Once the Japanese troops break through Fukouxing and enter Shanxi, they can attack the periphery of the Changzhi battlefield along the Changshe Highway. At present, the reinforcements in northeastern Shanxi have not yet arrived, and the deputy commander-in-chief has concentrated his forces to fight between Changzhi and Gaoping. The entire
From Dongyang Pass to the western mountainous area of Shexian County, there was only one divisional independent regiment and some local armed forces. It was difficult to intercept these more than 10,000 Japanese and puppet troops at the Fukouxing line.
The puppet troops cooperating with this unit were composed of a section of the Northwest Army that was originally stationed in southeastern Shanxi and an army that surrendered to the enemy. They were captured during the Japanese raids on Linxian and Lingchuan areas in 2002. Many of the veterans of this unit were
, especially good at defensive operations, can be called the ace unit among the Wang Puppet System and the puppet army.
Before this battle, in order to free up its hands to deal with the resistance alliance in the north, the Japanese army transferred a puppet division originally stationed in Kaifeng to the original two divisions to command the army, and expanded the army into a three-division system.
Type A Army. During the Battle of Hong Kong, 1,500 British-made rifles, more than 100 light and heavy machine guns, and more than 300,000 rounds of bullets were captured from the British troops stationed in Hong Kong.
Although the army bears the title of Wang Puppet Army, in fact, apart from paying the funds, Wang Puppet cannot command this army at all. This army is directly under the command of the Japanese North China Front Army Headquarters. All ammunition and weapons are provided by the North China Army.
The front army is directly responsible, which shows how much Okamura Neiji attaches importance to this puppet army.
After the army surrendered to the enemy, because the army commander made it clear that he would not fight with the Chongqing side. The eastern Henan area was close to the First War Zone, so the Japanese army was transferred to northern Jiangsu to fight with the New Fourth Army. However, in 1943, when the war situation became tense, it was again
The Japanese army was transferred back to northern Henan to assist in the defense, replacing the local puppet troops whose combat effectiveness was extremely poor and would be defeated in one strike. They cooperated with the Japanese army to stay in northern Henan and clamped down on the battlefield in southeastern Shanxi.
The man who commanded this army was the Dongling Bandit who was famous throughout the country for stealing treasures from the Dongling Tomb of the Qing Dynasty. This time, the Japanese army led by this army launched an attack from Shexian County to the southeastern Shanxi region. The location and main direction of the attack were:
It was the area where this army was stationed before surrendering to the enemy. The Japanese army mainly attacked from Shexian County to the west, so it can be said that they are familiar with the route.
With the cooperation of this army, the Japanese army in Shexian County made rapid progress. On the second day after the offensive was launched, they broke through the Fukouxing natural barrier, which caused considerable passiveness to the Taihang Military Region. Once the direction of Dongyang Pass was lost, it would not only affect the entire southeastern Shanxi battle situation, but also
Moreover, Licheng, where a large number of rear-area agencies are currently stationed, as well as the local government of Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and Yu, and the Northern Bureau, are also exposed to the muzzle of the Japanese army.
Not to mention that the entire sides and rear of the Changzhi battlefield may also be exposed to the muzzles of Japanese guns. Although the Japanese and puppet troops appearing in Fukouxing were mainly puppet troops, they greatly interfered with the Eighteenth Army of the Southeast Shanxi Battlefield.
The deployment of the group army affected the battle situation in southeastern Shanxi to a certain extent.
Faced with the new enemy situation emerging in Fukouxing, the five brigades that had been reinforced by Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei had not yet arrived in southeastern Shanxi. Yang Zhen's old superior had no choice but to deploy troops from the Changzhi battlefield.
A brigade of the reserve force and two independent regiments from the Taihang Second Division rushed to the direction of Dongyangguan for reinforcements.
The situation in the southern Hebei battlefield and the northwest Shandong battlefield suddenly took a turn for the worse, but Yang Zhen was not worried. The 118th Division turned around and headed north, confirming that their offensive in northwest Shandong was just a feint, just to push the enemy away.
The attention of the Western Front cluster was attracted to the battlefield in southern Hebei, creating conditions for itself to separate the connection between the two major clusters of the Eastern and Western Anti-Japanese Alliance.
He gave way to the front line of Guantao and allowed the 118th Division to join the Japanese army in southern Hebei. He thoroughly understood the true intentions of the Japanese army on the battlefield in northwest Shandong. The actions of the 118th Division in northwest Shandong were an important target for the Japanese army.
Bait. If we really follow Chen Hanzhang's idea and attack the 118th Division first, I'm afraid we will fall into the trap of the Japanese army.
In this counterattack, the Japanese army followed the entire strategic plan step by step. Judging from the fact that the Japanese army used the 118th Division as a bait, Okamura Neji's appetite was quite big this time.
In the past, we mainly focused on attacking cities and plundering territory. We wanted to take advantage of the unprecedented support provided by the base camp to completely defeat all the Eighteenth Group Army and the anti-alliance forces participating in the North China battlefield.
In other words, this time the Japanese army not only wants to open up the Jinpu Railway, but also focuses on annihilating the effective forces of the 18th Group Army and the Anti-Alliance Forces on the entire North China battlefield. If the 118th Division is attacked first, then the troops in southern Hebei, northwest Shandong and the Jinpu Line will
I am afraid that the Japanese army will encircle them as soon as possible. The series of chain reactions that will be triggered after that may be beyond my control.
Thinking of this, Yang Zhen was covered in white hair sweat. Thanks to him for letting Chen Hanzhang stabilize himself and not hastily attacking the front line of Guantao. Otherwise, his entire original battle plan would have been disrupted. Before the battle,
He could only be led by the Japanese army.
But now that the entire strategic plan of the Japanese army has been fully figured out, Yang Zhen has nothing to hesitate about. It is rude to come back without reciprocating. Since the Japanese army is willing to use a division to lay this bait, then it will not act on its own.
, how can he be worthy of such painstaking calculations by Okamura Neji?
Although the Japanese 72nd Division is strategically located in the middle, it is located at the junction of the two major battlefields of the East and West. If the 72nd Division is defeated first, the whole game will be alive. As long as this 70th Division is solved,
There is no need to worry about the Second Division and the entire Eastern Front war situation.
However, although he is quite confident about the entire Hebei-Shandong border battle situation, the battle situation in the southeastern Shanxi Province makes him somewhat worried. Judging from the entire deployment of the Japanese army this time, no battlefield is isolated. The battlefield in the southeastern Shanxi Province, Hebei Province
The battlefields in the south, northwestern Shandong, and northern Shandong are almost all in a coordinated overall situation.
Was the operation of the Japanese troops in Fukouxing in Shexian County to cooperate with the two divisions in the southeastern Shanxi battlefield and coordinate the rescue operations of the two divisions in the southeastern Shanxi? Or was it just a false shot that disrupted the situation in the entire southeastern Shanxi battlefield and set the stage for Gaoping?
, the two Japanese divisions on the Changzhi front line created fighter planes, and it is still difficult to accurately judge at the moment.
But in Yang Zhen's opinion, the Japanese and puppet troops attacking from Shexian to Fukouxing were uncharacteristically dominated by puppet troops. The possibility of the latter is quite high. Shexian County is close to Fukouxing and is also the Changshe Highway.
The eastern starting point. As long as the Japanese army breaks through Fukouxing, they will directly enter the hinterland of the Taihang Mountains.
Problems in this direction will inevitably affect the deployment of troops in the Shanxi-Hebei-Luyu Military Region and the entire southeastern Shanxi battlefield. This will undoubtedly create a very favorable opportunity for the two Japanese divisions on the Gaoping front line, and even buy time. Otherwise,
If the Japanese army really attacks southeastern Shanxi from Shexian County, it will not be dominated by puppet troops.
At least one regiment must be added to the strength of the two infantry brigades. The battlefield in southeastern Shanxi has been fiercely fought for more than two months. The Japanese army is now quite clear about the current equipment and combat effectiveness of the 18th Army. The First Army is in
Nearly half of the troops were lost on the battlefield in Shanxi. If he still looked at people with old eyes at this time, I am afraid that the beating he received from Yoshimoto Sadashi would have been in vain.
The Japanese army's actions in the direction of Shexian County are mainly puppet troops. This deployment itself has a big problem. If the Shanxi-Hebei-Luyu Military Region can free up its hands now, there will definitely not be any big problem in dealing with these Japanese and puppet troops. But right now
The most troublesome thing is that at this time, the main forces of the Shanxi-Hebei-Luyu Military Region are concentrated in southeastern Shanxi, and they are temporarily unable to take care of the Japanese and puppet troops in Shexian County.
The offensive of the Japanese and puppet troops in Shexian County has contained and dispersed a large part of the energy of the Shanxi-Hebei-Luyu Military Region. Coupled with the two Japanese divisions heading north from the Gaoping line, it will undoubtedly aggravate the current chaos on the battlefield in southeastern Shanxi
After the Japanese and puppet troops join the battle, no one can say where the battlefield in southeastern Shanxi will go.
Fortunately, after receiving Yang Zhen's telegram, reinforcements from the Shanxi-Sui and Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Regions have begun to set off for the battlefield in southeastern Shanxi. After danger appeared in the direction of Shexian County, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region mobilized the 200 troops on hand.
Several vehicles were deployed to transfer troops to the battlefield in southeastern Shanxi. The leading three brigades had already entered the territory of Heshun.
At the same time, a brigade and a regiment from the Shanxi-Sui Military Region from Taiyuan have also arrived in the Yushe area. As long as reinforcements arrive, the Shanxi-Hebei-Luyu Military Region has sufficient emergency response forces, and the battlefield in southeastern Shanxi will be at least within a short time.
, there won’t be any big danger for the time being.
However, the key to the entire southeastern Shanxi battlefield depends on how well the deputy commander-in-chief fought in the battle at Gaoping. If he can really capture or severely damage a Japanese division, then there will be no worries for the entire southeastern Shanxi battlefield.
As long as there are no major changes in the battlefield in southeastern Shanxi, I don't have to worry about the chain reaction it will cause in the short term.
However, this sudden change in the battlefield in southeastern Shanxi also restricted Yang Zhen's adjustment of military strength to a certain extent, and he was unable to act freely on the western front. At least he was in the deep areas of the western front, especially at the junction of Hebei and Shanxi.
On several key points, a considerable number of troops must be retained for emergency response.
But no matter what, since Yang Zhen has made up his mind to attack the 72nd Division first, Yang Zhen will not have any hesitation. At least for now, the battlefield in southeastern Shanxi has not fundamentally deteriorated, and the fighter opportunities are still in his own hands. If he delays any more,
If this continues, if there is another reversal in the situation, the impact will be too great.
Although it is somewhat too risky to launch a local counterattack now. But for Yang Zhen, since the Japanese army has set up a chain of traps on several battlefields, concentrating its forces will completely disrupt one of them.
Ring, by attacking the 72nd Division, disrupting its deployment on the entire battlefield.
As long as the situation on the battlefield in northwest Shandong is in chaos, no matter what tricks the Japanese army plays on the battlefield in southeastern Shanxi or what the specific goals of the two divisions are, they can only end up doing nothing. Treat others in their own way.
Since they have created so many tricks for themselves, if they don't do something, they will not be able to bear the painstaking efforts of the Japanese army.
Since the Japanese army has decided to make a three-pronged advance in southern Hebei, the junction of Hebei, Shandong and Henan, and the battlefield in northern Shandong, then I will use the current mentality of the Japanese army to catch him by surprise. It is good to be on an even footing, but when necessary
You have to take a lot of risks. In the most critical area of the entire deployment of the Japanese army, give him a black tiger to take out his heart.
As long as Chen Hanzhang can deal with the 72nd Division under the eyes of the Japanese troops on the east and west routes, the Japanese army in southern Hebei will inevitably change the current step-by-step offensive when they are faced with being outflanked on the rear route. No matter how the Japanese army originally planned to use southern Hebei
The overall deployment of the two divisions will inevitably change. As long as the battlefield in southern Hebei is in chaos, the battlefield in southeastern Shanxi will also inevitably change.
In this counterattack, no matter what the Japanese army deploys, it will be widely spread. The next step of strategic initiative is completely in its own hands. Therefore, although the risk of attacking the 72nd Division first is very high,
Big, but Yang Zhen believes that this risk must be taken for the change and development of the entire war situation, and it is worth taking.
Moreover, with Chen Hanzhang's ability and the troops he can mobilize at the moment, Yang Zhen believes that the possibility of failure in this counterattack is unlikely. As for whether Chen Hanzhang can work hard to solve the 72nd Division under the eyes of the Japanese troops on the east and west fronts,