Let’s talk about the Japanese side.

As former commander Higashinomiya Nianhiko's condition never diminished, Shinozuka Yoshio has been formally appointed as the commander of the Second Army by the Central China Front Army Command.

At this moment, Shinozuka Yoshio is summoning Ogisu to join forces and Fujie Keisuke to talk.

"Oitaki, Fujie-kun, let me tell you good news." Shinozuka Yoshio said, "The base camp has made a decision and is ready to mobilize ten divisions to form the 12th Army to reinforce the Wuhan battlefield!"

"Nani, organize the 12th Army?!"

"Ten divisions?!"

Ogisu Ribuki and Fujie Keizuki were shocked when they heard this.

They originally speculated that the base camp might cancel the plan to capture Guangzhou and transfer the 21st Army, which was originally used for the Guangzhou Battle, to the Wuhan battlefield. However, they did not expect that the base camp did not transfer the 21st Army to Wuhan, but instead planned to form the 12th Army, and for the sake of the newly formed 12th Army, they actually mobilized ten divisions!

This newly formed 12th Army will also become the army with the largest number of divisions under its jurisdiction!

Ogisu Ribing said, "Shinozuka, haven't the cabinet already said that there is no money? Why do you have so much money to mobilize ten divisions to the Wuhan battlefield?"

Yoshio Shinozuka said: "I'm not very clear about the specificity. It is said that the Navy's funds were misappropriated."

"Sodesnai." Fujie Etsushi nodded happily, "I want to say that I should have done this long ago!"

"I agree with Fujiejun's opinion." Ogisu said, "In the past, Japan was an island country, so it was right and right to vigorously develop the navy! But the times changed, and now Japan is already a land country, and it has become a close neighbor with the powerful red empire of the Soviet Union, so it should be changed to the army first!"

"Not talking about these." Yoshio Shinozuka waved his hand and interrupted the two of them, "The choice at the national policy level is not something that frontline commanders like you and me should ask about!"

He paused for a moment and continued, "Are you going back to the Battle of Xiaogan!"

"There is nothing to worry about in the Battle of Xiaogan." Ogisu Ribuki said, "No matter what, our Second Army still has more than 90,000 officers and soldiers. Even if half of these 90,000 people were injured, the remaining officers and soldiers were exhausted. But this time it was a defensive battle, not an offensive battle!"

"Soga." Fujie Meifu also said, "Defensive operations are different from offensive operations, and they are even less comparable to street fighting! Although our Second Army suffered losses in offensive operations, and although we suffered great losses in street fighting in Hankou and Hanyang, this does not mean that we cannot defeat the Chinese army in defensive war!"

Seeing that Fujie Etsuka and Ogisu Riki were so arrogant, Yoshio Shinozuka could not help but be worried.

Because intelligence shows that the commander of the National Army in this battle of sects was Xue Yue, and this is not a good person!

Can the guy who was able to tangle with Okamura's 11th Army on the Hunan-Jiangxi border for three months and eventually forced Okamura to retreat sadly?

If there is a choice, Shinozuka Yoshio really doesn't want to hand over the periphery defense line to these two guys.

But there is no choice, because Yoshio Shinozuka himself has to take charge of Xiaogan and personally supervise the construction of fortifications in Xiaogan City. The key to this battle of Xiaogan is not the outer defense, but the inner defense!

Whether the Second Army can persevere until reinforcements arrive lies in street fighting in the city!

Therefore, let Fujie Etsuka or Ogisu Riki preside over the defensive deployment of Takagan, Yoshio Shinozuka is even more worried!

However, when talking to Ogisu Riki and Fujie Keisuke, you must not say that, but you must say it in a different way!

At that moment, Yoshio Shinozuka said sincerely: "Oitaki, and Fujie-kun. Whether our Second Army can hold on until reinforcements arrive this time and whether we can escape a disaster depends on whether you two can stop the main force of the Chinese army rushing from both north and south. As long as you two can hold on for three days, I can build complete defensive fortifications in Xiaogan City, and the next situation will be very simple!"

"Three days?" Ribuki Ogisu and Keisuke Fujie looked at each other.

Yoshio Shinozuka frowned and said, "What, is there any problem?"

But Ribuki Ogisu and Keisuke Fujie laughed at each other.

After a while, Ogisu Ribuki said, "Shinozuka, your requirements are too low!"

"Yes." Fujie Esuke replied, "Not to mention three days, it's OK if it's ten days!"

"Ten Days?" Looking at Fujie Etsuka and Ogisu Riki who were laughing at each other, Yoshio Shinozuka couldn't help but start to doubt his decision again. Is it really reliable to hand over the outside defense to these two guys?

But it seems that there is no better choice. You can't go beyond these two guys and directly hand over the heavy responsibility of external defense to their chief of staff, right?

What's more, the chief of staff of the 13th Division and the 116th Division may not be reliable!

At that moment, Shinozuka Yoshio set up a soldier towards Ogisu, Fujie Etsuka bowed his head heavily and said, "Please!"

Seeing this, Ribuki Ogisu and Keifuki Fujie stood up and then bowed heavily: "Hayi!"

Then, Ribe Ogisu and Keisuke Fujie left Xiaogan by car and returned to Minji Town in the southeast of Xiaogan and Xinpu Town in the north respectively!

Minji Town and Xinpu Town are also two supporters of the Japanese army's peripheral defense line.

According to Yoshio Shinozuka's estimates, the 15th Division heading south along the Pinghan Railway can only play a role in resolving the siege of Xiaogan. If you really want to break the siege of Xiaogan, you have to rely on the 12th Army that is being organized!

The 12th Army was completed from the formation, departed, then landed at Lianyungang, then transported west along the Longhai Line, and then headed south along Pinghan Road. Even if it was the most optimistic estimate, it would take at least half a month to arrive at the battlefield of Xiaogan!

The tricky thing about this half month of persistence is the first seven days! Because as long as you last seven days, a large number of injured people in the Battle of Wuhan will recover from injury and return to the team, and the defense pressure will be greatly reduced!

During these seven days, the most dangerous thing is the first two days!

Because in the first two days, the Second Army had not yet gained a foothold in Xiaogan and the fortifications had not been built yet. If the National Army was allowed to break through outside Xiaogan City or even inside the city at this time, it would be a big trouble!

Therefore, the defense of the 6 wings of the 13th Division and the 116th Division on the outside is crucial!

Watching Ogisu Ribuki and Fujie Etsuki leave, Shinozuka Yoshio still feels worried when he thinks about it, and immediately asks the adjutant to call the Chief of Staff of the Second Army Machijiri Ieki.

"Machijiri," Shinozuka Yoshio pointed to the map and said, "I will hand over the remaining two infantry regiments of the 13th Division and the 116th Division to you. Please guard Zhuzhan Town east of Kogan!"

Machijiri Haruki said: "Your commander is worried that the Chinese army will detour from Zhuzhan Town?"

"This is just for precaution!" Shinozuka Yoshio said in a deep voice, "If Zhuzhan Town is not attacked, and Minji Town in the south or Xinpu Town in the north are in danger, we should rush to help in time!"
Chapter completed!