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Chapter 337 Yoshio Shinozuka: The Imperial Army has a great chance of winning!
"Hi!"

The communication staff officer lowered his head: "All the mopping up troops reported that they were all under fierce shelling, and the Eighth Route infantry's offensive was also extremely fierce."

"Currently, 5 mopping forces have lost contact."

Division Chief of Staff Ishida Kinzo threw the slide rule on the map and said, "Your Excellency, Division Commander, something is wrong."

Hirata Kenkichi glanced at Ishida Kinzo coldly: "Do you need to say that?"

Ishida Jinzang bit the bullet and said: "Your Excellency, division commander, judging from the current situation, the Eighth Route seems to want to concentrate its forces and firepower to break through from our direction, and then move the troops and people of the entire bandit area from Xiangyuan and Licheng to Fleeing south."

Hirata Kenkichi narrowed his eyes slightly: "You mean, the Chinese people in the Balu and other bandit areas are planning to flee to southern Shanxi?"

One difference between the Eighth Route Army and the national army is that the Eighth Route Army had to bring the common people with it when it was surrounded and broke through.

When the national army was surrounded by devils and broke through, they either chose to surrender, or they left the common people and ran away.

The national army could not adopt the tactics of dispersing and breaking through the encirclement, because the cohesion of the national army was low, and many soldiers were recruited only when they were strong.

Except for a very small number of elite troops of the national army, once the other troops are broken into pieces, the team will immediately disband and lose their combat effectiveness, let alone break through.

Ishida Kinzo's expression was serious, and his tone was urgent: "Your Excellency, Division Commander, this time the Eighth Route is different from all the previous responses. It seems that the Eighth Route has changed its anti-sweeping tactics. We must immediately order the troops on the outside line to rush to help, and at the same time, the Eighth Route Report the situation to the headquarters."

Hirata Kenkichi thought for a while leaning on the lieutenant general's command sword.

More than [-] mopping-up troops were attacked at the same time, and they were all reporting heavy losses. Hirata Kenkichi still doesn't know how heavy the losses were.

But what is certain is that the Eighth Route Army's offensive was fierce and fierce, using at least 75 cannons of 100 mm or more.

If the first wave of mopping up troops was not 5000 Japanese troops and 5000 Royal Association troops, but more than 1 Japanese troops, then it would definitely be able to stop the offensive of the Eighth Route.

But now there are only 5000 Japanese troops, and the troops and firepower of the Eighth Route Army are superior, and the mopping up troops will definitely not be able to withstand it.

Should the mopping up troops retreat immediately, or stand by and wait for help?
If they retreated, it would be tantamount to opening up the gap, and the Eighth Route Army would definitely take the opportunity to let a large number of people go south.

"Report, Toruro Ikakura of the 226th Wing has an urgent call!"

At this moment, the communications staff member hurried in with a telegram in his hand, paused and then reported.

"Read!"

"Hi!" The communications staff member bowed his head, picked up the telegram and read: "When Commander of the 226th Battalion of the 5th Regiment Hamachi Kiyota was raiding Shangzhuang Village and Guanyan Village, he encountered the main force of the Eighth Route Army, and Major Hamachi was bombarded. , on board His Majesty the Emperor, on board the Imperial Japanese Army!"

"Baga!" Hirata Kenkichi yelled angrily when he heard the words.

Hirata Kenkichi turned around, walked to the map, pointed to the map and said: "Order the mopping up troops to gather in brigades, look for the hills on the spot, build fortifications, and stand by for help."

"Order the 227th Wing, the 226th Battalion of the 6th Wing, and rush to help immediately!"

Xiangyuan and Licheng to the north are all mountainous terrain.

The sweeping troops almost always swept along the main roads and small roads, looking for hills on the spot, which could completely cut off the passage of the Eighth Route Army and civilians going south.

"Hi!" The communications staff officer turned and left.

Later, Hirata Kenkichi said to Chief of Staff Ishida Kinzo: "Ishida-san, immediately draw up a telegram to report the situation of our department and your and my guesses to Commander Shinozuka."

"Kai!" Colonel Ishida Kinzo suddenly stood up and lowered his head, then retracted his feet and stood at attention.

……

"Nani?"

"The mopping-up troops of the 37th Division were attacked fiercely by eight routes, and suffered heavy losses?"

Taiyuan, the Japanese First Army Headquarters, the communications staff read the telegram sent by the 37th Division.

Shinozuka Yoshio and Kusuyama Hideyoshi were stunned for a moment, and their expressions also changed to one of astonishment in unison.

The Eighth Route Army is not breaking out, but is attacking the 37th Division?

Shinozuka Yoshio and Kusuyama Hideyoshi walked quickly to the map and looked at Xiangyuan and the area north of Licheng.

"Mr. Nanshan, where is the sweeping force of the 37th Division currently?" Yoshio Shinozuka asked in a deep voice.

"According to the advance speed of the sweeping troops of the 37th Division."

Kusuyama Hideyoshi draws a straight line on the map with a pencil and a scale.

This straight line is almost parallel to the line connecting the two points of Xiangyuan County and Licheng County on the map.

Kusuyama Hideyoshi pointed to the map and said, "Your Excellency, Commander, please see that although the mopping forces are one or two kilometers away from each other, they are basically advancing in parallel. Therefore, the mopping forces of the 37th Division should be near this line at this time."

Shinozuka Yoshio saw that it was only 20 kilometers away from the county seat, and the rescue troops of the 37th Division could arrive in three hours at most under the state of rushing.

At that moment, Yoshio Shinozuka breathed a sigh of relief. The situation of the 37th Division hadn't deteriorated too much.

However, Yoshio Shinozuka, who had a keen sense of smell, still smelled something unusual.

Not right, so wrong.

The Eighth Route, who always likes to break up into pieces and disperse to break through, actually took the initiative to attack the imperial army head-on?

Who gave the Eighth Route Army courage?

You know, not only the 37th Division participated in the raid, but also the 2nd Guards Division and the other six elite infantry regiments.

With the strength of 4 Japanese army divisions and 3 puppet army divisions, what is the strength of the Eight Route Army?

Even if the Eight Routes withstood this time, both sides suffered heavy losses, but the Japanese army could continue to deploy troops and replenish combat supplies.

And you are poor and white, what will you use to carry out the next raid?

Nanshan Hideyoshi was silent for a while, and then said: "Your Excellency, this may be... an opportunity for the imperial army to gather and annihilate the main force of the Eighth Route Army!"

"Oh?" Shinozuka Yoshio narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "How can you see that?"

Kusuyama Hideyoshi bowed his hand to the map: "Your Excellency, please see that the 14th and 18th Brigades are currently in the northwest and northeast of the 37th Division. You only need to order the 14th and 18th Brigades to abandon the raid. If we attack and encircle the area where the 37th Division is in charge of mopping up, we will be able to gather and annihilate the main force of the Eighth Route.”

Shinozuka Yoshio asked: "You mean, let the troops of the 14th and 18th Brigades on the outer line also rush to help the 37th Division, and give up their positions. If the people of the Eighth Route and China flee from the east and west How to do?"

Nanshan Hideyoshi said bluntly: "It depends on how you choose, Commander. Do you want to gather and annihilate the Eight Routes attacking the 37th Division, or want to kill the Eight Routes and the common people who scattered and fled."

"If this attacking 37th Division is left alone, the 37th Division is likely to be defeated."

"A large number of troops from the Eighth Route Army and ordinary people in China will flee south through this gap."

Shinozuka Yoshio said disapprovingly, "The reinforcements from the 37th Division on the outer line have already been dispatched, and they can arrive within three hours at the most. Mr. Nanshan, do you think the Eighth Route Army can defeat the 37th Division?"

Kusuyama Hideyoshi's tone was affirmative: "The 37th Division will definitely be defeated. The telegram sent by Lieutenant General Hirata stated that the Eighth Route used at least 100 75 mountain guns, and even a lot of 105 howitzers, while the 37th Division only had 32. Mountain Cannon."

"In previous fights with the Eighth Route Army, the Eighth Route Army never fought head-on with the imperial army."

"But this time, the Eighth Route Army went against the norm and attacked the 37th Division. It shows that the Eighth Route Army feels that they have great confidence in winning the 37th Division."

"The humble staff believes that the defeat of the 37th Division is only a matter of time."

After hearing Kusuyama Hideyoshi's analysis, Yoshio Shinozuka's expression changed: "Mr. Kusuyama, immediately order the 14th and 18th Brigades to help the 37th Division."

"Hi!" Kusuyama Hideyoshi suddenly nodded, ready to turn around and walk out.

"Wait!" Yoshio Shinozuka called to stop Hideyoshi Kusuyama and said, "Order the 18th Brigade to separate out a wing and the imperial alliance troops to attack in the direction of the first line of sky and destroy the Eighth Route Arsenal."

"Hi!" Kusuyama Hideyoshi paused again, then turned and walked towards the communication room.

The command is relatively simple and can be dictated directly to the sender.

Five Japanese regiments and one puppet division were enough to support the 5th Division.

In Kusuyama Hideyoshi's view, although the 37th Division can't beat the Eighth Route, it shouldn't be a big problem to stick to it for two days.

The 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade are only more than 37 kilometers away from the 40th Division. In two days, they can climb over even if they climb.

Shinozuka Yoshio also showed a sneer at the corner of his mouth: The imperial army has a great chance of winning.

……

"Old Li, the results and casualties of each attacking force have been counted."

Xiying Town.

At the headquarters of the Taihang Column, Zhao Gang took a notebook and reported to Li Yunlong:

"In the first wave of attack, we invested a total of 36 battalions of troops, fired a total of more than 2400 shells, wiped out more than 5000 enemies, and we suffered more than 600 casualties."

This is the advantage of each company and above being equipped with walkie-talkies. Not only can they report the battle situation in time, but they can also report the number of enemies wiped out and their own casualties in a timely manner.

The puppet army was used as cannon fodder, so among the more than 5000 people who wiped out the enemy, at least 3000 were puppet troops, and the captured puppet troops were also counted.

Closing the notebook, Zhao Gang smiled slightly: "This battle was smoother than expected. Only the first wave of attack killed half of the enemy's mopping up troops."

Even if 3000 puppet troops were removed, 2000 devils were wiped out, while our own casualties were only 600. The casualty ratio between the Eighth Route Army and the devils was almost 1 to 3.3.

Moreover, except for a few troops who had the conditions for ambushes, basically the attacking troops defeated the devils head-on.

"There are more than 100 mountain guns and more than 30 howitzers. The strength and firepower are both superior and the ammunition is sufficient."

Li Yunlong waved his hand and said, "If you still can't beat the devils like this, why not just go home and pick up the child."

Huang Erhu answered the phone call, then turned around and reported to Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang: "Report, Ding Wei's attack group reported that the remnants of the Japanese puppet army on the left retreated to Mahu Mountain to fight stubbornly, with more than 1000 troops. Commander Ding Wei asked whether to launch a general offensive? "

"Initiate a general attack immediately!" Li Yunlong said without hesitation: "At this time, we have to go all out to completely defeat the devils and the puppet army, leaving no chance for the enemy to breathe!"

"Yes!" Huang Erhu turned around and gave Ding Wei an order.

Not long after, the same report came from Kong Jie and Cheng Shifa, and the devils and puppet troops held a group to occupy the top of the hill and resisted stubbornly.

Li Yunlong's order was equally domineering and resolute: attack, and kill all the sons of bitches, devils and puppet soldiers!

(End of this chapter)