December 6, Peiping, North China Front Army Headquarters.

Yukio Kasahara held the telegram in his hand and said in a somewhat urgent tone:

"Your Excellency, Commander, Jiang Dong arrived in Suiyuan yesterday. According to the news from intelligence personnel, as soon as he arrived in Suiyuan, he summoned the officers of Ma Jiajun and Fu Zuoyi for a meeting. It seemed that he was conducting a large-scale battle deployment. His speed was faster than ours.

It was expected to be much faster.”

The North China Front had previously estimated that it would take at least 10 days for Jiangdong to travel from Shanxi to Suiyuan, but to everyone's surprise, it only took two days for Jiangdong to travel from Jincheng to Suiyuan.

It only took two days to bring the strength of two divisions and a full set of weapons and equipment. Such long-range delivery capabilities horrified Shun Tada and many senior Japanese officials.

Kawashima Yoshiko is sitting in a corner of the office. Although she is now the commander-in-chief of the Anguo Army, she knows very well who is her godfather, so she always comes to Shun Tada to play the role of secretary when she has nothing to do.

.

Every time she hears information about Jiang Dong, the blood flow in her body always speeds up a bit.

Her eyes became seductive at this moment.

Tada Shun's face turned red with anger, and he suppressed his anger and asked:

"How are the various units of the Imperial Army gathering together?"

Kasahara Yukio was already prepared. After bowing, he answered simply:

"The 27th Division and the 57th Division are gathering in Zhangjiakou and Datong. The Mongolian Army has left a certain number of border guards to monitor the Soviet Union. The remaining troops are gathering in the direction of Guisui under the command of Lieutenant General Naosaburo Okabe.

The First Army and the Twelfth Army have already entered Shanxi, but because the railways and roads were severely damaged by the guerrillas, the march is very slow. It is expected that it will take another three days to reach Taiyuan and the Zhengtai Railway!"

"Baga! Baga!"

Tada Shun was so angry that he wanted to bang his head against the wall. He looked at the guerrilla zones one after another on the North China operational map, his eyes were bloodshot, and he gritted his teeth and said:

“The Communist Party! The Eighth Route Army!

After this war is over, I will build countless cages in Huawei to imprison these damn bugs like wild boars and trap them to death!"

If it weren't for the destruction by the guerrillas, the imperial army must have arrived at the assembly point, and how could it be possible for Jiangdong to take the lead.

Tada Shun was on the verge of going berserk, and Kawashima Yoshiko stood up at the right moment to express her comfort.

"Your Majesty General, getting angry won't solve the problem, and it's even worse if you get angry and ruin your health. The empire has dispatched 100,000 troops this time, so what if Jiangdong arrives two days earlier? It will definitely not affect the final outcome of the battle.

"

Shun Tada wanted to say that long hair makes short-sightedness, but Kawashima Yoshiko herself has short hair, and the other party also had good intentions, so he swallowed his words.

"His Majesty the Emperor and the base camp are watching our No. 1 battle. Kasahara-kun, you are so quick in your troops. Send a telegram again to urge all the troops to speed up their assembly!"

“Hiyi!!!”

Sugiyama Gen had a conversation with Shun Tada the night before returning to his homeland.

After several days of thinking, Sugiyama Yuan came to a conclusion:

Jiangdong is most powerful because it wins the hearts and minds of the people and can develop. It is easier to obtain both human resources and mineral resources than the Japanese army.

The Japanese launched a war of aggression, which definitely failed to win the support of the people, and the strategy of using war to support war could not be fully implemented due to the existence of guerrillas.

When the Imperial Army fought against Jiangdong, victory or defeat was determined not only by the combat effectiveness of the troops, but more importantly by the people's livelihood and industry behind the troops.

Sugiyama Gen believes that the key to defeating Koto is to destroy the people's livelihood and industrial foundation behind him!

He told this conclusion to Shun Tada, but the latter didn't take it to heart at all.

Jiangdong is located in the southeast corner of Shanxi, while the Empire of Japan occupies the northeast and controls Goryeo. The two are not in the same order of magnitude at all.

The reason why the North China Front Army lost consecutive battles was because they did not have a qualified commander!

The reason why Kodong was able to grow from a few thousand people to today's 100,000 people is because Kodong was good at exploiting gaps and developed by hiding in the sewers like rats while the imperial army was attacking major southern cities.

In his heart, Tada Shun looked down on the Chinese, whether they were Koto or ordinary people.

At this moment, he remembered Sugiyama Yuan's words when he left, but as before, he didn't agree with it at all and quickly dismissed it completely.

Yukio Kasahara bowed and left the office after recording the orders of His Excellency the Commander.

The moment he closed the office door, he saw Kawashima Yoshiko affectionately walking toward His Excellency the Commander out of the corner of his eye.

Kasahara Yukio hurriedly lowered his head. He is now a guilty person and has no right to criticize the commander's actions.

"My Anguo Army has expanded to 30,000 people. Although their combat effectiveness has yet to be tested, their loyalty is absolutely no problem." Yoshiko Kawashima whispered while rubbing Tada Shun's shoulders:

"The Anguo Army will always stand on the side of the empire and the Commander, just like me!

It's just that there is still a lack of some artillery, heavy machine guns and other equipment. If the equipment is complete, it will definitely provide great assistance to the Commander!

Just like me!”

She said the words that stirred people's hearts over and over again, Tada Shun felt that his bones were going numb, and Kawashima Yoshiko's requests were all met unknowingly.

…

…

Guisui, Japanese Army Headquarters in Mongolia.

Commander Lieutenant General Naosaburo Okabe read the reports from the frontline troops with a frown.

He vaguely smelled the smell of war from the report. Unlike Shun Tada's arrogance, Naosaburo Okabe was always wary of Koto's arrival.

Chinese people often say that there is no false reputation, so it is always right to be cautious.

"Your Excellency, Lieutenant General, the staff office has analyzed that Jiangdong's target is probably Wuyuan!" the chief of staff said cautiously.

Okabe Naosaburo nodded slightly. Wuyuan was hanging outside the Pingsui Railway and was indeed the most vulnerable target.

"Do you want Lieutenant General Mizukawa Io from Wuyuan City to withdraw to Baotou?" the chief of staff asked tentatively again.

Ifo Mizukawa is the commander of the Suixi garrison and has the rank of lieutenant general, but these are not the reasons why the chief of staff asked such a question.

The real reason is that Io Mizukawa is somewhat related to the Japanese royal family, and his status is more sensitive than other imperial generals.

Koto's nickname is General Killer.

Ifo Mizukawa's stay in Gohara is very risky. Whether he is killed in battle or captured, his identity will be used by the Chinese, which will bring shame to the bright and great Emperor.

Naosaburo Okabe heard the implication of the Chief of Staff's words. He thought for a moment and then firmly shook his head.

"The target of Operation A is the oil fields in northern Shaanxi. The imperial army must advance westward for this goal. Wuyuan's strategic location is extremely important. It is the bridgehead for our westward advance. Jiangdong must be attacked and we must defend it!

We still don’t know the specific battle plan of Jiangdong. If Io Mizukawa is asked to withdraw at this time, the Imperial Army soldiers, the Mongolian army, the Suixi Allied Forces, etc. will definitely become panic-stricken, and Wuyuan will not be able to defend it!

The total number of troops around Wuyuan County exceeds 15,000. If Io Mizukawa directs it well and the surrounding counties provide timely support, the imperial army can hold Wuyuan County for at least 5 days!

The 27th Division and the 57th Division will definitely arrive in 5 days, the Five Plains are in control, and the battle situation will definitely be in my favor!"

"Your Excellency, Lieutenant General, is wise!" the Chief of Staff bowed to show his respect.

There was no trace of relaxation or satisfaction on Okabe Naosaburo's face. He still looked worried.

"Give power to Io Mizukawa and ask him to pay attention to the Chinese on the south side of the embankment. If he is attacked, report it as soon as possible!"

…

…

On the evening of December 6, the 2nd Division of the 39th Army, the 1st Guards Division, the 35th Army, etc. quickly moved towards the predetermined combat position under the cover of darkness.

The Hunter Brigade has been operating in this area for more than a week. They are familiar with the surrounding terrain and led the 1st and 2nd Guards Divisions to quickly pass through the Japanese defense lines and strongholds.

The 2nd Division crossed the Yihe Canal in the early morning and arrived at the Meiling Temple and Xingongzhong positions on the outskirts of Wuyuan City, which was ten miles away.

The infantry regiment quickly moved around and surrounded the county town on all sides.

The Second Artillery Regiment built four positions in battalion units, with the muzzles all facing Wuyuan.

The 1st Guards Division crossed the frozen Uga River and set up an ambush circle in the hills on the north bank before dawn.

The 35th Army has been fighting in Suiyuan all year round, and sneaking at night is one of their best skills.

Fu Zuoyi personally commanded the troops to cross the Wuga River eastward in the early morning of the 7th and build a position at the western foot of Wula Mountain.

Lai Xiaochuan's artillery regiment followed the 35th Army. Because the river was frozen, they had a very smooth time dragging the artillery. All 36 105mm howitzers and 12 150mm howitzers were in place.

The 35th Army knew the terrain of this area well, and the ambush site chosen by Fu Zuoyi was like a pocket, wide in the middle and narrow at both ends, with mountains to the north and the Yellow River to the south.

After Lai Xiaochuan arranged the artillery positions, he took people to the pocket positions to lay mines.

He was relatively experienced in dealing with the Japanese cavalry brigade and knew that he had to first eliminate the opponent's speed advantage.

Under the command of Lai Xiaochuan, nearly a thousand S-shaped mines were placed around the pocket array.

The S-type mine is nicknamed the castration mine. Its biggest feature is that it bounces and explodes.

This kind of mine might be miraculous against cavalry.
Chapter completed!