Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Chapter 184: A Bet! (Subscribe)

Tom Enbo..
Li Zongren had mixed feelings.

The combat effectiveness of Tang Enbo's troops is naturally beyond doubt.

As one of Chiang Kai-shek's direct troops.

Tang Enbo had met with Chiang Kai-shek long before coming to Xuzhou.

And make your concerns known.

If Li Zongren failed to command effectively, his troops would have died in vain.

The biggest problem will arise.

That means the troops that Chiang Kai-shek personally trained would be left with less than 50,000 people.

This guy still wants to be the chairman?
Tang Enbo's troops could not suffer heavy losses.

This was the consensus between Chiang Kai-shek and Tang Enbo.

Li Zongren naturally knew what was going on.

Chu Yunfei brought it up at this time.

In fact, it is also secretly expressing its attitude.

When I, Chu Yunfei, faced Tang Enbo and Chiang Kai-shek.

I am of the same mind as you, Li Zongren.

For the country, the nation, and the people, I can and am willing to lead my troops to sacrifice.

But I also offer a better option.

The reason why it is among the three strategies of upper, middle and lower.

None of them mentioned Tang Enbo's fundamental reason.

The problem is that Chu Yunfei is not suitable for formulating such a combat plan.

He could only offer advice and suggestions from troops that Li Zongren could directly command.

Instead, he suggested to Li Zongren that he should transfer the 52nd Army, the absolute main force under Tang Enbo, to help him eliminate the Sakamoto Detachment first.

This kind of suggestion.

Perhaps it cannot be called a suggestion.

It's simply trying to please Li Zongren.

Li Zongren paused slightly, stayed for less than two seconds, and then took another step forward.

Chu Yunfei knew...there was a high probability that this would succeed.

This is the best solution he can think of at the moment.

The reorganization and adjustment of the troops withdrawn from Nanjing and Songhu had just been carried out for less than three months, and such troops were brought over to fight.

That's not fighting, it's simply committing suicide.

Talk about it.

During the Battle of Lanfeng, the performance of the various units of the Central Army could be described as shameful.

Its essence is also what the book has always emphasized.

The middle and lower-level officers suffered heavy casualties, and the experienced veterans suffered greater losses.

A decline in the troops' combat effectiveness is also inevitable.

Even Chu Yunfei, a time traveler, could not solve such a problem in a short time.

Didn't half of the three newly formed infantry regiments he created in the Second World War sacrifice their lives?
Tang Enbo suffered a lot, and Li Zongren took the blame (suspicion)!

Wuhan.

After seeing the telegram sent by Li Zongren, Chiang Kai-shek couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Judging from the battle plan described in the telegram sent by Li Zongren.

Li Zongren also advocated attack instead of defense.

A group of senior generals were called together.

Li Zongren's battle plan became very clear after Bai Chongxi's explanation.

Tang Enbo's elite 52nd Army, Guan Linzheng's troops, the 59th Army and the 3rd Corps joined forces to attack in the direction of Linyi and annihilate the main force of the Sakamoto Detachment of the 5th Division.

Chu Yunfei's 358th Brigade and the 366th Brigade of the nd Division were stationed in Pingyi to block the reinforcements of the th Division.

While the main force of the Japanese army has not yet moved south.

To give the Japanese invaders a time difference and destroy their manpower.

Lay an advantageous foundation for subsequent operations.

"You are welcome to speak freely and express your opinions."

At the signal from Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Chi-xiu was the first to speak: "Chairman, this battle plan is full of radicalism and risk. We cannot predict when the 14th Division of the Japanese invaders will move south, nor can we predict when the Japanese reinforcements will arrive.

Assuming that everything goes well in this battle plan, we only wiped out 5,000 to 8,000 Japanese troops in the north, while they still have 70,000 reserve combat troops.

For the Japanese, it was really painless.

However, our army had less than 30,000 defenders on the Linyi front, including the 59th Army under Zhang Zizhong.

I think that if the losses in this annihilation battle are too great, it will be detrimental to the defensive operations in Linyi.”

Chiang Kai-shek nodded and said, "Ci Xiu, what is your opinion?"

Chen Cixiu walked up to the crowd and took the baton handed to him by Bai Jiansheng.

"There are many mountainous terrains to the south of Linyi. Although the area around Linyi is not conducive to defense, it is also difficult for the Japanese invaders to deploy. Linyi has the advantage of a strong city, so we can fight in the city and engage in a tug-of-war with the Japanese invaders. Relying on the favorable mountainous terrain, we can resist step by step and slowly retreat."

"It can not only achieve the strategic goal of buying time for Wuhan and the rear areas, but also achieve the tactical goal of depleting the Japanese invaders' manpower."

After Chen Cixiu finished speaking, he looked at the people attending the meeting.

A number of senior generals expressed their views.

"The 59th Army had previously performed well in the battle of Xiaobengbu Town, and the 51st Army Commander Yu had also praised the combat effectiveness of the 59th Army."

"Since ancient times, there has been a saying that the army of the underdog will win. Brother Xu Chen and his troops are capable of taking on the great responsibility."

"Perhaps we can dispatch Tang's troops to rush to reinforce and attack the Japanese invaders by surprise. Everyone, don't forget that Chu Yunfei's troops are also in Xuzhou. Previously, the two of them fought hard and worked together in the great victory of Yangquan."

After listening to Chen Chi-xiu's suggestion, Chiang Kai-shek had to say that he was moved.

Give the Japanese invaders a surprise attack.

Yangquan Victory
In essence, it is just a time difference.

Intelligence obtained by the Japanese showed that Chu Yunfei's troops were on their way from Shouyang to Yu County to block the enemy.

After they suddenly appeared in Yangquan, they cooperated with the 122nd Division to launch a fierce attack, which defeated the Japanese invaders and even wiped out the 78th Regiment.

If Tang Enbo's troops could secretly go to the Linyi front and suddenly participate in the Battle of Linyi.

It will surely be able to catch the Japanese army by surprise and even achieve greater results.

Following this line of thought, Chiang Kai-shek even felt.

He joined forces with his own direct lineage, Tang Enbo's army, and Chu Yunfei's army.

It can completely defeat the main force of the Japanese Tenth Division.

Even recover some of the lost territory and establish a more stable forward base.

A group of generals expressed their opinions respectively.

There were people like Bai Chongxi who supported Li Zongren's ideas, and there were also people who supported Chen Cixiu (Chang Kaishen)'s ideas.

In short, a group of senior generals conducted a comprehensive analysis from all aspects.

The worst possible situation would be a defeat without achieving total annihilation.

The main force of the Japanese invaders moved south to provide support in advance, and the flanking attack by the Third Army was completely unable to contain them.

This led to the further deterioration of the situation in Xuzhou.
If you can afford such a cost, you can naturally choose such risky tactics and measures.

The reason why Chen Cixiu was able to express his own views clearly was that he did not agree with Li Zongren's battle plan.

It is also based on this point.

In the Battle of Xuzhou, the Japanese army made many mistakes and even failed in attacks many times.

But their national army is different. As long as there is the slightest strategic mistake.

It will cause the entire situation in Xuzhou to deteriorate.

A group of senior generals discussed the matter for two days, and Chiang Kai-shek even asked for the opinions of the German advisory group.

This was beyond Chang Kai-shen's expectations.

Falkenhausen supported Li Zongren's battle plan and firmly believed that once victory was achieved, they should immediately pursue and expand the victory to annihilate the enemy in order to stabilize the front line at Tai'an.

At that time, we will be able to fully utilize Shandong's geographical advantages and deal with the Japanese invaders in the mountainous terrain.

This will not only buy enough time for the Yangtze River defense line.

It will also buy enough time for the Wuhan War.

In order to get a more "comprehensive" view from the German side.

Chiang Kai-shek specially invited Falkenhausen to dinner. The two discussed the current international situation and the perspectives of various parties.

Discussing whether this battle is worth taking.

If we win, can we get more international support and even more international aid?

To Chiang Kai-shek's disappointment.

Falkenhausen held a short-term pessimistic attitude towards the Nationalist government's prospects in the war of resistance.

He believes that in the next six months or even one to two years.

Failure in a large-scale battle is inevitable.

The National Government and even the National Army should firmly adhere to the idea of ​​a long-term war of resistance.

After learning some information from Falkenhausen.

Late that night, Chiang Kai-shek ordered a secret telegram to be sent to Kong Xiangxi to check on the Japanese.

At the same time, he sent a secret telegram to Tang Enbo, ordering him to prepare to move to Xuzhou for battle.

Chiang Kai-shek already had a plan in mind.

Once the Japanese make it clear that they reject the peace talks, a fight to the death will inevitably follow.

That's just as planned.

It would be fine if Tang Enbo's troops did not attack, but once they did, they must achieve significant results.

Otherwise, it is hard to say how the situation will change in the future.

Chiang Kai-shek not only had to face pressure from the Japanese army, but also from local warlords and various factions within the Blue Party.

He Yingqin and Chen Cixiu are just some of them.

You should know that the chairman of the Blue Party, Wang Zhaoming, had not yet committed treason at this time.

Continue to be his troublemaker firmly.

He promoted peace with Gao Zongwu and others.

These alone are enough to make them overwhelmed, and if the war situation deteriorates further.

The headquarters of the Tang Army.

After receiving the secret telegram from Chang Kaishen, Tang Enbo immediately notified Guan Linzheng, commander of the 52nd Army.

And the commander of the 85th Army, Wang Zhonglian.

The 85th Army was a unit reorganized by Tang Enbo when he was in southern Shanxi.

It is composed of the 4th and 89th Divisions of the 13th Army.

The original commander of the 4th Division was Wang Wanling, but during this reorganization, Chen Daqing took over as the division commander.

The commander of the 89th Division was originally held concurrently by Wang Zhonglian, and this month, Zhang Xuezhong took over the position.

Before the 89th Division entered Shanxi to fight, Bao Gang's 46th Independent Brigade was also incorporated into the 89th Division's combat sequence.

As for Bao Gang, after the Battle of Southern Shanxi, he was promoted to deputy commander of the 13th Army.

At this time, the 13th Army was actually a hollow shell.

It was not until March 38 that troops were drawn from all over the place to form the Second Reserve Division.

That was later called the 110th Division.

"The chairman is preparing to combine one regiment of the 10th Cavalry Division of Tan Zixin, four battalions of the Henan North Division Command, two battalions of the 89th Division, and Xin Shaoting's unit of the 40th Independent Brigade into the Second Reserve Division, with Zhang Zhen as the division commander."

"What's this, Commander?"

Guan Linzheng asked directly.

Tang Enbo looked worried: "The chairman is preparing to use our corps as the main force to rush to Xuzhou and cooperate with the 59th Army and the 3rd Corps to defeat the Sakamoto Detachment of the 5th Division."

"Does the corps commander want us to catch the Japanese invaders by surprise?" Wang Zhonglian frowned slightly and said tentatively, "It seems to be a good opportunity for us."

Tang Enbo nodded and continued, "The idea of ​​winning by surprise is suitable for small and medium-sized battlefields. In the Battle of Jinpu Road, both sides deployed tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of troops to fight the enemy. Annihilating a few thousand Japanese invaders was not of much help to the overall situation."

"It's just that the chairman has made up his mind and is determined to adopt Commander Li's battle plan. We should prepare for the battle in advance."

Wang Zhonglian asked, "Commander, Chu Yunfei's troops should have arrived in Xuzhou. Why didn't you use the 358th Brigade to cooperate with the th Army to attack?"

Tang Enbo chuckled and said, "The Chairman does not trust the 358th Army, nor does he believe in the combat effectiveness of the rd Corps. The reason why I was transferred to Xuzhou is that he hopes that the th Brigade will cooperate with me in the battle. The Chairman knows who is truly fighting against Japan."

Guan Linzheng had no expression on his face, while Wang Zhonglian flattered him: "It seems that we still need our army to attack in order to win this battle, Commander, what do you plan to do?"

Before Tang Enbo could speak.

Guan Linzheng spoke directly: "Commander, the 52nd Army requests to attack."

Tang Enbo thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement: "General Guan, please remember one thing. After arriving in Xuzhou, go to Zaozhuang and wait for orders as soon as possible. Do not obey the orders of the Fifth War Zone Commander Headquarters. Wait until I give the order to attack before attacking."

"But, Commander Li's military order"

"Commander Li also needs to listen to the chairman."

Tang Enbo emphasized again.

Guan Linzheng had no objection at this time. Since Tang Enbo had said so, what else could he say?

Don't you want to listen to the chairman?
If you don't listen to Li Zongren, you will at most be reprimanded after the war, and you probably won't even have to go to the military court.

If you don't listen to the chairman and attack on your own, even if you achieve success, you will most likely be removed from your position.

Although Guan Linzheng is reckless, he is thoughtful and smart.

Otherwise, why would Zheng Dongguo feel that Guan Linzheng likes to sell out his teammates?

If you are too smart, too good at fighting and too young, you will inevitably be feared by people with Fenghua accents.
There's nothing we can do about it.

Guan Linzheng's performance in the early days of the War of Resistance Against Japan was indeed outstanding.

When the confrontation period came, he basically had no chance to show off.
Young.

If he gets promoted any further, there won't be any room for him to move up any further.

That's why this happens
Having said that, after Wuhan made the decision, the 52nd Army began preparations for the march.

The Second Division was the first to board the train heading east.

According to the original battle plan.

They will be deployed to the front line within four days.

As the first wave of offensive forces, participate in the counterattack.

The Second Division has strong combat effectiveness and good equipment.

Its commander was the famous general Zheng Dongguo.

The soldiers and mid-level commanders under his command have all performed brilliantly.

The following marching sequence was the 25th Division led by Zhang Yaoming. Their command ability was relatively average, but their equipment and fighting spirit were very good.

The strategic direction has been determined and this battle affects the overall situation.

Even Chu Yunfei only found out about it after the Second Division arrived.

The military trains arrived at the station almost at the same time.

It was very quiet when the members of the Second Division and even the Honorable 358th Regiment of the 196th Brigade got off the vehicles.

Apart from sporadic commands, there was basically no other sound.

The Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, led by Qian Bojun, soon left the station.
The commander of the Second Division, Zheng Dongguo, looked at Qian Bojun's troops in silence.
He whispered to the colonel who came to the station to greet him, "Which unit is this?"

"The 358th Honorary Regiment of the 196th Brigade."

"Is it the unit that was formerly the 358th Regiment and inherited the honorary number of the 196th Brigade?"

"Yes."

Zheng Dongguo seemed to be thinking about something...it was obvious that he had received only partial orders.

After the leaks in the Second War Zone and even the Aide-de-camp...
The Fifth War Zone also had to be cautious.

Li Zongren first played a little trick.

This way, even if the Japanese intercepted the telegram.

The cautious old Japs needed to at least conduct aerial reconnaissance to confirm the intelligence.

A round trip could buy at least one day.

For such a battlefield, even if the enemy's attack direction and deployment position are guessed, it often takes sufficient time to mobilize the troops.

Urgently dispatching Tang's army to the battlefield in Xuzhou was a risky move.

If you go the right way.

The global battlefield can be activated.

If they take a wrong step, Tang’s army will be in danger.

In fact, no one can bear the consequences.

Even making amends is not possible.

But right now, if you want to win this battle, there is no other chance except to take a gamble.

It’s so sad that the label is gone!


(End of this chapter)