Bright Sword: Construction starts from southeastern Shanxi

July 23, North China Front Army Headquarters.

There was an anxious tension in the air.

Commander-in-chief of the North China Front Army, Tada Shun, sat at the head of the table with a gloomy face and tapped the table lightly with his fingers, as if he was thinking about something.

To his left was Chief of Staff Yukio Kasahara, and to his right was First Army Commander Yoshio Shinozuka.

The conference table was filled with high-ranking Japanese military officials and generals.

The commanders of all divisions of the North China Front Army attended the meeting, as well as the 24th, 28th, 29th and 57th Divisions that came from the Northeast Kwantung Army to provide support.

The commanders of the 1st Tank Regiment and the 2nd Cavalry Division were also present.

In addition, the commanders of the 101st Division and the 116th Division from the Central China Expeditionary Force who came north to provide support were also on the list.

Their mission was clear - to break the deadlock in North China and severely damage the Eighth Route Army, especially the 389th Division led by Zeng Jiwen.

The division commanders of the North China Front Army were all aware that, judging from the battle reports from the past year's battles with the Eighth Route Army in North China, the North China battlefield was sinking into a quagmire.

Although they had the advantage on the front battlefield, the Eighth Route Army's guerrilla tactics emerged one after another in the Taihang Mountains, the Hebei Plain, northwestern Shanxi, Shandong, and northern Henan, and railways, roads, and strongholds were frequently attacked.

In particular, the 389th Division in the Hebei-Central area not only won many battles, but also demonstrated its terrifying combat effectiveness in recent battles.

The only thing that gave everyone some comfort was the southern Hebei region.

Currently, there is only the 4th Division and three armies of puppet troops in southern Hebei, but the public security situation is much better than other areas in North China.

The performance of the 4th Division in North China was a world of difference from before, which directly blinded a number of generals of the North China Front Army.

This undoubtedly made the Fourth Division Commander Matsui Nozomi look much better.

According to secret intelligence from the north, there were even some armored units, which further weakened their advantage on the battlefield.

In the center of the conference room, a huge map of the North China War Zone was spread out on the table, with the battle lines of both sides marked in red and blue.

Tada Shun glanced sharply at the officers present and spoke in a deep voice:

"Gentlemen, the war in North China has been going on for three years, yet we have not yet been able to completely wipe out the Eighth Route Army.

The 389th Division, in particular, repeatedly defeated our army on the battlefields of North China, posing a serious threat to our rule.

According to the latest battle report from the General Staff, the 389th Division led by Zeng Jiwen has completed its expansion and its current strength has exceeded 100,000. The troops under its command are well-equipped, and there are even mechanized troops in the north.

This is a disgrace to our North China Front Army!"

Having said that, Tada Shun's face was expressionless, and his gloomy face made everyone present feel their backs tighten.

The Chief of Staff of the North China Front Army, Yukio Kasahara, stood up, pointed at the map and added:

“The current situation is extremely unfavorable to us.

The Eighth Route Army not only established a solid base in the Taihang Mountains, but also frequently launched attacks along the Pinghan Railway, seriously damaging our transportation routes.

Especially the 389th Division, they not only demonstrated strong combat effectiveness in the battle.

As for other Eighth Route Army units, judging from the battle reports from various locations against the Locust Army, they have also received weapons assistance from the north. The Eighth Route Army has already posed a threat to our army on some local battlefields."

Hearing this, the 24th Division Commander Kuroiwa Yoshikatsu snorted coldly and crossed his arms.

“The Eighth Route Army is just a mob. Even if they had the equipment from the north, how could they compete with the elite Locust Army?

As long as we gather enough troops and wipe out the 389th Division in one fell swoop, the rest of the Eighth Route Army will naturally be routed!"

When Tada Shun heard this, he shook his head.

The Kwantung Army was not familiar with the Eighth Route Army, but they were very familiar with it.

Tada Shun said slowly: "That is why we must plan this operation carefully.

Judging from the previous Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain, the 389th Division even received support from across the ocean.

Not only are they well-equipped, but their commander Zeng Jiwen also has great strategic vision and flexible command.

If we don't formulate a thorough battle plan and act rashly, we might end up repeating the same mistakes."

As Tada Shun finished speaking, the conference room fell into a brief silence.

At this time, Gao Pinbiao, the commander of the 29th Division of the Kwantung Army, looked at Tada Shun and said:

"Tada-kun~

This time, our Kwantung Army went south to support, deploying the 24th Division, 28th Division, 29th Division, 57th Division, as well as the 1st Tank Regiment and the 2nd Cavalry Division, with a total force of more than 75,000 people.

Our mission is to assist the North China Front Army in encircling and suppressing the Eighth Route Army's effective forces.

So, this time, you guys have the final say on how to fight Tada-kun. We will follow your orders and completely wipe out the Eighth Route Army!"

"And..." At this time, the commander of the 28th Division, Ishiguro Sadazo, who was sitting next to him, added,

"We have already brought in a large amount of supplies from Fengtian, including the new Type 95 light tanks and Type 97 medium tanks, which are enough to suppress the firepower of the Eighth Route Army."

After hearing what the two of them said, Tada Shun nodded with satisfaction:

"Very good. In that case, we must formulate a thundering tactic this time, concentrate our superior forces, annihilate the 389th Division in one fell swoop, and inflict heavy damage on the Eighth Route Army!"

As the meeting progressed, plans against the Eighth Route Army gradually took shape.

Tada Shun stood up, pointed at the map and said:

"In this operation, we will adopt the 'iron wall encirclement' tactic, with the First Army, the Central China Northward Division, the Kwantung Army Southward Division, and the North China Garrison Army coordinating the operations.

The main target was the Taihang Mountains, to completely inflict heavy damage and even annihilate the troops of the 389th Division of the Eighth Route Army!

The specific deployment is as follows:

Phase One: Open up the Zhengtai Line. We must ensure the smooth operation of the Zhengtai Railway so that the transportation and supply between the First Army and our North China Front Army can return to normal.

After the railway is opened, we will concentrate our superior forces to completely destroy the area along the line near the 389th Division.

This phase will involve large-scale mopping-up operations using heavy artillery, armored forces, and air support.

At the same time, troops were mobilized to block the Eighth Route Army troops in other areas from supporting the 389th Division.

The second stage is a decisive battle with the 389th Division.

After opening up the Zhengtai Line, we will attack the 389th Division from three directions: Taiyuan, Shijiazhuang and Handan, use heavy artillery and air force to concentrate bombing on the 389th Division's troops, attack southeastern Shanxi, and completely destroy the 389th Division's base.

In the third stage, after severely damaging or even destroying the 389th Division, other units of the Locust Army restored transportation lines, repaired railways and strongholds, and ensured smooth supply to the rear.

At the same time, a large-scale sweep of the Eighth Route Army in other areas began.

The first target of this operation was the 389th Division of the Eighth Route Army.

This time, our North China Garrison Army is not considering completely annihilating the 389th Division, but at least severely damaging it or even invading its base and destroying its industrial zone.

"

After hearing what Tada Shun said, the generals below were suddenly surprised.

Especially the commanders of several divisions of the Kwantung Army who came south to support, they even looked at each other in confusion.