Chen Hanzhang did not see any trace of Du Kaishan's headquarters on this military map marked with reports from superiors on the progress of his brothers' troops. In other words, after encircling and annihilating the 71st Division, Du Kaishan's headquarters had never invested any effort.
on the battlefield, while hiding in the rear and waiting.
Although it is still unclear where Du Kaishan's headquarters is currently hiding, and what strategic intention the headquarters has in keeping it hidden and waiting. However, Chen Hanzhang's always keen sense of smell can sense that there should be something behind him with the north of Xinjing.
the zone in between.
If all of Du Kaishan's troops go south now, no matter whether he first encircles and annihilates the 18th Division behind him. But as long as he goes south, plus Wang Guangyu's troops in Linxi, himself in Tongliao, and a reinforced division under Ma Chunsheng
, the overall situation of the Western Manchuria war situation, even if the Kwantung Army is capable, I am afraid it will be unable to save the situation.
It is reasonable for the headquarters not to allow itself to advance eastward and to cooperate with Ma Chunsheng's actions. Because if it advances eastward, the flanks of the Linxi battlefield will be exposed again, and the door behind itself will be wide open. At the same time,
This is equivalent to giving Zhangwu and the Japanese Fifth Division on the new front line of Xifu a way to cut straight behind him.
If the Fifth Division on the Zhangwu and Xifuxin front lines went north to join the 18th Division, and at the same time several Japanese divisions in Fengtian bypassed Ma Chunsheng's troops and went north from the Faku line and went straight to the direction of Tongliao, then the entire West
There is still a certain danger in the situation, and there is a possibility of being reversed by the Kwantung Army again.
But if he were allowed to march westward to cooperate with Wang Guangyu and encircle and annihilate the two Japanese divisions on the Linxi battlefield. Or if he was allowed to go south to Xifuxin and the Zhangwu front line would be entangled with the Fifth Division, then no matter how courageous Umezu Yoshijiro was,
We also dare not take the risk of two divisions being surrounded and annihilated, and the Beining Railway, the main artery connecting the northeast and Guan Nei, being cut off, by sending the troops in Fengtian to other directions.
In this way, not only the strategic initiative is always in the hands of the Anti-Japanese Alliance, but also through the Linxi battlefield, the pressure on Ma Chunsheng's headquarters and the Xinjing battlefield can be effectively reduced, attracting the entire Kwantung Army's attention to the Linxi battlefield. Regardless of
No matter how the enemy situation changes, it cannot change the current situation.
But what Chen Hanzhang found hard to understand was that the order given to him by the headquarters at this time was to switch to defense on the spot. Doesn't this put the strategic initiative of the entire western Manchuria back into the hands of the Japanese army? Is the current strategic intention of the headquarters?
Close the door and beat the dogs, and prepare to eat the 18th Division behind you first?
In fact, the reason why Chen Hanzhang was puzzled by the latest strategic intentions of the headquarters was very simple. The reason why Yang Zhen ordered Chen Hanzhang's headquarters to switch to defense on the spot was that the battle situation and enemy situation had changed significantly, which put Tongliao at a very critical and absolutely critical position.
There can be no loss of position.
Ma Chunsheng's troops, who forcibly moved south from the west of Xinjing, stirred up a hornet's nest. A bloody battle broke out in Lishu with a Japanese division that was advancing at full speed westward. The remaining Kwantung Army troops in the entire puppet Fengtian Province were now mobilized extremely
Frequent, the phenomenon of large-scale dispatches has been exposed.
The location of Chen Hanzhang's headquarters is exactly the key position in the core area of Fengtian Province and Western Manchukuo battlefield. To the east, it can be said to support Ma Chunsheng's flank, and to the west, it can support Wang Guangyu's Linxi battlefield, and at the same time cut off the Eighteenth Army.
The entire retreat route of the division. Tongliao has now become the core position of the entire western Manchuria battlefield.
No matter whether the Kwantung Army increases its troops on the Linxi battlefield, rescues the 18th Division, or attempts to encircle Ma Chunsheng's troops, Chen Hanzhang's troops must be dealt with first. Judging from the current situation, the reason for the frequent mobilization of the Kwantung Army is very likely
The next key target is the Tongliao battlefield where Chen Hanzhang's troops are located.
Judging from the location of the Japanese division that is currently fighting fiercely with Ma Chunsheng's troops, the target of this Japanese division's attack is very clear, which is the direction of the flank of Shuangliao Chen Hanzhang's troops. If Ma Chunsheng hadn't crossed the line,
Gangzi just disrupted the overall deployment of the Japanese army.
Once this Japanese division arrives at the Shuangliao battlefield, plus the Fifth Division to the south and the 18th Division to the north, which has begun to turn around and move south, Chen Hanzhang's troops will be in a three-sided siege situation. If the 18th Division does not pounce directly
Behind Chen Hanzhang's troops, he instead forcibly attacks the Kailu front line, so the connection between the two major battlefields of Linxi and Tongliao that has just been opened will be cut off again.
Chen Hanzhang, who is fighting alone, will face an even more dangerous situation. Ma Chunsheng's force's forced penetration to the south is a risky move, but it is also a move to make up for the weak flank strength of Chen Hanzhang's force. It was also Ma Chunsheng's force that caught him by surprise.
The offensive completely disrupted the Japanese army's deployment and avoided the crisis faced by Chen Hanzhang's troops.
However, although Ma Chunsheng has disrupted the deployment of the Kwantung Army, Tongliao's position in the current war situation has also forced Chen Hanzhang's troops to switch to defense on the Tongliao line. The Tongliao to Kailu line has a negative impact on the entire Western Manchuria war situation.
For now, it is crucial. Whether Chen Hanzhang goes west to join the Linxi battlefield or goes east to get closer to Ma Chunsheng, he cannot leave enough troops to hold on from Tongliao to Kailu.
To the south in front of him, there was the Japanese Fifth Division. Behind them, there was the Japanese Eighteenth Division. Ma Chunsheng's troops broke the Kwantung Army's attempt to encircle them on three sides, but it could only help them solve one side of the enemy.
.In front of and behind them, there are two Japanese reorganized divisions. If he joins other battlefields, it will be difficult not to leave opportunities for these two Japanese divisions to take advantage of.
The current strategic position of the Tongliao front line determines that there must be no loss here. If Tongliao is reoccupied by the Kwantung Army, then an overall battlefield situation has been formed and will be redivided by the Kwantung Army again. The Western Manchuria battlefield
The situation already quite favorable for the Alliance of Resistance will be broken by the Kwantung Army again. The flanks of the Linxi battlefield may also face threats from the Japanese army again.
At the same time, although the intersecting operations of Ma Chunsheng's troops broke the Japanese army's layout, on the other hand, it caused trouble. It diverted the Kwantung Army's attention from the Tongliao battlefield to itself. Ma Chunsheng's troops appeared in Shuangliaodong
, Lishu, Changtu, and the situation of continuing southward to Kangping and threatening Fengtian was in vain, so the Japanese army could only temporarily abandon Tongliao and deal with this sudden appearance of the army first.
For the Kwantung Army, if Ma Chunsheng's troops really seize Changtu and Kangping, and threaten Kaiyuan, Tieling, and the north and northwest of Fengtian, there will be no danger to defend. And the Kwantung Army wants to take back the west
The access route from Manchuria to Tongliao will be completely blocked. Unless Ma Chunsheng's troops are dealt with, the Kwantung Army will be unable to do anything in Western Manchuria.
The Eighteenth Division behind Tongliao, Linxi's Eleventh Division and Thirteenth Division will face the danger of being encircled from all sides at any time. The Kwantung Army is quite aware of the power of hundreds of tanks from Chen Hanzhang and Wang Guangyu.
Therefore, it has become inevitable for the Japanese army to next attack Ma Chunsheng's headquarters with heavy troops.
But as long as Chen Hanzhang's troops are on the Tongliao front line, Ma Chunsheng's troops will still have to bear great pressure, but there will not be any great danger. Unless a large number of new divisions are mobilized, the Kwantung Army's counterattack will be
will be controlled within an extremely limited range.
If Chen Hanzhang's troops are moved west to join the Linxi battlefield, or to cooperate with Ma Chunsheng's roundabout operations eastward, then the Japanese 10th Division in Fengtian and the first part of the 24th Division are likely to move north quickly.
, and joined up with the 18th Division, which suffered heavy losses under the sea of fire tactics, and was cut off by Ma Chunsheng's sudden detour south, and was already ready to turn around and move south again.
Take advantage of the opportunity when Ma Chunsheng's troops are entangled by two Japanese divisions to completely divide the Ximan battlefield. Or cooperate with the two Japanese divisions on the Linxi battlefield to completely annihilate Wang Guangyu. Or cooperate with Zheng.
Cooperate with a division that is fighting fiercely under Ma Chunsheng's troops to deal with Ma Chunsheng's troops first.
Once this situation occurs, it will bring fatal danger to both the Linxi battlefield and Ma Chunsheng's troops who are fighting fiercely in Lishu. Whether the safety of Tongliao and Kailu can be guaranteed at the moment has become a question in the west.
A key point on the battlefield.
Therefore, it is not a good choice for Chen Hanzhang's troops to go east, west or south. On the contrary, it is stuck on the line from Tongliao to Kailu, but it has become the best choice. As long as Chen Hanzhang's troops are in Tongliao for a day
, Wang Guangyu and Ma Chunsheng don’t need to worry about their flanks when fighting.
In addition to the changes in the strategic pattern and enemy situation, the Anti-Japanese Alliance is now an overloaded logistics system that can no longer support the simultaneous actions of the two armored groups. The negotiations that Li Yanping is having with the Soviets are extremely difficult. The Soviet side is
Without giving in, the problem of oil imports has never been resolved.
At present, the Anti-Japanese Alliance's fuel reserves, except for aviation fuel, still have a slight surplus. The inventory of fuel used by trucks and tanks has almost bottomed out. Even in the current base area, all civilian vehicles have been suspended. However, the current inventory is limited.
Oil, even if all efforts are made, can only ensure the supply of materials for the Linxi battlefield. The remaining part can only ensure one action between Ma Chunsheng and Chen Hanzhang.
At the same time, whether it is Chen Hanzhang or Wang Guangyu's troops, the current distance is already the limit of the Anti-Japanese War logistic support distance. To transport one ton of artillery shells from the rear to Linxi or Tongliao, the amount of gasoline consumed reaches hundreds of liters. And all of them
If all the vehicles that support the logistics of the Western Manchuria battlefield are put together, the amount of gasoline consumed every day is an astronomical figure. With the import of oil being blocked, the Anti-Japanese Alliance has become unsustainable.
The Western Manchuria region is a traditional nomadic zone. Except for a few areas such as Tongliao and Kailu, it is difficult for troops in most areas to raise even food. If we add in the advancing army and Ma Chunsheng's troops,
The entire Western Manchuria battlefield was consumed with supplies of supplies for nearly 200,000 troops. Coupled with the transportation of a large number of wounded, such a large depth really reached the limit of the Anti-Alliance logistics capacity.
In order to meet the material consumption on the battlefield in Western Manchuria, the Anti-Japanese Alliance has now transferred its main transportation forces to the Western Front. However, the transportation distance of hundreds of kilometers and the harsh road environment. Even if the transportation force
It is mainly tilted towards Western Manchuria, but the supply of materials is also tight. If Chen Hanzhang continues to go south, I am afraid that the logistics line, which has been stretched to the limit, will be broken.
Moreover, Yang Zhen believes that the troops have been used to their maximum strength and it is time to take a step back. This is not only a problem of logistical pressure, but also the troops who have been fighting hard for more than two months and are in urgent need of rest and replenishment.
The problem is that the troops are overtired after fighting for a long time. If the offensive continues without hesitation, the troops may be overwhelmed.
At the same time, Yang Zhen, under Chen Hanzhang's command, seized Tongliao and Kailu. After Wang Guangyu had established direct contact with the advancing army, he felt that the purpose of the first stage of the battle had been achieved. It will take some time for what he has swallowed now.
consumption. If you eat it without hesitation, you will probably stretch yourself to the limit.