A short assault can't be too long. If it is too long, Li Zongren is an old tactic again, they just keep retreating, blocking our troops, and then when the time comes, they will take the initiative to attack. In order to prevent a counterattack from the Fifth Theater, we withdrew from the campaign on November 22.

To sum up the battle, we had 132 killed and 445 wounded, while the Chinese army had 3,000 killed. ”

Oga Shigeru asked, "Did you fight with the 31st Group Army of the Chinese army Tang Enbo?" ”

Kinoshita said, "No. ”

Kazuichiro Sonobe said: "The purpose of our campaign this time is to destroy or severely damage Tang Enbo's 31st Army, but unfortunately, we didn't catch him this time. ”

Kinoshita continued, "In January 1941, the headquarters of the 11th Army concentrated the 3rd Division, the 17th Division, the 40th Division, and the 7th and 13th Tank Wings to launch a large-scale attack. The direction of the attack this time was mainly southern Henan, and the purpose was to encircle and annihilate the main force of Tang Enbo's 31st Group Army. In addition to these 3 divisions this time, there are also 4 divisions as a response! A large number of air forces were also used to assist in the war, including the reconnaissance and light bombardment of the 44th Sentai Sentai of Tokuhiro Moritama under the 1st Flying Regiment of Major General Toyoji Akiyama.

Li Zongren of the Fifth War Zone still used the old tactics against us. He ordered a main force to resist step by step, and after inflicting a certain amount of damage on us, he took the initiative to retreat, and at the same time concentrated the main force on the second line to prepare for a full-scale counterattack. Our 3rd Division entered Wuyang, the 17th Division entered Shangcai and Suiping, and the 40th Division entered Xiangcheng, but in fact they only occupied 4 empty cities, and did not capture the main force of the Chinese army at all, and we suffered some casualties.

This was also the case in this campaign. Zhang Xuezhong's 13th Army attacked our 3rd Division in the area of Shangdian, a mountainous area south of Wuyang, causing more than 3,000 casualties and destroying 6 tanks. Our 17th Division was also ambushed by Li Chuying's 85th Army, and suffered heavy casualties!

At this time, a report was received from the intelligence department that Nanyang was likely to be the headquarters and communication center of the former enemy of the Chinese army, so the 11th Army immediately ordered to continue the attack on Nanyang. On 4 February, the 3rd Division captured Nanyang, but still found nothing, and was besieged on all sides by Chinese troops.

Under these circumstances, in order to avoid passivity, the military headquarters immediately ordered the general retreat of the troops, and all the units withdrew to their original starting places. ”

Hearing the summary of the attack in southern Henan, everyone was thinking in their hearts, it seems that this time the division is not good, and they did not take any advantage, but stole chickens and rice. But there is no way to say such a thing, and no one has made an assessment of the battle.

In order to break the deadlock at the meeting, Oga Shigeru asked: "There is a Chinese Southern Expeditionary Army called Han Xing, which is very powerful, and wars are always in the most critical places at the most critical time, and they appear there. I don't know, did they show up this time? ”

Kinoshita said: "No, this time I haven't found the shadow of the Southern Expeditionary Army. ”

Ohga Shigeru said: "Then our 34th Division is waiting, eager for a decisive battle with the Southern Expeditionary Army, to see if he is powerful or I am powerful." ”

Kazuichiro Sonobe reminded him, "Ohga-kun, don't underestimate the enemy! Although the number of this Southern Expeditionary Army is small, only about 3,000 people, they have air force, artillery, tank troops, and special forces, and they are a comprehensive mechanized force. Since the start of the war between China and Japan, we have repeatedly fought with them, but we have not gained much of the upper hand.

Tang Enbo's 31st Army, Wang Yaowu's 74th Army, and Han Xing's Southern Expeditionary Army have been included in our main war opponents. When it comes to fighting these armies, everyone must be extra careful, because if they don't get it right, they will suffer a big loss. ”

Oga Shigeru still said stubbornly: "I don't believe it, they will have three heads and six arms, and our 34th Division is willing to fight such a tough battle and gnaw such bones." ”

Kinoshita continued: "After the battle in southern Henan, we were very tired from continuous battles, and the troops rested for one month. It was at this time that the Chinese army came to the door again, and this time the area where we were attacked was Yichang. Since Yichang was occupied by us, the Chinese army has repeatedly mobilized heavy troops to counterattack frequently, and even hit the city of Yichang many times, which has made us very tired.

It seems that we can't fight anymore, and we dispatched the 13th Division to carry out a large-scale encirclement of the Chinese army dominated by Xiao Zhichu's 26th Army on this line. Although there is only 1 division, this one division is worth 2 divisions after the reorganization! ”

These officers all knew that the 13th Division was not about how strong its combat strength was, but that it was strong enough for his troops.

In accordance with the order of the Supreme Command, the Japanese troops have changed the four wings under the division to three wings, abolished the establishment of brigades and regiments, and placed the division commander under direct command of the wings. However, due to the frequent battles, the 13th Division really could not be reorganized, and it was still the establishment of 4 subordinate wings. With the addition of reinforced troops, the total strength of the division reached more than 30,000 people.

Kinoshita went on to say:

"The 26th Army has also dealt with us for 8 years and is familiar with our strategy. As soon as the 13th Division touched, the 26th Army immediately relied on mountains and hills to block the attack, and once it encountered a combined encirclement, it immediately broke through quickly. At the same time, Li Zongren ordered He Shaozhou's 103rd Division, which belonged to the 2nd Army, to reinforce from the right flank and launch a counterattack. In addition, Ding Zhipan's 41st Division of the 26th Army entered our rear and attacked and harassed.

The Chinese and Japanese sides fought until March 11, and the momentum of our attack was not unfierce, and our soldiers were not heroic, but they were like a quick knife cutting cotton, and they could not exert their power at all. The troops attacked in all directions, unable to find the main force of the Chinese army, but were besieged by them on all sides. After the food was about to run out, the last 13th Division had to withdraw to Yichang in order to avoid passivity, and the battle ended. ”

After listening to Kinoshita Yong's introduction to the three short assaults, everyone was silent, listening to the sound, listening to the gongs and drums, no matter how good the words were, these three assaults basically had little effect, this is an indisputable fact, it seems that not much of China's army has been eliminated, and the territory has not been occupied.

Kazuichiro Sonobe also felt that everyone's emotions were a little depressed, and encouraged everyone: "With the small number of troops that our 11th Army Corps has, it is already very good to deal with the millions of men and horses in the Fifth and Ninth Theaters of the Chinese Army. In our theater of operations, there is such an important place, which is Shanggao in the western part of Jiangxi, which is 120 kilometers west of Nanchang.

The location of Shanggao is very important, it guards the Hunan and Jiangxi highway from Nanchang to Changsha, with the Poyang Plain to the east and Jiuling Mountain and Luoxiao Mountain to the west. If we attack Changsha, we must occupy Shanggao, and if the Chinese army wants to counterattack Nanchang, we must also control Shanggao.

Once we occupy Shanggao, it will pose a great threat to the main forces of the 9th Theater of Operations in Hunan from the flanks. On the contrary, if the Chinese army controls it high, it will be difficult for us to threaten Changsha from the side. Besides, Shanggao also has the headquarters of the 19th Army and the military headquarters of the 74th Army. ”

Da He Mao hurriedly said: "Yes, Luo Zhuoying of the 19th Group Army and Wang Yaowu of the 74th Army must be taken." Your Excellency, Commander, are we going to attack their lair next? ”

Kazuichiro Sonobe said, "Yes, I'm thinking about it like this. This is also called catching the thief and catching the king first, and hitting the snake must be seven inches. ”

Oga Shigeru continued: "Then hurry up and fight, our 34th Division is eager for this battle, and we must occupy Kamigao first." ”

"But the time is not yet ripe!" Sonobe and Ichiro said.

Although Oga Shigeru was easy to speak, he didn't dare to ask again. What Sonobe and Ichiro said was not ripe, and he guessed some, but he couldn't say it, so as not to make the commander-in-chief unable to step down.

Sonobe and Ichiro can't say some things to their subordinates, so they can only swallow a mouthful of bitter water into their stomachs, and they can't pour out the bitterness. Because the situation in North China is not very good, since the Eighth Route Army in the north launched the Battle of the Hundred Regiments, the situation in North China has been tight, and the 180,000 Central Army stationed in the Zhongtiao Mountain area of Shanxi Province has also posed a major threat to the Japanese army.

The Japanese army dispatched the General Headquarters and decided to transfer the 33rd Division to North China to participate in the operation against the Eighth Route Army and the Central Army of the Nationalist Government.

After receiving the telephone notice from Shunroku Hatata, Kazuichiro Sonobe was greatly shocked, and the Central China side was already overstretched, and if the 33rd Division was transferred away again, how would the situation in Central China be handled. Therefore, he suppressed this matter arbitrarily and arbitrarily, and issued an order to the 33rd Division Sakurai Shengzo that without his order, the 33rd Division could not act casually for half a step, otherwise, military law would be involved.

Fortunately, the commander-in-chief of the Supreme Dispatch Army, Shunroku Hata knew that Kazuichiro Sonobe had heavy troops in his hands, and he didn't embarrass him much. Still patiently waiting for news from Kazuichiro Sonobe.

At this time, an operational staff officer came to report: "Your Excellency, the Supreme Command has called again. ”

Kazuichiro Sonobe nodded and said, "Okay!" Slowly, he walked to the staff telephone next to him.

He was slowly thinking about his own thoughts, if the Supreme Command transferred the 33rd Division, the situation in Central China might collapse. It would also be unrealistic to refuse to carry out the orders of the General Command of the Sending Army. At present, the best way is to state one's own opinions, explain the difficult situation in Central China to the Supreme Command, and strive to keep the 33 rd Division.

Kazuichiro Sonobe slowly picked up the phone, and when he heard the voice of Shunroku Hata, he "snapped" to show his respect for Shunroku Hata.

Shunroku Hata was quite polite, and said to Kazuichiro Sonobe: "Sonobe-kun, what I told you about the transfer of the 33rd Division to fight in North China, how did you think about it?" ”

"That's right, Your Excellency Honorable Commander," Kazuichiro Sonobe said softly and firmly, "the situation in Central China is also very grim, Li Zongren's Fifth Theater and Xue Yue's Ninth Theater are both fierce generals of the Chinese army, and they each command hundreds of thousands of elites of the Chinese army, and they have launched a non-stop harassment and attack on the defense area of our 11th Army Corps.

At present, we have a one-to-eight ratio of troops, and if the 33rd Division is transferred away, it is true that the 33rd Division will not be able to draw troops anymore. With my current ability, it is indeed difficult to command such a difficult situation. For the sake of the future of the Japanese Empire, and for the sake of this vast area of Central China, I think the commander should ask for another master! ”