Yoshio Shinozuka paced back and forth in the battle hall with a livid face, his right hand tightly holding the handle of the sword given to him by Emperor Hirohito.
At this moment, he really wanted to kill someone.
Because he had lost too many blue and white porcelain teacups and vases.
Ever since he became the commander of the First Army, Yoshio Shinozuka has never been as embarrassed as he is today.
Planes, aviation bombs and aviation fuel at Xincheng Airport were all destroyed in the bombardment.
After all, Japan is a resource-poor country. So many aircraft and supplies were destroyed, even Yoshio Shinozuka felt very sad.
Rather than feeling distressed, Yoshio Shinozuka was more angry. The enemy actually brought the war to Taiyuan, not only destroying the Xincheng Airport, but also calmly retreating under his nose.
This was not only a slap in the face of Yoshio Shinozuka, it was also equivalent to a slap in the face, and the one who slapped him was Li Yunlong, whose head he had long wanted to cut off.
Amidst the sound of hurried footsteps, Communications Staff Officer Toshimatsu Kasai hurriedly walked in, paused and said: "General, the fire at the airport has been extinguished, but all aviation fuel and aerial bombs have been lost."
Although he had expected this result, Yoshio Shinozuka still froze after hearing Kasai Toshimatsu's words: "What are the casualties of the pilots and the garrison?"
Kasai Toshimatsu said solemnly: "The garrison is counting the battle losses. Although the results have not come out, I think the number of casualties will not be small. The shells fired by the Chinese artillery are like having eyes. All the shells fired are
All fell on the aircraft and important airport facilities."
"This is not surprising." Yamamoto Kazuki said, "The Eighth Route Army dispatched special forces, using radio communication machines to communicate the shooting to Zhuyuan, the Eighth Route Artillery conducted test firings, and the Eighth Route Special Forces corrected the trajectory according to the impact point. It can be said that Li Yunlong's special forces
Serves as the eyes of the artillery."
Although Kazuki Yamamoto and his special forces can do this, he doesn't even bother to do this kind of work.
His target was either Yan Xishan's headquarters or Chairman Chiang Kai-shek's residence. The last sneak attack on the Eighth Route Army headquarters was just for practice.
Although the beheading operation failed, Yamamoto's original intention remained unchanged. He only lamented that the special agent team was unlucky and there was a mole in the headquarters.
Although the mole has not been caught yet...
After a pause, Yamamoto Kazuki asked again: "When the artillerymen of the Eighth Route Army and the special forces communicate by radio, Mr. Kasai's communication room should be able to monitor it, right?"
"It is indeed possible to monitor." Kasai Toshimatsu said with a slight frown, "But most of the time the Chinese people talk in code words. We don't know what it means at all. Even if we know what it means, we can't determine the target of the Eighth Route Army's bombardment.
Where."
Yamamoto Kazuki was silent when he heard this, but Kasai Toshimatsu's words were true.
The shooting parameters of the cannon are calculated based on the location of the artillery position and the target position and distance.
Even if a series of shooting parameters are monitored from the radio communication machine, the Eighth Route Army's artillery positions and the shooting targets of their artillery are not known at all.
Yoshio Shinozuka frowned and said, "Yamamoto-kun, why is it that Li Yunlong's special forces have repeatedly made military exploits, but your special forces have failed one after another?"
"Your Excellency General!" Yamamoto Kazuki said sternly, "I know you are dissatisfied with me, but please give me another chance."
"The main reason for the failure of the special forces this time was because the weapons they were equipped with were inferior to those of Li Yunlong's special forces."
"The equipment is not good?" Hideyoshi Kusuyama on the side said sarcastically, "The equipment of your special agent team is the best in the entire First Army. If this is called poor equipment, the rifles held by other troops should be called "burning fire"
It’s a stick.”
Yamamoto Kazuki glanced at Kusuyama Hideyoshi blankly: "Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, Li Yunlong's special forces are indeed equipped with a new weapon."
"This weapon is very portable and very powerful."
"More than 50 tanks of the 7th Tank Regiment were destroyed by this weapon."
"This is also the main reason why Li Yunlong's special forces were able to fight their way out of the airport in less than twenty minutes tonight."
"Our bunkers and gun towers cannot stop the opponent's small arms."
"My first and second combat groups, along with the 94 truck, were blown to pieces."
"If it weren't for the quick reaction of Xiaolu Goro and I, both of us would be dead now. Mr. Chief of Staff, do you still think that the other party's weapon is a fire stick?"
Kusuyama Hideyoshi said coldly: "No matter how good the weapons and equipment are, they are just auxiliary tools. If you want to win the battle, you still have to rely on people. Yamamoto-kun, please stop making excuses for your incompetence."
This view is consistent with that of officials responsible for firearms production.
It is believed that until the end of the battle, soldiers must fight to achieve the final victory.
Therefore, the rotten, rigid-minded Japanese officials in charge of firearms production not only installed bayonets on rifles, but also designed and installed bayonets on submachine guns and machine guns.
If it weren't for the fact that heavy machine guns and cannons were too heavy, Japanese officials would even want to install bayonets on heavy machine guns and cannons.
Yamamoto Kazuki said extremely rudely: "Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, is it possible that Maeda Takao, Major General Tsuda Mitake, and the warriors of Tamashii's 7th Tank Regiment and 4th Brigade are all incompetent people?
?”
"Defeat means incompetence." Kusuyama Hideyoshi's voice gradually rose and he said coldly, "Since ancient times, the winner is the king and the loser is the enemy..."
"That's enough!" Yoshio Shinozuka slapped the desk violently, his face turned pale. The internal strife among his most powerful right-hand men was the last thing he wanted to see.
"Hi!" Yamamoto Kazuki and Kusuyama Hideyoshi hurriedly nodded to Yoshio Shinozuka.
"Yamamoto-kun's words make sense. The Eighth Route Army has grown to hundreds of thousands of people. If all the Eighth Route Army were as well equipped as Li Yunlong's troops."
"I'm afraid our First Army has no place in North China."
This is also the reason why Shinozuka Yoshio is afraid. The Eighth Route Army is not willing to reveal its trump card and wantonly destroy and block the traffic lines in its base area. Could this be related to this matter?
Without these blockades, will arms and ammunition assistance from enemy countries continue to enter the Eighth Route Base Area?
"We must eliminate the Eighth Route Army at all costs. We cannot allow the Eighth Route Army to continue to develop. We must completely eliminate them!"
The Eighth Route Army's troop development speed is truly astonishing, growing to nearly 400,000 men in just three years.
If there were only 400,000 people but very backward weapons and equipment, it would not scare Yoshio Shinozuka.
Because such a large force clearly exceeds the Eighth Route Army's ability to supply military supplies, the combat effectiveness of the force is not strong, and without weapons and equipment, it is nothing more than a ragtag group of people.
But now that the other party is likely to receive assistance from the enemy, the situation is very different.
"But before that, transportation needs to be restored, and to restore transportation, we need to increase the number of troops."
"Nushan Jun, immediately order the 37th Division to return to support the Zhengtai Railway. The external world still calls the 36th, 37th, and 41st Divisions to return to support,"
Taking a deep breath, Yoshio Shinozuka finally made a decision at this moment, leaving two divisions to guard Wei Lihuang's Central Army in southern Shanxi, and temporarily sending one division to return reinforcements.
Fighting requires the preparation of military supplies and logistical supplies. Without railway and road transportation, the combat effectiveness of the First Army will be greatly reduced.
If you want to launch an offensive against the Eighth Route Army, you must first ensure the smooth flow of transportation lines. Otherwise, not only will you fail to achieve your strategic goal, but you will suffer heavy losses.
"Hai, your Excellency, Commander, is wise." Kusuyama Hideyoshi seized the opportunity and flattered him, "I admire you!"
Shinozuka Yoshio looked at Yamamoto Kazuki: "Yamamoto-kun, please continue to trace Li Yunlong's aid channels. The Eighth Route Army must be in urgent need of supplies when launching such a big campaign. Li Yunlong's weapons and ammunition must be consumed a lot. At this time, the opponent is most likely to reveal his flaws.
"
"Hi!" Yamamoto Kazuki bowed his head and said, "This time, I will not disappoint the general!"
"I hope so." Yoshio Shinozuka nodded.
…
Newspapers and periodicals from behind enemy lines to the rear area vigorously spread the news of victory every day, and messages and letters congratulating the victory were circulated in the base area, which greatly inspired the people's morale and morale in the base area.
When the commanders and soldiers of the front-line combat troops heard the news, their morale was even higher, and most of the fatigue from days of fighting was relieved.
"105 regiments!"
"Battle of One Hundred Regiments!"
At the regiment headquarters near Shouyang County, after learning that the Eighth Route Army had launched such a large-scale campaign this time, Zhao Gang sighed with emotion:
"When the Red Army was reorganized into the Eighth Route Army, there were only over 40,000 troops. Three years later, it has expanded by 10 times!"
"If this continues, won't our troops be able to exceed one million in three years?"
"Too rapid expansion of the troops is not necessarily a good thing." Li Yunlong shook his head and said calmly, "The more troops there are, the greater the consumption. With the supply capacity of our Eighth Route Army, we simply cannot afford such a huge consumption.
No matter how large the army is, it will be difficult to form a combat effectiveness."
Zhao Gang looked thoughtful after hearing this. Li Yunlong indeed paid more attention to the combat effectiveness of individual soldiers. He tried to recruit new soldiers from the militia or the training group. Only with strong individual combat effectiveness can the overall combat effectiveness of the army be guaranteed.
"So, our new regiment has a heavy burden." Zhao Gang agreed. "Strive to kill more Japanese and get more assistance from Brother Chen, and our Eighth Route Army's equipment will be better."
"Killing the Japanese and getting aid is one thing." Li Yunlong said, "Our new regiment also has to find ways to improve the combat effectiveness of the troops. Relying only on our superiors to replenish militiamen and recruits, our expansion speed is too slow, and every battle we
Soldiers have been sacrificed or injured, and our numbers are decreasing. For example, after these few battles, our strength is only over 2,100."
"This is indeed a problem." Zhao Gang nodded and asked, "Old Li, do you have a solution?"
Li Yunlong said: "When the first phase of the war is over, there is no need to rush to hand over the rifles and equipment that our regiment has replaced."
"I'm asking the brigade commander to apply for a county brigade establishment for our regiment."
"We don't rely on our superiors for supplies for this county brigade. We just use these rifles and equipment that have been eliminated by our regiment."
"Normally, I don't care about the development of this county brigade. The county brigade operates alone. I don't care how the battle is fought. I don't care about the camp, ambush, dig traps, sap, and kidnapping."
"Anyway, as long as it's against the Japanese and traitors, you can do whatever you like."
"I only provide weapons and ammunition, and I will go to the Japanese and traitors to get the food myself."
"I want to build the strongest county brigade. From now on, we can handle our own troop sources."
Zhao Gang's eyes lit up slightly when he heard this, and he said: "Old Li, you are so good at recruiting. Not only has it solved the problem of recruits, the recruits have also enhanced their combat effectiveness in frequent guerrilla warfare."
Although this county brigade uses rifles that have been eliminated by the new regiment.
But this batch of rifles are all 38-gauge and have sufficient bullets. The equipment of this county brigade is better than that of the average main force group.
If it develops well, the combat effectiveness of this county brigade will be stronger than that of the main force in the future, and it will truly be the strongest county brigade on the planet.
After a pause, Zhao Gang asked again: "However, those who want to manage the army must first choose generals. Who do you plan to let choose the leader of this county brigade?"