"Yo Xi, Chief of Staff Xiaolin's suggestion is indeed very good. We must eliminate the threats to the west and north of Wuhan before we can move south smoothly. As for the troops in Yueyang, I don't think they should move! After all, there are some elite Chinese troops there. The troops are stationed. If we move the troops here, I'm afraid it will be very troublesome!" Okamura Neiji gave his understanding, and he was waiting for Asaburo Kobayashi to add what he still wanted to say.
"The concerns of your Excellency the Commander are of course very reasonable, but if we cannot dedicate three to four divisions to fight, I am afraid that our Suizao operation will fail..." Kobayashi Asaburo once again persuaded Okamura Neji, because This is his duty and even more his obligation!
After hearing these words from Chief of Staff Kobayashi, Okamura Neji hesitated a little. He also knew that the battle of Suizao must be fought, and he also hoped that through the battle of Suizao, he could achieve the annihilation of the main force of the fifth theater of the national army. The goal.
"Then transfer the Imamura brigade in the Yueyang area! Then, I made a call to His Royal Highness Prince Higashinohinomiya and asked him to coordinate the naval forces to protect our situation in Yueyang!" Neji Okamura said with determination. , after all, the battle of Suizao is the top priority at the moment. Before going south to Changsha, the forces of the national army in the Suizao area must be eliminated, otherwise there will be worries.
For now, under the premise that King Higashikaru Miyazaki is still the commander of the Central China Expeditionary Force, he is the only one who can mobilize the navy. Therefore, Okamura Neiji must ask His Highness Higashikanomiya Minuhiko for instructions, otherwise this will happen. It is ultra vires.
Although the Japanese army has a long tradition of defeating superiors by subordinates, most of them are at the grassroots and middle levels. People like Okamura Neiji, who are high-level figures in the Japanese army, naturally see many things very clearly - Higashikaru Miyazaki Minuhiko Wang Ke is not only a general in the Japanese army, he also has a royal status. Even Emperor Showa called him "uncle". When such a person is his immediate boss, the rule of "the lower is to overcome the higher" is obviously extremely unfair. Be applicable.
"Your Excellency, Commander, is wise!" Asaburo Kobayashi stood at attention and lowered his head, his expression very serious.
…
It didn't take long before King Minuyan of Dongjiure Palace, who was on the front line in Xinyang, Henan, received an urgent telegram from Wuhan.
"His Royal Highness, the commander of the Eleventh Army, Lieutenant General Okamura Neiji, has an urgent call!" A lieutenant colonel appeared at the door of Prince Minuhiko's office in Higashikata Palace and reported.
"Urgent call?" King Higashikata Minuhiko raised his head slightly from his desk. He is fifty-two years old this year, but it can be vaguely seen from his facial features that he was also a capable person when he was young. A handsome man who has fascinated thousands of girls.
I saw Lieutenant Colonel responded "Hai", and then strode up to King Higashikaru Palace Minuhiko, handed the telegram in his hand to the latter, and then reported: "Report to His Highness the Prince, in accordance with Okamura Nejichu According to the general's report, he will launch an attack within a month against the main forces of the Fifth Theater of the China Army sheltered in Suixian and Zaoyang areas. At that time, a brigade of troops will be transferred from the Yueyang front line to attack Suixian and Zaoyang. To launch an attack in the Yueyang area, the main content of this telegram is to request His Highness the Prince to coordinate the Imperial Navy’s troops to assist in the defense of the Yueyang area.”
King Higashikata Minuhiko opened the telegraph book and listened to the report of Lieutenant Colonel. Then he sighed softly: "The Empire's Sixth Tiger Division is stationed in the Yueyang area. Okamura-kun was killed last time. The attack battle was scary... A regiment was completely wiped out in one day, and our morale was really affected..."
The lieutenant colonel also knew that this was just a momentary complaint from His Royal Highness Prince Higashino Higashino, so he did not interrupt and just listened quietly.
"Yoshimura-kun, do you think we should coordinate naval ships to go to the Yueyang area? I feel like it's a bit of a waste of resources." King Higashino Miyazaki looked at the lieutenant in front of him, his name was Yoshimura Ichiro.
Lieutenant Colonel Yoshimura thought for a while and said: "His Royal Highness, in my humble opinion, there are advantages and disadvantages. Generally speaking, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. If you follow the previous Sixth Division, you can rest assured, but now, the The Sixth Division is still recovering its strength. The transfer of a brigade will inevitably pose an unnecessary threat to the Yueyang area. Although the entire regiment of the Sixth Division is in pieces, it has also caused a lot of damage to the opponent. It's a big loss, but it also proves that the other side has a strong team on the south bank of the Xinqiang River. Having the navy's red deer patrolling the Yangtze River is also a good thing for the Sixth Division..."
"Yoshimura-kun, what you said makes sense, so let's do it like this! Call Captain Yamamoto and ask for support!" King Higashikaru Miyazaki Minuhiko is not that kind of indecisive person. Since he thinks it is advantageous, of course he must immediately Executed.
"Hai!!" Nakasa Yoshimura saluted.
Soon, a telegram reached the hands of Yamamoto, the captain of the ninth detachment of the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet, who was responsible for supporting the Central China Expeditionary Force.
After being silent for several months, the war machine of the Central China Expeditionary Force finally revealed its ferocious fangs!
…
Of course, Okamura Neiji has long wanted to fight the Suizao Battle. After all, as long as the main force of the Fifth Theater Zone is still in the northwest of Wuhan, the main force of the Eleventh Army and the Central China Expedition Army cannot go south without hesitation. But this time The reason for launching the attack was very good: the main force of Tang Enbo's 31st Group Army, led by its commander Tang Enbo, moved to the Zaoyang area, which made the Japanese army feel a great threat!
You know, Tang Enbo's 31st Group Army is the essence of the Central Army. Even the Japanese army's internal documents call it the "elite medium-sized nuclear corps." It consists of the 13th Army, the 29th Army, and the 31st Army. The three armies of the Eighty-fifth Army are well-equipped and well-trained. Such a huge army appears in the Zaoyang area. As long as the alert in Wuhan is slightly relaxed and the strength is slightly weaker, then these Chinese armies can Block the Ping-Han Line and even capture Wuhan!
It took a lot of effort from Japan to capture Wuhan, and Japan knows it better than anyone else. So if Wuhan is lost, even King Higashino Miyazaki will take the blame and resign, let alone Okamura Neiji. .
In view of the comprehensive analysis of the comprehensive strength of the National Army's fifth theater, Lieutenant General Okamura Neiji, commander of the Eleventh Army, decided to deploy three divisions and one brigade to launch an attack on the Suizao area. The goal of the campaign was to annihilate The main force of the National Army's fifth theater!
…
PS: Updates are coming! !
Let’s resume updating twice a day tomorrow. I wish everyone a happy New Year’s Eve!
