Still in the quiet but heavily guarded alley of Pingbeicheng.
Wearing a Japanese kimono and wooden clogs, Shanshan Yuan was sitting under the big tree in the courtyard, making tea leisurely.
The sound of hurried footsteps did not make the top Japanese commander in North China raise his eyelids. He still carefully picked up the delicate teapot and filled the two teacups in front of him with tea.
"Your Excellency, Commander, are you looking for me?" Saburo Okabe, dressed in neat military uniform, respectfully walked up to Yuan Shanshan and asked with his head bowed.
"Sit!" A faint smile appeared on Shan Shanyuan's face, and he pointed to the small tea bowl he had just filled.
“Try it!”
"Hi!" A trace of doubt flashed in Saburo Okabe's eyes, but he quickly bowed his head very obediently. He took off his sword and gun from his waist, sat cross-legged opposite Yuan Shanshan, picked up the teacup with one hand, and didn't care.
The green tea soup was still steaming, so I drank it in one gulp.
This is not to say that he, the chief of staff of the front army, is so afraid of the general commander, but that this is a way of drinking tea. It is wrong to cook tea with boiling water. Different teas require water of different temperatures to lock in the aroma of the tea leaves.
This inconspicuous detail is enough to show his trust in the standard of tea ceremony of His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief.
"Good tea!" Closing his eyes and letting the fragrance of tea linger on his tongue, Saburo Okabe praised: "This tea has a refreshing aroma and a sweetness. I boldly guess that this tea comes from the local area."
"Haha, you are indeed Okabe-kun!" Gen Sugami smiled brightly. "The tea is Shirakawa tea from Hida Mountain in Gibu Prefecture, and the water for making tea comes from the pure snow of Mount Fuji."
"For such a precious tea, I must have another cup!" Seeing that this person was in such a good mood, Okabe Saburo immediately flattered him.
"You and I can taste the art of tea slowly and carefully. Today, calling Okabe-kun to come is a trivial matter." Shanshan Yuan smiled slightly and looked at the envelope placed on the side of the waiter. "Okabe.
How about you take a look at it and give me some advice?"
"Hi!" Saburo Okabe picked up a seemingly ordinary envelope from the small table.
‘Top secret!’ The two prominent Japanese characters on the envelope made the chief of staff of the Japanese North China Front Army, who was about to be promoted to the division commander of the Kwantung Army, tremble in his heart.
These two words mean that the intelligence level is extremely high. Perhaps no one in North China knows the contents of this envelope except the person in front of me.
Before the envelope was opened, this person's mind was already racing.
Since the last time he had endured the humiliation in exchange for the unfortunate child Fujiwara Senzuo and calmed down the anger of the Fujiwara family, even if the front army paid an unimaginable price, Sugamimoto's attitude towards him is much closer, and many matters are dealt with directly.
It is handled by the staff department, including this time sending two main divisions south to reinforce the Central China Expeditionary Force at the request of the base camp. All plans are planned by him as the chief of staff.
Saburo Okabe was somewhat grateful for this. As long as the two master regiments made certain achievements in the Battle of Jiangxia, he, the mastermind behind the battle, would have merit, which could offset a lot of the negative impact of the failure of the indirect command of the Battle of Southeast Shanxi.
If you treat me well, I will naturally repay you twice as much. Saburo Okabe is even more respectful to Gen Sugami. These two or three months are completely the honeymoon period for the commander and chief of staff of the North China Front.
But now, he, the chief of staff, is allowed to view top-secret information that only the commander can see, and he is asked to give advice. What is the intention in this? This has to make Saburo Okabe's little mind, which can be called a chicken thief,
It started running quickly.
"China's Second Theater Command has ordered us to launch a counterattack against our North China Front Army in order to contain the main force of our North China Front Army!..." Saburo Okabe finished reading the top-secret intelligence content in a low voice, and frowned slightly as he looked at Yuan Shishanshan.
.
[A novel app that has been running stably for many years, comparable to the old book-chasing tool, a source-changing app used by old bookworms, huanyuanapp.org]
"This is the intelligence sent by the Imperial Army Intelligence Agency's code-named 'Dark Moon' spy. He has been lurking in China for 10 years and has only sent out 5 pieces of intelligence in total. All of them are true. This is his sixth piece of intelligence."
Shan Yuan answered calmly.
We have been working together for 4 months. Gen Sugami still knows a little about Saburo Okabe. He knows that he is cautious and considerate. If he does not trust him, it will be difficult for him to tell the truth, so he directly told him the letter he asked him to read.
The source of top secret information.
The Imperial Army Intelligence Service sent countless spies to China over a period of twenty years, but not many of them had their own code names.
"Your Excellency, Commander, this matter is important, please let me consider it!" Saburo Okabe said sincerely.
"It's okay, Okabe-kun will give me some advice after you think about it. There's no rush!" Shanshan Yuan smiled slightly.
This is the greatest advantage of Saburo Okabe. He has always been mature and carefree, which is much better than Yamashita, who has a strong personality and is good at substituting merit for defense but lacks a little forbearance.
If it weren't for the fact that he was a necessary person for the Kwantung Army, Yuan Shangshan even hoped that he would stay in his post for another year or two.
When he thought that Yamashita, whom he was optimistic about, had now become a trophy for the Chinese to display everywhere, Yuan Shanshan felt a knot in his heart.
The North China Front is known as a group of powerful generals. Shiro Itagaki of the 5th Division, Madoka Doi of the 14th Division, Ren Isotani of the 10th Division... pick any one of them and they will be invincible and annihilate the enemy on the North China battlefield.
Countless strong men.
But for Shanshan Yuan, the advantages and disadvantages of these proud soldiers are too obvious, and none of them is suitable to be his chief of staff.
For example, Shiro Itagaki, who is known as the most powerful general in the empire, is very high-minded. In addition to being polite to himself, the general commander, he is indifferent to others, including his boss, the commander of the 2nd Army, Nishio Hayato.
The number of people who are used to him is like the crucian carp crossing the river.
Another example is Madoka Doi. This division commander who came from the intelligence department has a gloomy personality and looks like he doesn't want to approach strangers. Don't let his colleagues stay away from him when they see him. Even he, the general commander, can't help but want to kick him away.
Son, to paraphrase a Chinese proverb: Don’t worry if you don’t like him, the key is that you want to hit him just by looking at him!
A candidate for chief of staff who finally fell in love with the candidate had even been approved by the base camp, and ended up becoming a trophy of the Chinese. As a recommender, the internal injuries suffered by Yuan Shanshan were obvious.
It has almost become a joke among the imperial elites, saying that the person he, the former Under-Secretary of the Army, likes will not end up particularly well.
Speaking of which, Saburo Okabe is good at being both obedient and capable.
Perhaps, with these thoughts of appreciating his subordinates swirling in his heart, Shan Shanyuan didn't notice the thin layer of sweat that involuntarily broke out on the forehead of a certain chief of staff.
Please let me go! Your Excellency, General!
The job of chief of staff is really difficult for a tyrant. He has to give advice to the boss and also resist the poisonous milk from the boss.
If Saburo Okabe and Kyuzou Kitura sit down at the same table and chat for a few more words, they will surely find a lot of common ground.
Their two bosses, one has a poisonous mouth and the other is very vicious.
"Your Excellency, Commander, can I speak freely?" Just when Yuan Shishan was full of hatred for his chief of staff, Saburo Okabe must have thought about it and asked with a serious face.
"It's just you and me here. This is not a formal military meeting, and there won't be any records. Okabe-kun just said it's okay!" Shanshan Yuan picked up the tea cup and gestured slightly to Saburo Okabe with a smile.
"Although our front army suffered a small setback two months ago, it still occupies an absolute advantage on the northern battlefield. The Chinese's so-called order to counterattack was probably due to the pressure of the Jiangxia Battle, and it was nothing more than the hope of using a certain amount of troops to control our front army.
We will destroy the communication lines and delay our front troops from moving south to reinforce the Central China Expeditionary Force." Saburo Okabe said bluntly.
"But if this is just a move, it will only delay at most but not contain it. Therefore, China's second theater will definitely send more than tens of thousands of troops to carry out large-scale attacks and sabotage operations, even at the cost of threatening our front army's transportation hub.
This forces our front army to deploy sufficient mobile forces to fight with them, thus achieving the goal of preventing our front army from being able to mobilize enough troops to go south for reinforcements."
"Oh? Okabe-kun, please continue. Then what should our front army do? You, Okabe-kun, are fully responsible for sending troops south to reinforce Central China."
"If you, Commander, still give me full command, I will still order the 18th Division to go south according to the original plan, and the new 21st Division will be on standby in Baoding, but I will transfer the 5th Division back to the original city for repairs
The Sakamoto brigade formed the Sakamoto detachment and secretly stationed in Yangquan." Saburo Okabe's eyes sparkled.
"Your judgment is that the focus of the Chinese counterattack is Jindong?" Shan Shanyuan said calmly.
"Yes, most of Jin Province is now in the hands of our front army, and we have a hundred thousand troops on the western Shanxi front. Whether the Chinese go west or north, they may encounter heavy encirclement and suppression by our front army. The Chinese will not be so stupid.
Moreover, if you want to destroy the Ping-Han Railway, the most important transportation line connecting the north and the south, the only option is Jindong, which borders Hebei Province. You can even take the opportunity to threaten Shimen, where the headquarters of the 20th Division is, forcing our front army to deploy a large number of troops.
It can't be blocked by mobile troops, and it still has the Taihang Mountains to rely on. Unless it is completely surrounded, there is still a way to escape by abandoning the baggage." Saburo Okabe analyzed confidently.
"Yes! The reason why the Chinese are still resisting on the edge of Jin Province is because of the difficult and dangerous roads in the mountains. It is difficult for our front army to deliver heavy firepower. Otherwise, their defense line would have been broken long ago. Then it would be their turn to play Sun Tzu's Art of War with us.
"Shang Shanyuan sighed.
"The mountains are fair. They can be a barrier for them on the territory they have been operating for a long time. But when they dare to leave, it will also become a constraint for them. Their marching speed will be much slower. We can take the opportunity to trap them in that mountain."
In the mountains, wipe them out completely." Okabe Saburo stretched out a hand and shook it hard.
"What you mean is that the 18th Division's move south is nothing more than a sheep's move. After the Chinese launch a counterattack and move away from its base, they will immediately be ordered to return, assemble the 18th Division, newly form the 21st Division, the 20th Division and the Yangquan Regiment.
The Sakamoto detachment that sent troops worked together to strangle him in Jindong?" Shanshan Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Hi, that's exactly what I mean!"
"Have you ever thought about it, Okabe-kun, that this goes against the intentions of the base camp? The Battle of Jiangxia is the top priority of the Central China War. It is extremely important to the realization of His Majesty the Emperor's strategy of conquering the entire Chinese territory. If the front army ignores it and only cares about itself, you
How much pressure will I encounter?" Shan Shanyuan asked in a calm tone.
"In the war in Central China, the Chinese also intended to win back a city and gathered nearly a million troops. Even if the Central China dispatched troops wanted to win, it would not be accomplished in two or three months. According to my estimate, it would take at least four months, but at most
It can even last up to five months or even half a year.
If our front army inflicts heavy casualties on the enemy, we can even use this to break through its last line of defense, leaving the Guanzhong Plain without a barrier. The imperial army can attack its southwestern stronghold at a close distance, and make its Central China army unstable at a distance. I personally think that this
It is more effective to fight than to detach two divisions to directly support the battle in Central China." Saburo Okabe had obviously expected that Yuan Shanshan would ask this question, and answered with a look of wisdom.
"What a pity! This is just what you think, Okabe-kun, but in the eyes of the old guys at the Imperial Headquarters who can only talk about war on paper, it's nothing more than an excuse." Yuan Shangshan took a sip of tea and sighed slightly.
"Your Excellency, Commander, are you..." Hearing what Yuan Shanshan said, Saburo Okabe's expression tightened.
Even though he has already decided where to go, he has not been implicated in the defeat in the Battle of Southeast Shanxi. However, the impact of the defeat in Southeast Shanxi will not disappear. His promotion to lieutenant general has not been implicated. He can be promoted to general or even higher level later. It is inevitable that he will not be affected.
Let people take it out and criticize it.
The best way to make people forget failure is not to cover it up, but to use victory, a glorious victory. This may be his last chance to rectify his name as the chief of staff of the North China Front Army, and he is unwilling to give up in any case.
As soon as he was about to persuade Yuan Sugami, Saburo Okabe took the initiative to shut up.
The reason is simple. Who is the person who wants to wash away the shame of failure at this time? There is no one except the commander in front of him.
Moreover, did the army general specifically call him here just to drink tea and chat? In less than four months, General Shanshan Yuan, whose already old face seemed to have aged nearly two years, would never be idle.
It hurts so much.
That means that he has actually made a decision, and calling him to do it may just be a matter of consensus.
"Okabe-kun, no wonder the Kwantung Army headquarters appreciates you so much. You are very good." Gen Sugami was obviously very satisfied with Saburo Okabe's smart mind and nodded with a smile.
"I approved your battle plan! This time, you will be the first commander of the upcoming Jindong Campaign, responsible for commanding the 18th Division, the 20th Division, the new 21st Division, and the Sakamoto Detachment.
Fight against the enemy.
In addition, you can also command the 108th and 109th Divisions located in the southeast of Shanxi. I personally suggest that if the Chinese troops dispatched are from the southeast of Shanxi, then the place where they gather will be empty of troops. The two divisions can attack with heavy troops.
Kill the people who support you!"
"Hi! Your Excellency, Commander, is wise!" Saburo Okabe was very excited.
"It's just that the 108th and 109th Divisions have been reduced in number several times. Although they have been replenished, their combat strength is slightly weaker..."
Saburo Okabe's words did not mean that he was going to give eye drops to the two second-line divisions. In fact, he was very polite in what he said. If he was telling the truth, it was probably enough for the two second-line divisions to defend the city and the highway.
If it can be used, don't expect them to go to the mountains to suppress it.
"It doesn't matter, I will personally send Xiong Yuan and Yamaoka Shige down. I can forget about the last failure, but if I continue to be passive and sabotage this time and refuse to move forward, it will be in vain for me to be the former Deputy Secretary of the Army.
?" Shan Shanyuan looked gloomy to give reassurance to the chief of staff whom he valued more and more.
Showing off his title of former Army Under-Secretary, it means that even if he cannot kill the heads of two Army Lieutenant Generals, he can still allow them to return to their homeland to retire without having any positions.
There are quite a few generals who belong to Shanshan Yuan's lineage in the Army Ministry. Otherwise, the Battle of Southeast Shanxi was such a defeat. In addition to the criticism of Shanshan Yuan in the government and the public, the army base camp was still calm. It was not like indoors.
That unlucky guy Shroud, SJZ suffered a disastrous defeat and was scolded like a dog by both the government and the public!
General and general may seem to have the same military rank, but their influence is completely different.
"Also, if the main direction of the Chinese attack is really Jindong, then it is best to put them in the plains so that the imperial tanks can exert their maximum power. The Chinese equipment is not good, but the will to resist is not weak. Try to reduce the imperial divisions as much as possible
The loss." Gen Sugami continued to give instructions to Saburo Okabe.
"Then the defenders at Niangziguan and Jingxing..." Saburo Okabe was slightly startled.
"The plan for this battle is top secret. No one should know about it except you and me and Shiro Itagaki of the Fifth Division, including the 18th Division and the newly formed 21st and 20th Divisions that are about to go south." Shirt shirt
Yuan's eyes flashed with cold light and he said faintly.
"This is just like an old Chinese saying: If you are reluctant to let go of your children, you will not be able to trap the wolf! If the hunter is reluctant to put out the bait, how can he catch the ferocious prey?"
Saburo Okabe felt a chill in his chest. The general commander in front of him was more ruthless than he imagined. In order to annihilate the enemy who might attack, he even did not hesitate to use thousands of imperial officers and soldiers as bait.
He believed that if he was attacked by a large number of Chinese elites without any preparation, more than 2,000 imperial officers and soldiers would definitely die on the battlefield. And Shanshan Yuan hoped to fight the Chinese army in the plains, which would mean giving up the Niangzi Pass and the
The garrisons in Jingxing and Jingxing were allowed to become the victory of the Chinese.
But it is definitely worth it. There are three divisions and a detachment with a strength of 10,000 people, with a total strength of more than 80,000 people, and the Sakamoto detachment is the core of the Sakamoto Brigade under the Fifth Division, which is the top elite of the North China Front.
As long as the Chinese take the bait, they will never be able to escape the large net that has been set for them, even if they gather more than 100,000 troops.
It is even possible that this was the first time that the Imperial Army used superior forces to encircle and annihilate China's elite army.
There is no chance for the Chinese to have any chance of survival!
.
.
.
.
The plan of the two scheming Japanese generals was successful. Under absolute confidentiality, China's huge intelligence network deployed in North China was not aware of the "big plan" of the Japanese North China Front.
It was not until the Chinese attack troops gathered from four directions towards the eastern gateway of Shanxi, with their swords pointing at Shimen, that the Japanese North China Front Army Headquarters issued a secret order to the three divisions.
The 18th Division will immediately follow the Pinghan Road from the north bank of the Yellow River to attack Shanxi East. The newly formed 21st Division, which has been waiting for orders, will also march towards Shimen via the railway line. The Sakamoto detachment, which has secretly arrived in Yangquan, will also secretly attack the rear flank of Shanxi East.
to.
This can be regarded as being surrounded on all sides. Not to mention that the Chinese army, which is now highly motivated, does not know about it. Even if it knows, I am afraid it will not be so easy to escape.
Unless they immediately abandon all their baggage and enter the depths of the Taihang Mountains with light equipment, can they escape the pursuit of three Japanese divisions?
The answer is, extremely difficult!
Losing all the baggage and heavy equipment would be a heavy blow to any army, not to mention that pure light infantry could not even pass through a mountain pass defended by an infantry squadron.
It can be said that from the moment five infantry divisions and one infantry regiment set foot in the mountainous area of Jindong, they have entered a dead land.
Because what they once thought was a secret order had already been placed on the agenda of the Japanese military headquarters.
Just like playing poker, their opponents see a deck of bright cards!
When Saburo Kawagishi's crow mouth received the secret order from the headquarters, Tang Dao also walked to Niangziguan for the first time in his life, a grand pass known as the gateway to eastern Shanxi.
.
.
.
.
.
.
ps: I saw a piece of news on the news today about "a marriage team from Hubei holding bayonets and wearing Japanese military uniforms." Fengyue clicked on it and almost vomited three liters of blood. Fengyue often said: Forgetting history means betrayal! I didn't expect it.
Such a stupid thing that makes people speechless could happen in my hometown. I am really ashamed to drink from the same river with them!
Regarding this matter, Fengyue wants to tell those idiots that our hometown was once the burial place of heroes. General Zhang and the heroic spirits of Hutoushan Martyrs Cemetery are staring at you from the bank of Han River!
