At this point, Chen Hanzhang put down the baton in his hand, remained silent for a moment and then said: "I can't tell what the Japanese army is planning to do next. But one thing I know is that, including the Bohai Navy Region, we are currently
Ground connections with the Shandong Military Region have now been severed."
"It is even possible that not only the main force of the Shandong Military Region will be cut off from us. The connection with the North Jiangsu Military Region and the Huaibei Military Region to the south, and the main force of the Shandong Military Region to the east of Yidu, will be cut off from the Central Shandong Military Region and the Southern Shandong Military Region.
The connection between them may be severed.”
"If the Japanese army built this blockade in other places, they would not have so many troops at all. But on the Jiaodong Peninsula, they can take advantage of the special terrain of the peninsula, which is long and narrow and surrounded by the sea on three sides, without investing too much troops.
make it happen."
"At the same time, the Shandong Military Region cannot launch external operations, which is equivalent to cutting off an arm for our next battle. Cutting off the main force of the Shandong Military Region and the connection with the troops of the Jiangsu and Huaibei Military Regions in the south can also ensure that the Longhai Road remains in the battle
It is safe at all times and the operation will not be greatly disturbed.”
"Although by doing this they abandoned almost all the control areas south of the Jiaoji Railway except for a few coastal ports, they were able to successfully trap the main force of the Shandong Military Region in the Jiaodong Peninsula. As long as the main force of the Shandong Military Region was trapped in Jiaodong
, the remaining Shandong Central Military Region and Shandong Southern Military Region are unlikely to have much impact on their next actions."
"Because in order to form a field army, the Shandong Military Region has actually drained all the main forces of these two military regions. The remaining local armed forces and some of the main forces left behind may be able to protect themselves, but it will be difficult to take the initiative. And the Japanese army
What is important is this situation to ensure that during the subsequent counterattack, the two major railways, Jinpu and Longhai, will not be interfered with in any way."
"If I remember correctly, among the eight field divisions formed by the Shandong Military Region this time, the third and fourth divisions were formed by the troops of the Central Shandong Military Region, and the eighth division was formed by the Southern Shandong Military Region.
Among the twelve security brigades, six were formed by these two military regions."
"At present, in the two major military regions of Central Shandong and South Shandong, the main forces left behind are only five guard brigades. The remaining local armed forces are far inferior to the main forces that have been transferred, both in terms of equipment and combat effectiveness. And even if
Including the local armed forces of the two military regions, the remaining troops in these two military regions are less than 20,000."
"Under this situation, as long as the main force of the Shandong Military Region currently concentrated on the Jiaoji Line cannot return to central and southern Shandong to fight, it will not pose any threat to the Jinpu Line and Longhai Road. Although doing so requires the deployment of some troops
However, for the Japanese army, it is far more powerful than fighting us in the Hebei-Shandong border area. The Shandong Military Region set fire in the back, allowing them to face the front and rear attacks. The troops and materials consumed by then will be calculated."
"The Japanese army's intention in building these two blockades is not to solve our army in Shandong now. Because they do not have enough power to solve our army in Shandong at least until they remove our threat to the northern Shandong area.
From the military region troops.”
"Furthermore, the Japanese army, which has been fighting against our army in North China for a long time, knows very well that even if it invests a large amount of troops in mopping up, it will be difficult to eradicate our army in Shandong. Instead of consuming a lot of troops and time to eliminate our army in Shandong battlefield,
It is better to take advantage of the current situation and temporarily trap it in the long and narrow Jiaodong Peninsula so that it cannot pose a major threat to the course of the battle during the entire battle. It is still quite cost-effective."
"Although we don't have definite information at the moment, I firmly believe in my judgment. No. 1, if you don't believe in my judgment, you can send electricity to the New Fourth Army Headquarters and the Shandong Military Region. In other words, the Japanese army uses our own
The victories we have won have formed a cage, binding our own hands and feet."
"On the 1st, the Japanese army is now playing a big game of chess in Shandong, and even the entire North China battlefield. This game of chess is likely to start from the first stage of the battle, and the defeat of the Japanese army will begin to be exposed. The Shandong Military Region troops will devote most of their main forces to the Jiaotong War.
When the railway is along the Jinan-Jiji Railway, we should have already started to deploy it.”
"Judging from the current deployment of the Japanese army in Shandong and the efforts to ensure the Shandong section of the Jinpu Line and Longhai Road, I dare to conclude that the Japanese army will not only counterattack across the board in the next step, but once it launches a counterattack across the board, the Hebei border with Shandong will
The southeast region will definitely be its main attack direction."
"At the same time, judging from the future direction of the entire war situation, they will definitely launch landing operations on our flanks when launching a frontal offensive. In order to cooperate with the frontal front, they can complete a front and rear pincer attack on our army in Hebei, so as to solve the Hebei battlefield as soon as possible. The Japanese army
There was no large-scale increase in troops on the battlefield in Shandong just to confuse us."
After listening to Chen Hanzhang's analysis of the situation in Shandong as a whole, Yang Zhen did not give him an immediate reply. Instead, he stared at the map on the wall of Chen Hanzhang's headquarters that marked the situation of the enemy and ourselves in the entire Shandong battlefield. After a long time, he said: "Your analysis is very thorough.
The vision is also very comprehensive and long-term.”
"But the answers you gave cannot fully explain why the Japanese army acted like this in Shandong, nor can they explain your judgment that the Japanese army will attack Shandong as the main direction. Old Chen, you know my habits. If I accept your
point of view, then you must have sufficient reasons to convince me."
"I came here today not only with my mouth, but also with my ears. I want to hear your analysis and judgment on the entire battle situation on the Eastern Front. To be honest, I am not sure about the direction of the main attack of the Japanese army's next counterattack.
I have never been as unsure as I am today, so I came this time."
"I am your superior, and Lao Du is your old comrade-in-arms. There is nothing to be taboo about. Whatever you say today, the bamboo tube pours the beans out completely. Many times, I, the number one, in military deployment, you
The commander’s opinions in these aspects are very important.”
After Yang Zhen's words fell, Chen Hanzhang did not answer immediately. Instead, he pondered for a moment before answering Yang Zhen's first question: "No. 1, the reason why I made this judgment is not only from the situation of the Shandong battlefield, but also from the
It was based on the overall situation our army is currently facing and the Japanese commander’s understanding of the battle situation.”
"Because the Japanese army also knew very well that in the first phase of the battle, although we successively captured Pingjin and almost all of Hebei, our own losses were also quite serious. And as the front retreated southward, the supply line gradually began to
As the length of time increases, the pressure on logistics is also increasing."
"What they know better is that the entire North China battlefield did not provide our army with other material conditions except food. Most of the materials we need for combat have to be transported thousands of miles from the Northeast. At the same time, the Japanese army has
They are no strangers, they know very well that these equipments are oil tigers."
"Right now, apart from the Northeast, let alone North China, there are no regions in China that have provided us with enough oil. In other words, after entering the Hebei, Shandong and Henan areas, as the supply lines lengthen, whether we like it or not, we will
It takes a lot of time to replenish troops and stockpile supplies and ammunition."
"Until the troops' attack capabilities are restored and sufficient ammunition and supplies are accumulated for continued operations, we will no longer be able to continue southward. After our army arrived in the Hebei-Shandong border area, it has actually become unable to penetrate Luxun. That and
The most powerful crossbow."
"This is why the Japanese army dared to resort to an empty city strategy in Shandong in a short period of time, fully respond to the battlefield in eastern Henan, and raise reinforcements step by step. Although the Japanese army currently has more stamina than us, from the perspective of the entire war situation facing the Japanese army from Northeast China to Australia
, it is not easy for them to mobilize enough troops."
"We are panting, and they are panting too. We need to replenish the battle losses, and they, who have suffered greater losses, also need to replenish the battle losses and mobilize enough troops for counterattack. And compared with us, they have to consider how to deal with it,
Our anti-Japanese armed forces are operating behind enemy lines in its hinterland, so they need more time."
"In comparison, the overall situation in Shandong is more complicated than that in northern Henan. But for the Japanese army, Shandong's geographical environment determines that they will choose Shandong first. Even if the Japanese army abandoned Qingdao Port and the Jiaoji Railway,
They still control Yantai, Longkou Port, and the highway from Yantai to Jinan."
"Although the scale of these two ports is not as good as Qingdao, the transportation capacity of the two ports combined is not much smaller than Qingdao. Moreover, in Shandong, below Jining, it is completely navigable to the canal along Longhai Road, and can also supplement part of it.
Transport capacity. Shandong’s transportation environment is far superior to that of eastern Henan, which has a large yellow flood zone and no railway or water transportation support.”
"At the same time, Shandong's strategic position in the entire North China and its terrain conducive to defense have determined that it is impossible for the Japanese army to abandon the entire Shandong. Shandong's terrain is high in the middle and low on the sides. Except for the Jiaodong Peninsula, which is close to the sea, its terrain is relatively
Between the flat western Shandong and central Shandong, there are a large number of lakes that serve as natural barriers."
"Shandong connects Jing and Cang to the north. Along the canal, you can go directly to Pingjin to the north, to Xu and Pi to the south, overlooking the two Huaihe Rivers, and to the east of Henan Plain to the west. Since ancient times, whether it is attacking from the south or defending from the north, or attacking from the north to the south
Defending, Shandong is the main battlefield. But now for the Japanese army, once Shandong is lost, the entire Huaibei will have no barrier."
"Compared to eastern Henan, the terrain of the entire Shandong Province is also more powerful against the Japanese army. It limits our army's ability to use tanks to carry out large-scale penetration attacks. In the entire Shandong territory, the only terrain where our army can use tanks on a large scale is
The Luxi area to the west of the canal itself limits the penetration routes of our army."
"At the same time, a series of lakes along the canal, starting from Dongping Lake on the south bank of the Yellow River and extending to Tongshan in northern Jiangsu at the southern end of Weishan Lake, can also become a natural barrier. Ensure that when it launches a full-line counterattack to the north, its flanks will not be blocked by us.
The army made a large-scale roundabout, interspersed and outflanked the enemy."
"When the Japanese army launched a full-scale counterattack against the Hebei-Shandong border area, they only put part of their troops on the flanks to form an integrated body with the Japanese troops in northern and eastern Henan. They used the large and small lakes along the canal to protect their flanks. Yes.
Put more troops on the front and on the landing of our army on the flanks."
"This is something that eastern Henan and northern Henan cannot do anyway. If they choose northern Henan as the main attack area, our army will concentrate a large number of tanks and forcibly penetrate from the west of Shandong, which can directly outflank the flanks of its main attack force.
.At the same time, the Japanese army used northern Henan as its main attack direction, and the attack area was also quite narrow."
"And it is surrounded by our military troops, which is not conducive to keeping secrets before the operation. The most important thing is to take northern Henan, which has relatively inconvenient transportation, as the main attack direction, so the Japanese army will mobilize a large number of troops in advance. This is equivalent to telling us
, their main attack direction is there. If Shandong is chosen as the main attack direction, all these problems will no longer be a problem for the Japanese army."