bookrebus Chapter 694 Deploying Troops
Chapter 694 Deploying Troops
694 Troops
In fact, it’s not that Itagaki Seishirō doesn’t want to give advice.
The main reason is that the Japanese can only mobilize a limited number of troops in the south.
It's really difficult to deal with.
But now, Nishio Toshizo, as the commander-in-chief, has asked him so directly, and Itagaki Seishirō must come up with a solution.
"Your Excellency, Commander-in-Chief, we can still spare a brigade from Southern Jiangsu to move south.
The 45th Division was still attacking southern Zhejiang.
The other troops cannot move.
Otherwise, I am worried that there will be unrest in the Songhu area.
What if Ye Qingshan gave up attacking northern Jiangxi, made a feint, and then returned to the Songhu area?
We will be more passive then.”
"Well, that makes sense.
But one brigade is not enough.”
The old Japanese soldier Nishio Hisazo agreed with what Itagaki Seishirō said, but felt that supporting one brigade in northern Jiangxi was definitely not enough.
"It may be too late to transfer troops from the Kwantung Army or North China.
In this case, we can only ask Anami Korechika to draw a brigade from his 11th Army to reinforce northern Jiangxi."
"Anan Korechika is still asking our headquarters for reinforcements every day.
If you want to take away one of his brigades now, he will definitely not agree.
The fighting on the Xiangxi front is now fierce and stalemate.
It would be inappropriate to transfer a brigade from the 11th Army."
"Commander-in-chief, I didn't let Anami Korechika spare a brigade to support the 102nd Division for nothing.
The 23rd Army stationed in Guangdong Province could send a fully-strength brigade northward.
To fill in the gap between the two and the remaining brigade that was transferred from the 11th Army.
This way, Anan Weiji will probably be willing.
After all, it would take too long to withdraw a fully-strength brigade from Guangdong Province to support the 102nd Division in northern Jiangxi.
First, let Anan Weiji withdraw a brigade and turn around to rush to the rescue of northern Jiangxi.
It will not affect the war in western Hunan.
Later, a fully staffed brigade of the 23rd Army of Guangdong Province was sent north to replace the brigade that Anami Korechika had transferred.
The number of troops he has will only increase, not decrease, so he will definitely be willing to do so."
Itagaki Seishirō finally set his sights on the Japanese 23rd Army in Guangdong Province.
After hearing this, the old devil Nishio Hisazo's eyes lit up: "Hey, Mr. Itagaki's idea is not bad.
Tanaka-kun's 23rd Army has to soldiers, and there has been no fighting in Guangdong Province.
It shouldn't have much impact if we send a brigade north.
That’s what we’ll do.
Telegraph them immediately.
In addition, order the Seventh Flying Regiment in North China to move south to join the war.
There is no major war in the north at this time, so the 7th Flying Regiment is not needed for the time being.
Let the 102th Flying Regiment fly to northern Jiangxi to support the nd Division.
The flying regiment in Wuhan cannot move.
The XI Corps needs their air support."
"Hi!"
Itagaki Seishirō quickly wrote down Nishio Toshizo's order.
“Also, notify the domestic headquarters and ask them when the third batch of 100,000 additional recruits we need will be delivered.
Now that Ye Qingshan has returned to China, the situation in southern China is bound to become more complicated.
We need more troops.
Ask the base camp to send us the new batch of reinforcements we need as soon as possible.
In addition, apply to the headquarters to transfer another division from the Kwantung Army to support southern China."
As the war in the south becomes more intense.
This is not the first time that the old devil Nishio Hisazo has transferred troops from the Kwantung Army.
Compared with new recruits transferred from the country, Nishio Toshizo preferred to use the Kwantung Army transferred from the Northeast.
After all, these Kwantung troops are elite and can be directly deployed to the battlefield once they are transferred here.
Those additional recruits transferred from their country will need to undergo a long period of training before they can be used.
It's time-consuming and laborious, and it's not as useful as the Kwantung Army.
It’s a pity that the Kwantung Army was so small in number, and Nishio Toshizo had already been transferred twice before.
This time, Itagaki Seishirō was a little hesitant and advised: "Commander, if you transfer the Kwantung Army again.
Base camp might not agree.
If too many Kwantung troops are transferred away, the situation outside the Great Wall may become unstable."
Nishio Toshizo waved his hand and said, "I know, just do as I say and apply to the headquarters.
At worst, we can take a division from the third batch of new recruits and replace it with the Kwantung Army. That should be fine.
No matter how unstable the situation outside the Great Wall is, can it be as urgent as we are in the south?
Tell the headquarters that this is the last time I will transfer the Kwantung Army."
Commander Itagaki Seiji was helpless and said with contempt in his heart: You said the same thing last time, and you said the same thing the first time.
It would be strange if the base camp could trust you.
But Itagaki Seishirō also knew that Nishio Hisazo was helpless.
They really don't have many troops to mobilize now.
Perhaps, these two old devils don’t know that their total military strength in China at this time is actually tens of thousands more than the peak period in history.
But the situation is even worse than at the same period in history.
Not long after, many telegrams from Commander Itagaki Seiji were sent out.
The Japanese headquarters in the country also sent them a reply.
It would take at least another month for Nishio Hisazo to request the third batch of reinforcements.
As for transferring another division of the Kwantung Army to the south, the Japanese headquarters also agreed.
"The base camp really spent a lot of money."
Itagaki Seishirō was also surprised by this result.
He originally thought that the headquarters would no longer agree to mobilize the Kwantung Army to the south.
But the Japanese headquarters had invested so much money, and they only had one request for Nishio Toshizo and Itagaki Seishirō.
That is, to win the battle in western Hunan, stabilize the occupied territory on the Chinese side, and not let the situation here continue to deteriorate.
Moreover, in the short period of time that followed, the Japanese headquarters did not transfer any troops to China.
After all, at this moment, whether in the Western Pacific or in Southeast Asia, the Japanese also need a large number of troops to maintain their rule.
In addition, as the Americans returned to the Western Pacific, the Japanese withdrew a number of troops to defend the major key islands in the Western Pacific.
There is a great demand for infantry, and there are no more soldiers to fill the quagmire of war in China.
Otherwise, we don’t want the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia.
"We can't lose this battle!"
After the old Japanese soldier Hisazo Nishio saw their base camp and sent a telegram to their headquarters, he also realized the difficulties their base camp was facing at the time.
He said with a sigh.
Half an hour later, Yosuke Shimayama, commander of the 102nd Division of the Japanese army far away in northern Jiangxi, received a telegram from the headquarters.
We knew that in two or three days, two Japanese brigades would come to support us.
Five days later, the 7th Flying Regiment will also move south to provide them with air support.
Such strong support finally made Shimayama Yosuke somewhat satisfied.
"Yo, with the support of two brigades and the 89th Flying Regiment, even if Ye Qingshan commanded his th Army to launch an all-out attack.
We can definitely hold on to northern Jiangxi."
This time, Shimayama Yosuke regained his confidence.