The chief of staff next to him reminded: "Division commander, calm down!"
"Colonel Watanabe is an old man who has been following you, General. He has very rich combat command experience. It is impossible that he does not know the dangers of losing our heavy artillery group!"
"Since he chose to do this, there must be some reason that we don't know!"
Seeing Kato's sullen expression and not speaking, his anger still rose. The chief of staff looked at the communications officer who had just reported and asked: "Has Captain Watanabe reported how many troops he still has in hand?"
"Hi!" the communications officer replied immediately.
"Before the war, the Watanabe Regiment had more than 3,600 people. In the battle just now, three mortar squadrons were wiped out, the rapid-fire artillery squadron was wiped out, three infantry squadrons were wiped out, and two infantry squadrons were wiped out.
The Eighth Route Army has been defeated, but there are still two infantry squadrons behind them, fighting against the Eighth Route Army's attacking troops, and their lives and deaths are unknown!"
The chief of staff’s brows instantly wrinkled!
"Division Commander, the Watanabe Regiment has suffered more than half of its casualties, and it has no rapid-fire guns that can deal with armored vehicles!"
"Under such circumstances, if we continue to defend the heavy artillery position, they will definitely be wiped out! I probably understand what Colonel Watanabe is thinking. Anyway, the heavy artillery position will be lost sooner or later, so it is better to give up voluntarily and survive more Imperial Army soldiers!
"
Lieutenant General Kato's face looked much better. He hesitated and replied: "As far as losses are concerned, this can indeed minimize our losses. However, those heavy artillery are too important to us. Thirty-six howitzers,
Twelve large-caliber mountain guns, they are our only weapon against the Eighth Route Army's heavy artillery force. Once lost, we may be attacked by heavy artillery every night, passively beaten, without the ability to even fight back!"
"So, the heavy artillery unit must not be lost!"
"The biggest threat to us from the Eighth Route Army's assault force is the artillery and armored forces! We can't do anything about heavy artillery for the time being, but we have ways to deal with mortars, ordinary mountain artillery and infantry artillery!"
"Order the Inoue Regiment and the Matsumoto Regiment to mobilize all mortar squadrons, infantry artillery squadrons, mountain artillery squadrons, and rapid-fire artillery squadrons belonging to the regiment to immediately reinforce the Watanabe Regiment!"
"Two infantry regiments simultaneously dispatched an infantry brigade to reinforce the Watanabe regiment!"
"All reinforcements will be commanded by Colonel Watanabe to launch a counterattack against the Eighth Route Army's assault force and regain the lost heavy artillery positions!"
A few kilometers away, on the hilltop high ground, the headquarters of the new regiment was also brightly illuminated.
The scale of the battle at the foot of the mountain is getting bigger and bigger, and it is no longer possible to make the most accurate judgment based on my own eyes.
On the table in the middle of the headquarters, there is a huge sketch. Two combat staff officers are using pencils to quickly mark the battlefield situation they just received on it.
"Regiment commander and chief of staff are calling urgently. They have captured the Japanese heavy artillery position! There are a total of forty-eight heavy artillery pieces. Except for a few that were blown up, all others are intact!" The radio operator next to him stood up and reported excitedly.
"Commander Zhou, how long will it take for the troops to reinforce the Chief of Staff to arrive!" Wang Ping quickly flashed a smile on his face and asked, staring at a combat staff officer.
"Half an hour, I just had a telegram with them..."
"Very good!" The smile on Wang Ping's face became even wider.
Then he ordered: "Send a telegram to the Chief of Staff: The Japanese will definitely fight back with all their strength to recapture those heavy artillery, and ask him to hold on to the Japanese heavy artillery positions, and then kill and injure a large number of Japanese counterattack troops!"
"There is another thing. As soon as the reinforcements of a total of six battalions arrive, we will immediately arrange for manpower to transfer those heavy artillery. No matter whether they are intact, they will all be taken away. Not a single shell or a single part will be left to the little devil!"
"Yes, commander!" The combat staff officer rushed out with excitement on his face.
As soon as the front foot stepped out, someone came in with the back foot.
"Regiment commander, the first battalion reconnaissance unit reported that an infantry regiment behind the Japanese army protecting the baggage troops suddenly detached an infantry brigade and all artillery, and marched towards the chief of staff in a hurry!"
Staff Officer Zhou quickly marked the information on the sketch in front of him, and then analyzed to Wang Ping: "Commander, these Japanese troops must have killed them to recapture the heavy artillery positions!"
Wang Ping nodded and affirmed: "Send a telegram to the Chief of Staff to inform you of this situation!"
Then he stared at the map on the table and asked: "What time is it now, and how long until dawn!"
"There are still ten minutes left in the morning, and nearly half an hour before the Japanese planes arrive at dawn!" Staff Officer Zhou replied immediately.
"Very good!" Wang Ping's face slowly turned hot.
"Tonight's night attack battle is becoming more and more interesting. Now we have obtained the Japs' heavy artillery regiment. There are more than 40 heavy artillery pieces, which is enough for us to form two heavy artillery regiments."
"However, there is another problem: heavy artillery is available now, but the shells for the heavy artillery have not yet arrived!"
"Although a lot of the Japanese heavy artillery positions have been captured, more than 40 heavy artillery pieces will definitely not be able to withstand the consumption for too long!"
The staff officer in front of Zhou immediately reacted: "Commander, you have taken a fancy to the little Japanese who is walking in the last baggage regiment!"
"Not bad!" Looking at Counselor Zhou, Wang Ping replied with an appreciative look on his face.
Staff Zhou hesitated for a few seconds and then shook his head and replied: "I think it is very difficult to capture the Japanese supply chain!"
"There are nearly two thousand Japs in the baggage regiment. Even if their combat effectiveness is not as good as that of the infantry, they are still almost too many!"
"There are still two infantry brigades left in the infantry regiment protecting them at the rear. There are more than 4,000 Japanese in total!"
"Although the troops of Xiao Yunshan and Xiong Changhe are both there, they don't have much strength advantage. Moreover, the artillery in their hands has also been transferred, and the firepower advantage is gone. The storm attack almost failed to capture these little devils.
Possibility!"
The hot expression on Wang Ping's face was not affected!
He replied with a look of approval: "The analysis is very accurate. If we attack by force, even if we give them another night, they will not be able to capture so many little devils!"
"So, I didn't plan to attack by force, but decided to outwit him!"
"Our original purpose tonight was just to consume a large number of the little devils here. Now it seems that this purpose has to be changed. I have decided to advance the decisive battle that will start tomorrow night to tonight!"
"Our ultimate goal is to severely damage the Japanese Kato Division in Linfen City. Now I have to change this goal. From now until tomorrow night, we will annihilate the Japanese Kato Division at all costs!"
Everyone in the headquarters opened their mouths, frightened by Wang Ping's huge appetite.
However, although the New Regiment has never experienced the total annihilation of a Japanese division, they have personally experienced the severe damage to a Japanese division and the total annihilation of a Japanese brigade.
The shocked expression on his face only lasted for a few seconds before he regained his composure. Then he looked at the chief of staff in front of him who had an increasing appetite, waiting for orders!
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