Age of Conquest Reborn

Chapter 532: Rensuke Isotani uses tricks

On the first day when the Japanese army attacked Henan, Tang Enbo's Eighth Army was routed thousands of miles away and lost four cities in a row, especially the fall of Zhengzhou. It was like a nail was hammered into the chest of the Yellow River defense line. The Japanese army gained a solid foothold in Henan.

You can choose the direction of attack at will, and the situation becomes extremely dangerous.

Tang Qiuli, who was at the Guxian headquarters in Shanxi Province, had been awake all night since receiving the news of the fall of Zhengzhou. The Japanese army was a great threat to the frontline troops no matter whether they attacked from the east or west. He was especially worried that the Japanese army would take advantage of the opportunity to advance westward.

Attack Xi'an.

To make matters worse, the Zhengzhou Intelligence Station, which had gone underground, sent back the latest information. Two Japanese reinforcement divisions had arrived in Zhengzhou this morning. Tang Qiuli was silent. The number of Japanese troops gathered in Zhengzhou had reached 130,000.

With so many people, this force is a fatal threat no matter which direction it is thrown into.

The Japanese army mobilized troops from the Datong battlefield on the western front to strengthen the Henan direction. For the Jin army on the Datong front line, not only did the pressure drop sharply, but there was also the possibility of a full-scale counterattack. For this reason, Tang Qiuli called Yan Xishan and ordered the Jin army to Datong.

The troops under the frontline command headquarters took advantage of this opportunity to launch a comprehensive counterattack, striving to annihilate the Japanese army, or at least defeat the Japanese army.

The troops he deployed in the east-west direction, Yuan Jinghao's Shaanxi garrison, Sun Zhenbang's Yellow River defense force, Zhou Yushan's transportation force, Su Jingfeng's Yellow River and Henan defense line garrison, are all second-line troops, both in terms of weapons and equipment and the combat effectiveness of the soldiers.

They are not as good as the dozen or so field brigades of the ** Division, and their strength is at a disadvantage.

If Yan Xishan's troops on the western front can free up their hands and go south to defend the Tongguan front line, their pressure will be reduced a lot. Yan Xishan called and the Japanese army in Datong began a new round of offensive. The offensive was more fierce than everywhere.

They also used heavy artillery that had never been seen before, and most of the positions were destroyed. Not only were the Jin army unable to complete the commander-in-chief's order for a full-scale counterattack, they were still in a defensive state. He had ordered Zhao Chengshou to put all the reserves on board.

After many days of fierce fighting on the Datong battlefield, the Japanese army was already far weaker than the Jin army. Their morale was depressed and the soldiers were exhausted. In addition, another division of troops had been transferred. Tang Qiuli was very doubtful whether they still had the ability to initiate an attack. However,

It's true that Yan Xishan didn't want to use all his family wealth, and he didn't want to put his troops next to the Japanese Army anymore. It was a pity that he missed the chance of defeating the Japanese army all the way. Tang Qiuli could only shake his head with regret.

On December 15, the Japanese army stayed in Zhengzhou and was busy organizing and preparing supplies. It was impossible to judge the direction of its next attack. Tang Qiuli nervously ordered all the troops to prepare for the battle. He himself was also judging the direction of the Japanese army.

The direction of the attack. Not long after, Yan Xishan called, and the Japanese troops in Wuxiang began a new round of attack.

Tang Qiuli was shocked. The intention of the Japanese army was already obvious. Attacking Xi'an from the west was the most likely. He immediately sent a telegram to the troops deployed in Tongguan and Shangluo to prepare for battle. He was really afraid of what he was afraid of. The Japanese commander really chose

At the same time, he called Feng Jiwu to ask for his opinion on whether the troops on the Niangziguan front line could be transferred to the west by two to three brigades to form a second line of defense outside Xi'an.

After the telegram was sent, Tang Qiuli smiled wryly at himself. This was a typical method of demolishing the east wall to make up for the west wall. He directed the battle by himself. When did he fall to this level? He was very depressed and once again determined his plan to fight on a large scale.

The idea of ​​​​expanding the army.

Xiangyue Qingji felt even more uncomfortable and blocked, and had no intention of drinking and having fun. He said goodbye to Zai Ren. After coming out, he immediately rushed back to the dispatched army headquarters. Although the boss in his heart was unwilling, who dared to disobey the emperor's order?

, unless you want to rebel, when the cold wind blows,

The wine was so strong that his stomach was churning and he just couldn't vomit it out. He really wanted to throw the rake and quit, but he didn't have the courage. So, the driver who had been with him for many years became an unlucky man and was used by the Commander with the most vicious methods.

The language and the scolding made my mouth full of smoke, and my eyes were filled with stars.

After arriving at the headquarters, Xiangyue Qingji, who was still angry, rewarded the two unlucky little staff officers with a few loud mouths, and then angrily sent a telegram to ask whether the newly formed First Army in Zhengzhou

After the formation was completed and all preparations were in place, and after receiving a definite answer, he issued an order to the commander of the First Army, Isotani Rensuke, to march eastward to attack Xuzhou, and then move south to the Songhu area.

After the order was given, Xiangyue Qingji couldn't describe how he felt. It was as if his beloved woman had been abducted by others. The sense of loss in his heart lingered. He was the only one in the huge office, and the desk

There was only one desk lamp on, and the dim light made his face even darker.

Kozuki Kiyoshi always believed that the battle plan of Emperor Hirohito and the base camp to attack Xuzhou was extremely stupid, but these words could only be kept in his stomach and could not be said to anyone. The person who coveted his position as the commander of the North China Expedition Army,

There are quite a few who clearly know that this is a bastard and a stupid decision, but they cannot say that this kind of depression has completely washed away the joy brought by Henan's victory.

After receiving the order, Isotani Rensuke was not so depressed. Isotani Rensuke, who had long been looking forward to showing off his skills on the battlefield in China, never got the chance to fight, and was sent to Peking by the commander. Now, the opportunity finally comes

Not only that, he was promoted and became a unique theater commander. This was the first theater unit formed by the North China Expeditionary Army.

The high-spirited Isoya Rensuke looked around at the generals standing in awe, and gave a concise order. At 7:00 a.m. on December 16, the troops of the First Army, with the Yamazaki Chariot Regiment as the forerunner, immediately set off for Kaifeng.

His purpose is clear

Indeed, he left Zhengzhou, captured Kaifeng, then went down to Shangqiu, and directed his troops towards Xuzhou. This was his battle plan. Isotani Rensuke had reason to do so. From Zhengzhou to Xuzhou, there was no heavy guarding or marching by the squadron along the way.

almost.

At the same time, he issued an order that puzzled all the commanders of the First Army. The Yingzuo Cavalry Regiment, attached to a brigade of infantry, will set off from Zhengzhou at 10 o'clock tonight and march westward to attack Xi'an in Shaanxi. He specifically

It was emphasized that Ying Zuo's cavalry must assume the position of being the vanguard of our First Army and not get entangled with the Chinese army along the way.

After the Japanese commanders dispersed, the chief of staff asked him puzzledly, "Your Excellency, Commander, the order given to us by the dispatched army headquarters is to march eastward to capture Xuzhou. Why did you send troops to march westward to capture Xi'an? This is not the same as the command from the headquarters."

Is it contrary to his orders? Once traced, it will be difficult for you to explain to Commander Xiangyue Qingsi.

Isotani Rensuke smiled slyly and said in an unpredictable manner: "There is a Chinese art of war called Sun Tzu's Art of War. One of the tactics is to strike from the east to the west. What I adopted this time is to strike from the east and strike from the east. I am a man who claims to be familiar with the art of war.

Chinese people, look at how the generals of the Japanese Empire use their troops."

Looking at the still blank look of the chief of staff, Isotani Rensuke was even more proud, "This can achieve two purposes. One is to concentrate the Chinese army that may be chasing our army in the direction of Shaanxi, so as to eliminate my worries.

Second, it can hide the true intention of our unit and paralyze the Chinese army in the direction of Xuzhou, neglecting to take precautions. Do you understand?"

The chief of staff suddenly understood and looked at his superior with admiration, his face full of admiration. This made Isotani Rensuke very useful. Does that general not want to be admired by his subordinates? He added, "It is also known as the China Devil.

By the time Tang Qiuli came to his senses, my soldiers had already appeared at the gate of Xuzhou City. By then, haha, this laughter was full of pride and arrogance.

Sure enough, the Yingzuo Cavalry Regiment leaving Zhengzhou in the west landed at the Zhengzhou Intelligence Station, which was always monitoring the movements of the Japanese troops. The agents immediately sent the information back to the division commander. Tang Qiuli secretly rejoiced that he asked Feng Jiwu to mobilize troops to Xi'an.

The arrangement came in handy, and I'm afraid my troops in the Taihang Mountains will also have to be pulled over.

On the morning of the 16th, an urgent message sent Tang Qiuli, who was about to lead his troops south to Xi'an, stunned. "At seven o'clock this morning, the main force of the Japanese army left Zhengzhou and headed straight for Kaifeng. The Japanese cavalry troops that marched westward last night

, this is a suspected soldier, please report it to the division commander immediately for his knowledge."

"**, you kid, you are trying to trick me into attacking the east with a false pretense. It's really a boat capsized in the gutter." Tang Qiuli cursed angrily. He did not expect that the Japanese commander in Henan would do this to him. All his thoughts were put aside.

In the direction of defending Shaanxi, the Japanese army's intention was obvious, to seize Xuzhou directly through Kaifeng and open the door to the Songhu area.

Kaifeng was defended by Su Jingfeng's troops of the Yellow River and Henan Defense Line Guards Corps. Tang Qiuli immediately informed Su Jingfeng that the main attack direction of the Japanese army was to the east and that Xuzhou was the final target. He immediately telegraphed Su Jingfeng and ordered him to block the Japanese army in the Kaifeng area for twenty

Four hours to buy time to set up defenses along the way.

He knew very well what this order meant for the Henan Defense Line Garrison Corps, which had less than 30,000 troops. Thirty thousand to 130,000 troops, the difference in strength was too great. At this time, Zhang Zizhong's Sulu Garrison Corps was

More than 40,000 troops have left Xuzhou and are marching towards Zhengzhou.

Tang Qiuli really had no troops to mobilize. Neither Su Jingfeng's troops nor Zhang Zizhong's troops could stop the Japanese army from taking Xuzhou. He thought again and again and sent a telegram to Chairman Chiang Kai-shek in Nanjing, requesting military

The committee quickly mobilized no less than 150,000 troops from the southern battlefield and deployed defenses in the Xuzhou area.

This was the last thing he wanted to do, but he had to do it. He had no more troops to mobilize. He couldn't wipe out all the troops of Su Jingfeng and Zhang Zizhong along the Japanese attack route, right?

In the telegram, Tang Qiuli did not mention anything about the reasons for the loss of the Henan defense line. He hoped in his heart that Chairman Chiang would give him a satisfactory answer. After all, the Eighth Army was the old man's army, and Tang Enbo was one of the old man's most favored believers.

First, it was because of his direct troops that such a crisis occurred in Henan, which affected the entire northern battlefield. If he did not give himself an explanation, it would not be justified.

(To be continued)