Chapter 162: The Little Japanese's Underestimation of the Enemy!

His voice was resolute, and his gaze was unwavering.

"No matter what, we must withstand the enemy's attack this time!"

While the 27th Reinforced Division was busy preparing its field defenses, the combat command post of the 19th Division, far away in Anshan, was also experiencing a day of fierce and continuous combat, with the situation equally tense and full of variables.

The enemy's defense line had been severely eroded by our continuous offensives, and nearly half of their strongholds had been lost.

Although the Japanese devils still possessed over twenty thousand troops within the encirclement, faced with severe shortages of supplies, their total collapse seemed to be only a matter of time.

At this critical moment, Chief of Staff Wang Xiao was considering whether to mobilize more forces to launch a full-scale attack on the encircled enemy. However, an urgent telegram from the 27th Reinforced Division suddenly made his mood exceptionally tense.

"The actions of the Japanese devils are truly cruel and cold-blooded."

Chief of Staff Wang Xiao could not help frowning, a gleam of worry flashing in his eyes.

Hearing this, Aide Li Jian smiled faintly and replied, "Although the enemy's strategy seems ruthless, it actually reflects their difficult predicament."

A playful look flickered in his eyes. "After all, our Ghost-class submarine fleet is still patrolling nearby waters. If the Japanese devils attempt to find a landing point on the Dong Peninsula, they will have to face the grave threat of being sunk."

He paused for a moment and added, "For them, this is undoubtedly an unbearable risk."

Hearing this, Chief of Staff Wang Xiao wore a cold smile on his face. "It seems the enemy's strategy of sacrificing the rook to save the king is indeed calculated quite ingeniously—if they can successfully defeat the 27th Reinforced Division."

His voice grew low and firm. "It is indeed possible for them to assemble their superior forces to launch a counter-encirclement against us. In that case, our situation could become extremely dangerous."

However, he immediately regained his composure and decisively issued the order: "Immediately order the 27th Reinforced Division to withdraw from West City and retreat toward the nearby mountainous areas."

His command was resolute and swift. "Utilize the terrain advantages there to conduct a blocking action!"

"Once we completely annihilate the Japanese devils in the encirclement and free up our hands, we can launch a fatal counterattack against these enemies and wipe them out in one fell swoop!"

Chief of Staff Wang Xiao's voice was filled with determination.

In the strategic stronghold of the small town of Xicheng, the enemy's 6th Division and 8th Division, supported by the fierce artillery fire of the 1st Fleet, completed their landing operations with almost zero losses.

They quickly routed the infantry battalion stationed here and effortlessly captured the small town completely.

As soon as the battle ended, Lieutenant General Uekawa 梅泽 (Uekawa Meize), commander of the 6th Division, and Major General Oi Taiichi, commander of the 8th Division, stepped onto this newly conquered land.

Against the backdrop of soldiers busily setting up tents, they had a brief exchange.

A satisfied smile hung on Oi Taiichi's face as he flatteringly praised Uekawa Meize, "Lord Uekawa, your troops' performance is truly extraordinary and fierce."

His voice was filled with admiration. "In just a short while, you easily crushed the enemy's defense line! In my opinion, their military strength is simply as fragile as paper!"

His expression revealed contempt. "Faced with just a round of fierce naval artillery fire, they panicked and didn't even give us a chance to put up a normal resistance."

Then, a note of dissatisfaction crept into his tone. "I really don't understand what those trash in the 2nd Division and 5th Division are doing! Their combat effectiveness is so poor that they let the enemy beat them into scattered flight, leaving us to clean up the mess!"

After listening to Oi Taiichi's words, Lieutenant General Uekawa Meize's expression turned solemn. He shook his head and said sternly, "Oi-kun, if you continue to maintain this attitude of underestimating the enemy, it will ultimately lead to our defeat."

His gaze was severe. "You should know that the 2nd Division is one of the strongest combat units in our army! Even they are now trapped in a heavy encirclement and unable to extricate themselves."

His voice grew heavier. "As time goes on, they may soon be completely wiped out. Such powerful combat capability is something even the former Xiongchao people could not achieve!"

Oi Taiichi's expression shifted from contempt to deep thought.

Although he still looked down upon the military strength of the Dongfang Dynasty, he had to admit that if Jiang Bai's 7th Field Army could genuinely annihilate two Class-A divisions, it would undoubtedly be an extremely formidable opponent.

A trace of worry flickered in his eyes as he began to reassess the balance of power between the enemy and themselves on the battlefield.

In the complex chess game of military strategy, the initial six established divisions were all Class-A, numbered from one to six.

After the Class-V War, thanks to massive military expenditure support, six new divisions were added.

The 8th Division was one of the units added in the later middle period.

Compared to the initial six well-equipped divisions that received priority reinforcements, the 8th Division seemed slightly lacking in both combat effectiveness and equipment.

During the strategic discussion, Major General Oi Taiichi asked Uekawa Meize, "Lord Uekawa, what do you think we should do now? Should we continue our attack against the 27th Reinforced Division in the mountains, or immediately cross the complex western mountainous terrain to go to Anshan and rescue Andong Ze's division?"

With an urgent desire for knowledge in his eyes, he looked around, waiting for an answer.

Hearing this, General Uekawa Meize could not help sneering, his expression revealing disdain for this proposal.

His strategic judgment determined his next move. He knew very well that directly crossing the mountains to rescue the 2nd and 5th Divisions was tantamount to walking right into a trap.

Judging from the current battle situation, the 2nd and 5th Divisions were already in precarious jeopardy under the fierce attacks of the 7th Field Army and clearly could not hold out much longer.

General Meize, sitting firmly in the command post, carefully reviewed the detailed battle reports and campaign maps, planning a well-considered action plan.

At this critical moment, he realized that their most important task at present was to pin down the main force of the 7th Field Army, buying precious time for the four divisions under his command to eliminate the forces of the 27th and 28th Reinforced Divisions.

This would secure a crucial preparation phase for reinforcements coming from the mainland to the borders of the New Dynasty.

Analyzing the current situation, attempting to rescue the 2nd and 5th Divisions, which had already lost their combat effectiveness, was undoubtedly a losing trade.

Not only would this bring no actual benefits, but it might even lead them into an even deeper quagmire.

After weighing the pros and cons, General Meize's decision was clear: avoid pointless sacrifices and focus on achieving significant strategic victories.