RPAGF Chapter 1104 The United 72nd Division
Chapter 1104 The United 72nd Division
Li Shaoyi knew perfectly well that what the chief of staff said was true, but after this series of ups and downs, Li Shaoyi had come to a clear understanding: even if you expose your heart, people will still be wary of you, and in the end, they might even betray you.
If it weren't for Li Shaoyi's quick reaction and our superior equipment, it would have been impossible to retreat completely this time.
The Nanjing authorities understood this, so they did not select infantry for their troops, but instead chose artillery and air force units. These troops would not stay on the front lines and could retreat at will. Moreover, Li Shaoyi was in charge of logistics, so it would not increase the logistical burden on Nanjing.
"Actually, we still have infantry in the south, but we haven't revealed them yet..."
Li Shaoyi picked up three small flags from the side and planted them around the airport. This was done by Li Sibei, and it cost nearly 100,000 silver dollars. All three security regiments around Nanjing were our people, but we had never revealed them.
At the height of the fighting on the Pujiang battlefield, these three security regiments, for various reasons, all remained in the rear. These were the reserves left behind by Li Shaoyi. Now it was time for these people to be mobilized. Of course, they would not be active on the front lines. Their mission was to ensure the safety of the airport and the artillery regiment.
"The commander-in-chief truly has foresight, something none of us can match. Back then, nobody thought of developing militias around Nanjing, and the government wasn't willing either. But unexpectedly, after spending money, they actually developed. They've been keeping a low profile all this time, but now it's time for them to show their true colors."
Chief of Staff Cui was telling the truth. Developing this force in the Jiangnan region was extremely difficult. Fortunately, the government departments at all levels were rotten to the core. As long as you had money, they would help cover it up. In addition, this force usually operated like the local security regiment, with none of them receiving new equipment, so naturally no one would believe they were Li Shaoyi's men.
In many people's minds, Li Shaoyi's men were dressed in German-style uniforms, armed to the teeth, and relied entirely on vehicles for transportation. They could call in air support with a single phone call. On the battlefield, canned food boxes were everywhere, and some Japanese soldiers even felt instinctively collapsing when they saw them.
It's important to know that in Japan, these canned food containers are not allowed to be discarded casually because they contain extremely important metals. Even if you eat them, you still have to take them to designated recycling centers. However, around Li Shaoyi's position, thousands of these canned food containers are discarded every day.
At the time, some operations staff gave incorrect estimates, believing that China's domestic production of steel and other non-ferrous metals might have already surpassed that of Japan. If this were to become true, then the war might not be able to continue.
Although Japan has advanced smelting technology, it has very few mineral resources. Apart from a small amount of coal, it has almost nothing else.
The reason China was able to gain an advantage on the battlefield was because of its backward industrial production technology. Now that this technology has improved, with its vast territory, it's hard to imagine how China would fight in the future.
Of course, this was later proven true, and the Japanese staff officer who made this conjecture was dismissed. However, it still brought a huge shock to the Japanese army. I believe that many people can still remember the sense of despair they felt at the time.
"I don't know what's wrong with this world. We have to fight against the Japanese and also against our own people. I won't go into what Nanjing is like, but on the battlefield at Huangpu River, if both sides could cooperate sincerely, Huangpu River would still be in our hands, and that wouldn't change for at least half a month. Even if the Japanese reinforced with more than a dozen divisions, we would still be able to hold them off. But now it's turned out like this..."
Li Shaoyi would never say such things in front of others, because it would give people a sense of dejection. Now that the chief of staff was his most loyal partner, there was no need for him to continue to pretend to be hard-hearted in front of him.
The chief of staff understood what Li Shaoyi was thinking. They had fought for so long on the Pujiang battlefield, suffering so many losses, and this was the final result. Anyone in his position would be upset. Li Shaoyi's performance was already quite good; anyone else would have gone to Nanjing and turned against them—that would have been perfectly normal, especially considering they were still maintaining a semblance of national unity.
Fortunately, Li Shaoyi is relatively rational. The chief of staff rushed over from the north because he was afraid that Li Shaoyi would do something irrational. What we need to do now is to unite the whole country in the war of resistance. Under this huge premise, we really cannot afford any mistakes. If anything changes, the number of kilometers we retreat every day could be more than ten times what we are doing now.
A country, especially a weak one, cannot withstand such turmoil.
The telegram from the Nanjing Military and Political Department arrived quickly. Regarding the upgrade to the 72nd Army Group, the Nanjing Military and Political Department, including the Military Commission, did not obstruct the plan at all and fully approved it. Furthermore, they gave the green light to certain organizational structures, essentially providing Li Shaoyi with a straightforward response for the first time.
Of course, after Li Shaoyi resigned as commander of the Pujiang War Zone, matters concerning Jiangnan were no longer his concern. The troops of the 72nd Army that were subsequently transferred were also placed under the command of other armies. As long as he didn't interfere, everyone could still discuss things. The Nanjing Military and Political Department conveyed this idea to Li Shaoyi.
Jinling Airport
Originally, due to the issue of the retreat from Pujiang, this place had become the main target of the Japanese attack, and it was bombed almost two or three times a day without any omissions.
However, the return of the two air squadrons of the 72nd Army changed the situation. Although various departments in Nanjing had begun to relocate inland, these battles remained crucial.
Wu Zhenkui, now the commander-in-chief of the 72nd Army in Nanjing, was also livid. He had been launching a fierce counterattack against the Nationalist government's actions throughout Nanjing, but his influence was minimal. The various factions in Nanjing were virtually unbiased in their dealings with the 72nd Army. You couldn't possibly find a way in; they were so united on this issue that there was no opportunity for you to interfere.