"Really?" Inoue said, "The Eighth Route Army is more difficult than the Central Army? ”

"Yes." Ryoichi Yamamoto said, "The peak of the combat effectiveness of the Central Army of China was in the 12th year of Showa, but since the Battle of Songhu and the Battle of Nanjing, the combat effectiveness of the Central Army has begun to decline sharply. ”

"Today, the Central Army's equipment and soldier quality are completely different from those of five years ago."

"And the Central Army at this time has no ambition at all, as long as the Imperial Army does not attack them, they will basically not take the initiative to provoke the Imperial Army."

Inoue said, "That's true. ”

Ryoichi Yamamoto said: "The peak of the combat effectiveness of the Eighth Route Army was also in the 12th year of Showa. ”

"At that time, the number of the Eighth Route Army was not large, only about 30,000 people, but from the generals, down to the grassroots officers and even ordinary soldiers, they all participated in their so-called Long March, and all of them were veterans of a hundred battles, whether it was military literacy or fighting will, they were not even under the imperial army!"

Inoue Zhenwei said: "Yamamoto-kun, please tell me in more detail, at this stage, what are the specific aspects of the Eighth Route Army's combat effectiveness? ”

Ryoichi Yamamoto: "Tough style, perseverance and superb technical and tactical ability, and the ability to quickly switch between attack and defense, which can especially reflect the tactical quality of an army!" ”

"In contrast, the Central Army of China does not have the ability to quickly switch between attack and defense."

"This is not the most formidable thing about the Eighth Route Army, the most formidable thing is that most of the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Route Army have strong political beliefs, and their effect is no less than the bushido spirit admired by the Imperial Army."

"Fortunately, the Eighth Route Army was not many at that time, only 30,000 people."

"If the number of the Eighth Route Army is not 30,000, but 300,000 or even 500,000."

"With all due respect, I'm afraid that it will be difficult for the imperial army to enter Shanxi, and even if it barely enters Shanxi, it will not be tenable."

"However, the top brass of the Eighth Route Army was obviously aware of the problem of insufficient troops, and in the next two years, the strength of the Eighth Route Army began to swell like balloons."

"In just two years, it has grown from 30,000 to 400,000."

"But the sharp increase in personnel led to a sharp attenuation of combat effectiveness."

"The Eighth Route Army in Showa 13 and 14 was actually the two years when its combat effectiveness was the weakest."

"Unfortunately, the Imperial Army did not pay attention to it from a strategic level, so it missed the window of time to eliminate the Eighth Route Army."

"In the next three years, that is, in the 15th and 16th years of Showa, with the increase in combat experience, the combat effectiveness of the Eighth Route Army began to recover rapidly."

"Entering this year, the combat effectiveness of the Eighth Route Army has reached its peak again."

"For example, the independent regiment has even surpassed the Eighth Route Army in Showa 12."

Inoue Sadae said in a deep voice, "Yamamoto-kun, then what is the conclusion you finally came to?" ”

Yamamoto Ryoichi said: "On the whole, the Imperial Army still has an overwhelming advantage, but unfortunately, the Eighth Route Army adopts completely different tactics from the Central Army. ”

"The Central Army only knows how to blindly fight the main battle with the imperial army."

"But the Eighth Route Army avoided entering the main decisive battle with the imperial army from beginning to end."

"The Eighth Route Army adopts more piecemeal tactics and gathers into a fur, and the results of each battle may not be conspicuous, but hundreds or thousands of battles are accumulated, and the results achieved are no less than a large-scale battle!"

"In addition, it should be noted that a small number of elite troops of the Eighth Route Army have initially possessed the strength to launch a counteroffensive, posing a greater threat to the imperial army, such as Li Yunlong's department."

Inoue Zhenwei said again: "Then combined with the quiet situation in Shanxi, what do you suggest?" ”

Ryoichi Yamamoto said: "General, frankly speaking, the main battlefield of the Great East Asian Holy War is no longer the China Battlefield, but has become the Pacific Theater. ”

"If the Imperial Army can defeat the U.S. forces in the Pacific Theater, even if it is defeated in the China Theater, the century-old national fortunes of the Great Japanese Empire will be continued."

"On the contrary, if the imperial army is defeated in the Pacific theater, even if it wins the victory in the China battlefield, the empire will inevitably lose the century-old national fortune!"

"Therefore, the Empire's war resources will inevitably be tilted towards the Pacific theater."

"The battlefield of China has become a secondary direction, and Shanxi is a secondary direction of the secondary direction."

"This means that in the next few years of this year, the war resources that the Shanxi First Army can share will be very limited."

"Therefore, in the next few years, the main tasks of the First Army of the Japanese Army in Shanxi must be adjusted, and it has become an impossible task to clear the Eighth Route Army and the Jinsui Army in Shanxi."

"The practical goal is to hold the existing area, ensure Shanxi's mining output and tax revenue, ensure the smooth flow of the Tongpu railway line and the Zhengtai railway line, and avoid making Shanxi a strategic negative asset of the Japanese Empire as much as possible!"

"A thousand words are summed up in one sentence, which is defense! Defense! Especially against the defense of the Independent Regiment of the Eighth Route Army! ”

Inoue nodded and said, "So now, what specific suggestions do you have regarding the security defense operation of our 69th Division?" ”

"Shrink." Ryiichi Yamamoto said without hesitation, "Abandon the remote and vulnerable strongholds, and concentrate the main forces on the strongholds along the railways and highways, as well as in various prefectures. ”

"Of course, you can't give up all the remote strongholds."

"For example, Xiaocaozhuang stronghold, Niuzhuang stronghold, and Xiji stronghold."

"Although these three strongholds are located in a remote area, they are more than 100 miles away from Ping'an County."

"However, these three strongholds are all connected by roads, and their geographical locations are very important, which can divide and oppress the base areas of the Independent Regiment of the Eighth Route Army, so they cannot be easily abandoned."

"Of course, I'll just give you a few examples."

"There are still quite a few strongholds like Xiji."

"But the specific bases to abandon and which ones to stick to need to be comprehensively evaluated."

"Yo Si." Inoue Sadae nodded happily and said, "Yamamoto-kun, then your staff will evaluate each stronghold as soon as possible, and then come up with a practical plan and report it to me." ”

"Hello." Ryo Yamamoto paused and said, "General, I have another suggestion. ”

After a pause, Ryoichi Yamamoto said again: "Although the imperial army can only take a defensive position in Shanxi as a whole, it must not be passively defended, but should be defended and attacked. ”

"Attacking in the defense?" Inoue said, "Be specific. ”

Ryoyoto Yamamoto: "Specifically, it is to form a rapid strike column. ”

Inoue's heart moved, and he said thoughtfully: "Quickly strike the column? ”

Huashuge