"Is there any movement among the puppet troops stationed in Taiyuan?" the brigade commander asked seriously.
"According to usual practice, the Japanese will definitely send out many puppet troops to raid northwestern Shanxi and serve as cannon fodder for them!"
"The two regiments of the Taiyuan Security Brigade were suddenly under martial law, and the Japanese army sent them a large amount of ammunition... They should also prepare to go to northwest Shanxi to join the war!" the chief of staff thought for a moment and replied.
The expression on the brigade commander's face became more serious. He took the information and read it twice before continuing: "Nine infantry brigades of little devils, two independent artillery brigades, a heavy mortar squadron, and two regiments of the Imperial Alliance Army.
...Coupled with the baggage troops and cavalry troops that cooperated with the operation... more than 13,000 people were dispatched from Taiyuan alone..."
"This does not include the mobile troops that the Japanese and puppet troops can deploy in the northwest of Shanxi!"
"Yoshio Shinozuka, an old Japanese devil, is so polite... he is actually willing to dispatch so many troops for the three main regiments of our army!"
After sighing, he stared at the chief of staff and continued to ask: "Can you find out the specific battle plan of the Japanese and puppet troops to sweep northwestern Shanxi..."
"Are they planning to launch a full-scale attack or a focused attack?"
"If it is a key attack, which regiment will the Japanese attack first?"
"Do you know how many mobile units the Japanese and puppet troops in Northwest Shanxi can mobilize to participate in the war?"
The brigade commander was nervous and anxious. He asked four questions in one breath, and then looked eagerly at the chief of staff, waiting for him to answer.
Unfortunately, the chief of staff didn't have the answer in his mind either.
He shook his head and replied: "Time is too tight...I heard that the Japs' military headquarters has not even formulated a combat plan...it will definitely be difficult to find out in a short time!"
"The Japanese and puppet troops in northwest Shanxi suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Ping'an. While ensuring the safety of the county and large strongholds, they should be able to mobilize three to four infantry brigades... six to ten regiments of the Imperial Association Army..."
"If all these mobile units participate in the battle...the total strength of the Japanese and puppet troops sweeping northwestern Shanxi will definitely exceed 23,000...or even reach 25,000..."
The more the brigade commander listened, the more serious his expression became. He put down the information and stared at the map on the table for two minutes before frowning and saying: "The disparity in strength between the enemy and ours is too great. No matter whether the Japanese and puppet troops launch an all-out attack or a focused attack, Kong Jie and the others will
The combat pressure is very high. If they are not careful, the situation they finally managed to open in northwestern Shanxi will be catastrophic!"
"Far water cannot quench near thirst..."
"We can't mobilize troops to support them, we can only give them some intelligence support!"
"From now on, any information about northwest Shanxi can be forwarded directly to Kong Jie and Li Yunlong without asking me for instructions!"
"We then ordered several main regiments in the base area to assemble secretly. After the Japanese and puppet troops launched a large-scale raid on northwestern Shanxi, several main regiments rushed out of the base area at the same time..."
"Not only can we take the opportunity to expand our base area and expand our army's influence, but we can also put pressure on Yoshio Shinozuka by attacking the rear areas of the Japanese and puppet troops, forcing him to mobilize troops from northwestern Shanxi to return reinforcements and reduce the combat pressure on Kong Jie and others!"
"These are the only two things the brigade headquarters can do. Go and execute them immediately!"
At the Japanese military headquarters in Taiyuan, the chief of staff was introducing the prepared battle plan to Yoshio Shinozuka based on the map of northwest Shanxi.
"Your Excellency, Commander, considering that the sweep lasts too long, the Eighth Route Army may send troops behind the sweep troops to cut off the supply lines. We believe that all participating troops must carry at least half a month's supply of ammunition!"
"The artillery unit's ammunition supply will be increased!"
"After studying Colonel Yamamoto's investigation report on the Independent Regiment of the Eighth Route Army, combined with the just-concluded Ping'an Campaign, I believe that there are three main ways for the Independent Regiment to deal with us!"
"The first is to block the enemy at all levels, building a large number of blocking positions and machine gun bunkers in the base area, and slowly consuming our strength through a steady stream of blocking battles!"
"The second is to conduct an ambush: find favorable terrain, gather superior forces, and ambush and mop up the troops!"
"The third method is to use guerrilla warfare and mobile warfare to hold us back. The main force will penetrate behind us, cut off the logistics supply lines of the mopping up troops, and force us to retreat!"
"In view of these three anti-sweeping methods, Beiji has specially formulated targeted countermeasures in the mopping-up plan!"
"The mopping up troops carry half a month's supply of ammunition, which can render their third anti-mopping method ineffective!"
"Continue to increase the amount of ammunition carried by artillery units, specifically targeting their first anti-mopping method."
"As long as the mopping up troops enter the Eighth Route Army base area, they will use more artillery superiority, and use artillery fire when they encounter blocking positions and bunkers...If ordinary artillery fails, they will dispatch large-caliber mortars and heavy mountain artillery. If that fails, they will call for air support, and the mopping up troops will
Can occupy those blocking positions at the minimum cost!"
"The Eighth Route Army's goal of consuming our troops through layer upon layer of blockades cannot be achieved!"
"The second counter-mopping method to deal with the Eighth Route Army is the easiest."
"As long as the mopping up troops do not divide their forces after entering their base area, do not advance alone, and strengthen their alert, the Eighth Route Army will have no chance to ambush us!"
Yoshio Shinozuka looked at the map while listening. After listening, he couldn't help but praise: "Your idea is very good!"
"Every time you suffer, you gain wisdom. The Imperial Army of Japan must not stumble twice on the same problem!"
"The main offensive force will advance to the independent regiment base according to your combat plan!"
"Tell me more about the blockade force arrangements!"
"Ha Yi!" The chief of staff turned back two pages of the battle plan and continued to introduce it.
"The blockade force is mainly composed of mobile troops operating in northwest Shanxi, supplemented by the Taiyuan garrison!"
"They are more familiar with the terrain of northwestern Shanxi. Let them block the attack and achieve maximum victory at the minimum cost!"
"For this big sweep, we sent a total of 25,000 troops, including 15,000 imperial troops and 10,000 imperial alliance troops..."
"Six thousand imperial troops plus four regiments of the Imperial Association Army were divided into two groups and penetrated directly into the junction of the Independent Regiment and the New First Regiment and the New Second Regiment to prevent the Independent Regiment from escaping from the base area and at the same time block the possible dispatch of the New Second Regiment and the New First Regiment.
Reinforcements to the Independence Regiment!”
"In the battle of Ping'an, the New Regiment and the Independent Regiment consumed a lot of our troops in blocking battles!"
"We will definitely be able to retaliate with tooth in this big sweep, and in turn use blocking warfare to consume the strength of the Eighth Route Army!"
"The remaining nine thousand Imperial Army and six regiments of the Imperial Alliance Army were divided into three groups, with five thousand men in each group... They swept across the Independence Regiment base area along the three highways, burning all the villages they encountered on the road, and taking away all the food and livestock.
, kill all the common people who show signs of supporting the Eighth Route Army...completely destroy their base area..."
"Let the common people in northwestern Shanxi no longer dare to support the Eighth Route Army!"
When Yoshio Shinozuka first heard about it, he thought the chief of staff's battle plan was too cruel and bloody, and wanted to change it to be a little more toned down.
But when I thought of the humiliation that the Independent Regiment had brought to the Shanxi garrison, the goodwill in my heart was immediately replaced by anger. I swallowed my words decisively and ordered with murderous intent: "I will do as you say!"
"Those Chinese who support the Eighth Route Army must pay the price for what they have done..."
"At eight o'clock the day after tomorrow, the Taiyuan garrison will set off on time..."
"Take the railway, and all movements will be in place within two days..."
"The mobile troops operating in northwestern Shanxi are also ready for battle...the two armies will immediately intersect as soon as they join forces..."
"Try to use one day to get everything done..."
"Before the Eighth Route Army of Northwestern Shanxi reacts, build blocking positions and cut off all connections between the Independent Regiment and the New First and New Second Regiments!"
At the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army, the Chief of Staff hurriedly walked in with a very solemn expression: "Boss... the Japanese and puppet troops in Taiyuan City have moved..."
"There are more than 13,000 people, except for two regiments of the Imperial Army, the rest are all little devils!"
"Equipment with twelve large-caliber mountain guns, twelve field guns, countless mortars and heavy machine guns..."
"There are also twelve tanks and twelve armored vehicles to help out. They rushed out of Taiyuan early this morning and headed straight to northwest Shanxi!"
"What shocked me the most was the amount of ammunition and baggage carried by the Japanese and puppet troops... It was amazing..."
"There are nearly 200 cars alone, and four to five hundred large vehicles have been requisitioned..."
"There is also a train transporting ammunition supplies to northwestern Shanxi at the same time, mostly artillery shells..."
"The streets from the Taiyuan Arsenal to the train station were under martial law. Yesterday, we transported ammunition all night... including large-caliber mountain artillery shells, field artillery and infantry artillery shells..."
"I feel that these heavy artillery and artillery shells carried by the Japanese army are prepared for machine gun bunkers!"
"They have suffered a lot from our earth forts. The independent regiment was the first to build earth forts. They will definitely build a large number of them in the base area."
"It is difficult for ordinary mortars to destroy earth bunkers in a short period of time. Only a large number of mountain artillery and large-caliber mortars can break the independent regiment's earth bunker tactics!"
"Preliminary inference is that the mopping up troops carried ammunition supplies for at least half a month!"
"Our opponents are becoming more and more difficult to defeat..." the deputy commander said with a long sigh.
The chief of staff believed deeply: "We are making progress, and so are the Japanese..."
"The mopping up troops carry half a month's ammunition supply at a time, obviously to prevent us from cutting off their ammunition supply and forcing them to retreat!"
"If the heavy artillery destroys our earth fortress tactics, Kong Jie and the others will have fewer anti-mopping methods to use, and the pressure will increase exponentially!"
The deputy commander thought for a while and then began to issue an order: "Immediately forward the intelligence we collected to Kong Jie, Li Yunlong, Ding Wei..."
"The judgment we just made is also sent to them, so that they can immediately prepare for counter-mopping up..."
"It was impossible to do anything. The headquarters allowed them to break up into pieces and retreat to the mountains to fight guerrillas..."
"Wait until the big sweep is over and then go out and regain your strength..."
"At the same time, contact other Eighth Route Army units in Shanxi and ask them to organize an offensive against important towns around the base area within five days..."
"If there is a chance, it is best to seize the opportunity to capture a few counties. The bigger the momentum, the better, so as to reduce the counter-mopping pressure on Kong Jie and others!"
The deputy chief of staff immediately said: "We also have tens of thousands of troops in Shanxi. If we use them properly, they will definitely put a lot of pressure on Yoshio Shinozuka. I will send a telegram now!"
