"On November 15th, I didn't make it to women's clothing in the comment section. I used this as a bet, and it was very stable."
The perspective comes to the forward command post of the 110th Division eight kilometers south of Yangmingbao.
"Your Majesty Lieutenant General, we still can't contact Major General Ishii and his adjutant! The command system of the 108th Brigade seems to have suffered a devastating blow!"
"The communications team and the cavalry brigade have sent out three waves of soldiers, but so far no reliable information has been sent back. Please wait a moment."
The continuous bad news brought the atmosphere in the entire conference room to freezing point.
Everyone kept their heads down and said nothing, pretending to be very busy, for fear of getting angry because of unnecessary actions.
The most embarrassing department among them is the division communications team. After all, it is their job to keep in touch with lower-level units.
Now there is no news from the 108th Brigade, and they have even completely lost contact with the forward command post. According to the traditional customs of the Honko Army, it would not be too much even if Iimorinuma asked the entire squadron to commit seppuku.
As if for the sake of his own life, Captain Yutaka Nomura of the communications team stepped forward amidst the astonished gazes of everyone and spoke first to break the silence.
"Division commander, a call from the rear."
"In response to our request for help, Commander Amakasu immediately dispatched Army Aviation."
"The flying team supporting the battlefield is led by Major Heijiang. With the flying speed of the Type 1 Fighting Falcon and Type 2 Fighting Zhong Kui, they can reach the front line in less than an hour."
Hearing the rare good news, Iimorinuma breathed a sigh of relief for the time being.
Logically speaking, places with potential safety hazards like the forward command post are usually composed of a major general and chief of staff led by some staff members.
As the commander of the Lieutenant General's division, there was absolutely no need for the old Japanese to put himself in danger.
The reason why he went to the scene in person in violation of regulations was simply because he was concerned about the development of the war situation and the safety of the troops. After all, only by obtaining timely information can he make the most correct deployment.
Facts have proved that Iimorinuma was right.
Whether it was the domineering formation of dive bombers in the sky or the monstrous fire caused by napalm bombs, they all confirmed his suspicion: Ishii Kaho and the 108th Brigade had a high probability of being ambushed by the Eighth Route Army.
Fortunately, the Japanese were not without support. The upcoming arrival of Army Aviation gave the lieutenant general the courage to continue fighting.
What's more, the superiors gave a fatal order to let the 110th Division and the two divisions of the Mongolian Army capture Taiyuan. If you abandon your friendly forces and escape before the battle now, you will definitely be held accountable after the war.
After thinking for a moment, Iimorinuma said to the staff beside him:
"Pass my order to send additional search squadrons from the division to the front line. First, find out the situation of the 108th Brigade, and then find the enemy's artillery positions."
"The Eighth Route Army's body-barrel artillery has a range of only eight kilometers. Once a target is discovered, it can be easily counterattacked. Long-range artillery is our trump card."
"Tell Tsuda Takemi to prepare his 133rd Brigade for battle and mobilize the troops to the northwest of Haradaira. Once the division's artillery fire ends, it will be their opportunity to launch an attack."
Until now, Iimorinuma feels that this battle is just a small headwind and can be fought.
In the old devil's view, the Eighth Route Army's firepower was indeed very strong, but heavy weapons could not cover up the uneven quality of its soldiers, otherwise they would not have lost Datong.
As long as the distance between the two sides can be shortened and a hearty melee fight begins, there will definitely be a chance to pierce the enemy's line.
No matter how strong the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region is, it cannot cope with the attacks of three divisions at the same time. This is a truth that has been summarized since 1937.
As for letting the 133rd Brigade move closer to the northwest, it was because he set the width of the frontal battlefield to 9,000 meters and the depth to 6,000 meters based on the mission, enemy situation, terrain and troop strength before the war.
Although this arrangement is a bit too scattered for a B division, it is difficult to establish a strength advantage on the offensive path.
But the advantage is that the deployment density is small, which can effectively shorten the firepower gap and prevent the troops from being wiped out by the Eighth Route Army's air-ground coordination tactics.
Now that our side wants to take the initiative to launch an attack, of course we must first gather the scattered troops.
Just as Iimorinuma was about to contact the friendly forces on the left and right wings, a staff officer hurried into the command post.
"Reporting to the division commander, we have successfully restored communication with the 108th Brigade and reconnected the new telephone line."
As soon as these words came out, Yutaka Nomura was relieved and regained the right to breathe. Without saying a word, the Japanese captain took the initiative to lead his division commander to the communications room.
As if he noticed an abnormal sound on the other end of the receiver, a sound came out as soon as Iimorinuma picked up the phone.
"Division Commander? Your Excellency, Division Commander!"
"Our unit has suffered air attacks and artillery attacks from the Eighth Route Army. We request tactical guidance! We request troop support!"
The unfamiliar voice made Iimorinuma slightly stunned.
There are so many junior officers below the rank of colonel in a division, at least close to a hundred here and there. These people are not even qualified to participate in meetings most of the time. How can I, a lieutenant general, remember this?
After a few seconds, Takea Aihara realized what the problem was. He first added a self-introduction, and then continued to report: "Your Excellency, the division commander, the brigade commander and the regiment commander have all been killed one after another. Where should we go next?"
Although the old devil was mentally prepared, such shocking news still made him unable to calm down for a long time.
Less than half an hour into the war, our side lost a senior officer. No one would be able to accept such casualties.
However, this is not the time to feel distressed. The enemy may launch a second wave of attacks at any time. Iimorinuma quickly adjusted his mentality and asked in a deep voice:
"Have you found the artillery positions of the Eighth Route Army? How many barrel guns did they use?"
Facts have proved that the army's strength in 1941 has not yet reached its peak.
The shelling just now indeed made Taketa Aihara very embarrassed, but he still did not forget to observe the general direction while avoiding everywhere.
"I don't know the specific location, but the enemy's artillery shells came from the southwest, and the number should be between 80 and 100."
"The reason why it is a range is because the Eighth Route Army is equipped with new and more powerful howitzers. I don't know the rate of fire of that unknown barrel gun."
"According to my estimation, its caliber is most likely 105 mm, and its range is not inferior to the Type 91 howitzer directly under the division."
This important piece of information immediately aroused the old devil's vigilance.
In the original plan, he planned to use the range difference between the enemy's and our artillery to counter the Eighth Route Army's artillery. Without Aihara Taketa's report, our artillery regiment might have strayed into the enemy's range.
The few remaining field guns are the last assets of the 110th Division. If something goes wrong, the mission will basically be declared a failure.
"I understand. The information you just provided is very important. I now appoint you as the temporary commander of the 139th Wing."
"Now you lead the regiment forward immediately. Staying where you are is a slow suicide. The 133rd Brigade and a flying team of the Army Aviation will go to support you, and the division's artillery wing will also fight back as soon as possible."
"Hi!"
"Thank you Lieutenant General for your cultivation!" (End of chapter)
