At the headquarters of the 14th Area Army of the Island Nation's Army, Commander Lieutenant General Masaharu Honma was listening to a report from the area army's chief of staff, Lieutenant General Masami Maeda.
"Commander, the 35th Army has already launched its attack on the German military. Their assault is fierce, and the officers and men are fighting with great bravery. However, the German firepower is extremely formidable. They have assembled several hundred artillery pieces, including quite a few heavy guns with calibers exceeding two hundred millimeters. As a result, the 35th Army's losses are very heavy," Masami Maeda reported.
Masaharu Honma nodded. He had not been surprised that the German military would deploy powerful firepower along their defensive line. Although this was the 14th Area Army's first clash with the German military, simply reviewing the intelligence from the Netherlands East Indies Expeditionary Army's previous engagements with them was enough to reveal just how formidable the Germans were.
Even so, Masaharu Honma had immense confidence in his own troops. After all, the 14th Area Army under his command numbered more than three hundred thousand men. Not to mention the support of the 7th Area Army and the 18th Area Army. Therefore, Masaharu Honma believed that they would surely defeat the German military in this operation.
"Send a telegram to Suzuki. Tell him to keep up the intensity of the attack and not allow the Germans a moment's respite. Even at night, the offensive must continue. Even if the entire 35th Army is wiped out, the attack cannot stop! Also, send a telegram to Yokoyama. Tell the 41st Army to make preparations. Once the 35th Army loses its combat capability, they are to move in!" Masaharu Honma ordered.
Masaharu Honma's tactics were very straightforward: use their numerical advantage to attack the