After receiving the order from the division headquarters to retreat, the mixed detachment was already ready to flee at any time. Under the command of Colonel Nakazawa, an infantry squadron was left to take charge of breaking up the rear. The remaining more than 3,000 people almost gave up.
He took away all his heavy equipment and began his hasty retreat. He was deeply afraid that if he left a step too late, he would be surrounded by heavy troops from the Eighth Route Army.
Of course, for the more than 3,000 people who retreated in embarrassment, they can almost be called little devils who have run out of ammunition and food and have no morale. Three farmers and nearly 10,000 soldiers will certainly not let go of the military exploits that are at their fingertips. The three farmers
The division, following closely behind the Japanese army, under the command of the three division commanders, tirelessly launched attacks in turns. Just before the Japanese army withdrew from the base area, Lin Linzong once again peeled off nearly a thousand people from the mixed detachment of the Japanese 128th Division.
soldier.
In the end, with the defeat of the mixed detachment, the Japanese army launched the "tiger to dig out the heart" combat plan, not only did not achieve any results. On the contrary, under Liu Hua's arrangement, almost two thousand corpses were left in the base area.
, ended in complete failure.
In the Sifangtuo Eighth Route Army's temporary headquarters, although the orders he issued had been conveyed to Yang Jingyu's ears through telegrams at the first time. Commander Liu Hua also believed that Yang Jingyu, who stayed behind in the base area, would definitely follow his orders.
Deploy and issue specific combat orders.
However, this strategy is, after all, a dangerous one for the entire base area. If this mixed detachment of Japanese troops launches an attack on the headquarters with a certain death mentality, then their own deployment will lose all effect.
.What makes me even more afraid to imagine is that the entire base area will suffer a devastating blow.
Thinking of this, Liu Hua's heart has been in a tense state. In the small headquarters, he paced back and forth, anxiously waiting for the telegram from the base.
Finally, while Liu Hua and Zhou Baozhong were waiting anxiously, the telegram reporting the victory from the base area was finally transmitted to the temporary headquarters via radio waves. At the same time, an excited voice sounded at the entrance of the headquarters.
"Chief, Commander, good news from the headquarters..." The familiar voice of the communications staff quickly reached the ears of the two people through numerous obstacles.
"Read..." Looking at the communications staff officer who rushed into the headquarters and stood in front of him with a smile on his face, Liu Hua's tense nerves finally relaxed. After taking a long breath of relief, he quickly spoke.
"Yes, Chief... Deputy Commander Yang reported that after several hours of fierce fighting, the Japanese advance detachment began to retreat hastily. At the same time, under the crazy pursuit of nearly 10,000 commanders and fighters from our three farming divisions, the Japanese army suffered heavy losses.
According to statistics, during dozens of hours of fierce fighting, our army found a total of 1,895 corpses of abandoned soldiers by the Japanese army within the base area, and seized a large number of weapons and equipment... As for the specific losses of the entire mixed detachment of the Japanese army, preliminary estimates are that it is about two
About 1,500 people..." the communications staff officer said with a smile on his face.
"Haha...Commander, the little devil this time is: you can't steal the chicken, but the erosion will destroy the rice...well done, so well done..." As soon as the communications staff member finished speaking, Zhou Baozhong's excited voice rang in the headquarters.
stand up.
Liu Hua nodded and continued: "Not only that, our arrangement today also created an illusion for the little devils, that is, there are at least nearly 10,000 troops in our base area that have not been used. And the Japanese army encircled and suppressed the whole
For the battle and subsequent deployment, we have to consider these nearly 10,000 land reclamation divisions."
"Commander, what do you mean?" Zhou Baozhong asked with a smile on his face.
"Haha, it's very simple. When the enemy's situation is unclear, the Japanese army will not dare to make any moves in a short period of time." Liu Hua replied very definitely.
The Japanese 128th Division was stationed, with the support of more than a thousand little Japanese soldiers stationed there. The mixed detachment, with less than 3,000 remaining soldiers, returned to the camp like a bereaved dog after running for almost a day.
At this moment, in the temporary division headquarters of the 128th Division, the leader of the mixed detachment, Colonel Nakazawa, was standing in front of Lieutenant General Yamaoka Shigeho with his head lowered and a depressed look on his face, without saying a word.
"Your Excellency, the Division Commander, it was all a mistake in your humble command, which resulted in the entire mixed detachment paying the price of 2,000 casualties, but without achieving any substantial results. Please punish me, Your Excellency, the Division Commander. I am willing to accept any punishment..."
"Thinking of the mixed detachment that lost more than half, Colonel Nakazawa said very sincerely with regret on his face.
"Nakazawa-kun, I have been very clear about the entire battle. This is not your fault. Speaking of which, this is a strategic mistake of our entire Kwantung Army. For half a year, our Kwantung Army headquarters has been...
They were all immersed in their dreams and did not truly understand the true combat effectiveness of our opponent, the Eighth Route Army, which ultimately led to a series of tragic defeats..." Lieutenant General Yamaoka Shigehou shook his head and said helplessly.
The entire command headquarters, after a brief silence as Lieutenant General Yamaoka Shigeho's words fell, turned to the Chief of Staff beside him and asked: "Chief of Staff, after a week of continuous fighting, how much has our 128th Division paid in total?"
Casualties. At present, how many fighting troops do our 128th Division have left..."
"Hai..."
As he spoke, the chief of staff quickly opened the folder in his hand that contained statistics on troop casualties, and spoke to Lieutenant General Shigetoshi Yamaoka in front of him.
"After a week of fighting, coupled with the unfavorable attack of the mixed detachment, our 128th Division paid a total of 6,491 casualties, of which 5,189 were directly killed and 1,302 were lightly or seriously wounded who lost the battle. As for
The remaining combatable troops of the division, the four infantry regiments, except for the fourth infantry regiment which still maintains a complete organization, the remaining three infantry regiments only have more than half of their combat effectiveness..."
"Bagh Ya Road, the cunning Eighth Route Army..." Faced with the huge casualties of the troops, Lieutenant General Yamaoka Chonghou clenched his fists, no longer caring about his own image, and cursed with a murderous look on his face.
"Hai, your Excellency the division commander..., now that the casualties have been caused, what should our 128th Division do next? Should the troops continue to attack the Eighth Route Army base area..." the chief of staff reminded in a low voice.
"In a week of fighting, the four infantry regiments paid almost half of the casualties. With the current strength of our 128th Division, what can we use to attack Mengshan? Who knows: at this moment, in the Mengshan base of the Eighth Route Army,
How many of these 10,000 people are still hidden? Order the troops to organize defense on the spot and wait for the latest orders from the former enemy headquarters. At the same time, report the situation that our 128th Division is currently facing to the former enemy headquarters and ask the Chief of Staff to do so.
Make the final decision..." Lieutenant General Yamaoka Shigehou, the division commander, shook his head and ordered decisively.
"Hai, your Excellency the division commander..."
In the former enemy headquarters of the Japanese army in Shenyang City, Lieutenant General Hyoutarou Kimura and Chief of Staff Major General Kuroda, who were full of confidence in the "Tiger Evisceration" tactic, were sitting in the huge war room at this moment, talking and laughing happily, without any worries at all.
However, just as the two of them were talking with smiles on their faces about the great achievements achieved by the army after the completion of 'Tiger Evisceration', the sound of a report interrupted their elegance.
After glaring dissatisfiedly at the combat staff officer who rushed into the war room, Lieutenant General Kimura Hyōtaro asked: "What happened? How can you behave in such a panic? The face of the Imperial Army of Japan, Have you lost everything?"
Faced with the dissatisfied questioning of Lieutenant General Kimura Hyōtaro, large beads of sweat immediately appeared on the forehead of the communications staff officer, and he quickly replied: "Hai, your Excellency, Commander, General Shigeho Yamaoka of the 128th Division has an urgent call. ?”
"The 128th Division must be their victory telegram. Quick, give me the telegram..."
After hearing the words "128th Division", Lieutenant General Kimura Hyōtaro almost acted as a conditioned reflex, and his frown immediately relaxed. His face was also enveloped in a thick smile in an instant. , snatched the telegram from the hands of the communications staff, and began to read it quickly.
However, today is destined to be a very unforgettable day in the life of Lieutenant General Kimura Hyōtaro. Just when he looked at the contents of the telegram with expectation on his face, the contents of the telegram were like sharp spikes. , piercing his heart one by one, causing him so much pain that he could hardly breathe.
"Baga, how is it possible? How is this possible? How can there be so many main troops in the Eighth Route Army base area? How is it possible?" After reading the telegram in his hand, Lieutenant General Kimura Hyōtaro stared at the telegram in his hand. Telegram, he asked in disbelief.
Seeing the ever-changing expression on the face of Lieutenant General Kimura Hyōtaro in front of him, Major General Kuroda, who had already sensed something was wrong, asked quickly.
"Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, what happened?"
"See for yourself? Our carefully formulated tiger-to-heart battle plan not only failed to achieve any results, but also resulted in the loss of troops..."
Lieutenant General Kimura Hyōtaro said helplessly, and handed the telegram in his hand to Major General Kuroda who looked puzzled next to him.
Half a minute later, after reading the telegram in his hand, Major General Kuroda's face also showed a look of shock and confusion. However, Major General Kuroda, as the chief of staff, recovered quickly after a brief shock. Come here. Then, he whispered suggestions to Lieutenant General Kimura Hyōtaro in front of him.
"Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, the Chinese have a saying that 'only by knowing the enemy can you win a hundred battles without danger'. But now we don't even know the enemy's strength, so we cannot make the most favorable judgment at all. Therefore, I think that we We should immediately dispatch special high-tech and air force reconnaissance planes to conduct a thorough reconnaissance of the Eighth Route Army base area to find out the specific strength of our enemy. Only then can we make the wisest decision. Please give me your guidance, Chief of Staff."
"Very good, this method is feasible. Combat staff, please immediately follow the requirements of the chief of staff and issue orders to the relevant troops, as soon as possible. I must know the latest situation before dark tonight." Kimura Bing reacted from the shock. Lieutenant General Taro nodded with satisfaction. Then, he ordered to a combat staff officer in front of him.
"Hai, your Excellency, Commander..."
Looking at the combat staff who left quickly, at this moment, Lieutenant General Kimura Hyoutarou, who had no clue due to shock, once again set his eyes on Major General Kuroda in front of him. Then he asked.
"Kuroda-kun, what should we do next?"
"Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, I humbly believe that when the enemy's situation is unclear, the only thing we can do is to stand still and enter a military confrontation with the Eighth Route Army in the Mengshan area. Only after we know the specific enemy's situation can we make the wisest decision.
." Major General Kuroda replied affirmatively.
"It seems that this is the only way to go..." Lieutenant General Kimura Hyōtaro nodded helplessly.
The four main divisions of the Japanese army on the periphery of the Mengshan base area, under orders from the former enemy headquarters, began to camp on the spot and confront the surrounding Eighth Route Army. At the same time, inside the base area, there was news one after another about the mobilization of several farming divisions.
, were also gathered into the former enemy headquarters of the Japanese army through various channels at the first time.
That night, while Lieutenant General Kimura Hyōtaro was waiting anxiously, Major General Kuroda walked into the war room with the latest reconnaissance results and a gloomy face. Seeing the very ugly face of Major General Kuroda in front of him, Kimura Hyōtaro
Lieutenant General Taro seemed to have realized something and asked quickly.
"Kuroda-kun, what's the situation detected?"
"Chief of Staff, the situation is not optimistic..." Major General Kuroda shook his head and replied.
"According to the reconnaissance results of our aerial reconnaissance and ground intelligence personnel, currently, the number of troops that can be mobilized in the Mengshan base area of the Eighth Route Army is approximately 20,000. In other words, in this encirclement and suppression operation, the total strength of the Eighth Route Army we face is
Not the original 40,000 people, but now more than 60,000 people..."
"What, sixty thousand people..."
Lieutenant General Kimura Hyōtaro was once again stunned by this huge number, and couldn't help but let out an exclamation...
"Hai..."
"Bagya Road! Our enemy has an army of 60,000 people. And our Imperial Japanese Army has only four of the five main divisions left, with a total strength of less than 80,000 people... In terms of military strength, we have no more
We no longer have an absolute advantage. However, in this encirclement and suppression campaign, we lost a total of more than 30,000 imperial warriors. Could it be that we gave up such a good opportunity in vain and let the blood of more than 30,000 warriors be in vain?
Flowing on this land?" Hyoutarou Kimura closed his eyes and said with a look of reluctance.
After a few minutes of silence in the entire headquarters, Lieutenant General Kimura Hyōtaro, who looked desperate, slowly opened his eyes and asked Major General Kuroda, who was also silent in front of him.
"Kuroda-kun, what do you think of the current war situation? Are we really going to retreat like this?"
"Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, I humbly believe that although the total strength of the Eighth Route Army has reached an astonishing 60,000 people, judging from the current situation, the initiative of the entire campaign is still in our hands."
Seeing the puzzled look on Hyoutaro Kimura's face, Major General Kuroda continued: "Currently, our three main divisions, 125, 126, and 127, have trapped the main force of the 40,000 Eighth Route Army in the four directions.
area, so that it has no time to take care of its rear area. If at this moment, we can once again dispatch two to three main divisions from the rear area and penetrate directly into the Mengshan area. Then, in this encirclement and suppression operation, our country, Japan
The Imperial Army must win and the Eighth Route Army must defeat..."
"Having said that, at this moment, where will we draw the three main divisions from?" Lieutenant General Kimura Hyoutarou nodded noncommittally and said.
"The closest group army to us is the five main divisions entrenched in the Shanhaiguan area. However, these five main divisions need to deal with the attack of the main force of the Northeast Field Army of the Eighth Route Army. As for the other front armies, they are far away from the Mengshan area.
The nearest one will take a week of marching time to arrive, and can we still afford to wait?"
"Hai..." Major General Kuroda said with certainty.
Immediately, he explained to Lieutenant General Kimura Hyōtaro in front of him: "Your Excellency, Division Commander, although the situation in the Shanhaiguan area is also very critical. However, relying on the favorable terrain in the Shanhaiguan area, one or two main divisions have been mobilized.
There is absolutely no problem with the strength of the troops. As for the remaining division, we can completely mobilize local garrison troops to temporarily form it. If the strength is still insufficient, the Puppet Manchuria Army is also a good choice... And our current delay is urgent.
It is to continue the military confrontation with the main force of the Eighth Route Army and completely drag the 40,000 main force of the Eighth Route Army into the Sifangtu area, leaving them without any chance to mobilize."
As Major General Kuroda finished speaking, Lieutenant General Kimura Hyōtaro once again fell into deep thought. Facing a military map in front of him, he began to think about the pros and cons of this kind of tactics...
Finally, a few minutes later, a sharp edge once again emanated from Kimura Hyoutarou's eyes. Then, he ordered to Major General Kuroda in front of him:
"Kuroda-kun, I now order the former enemy's staff to immediately formulate a detailed combat plan according to what you just said. After giving it to me for review, it will be reported to the Kwantung Army Supreme Headquarters for approval by the Commander-in-Chief.
.”
Seeing Major General Kuroda in front of him who was quickly recording orders, Lieutenant General Hyoutaro Kimura continued to give orders.
"Order the main divisions on the front line to continue to maintain a state of military confrontation with the main forces of the Eighth Route Army. At the same time, telegrams are sent to the commanders of the three divisions 125, 126, and 127. The main forces of the Eighth Route Army must be resolutely held in the Sifangtuo area. During this period, if
An Eighth Route Army unit has safely retreated from the Sifangtuo area, and military law is engaged in..."
"Hai, your Excellency, Chief of Staff, is wise..." Major General Kuroda replied decisively.