The station was brightly lit and crowded, and the Japanese troops were lined up in a long line along the railway line, as far as the eye could see.
A column of Japanese troops roared in from a distance.
"Click, click!" came the harsh sound caused by the friction between the train wheels and the rails.
Taijiro Iida is the acting division commander of the 35th Division of the Japanese Army. His actual position is the infantry commander of the 35th Division of the Japanese Army.
The Thirty-fifth Division belongs to the three-unit garrison division and consists of the 219th Infantry Regiment, the 220th Infantry Regiment, and the 221st Infantry Regiment, under the unified command of Taijiro Iida.
Since the brigade and regiment organization in the three-unit division was abolished, in order to make up for the lack of the infantry command system, the Japanese base camp set up the "infantry regiment" organization. Although it was called an "infantry regiment", it was actually a brigade.
The regiment level is even higher than the brigade level. After all, a regular brigade has two infantry regiments under its jurisdiction, but an "infantry regiment" has three infantry regiments under its jurisdiction.
Xinxiang is an important town in the 35th Division's defense area and a hub for railway transportation.
The military column coming from Kaifeng carried a brigade from the 221st Infantry Regiment drawn from Shangqiu and an infantry artillery squadron.
The train slowly stopped at the station, and several officers got off the middle carriage. The leader was a Japanese officer with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Several people walked quickly towards the platform where Iida Taijiro and others were.
"Your Excellency General, Ichiro Mizuno is here to report!" Ichiro Mizuno bowed his head and said.
"Yo Xi, Mizuno-kun, you have worked hard!" Iida Taijiro nodded with satisfaction.
"Pledge to serve the Emperor to the death and promote the power of our 35th Division!"
"Mizuno-kun is indeed a mighty general of our empire. This time we go north to Handan, I hope you and I can cooperate sincerely to wipe out the Eighth Route Army attacking Handan City in one fell swoop!" Kuroda Yuzo, the captain of the 219th Regiment, said loudly.
"Hi!"
Iida Taijiro made this decision after careful consideration. Kuroda Yuzo was his confidant. He had followed him in the security war in Jincheng and had many battles with the Eighth Route Army in southeastern Shanxi. He was familiar with the situation in southeastern Shanxi. In his opinion,
As the commander of this reinforcement force, he is more than suitable.
"Gentlemen, the telegram forwarded by the military department stated that the Eighth Route Army's siege force was large in number, equipped with organic artillery, and was powerful. The attack was launched early this morning, and it took just over an hour for Handan City to be captured by the Eighth Route Army.
The commander of the 104th Brigade, Tomomidi, was on the fourth floor, and the chief of staff, Onodera Yuzo, was all in pieces."
"At the same time, our reconnaissance plane reported that after the Eighth Route Army broke through the city, a main force of more than 4,000 people was heading north from Handan City with the intention of capturing the execution platform where the 108th Division Regiment Headquarters is located!"
"According to the order of General Shinozuka, the reinforcements were divided into two lines. One line started from Linfen, with a total of one regiment of troops. They destroyed the Eighth Route Army around Lintun Highway, Baijin Railway, and Handan-Changchang Highway. The other group consisted of three of us.
The 15th Division dispatched two infantry brigades, two infantry artillery squadrons, and a field artillery battalion, heading north from Xinxiang and arriving in Anyang."
"However, according to a report from the garrison of the Anyang Independent First Mixed Brigade, the railways around Anyang were destroyed by the Eighth Route Army, and the Zhanghe River Railway Bridge was blown up!"
After Taijiro Iida finished speaking, Ichiro Mizuno's expression changed: "Your Excellency General, it seems that our army cannot reach Handan quickly!"
"Mizuno-kun, please be patient. The First Independent Mixed Brigade has sent out manpower to collect boats for crossing the river. You only need to get off the boat in Anyang and walk to the south bank of the Zhang River!" Taijiro Iida said.
"Hi!" Ichiro Mizuno nodded.
"Everyone, please be loyal to His Majesty the Emperor, and let the light of Showa shine throughout the world!"
"Be loyal to His Majesty the Emperor, and the light of Showa will shine throughout the world!" A group of Japanese military officers shouted in unison, as if they had been given blood.
The Japanese 41st Division stationed in Linfen received an order from the First Army Headquarters that morning. At noon that day, the 237th Regiment under the division set off from Linfen and headed west along the Lintun Highway.
In an attempt to encircle and suppress our Eighth Route Army's decisive column and the main force of the 386th Brigade with heavy troops.
Outside Xinxiang Station, various forces gathered together, each showing their special powers to explore the situation inside the station.
By chance, the two groups met unexpectedly and almost started fighting.
"Haha, misunderstanding, misunderstanding!" A capable man wearing robes and beads said to the other side, cupping his hands.
Our comrade on the opposite side returned the gesture, then turned and left.
"Team leader, look at the poor look on the other side, it must be that person!" The person who spoke made a gesture with a very clear meaning.
"I really don't understand why Shangfeng asked us to gather information. The manpower we finally arranged in the station must not be exposed because of this matter!"
"Shut up, you are also an old man in the military command. You have your own considerations when going up to the peak. You and I can't guess. All you have to do is execute the order!" Song Xiaoan narrowed his eyes and stared at the team member who was speaking.
Both parties were intelligence agents operating in Xinxiang. They had only heard of each other's actions before, but this was their first meeting.
The First Theater Command ordered to conduct reconnaissance on the movements of the surrounding Japanese troops, so Song Xiaoan's intelligence team conducted secret reconnaissance on the Japanese troops in the station.
The words are divided into two parts.
After a long march, the independent detachment arrived at a mountain forest in the north of Ci County at twelve o'clock that night.
The headquarters radio station was set up and telegrams were being received.
"Detachment leader, political commissar, telegram forwarded by headquarters!" The telegraph operator handed over a telegram.
Zhou Weihan took the telegram. The content of the telegram was relatively long. Zhou Weihan read it for a while and then handed it to Zhao Gang.
"Why are there still telegrams from the First War Zone? This is really unprecedented!" Zhao Gang said with emotion.
"After all, this is the period of cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. The Chief of Guard of the First War Zone has always had a good relationship with our Eighth Route Army. It is not surprising that he ordered the intelligence department to investigate the movements of the Japanese army!" Zhou Weihan said with a smile.
"According to the telegram, the Japanese army has about one brigade in Shangqiu, and there is another brigade, an infantry artillery squadron, and a field artillery brigade in Xinxiang. This time the intelligence of the national army is more detailed than that of our comrades!"
Zhao Gang continued.
"The military commander still has strong men, and the funds are more abundant than ours. There are hidden secrets arranged by all levels, so we can't underestimate them!" Zhou Weihan said, thinking of Zheng Yaoxian in his mind.
What Zhou Weihan didn't know was that after Song Xiaoan reported the intelligence, Zheng Yaoxian first arranged for personnel to send the report to the first theater. At the same time, our telegraph personnel lurking at Luoyang Station obtained this information, and the Eighth Route Army Headquarters received the information in no time.
The first theater of war will be later.
"Now that I know the strength and weapons of the Japanese army, my heart sinks. It is estimated that the Japanese army has not reached Anyang yet, and there is still plenty of time!" Zhou Weihan said with a smile, stroking his hands.
"Telegraph operator, immediately forward this telegram to the 28th Regiment and inquire about its progress!"