Canteen System Assistance Notes

The battle off the coast of Weihaiwei had come to an end. Besides signifying the Eighth Route Army's need to award medals and certificates of collective first-class merit to two detachments, it also had other implications: Weihaiwei and Jiao'ao, the only remaining "Imperial Army-controlled areas" on the Jiaodong Peninsula, had effectively become isolated cities. Land transportation lines were blocked.

Regional air supremacy has been lost, and now the supply lines at sea are also beginning to be threatened...

So what happened to this piece of fat meat that the Kwantung Army spent a huge amount of money to snatch from the friendly forces?

Could it be a cactus that can neither be eaten nor spit out? The Kwantung Army began to fall into a dilemma.

The most sensible scenario would have been to gather up the troops and withdraw from Jiaozhou and Weihaiwei on their own. However, it was clear that the Japanese Army's decision-makers were unlikely to make such a decision, much less willing to swallow their pride and abandon the enormous profits they had reaped from the China-Korea-Japan route and invite those naval dung to supply the two areas.

Not to mention, the navy and army, which have invested almost all their resources in the Nanyang Airport Chain and the battle for Mo Port, have no additional resources to carry out the "transportation protection operation" in Jiaodong.

It seemed that increasing the number of troops was the only option for the Kwantung Army—much like the stock market investor who, upon seeing a sharp drop in stock prices, always thinks of "covering positions to reduce costs." However, did the Kwantung Army have such sufficient manpower at this moment?

In 1942, the 29th Division, one of the few mobile forces of the Kwantung Army, was withdrawn and sent to the Nanyang battlefield to replace the North China Army that was unable to send troops to Southeast Asia. Its only two remaining mobile forces, the 10th Division and the 28th Division, the former was completely destroyed in the Zhucheng Battle, and the latter was hit in the Shanxi Province Battle. After a successful retreat, they were stationed in Shimen and Zhengding areas together with the 110th Division to prevent the Communist Army from breaking through the pass.

The mighty Kwantung Army couldn't even spare any troops capable of mobile combat at this moment!

In order to solve this problem, the then commander of the Kwantung Army, Tada Shun, proposed to "recruit soldiers and police forces returning to Manchukuo, and vigorously recruit men of appropriate age from the colonization corps and the peninsula to form the Soviet-Manchukuo border garrison to replace the original border garrison division, and then organize the original border garrison into three-unit combat divisions" in order to free up at least 5 divisions of mobile forces.

This approach did have some feasibility, but even after obtaining Imperial Headquarters' approval, recruiting, training, and reorganizing troops, as well as producing and procuring equipment, would take time—especially as the Nanyang War intensified and heavy equipment was in short supply. These factors delayed the formation and training of the new divisions, originally scheduled for June 1949, by at least three more months, according to the Kwantung Army.

It is now difficult to withdraw a regiment of the 9th Division to reinforce the Jiaodong Peninsula. Now nearly two-thirds of the soldiers of this regiment have sunk in the sea... What should we do?

Do we need reinforcements?

Yamashita Tomoyuki, the new commander of the Kwantung Army who had just returned from the Southern Army and received his appointment letter to the rank of Army General, rubbed his head.

Yamashita Tomoyuki, who earned the nickname "Tiger of Malaya" for his fame in the Nanyang battlefield, received his promotion order in early January 1949. According to the order of the Imperial Headquarters, he would replace the aging former commander Tada Shun and be promoted from the position of the First Front Army to the post of commander of the Kwantung Army Headquarters. General Tada Shun returned to Japan to recuperate after being "inducted into the reserve force."

In short, this senior is retired.

As one of the few Japanese commanders who considered troop logistics (though many soldiers still starved to death), Yamashita Tomoyuki's commanding skills were quite good. After hosting a farewell banquet for his former superior as he boarded the plane back home, he quickly analyzed the current situation of the Kwantung Army with his remaining Chief of Staff, Yukio Kasahara.

At the time, the Kwantung Army was well-organized and numerous, with 13 divisions representing a formidable force, and five new divisions currently being organized and about to join the ranks. However, the 8th Division had already been stationed in the Jiaozhou Bay area inland, the 14th Division was assisting in the defense of Peking, the 28th Division was digging holes in Zhengding, and the 10th Division lay dormant underground in Shandong Province.

The Kwantung Army's current primary goal is to carry out defense work to prevent the increasingly deteriorating situation on the North China battlefield from spreading to the foundation of the Empire - the (pseudo) Manchukuo.

If this goal is to be achieved, it is necessary to continue sending troops into North China, just as in the Jiaodong Peninsula in Shandong Province, to reinforce the North China Front Army, which is already "at the same level as the Kwantung Army" to defend it - after all, compared with the situation on the Jiaodong Peninsula, the crisis faced by the entire North China Front Army is more urgent.

"First, securing the entire North China region is an impossible fantasy. Based on this, we will proceed to the next step of the discussion."

After a brief discussion, Yamashita Tomoyuki collapsed into his chair, covering his face. He quickly rubbed his half-bald forehead and straightened up again. "Let's conduct another simulation with the goal of defending Peking."

"Hi."

In the castle tower of the Kwantung Army headquarters in Xinjing City, Chief of Staff Yukio Kasahara and Vice Chief Junhisa Ikeda, instructing Chief of Operations Staff Seitarou Takei, began clearing the chess pieces, stakes, and calculation tables from the table in preparation for the next round of deductions. Meanwhile, Chief of the First Department of the General Staff, Ayabe Tachibana, who had arrived from headquarters, opened a window and leaned outside to enjoy the fresh air.

"How did the war situation turn out like this?" As Yamashita's former chief of staff, Ayabe Tachibana was very depressed about the results of the deduction and asked in confusion.

In the simulation just now, although the Kwantung Army, which was trying to defend the entire North China, sent all the mobile forces of 5 divisions into the interior of the country, it soon faced a crisis of insufficient logistical supplies after repelling a massive offensive by the Communist Army.

Because they could not send more troops to the countryside to raid and rob food, the North China Army simply could not find enough food to feed the powerful Kwantung Army.

Because the Kwantung Army shared food with friendly forces, including the Kwantung Army

When the fighting lasted for one and a half months, all the Japanese troops fell into a state of "insufficient food rations" and lost their combat effectiveness. They were then pushed back by the previously defeated Communist army and suffered heavy losses.

"There must be something wrong with the food supply data provided by the North China Army. On the battlefield inside the Great Wall, unless our army receives unexpected and powerful support, we won't even have the power to charge in full force."

General Yamashita, who had slumped over in his rocking chair, sighed and straightened up. "Next time, we need to have the troops going to support us bring more food and supplies, but they're not allowed to provide relief to the North China Army. 'At a time like this, preserving the combat effectiveness of one unit is more valuable than allowing both to survive but starve to the point of being incapable of fighting."

"That should be the case." Shinobe Tachibana nodded. "However, the additional food will require additional transportation capacity. The Kwantung Army will be able to dispatch fewer troops."

"So we need to reduce the campaign's objectives first!" Yamashita Tomoyuki asked his chief of staff. "Kasahara-kun, if we carry double the food supplies and maintain double the combat rations and ammunition before the battle, how many troops can we send at most?"

"About two divisions, sir!" Two divisions...

Yamashita Tomoyuki and Ayabe Tachibana exchanged a glance, their minds already roughly gauging the outcome of the subsequent deductions. However, as if hoping for a miracle, they decided to wait for the arrival of the two groups of staff representing the Communist Army and the North China/Kwantung Army before rolling the dice, consulting the judgment tables, and proceeding with the subsequent deductions.

all

However, at this moment, a telecommunications director with the rank of major ran in from outside the staff room.

He held the telegram paper and bowed to Chief of Staff Yukio Kasahara, whispering a few words. After the latter repeatedly confirmed his intentions, he bowed and handed the telegram paper to the Chief of Staff for perusal. Yukio Kasahara squinted his eyes and read it several times. With a strange look on his face, he stopped the battle simulation and trotted over to Yamashita Tomoyuki.

"Sir, this is a telegram from the North China Army, sent by Commander Okamura Yasuji."

"What did you send? Just tell me."

"Hi." Yukio Kasahara lowered his head slightly, glanced at the Chief of Staff standing next to him with his hands folded, and reported quickly: "His Excellency General Okamura Yasuji, Commander of the North China Front Army, sent a telegram saying--

"The current war situation is deteriorating, the situation is precarious. The communist armies of the rebellious Chinese, with the powerful support of Britain and the United States, are advancing day by day, their aggressiveness growing stronger day by day. Repelling the communist scourge requires the combined efforts of both armies, and this combined effort requires unified command. Mr. Yamashita fought valiantly in Southeast Asia, defeating the British and American armies, enhancing the prestige of the Empire and the prowess of the Imperial Army. He will surely be more adept at dealing with these armed rebellious Chinese forces, and will be able to serve the country faithfully and achieve further outstanding achievements.

"The lifeline of the Empire lies in Manchuria and Mongolia, and the defense of Manchuria and Mongolia depends on Jiaozhou Bay. The safety of Jiaozhou Bay is linked to North China, and the key to North China lies in Tianjin and Beijing... Although we have forged a bond of brotherhood with our allies on the battlefield, if we cling to outdated institutions and succumb to public opinion at this moment, we would prioritize our personal reputation over the lifeline of the Empire. This is unsaved and unacceptable. At this moment, as soldiers of the Empire, we must be courageous in appointing capable personnel, promoting them, and selecting the best. We must use the bravery and advancement of the Imperial Army to suppress the bravery and advancement of the bandit army, and with the military strength of Kanto and North China, we can resist the communist scourge and the rebellious Chinese in Tianjin and Beijing. I and my troops will dedicate ourselves to this cause, offering our utmost assistance to our allies, and jointly safeguarding the stability of the lifeline of the Empire..."

Kasahara Yukio paused and added his own judgment.

"This probably means that they hope our army will take over the command of the Peiping-Tianjin area, and they are willing to fully cooperate..." "Sir, what is your opinion?"

"Huh? What nonsense is he talking about? Even after all this, he still thinks I'm Hojo Ujimasa? He thinks I don't know how much soup to put in my tea-based rice?" Yamashita Tomoyuki cursed uncontrollably.

At this moment, he finally understood the profound meaning of the strange and meaningful smile on the face of his old superior, General Tada Shun, the former commander of the Kwantung Army, when he boarded the plane.

Chapter 778 Hey! Who threw me into the water?

The man lay down on the elm bed covered with sheepskin, then fiddled with the round pillow filled with down and covered with purple satin, trying to make himself more comfortable.

He first cast his eyes on the wooden box beside him. It was a high-end box with a dark green velvet pad, and inside it was a gilded colorful snuff bottle. However, the snuff inside was not powdered snuff, but a mixture of morphine, sugar, and nicotine.

'Golden Pill Morphine' sugar pills containing honey and other ingredients.

The man couldn't help but take a deep breath, his whole body unconsciously relaxing. But after licking his lips, he didn't move.

So the man turned his gaze to the other side. There was another ancient jade-mouthed long-stem pipe, and a small glass cover was embedded on the pipe. However, the glass cover and the pipe were covered with black oil stains, obviously caused by poison.

The thing was soaked.

Finally, he made a decision, reached into his underwear pocket, and took out a copper box. He stroked the engraved patterns on the box, pressed the shuttle to open it, and then took out a cigarette mixed with tobacco and white flour from the box.

At this time, his hands had begun to tremble uncontrollably.

Fortunately, as the match lit, the deadly smoke, filled with sin, began to enter the man's respiratory system, quickly calming his mind. He adjusted his posture on the elm bed and began to enter a morbid tranquility, as if in a trance.

in.

In the past, this was the most "relaxed", "happy" and "happy" moment for the traitor Wang Kemin - the world was sleeping in a strange tranquility, the spirit escaped into the void in abnormal repression, and all the troubles and pressures around him seemed to disappear.

It dissipated from my body and disappeared...

But today seems different.

“Of course you can choose not to go to Peking, Wang Sang.

"It's just that the Empire of Japan is facing some minor setbacks right now, and needs talents like you to go to the north to actively serve the Empire and contribute to the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere." After all, only in this way, when the inconvenience comes, I can say a few good words for you in front of Lord Aoki and get a steamer ticket for you and your family.

"For you, Jiaozhou Bay is not safe, and neither is the south. Look, President Wang fell and was hospitalized for some reason. You surely don't want to suffer such misfortune in Nanjing, do you?" "As for the Red Army... they publicly tried and executed Yin Sang in Shanxi Province, and as for you..."

ah! ! !

Wang Kemin let out a sharp scream, but his body, which was forced to remain calm, was unable to complete the stress response. He just twisted like a maggot and rolled off the elm bed like a torn sack filled with smelly straw.

The servants outside the door rushed in upon hearing the noise. They weren't surprised by the scene, but simply called for more help. They hurriedly carried the traitorous master to bed, padded his pillow, and assigned someone to take care of him. After all, this wasn't the first time this had happened.

In the political landscape of the Republic of China, Wang Kemin was a figure disliked by the Kuomintang, the Communist Party, and the Wang Puppet regime. He was a traitorous traitor, earning him deep hatred from both the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. Furthermore, because of his political struggle with Wang Jingwei's top traitor, Wang Zhaoming, and his disastrous failure in his attempt to challenge Wang in the puppet regime in Peking, the Wang Puppet regime also despised this incompetent man.

"Now, now... the Party wants me dead. If the Party wants me dead, Wang Jingwei wants me dead, and the Japanese want me dead too, I'll just have to work like a slave for them before I die. They'll kill me after I'm exhausted...

As the powerful sedative effect of the white flour gradually faded, the traitor's mind finally emerged from the mud and restarted a little bit of thinking. The only remaining fifth concubine wiped away the snot and tears flowing down his face and left, leaving him alone in the room.

The words of the Japanese major general were still buzzing in his head, like a red-hot nail being hammered into the back of his head, causing him immense pain, yet he could not resist: as the Eighth Route Army recovered Suiyuan, liberated western Mengxi, and won victory after victory across the vast expanse of North China, this big traitor who smoked white flour and had a concubine was eventually run over by the wheels of time.

By now, everyone could see that the Japanese in North China were on the decline. The Eighth Route Army was too powerful, their morale was low, and their troops were becoming difficult to lead. Therefore, they needed someone to help them manage the puppet army and the puppet regime. Now, he had been brought to Peking by Japanese planes like cattle and reinstated as Chairman of the North China Political Affairs Committee. The Japanese demanded that he manage the puppet army and the puppet regime in North China, actively assist the Imperial Army, prove his loyalty on the battlefield, and work together to achieve common prosperity in East Asia.

But why are you looking for me?! Why not just let me take my antiques, calligraphy, and valuables and live as a private family in Jiaozhou with my concubine? In this situation, who can't see that Beiping is undefendable?!

Do you want me to stay here and be a dead ghost?

Wang Kemin's rage, despite the suppression of the morphine, was immediately subdued by a deeper fear—he dared not vent his anger at the Japanese. This fear was like a mouse meeting a cat, a sheep meeting a pack of wolves, even more intense than when the Military Control Commission attempted to assassinate him in 1938.

However, you must never get angry at the Japanese. How can you get angry at the Japanese?

He recalled how a few days ago, he had provoked his nominal subordinate, the current director of the North China Comprehensive Research Institute, Morioka Gao, into a rage just because he had complained briefly about the tight schedule, poor conditions, and short deadlines. "Huh? You, you idiot? What right do you have to complain?"

The retired lieutenant general and former head of the Tianjin secret service kicked him over, slapped himself several times and cursed him.

That wasn't the end of it: then, the noble Japanese General Iimura came over and, in a tone completely unbecoming of a high-ranking official, gave him a second round of scolding. His words were harsh and fierce, unlike any other Japanese high-ranking official before him - they would at least remain polite on the surface.

At least have some dignity! How can you be so disgraceful!

How can it be so disgraceful...

Taijun, Taijun... wuwuwu....

Wang Keming didn't know if it was because the white flour was too strong, or because he had been using addictive drugs all day recently, but he began to fall into endless sadness again.

Assisted in the investigation of underground Communist Army and KMT organizations, forcibly requisitioned hundreds of thousands of kilograms of grain in Beiping and near Qingyuan, requisitioned tens of thousands of "silver-wheeled carts," and rapidly expanded the puppet army to at least 5 men. They also organized mass rallies to publicly support the "just cause of common prosperity for the Imperial Army," compiled propaganda manuscripts to "refute" the Communist Party's "Voice of Fushe" radio broadcasts, and provided manpower to confiscate the puppet army's inexplicably surplus mineral radios.

The complexity, breadth of implications, and the sheer number of people involved in each of these events were enough to drain even a seasoned Republican office worker to their core. And the sheer volume of events piled on one person in such a short period of time was enough to drive them mad and turn them into a severe psychopath. Those who had once competed with him for power, such as Wang Jitang, Su Tiren, and Du Xijun, either used the excuse of attending meetings or seeking new positions with Wang Zhaoming, and each of them hid in Nanjing, refusing to return.

envious......

Now, Wang Kemin even began to sympathize with another big traitor, Jiang Chaozong - he was also dragged out of his home by the Japanese, and at the age of 82, he was forced to work at a desk as the mayor of the Beiping Special Municipality.

Who knows how much longer that old man can live… Wang Kemin found himself actually feeling a little sympathetic towards this old man who used to be completely at odds with him and even used to criticize him. Forget it…

Always look forward and look at the positive side of things. Wang Kemin tried to comfort himself.

Although the Imperial Army suffered some short-term defeats, it still had no long-term problems! Look, while the Communists were powerful now, the Imperial Army had a vast fleet. After repelling the Americans, they could sail into China and bomb those Communists to death. And even if the Imperial Army couldn't penetrate the land and create a new era of co-prosperity in East Asia...

The plenipotentiary ambassador who came to see me, Lady Shiozawa Kiyonobu, said that she could help my son-in-law obtain a Japanese residency permit and buy a house and land in Tokyo as insurance!

Tokyo, Tokyo, it is at the foot of the Emperor, heavily protected by the Imperial Army, the Communist bandits

There is no way the Guo Party can defeat them...

He finally climbed out of bed and dragged himself to his desk.

Chapter 779: I fight the Japanese? Okay.

Okamura pretending to be dead, the paranoid Iimura, and the Kwantung Army in a dilemma;

The panicked Japanese expatriates, the drug-addicted traitors, the Imperial Army plotting their retreat - all these elements are converging in various ways to form a profile of the Japanese and puppet troops in North China in early 1943.

North China could not be defended, and the Japanese army was doomed. This was already the consensus of many discerning people. Aside from some truly foolish individuals or die-hard and fanatical fascists, all those with any remaining brainpower began discussing, arguing, or pondering a single question during their leisure time, during training breaks, and during sleep:

When will "that moment" come?

Some were terrified, some were confused, and some pretended to be ignorant, simply going about their business as usual. However, just as a significant ebb tide is followed by a surge, so too, with the Japanese still occupying Chinese territory, the longer this period of daily existence lasted, the more powerful the Eighth Route Army's counterattack would inevitably become.

So, approximately when will it be? How will the battle unfold?

To be honest, with the expansion of the liberated areas and the dilution of intelligence forces, even if the CCP’s intelligence system is amazing, it is still difficult to

It would also be a difficult task to turn the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region into an "intelligence black hole" for the Japanese army.

It was a difficult thing - at least it was like that before we went through a long period of grassroots work in the newly liberated areas and cleared out the remaining spies of the Japanese, Nationalist and puppet troops.

In addition, the person in charge of Japanese military intelligence in North China at this time was the extremely capable Lord Shotaro Ozaki, so the Japanese army was now able to at least strategically grasp some intelligence on the Eighth Route Army.

For example, the Eighth Route Army was transporting large quantities of grain from the rear to Shanxi Province—a massive grain transport operation like this couldn't possibly be completely concealed. However, after comparing the output of the land they controlled in North China, the Japanese army concluded that such a large amount of grain couldn't possibly be grown in the Liberated Areas under the control of the Eighth Route Army. Therefore, it must be the British devils who were behind the massive aid. Damn!

Adding to this some intelligence gathered from the Nationalist Army—the Communist Army purchasing raw silk in the Nationalist-controlled areas, the Communist Army warning troops in the Nationalist-controlled areas not to act rashly and create friction, the Communist Army reducing the amount of old men's pants (?) sold to the Nationalist Army... Lieutenant General Iimura Mamoru also conducted some research on the combat habits of the Eighth Route Army and proposed the idea that the Communist Army might prefer to arrange battles according to the farming season.

In short, the Communist army prefers to attack during the sowing season and defend during the harvest season.

Although this idea was met with complaints at private gatherings of the North China Army staff, such as "Is General Iimura's thinking still stuck in the days of the daimyo, before the separation of soldiers and farmers?", it unexpectedly gained favor with Neiji Ami. With his support, Iimura Jo made a bold prediction about the upcoming war.

He believed that the Communist Army would choose to attack in the spring of 1943 or in the winter of 1943. If it happened in the spring of 1943, it would mean that the Communist Army was more aggressive and the Imperial Army would face the Eighth Route Army's fierce attack during the Shanxi Province campaign and complete the "gradual transition" within 45 months. If it happened in the winter of 1943, it would mean that the Communist Army commanders were playing it safe and the North China Army would face being fully armed by the British and American beasts.

The Communist army is evolving, and the entire battle may be compressed into 3 months.

It's over in about two seconds.

Based on these two basic assumptions, the North China Army Command launched a two-month "marathon" simulation in June 1942, and came up with a series of assumptions and plans.

Under the supervision of the thinking monster Iimura Jō, a total of 8 combat plans named "Hu*hao" were compiled, covering the scenarios of the Communist Army launching a fierce attack from the northern edge of Taihang Mountain, breaking through with a strong attack along the Zhengtai Line, and "charging out" from the other eight passes of Taihang Mountain. It also took into account the scenario of several Red Army strongholds in North China suddenly rising up and jointly attacking the Imperial Army from behind, encircling Quancheng, Zhengxian and other places, and cooperating with the main force of Shanxi Province to break out in one fell swoop while the Imperial Army was mobilizing troops to suppress the rebellion.

They estimated that no matter which combat plan was adopted, the Communist Army could now assemble more than 50 regular troops, supported by the same number of "cooperative troops", to launch a very terrifying offensive.

To be honest, this is not a situation with no solution at all - but, just like "money is not a problem, the problem is having no money", the Japanese army cannot use the most direct method of "spending money and increasing troops" to deal with the potential offensive of the Eighth Route Army. Defense everywhere means that limited resources are spread out on a wide front, which is equivalent to not getting enough resources in every place, making it difficult to withstand the full force of the Communist Army.

We must create a strong enough defense line!

Although these costly fortifications could be built on the previously surviving transportation lines, the huge amount of manpower and material resources consumed by them was still a heavy burden for the North China Army. Due to the expansion of the liberated areas, the Japanese army lacked labor;