Quartermasters can also fight the devils

After Germany's blitzkrieg on Poland, Chief of Staff Major General Yasuo Karakawa returned to Tokyo from Italy and took up the post of Chief of the European and American Section of the Second Department of the General Staff, becoming the highest person in charge of the Japanese Army's intelligence work on Europe and the United States. At that time, Lieutenant General Shigeru Sawada, the current commander of the 13th Army of the Japanese Army, was serving as Deputy Chief of Staff in the General Staff. The two were in a superior-subordinate relationship during their time in the General Staff and had long known each other.

In September 1941, the Chief of Staff, Major General Yasuo Karakawa, was transferred to Shanghai, China, to serve as Chief of Staff of the 13th Army of the China Expeditionary Army, assisting Lieutenant General Shigeru Sawada, commander of the 13th Army of the Japanese Army.

"Mr. Tangchuan, there is no need to be so polite between you and me. I called you here this time to ask whether there have been any changes and transfers in the troops responsible for the garrison of Wenzhou in the Third War Zone of the Chinese government. I remember that previous intelligence showed that the Chinese army guarding Wenzhou was the Provisional 33rd Division, right?" Lieutenant General Shigeru Sawada, commander of the 13th Army of the Japanese Army, also asked the chief of staff, Major General Yasuo Tangchuan in a friendly manner.

When the Chief of Staff Major General Tang Chuan Yasuo heard that the Commander was asking about the intelligence in Wenzhou, he immediately replied: "Commander, you are right. According to the information collected by our intelligence personnel before the war, the garrison number of the Third War Zone of the Chinese Government in Wenzhou is indeed the Provisional 33rd Division. Moreover, there are only the divisional headquarters of the Provisional 33rd Division of the Chinese Government and an infantry battalion in Wenzhou."

The Chief of Staff, Major General Yasuo Karakawa, is an intelligence officer himself, and he can report the current intelligence on the battlefield in great detail.

"Hey, Mr. Tangchuan, your intelligence is always so detailed. The victory of this Zhejiang-Jiangxi Campaign is really thanks to the intelligence work you presided over, which provided so much detailed information for our military operations." Lieutenant General Shigeru Sawada, commander of the 13th Army of the Japanese Army, was very pleased when he heard the Chief of Staff, Major General Yasuo Tangchuan, give detailed information about the Chinese army in Wenzhou.

"Your Excellency, Commander, thank you for your praise. These are my duties. By the way, Commander, why are you asking about the intelligence in Wenzhou? Did something happen to the Xiaojunjiang Brigade there?" Chief of Staff Major General Yasuo Karakawa keenly caught the hidden meaning of the words of Lieutenant General Shigeru Sawada, commander of the 13th Army of the Japanese Army.

Lieutenant General Sawada Shigeru, commander of the 13th Japanese Army, nodded and said, "Yes, Tangchuan-kun, just now the commander of the Xiaojunjiang Brigade, Major General Xiaojunjiang Bangxiong, sent a telegram saying that they were blocked by the main force of the Chinese army in Wenzhou. However, Xiaojunjiang Bangxiong is confident that he can break through the blockade of the Chinese army as soon as possible, arrive outside Wenzhou tomorrow, and start attacking Wenzhou City."

After listening to the introduction of Commander Lieutenant General Shigeru Sawada, Chief of Staff Major General Yasuo Karakawa had a general idea in his mind. It was probably because the main force of the Chinese army that appeared in the telegram sent by Major General Kunio Kojune, the commander of the Kojune Brigade, made Commander Lieutenant General Shigeru Sawada a little confused, so he called him over to confirm whether there were any changes in the Chinese army in Wenzhou City.

Major General Yasuo Karakawa, Chief of Staff of the 13th Army of the Japanese Army, also carefully recalled the intelligence about the Chinese army in Wenzhou City again. After sorting it out in his mind several times, he was very sure that there had been no new changes in the intelligence about Wenzhou City since the war began, and the undercover intelligence personnel in Wenzhou City had not sent any urgent telegrams.

"Commander, our intelligence department has not received any news about any changes of the Chinese army in Wenzhou City since the war broke out. The intelligence personnel lurking in Wenzhou City have not reported back any news about changes of the Chinese army in Wenzhou City. I think this may be because the commander of the Kojunjiang Brigade, Major General Kojunjiang Kunio, was transferred to the 13th Army not long ago and is eager to make contributions to the 13th Army. This may be the reason for the error in judgment." After confirming that it was not his side that missed the intelligence, Major General Karakawa Yasuo, the chief of staff of the 13th Army of the Japanese Army, tactfully reminded Lieutenant General Sawada Shigeru, the commander of the 13th Army of the Japanese Army.

Lieutenant General Shigeru Sawada, commander of the 13th Army of the Japanese Army, could well understand the meaning of the words of the Chief of Staff, Major General Yasuo Karakawa. In fact, it meant that Major General Kunio Kojune, commander of the Kojune Brigade, had deliberately exaggerated the strength of the Chinese army in Wenzhou.

After all, the Xiaojunjiang Brigade was transferred from the North China Front Army to participate in the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Campaign. However, as soon as it was deployed, it caused a big joke. A ridiculous incident occurred in which a collective poisoning caused the brigade to lose its combat capability. In order to restore the reputation and face of his own troops, the brigade commander, Major General Xiaojunjiang Bangxiong, exaggerated the strength of the Chinese army in Wenzhou City to add some color to the record of occupying Wenzhou.

Moreover, if it was really the elite main force of the Chinese government, how could the 5,000 troops of the Xiaojunjiang Brigade break through the defense line of the main force of the Chinese government within one day? Even the Type A main division might not be able to accomplish such a feat. You know, after several years of war, even the Type A division's combat effectiveness is now lower than when China and Japan just went to war, not to mention the Xiaojunjiang Brigade, a brigade-level force temporarily formed for the battle.

Lieutenant General Shigeru Sawada, commander of the 13th Army of the Japanese Army, also figured it out. If the commander of the Kojunjiang Brigade, Major General Kojunjiang Kunio, can lead his troops to break through the Chinese army's defense line in Wenzhou today or tomorrow, then the statement in the telegram by the commander of the brigade, Major General Kojunjiang Kunio, that the main force of the Chinese army is in Wenzhou, is not true. If the Chinese army's defense line is not broken tomorrow, then there will be time to judge the situation in Wenzhou based on the specific situation at that time.

Therefore, Lieutenant General Shigeru Sawada, commander of the 13th Army of the Japanese Army, did not pay much attention to the telegram from Major General Kunio Kojune, commander of the Kojune Brigade, and instead chatted with his chief of staff, Major General Yasuo Karakawa.

Major General Xiaojunjiang Bangxiong, commander of the Xiaojunjiang Brigade, was so happy when he saw the crumbling defense line of the Chinese army in front of him. This was only the second attack in the afternoon, and the defense line of the Chinese army on the opposite side had obviously loosened in many places.

Even the commander of the Xiaojunjiang Brigade, Major General Xiaojunjiang Bangxiong, vaguely saw deserters on the opposite Chinese army's defense line through the telescope. This made the commander of the brigade, Major General Xiaojunjiang Bangxiong, curl his lips in admiration, thinking that the quality of the soldiers of the main force of the Chinese government was just so-so, and under the attack of his brigade, they would collapse, it was only a matter of time.

Now, Major General Xiaojunjiang Kunio, commander of the Xiaojunjiang Brigade, is full of confidence that his troops will break through the Chinese defense line on the opposite side before dark today.