Let's go back to the Japanese army.

Due to the fact that the condition of the former commander Higashikurenomiya Tsuhiko has not been relieved, Yoshio Shinozuka has been officially appointed as the commander of the Second Army by the Central China Front Command.

At this meeting, Yoshio Shinozuka is summoning Ogisu Tatsubei and Fujie Keisuke to talk.

"Ogisu-kun, Fujie-kun, I have good news for you." Yoshio Shinozuka said, "The base camp has made a decision to mobilize ten divisions and regiments to form the Twelfth Army to reinforce the Wuhan battlefield!" ”

"Nani, form the Twelfth Army?!"

"Ten divisions?!"

Ogisu Libei and Fujie Keisuke were awe-inspiring when they heard this.

They originally speculated that the base camp might cancel the plan to capture Guangzhou and transfer the 21st Army, which was originally used for the Guangzhou Campaign, to the Wuhan battlefield, but they did not expect that the base camp did not transfer the 21st Army to Wuhan, but prepared to be newly organized into the 12th Army, and for the newly formed 12th Army, ten divisions were mobilized!

This newly formed 12th Army will also become the army with the largest number of divisions and regiments under its jurisdiction!

Ogishu said: "Shinozuka-kun, didn't the cabinet shout that there was no money a long time ago?" Why is there still so much money to mobilize ten divisions to come to the battlefield in Wuhan? ”

Yoshio Shinozuka said: "I don't know the specifics, it is said that the funds of the Navy have been embezzled. ”

"Sodesnay." Keisuke Fujie nodded happily and said, "If you want me to say, it's long overdue!" ”

"I agree with Fujie-kun." "In the past, Japan was an island country, so it was right and natural to vigorously develop the navy!" But time has changed, and now that Japan is already a land country, and it is also a close neighbor of the powerful red empire of the Soviet Union, it should be changed to land first! ”

"Don't talk about that." Yoshio Shinozuka waved his hand and interrupted the two, "The choice at the national policy level is not something that front-line commanders like you and me should ask about!" ”

After a pause, he continued: "Let's go back to the battle of Xiaogan!" ”

"There's nothing to worry about in the battle of Xiaogan." Ogishu said, "No matter what, our Second Army still has more than 90,000 officers and soldiers, even if half of these 90,000 people are wounded, and the rest of the officers and soldiers are exhausted, but this time is a defensive operation after all, not an offensive operation!" ”

"Soga." Keisuke Fujie also said, "Defensive operations are different from offensive operations, and there is no comparison with street battles!" Although our Second Army suffered losses in offensive operations and suffered heavy losses in street battles in Hankow and Hanyang, this does not mean that we will not be able to defeat the Chinese Army in defensive battles! ”

Seeing that Keisuke Fujie and Ogisu Libing were so big, Yoshio Shinozuka couldn't help but be a little worried.

Because the intelligence shows that the commander of the national army in this battle of religious sense is Xue Yue, this is not a good stubble!

Can the guy who was able to entangle with Okamura Ningji's Eleventh Army on the Hunan and Jiangxi borders for three months, and finally forced Okamura Ningji to retreat gloomily, can he be a good stubble?

If he had a choice, Yoshio Shinozuka really didn't want to hand over the perimeter defense to these two guys.

But there is no choice, because Yoshio Shinozuka himself has to sit in Xiaogan and personally supervise the construction of the fortifications in Xiaogan City, this battle of Xiaogan, the key is not the outer defense, but the inner defense!

Whether the Second Army can hold out until reinforcements arrive, the key lies in the street fighting in the city!

Therefore, let Fujie Keisuke or Ogisu Libing preside over Xiaogan's defense deployment, and Yoshio Shinozuka is even more worried!

However, when talking to Ogisu Ryubei and Fujie Keisuke, you definitely can't say that, but you have to say it differently!

At that moment, Yoshio Shinozuka said with a sincere expression: "Ogisu-kun, and Fujie-kun, whether our second army can hold out until the reinforcements arrive this time, and whether we can escape the catastrophe, the key depends on whether the two of you can block the main force of the Shina Army that swooped over from the north and south, as long as the two of you can hold on for three days, I can build a complete fortification in Xiaogan City, then the next situation will be very simple!" ”

"Three days?" Ogisu Ritsuke and Fujie Keisuke looked at each other.

Yoshio Shinozuka frowned and said, "What, is there any problem?" ”

Ogisu Libing and Fujie Keisuke laughed at each other.

After a long time, Ogisu Libing said, "Shinozuka-kun, your requirements are too low!" ”

"yes." Keisuke Fujie echoed, "Don't say it's three days, it's even ten days!" ”

"Ten days?" Looking at Keisuke Fujie and Ratebing Ogisu, who were laughing relatively loudly, Yoshio Shinozuka couldn't help but start doubting his decision again, is it really reliable to hand over the outer defense to these two guys?

But it seems that there is no other better choice, you can't get past these two guys and directly hand over the responsibility of external defense to their chief of staff, right?

What's more, the chiefs of staff of the 13th Division and the 116th Division may not be reliable!

At that moment, Yoshio Shinozuka paused at Ogisu Libing and Fujie Keisuke, and said, "Please! ”

Seeing this, Ogisu Libing and Fujie Keisuke also snapped upright, and then paused heavily: "Hai! ”

Then, Ogizhou Libing and Fujie Keisuke left Xiaogan by car and returned to Minji Town in the southeast of Xiaogan and Xinpu Town in the north respectively!

Minji Town and Xinpu Town are also the two supports of the Japanese army's outer defense line.

According to Yoshio Shinozuka's estimate, the 15th Division moving south along the Pinghan Railway can only play a diversion role, and if you really want to relieve the siege of Xiaogan, you have to rely on the 12th Army that is being organized!

The 12th Army from the completion of the grouping, departure, and then to the landing in Lianyungang, and then along the Longhai Line to the west, to Zhengzhou, and then along the Pinghan Road south, is the most optimistic estimate, and it will take at least half a month to reach the Xiaogan battlefield!

This half a month of perseverance, the tricky thing is the first seven days! Because as long as it lasts for seven days, a large number of wounded people who were wounded in the battle of Wuhan will return to the team, and the pressure on defense will be greatly reduced!

During these seven days, the most dangerous ones are the first two days!

Because in the first two days, the Second Army had not yet gained a firm foothold in Xiaogan, and the fortifications had not yet been built, if the national army broke through to the outside of Xiaogan City, or even inside the city, it would be a big trouble!

Therefore, the defense of the 6 wings of the 13th Division and the 116th Division on the outer line is crucial!

Seeing the figures of Ogisu Ribei and Fujie Keisuke go away, Yoshio Shinozuka still felt uneasy when he thought about it, and immediately asked the adjutant to call the chief of staff of the Second Army, Machijiri Liangji.

"Machijiri-kun." Yoshio Shinozuka pointed to the map and said, "I will hand over the remaining two infantry wings of the 13th Division and the 116th Division to you, and you will give me to defend Zhuzhan Town east of Xiaogan!" ”

Machijiri said, "Your Excellency the Commander is worried that the Shina Army will make a detour from Zhuzhan Town?" ”

"It's just in case!" Yoshio Shinozuka said in a deep voice, "If Zhuzhan Town is not attacked, and Minji Town in the south or Xinpu Town in the north are in danger, we should rush to the aid in time!" ”

"Hello!" The amount of the town was heavy.