Phi-Fic Chapter 1182 Picking Up the Important Things
Chapter 1182 Picking Up the Important Things
When the Japanese were holding their meeting, they realized that while opening up the Jinpu Railway to the north was of great strategic importance, it would be like losing a watermelon for a sesame seed if they stopped their westward offensive. Moreover, even if the two battlefields in the north and south were not connected, they could still communicate with each other through the navy, so there was no need to throw a large number of troops onto the Jinpu Railway.
Of course, this was the official statement released by the Japanese command. The real reason, however, was known only to them: when facing the 72nd Army, many soldiers, including some officers, lacked the will to fight. They were only thinking about stalling for time, passing the toughest challenges to their comrades. This wasn't a new idea; many had heard it repeatedly and acted accordingly themselves.
If even one person in an army has this kind of thinking, their chances of winning will be greatly reduced. But if everyone, or even the majority, has this kind of thinking, then they have absolutely no chance of winning.
The military command did not hold anyone accountable for the incident because they knew that if they tried to hold certain generals responsible, they would likely bring up the faults of others, making it pointless to pursue those responsible and instead dragging others down with them, ultimately turning the whole thing into a farce.
Why do I say this? Because during the battles against the 72nd Army Group, various generals exhibited signs of passivity and avoidance of combat, and these actions were so blatant that they couldn't withstand scrutiny. Do you think it's possible to send some generals to a military court while protecting others?
Since the matter wasn't to be pursued, then everyone's actions had to be ignored, and the incident itself couldn't be brought up again. Bringing it up would be tantamount to the authorities acknowledging the threat posed by the 72nd Army, and in subsequent battles, this incident would be etched into the minds of every Japanese soldier.
Of course, some things can't be denied just by denying them. Take Zhang Haiguang's southward campaign, for example; he directly wiped out one and a half divisions. This wasn't a particularly glorious achievement on the Pujiang battlefield, but after the Pujiang campaign ended, a whole division and a half was no small force.
Zhang Haiguang's army is currently still roaming in northern Jiangsu, and could move south at any time. The Japanese army has left nearly three divisions there for defense. As for when Zhang Haiguang will move south, that will likely depend on Li Shaoyi's decision and Japan's next moves.
Some generals within the expeditionary force had already spoken out, saying that if we didn't deal with the enemy in northern Jiangsu, they would definitely put pressure on us to the south when our large army marched up the Yangtze River.
Of course, this is just the reaction of a typical army. If it were the 72nd Army Group, and they were applying pressure to the south, if they realized they could recapture Nanjing or Shanghai, the Fourth Army from the north might just charge in. As for whether the northern defense line can hold, look at how long the Second Army has been fighting on the Yellow River defense line. Have they made any progress yet?
According to the Japanese on the Pujiang side, all those people in the Second Army should be sent to a military court. You've been fighting for almost three or four months, and not only have you made no progress, but you've also lost nearly 2 men. Is this your result?
The Second Army remained calm and composed after hearing this. While we hadn't achieved much against the Fourth Army, we had at least held the Yellow River defense line, preventing the Second Army from crossing the river and invading our territory. On the contrary, you couldn't defend anything; a mere infantry division rampaged through your territory, and an entire division and a half were wiped out.
In any case, during this period, the various Japanese units attacked each other, and their only purpose was to use the incompetence of their comrades to tell headquarters that the 72nd Army was indeed very powerful, and that it was normal for us to have been defeated by them.
Considering the situation in northern Jiangsu and the area surrounding Hankou, Liu Xiaoshan followed Wu Zhenlei in a car to the underground command center of the Ministry of Military Affairs for a meeting. The ground was no longer as safe as it seemed. Although Li Shaoyi's air defense system was still in place, its effectiveness was greatly reduced due to a lack of shells and ammunition.
When this matter was discussed, both the ordinary people of Hankou and some soldiers there regarded the high-ranking officials of the Party and the State as people whose ancestors they visited every day. "You guys got rid of Commander Li, but at least you brought them artillery shells and bullets!"
Anyway, we only remember one thing: when Commander Li was the air defense commander, we didn't have that many Japanese planes in our skies, and when they came, we always had a way to shoot them down. Now, look at you, your air defense command is all talk and no action, but have you shot down a single Japanese plane?
The most devastating thing was that the Japanese air raids were much more intense than before, and your forecasts were inaccurate. This caused many civilians to lose their loved ones. The air raid sirens didn't even sound before the Japanese planes were already over our airspace. Even if you ran to the nearest air raid shelter, it would take time, and many people were killed by the Japanese bombs during this time.
The air defense command was truly at a loss for words regarding these matters. They had no idea where Li Shaoyi had obtained so many artillery shells and bullets. They had used up all the anti-aircraft shells and bullets in the entire armory, but it was still a drop in the ocean. There was also a portion that had been ordered to be kept under control, reserved for protecting high-ranking residential areas.
This has always been the case at the highest levels of the Party and the State: ordinary people and officials follow separate paths. While the lives of ordinary people are sometimes very important, when resources are scarce, only the officials are taken care of, and specifically the top tier; ordinary officials don't receive this treatment.
As for the common people cursing and swearing outside, that's nothing. These people are so burdened with debt that they don't care. Let them curse all they want, we won't respond. In the end, it'll all just blow over, and you can't do anything to us.
This is how the Nationalist government treated its people...