kingnovel Chapter 1253 is hard to explain
Chapter 1253 is hard to explain
Colonel Mori was originally in this area to collect grain. He knew all along that his supplies were running low, so he valued grain very much. Quite a few people had died in the past two days, but if they could complete their grain collection target, it would be easier to explain things back home.
But throughout the entire day, not only did they fail to find any food, their own men sent out to haul it away were constantly attacked, and several squads didn't return by nightfall. They were still in contact at first, but now that it's dark, there's been absolutely no communication.
"Colonel..."
The orderly looked at the food on the table; it had been reheated several times already, but the colonel showed no interest in eating, so it remained untouched.
Colonel Mori waved his hand somewhat irritably, signaling his men to take the food away. The operations staff nearby immediately beamed with delight. "If you won't eat this," they said, "we'll have to." Now, apart from Colonel Mori's meal, which still contained four dishes, everyone else was eating almost as badly as the soldiers.
According to the Empire's original plan, the soldiers' supplies would not be a problem. However, the problem arose after arriving in Pujiang, where they constantly encountered saboteurs. During this period, about one-fifth of the food supplies were destroyed.
Although it may not sound like a large amount, for the Japanese army, every grain of rice seemed to be rationed. Even a small shortage would be reflected in the lives of the Japanese soldiers. They were now only receiving 70% of their original daily rations.
This is because they are combat troops; if they were garrison troops in the rear, their supplies would probably be even worse. According to the command, supplies can only be improved where the fighting is most intense; otherwise, you will have to procure your own food.
Colonel Mori had taken this into consideration, so after settling in the area, he immediately ordered his men to gather food. Relying solely on their superiors was probably insufficient; if we didn't actively gather food, we might all go hungry in a few months if some unforeseen event occurred.
Unfortunately, they encountered this misfortune right at the start; the food-gathering teams all lost contact after setting out. Colonel Mori wanted to send his men out to search, but it was nighttime.
Based on past combat experience, if you dare to send your troops out at night, the chances of them returning are very small. At night, our troops are unfamiliar with the surroundings, and guerrillas can set up ambushes anywhere, attacking without you even knowing their direction.
Just as Colonel Mori was about to return to his office, the sound of artillery fire suddenly rang out in the distance. It was clearly enemy artillery; the troops he had sent out had not carried any artillery.
The guerrillas' artillery was more powerful than our regular army's; this was probably a first in the history of warfare. I don't know who gave these people the name "guerrillas," saying they were mobile and didn't fight, possessing little combat capability. When we left Huangpu, many Japanese officers looked down on these guerrillas, but now who doesn't think highly of them?
While they might not know the situation elsewhere, Colonel Mori's men were acutely aware of it. Since arriving in northern Jiangsu, despite it being a major granary, they hadn't been able to find a single grain of food. Even after painstakingly searching personally, it was all in vain when it came time to transport the grain.
Take the armed squads sent out today, for example. They should be able to bring back at least 8 jin of grain, enough to feed them for a while. With the addition of logistical supplies, they don't need to worry about food in the short term.
Everything was planned perfectly, but the problem was that the army disappeared without a trace after setting out. Later, some cavalry were sent out to search, but they couldn't find them either. Colonel Mori was forced to remain holed up in the county town and a few other towns, afraid to send out all his troops. If more were sent out and lost, the losses here would be even greater than on the actual battlefield.
In a real battlefield, if one were to engage the 72nd Army, the casualty ratio would be at least 30%, and that would only be in a single skirmish. In continuous combat, a 60% casualty ratio is entirely possible.
We've been designated a second-line war zone, meaning the fighting isn't as intense. Losses in this area have already exceeded 18%, and are rapidly approaching 20%. If the people at headquarters knew this, they'd definitely think Colonel Mori is incompetent at command.
Therefore, even knowing that some people outside were in danger, Colonel Mori dared not send anyone to search for them. If those who went out did not return, the casualty figure would immediately exceed 20%.
The most critical issue is that after surpassing 20%, there's still no progress, and you're still living in fear every day. If you send troops out to cause trouble, your people might not come back.
As for the local puppet troops who surrendered, they were the real headaches for the Japanese. These puppet troops were supposed to be there to help the Japanese army, but they had absolutely no fighting ability, yet they demanded supplies more aggressively than anyone else. If they weren't given supplies, these puppet troops would just waste their time and energy.
Colonel Mori was inclined to kill all these puppet troops. However, the headquarters' orders stated that if they were all killed, he would become deaf and blind, completely unaware of his surroundings. Currently, with them guiding the way, things were somewhat better in many places. If they were truly killed, the situation would certainly be much worse.
Of course, the situation isn't much better now. A small team that went out to find food today was tricked by the puppet troops.
The guerrillas captured the families of the puppet soldiers, forcing them to lead the Japanese to a mountain ravine. The rest is history; our men ambushed and wiped out the dozen or so Japanese soldiers. As for how the puppet soldiers would report back, we didn't care; it was a collaborative effort between both sides.
When Ma Leizi retreated, he said that we should not be soft on these puppet troops, and we should not assume that they are truly loyal to the Japanese. If we use them well, these people can be our dogs too.