Anti-Japanese War: I have unlimited assistance

Taiyuan.

Japanese First Army Headquarters.

"General."

The communications officer strode into the operations room, his eyes filled with despair, and bowed deeply to Yoshio Shinotsuka to report:
"All four major fortresses of Dongshan have fallen!"

Upon hearing this, all the officers and staff in the headquarters looked on with despair.

Some staff officers looked at Yoshio Shinotsuka with displeasure, saying that the First Army could hold out for at least a month until the main force of the North China Area Army arrived and wiped out the main force of the Eighth Route Army.

The results of it?
In just five days, more than 5000 fortifications and strongholds outside the city, including reinforced concrete bunkers, minefields, and barbed wire, were covered by overlapping firepower, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

But by this time, the entire area had already been occupied by the Eighth Route Army troops led by Li Yunlong.

The First Army had already suffered heavy casualties.

Next, the Eighth Route Army will attack the Taiyuan city wall and enter the city to engage in street fighting with the defending troops.

Once the Eighth Route Army captured the walls of Taiyuan, the First Army would have no chance to escape.

They either surrender unconditionally or their entire army is wiped out.

Yoshio Shinotsuka looked at Renya Mutaguchi expressionlessly: "Mutaguchi-kun, how many troops does my First Army have left?"

Mutaguchi Renya's eyes flashed, and he bowed, saying, "Commander, the Locust Army still has about 3 men!"

"In addition, there are more than 2 elite locust-fighting troops!"

"With the street fighting in Taiyuan, my First Army can eliminate at least 4 Eighth Route Army soldiers!"

Yoshio Shinotsuka felt a sharp pang of heartache and shuddered.

Before the Third Battle of Taiyuan, the First Army had nearly 10 elite troops, but now only more than 3 remain.

In other words, in just 10 days of the Third Battle of Taiyuan, the First Army had already suffered more than 6 casualties.

This is over 6 elite locust troops!
My heart aches for Yoshio Shinotsuka!

"Street fighting is no longer necessary," Yoshio Shinotsuka said in a deep voice, his face expressionless. "Order all Locust Army and Locust Support Army units to prepare for a breakout and retreat into Hebei Province!"

At present, the main force of the North China Area Army, the Imperial Guard Division, is being fiercely resisted by the Eighth Route Army Independent Regiment in Datong.

The 108th Brigade stationed at Niangziguan was almost completely wiped out, and the 12th Division couldn't even capture Jiuguan.

If they don't break through soon, the First Army will be completely wiped out.

"Breakout?" Mutaguchi Renya asked in surprise. "Commander, Taiyuan is already heavily surrounded by Li Yunlong's troops, and the eastern part is a key defensive area of ​​the Eighth Route Army. If we break out now, we'll probably be wiped out by the Eighth Route Army. Fighting in the streets inside the city might give us a chance to take a bite out of Li Yunlong..."

Yoshio Shinotsuka snorted coldly, his face sinister: "Go and arrest all the civilians in Taiyuan City, and take them with you when you break out of the city. I don't believe the Eighth Route Army will fire on the civilians."

Renya Mutaguchi was taken aback: "...Hey!"

……

Niangziguan Old Pass Battlefield.

Headquarters of the 12th Division of the Japanese Army.

"Reporting to the division commander, the North China Area Army Headquarters just forwarded a farewell telegram from Major General Lin Fang, commander of the 108th Brigade."

The communications officer strode up to Lieutenant General Naito Masakazu, the division commander, and bowed to report.

"Nani?"

Upon hearing this, Naito Masakazu seemed to have suffered some great humiliation and abruptly stood up. The farewell telegram sent by the 108th Brigade headquarters meant that the 108th Brigade was about to be completely annihilated, or had already been completely annihilated.

Although the 108th Brigade was not under the command of the 12th Division.

But this farewell telegram was like a slap in the face to Naito Shoichi.

It was precisely because the 12th Division failed in its attack on Jiuguan that the 108th Brigade was completely annihilated.

At the beginning, Naito Masakazu confidently assured Tada Shun that he could capture the old Niangziguan Pass and reinforce the new Niangziguan Pass in a day at most.

Naito Masakazu's confidence was not without reason, because the 12th Division was the strongest division on paper among all the Class A divisions of the Japanese Army.

First, there was the issue of manpower. The 12th Division's manpower all came from Kurume, Fukuoka, Kokura, and other areas in northern Kyushu.

There's a saying circulating among the Japanese: "Among all the mighty armies in the world, those from northern Kyushu are the best."

After the Meiji Restoration, coal mines and other mineral resources in northern Kyushu were developed. The male labor force here either worked in factories to tighten screws or went to mines, so they were very strong. Moreover, these Japanese soldiers were very good at earthwork and blasting, so they were born to be soldiers and fight.

In terms of manpower, the 12th Division was in a class of its own within the Japanese army.

In terms of equipment, the 12th Division consists of two brigades, four infantry regiments, and the 2nd Field Heavy Artillery Brigade.

The field heavy artillery brigade comprises the 5th, 6th, and 24th Field Heavy Artillery Regiments, as well as the 3rd Independent Mountain Artillery Regiment. In addition to the field artillery, there are also fortress artillery and anti-aircraft artillery regiments, totaling six artillery regiments.

There are a total of 6 artillery regiments, each of which has 3 artillery battalions, and each battalion has 12 cannons. So, the cannons of these artillery regiments, plus the 16 Type 41 mountain guns of the 4 infantry regiments, total 160 cannons. This does not include fortress guns and anti-aircraft guns.

The 12th Division is also equipped with the 4th Army Aviation Regiment, which consists of 3 flight squadrons.

It also includes a tank regiment, which comprises four tank companies, each with 12 tanks, for a total of 52 tanks including the command vehicle.

In terms of both manpower and weaponry, the 12th Division was the strongest division in the entire Japanese army, even surpassing the Imperial Guard Division.

One of the main reasons why Tada Shun came to Beiping to serve as the commander of the North China Area Army was that...

General Headquarters agreed to his condition that he bring the 12th Division from the Third Army of the Kwantung Army to North China.

However, this 12th Division, which was the strongest on paper and on which Tada Shun placed high hopes, suffered a Waterloo at Niangziguan.

"Bring in the intelligence officer!"

A moment later, Naito Shoichi said with a gloomy face.

Not long after, an officer whose cheeks were almost swollen like a pig's head walked in somewhat flustered. This man was the intelligence staff officer of the 12th Division, whose face was slapped several times a day by Naito Masakazu.

The communications officer's voice trembled slightly as he reported, "Reporting to the division commander, we have ascertained the number of the Eighth Route Army on the other side. The enemy is the 386th Brigade of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army, and the brigade commander is Chengeng!"

"Brigade 386?"

Naito Shoichi sounded puzzled.

Chief of Staff Colonel Taro Sato said, "This unit is known as the No. 1 Brigade in China's War of Resistance Against Japan, with a total strength of more than 30,000 men. Li Yunlong, Kong Jie, Ding Wei, Xing Zhiguo and other fierce generals of the Eighth Route Army came from this brigade!"

Naito Shoichi narrowed his eyes: "No wonder the opponent's combat power is so strong."

Naito Masakazu stepped out of the tent and went to the crematorium, where the soldiers in charge of cremation threw the bodies of Japanese soldiers, who were only wearing loincloths, into the cremation pit.

Some other soldiers were secretly crying. The people of Kyushu were known for their fierce nature, and many of the soldiers were related by blood or marriage.

In four days of fighting, the 12th Division suffered more than 4,000 casualties, which was a very heavy loss for the 12th Division.

Seeing this, Naito Masakazu was furious and shouted, "Anyone who cries and disrupts morale will be shot immediately! What you should be doing is taking up your weapons, charging into the enemy's lines, annihilating them, and avenging your fallen loved ones!" (End of Chapter)