The color is dull. The harbor was silent. There is only one steam boat from the port. Ye Da Gu entered the port. The beams of the searchlight swept around.

Heihachiro Togo was standing on the starboard side of the boat. Look out at the dark sea.

In the distance, up close, several large, blurred black shadows can be seen, the wrecks of several transport ships that had been sunk during air strikes by the Chinese Air Force and run aground in shallow water. Only the upper half of the water is exposed, and when viewed in the dark, it looks like a reef, which can give people a sense of depression even in the daytime, and make those who see the wreckage of the transport ship question the combat effectiveness of the Japanese army.

Heihachiro Togo was completely sure that in this darkness, in the dangerous waters around the port, there must have been a Chinese submarine lurking, perhaps even floating on the surface, and the captain of the submarine was probably watching the port in the dark.

Due to fears of a night attack on a submarine of the Chinese Navy. Heihachiro Togo had to transfer the main force of the Japanese Combined Fleet to the east, leaving only a small support fleet at the port of Dagushan, and personally commanded this support ship, believing that the Japanese Army at the port of Dagushan provided weak sea cover.

Now, the reason why Togo Heihachiro appeared on the transport boat was to go ashore to get in touch with the Japanese army commander so that a joint meeting of the army and navy could be held to discuss the next military action.

At noon today, news came from Lushun that Gai Ping had fallen into the hands of the ** squadron. The 30,000 Japanese Kwantung Army was almost completely annihilated. And according to the war report of the central government of China. Koichiro Tachibana, the commander of the Japanese Kwantung Army, who commanded defensive operations in Gaipei, was also killed. The war situation on the entire Liaodong Peninsula has deteriorated in an all-round way, and the squadron is now advancing all the way south along the South Manchurian Railway, and may attack Lushun and Dalian at any time.

The deterioration of the war situation on the front made Yoshimasa Oshima, commander of Japan's "First Army," deeply disturbed, and it was he who asked Togo Heihachiro to hold a joint meeting of the army and navy, and Togo Heihachiro left the flagship and landed by a transport boat.

When he entered the port, Heihachiro Togo saw the transport ships in the port that had been sunk by the Chinese Air Force. This forced him to seriously consider the humble strategy that Yoshimasa Oshima had described in his telegram.

When he sent a telegram inviting Heihachiro Togo to land to convene a joint meeting of the army and navy, Oshima Yoshimasa once revealed his strategy: In view of the fact that the squadron was rapidly advancing in the direction of Lushun and Dalian, Oshima Yoshimasa believed that it was necessary to act as soon as possible at present, and it was necessary for the Japanese "advance team of the First Army to levy the branches" that had landed at Dagushan Port to go out first and go to the west to cut off the South Manchurian Railway and threaten the rear of the Chinese offensive forces in order to protect the safety of Lushun and Dalian.

Oshima Yoshimasa's meaning was clear, he did not intend to wait for the arrival of the follow-up landing force to take a separate action, which was very risky, and Togo Heihachiro was not optimistic about the westward advance plan of the "advance team of the First Army".

The problem is not just the threat of the Chinese Air Force. According to the combat report of Xiuyan's retreating troops, the kind of armored combat vehicles equipped by the Chinese army are very difficult to deal with, it integrates protection, firepower, and mobility, and if there is no suitable flat-fire artillery, it is simply impossible to resist their attacks, and Xiuyan's Japanese defenders suffered losses in this regard, and according to Togo Heihachiro's guess. The reason why Gepin fell so quickly. I am afraid that it is also directly related to those armored combat vehicles equipped by the Chinese Army.

As a naval officer, Heihachiro Togo has a deep understanding of this, and the morale and morale of the army are of course important. But if the technical equipment is too backward. Nor is it possible to achieve victory.

It is precisely for this reason that Togo Heihachiro had already made up his mind after boarding the traffic boat, and in any case, he would persuade Oshima Yoshimasa to abandon the plan of going west alone to confront the Chinese army, and wait for the arrival of the army's follow-up reinforcements at Dagushan Port, and if the situation deteriorated further. He was even ready to suggest that Oshima Yoshimasa withdraw the Japanese army that had already landed on Dagushan and land and camp on Kashima, which was not far from here, in case it was attacked by the Chinese army. With the strength of the Japanese army that has landed so far, it is difficult to resist the attack, even with the cover of the Japanese navy, because the Japanese combined fleet is also threatened by the bombers of the Chinese Air Force and naval submarines.

With deep apprehension, Heihachiro Togo docked on the dock in a transport boat, where the army officers who had come to greet him were already waiting. When they saw the traffic boat coming, they lined up on the pier to salute. And use the searchlight to illuminate the dark and dreary pier, and when the traffic boat docks, the order is given. The officers of the army saluted the marshal.

After Heihachiro Togo landed, an army officer stepped out of the line and reported loudly to the admiral.

"We have been ordered to greet Marshal Togo, General Oshima is already waiting at the headquarters, please come with us." Read the latest children's day on the stream to wash the book and dry the fine concave umbrella

Heihachiro Togo was a little unhappy in his heart, he was not only a naval marshal, but also a count of the emperor's imperial title, while Oshima Yoshimasa was nothing more than a lieutenant general. In either respect, he should have come to greet Togo Heihachiro in person, but now, Oshima Yoshimasa only sent a group of staff officers to greet Togo Heihachiro, which is a bit rude.

However, the national crisis is at hand, and Togo Heihachiro doesn't want to worry so much about it now, so he just nodded. Motioning for the army officer to go ahead, he should have returned the military salute to those army officers who had come to greet him, but since the army general had neglected the admiral, then naturally there was no need for so much courtesy.

Oshima Yoshimasa's army headquarters was located in the port, and a few minutes later, Heihachiro Togo followed the army officers to the army headquarters and met Oshima Yoshimasa.

"Count Togo, thanks to the Navy for providing cover to the Army, I have decided to lead the Army out immediately. Attack to the west. Now that the advance team no longer needs the cover of the Combined Fleet, you can immediately return to provide escort cover for the follow-up army units. ”

After meeting, Yoshimasa Oshima revealed the army's intentions very simply.

Heihachiro Ichigo was very surprised, he didn't understand why Yoshimasa Oshima was in such a hurry to attack to the west.

"Oshima-kun, let's wait for the follow-up troops to arrive before going to the west, now the offensive of the ** squadron is very fierce, with the current strength of the advance team, it is difficult to confront the ** squadron head-on, or continue to defend Dagushan Port under the cover of the navy."

Yoshimasa Oshima shook his head, took out a telegram, and handed it to Heihachiro Togo.

"Count Togo, please look at this telegram. This is the order given by the base camp just now. The advance team must take immediate measures, and in any case must ensure the safety of Arthur, which will be attacked on the ground within a few days if it does not attack now. ”

Heihachiro Togo looked at the telegram, and then he understood why Yoshimasa Ohuto was so reckless and impulsive, it was the order given to him by the wartime base camp, urging him to immediately lead the army to attack. In order to delay the pace of the ** team's attack on Lushun.

"Oshima-kun, why don't you go to Lushun and wait for the arrival of reinforcements there."

Since it was a sortie order issued by the base camp. Togo Heihachiro was not easy to object, but on the other hand, this order did not say that it was necessary to attack to the west, so there was still room for passage.

"However, the order of the base camp is very clear. That is to delay the pace of the ** team to attack Lushun, if it is to Lushun, it is contrary to the intention of the base camp. Earl Togo. In any case, the advance team had to go out immediately. As for the defense of Dagu Mountain, it can only be handed over to the navy, and I hope that the navy can hold on until reinforcements arrive. ”

Oshima Yoshimasa has made up his mind, and Heihachiro Togo can't make him change his mind, so he can only arrange corresponding tactics according to his strategy. All the navy can do is protect Dagushan from being occupied by the Chinese army. Once the follow-up troops of the "First Army of the Levy and Branch" arrived, Dagushan was the logistics base for the reinforcements.

This so-called "joint meeting of the army and navy" soon ended in a one-man show at Yoshimasa Oshima. Heihachiro Togo left the army headquarters with a heavy heart, rushed back to the transport boat, sailed out of the port of Dagushan, and returned to the flagship.

Immediately after boarding the flagship, Heihachiro Togo ordered the telegraph officer to take an urgent telegram to the wartime base camp, relaying his concerns to the base camp, and making suggestions to several army veterans and senior government officials through special channels, suggesting that the army units remain unmoved. He also urged the follow-up reinforcements to rush to Dagushan as soon as possible.

However, the return call was delayed, and it was not until Oshima Yoshimasa gave the order to send troops that the return call from the Japanese wartime base camp was belated.

"Your Excellency's concern is not unreasonable, but Lushun is a matter of imperial interests, and risks must be taken."

Looking at this brief reply, Togo Heihachiro could only sigh, walked up to the open bridge, held the binoculars, and looked in the direction of Dagu Mountain, due to the distance, he could only vaguely see some light, the Japanese army advance team was already advancing westward.

As a seasoned professional soldier, Heihachiro Togo was worried about the future of this army unit, and Yoshimasa Oshima might be a qualified army general. However, the enemy he faced was by no means the "sick man of East Asia" in the past, in this Sino-Japanese war, the Chinese showed extraordinary courage and wisdom, and wielded their tactical advantages to the fullest. Fighting against such an opponent undoubtedly requires great courage and wisdom, and it must be able to deal with the new weapons of the squadron, but obviously, there is no such commander in the current Japanese army, and officers like Oshima Yoshimasa who only learned the "meat bullet offensive" in the Russo-Japanese War are everywhere.

"In this war, the empire is really passive everywhere."

Looking at the light in the night, Heihachiro Togo sighed, all he could do now was sigh.