The 18th Division, which had lost the protection of the heavy artillery of the Second Fleet, was like a lost dog that had lost all its support and could no longer become rampant. Even if they managed to muster up the courage to launch a charge in an attempt to break through the Chinese army's defense lines and find a way out, they could only take advantage of the success and return defeated by the tanks of the 47th Mixed Brigade and the artillery of the Hubei 1st Mixed Brigade.
What¡¯s more important is that even Kamio Mitsuomi doesn¡¯t know where to survive!
Ahead is a line of defense tightly surrounded by two Chinese mixed brigades. At least with the current equipment and morale of the 18th Division, there is no hope of a breakthrough. Even if we can break through, what's the use? Could he still fight alone and fight all the way to Qingdao, four to five hundred miles away, to join the Sixth Division? Even if you think about it, it¡¯s ridiculous!
¡°Beyond is the vast sea. Since the Second Fleet was frightened by bombers and fled in all directions on the morning of August 22, there has been no news, and it is not even known whether they are still alive. The departure of the Second Fleet also took away the hope of the 18th Division's survival!
?Perhaps it would be a good idea to wait for help at this time? However, on the night of the landing, Kamio Mitsuomi only focused on breaking through the opposite defense line in the early morning. What was unloaded from the warship were all kinds of firearms and ammunition, and did not take into account the issue of food and water at all. After being stranded on the beach, he realized how stupid his decision was, and he wanted to commit suicide by committing suicide!
Just when the northern front was in a deadlock, Umezawa Michiji on the southern front also began to be in trouble, because the Shandong Border Defense Command finally had free hands to rectify the Sixth Division.
On the one hand, the Border Defense Command asked the Air Force to repeat its old tricks and sink the First Fleet that was driven away from the coast of Jiaozhou Bay. On the other hand, it concentrated on the First and Second Divisions of the Shaanxi Army, the First Division of the Hubei Army, and the First Division of the Shanxi Army near Qingdao. The superior forces such as the mixed brigade tightly surrounded the 6th Division, the 29th Infantry Brigade, and the 4th Siege Heavy Artillery Brigade, leaving them unable to advance or retreat. Activities in a relatively large area.
In order to deal with the greatest threat to the Fourth Battalion of Siege Heavy Artillery, the Border Defense Command chose the right time to activate the directly affiliated First Rocket Artillery Battalion, which had never been put into actual combat before. The "Autumn Wind" self-propelled rocket launcher system lives up to expectations. The first time it was put into actual combat, it achieved fruitful results, destroying the heavy artillery that the Japanese army had carried for dozens of miles in one fell swoop.
Since then, the rocket artillery battalion has taken advantage of the trucks' convenient transfer and flexible launch characteristics to take advantage of the Japanese troops in the encirclement from time to time. Each time it is launched, hundreds of shells can be fired in just a few dozen seconds, covering an area of ??thousands of square meters. It has huge lethality and is extremely difficult to defend against. It caused a headache for Japan. Among them, the headquarters of the 29th Infantry Brigade was accidentally exposed and was discovered by the Chinese. Under the rocket attack, the brigade commander, Major General J¨hoji Goro, died on the spot, becoming the second Japanese general to be killed in Shandong after Odera Yasunjun. !
Originally, I thought I could seize the opportunity to seize Shandong and ease the domestic economic and political pressure, but I failed to realize that I was stealing the chicken but losing the rice. Instead, the Sixth and Eighteenth Divisions were trapped in Shandong. The First and Second Fleets also suffered heavy blows and were severely damaged. After the news was reported by Japan Broadcasting Corporation (JBS), the whole country suddenly fell into a state of delirium and mania. Angry people took to the streets one after another. On the one hand, they denounced the cowardice and incompetence of Okuma Shigenobu's cabinet. On the other hand, they demanded that China be more severely "punished for excessive spending" and that China should pay a bloody price!
The Okuma cabinet is on the verge of collapse. The cabinet meeting can only be held again to discuss the issue of war with China. Compared with the last cabinet meeting to discuss the war with China, the atmosphere at this meeting was slightly dull.
Prime Minister Shigenobu Okuma's mouth became droopier and he looked quite haggard. After scanning the cabinet members, he slowly said: "Everyone should know that our Imperial Army of Japan was besieged by China's superior forces in Shandong. Although the Empire The warriors fought bravely and bloodyly without caring about their own lives, but they were unable to defeat four hands with two fists, and logistical supplies were more difficult. The situation is worrying now. I wonder what you have to say, Yashiro-kun?"
Navy Minister Yashiro Rokuro had no choice but to bite the bullet and replied: "Although the strength of the Imperial Japanese Navy is second to none in the Far East, the Chinese aircraft are too powerful. In the words of the Chinese newspaper, they firmly control the air superiority in the Far East and are very powerful to our navy." Forming a serious threat. In the past few days, the First and Second Fleets participating in the Shandong Operation have suffered heavy losses. The main ships were either sunk or damaged. Their strength has been greatly damaged. Now the Navy Ministry is concentrating all scientific research personnel Develop weapons to deal with aircraft. Before the weapons are put into use, I am afraid it will be difficult for the navy to invest in the Shandong operation again!"
Army Minister Okaichi Nosuke stared angrily: "Yashiro-kun, what do you mean by this? Could it be that in order to save their lives, your navy abandoned the 80,000 Imperial warriors including the 6th and 18th Divisions who were transported to Shandong and let them go? Were they besieged or even annihilated by the Chinese? If something really happened to the 6th and 18th Divisions, etc., I should commit hara-kiri and apologize, but I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to escape the punishment of heaven either!¡±
Yashiro Rokuro hurriedlyHe said: "How dare I ignore the 80,000 soldiers of the army? I just feel that it is not a wise move to rashly invest the naval fleet in the Shandong battle. As a result, not only will it be impossible to rescue the 6th and 18th Divisions, etc., but it will also be easy to The navy has also joined in. Therefore, I suggest that we adopt the strategy of 'encircling Wei and rescuing Zhao' in the history of China!"
Okuma Shigenobu's spirit was greatly boosted, as if he had found a life-saving straw: "Please give me some advice, Yashiro-kun!"
Yashiro Rokuro bowed and replied: "I don't dare to teach you. I just feel that the reason why the Imperial Japanese Army was in trouble in Shandong and the reason why the Chinese army was invincible was that China had aircraft to assist it, thus gaining an overwhelming advantage." . If there is no help from airplanes, with the bravery of our Imperial Japanese Army, we can definitely be invincible. I don¡¯t know if you think so?¡±
Okuma Shigenobu, Okaichi Nosuke, Kato Takaaki and others all nodded.
Yashiro Rokuro continued: "Although we do not have the means to directly eliminate or restrain the aircraft for the time being, we can avoid them. China has a vast territory and a limited number of aircraft, and they are all concentrated in Shandong. There will definitely be defensive loopholes in this regard. If our army launches offensives in Manchuria and Inner Mongolia, and our Navy's Third Fleet attacks Fuzhou, Guangzhou and other cities in the area south of the Yangtze River Estuary, mobilizes aircraft south and north, and puts pressure on the Chinese government, the Sixth and Eighteenth Divisions will face Couldn¡¯t the dilemma be easily solved?¡±
Oka Ichinosuke couldn't help but raise his thumbs: "Awesome! Yashiro-kun is really awesome, it's like Zhuge's rebirth and Kong Ming's rebirth!"
Okuma Shigenobu, Kato Takaaki, Oura Kanetake and others also nodded frequently, secretly thinking in their hearts whether the plan was feasible. However, the Minister of Finance, Reijiro Wakatsuki, was obviously worried and couldn't help pouring cold water on him: "Is Yashiro-kun preparing to launch a full-scale war against China? But our country's finances¡ª¡ª"
Okuma Shigenobu waved his hand and said: "Wakatsuki-kun, if you have financial difficulties, please overcome them. If it doesn't work, mobilize people from all over the country to donate. Because this battle is not only about the lives and fortunes of the 80,000 soldiers of the Sixth and Eighteenth Divisions, but also It is more about the century-old national destiny of our Empire of Japan. We must fight no matter what. If we win, naturally all problems will no longer be a problem; if we fail, then we will all go to Niju Bridge to commit seppuku and apologize!"
A sudden chill ran down Wakatsuki Reijiro's spine.
In this way, Japan has fallen into a state of madness from top to bottom. First, the two Japanese divisions stationed in North Korea immediately assembled on a large scale and rushed to Jilin, Fengtian and other provinces in batches. Subsequently, one and a half Japanese divisions of escort troops stationed in the Northeast under the name of protecting the South Manchuria Railway were also ready to move. The intention is to direct the troops towards the Gyeonggi area.
Fortunately, Wang Shizhen, Cao Kun and others had been preparing for this for two or three months, and they were even more prepared after the Shandong War broke out. Therefore, as soon as the Japanese escort division guarding the South Manchuria Railway took action, Wang Shizhen gathered all the Beiyang troops under his command, with a strength of four reorganized divisions and two mixed brigades, and launched a thunderous strike like a lion fighting a rabbit, catching the guard off guard. The division was defeated. Had it not been for the timely arrival of the 19th and 20th Divisions stationed in North Korea. It is estimated that they can be driven across the Yalu River by Wang Shizhen, who is eager to take revenge!
Although the 19th and 20th Divisions rushed to the scene, they had just been formed and were not as powerful as other standing divisions in Japan. So the two sides started a brutal tug-of-war on the border between China and North Korea, and it was very lively for a while. If the Beiyang Army had the upper hand, Sun Yuanqi would stand by and watch; once the Beiyang Army suffered a slight defeat, Sun Yuanqi would send the air force to support and completely knock down the arrogance of little Japan. Therefore, the Japanese army had no hope of winning in a short period of time.
But this result is not what Japan wants to see! Okuma Shigenobu ignored the faltering domestic economy. It also dispatched three permanent divisions from China, including the most ferocious Second Division, to fight on the Sino-North Korean border with the intention of annihilating the Beiyang Army participating in the war and achieving a decisive victory, thereby forcing China to let go of Shandong's Sixth and Tenth Divisions. Eighth Division.
However, the 18th Division, which was short of food and ammunition, could no longer support that time. On the last day of August, the desperate soldiers, who were out of ammunition and food, formally surrendered to Chiang Zuobin and Zhang Huizan under the leadership of Chief of Staff Major General Yamanashi Hanzo. Before that, the division commander Kamio Mitsuomi had been hacked by a sword. After lowering his head, he fulfilled his promise of "see you not in Qingdao, but in Jiudanban".
At this time, the Sixth Division was at the end of its rope. It was just a trapped beast struggling to its death. Its demise was only a matter of time, and the length of this time basically depended on Sun Yuanqi's mood. If you are in a happy mood and don't want to go on a killing spree, the Sixth Division will live longer; if you are depressed and want to find something to vent your anger, then the Sixth Division will have a shorter lifespan.
At this time, the Japanese military did two things that made Sun Yuanqi very unhappy: First, it dispatched three permanent divisions, including the Second Division, to participate in the Northeast War Second, the remnants of Japan's First and Second Fleets joined forces with the Third Fleet and took advantage of the cover of night to launch attacks on Fuzhou, Quanzhou, Xiamen and other coastal cities, resulting in a large number of civilian casualties and the destruction of houses. lost heavily.
Sun Yuanqi was furious and immediately ordered to intensify the attack on the Sixth Division and other units. He also deployed Jiang Zuobin's Hubei 1st Mixed Brigade and Zhang Huizan's 47th Mixed Brigade to land in Lushun under the transport of the navy to participate in the attack on the Japanese troops in the Northeast. offensive. In addition, he concentrated all bombers at the Shanghai Naval Airport, aiming directly at Nagasaki, Japan, 800 kilometers away. You did it in the first grade of junior high school, and I did it in the fifteenth grade!
Since you are unkind, don¡¯t blame me for being unjust!
PS: If it¡¯s correct, this will be the last officially updated chapter. Thank you all for your continued care and love. Uncle He bows and thanks!