Canteen System Assistance Notes

"The 12th Army has decided to abandon Rizhao and withdraw the 55th Division (formerly the 6th Independent Mixed Division) to march north to repel Wang Jianan's forces and recapture Weixian. The battle should be underway now," the staff officer reported hesitantly, refusing to elaborate on the actual battle situation. "Can't the 21st Division provide support? They're in Pengcheng and could be transported to Weixian by rail."

"Um... The 12th Army reports that the 21st Division needs to defend the Longhai Road. The surrounding Communist forces, especially the New Fourth Army, have been extremely active recently, and they are unable to withdraw troops.

.......

"Okay," Okamura covered his face. "The 55th Division should have no problem taking Fangzi Town, right?" He could only pull out the small red flag of Weixian, pretend nothing had happened, and plant it over Rizhao.

Alas, there are not enough troops.

This severe shortage of troops had plagued Fengcun for a long time. Without beans in hand, one cannot make tofu. Even if he had the highest strategic vision among Japanese commanders, he could hardly be a good paperhanger for the situation in North China.

But now, Okamura finally received some good news. After two of the headquarters staff returned home to report, the headquarters finally sent him the support he had longed for:

At the end of 1938, the 106th Division, which had been sent to North China for rest and reinforcement, was transferred to the North China Front Army. Having been severely damaged by the Nationalist Army in Central China, it was originally sent to North China for rest and recuperation. However, after more than two years of rest and recuperation, the division had not recovered much, so it was simply transferred.

The 22nd Division and the 66th Division (formerly the 17th Independent Mixed Division) in the Yangtze River Delta region of central China have completed assembly and defense handover, and have boarded the train to arrive in Nanjing City. Next, they will continue to take the train north to deliver fully equipped and manned fresh troops to the North China Front Army.

This was the reinforcement that Okamura had originally requested. In addition, the headquarters also sent additional troops.

The 4th Division, which was originally preparing to return to China, set out from the Magic City, arrived at the port of Jieshi Island by boat, and re-landed. They were expected to be deployed to the Zhangyuan City front, which was short of troops, to assist the 64th Division (the former Independent Mixed 15th Division guarding Peking) in resisting possible attacks from the Eighth Route Army.

The arrogant Kwantung Army, a superior rank to the North China Front Army, also dispatched the 14th Division, located near North China, and the newly trained Manchukuo Army under the coordination of the Imperial Headquarters. Although these troops were not under the command of the North China Front Army, they would assume the responsibility of defending the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, replacing the Japanese expatriates who had long stood guard. The 27th and 56th Divisions (formerly the 7th Independent Mixed Division), already exhausted, with their supply systems incomplete and nearly half their personnel reduced, were finally able to cease fighting the Eighth Route Army and march north through the Great Wall to rest and recuperate within the Kwantung Army's territory.

"Total, there are five divisions of reinforcements... The 106th Division cannot be counted. They were originally stationed in the Xinxiang area, and their equipment was incomplete, so they don't count." Okamura nodded. He finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that he had an extra trump card in his hand.

Well, then, my staff and I will present our battle plan to you... Chief of Staff Moritake Tanabe walked over to the map, picked up his telescopic pointer, and prepared to begin the deduction. "In this battle plan, our army will attack from Jin Province and Zhangyuan City. The troops will attack from two directions, first capturing Yunzhong, the starting point of the attack..."

"Hmm? Wait a minute, wait a minute."

Okamura was a bit surprised. He raised his hand and stopped the staff's preparations. "Why attack Suiyuan? When did I say we were going to attack Suiyuan? Didn't we plan to open the Jinpu Road first? Why attack Suiyuan again?" "Oh, Mr. Okamura. The mainland order for mobilizing troops specified the attack targets of the troops. 'We hope that the North China Front will recapture lost territory and restore the pre-war situation...' So we are planning based on the previously formulated counterattack plan..."

"Nonsense! Are you going to attack Suiyuan now? Do you think the Imperial Army has too many troops and not enough to spend?" Okamura rebuked him, lowering his voice. "Even if we take Suiyuan, can we solve the ZN Incident? Recovering lost territory, opening up the Jinpu Road, and retaking Dezhou would also be a great victory for the Imperial Army, wouldn't it?"

"You must immediately revise the battle plan, then draft a telegram for me and send it to headquarters!"

Chapter 511: Zhao Division Eats Dumplings, Dian Troops Slacks Off

After a major defeat in 1939, Itagaki Seishirō, then commander of the North China Front Army, used his face power to advance about five divisions of reinforcements from the headquarters. These young soldiers, recruited with red postcards, were led by a small number of sergeants and arrived at ports such as Jieshi Island and Busan by ship, and then transported by rail.

Became the fresh blood of the North China Front Army.

At that time, due to previous overdrafts and changes in strategy, the number of new troops added was only about one division.

However, for the North China Front Army, this batch of additional troops was the material basis for the Japanese army to persist until 41 and still be able to launch active offensives. Therefore, the North China Front Army was relatively free in the use of these human resources:

The new recruits could be added to the understaffed infantry battalions according to the North China Front Army's plan, or they could be used to form independent guard infantry regiments. Or, according to the "Independent Mixed Brigade Combat Capability Enhancement" framework, they could be added to the original independent mixed brigade to upgrade it to a three-unit division.

But now, the reinforcements coming to North China are no longer a bunch of pure red-paper recruits, "newbies" who can be bullied and trained by the veterans - these people are all ready-made "big guys" with their own organization and command structure.

This time, the first to arrive were the 14th Division.

Originating from Utsunomiya, Japan, they were designated by the Imperial Headquarters as the permanent (pseudo) Manchuria Garrison* Division, codenamed the "Zhao Bingtuan." They were just about to conduct the "Guan Special Exercise," and their combat readiness level was relatively high, allowing them to transfer directly to the border by train, eliminating the need for further assembly and mobilization from their defense zone.

As for the military support for the "lifeline of Manchuria and Mongolia", the Kwantung Army's level was the same as that of the China Expeditionary Army, and naturally it was higher than that of the North China Front Army. Therefore, when the headquarters coordinated with the Kwantung Army and sent troops to North China for support, the Kwantung Army did not think that they were sending personnel to "support", but rather that the Kwantung Army expanded its own defense range and helped the North China Front Army to defend Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.

Look at how unlucky you are! How could the fight against the Communist Army turn out like this? Look at our Kwantung Army, the Communist troops in (pseudo) Manchuria, weren't they all wiped out by us? So when the staff officers of the 14th Division first arrived at Tieshishi Hutong in Beijing, they were really "upright and arrogant".

"Mr. Okamura." A staff officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel, wearing shiny leather boots, stomped on the threshold of the North China Front Army in Tieshishihu Hutong. "You bastard..."

The staff officer on duty inside the gate had never seen such an arrogant lieutenant colonel before. He was about to open his mouth to scold him, but the man on the other side replied: "The 14th Division, under the order of the headquarters, has come to provide tactical guidance for the defense of Peking."

He had reason to be so arrogant - the superior status of the Kwantung Army itself; the fully equipped and powerful 14th Division; the unequal status of the one seeking help and the tactical instructor... Besides, he was just a small staff officer, and it was a good thing to bring honor to the division; even if he was reprimanded for "lack of vision", at most he would be punished within the 14th Division and given a few words of reprimand.

In addition to its existing infantry, supply, field artillery, and reconnaissance corps, the 14th Division also brought with it a "special heavy artillery corps" dispatched from the Kwantung Army. This corps consisted of four 7-year-old long howitzers. Look! Those are 12-inch guns! Even the navy's guns weren't that big!

Unparalleled strength made him very inflated. As expected, the elderly staff officer of the North China Front Army could only swallow his breath and bow slightly and said: "I understand. I will go and inform Commander Okamura right away." "Oh, Your Excellency, please wait."

The Lieutenant Colonel's staff officer pressed on, "Please also inform His Excellency Okamura: To expedite our combat and defense operations, please provide us with the defense deployment diagrams and staff information files for Beijing and Tianjin, and agree on the frequency band and code for our mutual communication."

"Finally, the 14th Division Headquarters will soon arrive. Mr. Okamura, please facilitate the resupply—please prepare dumplings for our division!"

"Dumplings?" The old staff officer, filled with rage, retorted, "Why dumplings? Does the Kwantung Army need dumplings to ensure its military supplies?"

"Of course. Commander Kita said, how can the Utsunomiya Division fight without fried dumplings?"

When the North China Front Army in Peking was unhappy but had to prepare dumplings for the 14th Division, the 4th Division was boarding the train from Jieshi Island.

Prepare to start your own journey to North China.

The "Yodo" unit, formed in Osaka, earned the nickname "Osaka Merchant Corps." Internet memes portrayed it as a weak fighter, often abandoning allies and remaining cowardly, while also being known for its shrewd business practices. However, historically, this unit's reputation stemmed more from its distinct combat style from other Japanese units, leading to poor coordination and widespread negative publicity.

For example, the successive commanders of the 4th Division did not advocate the "Banzai Charge" when the enemy situation was unclear or the firepower was not superior, and opposed unnecessary sacrifices;

The 4th Division is relatively good at organizing artillery and is committed to leveraging the advantages of its own equipment.

All in all, this was a relatively intelligent Japanese unit. While this intelligence certainly played into their commercial instincts, the current division commander, Kitano Kenzo, wasn't particularly interested in business matters. His unit had inexplicably ended their leave of absence and was being sent to a city they'd never heard of, Zhangyuan, to fight against the northern communist forces. What were these northern communist forces like?

He had looked up some information and consulted many colleagues and seniors, but the results he got varied greatly, and were even somewhat contradictory: the Communist Army in the battle reports was always described as "not to be feared", but it was always able to force the Imperial Army, which was fortified in the fortified cities, to change its tactics. The Communist Army mentioned by his colleagues in the 11th Army was mostly a group of mountain civet cats that were very capable in mountainous villages but rarely appeared on the plains; while waiting for the ship in the Magic City, most of his colleagues in the 13th Army said that the Communist Army was just a group of bandits causing trouble in the countryside and would not amount to anything major.

Anyway, maybe he's a difficult opponent to deal with, or at least a very troublesome one? No, I definitely can't fight him head-on!

The Kitano division commander decided to wait until he reached Peking to personally meet with Commander Okamura. Even if he had to throw a tantrum, he would still demand at least one regiment of heavy artillery as reinforcement. A 105mm howitzer would be adequate, but a 150mm howitzer would be even better. Of course, a mobile 150mm howitzer of the "B" unit quality would be the best option.

Otherwise... Kitano Kenzo imagined the situation where his needs were not met, and soon he made up his mind:

Otherwise, I would hint to my subordinates that once we reach the front line, the troops will implement elastic (stroke) (water) defense (touch) and defensive (fish) tactics!

Chapter 512: Original Division, Peak Unit, Welcome to North China

"Ahhh... the glory of the war shines brightly, the foundation of peace in the East, built by the military's meritorious service... the glorious Demon City Expeditionary Force!" "Wow, the kids in your division sing pretty well."

Inside the city of Quancheng, two Japanese veterans were chatting. One of them was from the 66th Division stationed in Songjiang, the Magic City, and the other was from the 66th Division stationed near Lin'an.

The 22nd Division of the Japanese Army was considered a fellow countryman in Japan.

On the second-floor balcony, he stretched out his arms and looked at the privates passing by below.

The ordinary soldiers on the street lined up in neat rows, followed by trucks, baggage carts and armored vehicles, clattering forward - this is the content of the marching ceremony

It is used for military reporters to take photos and has no binding force on veteran soldiers.

They knew that once the vehicles and personnel arrived at the assembly point in front of the train station, they would be reorganized again, so they could rejoin the team at that time.

"The song of the Demon City Expeditionary Force...even though they sing it properly, most people just whine and wow along."

One of them stuffed the pastry on the plate beside him into his mouth, then patted the crumbs on his hands, "But it is important to have spirit, the soldiers of the Empire,

You have to be full of energy!"

At this time in Quancheng, the Japanese army was stronger than ever before - part of the 59th Division (formerly the 10th Independent Mixed Division) came from Dongchangfu to assist the 12th Army Headquarters

The 55th Division, moving from Yizhou, was preparing to attack Fangzi Town in Weixian along the railway.

Most of the Regiment (formerly the 6th Independent Mixed Regiment); plus the recently arrived 66th Division (formerly the 17th Independent Mixed Regiment) and the 22nd Division, all have more or less troops gathered here.

The tiny city of Quanzhou, housing four divisions and the headquarters of the 12th Army, a "group army," makes the Japanese troops here seem to have returned to the days just after their invasion of China, to a time when their own "spiritual era" was truly rampant.

For the two old Japanese soldiers stationed in the Yangtze River Delta region, this is indeed a yesterday worth remembering.

"Drawing the katana, we march forward with the knowledge of certain death. The spirit of the Imperial Empire and the samurai spirit have vanished since the Meiji Restoration, but today, the Japanese sword shines once again. How glorious..."

After the troops supporting the marching ceremony finished singing "Song of the Demon City Expeditionary Force" and then began singing "Song of the Sword-drawing Corps," the two veterans pulled out their polished apples from their pockets and began to devour the last of the fruit. "Hey, Kojima-san, have you received any letters from home lately?" one asked, taking a bite of the apple.

"Yes," the Japanese soldier named "Kojima" nodded, holding the apple in his hand and recalling, "I mailed the letter from the 'Soldiers Club' by Qiantang West Lake three months ago, right? And I received the reply a week before I set off."

At this point, Kojima's expression flickered with nostalgia. "The letter says things are pretty good back home—the fishing is going well. I heard that every time we go out to sea these past few years, we've been able to land a full tank of horse mackerel... Otsuka-san, that's fantastic! When I was in Japan, it was hard to predict such a good harvest every year."

Otsuka said nothing. He ate a few big bites of the apple, leaving only the core. Then he turned the core upside down and slowly began to nibble on the last bit of flesh. At the end, he whispered, "Kojima-san, did you know that the letters we send back to China are all censored?"

"Of course I know that. It's been around for a long time." Kojima asked doubtfully, "But isn't this mainly for new recruits? I saw the handwriting on the letter, and it's the same handwriting I've seen before - my wife can write letters!" "It's like this, Kojima-san. Before I came to ZN to serve, my family had some small business and connections. So when I was in Shanghai, I asked someone to go home and take a look."

Otsuka lowered his voice as if telling a ghost story: "For a while now, the boats in the fishing port have not been allowed to leave!"

"What? Then what do we eat and use?"

"They say they're going to count the fishing boats and register them," Otsuka said. "I wonder what they'll do next! As for what everyone's eating, those who came to register said, 'You guys! Now's the time to contribute to the Empire! If you don't have anything to eat, why not go to the beach and pick up some shells?'" He pinched his nose, pretending to be hilarious and awkward. "Look, isn't there anything like this on your reply letter?"

The old devil Xiaodao opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end he didn't say it. In the end, he just finished the apple in his hand and muttered something.

"What should I do then?"

"What should I do? I don't know," said another old Japanese soldier, Otsuka, who had bitten the apple until only a few black seeds were left and threw it downstairs. "Anyway, I will

If we win, things will get better.”

The soldiers' singing gradually faded away, and the streets returned to silence. Then, a few brave Chinese people began to slowly poke their heads out to observe the situation on the street. Gradually, the flow of people on the street began to pick up again, and more people walked by.

The time was almost up, and the two veterans threw a few military notes to the Japanese who owned the shop and left the teahouse.

March, but must not be absent when gathering and counting people at the train station.

Before leaving, the two veterans took away a handful of cola-flavored gummy bears from the Japanese shop owner and continued their conversation as they walked towards the train station.

"I have to say, Magic City is indeed the largest city in ZN. Although Quancheng may not be as big as it, it feels much bigger than my hometown - Sendai. It feels like a small village by the sea."

"Yeah, I feel like if it's compared to the Magic City, I'm afraid only Tokyo can compare."

The two Sendai devils ate candy on the road and sighed. Although everyone around them avoided the two wandering Japanese soldiers, they had long been accustomed to this kind of treatment.

"What will the city we're going to this time be like, Dezhou? What will the Communist army we're going to fight over there look like?" Xiaodao asked, rubbing the gummy bear in his hands. "Dezhou, I only know that it's a city on the railway line; and the Communist army, I only heard a little about it when I was fighting in Zhejiang Province. They were mostly bandits hiding in the mountains and hills. It's hard to imagine.

, in the north, they were able to capture cities.

"Otsuka-san, you're quite knowledgeable, you know that?"

I'm not familiar with Dezhou either. But I do know that merchants from Shanghai who travel north to Dezhou always go to eat braised chicken. As for the Communist Army, you asked me about it. When I was in Shanghai, I only heard that the Communist Army would operate in the city's concessions.

Otsuka wrapped up some candies and stuffed them into his pocket, preparing to return to the barracks to sell them. "But dealing with them is the job of the military police and the Imperial Army. We don't need to. I think no matter how powerful they are, they will be dealt with like that." "The North China Army must have never seen the world and was scared by a few communist troops!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

The heaviness of the previous conversation disappeared, and the two of them came to the train station in Quancheng with a smile. They looked around and began to look for the traces of their troops.

A group of khaki-colored figures gathered here, making it difficult to tell where the troops were. However, the two veterans were very familiar with the situation: at this time, just grab someone and ask them, and you'll know the situation. They quickly locked onto a few privates squatting against the wall on the side of the road. Those guys had sunken eyes, hunched backs, and haggard bodies, and it was obvious that they had been hanging out in the red light district too much.

"How many of you! Which unit are you from?!"

Otsuka and Kojima flashed their rank of Sergeant and Sergeant, their voices filled with righteousness. "How dare you sit on the side of the road like this? You're a complete disgrace to the Imperial Army! Stand up!"

In the past, in the 66th and 22nd Divisions, if a junior soldier saw two ferocious-looking old sergeants acting like this, they would have instantly sprung to attention and loudly announced their unit's organization. Finally, they would have bowed their heads and apologized to the two old sergeants, saying that their behavior was not proper and asking for punishment from their superiors.

These two veterans had done this sort of thing many times before, so they were too familiar with it. Next, they could have given the other side a few "three-pointers," or they could have scolded them angrily and then magnanimously sent them back to their unit. But this time, the soldiers just glanced at them, and after a long while, they staggered to their feet. Not only did they not stand at attention, bow, or apologize, they didn't even bother to greet their elders.

"You guys! Don't you even care about the rules?!"

Seeing the disrespectful behavior of the privates, Sergeant Kojima was immediately enraged and was about to kick them with his boots. However, a corporal emerged from the group opposite him. He straightened the red mountain-shaped insignia on his chest and asked the two old non-commissioned officers who were not wearing insignia:

"Commanders, are you the veterans from the former division and the peak unit, coming to reinforce us?"

"So what? You're the leader here, right? The 32nd Division? It seems your seniors didn't teach you well, so we have to take over!" "Ah! Senior, no, that's not it!"

All the dejection, fatigue and indifference on the corporal's face disappeared in an instant, and turned extremely abruptly into extreme enthusiasm, happiness and joy. There was even a hint of blush on his pale face, as if someone had pressed a switch.

His tone was joyful, his words were flattering, and he opened his arms and clapped.

"Ah! Seniors, congratulations! Welcome! Welcome to North China!"

The surrounding soldiers also stood up, formed a semi-circle and applauded, "You are so powerful! Welcome to North China!"

Chapter 513: The unexpected start of the three-game Texas game

The moment the 22nd and 66th (formerly the 17th Independent Mixed) Divisions set foot out of Quancheng, the battle known in this time and space as the "Three Attacks on Texas" began.

This battle was a sequel to a series of previous battles and was also the longest of the three battles in North China. Since it is called the "Three Strikes", there must have been "First Strikes" and "Second Strikes" before it.

The Dezhou siege, launched simultaneously with the Second Hebei Central Anti-encirclement and Suppression Campaign, was led by Yang Guofu's troops of the Hebei-Shandong Border Military Region and Song Shaowu's troops of the Hebei-South Military Region. It was called "the First Fight". In this battle, the Japanese 56th Division (formerly the 7th Independent Mixed Division) defending Dezhou was beaten badly and was on the verge of collapse in the city, but it finally held the city. Although our army did not capture Dezhou, it also effectively tied down the Japanese troops attacking the Hebei Central Base Area, and promoted the victory of the Hebei Central Anti-encirclement and Suppression Campaign.

Subsequently, the Ji-Lu Border and Ji-Nan Military Regions, along with the Beiyue Wang Xibei and Xu Heshang's forces in Jiaodong, launched a siege against De County, known as the "Second Attack on T." In this battle, our army nominally used its main force to attack Dezhou City, but the most combat-effective forces, Wang Xibei and Xu Heshang's forces, did not directly join the battlefield, but instead maneuvered and waited on the periphery.

Later, Wang Xibei's troops, together with the main force of the southern Hebei base area and local forces, surrounded and annihilated two regiments of the 32nd Division in Dezhou, which had just withdrawn from central Hebei and struggled to come to support; Xu Heshang's troops, after the Japanese 27th Division (which had been deployed outside for more than 10 months without rest at this time) and the 56th Division abandoned the city and fled north, joined forces with local forces on the Hebei-Shandong border and pursued them all the way, killing nearly half of the troops of the two divisions.

In the end, our army not only successfully occupied Dezhou and cut off the Jinpu Road, but also crippled two Japanese divisions, occupied Cangxian and Hengshui, and completely cut off the railway connection between Shimen and Dezhou.

This victory practically split the North China Front Army into two regions, north and south, along the Shide Railway. It effectively connected multiple anti-Japanese bases and significantly altered the strategic landscape in North China. So, after finally securing four divisions of reinforcements, Okamura Yasuji, the commander of the Japanese Army in North China, must have wanted to restore the Jinpu Railway to normal operation and re-secure the Japanese Army's lifeline.

The commander of the Eighth Route Army campaign, 101, Lin Husan thought the same.

Because from any perspective, the Japanese army is, will, and must think and act this way.

Not to mention the importance of the Jinpu Road, a transportation artery that traverses northern and southern China's political centers and coastal economic hubs, connecting the north and the south. The Japanese military headquarters could not allow the situation in China to degenerate to this point. The upcoming southward strategy required a relatively stable rear area of ​​occupation, a colony from which to plunder raw materials and dump manufactured goods, not a "Baiji steamed bun with devil pepper cactus" that was split into two parts and so spicy that it was unpalatable.

Even if we don't want North China, we still have to save face when competing with the Navy for the budget, right?