At this time, in Taiyuan.

Yoshio Shinozuka is on the phone with Okamura Yasuji.

Okamura Yasuji was also very concerned about this sweep, so he immediately called Shinozuka Yoshio as soon as he got up and asked about the result of the battle last night.

"Shinozuka-kun."

"I heard last night,"

"Did the Eighth Route Army in Taihang Bandit Area break through first?"

"And it's breaking through to Zhengtai Road?"

"This really surprised me."

"How is the situation now? Nothing went wrong?"

Okamura Yasuji was in a good mood and his tone of questioning seemed casual.

Obviously, Okamura Yasuji didn't think there would be any mistakes in the Masata Road blockade.

Not only Yoshio Shinozuka thought the four blockades made by Tadashita, but Okamura Yasuji also admired them very much.

Okamura Yasuji even prepared to make his experience in Maeda Tadashi in the subsequent mobilization operations of the Hebei-Kei-South Hebei Military Region.

But Yoshio Shinozuka showed a hint of bitterness on his face, because soon, this relaxed and pleasant atmosphere of conversation would be destroyed by his answers.

"His Excellency General."

"There was still a mistake."

Yoshio Shinozuka said in a careful manner: "And it's not small."

Okamura Yasuji, opposite the phone, immediately fell silent.

With Okamura Yasuji's silence, Shinozuka Yoshio clearly felt that the atmosphere was becoming solemn and stagnant.

After sighing lightly, Yoshio Shinozuka said with a sad expression: "Facts have proved that we are too underestimating the combat effectiveness of the main force of the Eighth Route Army in the Taihang Bandit District."

"It particularly seriously underestimated the artillery firepower of the Eighth Route Army."

"We originally thought that even if the Eighth Route Army had artillery, the number would not be large."

"And we also judge that the Eighth Route Army should not understand the principle of concentrated use of firepower."

"However, during the fire exchange last night, I found that the Eighth Route Army actually had more than 40 artillery pieces of various caliber, and they actually knew how to use Xu Jin's barrage tactics in the battle."

"Nani?" Okamura Yanji was also a little surprised.

"Xu Jin's barrage? The Eighth Route Army artillery adopted Xu Jin's barrage tactics?"

"Yes, the Eighth Route Army artillery adopted Xu Jin's barrage tactics." Shinozuka Yoshio said bitterly, "The Ogasawara Detachment was unprepared for this, and in a hurry, he could only charge against the barrage, and finally..."

Needless to say, how will it happen in the end? Is it better to launch a charge against the barrage?

Okamura Yanji exhaled a breath and said, "So that's the loss of a detachment?"

If it was just a detachment, Okamura Yasuji felt that it was actually acceptable.

Yoshio Shinozuka suffocated after hearing this, a detachment? You are too naive, Your Excellency General.

Yoshio Shinozuka sighed: "Genius General, in addition to Ogasawara Detachment, Sasaki Detachment and the Manyami Detachment were also broken last night."

Yoshio Shinozuka did not hide anything and told her truthfully.

In fact, Yoshio Shinozuka is also very clear about it, and he can't hide it even if he wants to.

"Nani?" Okamura Yanji's volume immediately increased octave.

"There are also the Sasaki Detachment and many misdeeds who are collectively broken?"

"Yes." Yoshio Shinozuka said bitterly, "In the battle last night, more than 5,000 imperial soldiers sacrificed their lives for the empire. In addition, they also lost 18 Meiji 38-year-old 75mm field howitzers, 5 Type 95 light tanks, and more than 40 Isuzu 6×6 Type 94 heavy-load trucks."

"Baga, Xu Jin's barrage was also defeated by the Eighth Route Army?" Okamura Yasuji said angrily, "The Xu Jin's barrage is not an advanced tactic, nor is it an impeccable artillery tactic. Especially since the Eighth Route Army only has a small number of heavy artillery, the Imperial Army can completely resolve it by building anti-aircraft fortifications. Why do they still lose one after another?"

Yoshio Shinozuka explained in detail the defeat of many Mie detachments and Sasaki detachments.

After listening to Yoshio Shinozuka's explanation, Okamura Yasuji breathed a sigh of relief and said, "So, did the many Mie detachments fall into the ambush of the Eighth Route Army because of underestimating the enemy? Did the Ogasawara detachment suffer from the attack from Xu Jin's barrage? Only the Sasaki detachment was defeated by the Eighth Route Army during a head-on battle?"

"Yes." Shinozuka Yoshio said, "Facts have proved that the Eighth Route Army in the Taihang Bandit District has the strength to conquer an infantry brigade of the Imperial Army head-on. Our previous assessment of the Eighth Route Army was only comparable to an infantry corps of the Imperial Army. It is precisely based on this assessment that Maeda-kun's four blockade lines were found."

“However, our assessment was completely wrong.”

"Because the assessment of the combat effectiveness of the Eighth Route Army was wrong, this led to the current serious consequences."

"The four blockade lines designed by Maeda Karma is actually very excellent. It is just because there are problems with our assessment of the combat effectiveness of the Eighth Route Army that this situation is the current situation."

It must be admitted that Yoshio Shinozuka is quite good.

In fact, he could have shifted the responsibility for the failure to Tadashi Maeda.

Because the four blockade lines were created by Tadashi Maeda, the four seemingly tight blockade lines were given the Eighth Route Army to defeat each one. From this perspective, it was indeed the cause of Tadashi Maedashi.

But Yoshio Shinozuka said that the four blockade lines Maeda Tada was based on his wrong assessment of the strength of the Eighth Route Army in the Taihang Military Region, which was equivalent to taking the responsibility on himself.

Okamura Yasuji on the other end of the phone was silent for a long time and did not make any noise for a long time.

After a while, Okamura Yasuji asked, "So, the main force of the Eighth Route Army in the Taihang Bandit District has crossed the Masato Road and fled to the mountainous area in the south? Did this sweep fail?"

"Nothing is this." Shinozuka Yoshio hurriedly said, "The main force of the Eighth Route Army in the Taihang Bandit District did intend to cross the Zhengtai Road defense line and flow southward, but we blocked it back."

"Oh, is that?" Okamura Yiji's tone eased slightly.

As long as the main force of the Eighth Route Army in the Taihang Military Region has not yet escaped.

"The main force of the Eighth Route Army is still in the Taihang Bandit Area." Shinozuka Yoshio said.

"And we have implemented precise positioning of their headquarters through telecommunications monitoring equipment and are currently pursuing them at full speed. I believe that good news will be sent back soon."

"Oh, is that?" Okamura Yasuji breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this.

After pausing for a moment, Okamura Yasuji continued: "Shinozuka, I won't mention what happened last night. After all, even though I lost more than 5,000 imperial soldiers, the 2nd Guard Division still has enough troops to block the Masato Road, but you can't make any mistakes next."

"Shinozuka, please tell Maeda."

"Let him bite the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army no matter what, and then destroy him as soon as possible!"

"If the Eighth Route Army headquarters is destroyed, not only will the security situation in Shanxi improve greatly, but the security situation in the entire North China will also improve greatly."

"Hayi!" Shinozuka Yoshio paused his head, "The 1st Army will never be humiliated."

After hanging up the phone, Yoshio Shinozuka walked back to the sand table.

I saw that Takaichi Sakamoto had already brought two combat staff to show the latest battlefield situation on the sand table.

Although Takaichi Sakamoto was very dissatisfied with Yoshio Shinozuka, or was extremely disdainful, he still did his job well as the head of the combat section.

We will also introduce the latest trend to Yoshio Shinozuka.

"Mr. Commander, at 6 o'clock this morning, 18 sweeping detachments have begun to move forward and officially launch a dragnet-style sweeping on the Eighth Route Army Taihang Bandit Area. According to the plan, each sweeping detachment will push five kilometers eastward today and adopt a cruel three-light policy for villages and towns within a five-kilometer range."

...

There is a village about ten kilometers away from Tongpu Road.

This village actually does not belong to the Taihang base, but to the guerrilla area that both sides compete for. That is to say, neither the Eighth Route Army nor the Japanese and puppet troops could fully control the village.

Since it is a guerrilla area, it is impossible to have Eighth Route Army militias.

Without militias, there is no way to organize the people in the village to transfer.

Even in the base area, militia must first organize the family and fellow villagers, and then the Taihang Military Region can send regular troops to protect the transferred people.

Otherwise, there would be so many villages that regular soldiers would not be able to get busy.

Usually, the Japanese puppet army entered the guerrilla area and only searched for anti-Japanese elements.

But today, the Japanese who came drove the whole village to the burger drying ground at the entrance of the village without saying a word.

Two Type 92 heavy machine guns had already been set up next to the village's gutter site, and the black muzzles were pointed at the entire village, which were already scared and trembled.

Looking at the terrified man, woman, young and old,

A ferocious look flashed across the face of the Japanese master who led the team.

The next moment, the Japanese Major raised his right hand and fell down.

Then the Type 92 heavy machine gun began to spit out firepower with a "puff puff puff puff".

Unarmed men, women, young and old fell down in rows, including the baby in swaddling clothes.

After the murder, the Japanese began to set fire again, and soon the entire village was lit up. In the flames, teams of Japanese soldiers used rifles to carry chickens, ducks and even pigs to come out of the village.

On the faces of these Japanese, there is the joy of "harvest".

The reporter who followed the army pressed the shutter of the camera.

"Open the way!" The Japanese lord who led the team raised his sword and led forward.

The black Japanese pulled out their formation again and continued to search and move forward.

...

"Yo Xi." Shinozuka Yoshio nodded happily.
To be continued...