Gentaro Kodama was alone in the room of the Army General Staff Headquarters where he used to work, and the messy maps in the room were randomly placed, all of which were maps of various areas on the southwest coast of Kyushu, and the maps were drawn with complete defensive lines, but at this time, those maps were torn off the wall by him.

Despair, despair lingered in his heart.

Why Shikoku

After the disappearance of the ** team in Shikoku landing, Kodama Gentaro, who was in charge of commanding the local defense operation, did not make a sound for several minutes, and after a few minutes, when he recovered from the shock, the first thing he asked was.

"Kyushu, is there any movement over there in Kyushu?"

In Kodama Gentaro's view, Shikoku's landing operation is likely to be the sound of the squadron, but in fact, as telegrams were sent from Kochi, especially after the telegrams from Kochi Prefecture were bombarded by the army's heavy artillery, he gradually understood a reality, a reality that had to be faced.

The Chinese ** man smashed a hard punch in the weakest link of Japan's defense.

Over the past few months, like every officer at the General Staff Headquarters, Gentaro Kodama has been nervous and impatient. From the day he accepted the task of taking up the post of commander of the home defense, when and where to engage the Chinese army became an almost unbearable burden on him. Like everyone on the Kyushu front, he has been living in a nightmare of anxiety. He had to figure out the intentions of the Chinese army—how they were going to attack, where they were going to land, and especially when.

And now, there is no longer any need to speculate on the intentions of the Chinese army, and with the landing on Tanesaki Coast everything is over, and the Chinese have landed on Shikoku Island, they have chosen the most suitable location, although geographically it is by no means a suitable location.

Outside the corridor leading to the commander's office, here, Gentaro Kodama's aide-de-camp, Takei Morimoto Shosa, held a telegram that had just arrived from the front of Kyushu, and yesterday, it was the first thing he did for the commander every day. As the commander of the home defense, Kodama gets the report from Kyushu as early as possible every day, so that he can discuss it with his staff as soon as possible.

Today's content is no different from yesterday's: the coastal front is still silent, and the Chinese fleet will be discovered in the future.

But today, this telegram has no meaning, any telegram from Kyushu is no longer important, and now the most important thing is Shikokushima, and the telegram from Shikoku Island will be delivered to the commander at the first time.

Takei Morimoto looked at his pocket watch: it was still a few minutes before 7 o'clock. According to the previous commander's request, the home defense meeting was held on time at seven o'clock, and unlike the previous meetings, today they need to discuss how to reinforce Shikoku Island, and more accurately how to break through the blockade of the squadron in order to send enough troops to Shikoku.

Although the meeting had not yet taken place, Takei could speculate on the impending controversy at the meeting, and then they would be faced with the same old question: Is it time to reinforce the four countries? Anyone knows that Shikoku, which has only one brigade, is simply not able to stop the offensive of the Chinese army, and perhaps now, while the defense meeting is underway, the squadron has consolidated its beachhead.

With this in mind, Takei left the office and walked down the cork-floored hallway. The hum of conversation and the rattle of typing could be heard from the rooms on either side, the Army General Staff Headquarters, which had always been a busy place, was now even busier, and everyone was talking softly, and they probably had only one thing to talk about—Shikoku

At the end of the hallway, Takei stopped in front of a giant door. He knocked lightly, twisted the handle and walked in. Gentaro Kodama didn't look up. He was engrossed in looking at the papers in front of him, and it seemed that he had not noticed his adjutant entering the room at all, and Takei knew that the commander should not be disturbed, and perhaps he was now making some plans for a counteroffensive.

So he stood there and waited.

At this time, Kodama Gentaro raised his eyes from the desk.

"Good morning, Takei Shaoza."

Gentaro Kodama greeted a little tiredly.

"Good morning, Your Excellency Commander. This is a telegram from Kochi. ”

Takei handed it over.

"Hey"

Glancing at the telegram, Kodama Gentaro sighed, then stood up and walked to the newly hung map, looking at Kochi on the map, which is less than ten kilometers from the landing point of the Chinese, perhaps, tomorrow, Kochi will raise the Chinese flag, and by that time, will it still be possible to block the Chinese from occupying Shikoku? ,

"Alright, let's get ready for a meeting"

Looking at the time, Gentaro Kodama said directly, and then walked towards the outside of the office, what else does it need to discuss now?

It wasn't until he arrived at the conference room that he looked at the people who had already arrived, and Gentaro Kodama was still thinking about this question in his mind.

"All the troops that can be mobilized must be mobilized immediately"

Deputy Chief of Staff Nagaoka Gaishi almost shouted loudly, an hour ago, while still asleep, he received the news that the squadron had landed in Shikoku, so he immediately rushed over, he clearly knew what would happen next if he couldn't keep Shikoku Island, next.

"If we can't drive the squadron out of Shikoku, the whole of Japan will fall"

Nagaoka Geshi shouted, this is the answer that anyone knows, the fall of Shikoku means that the Chinese will have a base camp and logistics base to attack Japan.

"Do we still have troops to mobilize?"

Terauchi retorted that as Minister of War, he didn't need to attend this meeting, but now he had to come here because he needed to report to the emperor after the meeting.

"There's only the Guards Division in Tokyo."

Nogi Noshinori said bluntly, but then his words changed.

"If the Guards Division is mobilized, I am afraid that Tokyo will fall into a situation where there are no troops to defend."

As the commander of the defense of Tokyo, after Nogi Noshinori got the news, he even began to think about how to defend Tokyo, instead of defending Shikoku.

"Now, any discussion of how to rescue Shikoku Island, in my opinion, is out of place, and it will be difficult for Shikoku to hold it anymore"

As the hero of the last war, Nogi Noshinori will instead tell the truth that everyone is unwilling to face.

"After the sea communication is blocked, it will be difficult for us to transfer the troops in Kyushu to Shikoku or Honshu, even if we risk that we can transfer back some troops, I am afraid that by the time they reach Shikoku, Shikoku may not be able to hold it, so we should consider how to prevent the squadron from attacking Honshu from Shikoku"

"Nope"

Gentaro Kodama categorically rejected Nogi's proposal.

"Kochi Prefecture has a well-equipped port, and if they use the port, they can continuously transport hundreds of thousands or even millions of troops to Shikoku, and then Shikoku will become their stable base camp, and at that time, we will not be able to stop the ** squadron from attacking Honshu in the Inland Sea, so ......"

"Then blow up the port"

Nogi Noshinori said directly.

"Not only to blow up the port, but also to sink ships at the mouth of Urado Bay, which is only a few hundred meters into the sea, and if it is blocked, even if the Chinese occupy Kochi City, they will not be able to use Kochi Port for at least a few months."

During the Battle of Arthur, because the navy had carried out a blockade operation on the Lushun Pass, Nogi Noshinori was no stranger to the blockade operation.

"The Chinese can quickly salvage the wreck, their salvage technology is very advanced"

"Then sink all the ships, big ships, small boats, even rocks, in short, now this is the only way"

Nogi Noshinori still held on to his attitude, and then he continued.

"As long as the squadron can't use the port of Kochi in the next six months, then we will be halfway there, and we will have time to transfer back the troops in Kyushu little by little, and maybe there will be a chance to transfer back some troops of the Korean Army."

Nogi Noshinori's suggestion made Kodama Gentaro look at him, his suggestion was indeed somewhat feasible, and blocking the port was indeed the best option to prevent the squadron from using Kochi Port.

"Okay"

Nodding, Gentaro Kodama agreed.

"Let's do it, Kochi Prefecture is the key"

"Occupy the city of Kochi"

This was an order issued by the Japanese Dispatch Army to the 1st Division of the Royal Guards Army.

Kochi City is a city in the south-central part of the Shikoku region, where the Tosa Prefecture is located. The city is also the center of Tosa and the center of the Pacific coast on the island of Shikoku. Forty percent of Tosa's population lives here.

The reason why the Dispatch Command issued this order was for no other reason than the port of Kochi in Urado Bay, which is a natural harbor in Urado Bay, and for Japan, it is only a good port bordering the Pacific Ocean in the west, and for the Royal Guards who landed in Shikoku, Kochi Port is related to the success or failure of future wars.

If the army was able to seize the port before the Japanese could react, then possession of the port would allow the navy and merchant fleet to transport a steady stream of troops and supplies through the port to Kochi, and from Kochi to the entire island of Shikoku and even to Honshu. ,

In order to reconnoiter the enemy situation in Kochi City, the cavalry battalion of the 1st Division immediately advanced in the direction of Kochi City after the vanguard took control of the beachhead and repelled the Japanese counterattack, but it was only half a day's work that they were ahead of all the landing forces.

The weather in March is not too cold, and the dirt road that hits the plain looks very soft, and the hooves of the Don war horses step on the dirt road, and the horseshoe will always step on some floating soil. The cavalry advanced along the dirt road and encountered the enemy for the first time near noon.

"Enemy infantry, about two hundred"

After hearing the scout's urgent report, Hao Yuqing jumped off his horse and climbed up the hill and raised his binoculars. This telescope is a domestically made 4x binocular, which can clearly see the movement of the enemy, but cannot clearly see the enemy in the distance. Originally, the officers of this era, in addition to artillery, were only equipped with telescopes of this degree, popularizing Zeiss high-power telescopes, which was the navy, and as for the army, most officers and non-commissioned officers were equipped with domestic telescopes.

Every second, the scouts reported a new situation. Hao Yuqing's "trained" cavalry gave full play to its functions. According to this information, a hundred enemy soldiers are coming here, and they are not yet aware of their presence.

In Hao Yuqing's cavalry battalion, an additional infantry company was dispatched, which was a divisional search company.

At this time, the commander of the infantry search company, Shi Cunxin, had already ordered his subordinates to scatter around, looking for concealment, and preparing to shoot.

At the same time, the cavalry took refuge in the nearby woods, preparing to surprise the Japanese infantry.

"It's already 500 meters"

Taking out the binoculars, Hao Yuqing muttered in his heart, and at the same time was coldly looking at the marching column of the small Japanese army. Slowly and tiredly wriggling on this alluvial plain.

The completely defenseless Japanese column in front of him, this is obviously a rookie army that doesn't know what a sentry is, which arouses the fighting spirit in Hao Yuqing's chest. He turned his horse and looked around at the three hundred cavalry behind him, the first division may not have participated in any bloody battles, but as a royal guard, the soldiers of the first division have always been veterans, like these cavalry, most of them are veterans of the first and second cavalry divisions, at this time they are all armed with pistols with butts, quietly waiting for the fight. Only a few of the more inferior horses neighed impatiently.

"Trumpet"

Make a charge gesture to the trumpeter next to you. The trumpeter nodded, and immediately blew the trumpet of the charge.

Nishizawa Mitsujun Cao Chang is a veteran, in the Russo-Japanese War, served in the 3rd Division, he is the 3rd Division lost his arm, but it was not the Luguo cavalry that took his arm, but the Chinese cavalry, the Chinese cavalry when they charged, has been his dream for more than a year.

"Toot ......"

When the familiar sound of the brass horn stirred through the air again, and when he heard the trumpet, Mikaru Nishizawa thought he was daydreaming. Looking back, it turned out to be a replica of his own nightmare scene. With the deafening sound of horses' hooves, he saw a group of fierce gods riding tall Western horses pouring out of hell, killing without hesitation.

Those killing gods who seemed to be pouring out of hell first shot with a short spear from a hundred and ten meters away, Nishizawa only saw the people next to him being knocked to the ground by the short spear one after another, and after pushing them closer, he only saw silver ripples rising in the air, accompanied by the silver ripples that reflected the sunlight rising and falling, and the crimson blood stirred in the air.

Holding high the cavalry knife in his hand, Hao Yuqing took the lead in leading three hundred cavalry to charge the Japanese army, which was not enough to stuff his teeth, and the earth trembled under the horse's hooves. As soon as a Japanese soldier raised his rifle, the cavalry had already rushed in front of him. The cavalryman on horseback shook the reins of the horse, jumped over a corpse, returned to the horse and cut off the head of the Japanese soldier, a Japanese soldier stood up helplessly, and the cavalryman on horseback waved the cavalry knife out of thin air, and his head and body were separated.

At a long distance, the cavalry first fired a platoon of guns to sweep down the Japanese who were preparing to counterattack, and then brandished their sabers and galloped into the enemy columns, slashing and slashing as much as they could. Oncoming enemies were either cut down or trampled by horses' hooves. The Japanese soldiers suddenly lost the courage to face the battle, and they all dropped their weapons and fled without their lives, but they completely lost their sense of direction under the slashing of the cavalry regiments, and could only run blindly and became the target of slaughter. A soldier lost the courage to fight and fell to his knees crying for mercy, while a soldier rode over and trampled him to death.

But in just a few minutes, the battle was over, more than 200 Japanese soldiers barely left a single mouth, when the ground was full of corpses, the cavalrymen on horseback put away their sabers, changed the magazines for their pistols or submachine guns, there was no smile on their faces, only a trace of indifference, in the eyes of many of them, this small battle, there was not even a reason to celebrate. ,

"Mother's ,......"

After scolding, Hao Yuqing wiped the blood on his nose, made a disdainful expression, and then looked at the brothers of the division search company who rushed over.

"Moving on"

The cavalry battalion continued in the direction of Kochi, and as they passed through the Japanese villages, every cavalryman was amazed at the poverty of the Japanese countryside, the dilapidated wooden houses made of broken pieces of wood seemed to be the only buildings they saw, and the tattered Japanese often bowed down to the ground in obedience when they passed, and did not even dare to raise their heads.

"Japanese ......"

Hao Yuqing, who was riding on horseback, looked at those obedient Japanese and sneered in his heart.

"Dolphin Tail Slave ......"

Suddenly a shout came from the side of the road only made Hao Yuqing stunned, the voice seemed to be a child's voice, and when he turned his head, he saw a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy carrying a schoolbag made of hardwood planks and string on the side of the road, who was looking at the troops with an angry face, and a woman next to him was desperately fighting him.

Without waiting for Hao Yuqing to speak, a veteran in his thirties in the cavalry team rode his horse in the direction of the young man, and then, Hao Yuqing saw the cold-faced veteran draw his saber, the knife rose and fell, and the sharp tip of the knife slashed directly in front of the young man's eyes.

But the young master didn't fall down, he stood there stunned, his body trembling under his tattered clothes, and water even dripping from his legs.

"Are you afraid of death?"

The veteran pointed his saber at the tip of the pale boy's nose, and as the boy was about to speak, the cavalry knife slashed again, this time the boy let out a scream, and the knife cut off some of his hair from the top of his head, and after a scream, the boy fell down violently, shouting in Japanese that they did not understand.

"What is he talking about, translator?"

"He's saying that he asks the Imperial Army to spare his life and welcome the Imperial Army, and that's what he said anyway."

Listening to the translator's words, Hao Yuqing smiled, and despised these Japanese to the extreme, they seem to be tough, but in fact they are extremely obedient to the strong, just like at this time, they only need to show a little tough side, and they will grovel and show their tameness.

This is the Japanese.

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