After listening to An Yi's introduction, Chiang Kai-shek, Zhu Peide, Chen Yi and others who had just personally awarded Hu Jialin, Gu Changfeng and others a few days ago couldn't help grinning. They all knew that it was the bravery and tyranny of the independent division that made them so proud.
The Shiyousan rebels were quickly defeated, which not only restored the reputation of the central government and the central army, but also greatly frightened the rebels and boosted the morale of the entire army. It is no exaggeration to call it a great contribution to turning the tide.
Chiang Kai-shek and others discussed it briefly and agreed that An Yi's recommendation was very reasonable. It was very suitable for the fierce general Gu Changfeng to lead the newly formed complex force. Maybe he could actually lead a second independent division. The three of them
They all agreed with An Yi's recommendation and immediately appointed Gu Changfeng as the major general commander of the 44th Division.
The generals in the hall were full of emotions when they applauded. They saw Chiang Kai-shek's favor for An Yi and his love for Gu Changfeng. At the same time, they were also shocked by the fact:
With the unexpected promotion of Gu Changfeng, there have been as many as two Category A divisions derived from the independent divisions. If we add Zhu Shigui's 17th Division, who is close to An Yi, in the future, as long as An Yi is appointed, he will virtually
It has the powerful military strength to command four divisions calmly.
At 9:50 in the evening, the meeting ended. An Yi and Zhang Zhizhong, who were hungry, were just about to return to the military academy together when they were left behind by Zhu Peide and Ge Jingen. Also left with An Yi were three generals under Chiang Kai-shek, who were in charge of Hubei Province.
Liu Zhi, Jiang Dingwen and Gu Zhutong from the Henan War Zone, He Yingqin, Yang Yongtai, Chen Lifu and others who would quietly follow Chiang Kai-shek every time he made a major decision were naturally also there.
Under Chiang Kai-shek's instructions, everyone came to stand in front of the map. Deputy Chief of Staff Ge Jing'en slowly opened the second curtain, and a huge military map of the Hubei-Henan theater came into view.
Just like every time he explained strategic and tactical tasks in the past, Ge Jing'en calmly explained in detail the locations, movements and equipment levels of the four divisions of Tang Shengzhi's headquarters in Henan and the five troops of Feng Yuxiang's Northwest Army. He raised his voice slightly and said his final purpose:
"Because our army faces rebel threats on both the northern and southern fronts, the defense line is too long, which leads to the dispersion of troops and a sharp reduction in combat effectiveness. Furthermore, most of the nearly 20 divisions on the Jiangbei front are B divisions adapted from local troops.
Each division only has two brigades and four regiments as its main force, with poor equipment and insufficient training. Most of the division's artillery units have less than one battalion. Moreover, they still have the fatal weakness of wavering in their stance and fear of fighting. Therefore, in Henan, Anhui, and Sulu,
On the front line, we can only take a temporary defensive stance.
Based on the opinions of the Commander-in-Chief and repeated discussions with the General Staff Headquarters, it was decided to change the original combat plan. The Jiangbei front line east of the Hubei-Anhui border will adopt an active defense posture, and the Hubei-Henan front line west of the Hubei-Anhui border will switch from luring the enemy in depth to taking the initiative to attack.
, taking advantage of the favorable conditions that our army has already controlled Wusheng Pass, to launch a tit-for-tat attack on Tang Shengzhi’s rebels."
Everyone's eyes followed Ge Jingen's baton. Liu Zhi, who had been embarrassed in the meeting just now, had a proud smile on his face. It was Liu Zhi's ambition and repeated suggestions that made Chiang Kai-shek abandon the Hubei-Henan Theater.
The "Active Defense Plan", which was passively beaten, decided to launch a strategic decisive battle with the enemy on the front line in southern Henan. It won political reputation and morale initiative, and also made those who were committed to the central military order but wavered to follow the wind.
The road warlords will increase their confidence in victory and avoid negative and pessimistic negative effects.
Ge Jingen continued: "Since the Third and Fifth Divisions under the Second Army have been transferred to Yangzhou and Chuzhou to stabilize the Jiangbei front, the participating troops in the Hubei-Henan Theater currently only have the five main divisions of the First and Second Army.
, Wuhan Three Towns, Jingxiang and other five divisions in western Hubei due to heavy local defense tasks, it was difficult to mobilize northward to join the battle. This made our army's investment in the Hubei-Henan battlefield obviously insufficient.
The headquarters originally wanted to transfer a division from Western Hubei to the Second Army, but considering that Feng Yuxiang's Northwest Army was likely to take advantage of the fierce battle between us and Tang Shengzhi to suddenly attack the strategically important Jingxiang line from southern Henan and Shaanxi, and the Fourth Army in Western Hubei
Two of the divisions were new divisions that had not yet formed combat effectiveness. Once the war started and the main force was absent, the war situation between the two lakes would immediately deteriorate and have adverse effects. Therefore, the headquarters gave up the plan after repeated consideration.
Deploy troops from western Hubei.
After repeated studies, the headquarters initially decided to dispatch two divisions from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang front lines to the Hubei and Henan theaters as soon as possible. However, at this time, the main force of Tang Shengzhi's three divisions had already moved south to Xinyang, and the war was imminent. The Second Army was unable to obtain reinforcements in time in the early stage.
The battle will be very difficult, and we will face the dilemma of being stretched thin in terms of troop formation.
Now we have two urgent problems to be solved: First, once the fierce battle starts, how to face the Northwest Army's attack on the Jingxiang front line? Second, please discuss how to solve this problem in the shortest possible time.
A tough question?”
At Chiang Kai-shek's signal, the generals returned to their positions and sat down to discuss. Gu Zhutong looked relaxed and peaceful. His First Army consisted of two well-equipped super-organized armored divisions, the First and Second, and the Second with excellent combat effectiveness.
The three independent brigades accounted for half of the main force, so he was not worried at all. However, the commander of the Second Army, Jiang Dingwen, was unsure. Although the Second Army consisted of the 6th, 9th, 11th Division and the 4th Independent
Brigade, but Fang Ce and the Sixth Division, who have just been promoted to the commander of the Sixth Division, need to guard the front line in eastern Hubei. The Fourth Independent Brigade is still undergoing training in Ezhou. Only the Ninth Division with Jiang Dingwen as the division commander and Chen Cheng's Eleventh Division can go into battle.
, among which the 11th Division still needs to leave one brigade to guard Hankou, which makes the Second Army's offensive power obviously insufficient and in a very passive position in the upcoming fierce battle.
Chiang Kai-shek glanced around, his serious expression and shining eyes immediately quieted down the generals who were talking in low voices:
"In view of the current serious situation of insufficient troops, we have tried every means to make up for it. First of all, the recruitment of new recruits in various places is being stepped up. Secondly, the expansion of the Central Army Training Corps into the First Teaching Division is in progress, with the Central Military Academy faculty and staff
The plan to form the second teaching division for the backbone is about to be implemented, and the recruits from the five regiments recruited from Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Anhui are basically in place. These two instructors and Brother Mu Yin (characterized by Qian Dajun) established the teaching division at the Wuhan branch.
The three divisions are the same and can only undertake local garrison tasks. Judging from the current progress, each division still needs three months of training before it can become an army. It is barely competent to defend the capital and cannot be launched on the battlefield.
Distant water cannot save nearby fire, and the war is imminent. Only by defeating Tang Shengzhi's rebels in one fell swoop can we intimidate Xiaoxiao and gain time and initiative for the next step of fully reorganizing the divisions under the Central Army. Now, please speak freely about how to win this
After the victory of the battle, we will pool our wisdom and provide suggestions."
Everyone must have started discussing in a low voice in unison. An Yi, who was sitting in the seat below Gu Zhutong, listened intently without saying a word.
More than half an hour passed, and all the proposals made by the participating generals were rejected after thorough discussions. Due to the multi-front operations, various departments of the Central Army were in a dilemma, and the warlords in various places were waiting and watching ambiguously.
Rebellion may occur at any time, and it makes people worry about where to draw troops.
"An Yi, you, a role model in the military who is called 'General Fox', why don't you say a word?"
He Yingqin suddenly asked loudly, which immediately attracted everyone's attention to An Yi. Zhu Peide, Ge Jing'en and others were secretly surprised. They did not expect that He Yingqin would take the initiative to ask An Yi. Although there was a bit of sarcasm in his words, it was still the same.
A good gesture of reconciliation.
An Yi frowned and didn't even look at He Yingqin. He leaned back in his chair and replied calmly: "Thank you for the compliment from Chief He. The bandit number of my subordinate 'General Fei Fox' was given by Bai Jian, the senior official during the Northern Expedition to Jiangbei, and not something else."
"General Fox', I'm afraid not many people still remember it. The most impressive one is probably the 'White Fox' that was often mentioned in newspapers in Shanghai and Hangzhou back then."
The generals looked at each other, and finally looked at He Yingqin in astonishment. No one expected that An Yi would be so vindictive, overturning the old score of He Yingqin, Bai Chongxi, and Li Zongren who jointly forced Chiang Kai-shek to step down and were derogated as the "White Fox" group by all walks of life in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai.
came out.
He Yingqin's face was livid with anger. Chiang Kai-shek looked displeased at An Yi, who was as if nothing had happened. He lowered his face and asked loudly: "An Yi, as a soldier of the party and the country, have you forgotten your status and responsibilities at this critical moment?"
An Yi's heart trembled, and he suddenly stood up straight: "Back to the principal, students always remember their status and status, and always strictly demand themselves according to the standards of revolutionary soldiers. It's just that students don't want some people to mention their former bandit names.
If there are any mistakes, I sincerely ask the principal to forgive me."
Chiang Kai-shek was silent for a moment. His gloomy face showed no sign of whether he was satisfied with An Yi's attitude. He still stared at An Yi's face without saying a word. He and everyone in the meeting held their breath and did not dare to express their opinions. The atmosphere was dull and awkward.
After a while, Chiang Kai-shek nodded slightly to He Yingqin to show his comfort. He turned to An Yi again and said: "Tell me, tell me what you know about the battlefield in Hubei and Henan. If you have any opinions and views, just say so. You are in western Hubei."
After staying there for several months, I must be familiar with the situation in the war zone."
"Follow your orders! Regarding the situation of the Hubei-Henan war, the students also have a somewhat immature view. They really don't have the ability to deal with how the Second Army should fight. However, they have some confidence in how to fight the Jingxiang battlefield on the western front of Hubei-Henan.
Students believe that with the current strength of the four divisions in western Hubei, we can rely on the complex mountainous terrain, rivers, lakes and other terrain to ensure that western Hubei is worry-free. We only need to hold Xiangyang, use our own firepower configuration, marching speed, familiarity with the terrain and obtain
With the advantage of the people's support, any rebels who attempt to go south can be defeated or even annihilated. Therefore, the students believe that the principal and the officials can rest assured in western Hubei and devote all their limited troops to the main battlefield on the Wushengguan front line."
Yi answered loudly and confidently.
Seeing that An Yi was so confident, the generals felt relieved about the situation in western Hubei. Chiang Kai-shek nodded slightly and asked again: "Xiangyang is the gateway to Wuhan. As long as Xiangyang is not defended, Wuhan will be under the overlook of the opponent.
Since you are so confident, can you tell me your specific response plan?"
"Students obey!"
An Yi asked Chiang Kai-shek to allow him to explain his overall plan against the map. Chiang Kai-shek immediately agreed. A group of generals also followed Chiang Kai-shek and came to the map again, waiting for An Yi's explanation with great interest.
An Yi picked up the baton on the shelf, pointed to the Nanyang front line and reported the locations of the seven divisions of the main force of the Northwestern Army on the South Road, secret deployment operations, assembly points and transfer stations:
"...This valuable information was obtained by the officers and soldiers of the 16th and 17th divisions after spending a lot of energy and hard work. According to the analysis of the northwest army's formation situation, they have already made preparations to go south to attack Xiangyang. The reason why they have so far
There are two reasons why there is still no action. One is political reasons. The Northwest Army is also afraid that its troops will be unknown and will be accused of actively provoking a civil war and will be denounced by the military and civilians across the country. The other is that they need to wait for Tang Shengzhi and our army to attack in Hubei and Henan.
When fighting breaks out on the eastern front of the battlefield, a fisherman will profit.
Looking at the Northwest Army's troop deployment and combat intentions, An Yi believed that as long as our Second Army blocked Tang Shengzhi north of Wusheng Pass and launched a strategic decisive battle, the Northwest Army would not dare to easily go south to attack Xiangyang. Even if they really dared to attack Xiangyang, they would not be able to do so.
It is difficult to gain any benefit from the blockade of four divisions. Based on the current financial and tight logistics supply situation of the Northwest Army, long-term attacks and fierce battles are the most unbearable for them.
On the other hand, our four divisions in western Hubei, although the newly formed 51st Division and 44th Division have little combat effectiveness, they can still do it by relying on the favorable terrain, not to mention that it is not easy for the Northwest Army to attack Xiangyang City.
, they had to go through General Yin Jinan's 16th Division and General Zhu Shigui's 17th Division before. They could not reach Xiangyang without paying a huge price.
To put it another way, if the officers and soldiers of the Northwest Army united as one and unleashed a hundred times the fighting power to conquer Xiangyang, they would still have to face the huge river chasm guarded by our superior artillery fire before they could cross the river or go south. The Northwest Army would not dare to attack Xiangyang until it failed to defeat it.
Go southeast to Wuhan, otherwise you will be in the danger of being intercepted in front and pursued by troops before reaching Suizhou. The divisions in western Hubei can recruit three divisions of guard troops within three days and use favorable terrain such as rivers and mountains.
Launch an uninterrupted full-scale attack on it, and the Northwest Army that ventures deep into the enemy will not be far away from being destroyed."
Most of the generals agreed with An Yi's analysis. Zhang Zhizhong thought for a moment, walked to Chiang Kai-shek and whispered a few words. Chiang Kai-shek nodded and asked An Yi:
"An Yi, who do you think is better to command the four divisions in western Hubei?"
An Yi replied respectfully: "Anyone can go as long as they are military-level officers sent by the commander-in-chief."
The generals murmured for a while. Chiang Kai-shek hesitated for a moment and said nothing. He loudly announced that the meeting was over and would continue tomorrow morning. All the generals tidied up and left.
An Yi, who was so hungry that he was "croaking", walked out of the door and asked Jiang Dingwen to go to Confucius Temple to have something to eat. Jiang Dingwen happened to have something to discuss with An Yi, so he nodded and walked side by side to the parking lot with An Yi.
But as soon as the two of them reached the car, Zhang Zhizhong strode over and said that the principal had invited them, and canceled An Yi and Jiang Dingwen's plan.