Comrade, your ingredients are too complicated.

January 7, 1943, Xiaowangzhuang Village, south of Tianjin.

After several days of fierce fighting, the main force of the Shandong Military Region marched north from Dezhou, capturing Hengshui and Cangzhou along the way, and its advance reached the outer defense line of Tianjin. Finally, it joined forces with other units to complete the strategic encirclement of the Bei and Tian areas.

However, the closer to the decisive moment, the more tense the frontline commanders become.

Inside the command center, a tiger stands before a massive battle map. Its precise scale of 1:50,000 renders every path from Tianjin to Tanggu meticulously detailed.

His sharp gaze darted back and forth between the two locations, occasionally making small marks on the map with red and blue pencils, as if he were weighing a strategic choice that affected the overall situation.

Just as 01 was deducing the possible operational strategies of the North China Area Army from Okamura Yasuji's perspective, LYL barged into the headquarters with a chilling aura.

03 deftly handed his coat to the approaching orderly and casually tore off his dog-skin hat, which was soaked with snow water.

After drying his hair completely, he strode towards the operations room.

"Mr. Lin, Taiyuan, please."

"The Shuangchen Corps of Shanxi Province is making good progress and has completed the deployment of the campaign as planned. At present, their nine divisions have controlled strategic points such as Shijingshan, Wanshoushan, and Mentougou, forming a three-sided encirclement of Beicheng from the south, west and north."

"The troops directly under the North China Front Army have now transformed from frightened birds into caged birds."

Upon hearing this, the two signature straight eyebrows of the Tiger in the Forest twitched slightly, clearly surprised by the speed of the Shuang Chen Army's advance.

All I can say is that the efficiency of a combination of motorized and mechanized forces is truly remarkable. If the seven and a half raiding forces of that era had had this configuration, they might have actually managed to achieve something significant through sheer force.

After LYL finished marking the latest battle situation of the friendly forces on the map, 01 tapped his pointer on the blank area between North and Sky, and then asked in a deep voice:

"What about the progress of the Henan Provincial Military Region? Where have the infantry experts' troops advanced to?"

Upon hearing this, 03 took the pointer handed to him by his commander. With a flick of his wrist, the tip of the pointer drew a sharp arc in the air, finally landing precisely on the map at the positions of corridor F and B.

These two county towns, like nails, are like the vital passageways that lock down the northern and southern corridors.

"General Xu's vanguard is advancing faster than the Shuangchen Corps on the northern front."

"The comrades in the central route captured Lang F at noon on the 6th and advanced to B Di at 4 am on the 7th, officially severing the connection between the two cities of Bei and Tian."

"Once the general offensive officially begins, the nine divisions of Henan Province will be able to cut off Okamura Yasuji's retreat!"

Although LYL has not yet marked the friendly forces' numbers on the map, 01's gaze upon the map seemed to see through everything.

In his mind, a vast, all-encompassing net had already taken shape. The entire North China Front Army was about to be suffocated by this ever-tightening strategic net.

With this thought in mind, the tiger in the forest slowly glanced at his chief of staff. He casually picked up a handful of soybeans, twirled them between his fingers, and then suddenly asked:
"LYL, do you think we should attack Tianjin first to intimidate Okamura Yasuji? Or should we attack Tanggang first to cut off the only communication channel between the Japanese army and navy?"

"Or... a two-pronged approach, launching a simultaneous attack?"

As if she had anticipated a one-on-one defense today, 03 carefully considered her words and, after a moment's thought, gave her answer.

"Tang G is a godforsaken place. It's surrounded by grasslands and salt fields. There's not even a single shelter in the open areas. The terrain and topography are very unfavorable to the attacking side."

“Our troops lack amphibious warfare experience, while the Japanese are holding their ground by relying on ports, salt flats, and permanent fortifications. It will only be more difficult to fight them.” “In my opinion, it would be better to put it aside for now. Once we have taken Tianjin and stabilized the overall situation, we can deal with the remaining Japanese troops later.”

Upon hearing this, the tiger in the forest nodded in deep agreement.

Besides the surrounding terrain being easy to defend and difficult to attack, Tang G is also crisscrossed by rivers and ditches, making it impossible for large troops to maneuver effectively. If a direct assault were to be launched, it would not only be time-consuming and laborious, but the military region would also suffer significant troop losses.

In addition, a hasty attack could easily alert the enemy and thus alert the Japanese navy.

If the enemy navy sends reinforcements, the North Sea Fleet's landing plan will be aborted. This deal doesn't seem worthwhile at all.

Seeing the appreciative look on her commander's face, LYL pressed her advantage and revealed her entire decision in one go.

"In comparison, Tianjin's strategic value is far more important."

"If the troops take Tianjin, it will cut off the enemy's retreat route to the south, thus creating a situation of surrounding three sides and leaving one side open. Once Okamura Yasuji has the idea of ​​abandoning the city and fleeing, he can only flee to the outside of the pass, which is in line with the border region's plan."

"Although Tianjin's defenses are strong, it is perfect for our large-scale operations. Concentrating our superior forces for a swift victory is the best strategy."

Upon hearing this, the tiger in the forest's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and it immediately approved the battle plan.

There was no other reason than that their chief of staff not only thoroughly understood the tactical intentions of Zhanhu and the army's morale genius, but also carried out the strategic goal of forcing Okamura Yasuji to abandon the city to the extreme.

A moment later, he patted LYL on the shoulder heavily, his voice surprisingly carrying a hint of approval.

"Alright, since you're so confident, then the important task of attacking Tianjin is entrusted to you. Consider this achievement as a congratulatory gift I prepared for your transfer in advance."

"However, I have one condition: your speed of capturing the city must exceed the record set by the 386th Brigade when it conquered Taiyuan."

"Times have changed, and the military's equipment has been upgraded several times. This shouldn't be a difficult task for you, right?"

Seeing that his chief of staff understood, Lin Zhongmenghu waved his hand and said, "Alright, go and prepare. Once the North Sea Fleet is in position, the troops can launch a general offensive. Remember, we must show the might of our military region!"

"Yes! Promise to complete the mission!"

······
At the same time, on Liugong Island.

In the morning mist, a series of deep whistles tore through the silence of dawn.

Two Bogue-class escort carriers were the first to weigh anchor, their steam turbines belching white smoke, and their massive propellers churning the cold seawater, leaving long eddies at the stern.

On the deck, ground crew were making final checks for the ship's explosives before takeoff, and the roar of the engine test startled a flock of seabirds.

Three old cruisers followed closely behind in an arrowhead formation. The 155mm main guns of the Yellow River slowly rotated, the frost on the barrels still gleaming coldly in the morning light.

It is worth mentioning that among the ten orthodox American destroyers, four uninvited guests had somehow infiltrated the formation.

Their slender hull lines stand out from the rugged American design around them, and their agile posture, which is significantly faster, leaves a sharper wake in the waves.

Whenever the formation turned, these distinctly different destroyers always seemed slightly hesitant, as if concealing their unique maneuverability. (End of Chapter)