After receiving an order from the commander of the North China Front, Okamura Ninji.

Iwamatsu Yoshio immediately ordered the First Army, as well as three other divisions and regiments in Taiyuan to be summoned to the inner city for a meeting.

It didn't take long for the First Army's Hanaya Masa, Miyazaki Masao, Yamamoto Kazuki, Shimizu Rules, and others.

As well as the commander of the 5th Division, Lieutenant General Matsui Taikuro, the commander of the 24th Division, Lieutenant General Hiroshi Nemoto, and the commander of the 28th Division, Sadazo Ishiguro, rushed to the conference room.

Everyone sat down quickly, with a solemn look on their faces, and they didn't even talk to each other.

Almost everyone knew that the Eighth Route Army was about to attack on a large scale, and they were busy building fortifications, and they really didn't have the heart to communicate.

"Your Excellency Commander has arrived!"

Kamegawa Shiro shouted, and the elite Japanese guards at the door saluted in unison.

Since the last time the devil staff officers and chiefs of staff within the commander of the First Army went to Taiyuan to greet Yoshimoto Sadachi.

Because of his excellent performance in front of Iwamatsu Yoshio, Shiro Kamegawa was promoted by Iwamatsu Yoshio to the rank of junior sa by two levels, and became a celebrity in front of Iwamatsu Yoshio.

A moment later, Yoshio Iwamatsu, who was carrying a lieutenant general's sword at his waist, walked in quickly.

A group of devil officers stood up one after another and nodded slightly to Iwamatsu Yoshio.

Yoshio Iwamatsu waved his hand and motioned for everyone to take a seat:

"I just received an order from the commander of the North China Front, General Okamura Ninji."

"The 5th Division, the 24th Division, and the 28th Division are under my command for the time being."

Okamura Ninji considered this battle, and he was in remote command, but Taiyuan's defense needed unified command.

And Okamura Ningji was far away in Beiping and did not know about the defense of Taiyuan.

So even if Iwamatsu Yoshio was a waste, Okamura Ninji still handed over the command of these three divisions to Iwamatsu Yoshio for the time being.

If Yoshio Iwamatsu can't command well, then Okamura can take back command at any time.

Matsui Taikuro, Hiroshi Nemoto, and Ishiguro Sadazo Sanxiang Iwamatsu Yoshio nodded slightly.

Iwamatsu Yoshio is notoriously wasteful, and they don't want to listen to Iwamatsu Yoshio's command, but since it is Okamura Ninji's order, they can only obey it.

After a pause, Iwamatsu Yoshio continued: "General Okamura Ninji instructed us to stick to the Taiyuan and Zhengtai railways, and be sure to kill and injure a large number of living forces of the Eighth Route Army, and wait for an opportunity to move towards Hebei. ”

"The 23rd, 35th, and 110th Divisions will come to meet them."

When the devil officers heard this, they all breathed a sigh of relief in their hearts.

Even if General Okamura Ninji ordered to defend the Taiyuan and Zhengtai railways, they would not hesitate to fight the Eighth Route Army until they were killed.

But then again, stay in the green mountains and don't worry about running out of firewood.

Who wants to die in Taiyuan and Zhengtai Railway for himself and all the soldiers under his command?

As long as you can preserve your strength, you will have a chance to fight back in the future.

Iwamatsu Yoshio looked at Matsui Taikuro, Hiroshi Nemoto, and Sadazo Ishiguro and asked, "Matsui-kun, Nemoto-kun, and Ishiguro-kun, how are the three of you divisions building fortifications?" ”

"Your Excellency, Lieutenant General."

Matsui Taikuro responded:

"According to your instructions, our division has built a large number of fortifications, including anti-artillery shelters, air-raid shelters, and simple tunnel fortifications."

The Fifth Division had completely abandoned the original civil fortifications and turned to the construction of anti-artillery shelters, air-raid shelters, and tunnel fortifications according to the mountain.

Hiroshi Nemoto and Sadazo Ishiguro also reported to Yoshio Iwamatsu on the fortifications of their respective divisions.

However, the time was relatively short, and the divisions and regiments could only build simple tunnel fortifications, and a lot of anti-artillery and air-raid shelters were dug.

"It's a pity..."

Yoshio Iwamatsu secretly said in his heart that it was a pity, he had been studying fortifications recently.

In the past, he had been in the wrong direction of defense around Taiyuan City.

At that time, the commander of the North China Front, Okamura Ninji, allocated a lot of steel and cement and other materials to Iwamatsu Yoshio.

Drawing on Tada's experience in the cage policy, he used all of this steel and concrete to construct roads along the route, at traffic artery intersections, and around airports.

Now that I think about it, this defensive strategy is a bit silly.

If you pay attention to tunnel tactics at that time, combine concrete fortifications with tunnel tactics.

With the help of favorable terrain, 3.5-meter-thick pillboxes and bunkers are poured with steel and cement at the mouth of the tunnel, which can not only defend against artillery and air defense, but also store ammunition inside, which is a real permanent fortification.

When the Eighth Route Army attacked, the soldiers came out of the bunkers and bunkers that connected the tunnels.

When the artillery and planes of the Eighth Route Army bombarded the position, the soldiers went into the tunnels from the pillboxes and bunkers to hide.

With the permanent fortifications of pillboxes and bunkers as the mouth of the tunnel, it is difficult for the heavy artillery and aircraft of the Eighth Route Army to collapse.

This will not only make it difficult for the artillery superiority and air superiority of the Eighth Route Army to play a decisive role, but also kill and injure a large number of Eighth Route Army, as well as save the lives of its own soldiers.

It's just killing three birds with one stone.

But now Yoshio Iwamatsu has no steel and cement in his hands, and he is too late in time.

At present, the empire has occupied many steel mills and cement factories of the British and American empires in Southeast Asia, and there are abundant steel and cement materials, but they cannot be transported at all.

The Eighth Route Army only needs to dispatch planes to blow up the Zhengtai Railway, and it can easily cut off the logistics supply of the First Army.

"Yo Xi!"

Yoshio Iwamatsu flipped through the folder in front of him:

"Regarding the defense of Taiyuan, I have made the following adjustments and deployments..."

……

A day later.

Changchun.

557 Xinfa Road.

Command of the Kwantung Army.

Senior General Umezu Yoshijiro, commander of the Kwantung Army, was entertaining Senior General Naosaburo Okabe, who had just flown from Tokyo, and was accompanied by the new chief of staff, Lieutenant General Yukio Kasawara.

Naosaburo Okabe has been promoted to general and is about to become commander of the North China Front, the same rank as General Umezu Mijiro.

Okabe Naosaburo arrived in Changchun, and Umezu Mijiro naturally wanted to accompany him personally.

"Okabe-kun, this is this year's new Longjing tea, please."

Umezu Mijiro shook his hand, and Naosaburo Okabe, who was sitting opposite, picked up the teacup.

Naosaburo Okabe took a sip of tea, then put the teacup back on the table, and praised: "The soup is clear and sweet, it is really a rare good tea, I haven't drunk such a delicious tea in the empire for a long time." ”

"If you like it, when you go to Beiping to take up the post of commander of the North China Front, bring two catties."

Naosaburo Okabe: "Then thank you Umezu-kun!" ”

Umezu Mijiro: "Okabe-kun is polite, saying that the land of Shina is vast, and Ryujing is just one of the leaves." ”

Okabe Naosaburo: "Yes, such a God-given land, a weak nation like Shina is not worthy, only our excellent Yamato nation deserves it." ”

Umezu Mijiro said: "However, the Japanese Empire wants to occupy all this God-given land, it is not so easy, it has been nearly five years since the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War, although the empire has occupied most of the territory of China, but China has not succumbed, the resistance is still fierce, especially the Eighth Route Army in North China, the strength has increased by leaps and bounds in the past two years, resulting in heavy losses in the North China Front, and the Eighth Route Army in North China has recently shown signs of a major counteroffensive. ”

The two chiefs of staff of the Kwantung Army, Michiichi Miyano and Sadachi Yoshimoto, were both killed by the Eighth Route Army in North China.

In addition, the 1st Division and the 10th Division of the Kwantung Army suffered heavy losses in North China.

Umezu Mijiro also hated the Eighth Route Army to the bone, and he couldn't wait to cut off all the heads of the Eighth Route Army as fertilizer.

"I know that."

"In the final analysis, it was General Okamura Ninji whose tactics went wrong."

Naosaburo Okabe's tone was confident.

Although Naosaburo Okabe served as a military counselor in Japan and as president of the Army University, he was always concerned about the war in North China.

Daring to go to Peking to take up the post of commander of the North China Front, Okabe Naosaburo naturally did his homework.

"Oh?" Umezu Mijiro's tone was surprised, "It seems that Okabe-kun thinks that General Okamura's plan for law and order is not appropriate?" ”

Umezu Mijiro has also seen Okamura Ninji's tactics, and I have to say that Okamura Ninji has something.

If it weren't for the fact that he had lost too many battles in the past two years, Okamura would have been the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Army in the future.

Okabe Naosaburo nodded: "Of course, not only is General Okamura Ninji's law and order rectification plan not proper, but even the cage policy of his predecessor, Commander Tada, is also very problematic." ”

"I want to hear about it." Umezu Mijiro's expression moved.

When a new commander takes office, he basically negates the strategy and tactics of the previous commander.

Even when he took over the Kwantung Army from General Kenkichi Ueda, he imposed brutal rule as soon as he took office.

Otherwise, how can you seem to be more awesome than the previous commander?

Okabe Naosaburo said: "General Okamura Ninji's law and order strengthening tactics, dividing North China into public security areas, quasi-security areas, and non-security areas, and implementing the policies of clearing the township, encroachment, and sweeping up respectively, is still too slow to take effect. ”

Umezu Mijiro asked, "What are you going to do then?" ”

He wanted to hear about Okabe Naosaburo's strategy and tactics, and wanted to see if it was better than Okamura Ninji's law and order strengthening tactics.

Okabe Naosaburo said: "At the Army University, I discussed with Lieutenant General Gu Shoufu that if the North China Front wants to break the situation, there is only one word to kill!" ”

"Since the North China Front Army can't solve the Eighth Route Army in the southeast and northwest of Jin in a short period of time."

"Then first concentrate forces to deal with the Eighth Route Army in other parts of North China."

"By sweeping, dividing, and throwing a large number of poison gas bombs, the Eighth Route Army base areas in other parts of North China will be turned into a no-man's land."

"The development of the Eighth Route Army is inseparable from the common people, so kill all the common people, so that the Eighth Route Army wants to develop and grow, but it is just a joke."

"After the Eighth Route Army in other places is resolved, the North China Front will concentrate its forces and combat materials to break the Eighth Route Army in the southeast and northwest of Shanxi one by one."

Umezu Mijiro couldn't help but gasp:

"In this way, wouldn't the locusts army want to kill tens of millions of ordinary people in North China?"

"For the future of the Empire." Okabe Naosaburo's tone was fierce, "What is it to kill tens of millions of ordinary people?" ”

"Killing these inferior people of China is just to vacate the territory and allow the people of the Yamato nation to migrate over."

"From then on, the land of China became the territory of the Yamato nation."

Umezu Mijiro's eyes flickered, and he quickly concluded that Okabe Naosaburo's battle plan was a bit whimsical.

In the past, when the North China Front had the upper hand, there was no problem in doing so.

But times have changed, and now it is the Eighth Route Army in North China that has the upper hand.

After Okabe Naosaburo took office as commander of the North China Front, the first thing he had to consider was how the Japanese army in North China could resist the attack of the Eighth Route Army.

And not how to attack the Eighth Route Army.

Moreover, Okamura Ninji has already stepped down, and it is not certain whether he is willing to delegate power.

"Cheers to the future of the Yamato nation!"

However, Umezu Mijiro didn't want to say more, after all, he didn't have a deep friendship with Okabe Naosaburo.

Naosaburo Okabe: "Cheers." ”

The two of them picked up their glasses, touched them gently, and then drank the sake from the glasses.

Putting down the wine glass, Umezu Mijiro said in a worried tone: "Okabe-kun should know that I, Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadachi, chief of staff of the Kwantung Army, was shot down by a plane of the Eighth Route Army on the way to the commander of the First Army last month, and I am worried..."

Okabe Naosaburo nodded: "Of course I know about this matter, the plane of the Eighth Route Army not only shot down the plane of Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadachi, but also replenished an incendiary bomb, and the means were extremely cruel. ”

"But..."

After a pause, Okabe Naosaburo's tone and expression were not panicked at all: "I have carefully studied it, Lieutenant General Yoshimoto and Lieutenant General Miyano were killed in North China, most likely because there was an enemy spy lurking in the North China Front Headquarters, and this spy revealed the itinerary information of Lieutenant General Yoshimoto and Lieutenant General Miyano to the Eighth Route Army. ”

"I took a plane to Beiping this time, and I did not inform the North China Front Command, and even Senior General Okamura Ninji did not know when I would arrive at Beiping Airport."

"So it's absolutely safe."

Umezu Mijiro nodded: "When is Okabe-kun going to leave for Beiping from Changchun?" ”

"Tomorrow." Okabe Naosaburo said, "The situation in North China has been eroded to the point of being out of control, and I will take office as soon as possible, so I can clean up the mess." ”

Umezu Mijiro said: "Then I wish Okabe-kun a smooth journey." ”

"That being said, I also ask Umezu-kun to send some more fighter jets to escort my landline." Naosaburo Okabe said.

Although he concluded that the information about his trip would not be leaked, Naosaburo Okabe still cherished his own life, and everything had to be arranged properly for matters related to his life.

"That's nature." Umezu Mijiro nodded, "I will send a fighter squadron to escort you to Beiping Airport." ”

"Yo Si! Then thank you Umezu-kun! Naosaburo Okabe spoke in a grateful tone.

One fighter flight team escorted, that is, at least 20 fighters of the Kwantung Army.

Although you can't guarantee your own safety 100%.

But this is war, and it's not a game, so how can it be 100% safe?

……

Shanxi.

Northwest of Shanxi.

Zhao Jiayu.

"Our big army is going to set off tomorrow, why haven't we heard from the old devil Naosaburo Okabe?"

The night is like ink.

In the regimental headquarters of the new regiment, Li Yunlong was muttering there with intelligence information and business prices about Okabe Naosaburo in his hand.

Zhao Gang heard well, heard Li Yunlong's muttering, and said with a smile: "Maybe the old devil of Okabe Naosaburo has arrived in Beiping, and Boss Chen failed to get the intelligence information of this old devil this time." ”

Li Yunlong glanced at Zhao Gang angrily, you kid won't say something nice?

At this moment, Wang Dehou walked in from outside the door with a telegram in his hand.

"Regiment leader, political commissar, there's news from Boss Chen!"

When Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang heard this, their eyes couldn't help but shine.