Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Tieshishi Hutong, Peking.

Inside the courtyard of the North China Area Army Headquarters, withered branches groaned eerily in the cold wind, as if playing a final elegy for this crumbling temple of power.

The atmosphere inside the command center was even colder than the weather outside.

Okamura Neiji sat upright in the main seat, like a withered stone statue.

On the table in front of him, there was no battle map, only a thin summary of grain requisition data.

His eyes, hidden behind thick glasses, were cloudy and empty.

"In summary."

The staff officer in charge of logistics spoke with a slightly hoarse voice and a slight tremor: "This quarter, the actual amount of military rations requisitioned by our army in the occupied areas of North China is less than 30% of the planned amount."

In several regions, grain requisitioning troops suffered heavy losses in ambushes by enemy guerrilla forces and local armed groups. Although the main force of the Nationalist army maintained a stalemate, the Eighth Route Army guerrillas were extremely active in the occupied areas.

The report is still ongoing.

But Okamura Neiji couldn't listen anymore.

On the one hand, the North China region was already suffering from poor harvests due to the continuous drought.

Even more devastatingly, with the unstoppable offensive of the Nationalist Army in North China, the Japanese army's control over vast rural areas had plummeted to rock bottom.

Nowadays, even if well-equipped regular troops are sent to the countryside to forcibly requisition grain, they often get bogged down in the vast ocean of people's war, not only failing to seize much grain but also struggling to protect themselves.

"Ugh"

A heavy sigh, uttered from an unknown source, quickly triggered a chain reaction throughout the conference room.

Sighs and lamentations rose and fell.

Those present were all mid- to high-ranking officers of the Imperial Japanese Army.

Their chests were adorned with medals symbolizing "glory," but their faces were etched with undisguised exhaustion and despair.

"Your Excellency Commander!"

A young division commander suddenly stood up, his face flushed with resentment: "Is there really no way for us in North China? I've heard that the 11th Army in South China, under the command of General Korechika Anami, is at least making some progress on the outskirts of Changsha!"

His words were like a stone thrown into a still pond, only creating a weak ripple.

Okamura Neiji slowly raised his head, looking at his subordinate who still clung to illusions with an almost pitying gaze.

"Commander Kondo,"

His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against the ground: "Even if we capture Changsha, capture Hengyang, and even fight our way to Shancheng and turn it into a sea of ​​fire, what then?"

Okamura Neiji paused, then uttered the chilling truth that sent a chill down everyone's spine: "Chang Ruiyuan will never surrender."

The meeting room fell silent once again.

Yes, even if we occupy the mountain city, what difference will it make?

Paris fell, France surrendered, but the resistance never ceased.

Moreover, the Chinese people's will to resist was much stronger than that of the French.

This war has long since degenerated into a protracted and endless, stalemate.

At this moment, Intelligence Chief Seiichi Kita stood up and added an even more despairing piece of news.

"Gentlemen, according to the intelligence we obtained from headquarters regarding the Chongqing government's latest ceasefire terms..."

He took a deep breath and said slowly, "They have changed it again and again."

"Originally, the bottom line for the mountain city was that as long as the locust army retreated to the state before the 'September 18 Incident,' they would sit down and negotiate with us, allowing us to end this war with dignity."

"And now."

Kita Seiichi's voice became extremely strained: "Their latest condition is that the Empire must withdraw from the entire China, including Taiwan, the Penghu Islands, and even the Korean Peninsula."

"Nani?!"

"Bagaya Road!!"

Restoring the situation before the July 7 Incident was never possible.

What did these Japanese officers consider such excessive conditions?

The meeting room erupted in chaos!

"This is not a peace agreement, it is surrender, it is a disgrace!"

"How could our Great Japanese Empire possibly accept such humiliating terms!"

A cacophony of fanatical curses rose and fell.

But this time, behind that fervor lay a weakness that was all bark and no bite.

Okamura Neiji waved his hand, silencing all the noise.

Clearly, they are the ones who actively seek peace, but the mountain city side obviously has no intention of negotiating.

He knew, of course, that the headquarters would never accept such conditions.

The key issue is that the General Headquarters also hopes that their North China Area Army can fight more effectively.

On the battlefield, to be able to gain even the slightest bargaining chip for the empire!
But who can produce it?

Who still has the plan, the courage, to engage in another life-or-death battle with these elite troops who have been tempered and honed through countless battles?

No.

not a single one.

In the suffocating silence, Yoshio Hongo, commander of the 62nd Division, hesitated for a long time before finally standing up.

His face was filled with deep worry: "Commander, I must report to you a more serious problem."

"The morale of the junior officers under my division is quite worrying recently."

"After the crushing defeat in Handan and the subsequent protracted battles, many young officers and junior officers have fallen into a state of deep confusion."

Hongo Yoshio paused for a moment, then explained the specific situation: "Among them, a pessimistic sentiment that 'the National Army in front of us is invincible' is spreading rapidly."

"If this continues..."

Yoshio Hongo's voice trembled slightly: "I'm worried that we might lose North China first, then Central China, and finally even Manchuria!"

These words were like the last straw, breaking the already taut nerves in everyone's hearts.

The entire conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

All that remained was the mournful, piercing sound of the wind outside the window, like the wailing of ghosts and wolves.

Okamura Yasuji knew he couldn't let this defeatist sentiment continue to spread.

Their gaze turned to the head of intelligence, Seiichi Kita.

"Kita-kun."

His voice was hoarse, yet it still carried an undeniable air of authority.

"Let me tell you what our adversaries have been doing lately."

Kita Seiichi immediately stood up, opened the intelligence folder in his hand, and tried to find a breather in this oppressive meeting by looking between the lines.

"Hai!"

"According to reports from our special agent teams infiltrated throughout enemy-occupied areas, the main recent activities of the Nationalist Army in North China have focused on internal reorganization and disaster relief!"

He cleared his throat and began to give a detailed report.

"First, in the Henan region, we successfully dispatched a group of agents who infiltrated the refugee flow into its controlled areas."

A smug look appeared on his face.

"Our warriors, as planned, successfully created chaos in multiple refugee settlements and deliberately provoked several bloody clashes between refugees and the National Army garrison."

"This has caused considerable trouble for the stability of their rear."

"Secondly."

Kita Seiichi turned to the next page, his tone becoming even more certain, "We have also learned a crucial piece of intelligence: the Nationalist army in North China is also facing serious problems with food supplies!"

This news invigorated all the officers present!
A hint of doubt flashed in Okamura Neiji's eyes.

He frowned and asked, puzzled, "Didn't Shanxi just have a bumper harvest? Why are their combat troops still facing food shortages?"

"Commander, this is precisely what makes Chu Yunfei both terrifying and foolish!"

Kita Seiichi's lips curled into a mocking smile as he explained, "According to our intelligence analysis, the Second War Zone has allocated the vast majority of its grain reserves to provide relief to disaster victims in Hebei and Henan provinces."

"Nani?"

"Take the military rations and give them to the disaster victims?"

"This is such a waste!"

This news caused all the Japanese generals present to show expressions of disbelief!
In their minds, the military always comes first!

Food is the fuel that keeps the war machine running!
How could they possibly use up their precious military rations for the sake of those insignificant civilians?!
"A woman's kindness!"

"Absolutely utterly stupid!"

"I never expected that our opponent would make such a mistake."

Several division commanders immediately scoffed and began to discuss the matter.

One of them stood up excitedly, a renewed flame of hope burning in his eyes: "Commander!"

He said excitedly, "If the intelligence is true, then it means that North China has made disaster relief its top priority."

"This also means that, at least until the grain harvest next spring, their logistical supplies will remain in a state of severe shortage!"

Staff Officer Keisuke Hattori immediately realized what was happening and chimed in, "That's right!"

"In this way, they will have absolutely no chance of launching any large-scale attack against our forces!"

This conclusion, like a precious ray of sunshine in winter, instantly dispelled the heavy gloom in the meeting room!
The atmosphere of despair vanished instantly!

Yes!

Without food, what good are all your soldiers and the best artillery?
Without food, there is no strength; without strength, it is impossible to launch a proper offensive or combat operation.

In the end, won't they just have to obediently stay where they are and hold on?
Just like the Japanese army today, after all, being a "turtle" is the most energy-efficient way to stay still.

"Yoshi!"

"May Amaterasu protect my great Japanese Empire!"

The officers, who had been sighing and complaining, were now in a state of discontent.

At this moment, as if they had grasped a lifeline, long-lost, relaxed smiles reappeared on their faces.

A look of relief appeared on Okamura Neiji's face. Although, he still felt that things were probably not that simple.

But at least the objective facts reflected in this intelligence bought him and the entire North China Front Army the most precious time.

As long as we can get through this winter, we can wait for the "divine punishment" plan to be launched.

Everything seems to still have a chance to turn around!

However, things did not go as smoothly as the Japanese high command had predicted.

That brief optimism brought about by the "enemy's lack of food" was like fragile thin ice in winter, lasting less than half an hour before being shattered by this sudden urgent telegram!

The meeting just ended.

Exhausted, Okamura Yasuji was preparing to return to his room to rest.

A communications officer, looking flustered, caught up with him.

"Your Excellency Commander, a telegram from the 4th Independent Mixed Brigade."

Okamura Neiji's heart sank!
Jinan direction?

That is a key point along the Jinpu Railway and a crucial node in their defense line.

Okamura Neiji took the telegram, unfolded it, and a fierce glint flashed in his usually calm eyes!
"At 3 PM this afternoon, our brigade's forward positions on the western flank were suddenly subjected to heavy artillery fire from an unidentified enemy unit!"

"Subsequently, at least one regiment of infantry launched a probing attack on our lines!"

"The fighting is still ongoing."

A buzzing sound filled Okamura Neiji's mind!
He suddenly remembered the routine intelligence report sent by the Independent Mixed Brigade 10 two days ago.

The report explicitly mentioned that the enemy in front of them, a unit from the former Second War Zone of the Chongqing Army, was exchanging troops with a well-equipped unit of unknown designation!

The brigade commander inquired with the army group headquarters whether they had any intelligence on the unknown unit.

At the time, neither the General Staff nor the intelligence department took the matter seriously, treating it merely as a routine troop rotation.

But now it seems that things are far from that simple!
A strong sense of unease instantly gripped Okamura Neiji's heart!

Okamura Neiji immediately turned around and strode back to the operations room, which had just been darkened: "Turn all the lights on! Everyone, return to your posts immediately!"

His roar echoed in the empty corridor, filled with barely suppressed tension!

On the one hand, the intelligence he possessed irrefutably proved that the Nationalist army in North China was short of food and ammunition and was simply incapable of launching a large-scale offensive.

On the other hand, Chu Yunfei's past record of being as cunning as a fox made him dare not be careless in the slightest!

Could this be a smokescreen deliberately released by the other party?
They used the illusion of "food shortage" to numb themselves.

But in reality, he was quietly sharpening his claws in another unexpected direction.

But why is it in the direction of Jinan?
Okamura Yasuji stood in front of the huge map, staring intently at the location of Jinan, his brain working at lightning speed.

He tried to discern his opponent's true intentions from this sudden turn of events.

This is precisely the Jinpu Railway line that he ordered to be heavily guarded. What is Chu Yunfei planning to do?
Does he intend to launch an offensive against the railway artery during the winter?
He sat in his chair waiting for telegrams from various units, and even planned to study the recent troop movements of the National Revolutionary Army all night long.

Three hours later.

Telegrams from various units were delivered one after another.

There were no signs of attack, and some infantry regiments even made small-scale attack attempts under the orders of their division commanders.

There were no particularly noteworthy circumstances to report.

Soon, a second urgent telegram from the Independent Mixed 10th Brigade arrived.

"Reporting to the Commander, the enemy's attack on us ceased before sunset."

After leaving behind dozens of corpses, the enemy troops quickly retreated.

As of the time the telegram was sent, all was quiet in front of my position; no reports of an enemy night attack had been received.

As Okamura Neiji looked at the new telegram, his brows furrowed even more.

The defensive line, which had been silent for a month, was suddenly bombarded.

The result was that the Nationalist troops fired a shot and then ran away?
what is this?
A feint attack?

Test?

Or is it a symbolic harassment of their defensive line by the newly relieved commander?
A battle that began so suddenly and ended so cleanly was shrouded in an eerie atmosphere.

Okamura Neiji felt an unprecedented sense of passivity.

He had a vague feeling that this feint was not as simple as it seemed on the surface.

This was more like a carefully planned feint, its real purpose being to draw his and the entire North China Front Army's attention.

What is it to cover up?
Okamura Yasuji stood in front of the huge map, staring intently at the location of Jinan, his brain working at lightning speed.

The entire operations room, and all the staff members, were thrown back into a state of high tension by his sudden return.

But they waited for a long time, and did not receive any new orders from the commander.

After a long while, Okamura Neiji slowly let out a long breath.

That breath seemed to expel all the tension and suspicion in his heart.

"never mind."

He waved wearily and turned to the staff officers who were already trembling with fear, saying, "Everyone except those on duty, go and rest."

The staff officers, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, rose to their feet, saluted, and quietly withdrew from the suffocating operations room.

Okamura Neiji knew he couldn't continue like this.

His nerves, and the nerves of the entire army command, were stretched too thin.

Any slight movement by the Nationalist army in North China would cause them to panic and see enemies everywhere.

Okamura Yasuji believed that this was exactly the result that cunning adversary wanted to see.

They used endless, deceptively realistic actions to constantly drain their energy.

Let them descend into self-doubt and collapse.

Just as Okamura Neiji had predicted, the night was calm and peaceful.

Apart from that brief and eerie probing attack in the evening.

No further reports of abnormalities were received along the entire North China front.

The next morning, when the army's staff officers, with a sense of relief at surviving a disaster, re-entered the operations room, a rare hint of calm appeared on Okamura Yasuji's face as well.

However, this respite lasted for less than an hour.

An intelligence officer, holding a newly deciphered top-secret telegram, strode in with a grave expression!
"Commander! Latest intelligence from Chongqing!"

Just when I had finally relaxed a little, my heart was suddenly in my throat again!

When Okamura Neiji saw the information that was incomplete and contained only a short sentence, his pupils suddenly contracted!
[In Chongqing, the "Northeast Advance Army" has been officially approved for formation, and Wang Shihe has been appointed as its commander-in-chief.]

Northeast Advance Army?
Commander-in-Chief Wang Shihe?

Such an unfamiliar name.

"Commander, we have not received any intelligence about the Northeast Advance Army. However, considering that some units of the Seventh Army have already been relieved of their duties with other Nationalist troops, we speculate that this unit is likely to be mainly composed of Fu Zuoyi's troops."

Okamura Neiji raised his head, his voice dry, and asked the intelligence officer Sasaki beside him, "Who is this Wang Shihe?"

Sasaki's face also showed a hint of confusion: "General, there is very little information about this Wang Shihe. I had to find this information myself in the archives."

He opened a thin, even slightly dusty, brown paper file folder, took out the file inside, and respectfully handed it to Okamura Yasuji.

Okamura Neiji took it and quickly opened it.

The file was very simple, consisting of only a few pages.

Wang Shihe graduated from the first class of the Whampoa Military Academy.

Graduated from the sixth special class of the Army University and the general officer class of the Central Training Corps

He had already been promoted to Major General in the Army as early as 1936.

In 1931, he served as Major General Commander of the Special Service Regiment of the Military Commission, Chief of the Bodyguard of the General Headquarters of the Army, Navy and Air Force, Director of the Military Police Inspection Office of the Military Commission Headquarters, and Adjutant and Chief of the Bodyguard of the Chairman of the National Government.

In the photo, he has a round face but a serious expression, and appears to be a rather taciturn person.

To Okamura Yasuji, his resume was unusually simple.

For many years, he served as a senior staff officer in the adjutant's office and as the chief bodyguard, making him one of the most core people in Chang Ruiyuan's inner circle.

However, the most crucial point is that this person has had almost no experience in commanding front-line troops since the outbreak of the War of Resistance!

You could even say there is none at all.

As Okamura Neiji looked at the file, the fog in his mind not only did not dissipate, but became even thicker!

A chief of staff who hadn't led troops in a long time, a man who was practically a "nobody" in the military.

Why did Chang Ruiyuan entrust the "Northeast Advance Army" to him for command?
This is totally against common sense!

Such a high-profile operation is inconsistent with the previous demeanor and appearance of the Nationalist Army in North China when facing the "divine punishment" holy war plan, which was as if facing a formidable enemy.

What exactly are they trying to cover up?
Following this line of thought, Okamura Neiji continued to ponder, but something still felt off.

Therefore, he immediately convened another meeting with the staff of the headquarters to discuss the matter.

Concerns about Okamura Yasuji.

Intelligence chief Seiichi Kita said, "Commander, these deceptive deployment changes may indeed conceal some hidden agenda, but we currently have no further intelligence and can only choose a suitable direction to conduct targeted investigations and deployments."

Remaining unchanged in the face of all changes is the most conservative and safest approach.

Seek no merit, only to avoid mistakes.

Most people would think that way, since once your superiors adopt your suggestion and it succeeds, the credit goes to your superiors.

But if something goes wrong, they'll have to take the blame.

However, working under Okamura Yasuji requires a certain degree of initiative.

The point is to offer your thoughts and suggestions as much as possible.

After all, Okamura Neiji would ultimately make the decisions himself rather than making his subordinates take the blame.

Such old devils were extremely rare even within the Japanese army.

"Now that the enemy has intelligence that we are about to launch a 'holy war,' they will certainly try their best to sabotage our operation, Commander."

Okamura Neiji waved his hand to interrupt: "I'm sorry, everyone, but in fact, as of now, even many senior military commanders, including myself, do not know the specific implementation details of the Divine Punishment Operation Plan. I'm afraid that the specific operational tasks will not be issued until all preparations are completed at headquarters."

After a moment of silence, Kita Seiichi continued, "Commander, perhaps we could report the anomalies in various parts of North China to Headquarters. Perhaps Headquarters possesses some intelligence that we are currently unaware of." (End of Chapter)