He did not agree with Yang Zhen's mobilization of some troops into North Korea. He believed that it was not necessary at all. At the same time, he also believed that Yang Zhen's division of troops into North Korea would only further distract Guo Bingxun, who already had insufficient troops. He walked to the large map hanging on the wall and said: "No. 1, the North Korean Army currently only has two divisions, the 19th and 20th. Its military strength can be said to be the smallest among the various strategic groups of the Japanese army."
"Based on the status of North Korea in Japan's overall strategy and the current situation, as long as our army does not enter North Korea in a large scale, the Japanese Army in Korea will not send troops to reinforce the Kwantung Army at all, especially when our army is currently in actual situation in Eastern Manchuria. Since the controlled area is already adjacent to the area under its jurisdiction, I am afraid that the North Korean army will be wary of a recurrence of last year's situation and will have no time to reinforce the Kwantung Army."
"Furthermore, the border between China and North Korea is dominated by lofty mountains and ridges, and it is basically high mountains and dense forests. Except for a few places, most of the areas are covered with primeval forests that block out the sky and the sun. There is no human habitation even within a few hundred kilometers. Not to mention the roads needed for large armies to fight, there are not even many small roads."
"In addition to the infiltration of small units, we can only conduct guerrilla operations, and we cannot conduct large-scale combat operations. Needless to say, most of the troops can be easily solved with just supplies. Unless they have received wilderness survival training, large-scale combat operations cannot be carried out. Fighting on that kind of terrain will make you hungry even if you are hungry."
"Under this situation, even if the Korean army wanted to support the Kwantung Army, it would not be able to do so after the Xintu Railway was cut off. I suggest that Tao Jingfei's troops should make key deployments along the Tumen River, and the main force should be prepared to support He Ce will be responsible for the defensive operations under Liu Changshun's command."
"As for the current war situation in Western Manchuria, since it has entered a critical moment, I think it is better to let Du Kaishan's troops attack to ensure that our troops north of Xinjing have sufficient strength and form enough high pressure against the Japanese troops in Xinjing. Together with Xinjing, there is a complete Japanese division, the remnants of two divisions, plus nearly 10,000 so-called soldiers in the countryside."
"The infantry under Wang Xiaoming's command alone, even if it is a division attached to Ma Chunsheng's command, is difficult to form a high-pressure situation against the Japanese army, especially now that most of the heavy weapons under Wang Xiaoming's command have been transferred to Chen Hanzhang's command on the western front. Given its relative lack of heavy firepower."
"Tao Jingfei's current large-caliber artillery, combined, only has the Taisho 4th-year 150mm howitzer with the closest range among our army's current 150-caliber artillery, and the Japanese-made Taisho 14th-year-style 105th cannon company. Company, except for two 107 rocket launcher companies and one 122 rocket launcher company, all rocket launchers have been transferred."
"The rest are 75mm mountain field guns, as well as twelve 100mm howitzers, and Japanese-made Type 91 field guns. In the case of insufficient heavy firepower, Wang Xiaoming's current firepower alone will not be enough in the face of With a large number of solid fortifications and a defensive perimeter with a firepower density as high as that of a fire hedgehog, it is difficult to achieve a breakthrough."
"If he can only circle around the periphery, then our intention of distracting the Japanese army will be difficult to achieve. At least it will make the Kwantung Army think that their so-called Xinjing defense circle is unbreakable and there is no need to increase their troops. If it really If this happens, then for us, it will be a failure at least in terms of tactics, but we will have to pay heavy casualties, so it is really not worth the gain."
In response to Guo Bingxun's three questions, Yang Zhen smiled and said: "Old Guo, we don't want to take down Xinjing, but the stronger our offensive in that direction, the more troops we can contain the Kwantung Army and make it unable to do so. By committing to the battlefield in Western Manchuria, we can greatly disperse the pressure on Wang Guangyu and Chen Hanzhang's troops in the next battle."
"Although the Kwantung Army headquarters has now withdrawn from Xinjing and evacuated most of the Japanese civilians in Xinjing except for local soldiers, Xinjing is still not as important to Japan's colonial rule in Northeast China. If there is any reduction, the Japanese will do whatever it takes to ensure that Xinjing is not lost."
"Just because we don't capture New Capital doesn't mean we don't capture part of it, and the current shrinking tactics adopted by the Japanese army doesn't mean they are waiting to be beaten. After so many years of fighting with the Japanese army, when have we ever seen just one? The Japanese army will be beaten passively.”
"The delay in taking action before was because the Japanese army had not yet figured out the key offensive targets of our army, but now they are waiting for the results of the operation from the sky. Once their plan succeeds, when a man-made flood cuts off our army's retreat, especially After being supplied with food and ammunition, they will definitely fight back with all their strength in the direction of Xinjing."
"Because at least for now, they cannot afford the risk of losing Xinjing. Therefore, according to the current situation, as long as our army assumes a posture of being determined to win Xinjing, no matter whether their operations in the sky are successful or not, Even if the Kwantung Army doesn't want to move, the Japanese base camp will force it to take action."
"Lao Guo, don't forget that the entire reserve force of the Kwantung Army is concentrated in a trapezoidal shape around Siping Street and along the Zhongchang Railway. Among them, from Huaide, Lishu to Siping Street south of Xinjing, It is an area where various reserve units of the Japanese army are deployed."
"The Kwantung Army's input into the battlefield in Western Manchuria this time, especially the counterattack forces in the direction of Tongliao, mainly started from Changtu south of Siping Street, and even in the direction of Kangping. Its forces were deployed between Xinjing and Siping Street, and Not even one infantry regiment has been deployed."
"Judging from the distance between Xinjing and Siping Street, even if we paralyze the medium- and long-distance railway lines, once there is a need in the direction of Xinjing, the Kwantung Army's reserve forces deployed around Siping Street, judging from the Japanese army's forced march capabilities, will We can reach Xinjing within three days."
"This deployment of the Kwantung Army has clearly told us that they will never give up the fight for Xinjing. At the same time, Siping Street is the largest railway hub between Xinjing and Fengtian. The Japanese army has gathered heavy troops here, and it is definitely not to ensure The security of the Kwantung Army headquarters moved here."
"By deploying heavy troops in this section, they want to take advantage of the transportation advantages here. They can go north to reinforce the Xinjing battlefield when needed, and they can also go west to reinforce the Ximan battlefield at any time. The Japanese army wants to kill two birds with one stone, so why don't we give them a good Take advantage of their bipolar mentality."
"So the more intense our army's offensive in the direction of Xinjing is, the more Japanese troops can be contained in the direction of Xinjing. And this part of the Japanese army, as long as our army's offensive in the direction of Xinjing continues, they will not dare to move anywhere. In this direction, I conservatively estimate that we can contain at least two divisions of the Kwantung Army reserve force."
"As for capturing Xinjing, I don't think it's necessary, but in order to effectively attract the Japanese army, I think we can first capture the urban area north of the Yinma River in Xinjing, especially the industrial zone in the north, but we must control it well. We cannot afford to carry the political and economic burden of Xinjing for the time being."
"This is also the reason why I transferred Wang Xiaoming to replace Ma Chunsheng to take charge of the Xinjing operations. Ma Chunsheng does have a certain level of tactics, but he is a wild horse and has a poor overall concept. In addition, he likes to take the opposite direction. Once you lose control, it can easily lead to unnecessary losses and passivity."
"Wang Xiaoming is a cadre who has been tested by many years of guerrilla warfare in the Northeast. He has a stable character but is aggressive. If he is transferred there, he will be able to control the rhythm very well. At least I don't have to worry that he will ignore the instructions of his superiors and take risks to do harm. It’s about the overall situation.”
"Furthermore, Wang Xiaoming's unit, which has arrived in Jilin, is also the closest unit of our army to the Xinjing battlefield. Letting him take over the Xinjing battle will save us a lot of time and energy, and also avoid our army from marching. We waste a lot of physical strength and energy, and if we just talk here, the cadres and soldiers below will have their legs broken."
"Second, the current situation does seem to be more promising, but in fact, after Liu Changshun's troops switched to on-site defense, our military strength has mainly shrunk to the two major battlefields of Xinjing and Western Manchuria. As for Tao Jingfei's entry into North Korea, only But it’s still just a bluff.”
"I don't have that much appetite to reach out to North Korea before we have a firm foothold. Lao Guo, the North Korean army, which only has two divisions under its command, does have the strength and equipment to be far away. Not as good as the Kwantung Army, but don’t forget that the Kwantung Army and the Korean Army have always been in a state of interdependence since their formation."
"The Kwantung Army was short of troops during the September 18th Incident, and the first reinforcement was the Korean Army. It even acted without permission from senior Japanese officials. During the battle between Japan and the Soviet Union at Zhanggufeng, the Kwantung Army also did not have any Under the order, the North Korean army was reinforced with a large amount of supplies, ammunition, and heavy firepower units."
"Based on this lesson, we must take precautions. If the Kwantung Army is unfavorable in its operations in Eastern Manchuria or even Xinjing, and the North Korean army connected with its mountains and rivers reinforces it, without even one more division, our situation in Eastern Manchuria will become difficult. We are under control, so I sent some of Tao Jingfei's troops into North Korea just to distract the attention of the North Korean army. Only if we turn into their belly will they not act without scruples."
"Lao Guo, don't be afraid of ten thousand, just be afraid of the worst. There is nothing wrong with preparing a few more hands. As for them being there, it is just a cover. They can be quickly transferred back at any time when necessary. Now the main trunk lines of the Xintu Railway are controlled In our hands, if necessary, they can be quickly transferred to other battlefields via railways."
"As for Du Kaishan's headquarters, it is the only mobile force we have now. After Ma Chunsheng's headquarters transferred a division from the west, plus the original troops in Shuangshan and Zhanyu direction, we are on the Tongliao battlefield. Although the total force strength is still lower than that of the Japanese army, we have an absolute advantage in terms of firepower and equipment."
"The Kwantung Army is currently executing a plan to destroy the dams of the Nen River and the Songhua River. Although it has done some damage, once it succeeds, the consequences for our army will be quite serious, but it will also attract all its aviation forces in disguise. Come over, and our army can maximize our air firepower."
"He, Umezu Yoshijiro, wanted to pull us out of the cauldron. This move was indeed vicious, but in disguise, he tied his own hands and feet and tied himself up in a cocoon. Almost all his aviation forces were tied to both sides of the Songhua River. , This gives our army an absolute advantage in firepower on the battlefield in Western Manchuria, so I think it is not yet time for Du Kaishan’s troops to fully invest in the front line at this time.”
"If we invest now, we can only contain the last mobile force of our army on the Tongliao battlefield. I have been thinking for a long time about whether Du Kaishan's troops will really invest in the Tongliao battlefield. I think it is still prepared to use it as a The use of reserve forces on the Western Manchuria battlefield was quite appropriate under the current circumstances. At the most critical moment, it became the last straw that crushed the entire Japanese offensive."