After experiencing the May Day raids and such a disastrous defeat, the empire's stable occupied areas and important transportation lines were defended.

Daxia cannot be overturned just like this.

Okamura was very worried about this. He was worried that after he stepped down, the next commander of the North China Front would completely collapse the security and stability of the entire North China Front because of this unstable situation.

This old devil did his job well and planned hard before stepping down, hoping to make up for some more gaps.

As for the five cities including Licheng, Shexian, Lucheng, Xiangyuan, and Liaoxian that were captured by the Eighth Route Army with great fanfare, Okacun can no longer control so much. His mobile troops in North China have basically been buried in the western Inner Mongolia region.

There is no armed force that can quickly reinforce the past.

What can be done?

We can only honestly report the information to the commander-in-chief of the Chinese Expeditionary Forces, Junroku Hata.

"Baga, this stupid and incompetent guy Okamura!" After hanging up the phone, Shunroku Hata couldn't help but curse Okamura.

He probably forgot that in the first year after Okamura took office, he also spoke highly of him: Okamura-kun is the most cultivated and capable officer among the senior imperial officers I have ever seen!

This is a real slap in the face.

Faced with the urgent situation that Licheng was completely captured by the Eighth Route Army, Yan Junliu also had a headache.

With lightning speed, the Eighth Route Army suddenly pressed forward with heavy troops and attacked Licheng. The Japanese army had no time to adjust and deploy defenses, and Licheng was directly defeated.

However, the special location of Licheng determines its extremely important military status.

As the hub of the Japanese army's special transportation line.

Once something happened in Licheng, the impact on the Japanese army would be extremely disastrous, especially since the four surrounding cities in Licheng were captured by the Eighth Route Army at the same time.

At least three arterial transportation lines will be completely cut off by the Eighth Route Army.

It may even lead to complete turmoil in the entire North China rear area, which the Japanese army cannot tolerate.

He then began to scold Okamura for being stupid.

If this fool hadn’t mistakenly believed some nonsense about the large oil fields in western Inner Mongolia.

How could it lead to such a terrible situation?

Originally, the May Day raids in places like Shanxi, Hebei, and Shandong were almost over.

But Okamura, an old boy with a gambler's nature, placed all his bets on the Wuyun Oilfield.

He deployed one mobile force after another to the western Inner Mongolia area to build a permanent fortification group to protect the Wuyun Oilfield.

The old devil even asked the troops to prepare long-term supplies and various supporting facilities, and began to vigorously build it, mobilizing a large number of manpower, material resources and various construction machinery.

At this point, Okamura is still dreaming of using the Wuyun Oilfield as a large-scale development oil field to directly supply the oil consumption of the imperial war machine!

It was not until the end that it was discovered that the Wuyun Oilfield was basically shale oil and could not be exploited on a large scale.

Okamura was completely confused!

At this time, other parts of the Eighth Route Army were guerrillas, local armed forces, and autumn harvest grain collection teams, fighting with the Japanese army everywhere and destroying the autumn harvest in the occupied areas.

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Japanese military intelligence shows that the main forces of the Eighth Route Army in the Yan'an area, Taihang area, and Luliang Mountain area are constantly gathering towards the western Inner Mongolia area.

As time goes on, the rainy season in western Inner Mongolia is coming again.

Moreover, the amount of rainfall this year is even more exaggerated, and it is expected to arrive less than half a month in advance.

At this time, the Japanese were guarding a worthless oil field and were confronting the Eighth Route Army and the 35th Route Army in the mud. Whether to retreat or hold on became a choice that almost caused Okamura to collapse.

It's worthless if you stick to it.

If we attack, more and more Eighth Route Army numbers will appear, which is probably no different from throwing ourselves into a trap.

The retreat route is almost cut off, and supplies will not be available if there is a long-term confrontation with the Eighth Route Army.

The mobile unit was trapped in the mud and encircled by the Eighth Route Army, and was even in danger of being annihilated.

Okamura had no choice but to lower his head and ask for help from Junroku Hata.

Now, his prestige as the commander-in-chief of North China has been greatly reduced, and I am afraid that the transfer orders issued by him will not be effective.

In desperation, Hata Junroku had to personally contact the commanders of the First Army, the Twelfth Army, the Mongolian Army, and the Kwantung Army to directly dispatch troops and generals to reinforce the Western Mongolian Mobile Force and ask the Western Mongolian Army to abandon all the troops that could not be taken away.

Supplies should be evacuated quickly under the cover of reinforcements and air force to avoid entanglement with the Eighth Route Army and get rid of the situation of being surrounded by the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army, the Yan'an Army, the 129th Division, and the 35th Route Army.

At this point, the Japanese mobile troops in North China were basically disabled and were unable to reinforce Licheng.

In addition, North China suffered such a huge defeat.

Junroku Hata also thought that he could regain his position and save his face.

It happened that a Japanese spy found out that the Eighth Route Army was planning to hold a military parade on August 1st, their Army Day. He immediately called for the head of the intelligence agency and the commander of the Army Aviation Headquarters to prepare for gathering in central China, east China, and north China.

The aviation force carried out devastating air strikes on Licheng in three batches.

First, the North China Army Aviation Force was dispatched, and flying teams from various airports in Peking and Shandong conducted reconnaissance on Licheng, conducted exploratory air strikes, and cooperated with ground lurking agents and airborne paratroopers to comprehensively explore the Eighth Route Army's air defense forces and distribution positions in Licheng.

Carpet bombing and air raids on the entire city.

"Blow up all those damn Eighth Route Army troops!"

Hata Junroku's eyes were full of coldness.

"The North China Air Force tested the Eighth Route Army's anti-aircraft firepower and carried out a preliminary strike, after exhausting the Eighth Route Army.

The main force of the air force taking off from airports in Wuhan and other places in central China launched a comprehensive air raid on Licheng, hitting targets throughout the Eighth Route Army and attacking air defense positions.
Chapter completed!