On the day when the main force of the 1st Division was annihilated, Okamura Neji called General Umezu Yoshijiro for air support, but was rejected.
If the 3rd Division is still affiliated with the Kwantung Army, then Yoshijiro Umezu will definitely send aircraft for reinforcements.
However, the 3rd Division was already affiliated with the North China Front, so there was no need for Umezu Yoshijiro to take risks and provide air support to the North China Front.
If a plane heading to North China encounters air support called by the Eighth Route Army, not a single plane will be able to return.
Until dark, the main force of the 1st Division was wiped out in northwestern Shanxi, and the Kwantung Army did not dispatch any aircraft for reinforcements.
The main force of the 1st Division was wiped out in northwestern Shanxi, and the North China Front Army suffered consecutive defeats against the Eighth Route Army, which greatly challenged Okamura Neiji's authority.
Not only the Japanese army headquarters and cabinet were dissatisfied with him, but also many officers and soldiers within the North China Front were dissatisfied with Okamura Neiji.
That's how fighting is, no matter how clever your strategies and tactics are, or whether your tactical command is appropriate, as long as you win, you are a hero, and if you lose, you are a piece of shit.
but.
Okamura Neji's background was tough enough. He suffered two major defeats in a row and killed 60,000 Japanese soldiers, but he still did not step down.
certainly.
Okamura Neiji also had a thick face. Even though everyone from top to bottom was dissatisfied with him, he did not take the initiative to resign as commander of the North China Front Army.
Peking.
Iron Lion Alley.
North China Front Army Headquarters.
"Report to the Commander!"
"Just received an urgent call from the base camp."
In the war room, Neji Okamura, Moritake Tanabe, Seizo Arisu, several combat staff officers, and Mitsuo Nakazawa of the 1st Division were holding a summary meeting.
A telegraph soldier held a telegram in his hand and hurried in. He bowed his head and reported to Neji Okamura.
Okamura Neiji glanced at the communications staff officer. The communications staff officer quickly stood up, took the telegram from the telegraph soldier and read it.
At this sight, the communications staff officer's pupils shrank suddenly, and his expression suddenly changed.
"What happened"
Okamura Neji's heart skipped a beat, and an unpleasant feeling suddenly arose.
Could this telegram be from the base camp? Is it the telegram order from the commander of the North China Front?
Sixty thousand Japanese soldiers were killed in the two attacks on northwest Shanxi. Half of the Japanese soldiers who died in the battle were elites of the Class A division. Every well-trained elite soldier who dies is one less. Those new recruits who have been trained for several months,
There is no comparison with Elite.
The communications staff officer bowed slightly to Okamura Neiji and said: "Your Excellency, Commander, a telegram was sent from the base camp. The First Army failed to attack Changsha for the first time. The Locust Army suffered nearly 10,000 casualties."
"Nani"
Okamura Neji felt relieved at first, but when he heard the number of casualties, he couldn't help but shrink his pupils slightly.
Just when the 3rd Division was heading to northwest Shanxi, in order to cope with the Japanese offensive in the Pacific and Southeast Asia, the Japanese 3rd Army assembled heavy troops and attacked Changsha for the first time.
However, they happened to encounter General Xue Yue's Heavenly Furnace strategy, and the Japanese army was defeated and suffered extremely heavy losses.
At present, the battle to eliminate the 1st Division in northwest Shanxi is the first victory achieved by the Allies after the outbreak of the Pacific War, and the 1st Battle of Changsha is the second.
Hearing the news, Tanabe Moritake, Arisu Seiki and others couldn't help but feel a commotion.
The losses suffered by the 3rd Army this time were much greater than those of the 3rd Division of the North China Front Army.
"Xueyue in the south and Yunlong in the north, they really deserve their reputation."
Okamura Neji's eyes were gloomy, but he couldn't help but sigh.
The last time, the First Army's attack on Changsha and the North China Front's attack on northwest Shanxi were carried out almost at the same time, but both ended in failure.
This time, the 1st Division was defeated first and the 3rd Army was defeated later. Okamura Neji did not expect that the 3rd Army was defeated so miserably.
The opponent of the Japanese Third Army was Xue Yue, and the opponent of the North China Front Army was Li Yunlong. They were both difficult opponents.
Since the defeat of the Third Army was even worse than that of the North China Front Army, my position as commander was saved for the time being.
The First Army suffered a major defeat, and most of the attention of the cabinet and the base camp will definitely be focused on the Second Army.
I just don’t know if the base camp will fool the commander of the 3rd Army, Anami Yuki.
After being stunned for a moment, Okamura Neiji waved his hand, signaling for the telegraph soldiers to leave.
The telegraph soldier lowered his head, then turned around and left quickly, closing the door.
"Let's continue."
Okamura Neji said to everyone: "Where did I just say it?"
"Your Excellency, Commander, we just concluded the third point."
Tanabe Moritake stood up, took the folder and read: "The main reason why the 1st Division was ambushed in northwestern Shanxi this time was the failure of intelligence work. The scouts did not conduct reconnaissance two kilometers away from the road. The reconnaissance aircraft
No fire reconnaissance, etc. was carried out.”
Even Neji Okamura, who had done intelligence work and did it very well, could not do anything about the failure of intelligence.
Moreover, senior agents were deployed to lurk in the Eighth Route Army base area in northwestern Shanxi, but the news was not spread in time.
As for the little minions and spies who were arranged, they were either caught or killed.
In terms of counterintelligence, the Eighth Route Army has rich experience.
"Your Excellency, Commander, as for the scouts not conducting reconnaissance two kilometers away from the road, it was my dereliction of duty, and I am willing to accept any punishment."
The commander of the 1st Division, Mitsuo Nakazawa, stood up, lowered his head and said in a deep voice.
The most uncomfortable thing was for Sanfu Nakaze. The 2nd Division had just arrived in northwest Shanxi and had just crossed the threshold of northwest Shanxi. The main force of the 1st Division was gone.
And it was still destroyed in this way. Who wouldn't feel uncomfortable if it was left alone?
"Victory and defeat are common matters in military affairs." Okamura Neiji said, "Nakazawa-kun does not need to blame himself too much. The responsibility for the defeat of the 1st division does not lie with Nakazawa-kun."
As for reconnaissance planes carrying out fire reconnaissance, who would have thought that tens of thousands of Eighth Route Army troops were hidden in the ice and snow?
And in order not to leave any loopholes, the Eighth Route Army must have ambushed in the snow on a snowy night.
The newly fallen snow concealed the traces of the Eighth Route Army's march and ambush.
"Thank you, Commander."
Mitsuo Nakazawa raised his head and sat back on the chair.
"Currently, the locust army's offensive is going smoothly in the Pacific battlefield and Southeast Asia battlefield."
Okamura Neji looked at the Japanese officers and said:
"It could take as little as two or three months, or as fast as half a year, the locust army will be able to seize Southeast Asia, and the United States will return to the negotiating table by then."
"After the war in Southeast Asia ends, the Locust Army will have more troops and materials to use on the Chinese battlefield."
"At that time, the locust army will be able to completely wipe out the Eighth Route Army."
"The war in Southeast Asia is over and the United States is forced to return to the negotiating table. Then the Japanese army can do its best to capture China."
"Then integrate the huge population and resources to compete with Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United States for world hegemony."
"..."
In order to cheer up the Japanese officers, Okamura Neiji was like a corporate boss and started to make cakes for his employees.
This cake is big and round.
Okamura Neiji also knew very well that if this situation continued, the Eighth Route Army in North China would definitely launch a major counterattack.
Now let’s see whether the Eighth Route Army started its major counterattack first, or whether the Japanese army’s war in Southeast Asia went more smoothly.
At the end of the meeting, Okamura Neiji looked at Mitsuo Nakazawa and asked: "Nakazawa-kun, how many troops are left in your division?"
"Report to your Excellency, Commander." Mitsuo Nakazawa replied, "Only the Suzuki Regiment, the Heavy Artillery Regiment, and more than a thousand people who escaped back are left, with a total strength of more than ten thousand people."
"Almost all of the cavalry regiment, engineer regiment, and baggage regiment were destroyed, and most of the baggage was taken away by the Eighth Route Army."
Hearing this, Okamura Neji couldn't help but feel a pain in his body.
The main force of the 3rd Division was basically wiped out in one battle. This was the most elite unit of the North China Front.
To be continued...