Until on the 23rd, three days after the fall of Fuji Prefecture, the Japanese army bravely advanced south and divided into two groups. One was the Seya Brigade as the main force, and went straight to Zaozhuang and Ichi Castle, and the other was Nagase Takehei's unit as the main force, attacking Lincheng and Hanzhuang.⊥

As soon as the enemy situation spread to the commander-in-chief of the Fifth War Zone, everyone changed their color.

The Isogu Division, coupled with its subordinate troops, had a total strength of more than 40,000 people. In addition to the Fifth Division attacking Linyi, there were 60,000 elite Japanese field troops in the entire southern Shandong area.

In addition, there are some puppet troops.

The Japanese army also had aircraft and tanks, and its heavy firepower was several times that of all the troops in the Fifth War Zone. Although the Japanese army claimed to be 200,000, they were only about 80,000 when they siege the city.

Now the Fifth War Zone is fighting on the third line, and the Japanese troops facing each other have exceeded 100,000.

According to the three-to-one combat power of the Chinese and Japanese troops, at least 300,000 people are needed to block so many Japanese troops. If you want to win, you may have to fill in more troops.

The atmosphere in the fifth zone became unprecedentedly tense.

After Teng County fell, Lincheng had no danger to defend. Although Chifeng City's 31st Division fought with the Japanese army in Lincheng, the Japanese army's focus at that time was Teng County.

All heavy weapons such as artillery and tanks were used to attack Tengxian, so they barely defended the front.

Later, the Japanese army pretended to retreat, and the 31st Division chased after him. Leng Feng noticed something was wrong. He ordered Chi Fengcheng to retreat through Li Delin. At that time, Chi Fengcheng was still unwilling to accept it, but when he ordered the troops to retreat, the scouts sent back came back, he was scared and sweated!

If his troops did not withdraw, they would definitely be devastatingly hit by the Japanese army early the next morning.

The Japanese army was not defeated by them at all, but took the initiative to retreat and lure them to pursue them. They even hoped that they could join the defenders in Teng Prefecture, and then surrounded them from outside and catch them all in one by one.

At noon on the 23rd, the Japanese Nagase Detachment occupied Lincheng!

At 4:37 pm, a battalion of the 63rd Regiment of the Segu Detachment detached to the southeast of Zaozhuang and suddenly launched an attack on the Zaozhuang defenders. The 27th Division was caught off guard and was attacked by the Japanese army.

After four or five hours of fierce battle, the 27th Division suffered heavy casualties and was forced to retreat towards Yicheng.

After Lincheng was occupied by the Japanese army, Chi Fengcheng led the 31st Division to retreat towards Hanzhuang. The Japanese army pursued him reluctantly. The 31st Division suffered heavy casualties. The next morning, he retreated to the south bank of Hanzhuang Canal and entered the solid fortifications that had been built on the south bank.

In one day, the Japanese army rushed to several cities and came in full force, obviously coming to Xuzhou and Taierzhuang.

In Linyi, Zhang and Pang joined forces to cooperate closely, not only blocked the arrogant Fifth Division Field Brigade under the city of Linyi, but also severely damaged the Japanese army.

The Fifth Division attacked Linyi was actually before the 10th Division. They launched a battle to attack Ju County. Pang's army fought to the death because they underestimated the enemy and failed to understand the enemy situation, and eventually lost Ju County.

Linyi behind Ju County is guarded by Zhang Xiuchen's 59th Army. The 59th Army became famous in Huaibei. It can be said that in addition to the honorary First Division, the 59th Army was the unit that eliminated the most Japanese 13th Division.

Zhang Xunchen also completely wiped out other people's misunderstandings about him and was proud from then on.

After the war in Huaibei ended, the 59th Army was dispatched to guard Linyi and Ju County. Later, the Japanese army increased its troops in Qingcheng, and the Itagaki Division went south. In order to increase Linyi's defense, the commander-in-chief of the Fifth War Zone transferred the Pang Bing regiment stationed in Haicheng to Ju County to assist the 59th Army in preventing the Japanese army from attacking Taierzhuang.

Although this is contrary to history, the 59th Army did not reinforce when the Pang Bing Regiment was most critical. Instead, the Pang Bing Regiment came to help the 59th Army.

Although Zhang and Pang had a feast during the civil war, they were able to abandon all grudges and fight against the enemy of the country and the nation, and finally eliminate grudges with a smile. This is commendable.

In the third line of the fifth war zone, only Linyi was as stable as Mount Tai. Japan suffered losses and the generals, and Ichiro Hiragaki jumped straight.

After returning from Jinan, Ryosuke Isotani immediately pushed his division and regiment headquarters to the front line of Lincheng.

His clamp attack plan was supported by the commander of the Second Army, Nishiojisaki. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If he could conquer Xuzhou before he was transferred, he would have made a contribution to this unparalleled merit.

Nishiojisao has received a notice from the Tokyo Base Camp that he would transfer him back to his country. The commander of the Second Army was a royal family, Lieutenant General Tokuhiko Tokura, who is expected to come to China to take office in early May.

Therefore, Nishioji Sato wanted to occupy Xuzhou earlier than Yoshitani Ryosuke. Such a huge military achievement would be his. Otherwise, as soon as King Minami Higashi took office, this contribution would be considered to be on his head.

Therefore, Nishioji was very eager to build it!

Isotani Ryosuke's plan was exactly what he wanted, and he couldn't support Hata Shunrok's plan, after all, it took too long to do that.

And he couldn't wait. Of course, he had his reasons. Hata Shunruo's appetite was too big. It was a great achievement to eat it, but if he couldn't eat it, he would be indigestion. It would be better and it would be a loss.

Headquarters Operations Minister Hashimoto Qun also tends to be himself, after all, it is a real contribution to the capture of Xuzhou.

The troops were progressing rapidly and were stalemate in Fuji Prefecture. Isotani Ryosuke was very excited. His hands were showing off his muscles and bones back and forth on the combat map, proudly.

"Tengxian, Lincheng, Hancheng, Taierzhuang, Xuzhou will be in danger, and our army will be unstoppable!"

At this time, the communication officer hurried in and reported to Akisuke Isotani: "The leader of the report division, just reported from the military headquarters, the Fifth Division was attacked by the Chinese defenders in Linyi. The Sakamoto Detachment was forced to retreat and has now retreated to Ju County for assistance."

Ryosuke Isotani was stunned at first, then took the telegram from the communications manager and read it quickly. After reading it, he couldn't help but sneer and said, "Sakagaki Jun, it seems that you are holding my horse and holding the whip."

"Haha..." A burst of laughter rang around.

Ryosuke Isotani leaned over to check the map on the marching table, found the location of Ju County, raised his head, and showed a look of contempt on his face: "The 'Iron Army' of the Great Japanese Imperial Army was actually defeated by the miscellaneous Chinese army troops. How can we see people? It is iron or steel, and we will see the difference on the battlefield. Sakagaki Army, you swear to meet with me in Taierzhuang, Humph! It's ridiculous!"

"Immediately send a report to the commander of Seya Brigade, continue to attack and advance, seize Ichi Prefecture, and at the same time use part of the troops to capture Taierzhuang!"

"The division commander, according to information, the new 38th Brigade of the Chinese Army stationed in Taierzhuang is the one stationed in the Chinese Army. This is not a miscellaneous army." Chief of Staff Ichiro Honda hurriedly reminded.

"New 38th Brigade, what unit, why haven't I heard of it?" Isotani Ryosuke frowned slightly.

Honda waved his hand, and a staff officer quickly found a folder and handed it over.

"Teacher Commander, this is the information we have about the New 38th Brigade. You can take a look first." Honda Ichiro said.

"I don't look at it. A team of unknown people is not worth making such a fuss." Isotani Ryosuke pushed open the folder in Honda's hand with great conceit.

"Teacher Commander, the predecessor of this unit was the Chinese Army's teaching corps..."

"Teaching Corps, hahaha, this unit has been defeated by our great Japanese Imperial Army in the Battle of Songhu and Nanjing, and is not qualified to be an opponent of our division."

"Second Commander, according to the plan, our army should join forces with the Itagaki Division to attack Xuzhou. Now the Sakagaki Division is blocked, and our army is going deeper alone, which is too risky..." Honda Ichiro knew the temper of Aosuke Isotani, so he persuaded him to continue, and he had no good results, so he simply changed his reason.

Isotani Risuke waved his hand disdainfully: "What risk? Can the Chinese army still create danger for us? My 10th Division has been invincible since its battle, and no Chinese army can stop us! Advance! My 10th Division now has only two words: Advance!"

"The division commander, there are also elite troops in Xuzhou area..."

"Is Tang Army Group alike?" Isotani Ryosuke even more disdained, "If it really exists, how could we occupy Lincheng and Zaozhuang so easily?"

Ryosuke Isotani didn't believe that there was any "Tang Army" at all. At the Jinan Conference, the Chief of Staff of the Second Army, Suzuki, led the way to make a clear statement. Maybe the "Tang Army" really exists, but he believed more that he saw it on the battlefield with his own eyes.

"But when the Fujita Brigade of the 10th Regiment was chasing the elite Chinese army that was following the Teng Prefecture defenders to break through, he seized some Chinese army uniforms, and sewed a "Bo" on the left chests of these Chinese soldiers who died in battle. This is the symbol of the soldiers of the Tang Army!"

"You believe this too?"

"But the combat effectiveness of these Chinese troops is obvious to all!"

"Okay, I don't want to argue with you anymore. This is an order, please execute it!" Isotani Ryosuke seemed a little impatient. He could not tolerate anyone who dared to stop him from making meritorious contributions now, and he could not accept any suggestions.

Honda was speechless for a moment. He was a qualified soldier, but he was just the chief of staff. He could only make plans and execute superiors' orders, and command troops to fight. That was the function of the division commander.

Isotani Ryosuke said more than once in front of him that he would monopolize Xuzhou and fight to the Huai River, and he didn't want to share the results of the battle with other troops.

On Weishan Island, with the deepening of the management of the Honorary First Division, the entire island not only became a huge barracks, but also gradually built a fortress.

Leng Feng knew that the Honorary First Division could not be stationed in Weishan Island forever. Once it appeared on the battlefield in Xuzhou, the secret on Weishan Island would not be preserved. If the Honorary First Division did not want to move into the enemy's war of resistance, it would eventually evacuate Weishan Island.

By then, the Japanese army would definitely not let Weishan Island go, and the people on the island were unwilling to accept the enslavement of the Japanese, so they had to leave some support for them to resist.

Training a team to build fortifications and organ traps, and giving the people on the island the ability to protect themselves.

When studying during the day and training at night, the Honorary First Division is not idle, but is constantly changing every day. For the current Honorary First Division, every minute and every second are quite precious.

The air waves are frequently transmitted, and Leng Feng maintains close contact with Xuzhou, Hankou and other parties. Even in the XSJ aspect of Huainan, there is a fixed time of intelligence exchange every day.

Leng Feng’s familiarity with the Huainan battlefield does not require the fifth commander and commander to be poor, and he can even know some news in advance in some aspects.

The Japanese army went south again, and the battle situation changed tremendously within one day, which was expected but unexpected.

As expected, Akisuke Isotani was unable to wait and was eager to go south to grab the first prize. When the Sakagaki Division was frustrated, it launched a fierce attack on the Xuzhou area.

Unexpectedly, the Japanese army used more troops than historical periods. Perhaps the time of launch has changed, and correspondingly changed.

The 10th Division went south and served as the Japanese garrisons in Jining, Yanzhou and Qufu areas became extremely empty.
Chapter completed!