You were tasked with guarding the Sihang Warehouse, and you ended up with a German-equipped division

Chapter 161: After capturing Yixian, the Japanese army begins its breakout.

"My lord, you're not planning to let the two fight like the snipe and the clam, so that the fisherman can benefit?"

Li Jianghe simply smiled without saying a word, letting him convey the order.

Looking at Yang Ruifu's reply, Tang Enbo's lips curled up slightly.

"This Li Jianghe is a sensible person."

"Knowing that all the credit shouldn't be solely attributed to Li Jianghe, some of it should also be shared with our Central Army."

Wan Jianfan, however, had other concerns. Without the support of the mechanized forces of the Third Detachment, could they really hold out?

Even if the Japanese troops in front of us are only at their last gasp.

Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse, especially in such a desperate situation. How can we know whether the Japanese army is truly fighting to the death and whether it can inspire them with even greater courage?

"Can our 20th Army alone hold out?"

Wan Jianfan finally couldn't help but ask.

Tang Enbo said calmly:

"What are you afraid of? The 10th Division was defeated by Li Jianghe, losing all its heavy weapons and suffering heavy losses in manpower."

The 20th Army Group had been fighting fiercely in Hanzhuang for many days, and in the past two days, Li Jianghe's armored forces had annihilated several elite forces, leaving them exhausted.

If even they can't stop us, then our 20th Army Group should stop calling itself a direct descendant of the Central Army. The Commander-in-Chief can't afford that kind of embarrassment.

Li Jianghe was too lazy to bother with the infighting within the National Revolutionary Army.

That night, the attack on Yixian County began amidst a salvo of artillery fire.

Amidst the roar of artillery fire, armored units attacked simultaneously from two directions, first eliminating the Japanese defensive positions deployed around Yixian County one by one.

With their previous experience, their attack on the front lines went much more smoothly this time.

After all, the Japanese army's Setani Brigade had a lot of anti-tank firepower on its positions, but they gritted their teeth and made it through.

Although the Japanese regiment deployed in Yixian County had pre-built fortifications, the number of anti-tank guns they were equipped with was quite limited.

In the end, these Japanese soldiers got desperate.

The soldiers, armed with explosive charges and cluster grenades, charged toward the armored forces of the Third Detachment, shouting "Banzai!"

The greatest effect of the Banzai charge was to move the Japanese soldiers themselves, but it couldn't move the bullets and shells fired by the Third Detachment.

By dawn, Li Jianghe's armored forces had broken into the city.

The street fighting continued until noon that day, and all the remaining Japanese troops in the city were wiped out. Some Japanese troops, led by their regimental commander, fled to Zaozhuang ahead of time.

In less than twelve hours, an entire Japanese infantry regiment was completely decimated.

For Li Jianghe, this no longer brought any excitement.

Even after deducting battle losses, there are still 100,000 merit points in the account.

Inside the 20th Division headquarters, Rensuke Isogai had also arrived.

As soon as he entered, Kawagishi Bunzaburo's words carried a hint of sarcasm.

"I never expected that the famous Himeji Division would be beaten like a stray dog ​​by a small Third Division."

Isogai Rensuke glanced at Kawagishi Bunzaburo and said:

"Do you think now is the time to ridicule and mock your comrades? The most urgent task is to break through the encirclement as soon as possible! Instead of being trapped in this area by the enemy and waiting to die."

Kawagishi Bunzaburo knew this wasn't the time to argue, so he said coldly:

"My troops have already consolidated their forces and will launch a surprise attack on the front after noon. I wonder how many troops you left in Yixian to cover the rear?"

"An infantry regiment, using the city's fortifications, should be able to hold off Li Jianghe's troops for a few days."

"Isoya Rensuke spoke up." (Latest update: "I put you in charge of the Sihang Warehouse, and you brought out a German-equipped division.")

But no sooner had he finished speaking than Chief of Staff Atsuro Umemura rushed over.

"It's terrible! Li Jianghe's third detachment has taken Yixian County. Less than a thousand men from the 40th Regiment escaped; the rest were all killed in action."

Kawagishi Bunzaburo's impulse to mock Isogai Rensuke was reignited at this moment.

"Hmph, as expected of the 'Himeji Division,' an infantry regiment utterly routed in a single night. Even if you released three thousand pigs into Yixian, the enemy wouldn't be able to catch them all in one night!"

Rensuke Isogai's face was gloomy, and a cold glint flashed in his sinister eyes.

"Where is Yoshio Nagano? I'm going to kill him!!!"

He roared, howling like a mad dog.

Atsuro Umemura advised:

"The enemy's mechanized forces are launching a fierce offensive, and at the same time, they have somehow managed to bring in dozens of artillery pieces. Our artillery has been almost completely destroyed, making it extremely difficult to stop the enemy's armored forces."

Isogai Rensuke no longer cared about any of that; he had already lost face in front of Kawagishi Bunzaburo.

Now, another humiliating blow has struck, making the usually self-important Rensuke Isogai feel as if his dignity has been thrown to the ground and trampled on.

"Whoosh!"

He drew his katana and handed it to Atsuro Umemura, saying:

"If he still has any dignity as a samurai, then let him commit seppuku!"

Kawagishi Bunzaburo said in a sarcastic tone:

"Who is this show for? Rather than letting him end it himself, it's better for him to serve the Emperor with a guilty conscience. Right now, we should think of a way to fight our way out."

Having said that, he changed the subject, pointing to the map and saying:

"Li Jianghe's troops are coming in strong. The 10th Division will hold them off, while our 20th Division will break through from the front. What do you think?"

He knew very well that Isogai Rensuke wanted to prove himself, and the loss of a large number of artillery pieces had greatly reduced their ability to attack fortified positions.

The only way to break through the enemy's frontal defenses was to rely on the 20th Division under Fumizaburo Kawagishi.

After all, his troops possessed a large number of artillery pieces, as well as an additional heavy artillery regiment supplemented by the army group headquarters.

Rensuke Isogai naturally understood the current situation; this was the best arrangement.

"Okay, I'll try to buy as much time as possible!"

After hearing this, Kawagishi Bunzaburo extended his palm and said:

"Let's fight side by side and break out of here, senior!"

Rensuke Isogai knew he was giving himself an out, so he took a deep breath and extended his palm.

Inside the 20th Army Group headquarters, Wan Jianfan hung up the phone and said:

"We have discovered the main force of the 20th Division, which is approaching our positions. They are numerous and are likely about to launch a general offensive."

Tang Enbo smiled dismissively and said:

"Hmph, a bunch of stray dogs, daring to bark like madmen? Tell the brothers at the front to fight this battle well. If we win, everyone will get an extra two months' pay!"

"Yes, Commander!!"

Wan Jianfan said excitedly.

For soldiers of the National Revolutionary Army, besides national vendettas and personal hatred, money was the best morale booster.

Almost simultaneously, the faint roar of artillery could be heard.

The 20th Division's shells landed on the 20th Army's defensive positions.

The Japanese breakout has begun!

In eastern Zaozhuang, around Beilongtang and Heshangsi, the remaining main force of the Isogai Division has been fully assembled in this area.

In order to enhance its anti-tank combat capabilities, Rensuke Isogai shamelessly borrowed a number of anti-tank guns from the 20th Division.

Although the 37mm anti-tank guns equipped by the Japanese army were significantly inferior in performance to those of the Germans, they were still capable of penetrating the frontal armor of the armored vehicles of Li Jianghe's troops.