Anti-Japanese War: The whole world is a base vehicle

Chapter 85 What is the success rate of going south? (Subscribe!)
"So fast?" Lu Yuhua, who received the telegram, looked incredulous.

Lu Yuhua was very surprised by the news sent back by the spies he sent out.

Originally, he thought he would send troops to force the Japanese army to move south to attack Annam.

In this case, the Japanese army heading south will definitely celebrate, and at that time the Japanese army will still choose to ally with the German army.

However, compared to the previous time when the German army begged them to form an alliance, this time it is probably the Japanese army's turn to beg for an alliance with the German army.

"It seems like I have to find a way to speed up my pace." After reading it, Lu Yuhua handed the telegram in his hand to Liu Yi who was standing beside him.

"Any ideas?"

After Liu Yi took the telegram, he took a look at it, considered it for a while, and then said to Lu Yuhua.

"Commander, you can disguise the sub-base vehicle as a truck and follow the pursuit troops south. As long as we reach Zhennan Pass, I will send another battalion to escort the sub-base vehicle to Annan."

Hearing this, Lu Yuhua nodded. Liu Yi's idea coincided with his. He then asked someone to find a map of Annan.

He needed to find a suitable location to deploy the base vehicle.

It is best to locate in a mountainous area, which can provide some cover and is easy to defend but difficult to attack.

So after much deliberation, only the Northwest region is suitable. The economic development in this region is relatively backward, and its advantageous industries are mining and forestry.

The mountains are high and the forests are dense, and the minerals are rich, which is very suitable for hiding base vehicles.

"It's right here. It's easy to defend and difficult to attack, and there are plenty of minerals." Lu Yuhua pointed to the map of Annan and said.

"Let the pursuit troops prepare and chase the Japanese troops along the marks they left behind. Remember not to push them too hard. Our goal is to get all the Japanese troops into Annan."

"Understood." Liu Yi responded.

On the other hand, Imamura Hitoshi's pressure is also increasing.

Because not only the headquarters sent him telegrams, but even the newly established South China Front Army sent him telegrams, asking him what he was doing?
Why didn't you send a telegram back to base camp?
What to do?
Could it be that I did it on purpose?
Fortunately, someone sent him a telegram to express support for his actions and encouraged him to be brave and not be afraid.

The base camp is now in a game of chess, and as long as he holds on for a while longer, the outcome will be decided.

If he hadn't known that someone supported his actions, I'm afraid Imamura Jun would have given up.

The pressure is just too much.

"Sir, division commander, what should we do with these telegrams?" The communications staff officer was also Alexander. He had seized so many telegrams that he knew the mess he had made was huge.

If things don't develop as planned, they may be faced with a military court.

Do not!
It was even a direct order to commit suicide.

"Don't panic, stay calm. Facts have proved that our choice is right. At least some people still agree with our idea." Imamura Jun looked at his subordinates who looked a little panicked and frowned slightly, but he still encouraged them.

He knew that he had to stay calm at this time, not panic, and give his subordinates a stable image.

As long as he doesn't panic, everything can be saved.

"Hi." The communications officer responded respectfully as if he had been struck by a bolt from the blue.

"Hideki Tojo?" Seeing that his subordinate had calmed down, Imamura Jun was very satisfied. He then took the telegram, glanced at it, and found that the telegram was signed by Hideki Tojo, which made him frown slightly.

If he remembered correctly, this guy seemed to be the Deputy Secretary of the Army two years ago, and later he was transferred to the Director of the Air Force.

It was this guy who advocated the Battle of Nomonhan last year, which ended in a disastrous defeat.

The ambitions of the northward faction were directly crushed.

However, this guy did boast about the achievements of the air force and made a lot of money for himself.

If I send myself a telegram now, I'm afraid I have no good intentions.

The content is similar.

It was nothing more than encouraging him not to be afraid, and that the empire should have moved south long ago.

There is absolutely no need to occupy those poor areas.

Moreover, the empire's military expenditure has long been in deficit, and they need more prosperous regions to increase military spending.

In addition, there are various benefits of advocating going south.

They say that Britain and France are nothing special and we should completely drive their influence out of Southeast Asia.

Establishing the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, etc.

It has to be said that Hideki Tojo's ideas were still very provocative.

At least on this point, Imamura was convinced.

"Mr. Division Commander, would you like to call back?" Seeing that Imamura Hitoshi was lost in thought, the communications officer could not help but ask.

"Don't call back yet. Where is the 18th Division? Send them another telegram to urge them." Imamura Jun shook his head.

"They should be on the way here. They have been in contact all the time. They must be marching and have blocked the signal." The communications staff explained quickly.

Just then, the operations staff ran in with a telegram and a nervous look on his face.

"Your Excellency, the Chinese army's pursuers are fifty miles behind us and are expected to reach Chongzuo within a day."

"What? So fast?" Imamura Jun was stunned. This speed was really too fast.

Don’t they need to rest?
"Order: Continue to move south, target Zhennan Pass." Jincun Jun pondered for a while and realized that with the current strength, he might not be able to defend Chongzuo, so he simply headed directly to Zhennan Pass.

Once we get there, we can announce the attack on Annan. I believe that even if there are objections, the outcome will be decided.

What is more important is the telegram from Hideki Tojo.

If successful, he would mobilize more people and force the base camp to support the march south.

Even Hideki Tojo revealed his idea, which was that he would form the cabinet.

But all this requires going south to have hope.

In other words, whether the base camp can be forced to move south depends on whether Imamura Jun has the courage to do so.

As for the disastrous defeat in Nanning?
Hideki Tojo did not mention it directly, meaning that as long as they could successfully force the headquarters to agree to move south, then this disastrous defeat would not be a big deal.

It was this telegram that gave Imamura Hitoshi confidence.

"Hay."

On the other side, the Japanese 5th Cavalry Regiment attacked rapidly. Since entering the Red River Plain, the advantages of the cavalry were fully utilized.

The French army, which had always been pampered, was no match for the Japanese cavalry that came and went like the wind.

In other words, the French army had long lost the courage it had in the last war.

At this moment, the French army just wanted to give up and escape from the war.

"The French army is nothing special." Colonel Kazuo Yamamoto, who had looked miserable before, now looked like a victorious rooster with a proud look on his face.

In his eyes, the French army, which was the best in the world, was like a lamb to be slaughtered. With one charge, he defeated the French position.

Sometimes they even ran away before reaching the French positions.

In order to wash away the grievances in his heart, Colonel Kazuo Yamamoto acted extremely ruthlessly.

There is no mercy at all.

When they saw the Japanese troops, they started killing them indiscriminately.

For a time, the reputation of the Japanese army spread to Hanoi.

Make the French army in Hanoi tremble.

"This group of demons, devils, and beasts." Governor Catroux was filled with anger. He had heard of the brutality of the Japanese army before and always thought it was fake. Who knew that the Japanese army was actually so brutal.

This was hard for him to accept.

To put it bluntly, before the knife fell, I was just watching the show, so I didn't care and even thought it was fake.

Now that the knife is falling on my head, I naturally cannot accept it.

"What are the troops on the front line doing? A mere cavalry can't even hold their position? Where are our machine guns?" Governor Catroux asked again.

In the end, no one answered him.

Mainly, I don’t know how to answer.

"Your Excellency Governor, our main forces are all on the border fighting for territory with Siam. The troops defending the north are all second-line troops. Their combat effectiveness is not strong, so it is normal that they cannot stop the Japanese attack." Finally, Major General Degu couldn't help but speak.

"Bastards, these bastards." Governor Catroux roared and then asked again.

"What about Japan? What's their response? Are they going to declare war?"

"No clear answer has been given yet. Their current response is that they are investigating and are not aware of this incident." The secretary in charge of external affairs came forward to explain.

"Your Excellency Governor, I suspect they did it on purpose." At this time, Major General Degu said with a serious expression.

"What do you mean?" Governor Catroux asked in confusion.

"Governor, this is not the first time they have created such trouble, so I suspect that this time, they are still doing it on purpose. After their troops take over Hanoi, they will announce that this is just a misunderstanding, but by that time, we will almost be in the prisoner-of-war camp."

"No, it is possible to go directly to see God." Major General Degu spread his hands and said helplessly.

This is not alarmist talk. It's mainly because the Japanese army was too brutal.

They killed everyone along the way and left no one alive.

How could the French army not be afraid of such brutal behavior?

At least Governor Catroux was really scared when he heard the news.

"Send a telegram to the mainland and report the intelligence here to them. Let them decide whether to declare war on the Japanese army. Contact our allies, the British. They must show up." Governor Catroux took a deep breath and then made arrangements.

"Your Excellency Governor, this is far from enough. We may have to recall the troops to the border. As for the disputed territories with Siam, we can first agree to cede them and then consider other things after the problems here are resolved," Major General Degu suggested.

Hearing this, Governor Catroux was silent for a while. Although he was unwilling, he finally agreed to the proposal. After all, the problem now was how to repel the Japanese army.

As for the issue of territory, no one can take advantage of France.

Unfortunately, no matter how fast they were, they were not as fast as the Japanese cavalry.

"Speed ​​up, Hanoi is ahead. If we occupy it, we will win." Colonel Kazuo Yamamoto said coldly as he looked at the French troops who had just been killed.

"Hay."

He knew that now was the time to race, as the base camp must have known that they were heading south to attack the French army.

Therefore, the matter must be settled before the headquarters can be forced to make a decision.

Upon receiving the order, the 5th Cavalry Regiment galloped again.

.........

"Is today April Fool's Day? What a joke! The Japanese army actually attacked French Indochina? Are they crazy? This must be fake." Marshal Pétain showed an incredible expression on his face after listening to his adjutant's report.

To him, this was simply incredible.

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency Marshal, this is true." The adjutant shrugged, indicating that it was all true.

"Damn it, these bastards, they are launching a war without declaring war." Marshal Pétain came to his senses, an angry expression on his face.

He really didn't expect that the Japanese army would dare to declare war on them without declaring war.

What the hell is wrong with them?

"Your Excellency Marshal, should we ask those guys in the cabinet to declare war on Japan now?" the adjutant asked doubtfully.

This question stumped him.

declare war?

Does France still have the money to fight a transoceanic war now?
That’s the Far East, a distance of tens of thousands of kilometers.

How to fight this?
Moreover, they have an army of millions and a powerful joint fleet.

Unless France is determined to fight the Japanese army to the death at all costs.

I'm afraid the happiest countries should be Britain, Germany, the United States and others.

Do not!
This is absolutely impossible.

France has not yet fully recovered from the economic crisis and is simply unable to launch an expedition.

And all the warships and at least 100,000 troops were sent out.

The logistics supply alone is a huge hassle.

For a moment, Marshal Pétain was completely numb.

He knew that even if he agreed, others might not agree.

Thinking of this, Marshal Pétain closed his eyes in pain.

Declaring war, an expedition is impossible.

The only thing is to find another way to solve it.

The most powerful force in the Far East was the British Empire.

If the British were willing to step in, the Japanese army would definitely agree to withdraw and then just compensate for some of the losses.

At least it's acceptable in terms of appearance.

Thinking of this, Marshal Pétain decided to ask the cabinet to go to the British and ask them to come forward.

In Downing Street, Chamberlain was also confused when he looked at the telegram sent from France.

The Japanese army was so bold that they dared to launch an attack on the French colonies, which was beyond his expectations.

Chamberlain thought France's request was reasonable.

retreat!
Just compensate for the losses, it's really not too much.

"Send this note to Japan, demanding that they withdraw their troops immediately and compensate France for its losses. Otherwise, we will impose severe sanctions on them." Chamberlain thought about it and gave his approval.

"Yes, Your Excellency, Prime Minister."

.........

This time, Prince Kan'in Yasuhito was no longer as calm as before, but was very panicked.

He was really panicked.

The British Empire sent a note demanding that they withdraw their troops and pay compensation.

How can this be.

Ever since they won the gamble on the country's destiny, they have been asking others for compensation. When have they ever compensated anyone?
But the British Empire's proposal to impose severe sanctions if he did not agree did give him a headache.

After all, the world hegemon is the British Empire, and their attitude must be considered.

But the key problem at the moment is that he doesn't know the specific situation.

Why did the 22nd Army attack the French colonies?

Was it their own initiative or was it directed by someone?

He was more inclined to the latter because no one would dare to attack the French colonies without someone's instructions.

As for who it is, he is not sure, but it must be a high-ranking official.

Thinking of this, Prince Kan'in Yasuhito was silent for a while and decided to go to the Emperor in person to report the matter.

"So you suspect someone is instructing you?" Emperor Hirohito also disagreed with going south. He felt that it would be too big a step.

But now the army is clearly out of control, and even if he agrees, more people will force him to agree.

He was the real creator of the conflict between land and sea.

The purpose is to balance the relationship between the two sides so that he can sit more firmly on the throne as emperor.

Now the army is gradually losing control, which makes him a little panicked.

Thinking of this, Emperor Hirohito asked again.

"If we go south, is there much hope?"

Since the army is about to get out of control, we might as well do as they wish and head south.

He just wanted to know what the success rate of going south was.

"Very big. The influence of Britain and France in the Far East is not strong. Our troops can completely drive them out of the Far East. As for their navy, they are no match for the Combined Fleet, unless they are willing to transfer their main fleet to the Far East, but this situation is obviously impossible." Prince Kan'in Yasuhito said.

Hearing this, Emperor Hirohito was silent for a while, tapping his fingers on the armrest of the seat.

"Wait a little longer. I need to ask more people for advice. Also, if you go south, I hope you can resign as Army Minister and hand it over to someone else."

Hearing this, Prince Kan'in Palace Zairen was stunned for a moment, not knowing what this meant.

Looking at the other person's confused expression, Emperor Hirohito thought for a moment and explained.

"If we fail, we can push them out to take the blame. This way, the royal family won't have any guilt. As long as we protect the royal family, there will be another chance in the future."

Prince Kan'in Yasuhito's eyes suddenly lit up. This was a good plan.

If something really happens, they will be pushed out to take the blame and it will have nothing to do with them.

"But how should Britain and France respond?" Prince Kan'in Yasuhito asked in confusion.

"Well, it's under investigation." Emperor Hirohito thought for a moment and spoke.

"Hay."

.........

Not to mention the earth-shaking changes taking place within the Japanese army, on the other side, Zhou Weiguo took Xu Hu all the way south and first arrived in Xuzhou.

Since the end of the Battle of Nanjing, he was seriously injured and unconscious. When he woke up, he found that the Battle of Xuzhou was over.

There was no choice but to go north again to kill the Japanese, but ended up entering a bandit’s lair.

Unexpectedly, just after leading the bandits to kill the Japanese, they encountered a Japanese raid.

Later, he went to Hutoushan, but he was just a small squad leader in charge of about ten people.

To be honest, this is a bit condescending.

After all, he was originally the commander of the German-equipped division.

After arriving in Xuzhou, they found that the news about Nanning was strictly blocked. However, after Zhou Weiguo killed several Japanese soldiers and disguised himself as a Japanese major, they fully understood what happened in Nanning.

Just as Xu Hu said, there were indeed German-equipped divisions in Nanning, and in large numbers.

The Japanese army suffered a lot.

Especially when facing the 155mm howitzer, they were completely unable to fight back.

Until this moment, Zhou Weiguo still didn't believe that there would be a German-equipped division.

If the German-engineered division still existed, he would have gone back long ago.

"Commander, why is there still a German-equipped division? Hasn't it long been defunct in name only?" Xu Hu looked puzzled.

"Don't ask me, I don't know either. I also want to know why the German-equipped division left the Japanese-occupied area first and found a way to go to Nanning." Zhou Weiguo shook his head to indicate that he didn't know either.

"Commander, what if there really is a German-equipped division? What should we do? We won't have to start as a soldier again, will we?" Xu Hu joked.

(End of this chapter)