Comrade, your ingredients are too complicated.

As the saying goes, one must win hearts and minds while simultaneously attacking cities. While their own propaganda departments and government officials were locked in a fierce battle of words in the public sphere, the various units of the Eighth Route Army had already completed their assembly on the designated battlefront.

The remnants of the North China Area Army, entrenched in Hebei Province, are about to face their final twilight.

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Jingxing County, the temporary command post of the 386th Brigade.

The midday winter sun slanted into the command room, casting glaring spots of light on the enemy and friendly situation map of the Hebei Plain.

The brigade commander stared at the deployment intelligence of the North China Front Army. The intersecting arrows gave off an inexplicable sense of familiarity, but he just couldn't remember where he had seen them before.

Just as he was racking his brains, trying to grasp that fleeting memory, the skinny chief of staff, who had just finished taking stock of the supplies, pushed open the door and entered the command room.

Upon catching a glimpse of the enemy's deployment, the usually serious chief of staff suddenly burst into laughter, as if he had seen something amusing.

"Wow, isn't this General Pig's specialty?" The skinny staff officer tapped the map with his finger and said in a teasing tone, "Did that old devil Okamura Yasuji dream about going to Yamashiro and exchanging ideas with our Commander Liu about how to set up the Long Snake Formation?"

"If someone didn't know the situation, they might think that the military had gotten into some kind of conflict with the dried fruit again."

The brigade commander suddenly realized the truth after his chief of staff's insightful remarks. Empiricism really can be harmful; who says Japanese commanders are always quick-witted in battle?
The defensive deployment before us, stretching over 600 miles from Huailai in the west to Tangshan in the east, is clearly the "pig-like" tactic that has been successfully used by people throughout history.

No wonder he looked familiar; it turns out it was an old acquaintance using his account to play for someone else.

Looking at the long, spineless snake on the map, the brigade commander adjusted his glasses, his lips twitched, and he finally couldn't help but complain:

"This old Japanese devil must be crazy. He dares to spread a mere 100,000 troops across the entire front line like scattering sesame salt."

At this point, he grabbed a tank model representing the 1st and 2nd Armored Divisions and pressed it into the center of the plain. As the sand table trembled, the neat row of Japanese defense markings suddenly looked particularly comical.

"Moreover, apart from the two major cities of Tian and Bei, he didn't even set up a decent defensive hub. This is no defense line at all; it's just a piece of paper."

"Just pick any spot and concentrate your firepower, and you're guaranteed to break through it."

Okamura Neiji's seemingly chaotic, long, single-line formation was actually a desperate measure, a last resort.

There was no other way; after all, he had made a promise to Yoshijiro Umezu in person to buy time for the Kwantung Army to build its defensive lines.

If troops were to be holed up in major cities and hold out for a longer period of time, it would be tantamount to handing over the vast transportation lines of North China to the Eighth Route Army.

This 600-mile-long defensive line is now destined to be riddled with holes.

But at least it can slow down the Eighth Route Army's advance to some extent and cause them some trouble, even if it's just minor trouble.

Moreover, Okamura Neiji is not Chen Jieshan; he didn't really intend to hold on firmly.

Once the Kwantung Army's defensive fortifications were ready, the old Japanese commander could order his troops to advance.

If the North China Front Army wanted to retreat to Rehe, it had to hold Huailai, a vital strategic pass. If it wanted to retreat south, it had to ensure the safety of Tianjin and Tangshan.

We need to address both ends, and we need to be strong on both ends. We need to take care of both the front and the rear, but we only have so many troops at our disposal.

Besides setting up this long snake formation, the old Japanese devils really couldn't think of a better way.

Hearing his old partner's complaints, the skinny staff officer smiled and shook his head. "A long, single-file formation is good," he thought, "after all, their 129th Division is the best at catching snakes in the entire PLA."

With this thought in mind, he ran his fingers over the enemy's defensive line, then confidently said:
"Hey, why are you analyzing this for Okamura Yasuji? According to Huang He, the old Japanese are probably deploying their defenses like this to prevent 'island hopping' tactics, because they're afraid we'll bypass the cities."

"But it's not a big problem, since we both received the true teachings of our master."

After speaking, Chen and Zhou exchanged a glance, and then, with perfect understanding, uttered a classic quote from later generations: "Catch its head, grab its tail, cut its waist, and put it to death as soon as possible! Hahaha!"

Just as the two commanders were repeatedly working out the battle map and calculating whether they could capture Shimen in 29 hours, the door to the brigade command room was pushed open again.

A staff officer, clutching the translated telegram, rushed to the sand table without even wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Report, urgent telegram from headquarters! At present, all units of Henan Province, Shandong Province, Suiyuan, MG Military Region, 120th Division, and the North Sea Fleet have arrived at their designated attack positions."

"The deputy commander-in-chief and deputy chief of staff have ordered us to launch a general offensive in three hours and to capture the two major hubs of Shimen and Baoding within five days."

"After completing the first phase of the mission, our unit will need to advance directly to the outskirts of Beicheng and join forces with the main force of the Henan Military Region at the Yongding River!"

As soon as the telegram was repeated, the operations staff officer deftly grabbed the blue, red, and black military flags on the edge of the sand table. Taking advantage of the break while the brigade commander and chief of staff checked the translated telegram, he began his new work.

With a flick of the wrist, the blue triangular flag, symbolizing the 1st Marine Division of the North Sea Fleet, was firmly planted in the sea area of ​​the Caofeidian sand table. The tip of the flag even poked a shallow dent in the sand table due to the excessive force.

Almost simultaneously, the red flag representing the main force of the 120th Division drew a sharp arc along the border of Rehe, and finally landed firmly south of Chengde, forming a perfect pincer movement with the landing forces from the north and south.

When the brigade commander finished reading the telegram, took off his glasses, wiped the lenses, and looked up again, the entire sand table presented an astonishing battlefield situation:

From the Bohai Bay to the Yanshan Mountains, the military flag representing the Eighth Route Army spread like wildfire, completely surrounding the remnants of Okamura Yasuji's North China Area Army.

Those lone Japanese black flags were now wrapped up like dumpling filling, leaving no decent gap for escape.

"Wow, look at this scene! If you hadn't told me, I would have thought it was the Eastern Front in Europe."

Even though he knew the headquarters' battle plan in advance, the brigade commander was still somewhat dazed at this moment.

Their headquarters prepared a full forty main divisions, two over-strength armored divisions, and a division of marines—a formidable force enough to sweep Vichy France aside.

He subconsciously touched his chin, thinking that if Huang He, that war maniac, were here, he probably would have slammed his fist on the table and yelled, "You! You have a main force division, why are you wasting your breath talking to the Japanese? Just shove a cannon in their face and blast them to pieces!"

The brigade commander was momentarily stunned, perhaps because Huang's image was so vivid in his mind.

This brief silence led the skinny staff officer to misunderstand, thinking that his old partner had too much ambition and was "dissatisfied" with the lineup for this Hebei Province campaign.

"Alright, alright, isn't 43 divisions enough to deal with a severely crippled North China Army?" "If you're still not satisfied, then go to the mountain city and find your old leader."

"If it weren't for his misbehavior and constant underhanded tactics around us, headquarters could have mobilized 60 divisions this time, leaving Okamura Yasuji no time to even send a farewell telegram."

The reason why the CCP mobilized so much force this time was ostensibly to encircle and annihilate the North China Area Army, but in reality, it was to race against time with the Japanese.

There was no other way; the Japanese soldiers, driven to desperation, would resort to desperate measures.

Only by launching a swift and overwhelming attack can the safety of the people and property of Hebei Province be protected to the greatest extent possible. After all, the Japanese army, like cornered beasts, has a history of taking revenge on civilians.

Hearing his old partner's teasing, the brigade commander snapped back to reality. But the mention of it only fueled his resentment towards the bald man.

After a moment's thought, the brigade commander said in a fierce tone:

"After driving the Japanese back to sea, I will personally pay them a visit and settle both old and new scores."

"Oh right, there's also the Holy Land Iron Wall. If it weren't for the First War Zone holding us back, the 120th Division would definitely have been able to launch a full-scale attack this time."

"It's been eighteen years since we parted ways at Whampoa. It's time for him to know that my bench is still unmatched."

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Human joys and sorrows are all different, and the two sides of the battlefield seem to have been divided into two worlds.

Compared to the high-spirited 386th Brigade, the 39th Independent Mixed Brigade stationed in Shimen was truly like a stagnant pool. The atmosphere within the unit was even more deathly still than a moat in winter.

At noon, at the brigade headquarters.

Japanese Major General Hideo Yano sat listlessly in front of the sand table, his cloudy eyes slowly sweeping over the enemy and friendly situation map that had long lost its meaning. He seemed like a shell with his soul emptied.

There was nothing they could do; the endless battle reports only contained news of defeats, and the morale of the brigades, and even the entire field army, had long since collapsed.

He was just a pawn who had been promoted to major general before the war. What could he possibly use to fight against this overwhelming despair?

"Well, it's come to this now, let's eat first."

Hideo Yano had just straightened his uniform collar and was about to step into the officers' mess hall when he was stopped in the corridor by a pale-faced operations staff officer.

The other party was clutching a telegram tightly in their hand; it was obvious that more bad news was on its way.

This familiar scene sent a shiver down Yano's spine, plunging his already bad mood to rock bottom.

"Hey, what new news is there? Just tell me everything at once. Don't worry, Mimura-kun, I could accept it even if His Majesty the Heavenly Locust were to pass away now."

Lieutenant Colonel Kunio Mimura disregarded the chief clerk's almost presumptuous words; with a formidable enemy approaching, he now only wanted to survive.

"Major General, the Eighth Route Army has occupied the northern section of the Pinghan Railway. Now, Shimen has completely lost contact with friendly forces in Baoding and Handan, and we have become an isolated force."

"The brigade's officers are waiting for you to make your response plans. Please come with me to the operations room."

"Okay, got it."

Upon hearing this, Hideo Yano's Adam's apple bobbed, and his sigh, accompanied by white mist, dissipated into the cold air.

Despite having simulated the worst-case scenario countless times in front of the sand table, he still felt a sharp pang in his heart when the symbols representing the empire's territory on the battle map were engulfed by the Eighth Route Army's red arrows like wildfire.

This is hardly the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.
It was clearly a child's block castle that encountered a torrent of steel, and it was completely crushed without even a chance to struggle.

The only good news is that all the garrison troops within 50 kilometers of Shimen have withdrawn, which can be considered as accumulating some resources for the subsequent defense of the city.

Moreover, their brigade's warehouses had enough food and weapons, so there was no chance of running out of ammunition and food after only a few days of defense.

After letting out a long sigh, Hideo Yano led his operations staff straight to the operations conference room.

Inside the room, the officers were in a chaotic state, not even noticing the arrival of their own major general brigade commander.

"How are the preparations for defending the city going? Have all the ammunition been transported to the city walls?"

"Be very careful of the enemy agents hiding in the city, as well as the elusive Eighth Route Army paratroopers. At this stage, maintaining order in the city is extremely important; if we are attacked from both inside and outside, we will surely die."

"Alright, everyone, let's fill in the gaps together. The 39th Independent Mixed Brigade should be the first unit to engage the enemy. The Bushido spirit of the North China Area Army still needs to be demonstrated by us."

Upon hearing their commander's voice, the officers' panicked eyes suddenly cleared, like drowning people grabbing onto driftwood.

With the concerted efforts of the entire brigade's leadership, the Japanese actually managed to squeeze out the last bit of tactical potential and improve their original defensive plan, which had a near-zero survival rate.

After arranging the city's defenses, Hideo Yano did not immediately leave the operations room. The old Japanese soldier silently walked to the window and gazed towards the northeast of the city.

That area is the industrial zone of Shimen, where all the light and heavy industries, such as coking plants, Yufeng yarn mills, arsenals, and copper smelters, are concentrated.

Adhering to the principle of "selling one's father's land without feeling any pain," he decisively issued the order to destroy it.

"Arrange for the soldiers to plant explosives in each factory. Don't hesitate, detonate the bombs immediately! We can't leave these things to the Eighth Route Army, even if we have to destroy them all!"

"You wanted to replicate the events in Jinling, didn't you? I've approved it. You're free to act after you've completed the orders."

Hideo Yano gripped his sword, ready to face his subordinates' final, hysterical celebration.

But as he glanced at the faces he had spent every day with, he saw hesitation in the artillery staff officer's eyes and doubt in the trembling pen of the operations section chief.

"You idiots, what kind of attitude is this?!" (End of Chapter)