Bright Sword: Rebirth of Kong Jie

On the other hand, the Japanese command headquarters, mainly composed of the First Army Headquarters of the Japanese Army in Shanxi, has also held many military meetings in recent times.

——Discuss how to respond to the Eighth Route Army’s next combat plan.

Including the Japanese North China Front Army Headquarters located in Peiping.

A high-level military meeting was also held.

Lieutenant General Yoshio Shinozuka, commander of the First Army, attended the meeting, which was chaired and convened by Tada Shun, commander-in-chief of the Japanese North China Front Army.

At the meeting, the old Japanese soldier Tada Shun pointed out: "Since 39, our army has adopted a cage policy against the so-called anti-Japanese revolutionary bases opened up by the Eighth Route Army on the edge of the occupied areas, using bunkers and artillery towers, roads as pillars, railways as chains, and bunkers as locks to carry out a thorough military blockade.

It was originally thought that this strategy could completely suppress or even eliminate the Eighth Route Army.

But no one expected that the Eighth Route Army would still grow so rapidly under our army's cage policy.

This time the Eighth Route Army launched the so-called Hundred Regiments Campaign, mobilizing more than 100 regiments and over 20 troops at one time.

They massively destroyed our military's transportation lines, rendering our military's cage policy completely ineffective.

Ladies and gentlemen, the situation of the jihad has reached the most critical moment.

But I didn't expect such a mess to happen.

How to fight against the Eighth Route Army will become the next most important military task of our North China Front Army.

Recently, I have been considering whether it is necessary to shift the focus of our army's operations from the front battlefield to the so-called enemy-behind battlefield of the Eighth Route Army in the occupied area.

Should our army focus on suppressing and eliminating the Eighth Route Army? "

After the topic was raised, senior officers of the Japanese Army's North China Front Army began to discuss it.

Since the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese army has actually always focused on the front battlefield, especially in the battle against the Central Army.

After all, the National Army’s Central Army was the best-equipped army in China, and its combat effectiveness at the time made it the strongest team within China’s anti-Japanese armed forces.

The Japanese army divided the Chinese army into three levels: A, B, and C.

Among them, the Central Army is the Class A combat force.

The local national army troops are Class B combat units.

As for the Eighth Route Army, it had never even appeared on the front battlefield and had not posed a major threat to the Japanese army before, so it was directly listed as a Class B combat unit by the Japanese army.

In other words, it was the worst-equipped, weakest-fighting and smallest force among China's anti-Japanese armed forces.

In the eyes of many intelligence departments of the Japanese army, it was an anti-Japanese armed force that could be completely ignored.

But as the war continues.

While the Japanese army was winning victory after victory on the front battlefield against the National Army, they suddenly turned around and were shocked to find that a large number of Eighth Route Army troops had appeared at the edge of the occupied area, including the vast suburbs, mountainous areas and some remote rural areas.

The equipment level and combat effectiveness of these Eighth Route Army troops may not be very strong.

However, they persisted in fighting the Japanese army, posing a serious threat to public security and stability in the Japanese-occupied areas.

The Japanese began to launch large-scale mopping-up operations again and again, but no matter what means they tried, they could not destroy the Eighth Route Army.

Because of this, the Japanese army also had a big headache.

Finally, the Japanese army came up with the cage policy of military blockade against the Eighth Route Army base, attempting to completely weaken the Eighth Route Army and even destroy it.

As a result, the cage policy was implemented for less than a year.

The Eighth Route Army's large-scale raiding operation, the Zhengtai Campaign, also known as the Hundred Regiments Campaign, officially broke out.

Then, several Eighth Route Army units, starting with the Eighth Route Army Independent Regiment, rose like dark horses.

They successively destroyed several Japanese battalions and even killed the 113th Regiment of the Japanese Army. They also seized the flag of the 113th Regiment of the Japanese Army - although it was false news, the Japanese believed it to be true.

And regard it as a shame.

This time, the Japanese Army's 3rd and 9th Mixed Brigades were defeated in succession.

Once upon a time, a small Japanese Sakata Regiment could even run rampant in the Eighth Route Army base, forcing the entire main force of the Eighth Route Army's 129th Division to shift, and cover the evacuation of the division's hospital and command agency in a panic.

The Japanese army thus realized the rapid growth of the Eighth Route Army.

As Shinozuka Yoshio said: “Over the years, the Eighth Route Army has been growing secretly.

Especially the Eighth Route Army in Shanxi.

Therefore, the Eighth Route Army in the Taihang Mountains grew most rapidly.

They are no longer the three-gun Eighth Route Army that we know of. Their equipment level can even crush the Imperial Army in some elite combat units.

For example, the Eighth Route Army Independent Regiment that has been causing the most trouble in southeastern Shanxi recently has specially built so-called steel helmet soldiers.

And with the outbreak of the Eighth Route Army's Hundred Regiments Campaign.

More than 100 regiments and more than 20 troops suddenly emerged. Everyone, before this, who could have imagined that in the occupied area where our army thought it had stable security, there would be such a terrifying number of anti-Japanese armed forces?

These damn Eighth Route Army troops have become completely powerful and have become a thorn in the side of the Imperial Army.

If we don’t suppress and destroy them, sooner or later they will become the root cause of the failure of the jihad.”

He said categorically: "We can no longer carry out so-called small-scale raids against the Eighth Route Army base areas as we did in the past.

Instead, we must launch a large-scale sweep with sufficient forces, sufficient scale, and sufficient battle force to completely wipe out the Eighth Route Army base and eliminate the Eighth Route Army's effective forces."

At the subsequent military meeting, Yoshio Shinozuka proposed this after analysis.

"Judging from the development of the various bases of the Eighth Route Army, if we want to deal a heavy blow to the development of the Eighth Route Army,

We should first destroy their military depots and logistics transfer stations.

Where is it?

That is the so-called Hebei-Central Military Region of the Eighth Route Army.

The Eighth Route Army here is the most powerful. They have opened up a so-called base area of ​​quite large area on the edge of our army's occupied area, and have a terrifying number of people.

These people provided a steady supply of troops to the Eighth Route Army in various places.

It was the so-called military station of the Eighth Route Army.

In addition, the Eighth Route Army in Central Hebei reclaimed a large amount of wasteland and cultivated farmland, which also provided abundant material supplies for the Eighth Route Army's ongoing anti-Japanese operations.

The entire Ji-Central Military Region is like the beating heart of the Eighth Route Army, continuously supplying fresh blood to the Eighth Route Army.

It would be wishful thinking to completely destroy the Eighth Route Army without completely destroying the troops in Central Hebei."

"Among all the Eighth Route Army bases, the most difficult to deal with are the Eighth Route Army in the Taihang base."

“If you want to completely destroy a unit, you must find a way to destroy the most elite part of the unit and completely destroy their military confidence.

Therefore, to completely destroy the Eighth Route Army, we must concentrate our elite forces and strength to destroy the troops in Central Hebei and at the same time eliminate the Eighth Route Army in the Taihang Military Region, which is the fastest growing and most powerful unit in the Eighth Route Army. "

"Which of the Eighth Route Army troops in the Taihang base area is the most hateful and difficult to deal with?"

Yoshio Shinozuka almost gritted his teeth when he spoke this.

"It was this Eighth Route Army Independent Regiment stationed near Shouyang.

According to the intelligence obtained from our army's many battles with the Eighth Route Army Independent Regiment, this Eighth Route Army has far exceeded the usual regimental size.

It is very likely that it has reached the size of 2 to 3 or even more main regiments of the Eighth Route Army.

In addition, near this independent regiment, there is also a combat regiment called the Eighth Route Army's New 1st Regiment and New 2nd Regiment.

The three regiments supported each other and formed a stable triangular defense system, which was very difficult to deal with.

The sweep of the Eighth Route Army's Taihang base must focus on destroying the Eighth Route Army's triangular defensive base in southeastern Shanxi, which is composed of the Independent Regiment, the New First Regiment, and the New Second Regiment.

At this time, an officer attending the meeting suddenly asked: "Mr. Shinozuka, I heard that not long ago, your First Army assembled the 3rd and 9th Mixed Brigades, plus the local security forces and the Imperial Army, totaling more than 20,000 people.

A large-scale sweep was carried out against a small base of the Eighth Route Army Independent Regiment, but it ended in a disastrous defeat.

Even more than 5000 warriors died in the battle.

Is this really happening?

Is this so-called Eighth Route Army Independent Regiment really that powerful?"

This is really a case of bringing up something that is not relevant. Upon hearing this, Shinozuka Yoshio's face turned rather ugly, and he could only bite the bullet and answer, "The failure of this operation was caused by a major mistake in our military's intelligence.

But next time, the sweep against the Eighth Route Army Independent Regiment will definitely not fail again."

"I hope your First Army can cheer up again! If we are completely defeated by a small independent regiment of the Eighth Route Army, an enemy that is only a united combat unit, it will be a great shame for the Imperial Army!"

The Japanese officer said a few more sarcastic words before he stopped.

Then someone raised the question about special operations.

Some sarcastic remarks followed.

“I heard that Colonel Yamamoto launched a decapitation operation against the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army Independent Regiment, and the entire army was almost wiped out.

Your First Army Headquarters was attacked by a small group of Eighth Route Army troops. This is really big news. Shinozuka-kun, are you okay?"

——Poor Colonel Yamamoto, he finally escaped from the independent regiment base with the remaining dozen or so Japanese soldiers from the special forces, he was so dirty and almost doubted his life.

If it weren't for Yoshio Shinozuka's repeated counseling and persuasion, he might have committed suicide by disembowelment, and his self-righteous special operations theories would have been lost in history.

It is conceivable that one will be looked down upon.

The so-called special operations have almost become a joke.

Instead, the First Army Headquarters was nearly beheaded by the Eighth Route Army's special forces.

He became the laughing stock of the entire North China Front Army.

Looking at the grim-looking Shinozuka, the old devil Tada Shun finally stepped out to smooth things over:

"Okay, there's no need to attack each other anymore. You are all the elites of the Great Japanese Empire and the backbone of the Holy War. For the victory of the Holy War and for His Majesty the Emperor, we should unite as one and work together."

"Jihad!"

"Jihad!"

The Japanese soldiers shouted slogans.

In the end, the entire battle plan was formulated to target the rapidly growing Eighth Route Army and to retaliate against the Hundred Regiments Campaign launched by the Eighth Route Army. The plan was to focus on destroying the Eighth Route Army's military stations in the Central Hebei Military Region, attack the Eighth Route Army's elite Taihang base, and eliminate the Taihang Military Region's most difficult Eighth Route Army's southeastern Shanxi Iron Triangle, especially the Independent Regiment.

According to the Japanese combat plan.

This large-scale mopping-up operation targeting the Eighth Route Army's Hebei-Central Military Region and the Taihang base will be unprecedented in scale.

In order to concentrate its forces to deal with the Eighth Route Army, the Japanese army even shifted the focus of combat from the front battlefield to the battlefield behind enemy lines.

“The front battlefield will suspend the military offensive initiated, temporarily stabilize the national army, and then leave enough forces to guard the defense line.

The remaining troops were secretly withdrawn to prepare for the unprecedented sweep of the Eighth Route Army base area.

The Japanese army was very angry about this and believed that the national army would never dare to initiate a counterattack.

Even though they knew that the Japanese army was concentrating its forces to eliminate the Eighth Route Army.

"There has always been a rift between the Nationalist Army and the Eighth Route Army. Maybe they are just clapping and cheering from the sidelines, watching our army annihilate the Eighth Route Army!"

According to the instructions of the Japanese North China Front Army Commander-in-Chief Tada Shun:

"This time, our army will mobilize no less than 20 elite field troops, nearly field regiments, to cooperate with the security forces and the Imperial Army in various places to launch a large-scale, comprehensive sweep against the Eighth Route Army!"

“The date is tentatively set for May 5st.”

"The contents of the meeting are classified as military secrets. No one except important officers of the Imperial Army is allowed to know the news. After returning to the troops, officers of all levels should immediately organize the troops, prepare supplies and ammunition, and actively prepare for war."

Among them, the main task of fighting against the Eighth Route Army's Taihang base naturally fell on the shoulders of the Japanese First Army stationed in Shanxi.

That is the team led by the old devil Yoshio Shinozuka.

At this time, the Hundred Regiments Campaign had just ended, which was in early 1941.

The Japanese First Army stationed in Shanxi had combat units including the 36th, 37th, and 41st Field Divisions, plus the 33rd Division that the Japanese army was preparing to withdraw from the North China Front Army in order to deal with the Eighth Route Army's Taihang base.

In addition, there are the 3rd, 4th, 9th and 16th Independent Mixed Brigades.

Among them, the 5000rd and th Mixed Brigades suffered a disastrous defeat in the recent battle to attack the base of the Eighth Route Army Independent Regiment, with more than casualties.

Soon after, the brigade received reinforcements and its strength returned to the size of a field mixed brigade.

Counting all these forces, the strength of the Japanese First Army's field army stationed in Shanxi was about 100,000.

When the Eighth Route Army launched the Hundred Regiments Campaign, the forces of the Taihang Military Region, the Jinsui Military Region, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei base area, the Hebei-Central and Hebei-Southern military regions and other base areas were all added together, resulting in more than 100 regiments and more than 20 troops.

So even in terms of military strength.

The strength of the Japanese First Army stationed in Shanxi was also far greater than that of the Eighth Route Army in the Taihang base, which was mainly composed of the 129th Division.

In addition, the First Army also had a large number of puppet troops and security forces to cooperate in combat.

The rain is coming and the wind is all over the building.

The combat pressure that the Taihang base will soon face is still quite considerable.

at this time.

Inside the headquarters of the Japanese First Army.

After returning to the headquarters from Peiping where he attended a high-level meeting of the North China Front Army, Yoshio Shinozuka summoned officers at all levels of the First Army to attend the meeting, including Colonel Yamamoto Ikki, captain of the Yamamoto Special Forces.

However, throughout the entire meeting, Colonel Yamamoto seemed to have become the target of everyone's ridicule.

The old devil was patient and kept silent until the meeting was over, then he found Yoshio Shinozuka in private.

The words came out of his mouth one by one because of excessive anger.

"General, I will not be a human being if I don't avenge this.

Our special forces team requests to join the battle and participate in this sweep!"