After hesitating for a while, the boss expressed his thoughts: "Comrade Yang Zhen, I still support your idea. In fact, so far, the results of this campaign have exceeded the central government's original expectations. Although we have paid a lot of
The price was high, but we also achieved great results."
"So far, we have captured Beiping on the northern front, regaining the largest city in North China, as well as the political and cultural center. At the same time, we have restored the entire Jizhong Plain, providing a stable number of soldiers for the major strategic areas in North China.
A replenishment base for food and supplies. It can be said that in this battle, you have exceeded the tasks assigned by the central government."
"And this battle not only changed the overall war situation across the country, but also caused extraordinary repercussions domestically and internationally. It gave the central government a considerable political initiative. After this battle, all major strategic areas in North China were completely
Not only has the living space of our army in North China been greatly expanded, but the room for maneuver has also been greatly increased."
"However, the cost is also huge. The Central Committee is still aware of the casualties of the troops participating in the war, as well as the tremendous pressure and difficulties you are currently experiencing. Before returning to Hejian from Peiping this time, I have telegraphed the Central Committee and suggested that we
The entire battlefield has shifted to defense."
"Although the central government has not responded to your call yet, I think the central government will take your difficulties into consideration. However, the situation in eastern Henan is a bit delicate now, and I think you still have to be prepared. Once the first theater counterattack in eastern Henan is successful, will it happen?
It is not yet clear whether we will continue to advance westward to the west of Jinpu Road. Coupled with the current situation in southwestern Shanxi, it is not easy for the central government to make this determination."
After the boss's words, Yang Zhen shook his head but said nothing. At present, only a few hundred kilometers away, the outcome of the ongoing counterattack in East Henan in the First War Zone is still unclear. But from now on
Judging from the battle situation between the two sides, Yang Zhen is not very optimistic about this operation in the First Theater.
Although the first theater of this battle can be considered to be full of elites, almost all the elites were invested in the counterattack in eastern Henan, and a large number of artillery was also mobilized to participate in the battle. Moreover, the US Air Force in China and the Air Force affiliated with Chongqing also used most of their forces
, was deployed on the battlefield in eastern Henan, striving for air supremacy while providing air support for ground counterattacks.
Although the U.S. Air Force and the Chongqing Air Force participated in the war, there were only a small number of tactical attack aircraft and only a small number of P-40 fighter jets responsible for ground support. However, the B-25 bombers and A-26 attack aircraft dispatched by the U.S. military were quite active.
.With its long range and large bomb load, it posed a serious threat to Japanese military activities.
In addition, the Japanese aviation force and the Anti-Alliance aviation force suffered heavy losses in the battle for air supremacy in the Hebei battlefield. There were already very few combat aircraft invested by the Japanese army in the entire theater, and it could basically be said that they were unable to respond. From the beginning of this battle, the Chinese
The U.S. Air Force firmly controls the air.
Compared with the strength of the Japanese troops in eastern Henan, Chongqing's counterattack was quite powerful. However, judging from the progress of the battle, the troops participating in the battle on the front line were obviously half-hearted. Except for some troops who acted resolutely,
In addition, most of the rest are a little too slow, and some units even fail to work hard.
Its offensive seemed very fierce, but its actual actions were hesitant. Moreover, two-thirds of the troops it invested, including several direct troops of the Central Army participating in the war, were deployed on the battlefields of Kaifeng and Longhai Road. For Eastern Henan.
In the hinterland, the troops invested were mainly miscellaneous troops with poor equipment and some collected wandering troops.
For example, the Pan-Eastern March, several new armies recruited from local motley crews. Or new divisions or temporary divisions that were just upgraded from local security forces or militia groups, or even puppet troops anyway. These
The troops are poorly equipped and have few troops. A division may have more than 4,000 troops, while a division may only have one or two thousand troops. Its combat effectiveness is quite poor.
In this counterattack in East Henan, apart from the elite Central Army gathering on the Kaifeng battlefield, there were only a few miscellaneous armies deployed on other fronts, such as the Ninth Army of the former Northeastern Army system and the 38th Army of the former Northwest Army system.
The combat effectiveness of these two armies is barely acceptable.
In particular, although the equipment of the 38th Army is very poor, the combat effectiveness of this direct force of the former Yang Hucheng system is quite strong. In addition to these two armies, the Second Cavalry Army, which was originally deployed at the junction of Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu, has a very strong combat effectiveness.
It's not bad. But the three troops are assigned to different regions and cannot fight together.
As for the other guerrilla armed forces, forget it in a word. Those troops are more than enough to disturb the people, but their combat effectiveness is very poor. Use these troops with almost no combat effectiveness to perform peripheral defense operations or offensive missions. Once they encounter Japanese reinforcements, they will counterattack.
The consequences can be imagined.
This kind of deployment obviously allows the Central Army to eat meat, and the miscellaneous troops serve as shields on the periphery to block the Japanese reinforcements. It is obvious that the garrison in Kaifeng is only half a division, and it is basically impossible to face several well-equipped Central Army.
They are not opponents. However, a Japanese division that has arrived in eastern Henan is fully equipped. As for how many subsequent troops there will be, I am afraid only God knows.
In the counterattack launched by it, the miscellaneous troops on the periphery were equivalent to gnawing bones. With such a style of play, once the Japanese army breaks through the peripheral blockade, I am afraid that the result of this battle will not be very great. Facing Kaifeng, it will not be great.
Half of the division's defenders have been on the offensive for nearly a week, but a few elite troops with superior strength and firepower are still fighting hard on the outside.
Moreover, two entire armies were left at the Yellow River crossing west of Kaifeng. The Thirteenth Army, which has the strongest combat effectiveness and is also the best-equipped, only invested one division. The main force and the main force of the 29th Army were firmly controlled
The crossing of the Yellow River is so that when the situation goes bad, the troops leaving the Kaifeng battlefield in the east can quickly return to the west of Hexi.
According to their progress, I don't know how long it will take to capture eastern Henan. East Henan is still some time away from southern Hebei and Jinpu Road, but it is far closer to the Japanese army in northern Anhui than Hebei. Based on the Japanese army's usual
Judging from the speed of reinforcements, this counterattack is probably more for the Chinese people to see.
As for the World War II zone, Yang Zhen was even more speechless. How could they fight to this level against a Japanese division trapped in Yuncheng? The Jinsui Army participating in the war has been playing soy sauce to preserve its strength. The Central Army
I worked very hard, but I never made much progress.
Judging from the deployment situation of the first theater, Yang Zhen knew very well that the counterattack launched by the first theater was not so much an opportunity to regain the entire eastern Henan and connect northern Anhui and eastern Henan into one. It was more like a political fight.
war, and put up a posture to deal with international and domestic public opinion.
Maybe the first person in Chongqing attaches great importance to this counterattack. But this does not mean that the generals below are also willing to this counterattack. The deployment is focused on the front and back, and the entire focus is on Kaifeng.
One place. As for other directions, Yang Zhen felt like he was just dealing with errands.
Although the counterattack in the First Theater Zone, whether willing or not, also attracted and dispersed the pressure on the North China battlefield, Yang Zhen is still not too optimistic about the counterattack in the First Theater Theater, or even the entire Chongqing. What kind of counterattack is this? The entire
The strategy has not formed a whole. Is it piecemeal or a hammer in the east and a stick in the west?
This battle was fought simply to cope with political pressure. From the beginning of this counterattack, the mentality was very abnormal. Coupled with the mentality of the generals at all levels below, the first theater of the counterattack may be able to use their Hebei
The situation on the battlefield provides some advantages.
But judging from the purpose of this campaign, their counterattack is destined to not be too great, and it may be difficult to obtain what Chongqing wants. It is understandable that the central government is worried, but there is no need to be too nervous.
Not much is necessary.
Since the Americans entered the war, the entire mentality of Chongqing has undergone great changes. From the original focus on defense, coupled with constant local counterattacks, to the current situation in the national war, the entire country is on the defensive. In 1939
, the kind of very effective 1940s, in which continuous small-scale tactical counterattacks were adopted over a large area, or even local counterattacks, have never been fought again.
In other words, after the Americans joined the war, everyone believed that from the perspective of national strength, it was a foregone conclusion that the Japanese, who were greatly disparate, would lose the war. At this time, from the top to the generals at all levels, everyone's mentality
A certain distortion occurred collectively.
In addition, military expenditures are too huge, but the sources are shrinking. Prices in the rear areas are soaring, people's livelihood is declining, and military production capacity is not rising, but declining. With the continuous expansion of the army, the limited military production capacity cannot
To meet the needs of the increasingly large military.
The U.S. aid is lip service but not real. In addition to air force equipment, the quantity and progress of the most needed ground weapons and equipment assistance are extremely slow. The equipment given is mainly the spoils of war between the United States and Britain in the North African battlefield. The real
The quantity of US aid is far from meeting the needs. Moreover, the focus is mainly on the southwest, and there are only a small number of elite troops in other theaters.
Not to mention miscellaneous troops, even the second-rate troops of the Central Army are not equipped with beautiful weapons. Although the scale of the entire combat force is increasing day by day, its strength and equipment are not directly proportional to the number and scale of the troops. Except for some
Except for the elite troops who are fully protected, the combat effectiveness of most of the troops is declining and shrinking instead of increasing.
Under this situation, no one is willing to fight to the death with the Japanese army. Except for the local battlefield in the southwest, everyone is sitting back and waiting for the Americans to defeat the Japanese. In other words, everyone is sitting back and waiting for victory. Really focus on
There were almost very few people on the battlefield.
The generals at all levels on the front line have different thoughts and ideas, and no one focuses their energy on combat. Especially the generals of the miscellaneous army reserve more of their mentality on how to preserve their strength. This mentality is used on the battlefield.
, no matter what the outcome of such a battle, Yang Zhen would not be surprised.
Yang Zhen also hopes that this counterattack in the first theater can create a wonderful situation, and at least share the pressure for himself. Although everyone has different ideas, it is not impossible to cooperate with each other strategically. But according to
Judging from the current progress in the First and Second World War zones, Yang Zhen did not dare to repay too much hope.
However, the final result of the counterattack in the First Theater Zone does not matter what the thoughts of Chongqing are. But for the counterattack in the First and Second World War Zones in eastern Henan and southwestern Shanxi, the overall strategy has an unintentional or
Lei Feng's behavior of deliberately cooperating and rushing to share some of the pressure for this North China battlefield made Yang Zhen quite satisfied with the entire battle situation.
As for the political reasons behind the counterattack, Yang Zhen didn't want to ask or care. He was just a simple soldier, and all considerations must be based on the development and changes of the battlefield. Political issues should be left to the central government.
It's a good idea, he doesn't want to get involved.