The human and national strength of Japan determines that it cannot fight a protracted war with China. It must fight quickly with China. Therefore, every time it is large-scale battle with the Japanese army, the strategic goals of the Japanese army are consistent, that is, to annihilate the main force of the ** in the shortest time and force the National Government to surrender. This is the case in the Battle of Songhu, the Battle of Nanjing, and the Battle of Xuzhou.

During the Battle of Songhu, due to Chiang Kai-shek's strategic mistakes, the Japanese army basically realized its strategic intentions. Chiang Kai-shek's direct line, the 59 German-armed divisions were basically crippled. In the Battle of Nanjing, Chiang Kai-shek's head and rat, the Japanese army even ate more than a dozen of the most elite divisions. However, in the Battle of Xuzhou, the Japanese army basically did not realize its strategic intentions.

After the Taierzhuang victory, Chiang Kai-shek was jealous of Li Zongren's achievements and dispatched troops from all over the country to condemn generals. Nearly 100 divisions gathered in the Xuzhou battlefield, trying to cause decisive damage to the Japanese army in Xuzhou. After the Japanese army discovered this situation, they decisively formed two strategic armies and surrounded Xuzhou from north and south along Jinpu Road.

The Japanese army's intention was to annihilate the main force group of ** near Xuzhou and force Chiang Kai-shek to surrender, but Chiang Kai-shek finally learned the lessons of the Battle of Songhu this time | He did not have a brain fever to fight the Japanese army in Xuzhou, but instead ordered nearly 100 main divisions on the front line of Xuzhou to retreat in time, thus avoiding the mistakes of the Battle of Songhu.

The Japanese army failed to achieve its strategic intentions in the Battle of Xuzhou, and even more so the strategic goal of forcing Chiang Kai-shek to surrender, so the war had to continue. The Japanese base camp quickly formulated a combat plan to seize Wuhan, the center of China's geographical. The Japanese base camp estimated that ** would defend Wuhan to the death, and the Japanese army would have the opportunity to wipe out the main force around Wuhan.

The Japanese base camp is not unfounded. After the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War, although China has formed a united front for the whole nation to resist Japan on the surface, whether it is local warlords such as Li Zongren, Yan Xishan and Liu Xiang, or the Red Army and guerrillas under the leadership of **, they all changed their flags and were under the National Government, and Chairman Chiang also realized the unification of government orders on the surface.

But this is just on the surface, and the ** people need no words. Even local warlords such as Li Zongren, Yan Xishan and Liu Xiang only obeyed Lao Chiang on the surface. What is known is that due to the disastrous defeat in the Battle of Shanghai, Sichuan warlord Liu Xiang tried to join forces with Li Zongren, Yan Xishan, Long Yun and others to attack and force Lao Chiang to step down. In the end, the news was leaked, and Lao Chiang took the lead and assassinated Liu Xiang at the Wanguo Hospital in the French Concession in Hankou.

Of course, there is another saying that Dai Li carries the orders given by Jiang Jiang.

Therefore, the Japanese base camp had reason to believe that as long as Wuhan was lost and Chairman Chiang was expelled from China's geographical center, even if his remnants were not completely wiped out, they would be demoted to local governments from then on. The Japanese government could completely rely on supporting the puppet government to achieve indirect rule over China, thereby quickly ending the China Incident and concentrating on all efforts to deal with the Soviet Union.

It is precisely based on this judgment that the Japanese base camp launched the Battle of Wuhan at all costs.

The situation in Japan was actually not optimistic at that time. One year after the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War, Japan's national strength, military strength and financial resources were greatly consumed. Due to financial overdraft, domestic prices soared and inflation was extremely serious. The foreign exchange reserves accumulated in the past decades were almost exhausted. Prime Minister Hirota Hirota was also forced to resign because he was unable to face the difficult situation.

However, before the plan for the Wuhan Battle formulated by the Japanese base camp was launched, it suffered a heavy blow. Chiang Kai-shek bravely dug the Yellow River embankment at the cost of sacrificing the welfare of tens of millions of people in the Huanghuai River Basin, and the surging floods flooded down, completely blocking the Japanese army's road to attack Wuhan from Wusheng Pass.

In the plan formulated by the Japanese army base, there were two routes of Japanese troops attacking Wuhan. The main force followed the Longhai Road and the northern foot of the Dabie Mountains to attack Wusheng Pass. The partial army attacked the west along the narrow area south of the Dabie Mountains and north of the Yangtze River. However, after the Yellow River broke the dike, the road conditions on the northern foot of the Dabie Mountains were no longer enough to launch the main force cluster of the Japanese army, so they could only adjust the main attack direction.

As soon as the Battle of Lanfeng ended, the Japanese base camp banned the establishment of the Central China Front Army and instead organized the Central China Condemnation Army aimed at capturing Wuhan. The first army of the North China Front Army was transferred into the Central China Condemnation Army, and the six generals of the "Chief Sabre" Dianjun served as the commander of the Central China Condemnation Army.

In order to win the Battle of Wuhan as quickly as possible and end the China Incident quickly, the Japanese base camp formed the ll army under the sequence of the Central China condemnation army, and transferred the savage general Okamura Nagaji from the Kwantung Army to serve as the commander, and sent the slander army to Central China to supplement seven divisions, one detachment and another aviation regiment.

In order to win the Battle of Wuhan, the Japanese base camp mobilized a total of 1 divisions and another detachment (brigade) and an aviation regiment, with a total force of more than 350,000. This was the front-line battle that the Japanese army invested the most troops after the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War. The Japanese army only invested nine divisions in the Battle of Shanghai.

However, the mobilization of so many troops is not easy, especially several divisions belong to the newly formed special divisions, and their weapons and equipment were not in place. In fact, the supply of military supplies for the Japanese army was already extremely tight at that time, and even the coaches of domestic military academy were retracted and sent to the front line to equip the troops.

In theory, the Japanese army should not launch an attack rashly before they were ready, but the arrogant Japanese officers ignored these rules and regulations. Before they could be fully prepared, the Hatan Detachment took the lead in launching an attack on Anqing.

The Hatan Detachment is actually the Shigefune Detachment, composed of the Taiwan Garage Brigade, and the officers are Japanese, but ordinary soldiers are all natives of Taiwan. After more than 40 years of slavery education, these natives of Taiwan basically have no concept of Chinese in their minds, and they are even more cruel than real Japanese.

In the third stage of the Battle of Shanghai, the Chongteng Detachment landed in the forbidden area, burned, killed, plundered and rushed to Nanjing. Almost every officer and soldier was covered with the blood of the Chinese people. After the Battle of Nanjing, Hatan Shigeichi replaced Shigeichi Chiaki as the captain of the detachment and was incorporated into the newly formed Central China Condemnation Army.

On the night of the u month, the Hatan Detachment raided Anqing on the rainy night.

The old Japanese devil Hatan Shigeichi still had some ideas. The Japanese attacks usually take place during the day, with planes blowing in the sky and heavy artillery bombarding on the ground. Sometimes tanks act as infantry guidance, the Battle of Songhu, the Battle of Nanjing and the Battle of Xuzhou. Most of the Japanese fight in this mode.

But this time, Hatan Shigeichi sang a raid on the rainy night.

The one guarding Anqing was Yang Sen's army. In the Battle of Shanghai, although Yang Sen's army was poor, it fought unusually bravely. There were more than 18,000 soldiers in the army, with less than 7,000 remaining. It was one of the five most capable troops except the Central Army's German-Armed Division. Chiang Kai-shek ordered priority to supplement.

Even if you can't defend such a force, An Qing will definitely not be lost soon. Wang Mingzhang can resist the two ace divisions of the Japanese army in Teng County for a full seven days. Yang Sen, an army group (actually only has one army) faces a Japanese army and a detachment (brigade). He should have been guarding for ten days and half a month.

Chairman Jiang also thought so in his heart. With Yang Sen's army on the Anqing front line, once the Japanese army attacked, it should be for ten days and half a month. With these ten days and half a month buffering, it would be enough for the commander to react and calmly mobilize the Central Army to enrich all the defense lines.

But in the end, the Hatan Detachment captured Anqing in just one night.

Chairman Jiang was furious after hearing the news and sent a telegram to angrily scold Yang Sen for "abandoning famous cities lightly and laughing at friendly countries." Yang Sen refused to give in and responded that Xu Yuanquan's Army had given up Hefei first, exposing the back of the Army. In order to avoid being surrounded by the Japanese army, Yang Sen had no choice but to order his retreat.

Yang Sen did everything evil in his early years, especially many women. He had so many wives that he could not remember clearly. However, when it comes to Sichuan's army leaving Sichuan to fight against Japan, Yang Sen was still very bloody. The 20th Army almost completely wiped out the entire army in the field, and Yang Sen didn't say a word. Now he openly beat Chairman Jiang, which is quite unusual.

Many things look mysterious, but to put it bluntly, it is actually very simple. Yang Sen was wary of Chiang Kai-shek. Liu Xiang decided to join forces with Li Zongren, Yan Xishan, and Long Yun to defeat Chiang. Of course, Yang Sen knew about it, but in the end, Liu Xiang died suddenly. Yang Sen didn't believe that a small tooth disease could kill Liu Xiang's life. This must be the spy of the Blue Clothing Society.

With Liu Xiang's past lessons, Yang Sen was not willing to fight against Japan with all his might. No matter whether Liu Xiang's death was because of Dai Li, the captain of the Blue-Clothing Society's Ranking Movement, or Chairman Jiang's secret instructions, Yang Sen was cold. The Botian Detachment raided while the rainy night and caught the 27th Army off guard. Yang Sen decisively led the troops to abandon the guard.

After attacking Anqing, the Hatan Detachment did not stop, but continued to advance to Jiangxi and directly took Madang fortress.

In late u month, the forward of the Hatan Detachment appeared on the outer defense line of the Madang Fortress. The Madang Fortress was designed by the German Consultant and cost countless money. It can be said to be an iron gate that guards the Yangtze River waterway. Chairman Jiang also had high hopes for the Madang Fortress, believing that it could stop the Japanese army for at least one to two months.

At first, the Japanese army tried to rely on the navy to break through the river directly, but the Japanese Navy tried several times but failed because ** used a shipwreck to create many artificial reefs in the river and lay a large number of mines. The Japanese Navy tried to dispatch minesweepers to clear the mines, but was violently bombarded by Madang Fortress and could only give up.
Chapter completed!