"The attack on the Zhizishan Bridge failed."

"The 2nd Infantry Brigade of the Jinji Wing, which was in charge of the attack, suffered heavy losses, with more than half of the casualties, the armored brigade was completely annihilated, and the cavalry squadron was completely destroyed."

"Tubalu has come up with a large-caliber heavy machine gun with extremely strong anti-armor capabilities, and there are tungsten alloy armor-piercing shells?!"

Yoshio Shinozuka received the news from the front as soon as possible.

As a lieutenant general, Yoshio Shinozuka naturally knows what the grassroots troops of the Locust Army are like.

The ghost has never disappeared.

So of course he knows.

Although the order he gave was fire reconnaissance to prepare for the subsequent bombardment.

However, the front-line troops, in the case of tanks not supporting them, will inevitably launch a direct onslaught, trying to completely cut off the Zhizishan Bridge, cut off the transportation channel of the Eighth Route Army, and completely solve the battle.

But

In Shinozuka's view, with the support of tanks, it may not be impossible to storm the Eshiyama Bridge.

It's just that to his surprise, Tubalu already has anti-tank weapons, and the power is beyond his imagination.

The failure came very completely.

"It seems that the empire is facing a fierce enemy!"

Yoshio Shinozuka sighed.

"At a distance of five hundred meters, it will penetrate the main armor of the Type 89 tank head-on."

Looking at the battle report materials in his hand, Yamamoto also fell silent.

Although he believes that the Empire's Type 94 tank is simply a joke, the mobility is not good, the armor is not good, the firepower is not good, plus the failure rate is extremely high, and the comprehensive combat capability is not even as good as foreign armored vehicles,

But the Type 89 tank, in general, is barely visible.

And the machine gun of the dirt eight roads··

He had read the projectile analysis report that Changshi had urgently sent.

The caliber is half an inch, that is, 12.7 millimeters, a common caliber abroad, but it can easily penetrate the Empire's Type 89 main armor at a distance of 500 meters.

Such armor-piercing ability is comparable to the Empire's three-seven-millimeter anti-tank artillery.

Its technical capabilities can be called terrifying.

The Reich also had large-caliber heavy machine guns.

Moreover, it is still 13.1 mm caliber, but even with special armor-piercing shells, within 200 meters, it will not be able to penetrate the main armor of the Type 89 tank.

The gap is visible.

"Gather the information and report it to General Tada."

Yoshio Shinozuka looked at Yamamoto.

"Hey."

Yamamoto bowed his head should be.

···

"Yamamoto-kun."

The Jinji United's attack on the Zhizishan Bridge failed, and the attacking troops suffered heavy losses.

Yoshio Shinozuka didn't care much.

This is something that Tada needs to have a headache for.

It has nothing to do with him.

He has his troubles to deal with.

According to intelligence, although the weapons and ammunition obtained by Tubalu are advanced, they are not many in number, only the size of a regiment, but because the Taiyue Mountains are located in the core area controlled by the First Army,

The First Army has had a very difficult time lately.

Within the control area, roads, railways, strongholds are attacked from time to time,

The scope of control is narrowed daily.

The law and order environment is also deteriorating rapidly.

After the Miyano Michiichi incident, because of the wide circulation of Xinhua News, even in the urban area of Taiyuan, locust armies were attacked from time to time, and the troops who went to the countryside to clean up often encountered armed attacks, even in the countryside around Taiyuan.

Many of them were scattered and organized by the man himself.

Suddenly, the man was much bolder.

If the situation continues to develop, it will not be long before the achievements of the locust army's cage tactics in a year will be in vain.

"Is there any result of the investigation?"

Yoshio Shinozuka asked Yamamoto.

If he couldn't cut off the source of weapons, ammunition and supplies obtained by Tubalu, it wouldn't be long before he had to go down from the position of commander of the First Army.

This is something he is not willing to accept.

"Not at the moment."

Yamamoto smiled bitterly.

The sources and transportation channels of weapons and ammunition on the Tuba Road are being investigated locally, the Special High School is investigating, the North China Front Army Intelligence Section is also investigating, and the First Army Intelligence Section is also investigating.

Among them, the special high class has already had results, but because of the secrecy regulations, he can't know the details, only knows that it seems that because of some restrictions, Tubalu can only get one full regiment of weapons and equipment every month.

This was good news for the empire and for the North China Front.

But for the First Army was clearly not.

Moreover, Yamamoto's intuition is that there are many inaccuracies in this information.

In the simplest example, when the 27th Division was retreating, it was shelled by a heavy artillery cluster of more than one heavy artillery brigade, with more than 30,000 shells.

Is this the size of the armament of a regiment?

"Continue the investigation."

Yoshio Shinozuka sighed.

"There's some information, General."

After thinking about it, Yamamoto suddenly said:

"According to the follow-up telegram of the intelligence officers who attacked the vicinity of the Zhizishan Bridge, they found during the night that a convoy of trucks of the Eighth Route Army had passed, numbering about twenty to thirty vehicles."

"The telegram also mentioned that the trucks on Tuba Road were very large."

"Truck fleet?"

"Huge?"

Yoshio Shinozuka's face was solemn.

Thirty trucks, theoretically not able to transport much, up to three hundred tons, has little impact.

But...

Thinking of the advanced weapons and equipment that Tsuchibachi had repeatedly taken out, Yoshio Shinozuka couldn't help but feel furious in his heart.

Is that really the case?

···

"Large-caliber heavy machine guns."

Yoshio Shinozuka sighed, and Tada Jun was no better.

A weapon,

No matter how advanced he is, he won't worry too much.

According to the top-secret photos sent back again by the intelligence officers who had carefully infiltrated the Taiyue Mountains by the Special High School Section, it has been repeatedly confirmed that although the grain obtained in the Taiyue Mountains every month is as high as more than 100,000 tons, the weapons and equipment are only the size of a regiment.

Although it was a super-formed regiment, it was only 5,000 people.

This bit of weaponry is unlikely to change the pattern of the entire North China region.

Nor can it pose a threat to the North China Front.

But it will greatly affect local law and order, and will the sweep of up to three divisions that is expected to begin in November really solve the problem of Tuba Road in the Taiyue Mountains?

He didn't feel good in his heart.

"Report."

At this time, a devil staff officer ran in and reported:

"Confidential information from the special high class."

"Read?"

Tada's expression was solemn.

"According to intelligence."

"The Eighth Route Army is preparing to establish a large arsenal complex in the Taiyue Mountains, and is actively importing advanced technology and equipment from abroad and recruiting various technical personnel."

"According to the planned information discovered, this arsenal complex is designed to produce 200,000 guns, 500 million bullets, 100,000 shells of various types, and 10,000 tons of explosives per year."

"Building an arsenal complex?"

Although the news was somewhat funny, Tada didn't smile in the slightest.

Theoretically.

In the Taiyue Mountains, a place completely blocked by the locust army, a large arsenal complex was built, with an annual output of 200,000 guns, 500 million bullets, 100,000 shells of various types, and 10,000 tons of explosives.

It's a joke.

But...

If the mysterious force behind the dirt road is fully supported, then it will be very easy.

Even!

Combined with all sorts of advanced weaponry, as well as those newspapers that are incredibly beautiful, this arsenal is probably very advanced, and the weapons produced are also very advanced.

Once this arsenal group is successfully built and the Tubalu obtains weapons, it will be far more than the size of a regiment.

"Hey."

The staff officer continued:

"According to the intelligence department, the Eighth Route Army has indeed been searching for talents in various places recently, and plans to build mines in Taihang, Taiyue and other areas."

"Importing equipment and raw materials from the outside?"

Tada Jun took the intelligence documents and found something wrong.

Obviously, there are mysterious forces to support weapons and equipment, mysterious transportation channels, and the locust army has investigated for half a year without any trace, so why do they have to import machinery and equipment from abroad?

Also import raw materials from abroad?

Could it be that the mysterious force can't provide machinery and raw materials to the Dirt Eight Road?

Similar to the size of armament and ammunition that can only be limited to one regiment per month?

Thinking of this, Tadajun's brows were still furrowed.

This speculation is highly likely, but not absolutely.

When the 27th Division finally retreated, it was bombarded with nearly 50 heavy artillery pieces and more than 30,000 heavy artillery shells, which was obviously not the size of a regiment.

"They are importing materials from the southern Hebei region,"

Tada narrowed his eyes.

Although I don't know if it's true or not, no matter what, the locust army can't make the construction of this arsenal successful.

Nor can Tubalu obtain machinery and equipment, and military raw materials.

"Hey."

The staff officer continued to answer:

"Machinery and equipment, personnel, and raw materials are all imported from the southern Hebei region."

Although the locust army completely blocked the coastline, due to the existence of concessions and other countries, as well as the fear of Britain and the United States, it was impossible to completely cut off the source of foreign machinery and equipment.

Military raw materials cannot be cut off either.

Merchants are always the group of people who like to take advantage of loopholes, and it is impossible for the locust army to monitor the entire huge coastline of the Republic of China.

In particular, there are enough interests in the southern Hebei region.

The new Hebei South currency issued by Tubalu has even begun to circulate in the Northern Commentary.

Not only foreign merchants, but even imperial merchants, for the sake of profit, will also continue to transport machinery and equipment, and raw materials to the sphere of influence of Tubalu in the southern Hebei region.

"Let Suzuki Fanji come over."

Tada's eyes flashed.

Because of the difficulty in domestic material production than expected, and the recent excessive consumption of materials, the November sweep is not expected to be launched until the end of the month.

There are still three months to go.

At this time, we can't let the Dirt Eight Road develop and grow wantonly, and we must find a way to weaken it.

While blockading and cracking down on the machinery, equipment, talents, and raw materials that enter the Tuba Road base area, it is also necessary to destroy and destroy the economic situation of the Tuba Road in the southern Hebei region.

Otherwise, a rich Tuba Road base area will continue to attract businessmen to come, which will bring great help to the development of Tuba Road.

···

Meanwhile.

The devil merchant, Shiratori Seitaro came to the southern Hebei base again.

"Lead plates?"

"Pure copper?"

“····”

Looking at the various materials purchased at a high price in the base bank, Kiyotaro Shiratori, who was now holding 15,000 silver dollars in his hand, fell into hesitation.

These materials are all military supplies.

But the price code that came out of the Eighth Route Army was really high.

(End of chapter)