Wanting to understand the situation of the Wuling Battle, especially the battle situation of the Eleventh Army, Chen Mingxiang currently has two information channels. The first is Lieutenant General Matsui Tairo, who is the chief of staff of the dispatched army headquarters. He must know
The second one is Major General Yoshitaro Kawamoto, the Secret Service Chief of the Thirteenth Army Headquarters. He has personal contacts with the 116th Division.
If you check through Matsui Tataro's channels, you may get more comprehensive information, but you will definitely not hear the details. There is no need for the Chief of General Staff to care about the local situation on the battlefield.
Therefore, Chen Mingxiang planned to have dinner with Yoshitaro Kawamoto tonight and talk about the Battle of Wuling while drinking. In fact, he did not need to specifically say that the topic of soldiers can never be separated from the war. Yoshitaro Kawamoto would take the initiative to talk about it.
Yoshitaro Kawamoto did not have any doubts about this invitation. The two often had meals together. He would also come to Mara Villa for tea when he had nothing to do. He was Chen Mingxiang's "old friend".
"I have also just received the message. The 116th Division has occupied Wuling and completed the specified combat mission. In order to prevent being bombed by the Shancheng Government Air Force and the US Air Force in China, it has currently evacuated the city and is stationed in the suburbs.
.”
"This battle is the most difficult one the Eleventh Army has fought on a frontal battlefield. Especially because of the military assistance from the United States, the Yamacheng government's air force has caused us great losses. If it hadn't been for their internal problems, the battle situation would have been
It was far more tragic than it is now." Kawamoto Youtaro said.
Internal problems? Chen Mingxiang suddenly felt very bad. He immediately thought that there were factional disputes among the various theaters of the Shancheng government army.
To put it more bluntly, the composition of the mountain city government's army is inherently complicated. There are direct line troops of the commission and troops of local warlords. The relationship between them is very bad.
Not only did the direct line troops use the local warlords' troops as cannon fodder, but the warlords and committee members also regularly beat the enemy and smashed black bricks. This is not news at all.
But the question is, facing the crazy attack of the Japanese army, this is the time to work together to defend against a powerful enemy. Did this kind of phenomenon also occur in the Wuling Battle?
"The army of the mountain city government is composed of many mixed factions. It often lags behind. It's not surprising that there are problems. I would be happy to hear the inside story." Chen Mingxiang said with a smile.
"The intelligence team of the Mei agency has an inside line in the Yamacheng government army. It is said that this is the credit of Miss Nanzhao Yunzi. Wuling is the joint between the 6th and 9th theaters of the Yamacheng government, and both sides are under the control of Lieutenant General Yokoyama Isamu.
The tactics are confusing and cannot determine the specific direction of the main attack."
"Originally, the 74th Army of the Yamacheng Government was a mobile corps. Generally speaking, it did not perform guard duties. The most forward was the 29th Army composed of the Sichuan Army and the Hunan Army, and the 10th Army. This arrangement was not so wise.
In the Battle of Shimen, the 29th Group Army retreated under pressure, putting the 57th Division of this mobile corps in a situation where it would defend Wuling."
"The Military Commission of the Shancheng Government sent a telegram to the Fifth War Zone and the Ninth War Zone to rescue Wuling. Something interesting happened. The Fifth War Zone did not dispatch the main force, but only sent a few guerrilla columns to harass. Xue Yue of the Ninth War Zone refused to obey the order.
The 99th Army, the unit closest to Wuling, was stationed in place to defend against the Imperial Army's 40th Division, and instead the 10th Army, which was farther away, was sent to Wuling to relieve the siege."
"The Tenth Army made very slow progress in the early stage. Faced with the obstruction of the Third Division and the Sixty-eighth Division, it did not dare to let go and start the fight. Later, the Chairman of the Shancheng Government who attended the meeting in Cairo personally ordered the Tenth Army to attack within a time limit.
, and then carried out a strong attack regardless of the cost, but at this time Wuling was already showing signs of defeat, and the Third Division firmly blocked the opening, making it impossible for the Tenth Army to complete its mission." Kawamoto Yoshitaro said.
Although there is no such thing as relatives being angry and enemies being happy, the whole process is really uncomfortable to listen to!
After Chen Mingxiang heard these inside stories, he quickly sorted out the context of the entire battle. The most powerful army directly affiliated with the Shancheng government was also a mobile corps, waiting behind to provide support. The Sichuan army and the Hunan army were fighting hard at the front.
With the support of favorable geographical location and fortifications, can the so-called "miscellaneous army" be able to withstand the main division of the Japanese army?
He felt angry that he had worked so hard to report the entire battle focus to the Military Command and transferred it to the Sixth Theater Command. The Eleventh Army had already devoted all its efforts to this battle, and other areas would not
No matter how big the war is, the Ninth War Zone is slow to act and dare not fight head-on. It also disobeys military orders. As a result, the mission of rescuing Wuling cannot be completed and a main division is annihilated. This is unreasonable!
In addition, the Sixth Theater Command certainly does not believe in the intelligence from the Military Command. At least it still has a verification mentality. The coordination of the various units is in a mess. Intelligence has always been the primary factor in gaining initiative and defeating the enemy on the battlefield. You are a bit too cautious.
!
"So, the Eleventh Army will evacuate Wuling soon? Affected by the battle, Huatong Trading Company's land transportation in Sichuan and Hunan was seriously affected, and the management department of the dispatched army headquarters and the gendarmerie
The headquarters kept urging me to speed up the procurement of supplies, and I felt very embarrassed about this," Chen Mingxiang said.
"We still have to wait for the order from the dispatched army headquarters, but inside Wuling, there is only one squadron clearing the battlefield at the moment, and the main force is stationed in a small town more than ten miles to the north."
"We have just experienced a war. The troops need a short period of rest and recuperation. The wounded need to be treated and sent back to hospitals in the rear. Ammunition and food need to be replenished. They also need to prevent pursuit by the mountain city government."
"As for the imperial army's demand for supplies, it is not just domestic military production. I got some news that the base camp is preparing to implement a very large-scale battle. The combat area will span several provinces. The dispatched army's total mobile strength is almost more than half
We all have to invest, and we also have the assistance of the Guandong Army. It is no exaggeration to say that this is an important measure related to the fate of the empire."
"Although this plan has not yet been approved by His Majesty the Emperor, and the base camp is still debating it, the rough combat objectives have been determined. The consumption of such a large battle is very staggering, and forcing you to speed up is a last resort.
"Yotaro Kawamoto said.
The news of a large-scale battle involving the mobilization of most of the mobile forces of the dispatched troops and a combat scope spanning several provinces immediately attracted Chen Mingxiang's attention. For the disaster-prone Kuomintang-controlled area, it would have to endure another tragic catastrophe!
Of course, what Yoshitaro Kawamoto means is that the battle time and battle plan have not yet been determined. They have just experienced the Wuling Battle and the Japanese combat troops also need to be repaired. This matter is not urgent yet.
However, Wuling, an important military location that fell, could be recovered immediately. There was only one squadron stationed in the city to clean up the battlefield, so the recovery was easy.
