The establishment of the Shanxi Military Region by the Eighth Route Army was also immediately reported to the Supreme Headquarters of the Japanese North China Garrison. As for the commander, Lieutenant General Tada Shun, who was already at his headquarters, waiting for the domestic order to remove him. The first time he got the news
In time, he collapsed.
Because he knew that as long as this matter spread to the country, he would never be able to escape the trial of the military court, which would mean the end of his military career. After receiving the news, in less than an hour, the commander
In order to escape the trial of the military court, Lieutenant General Tada Shu committed suicide in his room, apologized to His Majesty the Emperor, and tried to wash away the last shame in his military career.
Following Tada Jun's suicide, other officers at all levels in the entire North China Garrison, in order to evade responsibility, pushed almost all the responsibilities onto Tada Jun who had just committed suicide. As a result, the entire North China Garrison, except for the dead Tada
Except for Lieutenant General Jun, there are no other changes in other personnel. As for the newly appointed commander of the North China Garrison Army in China, it is Okamura Neiji who invented the Sanguang policy in later generations, which put the Eighth Route Army into trouble again and again. All Chinese people are familiar with it.
general.
After arriving in North China, after a welcome banquet prepared by his subordinates, faced with the increasingly bad situation in North China, General Okamura Neiji was in no mood to rest. As soon as he rejected his subordinate's request, he
I came to the headquarters of the Zhutun Army Headquarters and wanted to know the distribution of enemies and friends in the entire North China region.
In this way, several combat staff officers, under the command of the chief of staff, began to explain the current bad situation in North China to General Okamura Neiji in front of them, facing a huge military map of North China hanging on the wall...
"Reporting to your Excellency, Commander, this is the situation that the entire North China garrison is currently facing. The entire Shanxi Province is basically completely occupied by the Independent Division of the Eighth Route Army. In several other provinces in North China, due to the insufficient strength of the Imperial Japanese Army, in addition to transportation,
The main roads and all strongholds are still outside our hands, and the vast rural areas are also occupied by the Eighth Route Army." After almost half an hour of introduction, the chief of staff looked at the silent commander Okamura Neiji in front of him.
The general said.
"Baga, the face of the Imperial Army of Japan has been completely ruined by you. At least three divisions of the Imperial Army of Japan were all lost to this independent division. What's more important is that they actually lost all of them.
Shanxi Province, which plays an important role to the empire, has been lost. Baghaya Road is simply a shame for the empire..." In front of a series of data, Okamura Neiji could no longer calm down and faced the crowd in front of him.
The officer roared loudly, venting his dissatisfaction with the North China garrison.
"Hai, your Excellency, Commander..." Facing the angry-faced Commander General Okamura Neiji, all the officers blushed and lowered their heads together.
"Gentlemen, after a series of battles, the entire main garrison in North China has suffered heavy losses. Not only has it lost all its mobile forces, but more importantly, the local garrison stationed in Shanxi Province has also been basically lost. Now
We not only have to face the powerful independent division of the Eighth Route Army, but also face other armed forces of the Eighth Route Army distributed in a large area such as Hebei and Shandong. In this way, our military strength is a bit stretched. More importantly, the emperor
The morale of the army has been severely affected." At this point, Okamura Neji glanced at the officers in front of him and continued.
"However, don't be discouraged. Here, I can tell you some good news." When he saw the low morale of the officers in front of him, General Okamura Neiji changed the topic and shouted loudly to the officers in front of him.
said.
"Your Excellency, Commander, is it that the Domestic Staff Headquarters plans to send more troops to North China to eliminate the Eighth Route Army Independent Division that has caused many losses to our Imperial Army?" Just after Okamura Neiji finished speaking, the Chief of Staff said
He discovered something keenly and said excitedly.
"Yo Xi, Chief of Staff, you are indeed an excellent Chief of Staff. What you said is very correct, because the North China Garrison Army has a poor record this year. More importantly, it has lost its vitality for the development of the empire.
Shanxi Province plays an important role. It can be said that it disgraced the Empire of Japan. This incident not only shocked the General Staff Headquarters, but even His Majesty the Emperor was very angry. At the same time, the Eighth Route Army armed forces entrenched in North China also
It has attracted the great attention of the General Staff Headquarters." At this point, Okamura Neiji paused, and after seeing the expectant expressions on everyone's faces, he continued.
"After research by the General Staff Headquarters, His Majesty the Emperor finally decided to dispatch three elite field divisions and an aviation brigade from Central China, with a total of 60,000 troops to reinforce the North China battlefield. His Majesty the Emperor asked us to mobilize troops from the Eighth Route Army in the shortest possible time.
In our hands, we will recapture Shanxi and ensure the energy supply of the Japanese Empire. At the same time, destroy the Independent Division of the Eighth Route Army and save the face of the Japanese Empire lost in our hands." Regarding the answer of the chief of staff, General Okamura Neiji nodded with satisfaction and shouted loudly
replied.
"Onboard...Long live the Empire of Japan, long live His Majesty the Emperor..." As Okamura Neiji just finished speaking, the officers in front of them couldn't help but began to cheer. Suddenly, in the small command room, again
It's not the depressing atmosphere just now, but the morale is high. Everyone is full of hope for the North China garrison and the future of North China as a whole.
"Yoshi, please be quiet. I'm very happy to see everyone's morale restored here. However, before our reinforcements arrive, we still have very important things to do. Among them, the most important
It is to strengthen the defense in various places to prevent the Eighth Route Army armed in various places from taking advantage of the favorable opportunity when our army is insufficient to launch a large-scale counterattack and reduce the scope of our army's control." General Okamura Neiji continued.
"At the same time, we should also punish a group of officers who were unfavorable in combat some time ago. Although the General Staff Headquarters did not impose any punishment on these officers. However, we cannot let those who have little command ability
Officer, command our excellent Imperial Army soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Empire to fight. This is not only irresponsible for the lives of the soldiers, but also irresponsible to the Imperial Japanese Empire." General Okamura Neiji looked at the excited people.
He waved his hand and said coldly after everyone was quiet.
"Hai, please give me the order, Commander. I believe that our North China garrison will definitely destroy all the Eighth Route Army armed forces in the defense area under your leadership. The entire North China region will truly become the Imperial Army of the Japanese Empire."
Logistics base. Continuously support the Imperial Army soldiers on the front line and support domestic construction." After listening to Okamura Neiji's words, the chief of staff was the first to stand up and said.
"Please give me the order, Commander." After the chief of staff stopped speaking, a group of officers echoed.
"Yo Xi, now I am ordering, in order to ensure that all traffic arteries and large strongholds are not attacked by the Eighth Route Army's armed forces, the entire North China garrison will immediately abandon all strongholds below the squad size and assemble in the surrounding counties. At the same time, do a good job
Prepare for combat to prevent possible sneak attacks by the Eighth Route Army armed forces. At the same time, strengthen the reconnaissance of the independent divisions within Shanxi and require reconnaissance aircraft to conduct uninterrupted aerial reconnaissance over them." General Okamura Neiji gave a loud order.
"Hai..." Just as Okamura Neji finished speaking, several combat staff members stood up and answered loudly.
"Yo Xi, the intelligence department and T&T High-Tech Branch require you to dispatch a large number of intelligence personnel to the independent control area of the Eighth Route Army in Shanxi Province. You must find out the distribution of troops, weapons equipment and commanders of the independent divisions of the Eighth Route Army in the shortest possible time.
...At the same time, dispatch certain action groups to carry out massive armed sabotage within Shanxi, prevent the independent division from gaining a foothold in Shanxi, and make prerequisite preparations for the counterattack of the Imperial Japanese Army." Okamura Neiji again
once ordered.
"Hai..." Several staff officers in charge of intelligence stood up and replied.
"Very well, Chief of Staff. Now I have here some suggestions and decisions on the appointment and dismissal of military commanders who were unfavorable in the battle some time ago. Please announce them immediately after the meeting... In short, I want to
Within a week, we will see a different North China garrison." As he spoke, Okamura Neiji took out a folder from the drawer and handed it to the chief of staff.
"Hai, please rest assured, Commander. I promise that within a week, Commander, you will see a different North China garrison." The Chief of Staff took the order and replied loudly.
Ever since, with the arrival of Neji Okamura, the entire North China garrison immediately began to take action. The defenders in various places, while abandoning some worthless strongholds, continued to strengthen the defense of large strongholds such as county towns. In this way
The sudden changes made the various Eighth Route Army units who originally wanted to take advantage of the situation couldn't help but feel frustrated, and in the end they could only return in despair.
More importantly, as the Japanese army began to mobilize on a large scale, the commanders of the Japanese army in North China at all levels also began to undergo a major change of personnel amidst a flurry of orders. Countless young officers were sent to the front line by the headquarters to command the troops and
The Eighth Route Army engaged in a confrontation. In particular, the two main Japanese divisions on the outskirts of Shanxi Province could be said to have undergone a complete blood change.
"Your Excellency, Commander, after a week of hard work, our army has replaced all officers who were unfavorable in commanding operations. At the same time, after strengthening the defense of various traffic arteries and large strongholds, the Eighth Route Army armed forces in various places have also ceased.
The attack on our headquarters was stopped, and the two armies entered a temporary confrontation stage. It can be said that our army's efforts for a week have achieved considerable results." A week later, after receiving telegrams from various places, the Chief of Staff
At the first opportunity, he came to the commander Neiji Gangmura to report.
"Yo Xi, other local armed forces of the Eighth Route Army have been blocked by us. So, has there been any other movement in the independent division of the Eighth Route Army in Shanxi this week..." Regarding the results reported by the Chief of Staff, Commander Gangcun
General Neji nodded with satisfaction.
"Hai, your Excellency, Commander. According to the intelligence sent back by Air Force reconnaissance aircraft and ground intelligence personnel, the Eighth Route Army Independent Division has mobilized its troops very frequently during this week. At the same time, in several areas that are in confrontation with our army,
, assembled a large number of troops. At the same time, equipped with a large number of heavy weapons..." the chief of staff pointed to several areas on the map and introduced.
"Nani? Large-scale military mobilization, gathering a large number of troops in the confrontation area with our army? Chief of Staff, what do you think the independent division of the Eighth Route Army has the ultimate purpose of doing these things?" After listening to the Chief of Staff's report, the Commander
General Ningji of Guangang Village asked with a frown.
"Your Excellency, Commander, I think the Eighth Route Army has two purposes for doing this: on the one hand, it blocks our army's possible counterattack against Shanxi Province and provides them with good time and space to develop Shanxi Province. On the other hand, it provides them with another opportunity to
Attack and make preliminary preparations." Upon hearing General Okamura Neiji's question, the chief of staff quickly expressed his thoughts.
"Very good, that's what I think. However, in order to block the possible attack of the Eighth Route Army, we do not have enough troops to conduct a military confrontation with the Eighth Route Army. Now I order that we start to implement the second phase of the Eighth Route Army's combat plan.
The name is called 'Iron Arm Encirclement'" General Neji Okamura nodded and said affirmatively.
"Surrounded by an iron arm... Your Excellency, Commander, I heard you right! Now our army does not have any strength advantage in front of the Eighth Route Army, especially when facing the powerful independent division of the Eighth Route Army. Where did we get so many troops?
, to encircle the Eighth Route Army and conduct a so-called iron-arm encirclement of the Eighth Route Army?" Although the hierarchical system in the Japanese army is very strict, as a subordinate, it is basically impossible to raise any questions about the decision of the superior. However, after listening to the commander
After the decision was made, the chief of staff still did not hesitate at all and immediately raised his questions.
"Chief of Staff, please don't question my decision. It took me two days to come up with this combat plan. I, I think, as long as you read this combat plan that I personally formulated, there will be no
Any questions?" Regarding the reaction of the chief of staff, the commander, General Neiji Okamura, was not unhappy at all. Instead, he took out a plan from the drawer and placed it in front of the chief of staff.
"Hai, your Excellency Commander..." the Chief of Staff nodded and replied. He took the plan and began to browse it quickly. However, you don't know if you don't look at it. When the Chief of Staff read less than half of the content, his whole face changed.
There was no trace of sadness at all, but the more he looked, the more excited he became. Slowly, a smile began to appear on his face.
"Chief of Staff, what do you think of this combat plan codenamed Iron Arm Encirclement? Is it feasible?" Looking at the excited Chief of Staff who slowly closed the plan in front of him, Okamura Neji was equally satisfied.
He asked with a smile on his face.
"Hai, your Excellency Commander, I believe that this plan is perfectly formulated for the current predicament our army is in. It not only solves the problem of insufficient manpower our army currently faces. At the same time, it provides a
, in the future decisive battle with the Independent Division of the Eighth Route Army, all possible rear threats will be eliminated..." the chief of staff replied excitedly.
"Yoshi, it seems that the Chief of Staff has understood the ultimate goal in the plan." General Okamura Neiji nodded with satisfaction.
"Hai, Your Excellency Commander. Although the Independent Division currently has a large number of siege weapons, our army's bunkers and gun towers have basically no effect on them. But for other Eighth Route Army forces, the bunkers and gun towers are still invincible. Therefore,
We can use a large number of bunkers and gun towers to replace some of the Imperial Army soldiers and confront other Eighth Route Army armed forces. At the same time, in the bunkers and gun towers, we can also allow those puppet troops to exert greater combat effectiveness. In this way, we can mobilize enough
Troops and independent divisions confront each other... and the so-called iron arm encirclement mainly targets the Eighth Route Army armed forces in other areas that our army faces." After listening to the commander's questions, the chief of staff quickly expressed his understanding.
"Yo Xi, very good. Chief of Staff. Now I order you to take the contents of this plan and make specific arrangements for the garrison in various places. I want to see results in the shortest possible time. Wait until
After the Eighth Route Army armed forces in other areas are eliminated by our iron-arm encirclement policy, we can fight against the Eighth Route Army's independent divisions without any worries." Neji Okamura ordered loudly.
"Hai, your Excellency, Commander, I will go and do it right away..." the Chief of Staff replied loudly. Under the gaze of the Commander, he left the office with the battle plan and began to carry out the specific implementation...
With the issuance of the order from the headquarters, the young and middle-aged people in the entire North China region who were under the iron heel rule of the Japanese army were recruited almost at the same time. A large number of young and middle-aged people, under the coercion of the Japanese bayonets, came to the edge of the Eighth Route Army base area and began to build
Bunkers and turrets one after another...
In the blink of an eye, hundreds of artillery towers and bunkers were erected in North China. Countless puppet troops, under the supervision of a small number of Japanese troops, began to station themselves in their turtle shells and confront the Eighth Route Army. At the same time,
Block all connections between the Eighth Route Army base area and the outside world in an attempt to trap the soldiers and civilians in the base area.
At the same time, with the assistance of artillery towers and puppet troops, a large number of Japanese troops were freed from the front line. Following the command from the headquarters, they began to move toward the outskirts of Shanxi, preparing for a military confrontation with the Eighth Route Army's independent division.
Just like this, just when everyone was not optimistic about the Japanese army in North China, the arrival of Neji Okamura completely subverted everyone's thoughts. The Japanese army in North China, which had been hit hard, not only did not have any confusion, but stood firm.
Heel, in terms of military strength, slowly gained the upper hand.