Liang Jian: Commander, save some for me

"Although the plan has been brought forward, it's not without its advantages," Itagaki Seishiro murmured. At least, they now have a general idea of ​​the Eighth Route Army's strength.

Therefore, they were confident enough to deal with the enemy; the only threat was the troops led by Mu Jin.

But he believed that they would soon be able to eliminate this Northeast Army.

"We should inform Yamamoto Ichiki about the situation with the Eighth Route Army." Itagaki Seishiro picked up the phone and called Yamamoto Ichiki.

"Division Commander." After a while, Yamamoto Ichiki's voice came through.

"Yamamoto-kun, last night, not only were the railways damaged, but the highways were also destroyed. So, it's safe to say that the Eighth Route Army has far more troops than we thought, at least around 300,000, and possibly as many as 350,000," Itagaki Seishiro said, offering his guess.

"What?! So many people?!" Yamamoto Ichiki's surprised voice rang out; he hadn't expected the number of Eighth Route Army soldiers to far exceed his expectations.

I thought that the Northeast Army was the most difficult to deal with in this mission, but now it seems that the Eighth Route Army is just as tough.

"Yes, and in terms of military discipline, the Eighth Route Army is more disciplined and its combat effectiveness is much stronger than that of the Jin-Sui Army."

However, there's no need to worry too much. At least so far, apart from the attack on the watchtowers and checkpoints in Qinghe County,
"In other places, railways and highways were destroyed, which also shows that the Eighth Route Army didn't have many weapons for siege warfare; otherwise, they would definitely have attacked the blockhouses and checkpoints as well," Itagaki Seishiro explained.

If the Eighth Route Army truly possessed sufficient siege weaponry, it wouldn't just be the railways and highways that were destroyed; the fortified towers and checkpoints they built would certainly have suffered as well.

"The division commander's analysis is correct. In Qinghe County, it is the New First Regiment and the Independent Regiment that are operating. They have assault weapons, so it is normal that they dare to attack the pillboxes and checkpoints." Yamamoto Ichiki also agreed with this analysis.

The biggest problem now is whether that Northeast Army unit is with the New First Regiment and the Independent Regiment. If it is, their plans will need to be changed slightly, and it will also take up a lot of time.

"I learned from Division Commander Tani Hisao that a great many railway lines have been damaged, and repairs will take a considerable amount of time. If we launch a preemptive strike, our troops will not be able to reach the designated locations quickly enough."
"But that's not a big problem, as long as we're sure the Northeast Army isn't in Qinghe County," Yamamoto Ichiki continued.

With the railway destroyed, the troops could only advance by bicycle and on foot, which would be slower, but this would not affect their overall plan.

The only area that might be affected is the other divisions, whose forces are somewhat dispersed and unable to quickly provide support to various locations.

"It's alright, I know what you're worried about. Although we can't move our troops quickly, the Eighth Route Army won't be in much better shape!" Itagaki Seishiro sneered. So what if there are no railways or highways? Their soldiers' physical fitness is definitely better than that of the Eighth Route Army.

The key point is that the Eighth Route Army couldn't coordinate with other units, and they couldn't call for help when attacked. This was their "cage plan".

By using railways and highways to divide the enemy's bases and prevent them from calling for help from others, troops can then be dispatched to eliminate the enemy in these bases one by one!

“Good. I’ll talk to Division Commander Tani Hisao about this in a bit and prepare for an attack. On the surface, it’s an attack on those bases, but in reality, it’s a trap to lure the enemy into it,” Yamamoto Ichiki said slowly.

"Yamamoto-kun, if we're going to put on a show, we can't just send troops out. We need to actually send a portion of the soldiers to attack. Otherwise, that Northeast Army might realize something's wrong," Itagaki Seishiro instructed.

While other divisions were launching attacks on enemy bases, the Sixth Division was merely moving out without actually attacking, which seemed suspicious. That's why he ordered the Sixth Division to also attack enemy bases.

"Don't worry, Division Commander, we certainly won't forget! By the way, once it's confirmed that the Northeast Army doesn't exist in Qinghe County, please notify me immediately." Yamamoto Ichiki pleaded, as he wouldn't feel at ease until the location of the Northeast Army was completely confirmed.

"Yes, I'll let you know as soon as I have any news." Itagaki Seishiro nodded in agreement.

"Hey! Thank you, Division Commander!" Yamamoto Ichiki quickly expressed his gratitude.

“No need to be so polite. We’re all on the same side, with the same goal. Whatever your other missions may be in the future, they’re none of my business. At least for now, we’re on the same path,” Itagaki Seishiro said slowly.

The Yamamoto Special Attack Corps won't stay with him forever; it was specially trained by the commander, and they might achieve great things in the future.

"Understood," Yamamoto Ichiki replied.

"That's all for now. You should go and talk to Tani Hisao as soon as possible." After saying that, Itagaki Seishiro hung up the phone.

.........

The 386th Brigade, Brigade Headquarters Conference Room.

"Sir, the operations of all regiments last night were flawless. The Zhengtai Railway and highways were extensively damaged. The plan is proceeding smoothly."
Furthermore, the operations of the 772nd and 771st Regiments were also flawless, especially their attack on the pillboxes.
"Li Jin's tear gas was a great success; the casualties in both regiments were minimal." The political commissar rushed in with a report, his voice tinged with excitement.

He made sure all the data was organized before coming to report to the leader.

"It was all expected." The commander's expression was calm. He had nothing to worry about regarding this first operation, so he slept soundly last night.

"You know, the tear gas Li Jin made is really powerful. To be honest, although I've witnessed its power firsthand, I've never used it in actual combat, so I'm always worried about what might happen."

"Now it seems there's absolutely no need to worry. The effectiveness of tear gas in actual combat is remarkable! Especially when attacking pillboxes," the political commissar said with a broad smile.

He was still pleased to learn that the troops had quickly taken down the pillbox after tear gas was used.

"Calm down. Doesn't this also mean that our second phase of operations will go smoothly?" the commander said with a smile.

This is only the first phase of the major operation. The goal is to destroy the Japanese railways and highways, preventing them from quickly transferring troops, thereby enabling the destruction of even more railways and highways.

The second phase targeted the Japanese pillboxes, checkpoints, and some easily captured county towns.

Although most of the troops did lack assault weapons, the presence of tear gas made bombing pillboxes a simple matter for them. As for the 772nd and 771st Regiments attacking pillboxes and checkpoints, it was merely a smokescreen for the Japanese.

After all, in the eyes of the Japanese, only these two regiments were the strongest in their army. It was no problem for them to attack the pillboxes and checkpoints, and even take them down.

"Yes, with tear gas, we can easily bomb many pillboxes, and maybe even capture some poorly defended county towns. In short, this small tear gas can allow us to expand our gains significantly," the political commissar replied with a smile.

He felt that the results of this major operation would be far greater than previously expected, and would definitely inflict heavy losses on the Japanese side.

"That's natural, but our actions last night also let the Japanese know roughly how strong we are, and they'll probably be more wary of us in the future," the commander said slowly.

Given the scale of this operation, the Japanese weren't fools. They were able to roughly estimate the number of people involved by observing the extent of the damaged railway lines, since a small number of people couldn't have destroyed such a large area of ​​railway.

"Indeed, we have defeated the Japanese this time. They will definitely be more vigilant now, and it will be much more difficult for them to sabotage the railways and highways," the political commissar nodded and said.

The Japanese wouldn't really just stand by and let them sabotage the railway; they would definitely strengthen their patrols to thwart their plans.

"The problem isn't too big. The most crucial thing right now is Li Jin. He needs to be responsible for attracting most of the Japanese troops to relieve pressure on other base areas. It's tough on him." The commander sighed as he finished speaking.

The Japanese side does have three Class A divisions, which are quite powerful. Their other units don't have the strength of the New 1st Regiment and the Independent Regiment. So, don't easily engage too many Class A division soldiers.

"Yes, the Japanese Class A divisions are indeed not easy to deal with. We can only let Li Jin lead the team to attract most of the Japanese. It would be best if he could take out one of the Class A divisions. That way, the pressure on us will be reduced," the political commissar said.

If Li Jin can take down a Class A division, the pressure on the other units will be greatly reduced.

"It's not impossible. Don't forget, Li Jin has nearly 20,000 men under his command. As long as he doesn't directly confront an entire Class A division, he has every opportunity to divide and annihilate them." The commander smiled, showing his confidence in Li Jin.

"That's right, sir. You know, Li Jin is really something. In just three years, he went from a company commander who could only lead a few hundred men to a regimental commander who can lead 20,000 men." The political commissar's tone was full of praise.

Back then, when the commander appointed Li Jin as battalion commander, he hesitated and didn't want to lead too many people. Now, however, he can command so many people all at once.

"This proves I wasn't wrong about him. His growth rate is indeed very fast; he's a natural-born commander." The commander was also somewhat relieved. Fortunately, he had seen Li Jin's strong abilities back then, which is why he valued him so much.

As it turned out, he was right about the man. If it were any other regimental commander, they wouldn't have been able to easily lead a force of 20,000 men.

"Yes, yes, yes, Commander, you have a discerning eye. By the way, Commander, last night when the 772nd Regiment attacked the Japanese pillboxes and checkpoints..."
The Japanese regimental commander didn't dare send anyone to provide support. If I'm not mistaken, they were definitely worried that Li Jin would ambush them on the way. The political commissar continued.

After all, the Japanese believed that these two regiments often cooperated with Li Jin's Northeast Army. Now that the two regiments had suddenly launched a large-scale attack on the pillboxes and checkpoints, they would not believe it was not a problem.

"They definitely wouldn't dare send reinforcements. The Japanese are worried that if they send anyone, they won't come back. Rather than increase casualties, it's better to cut their losses and abandon those soldiers."

"I must say, the Japanese can be really ruthless in this respect," the commander said. "If it were anyone else, they would probably go to the rescue even if they knew there was a problem, and wouldn't easily abandon the besieged troops."

"That's normal, after all, the Japanese are inhuman," the political commissar replied. In his view, he wouldn't be surprised by any decision the Japanese made, since they were a bunch of beasts.

"Next, the 772nd and 771st Regiments are likely to be in trouble. The Japanese will definitely launch a preemptive strike to confirm whether Li Jin is here or not." The commander had already predicted the Japanese's next move.

The Japanese must have set a trap for Li Jin, so they were eager to pinpoint his location, even if it meant the annihilation of an entire brigade.

"Fortunately, they made preparations in advance and moved those civilians to a safe place beforehand, otherwise they might have been hesitant to fight the Japanese later," the political commissar said.

If the civilians are not evacuated in advance, the 772nd and 771st Regiments will have to spare most of their forces to protect the civilians once the Japanese attack the base area, which would be the most dangerous situation.

"Yes! Those Japanese devils are no good. They won't retreat just because the troops are taking civilians with them. On the contrary, they'll be even happier! They'd love to kill as many people as possible." The commander nodded, then said with a hint of murderous intent in his eyes.

.........

Around 8 p.m., Blind Cheng and his men finally returned to the base of the New First Regiment.

Because the people in the base area had already been evacuated, they were not worried about anything happening to the people and were able to deal with the Japanese attack with greater peace of mind.

"Commander, we took down so many pillboxes and checkpoints last night, the Japanese shouldn't dare to cause trouble, right?!" a battalion commander said in the conference room.

He felt that the Japanese had suffered over a thousand casualties in one night, so how could they possibly dare to launch an attack?

"That's hard to say. Don't forget, the reason the Japanese dared not send anyone to support them wasn't because they were afraid of us, but because of Li Jin!"

"After a night, the Japanese probably guessed that Li Jin and his men might not be there, but to confirm, they still had to launch an attack," Blind Cheng replied.

If the mission could be completed so easily, then the commander wouldn't have approved so many light and heavy machine guns for them, and Li Yunlong wouldn't have left them mortars and grenade launchers.

It's because they will face significant difficulties in the future that we've prepared so many things for them.

"Commander, I just don't understand. Aren't the Japanese worried that Li Jin and his men are really there?! If that happens, they'll all be wiped out." The second battalion commander said, puzzled.

The Japanese were clearly worried that Li Jin's troops would remain, so why did they launch an attack? Wasn't that practically suicide?! (End of Chapter)