More than a dozen Japanese motorboats were traveling northward along the river. White waves were drawn out of the cold water. Behind the Japanese motorboats were a long series of troop transport ships.
On the Shaobo Highway, the blood-red Rising Sun Flag swept in the biting cold wind, the cold steel helmets under the Rising Sun Flag swayed, and the mighty Japanese soldiers marched north in columns.
In the fields on both sides of the road, the Japanese cavalry galloped freely, their majestic cavalry cloaks fluttering in the wind, trampling the farmland into a mess.
The winter offensive of the Chinese *** in the Sulu area is in full swing. Facing the fierce attacks of the Chinese regular army and guerrillas, countless towns previously occupied by the Japanese are in danger, and many counties have been recovered by the Chinese ***.
The Jiangsu region has always been one of the important sources of food and materials under the Japanese policy of supporting war with war. After all, the land of the Huaihe River Basin is flat and fertile, with dense water networks, and it has been a grain-producing area since ancient times.
However, the current war is so corrupt that all parts of northern Jiangsu, central Jiangsu and southern Jiangsu have become a mess. The maintenance committee and the puppet army have also suffered a heavy blow, which has made the Japanese panic.
If the security and stability in the Jiangsu occupied areas cannot be restored before the beginning of spring, then the people will not be able to sow food. By then, their frontline field troops fighting against China's heavy military groups will face shortages of materials and food.
After all, their small island has consumed most of its food supplies in the ongoing war. Now, 90% of the food for the troops fighting in China comes from China.
Therefore, it is necessary to ensure the stability of the occupied areas and ensure that the Chinese people can grow food for them and send it to the frontline combat troops to maintain combat needs.
But now the large-scale offensive of China's guerrilla troops and regular troops behind enemy lines has made all this come to nothing, so the elimination of the Chinese Communist troops and anti-Japanese forces in the occupied areas has become a top priority.
But now all war zones in China are launching offensives against troops stationed in various places. Roads are blocked and railways are no longer safe due to attacks.
The Japanese are no longer able to deploy large numbers of aviation units and two or three combat divisions to sweep northern Jiangsu as they did a year ago, because their troops are stretched thin.
Under the advice of the staff, the Japanese Central China Dispatch Army Headquarters could only temporarily reorganize a combat detachment with the supplementary troops, heavy baggage troops and engineers who stayed in Yangzhou and other rear areas to prepare for the front line, and went to the Sulu area to fight in cooperation with the local garrison.
, eliminate all anti-Japanese armed forces in the occupied areas.
This temporary Sano detachment, composed of supplementary troops and heavy baggage troops, was organized on the spot in Yangzhou in a short period of time, and then marched by land and water directly into the smoke-filled Gaoyou.
Although the Sano detachment was formed by temporarily transferring troops and consisted of supplementary troops, baggage soldiers and engineers, every soldier sent to the Chinese battlefield has been strictly trained. Even if they are baggage soldiers, their individual combat capabilities are still stronger than
The strength of Chinese officers and soldiers cannot be underestimated.
As an independent combat unit, the Sano detachment's combat mission is to assist the local garrison in the Sulu area, eliminate the squadrons stranded in the Sulu area, and restore local security and stability.
These include the Chinese 89th Army, the Sulu Guerrilla Corps, the Sixth Independent Brigade, the Chen Taiyun Marine Police Force, the Northern Jiangsu Guerrilla Corps, the Zhongyi Rescue Corps, the Anti-Japanese Ranger Corps and other anti-Japanese armed forces.
Because the combat tasks are heavy and the combat area is wide, according to the orders of the Central China Dispatch Army Headquarters of the Japanese Army, four infantry brigades, an artillery brigade, a cavalry brigade and a heavy supply brigade will be temporarily merged into the Sano detachment for combat.
Such a large-scale force was enough to sweep away a hundred thousand squadrons in the early stages of the war, but now as the combat effectiveness of both sides waxes and wanes, they can no longer act as recklessly as they did in the early stages of the war.
Fortunately, in the Sulu area, there are also the 12th Mixed Infantry Brigade and the 13th Mixed Infantry Brigade, as well as a large number of security forces, who are cooperating in the operation.
When the Japanese Central China Expeditionary Army mobilized troops to form the Sano detachment to set off from Yangzhou and advance from the southern line into the Sulu area, it also sent a message requesting the North China Expeditionary Army to dispatch effective troops from the northern line south to attack the Central Army.
According to the combat plan of the Central China Headquarters of the Japanese Dispatch Army, the troops on the northern and southern fronts are like two sharp blades, echoing each other from a distance, completely eliminating the Chinese army in the Sulu area.
Because this time the squadron in the Sulu area had caused too much damage to them, which had already made the Japanese commander angry, and the interference from the base camp prevented them from sending effective troops to launch a new round of public security operations.
Although the Sulu area was in a state of chaos, urgent telegrams for help were sent to the Central China Dispatch Army Headquarters in Nanjing like snowflakes.
But at this moment, the Major General Commander of the Japanese Sano Detachment, Taro Sano, who was riding a bumpy bicycle, was in a good mood. If the war in the Sulu area had not been so corrupt and unmanageable, he would not have had the opportunity to lead the battle alone.
He was able to lead the battle alone. In fact, he had to thank the Chinese ** Corps in the Sulu area. It was because the Chinese ** Corps made the headquarters angry that they sent heavy troops to encircle and suppress them.
This time, without waiting for the troops to be assembled, Commander Sano couldn't wait to lead the two infantry brigades that had arrived in Yangzhou to attack the desperate Gaoyou.
On the way, he reunited with the Jiangfang Motorboat Squadron, which had set out earlier but was hindered by the guerrilla attack, and advanced into Gaoyou. He wanted to show his strength with his illustrious military exploits!
This time, he could command a total of seven brigades. Although it was not as good as the main field divisions organized into eight regiments, it was still a giant.
Taro Sano is confident enough to crush the squadron in the Sulu area. When the combat mission is over, the Sano detachment temporarily formed to undertake the combat mission will definitely be disbanded, but he can go further with this military exploit.
Looking at the rank of major general that he had worn for a long time, Taro Sano's eyes flashed with ambition. It was time to change it, and this time was the rarest opportunity.
As the saying goes, a soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier. Taro Sano also hopes to command thousands of troops and fight against Fang Qiu. This is a man's dream.
Just as Taro Sano was riding in the bumpy truck, dreaming of a better future, the rickety truck stopped.
"Go and see what's going on?"
Commander Taro Sano looked at the stopped marching team with a look of dissatisfaction on his face.
A Japanese staff officer jumped out of the car and ran to the front, and soon ran back out of breath.
The Japanese staff officer stood up and saluted and reported: "Report, the road ahead has been dug up by the Chinese guerrillas..."
"Damn Chinese!"
A look of anger appeared on Commander Taro Sano's face, he pushed the door open hard and jumped out of the car.
They stopped and stopped along the way. The main reason was that the road was difficult and they were troubled by the elusive Chinese guerrillas under various banners.
Although the guerrillas ran away when they saw them from a distance, the bridges and roads were damaged from time to time, forcing them to stop and recover before moving on.
"Let the engineers repair the road quickly!" Sano Taro ordered coldly.
"Hai!"
The Japanese staff officer strode away, and soon the engineering troops from behind hurried up from behind carrying timber and bricks, and rushed to the front to build the road.
These timbers and bricks were obtained from the houses in local villages that they demolished along the way, in order to quickly repair the dug roads.