The mountain rain is about to come, the wind is filling the buildings, and the black clouds are pressing down on the city, threatening to destroy it!
The planes borrowed by the Kwantung Army and the planes supported by Gangcun Cining all landed at Taiyuan Airport, and all armies were in place.
Yoshio Shinozuka is in high spirits now, and he feels like he dominates the world.
The 18th Army Group will be annihilated and the command room will be bombed, just around the corner!
"General, General Tojo is here." Moriyama Otani came over and reported to Shinozuka Yoshio.
Tojo Ichiro was the commander-in-chief of this encirclement and suppression operation.
When Yoshio Shinozuka heard the word "Tojo", his high-spirited mood suddenly turned to dissatisfaction.
This time to encircle and suppress the 18th Army, Yoshio Shinozuka should be the commander-in-chief.
After all, we know the situation of the Eighteenth Army best.
Letting an outsider serve as commander-in-chief is a bit...
There are some things that even Shinozuka Yoshio cannot refute.
A series of failures last year have made the military doubt Yoshio Shinozuka's commanding ability.
Yoshio Shinozuka still serves as the commander of the First Army and has not been dismissed. The main reason is that Commander Okamura protects him.
Otherwise, Yoshio Shinozuka would have been thrown into a corner and sat on the bench.
After sorting out his emotions, Yoshio Shinozuka said: "Let him come in."
Soon, a short but resolute Japanese officer walked in. This time, the commander-in-chief of the operation to encircle and suppress the 18th Army: Tojo Ichiro.
"Welcome Tojo-kun." Although he was dissatisfied in his heart, but still trying to get along on the surface, Shinozuka Yoshio extended his hand.
Tojo Ichiro shook hands with Yoshio Shinozuka and went straight to the point: "Shinozuka-kun, you must be cursing in your heart. You should be the commander-in-chief of this encirclement and suppression operation, right?"
"Tojo-kun, I am not qualified to question the military." Shinozuka Yoshio shook his head.
"Shinozuka-kun, although you failed in a series of actions last year and have unshirkable responsibilities, in any case, in my opinion, Ichiro Tojo, you are still the most suitable candidate to be the commander-in-chief." Ichiro Tojo said. .
"Tojo-kun, what do you mean by this?" Shinozuka Yoshio paused.
This time, Yoshio Shinozuka's task was to be a good logistics officer for Ichiro Tojo. The supply of grain, grass, ammunition and baggage needed by the army must be in place in time without delay.
Yoshio Shinozuka thought that Ichiro Tojo would just let him Yoshio Shinozuka do the logistics. In this situation, it seems that Ichiro Tojo wants to ask for his opinion on the encirclement and suppression?
"General, you know more about the Eighteenth Army than any imperial soldier." Ichiro Tojo looked at Yoshio Shinozuka seriously: "General, I want to hear your thoughts on the encirclement and suppression of the Eighteenth Army."
Yoshio Shinozuka didn't hesitate, and immediately took out a strategic plan drawing he had prepared in advance from the drawer, and unfolded it in front of Ichiro Tojo: "Tōjo-kun, look at it, it's all here."
Before the siege, Yoshio Shinozuka thought he would be the commander-in-chief, so he made a strategic plan with his staff in advance.
As a result, Tojo Ichiro parachuted in and became the commander-in-chief.
Yoshio Shinozuka thought that the strategic plan he had prepared in advance would be dusted, but he did not expect that Ichiro Tojo was not a willful person.
"Yoshi, thank you Shinozuka-kun for supporting my work." Tojo Ichiro spoke while turning his attention to the strategic plan drawings.
"What did Mr. Tojo say? The Eighteenth Army is difficult to deal with. We must unite sincerely." Yoshio Shinozuka said modestly, "We are all loyal to His Majesty the Emperor and for the future of the empire!"
"Yoshi, Shinozuka-kun, your strategic plan is really targeted and professional." Tojo Ichiro read the plan and was full of praise.
The Eighteenth Group Army is entrenched in a mountain with complex terrain. Yoshio Shinozuka's plan is to use aircraft to bomb suspicious targets in the mountains first, and to damage the morale of the Eighteenth Group Army as much as possible.
Then, according to the direction of the terrain of the mountain, we take advantage of our sufficient military strength to cut the mountain into dozens of areas, and conduct repeated sweeps of these areas without leaving any survivors!
If the main force of the Eighteenth Group Army can be encountered in advance, the aviation force will exert maximum suppression in the sky, and the tanks in the mechanized force will rush over on the ground, forcing the troops of the Eighteenth Group Army to engage in a decisive battle.
In this way, the enemy's idea of guerrilla warfare can be greatly weakened.
Using one's own strengths to attack its weaknesses is actually the best strategy.
Tojo Ichiro even had some doubts. It was said that Yoshio Shinozuka's commanding ability was not good.
But in this strategic plan drawing, Yoshio Shinozuka's commanding ability is remarkable and outstanding.
When Shinozuka Yoshio faced Tojo Ichiro's praise, he was not proud, but rather cautious: "Tojo-kun, dealing with the 18th Army is actually nothing. The biggest threat to the 18th Army mainly comes from their A terrible strategic master. My strategic plan looks impeccable, but I’m not optimistic.”
"Shinozuka-kun, do you know why the superiors asked me to be the commander-in-chief?" Tojo Ichiro said.
"I don't know." Shinozuka Yoshio shook his head.
"Because you and the imperial officers of your First Army have a psychological fear of the strategic master of the Eighteenth Army. When you face him, you will always be nervous or even suspicious. As a commander, these emotions will be at a critical moment. It always affects your command." Ichiro Tojo explained, "That's why the military sent me to serve as the commander-in-chief."
"Tojo-kun, the strategic masters of the 18th Group Army are really powerful enemies. You must not underestimate the enemy." Shinozuka Yoshio was stunned, but still reminded him.
"Don't worry about this. If I had been careless and underestimated the enemy, I would have led the troops to encircle and suppress the enemy long ago. Otherwise, I would have come to seek your opinion, General." Tojo Ichiro said solemnly.
The First Army's series of disastrous defeats last year, as well as the shocking names of the fallen officers, made Tojo Ichiro realize that the opponent he would face this time was definitely not an ordinary person!
"Tojo-kun, based on past experience and lessons, the strategic masters of the 18th Army have a track record of using troops. That is, they do not engage our army head-on, but attack from our army's supplies and ammunition." Shinozuka. The righteous man said solemnly, "This time, I will personally supervise every link, and I am determined not to let the army's logistics supply suffer any further losses!"
"Shinozuka-kun, logistics supply is the guarantee for our army's victory. I believe in you!" Tojo Ichiro put away the strategic plan. "Without further ado, I am going to deal with the 18th Army now. I hope we can meet next time. It was at the celebration banquet!"
"Tojo-kun, if possible, capture the strategic master of the 18th Group Army alive." Yoshio Shinozuka still has a great obsession with this person. A person is worthless after death.
Only if it can be captured alive is it valuable.
"As much as possible." Tojo Ichiro nodded. Although such a strategic man caused serious losses to the empire, if he could capture him alive for his own use, the losses to the empire might not be worth mentioning.
Yoshio Shinozuka personally escorted Ichiro Tojo out of the First Army Headquarters until Ichiro Tojo disappeared from sight in a car.
"The order passed down to me is to immediately convene a meeting with officers above the rank of aide-de-camp in all departments of the headquarters, in addition to the field service." Yoshio Shinozuka wants to hold another meeting and implement logistical supply support again.
"Hai."
…
Boom!
After Ichiro Tojo returned, he immediately issued an order to attack the aviation unit.
Japanese planes quickly took off from Taiyuan Airport and rumbled towards the mountain where the 18th Army was located.
Hundreds of planes were dispatched without any reservations.
The Japanese pilots freely searched for targets in the mountains and dropped bombs wherever they felt suspicious.
When the bombs are gone, use machine guns to shoot them.
For a time, the 18th Army and the people in the mountains were persecuted by Japanese planes.
"You stupid little devil, come down and fight us if you dare!"
"You little devil who can kill a thousand swords, you will not die well!"
"Mother, mother, open your eyes and look at me, mother, mother..."
"Goudan, Goudan, you can't die. What will you do if you die? Goudan, Goudan!"
…
Some civilians were blown up by bombs dropped by Japanese planes, and some guerrillas were strafed by planes and suffered casualties.
The rage of hatred is everywhere.
But the little devil's plane had wings and was flying in the sky with great power. The injured people could only watch the little devil's plane fly away arrogantly. They wanted to vent their anger but had no chance at all.
This feeling is really maddening.
Even Li Yunlong's New First Brigade and Kong Jie's Independent Brigade also suffered some losses.
On this day, the two people hurriedly ran to find Wu Ze. The damn little Japanese planes were so hateful. They should use the 88 anti-aircraft gun to shoot them down.
Before Li Yunlong and Kong Jie arrived, Zhang Jijun came to Wu Ze in advance: "Wu Ze, the Japanese plane bombing just now almost discovered one of our 88 anti-aircraft guns. Although the gun was saved, two soldiers were bombed. One of them is dead and one is injured, when will we take action?"
The border arsenal has stopped working and has been bombed.
Fortunately, Wu Ze had disguised himself when he built the factory before, so the loss was not huge.
However, if the Japanese aircraft cannot be eliminated, the arsenal's production may not be sustainable.
Wu Ze also wanted to kill the Japanese plane immediately, but now was simply not the time.
First of all, although the training of the 88th Anti-aircraft Artillery Unit has come to an end, it has not yet fully formed combat effectiveness.
Secondly, the Pacific War has not yet broken out, and the pilots of the Little Devils are all experienced old pilots.
If you want to use the 88 anti-aircraft gun as a weapon, you must give the Japanese pilots a fatal blow when they are defenseless.
Now the enemy planes are flying all over the sky without any order, obviously looking for their own targets.
Scattered 88 anti-aircraft guns can shoot down a few aircraft, but this will alert the enemy.
Only when the Japanese ground troops arrive later can they set traps on the Japanese planes.
"As the saying goes, it's never too late to eat well." Wu Ze said to Zhang Jijun, "Tell the artillerymen to be patient and never go out without permission to alert the enemy. Otherwise, it will be difficult to severely damage the Japanese aircraft group later. Also, hurry up. Time to train.”
"Wu Ze, actual combat is actually the best training." Zhang Jijun looked at Wu Ze, "I know you want to use your trump card to destroy the Japanese fleet in one fell swoop, but can you give a specific time?"
"Zhang Jijun, what you need to do now is to stabilize the mood and morale of the artillerymen as much as possible." Wu Ze said solemnly, "You tell the artillerymen how arrogant the Japs' planes are now. When the time comes, they will have more Fear! Trust me!"
"Okay." Zhang Jijun turned around without saying anything more.
He once served for the military commander, and Wu Ze has now temporarily appointed him as the deputy of the anti-aircraft artillery unit. Wu Ze believes that he can calm the morale of the anti-aircraft artillery unit.
As soon as Zhang Jijun left, he saw Li Yunlong and Kong Jie running over.
"Xiao Wu, this little devil's plane is so hateful. When will your 88 anti-aircraft gun be launched?" Li Yunlong immediately shouted when they met, with great resentment.
This little devil's plane blew up our old Li's house. Fortunately, my wife was not inside, otherwise, my wife would have to answer for it.
My wife was almost killed by a Japs plane. As a man, how could Mr. Li swallow such a breath!
If the 88 anti-aircraft artillery was sent to the New 1st Brigade and Li Yunlong could mobilize it, I am afraid that the 88 anti-aircraft artillery would have opened fire and knocked down those aircraft for him.
Kong Jie was also very jealous: "Xiao Wu, isn't your 88 anti-aircraft gun going to be used as a weapon? Now that the Japanese plane has come out, why don't you attack it?"
The losses of the New 1st Brigade were not big, but we clearly had anti-aircraft artillery units that could shoot down Japanese planes, but being ridden on our necks by Japanese planes was extremely annoying.
"Lao Li, Lao Kong, you all need to calm down." Wu Ze looked at the two of them and said, "Believe me."
"Xiao Wu, of course we believe you, we just want to know when will you take action?" Li Yunlong looked at Wu Ze, "Every day this little devil's plane shits on our heads, the soldiers and civilians will More casualties."
"Yes, Xiao Wu, there are hundreds of planes, and the number of bombs dropped every day is not a small number. If we kill them as soon as possible, we will have fewer casualties." Kong Jie also agreed.
"Wait for the Japanese ground troops to come over." Wu Zedao, "At that time, the ground troops will definitely search for the main force of our army as much as possible. At that time, you two will follow my orders, set a trap for the Japanese, and attract their aircraft and mechanized troops. "
"Wait for the Japanese ground troops to come over?" Li Yunlong paused and asked, "Then why not just set the trap now and let the little Japanese plane find the bait?"
However, now that the Japs' planes are bombing indiscriminately in the sky, their ground troops will come over soon.
"The anti-aircraft artillery unit has not yet fully formed combat effectiveness, and it will take some time. Second, when I destroy the Japs' aircraft, I have to hand over the Japs' mechanized troops. Now the Japs' ground troops have not come, and the mechanized troops have not come. Therefore, we have to wait for their mechanized troops to come over." Wu Zedao, "At that time, we will use the 88 anti-aircraft guns to severely damage the Japanese fleet. The Japanese know that we have a terrible air defense force, and they will definitely have the mechanized troops rush over and surround them as soon as possible. We, at that time, we flattened the barrel of the 88 anti-aircraft gun and bombarded them hard."
"Damn, this sounds very enjoyable." Li Yunlong became much calmer after hearing this.
Thinking of something, Li Yunlong asked: "That's not quite right. By then, you will be able to severely damage the Little Japanese fleet with the 88 anti-aircraft gun. Even if the mechanized troops from the Little Japanese side come over, I'm afraid they will be careful and will not give them any blows." Can our 88 anti-aircraft gun attack tanks?"
Wu Ze understood what Li Yunlong meant. That is, once the 88 anti-aircraft artillery can severely damage the Japanese fleet, then the commander of the Japanese army will definitely know that the 18th Group Army has assembled the previously semi-finished 88 anti-aircraft artillery and formed combat effectiveness. .
In this way, the Japanese mechanized troops will be prepared for the 88 anti-aircraft artillery.
actually not.
The German-made 88 anti-aircraft gun truly became famous all over the world when Rommel led the African Corps to the North African battlefield in February 1941.
Compared with the opposing British army, the tanks in Rommel's hands were not superior in quality or quantity. But this shortcoming gives the 88mm anti-aircraft gun a chance to show its talents.
In the Battle of Salaam in June, the British army launched an attack on the Helfaya Pass occupied by the German army with nearly 240 tanks.
When the British tanks approached the German positions, in an instant, the 88mm anti-aircraft guns roared in the pre-dug and cleverly camouflaged fortifications.
The British army was caught off guard and retreated in panic.
In this battle, the British army left behind 123 tank wrecks, two-thirds of which were the result of 88mm anti-aircraft guns.
The 88 anti-aircraft gun was famous all over the world. From then on, the 88 anti-aircraft gun completely became a trump card in Rommel's hand.
It is still 1940, and the 88 anti-aircraft gun has not yet become world-famous, so the Japanese will not be so vigilant.
What's more, when the fleet was severely damaged, the Japanese would be extremely shocked.
Their commander will most likely be extremely angry and will immediately develop a strong desire for revenge.
When a commander is in this state, most of the orders he issues are hasty.
Therefore, Wu Ze concluded that the Japs' mechanized troops would attack them with all their strength by then.
In this way, the 88 anti-aircraft guns prepared in advance can give the Japanese mechanized troops a head-on attack!
So, Wu Ze said to Li Yunlong: "Old Li, if you were the Jaap commander, once you learned that the fleet had been severely damaged and you could still calm down, would you immediately kill the enemy's anti-aircraft artillery unit at all costs? ?”
As for the world-famous 88 anti-aircraft gun, Wu Ze will not talk to Li Yunlong for the time being. After all, that will happen next year.
"It makes sense." Li Yunlong nodded. Before the big siege really started, the Japanese sent planes out to show off their power.
These hundreds of aircraft are the Japanese commander's trump card. If the trump card is destroyed, the Japanese commander will be extremely angry.
When people are angry, they often make regretful actions.
"Xiao Wu, how long will it take for the anti-aircraft artillery unit to become fully combat effective?" Kong Jie asked.
"It'll be soon. Don't worry, nothing will happen to you." Wu Ze said.
"Xiao Wu, then Lao Kong and I will go back and wait for your letter." Li Yunlong geared up, "If there is a chance to capture the little devil's pilot alive, I will slap him hard enough to make him regret coming to this world. !”
"Using big-eared scrapers gives the little Jaap pilots an advantage. They should be left to the common people to be judged." Kong Jie said.
"Lao Li, Lao Kong, be prepared. Even if the 88 anti-aircraft artillery can hit the Japanese tanks, the combat effectiveness of the Japanese infantry cannot be underestimated." Wu Zedao.
"I know, I know." Li Yunlong and Kong Jie responded and left.
"Director, is the arsenal really going to shut down?" the workers at the arsenal asked Wu Ze.
The troops were already short of ammunition and now relied entirely on production from the arsenal.
Every day this stops, thousands of rounds of ammunition will be lost.
"Stop, move all the machines and put them away." Wu Zedao, "In addition, decorate more disguises to attract the attention of the Japanese plane. Don't worry, the Japanese plane won't be arrogant for long."
"yes."
…
Eighteenth Army Headquarters
"Lao Peng, look, here are today's casualty figures. The first page is our army's losses, and the second page is the civilians'." The chief of general staff took the newly arrived casualty figures and handed them to the deputy commander-in-chief.
The deputy commander took it and looked at it, frowning: "This is a big loss."
"First of all, there are a lot of Japanese planes, and basically all the planes that can be dispatched are sent out. Secondly, although the terrain of the mountains is beneficial to us, it is of little significance to the planes in the sky." Chief of General Staff Said, "Besides, the Japanese pilots also have sharp eyes and are all masters."
Snapped!
The deputy commander slapped the report on the table: "This kid's plane won't be rampant for long. I have an intuition that as long as the kid's ground troops come over, Xiao Wu will take action."
"Yes." The Chief of General Staff also nodded, "As long as Xiao Wu takes action, it will definitely be a trump card. At that time, the little Japanese's plane will either be wiped out, or even if there are not many left, they will no longer dare to take off! "
"Tell the troops below to act according to the original plan." the deputy commander said.
To consume the ammunition of the Japanese army, we cannot rely solely on the Jinsui Army. The 18th Group Army also has to pretend to deal with them.
"yes."
…
World War II District Governor's Department
"Sir Yan, I just got the news that the Japs dispatched hundreds of planes to bomb the mountains where the 18th Group Army is located. It is estimated that the 18th Group Army suffered a lot of losses." A staff officer said to the old man Yan reported.
"The Eighteenth Group Army bombed the Japs' planes. Did they do anything to fight back?" Lao Yan raised his eyes and asked.
"Sir Yan, we are helpless in the face of the bombing by the Japanese planes. Can the 18th Army still counterattack the Japanese planes?" the staff officer questioned. To counterattack, we must have anti-aircraft guns or anti-aircraft machine guns. They say they have these anti-aircraft weapons, but they have never even seen them. How can they fight back against the Japanese planes?
"If the Eighteenth Group Army can't clean up the Japs' planes, then why are our Jinsui Army playing with the Japs? We should have withdrawn long ago." Lao Yan said.
The reason why Lao Yan wanted to join the war was not just because he didn't want to be a lost dog, nor was it just that static electricity could destroy the enemy's ammunition and arms, but because the Eighteenth Group Army had guaranteed that they could destroy the enemy's aviation force.
If the Japs' aviation force cannot be destroyed, then static electricity can destroy the Japs' ammunition and arms. It is simply unrealistic to defeat Ichiro Tojo.
Because the little devil's aviation force can provide airdrop support and turn the tide.
"Sir Yan, I'm afraid the 18th Army doesn't even know what anti-aircraft weapons look like. How can they fight back?" the staff officer asked.
"To get the Japs' planes, you don't necessarily need anti-aircraft weapons." Lao Yan said, "Look at last year, the Japs' planes fell from the sky on their own, and the 18th Army had a team to destroy Yangmingpu Airport. , isn’t this all without the use of anti-aircraft weapons?”
The staff officer thought thoughtfully: "Could it be that Commander Yan means that the Eighteenth Group Army will attack Taiyuan Airport where the Japs are? But Taiyuan Airport is heavily guarded and impregnable. Even if the Eighteenth Group Army sends a large number of elites to attack, it may not be possible." It's doable. As for the small army, let alone that."
"I don't know exactly how the 18th Army will counterattack the Japs' planes." Lao Yan spread his hands, "Any speculation now is meaningless. Let's just watch and see how the 18th Army performs. If they can get the Japs' plane, then we will get on board. If they can't get the Japs' plane, then our Jinsui Army can only adopt a self-protection strategy, and we can no longer foolishly fight against the Japs' army."
"Let's wait and see." The staff officer knew what Lao Yan meant. He said he wanted to see how the 18th Army performed, but in fact he still wanted to see how the strategist of the 18th Army acted.
If it weren't for this strategic master, it would have been impossible for Commander Yan to prepare the Sixth Army and the Seventh Army for battle and prepare for a big gamble.
The staff officers were also looking forward to seeing how the strategic masters of the Eighteenth Group Army would act in the face of the indiscriminate bombing by hundreds of Japanese planes.
The 18th Army had no anti-aircraft weapons, how were they going to deal with the Japs' fleet?
