After dealing with Commander Yoshimura Teiichi, even when Prince Asaka and Minister Yanagawa came to Shaanxi County, Lieutenant General Miura still used this rhetoric to fool the two generals. .
Matsuno O Katsuaki led his Matsuno detachment to fight all the way to Hangu Pass. It is only fifty or sixty miles from Shaanxian County to Hangu Pass. If the road conditions are good, it can be reached by car in an hour. If a forced march is used, it will take half a day. The journey is not even considered as starting from dawn to dusk. In this short distance, the Matsuno detachment did not walk easily at all.
Fifteen kilometers away from Shaanxi County, the Matsuno detachment began to have frequent accidents. First, there was a sudden explosion, and the troops were in chaos. The Japanese were lying down one after another. Major General Matsuno sent people over to investigate. It turned out that a soldier had stepped on a landmine. Yes, a landmine killed two and injured four.
It was normal to encounter an enemy ambush on the march. General Matsuno didn't take it seriously. After disposing of the corpses and treating the wounded, the troops continued to move forward. Who knew that from this accident on, the march road began to become more difficult because of landmines? There must be one within a hundred meters, and there are not many of them. If there are only two or three, it will be as high as the sky. Sometimes there is one within a hundred meters.
The division engineer team is trapped in Hangu Pass with the division commander. Now it is impossible to help the Matsuno detachment clear mines. They know that there are landmines, but the entire Matsuno detachment does not even have a single engineer, so they cannot let out a few mines. Being trapped here, the Matsuno detachment braved the bullet and walked another kilometer, stepping on more than a dozen landmines, killing and injuring dozens more Japanese soldiers.
General Matsuno was furious. This was because he put a dozen military dogs from the detachment ahead to explore the road. Without these dozen military dogs, the number of Japanese soldiers killed and injured would probably be even higher. Double again.
There is no way to go on this road. There are no living military dogs in the detachment. If you go forward, you will have to fill it with human lives. Although the number of people killed is not too many, this thing will damage morale.
Looking at the frightened expressions on the faces of the surrounding soldiers, Matsuno Katsuaki was both angry and a little scared. He was also afraid of being bombed. During the battle between Zhejiang and Jiangxi, the commander of the 15th Division, Naoji Sakai, stepped on Even though he was killed by a landmine, Major General Matsuno did not think that his body was tougher than Lieutenant General Sakai.
Okay, if you can¡¯t just leave, then call for reinforcements. The combat troops of the 69th Division cannot be dispatched. Let¡¯s send an engineering unit to the mine clearance headquarters. Major General Matsuno ordered: The troops will be on guard in place and send troops to the minesweeping headquarters. The 69th Division sent a telegram calling for reinforcements and asked Lieutenant General Miura Chutaro to support the engineering troops who knew how to clear mines.
The Matsuno detachment set out early in the morning, and after walking for more than fifteen kilometers, it was already past noon. General Matsuno ordered the troops to go to the roadside to bury pots and make rice. He prepared to cook while waiting for the engineers behind.
Matsuno Katsuaki also specially ordered the kitchen to cook more food. If the engineers of the 69th Division did not eat after they arrived, they could also eat some with them and let others do the work for him. No matter how the food was done, even if they were hired Even if a donkey comes to pull the mill, it needs enough fodder. The leader of the Matsuno brigade has always considered the problem very thoughtfully.
The meal is ready, but the engineers haven't come yet, so let's eat it while it's hot, or we can wait while we eat it. After the meal is over and no one has come yet, let's wait some more. Wait and wait until Major General Matsuno is If you feel sleepy waiting and the engineers haven't come yet, then take a nap first. Anyway, you can't leave until the engineers come. Sitting and waiting is just waiting. It's better to lie down and wait.
I have been on tenterhooks these past few days. I have been worried about the battle situation with the division commander. General Matsuno has not had a good rest. Now he is lying down in the field by the roadside wrapped in a blanket. Not to mention, when the breeze blows, the brigade commander, your Excellency, Soon I fell asleep.
In the dream, General Matsuno returned to Japan, lying on the bed with his arms around his wife and talking about love. His wife smiled at him and opened her bright red mouth as if she wanted to say something. Suddenly, gunfire rang out outside the window, " Snap, snap."
Matsuno couldn¡¯t figure out why he was still shooting after returning to his own home. ¡°Bah, bang, bang.¡± The gunshots seemed to be getting more and more intensive.
"General, general." Matsuno felt a sharp pain on his face and buttocks, and his head was shaking violently. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the freckled face of the guard.
"General, it's great that you're awake." The anxious expression on the guard's face immediately turned into joy, "Our army was attacked by the [***] squadron."
"Sneak attack by the [***] team." Matsuno Katsuaki had just woken up, and before his mind could turn around, the gunshots around him suddenly became more violent, "Sneak attack." Major General Matsuno suddenly understood what the sneak attack was about. He jumped up all of a sudden, "Fight back, fight back quickly." The major general yelled nervously.
The gunshots became quieter again, and the surrounding Chinese seemed to know that they had woken up Major General Matsuno. After a few hits, they quickly withdrew. The gunshots came and went as quickly as they came, and within a few minutes everything was calm. , as if nothing happened just now.Same thing.
The staff officer came over and reported the casualty statistics of the attack just now. Several were killed and several were injured, which was several more than the number of casualties suffered by a landmine.
"Strengthen the alert." General Matsuno gave the order to his soldiers. The Japanese soldiers held their guns and stared at the surroundings vigilantly.
"Hey, company commander, when will we fight next time?" A group of [***] soldiers were lying in a ditch two hundred meters away from the Japanese army. One soldier asked his company commander.
"Fight whenever, huh, it depends on my mood, I can fight whenever I want." The company commander curled his mouth, as if he was the master of the lives of the Japs two hundred meters away, "Ah." The company commander yawned, "I'm sleepy. I'll take a nap. You guys, keep an eye on me. I'll replace you when I wake up." After saying that, he found a place with thick grass and lay down on the ground. He really fell asleep.
There were Chinese [***] troops peeping in the dark around, and there were an unknown number of landmines on the road ahead. Major General Matsuno had the idea of ????turning around and returning to Shaanxi County. However, this was just an idea. Hangu Over there, the division commander, Qingshan Brigade commander, and nearly 10,000 Japanese soldiers were trapped. So many people were waiting for him to rescue them. Those trapped were either his commanders or his comrades and subordinates. No matter how difficult it is, General Matsuno has to save him.
Looking at the time, it was almost five o'clock. Matsuno Katsuaki was really anxious about waiting, and sent another telegram to the commander of the Miura Chujiro Division in Shaanxi County, asking when the engineers would arrive.
The commander of the Miura division called back: The engineers have set off, haven't they arrived yet? Miura Chujiro also asked Matsuno O Katsaki.
Did I hide your engineers? Matsuno Brigade Commander's face turned green with anger. "Everyone stand up, form the team, and get ready to go." Since the engineers are coming soon, get ready to go, Matsuno Brigade Commander decided. Make preparations on your side first, and be on the road as soon as the engineers arrive.
At the time of 6 o'clock, the engineering soldiers finally came. The minions of the 69th division reinforced the engineers were a mine -sweeping team with about 30 people. A young lieutenant led to report to Major General Matsno.