Canteen System Assistance Notes

The people at the scene were divided into two groups. Although the number of the Peninsula people who were originally working at the headquarters of the First Battalion was small, their tone was the loudest. They shouted something like "Eight circles in one house, seven lives to serve the country" and asked the other people in the remaining troops to "show their roots and take action immediately." As for what action to take and how to take action, they avoided talking about it. The other group, in addition to some grassroots officers, also included some Japanese non-commissioned officers who served as technical consultants. Their views were relatively conservative. They demanded to contact friendly forces as soon as possible and return to their base as soon as possible.

As for the ordinary soldiers, most of them clutching rifles, they didn't move. Despite their numbers, they also possessed the most rifles. Paik could clearly hear mutterings like, "What are these guys so arrogant about? Aren't they getting beaten to a pulp by the Chinese right now?" "I heard the Communist army wouldn't bother soldiers like us," and "If you ask me, I'd better find some clothes before nightfall..."

Obviously, these "peninsula able-bodied men" who were temporarily drafted in to fill the ranks were different from the Japanese soldiers who had grown up in a highly repressive and obedient society and within the strict hierarchical Japanese military system. They were even more different from "senior officers" like Paik Sun-yup who had undergone an "imperialization" education. When the army was intact, they would still submit to violence and hierarchy and fight obediently. But in this difficult time, many of them had ulterior motives!

Paik Sun-yup, who was about to shout, "You guys! How can you be so shameless!", stopped.

He is not a person with a strong political sense, but perhaps because he is good at communicating with others and observing people's words and expressions, Paik Sun-yup clearly noticed the change in the wind direction in this small group.

He recalled that when he led his troops through Jinzhou, the mobilized Japanese and Chinese people surrounded the two sides of the railway, shouting "Aboard" and "Million Victory", and respectfully sent the troops into the pass to fight, to show the friendship of "Japan, North Korea and Taiwan as one".

But now, the entire army is not only in a panic, but also scared as a dog.

In this case... what's the point of fighting for the command of such a motley crowd?

He began to think anxiously: it would probably take less than a day for that unit equipped with tanks and artillery to wipe out the Second Battalion and the First Battalion. Once they catch up by then, it would be impossible for the current unit of more than 200 people to withstand a single round of firepower from the opposite side.

Now, the only possible way to survive was to retreat to Xingtai, a city still under Imperial Army control and not surrounded by Communist troops. If they could find a large Imperial Army unit to join them, even if victory wasn't possible, a successful retreat would surely be a sure thing!

And if that's the case... then we should find a bait that can stop the Communist army...

Bait...

Paik Sun-yup looked at the group of imperial Peninsular people who were still shouting "Eight Kingdoms, One House, Seven Lives to Serve the Country", the ordinary Peninsular people and Japanese non-commissioned officers who believed that "only by being cautious and prudent can there be a chance of survival", and the ordinary Peninsular soldiers who were huddled aside and kept silent.

"Dejiu, Dejiu! Come here! I want to discuss something with you..." He lowered his voice and called out to Lieutenant Li Dejiu, the captain of the first squadron with whom he had a good relationship, who had just dropped out of school and joined the army.

"This place is now a concentration camp of insects. We obviously can't move in with them.

"When the Communist army surrounds us, they can use tanks to blow us all up. Therefore, the best option at the moment is..."

In a corner of the village, Paik Sun-yup began to use his ability to deal with people, reasoning with and appealing to Li Dejiu's emotions, intending to win over this small team leader who was one of the few with a clear mind and a few loyal guards.

If the other party is willing to act with me, it is obvious that taking a few capable people with me, leaving the troops behind, and heading north alone after dark tonight will be safer and more likely to succeed than going alone.

And if the enemy is unwilling to act with me... then, handing the troops over to him to "handle on the spot" seems to give me more freedom of action...

Paik Sun-yup was so engrossed that he didn't notice that a strangely shaped, buzzing artificial structure appeared in the sky above the small village south of Xingtai. It was flying from a height of about 200 meters, using a 480P simulated field of view to silently overhead the group of Korean soldiers who were shouting slogans, quarreling, and planning their retreat.

Chapter 809 The Decisive Tide (5) The Distant Bridge

Filter Tuo River, Zhengding.

On March 18, when the Eighth Route Army's Zhengtai Line Campaign Group launched an attack along the Zhengtai Line and gradually advanced against the 110th Division's defense area, this location was brought to the fore by the generals at the front command.

The reason is simple. In order to achieve the goal of "encircling the main force of the Japanese army on the Pinghan Line south of Shimen and focusing on destroying the Japanese army's vitality", in addition to the "frontal attack" along the Zhengtai Line to break through Jingxing and exit Taihang, the Eighth Route Army also needs to put a "lid" on the Lituo River north of Shimen and south of Zhengding, so that the Japanese army will "stay" safely south of Shimen 3-4 days before Cheng Zaidao's assault group reaches Shimen City, and honestly "wait" to be annihilated by our army.

The task of closing this "lid" was given to the brigade commander, Comrade Chen Shukang, who was more powerful than the "king of heaven".

Therefore, on March 18, when the Eighth Route Army's Zhengtai Line Battle Group launched an attack along the Zhengtai Line and gradually advanced against the defense area of ​​the 110th Division, the main force of the North China Field Army, which had already arrived in Pingshan County through mountain maneuvers under the command of Chen Shukang and his partner Song Yunqin, left Lingshou from Pingshan with the cooperation of the Hebei-Central Base Area, and advanced from the east and west with lightning speed, and seized the Zhengding County City controlled by part of the 110th Division.

After a very fierce battle, they defeated the Japanese garrison guarding the Japanese bridgehead south of Zhengding City and successfully cut off the two key north-south bridges - the Lituo River Railway Bridge and the Taiping River Railway Bridge.

But here, a good start does not mean that things are half successful, but it means that the North China Field Army, which has just stopped from the blitzkrieg, is about to face the most crazy counterattack of the Japanese army - because the Eighth Route Army knows that they can encircle and annihilate the four Japanese divisions south of Shimen by covering the lid, and the Japanese army themselves, who are trapped in the encirclement of the entire battle, obviously also have a deep understanding of this situation.

"This is crazy! This little Japs are going crazy! Just now, they launched a squadron-level charge in front of our position. We fought them off again and again, including many suicide attacks with explosive packs and blasting tubes—that's eight charges today!"

"If you were hit on the head and kicked in the butt, and then your door was locked and your house was set on fire, you would go crazy too. The two bridges in Zhengding are the key to the Japanese receiving reinforcements from the north, just like the two eggs of Iimura Jo's Seventh Army!"

Inside the command post in Pingshan, the creaking sounds of printers and the hissing sounds of radios alternated. Staff officers paced back and forth, tapping on keyboards or yelling on phones, trying to collect clear enough information and intelligence in the extremely fierce battle so that commanders would have accurate and sufficient basis for decision-making.

"Now we have these two eggs in our hands. It's very uncomfortable! We can't hit them or blow them up. How can he not go crazy?"

Although his words were quite relaxed, Chen Shukang rarely smiled. Instead, he calmly explained to Song Yunqin on the other end of the phone, "Now is not the most stressful time. The base's delay along the Shahe River cannot last long. In 24 hours at most, the Japanese from Qingyuan in the north will reach Cihe. When that happens, it will be the little Japanese who will kick us in the groin!"

"So, all troops continue to accelerate the construction of their positions, and the reserves remain stationary for the time being!"

"Chief!"

At this moment, a radio operator tore off a roll of telegram paper and loudly reported the latest situation from the front line, "718 Pingshan Regiment reports that the enemy has launched a new round of attacks and has deployed armored trains outside Shimen City to attack. Requesting air support!"

"The Japs are using every possible means. They even hired a dump truck to knock our soldiers away!"

Chen Shukang laughed in anger. He tightly grasped the telegram paper that was delivered to him and said, "Contact the Air Force, quickly!"

"Even if the military reinforcements arrive quickly, it will take a day or two. Before that, we cannot let the Communist army gain a foothold...

"The Communist army is attacking head-on and launching surprise attacks all the way, trying to make us lose our balance and lose our composure!

"Don't keep any reserves! Send out the reserves, including the divisional guards! Send out the railway troops too! Let the volunteers defend Shimen! If we don't recapture the railway bridge and the bridgehead intact, even if we survive the Communist army, you and I will have to commit suicide and apologize to His Majesty the Emperor!"

Accompanied by the crazy roar of the commander of the 110th Division, Hayashi Yoshitaro, the 110th Division, which had already launched several rounds of attacks and consumed a large number of troops from the "Iron-Blooded Loyal Emperor and Anti-Communist National Volunteer Combat Team" and the "North China Army Anti-Communist Volunteer Army", finally realized that the Eighth Route Army's defense was beginning to loosen and the time for a general counterattack had arrived.

They deployed veterans of the division, who had previously been in a state of "soft combat power," and even incorporated the sick horse depot and the supply train into the direct guard, thus also sending the elite guard troops originally responsible for guarding the division headquarters into the battlefield. At the same time, the armored trains that had originally surrounded the four major military camps in Shimen City and replaced them with railways also rushed along the Pinghan Railway, with their firepower locomotives and passenger carriages, towards the Taiping River Railway Bridge further south.

As the Japanese army began to launch this round of "real boarding", the pressure faced by the Eighth Route Army soldiers in the triangle area along the Lituo River, south of Zhengding County, consisting of the county seat, the railway and the Taiping River railway bridge, suddenly increased.

All of the 110th Division's reinforced artillery, not yet deployed to Guangou and Changshengkou, was quickly moved to the battlefield by the Japanese. Drawing on their previously stored ammunition, they opened fire on our positions. This relentless barrage was so relentless that it was almost impossible to discern the intervals between shells landing, giving the Japanese army a slight resemblance to the American forces in the Korean War of another time and space.

The huge steel monster advancing along the railway in the smoke made the soldiers of the Pingshan Regiment on the front line feel the long-lost pressure of the battlefield.

"Look! The Japs are driving an armored train over here!"

A blast of intense artillery fire swept across the battlefield, sending clouds of dust and dust flying across the nearly ruined villages and positions. Soldiers on the front lines looked up from their foxholes and communication trenches to see a massive armored train, its carriages and locomotives firing machine guns, field artillery, and machine guns at the other side of the Taiping River, all the while shielding the Japanese soldiers advancing through the craters.

A large number of direct bullets were blocked by the armor plates of the train, and ricocheted in all directions; the 14.5mm warheads fired by the "excellent anti-board weapon" KPV machine gun seemed unable to quickly produce sufficient destructive effects to force the train to stop quickly; and even the "Type 43 guided rockets" specially distributed before the war to fight against Japanese tanks and bunkers lost their "magic" in the face of the huge size of the armored train.

The reason was simple: a 3kg shaped charge warhead was perfectly effective against tanks and pillboxes, but against armored trains with their vast interiors—even the makeshift armored trains assembled by the Japanese inland—they could only disable the enemy's field artillery turrets, not quickly stop them!

"Damn it! The blasting team! The blasting team!"

The artillery was struggling to suppress the howitzers in the Japanese rear positions, leaving them with very few artillery pieces available for direct fire. While the 100mm and 160mm mortars were effectively firing, knocking down numerous enemy infantry, their accuracy against the constantly moving Japanese armored trains was far from ideal. Watching the armored trains, slowly advancing, supporting the engineers repairing the railway, and their comrades struggling to hold out on the bridgehead, the frontline officers and soldiers were practically visibly wounded.

Destroying the armored train proved impossible, so the frontline "Pingshan Regiment" planned to first destroy a section of the roadbed, forcing the flaming "iron dragon" to stop. However, transporting explosives across the exposed bridge deck proved difficult, and destroying the thick roadbed required a significant blasting force. The blasting team, despite numerous attempts and numerous casualties, remained unsuccessful, relying instead on random digging of pits near the railway with 160mm mortars.

"Damn it! Why didn't you bring everyone here?"

The heavy equipment that was extremely despised during the rapid blitzkrieg now became the "Achilles' heel" of the Pingshan Regiment. The inability to use the railway to connect with the rear industrial area also limited the firepower of the troops. Amidst the angry curses, the regiment commander Chen Zongyao had to start considering using the "last resort" - that is, to blow up the Taiping River Railway Bridge in the south to delay the enemy's advance and retreat to the Lituo River Railway Bridge in the rear.

The Front Committee and the Headquarters did not issue a "death order", but the experienced old regiment commander understood that even if the shorter Taiping Bridge was blown up, it could be repaired by the infrastructure troops after Shimen was recaptured, but the time wasted in this process would definitely affect the speed at which our army would continue to move north and eliminate the Japanese reinforcements.

"Have you finished installing the explosives for Taiping Bridge?" he asked solemnly. "They were installed fifteen minutes ago and are ready to go!"

"Then..." He finally made up his mind. A commander couldn't hesitate at this moment. "160th Regiment, don't blow up the roadbed! Report to division headquarters. Concentrate firepower to support the bridgehead and cover the Second Battalion's retreat! Once the Second Battalion has retreated, immediately begin the demolition!"

"and many more!"

Just as the regimental staff officer shouted back, preparing to have the communications platoon make the call, Political Commissar Luo Zhangren, who had been holding a headset nearby, called out. He raised one hand, the other firmly pressing the headset to his ear. For a few seconds, the noisy headquarters fell silent, and everyone's eyes were fixed on him.

"Okay! Okay! Got it! You're finally here!"

Luo Zhangren threw the headphones back to the communicator who was pushed away, rushed to the observation port of the command center in two steps, and raised his telescope.

"Zhang Ren! What's happening?" Seeing his good partner suddenly "going crazy", Chen Zongyao became puzzled, so he walked to the observation post and began to observe outside.

“空军!空军!4架（美制)25式轰炸机，4架‘海盗’,统共带了8吨炸弹，5分钟之后就到!”

Political Commissar Luo searched the sky excitedly, "No need to blow up the bridge now!" "Little devils, what armored trains, what iron fortresses... When our planes arrive, we'll wipe your ass with eggshells!"

Chapter 810: The smile didn't disappear, it just shifted

On March 21, 1943, about 24 days after the launch of the North China Campaign, four days after the order to "attack the Zhengtai Line" was issued, the "Zhengtai Line Campaign Group" composed of the Central Plains Field Army and the North China Field Army broke through Niangziguan-Jiuguan, Guangou and Xuehuashan-Changshengkou, and attacked and captured strongholds along the Taohe River Valley all the way to Luquan, breaking out of the mountains and peaks of the Taihang Mountains.

Shimen City, protected by the remnants of the 110th Division and a large number of ring fortifications, appeared before everyone.

To reach this point, the several field divisions participating in the attack suffered heavy casualties, and the independent heavy armored column, tasked with the spearhead of the breakthrough, lost at least 12 armored vehicles and tanks of various types. However, as Cheng Zaidao said in his pre-war mobilization, "Even if all our tanks are destroyed, our comrades will still break through the Taihang Mountains and liberate all of China." All this effort was worth it.

At the same time, they are not alone.

They saw billowing clouds of smoke and dust from the south.

In just a few days, the Southern Corps of the Eighth Route Army, which had besieged Handan on three sides, had raised the bright red sickle and hammer flag above this ancient city that originated from the Shang and Yin dynasties, and joined forces with the base area troops that continued to harass, intercept and raid the enemy, powerfully sweeping away the enemy from Handan through Xingtai to Shimen area, and advancing the troops to the south of Shimen city.

The Southern Front Corps even encountered some Korean puppet troops who kidnapped their own officers and surrendered with their troops in an organized manner, which was quite surprising.

To the north they saw the rumbling of war.

During these few days, the North China Field Army that came out of Pingshan County completed a breakthrough on the left bank of the Lituo River. With perseverance and courage, and with the strong support of the Air Force, they held the Lituo River line, withstood the crazy attacks of the Japanese troops on the north and south sides, and blocked the rescue troops of the Japanese Seventh Army.

When the main force that had broken through the Zhengtai Line entered the Lituo River position, many of our troops had lost nearly one-third of their strength, and the casualties were very heavy. However, in contrast, outside this "lid" area, which was only 22 kilometers long from north to south, it was filled with the corpses of Japanese troops and anti-communist volunteers, and even the wreckage of many tanks and armored trains. The soldiers of the North China Field Army who set out from Pingshan used their lives to defend the northern edge of the entire battle encirclement, creating critical conditions for the main corps to annihilate the enemy.

Up to now, the Japanese army in North China has lost the 36th Division, the 106th Division of the Central China Army, the 50th Division (formerly the 1st Independent Mixed Division), the 28th Division of the Kwantung Army, and the newly formed 82nd and 83rd Divisions on the Pinghan Line side. The 80th Division, which had just arrived to provide support, had only less than one regiment of troops left and successfully escaped back to the vicinity of Shimen and Zhengding. It joined the last remnants of the 110th Division, preparing for a final desperate resistance.

Now is the time to deal with the last stubborn enemy in the Zhengtai Line Campaign - no, perhaps it should be the time to let the Eighth Route Army field troops from the Zhengtai Line and the Pinghan Line draw a huge Liu Mingzhao-style cross in Shimen City and successfully meet up - obviously, this meeting with key historical significance will definitely be accompanied by the final end of the 110th Division and the 80th Division.

However, as the saying goes, "some are happy, some are sad, and some are jumping off buildings." The extra smiles on one side of the war are always transferred from the other side's faces.

Following the dispatch of the fatal telegram from the 110th and 80th Divisions' representatives, "Cyber ​​Telepathy," the 110th Division's commanders, Hayashi Yoshitaro and Nagumo Shin-ori, along with their divisional staff, were shot down by an Eighth Route Army P-70 (modified A-20) night fighter during the night, landing in a field in the southern Hebei base area. The Japanese 57th Division (formerly the 8th Independent Mixed Unit), which had been rushing south from the Qingyuan area in an attempt to relieve the 110th Division, was forced to turn back and retreat to the area surrounding Qingyuan, taking advantage of the Eighth Route Army's lack of momentum to pursue northward.

This does not include the Japanese troops defeated on the Jinpu Road and Jiaodong Peninsula.

The development of the war situation at this point also meant that the Japanese army in North China had lost its last chance to turn defeat into victory. In a sense, this kind of "complete defeat" on the theoretical level is sometimes more difficult to accept than a defeat on the battlefield.

.……Shut up! "

"Sir! Although you have been kind to me, the current situation does not allow us to show any consideration for you!"

"Iimura Jo! I ​​told you to shut up!"

"You can scold me, Mr. Okamura!" In the Japanese military headquarters in Mikawa County, Iimura Jo bowed his head, maintaining a 60-degree bow with a resolute tone, "But I still have to finish what I'm saying!"

"The Island Corps (50th Division, formerly the 1st Independent Mixed Unit) has been destroyed, and even the Crow Corps (110th Division) and the Eiji Corps (80th Division) have been shattered! Komatsuzaki (Komatsuzaki Rikio, commander of the 50th Division), Hayashi Division Commander, and Nagumo Division Commander also sacrificed their lives for their country! South of Zhengding, there are no organized troops left in our army!

"The situation has become so critical that we can no longer remain deaf and dumb!"

"You bastard, you bastard! Iimura Jang, I'm not senile yet, I don't need you to remind me!" The sound of chewing was heard, and the things on Okamura Neiji's desk were hit by a punch and jumped up immediately.

The dark green cord-operated lamp creaked, and the beautiful porcelain cup of water toppled onto the table. The cup gurgled, spilling the remaining tea onto the table, soaking the scattered telegram paper. The next moment, Okamura Neiji turned and stalked, swooping towards the commander's katana hanging on the wall.

In just a few steps, he took off his officer's uniform, revealing the white shirt underneath, threw away his hat, then grabbed the samurai sword from the wooden sword holder that had just been repaired, and drew it out of the sheath with a clang.

"You're talking nonsense! What nonsense! Our army has never been in such a critical situation!"

The commander of the North China Army glared with bloodshot eyes, his sword held high in both hands, and pointed it at Iimura Jō. "You are a despicable man who deceives the people with your lies! You are a traitor! You are not a citizen! Look, I will take your head off on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor!"

one-------

In the command center of Sanhe County, an atmosphere like gunpowder diffused in the air; amid the dense sounds of electric keys and the noisy voices of the people, Okamura Yasuji's voice was like thunder out of the blue, causing everyone around him to pause for a moment.

While the other orderlies, guards, and adjutants didn't dare approach, Iimura Jo didn't shy away at all, still keeping his head down stubbornly.

"If you need it, then take it off! But after you take my head off, please make a quick decision!"

The lieutenant general was not at all pretentious at this moment. Instead, he seemed to be truly prepared to be hacked to death on the spot. He took advantage of the last moment to narrate rapidly:

"The Kwantung Army has no intention of rushing to the rescue, or perhaps the food supplies we have in the interior are insufficient to meet the needs of the Kwantung Army's large forces. The 12th Army has been delaying orders from the General Staff and is still preparing to move forward. Further westward attacks are now meaningless. Although the Central China Army has sent forces north, it has not yet broken through the Communist Army's defenses at Taijiazhuangji and Zaozhuang. The Wuhe Corps (75th Division) and the Songfeng Corps (76th Division) have been ordered to hold on to Xuzhou!"

"At present, our army has only 6 divisions, about 10 men, available! There is no possibility of winning a decisive battle against the Communists!"

Iimura Joi emphasized his tone, answering word by word, "Sir! Regardless of how you may be judged after your death, the fate of the Imperial Army in Kanei depends on you! Please contact headquarters as soon as possible and make a decision!"

"Our army has reached the point where a 'total retreat' is unavoidable!"

Chapter 811: It’s not just the war situation that’s collapsing

General retreat, or rather "general retreat".

A word that was tabooed by all the North China troops, even the Japanese troops - starting from 1941, except for the real brainless idiots, all the Japanese army generals with brains and all those pretending to be brainless understood to a certain extent, and even agreed with the concept represented by this word: However, from beginning to end, this concept was never mentioned.

After all, a total retreat from the interior of the country would mean the bankruptcy of the continental strategy, that the huge investment in the invasion of the interior of the country starting in 1937 would be wasted, that the expansion of the empire would suffer a serious setback, and even that... the "justice" of the decision to expand the invasion would be impacted.

So was the "Manchurian Incident" of 1931 correct? Or, more seriously, was the Tanaka Memorial correct?

So, going further... do the Japanese military leaders, and even His Majesty the Emperor, who actively promoted and condoned this incident, need to be held accountable for this?

Therefore, admitting the failure of the invasion of China and conducting a general retreat from the interior of China are events that every imperialist fascist soldier born in Japanese society is extremely reluctant to mention.

Except for this strange general who graduated from the 33rd class of Ling University, Iimura Jo.

"Stop making a fuss! Send him to the military doctor!"

In the small office, Okamura Yasuji, knife-wielding, and Iimura Joi, bowing, stood face to face for a long time. Perhaps because Okamura Yasuji hadn't slept well for a long time and his physical strength was limited, or perhaps because it was too difficult for the elderly man to hold a katana over a meter long, the tense atmosphere in the office finally eased slightly.

It was just a pity for the North China Army's Operations Section Chief Tokunaga Kanosuke who came to mediate: when he rushed into the office to mediate, he was hit on the arm by Okamura's command knife. Although the force was not strong and he was not seriously injured, the sharp blade still cut a long gash on his hand, and blood gushed out immediately, which was very miserable.

After hearing this signal, the staff officers who had been hiding outside the house finally dared to rush into the room. They clamored to bandage Tokunaga Kanosuke's wounds and sent him to the military doctor. It took a long time before they finally calmed down.

"Iimura, in the winter of Showa 16, I heard you were exceptionally talented, a freak of genius... That's why I snatched you away from that little Tojo, to save you from becoming an adjunct in the Army Ministry or being thrown into a school to become a principal."

Taking this opportunity, Okamura Neiji finally put down his sword. He tiredly threw the more than one-meter-long command sword on the table and reached out to hold on to the bookshelf beside him.

"But now, not only have you failed to offer any sound advice, but you've even talked about retreating, forcing me to make a decision. I invited you here to help me, not to hear you say such things!"