(ps: Let’s have a third update first! It has been almost three months since it was launched. Mosquito has not asked for leave for a day to stop the update, and the average update is 10,000 words per day. This should be said to be very powerful, right? For this reason, should we give some encouragement?)

The 71st and 42nd Army, which retreated from the Lu'an Front to the Xinyang area, began to rest because a major war had just ended. The 51st and 77th Army, which were originally stationed in Xinyang, began to deploy defense lines to the area bordering Henan and Anhui.

Faced with the blocking tactics implemented in the Fifth War Zone, the Japanese Second Army, which was responsible for the attack, also felt a certain resistance. However, for the victory of the Lu'an battlefield, many Japanese troops still felt that the Central Army's resistance was still futile.

Even though the Central Army's blockade caused them some casualties and troubles, for the Second Army, which had two elite divisions, their combat effectiveness was still strong. This kind of blockade seemed to delay their time.

Fortunately, the Japanese army attacked also knew that the longer they were blocked by the Central Army, the more manpower and material resources they consumed. In addition, the relocation and evacuation operation of the National Government in Wuhan has not escaped the attention of their special high school courses.

It is clear that the tactics that the Central Army is implementing at this moment are more about implementing the overall strategy of Chiang Kai-shek to formulate the "use space for time" and maintaining the vitality of the future counterattack. This tactic makes the Japanese army feel uncomfortable at this moment.

The reason is that as the more places the Japanese occupied, the more troops they needed to disperse. If large occupied areas were also required to garrison a large number of troops. If troops were not sent to garrison, these occupied areas were likely to be recaptured.

Although the situation in the southern occupied areas has become generally calm, the continuous regaining and erosion of the northern occupied areas has made the Japanese invaders realize that they must end such a protracted war as soon as possible.

This time, the Japanese army formulated a plan to attack Wuhan, which was actually to attack Chongqing with one spirit and completely destroy the National Government currently established in Chongqing. If possible, it would even force the National Government to surrender through this battle.

But what surprised them was that Chiang Kai-shek seemed to have lost interest in the surrender and peace talks proposed by the Japanese army. In this case, the Japanese army decided that it was necessary to make this somewhat stubborn Chiang realize the strength of the Japanese army.

If the Central Army had done all its strength toward this Wuhan Battle, then the Japanese army that launched the attack at this moment actually had all its strength. Now there are more than 300,000 Japanese troops participating in the Wuhan Battle.

In addition to attacking the Central Army that resisted them, these troops will not forget to occupy and plunder the resources and wealth of the occupied areas. After all, the wealth obtained through plunder can also make up for the high military expenditure at this moment.

The Japanese army, who had just ended the Battle of Lu'an, also knew that they could not give the retreating Central Army too much breathing opportunity. With the 13th Division as the vanguard, they began to force cross the Shihe River and officially launched an attack on the Xinyang garrison.

With the advantage of weapons, the Japanese army dispatched a large number of planes on the day of the attack and launched a violent bombardment on the defensive positions of the 77th Army stationed near Shihe. After the aircraft bombing was over, the Japanese heavy artillery troops began to launch fierce artillery bombardment again.

For the Central Army responsible for blocking, they really seemed helpless in the face of these two moves by the Japanese. Looking at the Japanese's planes and heavy artillery constantly ravaging their blocking positions, the officers and soldiers were both angry and frustrated.

The angry ones were naturally because the Japanese army bullied people by relying on their weapons advantages and fighting such a somewhat unfair battle. The frustrated ones were naturally because they did not have much ability to counterattack against the Japanese attacks.

Under the bombardment day and night, a main regiment of the 132nd Division of the 77th Army, which was responsible for defending along the coast, declared one-third of the casualties. For such a battle, a soldier would feel cowardly and frustrated.

The main regiment commander who was guarding the front line called the rear helplessly and said, "Teacher, send us some reinforcements! If you continue to fight like this, you don't have to wait for the Japanese to attack. I'm afraid we won't be able to hold on for three days!"

Faced with the request for help from the regiment commander in front, the commander of the 132nd Division, who was in charge of the rear, said helplessly: "Reinforcements! I will go there now to dispatch reinforcements for you! Your regiment must give me three days to hold on. Once three days arrive, you can withdraw.

Now Chief Li has given the death order to the military seat. Our 77th Army must block the Japanese on the front line for at least seven days. This is the first day. You ask me for reinforcements. How can you fight the battle behind? There are not many reserve troops in my hands!"

‘The division seat, it’s better to give us a company! The one who attacks our position now is the Japanese elite division. It has planes and heavy artillery. We have hundreds of casualties in one day. Without soldiers, how can I hold on for three days?’

Listening to the pleading of the regiment commander in front, he still had some division commanders of the reserve force in his hand, and finally gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, I'll give you two more reserve forces in the company. In any case, your regiment must guard me for three days."

‘Yes, thank you for your master! I promised that I will be crucified here for three days!’

After hanging up the phone, looking at the concerning eyes of the regiment chief of staff, the regiment commander said helplessly: "The division seat agreed to send two more companies of our regiment before noon tomorrow. Alas, this number of troops is not enough!"

After saying this, the Chief of Staff also smiled bitterly: "The teacher is in a difficult position! Now our army is at the forefront. Although our regiment suffers the most losses this day, I am afraid that the other two regiments will not be better.

If the Japanese start a strong attack tomorrow, we also need to be prepared to fight to the death. After this battle, we are afraid that our regiment will be fully conquered. In the future, we will not know that we will be reorganized into which unit."

The 77th Army was formerly the unit of Song Zheyuan, the Northwest Army. After Feng Yuxiang failed the Central Plains War, Song Zheyuan led the remnants to retreat to Shaanxi, and was adapted into the 29th Army by Zhang Xueliang. The army later participated in the Great Wall War.

After the fall of Peiping, although the 29th Army carried out a period of resolute resistance, it eventually withdrew from the garrison of Peking in the form of defeat. And its commander Song Zheyuan has now been returned to his hometown to recuperate.

After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, the National Civil Affairs Bureau reorganized it, and combined the 37th Division of the 29th Army, the 132nd Division and the division's special brigade to form the 59th Army. Soon, the 37th Division of the 59th Army and the 132nd Division were expanded into the 77th Army.

It can be said that at this moment, the 77th Army is also a role that grandma doesn’t love and uncle doesn’t love. Even if this unit has fought with the Japanese army several times, when facing the Japanese army, they still feel that it is difficult to stop the Japanese army’s edge.

The 71st Army and the 42nd Army retreated in the previous period. As the 77th Army that was in the forefront, it knew that it was their turn to go up next. As for how long they could last, it depends on how fierce the Japanese attack was.

Although Li Zongren's death order to the 77th Army required them to resist the attack on the front line of Shihe for seven days, in the eyes of the officers and soldiers of the 77th Army, it was really not easy to block the fierce Japanese devils for seven days.

In this case, Feng Zhian, as the commander of the army, could only give death orders to the two main divisions. The order received by the 132nd Division was in this case, blocking the Japanese army on the Shihe front for three days.

After receiving the information sent by the 132nd Division, Feng Zhian also said with some heartache: "Damn, what kind of battle is this? I lost thousands of troops if the Japanese are not fighting in one day. These Japanese are raised by the Japanese!

After cursing, Feng Zhian also knew very well that tomorrow is the time to fight hard. Feng Zhian, who had already had several battles with the Japanese army, understood in his heart that the Japanese army's offensive tomorrow would be more powerful than today.

If the Japanese bombing today is more about destroying the morale of the defenders, then the Japanese planes will probably still appear above their heads tomorrow. The Japanese heavy artillery troops will naturally cooperate with the Japanese army to launch an attack.

In response to this situation, Feng Zhian also couldn't think of a good solution. What he could count on now is to hope that the front-line troops could make their best and try to complete the tasks assigned by Li Zongren while avoiding large numbers of casualties.

Just when Feng Zhian felt that the 77th Army was afraid that it would face another major casualties this time. A person came to his command room who surprised him but was also looking forward to it.

‘Staff Secretary Qiu, why are you here? Do you have any instructions?’

As the Central Army knew, there are also a large number of cadres sent by the Eighth Route Army in the Northwest Army and the Northeast Army. The middle-aged man who served as the staff of the military training regiment is the representative of the Eighth Route Army.

In fact, today's 77th Army units have a group of officers and soldiers who are interested in the Eighth Route Army. But the same is true, there are people planted by the Central Army in the 77th Army. However, both sides seem very cautious and tacit, and they will not easily break up.

At present, the staff officer Qiu suddenly visited his command center late at night. Feng Zhian thought that there must be something wrong with the Eighth Route Army, and the representative who was stationed in the 77th Army needed to discuss with him something.

‘Commander, I thought you were resting! Today, the 132nd Division, there should be a lot of casualties, right?’

‘Yes! There are more than a thousand casualties in one day! This is just the beginning, tomorrow is a tough battle! You came to see me so late, probably not to ask about the casualties on the front line, right? Is there any instructions on you?’

In Feng Zhi'an's view, the Northwest Army and the Northeast Army have become history. Perhaps the Eighth Route Army, which is now growing in the northwest and North China.

In this Wuhan Battle, the Eighth Route Army also sent an army to cooperate in combat, and even joined the Fifth War Zone. For Feng Zhian, he actually wanted to see how powerful the Eighth Route Army was through this joint battle.

At least in Feng Zhian's opinion, the general who represented the Eighth Route Army in the Battle of Wuhan this time was He Zhengdao, who repeatedly hit the Japanese army after the full war of resistance. He was also very curious about this red general who was very influential among the military and civilians of the War of Resistance.

If this army, as he knew, could have repeatedly severely damaged the Japanese army, perhaps their arrival would be good news for other troops in the Fifth War Zone.

After all, it would undoubtedly be easier for the Japanese army of powerful friendly troops to stay by their side. But as far as he knew, the Eighth Route Army's participating troops should have not arrived in Xinyang yet!
Chapter completed!