Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Chapter 287 Beheading Chu Yunfei? Yamamoto Ikki appears! (Subscribe)

"What the hell is going on!"

Even though the biting cold wind blew on his face, it did not affect his mood at all. Yoshio Shinozuka was a little defensive at this moment.

This telegram from the North China Flying Corps was like a bucket of cold water poured directly on him.

"Commander, the specific situation is still under further verification, but I think it has something to do with the Soviet Union's assistance of a large number of anti-aircraft guns. It is very likely that they deployed all of these anti-aircraft guns in the Yangcheng area to protect the newly renovated field airport."

Kusunoshi Hideyoshi was also dumbfounded at this time.

He had never seen such a situation before, so he could only make some inferences and then give his own judgment.

One bomber squadron, two flight formations, a total of eight light bombers, none of which successfully returned to Taiyuan Airport.

One of the fighter jets was damaged and then crashed in Hebei Province.

There are only two people left in the entire crew, and they are still being rescued and are not out of danger yet.

Although I don’t know what went wrong with the air raid plan.

But just looking at the results.

For the North China Front Army and the Shanxi First Army.

Neither is a good thing.

Yoshio Shinozuka thought for a long time and came up with several possibilities.

But considering the combat effectiveness of current anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns.

It is an impossible task to shoot down such a large number of bombers at one time.

That actually leaves only one possibility.

That is: the enemy learned of their air strike plan in advance, took off in the designated airspace in advance, and arranged a number of fighter jets far exceeding the number of their own light bombers.

Only under such circumstances can such results be achieved.

After briefly communicating his ideas with Kusunokichi Hideyoshi.

Kusunokichi nodded slightly: "Commander, the enemy has increased its resources in the Second War Zone. It seems that their so-called strategic counterattack is likely to be launched in the near future..."

Yoshio Shinozuka didn't care at first.

But all signs seem to point to this.

"Nanshan-kun, our opponents seem to have received strong support. It seems we also need to make corresponding preparations..."

After thinking for a moment, Shinozuka Yoshio said, "Immediately mobilize the people in the security zone to repair the corresponding fortifications to ensure the security situation in Shanxi."

"Hai!"

After Hideyoshi Kusuyama turned and left.

Yoshio Shinozuka remained in his office, picking up the brush beside him and preparing to practice calligraphy.

This is a little habit of his, through the process of studying calligraphy he can calm his mind.

You can also think more attentively about the next problem.

From Yoshio Shinozuka's perspective.

The biggest threat to the Shanxi region is Chu Yunfei's troops.

They have strong combat capability and a strong desire to attack, so there is absolutely no possibility of appeasement.

The second is the Eighth Route Army troops active on major battlefields.

From the Japanese perspective.

The 18th Group Army's regular combat, that is, frontal combat capability, is not a question of strength or weakness.

It can even be described as weak.

However, such troops were omnipresent and could easily mobilize tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people within a few months to fight against Japanese rule in their own way.

This is the most troublesome problem facing the North China Front Army at the moment.

This is Yoshio Shinozuka’s own idea.

In the military field, priority was given to mopping up and annihilating the Eighth Route Army troops in northwest Shanxi and Wutai area.

After ensuring the safety of the Beitongpu railway line.

Massive forces were assembled to ensure the safety of the two key "confrontation areas" of Zhengtai Line and Lifen Highway.

Later, it encroached on southern Shanxi, Taiyue Mountain area, southeastern Shanxi and southwestern Shanxi.

And now.

All the troops in the Second War Zone are mobilizing their forces, and it looks like a major war is about to begin.

It seemed as if the news that only the Eighth Route Army would be attacked and not the Shanxi Army and the Central Army had never reached the headquarters of the Second War Zone Commander.

It made him feel anxious.

soon.

The sound of resounding footsteps was heard, and a powerful voice came: "Report!"

"Come in."

Yoshio Shinozuka looked up at the person who came and immediately put down the brush in his hand.

"Mr. Yamamoto, I heard that when you were at the base camp, you developed a report on the combat effectiveness of various combat units in North China?" Yoshio Shinozuka seemed very interested in this.

Yamamoto Ikki, a soldier, from a samurai family.

He graduated from the Munich Military Academy in Germany, and also studied special operations.

Before returning to China, he formed a special agent team of more than 100 people.

All members are equipped with automatic weapons, are well-equipped and have strong combat power.

It was supposed to be put into combat in Shanxi soon.

However, neither the first commander, Seiji Kazuki, nor the second commander, Michijiro Umezu, attached importance to special operations.

In addition, the prisoner-of-war camp was attacked earlier and one of his combat teams was completely wiped out.

Yamamoto Ikki had to retrain a group of special forces in the country to supplement his own special forces team.

What Japan emphasizes nowadays is still "continentalism", and it actually does not pay much attention to details such as special operations.

Even with young talents like Yamamoto Kazuki and Takeshita Shun.

The advanced tactics he learned in Germany were still not taken seriously.

And Yamamoto Ikki can barely be said to have met a mentor.

After hearing Yoshio Shinozuka's concern about this matter.

Yamamoto Ikki immediately responded: "Yes, General, I have basically sorted out and summarized the articles."

"In that case, then please tell me your main point." Yoshio Shinozuka looked at Yamamoto Kazuki with a slightly expectant look.

Yamamoto Ikki immediately stood at attention: "Ha!"

"I think that the Chinese combat troops in North China can be divided into four categories. The first category is China's ace army, the second category is the central army's direct troops, the third category is the elite of the local army, China's 18th Group Army, and the fourth category is the vast majority of local army troops."

"Take Shanxi as an example, the most powerful unit is Chu Yunfei's unit..."

"The second is to"

Listening to Yamamoto Ikki's narration, Shinozuka Yoshio nodded frequently.

Yamamoto Ikki's classification is relatively intuitive.

The assessment of combat effectiveness is also relatively comprehensive.

Ace Army > Central Army (whose weapons and equipment can be slightly supplemented and whose manpower is relatively sufficient) > elite local army, main force of the 18th Group Army > miscellaneous army, and local troops of the 18th Group Army (such as Li Yunlong's New 1st Regiment and Kong Jie's Independent Regiment).

As a commander who understands the importance of small-scale battles.

Yamamoto Ikki gave a high evaluation of the combat effectiveness of the Eighth Route Army.

"General, I think that the Eighth Route Army troops in North China are generally quite strong at this stage. They have all experienced the strategic shift called the Long March. These officers and soldiers who have survived the war and the test of time have superb technical and tactical capabilities as well as unshakable faith and willpower."

"They are not without weaknesses. Their weapons and equipment are poor, and they even have great difficulties in logistical supply."

Yamamoto Ikki paused for a moment and then emphasized: "Although the 18th Group Army likes to hide among the people and disguise themselves as ordinary people, we are not without ways to deal with them. Considering the current strategic situation between the enemy and us, our biggest threat is still Chu Yunfei's troops active in the southeastern Shanxi region."

"In general, the combat effectiveness and even the number of the Chinese army at this stage are far inferior to those of our Imperial Army. We need to be wary of the elites in the Chinese army. They can often deal a heavy blow to our army in local wars. If possible, the first task of the Locust Army North China Front should be to destroy Chu Yunfei's troops. Please forgive me for being frank, General, the importance of destroying this unit is not only reflected in the military level..."

Shinozuka Yoshio nodded in agreement: "But, Yamamoto-kun, I think you also know that it is not easy to annihilate or even severely damage this ace unit of the National Revolutionary Army that has strong vitality, is well-trained, and is armed to the teeth."

"It's strange to say, the number of the Jinsui Army has been large since before the war and even until now, but their combat effectiveness is relatively poor. Chu Yunfei's troops originally belonged to the Jinsui Army, but their combat effectiveness far exceeds that of the Jinsui Army."

Yamamoto Ikki was silent for a moment: "General, this man is an admirable professional soldier, and the commanders at all levels under his command are also excellent commanders with many battle experiences.

In previous battles, even though our army inflicted heavy damage on them, they were still able to quickly reorganize.

Even though its combat effectiveness has declined, it is still far superior to other troops.

I think the fundamental reason should be the existence of Chu Yunfei himself.

He is more like a spiritual leader to his troops.

As long as he is alive, the troops under his command can be replenished quickly.

Plus he graduated from the fifth class of Whampoa Military Academy.

His weapons and equipment can also be directly replenished by the Chinese top leaders.

I think this should be the fundamental reason why Chu Yunfei's troops have strong combat effectiveness.

Perhaps our army can try special operations, infiltrate the southeastern Shanxi region, and then decapitate their headquarters."

Shinozuka Yoshio rubbed his forehead helplessly: "The group of military and political bureaucrats in Tokyo always believed that the contradiction between Yan Xishan and Chang Kai-shen was irreconcilable, and even had a political plan to persuade Yan Xishan to surrender." "Persuade to surrender?"

Yamamoto Ikki thought of the Deputy Minister of the Army who had just been transferred back to his country.

It was Seishirō Itagaki, who once had a teacher-student relationship with Yan Laoxi.

When Yan Laoxi was studying at the Japanese Army Academy.

Itagaki Seishirō was a young instructor in the same class as Yan Laoxi, and the two were indeed quite familiar with each other.

Even after the Japanese invasion of Shanxi, the two still kept in touch.

only.

The current Yan Laoxi is no longer the Yan Laoxi that Itagaki Seishirō remembered.

Shanxi is no longer the front line of resistance against the enemy where no one cares and blood flows silently.

Today, Shanxi has actually attracted the attention of people all over the country.

Full of everyone's expectations.

Under such circumstances, Yan Laoxi would not even try to contact the Japanese.

Even if Yan Laoxi did nothing, the headquarters would receive the "rumor" that he was plotting against the Japanese.

This is a strategy of sowing discord that costs almost nothing.

This is what the Japanese are best at and what they like to do the most.

"Excuse me, General, those military and political leaders in Tokyo have been away from the frontline battlefield for too long..."

Shinozuka Yoshio nodded without comment: "Let's talk about the decapitation operation just now, Mr. Yamamoto, you should know that the southeastern Shanxi region is managed by Chu Yunfei like an iron barrel. Our intelligence personnel can even infiltrate into the headquarters of the war zone commander, but we can't infiltrate into the southeastern Shanxi region.

We have never been able to effectively obtain intelligence on Chu Yunfei's troops. We can only obtain some minor details from the Second War Zone Commander's Headquarters, which may even be unfounded intelligence."

Yamamoto Ikki nodded slowly: "I have had in-depth discussions with Colonel Lin Cang. Chu Yunfei does not trust many officers in the Second War Zone Command Headquarters, and even often does things that go against the battle plan on the battlefield... This unit attaches great importance to intelligence, and its defense is so tight that it even exceeds the Locust Army of the Empire of Japan.

Commander, this actually indirectly illustrates one point, that is, Chu Yunfei is very clear that the key to whether his troops can gain an advantage and balance in battle is intelligence. "

What Yamamoto Kazuki said makes sense.

Yoshio Shinozuka, who had been very worried that the changes in the situation between the enemy and us in Shanxi would affect the subsequent strategy of the Great Japanese Empire, now felt a lot more relaxed.

Yes.

If Chu Yunfei's troops really have a large number of soldiers and generals, sufficient ammunition and strong strength.

Why would they put so much effort into intelligence?

It is also impossible for us to always be willing to stay in the small area of ​​southeastern Shanxi.

The entire Chinese battlefield is a huge stage.

There are plenty of opportunities for Chu Yunfei to achieve success.

No matter what, Yan Laoxi is just a local military leader.

Could he be compared to the real leader Chiang Kai-shek?

Chu Yunfei's troops would definitely not be as strong as he expected.

The strength of three divisions is more than enough to besiege the southeastern Shanxi region!

"Our current plan to infiltrate southeastern Shanxi and decapitate Chu Yunfei's headquarters is not yet mature. General, our target should be the Central Army active in the Taiyue Mountain area. We have already detected the locations of several of their headquarters, and they are all equipped with radio stations. I think their level should be quite high."

Shinozuka Yoshio nodded and said, "Mr. Yamamoto, I will approve your combat plan and related actions. I hope your special operations will shine in the Shanxi region!"

"Hai, thank you, General!"

"Commander, Chu Yunfei took the initiative to contact us this time. Is it related to the strategic counterattack issued some time ago?"

Division Commander Liu pushed up his glasses and said, "In my opinion, it's almost certain. The Kuomintang is serious this time. According to the deputy commander-in-chief, at least 70 divisions will be mobilized to launch a full-scale counterattack against the Japanese invaders."

"When did the principal become so bold?" Brigade Commander Chen was quite puzzled.

The entire National Government was in trouble at the moment.

As Yamashiro's attitude towards Japan became ambiguous, internal contradictions became increasingly prominent.

Telegrams supporting Chiang Kai-shek and the war of resistance came one after another.

After all, the Yan'an side was really afraid that Chang Kai-shen would become confused, so they just gave the order directly.

That's fucked up.

This is something all the main commanders of the Eighth Route Army knew.

"Changzhi is not far ahead. We can ask after we get there." Commander Liu smiled slightly, seeming to be looking forward to arriving in Changzhi.

In Shanxi region.

The cooperation between the Shanxi Army, the Central Army, and the Eighth Route Army became increasingly close.

Before this, during the battle in Shanxi.

After Chu Yunfei's troops completed the assault on Taiyuan Airport.

That is, before the main forces retreated to southeastern Shanxi.

He had already carried out relevant cooperation with the guerrilla units of the Eighth Route Army in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region in advance.

A relevant consensus was reached with Deputy Chief of Staff Guo Xianmin of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei base area.

They let the Eighth Route Army in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region cover their retreat and take the initiative to attack the Japanese troops that were harassing the highway in northwestern Shanxi.

According to the agreement reached between Yan Laoxi and the Eighth Route Army.

The Eighth Route Army needs to be informed in advance whether the operation will proceed.

And the Eighth Route Army must actively agree and be willing to participate in this battle.

Only then would Yan Laoxi issue combat missions to him.

in short.

In fact, mobilizing the Eighth Route Army troops to fight was not something that Chu Yunfei could do with just a few words.

He will also provide the equipment promised to the Eighth Route Army as soon as possible.

Although Chu Yunfei would also give some old Hanyang rifles, the quantity and ammunition provided were insufficient.

He is never careless either.

The same reason applies to the fact that many Eighth Route Army commanders did not trust Yan Laoxi, but they trusted Chu Yunfei.

Chu Yunfei really gives what he promised to give.

And if they promise reinforcements, then they will definitely come.

In a joint combat operation.

As long as it is agreed before the war that they will be the ones to attack.

Then when fighting, you will never see this ace force do anything weird.

Even if there are heavy casualties, they will complete the strategic tasks planned before the war.

Maybe it's a sense of honor, or maybe it's a soldier's sense of responsibility.

It can also be said to be faith.

To sum up, officers and soldiers of the Eighth Route Army at all levels in North China unanimously believed that Chu Yunfei was trustworthy.

The officers and soldiers under Chu Yunfei's command are also trustworthy.

They are definitely not those reactionary armed forces who talk big but do nothing.

Therefore, everyone tends to deepen the cooperation between the two sides rather than make clear distinctions.

That night.

As Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Zhang Dayun arranged accommodation for the Eighth Route Army representatives.

Originally, Fang Ligong should have been the one to greet him personally, but Fang Ligong was sent out by Chu Yunfei.

Chu Yunfei couldn't come because of something else.

Only Zhang Dayun can come.

Division Commander Liu and Brigade Commander Chen did not feel that they were being neglected.

Chu Yunfei works with a completely risk-taking attitude, according to an article in Changzhi Weekly.

In non-wartime, the average working day is fourteen hours.

Not to mention wartime, there is absolutely no point at all.

If you don’t know, you might think it’s promotional material.

The two men, after observing with Chu Yunfei's troops, knew it clearly.

The Changzhi Weekly report not only did not exaggerate, but was rather conservative.
Chu Yunfei has an almost perverted and obsessive desire to control all walks of life and all situations in the southeastern Shanxi region.

This caused him to spend a lot of time dealing with military and government affairs.
Early the next morning.

As soon as Brigade Commander Chen opened the door, he saw Zhang Dayun had already arrived outside the room waiting for them.

"Chief of Staff Zhang, sorry for the wait..."

"Brigade Commander Chen, Division Commander Liu, breakfast is ready, please."

"please"

(End of this chapter)