Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

"But Political Commissar, they are surrendered troops after all. If we, Yao Ziming, have some hesitation.

Wei Hongjun shook his head and said, "The Eighth Route Army isn't a place for collecting garbage. If they are a group of bandits with a long history of crimes, then they must have blood debts on their hands. First, find out where these bandits are from, and then contact the Party organization there. Those with blood debts will be shot, and absolutely no one will be spared."

"Yes."

After Yao Ziming left, Wei Hongjun said to Han Weiguo, "Old Han, although this incident happened by chance, it will definitely not be the last. As we defeat the Japanese army, we will have more and more Japanese prisoners in our hands in the future, and there will be more and more Japanese expatriates in our base. How to accommodate them will become a big problem. And will those puppet troops use this method to show their break with the Japanese like the police brigade this time? We must come up with a plan as soon as possible, otherwise this kind of thing will definitely happen again and again.

The entire Eighth Route Army system had a simple prisoner policy.

However, such a large number of captured Japanese soldiers and Japanese expatriates would be a new task for the Eighth Route Army. The total number of Japanese soldiers and Japanese expatriates in China, including the Northeast and the interior, was over 400 million.

That’s more than 400 million people.

What to do with them?

Kill them all? Or repatriate them all as in history?

No one within the Eighth Route Army had systematically considered this issue, and thus no clear central government document existed. However, as a frontline leader, Wei Hongjun had to consider it. The situation was rapidly evolving, and even if the Eighth Route Army could not completely defeat the Kwantung Army on its own, intervention by the United States and the Soviet Union would be necessary. However, as long as the US and the Soviet Union intervened, Japan's surrender would not be later than historically.

That means the Eighth Route Army will face this situation in a year at most.

Therefore, a proper solution must be found as soon as possible.

Chapter 556: The Kwantung Army's Response

1944 6 Month 14 Day.

The Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Military Region captured Chifeng and annihilated more than 17000 Japanese and puppet troops.

Shocked everyone.

This time, the capture of Chifeng was very different from the capture of Baoding by the First and Third Divisions. At that time, an uprising broke out in Baoding. Wang Tianxiang led over 3000 men in a battlefield uprising, directly opening a gap in Baoding. Furthermore, the city of Baoding was primarily populated by puppet troops.

But Chifeng is different.

While some puppet troops were among the 17000 killed, they were considered the most formidable. The Iron Stone Unit's weapons and equipment surpassed even those of the Guard Division. Unfortunately, the 37th Regiment suffered two complete annihilations since its formation.

Once it was annihilated by Cheng Shihua's 10th Brigade, and once again it was annihilated in Chifeng this time.

Among the remaining troops, there were no other organized puppet troops except for two police battalions of less than 1000 people. Moreover, apart from the 37th Regiment, other puppet troops were unable to participate in such a fierce battle.

The rest were all Japanese military troops.

Two Japanese infantry regiments, one independent guard unit, and the 29th Division headquarters—over 12000 Japanese troops—were completely annihilated. Four Japanese generals died in the Chifeng Campaign alone. Lieutenant General Gao Pinbiao, commander of the 29th Division, committed suicide, while the others were killed by the Eighth Route Army. These included Major General Okabe Eiichi, Chief of Staff of the 29th Division; Major General Monma Kentaro, commander of the 29th Division Infantry Regiment; and Major General Sakamoto Yoshitaro, commander of the 12th Independent Guard Unit.

The Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Military Region killed three Japanese generals at one time and forced a lieutenant general to commit suicide.

This kind of achievement was the first since the July 7 Incident. Who could have imagined that the Eighth Route Army could annihilate so many Japanese troops in an organized manner?

It is obvious that the Japanese army's combat effectiveness has declined.

Of course, it was also because the Eighth Route Army suddenly used unscrupulous artillery. But no matter what, the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Military Region took Chifeng. The fall of Chifeng directly affected the situation in Rehe.

In the past, people who entered the Northeast basically chose to enter from Chaoyang area, except for Shanhaiguan.

The Japanese and puppet troops transported food to Rehe via Chaoyang, except for Shanhaiguan. This was because Chaoyang provided access to Rehe via both railways and highways. Most of these railways and highways were built after the Japanese occupied Northeast China and Rehe. However, the Yi-Re-Cha Military Region, after capturing Chifeng, severed the railway and highway from Chifeng to Chaoyang.

The road through Chengde, Pingquan, Jianping and Chaoyang is also unsafe.

Most of the time period was cut off by the Jireliao Military Region.

The current situation is that the Japanese army has invested heavily in opening up the land transportation line, but they can only guarantee the road from Shanhaiguan to Beijing.

As for the roads leading into Rehe, they were gradually closed.

Moreover, the capture of Chifeng by the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Military Region has become its most outstanding achievement under the current passive situation.

In 1940, a spirit of compromise permeated the country.

Even some senior officials in Chongqing advised Chiang Kai-shek to negotiate with the Japanese.

Many scholars also clamored that China could not defeat the Japanese army. At this time, the Eighth Route Army launched the Hundred Regiments Campaign.

It directly struck a blow to the prevailing trend of compromise in the country at that time.

In early 1942, the national war situation looked dire. Despite the outbreak of the Pacific War, more and more Nationalist troops were surrendering en masse, a phenomenon that puzzled many Chinese people at the time.

The outbreak of the Pacific War was supposed to be a good thing. It would have had a positive impact on China's war of resistance. But why, when the Pacific War broke out, did more Nationalist troops surrender to the Japanese army in organized units, and more and more puppet troops emerged?

At this time, the 8th Column captured Zhangjiakou, which shocked the whole of China.

Then the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei troops launched a counter-mopping-up operation, dealing a heavy blow to the North China Front Army, earning them enough political points in front of the Chinese people.

Even more so this time.

The Henan Central Campaign and the Changheng Campaign were currently being fought fiercely, but many Chinese people viewed them as a series of Chinese troops losing their armor and weapons and losing city after city. Over the past month, they had already lost dozens of cities.

At this time, the Eighth Route Army won such a great victory. This is a perfect comparison photo.

This is a battle for the hearts and minds of the people.

In the early days of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Yan'an seemed like a separatist regime. In fact, in the eyes of many people, Yan'an was no different from the warlords. However, after so many years of fighting, Yan'an gained great prestige.

In the battle for the hearts and minds of the people, Yan'an was very successful.

“Caochang-kun, how are you responsible for what happened in Rehe?

Over the past year, your defense forces have been given everything they asked for. When you were short on manpower, we added garrisons and independent guards, even sending you the 71st Division. You wanted to form the Iron Stone Corps, so we gave your defense forces all the weapons and ammunition they deserved. But what are you doing with this? Chifeng was lost. Over ten thousand Imperial Army soldiers were lost there. How can you shoulder this responsibility?

The newly appointed commander of the Kwantung Army, General Yamada Otozo, was very angry.

Reprimanded the Defense Force Commander Tatsumi Kusaba.

The Japanese army suffered repeated defeats in the Pacific Theater, and the ongoing "Operation Number One" campaign to open up land transportation lines was also struggling. Consequently, the Tojo Hideki cabinet resigned, and a new cabinet was formed, with Koiso Kuniaki as Prime Minister. Tojo recommended Umezu Yoshijiro, commander of the Kwantung Army, as Chief of the General Staff.

When Umezu Yoshijiro became Chief of the General Staff, Yamada Otozo came to the Kwantung Army as commander.

However, he had just assumed command of the Kwantung Army when Chifeng was captured by the Eighth Route Army. Previously, the Kwantung Army, like the North China Front Army and the Central China Front Army, was a front-level army. However, the Kwantung Army was now a general army, a level higher than the North China Front Army and on the same level as the China Expeditionary Army. The status of the Kwantung Army commander was greatly elevated.

But Yamada Ozo was not too happy.

Because although the rank of the Kwantung Army was raised, its strength was greatly reduced.

The current Kwantung Army cannot be compared with the past.

In other words, the current strength of the Kwantung Army is less than half of what it was a year ago. Because the Imperial Headquarters has withdrawn too many of the Kwantung Army's main forces, many of the Kwantung Army's units are now temporarily organized. Moreover, after Umezu Yoshijiro became the Chief of the General Staff, he planned to continue withdrawing Kwantung Army troops southward.

More than ten divisions were mobilized last time, and now another eight divisions are to be mobilized.

Once these troops are withdrawn, the Kwantung Army will essentially be without a main force. By then, the Kwantung Army's strength might be less than a third of its peak, perhaps even only a quarter or a fifth. The Soviet army in the north is poised to make a move, and Yamada Otozo is already worried. Just look at the current European battlefield to see how formidable the Soviet army is.

If the Soviets attacked, Yamada Otozo was not sure he could stop them. Therefore, Yamada Otozo prepared three lines of defense, ready to resist the Soviets step by step. The last line would be the Yalu River line.

The Kwantung Army currently lacks sufficient manpower to complete this plan. I never expected such a thing to happen to the defense forces.

Chifeng, which was the focus of the Defense Army Command, was captured by the Eighth Route Army.

It's really internal and external troubles.

Cao Changchenyi's face was also solemn, and he said: "Your Excellency General, we must now be prepared to lose the entire central and western Rehe.

"You mean your defense forces have no other way to change the situation? We still have several independent guards and two garrisons in Rehe, as well as so many Manchurian Defense Army troops. You say we should abandon them?"

Yamada Ozo was very angry.

Originally, the Eighth Route Army was not among the enemies that Yamada Otozo considered.

He put all his energy on the Soviet army. But once Rehe was lost, the Eighth Route Army could enter the Northeast through Rehe. At that time, the Kwantung Army would be attacked from both sides by the Soviet army and the Eighth Route Army.

This was something Yamada Ozo could not accept.

What is even more infuriating is that the Japanese and puppet troops are still very strong in the Rehe area. Adding them all together, there are still tens of thousands of Japanese troops and tens of thousands of puppet troops.

"General, with the Eighth Route Army's capture of Chifeng, the railway and highway from Chaoyang to Chifeng have been severed. As for the road to Chengde, it was already cut off by the Eighth Route Army. Now the troops in the central and western parts of Rehe will find it difficult to get our support. They will soon run out of food, ammunition, and medicine."

"So you're abandoning them?"

Cao Changchen said helplessly, "General, unless we can send troops to open up communication with Chifeng and Chengde, or send troops to retake Chifeng, the situation in Rehe will be irreversible. We can no longer rely on the North China Front Army, so what about us?"

Yamada Ozo remained silent this time.

Because the Kwantung Army has no troops to send out now.

Even now, the troops were far from enough to defend against the Soviet army. Because of the shortage of troops, Yamada Otozo had already begun to expand the puppet Manchukuo army.

Since the total number of the puppet Manchukuo army was less than 13, Yamada Ozo's plan was to expand the puppet Manchukuo army to more than within a short period of time.

Because there are currently no main Japanese troops in the vast Northeast region.

Therefore, Yamada Ozo needed to expand the puppet Manchukuo Army to stabilize the situation in Northeast China. Even in Northeast China, the Kwantung Army's most important region, there weren't enough troops to stabilize it, let alone send troops to Rehe. Furthermore, the situation in Rehe was clearly too severe to resolve with just one division. The Kwantung Army couldn't spare two or three divisions.

"Then what do you mean?"

"We must be prepared. Once the Eighth Route Army in Rehe has completely taken control of Rehe, they will inevitably send troops through Rehe into the Northeast. Therefore, I suggest that we quickly expand the Manchurian National Defense Army in the Northeast and begin training the Manchurian police force. As soon as a small unit of the Eighth Route Army enters the Northeast, we must quickly eliminate them. If we can expand some garrisons and independent guards, we will be prepared to encircle and suppress the Eighth Route Army troops in the Northeast in the future."

Yamada Ozo was silent.

He was very angry because Kusanagi Tatsu was not thinking about how to wipe out the Eighth Route Army in Rehe, but was thinking about how to prevent the Eighth Route Army from advancing into the Northeast. However, Yamada Otozo understood that the current situation was unfavorable for the Kwantung Army.

After thinking for a while, Yamada Ozo nodded slightly and said, "I will arrange weapons and ammunition for you as soon as possible. Your defense forces are fully responsible for these matters.

"Hai."

Chapter 557: The Severely Injured North China Front Army

November 1944.

The whole country suddenly became uneasy.

In fact, after the outbreak of the Pacific War, the Anti-Japanese War in China began to enter a period of calm. This was especially true for the Nationalist Army. They were unwilling to clash with the Japanese army because the United States had joined the war. They just had to wait for the United States to defeat the Japanese army.

The same is true for the Japanese army.

The main force began to be withdrawn on a large scale to participate in the Pacific War, leaving the Chinese Expeditionary Force understaffed. The Japanese army was also reluctant to engage in a major conflict with the Nationalist army, which had millions of troops, and was tied down by the Nationalist army. Therefore, the Japanese army maintained a balance of power with the Nationalist army, except for withdrawing troops to attack US airfields in China.

Neither side is willing to provoke the opponent.

But in June 1944, there were suddenly wars all over the country.

The Japanese army launched Operation No. 1 to open up the land transportation line. Currently, the Battle of Central Henan and the Battle of Changheng are in full swing. Historically, the Japanese army's Operation No. 1 only encountered very fierce resistance during the Battle of Changheng.

The other battles, such as the Battle of Central Henan and the Battle of Guilin-Liuzhou, were relatively easy for the Japanese army.

The national army troops almost collapsed at the first blow.

But it's different now.

The Japanese concentrated seven divisions and one tank division of the North China Front Army, mobilized all the air forces of the North China Front Army, and transferred two divisions from Shanghai. With a total of more than 7 troops, the Battle of Central Henan was still not going well.