Okamura Neiji did not take the Independent Group and the New Second Group seriously.
Because before this, the Independent Regiment and the New Second Regiment did not have any impressive results.
Although the county towns within the defense areas of these two regiments were captured by the Eighth Route Army, according to intelligence, Li Yunlong led his troops to help capture these counties.
Regardless of intelligence or attention, the North China Front Army and the First Army Headquarters focused on Li Yunlong and the New Regiment.
As for the Independent Regiment and the New Second Regiment, they are just the main force of the Eighth Route Army.
A large group can be easily defeated, and a coalition can be easily eliminated.
But Okamura Neji never expected that these two groups were not easy to deal with, at least not as easy to deal with as imagined.
Not long after, the communications staff officer walked in again with a telegram in his hand, and reported to Okamura Neji: "Report to Commander, Chief of Staff Tanabe has sent the latest news!"
Okamura Neji: "Read!"
"Hi!"
The communications staff officer picked up the telegram and read out: "A large number of reinforced concrete bunkers have been built in the defense areas of the Eighth Route New Second Regiment, the Independent Regiment and the New First Regiment. The Locust Army's 10mm howitzers cannot destroy them. Lieutenant General Tanabe requests the support of the heavy artillery unit!"
Okamura Neji narrowed his eyes. The fortification bunkers on the Eighth Route could not even be destroyed by a 10mm howitzer?
Before the Battle of Xinzhou, Japanese reconnaissance planes would conduct reconnaissance over northwest Shanxi every day. Naturally, the Japanese pilots also discovered that the Eighth Route Army was building reinforced concrete fortifications.
Moreover, the defense areas of the three regiments were building bunker fortifications. Okamura Neiji also knew that these supplies and materials must have been stolen from the 36th Division.
These supplies and materials are more than enough to build a defense area's bunker fortifications.
But if it is used in three defense zones, the supplies and materials will be insufficient. Since cement and steel bars are scattered, the eighth road must build ordinary reinforced concrete bunkers, not thickened bunkers like those around Taiyuan.
The North China Front Army Staff Headquarters unanimously believed that the 10mm howitzer was enough to destroy the bunker fortifications on the Eighth Route, let alone the 10mm howitzer.
Therefore, even though the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army was equipped with 10mm heavy artillery, the Japanese army did not dispatch 10mm artillery this time.
The main reason is that Okamura Neiji believes that although the new regiment has 10mm heavy artillery, the 10mm heavy artillery has poor maneuverability.
After the war, bombers only need to be dispatched to blow up the roads and bridges in the New Regiment's defense area. Wouldn't the 10mm heavy artillery of the Eighth Route New Regiment become a decoration?
At that time, as long as the other four divisions are encircled, the new Eighth Route Army Regiment will either blow up the 10mm heavy artillery in tears, or it will have to be captured by the Locust Army.
However, Okamura Neji never dreamed that in the Battle of Shinshu, more than 80 aircraft would be destroyed, and the pilots would suffer heavy losses.
The North China Front does not have heavy artillery units.
At present, the Japanese army has six heavy artillery brigades. The 1st Heavy Artillery Brigade is affiliated with the 3rd Division, the 3rd Heavy Artillery Brigade is affiliated with the 1st Division of the Kwantung Army, the 3rd Heavy Artillery Brigade is affiliated with the 1st Division of the Kwantung Army, and the 4th Heavy Artillery Brigade is affiliated with the 1st Division of the Kwantung Army.
It is affiliated with the 1st Guards Division, the Heavy Artillery Brigade is affiliated with the South China Front, and the 6th Heavy Artillery Brigade is affiliated with the 10th Army.
This means that the Kwantung Army has a heavy artillery brigade.
If Okamura Neiji wanted to mobilize heavy artillery to attack northwest Shanxi, he could only apply to the base camp to mobilize some heavy artillery troops from the Kwantung Army.
The heavy artillery brigade is already a strategic force for the Japanese army. A standard heavy artillery brigade has a heavy artillery regiment under its jurisdiction.
These include 30-40 Taisho 7-type 10 mm cannons, 0 Type 90 40 mm caliber cannons, and 10 Type 96 30-caliber heavy howitzers. Some heavy artillery brigades are also equipped with 30 Type 98-type cannons.
3-6 mm mortars.
Okamura Neiji turned to look at the communications staff: "Immediately send power to the base camp and apply to transfer a heavy artillery regiment from the Kwantung Army to reinforce the North China Front Army!"
"Hi!"
The communications staff officer turned and left.
Although the Zhengtai Railway and Tongpu Railway were severely damaged, the Pingsui Railway is still open to traffic.
If the base camp agrees to his application, it will only take a few days for the heavy artillery regiment to be transported from Manchuria to Datong in northern Shanxi along the railway.
Then the heavy artillery regiment can head to the battlefield in northwest Shanxi along the road.
After coming over for a while, the deputy chief of staff, Sue Seizo, came in with several combat staff officers.
These combat staff officers were carrying a combat sandbox, which was made by the combat staff based on reports from reconnaissance aircraft and frontline headquarters on the Dagu Town battlefield.
Although all the aircraft of the North China Front were lost, Anami Weiji lent a reconnaissance aircraft to Okamura Neiji.
No matter how small the mosquitoes are, they are still meat. Neji Okamura did not refuse and made use of this reconnaissance plane.
However, it can only carry out some reconnaissance missions. Bombing and attacking are just seeking death.
There was a Mo Jing San who reported to Okamura Ningji: "Report to Commander, the Dagu Town battlefield sand table has been made!"
"Yoshi."
Okamura Neji glanced at Yu Suejingsan without leaving any trace, and then looked towards the sand table.
During the entire first day of the attack, apart from the ambushed brigade, the 10th Division suffered the heaviest losses in Dagu Town.
Youmo Jingsan pointed to the sand table and introduced: "This is the location of Dagu Town. This is the road into Dagu Town. This is the top of the mountain defended by the Eighth Route Army. Tunnels have been dug in the mountain. Once the Locust Army fires, the Eighth Route Army will
Hidden in the tunnels, once the locust army attacks, the Eighth Route Army will come out of the tunnels. The Eighth Route Army's mortar positions are located on the reverse slope of the mountain. These are the Eighth Route Army's bunkers."
The operational staff of the Japanese North China Front Headquarters were of a very high level, and almost the entire Dagu Town battlefield was restored.
Immediately afterwards, General Arisue Seizo told Neji Okamura how the 10th Division failed in all four attacks.
Okamura Neji frowned slightly when he heard this. The entire Eighth Route Army position looked impeccable.
Using tunnel and anti-slope tactics, coupled with flanking fire bunkers, and ferocious firepower, it is not surprising that the 10th Division fought so hard.
The 10th Division, which had lost its air superiority, had no choice but to kill its infantry. However, the 10mm howitzers of the 10th Division could not destroy the bunkers of the Eighth Route Army, let alone collapse the tunnels dug by the Eighth Route Army in the mountain.
Okamura Neji looked thoughtful, the most critical issue now is how the Japanese soldiers can shorten this attack distance.
These few hundred meters in front of the position will definitely become a Shura field for Japanese soldiers.
With a flash of inspiration, Okamura Neiji said to Arisu Seizo: "Arusue-kun, immediately send a report to Chief of Staff Tanabe and ask the 10th Division Engineer Regiment to carry out soil work in front of the Eighth Route Position, using trench methods.
Use geotechnical excavation to shorten the attack distance of the Locust Army soldiers."
"Your Excellency, Commander, is wise!"
"My admiration!"
Youmo Jingsan didn't know that he was being suspected. After flattering him, he lowered his head and turned to leave.
…
Heyuan County.
Japanese frontline headquarters.
A communications staff officer quickly walked into Tanabe Moritake's office.
In the office, Front Army Chief of Staff Moritake Tanabe and Commander of the 10th Division Ishikawa Jiro were discussing tomorrow's attack plan.
On the first day, the 10th Division suffered more than 1,000 casualties. This casualty number was indeed beyond the expectations of the 10th Division Moritake Tanabe and Jiro Ishikawa.
And it's not a full day, but only a half-day attack.
If the fight continues like this, even if the 10th Division loses most of its casualties, it may not even be able to break through the outer positions of the new regiment.
Ishikawa Jiro suggested: "Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, I suggest suspending the attack."
"Why?" Tanabe Moritake narrowed his eyes and asked, "Don't Ishikawa-kun have any confidence in himself or the Locust Army soldiers of the 10th Division to defeat the Eighth Route Army New Regiment?"
"That's not true."
Ishikawa Jiro's expression showed perseverance and coldness, and said: "If it is a frontal field battle, the 10th Division can knock the brains out of Li Yunlong and the New Group."
"But this is not a frontal field battle. The Eighth Route New Regiment has already built strong fortifications. If the 10th Division continues to fight, it will definitely suffer heavy casualties."
"When the 10th Division's casualties reach a certain level, the new regiment will be able to defeat the 10th Division."
"Now our 10th Division only needs to keep an eye on the Eighth Route New Regiment to preserve its strength."
"When the other four divisions attacking the Eighth Route New Second Regiment and the Independent Regiment from the other two directions are surrounded from the north and south, they will definitely be able to eliminate Li Yunlong and the New First Regiment."
Although Ishikawa Jiro knew that the new group was very powerful, he did not expect it to be so strong.
On the first day of the attack, the artillery and infantry firepower of the new regiment was almost at an absolute advantage.
Ishikawa Jiro was really afraid that the 10th Division would follow in the footsteps of the 36th Division.
Tanabe Moritake nodded, feeling that what Ishikawa Jiro said made sense.
Li Yunlong's new ball is a difficult bone to chew. Whether it can be chewed off is another matter. But the 10th Division will definitely have a mouth full of teeth broken out, and may even be eaten in one bite.
Since the new regiment is so difficult to defeat, it is better to encircle it without attacking and wait for the other four second-line divisions to encircle it before attacking.
Although the other four divisions suffered losses in the first day's attack, it was only a matter of time before the New Second Regiment and the Independent Regiment were defeated.
"Yoshi..."
"Report!"
Just as Tanabe Moritake was about to speak, a communications staff officer walked in with a telegram in his hand, lowered his head and reported: "Telegram from Commander Okamura!"
Tanabe Moritake took the telegram, read it, and then said: "Ishikawa-kun, I'm afraid your 10th Division can only continue to attack."
Ishikawa Jiro was stunned and asked: "Is this an order from Commander Okamura?"
"That's right!" General Tanabe Moritake handed the telegram to Ishikawa Jiro, "Commander Okamura ordered your 10th Division Engineer Regiment to carry out soil work in front of the Eighth Route Position to shorten the attack distance of the Locust Army infantry."
"Isn't this a request from Major General Saburo Miura?"
Ishikawa Jiro narrowed his eyes and said, "Did Major General Miura send a telegram to Commander Okamura?"
"Probably not!" Moritake Tanabe shook his head, "It should just be that Major General Miura and Commander Okamura thought of it together. This tactic can be tried, and it may have miraculous results."
"That's all we can do." Ishikawa Jiro nodded, "Since it is Commander Okamura's order, the 10th Division should abide by it."