"Captain, it exploded. All the two thousand kilograms of explosives we prepared for Neji Okamura were detonated..." Duan Peng rushed into the Junpei Defense Regiment headquarters with excitement to report.
"There were explosions from all four directions in Baoding."
"The flames were soaring into the sky, and the four positions happened to be where the four stations were located in Baoding City."
"Our plan has come true..." Huang Yu smiled after hearing this, happy to analyze.
"Okamura Neiji dispatched four reinforced brigades to Baoding, and 80% of the five to six thousand little Japanese were stationed in these four stations. After deducting the more than 2,000 people who accepted the city defense fortifications, at least 3,000 people remained in the station."
"Two thousand kilograms of explosives are buried in the barracks. It's the time for the Japanese to sleep now. So the gift we prepared for Okamura can kill at least three thousand little Japanese."
"In addition to the more than 1,000 people we killed last night, we defeated another 4,000 people in the second wave of Japanese reinforcements."
"That's it."
"You can't be too greedy as a person, and you have to learn to accept things when they are good."
"Let the troops retreat immediately and return to the base."
"Baoding City was just attacked, and two to three thousand Japs were lost. The Kwantung Army must be in panic, and no one can care about us."... Baoding Garrison Headquarters, Okamura Neiji returned here three hours later. .
After repeated inspections by engineers and guards, the headquarters was indeed in no danger as Okamura Neji said.
As soon as he entered the war room, he saw the Kwantung Army division waiting for him with solemn faces.
"Your Excellency, Commander..." The division commander looked like a child who had made a mistake, lowering his head and saying in embarrassment.
"The losses of the city defense troops have been calculated."
"The Eighth Route Army is very cunning. All explosives are buried in the barracks area."
"Our troops were very tired and returned to their barracks to rest as soon as it got dark."
"After the explosion, almost all the barracks were razed to the ground, more than 50% of the soldiers were killed on the spot, and more than 40% of the soldiers were buried in the rubble."
"After rescue excavation, less than two hundred people survived."
"A total of 2,951 people were killed and 116 seriously injured..."
"All the Eighth Route Army troops who detonated the explosives fled, leaving no trace of their retreat."
"Although the troops have started a full search, we don't even know who the opponent is or what they look like. The possibility of finding them should be very low."
"Including last night's battle losses, the division led by the humble commander only has 19,000 men left to continue fighting, with a direct loss of more than 4,200 men."
"We also lost three heavy guns, 11 field guns, and a large amount of other equipment."
"I have been fighting for so many years, and I have never felt so aggrieved as I do now."
"Losing multiple regiments resulted in us not even being able to see what our opponent looked like."
"There is a saying in China: Scholars can be killed but not humiliated. There is also a saying: Stand up from where you fall..."
"I sincerely request your Majesty, Commander, to agree that you must entrust me with the most important task when raiding the Yi Zhong base in the future."
"Use the blood of the Eighth Route Army in the wing to wash away the shame, save the defeat, and avenge the subordinates who were killed in the battle." After hearing this result, Okamura Neji also fell silent.
He had been cautious enough since he moved south from Peiping, but he ended up falling into the Eighth Route Army Road in Yizhong again and again, losing thousands of Kwantung troops in vain.
The troops suffered two major defeats in succession. They not only slapped the Kwantung Army in the face, but also slapped themselves in the face. There was silence for a while and no answer.
Until the deputy chief of staff came over: "Your Excellency, Commander..."
"Urgent call from the Chief of Staff..."
"The third wave of the Kwantung Army heading south has set off, with a total strength of more than 25,000 troops."
"It is expected to arrive in Peiping tomorrow morning. After replenishing equipment and ammunition, it is expected to arrive in Baoding early tomorrow night. Please be prepared to respond." Two pieces of news, one good and one bad, made the angry Okamura Neji suddenly calm down.
"Bang..." He punched the table hard and looked at the division commander who ordered fiercely: "I can give you the main attack mission, but can you defeat the Yizhong Eighth Route Army and capture their base."
"You have fought against them several times, so you should know the Yizhong Eighth Route Army better than before."
"I know how difficult they are to deal with, but I don't know if you have the confidence." At this juncture, the division commander had no other choice but to face the difficulties, and replied with all his strength: "Commander, please rest assured."
"I have roughly figured out Yi Zhongnian's Eighth Route Army's operational thinking."
"They are really difficult to fight. They especially like to take us by surprise and use strategies to deal with us."
"But the superiority in troops and firepower is in our hands."
"As long as the troops fight steadily and do not give the Yizhong Eighth Route Army any opportunity to take advantage of, and find ways to force them out for a decisive battle and confront us head-on, no matter how cunning the Yizhong Eighth Route Army is, they will not be an opponent." The commander of the Kan division said with confidence, and his thoughts were the same as his own. Almost, Okamura Neji made a decision after a little analysis: "Then I will leave the task of raiding Chenjiazhuang to you."
"Chenjiazhuang is the only way for the Eighth Route Army in Yizhong to enter the mountains to avoid fighting."
"Capture Chenjiazhuang and block the Eighth Route Army's access to the mountain outside the mountain."
"Either they will be attacked by us from the front and back and annihilated outside the mountain."
"Either attack Chenjiazhuang and retake the access to the mountain."
"No matter what choice the Yizhong Eighth Route Army makes, they must take the initiative to stand up and confront us head-on." The division commander quickly found the location of Chenjiazhuang on the map, looked at it for two minutes and then received the order: "Commander, please rest assured."
"After the big sweep begins, I am confident that we can capture Chenjiazhuang within two days and block the retreat channel of the Eighth Route Army in the wing." Okamura Neiji continued to order: "In order to increase the chance of victory, your equipment and firepower will be strengthened."
"Immediately deploy an infantry regiment from the troops outside the city and set off tomorrow afternoon to meet the third wave of reinforcements along the road we came from."
"With them safely in place, we can officially start the sweep." Li Yunlong arranged the location of the 26th Regiment and rushed to the headquarters of the Duer Regiment. From now until the end of the sweep, the headquarters of the Duer Regiment will be the base of the wing. All Eighth Route Army joint headquarters.
As his deputy, Li Yunlong must stay here and be on standby before the big sweep begins.
"Kong Erluoji... is there any news about Xiao Huang? I heard that Okamura Neji went to Baoding this morning." Li Yunlong was as usual, and the sound had already reached the ears of everyone in the room before he entered the door.
Kong Jie smiled and replied: "You are really a dog."
"As soon as Xiao Huang's news arrived, you rushed over in a hurry."
"The gift he prepared for Okamura Neji is big enough."
"He will help us reimburse three thousand Kwantung Army troops in less than ten minutes."
"In addition to the results of the sneak attack on the Japs along the way the night before yesterday, the more than 20,000 Kwantung Army troops brought to Baoding by Okamura Neji single-handedly lost more than 4,000 people before they officially fought with us."
"If I were that old devil from Okamura, I would be so angry that I wouldn't even be able to eat."
"They are on their way back to their base."
"Based on the current casualty analysis of the Japanese army, and the next large-scale sweep, Okamura Neiji can mobilize at most 35,000 people to sweep us away."
"It's similar to Xiao Huang's previous analysis."
"It just so happens that your boy is back. Let's review the strength of both sides tonight and formulate a counter-mopping plan as soon as possible."
