Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

Especially worried about problems in Wuhan.

After receiving the request for assistance from the Central China Front Army, the Chinese Expeditionary Army decided to withdraw troops from the North China Front Army.

Of course the North China Front Army was unwilling to do so, and it also lacked manpower.

However, the Zaoyi Campaign was supported by the Japanese Emperor and promoted by the Japanese Imperial Headquarters, so the North China Front Army had to cooperate unconditionally. In desperation, they could only withdraw troops from the 3rd Independent Mixed Brigade and the 4th Independent Mixed Brigade of the Zhengtai Road Garrison.

A total of five independent battalions were dispatched south to garrison the Wuhan area.

As a result, the Zhengtai Road was severely short of troops, with only about 500 Japanese troops in a -li area. Tada Shun had originally hoped that the strongholds and bunkers along the Zhengtai Road could stop the Eighth Route Army. Who could have imagined that the Eighth Route Army would be so brave and so quickly clear out the strongholds and bunkers along the Zhengtai Road?

"Commander, we must rescue Shotaru as soon as possible."

Yamashita Tomoyuki was very anxious.

The Zhengtai Road was a lifeline for the Japanese army. It was the largest route for troop movements and material transfers in Hebei and Shanxi. The other Pingsui Roads and some other highways combined were no match for the Zhengtai Road.

If the Zhengtai Road is really unusable, then the most important channel between the Japanese troops in Hebei and Shanxi will disappear.

"Let me think about it."

Chapter 329: Tada Shun's Misjudgment

Tada Shun did not make a decision immediately.

The reality was that the current situation was completely beyond Tada Shun's expectations. Tada Shun had been brimming with confidence, even telling Imperial Headquarters and the China Expeditionary Army that he could eliminate the Eighth Route Army in North China within two years at most. He was complacent about his "Dragon Prison Strategy," believing he had found a way to contain the Eighth Route Army.

But how could this happen.

Totally unprepared.

He had considered the Eighth Route Army's counterattack. But he had assumed that the Eighth Route Army's counterattack would be a bloody defeat against his own fortifications. However, the current situation was completely different from what he had expected.

Why are there so many people in the Eighth Route Army?

How could the Eighth Route Army's offensive capabilities be so strong? How could they easily eliminate their most valuable weapon, the "tiaobao"?

Tada Shun couldn't understand all of this.

Therefore, he couldn't find any good solution for a while.

After looking at the map for a while, Tada Shuncai asked, "Has the 8th Column of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Army made any moves?"

Although the 11th and 12th Military Sub-districts had been established, Tada Shun habitually called it the th Column. Or perhaps it was not just the Japanese army, but also the Eighth Route Army that used to call it the th Column.

Because the 8th Column is truly a legendary unit.

The Eighth Column also has an important railway for the Japanese army.

That is the Pingsui Road.

The Ping-Sui Railway was certainly not as important as the Zhengtai Railway, but that didn't mean it was unimportant. Zhangjiakou was the most important central city in Suiyuan, Chahar, and Mongolia. With Zhangjiakou in hand, the Japanese army could control Suiyuan, Mongolia, Chahar, and Rehe. The most important link connecting these regions was the Ping-Sui Railway.

"No. There's been some intelligence reports of troop buildups, but no major movements."

"Could their troops also be involved in the war on Zhengtai Road?"

"They should have participated. After all, it's impossible for them not to participate in such a large-scale operation of the Eighth Route Army. The Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Eighth Route Army dispatched so many troops, it's impossible for them to be missing. Moreover, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Eighth Route Army's offensive was so sharp, very much in the style of the Eighth Column. I judge that many troops of the Eighth Column must have moved south to join the operation on the Zhengtai Road.

Yamashita Tomoyuki was not sure either.

It was because the Eighth Route Army expanded too quickly.

Yamashita Tomoyuki really couldn't figure out where the Eighth Route Army got so many troops from. But judging from the offensive of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei troops this time, Yamashita Tomoyuki still believed that the Eighth Column troops should be involved in this battle.

Because in Jin-Cha-Ji, the First Division and the Eighth Column have the largest number of troops and the strongest combat effectiveness.

Such a large-scale operation could not have been carried out without the participation of the First Division and the Eighth Column.

It was precisely because of the participation of the First Division and the Eighth Column that such a major incident was able to occur on the Zhengtai Road. Just look at the Jin-Cha-Ji Eighth Route Army's actions in the Jing area, where they wiped out over 1500 Japanese and puppet troops in a single night. Such powerful combat capabilities could only be achieved by the First Division and the Eighth Column.

The Japanese army's judgment of the Eighth Route Army always had some deviations.

This is exactly the judgment about the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Eighth Route Army.

Yamashita Fengwen always felt that if the Jin-Cha-Ji Eighth Route Army could cause such a big incident, the Eighth Column would definitely not be missing. So although he was not absolutely sure and did not have accurate intelligence, he still believed that the main force of the Eighth Column should have participated in the battle on the Zhengtai Road.

"How about the same road?"

"The 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army is attacking Tongpu Road. Although not as severe as the Zhengtai Road, the damage is just as severe. Moreover, our forces on Tongpu Road are not as numerous as those on the Zhengtai Road.

Tada Shun frowned as he looked at the map.

There was no point in asking the Central China Front Army to return the borrowed troops. Far water couldn't quench immediate thirst. The North China Front Army still had to mobilize its own troops. Tada Shun looked at the map and smiled wryly. The North China Front Army really couldn't mobilize many troops right now.

Because the North China Front Army was really short of people.

But he still made up his mind and said: "The 27th Division will be stationed in Tianjin, and the Eighth Route Army in Jidong and Rehe will be handed over to the 27th Division. The 110th Division will be transferred south to station in Shijiazhuang."

The 110th Division is currently the main force sweeping the Jidong and Rehe Eighth Route Army.

Of course, the 110th Division was also responsible for sweeping the Hebei-Central Military Region. The 110th Division was the primary force in the previous year's sweep. Although organized as a four-regiment division, the 110th Division suffered several heavy losses. The previous sweep of the Hebei-Central Military Region was also not entirely successful.

But the 110th Division is a four-regiment division after all, with a strength of 27000 people, so it still has enough power to intimidate people here.

But Tada Shun had no troops at the moment, so he set his sights on the 110th Division.

The 110th Division was about to enter Shijiazhuang. It had to look out for the Central Hebei Military Region, the Third Jin-Cha-Ji Sub-Region, and the Zhengtai Road. The lack of a unit like the 110th Division in Shijiazhuang was the reason the Eighth Route Army was so frantic.

However, this arrangement has many hidden dangers.

After all, the 27th Division was a three-command division with a total strength of only about 110 men, less than half the strength of the 110th Division. The 27th Division had not been able to annihilate the Jidong and Rehe Eighth Route Armies, and the th Division's presence would have reduced its strength by half.

Although the strength of the Jidong Eighth Route Army and the Rehe Eighth Route Army is not as strong as that of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region and the Ji-Central Military Region, their strength cannot be ignored.

If you relax your attitude towards the Eighth Route Army a little, it will grow rapidly. Just look at the amazing speed at which the 11th Regiment developed in Rehe after the Japanese army relaxed its control.

Another problem is that the 27th Division had previously focused most of its efforts on Shandong, primarily mopping up the Eighth Route Army troops in Shandong. If the 27th Division were now withdrawn and sent to eastern Hebei, the Eighth Route Army troops in Shandong would also become active.

But there is no way.

The troops that can be mobilized are limited, so we can only rob Peter to repair Paul.

The Zhengtai Road issue must be addressed now. Compared to Jidong and Rehe, and even Shandong, the Zhengtai Road is more important. Once the Zhengtai Road issue is resolved, we can then move on to other issues.

"Leave the 220th Regiment. Draw off the 35th and 219st Regiments of the 221th Division and march south into Yixian and Yuanxian, directly into the First Division of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Region. This time, when the Eighth Route Army of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Region attacks the Zhengtai Road, the main force of the First Division will undoubtedly be deployed. We must force the First Division's troops to return."

"Will there be any problems if only the 220th Regiment is left?"

"I can't care about that now."

Tada Shun shook his head.

The 35th Division had previously suffered heavy losses. The 35th Infantry Regiment's commander, Taijiro Iida, was killed by the First Division, and the 35th Regiment was completely annihilated. Although new recruits were added, the 220th Regiment's combat effectiveness was significantly lower than before. When the 220th Regiment was reorganized, it was short of officers, and its junior officers were all graduates of short-term officer training programs.

They are simply incomparable to the officers who graduated from Japanese military academies.

But there was no way, Tada Shun lacked troops.

The only option was to leave the 220th Regiment, which had average combat effectiveness, and send the 219th and 221st Regiments into the First Division to force the First Division troops back.

“抽调独立混成第十五旅团的76独立大队、77独立大队，独立混成第十六旅团的83独立大队、84独立大队、85独立大队，临时组成警备旅团。和219联队、221联队一起南下。让35师团前田治将军，统一负责这支部队。

"Commander, what about Changping and Wanping?"

"Abandon all previous sweep plans. Do not conduct raids in the countryside or participate in grain raids. All troops should be stationed at key strongholds, protecting important towns and important transportation routes. Have the Security Forces occupy those bunkers and assist the Imperial Army.

Five independent battalions, totaling more than 4,000 troops, were drawn from the 15th Independent Mixed Brigade and the 16th Independent Mixed Brigade.

In this way, the Japanese army in Changping and Wanping instantly lost more than 4,000 Japanese troops.

Tada Shun also knew that this would affect Changping and Wanping. But he had no choice. He only had a few troops at his disposal. The current situation was that if he didn't quickly mobilize troops south, the area west of Shijiazhuang would be destroyed by the Eighth Route Army.

It is easy to destroy, but much more difficult to restore.

Moreover, Tada Shun also believed Yamashita Tomoyuki's judgment. The 8th Column must have sent its main force. Although it is unknown how many people were sent, they must have participated in the attack on the Shota Road.

It was because Tada Shun believed in this judgment that he transferred some troops from around Peiping.

"Send a telegram to the troops stationed in Mongolia, instructing the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade to evacuate Zhangjiakou, Xuanhua, and Huaian and take the train south to Datong. Participate in the security work on the Tongpu Railway. The 8th Independent Mixed Brigade will participate in the mopping-up operation of the Eighth Route Army in Central Hebei. We cannot allow the Eighth Route Army in Central Hebei to wantonly destroy the Pinghan Railway. We must force the Eighth Route Army in Central Hebei to return to their own areas."

There is a shortage of soldiers and generals around.

Tada Shun could only draw troops from various places.

The 8th Independent Mixed Brigade had originally been watching the Yidong Eighth Route Army from Gubeikou. However, compared to the Jidong Eighth Route Army, the Jizhong Eighth Route Army was now giving Tada Shun a greater headache. The Jizhong Eighth Route Army was advancing too rapidly, and they were now beginning to attack the Pinghan Railway.

If the Zhengtai Railway is the most important railway between Hebei and Shanxi, then the Pinghan Railway is the most important railway between the North China Front Army and the Central China Front Army. Therefore, Tada Shun had no choice but to let the 8th Independent Mixed Brigade sweep the central Hebei region to prevent them from affecting the Pinghan Railway.

Then came the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade.

Originally, the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade was assigned to the Mongolian Army because the 8th Column was growing stronger. However, the Tongpu Road was becoming dangerous. If they wanted to reinforce the Zhengtai Road, they couldn't afford to have any problems with the Tongpu Road.

So Tada Shun ordered the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade to move south.

"The 37th and 41st Divisions will each dispatch two regiments to attack the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army on the Zhengtai Road. The 26th Division will dispatch one regiment to participate in the security work on the Tongpai Road."

After the last transfer of the 37th Division and the 41st Division, Tada Shun once again transferred the 37th Division and the 41st Division this time.

Tada Shun has already seen clearly the situation of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party.

After 1939, friction between the Nationalist Army and the Eighth Route Army increased. Starting in December of the previous year, armed conflict even broke out between the Nationalist Army and the Eighth Route Army in North China. Furthermore, relations between the two sides continued to deteriorate.

So Tada Shun kept withdrawing troops from the Zhongtiao Mountain front.

He believed that the Nationalist Army would not help in the battle between the North China Front Army and the Eighth Route Army. If the Nationalist Army in Zhongtiao Mountain really started to move, it would be no small matter. After all, there were more than 100,000 Nationalist Army troops in Zhongtiao Mountain.

But Tada Shun believed that the national army in Zhongtiao Mountain would not take action.

Precisely because of this confidence, he once again mobilized troops from the 37th and 41st Divisions.

"The 36th Division will dispatch a regiment north to cooperate with the st Independent Mixed Brigade to sweep away the Eighth Route Army in southern Hebei. We must strike hard at the Eighth Route Army in southern Hebei and prevent them from launching an attack.

Tada Shun even wanted to mobilize the 36th Division stationed in Henan.

To contain the Eighth Route Army in southern Hebei.

Southern Hebei was the place where the 129th Division had the most troops. Sweeping the Eighth Route Army in southern Hebei was also to encircle Wei and save Zhao.

Chapter 330: Eight Columns Attack

1940 8 Month 28 Day.

On the eighth day of the Zhengtai Road raid, Japanese troops received orders from the North China Front Army and began to gather on the Zhengtai Road.

The headquarters was very satisfied with the raid on Zhengtai Road.

Because the Jin-Cha-Ji Army and the 129th and 120th Divisions deployed over 50 regiments along the Zhengtai Railway, the entire -li stretch of the route was filled with Eighth Route Army troops. Within eight days, the main Japanese forces along the route had suffered a devastating defeat. In particular, the five battalions of the rd and th Independent Mixed Brigade, responsible for guarding the route, were virtually annihilated.