"Really?" Itagaki Seishiro stared at the map, noncommittal.
Naosaburo Okabe heard that Itagaki Seishiro didn't agree with it, so he said, "Commander, does it mean that you have other high opinions?"
"Takami is out of the question." Itagaki Seishiro waved his hand, and finally looked away from the map, and then stared into Okabe Naosaburo's eyes and said, "I have a little humble opinion, and I want to discuss it with Okabe-senpai."
Itagaki Seishiro finally expressed his opinion, Adachi Takeshi and several staff members suddenly became excited.
However, Naosaburo Okabe quickly put his feet back and stood at attention, paused and said, "I don't dare to call you Commander, Your Excellency, Senior."
Itagaki Seishiro said: "Okabe-san, before Xu Rui's attack on Jiujiang, all the divisions of the 11th Army were ready for a general attack. Is this correct?"
"Hai." Naosaburo Okabe nodded heavily.
Seishiro Itagaki added: "This means that the divisions of the Eleventh Army, including the Third Division and the 101st Division, have prepared enough military supplies for half a month. I didn't say that. Wrong?"
Naosaburo Okabe replied: "The 22nd Division, the 27th Division, the 106th Division, the 116th Division and the Namada Detachment have prepared enough military supplies for half a month. However, due to the long distance and insufficient transportation capacity of the Third Division and the 101st Division, they only replenished what they needed for seven days, and the remaining half was still at Jiujiang Station and could not be shipped out."
This was also the basis for the Japanese army to conclude that if Jiujiang was not recaptured in three days, the Japanese army in Hunan would be in trouble, and if Jiujiang was not recaptured in ten days, the Japanese army in Hunan would be out of ammunition and food. It will take at least seven days for Hunan to recapture Jiujiang in ten days, and it will take half a month for the supplies to be transported to Hunan!
Regarding these, Naosaburo Okabe had actually reported to Seishiro Itagaki just now.
Itagaki Seishiro added: "Yoshi, this means that except for the Third Division and the 101st Division, which can only maintain offensive operations for seven days, the other four and a half divisions can maintain operations for at least half a month. We Is that right?"
Okabe Naosaburo just stared at Itagaki Seishiro silently, because this question did not require his answer.
After a pause, Itagaki Seishiro continued: "With nearly half a month, it should be enough."
"That should be enough?" Naosaburo Okabe, Takeshi Adachi and several operational staff members were confused after hearing this.
After a moment, Takeshi Adachi was the first to react and said horrifiedly: "Your Excellency, Commander, do you think that the Imperial Army can capture Wuhan before the 3rd and 101st Divisions are surrounded and annihilated?"
"Nani?" Naosaburo Okabe and several combat staff members changed their expressions upon hearing this.
"Your Excellency, Commander, this is impossible!" Naosaburo Okabe even yelled out of control, "With all due respect, it is almost impossible for the Imperial Army to capture the Third Division and the 101st Division in the National Army. We captured Wuhan before, if Wuhan could be captured so easily, it wouldn’t have been delayed from July until now!”
Takeshi Adachi also said: "Your Excellency, Commander, the division commander did not listen to the alarm, because the humble staff and colleagues in the staff have also discussed the possibility of this action, and conducted repeated war games on it, but in the end As a result, they all ended in failure without exception.”
"Oh, really?" Itagaki Seishiro raised his eyebrows and said, "Can you repeat the deduction for me?"
"Hai." Anda Wuhan nodded heavily, and when several combat staff officers who were about to accompany him were called over, they started a war game in the conference room of the Anqing Military Police Headquarters.
Half an hour later, the war game ended, and the result was just as Takeshi Adachi said. The Japanese army suffered a disastrous defeat. Not only did the 3rd Division and the 101st Division were completely annihilated by the National Army, but the goal of capturing Wuhan was also failed. , the National Army even shifted from a strategic retreat to a strategic counterattack. Of course, it was quickly defeated by the Japanese army.
Naosaburo Okabe continued: "Your Excellency, Commander, the National Army has learned the experience and lessons from the Battle of Nanjing and the Battle of Xuzhou. It no longer deploys troops in Wuhan Kinki to seek strength advantage in a narrow battlefield, but spreads its troops around the periphery. The vast battlefield caused the imperial army to be dispersed and it was difficult to gather enough troops to launch a large-scale annihilation war. This is also the main reason why the Second Army has not been able to eliminate the main force of the National Army and capture Wuhan."
In fact, Naosaburo Okabe still had something to say. What he meant was that Okamura Neji was so powerful that he fought hard with Xue Yue on the outskirts of Wuhan for nearly three months and still failed to capture and eliminate the main force of the National Army. You've only been here a few hours, and you actually dare to plan to capture Wuhan within half a month
Faced with Okabe Naosaburo's questioning, Itagaki Seishiro neither defended nor got angry.
Instead, Itagaki Seishiro mentioned another seemingly unrelated battle—the Battle of Xinkou.
Itagaki Seishiro said: "During the Battle of Xinkou, the Fifth Division encountered tenacious resistance from the 31st Division of the China Army. The battle situation fell into a stalemate, and there was no hope of breaking the situation in a short time. Sakurada-san suggested that I shrink my troops and stick to it. Wait for reinforcements to arrive before attacking the National Army. All the combat staff at the division headquarters also agree with Sakurada-san's opinion that the Fifth Division should shrink its troops and stand firm to wait for reinforcements."
"However, in the end, I did not adopt Sakurada-san's suggestion. Instead, I transferred an infantry brigade from the Xinkou battlefield, which was already very tight in terms of troops, to attack Niangzi Pass. You have all seen the final result. After Niangzi Pass was lost, The thirty-one main divisions of the National Army in front of Xinkou collapsed and were defeated."
It had been nearly a year since the Battle of Xinkou ended, but Itagaki Seishiro felt like it was just yesterday.
Takeshi Adachi and several young staff officers were also excited after hearing this, because the Battle of Xinkou was definitely a classic battle in which a small number defeated a large number. The Fifth Division commanded by Commander Itagaki was defeated with half the division's strength. The thirty-one divisions of the National Army created the most disparate record since the Sino-Japanese War broke out.
It was precisely because of the victory in the Battle of Xinkou that the Fifth Division won the reputation of the "Steel Army". Commander Itagaki also won the reputation of the Army's courage, and thus ascended to the high position of Minister of the Army. According to domestic news , the Battle of Xinkou has even been included in the latest tutorial of Army University for Army University students to observe and learn.
Okabe Naosaburo admires Itagaki Seishiro very much, but this does not mean that he does not have his own opinions.
Naosaburo Okabe said in a deep voice: "Your Excellency, Commander, the Battle of Xinkou commanded by you is indeed a classic of all times. It is worthy of praise even when viewed from a global perspective. However, I want to remind you that the National Army in the Shanxi battlefield was led by the Central Committee. Composed of the Jinsui Army, the Shanxi-Sui Army and the Eighth Route Army, the command was chaotic and they did not trust each other. However, the National Army on the Wuhan battlefield did not have such problems."
After a pause, Naosaburo Okabe continued: "What's more important is that the National Army on the Shanxi battlefield only has more than 200,000 people and is poorly equipped, while the National Army on the Wuhan battlefield has more than 1 million people, and it is also poorly equipped. Having just received a large amount of Soviet equipment, there is absolutely no comparison between the two."
Itagaki Seishiro said calmly: "So?"
Okabe Naosaburo paused and said: "With all due respect, Commander, if you want to replicate the miracle of Shanxi battlefield in Wuhan battlefield, I am afraid you will only be disappointed in the end."
"Really?" Itagaki Seishiro still looked noncommittal.
But the next moment, Itagaki Seishiro's expression became serious and he said in a deep voice: "But, I don't think so!"
Naosaburo Okabe frowned and said in a deep voice: "Please forgive me for being stupid because of my humble position, and please ask your Excellency, Commander, to clear up my doubts."
Itagaki Seishiro said: "Okabe-san, what you just said is true, but what I want to tell you is that these are not the key to determining the outcome of a battle. What really determines the outcome of a battle is this. !" Pointed to his head, and then pointed to his heart, "And here!"
Adachi Takeshi said: "Wisdom and courage?"
"Yes, wisdom also has courage!" Itagaki Seishiro said solemnly, "Wisdom can help you find the enemy's weaknesses, and courage can help you make up your mind to do things that others dare not do!"
After finishing speaking, Itagaki Seishiro stared into Okabe Naosaburo's eyes and said: "Before dividing the troops to attack Niangziguan, Sakurada-san also listed a lot of disadvantages to me, but I discovered through my own eyes that the existence of the National Army in Shanxi The fatal weakness is that they lack the courage to take the initiative. However, the National Army's lack of courage to take the initiative does not mean that they will not attack. Therefore, making up their mind to withdraw troops from the Xinkou battlefield requires a great deal of effort. courage!"
"But, I did it. I defied all opinions and transferred a brigade from Xinkou to attack Niangzi Pass! And in the end, my courage also won rich rewards for the Fifth Division, the Imperial Army, and the Empire of Japan."
Naosaburo Okabe said in a deep voice: "Your Excellency, Commander, are you saying that the National Army on the Wuhan battlefield also has fatal weaknesses?"
"Yes." Seishiro Itagaki said solemnly, "Okabe-san, you just said that the National Army learned the lessons from the Battle of Nanjing and the Battle of Xuzhou, and no longer deployed its troops in the suburbs of Wuhan, but dispersed its troops in the vast peripheral battlefields. , but they don’t know that this is not only the strength of the National Army, but also their most fatal weakness!”
"Nani?" Naosaburo Okabe said in shock, "Chen Bing's periphery is actually his fatal weakness?"
Next to him, Takeshi Adachi and several young staff officers also looked at each other in confusion, completely unable to keep up with Itagaki's thinking.
Seishiro Itagaki asked again: "Okabe-san, when Niangzi Pass was lost, the National Army on the Xinkou battlefield did not actually suffer a decisive defeat, but they still declared disintegration overnight. Do you know why?"
Naosaburo Okabe replied: "Because they have collapsed psychologically and have lost their will to resist."
"Yo Xi." Itagaki Seishiro said calmly, "You have reached the most critical point." (To be continued.)