The Kwantung Army, named after the 'Kwantung Prefecture' that invaded Jinxian and Dalian in northeastern China, was established in 1919. The Huanggutun Incident, the 918 Incident, and the establishment of the puppet state of Manchukuo are all directly related to it.

As the earliest invasion force in China, the Kwantung Army was based in the northeast, and in addition to being responsible for the stability of Jing'an in the northeast, it was also responsible for defending the Soviet Far East Army. It even undertook the heavy task of ensuring the stability of the rear of the rest of the Japanese troops invading China.

This time, the situation in North China was eroded, and it was proposed by the commander of the North China Front, General Sugiyama Moto, plus the puppet Mongolian government was also under the jurisdiction of the Kwantung Army. In the end, the Kwantung Army sent a division and regiment stationed in the puppet Manchurian to join the task of sweeping the Northwest Eighth Route Army.

For the 12th Division of the Japanese Army, which undertook the task of recovering Suiyuan, it was also a first-class division of the Japanese Army. The division was equipped with a tank company, a cavalry company, a mountain artillery company, two infantry brigades and a heavy artillery brigade.

Together with the sappers and baggage troops, the number of members reached nearly 30,000. It can be said that compared with the 26th Division that the independent column eliminated before, it has more advantages in terms of equipment and establishment. What's more, it was strengthened after arriving in North China.

Among them, the cavalry wing was expanded to a cavalry brigade, and the tank wing was also expanded to the size of a brigade. It can be seen from the deployment of the North China Front that they want to solve the problem of recovering Suiyuan in one war.

In addition, the Japanese army also mobilized a large number of army and air forces in the Zhangjiakou area to cooperate in the operation. This kind of preparation, compared with the previous attack on Shanxi by North China, is not small at all, and it can be described as menacing.

At the time of He Zhengdao's military meeting, the armored and cavalry units of the 12th Division were the first to be stationed in the Ulanqab area. The cavalry brigade under his command also began to carry out intelligence reconnaissance in the area controlled by the Eighth Route Army.

The 3rd Division of the Independent Column, which was responsible for garrisoning the direction of Ulanqab, and the 1st Cavalry Division also launched a corresponding reconnaissance and cavalry contact battle. The Japanese cavalry that wandered into the defense area was also dealt a resolute blow.

When the main force of the division arrived in Ulanqab, after receiving the battle damage reported by the cavalry brigade, the division commander Uemura Kiyotaro said with a slightly surprised expression: "Eight Geya Road!" A pre-war reconnaissance, since nearly a cavalry wing was killed or wounded? ”

In the face of Uemura Kiyotaro's reprimand, the Japanese intelligence officer in charge of intelligence reconnaissance said with a somewhat bitter expression: "Your Excellency, Division Commander, the defense of the Chinese Army in the Ulanqab area is very tight, and cavalry patrols are also deployed.

Our cavalry warriors are often surrounded by several times the enemy. There were even a few times when our cavalry squadron, which was in charge of reconnaissance, was surrounded by a cavalry regiment of the Chinese army. In this case, we will lose so much.

However, compared to our losses, the cavalry losses of the Chinese army were no smaller. At least in the cavalry duel, our cavalry still has the advantage. It's just that the cavalry of China often likes to bully more and less! ”

In fact, the intelligence officer did not know at all the casualty figures of the 1st Cavalry Division of the Independent Column. As the earliest cavalry unit established as an independent column, the combat effectiveness of the 1st Cavalry Division can be said to be in no way inferior to that of the Japanese cavalry units.

For these Japanese cavalry who were rushing into the base area and preparing to conduct pre-war reconnaissance, how could the 1st Cavalry Division, which was patrolling and guarding the base area, easily let them succeed?

In the words of Niu Zhikun, the commander of the cavalry division: "This is our territory, how can we allow the cavalry of the little devils to go wild." If there are many little devil cavalry, let's attract them to the vicinity of the blocking position of the third division.

If the little devil's cavalry is small, we will adopt the tactic of outflanking and assembling and destroy them all. In any case, if the little devils want to reconnoiter our military deployment, they must not let them succeed easily. ”

It was this resoluteness of the 1st Cavalry Division that made Uemura Seitaro's plan to send cavalry reconnaissance not get much success. As for the Japanese army's special high school in charge of intelligence work, after Suiyuan was recovered, intelligence gathering became extremely difficult.

Even with great difficulty, the intelligence teams that were installed in Guisui and Baotou were often given a caucus by the intelligence department of the Eighth Route Army not long after the radio station was turned on. Under such circumstances, it is extremely difficult to gather information for the special high school.

After learning about this situation, Uemura Kiyotaro said with a somewhat playful expression: "It seems that this time our opponent is really not easy to deal with!" However, we are sure of victory in this battle, and their resistance is only in vain.

Next, the 12th Infantry Brigade was ordered to cooperate with the cavalry wing to conduct combat reconnaissance in Zhuozi. Draw a squadron of tanks to accompany their attack. In addition, the mountain artillery wing was also sent out to test the defensive strength of the Chinese army.

The rest of the troops, following behind the 12th Brigade. At the same time, the 24th Infantry Brigade was ordered to begin the march to the Chahar Central Banner. The division divided into two directions to attack, and I want to see how the Chinese army can defend against our attack. ”

With the two infantry brigades of the 12th Division, one after the other, they began to advance towards Zhuozi and Chahar Zhongqi. He Zhengdao, who arrived in Horingel, soon received information from the intelligence department in the Ulanqab area.

Seeing that the Japanese army was attacking in two directions, He Zhengdao also smiled and said: "It seems that the little devil plans to advance horizontally into our control area." How are the people in the Zhuozi area currently transferred? ”

In the face of He Zhengdao's inquiry, Jiang Shan, the commander of the Third Division, nodded and said: "Most of them have been transferred, and there are very few ordinary people in Zhuozi at present, except for the guerrillas and our troops. According to the order of the column, most of them were placed in the surrounding security area. ”

'Good! This time, we must vacate Zhuo Zi, take Zhuo Zi as the forward position, and slowly consume the sharp energy of the 12th Division. The forward troops were instructed to hold out for more than two days if the Japanese army attacked.

Two days later, regardless of the outcome, they all retreated to the second line of defense and blocked the Japanese at every level. In addition, we were warned to the troops on the front line to guard against the Japanese air raids and seize the time to build more air-raid shelters. ’

'Yes! ’

After giving Jiang Shan a combat order, He Zhengdao called Li Xiangdong, the commander of the reconnaissance brigade, and said: "Xiangdong, from now on, your reconnaissance brigade has only one task, to infiltrate the Ulanqab area and implement the tactics of attacking and harassing behind enemy lines.

In addition, if there is an opportunity, send some reconnaissance troops into Ulanqab City to lurk and stand by. This time, I will not only annihilate the 12th Division that invaded Suiyuan, but also recover the city of Ulanqab.

I want the little devils to know that every time they attack us, they are prepared to pay a terrible price. If we can win Ulanqab in this battle, it will be much easier for us to attack Zhangjiakou in the future. ”

'Yes, Commander! ’

As the most powerful reconnaissance unit of the independent column, the reconnaissance brigade played an increasingly important role in each major war. And this time, He Zhengdao did not want the reconnaissance brigade to take on the task of blocking the attack, but asked it to undertake the task of sabotaging behind enemy lines.

Let the reconnaissance brigade jump out of the sweeping encirclement of the Japanese army and carry out sabotage warfare in the rear. It is believed that as long as the 12th Division is dragged for a while, it will create an opportunity for the blocking troops to counterattack.

As for the troops that cut off the communication between Ulanqab and Zhangjiakou, He Zhengdao handed it over to the rapid reaction division that was secretly stationed in the Liangcheng area. For the first time, armored regiments, which have been training for some time, will also take part in such battles.

With the third division of the independent column, it was time to seize the time to build fortifications in the Zhuozi area. The New Fifth Division, which was responsible for the area from Baotou to Suiyuan, was also seizing the time to build fortifications and waiting for the arrival of the Japanese attacking troops.

The reconnaissance brigade began to infiltrate the Ulanqab area by day and night in the form of company battalions. Ma Xiaojun, commander of the military sub-district who returned to Jin-Cha-Ji after the meeting, also began to order the troops of the military sub-district to begin to shrink the defense area.

For the Eighth Route Army, which entered the Zhangjiakou and Chahar areas, the North China Front also sent a lot of sweeping troops, focusing on attacking the troops of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Army Division. In order to paralyze the little devils, the Jinchaji troops also began to hide their strength.

Break up some of the main forces into pieces and cooperate with the guerrillas in carrying out counter-sweeps. The main forces of the military sub-divisions are all serving as reserve forces, ready to counterattack and sweep the troops at any time, and to be ready to contain the North China Front.

As for Xu Mingyuan, commander of the Eastern Hebei Army Division, who was too far away to return to the base area for a meeting, his task was the same. Once the Jin-Cha-Ji Army Division launched a counterattack, they would also launch a large-scale sabotage battle in eastern Hebei.

According to He Zhengdao's arrangement, he hoped that the Kwantung Army would fight in the south this time, and the North China Front Army would transfer heavy troops to strengthen the war in the northwest. Let the Eastern Hebei Military Division extend its tentacles to the Chengde area.

Similarly, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Sub-district should also be prepared to expand its base area to the Chengde area. If the base areas of the two military subdivisions can be connected in Chengde. Then the connection between North China and Northeast China may be interrupted.

As long as the timing is right, perhaps the Eighth Route Army will have a chance to recover most of Shanxi and Hebei. In the end, if it is possible, Beiping will be recovered ahead of schedule. Once this plan is completed, it will inflict heavy losses on the Japanese troops in North China.

It's just that if you want to achieve this goal, it will take time in He Zhengdao's opinion. Similarly, if these places were to be recovered, the Eighth Route Army would also need a large number of main forces to defend them. And now, the Eighth Route Army is undoubtedly unable to do this level of strength.

Therefore, according to Mao Taizu's combat thinking, small victories were accumulated into big victories, first occupying the countryside and then the cities, and constantly encroaching on the Japanese occupation areas in North China. Until the strength was almost accumulated, the Japanese army in North China was eliminated in World War I.

In this case, in the future, the Eighth Route Army only needs to watch out for the Japanese army in the northeast. Similarly, the occupation of these core cities in the north will also provide the most solid foundation for the Eighth Route Army to govern the country in the future.

But conceiving is an imagining after all, and fighting every battle well at the moment is what every commander and fighter of the Eighth Route Army must do. In any case, the degree of attention paid by the North China Front to the Eighth Route Army this time has undoubtedly increased a lot compared with before.

Whether or not we can withstand this pressure depends on whether the anti-encirclement and suppression campaign can be successful this time. After all, it is undoubtedly an unrealistic fantasy to not be able to break the heavy encirclement and suppression of the little devils, and to talk about other more ideas! (To be continued.) )