Chapter 9: Battle of the South and the North (II)

The escorts occupied most of Shandong on the south bank of the Yellow River and the east bank of the canal, which left the Taierzhuang Battle in history no longer visible, but also allowed the Battle of Xuzhou to be advanced.

After experiencing several losses in Shandong, Suiyuan, Jinbei and other countries, the Japanese base camp realized that the People's Party's armed forces was a major obstacle to its realization of the mainland strategy. The top Japanese military leaders once argued that forcing the National Government to surrender or destroy the People's Party's armed forces first. However, because Japan's aviation technical capabilities were unable to produce fighter jets that reached or exceeded the People's Party Air Force in a short period of time, Prince Zai Ren and Itagaki and other senior generals believed that early confrontation with the People's Party will consume too much of the Japanese elite forces. Even if the top armed forces in China were defeated, the Japanese army would probably not be able to achieve the purpose of forcing the National Government to surrender, and it may also prompt the Soviet Union to compete with Japan for Chinese territory under the pretext of cracking down on the People's Party's armed forces.

On the contrary, if the Japanese army first forces the National Government to surrender, incite and use the grudges between the National Government and the People's Party armed forces to make the Chinese fall into internal friction, the Japanese army mobilizes heavy troops to attack the People's Party armed forces, and with the fighter jets that may be produced at that time that can compete with the People's Party Air Force, Japan's mainland strategy will still be very sure of realizing it. Moreover, Japan will have enough strength to exclude the Soviet Union and monopolize the huge benefits brought by annexation of China.

Of course, strategic priority does not mean that the Japanese army will avoid war when facing the People's Party armed forces in the future. If the time permits, the Japanese army in China can also attack the People's Party armed forces, especially the guards in Shandong, in order to prepare for future strategic decisive battles.

After the debate, the Japanese base camp's 38-year combat plan was clearer, that is, to capture Xuzhou to open up the ties between North China and Central China, weaken the forces deployed by the National Government on the periphery of Wuhan; to capture Wuhan and eliminate the elite armed forces of the National Government to force them to surrender; to capture Guangzhou to block the southeast coast of China, cut off the channels for the National Government to introduce materials from overseas, and increase the efforts to force subduction.

In the annual plan, the first thing to achieve is to capture Xuzhou.

According to the preparations of the Japanese army in China, the Japanese base camp issued an order to severely damage the forces of the Central China and the Central China dispatched troops on March 30 to the North China Front Army and the Central China dispatched troops: to severely damage the forces of the Central China, capture Xuzhou, and open up the connection between North China and Central China.

The order stipulates that the North China Front Army defeated the Kuomintang troops near Xuzhou with its main force, and occupied the areas east of Lanfeng and north of Longhai Road; the main force of the Central China dispatched troops attacked the Huaihe River and north of the Yangtze River, blocking the retreat routes of the National Government troops south of Xuzhou and west, occupying the southern section of the Jinpu Road with Hefei, Yancheng, Funing and other places, and cooperating with the North China Front Army; the operation began in early April.

Regarding the commander of Xuzhou operations, the Japanese base camp wanted Sugiyama to be responsible for unified responsibility, but because Sugiyama and Satori Hata were both ranks of marshals, considering that forming a command relationship among the marshals would have an adverse impact on the combat sentiment of the commander and their troops, the base camp decided to command the region according to the unified combat plan, and the base camp's operations Minister Major General Hashimoto led the dispatch team of the staff headquarters to Dezhou to coordinate and guide the operations in North China and Central China.

After the order from the Japanese base camp was issued, the Central China dispatched troops had already fought with the Fifth War Zone in the Huaihe River, northern Jiangsu and other places, except for increasing their troops and making certain adjustments to the attack direction, there was no big change. However, after receiving the order from the base camp, the North China Front Army was very busy.

In northern Shanxi and Chanan confronted the People's Army, the guards also restrained the two divisions on the north bank of the Yellow River. Although the attack on Yan Xishan's troops in southern Shanxi achieved certain results and occupied Taigu, Qixian, Pingyao, Xiyang, Liaoxian, Heshun, Yushe and other places, they failed to attack the hinterlands of southwestern Shanxi and southeastern Shanxi. The troops of the Second World War Zone were still fighting against the Japanese army with their strong fortifications. In this case, the battle of Xuzhou was launched, and the adjustment of the troops alone made Shanshanyuan scratch his head.

"Okabe Jun, how many troops can the front army draw for the Xuzhou direction?" Sugiyama Moto asked.

"Your Excellency, according to the current situation, the Front Army should be able to draw four divisions to attack Xuzhou." Naozo Okabe explained, "The 5th, 16th, and 109th divisions are now in full state. The 14th Division has not suffered much loss in the battle in southern Shanxi, so it can also be drawn out."

"The 20th Division and 108th Division maintain pressure on southern Shanxi, and it is indeed possible to draw out the 14th Division. However, if the 5th and 109th Divisions are transferred from the north bank of the Yellow River, what if the guards take the opportunity to go north?" Sugiyamamoto frowned.

"Your Excellency, the north bank of the lower reaches of the Yellow River is higher than the south bank, and it was already difficult to cross the river north. In addition, the ice flood season has not passed, and the rainy season will come again after the ice flood. It is not easy for the escort army to cross the river in large quantities." Naomima Okabe said confidently, "After the 5th and 109th Divisions left, the defense on the north bank of the Yellow River can be handed over to the 5th Brigade of the ** Mixed Brigade, and the 13th Brigade takes over. With these two brigades and some Imperial Army, it is no problem to persist in the defense on the north bank of the Yellow River until autumn."

**The 5th Brigade of Mixed Industries was once organized into the Kwantung Army, but due to the Battle of Xuzhou, the base camp still transferred it to the command of the North China Front Army. The 13th Brigade of Mixed Industries was a strengthening force transferred from the Kwantung Army. The two Japanese military brigades, plus Wang Kemin and Wang Yitang's "Provisional Government of the Republic of China", could indeed block the guards on the south bank for a period of time due to factors such as geographical location and seasonal climate.

"This kind of adjustment is OK." Sugiyama nodded and pondered, "Money of the two corpses stationed in Mongolia and stationed in the country have been fully compensated. In addition, there are three brigades there, so it should be OK to draw the 114th Division out to participate in the Xuzhou battle."

Naozo Okabe was shocked and hurriedly dissuaded: "Your Excellency, although the losses of the two corps stationed in Mongolia and stationed in Mongolia have been replenished, and there are three mixed brigades, if the 114th Division is transferred, our army will be in northern Shanxi and Chanan will have only more than 60,000 troops. According to reliable information, the People's Army is in Suidong and the North Shanxi and the North Shanxi has reached more than 130,000 troops! The enemy's troops are twice as strong as us, and they have air superiority, and the ground heavy firepower is extremely fierce. If the 114th Division is transferred, the People's Army will take the opportunity to move. If there is any loss in northern Shanxi and Chanan, then Beijing will be dangerous, and even the situation in the entire North China may change as a result!"

After the establishment of the Nanjing government, Chiang Kai-shek changed Beijing to Peking in 28 years. After the Japanese occupied Beiping, he supported Wang Kemin, Wang Yitang and others to establish the pseudo-Republic of China Provisional Government and changed Peiping to Beijing. However, the name "Beijing" was only used among the Japanese and puppets at that time. Most Chinese people still claimed that the old name "Beiping" was just one place, and two names were used separately.

Seeing that Sugiyama was a little hesitant, Okabe Naozo said again: "Your Excellency, the front army confronted the People's Party in northern Shanxi, southern Shanxi, and Shandong. The war in southern Shanxi has not yet ended, and the Xuzhou battle is going to be launched. The use of this force has reached its limit. Even if it is not considered for northern Shanxi and southern Shanxi, the front army must retain a certain amount of mobility to deal with emergencies. The 114th Division is still not used well!"

"Okabe Jun's analysis makes sense, but the 114th Division still needs to move." Sugiyama Moto decided, "However, it is not used in the Xuzhou direction, but transferred to Beijing as a reserve team for the Front Army. With the Jinpu, Jinghan, and Jingsui Railways, the Front Army can respond in a timely manner no matter which direction changes."

Naozo Okabe opened his mouth and wanted to persuade him again, but Sugiyama Sora waved his hand and said, "The adjustment of the troops is determined. Let's study the specific deployment of the front army to the Xuzhou battle." Naozo Okabe knew that it would be useless to say it, so he had to agree with Sugiyama Sora's decision.

The 114th Division was transferred to Peiping. It seemed that the division could respond to emergencies in a timely manner through railways, but in fact it was not the case. If the People's Army attacked northern Shanxi and Chanan, the 114th Division would inevitably be re-transferred, and it would be a waste of trouble when it came to the north of Shandong or Xuzhou. If the direction of northern Shandong or Xuzhou changes, the People's Army attacked northern Shanxi and Chanan again, the situation would appear as what Okabe Naomi was worried about. Once the two corpses stationed in Mongolia and the other Japanese troops were defeated, the situation will not only be Pingjin, but also the entire North China will change.

Sugiyama Yuan was not unclear about the benefits, but he believed that the Central China Expeditionary Army had compressed Li Zongren's troops in the fifth theater to the north of the Huaihe River, and the North China Front Army would then use heavy troops to suppress Xuzhou. As for the escort army, it would be under heavy attacks in two to three directions of the Japanese army, and there would be no major chaos. The transfer of the 114th Division to Peiping was just a matter of dealing with it.

There are differences in understanding between Naomi Okabe and Sora Sugiyama. What will happen in the future will be the facts that will be discussed later.

"Your Excellency, according to the specific situation of the front army's participation in the war, the entire Xuzhou battle will be divided into three stages." Okabe Naomi walked to the front of the map hanging on the wall, picked up the wooden stick on the side, pointed and pointed at it, "In the first stage, the front army's participating troops would look for opportunities to cross the Yellow River in Puyang and Puxian areas, and occupy Juancheng and Heze in southwestern Shandong. As for Yuncheng, Jiaxiang, Juye, Jinxiang, Yutai and other places on the west bank of the canal, they would be spared first, making it a barrier between the front army and the guards.

In the second stage, after capturing Heze, the 14th Division will attack Kaocheng and Lanfeng in eastern Henan to isolate the connection between southwestern Shandong and the First War Zone, and cut off the Longhai Railway to prevent the First War Zone troops from rescued Xuzhou. The 5th, 16th, and 109th Divisions will attack Dingtao, Cao County, Shan County, Shangqiu, and Dangshan from Heze to the south, cut off the Longhai Railway to cut off the escape route of Li Zongren's troops in Xuzhou, and attack from west to east.

In the third stage, the 5th, 16th and 109th divisions will join forces with the northbound troops of the Central China dispatched troops to encircle and annihilate the Li Zongren army in Xuzhou and open up the connection between the two fronts."

As if seeing Sugiyama's doubts, Naozo Okabe continued to explain: "Although the People's Party is in hostility with the National Government, the Chinese are now clamoring to fight against the Imperial Team. Although the incident happened not long ago that Guryomin led his troops to join the Guards, the People's Party armed forces have never taken the initiative to attack other Chinese armed forces since July last year, but have pointed their finger at the Imperial Team. Therefore, there are troops stationed in the west bank of the Canal, and the Guards should not cross the river to advance west.

In addition, the route of attacking Xuzhou from Juancheng through Heze, Dingtao and other places was also considered that this area was the junction of the China War Zone One and the Five War Zones. From a regional perspective, southwestern Shandong belongs to the scope of the Five War Zones, but Heze, Shangqiu and other places were troops from the First War Zone. In the two China War Zones, troops were intertwined and attacked and advanced in different areas, it was easier for the imperial soldiers to achieve results.

Of course, we cannot always keep the troops in the Fifth War Zone on the west bank of the canal. After the front army forces take Shangqiu and cut off the enemy's westward retreat in Xuzhou, our army can calmly divide the troops and occupy the west bank of the canal."

Because the guards occupied most of Shandong and the Japanese army wanted to avoid this hard bone first, the combat plan mentioned by Naozo Okabe was fundamentally different from the Xuzhou strategy of the Japanese army in North China in history. However, Naozo Okabe was indeed unique in grasping the fighter jets, and actually chose an attack plan that was extremely beneficial to the Japanese army in the complex situation.

After listening to Naozo Okabe's introduction, Sugiyama Moto pondered for a moment before nodding with a smile and said, "The combat plan formulated by Okabe Jun is good. I heard that there is an idiom in China called 'Ku Ding Cut the Ox'. The attacks of the Front Army after crossing the Yellow River can be said to be free to cut off the escort army and find a place with meat. This is very good! However, we cannot avoid the escort army's hard bones. I have suggested to the base that after the Battle of Xuzhou, the Front Army and the Central China Expeditionary Force jointly resolve the escort army problem and completely open up the Jinpu Line!"

"Your Excellency, after conquering Xuzhou, the Front Army and the Central China dispatched troops need to rest and supplement their combat losses. I am afraid that they will not be able to fight against the escort army for the time being." As soon as they destroyed the escort army of the 10th Division and the 118th Brigade, Naozo Okabe's expression became solemn. "Based on the intelligence found, the escort army has at least five armies, with a total force of more than 300,000. In addition, they have a large number of heavy artillery and air advantages, so it is difficult to deal with it without sufficient preparation. If they want to wipe out the escort army in one fell swoop and occupy all Shandong, at least more than 200,000 imperial elites need to be added!"

Although the guards vigorously cleaned up the Japanese and puppet and traitors, and the combat information about the war has never been leaked. However, the deployment of troops on the Yellow River and the canal line is difficult to hide from some people who are interested.

By observing the logistics supplies entering and leaving the barracks, especially the daily food, vegetables and other consumption of the troops, we can roughly infer the amount of troops in the barracks. According to the number of the guards deployed on the south bank of the Yellow River, it is inferred that the guards should have at least five equally organized armies. This is why Okabe believes that the guards have more than 300,000 troops. As for the guards' special combat brigade, teaching brigade, Dazhushan garrison brigade, Yimeng Military Academy, headquarters-directed institutions, etc., it was inadvertently avoided the Japanese army's purpose of exploration because it was located in the old Yimeng district or remote area, and it was difficult for outsiders to enter.

The guards inferred that there were more than 300,000 troops, while in northern Shanxi, there were more than 130,000 people's army inside and outside the Suidong Great Wall. Not to mention other people's army units that could not be detected clearly due to the vast northwest area, the more than 400,000 people's party armed forces alone gave Sugiyama a headache. Even if the People's Party armed forces did not take the initiative to attack, as long as they exist and were in hostility with the Japanese army, they would have to restrain a considerable number of troops from the North China Front Army!

What made Sugiyama Tsuki particularly helpless is that although the People's Army and the Guards were separated, they had the most advanced fighter jets and bombers in the world, and could cross space distances through air force at any time. Although the Japanese base camp specially allocated more than 100-year-old fighter jets from the country to strengthen the air power of the Japanese troops in North China and Central China, if this force was to confront the People's Party Air Force, it would soon become the number of war damages on the base camp's statistical table.

In history, the Japanese army dared to challenge the United States, a giant with about 400 Zero fighters and launched the Pacific War. Now, the Ministries Air Force has more than 300 F-1 fighters with zero performance than the history of the Zero fighter, and is competing with the Japanese army on land and offshore. The pain of the Japanese can be imagined! In fact, if it were not for the air superiority of the Ministries' armed forces, the accustomed Japanese base camp and even Naozo Okabe, would not let the Ministries' armed forces aside when formulating strategic plans or formulating battle plans.

"Okabe-kun, do you think that when the Front Army launched the Xuzhou Battle, will the People's Party armed forces remain as safe as they are now?" For some reason, Sugiyama Sora suddenly felt a deep worry, mixed with a hint of indescribable fear. "What would happen if the Imperial ** team and the Chinese government forces were fighting fiercely and the People's Party armed forces suddenly entered?"

"Your Excellency, this is also the reason why I do not agree with the transfer of the 114th Division and the troops in the fifth war zone on the west bank of the southwestern Shandong canal for the time being." Okabe Naozo smiled bitterly and said with some uncertainty, "With the front army's troops in northern Shanxi and southern Shanxi, and with fortification defense, it should be able to withstand a period of time. There is a natural barrier of the Yellow River in northern Shandong, and there are troops in the fifth war zone as a barrier in southwestern Shandong, so there should not be the worst result..."

Sugiyama Tsubasa also sighed: "I hope so..."

After a while of silence, Sugiyama Moto cheered up and said, "Okabe, the combat plan has been formulated, and the rest will be left to the two armies and various divisions. The base camp sent Hashimoto to lead a team to set up a dispatch command post in Texas to coordinate the combat operations of the Front Army and the Central China dispatched troops. You can bring some capable candidates to Texas and serve as representatives of the Front Army to assist Hashimoto's operations. If there is any situation, please contact me directly."

Being able to cooperate with the headquarters dispatched agencies is responsible for coordinating the actions of the two major Japanese troops, and can also directly report the situation to Sugiyama Moto. This trust made Okabe very grateful, so he bowed and thanked: "Thank you for your cultivation! Your post will live up to your entrusted responsibility!"

Naozo Okabe went to Texas to meet Hashimoto and others, and Sugiyama Sora also issued an order to the relevant troops of the North China Front Army. The 114th Division was eventually transferred to Peking to stand by, and other troops participating in the Battle of Xuzhou also took action after receiving the order from Sugiyama Sora.

Li Zongren thought of causing trouble and let the guards and the Japanese army consume each other; the Japanese army hoped to temporarily avoid the guards' edge, first pinch soft persimmons and then turn around and chew hard bones; while the guards were ready to take advantage of the situation and take the opportunity to enter.

The three parties have their own plans, and there should be some controversy, but with the deciphering code provided by Zhou Mingyuan, the intentions and trends of the surrounding five war zones and the Japanese army were almost one-way transparent to the guards. It is expected that under the enemy's initiative, the guards will make targeted deployment arrangements. Unless there is an emergency, no matter whether it is the Japanese or the fifth war zone, they will only be defeated by then!

The Central China Expeditionary Army is still a distance away from the area controlled by the Guards, but the 16th Division of the North China Front Army crossed the river on the night of April 6 made Gu Haichuan and others alert, and the Japanese's actions began!

!#


Chapter completed!