Bright Sword Military System

The Japanese commander in charge of Xinjing was Lieutenant General Kitahara Akiba, and it was he who came up with this strategy to divert conflicts.

Kitahara Akiba took a few guards into the city after the Eighth Route Army closed the city and took up his post. This shows that he is quite courageous.

The reason why Umezu Yoshijiro wanted to change his generals before the battle was because the previous commander stationed in Xinjing was mainly focused on the development of public security, economy and construction. Therefore, he was a commander with a high degree of education but little combat experience.

At that time, no one expected that the Eighth Route Army would actually attack Xinjing, so there was no problem with this arrangement.

But now, such a commander is obviously not suitable to continue to command the Xinjing operation.

Kitahara Akiha is a commander who is famous for his defensive warfare in the Kwantung Army. When the Japanese retreated in the Battle of Nomenhan, it was Kitahara Akiha who commanded the troops to cover the rear and bought some time for the imperial army to retreat. Otherwise, the imperial army would have at least lost the battle in that battle. Tens of thousands more troops will be lost.

Umezu Yoshijiro sent him to Xinjing to "take over the task at the last moment of crisis". His purpose was very clear, that is, he hoped that he could hold Xinjing and fight a "protracted war" with the Eighth Route Army.

As soon as Kitahara Akiha entered Xinjing, he immediately carried out drastic reforms.

This reform does not refer to the reform of the military, but the reform of the direction of "control" by the people.

The first sentence Kitahara Akiba said to his subordinates at the meeting was: "We should first be clear about who we can catch and who we can't catch! After clarifying this, we can Only by taking targeted actions will you avoid making mistakes!”

Then Kitahara Akiha analyzed these words in detail:

"The Chinese people are a group of people we cannot capture! Even if many of them appear to be loyal to the empire!"

"I admit that some of them are sincerely loyal to the empire, but these people are in the minority after all!"

"Previous battles have fully proved that the Chinese people will always choose to betray the empire at critical moments!"

"Therefore, we should decisively abandon this group of people!"

"There is a saying in China, 'You will gain only if you give up'!"

"Only by giving up these people can we catch those we can catch!"

……

Kitahara Akiba's words were like enlightenment to the devil officers in the former Xinjing, and they all nodded in agreement.

They wanted to control all the people in their hands before, but they wasted too much time on the Chinese people.

You must know that there is direct hatred between the Empire and China. It is impossible for the Chinese people to believe in the Empire's so-called Co-Prosperity Sphere concept. Although some people live well in Xinjing, they will betray when the Eighth Route Army invades.

Therefore, the Empire is wasting its time trying to take full control of them.

It is different for other groups of people, such as imperial immigrants, stick immigrants, etc.

As a result, Kitahara Akiba's policy was immediately implemented. The Japanese deliberately provoked the hatred of other people in the city against the Chinese people, and organized gangs to fight against each other to achieve the goal of stabilizing the city's defense.

It really works.

Although the Chinese people are still the main body of Xinjing, they are a vulnerable group. While other groups of people attacked the Chinese people, they cut off their own escape and were tied to chariots by the Japanese.

As a result, Xinjing's defense was consolidated in just a few days.

It's just that this was achieved at the expense of the property and even lives of the Chinese people.

At the same time, Kitahara Akiba was also forcing Wang Xuexin to take action.Because Kitahara Akiba understands that as time goes by, Xinjing's internal conflicts will break out again, and it is likely to be out of control by then.

At this time, the Eighth Route Army was in an embarrassing situation:
If you attack Xinjing, you will face Xinjing's solid defense system and its large reactionary group.

If we don't attack, the Chinese people will continue to be massacred...

However, what Beihara Qiuye didn't expect was that his opponent was Wang Xuexin.

It was not that Wang Xuexin did nothing during the period of siege of Xinjing, he actually made another preparation.

The defense of Xinjing is mainly based on field fortifications such as bunkers, trenches, and anti-tank trenches built by the Japanese. However, there is a section of defense that is more special, that is, the east city wall.

(Note: Most of the Xinjing city walls were gradually demolished after 1912. Only the east gate (Chongde Gate) was demolished in 52)
The old-fashioned city wall looks very suitable for defense, but it is actually a "useless" existence in modern warfare.

For example, if the devils place their troops in front of the city wall, the Eighth Route Army only needs to block the city gates with artillery fire to easily cut off the devils' supply lines and retreat.

If it is placed behind the city wall, the bullets will not turn and miss the siege of the Eighth Route Army.

This resulted in the Japanese having no choice but to place their troops on the city walls.

Unless the devils built a large group of bunkers outside the city wall like Yuncheng and dug many traffic trenches to connect the inside and outside of the city wall.

Xinjing had no need for war before this, so of course it did not have these preparations.

The Japanese did not intend to make these preparations because they believed that the main force of the Eighth Route Army was mechanized troops.

The best direction of attack for mechanized troops should be field fortifications in other directions.

Even if the city wall on the east side is blown up or collapsed, it will leave a field of broken bricks and rubble, making it impossible for mechanized troops to enter the city.

Therefore, the enemy's defense is the weakest in the east. A regiment is placed on each side in other directions, but only one brigade and a temporarily recruited militia are placed on the east side.

However, this may also be the reason why the city wall cannot hold so many troops.

Wang Xuexin's main attack direction was precisely the city wall.

"We must blow up the city wall as soon as possible!" Wang Xuexin pointed to the north and south ends of the Japanese defense line on the east and said, "Then the infantry will cross the ruins from both ends and enter the city, and attack the Japanese defense line from the rear!"

Wang Xuexin's combat ideas are very clear.

The Japanese defense line has done enough homework to intercept the impact of the Eighth Route Army's mechanized troops in all directions.

If the Eighth Route Army attacked from the front, they would be unable to enter the city even if all three mechanized regiments were defeated.

This is not a problem of equipment, but that the Japanese have placed barbed wire, mines, and light and dark anti-tank trenches all over the defense line.

However, what if the infantry detours behind the Japanese defense line and launches an attack?
That's two different things!
The infantry's circuitous route actually crossed the city wall defense line and went around to the rear of the north and south defense lines.

When Wang Xuexin said this style of play, Zhang Zongping was stunned for a moment. This was the first time he had heard of such a tactic.

After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Zongping said: "But captain, how can we quickly blow down the Japanese city wall? If it takes too long, the Japanese will soon send troops to fill the gap. I'm afraid it won't be easy for us to make a roundabout way... …”

Without even thinking about it, Wang Xuexin replied: "The old way is authentic!"