Chapter 14: The Fall of Lanfeng

  Enemy 14th Division Headquarters, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Sano Tadayoshi reported to the Division Commander Tōhigashi Yoshito: "The 28th Brigade reported that they sent out a raiding party from the 50th Infantry Regiment to Lanfeng, and at dawn today in the northeast direction of Lanfeng, they encountered Chinese armored troops. The Chinese army's 8 tanks and more than 30 infantrymen attacked our army, and most of the vanguard troops' infantry company and two cavalry squads of the 18th Cavalry Regiment were killed. The main force of the 50th Regiment was not discovered by the Chinese army, but they failed to launch a surprise attack as planned."

  Tsuchihara walked back and forth in front of the map without saying a word.

  Sano: "Commander, don't you think we should call off the surprise attack plan?"

  "Oh? Why?"

  "Commander, since they've encountered the enemy, it's likely that the enemy will strengthen their vigilance and send out search parties. If they're discovered, their situation will be very unfavorable."

  "Anything else?"

  "Judging from today's battle performance of the Chinese army, it is greatly different from before."

  "You're referring to the Chinese armored unit? That's their 200th Armored Division, according to our intelligence from Wuhan. Only two battalions have arrived this time. We control the skies, so we don't need to worry about these armored troops."

  "We are facing the newly arrived 28th Army, and judging from the combat situation, their equipment and troop quality are superior to those of ordinary Chinese armies."

  "So, Sano-kun, what's your take on this?"

  "Yes, I think we should attack the left wing of the enemy's main force in the 88th Division's defense zone, meet up with the returning 50th Brigade, and then advance eastward with the entire army. After merging with the 16th Division of the Second Army, we will resume our offensive."

  "Why don't we counterattack Cao County and link up with our First Army in the rear?"

  "The Cao County troops are strong combat units such as the 74th Division of China, if our attack cannot succeed quickly, then the enemy on the southern front may take advantage of this to launch a counterattack, which will put my division in a very unfavorable position."

  "So you think we're at a disadvantage now?"

  "Please forgive me for speaking bluntly, General. Our division is indeed currently in a state of isolation with enemies on three sides."

  "Sano-kun, from a local battlefield situation perspective, your analysis is correct, but from a strategic perspective, it's incorrect."

  "Yes, Instructor Team Leader's training instructions."

  "Since the North China Incident, our First Army has been advancing south along the Pinghan Railway, while the Second Army has been moving forward along the Tianjin-Pukou Railway. Initially, we made rapid progress, far exceeding the speed of the Second Army. However, after occupying northern Henan, the Chinese destroyed the Yellow River Bridge and deployed heavy troops on the opposite bank to defend it, making it impossible for us to advance further. This fifth-largest river in the world cannot be navigated by large-tonnage ships, and our navy is unable to sail upstream. What does this stalemate mean for us?"

  "However, General, we have made significant progress in Shanghai and Nanjing, and our current progress in the Xuzhou area is also satisfactory."

  "Are you satisfied, Sano-kun?"

  "What does the Brigade Commander mean?"

  "Recently, Mao Zedong of China wrote an article analyzing and looking forward to this war called "On Protracted War", which was publicly published in Chinese newspapers. His analysis is indeed incisive and thorough."

  "Even if he has some brilliant insights, as a leader of the Communist Party, the Chinese authorities may not necessarily adopt them."

  "No, it seems that the Chinese authorities have at least partially accepted his views and have roughly summarized a strategy of 'trading space for time, accumulating small victories into a big victory'. If this long-term resistance strategy is allowed to be implemented, the consequences will be extremely severe. Compared with China, we have a great advantage, but our resources are limited. Although we occupy resource-rich Manchuria, unfortunately no oil has been discovered there and rubber is not produced either. If the 'China Incident' becomes prolonged, in order to obtain strategic resources for war, we may have to conflict with European and American countries."

  "So you're saying we should fight on multiple fronts?"

  "So, the advantage of the war with China lies in a quick decision. However, the General Headquarters hesitated and could not concentrate its forces, instead adding them gradually. But the Chinese authorities also made a serious strategic mistake."

  "Yes, they shouldn't have concentrated their main forces in Xuzhou area."

  "Sano, you are clever. This goes against their long-term resistance policy. We can take this opportunity to destroy their elite troops and then easily capture the Central Plains, along the Ping-Han Railway, take Wuhan in the south, sweep across the southwest, fight quickly and decisively, and end the 'China Incident' with one blow."

  "General, so annihilating the Japanese army in the Xuzhou area and not letting them escape has become the key to solving all problems."

  "However, the Second Army and the Central China Expeditionary Force, although they made a detour from both the south and north to the west of Xuzhou, have not yet been able to close the encirclement circle to the west of Xuzhou. Now the Chinese army has abandoned Xuzhou, their main force is retreating towards the Anhui-Henan border, a considerable number of elite troops equipped with heavy equipment are concentrated along the Longhai Railway in the area of Dangshan, Shangqiu and Minquan, only by quickly occupying Lanfeng can they be intercepted and eliminated, otherwise once they escape, it will have a significant adverse impact on the future war situation."

  "But I don't understand why the 10th Division is still attacking towards Mangshan, since we have already occupied Xuzhou. Attacking Mangshan no longer has any significance of outflanking and encircling. Wouldn't it be more effective if they attacked westward and joined forces with us?"

  "It's probably meant to imply that we're stealing their thunder. Those narrow-minded guys."

  "But for our division to complete the task you mentioned under such unfavorable circumstances, isn't it too difficult? If an accident like Tairenzhuan were to occur, then..."

  "Major General Sano, don't you have confidence in the combat effectiveness of our 14th Division? Although there are many Chinese troops around us, they have many obvious weaknesses. The biggest weakness is their commander-in-chief, Mr. Chiang. He studied at our Japanese military academy, but his military skills are indeed mediocre. However, he thinks highly of himself and even interferes with the details of battlefield command. As the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu said: 'The ruler's faults in military matters are three: Not to know the conditions of the enemy and one's own army is the greatest fault; not to know the terrain is the second fault; and not to know the principles of war is the third fault.' Doesn't Mr. Chiang's behavior perfectly illustrate this passage? Hahaha..."

  "The commander is erudite, I admire him extremely."

  "Moreover, the Chinese army has strong combat effectiveness, but more have weak combat effectiveness and fragile will to fight, and it is easy to collapse at a touch. However, those two armored regiments should not be underestimated, this team may be led by that madman Qiu. Tell the 50th regiment to show the heroic spirit of the Imperial Japanese Army, which views death as homecoming, use more gasoline to make incendiary bottles and throw them at the rear of the tanks, where they are weak, and also blow up the tank's tracks to make it lose mobility. Once the Chinese tanks are eliminated, the enemy will inevitably be intimidated, and a brilliant victory will beckon us."

  "Yes, General! What time will we launch the attack?"

  "Order the 50th Regiment to hide and wait, sneak attack on Lanfeng County at 3 am tomorrow morning. At 3:15, we will launch a frontal assault, with the main direction of attack being the left wing of the Chinese army. After breaking through, quickly turn around and encircle. Tell the officers and soldiers: The great achievement of defeating the enemy is just around the corner."

  In the pitch-black night, distant artillery fire could be heard from the north. Occasionally, there were a few scattered gunshots at the front line. At Lanfeng North Pass, the drowsy sentry wandered to the end of his life in a daze, and an entire company of the 88th Division was captured while they slept.

  A loud explosion, the north gate of Lanfeng County was blown open, and Japanese troops rushed into the county in the firelight. Gunfire and explosions filled the air, incendiary bottles set fire to houses on both sides of the street, and the defenders were thrown into chaos. Long Muchan, awakened from his sleep, fled out of the west gate in a state of disarray under the protection of his guards. The officers and men of the 88th Division were like headless flies, rushing about wildly, suffering heavy casualties. Lanfeng had fallen!