Age of Conquest Reborn

Chapter 700: Siege of Taiyuan

The two-month-long North China War began when the Japanese invaded the Taihang Mountains. Yoshiji Okamura lost more than 200,000 troops and hated the east bank of the Yellow River. More than 80,000 troops were trapped in Taiyuan and came to an end. This battle basically laid the foundation for the war.

The advantage of Tang Qiuli's forces in North China and the defeat of Okamura Neiji were different from the previous defeats of the Japanese army, and were enough to threaten all the interests that Japan had gained from operating in North China for many years.

Emperor Hirohito and the base camp were extremely furious. They held imperial military meetings for several days in a row to discuss how to deal with the crisis in North China. The situation in North China had deteriorated to this point, which Emperor Hirohito and the base camp staff headquarters did not expect. Two commanders were replaced successively, and more commanders were added one after another.

soldiers

More than one million, which lasted for nearly a year, Tianjin was occupied twice, the important town of Zhangjiakou in northwest Hebei was lost, more than 700,000 soldiers were lost, many generals died in the battle, and now, the highest official in North China is surrounded by his own city.

, this is a result that Emperor Hirohito absolutely cannot accept.

After a few days of imperial military meetings, no good way to deal with the current situation in North China was discussed. We had to go back to the old way and increase troops to North China. After taking stock, the number of troops that Okamura Neji could command was less than 600,000. Although

This made Emperor Hirohito extremely happy and sad, and made the base camp feel like a roller coaster.

The dizzy Okamura Neiji was already very dissatisfied, but he still had to maintain Okamura Neiji's prestige. In less than a year, three generals were replaced, the troops were lost, and North China could not be taken. This matter was publicized.

Emperor Hirohito, the Japanese Army, and the entire Japanese people cannot afford to lose this person.

Therefore, at the imperial military meeting, there was surprisingly no scene of censure or mutual criticism. The increase of troops is the most urgent matter at hand. It is impossible to increase troops from Japan and temporarily form new divisions in a short time.

It will be completed within 2 days. Secondly, time waits for no one. I am afraid that the troops here to reinforce North China are still floating on the sea, and Okamura Neiji is already finished.

After some calculations, only the Kwantung Army has this ability and convenience. Furthermore, Okamura Neiji was born in the Kwantung Army system. The Kwantung Army will definitely not sit back and watch Okamura Neiji be eliminated by Tang Qiuli and make this suggestion.

It was Prince Kanin Miya Zaihito, the chief of the general staff of the base camp, and Emperor Hirohito immediately approved Zaihito's plan without waiting for other senior generals to raise objections.

Hirohito noticed his younger brother's little thoughts and took the opportunity to weaken the strength of the Kwantung Army and make the Kwantung Army and Tang Qiuli inextricably linked. He formed an army in the country. After everything was in order, he used a new force to fight against Tang Qiuli.

North China, taking back control of North China from the Kwantung Army in one fell swoop, can also give

Tang Qiuli used heavy losses to regain the lost occupied areas in order to kill two birds with one stone. If he was lucky, he could also take the opportunity to go south to the Central Plains and the Jiangnan area. Or should he return to the general strategy before the all-out war against China and fight from north to south?

It dampened the navy's arrogance and consolidated the army's dominant position in the military.

Emperor Hirohito couldn't help but take a closer look at it. This imperial younger brother who was obedient and submissive to his orders at present had gained so much experience and scheming in the past few years. However, Hirohito's plan was the best way at present.

It can be argued that the important task of improving the situation in North China and rescuing Okamura Neiji from his predicament belongs to the Kwantung Army.

Emperor Hirohito looked at his younger brother and then glanced at the ministers. Several of the senior generals had thoughtful looks on their faces, including Army Minister Yoneuchi Koichi and Army Minister Shigemitsu Aoi. They were not fuel-efficient lamps. Hirohito secretly sighed in his heart.

, at this imperial military meeting, the Japanese government and the opposition reached a consensus that the China Devil

Tang Qiuli has replaced Chiang Kai-shek and became the number one enemy of the Japanese Empire. If he wants to conquer China, he must first acquire North China. If he wants to conquer North China, he must eliminate Tang Qiuli. From then on, the empire's main combat goal is to eliminate Tang Qiuli.

, in dealing with the Nanjing government, it mainly focused on persuading peace and enticing surrender, supplemented by military pressure.

Tang Qiuli, who was on the front line of Taiyuan, didn't know that he had become the target of all the lunatics in the island nation who swore to eradicate him thousands of miles away. He coordinated and commanded 260,000 troops to besiege Taiyuan and surrounding key points. He attacked for two days without any success.

The progress made Tang Qiuli very troubled. Taiyuan was managed carefully by Yan Xishan. After the Japanese occupation, Taiyuan was regarded as a central fortress and gradually improved. The internal and external fortifications were extremely strong, forming a complete set of modern defense systems that were easy to defend and difficult to attack.

At the beginning, if Zhao Chengshou's Seventh Army had not arrived at the Taiyuan battlefield one after another and had not formed a superior force, it was gradually consumed by the Japanese army. In addition, Yan Xishan's determination to defend Taiyuan was shaken. The Japanese did not have more than half a year to capture this almost occupied city.

The city is wrapped in reinforced concrete, not to mention protected by peripheral strongholds such as Jinzhong, Taigu, and Qingxu.

Two days later, Tang Qiuli issued an order to stop the attack, and the entire army moved to the battlefield to rest. Chang Feng, Sun Zhenbang, and the brigade commanders were all puzzled by this order. The morale of the troops was high, why not take advantage of it?

Is this an opportunity to capture Taiyuan in one fell swoop? Only General Jiang Baili has any idea. Tang Qiuli has his own considerations and worries.

In the North China battlefield, only Tang Qiusheng's Sulu Mobile Corps fought the hardest. The Kwantung Army's southbound troops, like crazy, violently attacked the blocking defense line of the Sulu Mobile Corps regardless of casualties.

In the county area, the fighting was inextricable, with blood and flesh flying everywhere. The Kwantung Army wanted to break through the defense line, capture Shijiazhuang, go out of Jingxing Pass and Niangzi Pass through Yangquan, and break the siege of Taiyuan. The Sulu Mobile Corps was trying desperately to block the Kwantung Army's southward march.

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The two sides were furious. On June 1, Tang Qiusheng, commander of the Sulu Mobile Corps, called: "The division pointed out that at about 7 o'clock yesterday morning, the Kwantung Army launched a full-line attack on our positions in Hejian, Renqiu, and Xiongxian. By noon

, the battle was particularly fierce, and the Japanese army dispatched a large number of tanks, coupled with a large number of heavy artillery firepower

, repeatedly broke through our blocking positions. By evening, our corps organized a large-scale counterattack to recapture the lost positions and restore the previous situation. On May 31st alone, the number of casualties in our corps had reached 7,000. The Japanese army

The casualties are slightly more than our army, and the Sulu Mobile Corps can hold its position."

Tang Qiuli was greatly surprised. He suffered casualties of more than half of the brigade in one day. This was still the first-class main force of the ** division. The Kwantung Army went crazy. It seemed that they had received a death order. Okamura Neji was besieged in Taiyuan.

, alarmed the Japanese base camp, Brother Qiu Sheng’s troops captured it like this

Go, even if all this Kwantung Army is wiped out, the vitality will be severely damaged and most of it will be consumed. As if to prove his speculation, the Intelligence Department received information from the Northeast Intelligence Network that the Kwantung Army is massing troops in Dalian and Jinzhou.

The current movement is unknown and will be reported after verification.

Tang Qiuli immediately understood the Kwantung Army's intention. It was to mobilize troops to move south into the Pass, and they were coming from two directions, all the way out of Jinzhou through Shanhaiguan into North China, all the way out of Dalian through the Bohai Bay and landed in Tianjin. The two Japanese troops

The purpose of this force is to enter Shanxi and rescue Okamura Ningji from the siege of Taiyuan.

When these two groups of Kwantung Army entered the pass, his good days were over. He had no available troops to stop the vigorous Kwantung Army. This was the main reason why he stopped attacking Taiyuan. He could not fight his troops under the city of Taiyuan.

Heavy casualties, but unable to recharge their batteries

The Kwantung Army entered the Guan army to fight. He was thinking about the map, repeatedly weighing the pros and cons, and it was difficult to make a decision. The guards reported that General Jiang Baili asked to see him. Tang Qiuli was overjoyed. No one was leaving such a civil servant, and he was still here.

After racking my brains, I am so stupid.

He kept saying: "Please come quickly, please come quickly." General Jiang Baili came because of Tang Qiuli's order to stop attacking Taiyuan. Although other senior generals were puzzled and even complained secretly, he used his extremely high military literacy and strategic skills to

With his eyes, he vaguely guessed the intention of this young teacher. Ever since he arrived in Dingbian, a man in his fifties has felt like a young man. He felt more comfortable than ever before. The free air in Dingbian allowed him to enjoy as much as he wanted.

Use your own talents.

Tang Qiuli entrusted him with the important task of training military officers, which also gave Jiang Baili the benefit of knowing others. This is probably the inherent master complex of Chinese intellectuals for thousands of years. What his own leader, Chairman Chiang Kai-shek, did was deplorable.

, he disdained to be associated with it,

Therefore, during the Central Plains War and many battles in Monaco when the New Guangxi faction defeated Chiang, Chairman Chiang treated him with great courtesy and invited Jiang Baili to come out many times to serve as a military counselor or as a staff member. Jiang Baili was not moved at all, preferring to bury his head in his study or train him.

disciple.

After 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 fire that had been rekindled. What's more, this was a battlefield to resist foreign invasion, and he should have no reservations.

He came today to express his feelings and express his opinions, because he found that Tang Qiuli's use of troops had reached its limit. If a new war broke out without enough troops, the overall situation would be jeopardized.

Tang Qiuli went to the door to greet him in person, "Old general, why do you have time to come to me today? I just have something to ask for advice." After that, the two of them looked at each other and smiled. From each other's eyes and expressions, they already knew each other's intentions.

Xinyi, Mei Xue obediently made a cup of tea. After sitting down, Tang Qiuli couldn't wait to introduce the current situation, his analysis and opinions, and the countermeasures to be taken, without hiding his worries.

Jiang Baili did not answer immediately. He secretly admired that this young division commander had already considered the situation in advance, but he had not yet made a final decision. The words he had prepared, including how to tactfully persuade him, could not be hurt.

It seems that his self-esteem is no longer needed now. He is not a person who knows how to use sweet words, so this is more in line with his usual style. What he needs to do now is to strengthen his determination.

After thinking it over, the general smiled, and I have two sentences for the division commander's reference, "It is better to be slow in Taiyuan than in haste, and in Pingjin it is better to be hasty than to be slow." Tang Qiuli laughed, "Wonderful, the old general has strengthened my mind. This way

"Why fear the troops of the Kwantung Army going south?" After sending Jiang Baili away, Tang Qiuli knew the reason for his hesitation.

(To be continued)