Looking at the various combat situations detailed on the map, as well as the troops scheduled to be used to launch an offensive on the western front, Chen Hanzhang frowned deeply, and after thinking for a long time, he said: "No. 1, the Mongolian garrison troops don't matter.
.The biggest variable in this battle should be the possible reinforcements from the Japanese troops in the Beijing-Tianjin area and northern Shanxi."
"The various departments of the Japanese army have always cooperated closely strategically, and they have never refused to save lives. If we launch an offensive against the troops stationed in Mongolia, the Japanese troops stationed on the Pingjin front line and the First Army in Shanxi will definitely not sit idly by.
Reason. A single move can affect the whole body. The biggest difficulty now is not the Mongolian garrison."
"Under the conditions of flat terrain, let alone the Mongolian Army with only one 26th Division and an independent mixed brigade, plus a cavalry group. Even one or two more divisions would be difficult to resist our army.
The impact of the tank cluster. The biggest uncertain factor in this battle is the number of Japanese troops in other directions in North China that can be mobilized to go north for reinforcements."
"No. 1, the Japanese troops on the Pingjin front line have brother troops to deal with them. At the same time, they can rely on a series of mountainous areas such as Dama Mountains, Yanshan Mountains, Qilaotu Mountain and Nuruerhu Mountain for defensive operations. But the Japanese troops in northern Shanxi are our troops.
The biggest threat to the westward advancing cluster.”
"Moreover, in the area north of Yinshan Mountain, although it is a plateau terrain, the terrain is relatively flat. Our army can exert the power of our army's mechanized rapid assault. But in the area south of Yinshan Mountain, except for the Tumut Plain west of Guisui, Jining
Most of Zhuozi and Fengzhen are mountains and hills, with a small amount of mountainous plains in between."
"This kind of terrain actually restricts the movement of our tank groups. Once the Japanese army relies on various mountain passes to hold on and forms an overall defense line, it will cause our army to fall into a war of attrition point by point. And this line is exactly
The main combat area for our army and northern Shanxi to attack the Japanese army."
"No. 1, I think that if we want to achieve our army's campaign goal of seizing Suidong, the most important thing is to move quickly. Before the Japanese troops in northern Shanxi have reacted, or before they can dispatch a large-scale attack, we can cross Hunshan with the main force.
In the Dake Sandy Land, do not force the rear to advance towards Zhuozi and Fengzhen. As long as we can seize Fengzhen before the Japanese troops in northern Shanxi leave the Great Wall and block the northward passage of the Japanese army in northern Shanxi, then the initiative in this battle is in our hands.
Already."
"I suggest that one unit of cavalry launch a strong attack on the main force of the 26th Division, entangle the 26th Division, and draw all the attention of the Japanese army to the Cha'nan area. Then use one unit of cavalry to mechanize the group and use the Yinshan Mountains
In the few plain areas between the mountains to the south, regardless of the interception by the surrounding Japanese troops, they forcibly advanced to seize the commercial capital and Fengzhen line, relying on the terrain advantages to block the Japanese troops in northern Shanxi within the Great Wall."
"As for Baotou and Guisui, I would like not to dispatch armored clusters for the time being. Instead, I would like to take advantage of the cavalry's small reliance on roads, ease of movement in mountainous areas, and far less reliance on logistics than armored clusters to concentrate a cavalry brigade across the Yinshan Mountains.
, seize two places while the battle is in progress."
"Of course, taking into account the strengthening of offensive capabilities, I think our army can deploy one or two bt fast tank battalions to cooperate with their operations. Although bt tanks have weak armor, they are highly maneuverable and have good adaptability to terrain. Although they are in mountainous areas
Activities in the mountains are subject to great restrictions, but the range of activities in hilly areas is still very large.”
"We have done tests before, and this kind of tank can even drive directly up the mountain in relatively gentle hilly areas. But the key is that we have a reliable guide, at least for the Maoming'an Banner across the Daqing Mountains to the Hetao Plain.
I know the mountainous terrain quite well.”
"I don't know much about the terrain there. But from the map, the entire Daqing Mountain area around Baotou is the most steep part of the entire Yinshan Mountains. Without a reliable guide, it would be difficult for us to cross the entire Daqing Mountains in a short time.
But since the cavalry of ancient nomadic tribes were able to cross Yinshan Mountain many times and go south, I think there must be some ancient roads in the mountains."
"Even if the armored troops cannot cross, the cavalry should have no problem. In this way, we can completely avoid the reality and suddenly go south. On the 1st, if we are seizing the Maoming'an and Darhan banners, we can concentrate a cavalry force to cross
Yinshan is heading south quickly."
"Once our army on the southern front reaches Fengzhen and Liangcheng, the Japanese cavalry group stationed in Baotou will inevitably shrink and return to Sui. In order to prevent us from separating it from the main force of the Mongolian army, and at the same time in order to preserve the more important return
Sui. Because once they fail to return to Sui, there will be no point in them hanging in Baotou, and they will still be fighting alone. Unless the top brass of the Japanese army have gone crazy, they will continue this cavalry group after our army launches an attack.
Put it on the front line of Baotou."
"Once our army launches an attack on Guisui with one force, then this cavalry group has only three options. The first is to fight decisively with our army around Guisui, but in terms of comparison of strength and equipment, this option is very detrimental to the Japanese army.
It is very inappropriate. Unless the Japanese commander is crazy, it is difficult for them to make this choice."
"The second is to immediately withdraw the entire army from Guisui and retreat in the direction of Datong and Fengzhen in order to get closer to the enemy forces in northern Shanxi. In fact, if the Japanese cavalry group chooses this way, it is most in line with the current conditions of our army. In the field battle,
If we give them powerful capabilities, they will not be a match for my cavalry tank group."
"If our cavalry group can cross the Yinshan Mountains and go south, we can even form a flanking attack on it. We can completely concentrate our superior forces and eat up this cavalry group in one move. Completely clear the gap between Baotou and Guisui.
This is the largest mobile force of the Japanese army."
"The third choice is the most troublesome choice for us, which is to defend Guisui. If I were the commander, then this would be my biggest concern. Although Guisui is backed by Daqing Mountain to the north and east, it is backed by Daqing Mountain to the south and west.
But there is no danger to defend, and the Tumut Plain is flat. But fighting a tough battle is a headache for our army."
"I'm not worried about anything else, but I'm a little worried that although Guisui is not a big town, it is also the most important town in the entire Suiyuan region. We still don't know how many people there will be. But one thing is for sure, the population will definitely not be too large.
Few, at least hundreds of thousands should be there."
"Without the use of artillery fire to siege the city, like this Battle of Tongliao, our army will not only pay heavy casualties, but also waste a lot of precious time. But once artillery fire is used to siege the city, not only will our artillery have to cover the distance in complex terrain,
Distance maneuvers, the issue of whether they can keep up with the assault force, and the issue of friendly fire."
"What is even more complicated is that Mongolians and Han people live together there. Mongolians account for a considerable part of the population, so the situation is much more complicated. If we cause too many casualties among the people, it will not only cause ethnic conflicts, but also create trouble for the Japanese and puppet troops.
Using the excuse of provocation. Then we will occupy Suidong, and the troubles in the future will be quite big."
"Most of the Mongolian people are illiterate and have very serious feudal superstitions. Once the Japanese and puppet troops take advantage of the casualties caused to the people in the battle of Guisui to sow discord, there will be big chaos on the 1st. Once people's hearts change,
If we want to save it, we will have to put in so much effort."
"On the 1st, in the previous stage, Wang Guangyu detoured to Linxi in order to collect wood to build a bridge and demolished it. The subsequent impact has not been resolved yet. The commander-in-chief is still personally in charge of Ximan to restore the impact and losses. Lessons from the past,
We must take precautions."
"But if our cavalry group can choose to go south across the Yinshan Mountains from Maoming'an and Darhan Banners, then we can concentrate heavy troops to deal with the Japanese cavalry group in Guisui. As long as this cavalry group is destroyed, the entire Suidong, Shanxi and
The battlefield in the north has become a living chess game."
"As for Baotou, I think we might as well stop quietly. The Jinsui Military Region has a guerrilla detachment in Daqingshan, so I suggest that they do not take any action after our army's campaign is launched, and just stare at the Japanese puppets in Baotou.
Army. Once the Japanese and puppet troops withdraw from Baotou, they will immediately move in as soon as possible."
After all, he was a man with both military and political skills, and he considered far more things than ordinary military cadres. Chen Hanzhang not only considered military issues, but also considered political and national issues in great detail. Suidong and Ximan had similar issues.
situation, but there is a big difference between the two.
The Japanese army's control over the Mongolian alliance banners in Suidong is far less than that in Western Manchuria. It is for this reason that there are a large number of wandering troops and bandit armed forces living there. And although both of them are traditional Mongolian nomadic lands in history, Sui
The number of Mongolian compatriots in the East, as a proportion of the entire population, far exceeds that of Western Manchuria, which has been heavily infiltrated by the Han or other ethnic groups.
Compared with Western Manchuria, which was once rich in water and grass, most of the Suidong area is a desert terrain. This condition undoubtedly limits the enthusiasm of the Han people to immigrate. In the entire Suiyuan area, except for the Hetao, there are almost no places that are suitable for a farming economy.
.This resulted in the fact that the majority of the local people were still traditional Mongolians.
This means that the troops marching westward not only have to face the local Japanese and puppet troops, but also the more complex ethnic situation in the area. More importantly, the Suidong Theater is adjacent to the Eighth Theater Army currently stationed in the Hetao area.
.In the entire Daqingshan, there are not only strongholds of the Japanese and puppet troops and the Daqingshan guerrilla detachment, but also various types of wandering armed forces of one kind or another.
The westward march to Suidong is not only a military issue, but also an ethnic and political issue that is more complex. Considering it from a military perspective alone, it simply cannot meet the needs. The chosen chief officer must not only have excellent military capabilities, but also possess
It requires certain political judgment. And Chen Hanzhang's keen military and political judgment makes him undoubtedly the most appropriate candidate.
What Chen Hanzhang didn't expect was that if Yang Zhen was still hesitant between him and Wang Guangyu before, then it was his words that made Yang Zhen's final decision about the candidate for the commander of the westward march.
Wang Guangyu's actions in Ximan made Yang Zhen very worried that the Ximan incident would happen again in Suidong. The situation there was far more complicated than that in Ximan. What Chen Hanzhang said was correct. Once the people there were in chaos,
, then it will take countless efforts to clean up this mess.
Yang Zhen did not answer Chen Hanzhang's words, but tapped the map and said: "I will vacate this office to you now, and I will have a rough battle plan tomorrow morning. And this map is absolutely not allowed to be taken out of this room, either.
There is no combat staff to cooperate with you, and all plans are completed by you alone."
"Remember, as long as the sky doesn't fall tonight, let your chief of staff handle all other matters first. You can come up with a rough diagram for me based on what you just analyzed. Except for this one
Apart from the map, nothing can be said except in your head."
"Also when planning the entire campaign, we must consider the emergence of some unexpected situations. Especially the direction in which the Japanese army may send reinforcements. We must know that Datong in northern Shanxi may not be the only choice for the Japanese army. At the same time, we must also consider the terrain.