But the Commander-in-Chief, His Excellency Okamura, has very clear orders. No Eighth Route Army must be allowed to pass through the defense lines in Baoding and Shimen.
Although there are many examples of undermining the superiors within the Japanese army, it should not be too embarrassing on the surface.
The old Japanese originally thought that the Harada Division had been in a panic regarding Kaifeng, saying that the main force of the Eighth Route Army was attacking the city.
In Zaozhuang, the guy from Gujing also said in the communication that the main force of the Taihang Eighth Route Army was approaching the city.
He even said that he had a nose and eyes, but he was just short of accurately describing the appearance of the former enemy commander-in-chief of the Eighth Route Army.
Thinking about it this way, he's the right one.
As for the safety of the headquarters after these Eighth Route Army broke through their own defense lines and advanced towards Peiping, that was not their original concern.
If the Commander-in-Chief did not even anticipate this and made sufficient preparations in advance, he would not be worthy of sitting in that position.
You Gangcun can sit firmly in the military tent and issue orders.
After all, aren’t we blocking the gun for you from the front?
"Qixi, contact the headquarters immediately and ask for help from the Commander. He said that the main force of the Eighth Route Army coming from Jizhong, Jinan and Shanxi, at least one division... no, two divisions, are attacking me.
Advancement of the Ministry of Defense Zone.
Baoding and Shimen are in emergency. The Pinghan Line, the Zhengtai Line and the Shide Line may be difficult to preserve. Please ask for tactical guidance!"
Shortly after the original communication was transmitted, in the Shimen Baoding area, the situation between China and Japan gradually became clear as it evolved.
The original division, which had become a coward, had retained its main force, nestled in some large strongholds with strong fortifications, towns and counties, and did not show its head at all.
In this regard, no matter how powerful the Eighth Route Army is, there is nothing they can do against these Japanese.
Of course, the various troops that gathered forces to advance towards the Shimen area of Baoding this time include the reinforcement regiment led by Shen Quan, the troops dispatched by Commander Lu from the Central Hebei Province, and the armored barracks dispatched by the 385th Brigade.
These commanders have already reached a consensus through communication:
Therefore, the purpose of setting up suspicion formations, attacking in the east and attacking in the west, and attacking Baoding and Shimen, as well as the local Zhengtai Line, Shide Line and other railway lines, was just to frighten the little devils.
In fact, no one expects that with this limited force, they can defeat Baoding, Shimen and other important cities that are easy to defend and difficult to attack in one fell swoop, despite the reinforcements that may be dispatched from all sides of the Japanese army at any time.
After all, now is not the time for a decisive battle with the Japanese army.
When talking about this matter, the commanders of the Eighth Route Army were even worried.
If we say that the capture of Datong has severely weakened the military influence of the Japanese army and caused the Japanese army to suffer great humiliation.
Then continue to capture Licheng, Kaifeng, and even Zaozhuang, Baoding and Shimen.
Okay!
What if the Japs and the Eighth Route Army were forced to fight to the death?
This Japs may even abandon all frontal battlefield operations, call back all the elites, and concentrate their forces against the Eighth Route Army troops.
Even if the battlefield behind enemy lines is developed into a frontal battlefield, the gains outweigh the losses.
Do you think that at that time, Chiang Kai-shek's troops would take the opportunity to launch an attack on the empty Japanese defense lines?
Don’t even think about it, maybe people are watching the fire from across the bank and clapping their hands in cheers!
So...
"This sneak attack on Baoding and Shimen is just to contain the Japanese troops. In addition, it also weakens the Japanese army's external control over Baoding and Shimen.
We can't destroy these important Japanese cities, but we can still do it by uprooting some towns, villages, strongholds, and all communication lines on the outer lines.
Leave a few isolated cities for the little devil. From now on, the little devil will be able to protect himself. If he wants to raid our base area, he will have to think carefully."
So...
It only takes a day and a half.
"Your Excellency, Commander-in-Chief, according to the situation reported by the division headquarters, the outer defense zone in Baoding and Shimen has been completely paralyzed. The Eighth Route Army may have broken through the defense line and is advancing towards Peiping!"
Peiping, the headquarters of the Japanese North China Dispatch Army.
After hearing the news, Commander-in-Chief Okamura turned blue with anger.
If he still doesn't know what's going on, then he really has become a stupid pig.
"Bastards, these damn bastards are so passive and avoid war. Is there any hope for the jihad of our Empire of Japan?"
Main force.
The main force of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army is everywhere.
Is it possible that there are four, five, seven or eight 129 divisions in the Eighth Route Army?
First Licheng, then Kaifeng, then Zaozhuang, and then Baoding and Shimen.
Why, aren’t the main forces of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army everywhere here?
How many of them are greedy for life and afraid of death, deliberately shirk responsibility, and blame everything on the main force of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army?
Okamura, who was burning with anger, had not had time to deploy the defense in Beiping, and then someone with no eyesight directly hit the muzzle of the gun.
——It is a city in the northwest area of Shandong at the junction of southeastern Hebei and northwest Shandong.
Texas.
Under the massive attack of the Eighth Route Army, the Japanese division, which chose to avoid the battle passively, retreated to the county towns and towns. The Japanese defense line in Shide County was quickly broken.
Shen Quan worked non-stop and once again divided his troops into two groups. Together with the local troops, he continued to harass the Japanese troops in Baoding and Shimen, ensuring that the Japanese troops did not dare to leave the city at will.
The other way is to advance directly along the Shide Line towards Dezhou.
After arriving in Texas, under the leadership of Shen Quan, the elite reinforcements belonging to the Iron Triangle launched an attack on the Japanese defense lines along the way with a particularly powerful firepower configuration.
As soon as the Taihang Eighth Route Army took action, the Japanese army trembled with fear.
The Japanese troops stationed in the Dezhou area immediately imitated the original division and reported to the headquarters: The main force of the Eighth Route Army had completely broken through the blockade in Shide County and entered the Dezhou area. Dezhou was in urgent need and asked for tactical guidance!
It stands to reason that there is nothing wrong with this request for help!
It was obviously the Zhengben Division who was the first to report that the main force of the Eighth Route Army had reached the vicinity of Baoding Shimen.
As a result, your division failed to hold the defense line, and the main force of the Eighth Route Army took the opportunity to follow the Shide Line and attack the Dezhou area. Is there anything wrong with my report like this?
It’s just that the Japanese colonel stationed in Texas was unlucky and ran into Okamura’s bullet hole.
The weight of a regiment commander is far less than that of a division commander.
Okamura, who was already furious because the ministries were passively avoiding the war, decided to kill the chicken and respect the monkey. After angrily scolding the Japanese colonel, he dismissed him directly.
He also informed the three armies that the Colonel knew that he was ineffective in fighting and would commit suicide by caesarean section to apologize to the Emperor!
With such thunderous tactics, the Japanese troops who had originally decided to defeat the Eighth Route Army quickly stepped up their defensive operations against the Eighth Route Army.
At the same time, Okacun, who was really worried that the Eighth Route Army was going to drain the firepower and attack Peiping, couldn't sit still. He couldn't count on the frontline defense troops, so he could only mobilize troops from all sides to return reinforcements.
At this time.
As the war situation evolved, many places such as western Shandong, central Shandong and northern Henan were in emergency.
The crisis in Licheng has been completely resolved. According to the news, the main forces of the Eighth Route Army continue to appear in Zaozhuang, Kaifeng, Hebei, and Baoding.
The Japanese dispatched troops from Central China and South China that originally sent reinforcements to Licheng also chose to withdraw and return to their original garrison to guard against opportunities for infiltration by Eighth Route Army troops.
The Kwantung Army that went south for reinforcements was somewhat unlucky due to poor information.
They were the last ones to retreat from Licheng. In addition, the journey back to the northeast was long, and they had to fight against some harassing Eighth Route Army troops from time to time along the way. When Beiping was in danger, they had only gone less than half the distance.
As for Okamura, since he wanted to defend the base camp of Peiping, he should have cleaned up the mess he had caused.
It would be best for him to dispatch troops from North China to return reinforcements.
But right now, it seems that the Eighth Route Army troops are present throughout North China, and they are fighting everywhere. If a large number of troops are rashly sent back to support Peiping, it is likely to cause unpredictable loopholes.
After the Corps Garrisoned in Mongolia was changed to the Army Garrisoned in Mongolia, it later became affiliated with the North China Expeditionary Force and was under the unified control of Okamura, the commander-in-chief of the North China Expeditionary Force.
But in the final analysis, they only care about the mess in northern Shanxi and Inner Mongolia, and don't have the time to pay attention to him.
Not to mention that not long ago, during the battle against the Eighth Route Army troops in the Taihang base area, the 26th Division of the Mongolian Army increased its troops and went south, but fell into the ambush circle of the Eighth Route Army's iron triangle.
The various units of the Japanese First Army slipped away very quickly.
As a result, the 11th Regiment of the Mongolian Army and two cavalry units were almost wiped out.
The headquarters of the Army Garrison in Mongolia was very dissatisfied with this, and naturally attributed these grievances to the commander of the First Army, Yoshio Shinozuka, and the commander-in-chief, Neiji Okamura.
It would be a bit embarrassing for Okamura to ask for reinforcements at this time.
So for Okamura right now, if he wants to defend Peiping, the best way to reinforce him is the Kwantung Army, which is returning to the northeast and is not far from Peiping!
The Kwantung Army has always been pampered in the Northeast and maintained its elite status. It has never taken the Eighth Route Army seriously, and it even achieved final victory in the crusade against the Northeast Anti-Japanese Alliance.
With their reinforcements, the crisis will definitely be resolved.
In this way, after the two sides communicated, the Kwantung Army, which was returning north, and about a brigade of field elites, immediately moved closer to Peiping.
In fact.
Whether it was Ding Wei, Shen Quan, Brigadier Chen of the 385th Brigade, or Commander Lu of Jizhong, no one had any intention of attacking Peiping from the beginning.
It's not yet time for the decisive battle.
Secondly, I didn’t want to completely anger the Japanese army.
Third, if we attack Peiping all the way, we will have to go deep alone, and our troops will be easily eaten.
Fourthly, at present, various troops are still mainly engaged in mobile warfare, ambush warfare, and harassment warfare. The battles seem to be fought one after another.
But in fact, not many of the important towns and cities of the Japanese army were captured.
The Japanese army's effective strength did not suffer excessive losses.
On the whole, if the two sides were to engage in a decisive battle, the Eighth Route Army would still be far from its opponent.
Therefore, the troops in Jizhong and the 385th Brigade were only operating in the area outside Baoding and Shimen, while Shen Quan led the reinforcement group to try to move closer to Dezhou.
But what everyone never expected was that at this juncture, hey, the Kwantung Army was here, and it was so impartial, as if it had thrown itself into a trap, and it took the initiative to jump into the three-party encirclement.<
/p>
At this time, the troops of Jizhong and the 385th Brigade were in the area north of this Kwantung Army brigade.
The reinforcement regiment led by Shen Quan is in the area east of the Kwantung Army.
If the Eighth Route Army troops in central and southern Hebei take the opportunity to move north again, they will be in the area south of the Kwantung Army.
Good guy, this is a three-sided siege!
If we take the opportunity to detour all the troops and completely block the area east of the Kwantung Army.
That would turn into a large-scale siege and annihilation war with the enemy surrounded on all sides!
While exploring the Kwantung Army from all directions...
"Shimen, Baoding, Licheng, Xinxiang, Zaozhuang, Kaifeng...the Japanese troops in various places are now overwhelmed with self-care and are asking for help everywhere. The Japanese reinforcements in central and southern China have all withdrawn, and there is no spare force to reinforce the Kwantung Army. ”
At the Jizhong Military Region Headquarters, after analyzing the overall situation based on the combat map, Commander Lu couldn't help but give him a slap in the face and said in surprise:
"Haha, it looks like this Kwantung Army is really a birthday boy who hangs himself because of his long life. He bumped into the muzzle of our gun!
A brigade of the Kwantung Army. According to our investigation, this little devil is in a hurry to come over for reinforcements. It does not bring much baggage and the number of heavy weapons is limited. The combat strength is about 6,000 people.
The strength of our troops surrounded on all sides is at least twice that of the Japanese.
If we add in the local army troops carrying out raids, I'm afraid it will be four or five times more difficult to defeat.
This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity cannot be wasted.
Damn it, notify the frontline combat troops to prepare to encircle the Kwantung Army, and immediately contact the 385th Brigade and the Third Independent Regiment Headquarters. We will fight with multiple parties. We will fight this battle!!!"
..."Reporting to your Excellency, the brigade commander, the marching direction has been adjusted and is advancing rapidly towards Peiping. It is expected to arrive in Peiping in eight hours!"
The temporary headquarters of the Kwantung Army plain brigade heading north.
Taiji Hirano, the leader of the Japanese Brigade, nodded, his eyes filled with anger and unwillingness.
As the absolute elite of the Kwantung Army, this time his Pingye Brigade went south to reinforce Licheng, but it was all in vain. It was also ambushed by the Shanxi Iron Triangle Eighth Route Army troops along the way. The vanguard troops suffered a lot of casualties and suffered a big loss. .
This made Taiji Hirano very upset.
He has never suffered such humiliation at the hands of the Chinese army.
However, the Eighth Route Army was so cunning that after the troops were broken into pieces, no trace could be found at all. The headquarters ordered the troops to return to the Northeast immediately.
Although Taiji Hirano was unwilling, he had no choice but to lead his troops back.
Who would have thought that this happy event would come so quickly.
While the team was still on the way, Hirano suddenly received an order from his superiors, asking him to lead the main force and quickly reinforce Beiping.
Realizing that the opportunity had come for another confrontation with the Eighth Route Army, Hirano Taiji was so excited that without saying a word, he immediately led his troops closer to Peiping.
He believed that he represented the majesty of the Kwantung Army and went south this time.
No matter what, we should fight two decent victorious battles to give the dispatched troops in Central China, North China, and South China a good look, and teach them who are the real elites of the empire.
The upcoming confrontation between the two sides is brewing so quickly.
"Kwantung Army Plain Brigade?"
At the headquarters of the Third Independent Regiment, Shen Quan looked excited. He couldn't help but lick his lips that were chapped due to the long journey. There was light in his eyes, countering the fierce light of the Japanese invaders.
"When we were in our base area, we let this little son of a bitch run away. Hey, I didn't expect that this little devil would bump into me again!
We can’t let the old devil Hirano escape this time!”