Zhao Gang said: "Although the Japanese want to take the initiative to attack, the best battlefield is outside the customs. At present, the people in the North China base area have finally settled down. If they are involved in the war again, many people will definitely be killed or injured."
Like Li Yunlong, Zhao Gang will take the lead in caring about the safety of the people every time he fights.
Not only Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang, but also ordinary soldiers of the Eighth Route Army put the safety of the folks in the base area first.
Nowadays, the land reform in the North China base area has just begun, and the spring planting has just ended.
Although the Japanese invaded North China, the Eighth Route Army could use this opportunity to better mobilize the masses.
Let the Japanese who attack North China fall into the vast ocean of the people.
But with the current strength, equipment and logistics level of the Eighth Route Army, it can defeat the Japs without mobilizing too many people.
"The prerequisite for setting the battlefield outside the customs is that we can get out of the customs." Chief of Staff Wang Dehou said while staring at the map.
Li Yunlong nodded, looking thoughtful.
If the Japanese want to attack North China, they must attack from the east to the southwest, and the Japanese in Central China must attack from the south to the north.
As well as Japanese transport ships, they landed at ports along the Bohai Sea and attacked the Eighth Route Army in North China on three fronts.
In the south, there is the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army to deal with the Japanese advancing north.
Along the Bohai Sea, the Eighth Route Army of the Lu Provincial Military Region will deal with the Japs. Considering that the combat effectiveness of the troops in the Lu Provincial Military Region still has a lot of room for improvement.
He can send some troops to the Shandong Military Region to assist and provide sufficient logistical supplies.
As for the main force of the Kwantung Army attacking from Manchuria, Li Yunlong led the New First Regiment, the Independent Regiment and the New Second Regiment to fight against it.
Li Yunlong then said: "If our troops want to take the initiative on the battlefield, they must first capture Chengde and Shanhaiguan."
"Although it is not particularly difficult to capture Chengde and Shanhaiguan, it is not that easy either."
On this point, Xing Zhiguo has the most say. He said:
"Since the Japs in Chengde lost their barrier positions in the southeast and southwest, they have placed all their troops in Chengde City in an attempt to engage in street fighting with us. The cost of capturing Chengde is relatively high."
"And the area north of Chengde is still in the hands of the Japanese. The Kwantung Army's main Japanese force can provide continuous reinforcements."
"And here in Shanhaiguan, the Japanese have built a large number of strong fortifications and are constantly increasing their troops."
Based on Xing Zhiguo's report, Li Yunlong carefully analyzed the current situation between the enemy and ourselves.
The Japanese's First Army was like a nail nailed into Chengde.
The Japanese troops defending Shanhaiguan were also a group army, the 4th Army of the Kwantung Army, with 3 divisions and 2 mixed brigades under its jurisdiction.
The Japanese are planning to build a fortress similar to the Tiger Head Fortress in Shanhaiguan, but it has not yet been completed.
"Since the Japs in the Japs' First Army like to be cowards, let's bypass Chengde!"
Li Yunlong narrowed his eyes and spoke harshly.
"Bypass Chengde?"
"That's right!" Li Yunlong nodded, pointing to the area north of Chengde and said, "Let the paratroopers airdrop to the north of Chengde, form a two-sided attack on the enemy, and drive all the Japs from the First Army to Chengde.
Go to the city."
In the Battle of Huailai, paratroopers played a vital role.
Therefore, during this expansion, Li Yunlong expanded the paratrooper unit from the original 2,500 to 8,000, and the number was the New Regiment Heavy Paratrooper Battalion.
Of course, in name it is a heavy paratrooper battalion, but in fact it is Li Yunlong's paratrooper division.
In addition to being able to airdrop paratroopers, the strategic transport aircraft of the New Regiment can also airdrop mountain artillery and armored vehicles, possessing powerful combat capabilities behind enemy lines.
That is to say, the Japanese are relying on the fact that there are Chinese people in Chengde City.
Otherwise, Li Yunlong would directly use artillery shells and aerial bombs to cleanse the Japanese in Chengde City.
However, after occupying the outer positions of Chengde, the Eighth Route Army's heavy equipment could be driven to the outside of the pass through the highway outside the city wall.
There is nothing that can be done about this. Who allows the Eighth Route Army to fight on its own soil?
If we can counterattack Japan in the future, we won't have so many worries, and we can directly use the tactics of artillery shells and aerial bombs to cleanse the city.
Li Yunlong added: "But in this case, we must allocate an elite force to surround the Japs in Chengde City to prevent the Japs from attacking us from behind and stabbing us in the butt."
"As for capturing Shanhaiguan, that's much simpler!"
After finishing his words, Li Yunlong pointed at Shanhaiguan and said:
"No matter whether the enemy builds a castle or a fortress in Shanhaiguan, our father's hammer can destroy all fortifications."
"However, I think we can have a bigger appetite and eat the Japanese 4th Army in Shanhaiguan."
"Commander." Chief of Staff Wang Dehou suddenly became interested, "How do you plan to kill the Japanese's 4th Army?"
Then Wang Dehou stared at the map and realized that it was not difficult to pry open the Shanhaiguan Pass with his father's hammer.
Shanhaiguan is a pass with a long history and high reputation, and is known as the first pass in the world.
Shanhaiguan City is 14 meters high and 7 meters thick. It has always been an easy-to-defend but difficult-to-attack place.
At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Shanhaiguan guard Wu Sangui opened the gate and let more than 100,000 wolf-like Qing troops into the pass, which led to the Qing rule for nearly 300 years.
In 1933, even though the Japanese army used modern weapons such as aircraft, artillery, and tanks, it took them two full days to capture Shanhaiguan with great difficulty after a bloody battle.
After the Japanese army captured Shanhaiguan, they strengthened their defenses and recently built a fortress here.
In order to prevent the Eighth Route Army from attacking, General Yoshijiro Umezu, the commander of the Kwantung Army, even sent an army to defend here.
According to reliable intelligence, the total strength of the Japanese and puppet troops defending Shanhaiguan must be 60,000 to 70,000, and a deep defensive position was established in front and behind Shanhaiguan.
Although the Eighth Route Army has powerful firepower, the Japanese and puppet troops cannot defeat them, so why can't they run away?
"Captain, what do you mean?"
Xing Zhiguo asked:
"Detach a part of the paratroopers and airdrop them to the area behind Shanhaiguan to cut off the passage of the 4th Army's Japs?"
At present, the Eighth Route Army has about 8,000 paratroopers, of which 2,500 are veteran paratroopers and 5,500 are new paratroopers.
At present, the veteran paratroopers and new paratroopers are still in training. They have been training for more than three months. Although they have not yet conducted actual combat training, they have initially formed combat effectiveness.
"You kid half guessed it."
With a chuckle, Li Yunlong continued:
"The paratrooper battalion also has to take care of the Japanese First Army in Chengde. If they are divided equally between Chengde and Shanhaiguan, then both sides will have insufficient troops!"
"In this battle, I plan to use our transport ships to land along the coast from behind Shanhaiguan."
"One unit seizes Huludao, and the other unit goes around and stabs the 4th Japanese Army in Shanhaiguan."
As soon as these words came out, everyone's eyes lit up slightly.
Tactical command is all about surprise.
The development of the Eighth Route Army's navy was a top secret. The Japanese would never have imagined that the Eighth Route Army's navy had already formed a preliminary scale and combat effectiveness.
It was absolutely unimaginable that the Eighth Route Army would land on the beach from the rear of Shanhaiguan and form a siege on the Japanese in Shanhaiguan.
Shanhaiguan is not a big city like Chengde, and the Japs don't even have a chance to fight in the streets.
The Japanese strengthened their defenses at Shanhaiguan and operated as fiercely as tigers, but to no avail.
Because the Eighth Route Army has already equipped transport ships and warships, and many of the first batch of naval cadets have learned to sail ships.
Although aircraft carriers still need training, transport ships do not and can even be equipped with frigates.
Zhao Gang said: "Lao Li, your tactics are very good."
"Of course." Li Yunlong curled up his lips proudly, "otherwise, do you think we, Old Li, have read "Beach Landing and Airborne Operations" in vain?"
Li Yunlong studied various military theory books sent by Boss Chen and gained a lot.
Until now, Li Yunlong often takes out those military theory books, looks through them, and studies them repeatedly.
In this battle, Li Yunlong happened to use both beach landing and airborne operations together.
Li Yunlong was looking forward to this beach landing, which would definitely give the Japanese a big surprise.
No, it's fright.
Zhao Gang then asked: "When do you plan to attack?"
To be continued...