OBS Chapter 358: The Situation in North China Has Changed
Chapter 358: The Situation in North China Has Changed
After the war,
The situation in North China has undergone earth-shaking changes.
The independent column rose rapidly in Shanxi Province. Its distribution range reached most of Shanxi Province, occupying the major cities in Shanxi Province and becoming an important force in the northern war of resistance.
In the Battle of Taiyuan, the 388th Brigade performed particularly well. They defeated the larger force with a smaller one, demonstrating amazing combat effectiveness and tenacious will.
This victory not only won honor for the independent column, but also injected a shot in the arm for the entire Chinese army.
By decision of the Central Committee, the 388th Brigade was awarded a collective special merit in recognition of their outstanding contribution in the battle.
When Li Yunlong learned the news, an expression of pride that was difficult to conceal appeared on his face.
The corners of his mouth were almost reaching the sky.
The situation in North China changed dramatically. The North China Front Army lost the most important barrier of the North China Plain - the Shanxi Plateau, which undoubtedly dealt them a heavy blow.
The Chinese army could launch an attack from the Shanxi Plateau at any time to the Japanese's rear. The loss of this strategic position caused the Japanese to fall into unprecedented panic.
All major forces across the country are urgently deploying their troops. The return of Shanxi to the hands of the Chinese army is very beneficial to the entire anti-Japanese war in the north.
The Eighth Route Army obtained a large amount of Japanese weapons, equipment and territory in this war, and made a fortune.
These weapons and equipment greatly enhanced the combat effectiveness of the Eighth Route Army and laid a solid foundation for subsequent battles.
In addition to the independent column, the Eighth Route Army was also actively recruiting soldiers in other parts of Shanxi to prepare for the subsequent counterattack on the North China Plain.
Young people from all over the country responded to the call and joined the Eighth Route Army with full of passion and hatred for the enemy.
The commander of the North China Front Army, General Okamura Yasuji, stood at the window of his office, his figure looking particularly lonely under the dim light.
Outside the window, the night in Peking was dark, but his heart was surging.
The loss of Shanxi was not only a military failure for him, but also a heavy blow to his personal honor.
This was a great shame for the empire, if only the headquarters had no suitable candidate to replace the commander of the North China Front Army.
He has now been forced to step down and return to his country to retire.
Prime Minister Hideki Tojo's orders in the telegram were like whips, lashing his nerves: "No matter what, we must not allow the Chinese army to counterattack the North China Plain. We must defend the main exit of the Taihang Mountains and wait for imperial reinforcements."
Okamura Yasuji immediately replied by telegram, saying that he would defend the main exit of the Taihang Mountains, wait for the arrival of imperial reinforcements, and then launch a major counterattack in Shanxi.
In the office, Okamura Neiji said to the Chief of Staff: "Chief of Staff, how many troops does the North China Front Army have now? Can it organize another large-scale campaign?"
The chief of staff stood in front of Okamura Yasuji and said worriedly: "Your Excellency the Commander, the main force of the North China Front Army now has a strength of 21 troops. With the puppet troops, our strength is about 37.
In addition, we need to defend a large area, and now we can only spare less than 6 troops for combat."
Okamura Neiji frowned. The area that the North China Front Army needed to defend was too large. If he wanted to organize another large-scale battle, he would have to draw troops from other defense areas.
It seems that we can only wait for the arrival of reinforcements from the empire before we can launch another counterattack.
He took a deep breath, then said to the chief of staff: "Chief of Staff, next we must focus on deploying heavy troops at several exits of the Taihang Mountains and establish a defense line to prevent the Chinese army from attacking the North China Plain."
"Ha Yi!" The chief of staff responded.
.......
Inside the Eighth Route Army Headquarters,
The leaders were in a very happy mood and the air was filled with the joy of victory.
The Eighth Route Army won the battle and drove away the First Army in Shanxi. This was something they had never dared to imagine before, and everyone was very happy.
Inside the headquarters, the chief and the chief of staff stood in front of a map, looking at the red flags marking the Eighth Route Army troops and bases on the map, their faces beaming with joy.
"Chief of Staff, do you see that the entire Shanxi region is full of our troops and bases?"
"Commander, I saw it."
The chief of staff replied, "The Eighth Route Army is no longer what it used to be. According to the information reported by the troops below, the number of our Eighth Route Army soldiers and guerrillas has now reached 50." The chief of staff said with emotion.
The leader nodded in agreement: "Yes, it has been very difficult for the Eighth Route Army to come this far. The fact that we are where we are today is the result of the hard work of our comrades."
"Chief of Staff, the situation in North China has changed dramatically. Our next step is to continue to take the initiative to attack.
Seize the initiative on the battlefield, do our utmost to eliminate the enemy's effective forces, and prepare for the next major counterattack."
The Chief of Staff nodded in agreement: "Yes, Chief. We will pass the order along."
The leader's eyes lingered on the map for a moment, and then he continued, "By the way, let the comrades in the North China Plain pay attention to the actions of the Japanese. North China is likely to launch a large-scale sweep of the bases in the eastern and central Hebei regions."
The chief of staff nodded heavily, he knew that the leader's concerns were not unfounded.
"Yes, Chief, I'll arrange it right away."
He turned around and quickly left the command center to convey the leader's instructions.
The leaders were worried that after the North China Front Army's failure in Shanxi, it would launch a mopping-up and retaliatory attack on the Eighth Route Army bases in central and eastern Hebei.
Such retaliatory actions may cause huge losses to the military and civilians in the base area, so preparations must be made in advance.
Following the issuance of a series of orders from the Eighth Route Army Headquarters, the Eighth Route Army in Shanxi began large-scale military training to prepare for the next major counterattack.
The Eighth Route Army troops in central and eastern Hebei were actively preparing for possible wars.
They strengthened their fortifications, stored food and ammunition, and prepared for possible challenges.
At the same time, the Central Army and the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army were also preparing.
They had realized that the North China Front Army was no match for the Eighth Route Army, especially the Independent Column.
They knew that if the Eighth Route Army launched another large-scale attack on the North China Plain, they would also like to join in and reap the benefits.
This pursuit battle made the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army and the Central Army earn a lot of money and reap the benefits.
"We can't win when the wind is against us, but we will be very excited when the wind is in our favor."
A Central Army commander said this at a post-war summary meeting, and his words caused laughter.
The commander of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army also nodded in agreement: "Yes, we must seize the opportunity. This victory gives us hope."
The anti-Japanese forces throughout the north are actively preparing, and the next battle will be even more intense.