A typical thunderstorm on the seaside in summer swept across Qingdao again. Lieutenant General Kato Dingji stood on the bridge of the King Kong, looking at the thick dark clouds in Laoshan Bay twenty nautical miles west of the sea level, and branches-like lightning. The faint thunder came here, just like the roar of artillery fire on the battlefield. The scenery on the sea is always the most spectacular.

He now commands the most powerful maritime power of the Japanese Empire, in addition to the Kwangon and four armored cruisers of the First Southern Detachment. It was originally planned to be the US detachment, and the Akihiro who searched for the Pacific Ocean and the Satsuma battleship also joined his fleet. There are also the old battleships and sea defense ships of the Second Fleet that seized Russia, Ishimi, Zhou Fang, Tango, Okinamama, and the old armored cruisers Takaba, Yakumo, and Iwashou. There are also the second-class cruisers Chitose, Ligan, Akashi, Yokotsu, Akitsu, Chiyoda, Takachiho and other warships. They form an unprecedentedly large lineup on the ocean. This operation almost put the Imperial Sea in a sea.

The remaining coal use plan for the army this year is used in a special fee plan. All the caliber gun shells in the warehouse are added here. The Navy and Army attach equal importance to this operation in Jiaozhou Bay. He is both satisfied and a little regretful about his huge lineup. He really has no opponent to fight! Looking around the fleet that is quietly cruised at low speed, more than a dozen lieutenant general flags, major general flags, and general flags flying above them. This represents the power of the empire. For future wars, the Navy and Army have issued the No. 9 of the Great Sea Order and the No. 11 of the Continent Order. A complete attack plan has been formulated.

The Navy and Army were divided into two large detachments, and planned to forcibly break into Laoshan Bay. However, this unit was mainly to restrain its forces and attract the main force of the Chinese Army to concentrate in the direction of Qingdao. The Army here planned to use the 18th Division of Lieutenant General Hiroshima, which was under the jurisdiction of 23 and 24 two infantry gangs, the 18th Field Artillery Ferry, and the 18th Cavalry Ferry. The navy cooperated to fight the squadron of Major General Takashima, which was mainly composed of old-style battleships and armored cruisers. The real attack main force was to the Lingshanwei and Longkou areas south of Jiaozhou Bay.

The sixth main force of the army and the guard division are used in this direction. Advance forward along the southern branch of the Jiaoji Line, reverse the main force of the Chinese army in Qingdao, and then annihilate it, and then advance eastward. The goal is to occupy Weixian and attack Jinan by camera. The navy's new First Southern Detachment Detachment and a huge cruiser destroyer detachment are used to cooperate with the left hook operation. With the subsequent advance of the army's fleets, the vanguards of the Sixth and Eighteenth Divisions are ready, and the attack is just in front of you.

Kato Tatsuki knocked the handrail in front of him hard, then come on! Whether it is the army or the navy, they have been looking forward to this war for a long time! The dissatisfaction with the politicians and chaebols in the army and the confusion about the difficulties and difficulties of the real national destiny must be resolved here! Whether the empire can continue to develop depends on the results of this action!

At this time, there was also a tense and busy atmosphere on the land. Although it was raining heavily, people and horses were driving in the rain. A large number of ammunition and a large number of military supplies were continuously transported along the Jiaoji Line. The materials seized in Qingdao were also evacuated eastward. A large number of soldiers wearing different symbols turned the war zone west of Weixian into a world of soldiers. The 18th Division had already reinforced, and the president's tiger den war room was also established in Jinan, and Chief of Staff Sima Zhan also came first.

The troops on the front line have been adjusted. The command of General Cai E in the First Field Army in Zhouzhuang was the command center of General Cai E in Zhouzhuang. The field army was under the command of two armies, and the commander of the Qingdao Army was Major General Lin Shuqing. He commanded the 17th Brigade and 18th Brigade of the 9th Division, as well as the Central Instructor. The combat area was the entire Qingdao area, Laoshan Bay and extended to the north to the Aoshanwei area. The total force was about 55,000, and there were heavy artillery support from Qingdao Fortress.

On their southern wing are Zhang Xiongfu's coastal defense army that covers the southern line of the Jiaoji Line. The army is under the 20th Division, the 23rd Division, the 20th Division, and the Independent Brigade of the Ninth Division. The total army has a total of more than 52,000 people. The combat effectiveness and equipment are slightly inferior to the battle units of the Qingdao Army.

The reserve team directly controlled by the field army was the 36th Brigade of the 18th Division, and the 32nd Brigade of the 16th Division heading north from Xingye. It was controlled to the west of Weixian, and there were also many field artillery soldiers drawn from various units. The tiger's den controlled the 35th Brigade and Independent Brigade of the 18th Division, as well as the 31st Brigade of the 16th Division. It was placed east of Weixian, forming a staging equipment.

There was a fierce debate between Sima Zhan in the tiger den and Cai E of Zhouzhuang, including their think tanks, about the upcoming war. The adjustment of the troops was delayed for a while. Cai E believed that the General Staff equipped the troops in a tiered manner, forming a tactic of oil. The Japanese army attacked the land and the two armies on the front line to resist would inevitably have insufficient troops and would not be in line with the situation of decisive battle. He envisioned using Qingdao's fortifications to defend the surrounding areas and consumed the Japanese army's vitality. Our army could use the Jiaoji Line to continuously supply. After the Japanese army felt that there was no hope of winning, they would naturally find a way to step down and retreat. This was also a good way to control the war to a certain scale. If his strategy was adopted, then the reserve troops controlled on the left and right of Weixian would have to push forward and connect the front-line combat troops. Jiang Baili from North China also sent a telegram to express his support for his idea.

However, Sima Zhan believed that the Japanese army had strong maritime strength. Except for Jiaozhou Bay, they could land everywhere. It was almost impossible to block the Japanese army on the coastline. On the front line, the army should firmly defend Qingdao to prevent the Japanese army from using this good port for supplies. If they supply the army on the beach, it would be extremely inconvenient without port facilities. Only limited guard forces should be placed on the other coastlines, and even Zhang Xiongfu's troops of the coastal defense force should be prepared to retreat from the front line at any time. When the Japanese army landed, Qingdao would definitely be like a huge magnet to attract the Japanese army to close. The strong reserve forces placed on the second line would be reversed and annihilated the Japanese army's living forces and forced them to give up this battle. According to his opinion, not only would it be possible to land the Japanese army?

The reserve team cannot move now, and the Qingdao army must draw at least three regiments out, and the coastal defense force must draw ten regiments back. Before Yuchen came to make the final decision, he firmly controlled the reserve team in Weixian and prevented them from moving. Such a strategic idea was determined, and he received strong support from He Sui and Chen Shanhe. Wu Cai seemed to be biased towards him a little more. In this way, the intensity of the first battle was not easy to control, and the Japanese army would definitely persist desperately after obtaining a bridgehead. And if it really hurts the Japanese army, they are worried that it will not end well. After all, the country has not yet supported the national strength of a long-term modern war! Everyone is waiting for Yuchen to arrive in Jinan quickly and set a principle for this battle. There is not much time left for the front line!

An unmarked car quickly left Jinan Railway Station in the rain. The guards on both sides of the car were wet. The rain kept dripping from the brim of the patent leather hat. But they were still standing on both sides of the car doors, looking around with a vigilant look. No one expected that this car without following the car was the car of President Yuchen of the Republic of China. He was originally scheduled to arrive in Jinan on the night of August 11, but he was anxious and arrived in Jinan on the afternoon of August 11. The people who came to greet him had not yet set off.

He sat in the car window and watched the scene outside quietly through the rain and fog. All around Jinan Station were soldiers carrying all the equipment. The officers and soldiers of the 18th Division were wearing white symbols and canvas rain gear, and were stumbled in the rain. Almost all the houses around the station were quarried down. The army gave the residents some money to temporarily place these troops flocking to Shandong. The troops of the 16th Division obviously did not even carry canvas rain gear. Each of them was carrying an oil paper umbrella, and some didn't know where to go. The officers were shouting loudly, while the officers at the General Station of the General Staff of Jinan City were flowing on their faces in the heavy rain. I don't know if it was sweat or rain. The whistle and greeting sounds were heard.

"The second troops of the 16th Division gather here! Your camp is in Tianwang Temple, follow me!"

"Where is the ammunition truck? The groom doesn't know where he drove the ammunition truck!"

"The food burden of our troops has not been followed yet, wait!"

"The 18th Division supports the Fifth Unit to pay attention. Your campsite has changed! Or gather in place!"

The chaotic soldiers watched the car come and all made way. Yuchen closed his eyes in the car. This time, in such a small combat area, nearly 200,000 troops were mobilized in such a short time. This was indeed the first time in history. He could understand this chaos. Countless soldiers were to be placed in place, tens of thousands of tons of ammunition, tens of thousands of tons of military food, and countless military equipment filled the railway line. A large number of field warehouses were to be set up, communication networks were set up, military stations were arranged, and military highways were built... These things have made Wu Cai, who stayed in Nanjing to coordinate all this. I believe that after this battle, the General Staff would be more experienced in planning and organizing large war zones.

No matter how chaotic the situation is now, there is still a large amount of ammunition and materials reserved on the Jiaoji line, thanks to him and the General Staff began preparing on the Jiaoji line in June. That's why Cai E fought so easily. The troops were also brought up. Several backbone troops could be adjusted by themselves. The only problem Yuchen was considering now was that the front-line field troops and the General Staff proposed two different strategic ideas. And they all make sense. Which one should he adopt? After all, he was the one who made the decision. No one in the army can replace him as the position of making decisions. Should he resist along the coastline, or let the Japanese army come in, use Qingdao as the iron occupation, and use the powerful reserve team as the hammer to launch a decisive battle with the Japanese army in the inland?

Resist along the coast and fight to the death. Under the bombardment of Japanese coastal artillery, there will be heavy casualties. However, the scale of the war can be controlled. As long as the Jiaoji line continues, the front line can be replenished continuously. You can continue to fight, but since the sea power is under the control of the Japanese army, they can also choose to land in other places. Then they will be passive! The army does not have so many troops to arrange all the coasts! But if the Japanese army really fights up... What if the situation of a full-scale war is really a situation? Yuchen has not been sleeping all night, and he has to consider this issue over and over again. Now there is not much time left for him to make a decision, and he must make a decision as soon as possible!

When he was not thinking about it, the car had already driven to the front of the original customs building in Jinan. It was already used as a tiger's den war room, and the front-line command of the General Staff. There were already military police guards at the door. Seeing Yuchen emerge from the car in heavy rain, everyone could not believe their eyes. Why did the president come like this? Yuchen pushed away the umbrella that Wang Dengke had opened with a calm face and walked in with big strides. When he walked through the corridor, he saw Sima Zhan and a group of staff members greeting him: "President, why are you here now? Let's call the Railway Military Transportation Office to check. You didn't take a special car this time, so it's too rash!" Yuchen smiled faintly, regardless of the raindrops on his body, waved: "Get in and talk!"

This tiger den war room in Jinan is already full of maps. Large sand tables have also been set up. Telephone lines are everywhere. Many people are marking the maps and making marks. They make buzzing comments. When Yuchen walked in, everyone stopped what was in his hands and stood at the sight to salute him. Yuchen returned a light salute and threw the cap on the table: "How is the situation on the front line?"

Sima Zhan frowned and took a baton to the sand table, and introduced Chao Yuchen: "The two front-line troops of the First Field Army are still in the coastal defense fortifications on the southern wing of Jiaozhou Bay in Qingdao and Jiaozhou Bay. The reserve team is now around Weixian. It is more than 100 kilometers away from the front line. The front line requires more strength, but I am ordering them to quickly draw most of the troops back and shrink back to form a powerful mobile army. But Teacher Songpo's attitude is very firm. The president, if he does not adjust the situation now, it is really too late! I still stick to my opinion. We cannot let the troops be beaten in the temporary coastal fortifications! Qingdao has a port and fortifications. It is necessary to defend. The success or failure of this war depends on our powerful mobile army along the railway line!"

Yuchen frowned and didn't say anything, but just looked at the sand table over and over again. The staff officers underneath began to whisper. Yuchen arrived here in advance, and paid attention to the deployment of the troops without caring about anything. It can be seen that the situation is so urgent now! The conflicts with the field troops now also make these officers irritable. Everyone is in a bottom line about such a large-scale war. Sima Zhan and Cai E almost started arguing on the phone! Yuchen knew in his heart that Sima Zhan was a simple soldier and both considered issues from a pure military aspect, while Cai E and Jiang Baili and others thought more. They insisted on resisting along the coast in order to have a good end in the future.

He frowned and asked Sima Zhan again: "What is the movement of the Japanese army?" Sima Zhan pointed at the small warship models on the sand table with his baton: "Based on the navy's intelligence and the results of yesterday's reconnaissance, the Japanese fleet seemed to have signs of division. A fleet and a fleet insisted on being on the front of Jiaozhou Bay, and a main fleet was moving north."

Yuchen murmured, "To the north?" Sima Zhan shook his head: "This is a feint! There is no railway there, and the focus of the Japanese attack is on Qingdao and Jiaozhou Bay South Wing! Their fleet will turn around at night. According to my estimate, the time for the Japanese attack should be around August 13. There is only one day left for us!" Yuchen nodded and said, "I agree with your judgment."

He finally found a chair and sat down, staring at Sima Zhan tightly: "If you want to form a mobile corps, what are your deployments? Now that you have to adjust, is it still too late?" Sima Zhan pointed to the sand table and replied in a low tone: "Qingdao plans to leave only four infantry regiments to guard the northern wing of Jiaozhou Bay, and use one regiment to guard the southern wing of Jiaozhou Bay to cover it with three regiments to guard it. And resist step by step. If the forces of the mobile corps are in accordance with my will, the Central Instructors, the Five Regiments of the Ninth Division, the Twentieth Division, and the Twentieth Division, and the Twent3rd Division.

All divisions, all three brigades of the 18th Division, and one brigade of the 16th Division. A total of twenty-seven regiments were gathered. They were placed on the front lines of Zhang Lu, Yao Gezhuang, Baicheng, and Zhouyang. They were behind the scenes to cover Gaomi and Weixian. While preventing the enemy from moving eastward, they could also hit their backs heavily while being attracted around Qingdao! Twenty-seven infantry regiments, plus about ten artillery regiments mobilized one after another. At the time of the change of the battle line of interest, you will definitely be able to win! For this, I can issue a military order to the President!"

Yuchen's head drooped, as if thinking about something. In a blink of an eye, he stood up again and walked to the sand table to look at Qingdao's position. He asked heavily: "What troops are you going to leave to defend Qingdao?" Sima Zhan said without hesitation: "The 17th Brigade forty-nine, fifty, fifty-one and three infantry regiments! Qingdao fortifications are being reorganized quickly, and the German army has sufficient ammunition and medicine resources. The lost troops during the attack have also been drawn from other troops to replenish. I believe they can defend Qingdao. They only need to hold on for about ten days!" Yuchen knocked on the sand table and said coldly: "My starting troops..."

At this time, everyone's eyes were focused on him, waiting for him to make the final decision. Yuchen held his hands behind his back and lowered his head. Everyone knew that the ideological struggle in his mind was extremely fierce. At this time, there was no time to listen to Cai E and the others' opinions. These combat thoughts were deduced countless times in the General Staff. Yuchen suddenly stood up. Since Japan has the determination to bet on the national destiny, why dare not deal with this challenge? For such a nation that bullies the weak and fears the strong, it is necessary to hurt him! Where is his previous courage now? Only by fighting hard can we strive for the best result. We always want to keep our hands, but the only thing waiting for us is failure!

He turned around suddenly and looked at Sima Zhan: "I have made up my mind and will take your plan! The troops will adjust from now on, and most of them will be completed within 24 hours! Before dawn arrives on the 13th, at least the 20th regiments must be gathered in the predetermined area! A plan will be formed immediately and the order will be issued! The Mobile Corps is still commanded by the First Field Army Command! Tell Cai Songpo that I asked him to implement it resolutely. Tell Lin Shuqing, who is guarding Qingdao, that I want him to defend the dead! Twenty days later, I will celebrate everyone in Nanjing!"

Yuchen's determination determines the intensity of the battle and the future pattern of the Far East. Countless soldiers of the two countries will fight bloody in the future to win. His words are filled with a trace of metallic tremolo, as if they have just been fired from the cannon chamber.

Yuchen's decision was quickly transmitted through telephone lines and radio waves. The top-secret combat plan mimeographed by the General Staff also quickly sent to the main combat units through trains and cavalry. The troops that had been on the front and rear received this strict order. No matter what they thought in their hearts, these troops that had long become anxious and impatient for the uncertainty of the combat situation took action and continued to implement it resolutely. Countless troops were repairing in Jinan, and drove forward in the heavy rain. It turned out that a large amount of supplies in the car were unloaded on the spot.

After the troops were sent down, many troops could only drive on foot and run forward in heavy rain. Time didn't wait for anyone! The frontline troops also retreated from the coastal fortifications that had been built with great effort, leaving behind strong garrison troops in Qingdao. What awaited them was to insist on their fate as long as possible in the center of the storm. The purpose of stuck Qingdao was to prevent this completely equipped port from being used by the Japanese army, so that the supply of their landing troops could not be guaranteed, and that they would be surrounded by the important role of this port!

In the heavy rain, the east side of the Jiaoji Line was filled with waves of soldiers. The horse-drawn cannons were moving east and west, and countless civilians were transporting supplies. This war machine finally began to operate at a high speed.
Chapter completed!