When Chief of Staff Jiro Kawatani heard this, he quickly bowed and praised again: "Your Excellency, the division commander, has a far-sighted vision, and his vision is beyond my reach. It makes me feel like I can see the sun through the clouds. It's just..."
Having said this, he hesitated for a moment, glanced at Sakamoto Masaemon's face, and said cautiously: "It's just that we have such a strong enemy on our flanks looking down at Dantan. I suggest that we should take some corresponding measures." Precaution."
Sakamoto Masaemon said expressionlessly: "Kawatani-kun, I haven't finished speaking yet."
Jiro Kawatani couldn't tell that the division commander was dissatisfied with him, so he felt shuddering in his heart and quickly bowed and apologized: "This is a low-ranking officer who was rude, please forgive me, the division commander!"
Sakamoto Masaemon withdrew his gaze, pointed at the map and said: "I have ordered the 7th Brigade of the Manchuria Garrison Army, which was undergoing training in Chengde, to complete its reinforcements and arrive and control the west of Dushan before 12 noon on April 1st the day after tomorrow. , the mountains and villages in the Liangjiazi Town area east of Qinglong Mountain protect the flanks of our army."
"The 7th Brigade of the Manchurian Army has more than 4,000 troops, and under the training of our imperial army, it has achieved a certain degree of combat effectiveness. Each of their companies has experienced imperial veterans as consultants and has deployed many The Fengtian Arsenal's cannons and heavy machine guns have certain advantages in terms of firepower and numbers, so let them deal with this elite Chinese force."
"And the main force of our 14th Brigade will launch an all-out attack on the highlands and mountain passes of Lengkou Pass in the early morning of April 1. The 13th Brigade will also launch an attack on Xifengkou at the same time, making it impossible for the Chinese defenders to support each other. They can fight on their own."
"Gentlemen!" Sakamoto Masaemon turned to look at the officers behind the long table and raised his voice.
With a crash, all the officers stood up and listened to the division commander's instructions.
"Although our 6th Division was unfavorable in the first battle, it can only be regarded as a small setback. The iron-blooded spirit of our division is still there, and the invincible military spirit is still there. I hope you will work hard to capture Zhi Na's Great Wall and rush into it. In the North China Plain, wash away the shame and build glory again."
"Hey!" All the officers responded uniformly.
Just as the officers began to disperse, Sakamoto Masaemon's voice sounded again: "Kawatani-kun, please stay."
Kawatani Jiro quickly turned around and walked to Sakamoto Masaemon, bowed and said: "Please give me your instructions, the division commander."
Masaemon Sakamoto stretched out his hand and rubbed his brows, and said slightly tiredly: "You are right as you said before. That Zhina army cannot be ignored. I'm afraid it is not enough to rely on the Manchurian Army's 4,000 troops alone to contain them. Insurance, I'm worried that these Zhina people will be defeated in one battle just like they did against the imperial army before, and that will be troublesome."
"There must be a war supervisory team to supervise them and force them and the Naina troops to fight. But now the baggage regiment cannot be moved lightly as a reserve team, so we can only send out the engineer regiment as a war supervisory team. The small island coalition of the engineer regiment The captain does not have enough combat experience, so an experienced commander is needed to coordinate the command of the two troops, so I can only send you now."
Hearing this, Jiro Kawatani's heart skipped a beat and became cold.
As the chief of staff of an A-type division, his duty is to assist the division commander in taking charge of the entire division's combat plan, intelligence analysis, logistics support, coordinating the coordination and cooperation of various arms units, etc. It can be said that the entire division The chief butler and second-in-command of the regiment.
But now, the division commander actually asked him to leave the division headquarters and take the second-line troops with only about 700 people and a surrendered unit that had just surrendered not long ago, and whose training level and morale were unknown, to deal with that unit. In his mind, China's elite troops have risen to the level of being comparable to the most powerful troops in the empire. What does this mean?
Let’s not talk about the cold reception of a distinguished division chief of staff who was sent to a marginal position. Even this position is a hot potato. If it is done well, it will only be a victory in a local battlefield, and the credit will be minimal. But if he fails to do a good job and even affects the success or failure of the main battlefield, wouldn't he be a proper scapegoat?
"What? You don't agree?"
Hearing Sakamoto Masaemon's cold question, Kawatani Jiro did not dare to hesitate anymore and quickly bowed: "Hey! I only obey the order of the division commander."
Looking at the back of Jiro Kawatani walking out of the headquarters, a complicated look flashed in Sakamoto Masaemon's eyes.
In the case of the attack on the artillery positions, the staff department responsible for arranging and laying out the artillery positions could not absolve themselves of the blame. In the subsequent operation to hunt down the Chinese scouts, the staff department responsible for intelligence work gave almost no valuable information. Intelligence and advice.
However, these are not important. What is important is that Sakamoto Masaemon has lost confidence in the next battle.
The Chinese troops that can annihilate a mixed brigade must not only be the more than 1,000 people pulled to the outside.
Masaemon Sakamoto had a clear understanding of the combat effectiveness of the Kwantung Army. More than 4,000 troops were annihilated. According to his previous understanding of the Chinese army, at least 30,000 troops would be needed to attack at all costs. It's possible, and it's very possible that some of the remaining soldiers can escape.
However, according to the intelligence on the deployment of Chinese military forces, it can only be said that the model brigade, which did not know the details, played a crucial role.
And it can be seen that the Chinese commander on the opposite side is very experienced and capable, very good at catching fighter opportunities, and also very courageous and dares to take the initiative. It was not like the Chinese warlords with conservative concepts and rigid tactics that he knew.
Moreover, you can tell at a glance that this commander is a master of tactics who understands the essence of defensive warfare. Otherwise, he would not send an elite force to pull down external operations. This move will not only have a great containment effect on the offensive troops, but also affect his own transportation. line poses a great threat.
That's why he didn't hesitate to put on an old face and borrowed four 150mm heavy artillery from his old classmate who was also the commander of the North Korean garrison. He intended to use heavy artillery to completely destroy the Chinese garrison positions in a short period of time, and then take advantage of the situation to capture Lengkou. He knew that the longer it took, the more disadvantageous it would be to him.
But now, the biggest support for his confidence is gone. Not only have the four 150-meter heavy artillery been turned into scrap metal, but they have also been equipped with three 105-meter howitzers from his own artillery regiment. The role of the heavy artillery has been greatly reduced. He didn't have much confidence in how the next battle would turn out.
Therefore, he must be prepared for a stalemate with the defenders at Lengkou, or even for the war situation to develop in a worse direction.
This requires an excuse and a scapegoat.
And this scapegoat can only be the chief of staff with improper tactical arrangements, Colonel Kawatani Jiro.
