While the flying brigade was engaged in a fierce battle with the Japanese aircraft taking off from Yangmingbao Airport, the commander of the First Army, Yoshio Shinozuka, was discussing matters with Chief of Staff Naosaburo Okabe in his office.
Just yesterday, Neiji Okamura finally left and returned to his North China Front headquarters in Peiping.
Although the departure of Neji Okamura made all the officers at the First Army Headquarters breathe a sigh of relief, the relief did not mean that they would be able to relax next. On the contrary, as the battle reports from the front continued to come, the headquarters
The staff officers and officers inside were all extremely busy, but as the war progressed smoothly, the atmosphere in the headquarters gradually became more relaxed, and some staff officers even started joking.
Shinozuka Yoshio looked away from the map, rubbed his sore eyes from staring at the map for a long time and said slowly: "Okabe-kun, according to the telegram sent by the Ninth Brigade this morning, the Jinsui Army is in
The position in Dagushan can hardly hold any longer. After taking Dagushan, you must order the 9th Brigade to speed up and go straight up the difficult slope, while the 10th Brigade must firmly hold on to key points to prevent
With the support of other Chinese armies, as long as Kenanpo is captured, the Jinsui Army will no longer be a threat to the imperial army."
Commander Okabe Naosaburo looked at the schematic diagram that was progressing smoothly and breathed a sigh of relief: "Your Majesty the Commander is right, as long as Kenanpo is captured, the Shanxi-Sui Army, a local armed force that has been entrenched in Shanxi for decades, will officially withdraw from history.
The stage is set. In the past two years, the Jinsui Army, the Central China Army, the Eighth Route Army, and local armed forces from various places have often united to oppose the imperial army.
As long as the Jinsui Army is eliminated, the Imperial Army will be free to deal with the Eighth Route Army...and Gao Hongming's Liantai Militia."
But when he mentioned the Rendai Militia, a hint of unnoticeable worry flashed in Naosaburo Okabe's eyes.
"yes!"
Yoshio Shinozuka also sighed. He doesn't know why now. As soon as he heard the word Liantai Militia, he felt a sudden swelling in his forehead and pain in the back of his head. Gao Hongming and his Liantai Militia almost became his heart.
Demonic.
"I hope... the Liantai vigilante group will not appear again this time."
Yoshio Shinozuka leaned on the chair, rubbed his eyebrows, and after a while the symptoms subsided, he said to Naosaburo Okabe: "Okabe-kun, after this battle is over, I will probably be transferred back to my homeland.
I have written a letter of recommendation to Commander Nishio Juzo, recommending you to be the next commander of the First Army. I hope you will do a good job."
"Eh?"
Okabe Naosaburo was stunned and asked in surprise: "Your Excellency, Commander, you have done a good job in this position, how could you be transferred back to the mainland? If we can bring Yan Xishan and his Shanxi-Sui Army back to the mainland this time,
Eliminate them. You have made great contributions to the empire. It’s okay if the base camp doesn’t reward you. Why would you be transferred away?”
"Don't you understand yet?"
Shinozuka Yoshio smiled bitterly and shook his head: "If I guessed correctly, when Commander Gangcun came a few days ago, he should have carried with him the transfer order to transfer me back to the mainland, but due to the tight war situation in Shanxi now
, It has always been a taboo for military strategists to change generals on the spot, so he resisted and did not take out the transfer order."
"Since Commander Okamura didn't take out the transfer order on the spot, it proves that he has given up the idea. What are you still worried about?" Naosaburo Okabe asked puzzledly.
"Can't you even understand this?" Shinozuka Yoshio snorted, "If Commander Okamura really gave up that idea, he should have transferred the transfer order in front of me before leaving.
He took it out and told me the whole story in front of me, and sent a report to the base camp to plead for me, but he didn't do that. Do you know what this means?"
Okabe Naosaburo now understood that if Shinozuka Yoshio's prediction was true, the reason why Okamura Neji went back with the transfer order was not because he was merciful and planned to let Shinozuka Yoshio go, but because he wanted to
He couldn't help but said angrily that he would wait until this battle was over to settle the score with Shinozuka Yoshio.
"This is too unfair. Your Excellency, Commander, has made so much contribution to the empire over the years. How can they remove a commander with outstanding military exploits just because of a trivial matter? What do the people at the base camp think?"
"You can't say that." Yoshio Shinozuka said calmly: "Since last year, Shanxi's public security has not improved, but has become increasingly corrupt. As the commander of the First Army, I bear the main responsibility.
, I was not wrong in what the base camp did. And the reason why Commander Gangcun did not take out the transfer order on the spot, but gave me time to finish this battle, was also giving me a chance. I can’t be too greedy.
do you understand?"
"Your Excellency, Commander," Naosaburo Okabe choked up. Although he was very reluctant to give up, he also understood that Yoshio Shinozuka was telling the truth. There is a fundamental difference between being transferred back to the homeland after a victory and being transferred back to the homeland after a defeat.
Yes, the former may make a comeback at any time, but the latter... maybe there will be no chance again. Just like Ishihara Wanji, who was escorted back to the mainland by the military police due to the defeat of the 16th Division some time ago, I am afraid he will never have another chance in this life.
Hope.
"I hope this battle can go smoothly." Naosaburo Okabe couldn't help but look forward to it.
It's just that sometimes the more you look forward to something, the more disappointed you become.
Just when the two of them were having their own thoughts, the communications staff officer opened the door and said urgently: "Your Excellency, Commander, the 63rd Flying Group stationed at Yangmingpu Airport reported that they had an incident with the Liantai Flying Group during a bombing mission.
After the encounter, the 63rd Flying Group suffered heavy casualties after a fierce battle between the two sides. Except for one of the eight Type 1 fighters that served as escorts, all the others were destroyed. Even the bomber squadron lost three.
After the victory of the Rendai Flying Group, they took the opportunity to launch an air attack on the 7th Wing that launched the attack. The 7th Wing suffered heavy losses, especially the artillery squadron's artillery. All the artillery squadrons were destroyed. Colonel Isa Kazuo, the commander of the wing, had no choice but to order to stop the attack and stay put.
Waiting for support from the Ninth Brigade."
"Pa..." A teacup was thrown to the ground.
Yoshio Shinozuka stood up with a livid face, "Gao Hongming...why is it him again?"
At this moment, Shinozuka Yoshio realized that he had never hated a person so much in his life. If Gao Hongming were standing in front of him now, he would definitely pounce on him and bite him to death without hesitation.
After the rage, a sense of powerlessness came over him, and he slumped down on the chair, with a look of relief on his face.
After a long while, he sighed: "It seems that this is my fate, that's fine... I can finally go back to my hometown to spend the rest of my life with my wife and children."
Naosaburo Okabe said with some reluctance: "Your Excellency, Commander, we have not lost yet. We can continue to mobilize the 21st Flying Squadron and the Rendai Flying Group to fight to the end. It is not yet known who will win."
"Forget it, don't waste your efforts." Yoshio Shinozuka looked away at this moment, "From the moment the Rendai Flying Brigade appeared, it was unrealistic to quickly capture Dagushan. Maybe this was fate.
.Okabe-kun, please immediately issue an order for all units to retreat in an orderly manner. There is no point in continuing this battle!"