At the beginning of Dachen Town, the Japanese army's advancement began to become difficult.

In two days, the Japanese army only advanced twenty kilometers.

When the news reached the 13th Army Command in Shanghai, Ishihara Kaner felt incredible.

"Twenty kilometers?" Ishihara Kaner stared at the map and said in disbelief, "Whether the Guards Division or the 1st Division, they only advanced twenty kilometers in two days?"

"Baga, this is simply incredible, unimaginable!"

Okamura Yasuji shook his head and said, "Is it incredible?"

After a pause, Okamura Yasuji said again: "But it is not surprising at all."

"Nani?" Ishihara said, "Is Okamura-kun actually not surprised by this?"

"Yes, I'm not surprised at all." Okamura Yanji nodded and said, "Because this situation is not the first time, this situation has occurred in the second Zhejiang-Fujian Battle."

"Nani? This has happened to the first Zhejiang-Fujian Battle?" Ishihara said in surprise, "Then why don't you be serious about the general manager, learn from the lessons seriously, and then make improvements in the second Zhejiang-Fujian Battle?"

"We have summarized and learned lessons." Okamura Yanji sighed and said, "But there is still no way to face the Chinese army's elastic defense tactics."

"Elastic Defense?" Ishihara said, "This tactic is called elastic defense?"

"Yes, elastic defense." Okamura Yanji said, "This tactic is essentially different from the defense tactics widely adopted by the Chinese army on other battlefields."

"Most of the Chinese army on other battlefields will only defend passively."

"But the Chinese army on the Zhejiang-Fujian battlefield has more flexible defense tactics."

"The Chinese army on the Zhejiang-Fujian battlefield will maintain a safe distance from the Imperial Army. To be precise, it will maintain a safe distance from the Imperial Army's artillery troops!"

"Once the Imperial Artillery unit advances, the Chinese army will retreat."

"But the Chinese army will not retreat too far. They will stop and rebuild the defense line after retreating ten kilometers."

"Then when the Imperial Artillery advances forward, they retreat again, and they will still only retreat ten kilometers. Of course, ten kilometers are just a rough value, and it is not constant in actual combat."

Ishihara Kaner frowned and said, "This elastic defense tactic of the Chinese Army is indeed very cunning. It can be said that it effectively avoided the artillery firepower of the Imperial Army. However, without artillery, will the Imperial Army become unable to attack? Even without artillery, can the Guard Division and the 1st Division defeat the Chinese Army?"

Okamura Yasuji sighed: "Of course it is not impossible to defeat the Chinese army, but it is an indisputable fact that he does not have an advantage."

After pausing, Okamura Yasuji continued: "Ishihara Jun, you don't know anything. Since Zhong Yi ordered dozens of American equipment from the United States, the individual equipment of the Chinese army in the Zhejiang-Fujian War Theater has surpassed the Imperial Army. One of its infantry divisions has more than 80 heavy machine guns, more than 200 light machine guns, and more than 200 mortars. Do you dare to imagine it?"

"Nani?" Ishihara Kanir took a breath after hearing this, "A single infantry division has more than 80 heavy machine guns, more than 200 light machine guns and more than 200 small-caliber mortars? Is it possible?"

"At first I didn't want to believe it, but this is the truth!" Okamura Yasuji said.

"Baga!" Ishihara smiled, "No wonder the Guard Division, the 1st Division, performed poorly."

Okamura Yasuji smiled bitterly and said, "The Imperial Army now has some advantages in artillery firepower, so if the artillery cannot keep up in time, the infantry attack will be severely frustrated immediately! Whether it is the previous Guard Division or the current 1st Division, even if the 2nd Division is pushed up, its performance will not be much better."

"This is determined by the firepower of light weapons on both sides of the enemy and us!"

"No matter how tenacious the fighting will of the Imperial Army is, it cannot make up for the gap in firepower between the two sides!"

"What's more, the two Zhejiang-Fujian battles have fully proved that the fighting will of the Chinese army is not completely inferior to the Imperial Army. They fight for the country and for the nation, and their will is even stronger than the Imperial Army!"

"Soga." Ishihara smiled, "Okamura, I understand if you say that."

"So." Okamura Yasuji said, "It's really not urgent at the beginning of the battle."

"That's right, you really can't be in a hurry." Ishihara nodded, agreeing, "Then in the first stage, let the Guard Division and the 1st Division take steady steps and advance towards Jinhua little by little. In addition, the 5th Division and the 2nd Division can also attack and advance towards Xinchang County and Sheng County to protect the right wing of the Guard Division."

"The 8th Division and the 22nd Division must also attack and advance from Tonglu, which can not only protect the left wing of the main force in the middle, but also threaten the side and back of the Chinese army from the north bank of the Fuchun River."

"As for the 15th Division, the 17th Division..."

Ishihara Kanir said this and didn't say anything further.

However, Ishihara Kanir's unfinished intention is already very obvious. Okamura Yasuji also felt that after two severe defeats in a row, the 15th Division and the 17th Division had severe defeats, both the morale and fighting spirit were severely weakened. Such troops were no longer suitable to go to the front line to participate in major battles again, so it would be better to stay in the rear to serve as a warning.

...

Jinhua Lanxi, the head of the Zhejiang-Fujian War Zone.

After a busy morning, the combat staff of the General Staff have fully demonstrated the latest enemy-we-stage situation.

From the sand table and the map, it can be clearly seen that the 13th Japanese Army was divided into three attack clusters, with the Guard Division and the 1st Division in the middle, advancing south from Zhuji County, and the troops headed straight to Yiwu.

On the right is the 2nd Division and the 5th Division, with the troops heading directly to Xinchang and Shengxian.

On the left are the 8th Division and the 22nd Division. The Japanese army set out from Tonglu and followed the north bank of Fuchun River. The troops headed directly to Jiande County and even Lanxi, where the head of the Zhejiang-Fujian War Zone was located.

In addition, there are two divisions and another mixed brigade who stays behind to take charge of the warning.

At the sand table, Yu Liangzhen sighed: "This is the benefit of sufficient troops. This time the Japanese convened eight divisions and another mixed brigade, forming a heavy army group in almost every direction, making us passive. No matter which Japanese army bite, it is not easy to get off. It's troublesome, trouble."

Qian Xiaojun subconsciously frowned when he heard this.

As the commander-in-chief of the Zhejiang-Fu War Zone, it is undoubtedly inappropriate for Yu Liangzhen to say this.

Because once this statement is spread, it will definitely seriously undermine the morale of frontline officers and soldiers.
Chapter completed!