Anti-Japanese War: I have unlimited assistance

Chapter 384: Eighty thousand versus twenty thousand, the advantage is on my side.

"General, judging from the current situation, at least in one corner of Shanxi, the threat posed by the Eighth Route Army to the Locust Army has long surpassed that of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, and even the Central Army." Yamamoto Ikki said to Shinozuka Yoshio at the square table.

"Yamamoto-kun, you're too conservative."

Shinozuka Yoshio said, "Not just in Shanxi, but throughout North China and even throughout China, the threat posed by the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army has surpassed that of the Central Army and the various local armies. From now on, the security and rectification campaign against the Eighth Route Army and New Fourth Army guerrillas will become the main combat mission of the Locust Army units in the occupied areas."

"The Shanxi Eighth Route Army, in particular, has received great attention from the headquarters. The headquarters has ordered us to eliminate them as quickly as possible. Even if we can't completely eliminate them, we must at least severely damage them so that they can no longer threaten the Zhengtai Road and Tongpu Road in the short term."

Yoshio Shinozuka has changed his previous bad attitude and decadence, and now looks full of vigor and vitality.

As expected, Yoshio Shinozuka was commended by General Sugiyama Hajime, commander of the North China Front Army, for the battle in Heyuan County in northwestern Shanxi.

Although the annihilation of the "artillery and tank units" of the New 1st Regiment of the Eighth Route Army was not a turning point, this achievement made Yoshio Shinozuka feel a little proud.

For Sugiyama Gen, after taking office, he finally won a "victory", even though the North China Front Army paid a heavy price, he immediately reported the credit to the headquarters.

In the battle of Heyuan County in northwestern Shanxi, Takeda Isamu was promoted to colonel and Shinozuka Yoshio was commended.

Yamamoto has been in seclusion these days to formulate a battle plan. Shinozuka Yoshio told Yamamoto the complete battle results and losses in Heyuan County.

After listening to this, Yamamoto still felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it, after all, he was not in northwestern Shanxi.

"Both battle plans have been drawn up. Please review them."

Putting aside the feeling of something being wrong, Yamamoto handed a file bag to Yoshio Shinozuka.

Yoshio Shinozuka stood up, took the folder solemnly with both hands, then opened it and started reading.

Inside the folder, there were two battle plans, one fake and one real.

This attack was in northwest Shanxi.

The First Army will mobilize the strength of two divisions and three brigades!

They are the 14th Division and the 36th Division, the th Independent Mixed Brigade, the th Independent Mixed Brigade, and the Guards Mixed Brigade.

The total strength of the Japanese army was nearly 6, plus the five divisions of the puppet army, the total strength was about 8, which could be said to be a heavy concentration of troops.

In addition, the 20th Division of the First Army was used to guard against the Eighth Route Army in southeastern Shanxi.

The 109th Division and the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade guarded against the Central Army in southern Shanxi, and the Eighth Route Army and Shanxi-Suiyuan Army in western Shanxi.

The Yoshino Regiment and the Kuroshima Cavalry Regiment directly under the First Army and other troops defended Taiyuan, the First Army's stronghold.

The North China Front Army dispatched two divisions and two mixed brigades to attack the Jinzhong base, commanded personally by the Chief of Staff of the North China Front Army, Yamashita Tomoyuki.

Shinozuka Yoshio quickly finished reading the battle plan. He had already reviewed both battle plans more than once before. Following his instructions, Yamamoto Ikki revised and improved them several times. "It's a very good battle plan and emergency plan. Thank you for your hard work, Yamamoto-kun."

The two battle plans mobilized the same number of troops.

The difference is the combat objectives.

The goal of the fake combat plan was to launch a surprise attack on the New Third Regiment's base, Xing County, where Ding Wei's regimental headquarters was stationed.

The target of the fake operation plan was chosen as Xing County because there was a ferry in Xing County. As long as the Japanese army could capture Xing County, they could attack Shaanxi from the ferry in Xing County and threaten Yan'an in northern Shaanxi.

In the view of Yamamoto and Shinozuka, as long as this battle plan was leaked, the Eighth Route Army in northwestern Shanxi would definitely deploy heavy troops in Xing County, and even ambush on the way to Xing County.

This fake battle plan not only included the Japanese and puppet army's troop strength, but also their marching routes and emergency response plans. Designed by Yamamoto himself and under the exclusive guidance of Shinozuka Yoshio, it lacked any flaws.

The real battle plan was to launch a heavy assault on the New 1st Regiment in Ping'an County, targeting the headquarters of the New 1st Regiment and Li Yunlong's lair.

Then they used the tactic of besieging a point and attacking the reinforcements to eliminate the Eighth Route Army reinforcements and at the same time destroy the headquarters of the New 1st Regiment in Ping'an County.

"Serving the Empire and the Sky Locusts, a little hardship is not worth mentioning."

There was some fatigue between Yamamoto's brows, but his eyes were still as sharp as an eagle.

"How many troops does the Eighth Route Army have in Northwest Shanxi?" asked Yoshio Shinozuka.

Yamamoto Ikki said, "Two months ago, approximately 12,000 Eighth Route Army soldiers from Central Shanxi fled to Northwest Shanxi. According to intelligence, the Eighth Route Army recruited several thousand new soldiers in Tongpu Road. Based on the Eighth Route Army's rapid growth, we estimate that there are currently approximately 20,000 Eighth Route Army soldiers in Northwest Shanxi."

"Yoshi." Shinozuka Yoshio nodded with satisfaction. "Eighty thousand versus twenty thousand, the advantage is mine."

Afterwards, Yoshio Shinozuka immediately arranged a transport plane, escorted by two fighter planes, to go to the North China Front Army Headquarters in Peiping to ask Sugiyama Hajime for instructions.

Yoshio Shinozuka did not have the authority to mobilize three divisions and three brigades to fight.

"Were these two battle plans drawn up by Mutaguchi?"

In the heavily guarded Iron Lion Alley, Sugiyama Gen asked after reading the plan presented by Shinozuka Yoshio.

"This is obviously the work of Colonel Yamamoto."

Yamashita Tomoyuki said from the side.

Sugiyama Moto's expression changed, and he said, "Is it Colonel Yamamoto Ikki Yamamoto, the one who caused the annihilation of the entire 108th Division and the destruction of the entire Kwantung Army Staff Observation Group?"

Shinozuka Yoshio said awkwardly, "Colonel Yamamoto wasn't to blame for that operation. It was Lieutenant Colonel Hiromi Sakakura of my First Army Command who leaked the information to the Eighth Route Army. The real culprit has been tried by a military court."

Sugiyama Gen said: "Then you make two battle plans..."

Shinozuka Yoshio said, "General, just in case Sakakura Hiromi has accomplices within the First Army Headquarters, under my instructions, Colonel Yamamoto has formulated a fake plan and a real plan. The fake plan will be distributed to the First Army Headquarters staff, while the real plan will be distributed individually to the attacking units. Even if no spies leak the fake plan to the Eighth Route Army, it will not affect the implementation of the real plan."

"If there really was a spy who leaked the fake plan to the Eighth Route Army, then the Locust Army's victory in this battle would have been even greater."

Sugiyama Gen nodded and carefully analyzed the plan formulated by Yamamoto with Yamashita Tomoyuki.

This time, Yoshio Shinozuka came not only to request approval of the battle plan, but also to request combat supplies.

The First Army can provide the combat supplies for the 20,000 puppet troops on its own. After all, most of the equipment and raw materials of the Taiyuan Arsenal are still there, and it can produce weapons and ammunition on its own.

But the combat supplies for nearly 60,000 Japanese troops in the other three divisions and three mixed brigades for one month is not a small amount.

"Good battle plan."

"Shinozuka-kun, regarding this attack on northwest Shanxi, what are your chances of success?"

Sugiyama Gen looked at Shinozuka Yoshio.

"General," Shinozuka Yoshio said confidently, "I have a 90% chance of winning. The force is 80,000 to 20,000, so the advantage is mine."

(End of this chapter)