Chapter 695 Okamura Neji comes to Kaifeng in person
Shortly after the year, although Zhou Weihan still stayed in Tainan, he asked the Hebei, Shandong and Henan Military Region to issue a formal order. All troops continued to strengthen training, political cadres did a good job in ideological work, and logistics troops at all levels reported on the ammunition reserves and dispatched combat troops at the same time.
The backbone helps local armed forces in their respective defense areas conduct training.
After Zhou Weiguo returned to Tainan from Jinmen, he did not stay too much in Tainan. Zhou Weihan ordered him to go to the grassroots level to inspect the training work of each regiment as the deputy chief of staff of the Hebei, Shandong and Henan Military Region.
While the Eighth Route Army was preparing for war in all aspects, the Japanese army was not idle either. The Japanese army in Shangqiu stopped fighting among themselves due to the intervention of their superiors. Araki Sadahiro and Kuroshima Morita launched an attack on the military-controlled counties in eastern Henan.
divide.
The troops stationed in various military-controlled counties in eastern Henan were originally the remnants of the reorganized appeasement army. After the two reached a consensus, they forcibly reorganized the appeasement army on the grounds that various regions in eastern Henan needed to strengthen their defense forces, and their affiliations were changed to the Jinling Puppetry.
The government was transferred to local governments.
This group of appeasement troops suddenly changed from regular troops to local puppet troops. More than a thousand puppet troops were stationed in each military-controlled county, and a dozen Japanese troops were installed as actual commanders to maintain local security.
War is all about logistics. In addition to the supply of military supplies, the most important thing is food.
Years ago, the Japanese army consciously drove victims from the occupied areas into the southwestern Shandong base area to consume food in the Eighth Route Army base area and increase the burden on the base area.
During this process, the Japanese army ordered the local puppet troops to plunder people's property and food to prepare food. Even some landlords in the areas occupied by the Japanese army tightened their belts to celebrate the New Year.
In mid-March 1942, Okamura Neiji took a transport plane from Peiping to Kaifeng, where the division headquarters of the 35th Division was located.
Before Neji Okamura arrived, the commander of the 35th Division, Harada Kumonaki, had already led a group of generals to wait at the airport for a long time. After seeing the plane land smoothly, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
China's territory is too vast, and each division of the Japanese army does not have the equivalent of feudal princes in its division area. It has great power. As the commander of the North China Expeditionary Force, Okamura Neiji rarely attends major meetings of the Chinese Expeditionary Force unless he participates in major meetings of the Chinese Expeditionary Force.
After leaving Peiping, it was a rare visit to Kaifeng in person.
"Your Excellency, Division Commander, with all due respect, General Gangcun was traveling too hastily. He was not escorted by fighter jets. What if the national army knew about it in advance and something unexpected happened..." The Thirty-fifth Division on the side said
Regiment Chief of Staff Takeda Eiichi said worriedly.
"Okay, this matter is over here. When the General returns, we will send two reconnaissance planes to escort you!" Harada Kumakichi waved his hand in a depressed mood.
Recently, the Eighth Route Army troops on both sides of the railway section from Anyang to Xinxiang have gone crazy. According to reports from strongholds along the way, starting from the end of the year, organized Eighth Route Army troops have often appeared, with as many as three to four hundred people and as few as more than one hundred.
people.
The Japanese army was tortured so much, but the Eighth Route Army was so elusive that it ran away after the fight, without giving the Japanese army the slightest chance to fight back. Harada Xiongyoshi even wondered if there was an internal problem, why the Eighth Route Army could avoid the Japanese reinforcements every time.
Okamura Neiji's trip was considered extremely hasty by his subordinates. He only received a telegram beforehand and then went to the airport to greet him.
Okamura Neiji did this because he was afraid of encountering accidents on the way. The Pinghan-Hankou Railway that ran through the north and south was often attacked by the Eighth Route Army. The security along the Ping-Hankou Railway from Peiping to Xinxiang made Okamura Neiji increasingly dissatisfied.
However, even when traveling by plane, there was a precedent in which a senior Japanese general's plane was shot down by an anti-aircraft machine gun when passing through a national defense zone.
All the little Japanese officers did not stay at the airport for too long. After returning to the division headquarters, Okamura Neiji ordered the other little Japanese officers to retreat, leaving only the commander of the 35th Division, Harada Kumakichi, and the infantry regiment.
The commander, Taijiro Iida, and the chief of staff, Eiichi Takeda, are the top three figures in the Thirty-fifth Division.
Also accompanying Neji Okamura were the Chief of the Intelligence Section of the Expeditionary Force Headquarters and Chief of Staff Moritake Tanabe, who still stayed in Jinmen to take command.
Okamura Neji still had his usual elegant style. After taking a sip of hot tea in the cup, he said: "Gentlemen, you must be wondering why I arrived in Kaifeng in a hurry. I believe you all know that some time ago, I was stationed in Kaifeng.
A group of soldiers in Jinmen rebelled, forcing a large number of foreigners to flee to the southern foothills of Yanshan Mountain, and united with the Eighth Route Army in the eastern Hebei area. The whereabouts of the commander of the 27th Division, Masaharu Honma, are still unknown, and the chief of staff, Miki Aobu, is on the front line.
Command the imperial soldiers to quell the chaos!"
"In addition, the equipment and technical personnel in the arsenal and other factories in Jinmen were looted. Many banks in the city and the Chinese people who had always been friendly to the Imperial Japanese Army were brutally murdered!"
"According to the subsequent investigation and reports from personnel in the 41st Division Office, during the chaos in Tianmen, a small group of the Eighth Route Army was operating in Jinmen City at the same time. There are various signs that this Eighth Route Army colluded with the rebellious Japanese army.
Together, the Eighth Route Army has benefited a lot from Jinmen, and the base areas of southern Hebei, Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei and eastern Hebei where the Eighth Route Army is located have received a large number of equipment and technical personnel!"
"After the base camp learned about this incident, it was extremely angry. His Majesty the Emperor ordered our North China Dispatch Force to take necessary measures immediately!" Okamura Neiji said at the end, there was no anger on his face, but he couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
Since he took office, he has always adopted a soft policy, but the Eighth Route Army has grown stronger in North China and made more and more noise. First, the Eighth Route Army engaged in a hundred-regiment battle to destroy the important communication lines of the Japanese army in North China.
Later, the Changzhi area, an important flank of the Zhongtiao Mountains, was recovered by the National Army and the Eighth Route Army. The National Army in the Zhongtiao Mountains took the opportunity to expand outward and regain lost ground. The Japanese army suffered successive defeats in southern Shanxi, and later southwestern Shandong was captured by the Eighth Route Army.
Full recovery.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! In detail, many Japanese troops were lost to Zhou Weihan. The 41st Division and the Kwantung Army were wiped out by the Eighth Route Army.
The First Mixed Brigade was severely damaged and can only huddle near Anyang. The Fourth Cavalry Brigade, which was originally responsible for southwest Shandong, was basically wiped out.
A Japanese lieutenant general, including Tadō Moritake, Imada Yukio, Suzuki Sadji, and Kojima Yoshizo, and three major generals, died in the hands of the Eighth Route Army commanded by Zhou Weihan. The commander of the Japanese First Army, Shinozuka Yoshio, committed suicide due to the defeat in the war.
, Chief of Staff Miyano Shun was dismissed and returned to China, where he went to court-martial.
These incidents all occurred during the tenure of Okamura Neiji. Under the persuasion of Chief of Staff Tanabe Moritake, coupled with the insufficient strength of the North China Expeditionary Force, the Japanese army shifted its focus to Southeast Asia. Okamura Neiji swallowed it abruptly.
After taking this breath, I planned to pick the weakest persimmons first and deal with the National Army in the Zhongtiao Mountain area first, and then deal with the Eighth Route Army when my hands are free.
Unexpectedly, before spring was ready for the use of troops against Zhongtiao Mountain, news of the Tianjin mutiny spread back to China. The Japanese army headquarters sent reprimanding telegrams to Okamura Neiji many times, saying that during his tenure, his work was ineffective and the public security in North China was degraded.
Order them to take immediate action against the Eighth Route Army.
As soon as this incident came out, even the internal personnel of the North China Expeditionary Force Headquarters questioned the soft policy adopted by Okamura Neiji. Fortunately, Okamura Neiji and Tanabe Moritake had the same views and barely stabilized the morale of the military.
.
"Your Excellency, General, since His Majesty the Emperor has personally given the order, the previously planned recuperation plan must also be changed. However, there are many Eighth Route Army base areas in the North China Expeditionary Army area. If we launch a full-scale encirclement and suppression campaign, our military strength will be too scattered. I am afraid that we will achieve twice the result with half the effort and cannot do anything.
It will have the desired effect!" Harada Kumayoshi immediately expressed his thoughts after hearing what Okamura Neji said.
"Yusi!" Neji Okamura nodded upon hearing this, and continued: "This time we will formulate an encirclement and suppression plan with clear goals and key breakthroughs!"
"The targets are mainly concentrated in the three areas of Jidong, Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei and southern Hebei. Targeting these three Eighth Route base areas, we will ultimately severely damage their main forces, destroy their mass base, destroy their arsenals, and blow up the Eighth Route Army's transportation from Tianjin.
The returned machinery and equipment will destroy the logistics system of the Eighth Route Army. In addition, the Eighth Route Army operating in southwestern Shandong should also be a key target of the attack!"
"The activities of the Eighth Route Army are the most rampant in the Tainan area, but in order to avoid causing changes in the national army in the Changzhi area, we can slow down the raids in the Tainan area!" Okamura Neiji said.
Zhou Weihan still remains in his mind, but Changzhi is the largest military group of the National Army in North China in the Zhongtiao Mountain area. Even though Okamura Neiji did not take it seriously, he cannot ignore the National Army's role in the battle between the Japanese army and the Eighth Route Army.
Due to the possibility of causing trouble behind the scenes, the raids had to be targeted at areas far away from the national army.
"The complete recapture of southwestern Shandong by the Eighth Route Army is a shame for the Japanese Empire. Your Thirty-fifth Division will be the main force in this large-scale sweep of southwestern Shandong. In view of the fact that your troops need to guard against the national army on the western front, Yanzhou's three
The 12th Division and the 21st Division from Xuzhou will send troops to assist!"
"At the same time, I have contacted the dispatched army headquarters. At that time, Central China will form a temporary detachment to go north, and you will be under full command!"
"Gentlemen, this time you must complete your work in one battle and return the southwestern Shandong region to the glory of the Japanese Empire. Otherwise, all of you here will commit suicide and apologize to His Majesty the Emperor!" Okamura Neiji rarely treated his subordinates.
He gave the order in a stern tone.
Fortunately, Okamura Neiji didn't stop talking. Everyone present knew that compared with recovering southwest Shandong, annihilating this group of Eighth Route Army was the most difficult!
"Please rest assured, General, our army has begun to prepare for war after the new year. Many imperial soldiers in Shangqiu learned their shame and became brave, and have been waiting for the opportunity to wash away their shame!" Harada Xiongyoshi said.
"Yusi, that's great!" Okamura Neji nodded with satisfaction.
However, Harada Xiongyoshi did not know that while this secret meeting was going on, the Japanese army in Shangqiu was indeed "organizing the army to prepare for war", but they were just helping the Eighth Route Army to prepare for war.
This incident also begins when Isamu Terauchi transferred Japanese troops from an infantry brigade of the 41st Division to Shangqiu.
For this group of Japanese soldiers who received special education, they came to Shangqiu with a special mission. Compared with Tainan and southern Hebei, Shangqiu was nothing more than an unopened virgin land in the eyes of Temple Yong.
The soldiers sent to Shangqiu can do a lot.
Moreover, the top leader of the Eighth Route Army in the Hebei, Shandong and Yu regions was also an acquaintance. How could Isamu Terauchi give up such a good opportunity with his business acumen?
Doing business in Shangqiu is like borrowing someone else's chicken to lay your own eggs. Anyway, you don't need the 41st Division to supply ammunition.
As for the Eighth Route Army, eight new infantry regiments were established in the Hebei, Shandong and Yu Military Region. Although a lot of weapons were captured in the battle, and when the new troops were formed, the weapons and equipment were basically complete, but the ammunition consumed in daily training was not a small amount.
, especially the 79-caliber bullet consumes the most.
The two parties hit it off immediately. You provide supplies and I pay. The price is still the same as before.
It just explains the saying, where there are people from Osaka, business can be done.
At the 38th Division headquarters on the Shangqiu front line, division commander Zhao Yunxiang was complaining to Sun Liangcheng.
"Military, these new Japanese are too ruthless and don't give our brothers any way to make money. Since they came, we can only do some small businesses that the Japanese don't like. Brothers don't agree with us now."
It’s so small!” Zhao Yunxiang said.
"No? No, you have to endure it. It's no better than before. Judging from recent signs, the Japanese may make big moves. The main force of the Japanese army will gather here by then. If there is a disturbance at this time,
Our entire Thirty-Eighth Division will not be able to please you!" Sun Liangcheng said coldly. He also loves money, but he cherishes life even more. If you compete with the Japanese for wealth, isn't this an old man drinking arsenic because he dislikes his longevity?
"Yes, yes, I understand this, but I heard that the Japanese are now satisfied with selling some ammunition, and now they even sell a lot of artillery shells!" Zhao Yunxiang said.
"Damn it, why are these Japanese from the 41st Division so evil? They are completely different from the Japanese from other divisions. When they are not provoked, they are gentle to others!" Sun Liangcheng wondered.
Previously, the 38th Division had secretly done business with the Eighth Route Army, reselling military supplies, and even secretly sold key controlled grains to the Eighth Route Army.
However, after the Japanese troops of the 41st Division arrived, they somehow got in touch with the Eighth Route Army. The Japanese Army and the Appeasement Army inevitably had conflicts over transactions. Even in a transaction between the Appeasement Army and the Eighth Route Army, this group of Japanese troops defeated the Eighth Route Army in one fell swoop.
The trading place was surrounded, but no incident occurred to the traders, but all the materials and stolen money being traded were confiscated.
What's even more outrageous is that on the one hand, this group of Japanese soldiers told their superiors that the pacification army lacked combat effectiveness and needed to strengthen training, and applied for more ammunition supplies, but on the other hand, they reduced the pacification army's ammunition allocation.
Over and over again, the pacification army became the target of exploitation, and this group of Japanese soldiers made a lot of money.