Noon on May 25th, Xiangyang, frontline headquarters of the Fifth Army.
"Report to the commander: General Zhang Cunzhuang called. General Xu Yuanquan's Third Brigade was stationed in Xinye to take over the defense. General Xu Yuanquan personally led the main division of his headquarters to fight fiercely with the enemy's Ninth Division, which came for reinforcements, in the north and south of Lihe River in Xinye. The New Tenth Division has been ordered to leave the battlefield.
Detouring around Sangzhuang and heading north slowly, the 17th Division and the 1st Teaching Division have caught up with the remnants of the 8th Division and are about to launch a final attack!" the communications staff reported urgently.
An Yi put down the red and blue pencil in his hand and stood up: "The progress is quite smooth. Order, after the remaining enemy is eliminated, teach the First Division to retreat to the Lijiagang position to rest and recuperate. The Seventeenth Division will then move north to approach the New Tenth Division and advance together to force Nanyang."
"yes!"
"Report to Commander: General Yin Jinan called. The Left Route Army occupied Dengzhou and rushed to repair the fortifications in the north of the city. They completely wiped out the enemy's 13th Mixed Brigade, Pang Bingxun's Second Route Army Independent Cavalry Brigade, and most of the 17th Mixed Brigade. They wiped out 8,000 enemies.
More than 700 people were captured, and more than 5,600 enemies were captured. The inventory of captured materials was completed and reported immediately." Li Fuqiang came to An Yi with a cheerful face and reported.
Zhao Rui was very happy: "It seems that Hutou's 44th Division has finally formed an army! After annihilating a regiment in Sangzhuang defending the enemy, it galloped non-stop to Dengzhou, and then annihilated the enemy's independent cavalry brigade. This record is the best in this battle.
The most important thing!”
An Yi grinned: "This guy will never disappoint. His deputy commander Yan Yaohuan is also a general who knows the overall situation and has a good understanding of the overall situation. The two of them cooperate with each other tacitly and make up for each other. From now on, the 44th Division will quickly
Growth, I’m afraid the brothers of the Sixteenth Division in Jinan have a sense of urgency this time, haha... Director Liu Qing!"
"Here!" Liu Qing took two steps forward.
"Cable to Commander-in-Chief Chiang Kai-shek of the Xuzhou camp: The Fifth Army Corps will completely occupy Dengzhou and hold it at noon today. General Yin Jinan will lead the 16th Division, the 44th Army's New 9th Division, and the 1st Army Corps temporary division will work together to eliminate the 13th defender.
, the 17th mixed brigade captured Zhang Miqing, the major general of the enemy's 13th mixed brigade, and more than 6,000 people from the two brigades; Gu Changfeng's 44th division, with the courage of 1,200 defenders in Sangzhuang, rushed to the aid of Dengzhou.
On the battlefield, they bravely annihilated more than 5,000 officers and soldiers of the Independent Cavalry Brigade of Pang Bingxun's Second Route Army. The enemy brigade commander Huo Jianxun committed suicide in defeat, and only a few hundred cavalry remained in the entire brigade to escape! Zhu Shigui's 17th Division of our right corps, and General Zhang Cunzhuang's new 10th Division,
Taught the First Division to break through Xinye, defeated the Eighth Division that was defending the enemy for a long time, and pursued the victory, encircling the remaining enemy on the east bank of the Baihe River in the west of the city. Our right route army has handed over the defense of Xinye to General Xu Yuanquan's headquarters. The New Tenth Division left the battlefield and detoured to Sangzhuang to go north.
The original plan was to slowly advance north towards Nanyang, and the specific results will be reported later." An Yi dictated the message clearly.
Liu Qing finished recording and handed it to An Yi. An Yi signed and turned to the sand table. Zhao Rui pointed at Xinye and asked in a low voice: "The 17th Division will continue to go north after the battle. The enemy's reinforcements, the 9th Division, are afraid that their retreat will be cut off.
We will evacuate the battlefield on the north bank of the Lihe River and rush back to Nanyang. I wonder if General Xu Yuanquan will send his troops north to pursue the victory?"
"He won't. General Yang Hucheng on the right wing of his front is fighting hard. He will not risk going north at this time. It is estimated that one brigade will be left to garrison Xinye, and the other main forces will return to the Tanghe line to continue the attack. The main force of this division will not go back.
, he has no reserve team available." An Yi replied.
"What should we do if the principal is happy and changes the feigned attack on Nanyang to a strong attack on Nanyang?" Zhao Rui asked worriedly.
An Yi thought for a moment and made a decisive decision: "In that case, please forgive An Yi for disrespecting the order! If our fifth army attacks Nanyang at this time, even if it succeeds, it will become a key target of the Northwest Army. In the third
Before the army captured Xuchang and Ye County, if our army had taken Nanyang by force regardless of the consequences, it would have become the target of public criticism among all the departments of the Northwest Army. The gain would not be worth the loss!
Let me, An Yi, risk the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers. I don’t want this honor! What’s more, the enemy on the front line in western Henan is about to move south, and our ultimate goal is not Nanyang or Luoyang. There is no need to fight for the sake of a mere name.
Book.
This battle has already killed over 10,000 people. I don’t have any honor in my heart. Instead, I feel the pain of fighting with my roommate. To be able to defeat others without fighting will be the biggest goal of our department. Please forgive me, senior brother!”
Zhao Rui nodded heavily: "I understand, Brother Yu has the same idea..."
Xuzhou Pengcheng Camp, Second Army Headquarters.
Chiang Kai-shek, who was thinking hard about countermeasures with other generals, received the news from An Yi. He was overjoyed. He stood up, walked a few steps quickly, returned again, and announced loudly with high spirits:
"The left army of An Yi's Fifth Army has occupied Dengzhou and wiped out three enemy brigades. The right army has captured Xinye and fought side by side with Xu Yuanquan's troops and wiped out thousands of enemies. The three main divisions are about to take advantage of the victory and march north to threaten Nanyang.
The Northwest Army's hinterland in western Henan has been exposed to the front of the Fifth Army Corps. It's gratifying!
I announce that I am energizing the entire army and civilians to convey the good news that our Fifth Army Corps has wiped out three enemy divisions in one day. I am energizing the entire army, commending all the units of the Fifth Army Corps to encourage them, rewarding the Fifth Army Corps with a heavy reward of 500,000 yuan, and reporting to the Military Commission for their support.
All ministries will verify their military exploits and commend them quickly!"
"Congratulations to the principal! With Dengzhou, the entire Northwest Army will be shaken, and the situation of the stalemate between the two sides will change. The Northwest Army will have to send troops to support Nanyang. The pressure on our unit will be reduced immediately, and the next fight will be much easier!" Liu Zhi was happy!
You have to rub your hands straight.
He Yingqin promptly suggested: "Principal, my subordinates suggest that we immediately instruct the Xu Yuanquan Department of the Third Army to capture Tanghe within a short period of time, and then immediately mobilize the army to march north to attack Nanyang. At the same time, order the Fifth Army to use all our strength to march northward, and the two armies coordinate."
By capturing Nanyang, the initiative in the entire battle will be in my hands!"
Chiang Kai-shek strode to the map, considered for a moment, and readily agreed: "It's feasible! Call An Yi immediately and order him to lead the five divisions of the Fifth Army to go north at full speed!"
"yes!"
Chief of Staff Ge Jingen agreed in a low voice.
Jiang Dingwen signaled Ge Jing'en to wait a moment with his eyes. He took two steps forward and came to Chiang Kai-shek's side: "Principal, if General Xu Yuanquan cannot take the Tanghe line, An Yi's five divisions will lose their support. Although Pang Bingxun's troops suffered heavy losses, they still have
There are more than 30,000 people. The Northwest Army must have dispatched reinforcements to assist Nanyang at this time. The Fifth Army has once again made a long-distance attack. I am afraid that it is too weak to do what it wants."
Training Director He Yaozu, who had just sent three divisions of new recruits to Xuzhou, agreed with Jiang Dingwen's opinion, and Acting Minister of Military Affairs Chen Yi also echoed:
"Ming San's words are reasonable. Commander-in-Chief, the divisions under General An Yi have just gone through a battle. It takes time to replenish and recover from the aftermath. Two divisions went north to attack Nanyang with all their strength. The purpose of containing and dispersing the Northwest Army has been achieved.
If possible, my subordinates suggest that we can retreat step by step to Dengzhou and the Xinye line after a slight contact. It will be more secure to wait for the third army to make progress and then move forward together to launch a full-scale attack."
Chiang Kai-shek remained silent and stared at the map. After pondering for a long time, he turned to Liu Zhi and asked, "Can we break the deadlock on the front line of the left wing?"
"The front line of Jieshou is guarded by the two main divisions of the Northwest Army's First Route Army. Wang Jun's Third Army has been fighting hard for months and is unable to move forward. Without strong reinforcements, it may be difficult to shake them," Liu Zhi replied awkwardly.
Chiang Kai-shek asked: "Where is the Hu Jialin Independent Division now?"
Liu Zhi was stunned: "Ten days ago, the Independent Division and General Zhang Hongluan's 1st Cavalry Division fought together to capture Luyi. They changed defenses and retreated to Haozhou to rest and recuperate. Two regiments of new soldiers were just transferred from Nanchang the day before yesterday to supplement them. My subordinates plan to use them as a reserve force in the middle.
use."
Chiang Kai-shek waved his hand: "It takes a thousand days to raise troops and use them only for a while. Unless there is an iron-blooded army like the Independent Division in the frontier, it will be difficult to break the deadlock. Since the war, the Independent Division has been invincible in every battle, which proves that they are not as fragile as other divisions!"
Send me an order to immediately deploy the Independent Division and the 1st Cavalry Division to the left-wing battlefield. Within five days, we must attack the frontier and penetrate the Shang River. At the same time, we will instruct the Third Army to go all out to reoccupy Luohe! As long as we break through this gap, Henan and Anhui will be defeated.
With all front lines alive, An Yi's fifth legion can play a greater role! Respect..."
"My subordinate is here!" He Yingqin took a step forward.
"You immediately rush to the Third Army of Xinyang to supervise the battle, and you must reoccupy Luohe within five days!" Chiang Kai-shek ordered.
He Yingqin put his legs together and said, "Yes! I will set off now."
Chiang Kai-shek breathed a sigh of relief and asked everyone to return to their seats and sit down. He drank a glass of water and motioned for Ge Jing'en to come closer: "Marquis Kan, do you think it is necessary for the Fifth Army to change its combat plan?"
Ge Jingen hesitated for a moment and answered truthfully: "Commander-in-Chief, with General An's ability and vision, he must have considered everything. If we ask him to modify the plan at this time, I am afraid it will affect the next top-secret operation of the Fifth Army.
At this time, the response of the Northwest Army is not yet clear. There is no news at the moment whether the enemy troops in western Henan have rushed to Nanyang, as speculated by General An. His subordinates believe that General An's goal has been achieved by capturing Dengzhou and then pretending to attack Nanyang, and at least it will be a huge blow.
The enemy's morale has boosted the morale of our army. The Northwest Army certainly dare not sit idly by and do nothing. In addition, the Commander-in-Chief has made up his mind to capture Jieshou. Even if the Northwest Army does not transfer its front-line troops from Zhengzhou to Nanyang, it will draw troops from other places.
rush to the rescue.
Judging from the current strength of the Northwest Army, except for the defenders in western Hubei and Tongguan, no more soldiers can be spared, and General An's underlying purpose will probably be achieved."
Chiang Kai-shek nodded frequently: "It seems that this is the only way."
Ge Jing'en spoke again: "Commander, the Independent Division is quite exhausted from continuous battles. The horses of the First Division have been seriously damaged and their combat strength is no longer 70%. This time, for the first time in the world, we should give heavy rewards to boost morale. The soldiers of the Independent Division value honor as much as life.
The commander can appropriately reward officers and soldiers at all levels with promotions and award flags, and give heavy cash rewards to the First Cavalry Division. Then, he can temporarily allocate the independent division cavalry regiment to the command of the first cavalry division. Anyway, the two chief officers of the independent division cavalry regiment are from the first cavalry division.
Under the command of General Zhang Chengzhu, the two divisions are like brothers and will not have any objections. In this way, it can not only quickly supplement the combat strength of the 1st Cavalry Division, but also allow the independent division to focus on attacking difficulties and prepare for the upcoming battle.
The war may be more helpful."
"That makes sense! Let the Ministry of Military and Political Affairs make an order to confer the rank of Lieutenant General Hu Jialin, the commander of the independent division. The chief and deputy chiefs of each brigade who are not as good as generals will be promoted to major generals, and the 'Flying Tiger Flag' will be awarded as encouragement! Reward those who have made meritorious service in combat.
The First Cavalry Division will receive two hundred thousand yuan, and the award will be announced again in the dual names of the Military Commission and the General Headquarters!"
At critical moments, Chiang Kai-shek would never be stingy with honor and money.
Ge Jing'en thanked him in a low voice, stood up and left to look for Chen Yi. When he turned around, an apology appeared on his face. He didn't know if An Yi would become resentful of himself if he learned that his independent division was being used in this way.
An Yi is worried about it, and I'm afraid the days ahead will be difficult, but the battle situation is making no progress, and the entire front has seen gains and losses several times. If he, the deputy chief of staff, doesn't show some results, he will probably lose his face.