The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 406 Debate with the Confucian Scholars (Two Chapters Combined)

"Commander Bai, Commander Chen, Commander Li, Commander Zhang, before I share some of our humble opinions from the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment, I have some things I'd like you to see."

I just hope that none of the officers here will ask where these things came from.

"And after you leave this room, don't tell anyone that our army has these things." Anne began her speech with these words.

She was holding a large roll of blueprints in her hand as she spoke.

And with an extremely serious look in his eyes, he looked at the four bigwigs present, as if he would absolutely not open these blueprints if they did not agree.

During this process, all the gentlemen present, including the four big shots Bai, Chen, Li, and Zhang, were visibly distracted.

Given their status, the four of them could naturally say, "What kind of beautiful women haven't I seen?"

The main reason they were stunned was that after Annie walked up to them, the capable and efficient demeanor of a modern professional woman, or rather, the aura of a workplace elite woman, instinctively came out in full force.

Unfortunately, none of the people present, except for Hu Biao, had ever seen this before.

For a moment, even those of them who held high positions couldn't help but lose their composure.

Fortunately, they were all people with strong self-control, and they reacted to Annie's question in a very short time.

Without the slightest hesitation, Commander Bai turned to the group of generals below and earnestly gave them the following instructions:
"Everyone remember this: after you leave this room, whatever you saw or heard at the military conference today, keep it all to yourselves and don't reveal a single word to anyone."

Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless under military law. At that point, I, Bai, will recognize you, but military law won't."

Although the three bigwigs, Chen, Li, and Zhang, did not speak, they looked at everyone solemnly, their words carrying a clear sense of reminder and warning.

It was in this way that the four bigwigs present agreed to Annie's request.

Having received the promise, Anne didn't waste any more words. With the help of her two advisors, she unrolled the large roll of blueprints and hung it up high.

Then, he explained each of the circled areas on the drawing that were marked as important.

After roughly understanding the contents of the blueprints and some details, the expressions of everyone present became increasingly solemn.

As Annie provided more detailed explanations, some of them even let out a gasp.

The reason for such a strong reaction from everyone was naturally because the contents of this scroll of blueprints were not simple.

To be more specific, this thing was actually a map of the Japanese defenses in Nanning that Annie and a large group of staff officers in the group had been working overtime for the past few days to create based on the photos taken by Lao Yu.

As Annie recounted the story, everyone present realized one thing: they had underestimated how difficult the Japanese soldiers in the city were to deal with.

On the one hand, the fortifications built by the Japanese on the perimeter were actually much more solid and vicious than what they had seen before.

Or perhaps, in their previous attack, the Japanese hadn't exposed many of their firing positions; making it into the city would be far more difficult than they had anticipated.

On the other hand, even if the army successfully storms into the city, the real battle seems to be just beginning.

Because the Japanese were still in Nanning, they built and renovated a large number of defensive fortifications in many key locations, making the entire city of Nanning a super-sized fortress.

How many people would die, how much time would be spent, and even whether the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment, as the main attacking force, could actually capture the city were all questions.

After spending nearly half an hour detailing the numerous arrangements the Japanese had made in Nanning, Annie finally began her summary-like remarks:

"I admit that the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment has rich experience and good combat effectiveness in attacking fortified positions and street fighting."

However, even including Hu Biao, we only have a dozen or so qualified commanders and more than 3,000 troops; even if we wipe out everyone, we still cannot completely take Nanning before the 18th Division arrives.

Another crucial point is that there are still 70,000 to 80,000 people stranded in the city.

What if they are accidentally injured in battle? And what if the Japanese devils, when they are cornered, turn on them?
Let's prepare for the worst! These inhuman creatures are capable of anything.

After Anne finished speaking, the large crowd in the ancestral hall fell into an even longer silence, and everyone's face looked extremely grim.

In particular, Du Yuming of the Fifth Army, Commander Dai of the 200th Division, and Commander Zheng of the Honorary First Division all showed great sorrow on their faces.

No other reason than that! Even the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment, which was the main force in the attack, was unable to capture Nanning in a short period of time.

Doesn't that mean all the previous hard-fought battles and the deaths of so many brothers were meaningless?

The other members of the Guangxi clique were not much better off; after all, this was their stronghold, their very foundation.

I originally thought I could take this opportunity to snatch it back from the Japanese.

This was also the biggest reason why their morale and fighting power suddenly surged after the victory at Kunlun Pass, because they saw hope of recapturing Nanning.

What was the result? All those hopes vanished immediately after seeing the defense map above and hearing Anne's explanation.

In short, at this moment, everyone present except for Hu Biao and Annie was filled with despair.

This wasn't a question of whether they dared to fight or were willing to fight to the death; rather, it was that they knew that even if they fought to the death, they couldn't change the outcome.

A harsh conclusion drawn from the hard power of both sides.

At the same time, they also understood why Annie had repeatedly emphasized at the beginning that the existence of this thing must not be exposed.

On the one hand, it is estimated that they were worried that if the Japanese learned of this information and made some emergency adjustments to the defense line, the effectiveness of this defense map would be greatly reduced.

On the other hand, the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment must have planted some spies in Nanning to be able to draw such a detailed defense map.

If the Japanese find out, these spies will likely be in danger...

******
The atmosphere in the meeting room was deathly silent and somber. After another ten minutes, Hu Biao and Annie exchanged a secret glance, knowing that it was time.

These people have been desperate enough that at this point, they should be able to accept their bold tactics or their grand plan.

At Hu Biao's prompting, Annie snapped her fingers lightly, drawing everyone's attention.

Under these circumstances, Anne spoke in a calm tone, but to their ears it was like a thunderbolt:
"Commendations, since we cannot take Nanning before the Japanese reinforcements arrive using normal tactics."

Have you ever thought about using some slightly bolder tactics?

For example, while attacking Nanning City normally, they could also prepare to ambush the Japanese reinforcements. After eliminating the Japanese reinforcements, they could then turn back to deal with the Japanese in the city.

Simply put, it's a tactic of besieging a point and attacking reinforcements.

It should be noted that in future wars between the Nationalist Army and the Communist Party, the Nationalist Army suffered heavy losses on many occasions in the "encirclement and suppression of reinforcements" tactic and never found a way to break it.

However, the "encirclement and suppression of reinforcements" tactic was not invented by our Party; there have been many examples of it in history.

For example, in the Second Year of Chongzhen's reign, during the Later Jin's attack on the Ming capital, many of the Ming's reinforcements suffered heavy losses under this tactic of using wild boar hides.

So when Annie mentioned the "encirclement and annihilation tactic," everyone present understood.

That's why, almost the next second, Yao Chun, the commander of the 36th Army, suddenly stood up, not even bothering to ask Commander Bai, who was presiding over the meeting, to speak.

As if their tails had been stepped on, they began to loudly object:

"No! To successfully besiege a point and attack reinforcements, you need to at least be able to defeat the enemy."

Even the first batch of Japanese reinforcements, the 6,000-strong Independent Mixed Brigade No. 19, would require tens of thousands of elite troops and a week to annihilate.

Given the current battlefield situation, before we can eliminate this reinforcement, another reinforcement, the 18th Division, will arrive; at that time, the tens of thousands of troops that came to fight the reinforcement will be in danger of being wiped out.

"This tactic isn't called daring, it's called courting death." This time, Annie didn't speak, because Hu Biao also stood up and stated his reasoning in the same calm tone: "If even we don't dare to think of this kind of tactic, the Japanese certainly wouldn't dare to."

Therefore, the Japanese soldiers, who were eager to reinforce Nanning as soon as possible, had a high probability of entering the encirclement.

How about this! I, Hu Biao, can make another pledge in front of the four officers: as long as the Japanese Independent Mixed 19th Division enters the encirclement, the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment is willing to launch the main attack and guarantee to annihilate them within two days.

If I cannot do this, I, Hu Biao, am willing to be court-martialed.

This was the second time Hu Biao had made a pledge in front of the four bigwigs, Bai, Chen, Li, and Zhang.

However, compared to the last time, because of the victory at Kunlun Pass, everyone present, regardless of whether they liked Hu Biao or not, instinctively believed his military order to a great extent.

But reaching this level is still far from enough.

That wasn't enough to convince them to adopt the bold, even reckless, tactic of besieging a point to attack reinforcements.

Soon after, another person, without even asking to speak, stood up abruptly and loudly objected, or raised their concerns.

This man was a valiant general in the Guangxi Army, Wei Yunsong, the commander of the main force, the 31st Army, a veteran of many battles:
"It still won't work! Even if we wipe out the 19th Independent Mixed Brigade, what about the 6,000 Japanese reinforcements and the 18th Division that arrives later?"
Would we dare to ambush a Japanese force comparable to a Class A division? Would they really fall for it?

"Why not? Since you all dare not even think about it, the commander of the Japanese 18th Division, Hisano Seiichi, would never have imagined that we would dare to ambush them a second time."

This time, it was Anne's turn to answer.

After answering, she and Hu Biao exchanged a knowing glance. Their faces showed no sign of panic at being opposed by so many people; instead, they exuded an indescribable nonchalance.

Seeing this scene unfold, Qiu Qingquan couldn't help but have a strange thought arise in his mind:

Just as Zhuge Liang debated with a group of Confucian scholars in ancient times, Hu Biao and Annie debated with a group of heroes in Guilin today.

Believe it or not! I doubt any normal person would have thought that after the Nationalist army had ambushed them once, they would dare to ambush a Japanese unit that was comparable to a Class A division. So it was actually quite possible that they would succeed a second time.

Even so, the people present were still unconvinced.

Before Commander Wei could speak, another major general from the Guangxi Army stood up and retorted:
"Good! Even if the 18th Division falls into the encirclement, it is an elite Japanese division, and it will not be so easy to annihilate them."

Commander Hu and Chief of Staff An, how do you plan to fight?

"I'm not trying to boost the morale of the Japanese or diminish the spirit of our own people, but please don't forget the lessons learned from the Battle of Lanfeng more than a year ago."

Upon hearing the term "Battle of Lanfeng," the expressions on the faces of the attendees grew even more grim.

This battle was called a "humiliation for all time" by the bald-headed principal. Two hundred thousand Nationalist troops surrounded the Japanese 14th Division, which was isolated and deep in enemy territory, but were instead defeated.

If it weren't for the bald-headed principal blasting open the Huayuankou Pass and using the floodwaters to slow the Japanese advance, the remnants of the participating troops wouldn't have been able to retreat.

Even the subsequent Battle of Wuhan never had the chance to be carried out.

However, the bald principal's act of blowing up Huayuankou also caused great disasters in several provinces such as Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu, with countless people dying in the floods and tens of millions of acres of farmland destroyed.

This also reflects, from another perspective, the actual combat effectiveness of a Japanese division.

So what if we surround them? Surrounding them is one thing, annihilating them is another; we might end up not being able to handle them and instead breaking our own teeth.

Upon hearing this, Hu Biao's mental state was essentially that of someone engaging in a heated debate with a group of scholars.

Instinctively, I swung my wrist, wanting to strike a pose like waving a feather fan, but only then did I realize that I didn't have a fan in my hand.

However, this detail is not important; what matters is that he explained his tactics:

"How to fight? Of course, it's an armored assault. We'll fight the same way the Germans fought in Europe."

Even though our tanks were inferior in quality and quantity, the Japanese anti-armor capabilities were also relatively weak, so in a sense, we were evenly matched.

Therefore, I think we can concentrate all our tanks and cavalry for use.

Additionally, some cars can be modified by adding steel plates to key parts, strapping sandbags, and adding light and heavy machine guns, turning them into armored vehicles.

Suddenly, the Japanese soldiers launched an attack during their march.

Let them use their high-speed infiltration capabilities to continuously disrupt the 18th Division's formation and create chaos for them.

When the time is right, deploy superior infantry to annihilate the divided Japanese troops one by one; even if we cannot wipe them out completely, we should severely damage them so that they dare not continue to reinforce Nanning City.

After achieving the above objectives, our army will turn back and launch a full-scale attack on Nanning City.

"Knowing that no reinforcements are coming, the morale of the remaining Japanese troops in the city will likely suffer a devastating blow, making the battle much easier."

The sound had barely faded when a loud "Good!" rang out. Everyone turned to look and saw Qiu Qingquan standing up from his seat.

Perhaps because he was too emotional, his neck was red, which, combined with his crooked mouth, made him look particularly strange.

But Qiu Qingquan didn't care about these trivial matters at all, and started shouting:
"This is how tanks should be used in warfare. Sending them with infantry to charge the Japanese positions with anti-tank ditches and artillery is complete folly."

Brother Hu Biao! Today I'm completely convinced, you're better than me.

Upon closer examination, the tactic of sending the newly formed 22nd Division's tanks, accompanied by infantry, to attack the Japanese positions in Nanning was personally decided upon by four key figures: Bai, Chen, Li, and Zhang.

Qiu Qingquan's shouts were a complete slap in the face to the four bigwigs.

However, faced with Hu Biao and Annie's audacious plan, the four of them couldn't care less about such a trivial matter.

After a minute or two of silence, Commander Bai first gave Hu Biao and Annie a deep look, and then asked with utmost seriousness, "Are you absolutely certain of success with this plan of besieging the enemy's stronghold and attacking their reinforcements?"

At this point, a serious expression finally appeared on Hu Biao's and his companion's faces.

Annie's crisp voice rang out: "Commander Bai, don't joke around! The Japanese are extremely strong, who dares to say they are guaranteed to win? They are just trying to survive when they have no other choice."

It's a battle of wits and courage, with the soldiers risking their lives and a bit of luck, to fight for victory.

"Yes! It seems there's no other way." After hearing this, Commander Bai sighed and muttered to himself.

Then he huddled together with Chen, Li, and Zhang and began to discuss things in hushed tones.

After discussing for about three or four minutes, Commander Chen stood up and said to everyone, "This matter is of great importance. We need to report it to the principal by telegram so that the principal can make a decision personally."

You will all wait here. No one is allowed to whisper, make loud noise, or leave the venue. Even if you have diarrhea, you'd better put it in your pocket.

After saying that, he left with the other three big shots, presumably heading to the telecommunications room.

Afterwards, Hu Biao and his companion, along with a large group of generals, sat in the meeting room for a long time.

Even though no one spoke, both he and Annie felt that everyone was silently observing them, their expressions growing increasingly complex.

However, there were far fewer negative comments; instead, there was much more admiration.

Their long wait lasted until 3:10 p.m. before the four bigwigs, Bai, Chen, Li, and Zhang, finally returned to the venue.

Amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, Commander Chen slowly announced, "The tactic of besieging the stronghold and attacking reinforcements has been approved and fully supported by Principal Baldy."

Upon hearing this result, many people in the audience immediately began to breathe heavily.

(End of this chapter)