"General Clausewitz once said: The form of defense is by no means a simple shield, but a shield composed of clever strikes!"
As soon as Deputy Chief of Staff Tang came up, he quoted classics and argued that there should be offense in defense, and there was nothing wrong with his suggestion of opposing passive defense.
But in the eyes of Fan and Dong, when is it not a score?
Nowadays, the Japanese army is so powerful that it cannot be resisted by its current strength. It cannot even block it. How can it still mobilize its troops to attack?
If it weren't for Tang Dao's loyalty and his insistence on running more than 500 kilometers with a bunch of low-level recruits in six days to rescue him, I'm afraid these two would have kicked him out of the command just because of Tang Dao's stupid remarks.
Department.
If you want to die, go die and don't cheat your teammates, okay?
However, compared to this suggestion, Tang Tuanzuo, who was constantly testing the situation on the verge of death, made a suggestion that made the two bosses laugh angrily.
"I have seen the river defense map before coming here. The river mouth south of Tongguan has the widest terrain, which is conducive to the formation of our new corps. Why not give this position to my new corps for defense and let the brothers of the 28th Division rest for a while, so that they can cope with it better.
Next is the Japanese army's general attack!" Tang Dao pointed at the Tongguan defense map and said bluntly.
He looked so arrogant, as if this battlefield was run by his family.
Although Tang Dao was right, he asked an infantry brigade that had been defending that area for a week to retire and recuperate. In this week's battle, the infantry brigade not only lost more than 700 people, but the entire brigade was already physically and mentally exhausted. It really needed a break or two.
Ri, his heart is good, but he seems to have overestimated the combat power of his new regiment.
That defensive zone was precisely because the Yellow River turned there, slowing down its flow and turning the water from turbulent to gentle, forming a vast and calm water surface.
In the past, it was easy to say, because there was the remnant of Zhongtiao Mountain on the opposite bank, and an infantry regiment had been stationed for a long time. The Japanese army had tried to cross the river here since the beginning of the year, but the plan was aborted because of the constraints of the infantry regiment in Zhongtiao Mountain.
But this time the Japanese army was well prepared. The first step in launching an attack on Tongguan was to eliminate the threat from the mountains on the river bank. They used two infantry regiments to attack the Chinese defenders at Zhongtiao Mountain six days ago.
onslaught.
The infantry regiment resisted for two days before being defeated and retreating from the position!
Without the restraint of the infantry regiment, the Japanese army could confidently and boldly use that area as the main direction of attack. They brought nearly 200 motorboats, various rafts, and ships, and could devote nearly an infantry regiment at one time.
Otherwise, Fan and Dong would not have placed their main brigade in that area.
As a result, when Tang Dao arrives, he will have to lead a small new army to defend this important place. It doesn't matter if he dies, but this will affect everyone, right?
"Ahem! Commander Dong and I feel the enthusiasm of Commander Tang and the brothers of the Sichuan Army's new regiment to participate in the war. But the march is hard, so why not serve as the general reserve team of our Tongguan Defense Zone for the time being. If necessary, I will be the first to do so.
It’s time to inform Commander Tang to lead the brothers. What do you think, Commander Tang?” Commander Fan, as the highest commander in the Tongguan area, coughed twice and declined politely.
For this fierce general who graduated from the Baoding Army Military Academy, he only referred to him as Commander Tang but not as Tang Dao's new position, which meant a bit of disapproval, but he did not reprimand him on the spot, which was definitely tactful.
The first military position he held during the Revolution of 1911 was the captain of the death squad, the "Leading General", who had always been a rough-and-tumble man. He was neither afraid of superiors nor enemies, nor was he afraid of death.
This man was not afraid of death. He liked to ride a white horse during battle. In his words, it was to let the whole army see that I was there.
Good guy, our own people have seen him, but the enemy can also see him, right? The reason why Zhao Zilong, the white horse and silver gun back then, was so handsome was because Boss Cao loved him and wouldn't let anyone shoot him with arrows, otherwise he would have turned into grass long ago.
It's a fool who borrowed arrows from the boat.
But this man was so lucky. Not only did he not die on the battlefield, he also lived to be over 80 years old.
Dong Zhao glanced at his immediate superior and understood what he understood. He immediately extended his hand and said, "Commander Tang and I appreciate the support of Commander Tang. Tongguan City has been repeatedly bombarded by Japanese invaders. It is no longer safe. Why don't we let the brothers from the Sichuan Army's new regiment temporarily
Stationed in the mountains eight miles away behind our defense line, where the mountains are high and densely forested, it is difficult for Japanese aircraft to detect them and artillery fire cannot disturb them. It is not far from our division's defense line. If support is needed, they can arrive in time.
Now, let me take Commander Tang to visit our outer defense line at Tongguan, and ask Commander Tang to give me some advice!"
The two bosses have reached a tacit agreement at this time. There is really no other way to send this unreliable regiment leader to lead his even more unreliable new regiment. As long as it can still be done, they would rather survive on their own.
After decades of military career, these two have experienced being cheated by their teammates not once or twice, and they have extremely rich experience.
Of course, as soon as this sentence came out, it also meant that the two commanders had the same attitude and decided to kick Tang Dao out of the command level, basically continuing to be the leader of his new regiment.
The two of them didn't even try to hide this. No matter whether Tang Dao had the ability to be obedient or not, they couldn't change the outcome.
"I will not accept your order from the outside!" After Tang Dao showed his full "foolish" temperament, the appointment order of the commander of the 10th war zone was not easy to use.
Of course Tang Dao could hear it, but he did not refute it. Instead, he drew a circle on the map, "Then our troops will be stationed here!"
Is this a conflict with Hewan? Could it be that he is a fishing guy and fell in love with it?
The two big guys looked at each other, both feeling slightly headaches.
The location Tang Dao drew was exactly behind the infantry brigade defense line that he had previously suggested to replace. Although it was also a mountainous area, once the Japanese army attacked there, it would be an area where artillery fire would be concentrated, and it was far less safe than the area Dong Zhao had previously mentioned.
But what can I say! This is also the area where the fastest rush to support the front line is, and Tie Hanhan's determination to fight is unquestionable.
"Okay! That's right here, but the brothers of the new regiment will probably have to build field fortifications overnight, especially the artillery holes. The power of the Japanese heavy artillery is terrible and must not be ignored!" Dong Zhao hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded in agreement.
He stretched out his hand and said, "Commander Tang, please! The military commander has assigned me to arrange food and drinks in the defense area for you to welcome you. I will show you the appearance of our 46th Army on the way!"
"I've heard the name of the Tongguan Defense Line for a long time, and I'm just learning to observe it. I've been waiting for it!" Tang Dao finally spoke normally now.
Tang Dao's words were not meant to be respectful. In the past, the Tongguan position was praised by American generals as the Maginot of the East. There must be a reason for that.
Sure enough, the Tongguan defense line, which had been on the battlefield for half a year, did not disappoint Tang Dao.
Although the position closest to the river bank defense line was severely damaged by Japanese heavy artillery, there were still bunkers standing on the defense line.
This kind of bunker is round, made of cement concrete, about 2 meters high, and nearly 1 meter thick at the top. There are three large square shooting holes on the side facing the Yellow River, and there are six huge recessed ammunition storage tanks below.
Only two heavy machine guns are needed to cover hundreds of meters horizontally and thousands of meters vertically. Without adequate armor protection, Japanese troops who attempt to land will inevitably suffer heavy casualties.
It is precisely because of the existence of such bunkers that the heavily-gathered Japanese army has not launched a decent general attack so far. So far, the two sides have mainly shelled each other.
It's just that the Japanese army currently has absolutely powerful 150MM heavy artillery and even 280MM howitzers, which are currently unstoppable to the Chinese army. They can only watch the bunkers and the soldiers in the bunkers that they worked so hard to build turn into pieces under the power of the heavy artillery.
Fly ash.
However, it will not be easy for the Japanese army to remove all these bunkers. According to the current progress, it will take at least a few days. By then, they will have to rely on people to shoot at the Japanese troops on the ground.
This place will become a meat grinder. It depends on who is minced first, the Chinese or the Japanese. That is also the biggest role of the new Sichuan Army troops here.
What made Dong Zhao most proud was not the strong fortresses built with great effort, nor the criss-crossing 2-meter-deep trenches and communication trenches built along the Tongguan City, but the side of Tongguan facing away from the Yellow River.
A military training and supplies base set up in a deep ditch.
In this deep trench that is five kilometers long and tens of meters deep, the 26th Division actually built a huge living area.
There is a field hospital, a training ground, a battlefield bookstore, a hotel that will be used to support Tang Dao, and even a theater called the "Avenging Stage". This is a rhythm that was planned to be adhered to for a long time from the beginning.
Obviously, this strategy couldn't be more correct.
History has proven that not only was China's entire Patriotic War extremely long, but the Tongguan War of Resistance almost lasted from the beginning of 1938 to the end of the entire war.
"Commanders Fan and Dong are really far-sighted, and Tang Dao admires them!" Tang Dao couldn't help but give a thumbs up after visiting the defense area.
This guy is somewhat normal! Dong Zhao couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief.
Don’t be afraid of opponents who are like gods, but be afraid of teammates who are like pigs! Although the army lieutenant general of this era cannot sum up this sentence, the point of fear in his heart is actually similar to this.
But he really didn't understand Tang Tuanzuo very well.
Tang Tuanzuo has always been quiet and non-stop, but after just three rounds of drinking, he started acting like a monster again.
"When our troops came, the train did not dare to approach Tongguan Railway Station at all. We were dropped off and returned ten kilometers away from Tongguan City. Our soldiers have sound limbs and can walk these twenty miles without any problem, but when encountering a battle
At this time, the transportation of huge supplies, wounded people, etc. cannot be slowed down for a moment. Without train transportation, the efficiency is greatly reduced!" Tang Dao asked.
"Hey! Commander Tang, you don't know! The range of the Japanese heavy artillery is close to 12 kilometers, and our army's 75 mountain artillery can't reach it at all. They can unscrupulously bombard any part of our Tongguan position, including the train station and even the Longhai Line and the highway line! Only
In the month of July, we lost 6 locomotives, dozens of carriages, and dozens of train drivers, stokers, and line maintenance workers." Dong Zhao sighed with bitterness on his face.
“There is too much noise when trains pass by, especially the old bridge outside Tongguan City. Whenever a train passes by, the Japanese army will shell it!
Road and railway transportation have been completely interrupted. Now all personnel and materials can only be transported by post!
And even this stage transport is also very dangerous. After all, there are anti-aircraft machine guns on our military positions to prevent Japanese fighter planes from acting recklessly. But in that kind of wilderness, if Japanese reconnaissance planes see it, they will often lower their altitude and use machine guns recklessly.
As a result of strafing, our troops, civilians, and pack horses have suffered countless losses in the past six months!"
"The post transport is prone to air attacks, so dig traffic ditches!" Tang Dao toasted to the sad-faced army lieutenant general and suggested calmly.
"What?" Dong Zhao almost choked on a mouthful of wine.
Are you serious? The straight-line distance of the post transportation is more than 15 kilometers. How much manpower and material resources will be spent to dig such a long traffic trench, and it is not a trench?
"In ancient times, there was an act of the Foolish Old Man of Taihang who moved mountains. Finally, he moved the mountains in front of the door. Where there is a will, there is a way!" The principle of Tuanzuo in the Tang Dynasty is repeated one after another.
But this is not a Tang Dao. Xia Jiba said that this 15-kilometer-long traffic ditch actually existed in time and space.
It was the joint efforts of the Tongguan army and the people who spent more than half a year digging out this anti-Japanese lifeline, connecting the transportation of the Longhai Railway, transporting tens of thousands of wounded from the anti-Japanese battlefield east of Tongguan, and ensuring the safety of hundreds of thousands of anti-Japanese soldiers and civilians.
The supply of materials is only two years later, and Tang Dao is just providing support in advance.
"It's difficult!" The senior master could only sigh and did not continue the topic any further.
Tang Dao doesn't insist either. Some things just require planting a seed. With this person's wisdom, I believe he will figure it out.
Sure enough, after chatting with Tang Dao for a few more times, but having drunk less than half a catty of wine, the man, who said he was leaving on military matters and returned to the division headquarters, inexplicably recalled Tang Dao's seemingly absurd proposal.
.
The 15-kilometer traffic ditch needs to be at least 4 meters wide because of the need for pedestrians, vehicles, and horses, so as not to cause a stampede when an enemy plane attacks, and to ensure that two vehicles can cross each other, and there are a large number of air-raid shelters.
It sounds incredible.
But what if the excavation is successful? Then the losses of people, horses, and vehicles will be minimized, which can be called a lifeline.
It’s a legend that Foolish Old Man moved mountains, but the Great Wall built by our ancestors is real. Doesn’t it sound like a miracle that is impossible for humans to accomplish at first glance?
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this should be done. The army division commander immediately called several deputies from his division headquarters and drew a route on the map, which stunned several major generals and colonels.
It's a trivial matter to spend money. At worst, you can ask for it from the commander of the 10th War Zone! Where is Keren? Where did he come from? Now everyone in the 28th Division is on guard. They even sleep with their guns in their hands. No one is here to dig trenches.
"Mobilize all the people in Tongguan and tell them that this is an important matter concerning whether Tongguan can be defended or not. Because funds are tight, there is no remuneration, and there are no tools. Even those who participate in labor can only subsidize one meal at noon, and the rest of the meals need to be subsidized."
Prepare yourself! Our army does not force anything, it is all done on a voluntary basis." The Army Lieutenant General is still very courageous and will do whatever he wants.
The army division commander, who was immersed in his own imagination, heard the report that the Sichuan Army's new regiment had started digging fortifications in the mountainous area 2 miles away from his command's defense line. He just waved his hand to express his understanding and didn't take it seriously at all.
Tang Dao! He's a bit stubborn. Being a regimental commander-level officer is not satisfactory, but he can still have some fantastic ideas, especially his anti-Japanese spirit is worthy of recognition.
This should be the boss's most pertinent evaluation of Tang Dao after he arrived.
At least, in the next two days, Tang Dao's suggestion of digging a traffic ditch is being implemented.
Including the two commanders, more than 10,000 officers and soldiers of the 28th Division of the 46th Army ignored the desire of the people of Tongguan to defend their hometown.
No one wants to be a slave to the subjugation of the country, especially when the Japanese army is close at hand.
After receiving the "harsh" proposal from the 28th Division, a scene that shocked the Chinese soldiers appeared.
At least one-third of the people who crossed Tongguan Pass who had hid in the mountains near Tongguan City to avoid the war returned to the city that day.
The Japanese army has thrown at least 5,000 artillery shells into the defense zone of Tongguan City this week. The ancient Tongguan City has been bombed to pieces, and an unknown number of houses have collapsed. On the first day of the bombardment, there were more than 400 shells according to statistics.
People were killed on the spot.
The rest of the residents were forced to hide in the mountains with their families and their only food and belongings. Returning home at this time was extremely risky.
They go home for no other reason than to find various tools!
On the second day alone, 50,000 people began digging under the guidance of engineers sent by the army.
Tongguan people gave the most authentic interpretation of what it means to have all hands on deck.
The oldest among the people who participated in the excavation of the traffic ditch was nearly seventy years old, and the youngest was only three years old!
The moment I saw the baby, who was only three years old and still had a snot-filled nose, moving her short legs to follow her mother, using the front of her dirty homespun clothes to help transport the excavated soil, carrying lumps of earth in her arms,
Even if he is as strong as the 'Dragon Head General', he can't help but have tears in his eyes.
With such a crowd, how could he not be able to defend his position?
But more importantly, this scene that severely impacted his strong heart made him deeply understand what the wise man who was the director of the Political Department of Huangpu Military Academy said after the Chang'an Incident: "The power of the people is infinite.
, is also great!”
People's beliefs often change in a single thought. This is the real seed planted by Tang Dao.
But Tang Dao's whimsical thoughts were not limited to this. On the third day after the arrival of the new regiment, the anxiously awaited Japanese general offensive finally began.
The new regiment as the general reserve team entered the war in a unique way!
Then, both the enemy and ourselves were stunned!
"Baga! Check what troops are on the other side. This is definitely not the Chinese 28th Division!" Susumu Fujita, then commander of the Third Division, jumped as high as he could when he received the casualty figures of the forcibly crossed infantry regiment.
Dunk.
For the island nation's lieutenant general, who is only 62 meters tall, it is definitely the pinnacle moment of his athletic ability. ()
