Okamura Neiji did not stay in Kaifeng for too long. Even many middle and low-level officers of the 35th Division did not know about it. Even the underground party in Kaifeng City only knew that the top Japanese army went to the airport collectively and was suspected of welcoming a group of people.
After the arrival of a big shot, no further useful information could be found during subsequent investigations.
Before boarding the plane, Okamura Neiji solemnly said to Harada Kumayoshi: "Harada-kun, now the empire's center of gravity has shifted to Southeast Asia and the Pacific battlefield where the Southern Army is distributed. As the battlefield continues to open up, it is necessary for us to dispatch troops to North China.
This may be the last chance for our department to break the current deadlock. Once we miss this opportunity, the situation in the future will be even more difficult. Please!"
"Hey, please rest assured, General, our department will formulate a specific battle plan immediately, swear to be loyal to His Majesty the Emperor to the death, and fight for the dignity of our North China Expeditionary Force!" Harada Kumayoshi responded immediately.
"Youxi, I'm waiting for your good news!"
For Commander Okamura Neiji, Harada Kumonaki respects from the bottom of his heart, treats others with tolerance, and cares for his subordinates. His superiors, the Japanese army defeated Southwest Shandong, and the 4th Cavalry Brigade was basically annihilated. He, the newly appointed division commander, has the responsibility
It was an unshirkable responsibility. Thanks to Neji Okamura playing in the middle, he was able to escape the responsibility.
Kaifeng was Okamura Neiji's first stop. Next he had to go to Xingtai and Taiyuan. As for Jinmen, Chief of Staff Tanabe Moritake was personally in command.
It is not difficult to see from Okamura Neiji's conversation and route that the Japanese army's large-scale raids on the Eighth Route Army base areas can be divided into four military groups to operate independently across regions.
The existence of the southwestern Shandong base area disgraced the entire North China Expeditionary Force and was the top priority of this sweep. The participating divisions involved included the 35th Division, the 32nd Division, and the 21st Division.
There were also reinforcements sent separately from central China.
The main force of the Japanese army in mopping up the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei base area was the troops affiliated with the First Army, while the southern Hebei base area was the 110th Division and the 108th Division directly under the dispatched army.
The Eighth Route Army's intelligence system in North China was pervasive. Although there were no spies who had penetrated the high-level Japanese army, they had been paying attention to the movements of the Japanese army during the period before and after. It was not difficult to guess from the various abnormal behaviors of the high-level Japanese army in various places that the Japanese army was about to make a big move.
In the following days, the gloom of the coming storm enveloped everyone's mind.
In Pingshun City, headquarters.
Xing Zhiguo hurriedly found Zhou Weihan with a telegram in his hand: "The telegram forwarded from the headquarters indicates that the Japanese army seems to be making a big move..."
"The headquarters' guess is correct. The enemy's engineers in Kaifeng have received news that in the past few days, officers from the left and above of the Thirty-fifth Division have gathered in Kaifeng. Even the Japanese troops in Xuzhou and Yanzhou have sent representatives to participate.
Yes, it seems that the next movement is really big. It would be great if we could know the Japanese army's combat deployment in advance!"
"Kurojima Morita is qualified to participate in the meeting, maybe we can find out more through him!" Xing Zhiguo suggested.
"I don't know how many days the Japanese army's combat meeting will be held. Once the specific combat deployment is determined, it will be too late!"
"Okamura Neji?" Zhou Weihan smiled playfully, and suddenly came up with the idea of contacting Isamu Terauchi.
The words were divided into two parts. Temple Yong from Handan was about to leave for the execution platform. Suddenly, the phone on the table specially used to communicate with the Eighth Route Army rang.
Terauchi Isamu hesitated for a moment. He felt a little guilty about Zhou Weihan. After the Jinmen Mutiny, in order to clear away the suspicion, Terauchi Isamu ordered Hashiguchi Sanken to reveal some information to Tanabe Moritake.
Just as the mutinous Japanese troops were looting the overseas Chinese in the Japanese Concession before marching north, the personnel of the 41st Division Office "bravely took the lead, regardless of their own safety" to protect the lives and property of some overseas Chinese.
Later, it was reported that an Eighth Route Army was operating in Tianjin at that time, and it was suspected of colluding with the rebellious Japanese army. Only then did the Japanese military leaders realize why the Eighth Route Army was able to clear out Tianjin with great fanfare.
However, Temple Yong knew it well and did not explicitly say that this group of Eighth Route Army soldiers came from Tainan.
Comparing it with other drunkards, the 41st Division naturally made Tanabe Moritake take a look, and secretly lamented that other divisions did not have Terauchi Isamu's awareness.
"Moxi Moxi, this is Isamu Terauchi!" Isamu Terauchi picked up the phone and lowered his voice subconsciously.
Zhou Weihan had a monk watching outside, so he naturally didn't have so many scruples, and said half-jokingly: "Terauchi-kun, we haven't contacted you for a while. Have you forgotten me as an old friend?"
When Zhou Weihan said this, Temple Yong felt even more guilty: "Zhou Jun, you just made such a big noise in Jinmen, how dare I contact you frequently during this time!"
"Oh? Does Terauchi-kun have any news that you want to inform this old friend of mine in advance?"
"Haha, I was about to tell you that I will go to the execution platform for a meeting today. It is reported that General Gangcun arrived at the execution platform in person a few days ago, and then went to Taiyuan. The participants this time are the 108th Division and the 110th Division.
The general on the left is in charge, and I will attend the meeting as a non-voting delegate!"
"Okay, I look forward to the next call with Mr. Terauchi!" Zhou Weihan hung up the phone decisively.
Zhou Weihan walked out of the office and ordered the combat staff to mark Okamura Neji's itinerary on the map.
"Kaifeng, Xingtai, Taiyuan!"
Hebei, Shandong and Yu Military Region!"
"Xingtai, since the Japanese army is meeting here, the target is very clear, which is the southern Hebei base area. The enemy's 110th Division is likely to attack southward from the Cangshi Line, the 108th Division is likely to march eastward from Xingtai, and the 41st Division may
It will be dispatched from the south to the north!"
"As for the First Army in Taiyuan, it is currently impossible to figure out its true intention. It is impossible to determine whether it is going north to attack the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei base area or our Taihang base area?" Xing Zhiguo said one by one.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Zhou Weihan nodded after hearing this: "The entire Taihang base area includes three secondary military regions. It is the strongest among many base areas. At the same time, the Japanese army also knows the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army.
It is in the Taihang base area and is the primary target of the Japanese army."
"However, the actions of the Japanese army this time are a bit strange. Where do the little devils have the confidence to start wars in many places at the same time? Even if the Jinsui Army in western Shanxi is expected, the national army in Zhongtiao Mountain will not participate in the war. Ningji in Tagang Village has
Who has the guts to demobilize the main force of the First Army on the southern front? What confidence does his First Army have to launch operations on both the north and south sides at the same time, and attack our Taihang base area and Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei base area at the same time? Do you really think that our Eighth Route Army is still the same as before?" Zhou Weihan
He said doubtfully.
Xing Zhiguo was also very puzzled by this, and Zhou Weihan finally said: "We have too little information, so it is pointless to guess here. Old Xing, go to the headquarters immediately and report the current intelligence!"
"The breakthrough point for estimating the focus of the Japanese attack can be on the Japanese troops in southern Shanxi. If these Japanese troops make any changes, the main target of the Japanese troops will most likely be our Taihang base area!"
"Okay, I'll go to the headquarters right away!" Xing Zhiguo responded.
According to the past, Zhou Weihan would report to the headquarters in person, but now it is clear that the southwestern Shandong base area is also one of the key attack targets of the Japanese army, so Zhou Weihan had to rush to the Hebei, Shandong and Henan Military Region in person to take charge.
The assault regiment has been established for more than half a month. Dong Jiang has temporarily served as the regiment leader. All the commanders and fighters are the backbone of the battle. The entire assault regiment has been running smoothly. The newly established mountain artillery battalion and howitzer company will also follow Zhou Weihan's guidance.
Head to the Hebei, Shandong and Yu Military Region.
At the same time, while the high-level officials of both the enemy and ours were constantly planning, the Japanese reinforcements from central China that Okamura Neji mentioned in Kaifeng arrived in Kaifeng.
This temporarily formed Japanese army is called the Nakazawa Detachment internally. Its commander is the division chief of staff Mitsuo Nakazawa. It belongs to the battle order of the 16th Division of the Japanese Army in Central China. This Japanese army is one of the 17 standing Class A divisions.
One of the most powerful Japanese troops in the Jinling Massacre.
These two crazy little devils, Jing Toshiaki and Noda Takeshi, were from the Sixteenth Division. The original Sixteenth Division had been transferred to the Southern Army's combat order and was about to go to the battlefield in Southeast Asia.
Following an order from the Chinese Expeditionary Forces Headquarters, the 38th Infantry Regiment of the 16th Division and a mountain artillery brigade were temporarily mobilized. Together with scattered other arms, a total of nearly 4,000 Japanese troops went north.
"I heard that the Eighth Route Army in North China was so rampant that they openly occupied the county seat that was originally occupied by the imperial army. It seems that these soldiers of the North China Expeditionary Army have lost their fighting will. Mr. Noda, I would like to know, a group of
What is the difference between the Eighth Route Army and the Nationalist Army, which only knows how to hide its head and tail?" Jing Minming said with a wild smile.
