Rise From Eight Hundred

Just when the Chinese commanders at all levels in Munan Town were gradually recovering their confidence because of Tang Dao's military order, they were in a small village less than 8 kilometers away from them.

A short but strong Japanese Army Major General wearing glasses, facing another Japanese Army Major General and five Japanese Army Colonels, also shouted an ear-splitting slogan: "In this battle, Your Excellency Commander Shishan Geng" , Your Excellency, Commander Itagaki, is very kind to all of you here. Together, you will annihilate all the enemy forces in front of us! May the empire be prosperous in military affairs!"

According to common sense, when the Japanese Army Major General shouts a slogan, the other Japanese army officers should stand up collectively and chant the slogan together. This is not only to cheer themselves up but also to express their firm obedience to military orders.

But what is embarrassing is that only five of the Japanese generals present stood up. The chubby Army Major General showed disdain and shouted symbolically, "The Empire's military fortune is prosperous", but his buttocks were still there. He was leaning on the chair as if he was stuck with glue.

Even among the five colonels who stood up, two of them shouted slogans weakly, as if they had not eaten enough.

"Big Bear, if you are dissatisfied with my tactical arrangements, you can tell me directly. Why do you have such an attitude!" The short Japanese Army Major General looked fiercely at the colleague in front of him who was at the same level as himself.

"No, no, Nakamura-kun, your tactical arrangement is very good. On behalf of my 4th Division's Western Bulge Detachment, I would like to express my full support. But Nakamura-kun, you also know that our Western Bulge Detachment traveled from Manchuria to this place day and night for the great cause of the empire. Thousands of miles away, my old waist is really unbearable. I can't sit upright or stand upright. Please don't blame Mr. Nakamura for being rude.

Of course, if Mr. Nakamura really wants to blame, then I will tell Mr. Itagaki that our 4th Division's Western Bulge Detachment has become a tired army on the expedition and cannot be used for much purpose. It can be used as a second-line reserve team. I will also ask for it. The commander of the 4th Division Sawada and the commander of the 4th Division, Commander Shigemoto Gen, gave an explanation! "The Japanese Army Major General's chubby face was full of smiles and he explained unhurriedly.

Nakamura Masao never thought that there would be a day when he would want to kick a fat man in the face with a smile on his face.

Really, how could he say this?

What the hell, traveling thousands of miles day and night, you, Baga, obviously arrived at Yuancheng by train, listening to the wind and snow all the way, okay? If we really talk about the difficulty of marching, my Fifth Division has climbed countless mountain roads in the mountains and valleys of Shanxi Province this year.

Forget it, after all, you understand that you are being shameless, but the following sentence is too yin and yang, and its meaning is just that if you Nakamura is unhappy, then go and complain to the boss behind you! Why, are you the only one who has a boss?

In addition, I would like to remind you that your Fifth Division is now affiliated with the Westward Advancement Corps, and I am affiliated with the North China Front. Don't try to use Itagaki Shiro to suppress me. I will not accept your tricks. The commander behind me is General Shishan Yuan. The one who can crush you all to death with one finger is the lieutenant general.

This almost naked threat is shameless, but unfortunately, it is true.

Even though the Japanese army has now assembled a front army and a corps to attack the border with the main force, the command structure is quite confusing. Who is in charge? The Japanese Army Base Camp has not yet given a clear explanation.

Even though Japan's North China side was half a level higher, Shiro Itagaki of the Westward Expansion Corps was a well-known loner and was used to being arbitrary.

Not to mention that he is leading the army alone now. Even last year when he was still affiliated with the North China Front Army, he ignored the front army headquarters and didn't even get a reply. The two commanders, Indoor Shouti and Shanshan Yuan, used him It's also like 'the dog bites the hedgehog'. You can get rid of him by being ruthless, but it also requires a thorn in your mouth, so why bother!

And how strong Shiro Itagaki is, just like the ongoing New Year's Day Offensive, it was originally agreed that the North China Front Army would be responsible for containing the Chinese army in Zhongtiao Mountain, covering the Westward Army Corps to conquer the Chinese's Yellow River chasm and march to the Guanzhong Plain.

The result was good. The Westward Army Corps suffered a big loss at Tongguan and immediately reported to the base camp to adjust their strategy. The Zhongtiao Mountain theater was changed from containment to an encirclement between the two armies. Zhongtiao Mountain was solved first and then the Chinese Yellow River defense line was broken.

It’s okay to change orders from day to day at the base camp. They are all serving the Empire and His Majesty the Emperor. The Japanese North China Front Army can tolerate it, but Shiro Itagaki directly served as the first commander of the front line of the Zhongtiao Mountain Theater, commanding the front army at the corps level, even if he was stationed in Pingbeicheng. General Shanshan Yuan was also the nominal supreme commander of the entire North China battlefield.

Gen. Gen. Geng Shanshan needs to take responsibility for his command errors in the previous two battles in southeastern Shanxi and eastern Shanxi. Although he can't say anything this time, there is an undercurrent surging within the Japanese North China Front.

Moreover, Itagaki Shiro was extremely domineering. He directly appointed the commander of his 21st Brigade as the supreme commander of the Central Breach Theater of Nakatiao Mountain, responsible for commanding the Nakamura Detachment of the 5th Division, the West Burst Detachment of the 4th Division, and the 225th Infantry Regiment of the 37th Division. A total of 60,000 people from the entire army including the 28th Artillery Regiment and the 28th Cavalry Regiment participated in this battle.

If Shiro Itagaki personally commanded the battle, Konosuke Ohma, the major general commander of the 4th Division's Western Bulge Detachment, would probably have endured it. However, he saw Masao Nakamura, the major general commander of the 21st Brigade at the same level as him, sitting in front of him as if no one else was there. When he was in charge of his position and treated himself like an army commander, Daxiong Yuxinosuke, who was born in a merchant family, could no longer bear it.

Sneers and sarcasm are just appetizers for this shrewd businessman. If Nakamura Masao doesn't know what's good for him, he doesn't mind ordering the whole army to stage another drama of the whole army's exhausting expedition and not being able to fight a big battle.

This is not a "lower-up" situation. The bosses are all at the same level. Okuma Konosuke's confidence first comes from the lieutenant general division commander behind him. The two are old neighbors on the same street. Not to mention that they grew up together, just to say that the business of the two families is deeply bound, the boss has to protect him.

Of course, more importantly, Okuma Konosuke knows that General Shimamoto is very unhappy. The more successful the New Year's Day offensive under the command of Itagaki Shiro, the more unhappy General Shimamoto will be. He is blatantly trying to please Nakamura Masao. If things go wrong, his name will soon be remembered by General Shimamoto. This person knows me very well and can be of great use!

"Mr. Okuma, the bravery of the 4th Division has spread throughout the country. This battle is of great importance. It also requires more than 10,000 officers and soldiers of the Western Assault Detachment under Mr. Okuma to overcome the fatigue of coming from afar and fight hard. I will report the heroic performance of the 4th Division to Mr. Itagaki and Mr. Sawada." Facing this tough colleague, Nakamura Masao tried his best to suppress his anger and finally lowered his posture.

Okuma Konosuke, who is a shrewd businessman at heart, knows that it is fine for him to confront this person with a gun, but if he lowers his posture, he will still be aggressive and will inevitably provoke Itagaki Shiro, which is not worth it. It is the kingly way to stop when you are ahead.

It's like doing business. You can't put all the money into your pocket and give your competitors a chance to survive. Don't force them to fight to the death, otherwise both sides will suffer.

"What! Nakamura-kun and the 21st Brigade are the best of our Imperial Army. They defeated four Chinese infantry divisions in the battle of Xinkou, and they are worthy of the reputation of "the flower of the army". In addition, this battle is known as "the sword that never breaks". Nakamura-kun, you will be in charge and will surely reproduce the glory of the day.

When Nakamura-kun rises to prominence in the future, don't forget comrades like me who fought side by side with you!" Okuma Konosuke stood up with a smile on his face.

The words couldn't be more pleasant to hear. Not to mention the statement of obedience to Nakamura Masao, the almost flattering flattery was like a different person from before, but Nakamura Masao, who was wearing glasses and couldn't see his flashing eyes, was cursing in his heart MMP!

The performance of the 21st Brigade in the Battle of Xinkou was very impressive, but that had nothing to do with Masao Nakamura. At that time, he was only a colonel in the army and served as the chief of staff of the 12th Division. He was promoted to major general in the army four months ago and was transferred to the 5th Division as the commander of the 21st Brigade.

As for the so-called "unbreakable saber", it was the recognition of a group of friends and classmates in the Army University, and it had nothing to do with the army.

I specifically mentioned this because the fat guy in front of me deliberately reminded me that you have only been a major general for a few months? It's great to have a nickname! Who can't brag? Don't point fingers in front of me, a veteran major general.

But what can you do if you know it? You can't allow others to praise you desperately or what?

Masao Nakamura is a serious academic school. In terms of bickering, he is far from being a rival of Okuma Konosuke who comes from the market.

The high-level military meeting of the Japanese army array against the Chinese Fourth Army ended in a happy atmosphere, but those who understand know that the two Japanese major generals looked down on each other, and their command system actually fell apart from the moment the front-line command was established.

And this kind of disintegration is not only in the Zhongtiaoshan Central Defense Zone. From the moment the Japanese Army Headquarters ordered Itagaki Shiro to serve as the highest commander of the Zhongtiaoshan War Zone three days ago, responsible for commanding the 130,000 troops of the six divisions of the North China Front Army and the 50,000 troops of the Westward Corps, the execution of the Japanese army's orders has been greatly reduced.

Therefore, it is not only Nakamura Masao who has a headache, but the dwarf with a face full of flesh who has arrived in Yuncheng has never relaxed his brows, even though he has nearly 200,000 troops under his command that he dreams of leading.

The Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain had actually been fought for more than 4 days. According to the tactical deployment, the 130,000 troops deployed by the North China Front Army, except for 2 divisions as reserves, the remaining 4 divisions of 90,000 troops have all been deployed.

It's just that it's still in the encirclement stage, and it's not yet time to really attack and cut through the opponent's defense line, and the battle is far from being fierce.

However, when the various units of the Japanese North China Front Army encountered difficulties in the war, very few of them took the initiative to report to Itagaki Shiro's front-line command in Yuncheng, but used long-wave radio to contact the North China Front Army headquarters far away in Pingbei City.

Itagaki Shiro actually only had absolute control over his 50,000 people. In this situation, no matter how strong Itagaki Shiro was, he could only sigh in vain.

Because this situation is actually the result of internal fighting within the army headquarters. Shanshanyuan has his supporters and his opponents. No one can stand on two sides at the same time. Especially after Shanshanyuan failed to command two major battles in a row, the group of people who opposed him pushed him out as the first bird to come out. There were even rumors that as long as the New Year's Day offensive completed most of the headquarters' strategic ideas, he would have a great chance of becoming the successor to the commander of the North China Front Army.

Shanshanyuan has not been transferred yet, but that is just the emperor's face for him, and he must stay in office for at least a full year.

Good fellow, this is completely putting oneself on the fire. The short man who paced back and forth with his hands behind his back in the headquarters could even imagine the cold eyes of the commander-in-chief when he saw his name.

"Sasaki-kun, where is the 9th Infantry Brigade now?" The short lieutenant general asked the army colonel who had been standing next to him without saying a word.

"Your Excellency, the corps commander, Major General Kunisaki Chi called at 7 o'clock in the morning. They are about to arrive in the Shunwangping area. As long as the 4th Infantry Brigade dares to go from Taihang to Wangwu and enter Zhongtiao Mountain, the 9th Infantry Brigade together with the 5th Artillery Regiment and the 5th Cavalry Regiment will definitely keep them there." Sasaki Gozo, who was promoted from the commander of the 11th Infantry Regiment three months ago to the chief of staff of the 5th Division, answered respectfully.

"Okay! Call Kunisaki back. This is top secret intelligence collected for us by the empire's top intelligence officer at the risk of exposing himself. It is also a chance for Kunisaki to redeem himself. Don't let me down again." Although the short and stunted Army Lieutenant General was still worried and frowning, his face looked much better than before when he heard that the main force under his command was about to arrive at the preset position.

In the past few days, he, the commander of the front line of the Zhongtiaoshan War Zone, has rarely felt like he could mobilize troops at will. It has to be his own troops.

"Your Excellency, the 4th Regiment is just an infantry regiment. Although it is powerful, my division will not have to use an infantry brigade plus an artillery regiment with tens of thousands of troops to deal with them! If this force can be placed with Major General Nakamura, it may be possible to defeat the Chinese 4th Army's defense line in one fell swoop." Sasaki Gozo saw that his boss was in a better mood, so he hurried forward to ask for advice.

This is the cleverness of this new division chief of staff. When the leader is in a good mood, he needs his subordinates to be dull. He can give his subordinates guidance, and the subordinates nod and bow with an enlightened look, which can give the boss great psychological satisfaction.

The charm of power is that it can not only influence the life and death of many people, but also gain the admiration of those around you.

"Sasaki-kun, that means you don't have enough understanding of the Four-Line Regiment. Although this Chinese unit is just an infantry regiment, it is well-equipped and has a strong fighting will. In the last battle of Eastern Shanxi, they were able to defeat the 21st Division with pure mountain defense.

And when you carefully study the record of this unit, you will be surprised to find that although they are inferior to their opponents in strength every time, they have hardly been defeated, and even won a few times.

The confidence brought by victory after victory is the most solid foundation for becoming a strong army. If they are allowed to develop, they will become a major concern for the empire.

It's just right to take advantage of this New Year's Day offensive to eliminate them!" Itagaki Shiro really shook his head and patiently explained to his confidant.

"With what you said, I understand why this elite Chinese army dared to come to the Zhongtiao Mountain battlefield. It was because they were confident enough. They were confident that the Chinese army left behind in Taihang Mountain could withstand the siege of the 80,000-strong army of the empire, and they were confident that they could exert their own strength in the Zhongtiao Mountain battlefield.

If they were given time and space to continue to grow as you said, they would definitely become a very difficult existence." Sasaki Gozo's face showed a look of sudden enlightenment, and deep admiration welled up in his eyes.

"However, under your planning, this elite Chinese army will eventually face the fate of annihilation."

Really, when it comes to micro-expressions, this Japanese Army Colonel is absolutely textbook-level.

It expresses respect without being extremely greasy flattery, everything is just right.

Otherwise, why is he the only one to become the chief of staff of the division, when there are 8 infantry regiment commanders in the 5th Division and the 105th Division? Although his military rank is still a colonel, with the foundation of the 5th Division, it is only a matter of time before he is promoted to major general of the Imperial Army.

"Don't be blindly arrogant when the war situation is uncertain! In addition, the enemy that Nakamura is facing is not an ordinary one. The Chinese 4th Army Group was established not long ago and its combat effectiveness is ordinary, but its 17th Division is an extremely tenacious army. In the two battles of Niangzi Pass, the 20th Division suffered a lot. Be sure to let Nakamura be careful." Itagaki Shiro did not show any pride from beginning to end in the face of his subordinates' admiration, but instead looked solemn.

Don't be arrogant when you win, and don't be discouraged when you lose! This may also be a characteristic of Itagaki Shiro.

The Fifth Division had a brilliant record in the battlefield of North China, but it was not without defeat. The Kunisaki Detachment transferred to the southeast was defeated in the Battle of Guangde, and in the Battle of Taierzhuang, a detachment formed by the 105th Division of the affiliated division was almost wiped out.

But Itagaki Shiro still withstood the heavy pressure from all sides. Not only did he replenish the 21st Brigade that suffered heavy losses, but he also tried his best to rebuild two infantry regiments that were almost captured.

Even Tang Dao never underestimated Itagaki Shiro, but regarded him as an extremely difficult opponent.

And Tang Dao did not expect that he had not yet made any plans to attack the Fifth Division, but Itagaki Shiro had quietly set his focus on the Fourth Regiment, and even did not hesitate to draw a main force to deal with the Fourth Regiment on this battle-level battlefield.

From the aspect of intelligence warfare alone, Itagaki Shiro has already gained the upper hand.

Even the top-secret military information that the 38th Army generals only learned today about the Four-Line Regiment's assistance from afar had already been placed on the desk of the Japanese commander of the Zhongtiao Mountain front two days ago, and corresponding tactical arrangements had been made.

The main force of the Four-Line Regiment had not yet arrived, but it had almost completed its mission, mobilizing 20,000 Japanese main forces and reducing the pressure on the Zhongtiao Mountain defense zone.

However, they were used to ambushing the enemy, and they might not be able to escape bad luck this time!