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7.57    The arrogant Seishiro Itagaki

The plan of the North China Front Army was to take the 1st Division of Isotani's 1st Division as the right wing, heading south along the Jinpu Road, and heading straight to Teng County. With the 5th Division of Itagaki, known as the "Iron Army", as the left wing, it left Qingdao and launched a large-scale advance from the Qingyi Highway to Linyi, a military city in southern Shandong. Then two "Iron Army" met in Taierzhuang and then captured Xuzhou.

The commander of the 5th Division, Seishiro Itagaki, was born in a gentry family in the Iwattumnum Palace in Iwattmachi Prefecture, Japan. When he was young, he attended the Sendai 6th Army Local Childhood School. Captain Kenyoshi, the Sendai 6th Army Local Childhood School, died in the "Russian War" and was known as the "military god" of the Japanese 6th Army. This "military god" once advocated cruel training for students. Through this method, students' will be tempered so that they can overcome any difficulties and obstacles in future wars and be invincible. Seishiro Itagaki was greatly influenced by Kenyoshi's thoughts. Under long-term influence, Itagaki gradually became a fanatical, martial, bloodthirsty and warlike young officer.

Later, Itagaki entered the 6th Sergeant School of Japan and became a student of the 16th period of the school. Among this period, there were many "masters" and "famous" figures who invaded China, such as Kenji Doihara and Yasuji Okamura. They are called the "Sixteenth Period of Glory" in the Japanese military.

In 19o4, Seishiro Itagaki graduated from the 6th Sergeant School and was awarded the rank of infantry corporal corporal and served as the captain of the infantry squad. At this time, the Russo-Japanese War broke out, and Itagaki followed the troops to the front line of Northeast China. In this war, Seishiro Itagaki mainly fought against the Tsarist Russian troops in Lushun, Fengtian and other places in northeast China. China's vast land and rich resources left a deep impression in Itagaki's mind - he thought that if the Japanese Empire had these, it would be stronger. This idea affected the fate of Seishiro Itagaki's life.

Because Seishiro Itagaki learned Chinese culture since childhood, was well versed in Chinese folk customs, and was able to speak fluent Chinese, he was sent to China by the General Staff many times, and the intermittent time combined for decades.

From the first time he set foot on China in 19o4 to becoming a senior staff officer of the Kwantung Army in 1929, Seishiro Itagaki knows China's geography, politics, economy, and military situations. Therefore, together with Kenji Doihara and Ryosuke Isotani, he was regarded as the "three major Chinese elements" among the Japanese 6th Army.

In 1931, Seishiro Itagaki and Kanir Ishihara jointly planned the "September 18th" Incident. They challenged the 20,000 Northeast Army with 10,000 people. Because Zhang Xueliang made a wrong judgment on Japan's intentions and ordered not to resist what the Japanese army did, nearly 20,000 Northeast Army retreated step by step under the advancing of 10,000 Japanese troops and finally retreated to the inner city. Seishiro Itagaki obtained more than 10,000 square kilometers of land and 30,000 people for Japan in less than 5 months! Due to Itagaki's outstanding performance in the "September 18th" incident, it was unanimously praised by Japan.

On March 1, 1937, Itagaki returned to Japan. His friend, General Staff Operations Minister Kanir Ishihara, wanted to recommend him as Minister of the 6th Army in Lin Xijuro's cabinet, but the 6th Army Chief Mijiro Umezu could not tolerate Itagaki climbing onto him and was appointed as the commander of the Fifth Division of the 6th Army of the Japanese Army. The division was in charge of the 9th Brigade and the 21st Brigade, and was one of the most elite 6th Army divisions in Japan.

After the Lugou Bridge Incident, Seishiro Itagaki led the 5th Division from Hiroshima, passed through Busan, North Korea, and arrived in Tianjin. However, his start was not smooth.

At the beginning of the war, the Itagaki Division received an order to capture Nankou and protect the main force's flanks. However, it was first resisted by Tang Enbo's army in Nankou, and then the flanks and rear routes were attacked by Wei Lihuang's army. Knowing that the commander of the Japanese North China Front Army, Soichi Teraune, entered Yamashita Fengwen's guilds to avoid the danger of Itagaki being surrounded. Then, the chief of staff of the Kanto Army Tojo Hideki led four brigades of the Chahar Corps, quickly defeated Liu Ruming's troops and threatened the rear of Nankou's Tung Enbo's army. Tang Enbo was helpless to give up Nankou. After this series of complicated maneuvering battles between China and Japan, Itagaki barely completed the task assigned by the front army to him to protect the main force's flanks.

In order to carry out the scheduled Baoding-Zhuozhou Battle, the Japanese army concentrated its troops, and a brigade of Itagaki was also transferred. Itagaki was unwilling to take half of the division to defend the south entrance. With contact with the Tojo Hidei Fleet, he followed the retreating Fu Zuoyi's Seventh Army along both sides of the Pingsui Line, echoing each other and attacking Sui Yuan, expanding the battle situation to the Shanxi Plateau on the roof of North China. This move completely out of the plan of the base camp and the North China Front Army. The Tojo Hidei Fleet brought the Chinese Army second.

After the main force of the war zone was attracted to Datong, Itagaki suddenly turned his troops and defeated the Liu Fengbin Division of the Jin army. The flying troops rushed to Pingxing Pass and broke through the line of the inner Great Wall along the route that had been investigated by visiting Mount Wutai a few years ago. At this point, the doors of the northwestern department of Shanxi opened. Yan Xishan, the commander of the Second War Zone, woke up as if he was dreaming. He hurriedly dispatched troops to block the attack and executed the commander Li Fuying, who was unfavorable in combat. However, due to poor cooperation and chaotic command, he lost the natural danger of Ru Yuekou, and the Jin army was forced to retreat across the line.

During the battle, Itagaki led the 5th Division to attack the Xinkou position of 20,000 Chinese troops in a head-on manner, which was something that only the craziest commander could do. The Xinkou battle fought for 23 days. Under the fierce artillery fire of the Japanese army, the Chinese army lost several generals and 100,000 soldiers below the commander of the Ninth Army Hao Mengling and 100,000 soldiers! On January 26, Baoding had been conquered, and the main force of the Japanese army in Shijiazhuang divided the troops to capture Huniangzi Pass in the eastern department of Shanxi, and advanced rapidly towards Taiyuan. The Chinese army in Xinkou was attacked by the enemy from both sides and had to abandon the defense. Itagaki broke through the encirclement and chased dozens of Chinese divisions in a collapsed state, taking the opportunity to capture Taiyuan.

Later, the result of this battle was passed back to China, and it suddenly became a 30-plus division of Itagaki Seishiro defeated the Chinese army with half a division and captured Shanxi. Itagaki Seishiro was in the limelight! Among the Japanese generals in North China, Itagaki Seishiro's reputation was even comparable to the commander of the North China Front Army. It is widely rumored that the Prime Minister of the Guard intends to let Itagaki Seishiro return to China to replace Sugiyama Moto as the sixth Prime Minister, so when Itagaki Seishiro demands to act as an arrow to attack Xuzhou, no one dares to compete with him.

Seishiro Itagaki was eager to take Xuzhou, and he did not take the 3rd Army of Pang Bingxun's upcoming opponent, Pang Bingxun's 3rd Army. Long before the army, Chief of Staff, Colonel Umejin, reminded Itagaki: "We are facing Pang Bingxun's 3rd Army, with about 5 regiments of troops. It is said that Pang Bingxun's soldiers are mostly men in the area of ​​Cang County, China. Cangzhou was called Youyan in ancient times, with strong people and fighting spirit, and Pang Bingxun was also used to driving these great men."

Itagaki said disdainfully: "As far as I know, Pang Bingxun's troops are a miscellaneous army that is about to be disbanded, vulnerable! Any Chinese army, in front of the iron army of the large Japanese imperial army led by me, is just a group of ants!"

Itagaki Seishiro embarked on the journey of attacking Linyi with such arrogance!

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Chapter completed!