Canteen System Assistance Notes

"Your Excellency, Commander."

There was a new order coming, and the two staff officers immediately stood up and prepared to listen to Commander Okamura's instructions.

"I remember your hard work. Commander Sakagami has already helped us eliminate the Yan and Yamashiro armies in North China. Now the Imperial Army's main enemy in North China is very clear—the Eighth Route Army. We must find a way to deal with them."

"Tanabe-kun."

"Hi."

"Draft an order. Effective immediately, all units of the North China Front Army will cease 'contact combat.' The troops will continue training, but will no longer initiate offensive operations. This will be completed by the end of this month. Repeat."

"Hi, sir." Tanabe Moritake quickly sorted out the key points of the order, "All armies under the North China Front Army will cease contact combat from today, and the troops will maintain training. All units are limited to refraining from active attacks before January 31, 1949." "Arisue-kun. You will select five staff officers with solid academic knowledge and skilled technology to form a 'Special Group for Analyzing the Problems of the North China Red Army'. I want to see the results within three days - by then

You, I, and Chief of Staff Tanabe are all members of this group—and you

I need to go to the Baijing Agency in Xila Alley.

"Oh, it shouldn't be the Shirai mechanism now."

Okamura Neiji reacted, "Now it should be the 'Ozaki Agency'! The results of this 'contact operation' were all handled and analyzed by Ozaki-kun. It is said that they have gained a lot.

You go with my order and incorporate them into this analysis team.

Come here."

He patiently instructed,

"Arisue-kun, the analysis team's work will be based on their findings. You must cooperate with them!"

Chapter 419: Wrong Correct Judgment

Xila Hutong in the former capital, conveniently connected to the Imperial City to the west and Bamianzao to the east, was once the seat of the Qing Dynasty's Qing Conference and Political Affairs Office. Later, it served as the residence of Yuan Weiting and the headquarters of the "Matsui Agency," a secret service of the Chinese Garrison Army. Later, it became the headquarters of Shirai Yukiyuki, officially the headquarters of the Japanese North China Front Army's "Shirai Agency."

Now, in recognition of the key role played by the predecessor, Mr. Shirai, in the "Haku Plan," the Imperial Headquarters promoted him to a higher rank and sent him to Vietnam to establish the "Shirai Agency" for the Nanyang region. The North China assignment was thus handed over to Mr. Shotaro Ozaki. This slightly chubby man with round glasses and a perpetual smile had an excellent foundation in intelligence science and a vast network of contacts in both China and Japan. He was a top student in the Japanese military intelligence system. He smoothly took over Yukiyuki Shirai's duties and resumed control of the intelligence network throughout North China.

At the same time, he made good use of his connections in the press and helped Okamura borrow a number of cameras, including Retes, Ricoh, and Olympus, so that Okamura's "enemy contact and detection operations" would not be interrupted due to lack of film and cameras.

The speed of the process, with so few mistakes, made even Okamura Yasuji sigh, "They truly are the top students of the Tongwen College! If there hadn't been a problem with their previous intelligence work, how much more could they have contributed?"

"Five divisions participated in this 'contact detection operation.' Over a one-month period, they launched 32 attacks, resulting in 24 'valuable contacts,' captured 871 images, and captured 357 valuable items, totaling eight categories..."

The portly Ozaki and several staff members unloaded several boxes and packages and began to empty them. These were the spoils captured by several Japanese "reinforced squads" over the past month. Ozaki had them packaged and sorted by category and delivered to the headquarters in the city.

The Japanese's inexplicable attention to detail is fully displayed here. When Ozaki had the real objects, he not only took photos of them and created archives, but also consulted some experts and wrote a simple analysis report.

"Seized item 1: A 12.7mm anti-tank rifle, seized north of Weixian County in central Shandong Province."

The Japanese Army called anything with a caliber of 13.2mm or larger a cannon, but 1.7mm wasn't considered a cannon. This massive weapon, inferior to a "gun," was brought up in a crate. After prying it open with a crowbar, the attendants discovered it was over a meter long, with an inverted V-shaped muzzle brake and a wire-wrapped carrying handle. However, some of the mechanisms at the rear of the gun were damaged, leaving it in a state of disrepair, as if the ammunition had exploded.

....The Yamashita detachment discovered it during the battle and immediately mobilized machine guns to suppress it. Because the team was in an upwind position, the squadron leader also ordered the use of grenade launchers to fire the "red tube"

He also sent a sergeant to lead five men to attack from behind, and eventually killed the Red Army.

It's a pity that they destroyed the weapon before they died."

Okamura Yasuji lifted the weapon with all his might and weighed it. Ozaki, standing nearby, continued with a lament, "The 12th Army's repair shop in Quancheng inspected it and found the rifling inside the barrel was nearly worn out. It was manufactured by the American Winchester Company and repaired in the Dadian District. However, the tripod supporting the barrel is new and was manufactured in the Bohai District."

"Based on the damaged chamber mechanism, it should be a single-shot weapon firing 12.7mm US-made ammunition." "Is this the thing that... made the captain of the Yamashita Squadron's machine guns a military god?"

"Yes, it's said... the officers and soldiers at the scene were only able to find... one-third of Captain Sang. Furthermore, it destroyed two Type 11 machine guns, killing one and seriously injuring two."

Tanabe Moritake, who had asked the question, had a distorted expression, perhaps imagining the horrific scene in his mind. He coughed twice and refused Ozaki Shotaro's offer to show him the photos of the scene.

"So what is this?" asked Moritake Tanabe.

"Oh, Your Excellency, this is a captured item No. 4, which we call the 'Showa 14-type railway melting device', submitted by the Mongolian Army."

Ozaki Shotaro had done his homework well. He picked up the cloth bag with the inscription "Incendiary Objects Removed" and showed the commander and deputy commander the clips underneath. "These clips are made by the 'Daqingshan' branch of the Eighth Route Red Army. You can fasten the bag to the rails. Simply pull the top ring, and the thermite inside will heat up to a thousand degrees, melting the rails. From then on, all you have to do is remove the clips to cut the line."

"No wonder the railway breaks at the critical moment..."

He slowly introduced the items on display, including a 60mm mortar barrel damaged by an inverted mortar shell, a Type 38 rifle engraved with both a chrysanthemum pattern and the insignia of the Hebei-Central Military Sub-district, and cowhide ammunition receptacles. It was clear that the Japanese army, at all levels, treated these hard-earned captures with great care. Even though the Red Army had damaged most of the items before seizing them, they had also repaired them to restore them to their original state.

"Ozaki-kun, you did a great job."

Okamura Yasuji was full of praise. "But why are there over 300 pieces of captured items, but you only have eight or nine?" He rubbed his chin and asked his final question. "I saw on your list that there are over 300 pieces of Eighth Route Army uniforms, but I don't see a single one here."

"Your Excellency, Commander, the exchange of fire between those uniforms was reported by the First Army of Jin Province."

Without consulting any sources, Ozaki Shotaro quickly replied, "The First Army's contact combat unit, while battling the Eighth Route Army, unexpectedly encountered a Red Army transport convoy crossing the railway. They dispersed the Red Army's escort and intercepted the supplies they were transporting."

He arranged a stack of photos, showing rickshaws and carts swaying here and there. The carts were filled with clothing, and the camera owner had taken a close-up shot, revealing the garments were made of high-quality twill canvas. "After taking the photos, the cavalry unit sent a telegram reporting the situation. Since they weren't aiming for a decisive victory over the Red Army, the combat division headquarters ordered them to remain in place and defend their position until the patrol vehicles arrived, and then return to their base."

"Well, what next?" Okamura Neiji frowned. Relying on the occupation of the railway, he ordered the cavalry to defend on the spot in the enemy environment. He roughly guessed what would happen next.

The cavalry unit then encountered the main Red Army force and was completely destroyed before they could even send a farewell message. According to the escaped reporter Ono, the Eighth Route Army first deployed bombers, dropping inextinguishable incendiary bombs that destroyed the central supply position. Then, they bombed and fired back and forth, destroying the cavalry artillery positions. Then, a seemingly endless stream of infantry appeared, sweeping across the mountains and plains, surrounding and annihilating the cavalry unit.

"Reporter Ono-san hid in a pile of garbage in the drainage ditch under the railway and finally escaped with his life."

Ah, as expected, when the enemy was attacked and called for reinforcements, the commander actually ordered the cavalry, known for their mobility, to hold their ground and wait for reinforcements. The Red Army's possession of aircraft was no news, but even if reinforcements arrived, what use would those dual-use road and rail patrol vehicles have against the attack of light bombers?

Okamura Neiji had no idea that the Eighth Route Army's small transport convoys likely lacked radios, and he had no doubt about the role his own intelligence department played in this. He simply lamented that such a misguided command had been made. The quality of the First Army had indeed declined significantly in recent years.

"You Mojun, go draft a telegram and ask the First Army to reflect on this." "Hi."

After seeing off his deputy chief of staff, Okamura Yasuji sat down in a chair and began to think. He had been reading a lot of information and historical records these days, and had spent a long time poring over battle reports and captured items. The many clues about the Communist Red Army in North China gradually converged in his mind, slowly forming a web of intertwined threads.

The Red Army in Shaanxi, Gansu, and Ningxia provinces is well-armed and exports supplies eastwards.

The Eighth Route Army forces in other provinces were weaker, though still very formidable...

Homemade weapons, modified weapons, and weapons of the Imperial Army, engraved with inscriptions from various arsenals... small inventions full of pragmatic wisdom are prevalent in various bases...

Could it be that all of this was supplied by the Eighth Route Red Army in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region? That's impossible. This level of armament... rather resembles Japan's domestic layout. It's inevitable that each area occupied by the Red Army has a set of means to operate independently and maintain the production of weapons.

"Tanabe-kun, do you still remember how the Empire's armaments were produced?" He asked seemingly for no reason.

"Aren't weapons produced in factories?" Tanabe Moriheitake was stunned for a moment. The commander must have his own considerations for asking this question. "I don't know. Please give me some advice, Commander."

"Although the Imperial Empire's weapons are all manufactured in factories, my visits to Tokyo and other places years ago revealed that this wasn't always the case," Okamura Neiji said slowly. "The Imperial Empire's factories disassemble weapons into numerous small parts, distributing them to numerous small companies, factories, workshops, and even individuals, who then assemble the products. Factories only need to produce the key, core equipment."

"Your Excellency is saying... the army will produce core components in the rear, then transport them to various bases for assembly into weapons and equipment to fight against the Imperial Army?" Before Tanabe Moritake could react, Ozaki Shotaro added, seemingly grasping Okamura's train of thought. "Then, if we want to break this situation..."

"Yes, we still need to increase the intensity of the 'mopping up' operation,"

Okamura nodded, then shook his head. "But it won't be the same as the previous security operations. Can our army now completely blockade the Red Army's bases and strongholds and prevent them from receiving support from the rear? Tanabe-kun, to be honest, I don't have any hope."

"I'm very sorry, Commander."

"So, we need to use another method to destroy the foundation of their resistance."

Okamura Neiji leaned back in his chair, revealing a dangerous look.

"I have a plan."

Chapter 420: Japanese Samurai and Good Horses

"I think the Communist Red Army is at a critical point in its quest for strength."

"Previously, the Imperial Army launched numerous sweeps against the areas they held. Initially, the Communists had to evacuate and stretch their supply lines before they could repel the Imperial Army. Now, they dare to encircle and attack the Imperial Army from within their base." "They're getting stronger, gentlemen!" Okamura Yasuji rapped on the table, emphasizing, "They're constantly getting stronger!"

But in the end he didn't dare to say the second half of the sentence.

"If the mopping-up operations fail to damage the Communist Army's foundation, they will gradually become stronger. Simply increasing the intensity of the mopping-up operations will not completely solve the problem. Now that they can launch a counterattack against the Imperial Army, they may even dare to run out of their base to fight the Imperial Army." After avoiding the sensitive topic, Okamura Neiji expressed his own judgment.

"To change this situation, it is like pulling out the coals from a stove. Only by inflicting a devastating blow on the areas where the Communists are entrenched can we achieve success.

"Don't be afraid of the Communist Army's legendary, elusive, and difficult-to-capture main force! Gentlemen, the Communist Red Army has paid a price to become stronger, and this price is the key to the Imperial Army's breakthrough!"

If it were in the original time and space, Okamura, who conducted a systematic study on "why the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army were not destroyed but continued to be active", successfully discovered the foundation on which our party and army relied for survival - the people of the anti-Japanese base areas - the cold-blooded and cruel Okamura Yasuji would have regularized, standardized and organized the previous wanton violence of the Japanese army, and the "Three Alls" system was born.

Under his command, the Japanese army persevered in their reign of terror, coordinating with Tada Shun's cage policy by overhauling the blockade lines and employing an exceptionally brutal policy of massacring civilians who disloyally cooperated with the Imperial Army until they surrendered. Furthermore, Okamura Yasuji vigorously cultivated puppet troops, implementing the strategy of "using Chinese to control Chinese" to alleviate the pressure on the Japanese army.

In this time and space, facing the changed situation and the greatly strengthened Eighth Route Army and New Fourth Army, this old fox naturally would not repeat the useless earthen artillery towers and bamboo fence blockades. He keenly perceived another key factor in the strengthening of our party and army - industry.

Industry gave birth to rifles, bullets, airplanes, and artillery. Although, due to a lack of intelligence and the limitations of Japanese thinking, Okamura Yasuji couldn't imagine a red industrial system spanning Huinong, Dingyan, Yansui, Fushi, and Fuxian, with its continuous expansion and pulsation, he still drew an analogy with Japan's unique decentralized collaborative system, imagining the circulation system constructed by the Eighth Route Army across several bases.

"But at the moment, the idiots in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are doing nothing and are unable to block the Red Army's access to raw materials, machinery, and armaments from the British, Americans, and other foreign countries.

"Aviation companies are struggling to develop weapons. Even with highly skilled air sergeants and pilots, they struggle to defeat the localized fighters surrendered to the British and Communists, and cannot rely on bombers to destroy their rear-line industries. "Headquarters is also unwilling to commit more troops to strengthen the various armies in order to launch a decisive offensive."

After pouring cold water on him, Okamura Neiji changed the subject.

"I served as a traveling military attaché, traveling to numerous European countries for exchanges. Even after returning home, I continued to follow the European war and research the current war situation. The continent's leading power, the United States, sought to enhance the mobility of its forces, allowing them to attack and retreat freely. France, once the Imperial Army's mentor, was clinging to its deficient experience from the previous European war, employing a static defense against highly mobile forces. Consequently, it was defeated by the United States in a month..."

His tone became excited and he spoke with conviction:

"In the past, the Communist Army, in its territories, enjoyed greater mobility than the Imperial Army. Relying on their familiarity with the terrain and the assistance of the inhabitants, they were able to seize the initiative in deciding whether to fight or not...

And now, in order to gain industrial power, the Communist army must have industrial facilities in its bases that cannot be easily moved. These facilities are scattered across multiple areas and connected by roads, so they cannot abandon their factories and equipment!"

Okamura Yasuji finally pitched his vision: "I want to build a special force that combines various forces and possesses superb mobility! This is the decisive force. Once deployed, it will completely destroy the Communist army's factories, cut off their source of advanced equipment, and completely sever the root cause of their undermining public order!"

If we were to ask what kind of troops would be needed to realize Okamura Yasuji's vision, it would naturally be a motorized force - a unit that uses wheels instead of feet and animal-drawn carts. It has far greater mobility than traditional division units and can carry more destructive weapons and equipment.

In order to pursue mobility, the size of the troops should not be too large, and the size of a brigade is enough.

In order to save costs, see results as soon as possible, and reverse the situation in North China, it would be best if this force was built based on an existing force.

According to his plan, this force needs at least two regiment-level infantry units that can maneuver quickly. Due to changes in mobility methods, these units should be able to operate mountain artillery firepower such as the Type 94; and then match it with an artillery battalion equipped with mobile field guns to provide preparatory firepower for the battle; in addition, in order to ensure the movement, reconnaissance and logistics of the troops, it is necessary to insert an engineering regiment, a search regiment and a logistics regiment that are sufficient to support the motorized troops into the organizational system.

Of course, the most important thing is that such a force should change the previous method of dispersing the use of tanks and armored vehicles, learn from the experience of the independent country, and incorporate it into an independent mecha battalion to make the force's attack more deterrent and destructive.

This was not an easy task, as there were many problems from paper to implementation. However, Okamura Yasuji was a man of action, and he first began searching within his own small territory, the North China Front Army.

Tank and mechanized troops? There shouldn't be any big problem. Okamura Yasuji found the independent tank squadron allocated to the North China Front Army by the China Expeditionary Army, and collected a lot of equipment from the First Army, the Twelfth Army and the direct units of the Mongolian Army. In the security battle in North China, the various armies had tried to use tanks, but the tanks sent out were either unable to move due to the rugged roads in the Communist Red Army's base, or the tanks that rushed into the village first suddenly exploded and caught fire without any warning, and the turrets flew high.

Under these circumstances, Okamura easily assembled the framework of a mecha unit—if medium tanks were insufficient, he used light tanks; if light tanks were insufficient, he used armored vehicles. He found ten Type 97 medium tanks, fourteen Type 95 light tanks, and ten Type 94 armored vehicles in excellent condition, successfully forming a mecha squadron. He also removed four Type 95 light tanks and all the Type 94 armored vehicles and assigned them to the cavalry search wing to bolster the reconnaissance force.

However, in his subsequent work, Okamura encountered many difficulties that he had never imagined.

-—-―---—

The first problem to arise was the formation of the engineering corps.

Okamura Yasuji's call for heroes was sent to all armies, but the response was surprisingly consistent: "Dear Commander! Our engineering battalions in each unit require the assistance of motor vehicles and horse-drawn carts from divisional headquarters to transport all their equipment." Furthermore, each battalion only has wooden pontoon bridges to accommodate infantry artillery and infantry. To transport mountain and truck artillery, they must rely on folding boats, civilian ships, or existing bridges, which is very slow.

I'm really sorry, they don't have the ability to independently support the mecha troops. Unless the headquarters strengthens the engineering troops, allocates motor vehicles, pontoon bridge parts and other equipment, and gives more money to enrich the personnel and provide more training, it will be possible to meet the commander's requirements.

If I had money, why would I need you? Can't I just build a new one?

Okamura Yasuji was furious, but he couldn't summon engineers. Without them, his tanks would suffer the same immobilization problem as his previous units. He had no choice but to turn his attention to the North China Front Army's sole heavy pontoon bridge regiment: this unit was the support unit for the North China Front's offensive campaigns. It was classified as an "E"-level engineer unit, capable of building vehicle pontoon bridges to support the operation of motorized units.

If the North China Front launched an attack in the future, the new mixed unit would undoubtedly be present. Okamura Neiji closed his eyes, added some trucks to the sole pontoon bridge regiment, and then added it to his own basket. Then, the mixed unit's artillery—the artillery battalion using field guns—began to face problems.

The North China Expeditionary Army was not short of artillery. Although the need to expand the independent mixed brigade had forced many units to switch to the outdated Type 31 mountain guns, the commander had no problem finding some 75mm field guns. However, Okamura Yasuji was surprised to discover that almost all of his troops' field guns, such as the Type 90 and Type 38 Kai, were designed with steel wheels suitable for horse and mule traction. They lacked the rubber tires and cushioning suspension suitable for motorized marching. Even if these guns were towed by vehicles, their marching speed would be significantly reduced to 20 kilometers per hour, rendering them useless for mobility.

How does this work?

Neiji Amiyama was at a loss for what to do. After much deliberation, he could only report to the China Expeditionary Army and Imperial Headquarters, requesting the transfer of twelve Type 91 105mm howitzers from the 12nd Field Heavy Artillery Brigade. This unit was currently stationed in North China and had its own trucks and tracked tractors, allowing for field deployment. This was a minor solution to the problem.

Okamura Neiji, begging for favors and using connections, moved back and forth between various units to build the powerful mixed-use unit he envisioned. He was like a rustic inventor, searching for parts for his inventions, but always finding those parts were not available on the shelves, requiring him to modify or even build them from scratch.

But hard work pays off. This extremely difficult task for the Japanese troops in North China was finally largely accomplished. Tanks, reconnaissance, engineers, artillery, logistics... all these combat forces gradually took shape under the Commander's tireless efforts. It seemed they would truly merge into this brand-new mixed unit, forming a swift and powerful force.

But at this time, Okamura Neiji once again encountered one of his most difficult problems.

"Report! Commander!"

"If you have anything to say, just tell me directly."

"Yes, sir!" the adjutant opened the folder in his hand and reported, "Sir! We have checked all the spare vehicles in the direct-affiliated units and various armies for the automatic vehicles needed by the two mobile infantry regiments. Even if we take all of them, we still can't meet half of the demand."

"What? North China is so big, can't we even get a few hundred trucks out?"

"Yes, sir! Although there are many trucks in the area controlled by the North China Imperial Army, most of them belong to the North China Transportation Corporation and the East Asia Shipping Corporation. We can only hire them, not requisition them; and the rest..."

"explain!"

"Some of the remaining available vehicles belong to the Navy!"

Chapter 421 Life is always a test, test and...

(Update)

"The scores are out! The scores are out! Comrades, please make way, please make way!"

The staff shouted, carrying several large, colorful posters that blended classic and modern elements. They approached, carrying aluminum folding ladders, and headed for the wall in the field. Those who were free on the playground began to gather upon hearing the noise. However, the crowd, in an orderly manner, cleared a path in front of the bulletin board to allow the staff who came to put up the posters to have a place.

Wang Tiechui, who was playing ping-pong with someone, was startled. He turned his head, and a backspin shot brushed his racket, landing on the table and flying behind him. A comrade nearby performed a Swift Eagle hand move, catching the yellow ping-pong ball. He shouted, "18 to 20! Match point!"

But more and more people were gathering over there. Wang Tiechui was a little hesitant as he kept pacing the beat, feeling a mixture of anticipation, anxiety, and nervousness rising in his heart, just like...