October 7th is the sixth day after the war started.
The newly appointed French Fleet Commander Nelson led the remaining warships of the French Far East Fleet to swarm out and approach the Hainan Army's bridgehead, Hongji County.
Hon Gai County, Vietnam.
"Here comes the general! Salute!!" Following the command from an aide outside the door, the officers sitting in silence in the headquarters immediately stood up and saluted.
Then I saw Li Weidong wearing an army general's uniform and walking in with his adjutant Gao Yi.
This was the conference hall of the Military Command. Li Weidong came directly to his seat and sat down. He nodded and said, "Well, sit down!"
Both sides of Li Weidong were filled with officers of all levels from the Hainan Army. Wang Shanhu, the commander of the second division of the Hainan Army, Zhang Qihong, the commander of the third division, Zhang Qihong [Zhang's eldest son, Zhang Xiaoyou's eldest brother!] and other senior officers, the lowest among them are major commanders.
, it can be said to be a gathering of generals and schools.
Because this is just the temporary headquarters of the Hainan Army, there is no simulation sand table. Instead, a thick dark green canvas is spread on the table and a military map is unfolded.
So far, the Hainan Army has invested about 50,000 troops in Vietnam. After a simple rest and recuperation, it is about to carry out the second step of its economic offensive plan.
The map on the desktop has marked the actual occupied areas of the enemy and ourselves. The red cutouts represent our own Hainan Army troops, and the blue ones represent the French.
On this, Li Weidong could see at a glance that except for the jungle near Hongji County, the south side of Gaoping County, and the only red arrow seen in these two places, the rest of the place was filled with blue marks representing the French.
And Li Weidong is also very aware that he has a good strategic vision and can make a few "strange moves", but it is impossible for them to be without mistakes and to be comprehensive. Hainan Army's current financial situation cannot withstand casual manipulation.
Therefore, Li Weidong established the Hainan Army General Staff Headquarters a long time ago, and he always takes it with him when fighting. Having such a large group of military staff to check for gaps and make suggestions for him allows Li Weidong to think more comprehensively.
The representative figure of the General Staff Department is Ge Changming, Chief of General Staff. Ge Changming is pointing at the military map on the table and describing the military deployment of the enemy and ourselves.
First, Ge Changming pointed to three blue places on the map, and then said: "Because the French army was caught off guard by us, the French troops were not completely gathered, and we are now mainly facing French forces in three places.
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According to intelligence, French troops are currently deployed in Beijiang County to the northwest, Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, to the southwest, and the Haiphong Military Port to the south.
And you can see from the map that Haiphong Port, Hanoi, and Bac Giang County form a triangular defense front. This is very detrimental to us!"
After a pause, he saw that the officer who was sitting down had already realized the trouble that the Hainan Army was facing now, and then continued: "Compared to the French soldiers and Vietnamese indigenous soldiers, our military strength is not superior. So we must fight quickly.
, in order to defeat the fighting spirit of the Vietnamese indigenous soldiers, then Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is what we must capture as soon as possible!
If we want to capture Hanoi, we must first capture Bac Giang County or Hai Phong Port. Otherwise, the troops that penetrate deep alone are likely to be eaten by the opponent from both sides."
Chief of General Staff Ge Changming pointed to Jiangbei County and Haiphong Port! This is the gateway to block the Hainan Army from attacking Hanoi southward, and it is also a must-win place for the Hainan Army to move southward.
After pondering for a while, Li Weidong then said: "The Haiphong Port has been under air attack. Although the Far East Fleet has suffered heavy losses, the army troops stationed at the military port are still there. As an important military port, the French have been operating there for many years and the defense is very strong.
It’s more difficult to conquer it in a short time!”
"Yes, Commander! There are forts built in Haiphong Port. It is difficult and takes a long time to conquer. It is not suitable for our attack now! Therefore, our main attack direction is Jiangbei County, which has a relatively flat terrain. The other areas are used as foreign attacks to contain them.
strength." Finally, Chief of Staff Ge Changming's finger landed on the location of Jiangbei County on the map.
Following Ge Changming's actions, Li Weidong also set his sights on Jiangbei County. If he wanted to capture Hanoi, he had to take Jiangbei County first. This would be the first large-scale battle between the Hainan Army and the French Army in Vietnam.
"Wang Shanhu!"
"Arrived!" Wang Shanhu, commander of the Second Division, immediately stood up from his seat and replied.
Wang Shanhu, who is over forty years old, looks very energetic in his army uniform, and the wrinkles on his face add a lot of dignity to him.
Initially, their camp was reorganized in Fengming Mountain, and those who went home were disbanded and those who wanted to continue serving as soldiers were thrown into the new barracks for reform.
Now, relying on his excellent performance when he participated in the Hainan Army's suppression of bandits and Li Weidong's promotion, he has gone from a regiment commander to the position of commander of the Second Division step by step.
Looking back now, it was like a dream, giving him an unreal feeling.
Li Weidong did not know what Wang Shanhu was thinking, but continued: "Take all the members of the Hainan Army's Second Division and attack northwest. Capture Maoxi County before noon tomorrow. Three days later, the troops will arrive at Jiangbei City. Understood.
?"
"Yes, General!" Wang Shanhu replied loudly after hearing the order.
Nodding with satisfaction, Li Weidong then continued: "Zhang Qihong! You lead the third division and advance southward. In two days, we will start an overseas attack on the Haiphong Military Port. No matter what method is used, the French troops in Haiphong Port must be prevented from leaving the city to support."
"Yes, general!" Zhang Qihong replied.
After hearing Li Weidong's order, he knew that the third division could only serve as a flank assist this time, and he would have nothing to do on the frontal battlefield.
Although I felt a little disappointed in my heart, after thinking about it, it became clear. There is still a gap between the newly-built Third Division and the Second Division in terms of combat effectiveness. The task of conquering Jiangbei County is very important, and of course it must be handed over to the Second Division.
On hand.
"In addition! Send a telegram to the commander of the First Division, Jiang Tao, to order him to immediately turn around and go south after annihilating the enemy troops attacking the air force base, and attack Jiangbei County from the north." Li Weidong continued to order.
Subsequently, Li Weidong arranged the offensive tasks of each unit, and the meeting was disbanded. Wang Shanhu and Zhang Qihong returned to their respective division headquarters to prepare to lead the troops.
And just when Li Weidong was about to leave, Hainan Navy Commander Zhao Yujian came in a hurry.
"Commander! The French Far East Fleet set out from the Haiphong Military Port and came to us!" Zhao Yujian said affectionately and seriously.
"Oh! How many warships are there? Which ones are they?" Li Weidong asked several questions in succession.
Although the French fleet suffered heavy losses, it still poses a threat to the Hainan Army. If they are not completely annihilated, Li Weidong will be worried.
"Three main battleships of the Far East Fleet and two destroyers. The battleships are France, Dunkirk, Provence, and two destroyers."
"Are you sure?" Li Weidong asked.
Zhao Yujian replied sternly: "They don't have Henri Jacques' command, and our winning rate is at least 70%!"
"Okay! Let us bury the French pride of the Far East with our own hands this time!"