It's just that for Okamura Ningji's judgment, Lieutenant General Harem Jun, the chief of staff of the Shina Dispatch Army, who has not said a word since attending the meeting, suddenly said very disapprovingly: "Okamura-kun, I know that Your Excellency once concentrated a large number of chariot troops and artillery units during the Battle of Nanchang and dealt a heavy blow to the Chongqing Army. In one fell swoop, dozens of divisions of the Chongqing Army were defeated, and the strategic town of Nanchang was captured in a short time. ”

"That battle can be described as extremely exciting, and it is also the most beautiful battle that Okamura-kun fought as the commander of the 11th Army. But also exposed the inherent shortcomings of the combat vehicle. However, the shortcomings of the tank are not a topic that we should discuss today. Here I would like to remind you that the situation in the past is very different from today. ”

"The Imperial Army is not a weak Chinese government army, neither the spirit of bravery nor the weaponry can be compared with the weak Chinese government army. Even if they concentrated a large number of tanks, it would be very difficult for them to break through the position of the 26th Division, which we currently have strong field fortifications to rely on, in a short period of time. ”

"As long as they can't make progress in a short period of time, then their so-called westward cluster will face a full-front counterattack from the Empire from three directions. Once they fall into this situation, they will encounter the most devastating blow. ”

"And do they have the ability to afford the huge amount of fuel and other logistical support required to concentrate a large number of tank clusters for long-distance attacks? From the Abaga and Sunit banners in the Chadong region to the Guisui and Baotou in Suidong, there are not only lofty mountains and mountains on this route, but also the distance is relatively far.

"Have you forgotten that in the Battle of Nanchang, the fuel consumption of the chariot troops was too large, far exceeding the estimated amount. The incident that caused the chariot units of the 11th Army to wait for two whole days due to lack of fuel, and the main force of the Chongqing Army to hold Nanchang slipped away from under the nose of the Imperial Army? An empire with strong national strength to support is still like this, not to mention that they are far inferior to the empire in terms of resources? ”

"On the Manchurian front in the east, and in the face of the still strong Kwantung Army in Manchuria, there are not too many troops that they can draw out to advance westward. As Lieutenant General Anda said, if they send a large number of troops to the west or south, then the Kwantung Army in front of them will definitely not sit idly by and watch them move freely without making any moves. ”

"No matter which direction they choose to target, one thing we have to remember is that North Manchurian is where they are based. No matter how far the rabbit runs, it will not be too far away from its nest, because they have to worry about whether their nest will be safe. No matter what kind of benefits they achieved by going west, they were too far away from their old nest. If too many troops are dispatched and the Kwantung Army takes the opportunity to move north, they will not be able to carry out any rescue on their lair. ”

"Moreover, the large-scale tank penetration operations carried out from Chadong to the Suidong area were not from Nanxing'an to Outer Mongolia through Liao. The terrain on this road is not only grasslands and deserts, but also the Yinshan Mountains that lie across Chahar and Suiyuan. Their tanks fight in a roundabout way, which is very difficult to use on this kind of terrain. I think they are very clear about that. ”

"Since it is also necessary to fight in the terrain in the mountains, it is better to fight directly south than to move west to bear the heavy logistical pressure that is difficult to bear. From the first line of Zhangjiakou and Chengde, it crosses the mountains of Dama and Yanshan mountains, and goes straight to the Pingjin area. In this way, there is less logistical pressure on them. ”

"Moreover, seizing the first line of Chifeng and Chengde and opening up the Jincheng and Yechi railways can also reduce the pressure on their transportation. There is a railway line from Chengde that can go straight to the Gubeikou line, so their logistics transportation will be undertaken by the railway, which can greatly enhance their transportation capacity. ”

"The most important thing is that if they choose to strike from the direction of Chanan, they can cooperate with the Manchurian battlefield. Whether we or the Kwantung Army launch a counterattack, the two strategic directions can respond to each other. And if they choose to go west, then they will completely lose this ability to respond. ”

"They're not idiots, and they won't fail to see that. Even if they draw out a part of their forces in the middle of the campaign and launch an attack from southern Chanan, in order to attract the North China Front and unable to reinforce the Mongolian garrison army, then how many troops can they draw from this direction? In the case of multi-faceted use of troops, will their total strength be able to meet this need? ”

"Concentrating superior forces on the battlefield and striking at the most critical parts of the enemy is something that every senior commander should be aware of. If the forces are too dispersed and the superior forces cannot be concentrated in every direction, then they can only take care of one at the expense of the other. When the Imperial Army faced the weak Chinese government army on the battlefield of China, even though the combat effectiveness of the Imperial Army was far superior to that of the Chinese army, there was never a situation where the troops were attacked everywhere. ”

At the same time, judging from the intelligence transferred by the Kwantung Army, their tank units in West Manchuria had been transferred back to North Manchuria from the Tongliao and Kailu lines some time ago for rest. So Okamura-kun, I think your judgment is a bit too unfounded. If they choose to go south, I think it should be mainly in the Pingjin area. ”

"This direction is not only compatible with the frontal battlefield of Manchuria, but as long as they cross the Gubei Pass, it is equivalent to entering the Great Plain of North China. That is to say, as long as they take the Gubeikou line, their so-called tank clusters can go directly to the North China Plain, which is the most suitable for giving full play to their combat characteristics, and cut off the railway connection between Pingjin and Tianjin. ”

"Okamura-kun, I can't say that the experience gained by the Germans on the Soviet-German battlefield was wrong. But I ask you to remember that the situation on the battlefields of the East and the West is different. The complex terrain of China is not comparable to the vast Eastern European Plain in eastern Russia, which is almost undefendable. Especially from Manchuria to the interior of China, even if it occupies a condescending geographical advantage. But with the exception of the Liaoning West Corridor, it is a complex mountainous terrain. ”

"Even in Chahar and Suidong, not all of them are grasslands. There are also a large number of mountains, hills and deserts, and this direction is not suitable for tank combat. And Lieutenant General Anda was not wrong in his words, the long supply lines required for an attack to the west were beyond their means. ”

Of course, in order to contain the strength of the Kwantung Army, they may launch an offensive against the North China Front at the same time, and they will also concentrate a part of their forces to take advantage of the plain terrain along the Zhongchang Railway to launch a feint attack on Jilin and South Manchuria. They pumped tank units back to the rear in the West Manchurian region, and I think that's exactly why. ”

Or simply that the focus of their attack was on the offensive launched against South Manchuria. As for the offensive in Tsarnan, it is likely to be one of the strategic deceptive methods they have adopted. Just like the similar means they used many times before when they fought against the Kwantung Army. ”

"You must know that the conditions for their attack on South Manchuria are much better in any way than the offensive launched to the south. Moreover, the industrial base of South Manchuria was an important foundation for the empire to support the jihad. The population base of South Manchuria is not inferior to the population of Hebei, Shanxi and other inland parts of China. ”

"South Manchuria is the essence of the whole of Manchuria, as long as they capture South Manchuria, not only will their predicament be completely freed, but also will greatly weaken the capital of the empire to carry on the war. So I think Okamura-kun, your judgment is purely overthinking. I think their next attack will only be to attack Tsanam or South Manchuria, and there will be no other choice. ”

Lieutenant General Harem Jun's opinion, Okamura Ningji was quite disagreeable: "Chief of Staff of the Harem, it is precisely because they have all transferred their tank clusters in Ximan to the north that I insist that their next combat target is not the Pingjin line, but Suidong on the western front. ”

"Just because the tank unit has been transferred does not mean that it cannot be brought back. The railway line from North Manchuria to Tongliao was always under the close supervision of the Kwantung Army. But can't their large-scale and open transfer of tank units by railroad be a means of confusing us? ”

"Tanks are not heavy artillery that is difficult to move off the road, this weapon has a strong ability to maneuver itself. When necessary, they could completely pass through the steppe areas of Guò Ximan, avoid the surveillance of the Kwantung Army, and secretly drive to the starting area of the operation. There is also the Yinshan Mountain Range, although it is long, but the width is not very wide. The steepness of the mountain is unevenly distributed, and there are many passes in the mountains that can be passed by mechanized troops. ”

On the Zhangjiakou line, the mountains of Dama crisscross with a series of large mountains in the north of China, such as Yanshan, Jundu Mountain, Wutai Mountain, and Taihang Mountain. Whether it is the steepness of the mountain, or the entire range of the mountainous area, it is far greater than that of Yin Mountain. Even if they break through the first line of mountain defenses, then the tributaries of the Yongding River and the Luanhe River system are enough to become our natural blocking positions. ”

"If they use Tsanam as the main breakthrough area, then their living forces can only be caught up in endless mountain battles. In mountain warfare, it is common sense in military affairs that the defending side is always in an advantageous position. With the combat strength of the Imperial Army, in the mountain defense operation, I am afraid that they can not defeat it in a short time. ”

"And except for the almost endless, deep and vast mountainous terrain. On this line there is also a large number of fortifications that were built in the history of China to prevent the invasion of the northern nomads, which they called the Great Wall. Although these Great Walls are no longer sufficient to act as a barrier against foreign invasion under the conditions of modern warfare. However, these Great Walls, built on the mountains and with steep terrain, still became a fortification that the empire could use. ”

"In this direction, as long as the North China Front controls the passes into North China such as Xifengkou, Lengkou and Gubeikou, it can block their large-scale invasion from the North China Plain. Unless they can take the Beining Line at the same time and open up the Western Liaoning Corridor, it will be difficult for them to gain a foothold even if they enter the territory of Hebei. ”

"Historically, the Manchu Qing Dynasty crossed the Great Wall many times and entered the North China Plain before taking Shanhaiguan. However, because of the barrier of the Shanhaiguan line, even with the advantage of cavalry, it still could not gain a foothold in North China. The unresolved expanse of mountainous terrain limited their ability to replenish. ”

"The empire also tried to open up this route into North China back then, but the empire did not gain any advantage in two consecutive battles at Gubeikou and Xifengkou. If it weren't for the internal chaos and fragmentation of the Chinese army, a considerable part of the army would have collapsed at the touch of a button just to preserve its strength. It took the initiative to abandon a considerable part of the strategic points, so that the troops resisting in the front formed a posture of being attacked by the enemy. ”

At the same time, the Kwantung Army took advantage of the opportunity of the September 18 Incident to capture Shanhaiguan and Jinzhou, and control the Beining Line, forming an offensive form of flank outflanking. As well as the naval superiority possessed by the Empire, it can ensure that the Empire can land in Tanggu and Qinhuangdao ports and replenish supplies. Even if the empire occupied Rehe, it could only honestly go through the Shanhai Pass to enter the hinterland of northern China. ”