You are ordered to support the War of Resistance against Japan; China enters Level 1 combat readines

Taiyuan.

Headquarters of the First Army of the North China Area Army.

The atmosphere in the operations room was tense, and a gathering of generals stood before a huge sand table depicting North China.

Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant General Kazuo Shinotsuka had a stern expression. Lieutenant General Jin Iseki, commander of the 36th Division, Lieutenant General Nijuzo Adachi, commander of the 37th Division, and a group of staff officers all stood solemnly.

The army of 100,000 is ready to be deployed, but the more imminent this is, the more cautious we must be.

"Gentlemen,"

Shinotsuka Kazuo's voice was deep as he tapped the model of the small town representing He County on the sand table with his slender baton.

"This operation concerns the honor of the Imperial Army; we cannot afford to fail! Learning from past lessons, we must act with the force of a lion hunting a rabbit, with overwhelming power!"

"However, war is no child's play, especially when facing the Eighth Route Army with its strange equipment, we must plan carefully before we act."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone: "The preliminary reconnaissance is complete, and you all surely have a clear understanding of the situation in He County. Now, let's discuss how to fight this battle."

Commander Iseki Ren, commander of the 36th Division, spoke first, his tone grave: "Commander, the most troublesome enemy in He County is none other than those fourteen 'Invincible Heavy Tanks'."

"Its armor is far stronger than imagined. Even my existing 37mm rapid-fire guns and Type 94 mountain guns cannot penetrate it when fired directly! In addition, its main gun is incredibly powerful and has an extremely fast rate of fire, making it a mobile fortress."

"If they control the vital north-south route, a direct assault... the cost could be unbearable!"

More than a month has passed, and the Japanese have already collected almost all the information about the 99A.

Shinotsuka Kazuo nodded. To be honest, if he hadn't been wary of those 14 Type 99A tanks, he would have already taken action against He County.

"What are the opinions of the others?"

An air force staff officer spoke up, his voice bitter: "The army aviation assessment indicates that the enemy's air defense firepower is extremely unpredictable and precise, and they are suspected of being equipped with unknown advanced sights."

"Several aircraft have already been lost during reconnaissance missions. If a large formation of aircraft rashly launches ground support, it could result in heavy losses!"

"The plan to seize air superiority and suppress their air defense is extremely risky."

A moment of silence fell over the room.

The Eighth Route Army's anti-aircraft guns were damn accurate!

Not only the ten bombers that were shot down earlier, but also several reconnaissance planes sent out by the Japanese afterwards were all shot down.

Accuracy... 100%!

The Japanese soldiers' expressions grew increasingly grave.

Although a force of 100,000 has been assembled this time, He County is by no means an easy target!

Anda Twenty-Three, the old beast who participated in the Nanjing Massacre, squinted his eyes and tapped the edge of the sand table lightly with his fingers.

He said slowly, "A direct attack is indeed a poor strategy!"

"Those fourteen tanks are actually fourteen highly maneuverable and exceptionally well-protected 125mm heavy guns!"

"He County has a treacherous terrain and narrow passages. If our army were to launch a frontal assault, even if we were to eventually break through with sheer numbers, we would likely lose several regiments of elite troops, severely weakening our forces!"

At this point, Anda Twenty-Three's tone shifted, a hint of cold calculation in his voice: "However, a tank is still a tank; its cannons, though powerful, have a range far inferior to my field heavy artillery!"

"My 105mm howitzer has a range of up to eight kilometers, while the effective range of a tank gun is only two or three kilometers!"

"If we create distance, we can suppress them by bombarding them with heavy artillery."

Kazuo Shinotsuka first nodded, then shook his head.

"The Eighth Route Army is cunning; how could they possibly hold out in an isolated city and allow us to bombard it?"

"The mobility of their tanks is unclear. If they launch a preemptive attack to harass our artillery positions or logistical supplies, how should we respond?"

The 105mm howitzer does have a longer range than the 99A, but the problem is that the 105mm howitzer has very poor mobility!

If the position is discovered, the distance of several kilometers will be covered in the blink of an eye, and then we might have to lose several artillery regiments!

In fact, if that damned regimental flag hadn't been publicized to the world, forcing them to take action, Shinotsuka Kazuo would have preferred to prepare for a little longer.

But now, Gangcun has given a death order: He County must be attacked, and the attack must be carried out spectacularly!

At that moment, a venomous glint flashed in Adachi Nūzō's eyes, and he uttered the plan he had long considered:

"Since a direct assault is too costly, why not try a different approach?"

"What's most important to the Eighth Route Army? Their base areas!"

"The arsenal in the county town that's nearing completion, and those new weapons they treasure—these are their lifeline, which they absolutely refuse to give up!"

"Our 100,000 troops will surround He County, besieging it without attacking, or merely launching a supporting attack to maintain pressure. At that time... the Eighth Route Army headquarters and other troops will surely do everything possible to send reinforcements!"

"Encircle and ambush reinforcements?"

Shinotsuka Kazuo and Iseki Ren exchanged a glance, both seeing the urge in each other's eyes.

"Brilliant!" Iseki Ren clapped his hands. "Adachi-kun's plan is a perfect example of avoiding the enemy's strength and striking their weakness!"

"Instead of engaging that iron tortoise head-on, we'll target the weak points of the Eighth Route Army's reinforcements. This will both inflict heavy casualties on their forces and starve the garrison of He County. A two-birds-with-one-stone strategy!"

"Once the reinforcements are wiped out, He County will be an isolated city, without food or ammunition, and without reinforcements. The morale of the army will inevitably collapse, and if this continues, it will crumble without a fight!"

Shinotsuka Kazuo nodded slowly, the solemnity on his face lessening slightly, and his gaze towards Adachi Juzo held a hint of approval:

"As expected of Adachi-kun, you are well-versed in Chinese warfare tactics. This plan is excellent and very prudent."

"It will achieve the goals of recapturing He County and avenging our defeat, while minimizing the losses of the Imperial Army and severely damaging the mobile forces of the Eighth Route Army. If General Okamura knew this, he would surely be pleased."

Upon hearing the words "General Okamura" and "gratified," Adachi Nūzō's heart stirred, but he maintained a respectful demeanor.

"Commander, you flatter me. This is simply my duty to the Empire and His Majesty the Emperor."

With Tada Shun's downfall, the top leadership of the North China Area Army is about to be reshuffled.

And he, Anda, is twenty-three years old, and is an old subordinate of Okamura Huazhongjun!

He had been eyeing the position of Chief of Staff, Yukio Kasahara, for a long time.

If we win this battle by following this plan, I will undoubtedly have made the greatest contribution!

The final plan was thus finalized.

A hundred thousand troops will besiege the enemy stronghold and strike at their reinforcements!

With overwhelming numerical superiority, no one doubted that the battle would end in defeat; the only difference lay in the magnitude of the cost and the richness of the spoils.

Next, we discussed some details, such as the marching routes of each unit, the encirclement positions, the pre-arranged ambush zones, communication and liaison, and logistical support.

As the meeting drew to a close, Kazuo Shinotsuka abruptly stood up, walked to the hanging Rising Sun Flag, and his gaze swept over all the generals:

"Gentlemen! The incident involving the regimental flag of the 36th Infantry Regiment has become a disgrace to the Imperial Army and a source of pain for the North China Area Army!"

"This operation aims not only to recapture He County, but also to completely destroy the Eighth Route Army's will to resist, washing away this stain with the enemy's blood and cries!"

"I urge you all to fight bravely, display the mighty power of the Imperial Army, and live up to the Emperor's divine grace!"

"Hey!!!" All the Japanese officers bowed in unison.

Soon, Iseki Jin, Adachi Juzo, and others returned to their respective units.

A giant net is slowly unfolding around He County!

. . .

at the same time.

Eighth Route Army Headquarters.

The CEOs are also in a meeting.

"Encircle and ambush reinforcements! I bet the Japanese will definitely use that tactic!"