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Chapter 724 Your Excellency General is wise, I admire you!
Datong.

Headquarters of the 1th Division of the Japanese Army.

The main force of the original 1st Division has been wiped out, and more than 5000 soldiers escaped from the Eighth Route Army.

The good news is that most of these more than 5000 soldiers are combat troops, the best of the best.

The bad news is that except for the heavy artillery unit, almost all the heavy weapons of the 1st Division were destroyed and seized by the Eighth Route Army.

The chief of staff and two brigade leaders died in battle, and the 1st Division was completely disabled.

However, the 1st Division is still a Type A division.

The head of the division, Mitsuo Nakazawa, mixed the two infantry regiments transferred by Okamura Ningji, commander of the North China Front Army, with more than 2 escaped soldiers, and reorganized them into three infantry regiments.

Each infantry regiment has about 3600 people. In addition, the engineer regiment and the logistics regiment have been re-established, but the number is relatively small.

As for the cavalry wing, it was not rebuilt, and the artillery wing continued to use the heavy artillery wing.

Although the current 1st Division is a three-unit division, its combat effectiveness is much stronger than other three-unit divisions.

Of course, this is compared with the three-unit divisions, and compared with other Type A divisions, the combat effectiveness of the 1st Division is not enough.

"Reporting to the head of the division, the Shimonoseki stronghold has been bombarded by the enemy..."

A combat staff officer walked in quickly and reported to the head of the 1st Division, Mitsuo Nakazawa.

The Maguan stronghold is relatively close to the defense zone of the Xinyi Regiment, and Sanfu Zhongze sent a squadron and a company of puppet troops to station there.

In order to prevent the large forces of the Eighth Route Army going north to attack Datong, if the main force of the Eighth Route Army shows signs of going north, the devils in the Maguan stronghold will immediately report to the division headquarters.

But yesterday, the Shimonoseki stronghold lost contact. Not only did the phone call fail, but even the radio call did not respond.

Therefore, the headquarters of the 1st Division hurriedly dispatched only more than 100 cavalry troops to the Maguan stronghold to check the situation.

The Japanese cavalry returned to Datong this morning.

"Has been shelled by the enemy?"

Sanfu Zhongze was startled suddenly. He didn't need the combat staff to tell him that this so-called enemy must be the formidable enemy of the 1st Division—the Xinyi Regiment of the Eighth Route Army.

After a pause, Sanfu Zhongze asked, "Has the main force of the Eighth Route New First Regiment gone north?"

"That's not there."

The combat staff officer replied.

Sanfu Nakazawa frowned, so it is understandable why the Maguan stronghold lost contact and the telephone line was cut. Could it be that the radio station was also blown up?

The old devil was puzzled, only to hear the combat staff continue to report:
"The reconnaissance cavalry reported that the Maguan stronghold was covered by heavy artillery fire from the Eighth Route Army, and all the locust troops stationed at the Maguan stronghold were smashed!"

"Nani?" Sanfu Nakaze was startled, "The Eighth Route Army used heavy artillery to cover the Maguan stronghold?"

"Hi!" said the combat staff officer, "Balu fired at least 60 high-explosive artillery shells with a caliber of not less than 150mm..."

Sanfu Nakazawa felt his cheeks twitch suddenly when he heard the words.

This Li Yunlong is simply inhumane.

To attack a medium-sized masonry stronghold, 150mm heavy artillery was actually used. Could it be that the 150mm high-explosive shells of the Eighth Route Army were all blown by the wind?
To deal with the fortifications of masonry towers and bunkers, it is enough to use 75mm mountain guns or 75mm field guns.

Even when the Japanese army attacked the county, they would not easily use 150mm heavy artillery.

"Since it was bombarded, the locust army stationed at the Maguan stronghold should be able to send out the news asking for tactical knowledge?"

Sanfu Nakazawa was puzzled: "Why didn't any news come back?"

"This..." The combat staff officer looked embarrassed, "The scout cavalry doesn't know what's going on."

Mitsuo Nakazawa waved his hand, signaling the combat staff to leave.

The combat staff officer bowed his head and turned to leave.

Seeing the back of the combat staff officer disappearing through the door, Mitsuo Nakazawa felt a dull pain in his head.

Setting up strongholds on the highway also cannot play a vigilant role against the Xinyi regiment.

They dispatched 150mm heavy artillery and covered the stronghold with artillery fire. The locust army in the stronghold didn't even have time to send out a message for help.

The artillery firepower that allows the locust army to send out a message for help is at least a 150mm heavy artillery wing.

How can this serve as a warning?I am afraid that the 1st Division will not know that the Eighth Route Army is coming until the Eighth Route Army hits Datong.

For Li Yunlong, the leader of the new regiment, Zhongze Sanfu is extremely jealous.

This is a guy who doesn't play cards according to common sense and is extremely cunning.

Just like last time, who would have thought that the 5 Eighth Route Army would ambush the main force of the 1st Division in the ice and snow?

To deal with Li Yunlong, Nakaze Sanfu felt extremely difficult and had no way to start.

How should we guard against the new regiment?

Lieutenant General Mitsuo Nakazawa fell into deep thought.

……

In the war hall of the North China Front Army.

Neiji Okamura, Moritake Tanabe, and Seizo Arimue began to discuss how many Japanese troops would be dispatched in order to wipe out the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army.

Chief of Staff of the North China Front Army, Tanabe Moritake first looked thoughtful, and then said.

"Your Excellency, with all due respect."

"Last time the locust army mobilized 4 second-line divisions and 1 permanent division, but none of them wiped out the new regiment headquarters of the Eighth Route Army. Instead, the locust army suffered heavy losses."

"This time, the locust army wants to eliminate the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army, and the locust army will use at least 10 divisions."

As the chief of staff of the North China Front Army, Moritake Tanabe was naturally going to speak first.

Arisue Seizo on the side also nodded. He had long proposed to use 10 divisions to attack Northwest Shanxi.

But Okamura Ningji did not take over. The North China Front Army had a total of 10 divisions, and dispatched 10 divisions to attack Northwest Shanxi. Do you want other places in North China?

Okamura Ningji frowned, and said in a deep voice, "Tanabe-kun, tell me your reason!"

It is no small matter to dispatch 10 divisions to attack Northwest Shanxi. It is necessary to apply to the headquarters and base camp of the dispatched army, and to mobilize elite divisions from other places.

and.

At least one month's combat supplies for 10 divisions must be prepared, that is, 10 divisions will distribute supplies for the battle, that is, 10 tons of combat supplies.

"Hi!"

Moritake Tanabe pointed to the map of Northwest Shanxi and said:

"Your Majesty, please take a look."

"Our last battle plan was to use the elite 10th Division to attack and contain the Eighth Route Army's new regiment."

"Then use four second-line divisions and part of the Locust Alliance Army to attack the Independent Regiment and the New Second Regiment of the Eighth Route Army."

"After the Locust Army and the Locust Alliance Army defeated the Eighth Route Independent Regiment and the New Second Regiment, attack the Eighth Route Army's Xinyi Regiment on three sides, and then wipe out the Eighth Route Army's Xinyi Regiment."

Ningji Okamura nodded slightly. That was indeed the plan of the North China Front Army.

This battle plan is also quite clever. After achieving the strategic goal of encircling on three sides, Neiji Okamura is also planning to implement iron-rolling mopping tactics against the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army.

It's a pity that Okamura Ningji miscalculated the combat effectiveness of the Eighth Route New Second Regiment, the Independent Regiment, and even the New First Regiment.

The four second-line divisions attacked for more than half a month, and only entered the bases of the independent regiment and the new second regiment under the condition of huge casualties.

At this time, the 10th Division had been defeated by the Xinyi Regiment of the Eighth Route Army, and the entire battle plan would go bankrupt at that time.

Tanabe Shengwu continued: "At that time, the Locust Army misestimated the combat effectiveness of the Eighth Route Army's New Second Regiment, Independent Regiment, and New First Regiment. Now the strength of the three regiments of the Northwest Shanxi Eighth Route Army must be stronger than last year, so my humble suggestion is , and directly dispatched 10 elite divisions to completely eliminate the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army, so as to avoid endless troubles."

Neiji Okamura looked at Yumo Seizo and asked, "Youmo-kun, what do you think?"

"I agree with the chief of staff's suggestion." Arime Seizo said solemnly, "It's time for the locust army to show their true strength, and completely eliminate Li Yunlong and the new regiment with an unstoppable momentum."

At this time, the Japanese army achieved victory in Southeast Asia, and the Japanese navy also had an advantage in the Pacific Ocean.

Although the Japanese army cannot take a new offensive in China, from the perspective of the grand strategic situation, Japan has a promising future.

Although the United States did not return to the negotiating table as expected, it chose to fight with Japan.

But Ningji Okamura and Moritake Tanabe were not too worried.

Judging from the combat effectiveness displayed by the US troops in Southeast Asia, the British army, and the US army at Pearl Harbor, the US and British troops were vulnerable to the Japanese offensive.

It is not even comparable to the army of the national government.

"We don't have the strength of ten divisions now."

Neiji Okamura shook his head:

"There are not so many combat materials to deal with the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army."

If the North China Front Army wants to attack the Xinyi Regiment of the Eighth Route Army in Northwest Shanxi, the troops of the First Army must not move.

Now the Eighth Route Army in Southeast Shanxi has the strength to fight against the First Army.

Neiji Okamura continued: "Our North China Front Army can only deploy three divisions including the 1st Division at most to attack the Eighth Route Army in Northwest Shanxi."

Tanabe Moritake said: "Your Excellency, since the order was personally issued by the base camp, why don't we request the base camp to mobilize elite divisions, combat supplies, aircraft and aerial bombs?"

"The base camp should also know that our North China Front Army alone cannot defeat the Xinyi Regiment and eliminate Li Yunlong."

Ningji Okamura nodded. If he wanted to launch an attack on Northwest Shanxi, he must ask for help from the base camp.

As for how many elite divisions and combat supplies the base camp can transfer to the North China Front Army, it depends on how determined the base camp is to kill Li Yunlong.

Neiji Okamura said: "Mr. Tanabe, please immediately draft a telegram and apply to the base camp to mobilize 8 elite divisions and 10 tons of combat supplies to the North China Front Army."

Moritake Tanabe was preparing to draft a telegram. When he heard Neiji Okamura's words, he couldn't help being startled. His tone was hesitant: "Your Excellency, General, if you apply for 8 elite divisions and 10 tons of combat supplies at once, will the headquarters agree?"

Neiji Okamura smiled slightly: "Mr. Tanabe, have you ever heard a saying: If you want to open a window in a room, everyone disagrees, but if you want to lift the roof, others will agree to it." window."

This was said by Lu Xun. Ningji Okamura is a China hand and has also read Lu Xun's works.

After Tanabe Moritake thought about it carefully, he understood the truth.

"Your Excellency is wise, I admire you!"

Moritake Tanabe bowed his head suddenly, Okamura Ningji, who flattered him, was in a happy mood.

(End of this chapter)