Chapter 727: General, I admire you for your wisdom!
Datong.
Headquarters of the Japanese 1st Division.
It turned out that the main force of the 1st Division had been eliminated, and more than 5,000 soldiers escaped from the Eighth Route Army.
The good news is that most of these more than 5,000 soldiers are combat troops, the best of the best.
The bad news is that except for the heavy artillery regiment, almost all the heavy weapons of the 1st Division were destroyed and captured by the Eighth Route Army.
The chief of staff and two brigade commanders were killed in the battle, and the 1st Division was completely disabled.
However, the 1st Division is still a Category A Division.
Division commander Mitsuo Nakazawa combined the two infantry regiments transferred by North China Front Army Commander Okamura Neiji with more than 5,000 escaped soldiers to form three infantry regiments.
Each infantry regiment has about 3,600 men. In addition, the engineering regiment and the heavy baggage regiment have been re-established, but the number is smaller.
As for the cavalry regiment, it was not rebuilt, and the artillery regiment continued to use the heavy artillery regiment.
Although the current 1st Division is a three-unit division, its combat effectiveness is much stronger than other three-unit divisions.
Of course, this means that compared with three-unit divisions and other Class A divisions, the combat effectiveness of the 1st Division is not enough.
"Reporting to the division commander, the Shimonoseki stronghold was bombarded by the enemy..."
A combat staff officer walked in quickly and reported to the commander of the 1st Division, Mitsuo Nakazawa.
The Shimonoseki stronghold was relatively close to the defense area of the New Regiment, so Mitsuo Nakazawa sent a squadron and a company of puppet troops to garrison there.
This is to prevent the large forces of the Eighth Route Army from moving north to attack Datong. If there are any signs of the main force of the Eighth Route Army moving north, the Japanese at the Shimonoseki stronghold will immediately report to the division headquarters.
But yesterday, contact with the Shimonoseki stronghold was lost. Not only could the phone not get through, but there was no response even to radio calls.
Therefore, the 1st Division Headquarters quickly dispatched just over 100 cavalry troops to the Maguan stronghold to check the situation.
The Japanese cavalry returned to Datong this morning.
"Under enemy fire?"
Mitsuo Nakazawa was suddenly startled. He knew that this so-called enemy must be the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army, the strong enemy of the 1st Division, without the help of the combat staff.
After a pause, Mitsuo Nakazawa asked: "Is the main force of the New Eighth Route Regiment heading north?"
"That's not true."
The combat staff replied.
Mitsuo Nakazawa frowned. Then it is understandable why the Shimonoseki stronghold lost contact and the phone line was cut. Could it be that the radio station was also blown up?
The old Japanese was confused when he heard the combat staff continue to report:
"The reconnaissance cavalry reported that the Maguan stronghold was covered by the heavy artillery fire of the Eighth Route Army. All the locust troops stationed at the Maguan stronghold were shattered!"
"Nani?" Mitsuo Nakazawa was suddenly startled, "The Eighth Route Army used heavy artillery to cover the Shimonoseki stronghold with artillery fire?"
"Hey!" the combat staff officer said, "The Eighth Route Army fired at least 60 high-explosive artillery shells at the Shimonoseki stronghold, with a caliber of no less than 150 mm..."
When Nakazawa Sanfu heard this, his cheeks suddenly twitched.
This Li Yunlong is simply inhumane.
To attack a medium-sized masonry stronghold, 150mm heavy artillery was actually used. Were the 150mm high-explosive artillery shells of the Eighth Route Army brought by strong winds?
To deal with the fortifications of masonry turrets and bunkers, it is sufficient to use 75mm mountain guns or 75mm field guns.
Even if the Japanese army attacks the county town, they will not easily use 150mm heavy artillery.
"Since they are under bombardment, the Locust Army stationed at the Maguan stronghold should be able to send information requesting for information on tactics, right?"
Mitsuo Nakazawa sounded puzzled: "Why hasn't any news been sent back?"
"Well..." the combat staff officer looked embarrassed, "the scout cavalry doesn't know what's going on either."
Mitsuo Nakazawa waved his hand and signaled the combat staff to leave.
The combat officer lowered his head and turned to leave.
Seeing the back of the combat staff disappear at the door, Mitsuo Nakazawa felt a dull pain in his head.
Setting up strongholds on the highway will not serve as a warning to the new group.
They dispatched 150mm heavy artillery and covered the stronghold with artillery fire. The locust army in the stronghold did not even have time to send out a message for help.
The artillery firepower that would prevent the Locust Army from even sending out a message for help would be at least a 150mm heavy artillery unit.
How can this serve as a warning? I am afraid that the 1st Division Headquarters will not know that the Eighth Route Army is coming until the Eighth Route Army reaches Datong.
Mifu Nakazawa was extremely afraid of Li Yunlong, the leader of the new regiment.
This is a guy who doesn't play by common sense and is extremely cunning.
For example, last time, who would have thought that 50,000 Eighth Route Army troops would ambush the main force of the 1st Division in the ice and snow?
It was extremely difficult for Nakazawa Sanfu to deal with Li Yunlong, and he had no idea how to start.
How to warn against new groups?
Lieutenant General Mitsuo Nakazawa fell into deep thought.
…
Inside the North China Front Army Operations Hall.
Okamura Neiji, Tanabe Moritake and Arisu Seizo began to discuss how many Japanese troops needed to be dispatched to eliminate the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army.
North China Front Chief of Staff Tanabe Moritake first looked thoughtful, and then said.
"Your Majesty, General, please forgive me."
"Last time, the Locust Army used four second-line divisions and one permanent division, but they failed to eliminate the new 1st Regiment Headquarters of the Eighth Route Army. Instead, the Locust Army suffered heavy losses."
"This time, if the Locust Army wants to destroy a new regiment of the Eighth Route Army, the Locust Army will have to use at least 10 divisions."
As the chief of staff of the North China Front, Moritake Tanabe was naturally the first to speak.
Youmo Jingsan on the side also nodded. He had long proposed to use 10 divisions to attack northwest Shanxi.
But Okamura Neiji did not take over. The North China Front Army only had about 10 divisions in total. It dispatched 10 divisions to attack northwestern Shanxi. No other parts of North China were needed?
Okamura Neji frowned and said in a deep voice: "Tanabe-kun, tell me your reasons!"
Deploying 10 divisions to attack northwestern Shanxi is no small matter. It requires applying to the headquarters and base camp of the dispatched army and mobilizing elite divisions from other places.
and.
At least 10 divisions need to be prepared for one month's worth of combat materials, which means that 10 divisions will be divided into battle materials, which is 100,000 tons of combat materials.
"Hi!"
Tanabe Shengwu pointed at the map of northwest Shanxi and said:
"Your Majesty, General, please take a look."
"Our last battle plan was to use the elite 10th Division to attack and contain the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army."
"Then use four second-line divisions and part of the Locust Alliance Army to attack the Independent Regiment and the New Second Regiment of the Eighth Route Army."
"After the Locust Army and the Locust Alliance Army defeat the Eighth Route Independent Regiment and the New Second Regiment, they will attack the New Eighth Route Army Regiment from three sides and then destroy the New Eighth Route Army Regiment."
Okamura Neiji nodded slightly, this was indeed the North China Front's battle plan.
This combat plan was also quite clever. After achieving the strategic goal of encirclement on three sides, Okamura Neiji also prepared to implement iron rolling mopping up tactics against the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army.
Unfortunately, Okamura Neiji misjudged the combat effectiveness of the Eighth Route New Second Regiment, the Independent Regiment, and even the New First Regiment.
The four second-line divisions attacked for more than half a month, and only after suffering huge casualties did they break into the base areas of the Independent Regiment and the New Second Regiment.
By this time, the 10th Division had been defeated by the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army, and at that time the entire combat plan was ruined.
Tanabe Moritake continued: "At that time, the Locust Army misjudged the combat effectiveness of the Eighth Route Army's New Second Regiment, the Independent Regiment, and the New First Regiment. Now the strength of the three Eighth Route Army regiments in northwestern Shanxi must be stronger than last year, so the humble suggestion is
, directly dispatch 10 elite divisions to completely eliminate the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army to avoid endless troubles."
Okamura Neji then looked at Yusue Seizan and asked: "Ausue-kun, what do you think?"
"I agree with the chief of staff's suggestion." Youmo Jingsan said solemnly, "It's time for the Locust Army to show its true strength and use its unstoppable momentum to completely eliminate Li Yunlong and the New Regiment."
At this time, the Japanese army had achieved victory in Southeast Asia, and the Japanese navy also had an advantage in the Pacific.
Although the Japanese army cannot achieve new offensives in China, from the perspective of the grand strategic pattern, Japan has a promising future.
Although the United States did not return to the negotiating table as expected, it chose to fight Japan to the death.
But Okamura Neji, Tanabe Moritake and others were not too worried.
Judging from the combat effectiveness displayed by the US military in Southeast Asia, the British army, and the US military at Pearl Harbor, the US and British forces were vulnerable to the Japanese offensive.
It's not even as good as the Nationalist Government's army.
"We don't have the strength of ten divisions now."
Okamura Neji shook his head:
"There are not that many combat materials to deal with the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army."
The North China Front Army wants to attack the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army in northwest Shanxi. The troops of the First Army must not move. They need to defend the Eighth Route Army in southeast Shanxi to prevent the main force of the 129th Division from causing trouble behind the scenes.
Now the Eighth Route Army in Southeast Shanxi has the strength to fight against the First Army.
Okamura Neiji continued: "Our North China Front Army can only deploy at most three divisions, including the 1st Division, to attack the Northwestern Shanxi Eighth Route Army."
Tanabe Moributo: "Your Excellency, General, since the order was personally issued by the base camp, why don't we request the base camp to mobilize elite divisions, combat supplies, aircraft and aerial bombs?"
"The base camp should also know that our North China Front Army alone cannot defeat the new regiment and eliminate Li Yunlong."
Okamura Neiji nodded. If he wanted to launch an attack on northwest Shanxi, he must ask for help from the base camp.
As for how many elite divisions and combat supplies the base camp can transfer to the North China Front, it depends on how determined the base camp is to kill Li Yunlong.
Okamura Neiji said: "Tanabe-kun, please immediately draft a telegram and apply to the base camp to mobilize 8 elite divisions and 100,000 tons of combat materials to the North China Front."
Tanabe Moritake was preparing to draft a telegram. When he heard Okamura Neji's words, he couldn't help being suddenly surprised and hesitant: "General, please apply for 8 elite divisions and 10 tons of combat supplies at once. Will the base camp agree?"
Okamura Neiji smiled slightly: "Tanabe-kun, have you ever heard of a saying? In a room full of people, if you want to open a window, everyone will not agree, but if you want to lift the roof, others will agree to you open it.
The window is open."
This was said by Lu Xun. Okamura Neiji was a China expert and had read Lu Xun’s works.
Tanabe Moritake thought about it carefully and understood the reason.
"Your Excellency, General, is so wise, I admire you so much!"
Tanabe Moritake suddenly lowered his head, and Okamura Neji was in a happy mood after flattering him.
