Wing Commander Ishii rushed out of the war room and looked up to see a plane swooping towards the Shanhaiguan Railway Station not far away.
"Buzz buzz...wuwuwu..."
The roar of the plane became louder and louder, and the huge fighter plane was like an eagle that found its prey, flying straight into the train station.
The roar was soon replaced by the piercing scream of aerial bombs streaking across the sky, and a thick black smoke instantly rose from the location of the train station.
After several seconds, a thunderous explosion reached the commander's ears.
The phone rang rapidly in the war room at the same time.
In less than half a minute, the hurried figure of the telephone soldier appeared in front of the commander: "Report to the commander..."
"Shanhaiguan Railway Station was bombed by planes, and an aerial bomb hit the railway line, which was blown up on the spot..."
Faced with this expected accident, the captain's expression was very solemn, but he had no way to break the situation.
Because the air control over the Northeast is completely in the hands of the Kwantung Army, the local garrison can never be threatened by the air.
Even though a reinforced regiment of elite Kwantung Army troops was stationed at Shanhaiguan, they were still not equipped with any anti-aircraft weapons.
Facing the Eighth Route Army aircraft that were killing everyone in the sky, he had no way to break the situation. His only hope was that the aviation wing of the Kwantung Army quickly dispatched fighter planes to support Shanhaiguan and kill the Eighth Route Air Force that was wreaking havoc over Shanhaiguan.
Otherwise, there is a possibility that Shanhaiguan Airport will be razed to the ground by the Eighth Route Air Force.
"Woooooooooooo...boom..."
The scream of an aerial bomb streaking across the sky reached the commander's ears again. Two plumes of thick black smoke soon rose in the direction of the train station. It took several seconds before the thunderous explosion reached the commander's ears.
"Sir..." Another telephone soldier hurriedly ran to the commander, reporting anxiously with a panicked expression on his face.
"Except Shanhaiguan Railway Station..."
"The entire ten-kilometer railway line north of the railway station was attacked by unknown aircraft..."
"The enemy is in the sky and attacks the railway line with aerial bombs. The troops we arranged along the railway line have no way to fight back and can only watch the railway line being destroyed..."
"Many garrisons were exposed to enemy aircraft due to air-to-air shooting and were attacked by aircraft, resulting in heavy losses..."
A look of despair quickly flashed across the solemn face of the captain.
He raised his legs and walked to the war room, stood next to the sand table, his eyes slowly moved north along the Shanhaiguan Railway, and finally stopped at ten kilometers north of Shanhaiguan, and then answered with a long sigh.
"Such a long section of railway was destroyed by an airplane. Even if we work overtime to repair it, it will take more than half a month..."
"The railway line is interrupted, and the Kwantung Army heading south cannot continue to take the railway to Pingjin. They must get off at a train station north of Shanhaiguan, and then march on foot to reinforce Pingjin..."
"The road that used to be completed in two days now takes at least five days to complete."
"What a cunning Eighth Route Army..."
"In order to slow down the march of the Kwantung Army reinforcements southward, they actually came up with the trick of using planes to blow up the railway lines, making it difficult for us to guard against it."
"Operator..."
"Immediately report the Eighth Route Army's aircraft bombing of the ten-kilometer railway line north of Shanhaiguan Railway Station to the Kwantung Army Headquarters."
"The railway line was devastated by aerial bombs and will no longer be usable for at least half a month.
"Please ask the Kwantung Army's southward reinforcements to get off at a train station north of Shanhaiguan and march on foot to continue to reinforce Pingjin."
…………
Headquarters of the Japanese North China Front in Peiping.
Okamura Neiji was interrupted by the deputy chief of staff before he finished his breakfast.
After it was confirmed that the Kwantung Army was about to send 80,000 elite troops south to reinforce him, Okamura Neji's nerves, which had been tense for several days, rarely relaxed.
The support troops to support the Kwantung Army's southward march were successfully in place. Not to mention the Eighth Route Army at Zhanlong Beiping Airport and Tianjin Pier, the Eighth Route Army on other battlefields could not get any advantage from them.
Faced with this good news, Okamura Neji rarely had a breakfast without any worries.
Unfortunately, he was interrupted by the deputy chief of staff just halfway through his meal.
He raised his eyebrows and asked in annoyance: "Didn't I say that..."
"Until the Kwantung Army's southward support troops are in place, all the troops stationed in various places need to do is stabilize the war situation. If there's nothing serious, don't bother me..."
"It's only been a few hours, and I'm still not allowing anyone to rest..."
"Commander, please calm down..."
The deputy chief of staff was scolded by Okamura Neiji for a moment, but the news he had just received was too important, and any delay for one more second could pose a huge threat to the North China Front, so he had no choice but to come over and report it.
Facing Okamura Neji's angry eyes, he replied: "I just received the latest information forwarded by the intelligence department..."
"The Eighth Route Army that occupied Peiping Airport dispatched more than 30 planes to the north early in the morning. The destination is unknown..."
Okamura Neiji couldn't sit still all of a sudden. He stood up from his chair in an instant. Without eating, he went straight to the war room and asked as he walked: "What does it mean to have an unknown destination?"
"More than 30 aircraft took off for combat. How could such a large target have an unknown destination?"
The deputy chief of staff followed Okamura Neiji and added: "I have arranged for the intelligence department to keep an eye on these aircraft... If there is any news, I will report it as soon as possible."
Neji Okamura entered the war room and went straight to the sandbox, staring at targets north of Peking Airport that might be targeted by the Eighth Route Army.
Unfortunately, except for the news about the Eighth Route Air Force heading north, he didn't have any other information. Even if he focused his attention on the sand table, he didn't have any clues.
I can only ask while watching, hoping to get some inspiration from my subordinates.
"What do you think of the Eighth Route Army's dispatch of the air force to the north?"
"If you have any ideas, just say it. It doesn't matter if you are wrong. Don't be afraid..."
Several operational staff members looked at each other and replied: "Your Excellency, Commander... After research, I and others believe that the Eighth Route Army sent planes north to support the Kwantung Army going south to buy time for them to transfer their loot."
"The Kwantung Army took the train south to support Pingjin and could reach the battlefield in two days at most."
"The speed is very fast. This time is definitely not enough for them to transport all the loot back to the base."
"If there is no way to stop the Kwantung Army from sending reinforcements south, then they will have to give up some of their spoils in order to keep their troops and not confront the Kwantung Army head-on."
"This is definitely an outcome that the Eighth Route Army does not want to face..."
"Bombing the railway..." Okamura Neji's eyes lit up, and these four words came to his mind at the same time.
Then he hurriedly ordered: "It must be like this..."
"As long as the Eighth Route Army sends out planes to blow up the railway line, the Kwantung Army's southward reinforcements will have to reinforce Pingjin on foot, and the time to enter the war will be pushed back by at least two days..."
"The air supremacy on the battlefield is in the hands of the Eighth Route Army. Whether our troops defending the railway are equipped with anti-aircraft weapons, they have no choice but to be passively attacked by aircraft."
