Traveling through 1937, starting from the Battle of Songhu

Chapter 300 The Japanese Commander's Arrangements

At the First Army Headquarters, in the office of Michijiro Umezu, Michijiro Umezu is listening to the report from Staff Officer Michitake Yamaoka.

"Commander-in-Chief, all operational plans have been issued, and supplies are sufficient for the Imperial Army to use for a month."

"The 2nd Mixed Brigade will then launch an attack on Laiyuan City, retaking it in one fell swoop, reopening the transportation lines, and simultaneously clearing out the Eighth Route Army within the territory."

"The 26th Division and Imperial Army troops, totaling men, are responsible for attacking Gaojia Town."

"If necessary, the 2nd Mixed Brigade and the 106th Division can change direction at any time and jointly attack the Laiyuan Independent Regiment!"

A fully staffed mixed brigade of 8000 men, a fully staffed 26th Division, a nearly staffed 106th Division, plus a large number of Imperial Army troops,

If Gu Changfeng knew that the Japs valued him so much, he wouldn't know whether to cry or laugh...

Meizu Mijiro nodded with satisfaction and said:

"Yoshi, this Laiyuan Independent Regiment has grown too fast and has become a major threat to the Imperial Army. If we don't get rid of it, there will be endless troubles."

"In just one year, nearly 20,000 Imperial soldiers have died in this unit. The damage he has brought to the empire can only be repaid with blood!"

Since Gu Changfeng came to Jinzhong, he led his men to attack everywhere, from Laiyuan to Lingqiu, and then to Dingxian.

Anyone targeted by him will suffer heavy losses or even be wiped out.

It can be said that not only Commander Umezu Michijiro, but also the name of the Laiyuan Independent Regiment is a thorn in the eyes of their emperor, and their anger cannot be appeased unless they are eliminated.

"Captain Kawashima, please tell me what information your intelligence department has found."

Meijiro Umezu turned to look at Kawashima Yoshiko who was standing respectfully.

The Special High Section is responsible for intelligence, so it is natural that the First Army cannot be without personnel.

The Japanese invaded China in all aspects, and the strength of their intelligence agencies was also a major weapon.

And this charming-looking Yoshiko Kawashima is the chief of the Special High Police dispatched to the First Army and the close disciple of Kenji Doima.

"Commander, our intelligence department has combined previous information with what the spies in Gaojia Town have learned."

"We discovered that this unit not only has strong firepower, but also has a special forces brigade."

"This special forces brigade consists of 500 personnel, equipped with long-range snipers, machine gunners, and artillerymen."

"They were the ones who destroyed the imperial army garrisons in Wei County and Guangling some time ago."

After hearing this, Umezu Mijiro's eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed deeply.

He was well aware of the power of special operations forces. He also had a team under his command with more than 200 people. Their target this time was the Eighth Route Army headquarters.

But now it seems that the target is shifting.

The problem is that there are only more than 200 people on our side. Wouldn’t it be a disadvantage to fight the enemy like this?

"Commander, are you worried about the other side's personnel?"

Seeing Umezu Mijiro frown, Kawashima Miko couldn't help but speak.

Umezu Mijiro nodded slightly and said, "Although special operations don't rely on numbers to win, if the enemy is equally elite, our special forces will be at a great disadvantage."

Kawashima Miko said respectfully, "Commander, you don't have to worry about this, judging from the last intelligence."

"The opponent's actual team members should be between 200 and 300. The rest are made up of new recruits who are probably still in training."

Meizu Mijiro was silent for a moment, then said, "Yamaoka-kun, let's send the Sakura Special Forces."

Although he mobilized the heavy artillery regiment to the 26th Division this time, given the destructive power of the special forces, the heavy artillery regiment would not be safe without checks and balances.

He paid a heavy price for this sweep of the Jinzhong area. If the sweep had failed, his career as commander would have been almost over.

So we must ensure that no mistakes occur.

"Hi!" Yamaoka Michitake bowed deeply.

"Captain Kawashima, you did a great job this time. You must continue to strengthen your infiltration of Gaojia Town. I want to know every move of the Laiyuan Independent Regiment."

"What happened in Ding County before cannot happen again. Do you understand?"

Kawashima Miko was delighted by Umezu Mijiro's affirmation. She bowed and said, "Hi! Thank you, Commander, for your praise. I will definitely live up to my mission!"

"Mr. Yamaoka, given the Eighth Route Army's fighting style, they will definitely adopt a policy of fortifying the city and clearing the countryside."

"Therefore, logistics must be strengthened. We must collect at least another two weeks' worth of supplies to ensure the smooth progress of this raid."

Yamaoka Michitake hesitated about the commander's decision and spoke.

"Commander, including the Imperial Army, we have a total of 12 troops. Preparing supplies for a month is already our limit. If we need to requisition more, it is really..."

Umezu Michijiro stood up, staring at Yamaoka Michitake and said fiercely.

"If we don't have food, we'll go collect it from the wealthy Chinese families in the city. If they don't give us food, we'll all die. These Chinese are pariahs."

"Compared to the lives of the Imperial Army warriors, compared to the victory of this raid, compared to the great cause of the Empire, they are nothing!"

The commander's words made Yamaoka Michitake dare not say anything more. He and Umezu Michijiro would share the same honor.

If anyone is to be blamed, he, as the chief of staff, is the first person responsible.

As long as the Japanese tear off their hypocritical masks, the ones who will suffer will naturally be the wealthy families who only care about their own business.

When the Japanese came out with guns and live ammunition, these wealthy people finally understood.

What Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere is all bullshit!

Following Meizu Michiro's order, the wealthy families in the city began to suffer.

Under the leadership of the Japanese quartermaster, the doors of the mansions were knocked open one after another, and carts of food and silver dollars were brought out...

"Taijun, we really have no food left, please let us go!"

A wealthy family owner pleaded,

The Japanese quartermaster didn't care about that. He waved his hand and teams of Japanese soldiers rushed in.

Then, cries, prayers, and the wailing of children were heard throughout the mansion.

An hour later, the beasts walked out of the mansion carrying large and small bags, and the strong smell of blood slowly drifted out of the air.

The real extinction, except for the head of the household,

Others, including servants, women and children, numbering in the hundreds, were all killed, and some women were even raped multiple times.

The Japanese invaders' ruthless looting eventually led to the destruction of some century-old houses.

This kind of shameless looting also made many gentry and wealthy families who wanted to be obedient citizens see the true face of the Japanese devils and gradually transfer their wealth.

For Meizu Michiro, he must ensure the success of this raid.

As for the Chinese under his rule, they are like untouchables. When needed, they shout slogans of Sino-Japanese friendship, and when not needed, they are simply crushed to death.

The inevitable consequence was that the entire city became increasingly depressed. The Japanese could not collect taxes and continued to attack the obedient people, and a vicious cycle was completely established.

Of course, this is also a story for later...