"Captain..." Duan Peng suddenly rushed to the entrance of the command department, ran quickly to Huang Yu, saluted, and reported with excitement.
"The other two brigades patrolling the railway withdrew."
"At daybreak, we marched along the railway line back to Baoding, very fast, for fear that we would catch up."
"In addition to a dozen strongholds and checkpoints, there is not even a small Japanese reinforcement force to capture the railway."
"Captain, let's fight."
"We have three regiments. We will operate separately and take down all the turrets and checkpoints in two or three days." Before Huang Yu could answer, Li Yunlong rushed to answer.
"Must fight."
"This is fat meat served to our mouths."
"If you don't eat it, you'd be so sorry to that old devil from Kawasaki."
"The troops will recuperate during the day, and recruits will be recruited from the base area to replenish the troops."
"Come into action after dark."
"Blow up the northernmost railway line first."
"To prevent Neji Okamura from sending ambushes to attack us via the railway like last time."
"And then attack other railways in Baoding."
"It's done..." Kong Jie made up his mind at the same time.
"Now or never."
"Ningji Okamura has just sent three infantry brigades to Baoding. He definitely doesn't have many more troops on hand to continue to reinforce Baoding."
"As long as we successfully cut off the railway connection between Baoding and Peiping, Baoding's rescue will become easy."
"By capturing Baoding, we will have the capital to raid Tianjin."
"This battle must be fought."... At the headquarters of the Japanese North China Front in Peiping, Okamura Neji was studying the sand table with a sullen face.
Holding the baton in his hand, wherever he pointed, the chief of staff at the side would introduce him.
"Your Excellency, Commander..." Seeing Okamura Neji pointing at Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, the chief of staff immediately introduced him.
"The First Army stationed in Shanxi has three main divisions, but their opponents are also very strong."
"In addition to the Shanxi-Sui Army entrenched in southwest Shanxi, there are also the Eighth Route Army operating in the Taiyue area, southeastern Shanxi, northwest Shanxi, and Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei."
"The Jinsui Army is the best to deal with, the Eighth Route Army is a little more difficult."
"No one can do anything about the situation faced by the three parties."
"The last time we raided the Eighth Route Army's Wing Center Base Area, we had replaced a main force unit from the First Army."
"If we continue to move troops from there, we will break the balance in Shanxi."
"The Eighth Route Army operating in Shanxi will definitely take the opportunity to launch attacks, expand its base areas, shrink the scope of our army's activities, and further consume our army's strength."
"Baga..." Okamura Neji cursed angrily, threw the baton on the sand table, and said with an unhappy look on his face.
"The troops stationed in Shandong are stretched thin and cannot be mobilized..."
"The garrison in Shanxi is under too much pressure, so moving troops will tip the balance."
"The Peiping and Baoding garrisons suffered heavy losses in previous battles, and it was difficult to even protect themselves."
"We have so many troops on the North China Front, but we don't even have a mobile unit."
"It's too frustrating for me to be the commander." The chief of staff didn't know how to respond to Okamura Neji's words, so he could only stand aside and say nothing.
It wasn't until the commander was tired of scolding and the anger in his stomach was almost vented that he found a chance to speak.
"Your Majesty Commander, how about we continue to ask for help from the Kwantung Army?"
"There is almost no resistance in Manchuria. Millions of Kwantung troops are guarding Manchuria to train and prepare for war. They say they are defending the north, but they have not been invaded so far. This is a waste of troops."
"Every time we second a brigade, it's like squeezing out toothpaste."
"Not only was it unable to gain an overwhelming advantage, it also created every opportunity for the Eighth Route Army to defeat us. The gain outweighed the loss."
"I think we need reinforcements next, so I'll kill a main division."
"It's best to have two main divisions."
"The Kwantung Army's millions of troops are ready-made. As long as the Army Headquarters agrees, they can immediately mobilize the troops without even making preparations." This suggestion was not something Okamura Neji had never thought about.
But reason overruled him. I had just slapped the Kwantung Army hard with Major General Fujita, and then I went to ask them for help and asked for help. I would definitely be embarrassed.
As the commander of the North China Front, Okamura Neiji could not afford to lose this person. But it is said that the North China Front Army is in a dilemma and has no troops to send.
Without reinforcements, the Baoding garrison would not be able to secure the southbound railway line, and the combat supplies of many troops in North China would be affected.
Without reinforcements, Baoding's security will also be affected. It was an important military town in the Yizhong Plain. It guarded the south gate of Beiping and could not be occupied by the Eighth Route Army no matter what.
Otherwise, the Yizhong Eighth Route Army could cross Baoding and directly threaten the security of Peking. After a full two minutes of silence, Okamura Neji decided to put down his face and ask the Kwantung Army to borrow troops, even if it cost him some money.
As long as the southbound railway line and Baoding can be preserved, anything can be discussed. Then he gave the order to the chief of staff.
"Call Kawasaki right away."
"The Baoding garrison temporarily abandoned the southbound railway line and concentrated its forces to defend Baoding."
"In ten days at most, the headquarters will deploy heavy troops to support them, and at the same time launch a second major raid on the Eighth Route Army's base area in the wing to dismantle them in one fell swoop."... At the Baoding Garrison Headquarters, Major General Kawasaki was pacing back and forth in the war room. wait for news.
The troops in hand are limited, and it is impossible to have the best of both worlds. They must defend Baoding and the southbound railway line at the same time. They must choose one of the two.
But this decision was too important for him to make. The telegram requesting instructions to the front army headquarters has been sent for two hours, but I still haven't received any reply, which shows that the commander is also in a dilemma.
After walking around the war room twice, Kawasaki stopped by the sand table again, looking at it and asking.
"Chief of Staff, is there any way to conjure up another two thousand troops for me?"
"It must be the Imperial Army, not the Imperial Alliance Army." Cun Shangzhongzuo immediately flashed a wry smile on his face, shook his head and replied: "General..."
"A humble job is not a god."
"I've tried every possible way to do my job."
"Arm all the expatriates and retired soldiers in the city, and add up to six hundred people. Any more will be gone."
"Unless we abandon all strongholds outside the city and concentrate our troops inside the city."
"But this is tantamount to telling the Eighth Route Army that we are afraid of them and have decided to abandon our vehicles to protect our commanders, defend Baoding City, and abandon the outside of the city."
"If the Eighth Route Army takes the opportunity to encircle Baoding, develop base areas outside the city, and establish guerrillas, then Baoding will completely become an empty city." Major General Kawasaki did not directly answer the chief of staff's question and directly asked: "How many troops do they have in total?"
"Eight hundred people at most..." Cun Shangzhongzuo replied. Major General Kawasaki shook his head: "It's still too little."
"If the Eighth Route Army really intends to take the opportunity to attack Baoding, even if we don't withdraw our troops, the troops stationed outside the city will be a piece of meat for the Eighth Route Army and they will still be unable to defend those strongholds."
"In this case, it is better to withdraw from Baoding."
"Rely on Baoding's solid city defenses and kill a few more Eighth Route Army troops."
"Even if the Eighth Route Army besieges and fails to attack, when we launch a major counterattack in the future, we will have hundreds more elite troops."
"Bring them back immediately."
