"The 5th Army arrived in Yushe on the 18th and occupied Liao County, Heshun and other places on the 19th.

Among them, the 7th Division moved to the Datong Valley area north of Heshun to prevent the Japanese troops from moving south along the highway.

The 12th Division was stationed in Qingzhang Dongyuan and Songyan Town.

The 80th Army controls Liao County and Huangze Pass."

Wei Lihuang arrived in Lu'an with the 14th Army on the afternoon of the 18th. At this moment, he was explaining the strategic defense situation on the northern front to the Chairman of the Committee and all participating officers.

"The 34th Division and the 17th Army are temporarily stationed in Yushe and Qingzhang Xiyuan.

According to the military commission's combat plan, after the battle on the southern line begins, the troops on the northern line will choose the opportunity to march towards the Zhengtai Railway and Taiyuan.

At that time, 2 to 3 divisions of troops from the 14th Group Army can also be mobilized to support the north.

The first thing to be dealt with at the moment is the Japanese 37th Division in the encirclement.

Brother Jiang's troops must have suffered considerable losses in the previous two battles.

Sir, I propose to hand over the task of annihilating the Japanese 37th Division to the 98th Army."

In addition to the Chairman of the Generalissimo, Bai Chongxi, and officers from the Jiangdong group, there were also Wei Lihuang and a group of senior generals from the 14th Group Army in the room.

There were more than 20 people crowded in the headquarters, and most of them held the rank of general.

"Commissioned, our 98th Army is willing to issue a military order and promise to annihilate the Japanese 37th Division in one day."

The commander of the 98th Army, Samurai Min, stood up and said loudly, with a determined look on his face.

"Of course, I hope Brother Jiang can provide some artillery support during the battle!" Wei Lihuang added immediately.

There are currently three heavy artillery regiments in Jiangdong, and most people present are aware of this situation.

Jiang Dong raised his eyelids slightly but did not answer.

Behind him stood Xie Chengrui and Wu Zhan, then Zhang Shengqing, Li Zhaoying, Feng Jinzhang and others.

Fortunately, Wang Laohu is not here, otherwise he would have started cursing at this moment.

Wei Lihuang's proposal can almost be said to be an obvious attempt to gain military merit.

Everyone knows that the Japanese 37th Division has been surrounded for so many days, and its morale and supplies are low.

At this time, one corps can cooperate with the firepower of three heavy artillery regiments to completely annihilate them in one day. Under normal circumstances, there will be no problem.

The chairman of the committee sat calmly and calmly at the top. Hearing Samurai Min's words, he glanced at Kodong calmly.

"Brother Jiang, the 14th Army will remember the kindness we received from our aid last winter.

The 37th Division has become a turtle in the urn, so let the 98th Army take over.

There will be many battles ahead. Your brothers will take this opportunity to repair and recharge their batteries. We will rely on you at the critical moment."

Wei Lihuang said with a smile, his words were sincere and his expression was sincere.

He is the deputy commander-in-chief of a war zone, so being able to speak to Jiang Dong in such a tone is a great honor.

But what Jiang Dong was thinking about at the moment was the scene last winter. Wei Lihuang's tone at that time was not so harsh.

Under everyone's friendly or hostile gazes, Jiang Dong first bowed to his head, and then said in a calm tone:

"It took our unit more than ten hours to annihilate the Japanese 20th Division and the 36th Division. It did suffer heavy losses, and many regiments have not yet been replenished.

I am grateful to have the help of the 14th Group Army, and I will leave the 37th Division to you."

"What about artillery support?" Samurai Min asked.

"Of course, no problem!" Jiang Dong replied.

He just didn't want to waste his energy on such trivial matters. The 14th Army was eager for military glory, but Jiangdong was not.

Military merit is enough for Jiangdong's troops, and it won't be that strenuous if they want it in the future.

"Okay, let's do it!"

The chairman spoke,

"The 98th Army immediately rushed to Licheng to take over the only division. The general attack on the 37th Division is scheduled for early tomorrow morning. Whether this battle can get off to a good start depends on you!"

"Thank you for your trust, the 98th Army will definitely fulfill its mission!"

The 98th Army Commander Samurai Min, the 42nd Division Commander Wang Kejing, and the 169th Division Commander walked out of the queue to salute the Chairman.

Seeing that the matter was settled, Bai Chongxi stepped forward to introduce the latest situation.

"According to intelligence, the Japanese 4th Division and 114th Division have completed their assembly.

The 4th Division is likely to enter Shanxi from the Dongyang Pass and Huangze Pass lines, most of the 114th Division will go south from the Zhengtai Railway, and a small part will enter Shanxi from Xing and Taiwan.

The 41st Division will move south along the railway, and its final garrison locations are likely to be Taiyuan and Yuci.

In addition to the above three divisions, the Japanese North China Front also transferred a heavy artillery brigade and a cavalry brigade.

This is the initial force invested in this battle, and the Japanese army has a total strength of more than 60,000."

Upon hearing this number, many people in the command headquarters took a deep breath subconsciously.

Although the national army will invest 350,000 troops in the battle, many people still feel unsure in the face of 60,000 Japs.

Jiangdong stood up and said:

"Vice Commander Bai, once the general offensive against the 37th Division begins, the Japanese 4th Division will definitely come with full support.

Our defensive force in Dongyang Pass is only one regiment, and there are 20,000 puppet troops outside the Pass in addition to the 4th Division, which may be difficult to resist."

The terrain of Dongyang Pass is steep and all kinds of fortifications are complete. Although the soldiers from the opposite side are pressing down on the border, Jiang Dong believes that Wang Laohu's fourth regiment will have no problem holding on for a day.

The reason why he said this was to relieve Wang Laohu from being crippled on the first day of the war.

Before Bai Chongxi could ask everyone for their opinions, Luo Wenfu, the commander of the 22nd Division, stood up and said:

"My 218th Regiment has cooperated with the Duyi Division before, and we are familiar with each other. Why not let them support Dongyang Pass."

Bai Chongxi glanced at Jiang Dong, who nodded slightly.

"Okay, order the 218th Regiment to head to Dongyang Pass as quickly as possible!

The 98th Army will serve as the main offensive, and the 15th Army will serve as the general reserve. All units will be in place immediately to make all pre-war preparations!"
Chapter completed!