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Text Chapter 154 Major General Black Rock¡¯s Elegy (5)

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    Regarding Sawada Shigeru's comment on Doihara Kenji's tactical vision, Major General Kobayashi Asaburo smiled and did not comment.  ¡÷:¡÷Ëå¡÷ÃΡ÷С¡÷˵¡÷Íø¡÷Since Lieutenant General Doihara was promoted to Lieutenant General Commander, Lieutenant General Sawada Shigeru has been displeased with others for more than a day or two.  The two men have been at odds since Lieutenant General Doihara was transferred to the commander of the Kwantung Army's Fifth Army.

    In fact, this matter cannot be blamed on Sawada Shigeru because he disliked Lieutenant General Doihara. The cause of the matter still lies with Lieutenant General Doihara.  Who asked this guy to ask the Kwantung Army headquarters to transfer his fourth division and replace it with other troops as soon as he took office?  He also made a general statement: "The Kwantung Army is a force loyal to the emperor. It is a force that devotes its life to the emperor's expansion of territory and construction. It is not here to make money. The Kwantung Army does not need a group of traders."

    It was this sentence that made the two people officially form a feud.  Although Lieutenant General Sawada Shigeru was dissatisfied with Lieutenant General Doihara's words, he had to admit in private that what he said was not wrong.  It's just that these words were said in private, but Lieutenant General Doihara publicized it publicly. Isn't this a slap in the face of Sawada Shigeru?

    ¡°If Sawada Shigeru has resigned, naturally he won¡¯t care.  Since the establishment of the Fourth Division, there have been many division commanders.  If all outgoing division commanders were angry because of outsiders' comments about the Fourth Division, then at least half of the previous division commanders of the Fourth Division would be angry to death.

    But when Lieutenant General Doihara said these words, he happened to be in office, so he could not accept these remarks.  As a result, the two people officially formed a feud and ridiculed each other every now and then.  It's just that due to the face of the Japanese Imperial Army, most of them were in front of their own confidants, so they didn't cause trouble in the city anymore.

    With this Liangzi, Sawada Shigeru will naturally ridicule Doihara Kenji's short-sighted behavior when he rarely catches this opportunity.  It's just that this matter involves a lieutenant general commander and a lieutenant general division commander, but Major General Kobayashi Asaburo doesn't want to get involved, lest he be harmed.

    Although Sawada Shigeru didn¡¯t take it seriously to Kobayashi Asaburo¡¯s silence.  Sawada Shigeru, who, like Major General Kobayashi Asasaburo, was born into a peasant family, knew that in an army where nepotism was prevalent, it would be difficult for a peasant boy with no background to get ahead.  He is just a division commander and has no prominent background.  The background in the army is simply incomparable to Kenji Doihara, who comes from a military family.  It was good that Major General Kobayashi did not help Lieutenant General Doihara refute him.

    ¡°However, although Sawada Shigeru doesn¡¯t care about Asaburo Kobayashi¡¯s performance, things that need to be resolved still need to be resolved.  Although Sawada Shigeru was very dissatisfied with Doihara Kenji's order, what should be carried out must still be carried out.  It is okay to be at the lower level to overcome the upper level.  But for an officer at the division level, that would be a fatal mistake.  What's more, he is the commander-in-chief of this campaign, so if something goes wrong, he will still be hit.

    Looking at the map, Lieutenant General Sawada Shigeru was silent for a long time and said to Major General Kobayashi Asasaburo: "The order is to assign an infantry brigade from the 61st Regiment, two infantry squadrons from the 37th Regiment, and two squadrons from the Mountain Artillery to form a detachment.  Leave it to the command of Major General Kuroiwa Yoshikatsu."

    "Order the 3rd Cavalry Brigade to strengthen the two cavalry squadrons of the 4th Cavalry Regiment and attach it to a cavalry regiment from the Manchuria Army. They will immediately launch from the current defense position to the northwest along the line from Miaoling Mountain to Yuanbaoshan. You tell Heiyan Yisheng  Let him protect his flanks, especially the southern front, and be sure to take precautions."

    After saying this, Sawada Shigeru pondered for a moment and then said: "I won't say these words directly. You can just explain it to Kuroiwa-kun during the handover. Tell him to pay attention to shrinking his front and strengthen it."  The troops on the flanks. Don¡¯t invest too much in the offensive troops. Once you find that something is inevitable, withdraw immediately and don¡¯t show off."

    "I can violate the commander's order and allocate a detachment of troops to him. I have already tried my best. The rest can only be relied on by himself. What kind of virtue is the fourth division? Lord Heiyan should know  , let him worry more about the defense on the southern front. But there is only so much I can do, and he will be happy with the rest."

    After hearing what Sawada Shigeru said, Major General Kobayashi Asasaburo was slightly stunned.  The imperial army has always advocated offense. Not to mention these rabbles, it has never flinched even against the Chinese government forces.  What happened to the Lieutenant General today? He was so pessimistic about dealing with nothing more than a group of armed bandits?  Even in front of an outsider like Kuroiwa Yoshikatsu, he did not hesitate to expose the Fourth Division's background?

    Regarding Kobayashi Asaburo's doubts, Sawada Shigeru, who knew that he was guilty of the Japanese army's consistent tendency to look down on the Chinese, shook his head and said: "Kobayashi-kun, do you really think that our opponent is a rabble? Do you really think that they sneak attack on the Jiamusi troops?"  Will you stay where you are and wait for us to encircle you?"

    "We have strengthened a regiment of dignified regular divisions of the Imperial Army, and in the face of a large number of Manchurian troopsUnder the cover of the combination of aviation above and heavy artillery below, several days of fierce fighting failed to destroy their will to resist and made them give up the fight.  Can you think these people are a ragtag bunch?  You should be able to see the so-called breakthroughs these days.  Rather than saying that our attack was successful, it is better to say that the opponent gave up consciously.  "

    "The rhythm of the entire battlefield is always in their hands. Our attacks these days have paid a heavy price, but we have never been able to disrupt the opponent's pace. Although we have captured its core fortifications, we have never been able to make the opponent give up.  Resistance. We also let other people¡¯s roundabout troops take over our base camp.¡±

    "Although this army's performance on the battlefield is still very immature, and the military quality of its soldiers is not very high. However, its tactics are extremely clever. The shortcomings in the soldiers' quality are used reasonably and effectively.  The tactics made up for it a lot.¡±

    "It adopts multi-layered and echelon-configured defenses. Although the number is not large, it is extremely capable and extremely sharp in its counterattacks. Both of them show that this army is more powerful than other anti-Manchu armed forces.  He has extremely high tactical literacy. His commander¡¯s ability to grasp the battlefield is also first-rate.¡±

    "Since the war has reached this point, this clearing operation can actually be said to have failed. Whether it is Commander Ueda Kenji or Lieutenant General Doihara Kenji, they are just unwilling to admit the reality.  . Now I have a feeling that the armed forces that attacked Jiamusi have withdrawn and are hiding in some unknown corner watching our every move."

    "The reason why they haven't taken action yet may be because they are still looking for our weak points in roundabout ways. But more likely, they are waiting for us to retreat. No matter how good their appetite is, they have not swallowed up one of our divisions that has strengthened a wing.  The regiment's capabilities. Their sneak attack on Jiamusi is to lead us to divide our troops and find favorable opportunities for their next battle. I can say with certainty that once our fourth division withdraws to Jiamusi, it will be time for them to counterattack across the board."

    Regarding the analysis of Lieutenant General Sawada Shigeru, in the view of Major General Kobayashi Asaburo who has served as the chief of staff of the Japanese Twelfth Army for a long time, it is still very reasonable.  It's not that he can't see the problem in this.  These days, the opponents are fighting and retreating. Although they have given up their peripheral positions, the initiative in the battle has always been in their own hands.

    Within a few days, the Fourth Division attacked countless times, resulting in heavy casualties but little success.  Now it seems that the opponent has no intention of fighting with him head-on, but is using the solid fortifications on the front line of Qunce Mountain to delay the main force of the division.  He divided his troops into one, adopted large-scale detour tactics, and launched a sneak attack on Jiamusi, hoping to attract his own troops.

    But since Lieutenant General Sawada Shigeru¡¯s arguments have yielded no results, and he is just a small major general brigade commander, how can he change the army commander¡¯s deployment?  At this time, Major General Asaburo Kobayashi finally understood why Lieutenant General Sawada Shigeru violated Lieutenant General Doihara's order and left a detachment of troops for Major General Kuroiwa Yoshikatsu.

    Despite Sawada Shigeru's reluctance, under Lieutenant General Kenji Doihara's urging almost half an hour later, Major General Yoshikatsu Kuroiwa's handover was completed, and the main force of the division was concentrated to return reinforcements as quickly as possible.  Jiamusi was abandoned by Yang Zhen.

    It was different from the previous procrastination in gathering and attacking the front line of Qunce Mountain, which took a lot of time to assemble the troops.  This time when they heard about the rescue of Jiamusi, everyone in the Fourth Division felt as if they had taken aphrodisiacs. They mustered up all their energy and galloped towards Jiamusi almost day and night.  Even when the division headquarters ordered a rest, they were unwilling to carry out the order, but strongly demanded to continue on their way.

    Regarding the reason why their subordinates who had been beaten had changed so drastically, both Sawada Shigeru and Kobayashi Asaburo could only shake their heads and smile bitterly.  In fact, Lieutenant General Sawada Shigeru himself also knew that after learning that anti-Manchu and anti-Japanese armed forces were attacking Jiamusi in a large scale, he would immediately return to the division for rescue if he disobeyed Kenji Doihara's order.  Not only did Lieutenant General Doihara Kenji not agree, but even his subordinates who had almost all their wealth left in Jiamusi since they were stationed in Northern Manchuria would not agree to it.  This time they may have really experienced the feeling of rescuing soldiers like putting out fire.

    However, although he understood that his subordinates were eager to go back and rescue their property, Sawada Shigeru, who still remembered the horrors of the 12th Division's campaign not long ago, did not dare to be careless.  After deploying a vehicle from the 8th Regiment responsible for protecting the supply line, and with the cooperation of the main force of the 4th Cavalry Regiment, they took the lead.

    The reason why the 8th Regiment, the worst of the 4th Division, was chosen as the advance force this time was because Sawada Shigeru knew that if the rescue was to be carried out elsewhere, not only would this Regiment not be able to do anything to the death, but it might even do so if necessary.  It's a matter of not saving anything.  But to rescue Jiamusi, which is their base camp, this regiment will definitely show extraordinary combat effectiveness.  Because almost all their property is in Jiamusi.  If Jiamusi is lost, these people will be beaten back to their original shape.

    Point yourselfThe main force of the Fourth Division moved forward extremely cautiously but slowly.  Although his marching speed dropped very slowly because of his caution.  But Sawada Shigeru didn't care.  For the sake of safety, Lieutenant General Sawada Shigeru even did not hesitate to suppress the extremely rare enthusiasm of the middle and lower-level officers of the Fourth Division to fight.

    As for the captain of the 8th Regiment, Captain Anxian, who was leading the advance, Lieutenant General Sawada Shigeru also repeatedly said: "Commander Anxian, you must be cautious when setting off with the vanguard, and be careful not to be incited by your superiors.  Something reckless happened. You know the situation of the 8th Wing better than I do, so you must hold firm."

    Having said this, Lieutenant General Sawada Shigeru glanced at Senior Colonel Xingxian and was silent for a moment before adding: "Major General Kobayashi is a qualified staff officer, but he is not suitable to be the chief officer of the army. He only served as the commander of the army when he arrived at the Fourth Division.  It's just a transition, and they will be transferred back to the country after a while."

    "I have recommended to the Tokyo Base Camp that you be promoted to the rank of Major General, and the Tokyo Base Camp has already approved it, just waiting for the Emperor's death. At this juncture, I hope nothing will happen to you. I can only say so much, but I think I  You should understand what I mean."

    Zetian Shigeru¡¯s meaning is very clear. You, Xingxian, will be promoted to major general soon, and will soon take over as the commander of the fourth brigade.  If your troops suffer heavy losses because of your underestimation of the enemy and your rash advance, whether the rank of major general and the position of brigade commander can still be your turn is another matter.

    However, Lieutenant General Sawada Shigeru did not say the last part.  The reason why Major General Asaburo Kobayashi was temporarily transferred from the chief of staff of the Twelfth Army of the North China Front to the first director of the Army Education Directorate was temporarily transferred to the commander of the Fourth Brigade was because no one was willing to take over this hot potato.

    After the 70th Regiment, which had the strongest combat effectiveness and the best efficiency in the Fourth Division, was transferred, everyone knew what the remaining three regiments were.  Except for the 63rd Regiment, which still had a somewhat ferocious style, the other two Regiments were simply scum.  These people don't think about anything except finding ways to make money.

    Originally, this position had been assigned to Captain Xingxian, the only one among the three regiment captains who had not yet been dragged down. Although his 8th regiment was the worst among the entire 4th Division's subordinate regiments, his own  He still has the ability, and he has not been dragged down by his subordinates.  It's just that this guy is really unlucky. What was already a sure thing was pulled back because of his subordinate's poor performance in Dunhua.

    When the military wanted to find a replacement to take over as the commander of the reorganized Fourth Brigade, it found that no one was willing to come.  Those scheduled candidates would rather go to China to serve as the commander of an independent brigade with a defensive nature. Even staying put, no one is willing to come to this regular field division to serve as the commander of the brigade.

    Just kidding, the Sino-Japanese War is in full swing at this time, and the Japanese army is constantly expanding its troops.  For those who dream of becoming a general, the position of the Fourth Division can be described as a hot bed.  Because no one could imagine that this division would be transferred to the front line.  But spending all day suppressing the guerrillas will not achieve any merit.

    What's more, although no one would think that this fourth division would be deployed on the battlefield, no one can guarantee that this regular and veteran Class A division will not be deployed on the battlefield when there is a shortage of troops.  Based on these people's understanding of the Fourth Division and the current situation of the Fourth Division, it would be unlucky for them to lose the battle and implicate themselves.  If the Fourth Division is unfortunately transferred to the battlefield one day, these people will definitely abandon their commanders and escape by themselves when the situation is critical.

    So the people who were scheduled to come were not willing to come, and the military department really looked down upon the people who wanted to come.  When there was some trouble with the candidates within the Fourth Division, Major General Asaburo Kobayashi, who had long served as a staff officer and had excellent obedience, became a temporary replacement.  And he, the brigade leader, is just a temporary candidate, and his position as Director of Education is still reserved for him.

    Of course, Sawada Shigeru would never say these words in front of Senior Colonel Xingxian.  Sawada Shigeru still admires Xing Xianyi's personality and abilities.  Otherwise, he would not have been selected among the four commanders to recommend him for promotion to the brigade commander.  That's why he didn't want something to happen to him, the captain he admired most after taking office in the Fourth Division, at this critical moment.

    It was obvious that Lieutenant General Sawada Shigeru and First Sergeant Xingxian understood what he meant. Although he took his Eighth Regiment and Cavalry Regiment to set off first as the vanguard of the entire division, the marching speed was not very fast.  The distance from the main force of the division has never been wider than fifteen kilometers.  It wasn't until they left the mountainous area that they began to speed up their march.

    But when they arrived at the Songhua River Bridge, which had been blown up with the bridge piers and almost no repairs were made in a short period of time, Xing Xianyi, who was slightly relieved, was dumbfounded.  Communication JiangThe Songhua River Bridge directly connected to Jiamusi was completely blown up, and there was not even a ferry on the bare riverside.  Only the wreckage of dozens of ferries floated faintly in the middle of the river.

    Captain Xingxian, who did not carry a boat bridge and did not have any tools to cross the river, had no choice but to stop. On the one hand, he waited for the arrival of the main force of the division, and on the other hand, he tried his best to collect tools that could cross the river on the spot.  Just when Colonel Xingxian had just given the order to rest, accompanied by the sudden sound of artillery fire from the north, a dense burst of artillery shells hit the Eighth Regiment and the Fourth Cavalry Regiment gathered on the riverside.

    Although the distance from where the sound of artillery was heard was not close, Captain Xingxian could clearly tell that the artillery that was firing at him was firing at its maximum range.  But the impact point of the cannonball that hit his head was very accurate. It was obvious that the shooting area had been carefully measured, and the impact point of the cannonball had also been precisely calculated.

    Xingxian, who was not harassed at all along the way and was somewhat relaxed, never expected to receive a beating when he arrived at the door of his house.  Senior Colonel Xingxian, who only managed to save his life after being kicked out of the truck he was riding in by an eager guard, almost broke his teeth as he looked at the troops that suffered heavy casualties from the shrapnel flying in all directions.

    When Lieutenant General Sawada Shigeru led the main force of the division to the Songhua River, there was no surprise on the face of the Eighth Regiment who was busy collecting corpses in front of them.  Looking at Senior Colonel Xingxian who came to plead guilty, Zetian Shigeru sighed and said: "After all, they are still unwilling to let us withdraw to Jiamusi safely. Although they did not block us in any way along the way, they gave us a  We got this one. What a cunning opponent."

    Colonel Xingxian heard His Excellency the Division Commander's calm tone without any reproach, and said with some shame: "My subordinates are incompetent. They forgot the teachings of Your Excellency the Division Commander, and relaxed their vigilance. I didn't expect that they would dare to go out on the plain."  A sneak attack was launched on our army in the area. Not only did the troops suffer heavy losses, but they were also run away by those despicable sneak attackers. Please punish me, the division commander."

    In response to Xingxian's apology, Sawada Shigeru waved his hand and said: "I can't blame you for this. It's because our opponent is too difficult this time. He has been plotting against us since we entered the mountain. All kinds of plans are almost there.  They are linked together, looking for our weakest links to attack, and they always attack in the places we least expect. Sooner or later, this person will be a serious problem for the Kwantung Army."

    "Tell the troops to seize the time to collect equipment for crossing the river. I have sent a telegram to Lieutenant General Doihara and asked him to mobilize a batch of ferries from Tangyuan as quickly as possible. Tell all regiments to strengthen their vigilance and don't let the ferry incident happen again.  The Fourth Division really can¡¯t afford to lose that person anymore.¡±

    ¡°If we say that when he was attacked at the ferry, Sawada Shigeru behaved very calmly.  But when he withdrew to Jiamusi and saw the ruins of military and political facilities and the corpses of a large number of executed senior Japanese and puppet officials, he could no longer calm down.  Kitano Takatsu, who came to report, was almost chopped alive with one knife.

    Before the furious Sawada Shigeru could calm down, a telegram sent back from the front line of Qunce Mountain immediately plunged him into petrification.  It has been less than thirty-six hours since I withdrew from Qunce Mountain to Jiamusi, but drastic changes have taken place on the front line of Qunce Mountain.

    Major General Heiyan was killed in the opponent's night attack, and the 44th Regiment fell into encirclement.  The northern defense line composed of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade and the attached 4th Cavalry Regiment was broken through in just two hours.  The detachment he left behind was also separated from the main force and was fighting and retreating towards the front line of Miaoling Mountain.  @ya
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