Iron Cross

The Bean Chariot mentioned by Okamura Neiji is a Type 94 light tank mainly used by the Japanese army for infantry support, reconnaissance support and armored transport. Its armor is only 6mm at its thinnest point and can be easily destroyed by a pack of explosives and a bundle of grenades. , a total of about 800 vehicles were produced before production was stopped in 1937. Although their performance was poor, they were still serving on the Chinese battlefield. With this troop transfer, the base camp directly ordered all tank units to gather back home and prepare to receive new tanks.

"But even so, we shouldn't sell it to the Chinese. We are still enemies... It doesn't matter if we have light weapons, tanks... tanks..." Dajiao's hands were shaking.

"Pah!" Neji Okamura knocked a black flag on Tianyuan's position, and ate the 5 white stones of Maj. Gen. Nakanishi Sadaki in one breath. Then he slowly turned his head, "Why don't you sell it? Who else do you think would like it?" Bean tank? Besides, how can we make money if we don’t sell it? Now the base camp has begun to do whatever it takes to make enough money to buy advanced equipment from Germany, and even the local production of mechas is being considered.”

"But the new has not arrived yet, but the old has gone, won't it affect the battle?" Nakanishi Zhenxi asked doubtfully, "Although it will take time for the Communist Army and Yan Xishan to digest and absorb, what if..."

"They won't attack. Then we will retreat faster than they attack. Taking ten thousand steps back, what if the enemy masters tanks? We have anti-tank guns and anti-tank guns to deal with this opportunity. The armor strength is more than enough." Okamura Neiji sneered, "In fact, our speed is too slow, and the Tokyo side is very dissatisfied. The Central China Front abandoned more than 30 counties in one go, sold a large number of arms, and took back 2,000. More than 10,000 yen was left for the troops to improve their lives, and the rest was handed over - which was highly praised by the base camp. The target for the first quarter was 100 million yen. "

"This is really... this is really..." Nakanishi Zhenxi held up the white piece and didn't know where to land it for a long time.

"Isn't there anyone making trouble?" Dajiao asked doubtfully, "These are the territories that the imperial army worked hard to conquer. The soldiers paid their lives and blood, and now they are abandoned so cheaply?"

"Making trouble? A group of reserves were transferred last time... Anyone who refuses can continue to serve in the reserves. If you still refuse, get ready to go to Nanyang." Neji Okamura smiled and said, "At first, everyone thought Tojo's razor was too sharp. We have to replace people, but the result is that the Army now has Tada's hammer and Ishihara's bayonet, which is ten times more powerful than before. Impulsiveness will only lead to death. "

"Hmph, the whole country is united, the whole country is united." Nakanishi Sadaki looked annoyed, "Now it has become a dictatorship of the four giants in the base camp."

Okaku also expressed dissatisfaction: "You're still paying 100 million yen. Do you really think you're doing business?"

"Dictatorship is as good as dictatorship. How fast are decisions made now? The topic of withdrawing troops from China was discussed from Showa 12 to Showa 17. There has been no progress for five years. Ishihara Kanji started to do it just three months after he came to power - he didn't even He doesn’t bother to discuss it with you. If he orders you to execute it, if you don’t execute it, someone else will be replaced.”

"No one cares about him?"

"Who cares about him? His backstage is King Higashino Miyazaki, the staff headquarters are all replaced by the Ishihara gang, the Germans recognize him, Army Minister Tada Shun is an old friend with him, and the navy is willing to deal with him, no one cares Gotta keep him."

"Where is your Majesty?"

"He?" Neiji Okamura laughed, "Your Majesty is still intoxicated by the "Declaration of the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet on Blockade of the Northern Indian Ocean". The situation is very good now, how can he express his position easily?"

The other two thought about it carefully - although Ishihara did not send reinforcements to China after he came to power, he at least allowed retreat and shrinkage. This was more or less a retreat. Only a fool like Tojo still persisted even though he knew he could not survive. Scalp is suffering.

Nakanishi Sadaki finally lost one after passing the long test, and then said: "Although it is difficult to accept it emotionally, to be honest, it is good for us to shrink and retreat appropriately - the density of troops increases, the width and area of ​​defense are reduced, and the supply line It has been shortened, and more importantly, the field divisions have finally recovered - if they continue to be stationed in county after county as before, the elite field divisions will sooner or later turn into lazy garrison troops, and there will be no combat effectiveness at all. "

Dajiao asked: "Sir, where will we retreat to in the end?"

"No one knows." Okamura Neiji shook his head, "The news I have received so far is that Hunan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Jiangxi, and Guizhou have all withdrawn, and most of Shanxi, Hubei, Anhui, and Shandong have withdrawn. There are also areas that must be secured. Many, including the Suiyuan and Chahar areas in the north, the Pingjin area in the north, the Jiaozhou Bay area in Shandong, the Shanghai-Ningbo-Hangzhou and Yangtze River Delta areas in East China, Wuhan and large cities along the Yangtze River in Central China, the Pearl River Delta and Xiamen in South China ——Speaking of which, the inland area will be relatively clean, some transportation routes and resource gathering points will be left, and a large part of the coastal area will be left.”

"This is equivalent to giving up the surface and only retaining points and lines." Major General Nakanishi thought about it and said, "500,000 troops should be enough."

"The base camp wants to reduce the number to less than 400,000. Regardless of whether Ishihara's current strategy of shrinking troops, using China to control China, and political settlement will succeed in the end, at least the transformation of the base camp's decision-making system is successful. The upper management's minds are beginning to wake up. There are fewer red deer walking alone below, and the army and navy are beginning to unite - aren't the army's tanks earned by the navy?" Okamura Neiji sighed, "It's just that now it relies on the prestige of the combined fleet. Everything, plus the alliance of the Axis, can ensure the status of the Big Four. If they suffer a big defeat, they will have to consider replacing them. "

"Big defeat?" Osumi asked in confusion, "The Combined Fleet is in its heyday, and the Army is not attacking, so how can there be a defeat?"

"Have you read today's headquarters report?"

"I have read it, but I don't find anything special."

"Yamashita Tomoyuki resigned from the post of commander of the First Manchurian Front Army and returned to Tokyo, and was promoted to general."

"This..." Nakanishi and Osumi looked up and looked at each other, both expressing confusion. What kind of big news is this? He is not the only one who was promoted to general.

"I didn't think of it at first, but another piece of intelligence reminded me..." Okamura said expressionlessly, "The Indian Front was formed a few days ago, and the troops drawn from the China Expeditionary Army were assigned to the Front, including 6 infantry divisions, 2 tank divisions, and 4 aviation divisions. In addition, the Burmese Army may also be separated from the Southern Front and assigned to the Front, and the candidate for the Front Commander has not been determined yet."

Nakanishi and Ohkaku were deeply shocked: Yamashita was a capable general of the anti-Tojo faction, and his going to Tokyo and being promoted at this juncture was definitely not simple. Ohkaku stuttered and asked: "Sir, you mean..."

"He will go to fight India!" Okamura said slowly, "Although I don't think he will fail, if he fails, Japan will have to consider comprehensive peace talks."

This volume is over, please continue reading the next volume "Fierce: Global War"