Until the 23rd, three days after the fall of Tengxian County, the Japanese army brazenly moved south, and the troops were divided into two routes, one with the Segu Brigade as the main force, and went straight to Zaozhuang and Yicheng, and the other was led by a wing under Nagase Takehei as the main force to attack Lincheng and Hanzhuang.

As soon as the enemy situation reached the headquarters of the commander of the Fifth Theater of Operations, everyone changed color.

The total strength of the Isogu Division plus the subordinate troops exceeded 40,000, and with the addition of the Fifth Division that attacked Linyi, there were 60,000 elite field troops of the Japanese army in the entire Lunan area.

In addition to this, there is also a part of the puppet army.

The Japanese army also has planes and tanks, and its heavy firepower is several times that of all the troops in the Fifth Theater combined, and in the defense of Nanjing, although the Japanese army claimed to be 200,000, it was only about 80,000 when it besieged the city.

And now the fifth theater of operations is a three-front operation, and the Japanese army facing it head-on has exceeded 100,000.

According to the calculation of the combat strength of the Chinese and Japanese armies to three to one, at least 300,000 people are needed to block so many Japanese troops, and if they want to win, I am afraid that more troops will have to be filled.

The atmosphere in the Fifth Theater of Operations was unprecedentedly tense.

After the loss of Teng County, Lincheng had no danger to defend, although the 31st Division of Chifeng City fought with the Japanese army in Lincheng, but the Japanese army focused on attacking Teng County at that time.

All heavy weapons such as artillery and tanks were used in the attack on Fuji County, which barely held the front.

Later, the Japanese army pretended to retreat, and the 31st Division chased after him, but Leng Feng noticed that something was wrong, and ordered Chi Fengcheng to retreat through Li Delin, Chi Fengcheng was still unwilling at that time, but when he ordered the troops to retreat, after the scouts sent back, he was scared into a cold sweat!

If his troops did not withdraw, they would surely be devastated by the Japanese early the next morning.

The Japanese army was not repulsed by them at all, but took the initiative to retreat, inducing them to pursue, and even hoped that they could join up with the defenders in Tengxian County, and then surround them from the outside, and come to kill them one by one.

At noon on the 23rd, the Japanese Nagase detachment occupied Lincheng!

At 4:37 p.m., a brigade of the 63rd Wing of the Seya Detachment made a detour to the southeast of Zaozhuang and suddenly launched an attack on the defenders of Zaozhuang.

After four or five hours of fierce fighting, the 27th Division suffered heavy casualties and was forced to retreat in the direction of Yicheng.

After Lincheng was occupied by the Japanese army, Chi Fengcheng led the 31st Division to retreat in the direction of Hanzhuang, the Japanese army pursued closely, the 31st Division suffered many casualties, and retreated to the south bank of the Hanzhuang Canal the next morning, and entered the strong fortifications that had been built on the south bank.

In one day, the Japanese army descended several cities in a row, and it was menacing, obviously coming to Xuzhou and Taierzhuang.

On the Linyi side, Zhang and Pang joined forces and worked closely together, not only blocking the arrogant Fifth Division Field Brigade under Linyi City, but also inflicting heavy losses on the Japanese army.

The 5th Division's attack on Linyi was actually before the 10th Division, they had launched a campaign to attack Juxian, and the Pang Corps resisted desperately due to the light enemy and failed to figure out the enemy's situation, and finally lost Juxian.

The Linyi behind Juxian is guarded by Zhang Xinchen's 59th Army, and the 59th Army became famous in the Huaibei War, so it can be said that in addition to the Honorary First Division, the 59th Army is the unit that eliminated the 13th Division of the Japanese Army the most.

Zhang Xinchen also completely washed away other people's misunderstandings about him, and since then he has raised his eyebrows.

After the end of the Huaibei War, the 59th Army was transferred to Linyi and Juxian to garrison the first line, and later the Japanese army increased its troops in Qingcheng, and the Itagaki Division moved southward, and the Commander's Department of the Fifth Theater Commander Department transferred the Pang Corps stationed in Haicheng to Juxian County to assist the 59th Army in preventing the Japanese army from attacking Taierzhuang.

Although this is the opposite of history, the 59th Army did not reinforce the Pang Corps at its most critical time, but the Pang Corps came to help the 59th Army.

Although Zhang and Pang had a holiday in the civil war, in the face of the enemies of the country and the nation, they were able to abandon all grievances, join hands to fight the enemy, and finally laugh at the enmity, which is really commendable.

In the third-line operation in the Fifth Theater, only the Linyi side was still as stable as Mount Tai, and the Japanese lost troops and lost generals, and the anxious Itagaki Seishiro jumped straight to his feet.

After Ryosuke Isoya returned from Jinan, he immediately pushed his division headquarters to the front line of Lincheng.

His pincer attack plan was supported by the commander of the Second Army, Nishio Terama, and this was a golden opportunity, and if he could capture Xuzhou before he was transferred, then he would have a share of this immortal feat.

Nishio Teramazo had already received a notice from the Tokyo base camp that he would be transferred back to China, and that the commander of the Second Army would be replaced by a member of the imperial family, Lieutenant General Minoru Higashikure, who was expected to come to China in early May to take up his post.

Therefore, Nishioji Zao wants to occupy Xuzhou a little earlier than Ryosuke Isoya, so that he will have a share of such a huge military achievement, otherwise, as soon as King Minoru Higashikuru takes office, this credit will be counted on his head.

Therefore, the heart of Nishioji Temple is very eager!

Ryosuke Isoya's plan was right in his hands, and he couldn't have supported Shunroku Hatata's plan, because it would have taken too long.

And he can't wait, of course, he also has his reasons, Shunroku Hata has too much appetite, and eating it is a great achievement, but if you can't eat it, then you can't digest it. Good, the gains outweigh the losses.

Hashimoto Qun, the chief of operations of the base camp, was also inclined to himself, after all, the capture of Xuzhou was a real merit.

The troops, the progress was rapid, and they were stuck in Fuji County, and Ryosuke Isoya was very excited, and his muscles and bones were comparing back and forth on the combat map, triumphant.

"Tengxian will be taken, Lincheng will be taken, Hancheng will be taken, Taierzhuang will be taken, Xuzhou will be in no danger to defend, and our army is unstoppable!"

At this time, the communications officer hurriedly walked in and reported to Ryosuke Isoya: "Report to the division commander, just from the report from the military headquarters, the Fifth Division was fiercely counterattacked by the Chinese defenders in Linyi, and the Sakamoto detachment was forced to retreat, and has now withdrawn to Juxian to wait for reinforcements. ”

Ryosuke Isoya was stunned for a moment, then took the message from the communication tube, read it quickly, and after reading it, he couldn't help but sneer a few times and said, "Sakagaki Jun, it seems that yours led the horse and whipped me." ”

"Haha......" There was a burst of laughter around him.

Ryosuke Isoya leaned over to check the map on the marching table, found the location of Juxian, raised his head, and showed contempt on his face: "The 'Iron Army' of the Imperial Japanese Army was actually beaten back to its original place by the miscellaneous troops of the Chinese Army, how can you see people?" It's iron or steel, see you on the battlefield, Sakagaki Army, you swear to fight with me in Taierzhuang, hum! Ridiculous! ”

"Immediately send a report to the commander of the Segu Brigade, continue to attack and advance, seize Yixian, and at the same time capture Taierzhuang with a part of the troops!"

"Division commander, according to intelligence, it is the new 38th Brigade of the Chinese Army stationed in Taierzhuang, which is not a ragtag army." Chief of Staff Ichiro Honda hurriedly reminded.

"The new 38th Brigade, what troops, why haven't I heard of it?" Ryosuke Isoya frowned slightly.

Honda waved his hand, and a staff officer quickly found a folder and handed it over.

"Division commander, this is the information we have about the new 38 Brigade, you can take a look at it first." Honda Ichiro said.

"I don't look, an unnamed army is not worth such a fuss." Ryosuke Isoya was very conceited and pushed the folder in Honda's hand away.

"Division commander, the predecessor of this unit was the teaching corps of the Zhina Army......"

"Teaching the corps, hahaha, this army has long been defeated by our Imperial Japanese Army in the battles of Songhu and Nanjing, and it is not qualified to be the opponent of our division at all."

"Division commander, according to the plan, our army should join forces with the Itagaki Division to attack Xuzhou, and now the Sakagaki Division is blocked, and our army goes deep alone, which is too risky......" Honda Ichiro knew Isoya Ryosuke's temper, and if he persuaded him to continue, he had no good fruit to eat, so he simply changed the reason.

Ryosuke Isoya waved his hand disdainfully: "What risk?" Can the Chinese army still pose a danger to us? Our 10th Division has been fighting so far, and it is invincible, and no army can stop us! Advance! My 10th Division now has only two words: Forward! ”

"Division commander, there is still an elite army in the Xuzhou area......"

"Is the Tang Legion?" Ryosuke Isoya was even more disdainful, "If it really exists, how could we occupy Lincheng and Zaozhuang so easily?" ”

At the Jinan Conference, Suzuki, chief of staff of the Second Army, said that maybe the "Tang Army" really existed, but he believed more in what he saw on the battlefield.

"However, when the Fujita Brigade of the 10th Wing was chasing the elite Shina Army that received the Tengxian defenders to break through, they captured some of the military uniforms of the Shina Army, and sewed a 'Bo' character on the left chest of these soldiers who died in battle, which is the symbol of the soldiers of the Tang Legion!"

"Do you believe in the tricks that the people of China have done?"

"But the combat effectiveness of this branch of the army is obvious to all!"

"Okay, I don't want to argue with you, this is an order, execute it!" Ryosuke Isoya looked a little impatient, anyone who dared to stand in the way of his meritorious service, he couldn't tolerate it in his eyes now, and he couldn't listen to any advice.

Honda was a little speechless for a while, he was a qualified soldier, but he was only the chief of staff, and he could only make plans and carry out the orders of his superiors, and command the troops to fight, which was the function of the division commander.

Ryosuke Isoya said more than once in front of him that he wanted to monopolize Xuzhou and fight to the Huai River, and he didn't want to share the results with other troops at all.

On Weishan Island, with the deepening of the operation of the First Division of Honor, the entire island has not only become a huge barracks, but also gradually built a fortress.

Leng Feng knew that it was impossible for the First Division of Honor to be stationed on Weishan Island, once it appeared on the battlefield in Xuzhou, the secrets on Weishan Island would not be kept, and if the First Division of Honor did not want to be transferred to the war behind enemy lines, it would eventually withdraw from Weishan Island.

At that time, the Japanese army would definitely not let go of Weishan Island, and the people on the island were not willing to accept the enslavement of the Japanese, so they had to be left with some support to resist.

Train a team to build fortifications and traps to give the islanders the ability to protect themselves.

Studying during the day and training at night, the First Honor Division is not idle, it is constantly changing every day, and for the current Honor First Division, every minute and second is quite precious.

The air waves are frequent, and Leng Feng maintains close contact with Xuzhou, Hankou and other aspects, and even XSJ in Huainan has an exchange of information at a fixed time every day.

Leng Feng's familiarity with the Huainan battlefield is not as good as that of the Fifth Commander's department, and he can even know some news in advance in some aspects.

Once again, the Japanese army moved south, and the tide of the battle changed dramatically in one day, which was expected, but unexpected.

Unexpectedly, Ryosuke Isoya really couldn't wait, and was anxious to go south to take the lead, and launched a fierce attack on the Xuzhou area when the Sakagaki Division was frustrated in Linyi.

Unexpectedly, the Japanese army used more troops than in the historical period, perhaps because the time of mobilization has changed, and the corresponding has also changed.

The 10th Division poured south, and the Japanese garrisons in Jining, Yanzhou, and Qufu became extremely empty.

(To be continued.) )