Time travel! Regrets will never happen again!

Chapter 185: The Destruction of the North China Expeditionary Force 1

Yoshida Takeo slowly raised the pistol in his hand and pointed the muzzle at his temple.

His eyes revealed a kind of despair and helplessness, as if the whole world was collapsing at this moment.

He looked up at the sky and saw one Chinese Air Force fighter plane after another swooping down like eagles, ruthlessly taking the lives of his subordinates.

Every explosion and fire was like a heavy blow to his heart, causing him to feel immense pain and self-blame.

Yoshida Takeo knew that the war was irreversible for him. Although he tried his best, he seemed so powerless in the face of a powerful enemy.

His heart was filled with regret and resentment, and he felt that he had not fulfilled his responsibility to protect his subordinates.

If he were given another thirty Type 5 heavy tanks, and the Empire's Army Aviation was able to intercept the Chinese Air Force.

In that case, they might still have a chance of survival. However, the reality was cruel, and he could only watch his comrades fall one by one, but he was powerless to do anything.

Yoshida Takeo sighed deeply. He understood that no matter how hard he tried, the gap in strength could never be made up.

He had already been defeated miserably on this battlefield, but he still hoped that his sacrifice could be exchanged for a little dignity and honor.

He closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. With a gunshot, Yoshida Takeo's body fell to the ground, ending his life.

And his soul seemed to still be hovering in the air, witnessing this tragic battle.

As the last batch of Japanese tanks were destroyed, the battlefield became dead silent, leaving only corpses and wreckage on the ground.

The battle inflicted heavy losses on the Japanese army, their front lines collapsed, and their soldiers fled in panic.

This great defeat made Hasegawa feel desperate, he could not accept the fact that the once proud Japanese army was defeated so easily, and the opponent was the Chinese people whom they once despised.

This reality was too cruel for him and his spirit almost collapsed.

Hasegawa's face was filled with fear and despair, his eyes were blurred with tears, and his heart was filled with self-blame and regret. If it weren't for his incompetence, perhaps things would not have developed to this point.

But it was too late now, he could only face the reality of failure and could not salvage any situation.

Okamura Neiji stood aside, looking at the chaotic scene in front of him with a heavy heart. He knew what this failure meant. It was not only a personal shame, but also a shame for the entire Japanese army.

He shook his head helplessly, his heart filled with endless sadness.

The entire northern front of the Japanese army was defeated! Behind them were nearly a thousand Chinese tanks, and in the sky were hundreds of Chinese fighter planes.

In the eyes of these Japanese soldiers, even during the heyday of the Imperial Japanese Army, there had never been such a huge force gathered in one battlefield.

But today the Chinese have done it. The agricultural country that was under their feet a few years ago now has such a powerful mechanized army.

"Commander! We've lost! The Empire has lost!" Hasegawa muttered to himself, his voice trembling and full of despair. He couldn't believe what was happening before his eyes, as if he was in a nightmare.

However, the commander-in-chief of the China Front Army looked even paler than him, and Okamura Yasuji's hands were shaking constantly.

All the personnel in the headquarters hung their heads, and some young staff officers had already begun crying quietly.

The 240,000 locust troops on the northern front were destroyed. Except for the first two divisions to evacuate, all the people behind them fell into a state of collapse.

Several city gates on the Peking side were now blocked by the fleeing soldiers, and some of them even clashed with the gendarmerie guards who were trying to stop them from entering the city.

The South Gate of Peking City was crowded with people trying to leave the city, and they blocked the entrance.

The whole city fell into panic and confusion.

Okamura Neiji sat in his seat for a long time before coming back to his senses.

He stared at Hasegawa silently, with a trace of pain and helplessness in his eyes. He knew very well that this failure was a huge blow to the Japanese army, but he had to remain calm and firm.

As the commander, it was his responsibility to bear the consequences of this failure and find the next response strategy.

"We can't give up just like that, Hasegawa-kun! Although we have suffered heavy losses, as long as we still have every soldier left, we cannot give up resistance." Okamura Neiji said in a firm tone.

Hasegawa raised his head and looked at Neiji Okamura, a spark of hope flashing in his eyes.

He knew that Neiji Okamura was a strong leader and perhaps only he could lead them out of this predicament.

"Yes, Commander, we can't give up. Even if we lose our positions on the northern front, we can still reorganize our defenses and continue to fight the enemy." Hasegawa cheered up and determined to get back into the fight.

Okamura Neiji nodded, he knew that he needed to act quickly to stabilize the situation and organize a counterattack.

Although the situation is serious, they cannot sit idly by and must buy time to wait for reinforcements to arrive.

"Convey the order immediately, and all troops should retreat quickly to avoid being surrounded by the enemy as much as possible. At the same time, notify the rear to prepare for support and ensure that the wounded receive timely treatment." Okamura Neiji issued a series of instructions.

Hasegawa quickly carried out the order and conveyed Okamura Yasuji's instructions to all troops via the radio.

The Japanese began to retreat in a somewhat orderly manner, minimizing casualties and finally protecting important equipment from being captured by the enemy, but they couldn't do that.

During the retreat, the Japanese army was constantly pursued and attacked by the Chinese army. Some Japanese troops who fled towards Peiping still resisted stubbornly and tried their best to maintain the front line.

Okamura Neiji personally went to the front line to support the retreating troops and engaged in fierce fighting with the Chinese army to slow down the enemy's advance.

After several hours of hard fighting, this Japanese army of about 4 people finally succeeded in leaving the battlefield and temporarily escaped the pursuit of the Chinese army.

However, the main force of the North China Expeditionary Army on the northern front paid a heavy price, with a large number of soldiers killed or injured, and heavy equipment almost completely lost.

As for the other scattered Japanese troops, I am afraid that even if a god came, he would not be able to gather them together now.

Okamura Neiji looked at the exhausted soldiers, his heart filled with worry and helplessness. This was all he could do at the moment.

This great defeat made him deeply aware of the powerful strength of the Chinese army and the severe challenges faced by the Japanese army.

"We must recover as soon as possible and rebuild our defense line, otherwise we will not be able to withstand the attack of the Chinese army." Okamura Neiji said to the officers around him.

The officers all agreed, realizing that the current situation was extremely dangerous and that they had to act quickly.

So they began to formulate new strategic plans, strengthen the construction of fortifications, and actively prepare the supply of materials and ammunition.

In the days to come, Okamura Neiji and his troops will face tremendous pressure and difficulties.

They had to rebuild their defenses in a difficult environment to resist the continued attacks of the Chinese army.

At the same time, they also have to deal with the pressure of domestic public opinion and public doubts.