Chapter 416: Tanaka Hisahisa's Regret
The Japanese actually celebrate the Spring Festival as well.
However, since the Meiji Restoration, the Japanese New Year has changed from the lunar calendar to January 1st of the Gregorian calendar, that is, from the first day of the first lunar month to New Year's Day.
In Taiyuan city, the Chinese people celebrated the Spring Festival according to their own customs, and the Japanese also celebrated the Spring Festival with them in order to do a good job of appearing friendly.
The Japanese headquarters in Taiyuan looked cheerful on the surface, but the newcomer, Tanaka Hisaichi, was unusually unhappy.
Because he had planned to launch a surprise attack on the Independent Regiment and Liaoyuan Arsenal today, but when his combat report was submitted to Yoshio Shinozuka, Yoshio Shinozuka did not respond.
"Kuso! Kuso!"
Tanaka Hisaichi was furious and helpless in his office. Yoshio Shinozuka did not respond to his battle plan, and he was helpless at this moment.
Although the Japanese have always had a tradition of rebelling against their superiors, Tanaka Hisaichi and his division had just been transferred to Jin and were temporarily under the jurisdiction of the First Army led by Yoshio Shinozuka. They were currently unfamiliar with the area and had to rely on this cheap leader who had been scolded a lot.
What if I really angered Yoshio Shinozuka and he found an excuse to cut off my logistics when I went on the expedition? Then I would be doomed.
From Yoshio Shinozuka's perspective, ignoring Tanaka Hisaichi's battle plan also makes sense.
One reason was that this year had been a bit turbulent for him, and it was finally time for the Chinese army to rest, so he wanted to take a good rest and catch his breath.
Secondly, if Tanaka Kyuichi really dealt a heavy blow to the Independent Regiment and the Liaoyuan Arsenal, where would the entire First Army's face be? Wouldn't that be like rubbing my face against the ground?
It is natural that I, Yoshio Shinozuka, would not pay attention to your combat report, Hisaichi Tanaka.
Want planes to bomb the Liaoyuan Arsenal? Sorry, these planes are prepared for the Zhongtiaoshan Battle and cannot be exposed in advance.
Want enough logistical support? Sorry, these ammunition and fuel are prepared for the Zhongtiaoshan battle. If you use them now, what if there is not enough for the Zhongtiaoshan battle?
Who will take responsibility if anything goes wrong with the above issues?
Due to multiple factors, Tanaka Hisaichi could only vent his emotions in frustration and rage in the new office allocated to him.
"Go, bring me the battle report of the previous battle between the Independent Regiment and the First Army?"
Since Yoshio Shinozuka didn't allow him to join the war, he would take a good look at previous battle examples. He wanted to see why a regiment-level Eighth Route Army could defeat the First Army like this?
Once I figure it out, I'll have to humiliate you, Yoshio Shinozuka.
After some trouble from the sergeant in charge of archives at the First Army Headquarters, the lieutenant sent by Tanaka Hisaichi finally got all the documents.
Tanaka Kyuichi looked at the file that was more than a person's height, took a deep breath, and his brows were twisted like a wrinkled towel.
"Didn't they say that they were only going to collect the combat records of a small regiment-level unit of the Eighth Route Army, the Independent Regiment, in 40? Why are there so many?"
"Reporting to General Tanaka, I have confirmed again and again that there are really so many. There are also some small-scale guerrilla warfare that are suspected to be supported by the Independent Regiment and the Liaoyuan Arsenal, but I didn't take them.
If we take it, it is estimated to be three times the current combat report."
The lieutenant who had been following Tanaka Hisaichi was also helpless.
Tanaka Kyuichi waved his hand and said, "Forget it, forget it. Since there are really so many, then this is it."
The lieutenant colonel was very considerate and arranged all the information in chronological order in front of Tanaka Kyuichi for the division commander to review.
Tanaka Kyuichi rubbed his brows, picked up the first combat report and began to read it.
"Five thousand kilograms of explosives broke the shota line?"
"In the battle of Lijiapo, a single white phosphorus bomb directly wiped out the Yamazaki Battalion?"
"Thermite grenades melted the city? Incinerated the entire battlefield observation group?"
"Defeat the Fourth Brigade of the Locust Army?"
"Bomb Yangmingbao Airport for the second time?"
"One regiment broke through the encirclement of three brigades?"
"Nearly 50 planes were shot down in the Huangliangou air battle?"
"The Battle of Wild Wolf Valley wiped out a battalion of the Kwantung Army?"
......
"Heavy artillery fire, destroy the 47th Division?"
......
"Blast Ping'an County by force?"
......
"Defeat the Locust Army's Fourth Brigade again?"
......
"Blow up the Tangjiabao ammunition depot?"
......
After looking at the various achievements of the small independent regiment in the past year, even though it was already winter in North China, Tanaka Hisaichi was still covered in cold sweat.
Tanaka Hisaichi swallowed hard. Is this the kind of record that an independent regiment can achieve?
According to intelligence, the size of the independent regiment has now exceeded 5,000 people, but when the records were first made, the independent regiment had only more than 1,000 people. They were able to easily wipe out a battalion of the Locust Army and even developed to the point of destroying half or even an entire brigade.
The speed of this growth is really amazing.
According to intelligence analysis, the Independent Regiment's terrifying growth rate was all due to one factory, the Liaoyuan Arsenal.
After reading this battle report that was as tall as a man, Tanaka Kyuichi had only one thought: Is it too late for him to take back his previous ridicule towards these senior officers of the Locust Army in Jin?
"Even when I was facing an entire army of the National Army, I was not so worried. Now I am really worried whether our division can completely wipe out the independent regiment.
At the very least, we have to destroy their Liaoyuan Arsenal.
Otherwise, we will face even more terrible enemies in the future."
As soon as he finished speaking, Tanaka Hisaichi's face became extremely serious. He knew that the enemy he was facing at this moment was growing rapidly. Even a year or a month could not be used as a unit of measurement, because the powerful enemy he was facing was growing rapidly at a rate of every day and every moment.
Perhaps at the moment when he was sighing, the Liaoyuan Arsenal had developed new weapons and equipment, which greatly enhanced the combat effectiveness of the Independent Regiment and even the Eighth Route Army.
"General, I have never seen such worry on your face. Is the Chinese regiment-level army we are about to face very strong?
I think they are only about 5,000 people, not even the size of our two regiments, and quite a distance from the organization of our brigade.
Logically speaking, our Type B division can easily crush them, just like we crushed countless Chinese troops before."
When the lieutenant saw Tanaka Hisaichi's expression, he couldn't help but ask.
"It's different. Now their entire regiment can fight against our brigade on the front battlefield. If our division fails to coordinate well, we will suffer a great loss.
This time, I’m afraid we will face the strongest opponent since entering China, the strongest one yet.”
Tanaka Kyuichi emphasized the last sentence, and it was obvious that he was no longer confident.
He knew that this was actually very wrong. Before the battle even started, the morale of the chief officers had already dropped by three points. But there was nothing he could do about it. Any military chief of the Locust Army would feel terrified when seeing this file.
Tanaka Hisaichi was extremely regretful at this moment. He wondered why he had mocked all the senior officers of the Locust Army in Jin at that time. Now he didn't even have a chance to apologize.