Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 154 Direction of Attack
Headquarters of the First Army of the North China Area Army in Taiyuan, Shanxi (formerly the Shanxi Governor's Office and the Shanxi Military Governor's Office)

Lieutenant General Ushijima Sanetsugu, commander of the 20th Division of the 1st Army, stopped in front of a door with a sign that read "Commander's Office" and knocked on the door.

"Please come in!"

As the sound came from inside, Ushijima Minoru pushed open the door and walked in.

Yoshijiro Umezu, who was writing at his desk, looked up and glanced at him: "Ushijima-kun, you're here. Please have a seat."

"Hai."

Minoru Ushijima walked over and sat down on the sofa next to him.

After a while, Yoshijiro Umezu put down his brush and said to him, "Ushijima-kun, do you know why I called you here today?"

"I know. You want me to lead the 20th Division to wipe out Su Yaoyang, who is entrenched in Wutai County."

"Yes, that's very true."

Yoshijiro Umezu stood up, walked over to Ushijima Minoru and sat down next to him, then picked up the teapot and poured him a cup of tea.

“You are a high-ranking general in the Imperial Army, and the 20th Division is an elite unit of the Imperial Army, as well as the most capable unit in the First Army. So this position is perfect for you.”

Ushijima Minoru stood up and said loudly, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Excellency. Please rest assured, I will definitely bring back the head of that Su Yaoyang and present it to you, so that it can become one of your collections."

"Yoshi!"

Yoshijiro Umezu nodded in satisfaction: "As expected of a soldier of the Great Japanese Empire, he has ambition."

But there are some things I still need to remind you about. That Su Yaoyang and his Nanjing... no, now he's been renamed the Shanxi militia.

Su Yaoyang's troops were known for their excellent equipment and fighting spirit, posing a great threat to the Imperial Army both in Nanjing and at Taierzhuang.

Now that he has actually fled to Shanxi, we can no longer ignore him.

Last month, as soon as he arrived, he occupied Wutai County, causing great trouble for the Imperial Army. Commander Terauchi Hisaichi even called to reprimand me.

This malignant tumor that has caused serious harm to the Empire can no longer be allowed to remain; it must be completely eradicated. After much deliberation, I have decided to assign this task to the 20th Division.

Just as Ushijima Minoru was about to continue expressing his opinion, he was stopped by Umezu Yoshijiro raising his hand.

"Although I have assigned this task to you and the 20th Division, you must remember that dealing with Su Yaoyang must not be done in the same way as dealing with other Chinese armies in the past."

Unlike other Chinese generals, Su Yaoyang was best at using his firepower advantage to fight the Empire head-on. In addition, he somehow acquired a large number of American weapons, which caused the Empire a lot of trouble.

Therefore, you cannot view him with the same perspective you would use to view other Chinese armies. We must make full use of our air superiority, let heavy bombers and attack aircraft wear down his morale, and then send out our tank units and infantry to deliver the final blow.

"I have a feeling that if we don't eliminate Su Yaoyang soon, he will definitely cause great trouble for the Empire in the future." "Hai... This time I will definitely cut down Su Yaoyang!" Ushijima Sanetsugu bowed slightly, a fierce glint in his eyes.

After accepting Yoshijiro Umezu's mission, the entire 20th Division began to move out.

However, since the 20th Division's garrisons were scattered across various important cities and strongholds such as Taiyuan and Datong, it would take some time for them to gather together. The 20th Division's movements also attracted the attention of intelligence personnel lurking in the Japanese war zone. Soon, messages and intelligence were transmitted in all directions, either by radio, oral communication, or even notes.

Deep in the Taihang Mountains, there is a small, strategically located village called Zhuanbi Village, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack. The headquarters of the Eighth Route Army is currently located here.

It was late at night, but the lights were still on in a courtyard in the small village. The leaders of the Eighth Route Army headquarters were holding a military meeting, and several of the headquarters leaders were present.

The first speaker was the Deputy Chief of Staff Zuo.

The deputy chief of staff wore a faded gray military uniform with a belt around his waist. He was of medium height, about 1.7 meters, with a square face and a broad forehead, which made him appear resolute and steady.

He took out several documents from his satchel and said, “Generals, comrades, in the past few days we have received intelligence from our agents who have been lurking in enemy-occupied areas.”

According to intelligence, the Japanese have recently begun to frequently mobilize troops, especially the 20th Division in Datong and Taiyuan, which has been mobilized unusually frequently. Trains on the Zhengtai Railway and the Tongpu Railway are also constantly transporting supplies.

After analysis by the staff, everyone agreed that the Japanese army would be making a major move in the near future.

Upon hearing this, the deputy commander suddenly interjected and asked, "Old Zuo, are you saying that only the 20th Division is mobilized the most frequently?"

"Yes."

The deputy chief of staff replied, "Although other Japanese troops have also been mobilized, the 20th Division has been mobilized the most. The 20th Division is currently assembling in Taiyuan, and our intelligence personnel have also spotted traces of armored units."

The command post fell silent for a long time. The deputy commander-in-chief asked in confusion, "The 20th Division is the most elite field unit of the Japanese First Army stationed in Shanxi. Once the Japanese army mobilizes this unit, it means that they are preparing to fight a tough battle."

Furthermore, the Japanese army has mobilized a large number of armored units, which proves they are not targeting us. What exactly is Yoshijiro Umezu up to? Commander, comrades, what do you think?

The deputy director of the political department and political commissar of the 129th Division, who was sitting to the side, picked up a cigarette on the table, lit it, took a deep drag, and then smiled and said, "In any case, based on the known intelligence, it can be confirmed that the Japanese are not coming for us this time, which is a relief and we can relax a little."

Upon hearing this, all the leaders present laughed, secretly relieved.

Since the beginning of the year, the Japanese army has carried out several sweeps against the various base areas of the Eighth Route Army. Although the 115th Division, 120th Division and 129th Division launched a resolute counterattack against the Japanese army, after more than half a year of fighting, the troops inevitably suffered fatigue and losses.

The troops are currently resting and recuperating, so it is indeed not advisable to take any major actions.

Then, everyone's eyes turned to the Eighth Route Army commander sitting at the head of the group, who was wearing a patched gray military uniform, straw sandals, and a pipe in his hand.

The commander-in-chief was about 175 centimeters tall, appearing tall and robust. Due to long-term marches on the battlefield and in the mountains, his skin was tanned and rough, his face was etched with the marks of time, and his eyes were deep and bright, his gaze both gentle and dignified.

He pondered for a moment, staring at the map on the table for a long time, then stood up, picked up a wooden stick, pointed to a place, and said, "I think the Japanese army's attack this time should be from here... Wutai County!"

(End of this chapter)