Age of Rebirth

Chapter [-]: Siege of Taiyuan

The war in North China, which lasted for two months, began when the Japanese army invaded the Taihang Mountains. Ningji Okamura lost 10,000+ troops and hated the east bank of the Yellow River. More than [-] troops were trapped in Taiyuan and came to an end. This battle basically laid the foundation for the Tang Dynasty. The advantage of Qiuli's forces in North China and Okamura Ningji's defeat are different from the previous defeats of the Japanese army, and they are enough to threaten all the interests that the Communist Party has gained from operating in North China for many years.

Emperor Hirohito and the base camp were extremely frightened and angry. They held an imperial military meeting for several days to discuss how to deal with the crisis in North China. More than 100 million soldiers, which lasted nearly a year, Tianjin was occupied twice, Zhangjiakou, an important town in Northwest Hebei, was lost, more than [-] soldiers were lost, and many generals died in battle. Now, it turns out that the highest official in North China is besieged in an isolated city , This is a result that Emperor Hirohito absolutely cannot accept.

During the few days of the imperial military meeting, no good solution was discussed to deal with the current situation in North China. We had to go back to the old road and increase troops to North China. After an inventory, Okamura Ningji can command less than 60 troops. Okamura Neiji, who made Emperor Hirohito very happy and sad, and made the base camp dizzy like a roller coaster, was already very dissatisfied, but he still had to maintain Okamura Neiji's prestige. In less than a year, three generals were replaced, and soldiers were lost. Can't take down China in North China, this matter is publicized, Emperor Hirohito, the Japanese army, and all the Japanese people can't afford to lose this person.

Therefore, at the imperial military meeting, surprisingly, there were no scenes of censure and mutual criticism. The most urgent thing to do is to increase the number of troops. We can increase the number of troops from the mainland of China, and it is impossible to form a new division in a hurry. It will be completed in a short period of time, and the second time waits for no one. I am afraid that the troops here to reinforce North China are still floating in the sea, and Neiji Okamura is finished. [

After some calculations, only the Kwantung Army has this ability and convenient conditions. Besides, Okamura Ningji was born in the Kwantung Army system, and the Kwantung Army will definitely not sit back and watch Okamura Ningji be eliminated by Tang Qiuli, so he made this suggestion. It was Prince Kanin Gongzaihito, chief of the general staff of the base camp. Emperor Hirohito immediately approved Zairen's plan without waiting for other senior generals to raise objections.

It's not that Hiroren didn't see his younger brother's careful thinking, and took the opportunity to weaken the strength of the Kwantung Army, making it difficult for the Kwantung Army to fight Tang Qiuli. North China, regaining the control of North China from the Kwantung Army in one fell swoop can also inflict heavy damage on Tang Qiuli. Recovering the lost occupied areas is a double-edged plan. If you are lucky, you can also take the opportunity to go south to the Central Plains and Jiangnan. Still returning to the general strategy before the all-out war against China, fighting from north to south also hit the arrogance of the navy and consolidated the army's dominant position in the military.

Emperor Hirohito couldn't help but take a closer look. This younger brother, who is obedient and obedient to his own orders, has experienced such a deep scheming after a few years of inconspicuousness. However, Zai Ren's plan is the best way at present. Criticism, improving the situation in North China, and rescuing Ning Okamura from embarrassment are the important tasks of the Kwantung Army.

After Emperor Hirohito looked at his younger brother, he glanced at the officials again. Some of the senior generals showed thoughtful expressions on their faces, including Army Minister Koichi Yonei and Army Minister Shigemitsu Aoi. Neither of them was fuel-efficient. Hirohito secretly sighed In this imperial military meeting, the government and the opposition reached a consensus that Tang Qiuli, the devil of China, has replaced Chiang Kai-shek as the number one enemy of the Chinese Empire. To conquer China, North China must first be conquered. Tang Qiuli, from then on, the empire's combat goal was mainly to eliminate Tang Qiuli, and to deal with the Nanjing government, it was mainly to persuade peace and induce surrender, supplemented by military pressure.

Tang Qiuli, who was on the front line in Taiyuan, didn't know that he had become the target of all the lunatics in that island country who vowed to eradicate thousands of miles away. He coordinated and commanded 26 troops to besiege Taiyuan and its surrounding points. After two days of attack, he made no progress. Tang Qiuli was very troubled. After Yan Xishan's careful management of Taiyuan, after the Japanese occupation, Taiyuan was taken as the central fortress and gradually improved.

At the beginning, if Zhao Chengshou's Seventh Army hadn't arrived at the Taiyuan battlefield one after another, it hadn't formed a superior force and was gradually consumed by the Japanese army. In addition, Yan Xishan's determination to defend Taiyuan was shaken. The city is almost wrapped in reinforced concrete, not to mention there are outer strongholds such as Jinzhong, Taigu, and Qingxu guarding it.

Two days later, Tang Qiuli issued an order to stop the attack, and the whole army went to the battlefield to rest. Whether it was Chang Feng, Sun Zhenbang, or the commanders of the brigades, they were all puzzled by this order. This opportunity to win Taiyuan in one fell swoop?Only if General Jiang Baili realized something, Tang Qiuli had his own considerations and worries.

In the North China battlefield, only Tang Qiusheng's Sulu Mobile Corps fought the hardest. The Kwantung Army's southward troops, like crazy, violently attacked the Sulu Mobile Corps' blocking defense line regardless of casualties. The Kwantung Army wanted to break through the line of defense, capture Shijiazhuang, go out of Jingxing Pass and Niangziguan and pass through Yangquan, and break the siege of Taiyuan. The Sulu Mobile Corps desperately blocked the Kwantung Army's southward march .

On June 31, Tang Qiusheng, the commander of the Sulu Mobile Corps, called: "The division pointed out that at about 7000 o'clock yesterday morning, the Kwantung Army launched a full-line attack on our Hejian, Renqiu, and Xiongxian positions. , the battle was particularly fierce. The Japanese army dispatched a large number of tanks, coupled with a large number of heavy artillery firepower, repeatedly broke through our blocking positions. In the evening, our Corps organized a large-scale counter-assault to regain the lost positions and restore the previous situation. Only one day on May [-] , The number of casualties in our corps has reached as many as [-], and the casualties of the Japanese army are slightly more than our army. The Sulu Mobile Corps can hold its position."

Tang Qiuli was greatly surprised. In one day, more than half of the brigade suffered casualties. This was still the first-class main force of the independent division. The base camp of the Japanese army was alarmed. Brother Qiusheng's troops continued to fight like this. Even if all the Kwantung Army were wiped out, they would be severely injured and consume more than half of them. It seemed to prove his prediction. The army is gathering troops in Dalian and Jinzhou on a large scale. The current movement is unknown and will be reported after verification.

Tang Qiuli immediately understood the intention of the Kwantung Army. It was to mobilize troops to go south and enter the customs, and they came from two directions. All the way out of Jinzhou, passing through Shanhaiguan and entering North China, all the way out of Dalian, passing through Bohai Bay and landing in Tianjin. The purpose of this unit is only one, to enter Shanxi and rescue Okamura Ningji from the siege of Taiyuan.

When the two Kwantung Army entered the pass, his good days would come to an end. He didn't have any available troops to stop the vigorous Kwantung Army. This was the main reason why he stopped attacking Taiyuan. There were heavy casualties, and he was fighting against the recharged Kwantung Army's advancing troops. He was thinking about the map, weighing the pros and cons repeatedly, unable to make a decision. The guard reported that General Jiang Baili asked to see him. Tang Qiuli was overjoyed. You don't need to do anything, I'm still racking my brains here, I'm so stupid.

He said repeatedly: "Please! Please!" General Jiang Baili came because of Tang Qiuli's order to stop attacking Taiyuan. With a strategic vision, I vaguely guessed the intention of this young teacher. Since he arrived in Dingbian, he was already in his fifties, but he felt like a young man. He felt more comfortable than ever before. The free air in Dingbian made him You can give full play to your talents.

Tang Qiuli entrusted him with the important task of cultivating military officers, and Jiang Baili had the grace to know him. This is probably the inherent mastery complex of Chinese intellectuals for thousands of years. The actions of his own family, Chairman Jiang, are disgusting. , he disdained to be with them. Therefore, during the Great War in the Central Plains and many wars in Monaco where the Xingui faction overthrew Chiang, Generalissimo Jiang treated him with courtesy. Burying his head in his study, or cultivating disciples.

Following Tang Qiuli for more than two years, everything about this young man made the old general see the hope that had cooled down, and the flames were rekindled. Besides, this is a battlefield against foreign invasion, so it should be preserved. Come here, just to express his feelings and express his own opinion, because he found that Tang Qiuli's use of troops has reached the limit, if there is a new battle, if there is not enough troops, it will endanger the overall situation.

Tang Qiuli personally greeted him at the door, "Old General, why do you have time to come to me today? This junior happens to have something to ask for advice." After that, the two looked at each other and smiled, and from each other's eyes and expressions, they already knew each other's Xinyi, Meixue obediently made a cup of tea, and after sitting down, Tang Qiuli couldn't wait to introduce the current situation, said his analysis and opinions, and the countermeasures to be taken, and did not hide his worries.

Jiang Baili didn't answer right away, he admired secretly, this young teacher had already considered the issue before the situation, but he hadn't made up his mind yet, all the words he had prepared, including how to tactfully persuade him, couldn't hurt him. His self-esteem, now it seems, is useless. He is a person who can't be clever, so this is more in line with his usual style. What he has to do now is not to strengthen his determination.

After thinking about it, the general smiled, and I have two words for the teacher to refer to, "Taiyuan should be slow rather than urgent, and Pingjin is easy and urgent, but not slow." Tang Qiuli laughed, "Wonderful words! The old general is firm in my mind. Come on, why be afraid of the soldiers of the Kwantung Army going south?" Tang Qiuli knew the reason for his hesitation to send Jiang Baili away.

(To be continued) [