Canteen System Assistance Notes

"I..." he stammered, taking a deep breath.

"I'm such a fool! Coward! Coward!" Ishii Linye cursed loudly, facing the black night and his insignificant self, "Haha, haha! I still want to be a hero, I still want to be a hero!" An old soldier who was almost 40 years old grabbed his hair and burst into tears. Something in his heart was broken: "I still want to save something, haha, haha!"

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

"This kind of Japan! This kind of Japan..." He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. "What should I do!!!"

The man's cries did not attract anyone's attention. In fact, the heart-wrenching roar did not travel far before dissipating on the cold and dry earth, as if the world would not pay much extra attention to the sober one in the herd.

"Mr. Ishii! Why are you here?"

A tiny beam of light flashed from the direction of the camp, and then several people came running in. Using flashlights, they confirmed the identity of the newcomers. "The sentry said you were back, but I didn't believe it!" "Are you... Kawakami?" Ishii narrowed his eyes, feeling only the warmth of the dim flashlight.

"It's me, Ryutaro Kawakami! Sir, are you... okay?"

"It's okay, I'm okay, I couldn't be ok."

Strangely enough, after the tsunami-like surge of emotion swept over him, destroying all his stubbornness, perseverance, and faith, the overwhelming emotion receded so quickly. Ishii Rinye stood up from the stone pier, his tone calm, as if nothing had happened.

At this moment, he felt inexplicably full of faith, quiet, steady and firm.

"I went to the squadron headquarters. The Communist army is likely to launch an attack tomorrow," he ordered. "I will inform you of the specific situation immediately. Have several squad leaders gather in my room. I need to adjust the combat deployment."

The veterans at the garrison moved swiftly. With a few whistles signaling a rally, they quickly assembled in the thatched huts they were resting in the Ishii Forest. "First Squadron, upon commencement of the battle, first confirm the position of the Communist troops, then raise the flag and launch the assault."

"Hi!"

"Second and third squads, if the first squad's assault is successful, you should take cover in your own position to prevent artillery and projectiles from falling and causing casualties. Wait until the Communists enter your position before taking action. If the first squad's assault is unsuccessful, the second and third squads should also take cover. However, once the Communists enter your position, you should follow the response strategy and contingency plan just described. Do you understand?"

"Hey! Got it!"

"I have a question, Mr. Ishii," someone asked. "We have no problem with this, but...what about you?"

"As for me, I have a special secret mission." Ishii Linye smiled. "Only I can go, and I have to go."

The battlefield was like a raging fire on the grassland, rolling towards the last hill without stopping.

Standing in the north of Jinyang City, facing further north, everyone could hear the distant sound of gunfire gradually approaching, like a slowly falling sharp blade, approaching the exposed neck step by step under the gaze of the victim.

However, for the Northern Front Group, which had first arrived at the attack position, completed the encirclement, and begun the assault on Jinyang City, the battle situation was like a smoothly executed computer program, with clear and orderly procedures: at this moment, the 58th Division (formerly the 9th Independent Mixed Division) originally in Jinyang City had been cut in half by Yang Jisheng's "BT Assault" and completely dispersed in the continuous pursuit. The remaining garrison of over a thousand people, even if the personnel of the division headquarters, the First Army headquarters, and the Japanese expatriates were included, could not fill the multi-layered city defense fortifications of Jinyang City.

This turned the offensive operation that originally required many casualties into a step-by-step planned advance. Even though the Japanese army strengthened the fortifications and bunkers on the basis of Lao Xi, the Japanese defense line still melted and shattered under the barrage of 155, 122, 100 and 75 mm artillery shells, and eventually fell into complete chaos.

Niutuo Village changed hands, Crouching Tiger Mountain changed hands, Wusu Airport changed hands...

During this fierce battle, our army's breakthrough force responsible for attacking Jinyang Locomotive Factory and Xiaobeimen had a little unexpected gain - a small Japanese unit took the initiative to raise the red flag, dropped their weapons and surrendered, making way for our army.

Although the Japanese bunkers behind their position immediately suppressed their firepower, the D1-Schneider 155mm, which was on high alert, took only 5 minutes to transfer the effective fire of 10 rounds per gun, and smashed two rounds on the ugly brick bunker, effectively ensuring the safety of the surrendering troops.

However, before the dense rain of bullets fell, a huge explosion occurred without warning behind the Japanese army, completely destroying a front-line position of the Japanese army and affecting an anti-tank artillery position, exposing it to our army's direct fire.

Our army believes that this should be an explosion at a front-line ammunition storage point of the Japanese army. As for the cause, further investigation is probably needed.

Chapter 621: A Clever Escape

It can be said that as the artillery fire of the Eighth Route Army's northern group began to roar, the end of the Shanxi Provincial War was drawn.

The entire city of Jinyang was practically deserted. Even if all the Japanese troops were counted, and puppet troops, police, and Japanese residents were added, the massive fortifications of Jinyang City were completely unable to meet the most basic garrison density. How could they possibly resist the Eighth Route Army's increasingly sophisticated offensive tactics?

The Japanese army couldn't even destroy the city's numerous factories and equipment. The long-hidden workers' self-defense forces scavenged submachine guns and grenades from the raw materials, fruits, and grain brought into the city, set up machine guns in the factories, and beat the Japanese sabotage squads, even those with Japanese residents, to a pulp. Under a torrent of coordinated firepower, destructive fire, and close-range earthwork, the Eighth Route Army outside the city took only four hours to penetrate the city and engage in street fighting with the Japanese.

The entire assault was uneventful and uneventful. Our soldiers discovered that the entire city of Jinyang had become almost deserted, with very few troops. Not to mention the remaining puppet troops and Japanese residents, even the old Japanese soldiers had a very weak fighting spirit and were almost ready to collapse at the first blow.

However, even under such circumstances, the Eighth Route Army's expected perfect annihilation did not occur as expected.

Let’s go back a few days to the time when our army had not yet officially launched the siege.

During this battle, due to Okamura Yasuji's intuition, he issued a "general retreat order" (not a turnaround) in advance. Therefore, our army blocked the enemy and then opened up a passage, attracting the 36th Division and the Kwantung Army's 28th Division into the Jinzhong Basin and annihilating them. The idea was ultimately not realized.

Almost before the siege of Jinyang City was completed, the command of the First Army abandoned its own city defense forces, took the command of the 58th Division (formerly the 9th Independent Mixed Division), and fled eastward.

This retreat was so decisive that it caught our army off guard. The third-tier troops responsible for blocking the route from Yuci to Yangquan could only focus on the enemy, focusing on the larger forces and letting go of the smaller ones, tightly blocking the enemy and leaving as many people as possible behind.

At this point, if the 36th Division, which had already crossed Yangquan, had been able to disregard its losses and resolutely advance, it would have had a chance to break through the blocking forces of the Taihang Beiyue base area and successfully connect with the First Army's command structure. However, to the First Army's surprise, at the same time that Okamura Yasuji issued the "general retreat order," the Kwantung Army's 28th Division, which was supposed to hold the Yangquan area and ensure the safety of the 36th Division's rear, sent a telegram and then, after turning 180 degrees on the spot, abandoned the First Army and the 36th Division and simply slipped away.

Their reasons were quite sufficient: at the same time, the Beiyue Army of the Eighth Route Army, in conjunction with the Hebei-Central Base Area, sent troops to attack Xiong County behind the Japanese front line and besieged Xushui north of Qingyuan; at the same time, they also attacked the railway station in the Baoding section, cutting the northern section of the Pinghan Line, which was the last open to the Japanese army, into two sections.

The 28th Division and the North China Army Headquarters immediately made a judgment: The Eighth Route Army is going to attack Baoding! Are they going to launch a final battle in North China? Commander Okamura is still in Shimen! No, we must withdraw our troops quickly to ensure the smooth operation of the railway and the safety of the commander!

The 28th Division has left, and the 36th Division's rear is exposed - can they still stay and hold out?

A damaged but intact division could certainly break the Eighth Route Army's local forces, but the First Army, left behind, could only curse loudly with a face full of black questions.

-------one

"Damn it! What a bunch of idiots!" The commander of the First Army, Yoshio Shinozuka, cursed.

Such a reckless retreat order triggered a chain reaction. Not only did rumors spread in the city, but the 58th Division (formerly the 9th Independent Mixed Division) and the Japanese troops left in Pingyao, Qixian, Taigu and other places also began an unstoppable escape, and were completely unable to carry out the task of hindering the Communist Army's southern corps.

If that's the case, then what are we doing here?

The First Army and 58th Division headquarters quickly packed up and began their evacuation. They blocked information from the battalions and conscripted troops defending the city. Before our siege troops could complete their encirclement, they, under the guise of leaving the city for a rotation, abandoned their remaining troops and headed for the Yuci area.

While gathering the Japanese troops evacuating from Pingyao, Qixian and Taigu on the southern front, they also contacted the 36th Division, which was in a state of panic and ready to turn around and flee like the 28th Division, asking them to stay calm, capture the Shouyang area as soon as possible, and continue to advance along the Zhengtai Line to support their retreat.

The 36th Division agreed. After all, the Eighth Route Army had offered little resistance on their way from Yangquan, with few blockade trenches or blast pits dug along the railway. After receiving the First Army's order, the 36th Division's commander, Jing Shiren, replied: "Headquarters will lead the 223rd Regiment as the vanguard, heading west to capture Shouyang within 48 hours and continuing onward to support the army's transition."

But a few hours later, the 36th Division sent a second telegram:

"The 223rd Regiment encountered strong resistance from the Communist Army in the Shouyang area, hindering their attack!" "Large numbers of Communist troops appeared on both sides of the Zhengtai Line, and our army is facing a tough battle!"

As expected, the earlier claims by the Eighth Route Army that they were "unable to sustain their resistance due to heavy losses" were false. The Communists had originally intended to let us in and then annihilate us. Now, with Lord Okamura's order to retreat, the remnants of the First Army and the 28th Division were evacuating. Seeing their plan exposed, the Communists, in a rage, launched an attack.

Fortunately, the 36th Division did not advance too far.

Shinozuka Yoshio sighed and thought that it was fortunate that General Okamura had such a brilliant plan, otherwise the 36th Division would have fallen into the pocket of the Eighth Route Army and would have repeated the same mistakes.

Completely annihilated.

But he thought again, no, the 36th Division could still stop the loss in time, but what about himself?

If they turned eastward along the railway, they would likely face numerous obstacles from the Eighth Route Army. Staying put would practically be a death sentence: the empty city of Jinyang would be unable to hold back the Eighth Route Army for more than 24 hours!

Not to mention that just a few hours ago, his subordinates reported to him that the guard troops outside Yuci encountered and engaged in a skirmish with the Eighth Route Army vanguard. This force was likely from the Communist Army's Taihang base, attacking from the direction of Xiuwen Town!

Yoshio Shinozuka was very familiar with that route. The Japanese army had previously taken this route to suppress the Taihang base. Now the Eighth Route Army was just using it in reverse.

"Nishi-Ojo-kun." Yoshio Shinozuka rubbed his head and called his chief of staff.

"Hi, Your Excellency."

You prepare and do it yourself. Have the army headquarters and... the main officers of the 58th Division headquarters prepare and assemble at the division headquarters... then make the following arrangements: Aren't there still cars to transport the wounded? You go and have some of the wounded board the trains for movement, and we... we will transfer to these cars.

"You and I will board a vehicle, and a squadron from the military headquarters' escort brigade will accompany us for protection as we secretly head to Wusu Airport. "Be careful of those Japanese relatives running around. If necessary, shoot."

He pointed to an airplane-shaped symbol on the map. "This order must be kept secret from the other troops. They should continue with their original plan: march along the Shotai Line and evacuate by train." "Once all this is completed, report to Front Army Headquarters and ask Commander Okamura to dispatch air support."

Shinozuka Yoshio slumped down on the chair as if exhausted. "We can't walk on the ground, let's go to the sky."

Chapter 622: The Sword of the Sky

Since the large-scale use of aircraft, there have been many magnificent air transport battles in human history.

The powerful enemy America had the "Berlin Airlift" that shocked the world, the big brother Soviet Union had the Ethiopian Airlift, and even China, which was not in good conditions at the time, had the Tangshan Airlift, which carried out ultra-high frequency and density air transport in extremely simple conditions during the Tangshan earthquake.

These air transports, whether by airdrop, parachute, or using existing airports, ultimately require the support of a strong nation and aviation industry. As for Japan, although it is indeed an industrial country, it is obviously not qualified.

After all, the total number of personnel in the First Army headquarters alone is nearly a thousand! Even if the headquarters is sent to Jin Province for air transport, it is a bit difficult.

Not to mention that now only the North China Front Army can send planes.

Therefore, there is a simpler way - just send it to the superior.

Jinyang City currently had two airports. One, located outside the city's northern gate, consisted of a crude dirt runway, while the other was located in Wusu, south of the city. The former had long been under the control of the Eighth Route Army, along with several reconnaissance and training aircraft. The latter was still under the control of the Japanese.

But this control is not reliable. The Eighth Route Army has long-range artillery, and the Japanese troops in the city are weak. So even if it is an optimistic estimate,

The total time the First Army can use Wusu Airport is basically certain to be impossible to exceed

After 24 hours.

"Please quickly dispatch air forces to assist the First Army command to transfer." Faced with such a shameless telegram for help, Okamura Neiji had no choice.

At this moment, even if he realized that all his previous gambler-like confidence was given by the Communist Army, there was no way to change his fate.

He could only dispatch his Deputy Chief of Staff to quickly contact the Chief of Staff in Peking and coordinate assistance from the Army Aviation Corps. Okamura even resorted to using his connections and influence to forcibly bypass certain established procedures in order to shorten the coordination time for mobilizing the Army Aviation Corps and buy a better chance of survival for the First Army headquarters.

At least a few commanders should be evacuated, he thought.

The Japanese Army's aviation finally began to take action.

Thanks to the immense strength of the Japanese forces at Shimen, the Daguocun Airport at Shimen was finally able to secure a 5-kilometer radius and successfully resume operations. At the same time, the Japanese also transported some 75mm anti-aircraft guns and 20mm anti-aircraft machine guns by rail, providing a basic air defense system for the airport.

Here, the Japanese deployed six new "Type 1 Fighter Type 1 A*" aircraft specially distributed by the headquarters and 12 Type 97 fighters, as well as some transferred light bombers and reconnaissance aircraft, to provide the most basic air control support for the Shanxi Province campaign.

These planes naturally couldn't seize even partial air superiority, but at least they could prevent the Communist air fleet from dropping bombs with impunity. Moreover, although the newer Falcon had relatively weak firepower, it had a long range and could continuously patrol the battlefield and drive away Communist aircraft.

After a month of intense combat, even though the Communists clearly controlled the number of sorties, the continuous 116-24/27, 1153, and smaller numbers of F4Fs caused the Japanese fighter serviceability rate to drop rapidly. However, thanks to the efforts of the ground crew, Shimen Airport finally managed to gather three Hayabusa and six Type 97 fighters, escorting eight Type 97 light bombers and several reconnaissance aircraft, forming a mini evacuation unit.

At the same time, two K57 transport planes and six Type 97 fighter planes took off from the Western Suburbs Airport in Sijiucheng, forming a second fleet that took off early. These Type 97 transport planes, modified from heavy bombers, were used by Japanese troops returning from North China and heading to Nanjing. They could carry 15 passengers; the reconnaissance and light bomber planes could also seat one person in the back. Together, these two planes could evacuate at least 2 to 6 people, more than enough to evacuate the leaders of divisions and army headquarters.

For a moment, engines roared over North China. The Japanese Army Aviation put up a formation that had not been seen for a long time, assembling a mixed cluster of nearly 30 aircraft, using the Zhengtai Line as a navigation landmark, and rumbled towards Jinyang.

The area around Wusu Airport is very flat, and there are almost no commanding heights within a range of nearly 5 kilometers.

In addition, the surrounding area was densely packed with retreating Japanese troops, so the Eighth Route Army's reconnaissance team could only approach the "Wulonggou" area in the northeast corner of the airport and set up an observation point there.

The airport was a full 5.6 kilometers away. Even with a bulky, specialized telescope, the image quality was still poor, exceeding the maximum range of a 1.5-meter imaging rangefinder. A regular reconnaissance team, or even a highly equipped artillery observation team, would likely be limited to observation, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

But this force is no ordinary reconnaissance team.

From their appearance, the most striking characteristic of this group was their strangeness. Aside from the scattered guards, they wore neither the H-type rifle carriers nor the submachine gun chest mounts common to the Eighth Route Army. Instead, they wore khaki camouflage electrician vests. Besides a pistol slung diagonally across the chest, the vests also contained items like signal sticks, cables, batteries, and some even carried gas-powered soldering irons.

They were circling around several devices. These devices were compact and even had graphical user interfaces. The only thing that took up a lot of space was the folded directional antenna. "Ranging results?"

"Triangulation ranging results: distance 057, bearing 221°30'; empirical transmission intensity ranging results: distance 056, bearing 221°%."

"Radio station identity?"

"After comparison, the characteristics of the target radio station match those of the Japanese First Army's command radio station, and the transmitter's fingering pattern matches the operating habits of the First Army's transmitters." The operator checked the waveform on the oscilloscope and compared it with previously stored waveform samples. "They just sent a telegram saying that the generals are about to board their planes, and the two transport planes have just landed.

"Combining the above information, we can confirm the identity of the radio station. It is the command center of the First Army."

"Then there's no escaping." The commander holding the binoculars made a judgment and issued an order. The "Electronic Reconnaissance" and "Maxwell" patches on his chest were unusually low-key, just like his low voice, "Prepare to shake hands, start to lead the troops."

Guide, Type 2 mission, no friendly forces in the target area.

"Understood. Prepare for handshake. Begin guidance. Mission type 2. No friendly forces in the target area."

In the sky, the air force, following radar information, had already attacked the Japanese fighters cruising at 3000 meters and providing cover at 5000 meters. A small number of Hayabusa and a larger number of Type 97 fighters were also present. (The 116 and Wildcat fighters of the Route Army formed a group and did their best to continuously update the q@q@group@book@collection@81317*5933

Covering the Ki57 and light bomber entering the landing route.

However, at low altitudes where the battlefield had not yet been involved, several seemingly old 153 fighters began to appear silently from the northwest at low altitudes. There was no way, the main force of the Eighth Route Army Air Force, especially those professional attack aircraft, were not available at this time.

In Jin Province, if the remaining fleet wants to carry out low-altitude tactical bombing, this biplane is more suitable.

"KJY1819420331006Z, this is 1024, mission hole two, handshake begins, please reply if you receive."

"Handshake confirmed, 1024, this is Yellow Crane Tower," the voice was clear and loud.

"Yellow Crane Tower, please note:"

The commander on the ground opened his notebook and skillfully began to report information in a standard format, "Attack starting point: TY-G14; heading: 325; target is located at the landmark Wusu Airport, altitude: 780; two enemy twin-engine transport planes, need to be

Visual confirmation: No friendly forces within 3000 meters of the area. Exit from TY-H15 and 145 upon conclusion of attack. Over.

"Please repeat," he repeated, "Attack starting point TY-G14, heading 325, Wusu Airport."

"Yellow Crane Tower, received. Attack starting point TY-G14, heading 325, target at landmark Wusu Airport."

"Repeat correctly. The target area is clear and cloudless, with a northwest wind of 2-3 and good visibility. Report back when the target is in sight." "Yellow Crane Tower, received. Report back when the target is in sight."

Everyone present began to turn their attention to the southwest. Extending about 5.7 kilometers in this direction was the last radio transmission location of the Japanese First Army Headquarters.

Based on the results of radio positioning, listening and observation, they determined that the First Army

The most senior Japs were abandoning their last troops and preparing to escape by plane.

Shooting down planes from mid-air is a hassle; shooting them down from the ground is the ultimate air superiority. Born in the Army but trained in the Air Force, the Maxwell "Electronic Reconnaissance Team," skilled in radio reconnaissance and aerial guidance, finally got their chance to "take the enemy general's head amidst a vast army"—though Zhang Fei, the man who could break a long plank bridge with a single bark, rode a "pony," but if they could decapitate an enemy general, what harm would riding a donkey do?

"1024, 'Yellow Crane Tower' has entered the attack starting point and has visually sighted the target. Repeat, 'Yellow Crane Tower' has visually sighted the target. The target is taking off, requesting permission to attack!"

"Yellow Crane Tower, you can launch an attack!"