Chapter 5, The War of Resistance, Liu Hedong

Liu Hedong listened to Zhang Binnan's words with a troubled expression, but as the saying goes, those who recognize the times are the true heroes. Liu Hedong actually understood that he was now in a situation from which it was difficult to retreat.

The Kwantung Army did not come away empty-handed; the 5th Division, originally part of the 21st Army, was transferred to Northeast China to meet the Kwantung Army's demand for enhanced combat capability

Perhaps feeling that his words were too harsh, Zhang Binnan took a moment to compose himself

According to this resolution, on December 11, the Japanese North China Army established the 12th Army, appointing Major General Takakazu Otagawa, who had previously distinguished himself in the Battle of Zhanggufeng, as the commander. The army headquarters was located in Baoding, and it comprised the 21st, 35th, and 114th divisions, as well as the independent mixed brigades 5th, 6th, and 10th. Its primary responsibilities included the defense and maintenance of law and order in the area east of the Taihang Mountains and north of the Yellow River. The army headquarters was located in Baoding, and it comprised the 21st, 35th, and 114th divisions, as well as the independent mixed brigades 5th, 6th, and 10th. Its primary responsibilities included the defense and maintenance of law and order in the area east of the Taihang Mountains and north of the Yellow River

The other party was being very calculating, which caused Zhang Bin-nan's tone to become serious as well

If we were to turn against the Northwest now, he would have no choice but to seek refuge with the Japanese and become a traitor.

In the face of the fierce competition among various factions and after complex behind-the-scenes negotiations, in early December 1938, the General Headquarters and the Army Central finally made a decision to adjust the Japanese forces in China

Zhang Zhankui was a former subordinate of Feng Yuxiang. After the Central Plains War, he defected to Chiang Kai-shek and served as the commander of the 3rd Cavalry Division. He later held the position of garrison commander in the areas of Fan (Cheng) and Zao (Yang). When the Northwest forces extended their reach into Hubei, this individual astutely chose to align himself with them.

Zhang Bin Nan stood up and walked to the desk to retrieve a document.

This is a matter, and the other troops have been expanded. What should be done about the gap in weaponry? Also, what about the artillery that was promised to be supplied to the 39th Army?

"Commander Zhang, I wholeheartedly welcome the decision regarding the theater. However, as far as I know, Brother Weixun's 14th Cavalry Brigade consists of only 2,000 men. To reorganize it into an infantry division according to the Northwest system, even if it is a simplified division, it would still require an additional 5,000 to 6,000 personnel. Moreover, the 56th Division also suffered significant losses in the Battle of Wuhan. I wonder where these troops will come from?"

Although the Hanyang rifle is not as good as the Northwest rifle, it is certainly not just a fire stick. If Commander Liu does not want it, there are probably still many who do.

The Japanese 21st Army, which occupied Guangzhou, also had its own considerations. The army commander, Ando Toshiyoshi, on one hand dispatched troops to occupy Hainan Island, while on the other hand strongly urged the military headquarters to strengthen the forces of the 21st Army in order to launch an offensive against the Qinjuzhou Bay area, thereby undermining the rear of the Guangxi Clique, which was the most resolute in resisting Japan within the Southern Nationalist Government

Hearing Liu Hedong's requests one after another, Zhang Binnan hurriedly interrupted him

Three independent mixed brigades were deployed along the Jiaozhi and Jinpu railways, responsible for garrison duties and the suppression of guerrilla forces in the Su, Xu, Lu, and Yu regions. The 27th and 32nd divisions were stationed along the Yuncheng and Jiaxiang line, while the 36th and 110th divisions were positioned along the Xuzhou line, ready at any moment to sweep through Henan again

At the same time that the Japanese army in North China underwent changes, the Japanese army in Central China also made corresponding adjustments

The theater has decided to assign the 14th Cavalry Brigade, led by Zhang Zhan Kui, to your esteemed army and to grant it the designation of the 20th Reserve Division, with the hope that your army can promptly carry out the reorganization according to the Northwest system

I shall return to the troops immediately to organize the advance northward

Brother Bo Ming, your 39th Army currently has only one 56th Division, with few troops and limited commanders, making it difficult to engage in a major battle. Therefore, in accordance with the instructions of the esteemed leader.

The Logistics Command has prepared for the 39th Army 6 pieces of 75mm mountain guns, 1,000 rounds of steel artillery shells, 8 pieces of 120mm mortars, 12 pieces of 82mm mortars, 5,000 rounds of Type II mortar shells, 20 units of imitation Maxim heavy machine guns, and 50 units of imitation Czech portable machine guns, 300,000 rounds of 7.9mm pointed bullets for machine guns, 4,500 units of 7.9mm rifles with bayonets, 3 million rounds of round-nosed bullets, 400 units of imitation MP-28 submachine guns, 200,000 rounds of 9mm pistol ammunition, in addition to 30,000 hand grenades, as well as a set of military uniforms

Very good

The 21st Army, which was only engaged in operations in southern China, not only did not receive reinforcements but was also weakened due to the departure of the 5th Division. In this situation, Ando Toshiyoshi could only ensure the security of the Pearl River Delta region and Hainan Island while deploying a small number of troops to exert military deterrence against the Chinese forces in northern Guangdong, western Guangdong, and the border areas of Guangdong and Fujian. This allowed the Nationalist government to calmly withdraw and reorganize its forces to cope with the pressure from the 11th Army of the Japanese forces on the northern front.

In addition to the 11th Army, the Central China Expeditionary Force also commands the 15th, 17th, 22nd, and 116th divisions, as well as three independent mixed brigades, namely the 11th, 12th, and 13th, along with a third air regiment

The Kwantung Army actually had its own calculations. On one hand, they used the excuse of the Korean army's defeat at Zhanggufeng to demand a strengthening of the Kwantung Army's forces in order to counter the Soviet Far Eastern Group Army. On the other hand, the Kwantung Army also took advantage of the North China Area Army's defeat in Guizhou to attempt to seize control of the stationed Mongolian troops, so that they could ultimately step into the limelight and engage in direct confrontation.

Upon thinking of this, he could only accept the document pushed over by Zhang Bin-nan with a wry smile, feeling helpless

Moreover, supplying the Hanyang-made firearms to your army does not imply that your army is regarded as a secondary force; it is primarily due to considerations of versatility and logistical support. Furthermore, in the Northwest, military achievements are what truly matter. If Commander Liu is counting on a change of equipment, then the 39th Army should demonstrate its capabilities on the battlefield. As long as they perform well in combat, it is not just about locally produced weapons; even if Commander Liu desires complete foreign equipment, the Northwest can provide the 39th Army with a full set.

After the capture of Wuhan, serious divisions emerged within the Japanese military regarding the objectives for the next phase of the war against China

If I am not mistaken, the 56th Division, although it is a second-phase adjusted division, seems to be equipped only with the Hanyang-made rifles

As for the issue of weaponry, the theater of operations has also taken comprehensive considerations into account

Under the command of General Ninjirō Okamura, the 11th Army became a super corps that oversaw seven divisions, including the 3rd, 6th, 9th, 13th, 16th, 101st, and 106th divisions, as well as the independent mixed 14th brigade

When it comes to being a traitor, Liu Hedong at least does not want to be ridiculed. Moreover, the Northwest is still providing military numbers, as well as supplementary troops, firearms, and ammunition. Even if there are some discounts, overall, it is still manageable

Regarding the issue of troops, arrangements have been made for the theater of operations. We will first allocate 5,000 personnel from the security regiments in Eastern and Western Sichuan to supplement the 39th Army. Of course, this number is still somewhat insufficient, but currently, all units are severely understaffed, so I kindly ask for your understanding, Brother Mingbo

Liu and Ding responded bitterly, stating that this sweet date was indeed poisonous. If the 39th Army truly carried out a forceful annexation of the remnants of the Central Army, then he would be left with no choice but to follow the path to darkness in the northwest.

At the same time, the strength of the Japanese First Army, which is implementing the Jin Nan operation, has been expanded to five divisions and two independent mixed brigades. This army will be responsible for completely occupying the entire Shanxi province and, if possible, crossing the river to cut off the Long-Qin-Yu-Hai railway line between Shanxian and Lingbao. If the development of the battlefield permits, this army does not rule out the possibility of directly crossing the river to invade Shaanxi.

Brother Mingbo, the theater hopes that the 39th Army can immediately proceed to the Nan Zhang and Bao Kang front to join forces with the units of the reserve 20th Division

As for the command authority of the stationed Mongolian troops, after intense bargaining, the newly appointed commander of the North China Area Army, General Motoharu Sugiyama, utilized his previous position as Minister of the Army to ultimately suppress the schemes of the Kwantung Army and personally took on the role of commander of those troops. However, due to the disastrous defeat of the stationed troops in Sui Dong, the army was forced to remain in a state of reorganization and replenishment

Indeed, even if the security team is not very effective, it is still better than the newly recruited conscripts. Having come to this realization, he suppressed the dissatisfaction that had just risen within him and calmly listened to how Zhang Bin Nan would respond to his remaining requests

Liu and Ding furrowed their brows slightly upon hearing this; the Sichuan army was already considered the strongest force in the world. It was difficult for him to imagine what the remnants of the security regiment left behind by the Sichuan army would be like. However, he soon felt at ease again.

On December 9, 1938, the Central China Expeditionary Army revoked the combat sequence of the Second Army, the army headquarters was recalled to the homeland, and the troops under the Second Army were transferred to the command of the Eleventh Army, with the change in command relationship taking effect at 12:00 on December 15.

General Liu

It is ! ''

However, the dead Taoist does not die, and the impoverished Taoist, understanding that the northwest still requires a letter of allegiance, stood up from his chair

The North China Army Group strongly advocated for the concentration of the main forces of the Japanese troops in North and Central China to carry out the Henan Campaign, aiming to not only open up the Pinghan Railway but also to completely eliminate the effective forces in the three battle zones of Yu-Wan-Xu, Su-Xu-Lu-Yu-Wan, and Ji-Lu-Yu, which were led by the Northwest Front, thereby advancing westward to Shaanxi and Gansu to occupy the core area of the Northwest.

Liu and Ding had also come to understand the rules of the Northwest in advance, thus they refrained from mentioning the request to establish a division administrative area for the 39th Army

However, although this unit is named Cavalry, the total number of warhorses is less than five hundred. Therefore, the Northwest was early prepared to reorganize it into an infantry division. Additionally, as Liu's unit happened to come to surrender, Zhang Binan took the opportunity to merge the two units to enhance their combat effectiveness

First of all, returning to the south is definitely not an option; even if one were to return, they would be devoured to the last bone

Zhang Binan pushed the document in front of Liu Heding

The Central China Expeditionary Army, represented by Major General Jiben Zhenzi, insisted on the objective of prioritizing the defeat of the remnants of the National Government. They believed that with the change of hands in Wuhan, the morale of the National Government's troops had plummeted and their fighting spirit had dissipated. It was asserted that as long as they captured the main grain-producing areas such as Hunan and Jiangxi, given the National Government's constrained conditions in the southwest, the southern conflict would soon come to an end. At that point, turning back to deal with the northwest regime would be a matter of ripe fruit falling from the tree. The morale of the National Government's troops had plummeted and their fighting spirit had dissipated. It was asserted that as long as they captured the main grain-producing areas such as Hunan and Jiangxi, given the National Government's constrained conditions in the southwest, the southern conflict would soon come to an end. At that point, turning back to deal with the northwest regime would be a matter of ripe fruit falling from the tree.

The numbers coming from Zhang Bin's mouth sounded quite substantial, but the artillery that was originally promised had nearly shrunk by one-third. However, that aside, at least the issue of the 39th Army's artillery, which had ceased to exist after several fierce battles, was resolved. Yet, the mystery surrounding the rifles was even greater. For this reason, Liu Heding asked in a displeased tone: "Commander Zhang, how did the Northwest production turn into Hanyang production? You are sending me some old guns to appease me, which seems to be quite different from what was initially promised, doesn't it?"

The Japanese army is sharpening its knives, so every minute is precious. I will not keep you any longer. I wish you a safe journey and hope to hear good news from the 39th Army soon

Zhang Bin-nan nodded and then stood up as well

Upon seeing Liu and Ding's prudent decision to put away the documents, Zhang Bin-nan resolved to give the other party a sweet date

Additionally, the theater allows your unit to recruit the irregular forces along the route in Guiyang during the northward advance; if necessary, the use of force may be employed

Zhang Binan looked sternly at Liu Heding, who came from the Wan faction

In addition, the North China Front Army directly administered the 27th, 32nd, 36th, and 110th Divisions, as well as the Independent Mixed Brigades 7, 8, and 9.