Chapter 1016 Let’s Go Fishing for Information
Qiuyutaixi, the temporary command post of the 34th Army.
Xiang Chu rushed over with Song Xi and others.
Seeing that Liu Zhengxiong's eyes were red from staying up late, he said with concern: "Commander Liu! You must be tired after working all night. Go and take a rest first. I will let the chief of staff lead the attack."
Liu Zhengxiong shouted, "Is fighting the Japs tiring? Besides, we only harassed the Japs tonight and didn't really fight them. You asked me to attack them from behind and let off some steam."
Xiang Chu said angrily: "Why are we trying to cut off the enemy's retreat? We are trying to make them fight back like a trapped beast. We need to annihilate the enemy who has lost all his weapons and armor in pursuit."
Liu Zhengxiong shook his head and said, "The Murakami Division is not an ordinary devil. They have been chasing us all the way from Liyu Beach and are still fighting to the death. They will definitely put up a desperate resistance."
Indeed, there were rumbling sounds of gunfire coming from the direction of the Rain-Seeking Platform.
The Japanese who were suddenly attacked came to their senses and are organizing a counterattack in an orderly manner.
Xiang Chu ordered: "Commander Liu! Organize the artillery battalion and fire 100 rounds of poison gas bombs at these devils to see if they flee."
Liu Zhengxiong exclaimed: "You also seized poison gas bombs in Yichang City? Great! I will go over and launch them right away."
After saying this, he ran out of the command post with his guards.
Song Xi smiled and said, "Old Liu always likes to be surprised."
Xiang Chu nodded and said, "Yes! He has kept a childlike heart."
At this time, Ma Fugui copied a telegram code and reported loudly: "Commander! Last night and just now, I intercepted two telegram codes with the same name and signature. Maybe they were sent to the nearby Japanese troops."
Xiang Chu took the telegram and asked in confusion, "Is the sender's method the same as last time?"
Ma Fugui nodded and said, "Yes! But we can't decipher it using our code book or the Japanese army's code book."
Song Xi said thoughtfully: "Maybe the book is used as the master code."
Xiang Chu smiled bitterly and said, "Then there is no way to decipher it for the time being. This Murakami Division refused to leave, and must have obtained our intelligence from the spies they planted."
Song Xi shook his head and said, "Spies are really troublesome. It seems like there are Japanese spies among the high-level officials in Chongqing."
Xiang Chu smiled and said, "Don't worry! As long as I return to Chongqing, I will definitely dig out the Japanese spies lurking in the high-level officials in Chongqing."
Song Xi said angrily: "You should fight this battle first."
Xiang Chu said disapprovingly: "Don't worry! As long as Lao Liu fires the poison gas bomb, the Japs will be scared."
The rain-praying platform, the headquarters of the Guizi Village Division.
Murakami decided not to attack Yichang, just like a nail driven into the rain-praying platform.
He held the telegram sent by Huang Shan in his hand and laughed, "Yoshi! It turns out that the commander of the 34th Army of China is a beautiful woman named Ning Caiwei, and the army that besieged our army is actually only two incomplete divisions."
The Nokura brigade commander asked with a smile: "Your Excellency the division commander! Which department in China is Huang Shan serving in now?"
Murakami said proudly: "Head of the Confidential Affairs Department of the China River Defense Force Headquarters."
The brigade commander Nokura said in shock: "Your Excellency, the division commander! The next battle plan of the imperial army must be to break through the Yangtze River defense and march into Chongqing, the secondary capital of China. The chess piece in your hand is too important."
Murakami nodded and said, "Of course! In order to supervise and protect him, the commander of our division ordered Hase Takayama to supervise and protect Huang Shan, and used the Complete Tang Poems as the master copy for deciphering the telegram."
He felt that he had said too much, so he ordered, "Nokura-kun! Lead the troops to battle immediately."
Brigade Commander Nokura was thinking of retreating, and he suggested: "Your Excellency the Division Commander! Since the Chinese 34th Army has sent two divisions to besiege us, we should retreat quickly."
Murakami shook his head and said, "No! This is a great opportunity to have a decisive battle with the 34th Chinese Army. Radio operator! Send a message to the commander, saying that our army is engaged in a fierce battle with the 34th Chinese Army at Qiuyutai in the north of Yichang City, and requesting reinforcements to be sent over to annihilate them in one fell swoop."
"Hello!"
The Japanese radio operator hurriedly received the order and sent a telegram to the commander of the 11th Army.
Soon, I received a call back from the 11th Army Headquarters:
"Murakami Division! The Yamawabe Division has been sent to assist your troops in retreating."
Murakami Qizuo was so angry that he yelled, "Baka! The commander of our division is not asking for a retreat, let alone for that bastard Shanlie to lead his troops to support the retreat."
"Boom! Boom!"
The sound of cannons rumbled, directly attacking the center of the rain-seeking platform.
A Japanese soldier rushed into the command post and shouted in panic:
"Your Excellency the Division Commander! The Chinese 34th Army has launched poison gas bombs."
Murakami Qizuo had been drinking all night and had not listened to the military report at all. He was so angry that he yelled: "Baga! How could the Chinese 34th Army have poison gas bombs?"
Brigade Commander Nokura said bitterly: "Your Excellency the Division Commander! The Chinese 34th Army rushed into Yichang City last night and robbed our army of weapons, equipment and ammunition."
Murakami Qizuo roared loudly: "Why didn't you say it earlier? How can our army still hold on like this?"
Brigade Commander Nokura was in tears. He reported to Murakami at least 10 times last night.
At this time, more and more poison gas bombs fell, and the rain-praying platform was filled with poison gas.
Because the Chinese army had no poison gas bombs, most of the Japanese soldiers did not wear gas masks and began to pay the price for their laziness.
Countless Japanese soldiers without gas masks fell under the domestically-made poison gas bombs, and the rest followed Murakami and fled frantically to the left and east.
Xiang Chu ordered the entire army to pursue and kill the enemy as much as they could.
After the poison gas dissipated, he and Song Xi walked into the command post of the division in Guizi Village, Qiuyutai.
Because of the hasty escape, there were still many items in the Japanese division command post.
Song Xi pointed at the scattered "Complete Tang Poems" and said, "Brother! I didn't expect the devils like to read Tang poems."
Xiang Chu picked up the Complete Tang Poems, flipped through it, and shook his head, saying, "But as far as I know, Murakami Kizuo is a guy who likes singing and dancing and is uneducated. He doesn't like reading at all, let alone our Tang poems."
Song Xi said thoughtfully: "Will he use the Complete Tang Poems as the master copy for deciphering the code?"
Xiang Chu took out the two pieces of code paper intercepted by Ma Fugui and said with a smile: "My dear sister! Can't we use this "Complete Tang Poems" to decipher it and find out?"
Song Xi nodded and said, "Okay! I'll read the telegram code and you turn the pages."
The two worked together to decipher it, and soon the first message appeared on the paper:
"General Murakami! This is not a large-scale attack. The 34th Army, the 18th Army and other units are just bluffing. Don't be fooled by them. Eel!"
Xiang Chu muttered to himself: "Who could this guy codenamed Eel be?"
Song Xi translated another telegram and exclaimed, "Brother! Eel said in this telegram that the commander of the 34th Army is Cai Wei. We only have two incomplete divisions besieging Qiuyutai, and other troops have not followed up."
Xiang Chu shook his head and said, "The second piece of information that the eel reported to the devils is not accurate. We have mobilized our entire army, with at least two fully equipped divisions besieging the Rain-Seeking Platform. It seems that the eel is not in the Fifth War Zone Command, but in another unit."
Song Xi said thoughtfully: "Brother! Why not put a radio at the call sign position of the division in Guizi Village and wait for the Japanese spy Eel to send us information."
Xiang Chu nodded and said, "Okay! Let's try to fish for information."