Nanjing, the Japanese Central China Dispatch Army Headquarters, when Commander Shunroku Hata learned that a brigade under Sano's detachment had been completely destroyed at Kaishou, he could no longer maintain composure and calmness, and was so angry that he overturned the table.
"Bastards! Trash! They have brought shame to the Imperial Japanese Army!"
The invincible Imperial Japanese Army did not lose even in the confrontation of heavy troop groups on the frontal battlefield. Instead, it lost a full brigade in the occupied area. How could this not make Tian Junroku furious?
Hearing Tian Junliu's angry roar in the office, the Japanese staff officers in the nearby office were as quiet as they could. They had not seen the commander so angry for a long time, and they felt sorry for the temporarily formed Sano detachment.
A communications staff officer of the Japanese soldiers walked to the door of Hata Junroku's office with a telegram in his hand. Hearing the sound of roaring and banging things inside, he couldn't help but stop and seemed to be in a dilemma.
Everyone knows that Commander Hata Shunroku is very angry right now, and there is absolutely no way he can gain anything if he goes in now. However, he has the telegram he just received in his hand to send in.
Just when the Japanese communications staff officer was in a dilemma, sonorous footsteps sounded in the corridor, and Chief of Staff Seishiro Sakagaki strode over.
"Everyone go back to work——"
Chief of Staff Shiro Banzhi saw people in various offices sticking their heads out to look at the commander's office, and scolded him with a stern face.
Hearing the scolding of Chief of Staff Ban Enzhiro, these Japanese staff officers all retreated to their offices.
"Why are you still standing here?" Seeing the Japanese communications staff still standing in the same place, Ban Yuanzheng Shiro frowned.
"Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, there is a telegram here. I am about to send it to Your Excellency, Commander..." the Japanese communications staff member hurriedly stepped forward and answered.
Chief of Staff Shiro Sakahara also saw the dilemma of the communications staff, and said: "Give me the telegram, and you go to work first."
"Hiyi!"
When the Japanese communications staff saw that Shiro Ban was going to send it in for him, he hurriedly handed over the telegram, and then left quickly as if he had been granted amnesty.
Looking at the telegram in his hand, Chief of Staff Shiro Bansei shook his head helplessly and opened the door to Commander Hata Shuroku's office.
"Snapped!"
As soon as Chief of Staff Shiro Bansei opened the door, a piece of exquisite porcelain was thrown towards him. If he hadn't reacted quickly, he would have been hit directly. This made Chief of Staff Shiro Bansei break into a cold sweat.
The originally clean and tidy commander's office was in a mess. The precious books looted from China were torn to pieces, and the exquisite porcelain was turned into crumbs.
Commander Shunroku Hata, who always maintained his dignity, had his clothes buttons open and seemed to be in a particularly bad mood.
At this moment, when he saw Chief of Staff Ban Enzhiro Shiro pushing the door in, he stopped his angry roar, panted and sat down on the chair, raised his head and ordered with still anger: "Immediately send someone to eliminate Sano Taro's detachment.
He was responsible for the death of more than a thousand Imperial Japanese Army soldiers!"
"Commander, I'm afraid Sano Taro will no longer be able to come to Nanjing. I just got the news that he has committed suicide..." Chief of Staff Banzheng Shiro shook his head helplessly and handed over the message he just got from the communications staff.
passed.
After hearing this, the angry commander Shunroku Hata was also stunned. He did not expect that Taro Sano actually committed suicide.
"Kill yourself by rupturing your belly and commit suicide. Is this the only way soldiers of the empire can escape punishment?!"
Taro Sano committed suicide by disembowelling himself, which made Commander Shunroku Hata's anger dissipate a lot. After all, someone had to stand up and take responsibility for this defeat.
And he had previously asked Taro Sano to be detained in Nanjing, also in order to make him take responsibility and give an explanation to the base camp. Now that everyone is dead, he has already given an explanation.
"I have carefully understood the entire battle process. The "Wolf" combat plan formulated by the Sano detachment did not have any major flaws. The entire Hirayama brigade was shattered. It was really an accident." Chief of Staff Banzhi Shiro himself said
He sat down on a chair and spoke seriously.
Commander Shunroku Hata shook his head and said: "But Taro Sano still cannot escape responsibility for his command errors, so don't defend him. He has disappointed me so much this time."
The Chinese *** team launched winter offensives in various theaters, and the guerrilla forces in the occupied areas were also extremely active, attacking cities and plundering territory, completely destroying the order that the Japanese soldiers had finally established.
You must know that a large part of their food supply for the divisions currently fighting the Chinese main force on the front line comes from the occupied territories.
Now that the occupied areas have suffered damage from the guerrillas, they have lost a lot of food supplies, which is fatal to the Japanese who have almost exhausted their war reserves.
That's why they temporarily transferred troops to form the Sano detachment, with the purpose of letting them cooperate with the 12th Infantry Mixed Brigade and the 13th Infantry Mixed Brigade to sweep the occupied areas and ensure food supplies.
In the past almost half a month, the Sano detachment once again occupied Gaoyou and Nantong, but the good times did not last long. Now they lost an infantry brigade at once. This was like a blow from a baton, which defeated the Japanese commander Shunroku Hata.
There are stars in my head.
"According to intelligence, the China Army has been developing and growing in the occupied areas. The defeat of the Sano detachment this time is a good proof that the strength of the China Army in the occupied areas has exceeded our expectations. If it cannot be eliminated in time,
Then the food supply in the occupied areas cannot be collected effectively, and spring planting is about to begin, so the war in the occupied areas must be ended before the beginning of spring." Chief of Staff Shiro Ban said in a serious analysis.
"Commander, I think the top priority now is to immediately send someone to replace Taro Sano who committed suicide, reorganize the troops and launch a law and order operation! Ensure the stability of order in the occupied area."
How could Commander Shunroku Hata not know how important the occupied area is to them now? They are now relying on war to support war and have become dependent on the occupied area. If the chaos here continues, it will greatly affect the war on the front line.
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"Sakagaki-kun, do you have any suggestions for candidates to trust the detachment leader?" Commander Shunroku Hata was almost done with his anger at this moment, so he raised his head and asked.
"I think Senior Colonel Toshiro Watanabe, who has just led his troops to defeat the attack of the China Army on the Jiujiang battlefield, is qualified to serve as the new detachment leader." Chief of Staff Shiro Banzheng suggested after thinking for a while.
"Watanabe Juichi?" After hearing what Ban Enzhiro said, Hata Junroku quickly searched for relevant information about Watanabe Juichi in his mind.
As a commander, it was naturally impossible for Hata Shunroku to be familiar with every officer under his command. Fortunately, Watanabe Juichi had just won a battle in Jiujiang, so he still had some impressions.
"Is this the one who ordered the massacre of two hundred Chinese prisoners of war in the Jiujiang battle a few days ago?" Hata Shunroku raised his head and asked uncertainly.
Chief of Staff Shiro Sakahara nodded and said: "Although Hisashi Watanabe is a bit bloodthirsty, he is brave and good at fighting. He is a rare general of the Imperial Japanese Army and is good at attacking. I want to send him to clear out the guerrillas in the occupied areas.