The commander of the Datong garrison, Takagi Yoshito, was definitely an outlier among the Japanese officers, and Yamashita Fengfumi, who was transferred to serve in the Southern Army, saw the threat of Han Yunhua's department a long time ago, and he was not busy attacking outside the country like the vast majority of Japanese officers, but drove the Chinese laborers early to build Datong's city fortifications for the Japanese army, and also built two strong defense lines outside Datong City to prevent the troops of the Inner Mongolia Military Region from directly approaching Datong City from the direction of Fengzhen.

After receiving the order from the front army headquarters, Lieutenant General Yoshito Takagi was far more sensitive than ordinary people, and he immediately issued an order to all the defenders of Datong to enter the combat state, and all field troops were issued enough supplies and ammunition for ten days of combat, and even the puppet army was issued with ammunition and supplies needed for three days of operation, and all the mines outside Datong were closed in a very short time, and all the miners were imprisoned in the dungeons of the city.

Because the Inner Mongolia Military Region raided a mine kiln outside Datong last year, it caused huge losses to the Japanese army, and even the heirs of the Mitsui family disappeared, which also involved many people. This time, Yoshito Takagi decisively transferred all the company's property and personnel to Datong Castle, and one side was attacked by the Chinese army.

And all the Japanese expatriates in the city were also armed in a very short time, including women and children. Yoshito Takagi believed that with these strong fortifications and so many troops, even if Han Yunhua concentrated all his troops in Datong, he would not have achieved much success, and would even lose his troops and lose his vitality.

The development trend of events was also as Lieutenant General Takagi had predicted, the first day of the Chinese attack was crushed in a very short time, there were hundreds of corpses thrown on the battlefield alone, and yesterday's less than two hours of fighting, the Chinese army lost at least 1,000 men, while the imperial army lost less than 300 men, of which less than 100 were actually killed. Yoshito Takagi was very satisfied with this result, and the performance of the Takagi division was beyond his expectations.

On November 22, three infantry divisions of the Chinese army attacked the two counties of Zuoyun and Youyu from the east and west, and used the tactics of diverting the tiger from the mountain to break the defenders of the two counties.

Immediately after the Chinese army in the northwest of Jin gave up the southward pursuit and retreated to Wuning, about three infantry divisions directly turned to attack Shuo County, which was heavily defended, and Li Jianming, deputy commander of the 32nd Division of the Imperial Cooperative Army, and Liu Xufei, commander of the 33rd Division, who assisted the imperial army in defending Shuo County, surrendered to the enemy on the battlefield, opened the gate of Shuo County and surrendered to the Chinese army, and the Japanese army stationed in Shuo County, one infantry brigade, three other infantry brigades and a puppet infantry division were devastated by the Chinese army, and less than 3,000 people fled to Shanyin County. All the others were killed and captured by the Chinese army.

In addition, a large number of Chinese troops were also found in the direction of Yanggao, and it seemed that the number was as large as that of an infantry division, and they were rushing to Datong at the speed of a rapid march. At this point, the Chinese army encircled Datong from the four directions of southeast, northwest, and west, and the entire 20,000 regular Japanese troops and 10,000 expatriates and 20,000 imperial troops were directly encircled by at least six Chinese infantry divisions.

These things were done in a very short period of time, and even Yoshito Takagi, a veteran officer who had been in battle for a long time, did not have time to react. It was not until November 27 that the Chinese army approached the city, Takagi Yoshishi thought of ordering the two infantry wings of the northern defense line outside Datong to retreat quickly, but unfortunately it was too late, about three divisions of Chinese troops surrounded these two infantry wings in an area of less than ten kilometers in length and width to carry out attacks in turn, although these two infantry wings had relatively strong fortifications, but it was not necessary to think about rushing out and withdrawing to Datong. …,

Lieutenant General Yoshito Takagi was shocked and immediately urgently appealed to the North China Front Headquarters for help, hoping that General Tada Jun would send one or two divisions of reinforcements to Datong in a short time, otherwise Takagi's division would be wiped out by the Chinese army from the battle sequence of the Imperial Army, and the Front Army would suffer heavy losses.

Tada Jun was shocked when he received a telegram from Yoshito Takagi asking for help without concealment, and the Chinese army launched a full-scale attack on North China from four directions, and hundreds of thousands of troops had already put tremendous pressure on the North China Front, plus the Eighth Route Army, the Jin Sui Army, the Central Army, and local bandits and rogues also attacked the Japanese stronghold county in all directions, and the North China Front Army was already without troops to adjust at this time. The strength of the front army has been all scattered, and now there is only one independent mixed brigade in the hands of Tada Jun who can still be mobilized, but compared to six or seven Chinese infantry divisions, an independent mixed brigade of six or seven thousand people will not play any role at all, and the dispatch is also to deliver food to Han Yunhua's department.

Originally, in Tada Jun's opinion, the Chinese army, especially the so-called Fourth Route Army under Han Yunhua's department, was just a joke about the last stop of the front army, although the number of the front army had dropped to only more than 200,000 troops, but he knew very well that these more than 200,000 troops were not much worse than the previous more than 300,000 troops in terms of combat effectiveness, because in order to make up for the lack of strength of the North China Front Army, the empire specially transferred more than 10,000 veterans from the two guard divisions to supplement the North China Front Army. In addition, a large number of veterans were also transferred from the Jiangnan Battlefield and the Kwantung Army to supplement the North China Front, so the proportion of veterans in the North China Front at this time was very high, although it was not as elite as when the war began, but compared with the North China Front a year ago, the North China Front at this time was much stronger.

About 80,000 Chinese troops in eastern Hebei have been blocked and cannot advance an inch on the periphery of Tangshan, and about 80,000 Chinese troops in the direction of Zhangjiakou cannot break through the defense line of the Fifth Division. Only the imperial troops in the northwest of Jin were not at all powerful, and were driven out of the northwest of Jin by the Chinese army within two days, and fled back to Shuoxian and Wuning without knowing how many Chinese troops there were.

Just two days ago, the Japanese army found out that the Chinese army in the northwest of Shanxi Province had three infantry divisions and guerrillas of about 5,000 people, numbering about 65,000 people, and three infantry regiments belonging to the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army. Although he knew that the number of Japanese troops in the northwest of Jin was not large, it was still incredible that the Japanese army had been defeated in such a short period of time.

However, before Tada Jun could recover his breath, Lieutenant General Yoshito Takagi, who had always been full of confidence, sent a telegram asking for help, and it was the kind of request for help that seemed to be dying and struggling, which made General Tada feel breathless.

In desperation, Tada had no choice but to send a report to General Nishio Toshizo, hoping that the General Headquarters of the Chinese Dispatch Army could increase troops in North China as soon as possible. However, General Nishio Shouzo's reply made Tada Jun feel cold, not only is the North China region short of troops, but the entire Chinese Dispatch Army is short of troops everywhere, whether it is the North China Front Army, the 21st Army, and the 11th Army are all overstretched, how can there be troops to reinforce the North China Front.

However, the Japanese army in the Datong area still had to be rescued, otherwise it would not be a trivial matter for an integrated division and tens of thousands of expatriates to fall into the hands of Han Yunhua's department, and he could not afford and did not want to bear this responsibility, so Tada Jun immediately sent a harshly worded telegram to Lieutenant General Yoshio Shinozuka, commander of the First Army stationed in Shanxi, ordering the First Army to immediately organize a powerful force to rescue the Datong Takagi Division.

In addition to the 100,000 Central Army, there are more than 200,000 Jin Sui troops and an unknown number of Eighth Route Army in the entire southeast of Jin, while his First Army has only three infantry divisions and two independent mixed brigades and more than 60,000 people, even if you add the independent garrison brigades and the Imperial Association Army in various places, there are less than 120,000 people, but they have to deal with at least 400,000 Chinese troops, and the difference in strength is nearly 300,000. …,

After receiving Tada Jun's telegram, Yoshio Shinozuka could only smile bitterly and nodded, now the central army of China has put the bayonet on the throat chakra of the first army, and the Jin Sui army is even more aimed at Taiyuan, and now all the troops around Taiyuan are less than 60,000 people, and there are still some deficiencies to resist, let alone send troops to rescue Datong.

However, the orders of the front army headquarters cannot be disobeyed, and in a hierarchical society like Japan, disobedience to the orders of superiors is punishable for any reason, even if your boss is himself wrong. Therefore, after thinking about it for a long time, Yoshio Shinozuka decided to send Lieutenant General Anda 23rd to command the main force of the 37th Division and the independent mixed 16th Brigade of Major General Heiji Wakamatsu to immediately set off from Taiyuan and go north to rescue the Takagi Division, and at the same time ordered the Takagi Division to be ready to break through at any time.

In order not to attract the attention of Han Yunhua's subordinates, Takagi Yoshito did not dare to make any changes, and he also showed a posture of wanting to live and die with Datong City. However, he did not expect that all the actions of the 23rd Anda Department were under the supervision of Han Yunhua's department, and even the telegram sent to him by Lieutenant General Yoshio Shinozuka of the First Army stationed in Shanxi was deciphered by Qian Zhuangfei's intelligence department.

Under the blow of Han Yunhua's department, the two defense lines north of Datong City have been crumbling, and the fortifications have been destroyed by the unconscionable artillery, and the two infantry wings not only have not been replenished with ammunition, but even the food has been eaten, although the white flag has not yet been raised to surrender to the Chinese army, but the morale is extremely low.

Knowing that the Tall Wood Division was preparing to escape, Han Yunhua immediately made a decision and ordered a puppet army commander lurking in Datong City to open the city gate overnight, and the 3rd, 4th, 19th, 20th, and 22nd divisions of the field suddenly launched an attack.

At the same time, a team of special combat personnel lurking in the city touched the dungeon where the Takagi Division held the miners prisoners, quietly erased the guards and released more than 100,000 miners, and the oppressed and hated miners did not need anyone to organize at all, and an armed force with improvised weapons such as wooden sticks and shovels appeared in Datong City.

Under the sudden blow of Han Yunhua's division, the main force of Takagi's division continued to retreat, and by dawn Han Yunhua's division had controlled most of the urban area, and Takagi Yoshito was compressed with more than 20,000 people to a radius of less than ten miles in the city center, holding the city government, the main railway station, the barracks and other important places to stubbornly resist.

After receiving the news that Han Yunhua's troops had attacked Datong City, Shinozuka Yoshio ordered Lieutenant General Anda 23 to speed up the march and be sure to arrive at Datong within two days. However, Lieutenant General Anda 23 told Yoshio Shinozuka that the 37th Infantry Division was stubbornly blocked by the Eighth Route Army at Yuanping, and the speed of the troops was very slow, and it was no longer possible to reach Datong in a short time.

Peiping. Command of the North China Front.

Senior General Tada sat blankly at his desk, on which a half-unfolded telegram was dropped.

After a long pause, Tada Jun came to his senses and shouted outside the door: "Let Yamaguchi come to see me immediately, quickly"

The guards outside the "Hai" gate did not dare to slack off in the slightest, and immediately ran towards Yamaguchi Umeko's office.

Soon Yamaguchi Umeko came to Tada's office, Yamaguchi Umeko straightened her clothes, and then said very respectfully: "Report to Your Excellency Commander, Yamaguchi reports to you." ”

Tada Jun looked at Yamaguchi Plum with a gloomy face, and said angrily: "Yamaguchi, tell me clearly how many troops there are in Shina..."...,

Yamaguchi Meizi shuddered, Tada Jun's state today was very wrong, and his face was bitter, like a barrel of explosives that was about to explode, and it would explode at one point.

"Your Excellency, China now has a total of about 4.2 million regular troops, of which the government of China, that is, Chiang Kai-shek's troops, have"

"Yaga, I'm asking how many troops Han Yunhua's department has, not asking Chiang Kai-shek's bald guy, how many troops he has a fart relationship with me, Yaga" Yamaguchi Meizi's words were rudely interrupted by Tada Jun.

Although Yamaguchi felt that she was wronged, she did not dare to fight back now, believing that if she dared to show any dissatisfaction, she would be immediately reprimanded by Tada, and even immediately sent to a military court. Therefore, Yamaguchi Meizi bent her waist deeper, and then said more respectfully: "Your Excellency, according to the information sent back by our intelligence officers who are lurking in Yan'an, China, there are now about ten infantry divisions in Han Yunhua's department, and the total number is about 220,000. There are also four cavalry divisions, a chariot unit, and an unknown number of militia units. ”

"Yaga, you are all in the rice bucket, you are working in dereliction of duty, you can see for yourself, how many troops are in Han Yunhua's department" After saying that, Tada Jun threw the telegram on the table to Yamaguchi Umeko's face.

Ignoring the burning pain on her face, Yamaguchi immediately picked up the telegram and read it.

The more Yamaguchi Meizi looked at it, the more frightened she became, but she didn't believe it even more, because judging from this telegram, Han Yunhua's troops deployed in the eastern direction of Hebei exceeded 80,000, and the Chinese troops in Zhangjiakou also exceeded 80,000, and the troops in northern and northwest Jin exceeded more than 100,000, and the troops deployed in these four directions alone were nearly 300,000, not to mention that at least two infantry divisions were stationed on the front line of Tianzhen and Yangyuan, and then counting the defenders in Guisui, Baotou, Chengde, Qian'an, Jining and other places. Umeko Yamaguchi didn't dare to think about it anymore.

"Yamaguchi, what else do you have to say?" Tada Jun said in an unkind voice.

Umeko Yamaguchi knew that if this telegram was true, then their entire Tekoko would be court-martialed. But she was not reconciled, and Yamaguchi Meizi asked in a trembling voice: "Your Excellency, how true is this telegram?" ”

"It's true, the mistakes are very small, and there is almost no possibility of a fake." Tada Jun said with certainty.

Yamaguchi Umeko said with a pale face: "Your Excellency, I understand, I will submit my resignation application to the base camp, and then wait for the punishment of the base camp." ”

"Baga, what are you doing, now the front army has reached the most dangerous time, you should be guilty of meritorious service, escape is the choice of the weak, I believe that you are a real warrior, so it's not time to be held responsible, I hope that your special high branch will do whatever it takes to listen to useful information for the empire and the front army, and it must not be as passive as now, do you understand?"

"Hai Yi understands that His Excellency Commander Xie taught" Yamaguchi Meizi is also a person with seven tricks, how can he not guess what Tada Jun means when he hears this, now is not the time to hold her accountable, even if she is sent to a military court now, it will not be of much use, if she still can't hear useful information, then the entire North China Front will become extremely passive. To put it bluntly, the current North China Front Army and his Tada Jun are inseparable from Yamaguchi Umeko, even if they want to settle accounts, they have to be after the autumn.

The biggest threat now hanging over the head of the North China Front Army does not come from within, but from the hundreds of thousands of troops under Han Yunhua's command; if we look at the overall situation, the more than 500,000 troops of the North China Front Army and the puppet North China Jingsui Army are surrounded by at least 1.5 million Chinese troops in North China, and there is still a danger of being divided and encircled. If the support of Umeko Yamaguchi was lost at this time, then the entire North China Front would be even more isolated and helpless.

Although Tada Jun really wants to take a senior officer like Yamaguchi Plum to carry the black pot, but he can't be more daring, not to mention that the front army can't do without Yamaguchi Plum now, just take the big god behind Yamaguchi Plum You can't move Yamaguchi Plum casually, the first person responsible for the bad luck is him Tada Jun, so Tada Jun doesn't dare to joke about his future......