Age of Rebirth

Lieutenant General Kase Masaga, Commander of Japan's Hokkaido Defense Zone Headquarters, Major General Yamano, Chief of Staff, and other senior officers were scooped up by more than a dozen bombers from the Northern Aviation Group of the Independent Division Air Force at their headquarters, and lost the troops of the command organization The 15 Japanese troops that were thrown into the Sapporo battlefield failed to stop the fierce attack of the right-wing attack group of the Independent Division. Hokkaido has become a dish on the plates of Sun Zhenbang and Yuan Jinghao.

Before the gunpowder smoke cleared, the battlefield was behind us. Sun Zhenbang and Yuan Jinghao stood at Hakodate Wharf at the southernmost tip of Hokkaido, overlooking Mutsu Castle on Honshu Island across the narrow Tsugaru Strait. That was the next step for the right-wing attack group The captured target, the sky is clear, and the visibility is excellent. Under the high-power telescope, you can even vaguely see the buildings on the opposite side of the Tsugaru Strait.

The Battle of Hokkaido is over, and the whole of Hokkaido has fallen into the hands of the right-wing attack group. In all fairness, Sun Zhenbang and Yuan Jinghao did not enjoy this battle. Both of them are veterans who have fought against the Japanese army for many years. The level of ferocity, but in the battle of Hokkaido, but did not experience it, it seems that the opponent has lost the spirit of a few years ago!

During the entire campaign, more than [-] regular troops and more than [-] armed civilian troops at the headquarters of the Hokkaido Defense Zone in Japan, a total of more than [-] people, were wiped out, and the rest were all captured. Hokkaido has become a huge prisoner of war camp.

The right-wing offensive group only paid the price of more than [-] casualties. Such a slight casualty and the annihilation of such a large number of Japanese troops should be attributed to the new tactics created by Yuan Jinghao.Give full play to the advantages of artillery, bombing from Asahikawa to Hakodate.No wonder Sun Zhenbang jokingly said to him: "Hokkaido was bombed by Commander Yuan with millions of shells!"

"Old man, the army should rest for a few days! Take a breather and think about attacking Honshu Island!" The sea breeze blew the clothes of the two men.Sun Zhenbang said to Yuan Jinghao: "If the commander comes to order, I should command the troops to fight in front!"

Yuan Jinghao said cheerfully: "I really want to fight, but the master pointed out that in the battle plan, it is stipulated that our right-wing attack group will stop temporarily when it reaches the front line from Hakodate to Matsumae and threatens the defense line in the northeast of the little devil's Honshu Island." Attack, wait for the next order from the division commander, as for who will be the vanguard officer. The old rules, of course it is me, the deputy commander!"

Sun Zhenbang and Yuan Jinghao jointly signed a telegram to the commander, "Master, our right-wing offensive group has completed the planned combat objectives of the Hokkaido campaign and fully occupied the Hokkaido area of ​​Japan. On the front line of the pine, waiting for the next order from Shizhi!"

The teacher pointed to the call back.Soon I arrived at the headquarters of the right-wing offensive group, "I have heard all the calls, very good! At present, the right-wing offensive group should temporarily stop crossing the Tsugaru Strait. The operation to attack the northeastern part of Honshu Island should be replaced by continuous raids on Honshu Island." The Japanese defense line in the northeast is mainly to attract the attention of the Japanese army. You can determine the specific combat plan by yourself. When to start crossing the Tsugaru Strait, wait for the order of the division commander!"

After reading the teacher's call back.Sun Zhenbang and Yuan Jinghao felt very uncomfortable. The morale of the troops is now high, so they should cross the Tsugaru Strait in one go, and go straight to the lair of the little devils, harassing, how to harass?

The word "harassment" made Sun Zhenbang and Yuan Jinghao, who were accustomed to large-scale battles involving tens of thousands of troops, scratch their heads for a while. However, the two of them still figured out how to fight the disturbance.

Contact the Northern Flying Group, send bombers and fighter formations, and carry out large-scale bombing of the Japanese beachheads in the northeast of Honshu Island, from Mutsu, Aomori to Hirosaki, and Fukaura. Contact the Third Squadron of the Northern Fleet and dispatch Warships and fast gunboats shelled the frontline positions of the Japanese army. At the same time, landing ships were continuously dispatched to make tentative landing attacks. Of course, they would not actually land.

A series of offensive actions by the right-wing attack group of the Independent Division really made Prince Zairen, the deputy commander of the Japanese Home Defense Area Headquarters, very nervous. The battle situation on Honshu Island is not optimistic. , was staring at him, although he didn't launch a large-scale attack, Prince Zai Ren didn't feel the slightest sense of relief in his heart. It was a beast that would pounce on the Tokyo area at any time!

If the troops of the China Independent Division are not driven out of the northwestern part of Honshu Island, it will be a big stone that weighs on my heart and makes me breathless. Prince Zairen is very aware of this. The Chinese Independent Division attacking in the direction of the Soya Strait, won more than two months for themselves, mobilized all the troops on Honshu Island except the troops around Tokyo, and launched a large-scale attack on the Chinese Independent Division troops in the northwest area of ​​Honshu Island. Large-scale counterattack across the board.

After solving the crisis in the northwestern part of Honshu Island, the troops will be mobilized to counterattack Hokkaido. The Imperial Army troops have already assembled in the theater in the northwest of Honshu Island. The news that Qing Strait attacked Honshu Island forced Prince Zairen to change his overall plan. He had to order the troops on the way to return to the original defense area immediately, especially the troops in the northwest of Honshu Island.

Prince Zairen still can't believe that the Hokkaido Defense Zone, which has deployed more than [-] troops and armed more than [-] civilians, will be wiped out in just over two weeks, and Hokkaido will fall completely. He really wanted to put Kase Masaka in front of him, and ask him on the spot, why did he lose the empire's Hokkaido?

Then, he personally killed this big talker, but Kase Masaka had already been martyred, Prince Zairen was full of murderous aura, and he had nowhere to vent his anger. The defense of the empire's homeland had already made him burnt out, and the situation in Kyushu Island was not optimistic. , Shirakawa Yoshizawa's troops retreated again and again, and now they have retreated to the front line from Kumamoto to Oita. Facing the fierce offensive of the China Independent Division troops, they are also struggling to support them.

Yoshizawa Shirakawa, the commander of the Kyushu Island Defense District Headquarters, has sent several telegrams requesting reinforcements. However, Prince Zairen has no more troops. There are more than [-] troops around Tokyo, but they are the defense forces. The imperial forest army in the capital of the empire is also the only mobile force in my hand. The last trump card can't be moved even if killed. If it moves, it must be used at the most critical time.

The independent division troops adopted a two-headed attack style, and firmly attracted the defense forces of Japan's Honshu Island to the northeast and northwest regions. Judging from the current battlefield situation, the independent division troops did not have a large-scale offensive trend. There is also no ability to counterattack on a large scale, and the battlefield is temporarily in a stalemate.

However, this stalemate made Prince Zairen even more uncertain. What he cared most about was the battlefield in the northwest of Honshu Island. Therefore, Lieutenant General Morita Takiro, commander of the Northwest Defense Zone Headquarters of Honshu Island, reported the use of the Italian Asian Expeditionary Force One hundred thousand troops, the plan to launch a counterattack was immediately approved by Prince Zairen.

Prince Zairen's thinking is similar to that of Lieutenant General Morita. The Japanese Empire has raised [-] Italian soldiers for less than half a year, and it is time for the Italians to pay back.

On the battlefield in the northwest of Honshu Island, Feng Jiwu commanded the headquarters of the left-wing attack group to continuously launch small-scale attacks on the third line of defense of the Japanese army. The scale of the battle was not large, and they retreated immediately after being blocked by the Japanese army. , but very frequently, the nerves of Lieutenant General Morita, commander of the Northwest Defense Zone Headquarters of Honshu Island, were tense all day long.

After receiving the call back from Prince Zain, Lieutenant General Morita breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't expect the Italians to perform miracles and drive the Chinese troops out of the sea. In essence, he only hoped that the counterattack of the Italians could shake the position of the China Independent Division and create opportunities for himself to regain the second line of defense.

General Orozzo, the commander of the Italian Asia Expeditionary Force, followed Major General Yue Takashima, the chief of staff of the Defense Zone Headquarters in the northwest of Honshu Island, to the Defense Zone Headquarters. General Orozzo, who got off the jeep, had a straight military uniform and wiped his riding boots. He is shiny, has a good spirit, and still has the usual elegant gentlemanly demeanor.

As soon as he met Lieutenant General Morita, Admiral Orozzo made it clear, "General Morita, our Italian army has made all preparations. I came to the headquarters to meet you to show my attitude. This counterattack After the fight is over, I ask you to withdraw my troops to the Tokyo area to rest!"

"Yes, there is no problem at all! I guarantee it with the honor of the Imperial Army!" Lieutenant General Morita agreed without hesitation, very happy, but General Orozuo was quite surprised, he looked at the little boy suspiciously. A tall, bow-legged Japanese man with a full face, unfortunately, only his kind and friendly smile and sincere eyes are seen.

Admiral Orozuo left and saw his figure disappear in front of his eyes. The smile on Lieutenant General Morita's face disappeared without a trace, and he let out a series of sneers.

In the northwest of Honshu Island, Yamaguchi City, in the headquarters of the left-wing offensive group of the Independent Division, Feng Jiwu was standing in front of the military map, staring at the various arrows marked on the map. Major General Zhang Hansheng, chief of staff of the Niangziguan Garrison Corps, had With a strange expression, he hurried in.

Taking a breath, Zhang Hansheng said: "Commander, the commander of the [-]st Brigade Jin Tieshan from the direction of Fangfu called to report that the forward troops of the [-]st Brigade had captured more than a dozen Italian officers. According to the introduction of the Italians, one of them was the Italian Expedition to Asia. General Orozuo, the commander of the army, said that he came to discuss with you about surrendering!"

"Surrender! Who surrendered?" Feng Jiwu asked subconsciously without realizing it for a while.

(to be continued) (to be continued...)