The chief of staff's answer made Okamura Neiji even happier, but he had not forgotten the Yizhong Eighth Route Army who had humiliated him many times. His face suddenly became very serious, and he stared at the chief of staff and asked.
"What is the Yizhong Eighth Route Army doing recently? Is there anything unusual..."
"We are recruiting a large number of new soldiers and expanding the troops..." the chief of staff replied blurtly.
"According to reports from our intelligence personnel hidden within the Eighth Route Army..."
"The expanded Sixth Army Division in the Wing of the Eighth Route Army has a total of two main brigades, three to four independent regiments, a guard regiment, a special forces regiment, and a heavy artillery regiment, with a total strength of more than 30,000 people."
"When these troops form combat effectiveness, they will definitely pose a huge threat to the North China Front."
Hearing this, the serious expression on Okamura Neji's face became relaxed. He waved his hand and said, "It's okay..."
"The Eighth Route Army in Yizhong also suffered heavy losses in the just-concluded sweep."
"According to the intelligence department's investigation, there are at most five to six thousand people left in the Yizhong Eighth Route Army after the big sweep."
"If the army is suddenly expanded to 30,000 people, the proportion of veterans will only be 20%."
"Even if the Eighth Route Army in Yinzhong trains desperately day and night, it will take three or four months for the troops to become combat effective."
"At that time, all the domestic recruits to supplement us have been in place."
"In addition, the front army is blocking the 30,000 elites of the Eighth Route Army in Yizhong, and it will definitely have the strength to launch a new round of attacks on the Sixth Army Division in Yizhong. While the Eighth Route Army in Yizhong has not yet formed combat effectiveness, mass a large number of troops to rush into Yizhong and catch them off guard.
.”
The chief of staff thought so too.
Recruits need time to train. This is a fact that no one can change.
No matter how powerful the Yizhong Eighth Route Army was in the past, it would be impossible for a group of recruits who had never even touched a gun to form combat effectiveness in a short period of time. It had nothing to do with underestimating the enemy.
It is precisely for this reason that the chief of staff did not report it to Okamura Neiji immediately after receiving the report from the intelligence department.
Watching Okamura Neiji continue to report: "Our troops blocking the Sixth Army Division in the wing also sent a telegram."
"In order to prevent us from taking the opportunity to raid their base, the Yizhong Eighth Route Army deliberately placed its newly expanded troops near the blockade for training and monitored every move of our army."
"They felt that the Eighth Route Army in Yinzhong was provoking them."
"I hope the front army headquarters will allow them to send out attacks to defeat the Eighth Route Army training under their noses."
"No..." Okamura Neji was frightened by the Eighth Route Army's attack and refused without hesitation.
"The Eighth Route Army in Yizhong has just undergone a major expansion and has temporarily lost the ability to actively attack us."
"But that doesn't mean they don't have the strength to hold on to their base."
"Their artillery is still very strong."
"The veterans in the team still have strong combat effectiveness."
"It's not because I grow other people's ambitions and destroy my own prestige..."
"If the Yizhong Eighth Route Army gathers the veterans in the team together, operates in battalion and company units near the blockade, and has a powerful artillery unit to provide them with artillery support, relying on the local favorable terrain, even if we gather two main forces at once
Don’t even think of taking advantage of the alliance’s raid on their base.”
"Their guerrilla warfare and mobile warfare are too powerful."
"The artillery firepower is not weaker than ours."
"The aviation force that can provide air support to the battlefield in the center of the wing also suffered heavy losses in two consecutive air raids. There are less than ten aircraft left that can continue to take off for combat. Until new aircraft are replenished, these aircraft can only bear some
For reconnaissance missions, there is no way to provide air support to ground troops."
"There is no artillery superiority or air superiority. The two sides are still fighting guerrilla warfare and mobile warfare, which the Eighth Route Army is better at. The Eighth Route Army also has the terrain advantage. Do you think our troops stationed at the blockade have a chance of winning?"
The chief of staff had a look of reluctance on his face, but he racked his brains and couldn't find a reason to refute, so he could only accept Okamura Neji's judgment on the battle situation in Yichu.
He sighed and replied: "Your Excellency, Commander, is wise..."
"I will call them back soon and strictly order the troops stationed at the blockade to stand still."
Okamura Neiji then added: "Let them not be anxious..."
"It can take as little as two months, or as slowly as three months, and all of our domestic recruits will be in place."
"At that time, I will personally visit Baoding again and direct them to attack the Sixth Army Division in the Wing of the Eighth Route Army. They will avenge enemies and retaliate against injustice."
…………
The former enemy headquarters of the Eighth Route Army.
Both the deputy commander-in-chief and the chief of staff felt that the great battle in the wing had come to an end.
Both the enemy and ourselves are recruiting new soldiers, training troops, and restoring combat effectiveness.
Under normal circumstances, in the next three months, there will be no large-scale battles in the Sixth Army Division of the Wing Center.
Just when they were about to turn their attention to other battlefields, the radio operator appeared.
He hurriedly walked to the two of them and reported seriously: "Chief... there is an urgent call from the Sixth Army Division in the Wing..."
"It's a secret message jointly sent by Commander Kong, Deputy Commander Li, and Deputy Chief of Staff Huang..."
The chief of staff frowned unconsciously.
According to discipline, confidential messages can only be used when reporting very important matters.
At this time, Kong Jie sent a secret telegram, which was a joint telegram from several people, indicating that something big had happened in the Sixth Army Division of Yi Zhong.
As a result, the telegram was read in ten lines at a glance. It took half a minute to read the entire telegram of several hundred words, and then handed it to the deputy commander to introduce: "Boss..."
"You'd better read the contents of the telegram yourself..."
"I don't even know how to evaluate these three people..."
"You really think you are invincible. After only half a month of repairs, you will launch a new round of attacks on the Japanese, and you ask us to help cooperate. Don't they know they are tired?"
The deputy commander-in-chief read the telegram at the same time, with a very serious expression. He sighed deeply before answering: "But I have to admit that they chose the timing of their attack very well."
"In the eyes of Neji Okamura, it is impossible for Kong Jie and the others to regain their combat effectiveness for three months and do not have the ability to take the initiative to attack."
"Kong Jie and the others took the initiative to attack the blockade half a month later. They would definitely catch the Japanese and puppet troops on the blockade by surprise."
"Since they are confident of fighting this battle, what else can we say? We can only find ways to support them."
"To be honest, I don't believe you, Chief of Staff, are not jealous of the equipment and ammunition that the Japanese North China Front has hoarded at the Tianjin dock."
"Since this host can consume the strength of the Japanese and puppet troops in the Pingjin area and bring huge benefits to the Yizhong Eighth Route Army's raid on the Tianjin dock, then let's fight."
"As the deputy commander-in-chief, the worst I can do is to do part-time work for Kong Jie and the others again."
"Although Okamura Neji's large-scale raids on the Yichu base area are over, he did not mobilize troops to reinforce other occupied areas. He just asked the little devils everywhere to shrink their defenses and abandon some unimportant counties and strongholds."
"The number of little devils faced by each base area has not increased, but the difficulty of combat has increased, and more efforts must be spent in fighting."
"But it won't be a problem for our Eighth Route Army."
