Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

Chapter 1219 Multiple Approaches, Combined Attacks

Adjacent to the left flank of the 10th Division was the 5th Division under Itagaki Seishiro. The 5th Division had just withdrawn from the Taiyuan battlefield. Although it had suffered losses from the continuous campaign, its morale remained high and its fighting spirit undiminished.

Their core mission was to set off from Weixian County and advance rapidly southwestward, with their primary objective being to capture Linyi, a key town in southern Shandong.

This move serves two purposes: firstly, it allows for a direct threat to the important city of Xuzhou from the east; secondly, it provides crucial protection for the flank of the 10th Division on the right; and thirdly, it aims to establish contact with the Central China Expeditionary Army forces advancing from the south of the Yangtze River, forming a pincer movement to completely block Xuzhou's access to the outside world.

"The Sakamoto Detachment, formed by the 21st Brigade under the 5th Division, marched south from Weixian in late January. It was unstoppable and successively captured Anqiu and Zhucheng. Although the Chinese defenders along the way tried their best to resist, they could not withstand its elite offensive."

By mid-February, the Sakamoto Detachment had advanced directly towards Ju County, only a step away from Linyi, and could launch a general offensive at any moment.

Zhou Zhengqing frowned slightly, his fingertips moving steadily across the unfolded military map. Each point precisely corresponded to the Japanese army's advance route. His tone was somewhat solemn, and his gaze was fixed on the markings around Linyi, as if he could already foresee the raging war that was about to break out there.

Linyi, as a transportation hub and military stronghold in southern Shandong, is strategically important due to its rugged terrain, easy to defend and difficult to attack. It serves as the eastern gateway to Xuzhou.

The Fifth War Zone had long since seen through the Japanese army's intentions and had meticulously deployed its forces in the Linyi area.

On the one hand, Pang Bingxun's 3rd Army Corps was deployed here, relying on the city's defenses and the natural barrier of the Yi River. On the other hand, Zhang Zizhong's 59th Army was urgently dispatched to provide reinforcements overnight. The two forces supported each other from all sides, and a fierce battle concerning the safety of Xuzhou was quietly brewing on both banks of the Yi River, ready to erupt at any moment.

Since the start of the war, the Itagaki Division has been almost invincible and has rarely suffered a defeat. Even though it was ambushed at Pingxingguan and suffered a minor loss, its main force was not damaged and its combat power remained formidable.

Riding on the momentum of the Taiyuan battlefield, they marched straight towards Linyi. Their soldiers were all arrogant and conceited, their arrogance reaching its peak, as if they would not give up until they captured Linyi.

However, the Japanese offensive was not limited to this route.

West of the Jinpu Railway, there is another equally significant offensive route that is quietly advancing, attempting to breach the Chinese army's defenses from the other side.

The 108th Division, led by Shimomoto Kumami, was ordered to depart from the Jining area and steadily advance towards Jiaxiang, Juye, and Yuncheng.

Its core objective was to sweep through a large area in southwestern Shandong, eliminate the resistance forces of the Chinese garrison along the way, threaten the flank and rear of Xuzhou from the west, and even attempt to cut off the vital transportation artery of the Longhai Railway, completely preventing the Chinese army from sending troops from Zhengzhou to reinforce Xuzhou, thus cutting off its external support and starving the garrison.

"The 108th Division marched south from Jining in early February. Its rapid advance meant that around February 10th, it encountered the 3rd Army Group led by Sun Tongxuan and the 20th Army Group under Shang Zhen in southwestern Shandong. A fierce battle ensued, with repeated back-and-forth fighting and heavy casualties..."

Zhou Zhengqing's voice remained steady, but his fingertips moved to the water-rich area of ​​southwestern Shandong, and his tone carried a subtle, unspoken meaning.

Compared to the main battlefield on the Jinpu Railway front and the tense situation in the Linyi direction, the movements on the southwestern Shandong front seemed smaller, with no large-scale battles between corps, but every battle was exceptionally fierce and arduous.

The southwestern Shandong region is characterized by a dense network of rivers and numerous swamps. This terrain is extremely unfavorable for the Japanese mechanized forces to carry out operations. Heavy equipment such as tanks and armored vehicles could not exert their power and could only be passively engaged in positional warfare.

The Chinese army made full use of its familiar terrain advantage, resisting step by step and setting up defenses layer by layer, constantly harassing the Japanese army's logistics supply lines, operating flexibly by day and night, keeping the Japanese army busy and suffering greatly.

In addition, the North China Front Army also committed a large number of troops to rear defense and support, including the Independent Mixed 3rd, 5th, 6th, 10th and 13th Brigades and other units.

The main tasks of these troops are, firstly, to guard long rear transportation lines, such as the northern section of the Jinpu Railway and the Jiaoji Railway, to ensure the smooth delivery of supplies to the front-line troops.

Second, to wipe out the Chinese anti-Japanese armed forces in the occupied areas, suppress the anti-Japanese activities of the people, and consolidate their occupation gains.

Third, as a strategic reserve force, they are on standby at any time and will quickly join the battle to support the front-line operations should a crisis occur on the main battlefield.

"Multiple advances and coordinated attacks... This is a typical Japanese tactic, seemingly meticulous and perfect, but in reality it harbors hidden dangers."

Zhou Zhengqing slowly put down his teacup. The lingering warmth of the cup did not dispel the solemnity in his eyes, which grew even more profound.

Recalling his time in Beiping, Kita Seiichi analyzed his situation in light of the current Japanese offensive posture.

In his view, Terauchi Hisaichi's deployment was seemingly perfect on the surface, attempting to form an encirclement with multiple forces, but it also sowed the seeds of the danger of splitting up the troops and advancing recklessly.

He sketched out the Japanese army's three offensive routes on the map and slowly analyzed them.

With the 10th Division as the central hammer, a fierce frontal attack was launched along the Jinpu Railway, with the aim of attracting and holding back the main force of the Fifth War Zone of China, preventing it from supporting other directions.

With the 5th Division as the left hook, we will seize Linyi with all our might, and then encircle Xuzhou from the east to cut off the eastern retreat route of the defending troops.

With the 108th Division as the right hook, it swept across southwestern Shandong, outflanked Xuzhou from the west, threatened its flank and rear, and cut off the Longhai Railway to block external aid.

These three armies advanced in unison, ultimately attempting to encircle and annihilate the main force of the Fifth War Zone near Xuzhou, and completely seize this strategic location.

The plan was meticulous, but war never unfolds exactly as the script was set.

"Although the 10th Division's Setani Detachment made rapid progress and was the first to break through multiple lines of defense of the Chinese army, it also caused the supply line to be greatly extended. The rear was repeatedly harassed by small Chinese troops and guerrillas. The supply of food, ammunition and fuel often ran out, the soldiers were showing signs of fatigue, and their combat effectiveness had declined."

"The Sakamoto Detachment of the 5th Division encountered fierce resistance from Pang Bingxun's troops on the outskirts of Linyi. The Chinese defenders relied on the terrain and fought desperately, refusing to give up an inch of ground. Although the Sakamoto Detachment launched several fierce attacks, it was always difficult to break through the defense line and the progress was very slow. Now the battle in Linyi has reached a stalemate, and the two sides are locked in a back-and-forth struggle."

"The 108th Division faced extreme difficulties in its operations in the water-rich region of southwestern Shandong. The Chinese army made full use of the river network, swamps and other terrain to set up defenses layer by layer and frequently carried out harassment activities, which hindered the division's advance and prevented it from quickly approaching the Longhai Railway as planned. The attempt to cut off the Chinese army's reinforcement route had largely failed."

"The North China Area Army Command and the Central China Expeditionary Army Command had significant differences on key issues such as the specific coordination of the advance on Xuzhou from the north and south, the determination of the main attack direction, and the allocation of troops. They lacked tacit understanding and failed to form a fully synchronized and close cooperation, which would undoubtedly weaken the overall offensive of the Japanese army."

"Although the Imperial Air Force had an absolute advantage in numbers and equipment, the harsh weather in North China during winter, with its frequent fog and sandstorms, coupled with the Chinese army's tactics of dispersal and concealment, greatly limited the effectiveness of its air support and made it difficult to provide effective cover for ground troops."