Chapter 291: Cherry Blossom Society

At the same time!

Zhang Fakui's Eighth Group Army, which had withdrawn to the Seventh War Zone, as well as Luo Zhuoying's 16th Army Corps.

And units such as Liujianxu's 10th Group Army and the 23rd Army Corps.

Are now all contacting Jinling, requesting reinforcements.

The Right Wing Combat Army Group of the Songhu Battlefield has now successfully withdrawn to the Seventh War Zone.

After Liu Dashuai and Chen Cixiu consulted.

They had him fly to Shanghai to have a chat with the Commander of the Central China Area Army, Matsui Iwane.

The performance on the battlefield was quite good, especially the battle at Songjiang Town.

"General."

"Creak!"

Both of them now had new ideas.

This batch of troops will all withdraw to Anhui Province to rest, reorganize, and construct the defense line of the Seventh War Zone.

"Kabe!"

"According to intelligence from the Special Higher Police."

The Imperial Army is advancing into Zhongtu from three directions: Pingjin, East China, and South China.

"I am here on behalf of Chief of Staff Shimomura Sadamu to ask for the opinions of the frontline soldiers."

The Sichuan Army 23rd Group Army will hold the line for a while first.

Now the war in Songhu has been completely resolved.

During the February 26 Incident, members of the "Cherry Blossom Society" were among those secretly inciting it.

"Head to Guangdong Province and launch a landing operation here."

After Kabe Torashiro arrived in Songhu.

Xiaoye Guifu held this unit in high regard.

Therefore, the combat effectiveness of the Republic of China Army is far inferior to what it was at the beginning of the war.

They were called the "Cherry Blossom Society."

The 54th Army, under which are the 14th Division, Division Commander Huo Kuizhang, and the 98th Division, Division Commander Xia Chuzhong.

This is the mindset of the Japanese frontline generals, as far as Shimomura Sadamu is concerned.

The combat effectiveness of both sides is evenly matched, and neither can do anything to the other.

Now that Shanghai has been taken.

It takes five German-equipped Divisions to hold off one division.

After hearing this, Kabe Torashiro pondered for a while.

However, the Imperial Army is different.

The Imperial Army possesses a large number of soldiers who have received long-term military training.

It does not matter if the troops suffer casualties; new recruits can be directly added to be thrown into battle.

Shimomura Sadamu!

After receiving the telegram from Yanagawa Heisuke, he immediately transported the replacement troops for the two divisions just mobilized domestically to the Songhu Region!

At the same time!

Once the troops of Zhongtu suffer casualties, the replacement recruits have not received any formal training at all.

"He is currently formulating an operational plan at the Imperial General Headquarters, preparing to dispatch three to four divisions to head south."

"Boom, boom, boom!! —"

The combat effectiveness of the Republic of China Army has now dropped by more than half; advancing to Jinling right now might truly be much easier than fighting in Songhu before.

Among them, Muto Akira, Cho Isamu, and Gongping Kuangwu are the most hardline individuals within the Japanese Army.

These four divisions, along with the three provisional brigades under Liujianxu's 23rd Army Corps, will hold the front for the time being.

Then, his next step is to head south to capture Guangdong Province and blockade the Coastal Region of Zhongtu.

He immediately came to Matsui Iwane's office.

However, as the war has dragged on, the German-equipped Divisions are now supplemented with a large number of new recruits.

"My suggestion is still to take the opportunity to strike Jinling; that might be more valuable."

In the current Zhongtu, fighting a war relies entirely on conscription, commonly known as grabbing able-bodied men.

He was already ill, and after drifting on the sea for so long, he was somewhat depressed.

Now that the battle for Shanghai has ended, his command post has finally landed on shore.

After Matsui Iwane and Yanagawa Heisuke, these two old devils, spoke on the phone.

Because the current Matsui Iwane is gaunt and thin, looking like skin and bones.

After the 10th Army and the Shanghai Expeditionary Army received fresh troop reinforcements.

The two brigades of the Jing'an Army fought with great vigor.

He felt that Matsui Iwane's words made a lot of sense, after the Songhu Battle.

Yanagawa Heisuke and Matsui Iwane both understood Zhongtu very well.

Under their command are the 18th Army, Army Commander Luo Zhuoying, and the 54th Army, Army Commander Huo Kuizhang.

"Most of the Republic of China troops have been transferred north to participate in the Songhu Campaign and the battles in the Pingjin Region."

The two of them want to attack Jinling.

The "Cherry Blossom Society" was founded during the Taisho Era; the junior officers of the Japanese Army during this period all wanted to establish military centralization and expand externally.

How can the combat effectiveness of new recruits entering the army be mentioned in the same breath as that of an Old Soldier?

Currently, the combat effectiveness of this army has declined severely.

Take its elite German-equipped Divisions for example; at the beginning of the war, three German-equipped Divisions could often hold their own against one division.

At a first glance, it looks just like a paper cutout.

For this reason, Shimomura Sadamu dispatched his own confidant... Kabe Torashiro.

Matsui Iwane expressed his understanding.

The Tenth Army and the Shanghai Expeditionary Army also utilized this period to have the home country transport two reinforcement divisions of troops to the Songhu Battlefield.

Generals such as Tsukada Osamu, Muto Akira, Cho Isamu, Gongping Kuangwu, and Matsui Iwane attended the emergency meeting.

The reorganized and replenished 16th Army Group and 23rd Army Group.

In the eyes of the two, the Nanjing Command had concentrated over 700,000 elite troops from across the country to fight a bloody battle in Songhu for three months.

"The southern forces are currently empty."

"Enter!"

That old devil Matsui Iwane had stayed on a warship at sea while the fighting in Shanghai was ongoing.

He ordered the Commander of the Kwantung Army to immediately mobilize the Jing'an Army within its territory and head south to join the Songhu Battlefield.

Given that the garrison forces withdrawing from Songhu now have severely declined combat effectiveness.

Following this, Matsui Iwane then explained his and Yanagawa Heisuke's analysis to Kabe Torashiro.

Because the Sichuan Army fought in the Taihu Region, the Tenth Army suffered a great loss.

At the same time!

Chen Cixiu utilized his authority as Deputy Commander to prioritize replenishing a large portion of troops for Luo Zhuoying's unit and Liujianxu's 23rd Army Group.

That is, they wanted to pursue the retreating Republic of China Army.

He also had another idea in his heart, which was the landing battle in Guangdong Province.

Upon hearing this, that old devil Matsui Iwane pondered for a moment.

Matsui Iwane said coldly; three months of warfare had truly exhausted this old devil.

Shimomura Sadamu contacted the Kwantung Army.

Then simply report to the Imperial General Headquarters and have them mobilize the Jing'an Army to head south.

Now the Pingjin Region is already under the control of the Imperial Army, and Shanghai has already been captured.

Participate in the fighting in the Songhu Region and minimize the casualties of the Imperial Warriors.

Kabe Torashiro knocked on Matsui Iwane's door.

Especially Cho Isamu; this old devil is the number two figure of the "Cherry Blossom Society."

Just like that!

The Commander of the Kwantung Army immediately mobilized 20,000 men of the Jing'an Army from the north to head south.

He was completely stunned.

Next, the Japanese Army will certainly seize the time to attack the Seventh War Zone.

Luo Zhuoying's 16th Army Group.

Finally, Kabe Torashiro stated that he needed to consider it carefully.

These two group armies will first go to the mountainous areas of Anhui Province to rest, reorganize, and replenish troops.

The 18th Army oversees the 11th Division, Division Commander Peng Shan, and the 67th Division, Division Commander Li Shusen; because Li Shusen was injured, Huang Wei took over Li Shusen's duties.

The Jing'an Army following the 23rd Brigade in battle.

Yanagawa Heisuke and Tanabe Moritake felt that since the Jing'an Army fought well, its combat effectiveness was not below that of a Japanese regiment.

He also wanted to hear the opinions of frontline generals on how the campaign should proceed.

Coupled with the fact that the unit organizations were incomplete.

Now they are also seizing time to train.

The order of rest and reorganization is Liujianxu's 10th Group Army and Zhang Fakui's Eighth Group Army.

That old devil Yanagawa Heisuke also sent a request for reinforcements to the Imperial General Headquarters.

Time arrived at night.

Kabe Torashiro, who pushed the door and entered, saw Matsui Iwane sitting in a chair.

Therefore!

He reported to the Tenth Army headquarters.

Now that a meeting is being held, the "Cherry Blossom Society" members naturally want to march on Nanjing.

They have waited for many years; this is a great opportunity, how could they give it up.

(End of this chapter)