PFC Chapter 242: Great Victory in the Xinyuan Battle
Chapter 242: Great Victory in the Xinyuan Battle
"Chief of the General Staff, the eastern front can no longer hold out. Request for support."
"Report, Chief of General Staff, the southern front is under fierce attack from the Nanshan Army, and the commander of the Eighth Army requests support."
Inside the Northern Army headquarters, You Guangwei's face changed drastically as he received consecutive requests for help from the eastern and southern fronts.
Just as he was thinking about what to do, Wu Peisheng entered the command center escorted by guards.
On the way, Wu Peisheng had already understood some of the current situation. He looked at You Guangwei and said, "The Nanshan Army has launched a full-scale counterattack. Not only the rear army, but also the front army has been attacked."
Wu Peisheng could understand that the front army was attacked, but what he couldn't understand was whether the Nanshan Army really had so much military strength to defeat the North-South coalition forces?
"Guangwei, tell me what the current battle situation is like." Wu Peisheng came to the map and asked directly. The situation was critical now and there was no time for greetings.
You Guangwei introduced: "Commander, I have deployed eight divisions on the eastern front, one army on the southern front, and the other two armies as reserve forces. Now both the eastern and southern fronts are in urgent need of support."
"Calling for emergency at the same time?" Wu Peisheng gasped.
Wu Peisheng didn't think there was anything wrong with You Guangwei's deployment. How long had it been since 100,000 troops on the front line suddenly called for emergency orders? How many troops did the Nanshan Army dispatch?
After a moment's silence, Wu Peisheng immediately said: "Send a telegram to the Southern Army to inquire about their battle situation. At the same time, send a telegram to the two fronts to ask how long they can hold out."
Although there are still 60,000 troops, Wu Peisheng will not fill them in without thinking.
If 60,000 people could play a crucial role in winning the battle, Wu Peisheng would naturally send them into the battlefield without hesitation.
Time passed minute by minute, and Wu Peisheng waited anxiously in the command center. The short ten minutes felt like a year.
Ten minutes later, the communications officer came to report: "Commander, the Southern Army has lost contact with the front-line troops."
"Can't get in touch?" Wu Peisheng's face changed drastically.
In this situation, the inability to contact the radio station can only mean that there is a problem with the radio station or it is shut down. In either case, it is extremely critical.
Wu Peisheng said without hesitation: "Retreat, lead the Ninth and Tenth Armies to withdraw together."
"Commander..." You Guangwei was about to ask what to do with the troops on the battlefield, but he shut up when Wu Peisheng looked at him.
Wu Peisheng naturally knew what he was thinking, but the situation was now very dangerous and could not afford any delay.
As the order was issued, the Northern Army's 9th and 10th Armies quickly retreated to the northeast.
When Chang Yunxian arrived at the rear army base, it was already in chaos with deserters everywhere. It was difficult to find Chief of Staff Chen Xiuqing among the chaotic troops.
At this time, Chen Xiuqing had only a few hundred guards around him and no organized troops.
Seeing Chang Yunxian, Chen Xiuqing's eyes were red and his face was full of sadness: "Commander-in-chief, I am incompetent. We were defeated by the Nanshan Army and the troops are in chaos."
"Xiu Qing, this is not the time to talk about this. Let's go." Chang Yunxian didn't dare to delay in the chaos of the army.
The two men, along with more than a thousand guards, headed for the southern forests in the hope of escaping the encirclement of the Nanshan army.
On the Western Front, after the 2nd Division occupied the fourth line, the 2nd Division, the 7th Division, the Garrison Division, and the 2nd Armored Division quickly advanced and launched an attack on the front line of the North-South Allied Forces.
After several battles, only more than 60,000 of the 100,000 front-line troops were left, and more than 10,000 soldiers were lost in the explosives raid by the Second Division of the Nanshan Army.
The remaining less than 50,000 front troops, facing more than 50,000 Nanshan Army infantry and an armored division, the front troops of the North-South Allied Forces collapsed instantly. As the tanks advanced, the infantry just had to wait behind to capture prisoners.
The Nanshan Army on the western front advanced all the way and arrived at Xu Weigong’s residence.
The Seventh Division and the Second Armored Division regrouped in front of Xu Weigong's base, preparing for a surprise attack. As for the Second Division and the Garrison Division, they were in the rear to capture prisoners of war and protect Xinyuan County and Fang Ji'an.
Xu Weigong was looking at the map in the command center at this time. He knew Chang Yunxian's plan. When the reinforcements arrived, both the Northern Army and the Nanshan Army would be of no use.
There are 120,000 troops in the three armies, plus the 200,000 Southern Army that entered Nanshan Province, totaling more than 300,000 troops. By then, the Southern Army will have the strongest military strength.
While Xu Weigong was daydreaming, a staff officer rushed into the headquarters and said anxiously, "Commander, it's bad. The Nanshan Army on the western front is attacking us."
"What?" Xu Weigong was a little confused.
He suddenly had a bad feeling: "What is the front army doing? How can the Nanshan Army on the western front advance to our army's base?"
Previously, Xu Weigong had always believed that the North-South coalition was strong and the Nanshan army would not be able to achieve anything. The front army was approaching Xinyuan City, and it was just around the corner to attack Nanshan.
Therefore, when Chen Xiuqing asked for help, he thought it was just a dying counterattack by the Nanshan Army, which was a good opportunity for the Nanshan Army to consume Chang Yunxian's military strength.
Since the Nanshan Army broke through the blockade of the front army on the western front, it meant that either the front army was surrounded but still holding on and waiting for reinforcements, or the entire army was wiped out.
No matter which situation it is, it is not good news for Xu Weigong.
"Quick, send a telegram to Chen Xiuqing and the front army to inquire about the battle situation." Xu Weigong ordered while suppressing his inner panic.
The staff officer immediately went down to send a telegram. Xu Weigong waited anxiously for seven or eight minutes before the staff officer re-entered the headquarters with a dejected look on his face.
"Commander, we can't contact the former army and Chief of Staff Chen."
Xu Weigong's heart skipped a beat, but he immediately adjusted his mood and ordered, "Quick, gather the troops and retreat."
Unfortunately, Xu Weigong's order was too late. The 2nd Armored Division and the 7th Division had launched an attack on Xu Weigong's base ten minutes ago.
The Tiger II heavy tanks led the way, the T-34 tanks continued to output firepower from behind, and the Seventh Division coordinated the advance from behind, easily breaking into Xu Weigong's base.
Because the location of Xu Weigong's headquarters was very safe, they did not build any defensive fortifications.
After the Nanshan Army broke into the position, with the coordination of 46 tanks and infantry, Xu Weigong's nd Army, th Division, and troops collapsed instantly.
Just as Xu Weigong gave the order, another officer came in and reported: "Commander, the Nanshan Army is attacking."
"What?" Xu Weigong suddenly lost his strength and collapsed backwards.
Fortunately, the officer beside him quickly supported him and asked with concern: "Commander, are you okay?"
Facing the concerned looks of the officers in the headquarters, Xu Weigong calmed down a little, stood still and said, "Take the troops and retreat together. Retreat as many as you can."
Everyone looked at each other and said nothing more.
Standing on the top of Xinyuan City, Fang Jian put down his telescope, feeling a little nervous. It was the first time that tanks appeared on a large-scale battlefield, and he didn't know how effective they would be.
Once the tanks fail to achieve the expected effect and are blocked by the Northern and Southern Allied Forces, it will be difficult to encircle and annihilate the rear forces of the Northern and Southern Allied Forces with only hundreds of thousands of infantry.
The best outcome would be a return to confrontation, and the worst outcome would be a complete defeat.
Fortunately, Fang Jianan did not feel anxious for long. At about twelve o'clock, Wang Sheng came to Fang Jianan and said excitedly: "Commander, great victory, great victory."
"The rear troops of the North-South Allied Forces have been defeated. Now Commander Fang and Commander Cai are clearing out the remaining enemies."