Shinozuka Yoshio thought about it repeatedly and found that there was really no other way to think of, so he agreed.
The chief of staff felt a little better when he saw Yoshio Shinozuka accepting his suggestion.
He said: "Your Excellency, Commander, I have another suggestion. In order to improve the efficiency of the transportation line, the supplies sent by the No. 1 Military Station to the front line are limited to weapons and ammunition. As for food, let the troops on the front line handle it on the spot."
Yoshio Shinozuka understood that this was simply a bad idea to allow the Japanese army to rob the people at the station. After all, it was still a Japanese-occupied area. If troops were to seize food, they would be hated by the local people. Moreover, once this incident spread, it would have a very bad impact on the image of the Japanese army.
Although he didn't care about the life and death of the people, he was the supreme commander of the Japanese army stationed in Shanxi after all. He not only controlled the army but also managed the people. He did not want to have a bad impact on Zheng's governance just because of a single battle.
At this moment, the division commander of the 113th Division sent a telegram. The telegram said that the Japanese army had run out of food. If the superiors did not send food over, he would send troops to solve the problem on the spot.
Yoshio Shinozuka felt much relieved after seeing the telegram. This was not an order given by him. Since the frontline commanders wanted to do this, he did not want to stop it.
After thinking for a while, he said: "Send a telegram to the front line and tell them to save ammunition. Under the current circumstances, do not launch an attack. The ammunition will be sent to the front line soon."
In the telegram, Yoshio Shinozuka did not mention the matter of food at all. The chief of staff understood and sent the telegram.
After the division commander of the Japanese 113th Division received the telegram, he saw that it only mentioned that ammunition was to be transported, and there was no reply to their intention to send troops to grab food. He was also a little unsure as to why the commander didn't mention the food issue.
After reading the telegram, the division chief of staff understood. He said: "Your Excellency, Division Commander, we asked our superiors for instructions on solving the food problem on the spot. Although the commander did not reply, he did not explicitly prohibit it. Isn't this a tacit consent?"
The division commander understood and said: "If you want to go west, then quickly send troops to the countryside to collect food. Anyone who dares to resist will be shot to death!"
This time, even Zhou Mingde's grain store was in bad luck. The Japanese broke into the store without any explanation and forcibly took away a large amount of grain stored inside.
Zhou Mingde suffered this big loss and quickly reported the news to the logistics section chief of the Japanese First Army and sent him five large yellow croakers.
The head of the logistics section comforted him and said that even if Huang Jun borrowed this batch of grain, he would find a way to compensate Zhou Mingde.
Zhou Mingde also reported this information to his superiors.
In the coalition headquarters, Li Yunlong cursed: "These damn little devils know how to harm the common people. Laozi will not let them off lightly this time."
Zhao Gang said with a smile: "This is also a good thing from the side. It shows that the captain and the others attacked the Japanese army's transportation lines and forced the Japanese army to rob the people. The Japanese are deceiving the people all day long. What are they going to do? . Their longevity is tantamount to a slap in the face, and they will definitely be hated by the people in the enemy-occupied areas. This is much more effective than our anti-Japanese propaganda."
Zhang Dabiao said: "Commissioner Zheng is right. The Japs have two entire divisions on the front line. How much food can they plunder just by robbing the people? I don't think they can hold on much longer."
The news reached Xu Dalong. He judged that the Japanese army was providing food on the front line, but the ammunition on the front line still had to be transported from the rear. He requested to monitor the movements of the Japanese army at all times and prepare to continue attacking the enemy's transport team.
The surveillance team near the No. 1 Military Station soon received news that the Japanese army had dispatched many more trucks and horse-drawn carriages. There were thousands of Japanese troops escorting this transport team, and it should be an infantry regiment.
Sun Desheng said: "With so many Japanese troops coming this time, it will be difficult to attack their transport team again."
Monk Wei thought carefully about where to set an ambush. He also believes that the Japanese army has set up many surveillance posts on transportation lines, and it may be difficult to use the previous methods to conduct ambushes.
He asked: "Master Long, what do you think we should do?"
Xu Dalong smiled and said: "The little devils transported so much supplies this time, and even sent an infantry regiment to transport them. They are on the road. They are walking so slowly and the team is so dense. Do we still need to fight? "
Sun Desheng understood immediately, and he smiled and said: "The captain is right. The Japs are so dense, now our flying brigade has something to do."
Monk Wei also laughed and said, "It's true, just use bombers to blow up these idiots."
Xu Dalong sent a telegram to the flying brigade, asking them to carry some gasoline bombs. This is because when the artillery bombs are transported, the fuzes are separated from the projectile body. If the aerial bomb cannot directly hit the Japanese artillery shells, it will only overturn the shell box and scatter the shells on the ground, which may not cause the shells to explode.
But gasoline bombs are different. The shells will soon explode when burned at high temperatures.
Bob and other pilots have not been given new missions since they carried out the mission of bombing the Japanese troops on the mountain. They feel a little depressed. This is because they will get bonuses every time they go out, so they are eager to go out to bomb the enemy every day.
After receiving the order from Xu Dalong, the pilots immediately became excited and hurriedly refueled and loaded the aircraft before taking off and flying towards Taiyuan.
This large-scale transportation by the Japanese army did not take into account the enemy's air force bombing, but now the front line was pushing ammunition too fast, and their walking speed was too slow, so they had to rush day and night. Originally, they planned to adopt a day and night approach when they were close to the front line. However, they did not expect that just a few dozen kilometers away from the No. 1 Military Station, enemy bombers had already flown over.
The Japanese army transported nearly 100 ammunition trucks and more than 300 large vehicles this time, and were escorted by thousands of Japanese troops. When they discovered the bombers flying in the sky, it was too late to evacuate.
They watched helplessly as the trucks and carriages burned in the fire. As the shells continued to explode, most of the ammunition and vehicles were destroyed. The Japanese officers and soldiers on escort missions also suffered close to a thousand casualties.
Seeing that his strategy had failed miserably again, the chief of staff had no choice but to bite the bullet and suggested to Yoshio Shinozuka that the news that the transport team was bombed by the enemy must be kept secret and not be known to the frontline troops, otherwise it would be seriously affected. The morale of frontline officers and soldiers.
At the same time, he still suggested sending a large force to escort the supplies, but this time the method was to travel by day and night, so as to avoid bombing by enemy planes.
Yoshio Shinozuka knew that the front line was in urgent need of weapons and ammunition, and he had no other choice but to agree with the chief of staff's opinion.
In order to avoid being attacked at night, he went all out and once again dispatched an infantry regiment, and also dispatched a cavalry brigade directly under the First Army Headquarters, specifically responsible for transporting ammunition.
This time the Japanese army only marched after 8 pm and rested before dawn at 5 am. If no favorable terrain is found, the transport team will be parked directly in densely populated villages and towns. They knew that the Eighth Route Army would not bomb civilians.
These measures were quite effective, and Xu Dalong and the others had to give up the idea of sending bombers to bomb the Japanese transport convoy again.
Of course, they would never allow the Japanese army to send ammunition to the front line so calmly.
Just as the Eighth Route Army and the Japanese army were engaged in fierce battles on the transportation lines, the Japanese army also stepped up preparations for biological and chemical weapons attacks.
That morning, Matsui Kinone, center left, commander of the epidemic prevention and water supply unit of the Japanese North China Front, was called to the office of the chief of staff of the First Army.
The chief of staff asked him about the implementation of biological and chemical weapons attacks, and Matsui Mugen gave him a detailed report.
The chief of staff said: "The situation on the front line is very critical. You must prepare for the attack as soon as possible. Now you follow me to see the Commander."
Matsui Mugen followed the chief of staff to Yoshio Shinozuka's office and once again reported to him on the implementation of biological and chemical weapons attacks.
Yoshio Shinozuka learned about the huge lethality of biological and chemical weapons. He was very satisfied with it and said: "In this case, you must attack the enemy as soon as possible."
Matsui Mone said with some embarrassment: "Your Excellency, Commander, to carry out a bacterial weapons attack, you must drop it in an area controlled by the enemy. There is no air force here in Taiyuan, so air drop cannot be carried out, so the only way is to send people to sneak into the enemy's defense area.
Also, the gas attack must be carried out with the wind in mind. I have already observed that the wind blowing here is from the southeast. It is impossible to attack the enemy. It is necessary to send people to carry poison gas, enter the enemy's defense area, go around to their rear, and use the southeast wind to attack the enemy's defense. Attack the position. "
Yoshio Shinozuka nodded and said, "I understand. You go back and make preparations first. Wait for notification and leave at any time."
"Hai." Matsui Mugen said goodbye and left.
Yoshio Shinozuka said: "Chief of Staff, is there any way you can send the epidemic prevention and water supply troops to the enemy's rear?"
The chief of staff felt a headache when he mentioned this.
The last time Hirata Hiroshi led the advancing team into the Eighth Route Army base area, Hirota Koki and Yamahara Ichiro had just reached the edge of the base area, and none of them could come back alive.
He really didn't know how to complete this task.
Yoshio Shinozuka said: "The situation on the front line is very critical now. Ammunition cannot be delivered, and food will not last long. If we don't find a way quickly, the Licheng front line will inevitably be defeated. By then, the gate leading to Taiyuan will open to the enemy." If left open, the situation will become unmanageable.
You must find a way to send the epidemic prevention and water supply troops into enemy-occupied areas. "
The chief of staff could only agree. He returned to the office and pondered over who to send to carry out the mission.
After much deliberation, he thought of Oshima CITIC, so he asked his adjutant to call the No. 1 Military Station and asked Oshima Major Zuo to come to Taiyuan to report to him.
Just as the Japanese epidemic prevention and water supply troops were preparing to attack the Eighth Route Army, Xu Dalong had been paying attention to this matter.
On this day, he finally received information from the Taiyuan underground party intelligence station. They had found the current location of the Japanese epidemic prevention and water supply unit.
Xu Dalong ordered Wei Monk to lead the troops to continue attacking the Japanese transportation lines. He took a squad of special forces members to Taiyuan City.
Taiyue Military Region Headquarters.
The commander was very concerned about the ongoing Battle of Licheng in the Mawushan Base Area, especially the information provided by the Mawushan Military Division about the possibility of a biological and chemical weapons attack by the Japanese army, which worried him. He specifically reviewed relevant information on the biological and chemical weapons attacks carried out by the Japanese army in Hebei, and was shocked by the serious consequences of biological and chemical weapons.
He reported the matter to his superiors, who instructed him to inform Xu Dalong that they must destroy the Japanese army before it attacks, take relevant photos, and obtain relevant written materials so that the anti-Japanese military and civilians can expose the Japanese army's violation of the Geneva Convention. The crime of using weapons of mass destruction dealt a heavy blow to the Japanese army in Zheng Zhi.
In order to cooperate with Xu Dalong's actions, the commander not only notified the Taiyuan underground party organization to provide help to Xu Dalong, but also specially arranged for Li Changshui and Li Qiulin to go to Taiyuan to assist Xu Dalong and others in wiping out the Japanese epidemic prevention and water supply troops.
Not only that, in order to end the confrontation with the Japanese army in the direction of Licheng as soon as possible, the commander decided to mobilize troops from other military divisions in the Taiyue Military Region and go to the direction of Licheng to cooperate with the troops in the Mawushan Military Division.
Considering the commander's familiarity with Xu Dalong, Li Yunlong and others, the commander assigned this task to Kong Jie's Sixth Army Division.
Kong Jie had long been looking forward to fighting alongside Xu Dalong and Li Yunlong. After receiving the order from his superiors, he immediately selected the two most elite infantry regiments from the main force of the New Second Brigade, plus an artillery company. Kong Jie personally led the team. Drive to the front line of Licheng around the clock.
After receiving the telegram from Kong Jie, Li Yunlong, Zhao Gang and Zhang Dabiao on the Licheng front were all very happy.
Li Yunlong smiled and said: "I haven't seen Lao Kong for a few days, and I really miss him. When Lao Kong comes with his troops and fights off the little Japs with us, I want to have a good drink with him." "
Zhang Dabiao said: "The troops brought by Commander Kong are very familiar with our troops, and they will cooperate very well. With their arrival, we will be more confident in dealing with the little Japanese on the opposite side."
Zhao Gang said: "I will make arrangements right away to transport the weapons, ammunition, food and other materials that Commander Kong and others need to the front line as soon as possible."
Xu Dalong was also very happy when he heard that Kong Jie was bringing his troops to participate in the battle in the direction of Licheng.
He sent a telegram to Yan Guiwu, asking him to make way for Kong Jie's troops. At the same time, he told Kong Jie about the incident and asked him to pass through the defense area of Huang Xiejun's 4th Division with confidence and boldness.
As the war situation continued to develop, Yan Guiwu saw more and more clearly that the Japanese army was no match for Xu Dalong and the others. This made him more determined to use Xu Dalong and the others as his backers, and he already had a way out. In the future, if the Eighth Route Army can win the final victory and defeat the Japs, he will be able to lead his troops to defect to the Eighth Route Army due to his friendship with Xu Dalong and others.
Now that he has such an idea, he is now doing his best to fulfill Xu Dalong's requirements. When he received Xu Dalong's telegram, he followed the requirements in the telegram and transferred all the troops of Huang Xiejun's 4th Division in the area where Kong Jie led the troops to other places to avoid conflicts with the Eighth Route Army troops.
