This cold snap is naturally extremely beneficial to the attacker. The Xiushui and Panyang Lake water systems, which were originally hindering the pace of the 11th Army's offensive, have now accumulated thick layers of ice, and will become a smooth road for at least a while.

The 33rd Division was annihilated at Lion's Gate, which was naturally a great blow to Okamura Ninji. The battle report from his side was sent back to the Tokyo base camp, and the next moment, the military department's severe reprimand came. Okamura Ninji, the three birds that were greatly appreciated by the emperor, was criticized for the first time, and was seriously warned that if he dragged his feet in the following Minyue strategy, not only would the position of commander of the 11th Army on active duty be lost, but he would also bear the corresponding criminal responsibility and be escorted back to China for trial.

Okamura Ningji is also enough to carry a little, after taking over as the commander of the 11th Army, because of the collision with the Xuebing Army, although in the Battle of Madang, the most rearly captured Madang, and also won the victory in the Battle of Wuhan, but because the losses of his troops were too large, so the merits and demerits were offset, and he could only keep the position of commander of the 11th Army without losing it. Originally, according to the course of history, after the victory in the Battle of Wuhan, he would be transferred to North China to preside over the military and political work in North China.

The reason why Okamura was regarded as a famous general by the Japanese in that time and space was because of his performance in North China, and now that this opportunity has been lost, his acquisition of the title of "famous general" is far away.

Speaking from the heart, the collapse of the 33rd Division actually had little to do with Okamura. After Okamura received the order from the military headquarters, he immediately waved his troops to evacuate the Nanchang area to avoid continuing to entangle with Xue Yue's department. However, Gan Jutaro insisted on going his own way and continued to stay in the Gao'an area, so he was seized by the Xuebing Army to make a ready-made situation.

The annihilation of the 33rd Division naturally aroused Okamura's vigilance. Although the 33rd Division is a type B division, there are nearly 17,000 people, and the Cadet Army was annihilated in two days and nights (Okamura also included Naoki Araki's ambush), so how large of a force should the Cadet Army dispatch? Moreover, when did the Cadet Army enter Jiangxi?

Okamura was in the house and was doing an analysis with the map, and Yoshimoto Sadaji walked in from outside, and he said with an excited face, "Your Excellency, the snow has stopped!" Just now, I took someone to test the thickness of the ice, which is enough to pass through the chariot! ”

The 17th Division was severely damaged by Yu Jishi's division at Madang, and almost all the army was wiped out, and after the reorganization, its tank unit was expanded to the brigade and regiment level. It is precisely because of the existence of the 17th Tank Brigade that Yokoyama Yucai led the 17th Division to fight all over Jiangxi without an invincible opponent, and now, the division and the 12th Tank Wing of the 11th Division have become the trump card unit of Okamura Ninji who wants to defeat the Xuebing Army. After receiving Gan's report and learning that the Cadet Army had a chariot unit joining, he attached more and more importance to these two chariot units, and not only forcibly took back the command of the 17th Tank Brigade and the 12th Chariot Wing to the headquarters, but also specially designated a wing to coerce and protect them.

Okamura looked away from the map and looked at Yoshimoto, and after a few seconds, he asked, "Yamada, have they come back?" ”

Yamada was the commander of the reconnaissance unit sent by Okamura to reconnoiter the situation on the south bank, and when he heard this, Yoshimoto's excited expression froze, and he said, "I haven't come back yet." ”

Okamura's face became grim, and he said coldly: "We don't even know the situation of the Shina people's defense on the south bank now, and if we attack rashly, we are afraid that we will fall into the trap of the Shina people." You immediately go to Yokoyama in person and tell him that without my order, no troops above the brigade are allowed to cross the river! You give this order to Nakajima, Yamamuro, and Yamada. In addition, immediately get in touch with Tokugawa Yoshitoshi and ask him to dispatch a sufficient number of reconnaissance planes to find out the distribution of enemy forces on the other side of the river first! ”

"Hello!"

However, it snowed for a day, and on the 27th, the Japanese army frequently dispatched scouts to reconnoiter the enemy situation on the south bank, Zhang Tianquan and Arthur sent scouts to counterattack, and the scouts on both sides immediately carried out infiltration and anti-infiltration operations in the long snow, and the fierce battle lasted for two days, and the Japanese army lost about a squadron of scouts, but did not obtain any valuable information, which made Okamura angry, and in a fit of anger, he sent the captain of the military police brigade directly under the headquarters Yamada Huangjiro personally presided over the work, but now it seems, Yamada also seems to have folded on the south bank.

At about three o'clock in the afternoon, a reconnaissance plane of the 1st Air Regiment of the Japanese Army appeared in the sky over Nanchang.

Ouyang Yun pointed to the reconnaissance fleet Connor and said, "See, the Japanese reconnaissance plane." ”

Connor: "It's just a reconnaissance plane, and then they don't necessarily attack." ”

"Connor, I'm still the same, do you dare to bet with me?"

"No, you have more information than I do, so you can judge more accurately than I do."

"Then forget it-" Ouyang Yun smiled, and didn't force him anymore, but in his heart, he was a little worried: Okamura is cautious, he won't really just garrison the north bank, right?!

One reconnaissance plane after another flew over Nanchang, some continued to fly south, some turned to the east, and some flew around Nanchang for a long time before turning back, witnessing this scene, Ouyang Yun's heart became more and more convinced, thinking that this should be the prelude to Okamura's preparation for an attack.

On the 31st, at about five o'clock in the morning, on the north bank of Xiushui, one thousand meters east of the Yongxing Township Government in Yongxiu County, in the dark night, a beam of light turned on and then quickly extinguished, and a few seconds later, a rapid "rustle" sounded. The sound of "rustling" went all the way south, and then became more and more faint, and suddenly, the sound of "pop" came, and then there was a Japanese shout: "Eight grids!" It is said that pay attention to your step! Get up and keep up! ”

At the same time, on the south bank, almost facing the shore of Xiushui, which was lit up, a shadowy human head flickered, and one of the voices sounded softly: "There is light!" It's all there, ready to fight! Xiao Haonan, flares ready! ”

"Yes!"

After reconnoitering the deployment of the Cadet Corps near Yongxiu County through a reconnaissance plane, Okamura Ninji held a meeting overnight to draw up a plan for this morning's surprise attack.

In the plan, the 106th Division will first send a brigade to attack Yongxiu County to attract the attention of the defenders on the south bank, and then attack the main position of the defenders in Nanjin Kiln from the opposite side. At the same time, a wing was dispatched to cross the river from Sanfang Village, north of Yongxing Township, and landed from Qililing. If there is no guard by the student army there, then go south and detour back to Yaquehu Village, which is across the river from Nanjin Kiln, and then go around to the back of Nanjin Kiln, and attack Nanjin Kiln from north to south.

At the same time, the 11th Division will cross Panyang Lake and storm Xiangshan, while the 112th Division will directly attack Yugan in the south in order to prepare to outflank Nanchang and completely cut off the southward retreat of the Xuebing Army.

"Gentlemen, can you be ashamed of the snow horse, tomorrow morning! Please work hard! At the end of the day, Okamura said.

Yoshimoto, Isamu Yokoyama, Nakajima Yasumura, Suzuki Harumatsu and others shouted "Hai" in unison, and all of them were full of confidence that they would win the next day's battle.