. It's good to be able to keep the 6th team. The 6th and 18th Wings are also the old foundation of the 3rd Division. At this time, the 18th Wing was guarding Bengbu under the leadership of the commander of the 29th Brigade at this time, Kido Sanji, and there was no news at this time.

"General!" Chief of Staff Shinichi Nado couldn't help shouting, this time he took the 6th Wing to Hefei together.

The 3rd Division was blocked in front of the vanguard, while the 36th Division was slightly safer in Hefei behind. Even Hefei was in danger, but the commander of the 36th Division, Lieutenant General Wu Chuannan, knew how to arrange them. By the time the 3rd Division was in Huainan and Bengbu, they might have already arrived at Chaohu, where the 11th Independent Mixed Brigade was garrisoned.

"Take care! Take care of them! Fujita nodded slightly at Shinichi Endo and Wing Captain Yuzo Kawabo, the commander of the 6th Wing, and waved his hand. At that moment, Shinichi Endo saw that the spot of light shining on General Fujita's clothes was spreading a dim yellow like the setting sun, which made his heart tingle.

"Is the Third Division coming to an end?" The sadness in his heart couldn't help but flood his face.

As the morning light faded, the vanguard army's attack also entered the white heat.

The pace of the attack of the 2nd Army was also very fast, and the retreating 6th Wing was blocked by two trains, leaving only one. After one of the two trains was blown up, the devils on it were wiped out. However, at this time, although Feng Anbang, who had returned from serious injury, lost a leg, he still rushed into Huainan with the 42nd Army, and the 30th Army of Chifeng City also cut off the Huainan Railway and attacked Shuangdunji.

Liu Ruming of the 68th Army swept through Feidong and approached Chaohu Lake, and at the same time controlled the section from Hefei to Chaohu on the Huainan Railway.

After more than half a year of digestion of these Northwest Army, the middle and lower ranks have been completely controlled by Meng Xiang. Even most of the high-level leaders have been completely subdued, and they are classified into the series of the vanguard lineage. Most of the roads of the Northeast Army have also been taken care of, and at this time they are mobilizing near Rehe to guard against the attack of the Kwantung Army.

After the reconciliation of the new barracks and the veteran barracks, these titles of the Northwest Army, the Northeast Army, and the Jin Army were far away, and the armies of the Vanguard Army, even those original warlord ranks, at least in the middle and lower classes controlled by Meng Xiang, were mixed with accents from all over the country. There are disadvantages and advantages to forming an army in one locality, and from the perspective of the whole country, the local army formation will do more harm than good. Inevitably, the soldiers who have received patriotic ideological education in the vanguard army need to be a soldier who is loyal to China, and not limited to a certain region or someone's private soldiers.

Of course, they read the benefits of Meng Dashuai in their mouths, and Meng Xiang didn't mind. The vanguard army needs a relatively concentrated voice that resounded in the crowd, and Meng Xiang, who was holding a golden finger, was also confident that he could better guide the direction of the future, but the form of dictatorship was not needed, and with the support of the clones in high positions, he could put on a democratic appearance and standardize the rules of the game in the future.

Just like this attack, although there is a Standing Committee, with the support of Rat Yi, Niu Yi, Hu Yi, and others, Meng Xiang's decision is the highest instruction.

At this time, in the joint theater of operations, there are all kinds of things to say, and the main battle and the main peace faction have their own disputes. Of course, this main harmony is not the main harmony as before, but the Japanese will withdraw from China and return to the way it was 31 years ago. The Japanese made appropriate compensation for the losses caused in China, and so on, while the main war faction was determined to defeat the Japanese, and some even shouted the slogan of going to their hometown in Japan.

The series of victories of the vanguard army also stimulated people's previous inferiority complex, and at this time, the people's sentiment was high, and they saw it too easy to fight the Japanese.

really came to the position of controlling the overall situation, Meng Xiang understood that there is also a need for blackface and redface in politics.

The main harmony is not necessarily that it is good with the Japanese. Only by fighting and making peace can we earn the greatest benefits. It's just that you cover your head and fight to the death, and it's easy for others to take advantage of it. In particular, Meng Xiang is still classifying Soviet Russia as a target of attack, so the relationship with the Japanese cannot be forcefully suppressed just by fighting.

Meng Xiang also knew about the signing of a neutrality treaty between the Japanese and Soviet Russia, so he was particularly worried about the changes in history, so that the two could work together to divide the interests of China and deal with the vanguard together. At this time, even if the vanguard army can barely support the attack of the two, it will inevitably suffer a lot of losses, and there is still one United States that has not made a move.

Therefore, it is necessary to make some peace with the Japanese, so that the edge of the knife in your hand is outward.

In the past six months, some of the voices of the Lord and the Development in the Joint Theater have also been promoted by Meng Xiang, and they have been firmly controlled by the people through cloning. However, the voice of the main battle is still the mainstream, and the main peace is only acting for the Japanese and even Soviet Russia, Europe and the United States and other countries.

Even Meng Xiang used this attack to make his position clear.

"We have to fight all the way to the Yangtze River!" This sentence that Meng Xiang said has been spread.

"That Meng Ribai is not very tough this time!" Kenji Dohihara was a little uncertain about Shunroku Hata.

"If you want to drive us into the Yangtze River, aren't you tough?" Shunroku Hatata's eyes were even redder at this time, and his face was full of haggardness.

"He really wants to fight us to the death, and he will never let go of the Yangtze River estuary. I won't shout that sentence anymore. He wants to hit the Yangtze River, not cross the Yangtze River! He needed to expand his territory to the Yangtze River. Kenji Dohihara thought of a secret piece of information from the intelligence department, and he knew it in his heart.

"Are you saying that he wants to stand on his own feet and occupy the north of the Yangtze River?" Shunroku Hata is not a fool either, as soon as he hears these words, he thinks of what Kenji Dohihara said, and he understands what he is going to say.

"The vanguard army occupied the northern part of China, but their military system and government functions were not justified and limited to the constraints of the Chiang government. They plan to reform the system next, even if they don't shout self-reliance, what is the difference between that and self-reliance? Kenji Tsuchihara smiled slightly, but then withdrew the smile from the corner of his mouth.

It turned out that the policy of the Japanese was to sow discord between the Central Army and the Vanguard Army, causing them contradictions, and even civil war. But at this time, the vanguard army was about to fall out with the central army and stand on its own, and Kenji Dohihara didn't feel much joy in his heart. After the vanguard broke free from the rope on its body, with its strong strength, I am afraid that others cannot restrain it, but I am afraid that it is more threatening.

"Their appetite is too great!" Hata Junliu also took this into account, since Meng Xiang shouted out to fight to the Yangtze River, he naturally had a useful intention. Naturally, Japanese people can hear it too. It's just that the entire north of the Yangtze River was thrown away at once, and the Japanese were reluctant to do so.

"Those places are not easy to keep anymore!" Kenji Dohihara said helplessly, and the vanguard army slashed and slaughtered, and several divisions of the Japanese were beaten to pieces.

After noon, news of the loss of the 20th Division and the 32nd Division was already coming from Huai'an and Sheyang, and nearly half of the troops withdrawn from the 20th and 32nd Divisions were withdrawing to Yancheng under the banner of supporting Yancheng. And Yancheng is under siege, and they need to go and relieve the siege.

After they broke the siege, they would also abandon Yancheng and join the two divisions in Nantong and other places to the south, and concentrate superior forces to hold Nantong, Yangzhou and other places.

After noting that Hai'an's vanguard army was weak, Shunroku Hatatake sent the 39th Division in Nantong to attack. However, with the insistence of the marines and paratroopers, and with the assistance of the air force, they persevered, and after the afternoon, the vanguard of the 81st Division of the 12th Army also arrived, so that the devils had to consider the plan to defend other places. Therefore, the six strong men of Hata Junliu broke their wrists and directly let the two divisions of the Huai River and one independent mixed brigade of the Huai River, which were dressed like a sieve by the vanguard army, withdraw the defensive line.

The 3rd Division suffered heavy casualties, and less than 3,000 men were besieged in Huainan and engaged in street fighting.

In this way, most of the Japanese troops north of the Yangtze River were squeezed to the Yangtze River. Also squeezed to the riverside was the 27th Division of Anqing, which was not at the forefront of the vanguard army and did not set up too many fortresses, so it was taken up half of the work of the new army in the morning. The rest of the troops were squeezed into half of the riverside and continued to hold on.

"What a pity!" Shunroku Hata shook his head, then ordered, "Someone! Send a letter to Hefei, and let Hefei rescue the riverside as appropriate, maintain the passage of the Yangtze River, and protect Yuxikou. This is to prepare to give up Hefei, Hefei is lonely behind the enemy, and it is also a piece of chicken ribs. But he didn't dare to say too much, so he could only take ensuring the smooth flow of the Yangtze River as his goal first.

In order to defend the vanguard army and control the place, the devil made the manpower too scattered, and a division around a big city seemed to be a lot, but the impact of an army or even a division of the vanguard army did not have much to parry. It is better to concentrate on holding the Yangtze River shipping. At least it can maintain Okamura's retreat.

"We need to have a good talk with the Chiang regime!" Kenji Dohihara said lightly. At this time, Okamura Ningji was in contact with Lao Jiang and others, and they wanted to stabilize the situation first. The rear is unstable, and they naturally dare not continue to fight with the Central Army, and the vanguard army is still getting closer and closer.

In fact, Lao Chiang has never severed the Japanese line. There were more lords and factions in the central government, and when the vanguard army was rising strongly, it continued to fight with the Japanese, and the damage was too great. But Lao Chiang understood that if he hadn't been fighting with the Japanese, and without the lack of this united front and the hat of unanimity with the outside world, he might have been driven down by others with the vanguard army.

You can't lose this hat, but you can compromise in private.

The Japanese also understood that the vanguard army was strong and the central army was slightly weaker, so they naturally wanted to support Lao Chiang to deal with the vanguard army. Lao Chiang's conditions were much lower than those of the vanguard army.

"Wang Jingwei is really weak, and his subordinates also need to be rectified!" Shunroku Hata said, but looked at Kenji Dohihara.

In the peace talks with Lao Jiang, there is one person who cannot be avoided is Wang Jingwei. In this time and space, due to the rise of the vanguard army, it has brought more hope to the people, so Wang Jingwei's regime is even more unpopular, and some hesitant wall-riding factions have not relied on the past, and those who do devil affairs under Wang's puppet regime are all perfunctory under the threat of the vanguard army's elimination of traitors, and all of them are good at playing soy sauce.

The attack of the vanguard army was so smooth this time, and it also had the credit of the puppet army's active rectification. As long as people have a head and thoughts, there is no one who is not positive. The treatment of the vanguard army is good, of course, it is more cost-effective to take refuge in the vanguard army.

Although Lao Jiang is still not strong in this time and space, Lao Wang is even worse, if he could not be a curtain, he would have been abolished by the devil long ago. However, if you want to win over Lao Jiang, you will naturally be involved in Wang Jingwei. One mountain cannot accommodate two masters.

There was a layer of murderous intent in his eyes at this time, since he was going to step down with the black pot, he didn't mind beating Wang Jingwei first at this time. It will not only provide more benefits, but also facilitate future negotiations.

"Jiang Zhongzheng has no opinion for a long time!" Kenji Dohihara sighed. Lao Jiang is also a master of playing power, although he was covered by the vanguard, but he was still very calm in negotiating with the Japanese. The Japanese are even more anxious than him, and only by calming down can they get more benefits.

"Recently, the Americans have also been very close to him!" Kenji Tsuchihara added.

"Americans?" Shunroku Hata raised his eyebrows and said.

At the beginning of the Anti-Japanese War, Lao Chiang asked the Americans for help, but he was met with blank eyes and cold reception. Britain and France and other countries were also watching the play, and even the Germans did not want to offend the Japanese. As a last resort, Lao Chiang turned to Soviet Russia.

With the unwitting rise of the Vanguard Army, the Americans and the Vanguard Army were very close. The volume of transactions between the two sides is increasing, especially the market prospects in the joint theater are broad, and the importance of the Americans to the vanguard army has reached the level of treatment of a country, and the corresponding is the indifference to the old Chiang regime. But why did he suddenly open up with Lao Jiang enthusiastically at this time?

"Soviet Russia is also getting closer and closer to them!" Kenji Tsuchihara said again.

In the first half of last year, the relationship between Lao Chiang and Soviet Russia suddenly became much colder. The main reason is that the friction between some parties has suddenly heated up. Lao Jiang simply opened the orders of the Central Army to the copycat company and the umbrella company. If it weren't for the fact that Soviet Russia and Japan also had some conflicts of interest at that time, I am afraid that the relationship between the two would have been even colder. But at the beginning of this year, with the changes in the domestic situation, Soviet Russia again wooed Lao Chiang.

Lao Jiang turned out to be a fragrant dumpling for a while.

Kenji Dohihara sighed in his heart, understanding that all this was because the vanguard army was getting stronger and stronger.

Because the vanguard army squeezed other forces in the country into smaller and smaller living space, some agents of Soviet Russia also lost their market. Coupled with the hostility of the vanguard army on the issue with the Mongols, Soviet Russia had to consider the power of Lao Chiang.

The Americans, on the other hand, may want to use Lao Chiang as a future investment and try their best to lay out every chess piece.

"Madame Chiang brought in the sponsorship of more than 100 planes from the Americans to form an American-style air force!" Kenji Dohihara said.

"The Air Force of the Vanguard is already strong, and the planes of the Americans are needed?" Shunroku Hata mocked, but he knew that whether it was considered from the Americans or from the old Chiang, this air force was still very necessary.