Songhu: Never Give Up

Chapter 224: Decisive Battle of Jianghuai
After bidding farewell to General Chen, Yue Qianli convened a meeting of several officers above the rank of detachment commander, mainly to adjust the equipment. The guerrilla column was no longer equipped with all German weapons.
There are four main types of equipment. The first type is the original German equipment, the second type is the captured Japanese equipment, the third type is the Chinese equipment used by the defeated soldiers, and the last type is the newly obtained Soviet equipment. It can be said that there are many types.

"Brothers, just these various equipment and supplies alone are enough to give us a headache, so I decided to make a unified allocation:
All the original German equipment was redeployed to the First and Second Detachments. They had been using the German equipment all along and were used to it;

All the newly received Soviet weapons were given to the three detachments, and the surplus was stored to make up for the losses during the war.
All Japanese weapons of the supplementary detachment and the independent detachment were replaced, and the captured equipment and ammunition were enough to support the two detachments' combat needs for three months.

In addition to selecting some good equipment for the direct battalion, the remaining equipment was disposed of in southern Anhui.
All the money we earn will be used as the expenses of the entire column. The cost of tens of thousands of troops is huge, and the government can only guarantee two meals of thin food. Do you have any objections to this plan?"

Everyone expressed that they had no objection, and this was the best solution. If the military equipment was not unified, Yue Qianli would not be the only one to have a headache.

The adjustment of equipment was just the appetizer of the meeting, and the rest was the main course. When everyone heard that Yue Qianli was going to talk about business, their spirits immediately became excited. They were bored to death when there was no war.

Yue Qianli looked around again and said:

"Brothers, according to the intelligence we have, the Japanese are tired of our carefree life in Wuhu and are mobilizing heavy troops to make trouble for us.
The previous Central China Expeditionary Army, Shanghai Expeditionary Army, and the Tenth Army were explained by the death of the old devil Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko, and on this basis,
The Central China Front Army had 6 field divisions and some directly affiliated units, with a total strength of more than 20. Its commander was General Hata Shunroku and its chief of staff was Major General Iinuma Mamoru.

During this period, we rested in Wuhu, and the six divisions of the Central China Front Army were also reorganized. More than 5 reservists have been added to the divisions. Now they are all strong and their combat effectiveness has been restored. "

After hearing this, everyone couldn't help but exclaimed, and their expressions became serious. The Japanese's mobilization ability was too strong;

On the other hand, of the dozen or so divisions of the National Army that participated in the battle in Nanjing, except for the guerrilla column, the other divisions were almost all crippled. Although they are now being reorganized, they will be of no use for a few months.

Yue Qianli signaled for everyone to be quiet and continued:
“The Japanese army’s massive Central China Front Army is not just for dealing with guerrilla columns, we are not that confident yet;
At present, the main force of the National Army is gathering in the Jianghuai area with Xuzhou as the center, defending the Jinpu Road and Longhai Line, and protecting the Central Plains, Guanzhong, Hanzhong and Wuhan, the seat of the Military Commission.

Now the strategic areas outside the Great Wall, North China, Hedong, and East China have all fallen into the hands of the devils. The Jianghuai region has always been a battleground for military strategists.
The enemy's strategic intention was very clear. The Central China and North China Front Armies would open up the Jinpu Road from the south and the north respectively, and attack Xuzhou from both sides, forcing the main force of the National Army to fight a decisive battle with them.

The devils still wanted to annihilate the main force of the Nationalist army through a decisive battle and force the Nationalist government to surrender;

If this strategic intention was not achieved, the Japanese army could advance westward along the Longnan Line and capture Zhengzhou after occupying Xuzhou.

Then the troops were divided into two groups, one group continued to advance westwards and invaded Guanzhong;

The other route goes south along the Jinghan Road, attacking Wuhan, Changsha and even Chongqing. "

Everyone's face changed drastically, and Wang Jianfei interrupted and said:
"Captain, if this is the case, all of China's best land will fall into the hands of the devils, and the foundation of the long-term war of resistance will be shaken;

In the decisive battle of Jianghuai, our guerrilla column cannot be a spectator. If the skin is gone, where will the hair be attached? "

After hearing this, everyone also volunteered to fight, all of them were worried about the future of China. After all, they did not have Yue Qianli's God's perspective;

Historically, once foreign races occupied the above-mentioned places, China would fall into the darkness of being ruled by foreign races for hundreds of years. Although the Mongols and Manchus are members of the Chinese family, it was definitely a humiliating history for the Han people of that era.

This is still China's internal affairs, but the Japanese are different. They are foreign invaders in the true sense of the word. We must never allow them to achieve this strategy, otherwise China will really be in danger of national destruction and extinction.

Yue Qianli knew what they were worried about, so he took over the conversation and continued:
“Before attacking the Jinpu Road, the Japanese had to resolve the threats on both wings, namely Shandong in the north and Wuhu in the south;

In Shandong, Han Xiangfang's Third Army has 10 men, and in Wuhu, our guerrilla column has 4 men. In addition, with Prince Asaka Naruhiko's incident, the Japanese army must deal with us first."

When Zhu Chi heard that there was a battle to be fought, he immediately said excitedly:
"Then let the devils come over. My guerrilla column has just finished training, so it's a good opportunity to practice with them."

Duan Yulin took over and said:
"Wuhu controls Gouwu in the east, connects to Jingchu in the south, and straddles the strategic location of Zhongjiang River. It is an important town and gateway to southern Anhui, and a battleground for military strategists throughout the ages.

Wuhu's terrain is high in the southwest and low in the northeast, and it is shaped like a double wing, with both plains and hills, and a dense network of rivers and lakes. It is not conducive to the combat of the Japanese mechanized troops, but there is no strategic location to defend;

The Japanese had a strong advantage in the air and ground artillery, and the dangers of rivers, lakes and reservoirs in the traditional sense could not stop the Japanese attack at all.

So my opinion is that it is okay to fight the devils in Wuhu for a while, but it is not advisable to fight a large-scale decisive battle! "

A smile appeared on Yue Qianli's lips. He had to say that letting Duan Yulin lead the team alone was of great help to his growth. Now his ability and vision were fully qualified for the post of detachment leader, and he had the potential to become his right-hand man in the future.

He nodded appreciatively at Duan Yulin and said:
"Old Duan's suggestion is very good, because I have no intention of fighting the devils to death in Wuhu. The strategic focus of both sides is in Xuzhou. It will take time for the National Government to complete the deployment of the decisive battle in Jianghuai.
The same is true for the Japanese, so we must fight a battle with the Japanese in Wuhu to wear down their morale and at the same time buy time for the deployment of the Battle of Xuzhou.

If there is an opportunity, we can also annihilate part of them and suppress the arrogance of the devils;

When it comes to war, everyone has to show off their unique skills. There is no absolute death place, and no dangerous pass that cannot be conquered.

As long as the tactics are used properly and the soldiers fight for their lives, we can also teach the Japanese a painful lesson in Wuhu;

They throw their bombs, and we throw our grenades!"

Everyone was immediately infected by Yue Qianli's optimism and was full of confidence in the future battle of Wuhu. The current guerrilla column had the strength to do so.

Next, they discussed the specific combat plan, worked together, and quickly agreed upon a major plan. The detailed combat plan was handed over to the staff office led by Chen Zhongyuan. Yue Qianli only decided the general direction, and all other matters were assigned to others, with everyone doing their own job.

(End of this chapter)