After that, Yang Zhen walked to a map of China that had been hung up in the conference room, pointed at the map and said: "If we choose the direction of our next operation in Southern Manchuria, except for a small amount of hilly areas, most of the
Some strategic locations are located in the Liaohe River Impact Plain."
"And if we go further south across the Yanshan Mountains, we will reach the vast North China Plain. If we go further south across the Yellow River, we will reach the flat Huanghuai Plain. Of course, we can also go west and attack the Japanese garrison in Mongolia. But there
But it is located in the grassland and desert terrain of the Mongolian Plateau, and the terrain is flatter."
"In other words, as long as we launch the offensive, no matter which aspect we choose, we will face almost all plain terrain. As for the Shanxi area west of the Taihang Mountains, before we capture the North China Plain, even if we reach the front line of the Great Wall, we will
It won’t be considered.”
"Because they are all mountainous, once a large amount of manpower is invested, it is likely to fall into endless consumption of the mountains. At the same time, if we do not capture the North China Plain first and cut off the Jinpu Railway, the main transportation artery that connects the Japanese armies in North China and Central China, then in
During the entire battle, the Japanese troops in Central China will continuously reinforce the North China battlefield. By then, our main force will inevitably be in a hard fight."
"Once the Japanese army takes advantage of its navy to land in Jinzhou and Huludao, detour behind us, seize Fuxin, Rehe, and close the Yanshan Mountains, then our entire army's combat troops going south will be cut off by the entire army in North China.
The dangers of the plains. When the ammunition and oil produced by North Manchuria are not available, our entire army in North China may even be destroyed."
"Therefore, no matter which direction we choose to launch the attack, we must make a quick decision. We must end everything before the Japanese army arrives from other directions for reinforcements, or before the Japanese army uses its naval superiority to land behind us and cut off our retreat.
battle and stabilize the newly recovered areas."
"If we want to achieve this goal, we need to maximize our attack capabilities and increase our attack speed. At the same time, we must establish at least ten more infantry divisions, as well as a large number of tanks and mechanized troops. These are all needs
Supplemented by a large number of tanks and artillery, as well as tactical aircraft."
"You two, I know that the United States and Britain will do their best to assist us. But during the war, who can predict what will happen? In order to be more reliable, I still hope that you will provide the captured German tanks.
and artillery, these trophies are no longer of any use to you. Although we also hope to obtain brand-new equipment, considering the international situation, we can only choose a backup method."
"In this way, we can avoid certain accidents that affect our combat capabilities. You, the United States and Britain, can also rest assured and invest more armored forces on the European battlefield without any worries. For us in three aspects
Said, this deal is still very cost-effective."
"In fact, we know that if the performance of the German tanks is still good, then the performance of their 105 and 150 howitzers can only be said to be average, not too outstanding. Compared with the Soviet 12
Compared with the 152 howitzer, it is inferior in both range and power."
"The German army's current standard LeFH 105mm howitzer is not to mention compared with the Soviet army's D30122 howitzer. It is compared with the 25-pound howitzer currently used by the British army and the latest M2 type one of the US military.
Compared with the 05 howitzer, there is a considerable gap in performance."
"General Wavell, if my estimate is correct, the maximum range of the German LeFH Type 105 howitzer is 10,600 meters, which is completely shorter than the range of the MK Type 2 25-pound howitzer you use.
Three thousand meters. The range of the FSH Type 18 150 howitzer is far inferior to your British MK type 25-pound howitzer."
"And in addition to the gap in artillery performance, we also have to consider the supply of parts, the maintenance of the artillery and the production of artillery shells. For second-hand goods that have experienced war, a shortage of parts is a common phenomenon. We also have to consider the problem of spare parts without the original
Based on the drawings, we reverse engineered the missing parts.”
"We also have to face the same problem with German tanks and armored vehicles. To be honest, if you, the United States and Britain, can provide enough tanks, armored vehicles, and modern artillery in the quantities you promised, we will also be willing to buy new ones.
But can you guarantee that not only the equipment, but also the military raw materials? Can you guarantee that every ton of steel and explosives promised will be delivered in full?"
"So you two, I can only open my mouth now. Because apart from the equipment that has no effect on you, I don't know if your active equipment can be provided on time and in the quantity you said. And ours
But the war situation cannot wait, and we cannot afford to wait."
"Besides, Mr. Hopkins, in terms of artillery, you only promised to provide us with a batch in March next year. Not only is there no future, but there is not even a specific number. Especially for the large-caliber artillery that we need most at the moment, you almost
Not a word was mentioned."
"At that time, more than a dozen of them have been provided, and dozens of them can be regarded as assistance. But can these things meet our actual needs? Once your American army enters the war, the equipment required will be an astronomical number. You
Is it possible not to equip your own army for the time being, but to transfer the weapons and equipment produced to us?"
"I don't want to involve too much of the energy of both of us in this matter. But your assistance is not very reliable, and our temporary production capacity is limited. Especially the gun steel you provided, we must give priority to the production of 75
With the millimeter-caliber mountain field artillery replacing our already outdated division-level artillery, I have to find a way to remedy it."
"The situation with tanks and helmets is similar. Until the equipment you provide is in place and installed, our tanks can only maintain barely enough production. Your trophies have become a temporary alternative.
To ensure our combat capabilities and expansion needs, there will be no vacancies due to equipment outages."
"And our own production is simply impossible to meet the needs. Most of the artillery currently equipped by our troops, especially the divisional 75mm artillery, are crudely manufactured products from Poland and France during World War I. After our long-term
Due to high-intensity use, a considerable number of artillery pieces have reached the point of being scrapped."
"The artillery with a caliber of more than 100 millimeters is not only insufficient in quantity and has greatly lagged behind in performance, but according to the standards of your two countries, most of them have also reached the point of being scrapped. Not to mention the small number of captured Japanese artillery, it is also large.
Some parts are incomplete, and the range is relatively backward. The most critical thing is the division-level artillery. If we expand, we simply cannot meet the needs."
"Under this situation, even if our arsenal works overtime and your material transportation can meet the needs, it is impossible for us to produce enough artillery to replace them in a short period of time. What's more, we still need to
Facing the expansion of the army, there is a need for large-caliber artillery."
"Although the performance of the German artillery and tanks is average, no matter how good it is, we can provide some of the artillery and tanks in stock. I hope that the United States and the United Kingdom can agree to our request. This transaction will have almost no impact on you.
The loss can even be said to be quite cheap. The price that needs to be paid is just some transportation costs."
"If it is convenient for the United States and Britain, and of course it is mainly convenient for the British side now, we hope that you can use German prisoners of war to include engineering and technical personnel in armor, artillery, aircraft, etc., repair and maintenance personnel of all weapons and equipment, science and engineering personnel
University graduates are also transferred to us by the way to make up for the shortage of our equipment maintenance, especially battlefield emergency repair personnel."
"As for providing some radio equipment to the Soviet Union, I hope Mr. Hopkins will still consider it. If your American army participates in the war, then according to your concept, the demand for radio equipment will be huge. And mine
The equipment list did not mention any radio equipment except for wired telephones."
"This shows that we have the strength to meet our own needs and provide certain help to our allies. Mr. Hopkins, this way you can give priority to meeting the needs of the US military when necessary without having to litigate with Stalin.
.Considering to reduce the pressure on the United States, I still hope you can consider my opinion again."
In fact, Yang Zhen insisted on asking for the German artillery that was captured by the British and Soviets and the Americans on the battlefield a few months later. In addition to insufficient supplementary US aid and insufficient military production capacity, there was another very important reason why he did not
Say it out loud.
The German LeFH 105 howitzer is the lightest compared to the American howitzer of the same caliber, and is the only one that can be pulled by horses. The Japanese Type 91 howitzer, although it is 200 kilograms lighter, has a longer range.
More than 100 meters. However, firstly, the quantity captured was not large enough to meet the needs of the troops. Secondly, it is quite difficult to imitate it yourself.
China's terrain is complex. It is neither the desert plain terrain of North Africa, nor the plains of Eastern Europe, which was mainly the case on the Soviet-German battlefield, or the relatively flat terrain of most areas in Western Europe. The terrain of mountains, plains, rivers, and complex terrain is far from that of Europe.
It is comparable to the North African battlefield.
Moreover, the transportation facilities in most areas of China are far inferior to those of European countries. It is said that the transportation environment in the Soviet Union is poor, but the transportation environment in China, which does not have roads in most areas, is even worse. In many places, there are no high-grade highways like those in Western Europe.
, there are no even simple roads.
In complex terrain, it is difficult for artillery towed by vehicles alone to meet combat needs. Large-caliber artillery is necessary to suppress firepower, but artillery with a caliber of less than 100 mm and including 100 mm is best.
The horse's pulling ability is preferred.
The performance of the American-made M-2 howitzer is indeed advanced, but it can only rely on car traction. For the Chinese battlefield, its mobility is greatly restricted. At least when fighting in mountainous areas, the use of artillery will be restricted. Moreover, Chinese horses are short and weak.
Not as good as the Soviet Don. If the artillery is too heavy, it will also limit maneuverability.
Even though Americans have promised to provide a large number of trucks with excellent performance, the large number of modern cars does not mean that horses can be completely eliminated. The current road conditions in China also restrict the use of trucks in quite some areas. Division level
It is still crucial that the artillery retains the ability to be drawn by horses, and even the ability to use people to move positions.
If you choose the American M-2 howitzer, let’s not talk about how many artillery pieces the Americans can provide and whether they can meet the needs. Just this kind of artillery that can only be towed by trucks, as the backbone artillery of the division-level artillery, will not only be used in mountainous areas, but also in many areas.