At around eight o'clock in the evening, at the South China Front Army Headquarters in Ningbo, Matsui Iwane was sitting on the tatami, looking at the latest battle report from the front.
The Battle of Hankou is more difficult than expected. I originally thought that with the 300,000 imperial troops gathered, they would be able to defeat them in one fell swoop. However, so far, not only has the war made no progress, what is worrying is that the elite divisions of the imperial army have The 17th Division was actually completely wiped out, and if it weren't for a group of young staff officers at the division headquarters who fought hard to rescue the division commander, then this would be the first time in the history of the Japanese military that a division had been established. was completely destroyed,
The Battle of Hankou would end in this situation. The imperial army could not even defeat China's third-rate troops. (In the rankings of the Chinese army recognized by the Japanese, the Xuebing Army is the most difficult enemy to deal with, followed by those cunning and cunning troops. Tuba Road, and as for the so-called Central Army of the old Chiang Kai-shek, they are third-rate troops). Thinking about the first Great Wall War of Resistance, tens of thousands of imperial troops defeated the Chinese army that was ten times their own. Matsui Iwane felt deeply ashamed. Why did this situation occur? Why did the brave and capable Imperial Army suddenly become incapable of fighting? Matsui Iwane thought about it and finally believed that the most fundamental reason was that the Xuebing Army had not been eliminated and was entrenched in southern China. The student armies of the three provinces are so abominable that they tied the four most elite divisions of the imperial army to Zhejiang. The 2nd, 6th, 9th, and 13th divisions may not be equipment. The best and most powerful. However, because they have been active on the Chinese battlefield for a long time, they are the ones with the most practical combat experience. Experience is an extremely important factor in war, and this time from the Kwantung Army and the North China Front Army And most of the troops transferred from China lacked actual combat experience with the Chinese army. This gave China's third-rate troops the opportunity to completely annihilate a main division.
Matsui Iwane didn't even think about it. If he performed well enough, if the so-called South China Front Army could win the war between Fujian, Zhejiang and Jiangxi at the end of last year and the beginning of this year, then would they still need to adopt a serious defensive posture? Shangrao and Yingtan The loss seemed nothing at first glance, but when the Battle of Hankou began, the Japanese immediately rushed to the scene and retreated. Otherwise, the Shangrao and Yingtan lines not only directly prevented the South China Front from connecting with the frontline battlefield, but also, in order to cope with possible attacks from the area In response to the Xuebing Army's surprise attack, the Japanese army had to deploy more troops in the area from Panyang Lake to Shangjiang. This limited the Japanese army's performance at the beginning of the campaign, but at the same time gave the National Army's 74th Army a chance to give it a try.
The 2nd, 6th, 9th, and 13th Divisions were given important tasks by some big bosses in the Japanese base camp. It was hoped that they could firmly hold Zhejiang when the empire deployed troops in the Hankou area, thereby ensuring the rear of the Japanese army in Jiangsu and Shanghai. Safety, Ishimoto Matsui should be happy that he was able to escape from the Battle of Hankou. After all, fighting with the Chinese army is no longer as sure as it used to be to pick up snails with three fingers. If you are not careful, you will be ruined. However, considering In this way, it gave Xuebingjun enough time and space to develop, and the old devil couldn't be happy anymore.
The cadet army has grown from a small cadet corps to the behemoth it is today in just four years. Matsui Iwane believes that the Army's special service should be held accountable for this. If the empire had concentrated its elite forces to annihilate the cadet army when it was just sprouting, , Then why is today's embarrassing situation coming? He is also very dissatisfied with the Imperial Military Department's battle planning this time. The Japanese Military Department has given too much significance to this Battle of Hankou. Some guys who like to talk about war on paper believe that the Imperial Army Once a breakthrough can be achieved in a short period of time, it will play an immeasurable role in the empire's plans in the south. At that time, the empire can make persistent efforts to capture Hunan. After Hunan, Guangxi will be just around the corner. Once Guangxi is captured, the Xuebing Army will be It is sealed in the three southern provinces. At that time, the imperial navy and army will all come out, and they can capture Hainan first. Once Hainan is captured, the next thing will be easier to handle. Even if it takes time, the student army can be exhausted. Matsui Iwane was well aware of the military's plans, but he felt that this was putting the cart before the horse and would be counterproductive.
In the minds of the Japanese, the Xuebing Army has become the biggest obstacle to its East Asia strategy. The reason why the Xuebing Army is hateful is only because of its terrible combat power. What makes the Japanese intolerable is its ambition. It is not like other Chinese Like warlords, they are just content to sit in a corner and be their own local emperor. When the Xuebing Army was first established, it used the guise of hating Japan. Now that its strength allows, it actually dares to take the initiative to attack the land that the Japanese army has occupied, and even even Japan's mainland (Taiwan) also dares to get involved. The Xuebing Army led by Ouyang Yun is so bold and has seriously violated the bottom line of Japan's East Asia policy. Under such circumstances, Japan should give priority to solving the Xuebing Army. However, I don't know What are those old devils at the Tokyo base camp thinking? They actually want to use time and space to weaken the student army and then solve it at a small cost. In Matsui Iwane's view, this is tantamount to giving a big favor to the students. He believes that even if the empire currently does not have enough power to annihilate the Xuebing Army, it should continue to launch battles and use the power of one country to fight against the Xuebing Army for losses and population. Matsui Iwane is a China expert and has a good understanding of China's political situation. Understand that the Xuebing Army may have a high prestige among the Chinese people, but just like an upstart, it is not popular in Chinese political circles and is even characterized as a troublemaker. In this case, the Imperial Army gives priority to the Xuebing Army The use of military force will only get the tacit approval of some big figures in China...
In any case, Matsui Iwane's understanding of the current situation in the Xuebing Army and China is better than those old devils sitting in Tokyo and talking about military affairs. However, because of his previous despicable performance, he no longer has the corresponding right to speak, so , even if his suggestion is correct, in the ears of those in Tokyo, it is no different than falling on deaf ears.
"I hate it." Matsui Iwane put down the military newspaper and was lamenting when suddenly the phone rang.
The call came from the commander of Ningbo Airport, Major Akita. The reason why the switchboard outside asked the commander-in-chief to answer the call personally was because the matter was serious and the commander-in-chief needed to make a decision in person.
"Your Excellency, there are Chinese fighter planes flying towards our airport. Please give us your instructions whether to send a plane to intercept them."
Matsui Iwane first looked at the watch on his hand and found that it was already past eight o'clock in the evening. Then he looked out the window. Except for the places illuminated by lights, the rest of the place was dark. He then asked: " How many are there?"
"Within five aircraft."
"Are you sure it's a Chinese fighter plane?"
"Yes, because we have not been notified by our airports and naval aviation today."
"That's it, pass on my order to implement blackout, and then we'll see what happens."
"Hai."
Soon, not only Ningbo Airport, but also the entire city began to extinguish after the shrill siren sounded. All the lights, including those in Matsui Iwane's room, began to go out.
In the sky, at an altitude of more than 12,000 meters, Xue Changkong saw that the city below, which was just dotted with stars just now, suddenly became pitch black, and he couldn't help but laugh: "The Japs in Ningbo are very vigilant and their reactions are quick enough. .”
The co-pilot next to him said: "But they will be disappointed, because we are not here to patronize them."
"Do you think the little devil will be reported to the country?"
"Probably not. This requires very abstract imagination."
Xue Changkong had no choice but to choose to fly over Ningbo. The flight was too far away, and they could not even guarantee that the fuel would be enough to complete the mission. Therefore, even if there was a risk of being exposed in advance, they could only try their best. Select a straight line. Only in this way can we ensure to the greatest extent that we can return successfully after completing the task.
On the ground, Matsui Iwane stood in the yard. In the quiet night, the sound of the Sky Fortress's dedicated engine was particularly loud. Listening to this loud sound that represented the progress of human civilization, Matsui Iwane did not expect that these fighter planes were going directly to Tokyo. Thinking that this was another deterrent action carried out by Ouyang Yun, he quietly listened to the sound and headed to the east, feeling a little emotional in his heart: Once upon a time, China was equated with backwardness, but now, they have begun to have more advanced equipment than the empire. weapons, he couldn't figure out what kind of magic power Ouyang Yun, a Chinese colleague, possessed. He actually possessed so many new technologies in a short period of time. Suddenly he had an idea: Didn't Ouyang Yun come back from the United States? These, maybe It's all related to the Americans, Americans, yes, it must be them. It turns out that the so-called neutrality of the United States is just a cover. They actually secretly support a Chinese warlord. Once this concept comes into being, it will immediately be deeply affected. It entered the depths of Matsui Iwane’s soul and could no longer leave it.
The Xuebing Army is developing too fast. Not to mention how much investment it requires, and the current China is famous for its poverty. He really can't believe that the Xuebing Army will achieve the development by relying on its own strength. The United States developed after the First World War and has become synonymous with advanced and civilizational progress. The United States has a strong economic strength and a high level of science and technology. This is a fact recognized by the world. Moreover, it also I hope to cultivate spokespersons in various countries around the world. When I think about the connection between the two, the rise of Xuebingjun like a nouveau riche seems understandable.
Many Japs in Ningbo City still had doubts about the voyage of Xuebingjun fighter planes: Where exactly were the Chinese going? However, due to their rank, they were unable to submit their guesses to the public. As a result, the best opportunity to intercept these three plague-laden aerial fortresses was directly lost.