Li Yunlong, who has always been unafraid of big troubles when fighting, made a fuss and said: "When it comes to fighting the Kwantung Army, our old Li has even thought of the slogan."
This actually made Ding Wei curious, "What slogan?"
"If you want to eat, eat the heart of cabbage; if you want to fight, fight the Kwantung Army!" Li Yunlong said with a smile on his face, "If all the Japanese soldiers were compared to a Chinese cabbage, which part of the cabbage would be the most fragrant? Of course it would be the most fragrant.
It is the tenderest and sweetest cabbage heart. In my opinion, hehe, this Kwantung Army is the cabbage heart. Our Lao Li has always been picky about his appetite. Apart from this cabbage heart, he really doesn’t like anything else!”
"This metaphor is interesting!" Ding Wei laughed.
Kong Jie couldn't laugh at this time. He was worried. Under the effect of his butterfly instigation, many deviations had occurred in the events that should have occurred according to the historical trajectory of Liangjian.
Just like this time, the Japanese army took advantage of the attack on Xi'an and sneak attack on Yan'an. Under the tactic of attacking from the east to the west, they suddenly launched the Battle of Western Hubei.
This is several days ahead of schedule.
If we continue to change like this, who knows what events will change in the future?
Fortunately, Kong Jie soon looked away. What was supposed to come would eventually come, and the original bad situation would eventually become not so bad because of his appearance. This was enough.
In any case, the top priorities right now are nothing more than three points in order:
First, ensure the stability of the central base area in the special test zone, especially the internal core base areas, to block the large-scale offensive launched by the Japanese army this time, and assist friendly forces in launching a defense battle for the base areas.
Second, with the support of the general headquarters and the coordination of all base areas forces, the Kwantung Army, which went south for reinforcements, was delayed from returning to the Kwantung for reinforcements.
Third, continue to prepare in advance for the follow-up operations of the Iron Triangle Group Army into the Greater Khingan Mountains, prepare combat equipment, corresponding environmental materials, logistics preparations, military exercises and training, etc.
Kong Jie continues to make preparations in an orderly manner, while there are undercurrents surging outside.
One thing was indeed within Kong Jie's guess, but it was beyond his expectation.
Due to some butterfly effects, the Eighth Route Army was obviously much stronger than at the same time. This led to a sharp increase in the pressure on the Japanese army behind enemy lines, and many combat plans were completely deviated from the original time track.
Kong Jie would never have imagined that one of his formidable old rivals would once again take the stage.
who?
——Okamura Neji!
For Okamura, who is known as a China expert, after returning to the stage of Sino-Japanese war, he once said this sentence, "If you use Chinese words, success is also a failure, and failure is a failure."
To be precise, for Okamura, it should be Kong Jie who succeeds and Kong Jie who loses.
how to say?
Since he originally served as the commander-in-chief of the Japanese North China Front, Okamura has further implemented the cage policy, pressed forward step by step, and continuously compressed the Eighth Route Army's living space. All aspects of strategic preparations were very appropriate.
Even though the Eighth Route Army later launched an unprecedented hundred-regiment battle and shattered the prison cage set by the Japanese army in one fell swoop, if the original trajectory was followed, the Eighth Route Army also paid a heavy price in the subsequent May Day raids by the Japanese army.
It's really hard to say who is the absolute winner.
However, Kong Jie, a dark horse, came out of the blue. From the independent regiment to the iron triangle of northern Shanxi, and then to the growth of the first independent anti-Japanese detachment of northern Shanxi.
Under the chain effect brought by this, the Eighth Route Army troops in the Taihang base area also developed rapidly.
In the end, the Eighth Route Army became the big winner in the Hundred Regiments Battle. During the May Day anti-mopping operations, the Japanese army was also beaten to a pulp.
Coupled with the series of victories achieved by the Eighth Route Army behind enemy lines, it caused considerable and heavy losses to the Japanese army.
As the commander-in-chief of the North China Front, Okamura Neiji took responsibility for this and was later transferred to Guadalcanal.
But who could have imagined it? It was precisely because of the training of a tough and cunning opponent like Kong Jie.
After being transferred to Guadalcanal, with the help of his combat experience against the Eighth Route Army, Okamura ushered in an unprecedented moment of glory. Even when the Japanese navy was defeated by the United States in the Battle of Guadalcanal, he was still able to
During the land battle on Guadalcanal, he defeated the U.S. military in a fancy way, which made him famous.
At this time, North China had been overwhelmed by the increasingly powerful Eighth Route Army.
Beginning with the Eighth Route Army's spring offensive, the mobile troops led by Kong Jie and Li Yunlong penetrated almost all of central Shandong, and then launched a campaign around Datong and Zhangjiakou to encircle and annihilate the 14th Division of the Kwantung Army.
The Japanese army behind enemy lines was almost completely defeated by the rapidly rising Eighth Route Army and was unable to fight back.
The newly appointed commander-in-chief of the North China Front, Naosaburo Okabe, was at a loss to do anything about this. He even beat the drum in his heart countless times and simply transferred the old senior Okamura back!
It was probably at this time that the Japanese officers who were still serving in North China realized deeply how talented Mr. Okamura, who served as commander-in-chief at the time, was able to contend with the Eighth Route Army for so many years, and even defeated the Eighth Route Army.
Huddled within the base area and unable to move.
So...
Seeing that all parties involved in the Chinese Expeditionary Forces are at a disadvantage in fighting, especially in the battle against the Eighth Route Army, they are almost helpless. Now is the time to recruit people.
Junroku Hata thought of Okamura, a talented person who was transferred to Guadalcanal and was almost put on the shelf.
Finally, Junroku Hata reported to the Japanese headquarters and applied to transfer Okamura to the Sino-Japanese battlefield, bringing this old rival of the Eighth Route Army back to the stage of the Sino-Japanese war.
Not only that, as if specifically to welcome Okamura's return, Shunroku Hata made a special application to the headquarters to mobilize troops from the Japanese Army's Central China side, and specially formed a front-line army in the Wuhan area, called the Japanese Sixth Front Army, below.
The Japanese 11th Army operating in Changsha and the 23rd Army operating in Guangzhou have a total strength of nearly 300,000.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Okamura serves as the commander-in-chief of this first-formed Japanese Sixth Front, and the chief of staff is Major General Gong Junyi.
Subsequently, in a military meeting held at the headquarters of the Japanese dispatched troops to China.
When Okamura reappeared in this long-lost conference room with a straight face, the Japanese officers present stood up and welcomed him with the warmest applause.
The return of Okamura, the old rival that gave the Eighth Route Army a headache, was like a shot in the arm for the Japanese officers here who were already helpless against the Eighth Route Army.
It seems like the backbone is back!
Even Hata Junroku sighed deeply: "Okamura-kun, seeing you again, my heart seems to have calmed down again, and my left and right arms have finally grown back!"
In the subsequent meeting, when Okamura opened his mouth, it indeed brought a huge surprise to Japanese officers such as Shunroku Hata and Naosaburo Okabe.
During the conversation, Okamura talked about the current evolution of the war situation between China and Japan, especially the situation on the frontal battlefield, as well as the changes in the situation behind the occupied areas, especially in Central China, in the battle against the Eighth Route Army.
It turns out that even though this old boy was transferred to Guadalcanal to fight, he still cared about the Sino-Japanese battlefield and never relaxed for a moment.
Now that I'm back in office, I'm still proficient in my business.
After re-understanding the mess on the North China Front, Okamura Neiji pointedly pointed out as he looked at the current commander-in-chief of the North China Front, Naosaburo Okabe, who looked at him with a somewhat ashamed look:
"The current situation is getting worse day by day. For our empire, the top priority is to stabilize the morale of the military and revive morale with a victory of a sufficiently impressive scale.
However, if you want to put this victory on the Eighth Route Army, I'm afraid you will lose more than you gain.
In Chinese terms, it may be that if you fail to steal the chicken, you will lose the rice.
Therefore, there is only one way - to evade the internal situation, we must first stabilize the external situation, and first completely defeat the Chinese army on the frontal battlefield. This is the clearest and most effective way!"
Okamura, who commanded operations in the Guadalcanal area, has a deep understanding of this.
During the battle in the Guadalcanal area, if the Japanese navy is compared to the Central Army on the frontal battlefield, then the troops led by Okamura who took advantage of the terrain on the Guadalcanal land and used various guerrilla tactics to fight the Japanese army can be likened to
The Eighth Route Army on the battlefield behind enemy lines.
The U.S. military initially fought on two fronts. On the one hand, it dealt with the Japanese navy, and on the other hand, it also sent a considerable number of troops to land on Guadalcanal in an attempt to eliminate the mountain combat troops led by Okamura.
As a result, he was beaten by Okamura's team in the mountain jungle of Guadalcanal.
In Okamura’s words:
"If the U.S. military continues to send more troops to the mountain jungles of Guadalcanal at this time, they will only pay a heavier price in casualties. If they want to finally win the Battle of Guadalcanal, they still don't know what to do.
Wait until what month and year.
But what did they do in the end?
Knowing that the mountain troops led by me were difficult to attack, they took the initiative to put their main force in the battle against our enemy's navy.
Later, the navy was completely defeated. Even if the troops under my command were still winning the battle, what was the use? After all, it was still impossible to reverse the fact that the entire battle was defeated!
And how similar this situation is to the Eighth Route Army in the current occupied area and the Central Army on the frontal battlefield!
These Eighth Route Army occupies the absolutely favorable time, place and people, and fights our army in the vast mountainous jungle. Our army's mechanized combat troops cannot deploy in such terrain, so why use their own shortcomings to attack the enemy's strengths?
?
It would be better to concentrate on defeating the Central Army on the frontal battlefield in one fell swoop, and even force the National Revolutionary Army to surrender. In this way, even if the Eighth Route Army grows stronger and has all-powerful means, can it still reverse the overall situation of the entire Sino-Japanese war?
It’s just a futile effort!”
In this regard, Okamura, a China expert, has something to say.
"This is why you pick the soft persimmons first!"
The conversation changed and Okamura directly proposed his bold follow-up battle plan.
If the Japanese officers who participated in the meeting were compared to gamblers who came to gamble with different capitals, there is no doubt that Okamura may not be the one with the richest gambling capital, but he must be the boldest and craziest, and even dare to gamble directly.
The one.
Okamura proposed: "If we want to completely defeat the Chinese army on the frontal battlefield, or even force the Chinese army to surrender in advance, the first priority is to completely open up the communication lines in mainland China."
In this regard, Okamura made a corresponding and accurate analysis based on the gradual deterioration of the situation of the Japanese army as the war continues, the lack of strategic resources, the lack of logistical supplies, as well as the political and military impacts.
And finally said: "We must completely open up the main railway lines in mainland China, including the Tongpu Line, Pinghan Line, Guangdong-Han Line, and Hunan-Guangxi Line, so that our empire's Chinese battlefield and the main battlefield in Southeast Asia can compete with each other's forces and strategies.
Mutual reinforcements in many aspects such as materials and materials are completely integrated to reverse the multiple political, military and economic crises of our Great Japanese Empire in one fell swoop!"
What a crazy gambler!
As soon as he participated in this bet, he decided to put all his bets, even his own life, including everything, into it completely.
The other officers participating in the meeting were a little dumbfounded. Shunroku Hata, who had been thinking for a long time, slowly asked: "Okamura-kun, what do you decide to do?"
"Lead the Sixth Front Army and launch another campaign to capture Changsha!"
Then it was the Fourth Battle of Changsha.
However, in response to Okamura's proposal, the senior Japanese military officers present were deeply silent.
The city of Changsha stopped the Japanese army here and sank three times. Especially in the third battle of Changsha, the Chinese army killed more than 90,000 officers and soldiers and cost the Japanese army the tragic death of more than 110,000 imperial warriors.
The huge price of foreign land.
Launching the operation in Changsha has almost left a psychological shadow on the Japanese officers present.
Who dares to pat his chest and guarantee that victory will be achieved by launching the fourth Changsha Operation?
Junroku Hata was also hesitant. Although he believed in Okamura's abilities, Okamura's actions were too big. He had just returned and was about to make such a big noise!
Although Junroku Hata wants to fight a few good battles at the end of his term to gain political capital.
But he also didn't want to take risks.
What if it all fails?
Okamura, however, fully understood what his old senior was thinking, and immediately said while the iron was hot: "Your Excellency, Commander-in-Chief, capturing Changsha has always been the strategic goal of our army. This is a goal that must be achieved sooner or later. We cannot always
Because of several failures, I stopped completely and gave up halfway.
Moreover, the battlefield situation between China and Japan is gradually deteriorating, especially the rapid rise of the Eighth Route Army in the occupied areas. If we do not reverse the disadvantage with a proactive and large-scale victory, our army will be completely overwhelmed sooner or later.
And I think the current time is the most appropriate.
Regarding the reinforcements of the Eastern Army going south, the Kwantung Army troops led by Yamashita-kun and Inoue-kun are all in place. With them waiting for opportunities to assist in combat, other theater units of the Chinese army will definitely be greatly restrained.
Secondly, from the attack on Xi'an to the raid on Yan'an, and then to the outbreak of the Battle of Western Hubei, it almost attracted most of the attention of the Chinese army. At this moment, who could have imagined that our empire would be so determined to suddenly launch the fourth
What about the battle in Changsha?
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Have we lost the courage to fight for the jihad one last time?
Your Excellency, Commander-in-Chief, this opportunity must not be missed, it will never come again!"