The Japanese army's large-scale raids on the Eighth Route Army's base areas were on the one hand to retaliate for the Hundred Regiments Campaign organized by the Eighth Route Army, and on the other hand, after weakening the Eighth Route Army's vitality behind enemy lines, they were able to attack the National Army's first theater of war entrenched in Zhongtiao Mountain in southern Shanxi in the coming year.
The army launched an offensive.
After the July 7th Incident, under the counterattack of the people across the country, the Japanese army gradually fell into the quagmire of the war from seizing cities and seizing territory in the early stages of the war and singing violent attacks.
Just when the Japanese army had no hope of conquering China and was in a dilemma.
Its communist partner, Germany, launched a surprise attack on Poland on September 1, 1939.
Then, the German and Italian armies responded to each other and won another victory against Britain and France.
Stimulated and inspired by the temporary victory of its Japanese partners, at the end of 1940, the Japanese government adjusted its war guidelines against China and made the decision that the incident in China must be resolved quickly. It required that the planned changes be made before the autumn of 1941 and that the Japanese government not relax its control of China.
In order to suppress the oppression of China, we are preparing to carry out the final active battle in the summer and autumn to try to solve the China Incident.
The Japanese army made a detailed analysis of the situation on the battlefield in China and believed: "Because the Eighth Route Army based in Yanzhou is to the west and the Central Army's First Theater Army is active on both sides of the Yellow River to the south, the public security situation in Jin Province is extremely bad. The security situation in Henan and Shandong provinces is extremely bad.
Public security is also unstable.
The current situation of public security in the main occupied areas, the order of stability is Mongolia, the Triangle, and the Wuhan area, with North China being the worst."
In the entire area occupied by the Japanese army, southern Shanxi was the only area where the direct lineage of the Central Army remained."
In order to deal with the Central Army of Southern Shanxi, the Eighth Route Army behind enemy lines must be dealt with first, so Okamura Ningji formulated the No. 1 combat plan against the Eighth Route Army.
However, the senior officials of the Eighth Route Army's base areas were well aware of the Japanese army's turbulent nature, and retaliation was certain. Therefore, in the month after the Hundred Regiments War, while the Japanese army was recovering its strength and repairing transportation lines, the Eighth Route Army was also recuperating and recuperating.
Japanese First Army Headquarters.
Yoshio Shinozuka looked at the battle reports from the front line with a sad face. The clean-up situation was not as smooth as expected. What worried Yoshio Shinozuka the most was the situation on Changji's side.
The main force of the 41st Division of the Japanese Army was completely wiped out, and all the officers from the division commander Tian Dao Shengwu down to were in pieces.
Although the 238th Regiment on the Changzhi side reported that the Eighth Route Army troops attacking the city had withdrawn, they were unable to support the Japanese troops on the middle route fighting on the Handan-Changchang Highway in the north, and could only be regarded as trapped in a corner.
Telephone communications between Changzhi and Taiyuan were cut off by the Eighth Route Army, and the situation around Changzhi could only be contacted by telegraph.
"General, with all due respect, you don't need to be so worried. The big sweep has just begun. The initial defeat in the battle is not enough to show anything. Although the Eighth Route Army in each base area avoids fighting, over time, personnel supply will inevitably become a problem.
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"As for Tian Daojun, his revenge will definitely be avenged in the future, and the Changzhi area is still under the control of the Imperial Japanese Army!" Chief of Staff Miyano Jun patiently persuaded: "However, it is a good thing that Changzhi was attacked by the Eighth Route Army. At least the Eighth Route Army took the initiative to reveal its traces.
I believe that the 36th Division and the 37th Division will definitely wipe out the Eighth Route Army along the Handan-Changchang Highway!"
"Yes, the imperial army still has the upper hand in North China. Except for the Tainan region, the rest of the country is under control. I am just worried that most of the soldiers of the 41st Division will be killed or injured, which will affect next year's Central Plains Battle.
, This is the top priority of the empire!" Yoshio Shinozuka said.
Miyano Shun nodded after hearing this. What Yoshio Shinozuka said was indeed true. As Japan's national policy tilted toward the navy, a large amount of resources and supplies were used to form the Southern Army.
In the previous replenishment of Japanese troops in North China, many reserve troops were drawn from Japan, and some soldiers were sent to China before they even finished their reserve training.
"That's why we have to end the battle with the Chinese as soon as possible and try our best to gain domestic support, otherwise the war will only continue to deteriorate!" Miyano Jun said.
While the two were talking, a Japanese soldier from the First Army Intelligence Section knocked on the door and came in with a telegram in his hand: "Your Excellency, General, the intelligence personnel stationed in Zhongtiao Mountain have sent important information. It is reported that the enemy in Zhongtiao
Various military units in Shanshan sent out ammunition supplies one after another during the day, and it seems that there is a major military operation!"
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"Nani, what are the specific military deployments?" Yoshio Shinozuka asked doubtfully.
"The specific military deployment is still under investigation. According to intelligence personnel, the national army's behavior this time was quite abnormal. The armies under the first theater did not receive a specific combat plan, but only received orders to issue ammunition!"
"Is there anything unusual about the Jin-Sui Army in western Shanxi?"
"Nothing unusual!"
"Yusi, it seems that the national army in Nakatiao Mountain is just showing off, please continue to pay attention at all times!" Shinozuka Yoshio ordered.
In the past, when the Japanese army carried out large-scale raids, the surrounding national army units often had small units to provide support. Therefore, after the main force of the three divisions around Nakatiao Mountain was transferred, Yoshio Shinozuka immediately ordered the intelligence department to pay attention.
The movements of the national army in Zhongtiao Mountain.
However, this time the First Theater Command was on guard against the Japanese. Only a few people knew about the combat plan, and the staff members who formulated the combat plan were directly isolated.
"Your Excellency, General, the national army in Zhongtiao Mountain can barely protect itself in the face of the imperial army's attack, so how can they have the courage to take the initiative to attack the imperial army!" Miyano Jun said contemptuously.
The First War Zone deployed seven armies in the Zhongtiao Mountain area. The 14th Group Army's subordinate Ninth Army Peichang Hui Headquarters is in Jiyuan, an important town in northern Henan. The Seventeenth Army Gao Guizi Headquarters is in the Jiangxian area.
The Fifth Army's subordinate Tang Huaiyuan Department of the Third Army, the Kong Lingxun Department of the 80th Army are in the Wenxi and Xia County areas, and the Samurai Min Department of the 98th Army is in the Dongfeng Town area.
Zhao Shiling's troops of the 43rd Army were at Yuanqu at the southern end of southern Shanxi, and Fan Hanjie's troops of the 27th Army finally arrived in Changzhi.
Most of the national troops in the Zhongtiao Mountain area under the above arrangement are miscellaneous armed forces, and there are very few direct descendants of the Central Army.
In the early morning of October 21, 1940.
All the national troops in Zhongtiao Mountain secretly sneaked out of their residences, and the general battle plan divided the national army in Zhongtiao Mountain into three groups.
The Ninth Army, the most elite force on the east road, attacked Jiyuan and Mengxian, and then expanded to the west line of Daoqing Highway.
The Third Army of the Western Front and the Eightyth Army attacked from Zhangdian Town, attacking Wenxi and Xia County respectively, then moved south along the highway to encircle Yuncheng, and attacked Jie County, Yuxiang, and Yongji along the highway.
The 43rd Army of the Northern Front set out from Yuanqu and captured Hengling Pass along the Hengyuan Avenue. The 98th Army launched an offensive from Dongfeng Town towards Yangcheng, and at the same time cut off the highway from Qinshui to Jiyuan.
The 17th Army of the county mainly attacked the Japanese troops along the Jiangxian and Yicheng lines.
The National Army troops in the first theater on the south bank of the Yellow River also launched attacks towards the Japanese-occupied areas in the east.
The Japanese troops stationed along Zhongtiao Mountain have always been arrogant. Even when the main force was absent, they did not take the national troops seriously.
Therefore, the movements of the national troops in Zhongtiao Mountain were not noticed in advance. As soon as the battle started, the Japanese blockade along Zhongtiao Mountain was pierced like a piece of paper.