In this battle, the Yabe brigade was almost wiped out, and most of the more than 6,000 people were burned to death. Those who escaped from the fire were either captured by the Eighth Route Army or shot dead. Only a few who slipped through the net escaped the encirclement.
The important point is that the independent regiment suffered very few casualties in this battle. Only about 50 soldiers in the entire army were killed in the melee with the Japanese. More than 100 soldiers were injured, and another 30 soldiers were burned by fire.
Compared with the results of annihilating a Japanese brigade, these losses are almost negligible.
As a result, the Independent Regiment had the strength to fight one or even two battles with the Japanese... because at this time, a large number of the "Self-Defense Forces" had defected to the Eighth Route Army, and more than 2,000 of them had surrendered.
There is an essential difference between "surrender" and "surrender".
The latter was forced to choose to lay down his arms.
The former took the initiative to contact the Eighth Route Army and chose to join them.
Therefore, in principle, troops who "surrender" cannot disarm them and should be treated equally as members of the Eighth Route Army... Although this also has risks, it is the same as the policy of "preferential treatment of prisoners". If this is not done,
In the future, it will have a great impact on troops who intend to surrender to the Eighth Route Army.
Therefore, in principle, the number of troops stationed at the steel plant has grown to more than 5,000. Together with the militia composed of workers, at least in terms of military strength, it is no less than a Japanese brigade.
So, how many troops do the Japanese have to send to recapture the steel plant?
Okamura Neiji was also troubled by this issue. He had a vague feeling that the Eighth Route Army was going to drive another nail in Daqingshan, and this nail was probably as good as Yuncheng.
"What a wonderful move the Eighth Route Army made!" Neji Okamura couldn't help but praise as he looked at the map: "Yuncheng can connect Luliang Mountain and Zhongtiao Mountain, and the steel plant can connect Daqing Mountain and Luliang Mountain.
Integrate into one! In this way, a natural defense line based on natural mountains will stand in front of the imperial army. From then on, the Eighth Route Army can safely develop production within this defense line and launch a counterattack once the time is right..."
Thinking of this, Okamura Neji made up his mind: "No, we will never let the Eighth Route Army complete this line of defense! Kono-kun..."
As he spoke, Okamura Neji turned his attention to Kono Shinta: "How is the training of the airborne troops?"
Kono Shinta was stunned for a while and replied: "Your Excellency, General, the airborne troops have only been trained for more than two months..."
"I need them now!" Neji Okamura replied.
"Attack the steel plant?" Kono Shinta said: "There is a regiment of the Eighth Route Army there, at least several thousand people, while our airborne troops only have a thousand people!"
"No!" Okamura Neiji stared at Toushipo: "My target is...their airport!"
Kono Shinta said "Oh" and nodded slightly.
Okamura Neiji is right, the key point in this battle has always been air superiority.
Because the Imperial Army lost its air supremacy... because it was unsure of the strength of the Eighth Route Army's new fighter planes, "Zero War" did not dare to fight easily. This was equivalent to giving up its air supremacy.
And the Imperial Army couldn't fight a battle without air superiority, which was the reason for the disastrous defeat of the Yabe Brigade.
Based on this analysis, the fundamental solution to the problem is to conduct a surprise attack on the enemy's airport.
The Eighth Route Army's Dishipo Airport was recently built and the defenses and troops were insufficient. At this time, it might be a good idea to send airborne troops to surprise the airport...
But when Shinta Kono thought about it, he immediately frowned: "General, that is the enemy's airport, and it is an airport with advanced Mao Xiong fighter planes. If it is airdropped, it means that our military transport plane will break into the sky above the airport...
But can the Eighth Route Army’s fighter planes allow our army’s transport planes to enter?”
"So, we should parachute at night!" Okamura Neiji said: "I believe that these Eighth Route Army fighter planes do not have the ability to fight at night!"
"La 5" does not have the ability to fight at night.
In fact, none of the fighters at this time had the capability to fight at night.
In a practical sense, a fighter aircraft with night combat capabilities means that when its radar develops to a certain stage, it can accurately find enemy aircraft in the night sky and destroy them.
A large part of the night fighting capabilities of this era were achieved with the help of moonlight and the side-firing and rear-firing machine guns of the sub-shooters.
Therefore, if the transport aircraft can break through at night, it will most likely be able to fly to its destination.
but……
Kono Shinta objected: "But General, they have only trained for more than two months, and they have no experience in night skydiving. This will cause them to have a considerable attrition during skydiving!"
"If..." Okamura Neiji said: "Two thousand airborne troops will be reduced by half by parachuting, that is, there will still be one thousand people. It should be enough to use them to attack Toushipo!"
Kono Shinta couldn't help but feel chills in his heart when he heard Okamura Neji's words.
You must know that these are his own soldiers, and they are elites selected from the infantry. Okamura Neji easily sacrificed them...Half the number of non-combat troops was reduced, and it seemed to him that it was not a big deal.
This kind of ferocity was something Shinta Kono had never seen before.
However, Shinta Kono thought about it carefully and felt that it was indeed possible to succeed.
And it seems worth it.
Because, this is to exchange airborne troops for an airport full of advanced fighter planes, and there are also steel plants, which can even disrupt the strategic layout of the Eighth Route Army.
Thinking of this, Shinta Kono remained silent.
There was no point in saying anything, he knew that Okamura Neji had already made up his mind to take this risk.
This plan may be successful if implemented, because Wang Xuexin has been immersed in the defense of the steel plant, but he did not expect the exposure and safety of Toishipo Airport, nor did he expect that the Japanese airborne troops would form an army and form combat effectiveness in such a time, let alone
I thought that the Japanese would carry out airborne landings at night.
However, Okamura Neji's plan ultimately failed to be implemented.
Because just as Okamura Neji was preparing for the airborne landing on Toishipo, a communications soldier hurriedly walked into the office and handed over a telegram, saying: "Your Excellency, General, there is news from the country that our navy is fighting with Eagle Sauce at Midway Island.
, heavy losses!”
Okamura Neiji was shocked. The Navy had never used the word "heavy losses" to describe any battle, even the last Battle of the Coral Sea.
Now, there will be "heavy losses"?
To what extent do you need to use these four words?
Thinking of Okamura Neiji taking a look at the telegram, it read: "Four aircraft carriers and one heavy cruiser of our navy were bombed and sunk, 432 military aircraft were shot down, and 5,081 people were killed!"
Okamura Neji couldn't help but feel dizzy when he looked at these numbers.
Although the Imperial Army and Navy have always been at odds, if the Navy is defeated so completely, it means that Eagle Sauce will have more resources and materials to assist China, which will definitely increase the pressure on the Army.
Especially...if the Eagle Navy attacks the mainland of the empire in the future, the North China Front will lose contact with the mainland.