There was just one thing that Eitaro Uchiyama couldn't figure out. The enemy's large-scale deployment on the entire battlefield east of Jinpu Road not only hid it from the eyes of the intelligence agencies at all levels of the entire North China Front. It also hid it from the eyes of the intelligence agencies at all levels in the North China Front.
Before the second phase of the battle began, the navy dispatched reconnaissance aircraft many times to conduct large-scale aerial reconnaissance of the entire Hebei-Shandong border battlefield.
Before the Qikou landing battle started, the entire North China Front Army, which had been looking for the specific locations of these two tank divisions, did not realize that these two tank divisions, as well as so many heavy artillery, were deployed on the east line from Leling to Leling.
Qingyun, the Qikou line is just around the corner.
How did they manage to hide it from the enemy? This was not just two infantry divisions, but two tank divisions plus a large number of heavy artillery units. Such a large-scale troop mobilization was placed in such a key position, and there was no trace at all.
None of them were exposed. The enemy commander had a really good plan.
As the Qikou battle begins, it can be said that the enemy's entire deployment has been exposed. But the overall situation exposed by the opponent makes Lieutenant General Uchiyama Eitaro feel quite scared. Especially where the two tank divisions are located.
The position made Eitaro Uchiyama have a layer of white sweat on his body.
The enemy commander was actually so calm, fighting in a group from the Bohai Bay to the battlefield in southeastern Shanxi. On the battlefield west of Dezhou, the enemy's breakthrough had been opened. The 100th Division was surrounded by it, and it had to deal with the 65th Division.
He combined with the 1st Division of the 22nd Division and carried out desperate rescue operations, which kept the battlefield west of Texas under considerable pressure.
However, due to the continued lack of input of troops, the entire battle situation seemed to be somewhat stalemate, but they were still able to remain so calm. These two elite tank divisions were always waiting in hiding on the front line of Qikou, waiting for the base camp to move the two divisions.
I'll have it delivered to my door myself.
Aren't they worried that the naval fleet's bombardment of the Qikou line at the beginning of the battle was a bluff and a deliberate action to distract them? If the landing operation is delayed, what will happen to the two tank divisions?
Have you been waiting in Qikou and Xinhai?
Of course Eitaro Uchiyama also knows that this situation is simply impossible to happen. In this plain terrain, the mobility of tanks far exceeds that of infantry. As long as the enemy wants to mobilize, these two tank divisions can move very quickly.
Rush to any designated location within a short period of time.
The most important thing is that the Qikou battlefield is very close to the Leling and Qingyun lines of the entire battlefield east of Dezhou. A distance of more than 100 kilometers may be considered very far for infantry. But for a mechanized force
Say, it only takes a few hours. Once needed, they can appear wherever they are needed at any time.
Thinking of this, Eitaro Uchiyama was even a little scared. If the enemy had not controlled the two tank divisions on the Qikou line in order to carry out anti-landing operations. After the 72nd Division was completely destroyed, if these two tank divisions had left Texas
In the Edom war zone, combined with the interspersion of the northwest Shandong battlefield, all of his forces in the battlefield east of Texas will be trapped in a large encirclement.
Just like during the Battle of Kiev, the Germans took advantage of the high mobility of tanks to penetrate deeply on both wings. On the battlefield of Kiev, they suddenly surrounded 6 to 700,000 Soviet troops. Although the Imperial Army would not be like
Like the Soviet army back then, they were defeated in the shortest possible time. But once they were encircled, the consequences would probably not be much better.
As an old classmate of mine, together with the navy responsible for escort and fire support, the landing operation has actually been a failure so far. Judging from the current battle situation, he has been somewhat scapegoated. Otherwise, regardless of whether the two tank divisions invested in
The battlefield on the Hebei-Shandong border, judging from the current input of troops and terrain, the entire battlefield will be in danger of complete collapse.
It was also the landing operations of the 9th and 44th Divisions. Although they suffered a devastating blow, they actually saved themselves from the disaster. The strength of the two tank divisions would be intimidating to anyone.
.This is a tank with hundreds of performance and power, far exceeding the performance of Imperial Army tanks.
The two divisions that landed at Qikou attracted the two tank divisions, which allowed him to take a breath and carefully think about what to do next. Uchiyama Eitaro was certain that once the Qikou front-line landing troops were completely destroyed,
.The enemy's two tank divisions will definitely complete the turn as soon as possible. No matter which direction they invest in at that time, it will not be a good choice for themselves.
Looking at the chaos on the map, hundreds of kilometers of battle lines from the Ping-Han Line to Leling. Including the battlefields in southeastern Shanxi that are not progressing smoothly, as well as the battlefields in Qikou and northwest Shandong that are currently in danger. From the launch of this battle until now,
For the first time, Uchiyama Eitaro had the idea of retreating the entire army to the south of the Yellow River, relying on the natural dangers of the Yellow River to stick to Shandong and reach central Henan.
Eitaro Uchiyama knew that even before the Ninth Division on the Qikou battlefield was completely eliminated, the enemy forces on the Qikou front line would probably be free to move south. After all, the Ninth Division was currently trapped in Hulangzhuang.
The troop strength is simply less than the strength of two tank divisions.
Thinking that the next wave of targets for these two tank divisions would fall on him, Uchiyama Eitaro felt somewhat horrified. There was a vast plain on the Hebei-Shandong side, with no obstruction, even large rivers that could serve as natural barriers.
On uncharted terrain, if the enemy's two tank divisions turned their attention southward, it would be a disaster for the entire Hebei-Shandong border battlefield.
After being sent off to Lieutenant General Tsuki Yoshio, who had finally calmed down a little after being fooled by him, Eitaro Uchiyama had not yet recovered from the surprise caused by the idea that suddenly popped up in his heart. Twelve
The urgent report from the chief of staff of the army turned him into stone in an instant.
While Eitaro Uchiyama was having a meeting with Yoshio Utsuki, the radio contact between the Twelfth Army Headquarters and the 100th Division and the 118th Division on the battlefield west of Texas had been completely cut off. Passing through the Army Headquarters, the entire area west of Texas was
Judging from the changes in the battlefield situation, these two divisions have lost contact and are probably all doomed.
After receiving the report from his chief of staff, Uchiyama Eitaro, who had just finished comforting and was almost beaten into a polished commander, Kamizuki Yoshio, did not expect that he would receive a more serious blow than his old classmate. Two more divisions.
The regiment was annihilated, which meant that the entire Texas battlefield, including the Sixty-fifth Division on the battlefield west of Texas, had its entire flank exposed.
If the enemy wants to withdraw from the army and penetrates from the west of Texas, the two divisions on the Texas battlefield will be cut off from all their retreats. In other words, the impact and consequences of the entire army of the 100th Division being destroyed will be
This will cause the entire Texas frontal battlefield to be in danger of collapse at any time.
In addition to the Qikou battlefield, the two tank divisions have basically been freed up and can go south at any time. In other words, it is not just the frontal battlefield in Dezhou that is in a bad situation right now. The entire battlefield from Dezhou to the Bohai Bay, after many days
Several divisions, which had suffered heavy losses in the hard battle, were in danger of being surrounded by enemy forces north of the Majia River.
Uchiyama Eitaro, who sensed that the situation on the entire Dezhou battlefield was not good, immediately ordered all the troops who rescued the 100th Division to immediately shrink back to the Jinpu Railway. The troops transferred from the Dezhou battlefield immediately moved closer to the main force of the 22nd Division. Dezhou began
One by one, the participating divisions on the eastern battlefield gave up the struggle with the enemy forces in front of them and withdrew the entire army to the south bank of the Majia River.
At the same time, it can be considered that Lieutenant General Uchiyama Eitaro made a prompt decision and immediately sent a report to General Neji Okamura and Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Teiichi on the Western Front. After reporting the current battle situation of the Twelfth Army and the latest huge losses suffered, he directly requested that the troops be deployed in Shandong.
A full-line general retreat was carried out on the battlefield.
Uchiyama Eitaro directly telegraphed General Okamura Neiji and Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Teiichi, the commander of the First Army. The 118th Division lost contact and it was very likely that the entire army had been destroyed in the northwest battlefield of Shandong. In fact, the battle was the first
The connection between the First Army and the Twelfth Army has been completely separated without the input of follow-up troops.
Similarly, when the landing troops on the Qikou battlefield were basically facing the annihilation of the entire army, the large number of tanks and mechanized troops invested by the enemy in Qikou could already be released at any time. Taking advantage of the high mobility of their tank troops, or
Either go east to encircle the entire Dezhou battlefield, or go west to encircle the southern Hebei and northern Henan battlefields.
Once the enemy forces carry out large-scale tank penetration operations on the eastern front, all participating divisions of the Twelfth Army north of the Majia River will be encircled. If the enemy forces invest these forces on the western front, once they are cut off by the enemy,
The sea railway will penetrate directly to the north of the Yellow River. Not only will the two divisions currently on the Pinghan-Han Line have their back roads completely cut off, but even the battlefield in the southeast of Shanxi will completely lose all support.
Judging from the current situation, it is best to terminate this all-out offensive operation immediately. Using the enemy tank troops in Shandong, before the last chance to turn south or transfer to other battlefields, the entire army withdraws to the southern line of Majia River, or even
Withdraw directly across the Yellow River. Blow up the Yellow River iron bridge on the Jinpu line, abandon Dezhou and the entire area north of the Yellow River, and hold on to the south of the Yellow River with all your strength.
Eitaro Uchiyama directly told General Okamura Neiji in a telegram that if he did not want to continue to increase losses, it would be best to take advantage of the last opportunity when the enemy's two tank divisions in Qikou had not yet taken action to implement a general withdrawal of the entire army. Otherwise,
Once the main force of the enemy's tank force is freed up, the consequences will be unimaginable.
It can be said that from this telegram and the previous orders issued to the battlefield west of Texas, it should be said that Uchiyama Eitaro is still experienced and his judgment of the situation is quite accurate. He requested a general retreat on the Hebei-Shandong border battlefield.
There is nothing wrong with asking.
It's just that the few telegrams and orders he sent were already a little behind in the deployment. If he had made retreat arrangements as early as last month when Liangfu came to ask for help, it could still be said to be in time. But
We waited until the 100th Division lost contact before conducting a general retreat. It can be said that it was already a step too late.
It can be said that for the current Lieutenant General Uchiyama Eitaro, what he is afraid of will come. At almost the same time he issued a general retreat order to the various divisions that are still fighting on the battlefield on the Jilu border. At this moment, Qikou
In addition to the two tank divisions of the Anti-Japanese Alliance on the battlefield, as well as one infantry division and part of it directly under the artillery.
At this time, all the main forces of the army had been mobilized from the battle against the Ninth Division. When he issued orders to the divisions on the front line, Qikou's anti-alliance forces, led by two tank divisions, had already
Launched a large-scale penetration operation across the entire Hebei-Shandong border battlefield, targeting the flanks of several of his divisions on the battlefield east of Texas.
If it weren't for the main force on the Qikou battlefield, they had already begun to move south. With Du Kaishan's character and conduct, would he have given Lieutenant General Yuan Shou a chance to ask for help? He would have swarmed up and wiped out the remaining troops of the Ninth Division.
Come on. Du Kaishan, who has never been a stickler for rules, has no interest in going face to face with Japanese soldiers.