Canteen System Assistance Notes

"The various units of the Kwantung Army are formidable, carrying vast quantities of supplies, equipment, and personnel. This operation, carried out in friendly territory, involves numerous forces and has a wide impact," Lieutenant General Yoshimoto said slowly. "Furthermore, the airfield where the fighter planes take off and land is merely a runway flattened with dirt and rocks. Therefore, if we simply dispatch troops to sweep and defeat the enemy but fail to maintain the occupation, I'm afraid the Red Army will be able to mobilize laborers to repair the area soon after the Imperial Army retreats."

"It would be better to hand over the combat areas within the Great Wall to the Kwantung Army's Kwantung Army Expeditionary Corps for management at its discretion. Furthermore, to facilitate future operations, all units within the Expeditionary Corps' combat areas should be placed under the unified command of the Expeditionary Corps."

Regardless of the outcome of this operation, the rights of the Navy's Jiaozhou and Yantai Weihaiwei Command Areas must not be affected. "Ichinose Shinichi, who had been dozing off nearby, suddenly spoke up," the Navy has no opinion on the rest of the matter." "Please wait..."

"The rights of the naval district will not change after the Kwantung Army takes over the management of Jiaodong."

Without waiting for Ando Twenty-three, the Chief of Staff of the North China Army, to interject, Lieutenant General Yoshimoto nodded and made his decision. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the representative from the headquarters: Before victory in a battle could be achieved, before the battle itself had even begun, this representative of the Kwantung Army had bared his fangs:

"After this campaign, the Jiaodong region will likely require a permanent garrison. The Kwantung Army, stationed in Manchuria to deter the enemy, will still require a significant amount of mobile forces. Therefore, we plan to use the garrison on the Manchuria-Soviet border as a foundation, continuing with the North China Independent Mixed Forces expansion plan, with the Imperial Headquarters replenishing the appropriate manpower and resources to upgrade it to a garrison division..."

"The previous upgrade was the result of the Kwantung Army's own efforts, but the resources needed for subsequent upgrades are still needed. I hope the headquarters will provide support."

Chapter 595: The Kwantung Army makes a grand appearance!

If we look back at fictional novels set during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Okamura Yasuji often appears as the "ultimate boss" of the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army. Defeating Okamura and the North China Front Army he represents essentially means that victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression would be advanced in that timeline.

The Kwantung Army, represented by Umezu Yoshijiro, was intended to be a "hidden boss." When the North China Army's "defeat bar" reached a certain point, the Kwantung Army, hidden behind the Liaodong Corridor and nestled between the White Mountains and Black Waters, would storm into the interior of China, attempting to save the fascists from their inevitable demise.

So in 1942, although the Umezu Michijiro of this time and space was blamed for the disastrous defeat in the suppression of the Taihang base and was sent to the reserve, the Kwantung Army under the command of Tada Shun, who was promoted to general, was still considered a powerful main force in the Japanese army and required the Eighth Route Army to deal with it seriously.

“Woo—”

With a long blast of the whistle, a Japanese-built cargo ship docked at Jiaoao Harbor. As two gangplanks were brought up to the harbor, a line of Japanese soldiers, wearing fur-lined caps, began to file off the ship. Simultaneously, cranes set up near the harbor began to operate, hoisting a variety of large cargo from the ship.

The 10th Division of the Kwantung Army officially landed in North China.

Unlike previous troop movements by rail, the Kwantung Army deployed two divisions to the interior of China by sea. The 10th Division departed from Darini (the Russian name for it) in Liaoning Province and disembarked by ship at Jiao'ao. The 28th Division, having assembled more slowly, followed the 10th Division and sailed from Darini to Weihaiwei—after all, it was still February, and many parts of the Bohai Sea were still frozen.

While the Japanese Army currently lacked landing craft, it still had a number of transport vessels that relied on the port for operations, providing ample capacity. After the 10th Division's 10,000-plus troops were unloaded, a new freighter docked and began using the port's loading and unloading facilities to unload the heavy equipment of the technical units.

For example, the 25th Independent Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment equipped with 75mm anti-aircraft guns and the attached field searchlight battalion, the 12th Independent Heavy Mortar Regiment equipped with 150mm heavy mortars, and part of the 23rd Field Heavy Artillery Regiment equipped with 150mm field howitzers... Finally, the former Chief of Staff of the Kwantung Army, the current Commander of the Kwantung Army Jiaodong Expeditionary Corps, Yoshimoto Sadaichi, wearing white gloves, walked down from the ship with a full staff team and walked into the German-style building of the Jiaoao Army Headquarters.

Following orders from the military, he would soon no longer be the commander of the Jiaodong Expeditionary Corps, but the commander of the newly established 7th Army of the Kwantung Army!

At the meeting in Nanjing City, the Kwantung Army and Yoshimoto Sadaichi got what they wanted: a "license" to cut off the Kwantung Army's jurisdiction from North China.

This huge victory, which allowed them to bite off a piece of meat from their peers, made the Kwantung Army extremely happy and joyful, so much so that their actions became unusually fast. After all, from December 1949 to the present, how many times had the "Lantern Parade" been held to celebrate the great victory of the Imperial Army?

This kind of treatment...why? Why can't it be the Kwantung Army?

To annihilate the communist army that the North China Army was helpless against, to eliminate the rebellious Chinese airfield that brought shame to the Empire, and then to divide Shandong Province vertically in the middle to gain a new jurisdiction for the Kwantung Army, as well as coal, grain, and gold mines... The immediate benefits fascinated them, and the glory of potential victory intoxicated Yoshimoto Sadaichi, as if his eyeballs and brain were trembling with excitement.

However, this communist army seemed difficult to deal with. Yoshimoto Sadaichi knew that if he could not win in battle, then there would be no empty promises to Japan and Denmark. He did not want to fail miserably and become the object of ridicule of his allies.

The Kwantung Army had experience with the Eighth Route Army. While they hadn't discovered many of the infiltration units the Eighth Route Army had been sending into Northeast China since 39, they had certainly engaged in numerous battles with the Jidong base area. Meanwhile, the Utsunomiya Division, previously deployed to support the Kwantung Army, reported back that they believed the Communist forces surrounding the city of Sijiu were cunning and troublesome, repeatedly causing the Imperial Army to retreat in pursuit and suppression, much like the "Anti-Japanese United Army" of the past.

This news finally calmed the Kwantung Army down a bit, so the two divisions sent to North China were equipped with sufficient auxiliary forces: they were not only equipped with heavy artillery and search regiments, but also anti-aircraft guns and tanks. The Kwantung Army was still haggling with the Navy, preparing to borrow the Navy's airport in Jiaoao to deploy the 97 light fighters of the fighter flight regiment.

But the navy seems very unhappy about it.

Forget it, the worst that can happen is that I can just take off from Darini, Liaoning Province, and fly across the Bohai Strait. It’s just that short of a distance.

-----——-

"Sir, there is indeed a big difference between the Communist Army and the National Army in Shancheng."

At the Jiaozhou-Aotai Army headquarters, Colonel Kohei Kusanagi, Chief of Staff of the Jiaodong Expeditionary Corps, or the newly formed 7th Army of the Kwantung Army, and Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadaichi, introduced the Eighth Route Army within the Great Wall. As a relatively rare "China expert" (referring to China outside of Manchuria) within the Kwantung Army, he had been specially promoted from his position as a senior staff officer in the 4th Army to serve as Chief of Staff of the 7th Army, providing advice to the commander.

"I once went into the interior of China to conduct reconnaissance during the Liutiaohu Incident, and I have some understanding of the situation there. Back then, the Communist Army was just a 'warlord' living in a corner of China. Now, they have become quite powerful in eastern Hebei."

Gong Ping Kuangwu said, "According to previous analysis by the Fourth Army's intelligence department, the Communist troops were rigorously trained, their bodies sturdy and their marksmanship excellent. During the battles in eastern Hebei, they preferred to lure our troops with sniper fire, then retreat and flee when our troops pursued them. This repeated pattern, waiting for our troops to become exhausted and their logistics to be stunted, allowed them to launch counterattacks, often forcing them to retreat."

"So, their individual soldiers are no longer inferior to the Imperial Army, and they prefer to attack us from the flanks—this is indeed troublesome."

Yoshimoto Sada nodded. He stood up and looked out the window. From here, he could hear the whistles of ships in the harbor and singing in the distance. It was the troops who had just disembarked, assembling and heading towards the camp. "So, how do we deal with such a communist army?"

"Our army should take the main roads as much as possible, send out search teams to conduct reconnaissance, and promptly deploy troops to stand guard on both sides of the column. In the direction of advance, engineers and infantry should be dispatched to promptly remove the Communist Army's mines and destroy obstacles." Gongping Kuangwu opened his notebook and elaborated on each point.

This was his "collection of brilliant strategies," proven effective in previous battles. With this collection of experience in hand, Colonel Gongping spoke with growing confidence and resolve.

Finally, he spoke aloud, as if chanting a spell. "In addition, as soon as the Communist army sees planes and heavy artillery, it will retreat. Whether it's the Nationalist Army, the Anti-Japanese United Army, or the Communist Army's Jidong troops, no matter how highly trained their individual soldiers are, they can only retreat in disgrace when faced with heavy artillery and aircraft."

"The Communists now have artillery." Yoshimoto Sadaichi hesitated. After all, the Communists were now capable of annihilating the Mongolian Army—which, after all, was the offspring of the Kwantung Army—and commanding his own troops, he had to be more cautious. "The Army Aviation Corps will have to cross the ocean to reach this point. I think it's best to send the 15-ton howitzers with the troops."

"Yes, Commander. This way, our artillery will be able to reach farther and be more powerful than the Communists', and we will definitely be able to suppress them."

Finally, on February 24, 1942, the 10th Division of the Kwantung Army's Jiaodong Task Force finally began to move.

Although his subordinates repeatedly stated that although the Communist Army's individual soldiers were highly skilled and fought bravely and tenaciously, they would be inexperienced and would be defeated by the Imperial Army in a steel duel, Yoshimoto Sadaichi still "cowarded" a little.

The collapse of the Mongolian army was like a dark cloud hanging over his efforts to fight for military merit and territory for the Kwantung Army and himself.

Therefore, under the personal supervision of the Commander, the plan of the 10th Division was slightly adjusted - after the unloading of the infantry of a regiment, the field artillery of the division headquarters separated a battalion, and took two battalions of infantry to leave the Jiaoao city and began to circle around Jiaoxian in the northwest direction.

That was the only way for the Japanese army to attack from Jiaoao. According to the navy originally in Jiaoao, within the Jiaoxian area, except for the county seat itself which was still under the control of the army, almost all the surrounding roads and villages were occupied by the Communist army.

So, to see whether the Communist Army in Shandong Province can fight, let the Kwantung Army give it a try!

Chapter 596: So, Why Stay in Lu Province?

From an objective and practical point of view, the combination of two battalions + one field artillery battalion used as a test by the 10th Division of the Kwantung Army was a luxurious combination and its combat effectiveness was very strong.

After all, this was equivalent to equipping over 1000 combat troops (not all of them were combat troops) with an additional 12 Type 95 field guns and 16 Type 92 heavy machine guns. Their short-term firepower rivaled that of a comparable US unit, more than enough to instantly rip through our defenses around Jiaoxian and drive off the local guarding forces. If our troops had continued to resist recklessly, they would have suffered heavy losses.

As a result, the Kwantung Army successfully won a victory - they instantly crushed the Communist Army that had previously left the Jiaoao garrison helpless, connected with the Japanese troops in Jiaoxian County, and prepared to pursue the victory and capture Gaomi County further north.

Therefore, if the First Army's commander, Yoshio Shinozuka, squatting in his tent far outside Jinyang City, Shanxi Province, heard this battle report, he would surely be envious. The division had a full complement of advanced field artillery, the troops were well-organized and full of combat power, and they were able to defeat the Communist army. This wonderful experience was something the First Army had not enjoyed for a long time!

In this time and space, after the failed rebellion and the counterattack by our army, the Shanxi warlord Yan Baichuan was abducted by Zhu Liuxian and imprisoned in the mountain city. Yan's forces have since dispersed and become history. For the Japanese, Yan Baichuan's demise not only reduced the strength of the Chinese forces in Shanxi Province, but also served as a significant achievement of the "Haku Operation," helping the brilliant Lord Itagaki Seishirō return to his familiar Tokyo.

Of course, this also had a side effect: Lieutenant General Yoshio Shinozuka, who had succeeded Mr. Umezu Yoshijiro as commander of the First Army, was unable to leave. In the original history, due to the Eighth Route Army's continued operations and development in Shanxi Province, the Japanese army, in order to win over the "Egg Dancer" Yan Baichuan, sent Iwamatsu Yoshio, an expert in espionage work, to take over as commander of the First Army and focus on promoting the plan to induce surrender. Lieutenant General Yoshio Shinozuka, however, used his connections to successfully obtain the title of military councilor after returning to Japan to serve as the principal of the Army Academy for a period of time, and spent the entire war on home soil.

But now, Yan Laoxi'er is long gone, and Shanxi Province has become the most dangerous place to bear the brunt of the attack by the Communist Army. His Excellency Yoshio Shinozuka's network resources are not much better than those of the famous general Abe Nobuhide... So as of now, His Excellency Commander Shinozuka still has to squat in the tent and participate in this exercise organized by the First Army in person.

As for why the exercise.... Update *book* group QQ 49643*1898

Shinozuka Yoshio recalled how, in October of the previous year, Commander Okamura had suddenly dispatched his Deputy Chief of Staff, Colonel Arimisei, to Jinyang City, demanding that the First Army headquarters quickly communicate and mobilize a unit. Consequently, the First Army struggled mightily, unable to find a solution, and ultimately had to rely on landlines to contact the corresponding units and convey the order.

Further investigation revealed that the command response and command capabilities of many divisions and even the division headquarters under the First Army had declined significantly, making it difficult to conduct field command.

How could this be possible! The First Army was severely reprimanded by the Front Command and ordered to find a solution as soon as possible. Putting aside the issues of manpower and equipment, they had to at least restore the troops' command capabilities in a field environment. Otherwise, if the Communist army launched an attack and the troops entered the field, where would they get the landline telephones?

Lieutenant General Yoshio Shinozuka sat in the center of the command tent, leaning on his command sword. The Japanese field tent was relatively low, and Commander Shinozuka was short and uncomfortable standing, so he could only sit upright like this.

The First Army ultimately proposed a "field command exercise in a non-powered environment." While a live-fire exercise involving troop mobilization was certainly out of the question, a paper-based simulation involving the communications and command structures of each division was feasible.

Since it was a field command exercise where "only candles and oil lamps could be used", everyone had to leave the headquarters building, including Commander Shinozuka.

The headquarters and staff of the First Army set up a parade ground outside the city of Jinyang on the former Jin Army parade ground.

Tent, and start the military exercise.

"The 65th Division (formerly the 16th Independent Mixed Division) reports! The Communist Army's Yunzhong Special Mechanized Division is moving south, attacking our Sanggan River defense line! The enemy is more than a regiment, with over ten tanks and over ten heavy artillery pieces! Our frontline positions are being rained down... "During combat, the last sentence doesn't need to be interpreted, saving time! 'Our army is struggling to hold on' is enough!"

"Hi!"

The newly appointed signalman, completely absorbed in the situation, reported the staff's previously devised scenario: the Communist forces to the north, fully equipped with vehicles and horses, would undoubtedly use mecha units as a vanguard, concentrating their firepower to storm the Imperial Army's defenses. As part of this paper simulation, both frontline and rear headquarters must respond with swift command.

"The 33rd Regiment of the 65th Division slowly retreated, intending to wait until the Communist Army crossed the river to a certain depth and the troops were disconnected before deploying troops.

With the support of field artillery, launch a counterattack!"

On the empty paper, arrows representing the Communist Army and the Imperial Army were fighting fiercely. The 52nd Division Headquarters, responsible for the front-line command, made a relatively reasonable decision.

Led the troops to retreat slowly and orderly, and reached the depth of the Communist attack

When you reach a certain level, you can perform the "attack when the enemy is halfway across the river" strategy.

However, the General Staff soon brought about new changes - the 52nd Division's field artillery deployed too slowly and was harassed by Communist aircraft, resulting in the failure to provide timely fire support, allowing the Communist mechanized troops to rush across the Sanggan River in one breath, break through the defense line, and quickly launch an attack on the Japanese headquarters in the rear of Shuozhou City.

"Communist Army mecha unit assault, make a judgment."

The judge performed basic addition and subtraction calculations based on the strength of both teams. He then pulled out two ten-sided dice and expertly dropped them into the dice cup. He shook them up and down, left and right, forward and backward, and finally slammed them down on the table. "Uh... 0, 3, total 03... only... 3."

He checked the ruling sheet beside him, and a line of glaring red words caught his eye. The staff officer, eyes wide open, reviewed it, then, with a stern face, read out: "Division headquarters exposed, attacked by the enemy... All personnel killed." The noise at the scene seemed to fade away.

"This is totally unreasonable, it's nonsense!"

“No matter how strong the Communist army is, it can’t be like this.”

"How could such a stupid thing happen in a real battle?"

The young staff officer immediately heard the surrounding bandits' chatter, filled with anger, surprise, and dissatisfaction. If these adults blamed him, he would be in trouble! He felt a cold sweat pouring out of his body like a floodgate.

"What's going on? How could this be the result?" The senior staff officer came over, glanced at the calculation referee's sheet and dice nearby, and fell silent. But then he closed his eyes, gave the newcomer a three-pointer, and quickly shooed him aside: "Idiot! How could you get the tens and ones digits wrong? You're a complete idiot!"

"Hi!"

Points: 30. The result: a fierce battle between the two sides, with our army slightly at a disadvantage. Damage assessment: 2 for the Communists, 3 for ours. "The old staff officer announced loudly, signaling the other staff officers to move and alter the chess pieces on the table," he said. "On the deduction field, anything is possible. Your Excellency, all is well. Please continue."

The paper exercise eventually went ahead.

With messengers running back and forth and command signals flying across the sky, the divisions of the First Army, under field conditions, finally managed to advance this exercise to restore the command capabilities of the troops with some bumps and bruises.

During the exercise, the Communist Army adopted a north-south offensive strategy, attacking the First Army from the south in large numbers from the Hejin Delta and Yunzhong. The First Army had to use the fundamental strength and "flesh and blood" of the Imperial Army to resist the Communist Army's planes, artillery and tanks one by one, so much so that even Lieutenant General Yoshio Shinozuka had to follow the command of the dice and perform an "emergency retreat to the air-raid shelter" outside the city of Jinyang.

But at least the final outcome wasn't so disastrous—under the Communist offensive, the Japanese forces in northern Shanxi sacrificed themselves to buy time, while the Japanese forces in southern Shanxi, under the cover of the 36th Division, overcame the Communist guerrillas and retreated eastward through the Zhongtiao Mountains. And with fresh reinforcements like the 110th Division, the Japanese finally took advantage of the city defenses left by the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army at the gates of Jinyang, inflicting sufficient damage on the Communists, forcing them to reach the terminal point of their offensive movement, unable to advance any further.

"Anyway, it's pretty good to be able to do this."

Looking at the rising sun outside the air-raid shelter, Yoshio Shinozuka sighed.

Honestly, I hadn't believed the First Army could hold onto Jinyang. The situation had deteriorated so much that it was beyond the First Army's control. All I could do was let the troops find a way to a better outcome amidst the difficult situation.

"Report! Commander! The 52nd Division called to report that it was under fierce attack by the Communist Army; there was also billowing smoke and dust outside Shuozhou City, and it seemed that a large number of enemy troops were gathering!" Outside the air-raid shelter, a staff officer came running in panting, holding a telegram.

"Didn't Shuozhou City fall in yesterday's simulation? The 52nd Division's farewell message has even been sent... What's going on?" Lieutenant General Shinozuka Yoshio asked casually, yawning. It was breakfast time, and for a Japanese who had studied abroad, his breakfast consisted of toast, jam, and fried sausages—quite a delicious meal.

But the staff officer did not answer, nor did he bow or apologize loudly. Instead, he looked embarrassed and hesitant.

"Wait, what's going on? What happened?" The staff officer's expression startled Shinozuka Yoshio. He stood up and walked over quickly. An extremely absurd idea popped up in his mind. No way? No way?

"Sir! This time it's real!"

"The Communist Army has launched a fierce attack on the 52nd Division!"

Chapter 597 Battle "Tpo3a"

How long does it take to prepare for a battle? This is a complex question that involves a series of factors such as the scale of the battle, the duration of the operation, the imaginary enemy, the purpose of the battle, and of course it is also related to the war resources and production potential possessed by the parties involved.

For example, in the Pacific theater, even after a failed campaign, the US Navy needed only about six months to repair, maintain, and replenish its ships and re-launch the campaign. Conversely, the Japanese Navy, while invincible in the early stages of the war thanks to its accumulated supplies and warships, was unable to rebound after its defeat. Historically, after losing the Battle of Midway, the UN lost the option to initiate a campaign and was forced to passively respond, ultimately being crushed by the US Navy, which had both superior quality and quantity.

Even though the Eighth Route Army of this time and space had established a fundamental industrial system that was unparalleled in China and possessed the greatest strategic potential on the Chinese battlefield, it was unlikely to be comparable to the United States. However, just four months after the Battle of Western Mongolia, the Eighth Route Army had completed preparations for another campaign through troop reorganization, industrial production, and administration. Taking advantage of the fact that the severe drought and famine of 1942 had not yet fully erupted, they launched a campaign against Shanxi Province.

After all, here are the people who are best at creating miracles.

If during the Battle of Western Meng, the central government could use some strategic deception to make the Japanese army misjudge the main direction of our army's attack, then this time, unless the Eighth Route Army invites "Yuri Baldhead" to use mind control technology, it will be difficult to make the Japanese army believe that the Eighth Route Army will not attack Shanxi next.

Therefore, this battle essentially lacked strategic surprise. Even if it was confirmed that General Okamura had to focus his attention on the airport in the base area of ​​Shandong Province, attacking Shanxi Province was an "open card" on the table.

The First Army under the North China Front Army stationed in Shanxi Province is no weakling - or rather, a lean camel is bigger than a horse - and even at the moment when it is short of troops and its combat effectiveness is weakened, it is still a strong opponent.

Unlike the Mongolian Army, the First Army comprised three divisions and four independent mixed brigades, making it a formidable force in its own right. During Itagaki Seishirō's time, the army expanded to seven divisions, comprising approximately 150,000 soldiers of various arms.

Such Japanese troops were distributed from north to south in key cities of Shanxi Province along railways, roads and rivers. The terrain of Shanxi Province, represented by the "mountains and rivers", has always been of great benefit to the defenders. The river valleys running from north to south are not convenient for the Eighth Route Army to launch an offensive. As long as the Japanese army can hold the north and south, even if they cannot stop our army's pace in the end, they can probably leave some troops to be eaten by the Eighth Route Army and then take the third

The main force of the First Army slowly withdrew and reinforced the North China Plain.

If it is not recovered, I am afraid that several bases on the North China Plain will face greater pressure.

This is not beneficial to the strategy of liberating North China and the whole country.

"The fight against the Japanese invaders, in the final analysis, ultimately comes down to striking the Japanese army. I've said before that the War of Resistance is a protracted, long-term process. Why do I say that? Because annihilating the Japanese devils is not a matter of a day or a night, but a process of mutual growth and decline in enemy and our own strength: China's position shifts from disadvantage to balance to advantage, while Japan's position shifts from advantage to balance to disadvantage; China's position shifts from defense to stalemate to counterattack, while Japan's position shifts from offense to conservatism to retreat."

At the pre-war meeting, Chairman Mao said solemnly in front of a screen projecting a large map.

"The focus of our battle should always be on destroying the vitality of the Japanese First Army. Don't worry about how many counties we liberate today or which city we capture tomorrow..." The temple of the First Army is right here and it cannot be moved, but the monk can run away. When he runs away, he has to be dirty and remove all the gold foil and incense in the temple.

We don't want this monk to get away, and I'm afraid the Japanese headquarters doesn't want this monk to get away either. But the old devil Okamura Yasuji is probably still counting on this monk to come to his temple to chant sutras - but after all, the legs are on the monk's buttocks!"

Now that the decision had been made, it was time to go all out to execute it. After confirming the campaign objective of annihilating the First Army's effective forces as much as possible, the Eighth Route Army began assigning command personnel for this campaign and forming a general front committee to carry out frontline command work.

Yang Jisheng, who was the main commander in the Battle of Western Mengxi, took charge of the battle command of the northern Shanxi battlefield, and commanded the various troops on the northern battlefield together with Nie Yunzhen and Guan Zhixiang; Liu Mingzhao and Zhang Hao, who returned to their partners, were responsible for commanding the Taihang base, the Hejin Triangle and the many field divisions that came to reinforce from the border areas; Peng Shichuan, the "General" who was sent by the Central Military Commission to join the Front Committee, took on the task of coordinating the northern and southern battlefields with his overall grasp of the war situation.

The "Zhu Mao" combination, which had long had a tacit understanding, sat in charge of the Central Military Commission and strategically provided escort for the entire battle.

At the same time, considering the large scale and wide-ranging implications of this battle, which requires close coordination and cooperation among multiple departments such as the military, local governments, industrial systems, and transportation systems, the Central Committee temporarily upgraded the General Logistics Department, which was originally headed by Political Commissar Tan Shiming, and dispatched Political Commissar Wang Da, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and General He, who had left the front-line command post, to the department in order to achieve coordination and provide sufficient logistical support for the front-line troops.

Such elite commanders, like a galaxy of stars, and the fighters who accompany them can naturally be considered "the elite together".

Because the entire campaign would be divided into two main battlefields, southern and northern Shanxi, as well as a smaller but highly important "auxiliary battlefield" along the Zhengtai Line, the Eighth Route Army's troop distribution inevitably had a certain sense of fragmentation. The Eighth Route Army's Northwest Field Army and the Shanxi-Suiyuan Field Army in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, the Guanzhong Liberated Area, and the Shanxi-Suiyuan Base Area, along with local field army units organized in the Taihang and Taiyue base areas, all contributed their combined strength. A total of 19 Class A and B field divisions, two independent brigades, and over 300,000 field army troops, along with a considerable number of local troops and militia guerrillas, joined the campaign.