Nanjing, the headquarters of the Central China Front of the Japanese Army.

Kawabe Shozo walked up to Shunroku Habata with a solemn expression, and said with a pause: "Your Excellency, about five minutes ago, Lieutenant Kawada of the Communications Office of the Second Command sent a farewell telegram, which was also the last telegram sent by the Second Army Headquarters to Nanjing, and the telegram said that Commander Yoshio Shinozuka had committed suicide. ”

"Ugh." Shunroku Hata sighed softly when he heard this.

Okamura Ninji next to him also said regretfully: "Shinozuka-kun, it's a pity! ”

Although the relationship between Okamura Ninji and Yoshio Shinozuka is average, he also knows that the other party is one of the few high-ranking generals of the Japanese army who is still sober, but now he is dying in Wuhan!

Shunroku Hata said again: "What about His Royal Highness Tsuruhiko? Did it say on telegram? ”

"Hello!" Kawabe Shozo paused again and said, "His Royal Highness Tsugahiko has broken through alone under the protection of Yamamoto's brigade!" ”

"Yo Xi!" The expression on Shunroku Hata's face eased slightly, and then said, "With the protection of the Yamamoto brigade, and it is also a separate breakthrough of a small force, the target is small, and there should be no problem with safety." ”

"Hello!" Kawabe Shozo paused again and said, "Safety must be no problem." ”

"So now we can discuss the next phase of the action plan!" Shunroku Hatatake paused when he said this, and then he cheered up and said, "I called from the base camp before, no matter whether the Second Army was completely annihilated by the Chinese Army, the organization of the Twelfth Army was already imperative, and the ten divisions under it also began to mobilize. ”

As he spoke, Shunroku Hata walked over to the large map attached to the side wall.

Okamura Ninji and Kawabe Shozo also followed and stood in front of the map.

Shunroku Hata asked Okamura Ninji again, "Okamura-kun, how is the 11th Army resting?" ”

"Hello!" Okamura Ninji paused slightly, "The sick imperial soldier has basically recovered and returned to the team. ”

"Yo Si." Shunroku Hata nodded happily and said, "This means that the Eleventh Army has regained its combat effectiveness?" ”

"Yes, so to speak." Okamura Ninji nodded, and said, "However, Your Excellency, the weather this year is a bit abnormal, although it is already the beginning of September, but it is still very hot, so you see, can you delay the dispatch of troops for another half a month?" In this way, the imperial soldiers are not prone to disease. ”

"Of course there's no problem with that." "After all, it will take time for the mobilization and reorganization of the Twelfth Army, and by the time they arrive at the Wuhan battlefield, it will be mid-September!" ”

After a pause, Shunroku Hahata said again: "The question now is the choice of the route of the troops, whether to continue to let the Twelfth Army take the route of the Second Army, or let the Twelfth Army join forces with the Eleventh Army and advance towards Wuhan along the north and south banks of the Yangtze River?" Form a pincer attack posture so that the two armies can also take care of each other! ”

Seriously, Shunroku Hata has already scared the Chinese army a little.

Shunroku Hata took it for granted that since the Second Army of Higashikurenomiya Tsusahiko could be completely annihilated by the Chinese army, then Okamura Ninji's Eleventh Army and the upcoming Twelfth Army in China were also unsafe, and they could also be completely annihilated by the National Army, so it was safer to let the two armies get closer.

Shunroku Hata scared the national army, or more precisely, scared Zhong Yi!

But Okamura Ninji didn't, and the old devil still kept enough sobriety.

At that moment, Okamura Ninji objected: "Your Excellency, General, it's better not to fight like this!" ”

"Nani?" "So what does Okamura-kun think should be the way to play the battle of Wuhan at this stage?" ”

Okamura Ninji heard a little dissatisfaction in Shunroku Hata's tone, but he didn't care, because he knew that Shunroku Hata was quite upright and could listen to different opinions.

At that moment, Okamura Ningji analyzed: "Your Excellency, before determining the battle plan, we must first make one thing clear, that is, why do we want to fight the Battle of Wuhan? ”

"Do you need to say that?" "Of course, it is to gather the main force of the government army in China as much as possible, and then force the government of China to surrender to the empire!" ”

"Soga!" Okamura Ninji said, "In other words, the Imperial Army launched the Battle of Wuhan, never to occupy Wuhan, but to gather the main force of the Chinese government army and force the Chinese government to surrender!" ”

After a pause, Okamura Ninji said again: "If this point is clear, the playing style will be clear!" ”

After another pause, Okamura Ninji pointed to the large map and said: "Your Excellency, please see, if the Eleventh Army and the Twelfth Army are allowed to advance along the north and south banks of the Yangtze River, it can certainly play a good role in watching and helping each other and serving each other, so as to avoid being surrounded by the main force of the China Army, but in this way, the goal of gathering and destroying the main force of China will be defeated!" ”

Hearing this, Shunroku Hata nodded subconsciously, if the Japanese army is really allowed to advance westward along both sides of the Yangtze River, the Chinese army can resist step by step, fortifying layer by layer, even if Wuhan is finally lost, its main force can retreat calmly!

After a moment of silence, Shunroku Hahata said, "So, I don't know what Okamura-kun has to say?" ”

Okamura Ninji did not answer directly, but continued to point to the map and said, "Your Excellency, General, you look at the map, I don't know if you have found any problems?" ”

Shunroku Hata's gaze fell on the direction of Okamura Ninji's finger, and he frowned: "Dabie Mountain? ”

On the side of the river, Zhengsan suddenly moved, and said: "After the battle of Wuhan is over, the imperial army will occupy most of Anhui, Hubei and Henan, then this Dabie mountain area will become a piece of Zhina control area hanging alone in the area occupied by the imperial army, and it will pose a serious threat to the security of Central China in the future!" ”

"Soga!" Okamura Ninji said, "Just take this opportunity to take advantage of the situation to control Dabie Mountain!" ”

After a pause, Okamura Ninji said again: "Even if you can't control all the mountainous areas, you must at least control all the county towns and major market towns in the Dabie Mountains!" ”

Shunroku Hata said, "Okamura-kun, I still don't understand. ”

"Your Excellency, the whole plan is actually very simple!" Okamura Ningji said, "Just in the name of rescuing His Royal Highness Twist Yan, I urgently ordered the 22nd Division and the 27th Division stationed in Anqing and Hefei to move west to Dabie Mountain, at this time, the Chinese Army has just completely annihilated the Second Army, and it is when morale is high, after hearing the news, the high-level of the Chinese will definitely mobilize the main force to enter the Dabie Mountain, try to win another battle, and encircle and annihilate the 22nd and 27th Divisions that go west to rescue!" ”

Shunroku Hata's eyes moved, and he said in a deep voice: "And then?" ”

"And then?" Okamura Ninji smiled sympathetically, and said, "Then the Eleventh Army marched westward along the Yangtze River, and the Twelfth Army went south along the Pinghan Line, and when the two armies met in Wuhan, the main force of China gathered in the Dabie Mountains was also surrounded by the imperial army, and as long as the main force of the China Army was annihilated, the China government would have only one way to surrender!" ”

"Yo Xi!" Shunroku Hata nodded happily.