An Yi behaved very humbly and naturally. When he walked up to the rostrum, he took the initiative to walk behind Song Ziwen, acting chief of staff Yang Jie, Northeast Army coach Zhang Xueliang, auxiliary commander Zhang Zuoxiang, Shanxi-Sui Army deputy commander Shang Zhen and others, and paid attention to everyone.
The seniors in the army were all polite and polite, without any arrogance or arrogance.
Song Ziwen once again reiterated the central government's determination to resist Japan and never compromise at the press conference, while Marshal Zhang Xueliang announced the adjustment decisions of the armies during the Anti-Japanese War:
There are approximately 280,000 soldiers from all armies in North China organized into eight legions. Three legions commanded by Generals Yu Xuezhong, Shang Zhen, and Song Zheyuan are stationed on the front line in eastern Hebei. Three legions commanded by Generals Wan Fulin, Tang Yulin, and Sun Dianying are stationed there.
Rehe and General Fu Zuoyi's legions were stationed in the eastern part of Chahar. Generals Shang Zhen, Song Zheyuan, Wan Fulin, Tang Yulin, Sun Dianying and Fu Zuoyi served as commanders of each legion.
At this point, the defense areas and responsibilities of various departments of the Chinese Anti-Japanese War were clearly divided, and the entire defense line appeared closer and more reasonable. The 17th Army of the Central Army and other affiliated units were given the temporary designation of the Central Army Corps.
The commander-in-chief is General Yang Jie, and the deputy commander-in-chief is General Xu Tingyao. What is unexpected is that the defense zone of the Central Army was announced as Peiping.
When reporters spoke one after another and asked the young marshal which legion command Gu Changfeng, Yang Jiuxiao, and General Lu Yixuan's 30,000 soldiers who are still stranded outside the customs belong to, the young marshal smiled slightly and indicated that An Yi would answer this question.
An Yi stood up and announced with great regret: Due to severe cold and heavy snow, transportation lines were interrupted. Thirty thousand soldiers could not survive without supplies, let alone fight in the ice and snow. Therefore, the three divisions had withdrawn to the pass one after another.
rest,
After all, the continuous battle for more than two months has reached the physiological limit of what the soldiers can bear. Not only are food and medicines in short supply, but ammunition is also in short supply. Now the number of sick and wounded officers and soldiers has doubled. In order to preserve combat strength,
We can only withdraw one after another to rest and wait for the future.
The reporters were disappointed and sighed with deep regret. However, after thinking about it, they understood An Yi's decision and gave An Yi and his heroic troops warm applause. For a moment, they even forgot to ask the three outstanding heroes.
As to which corps the division would belong to, the meeting had already been declared over by the time reporters remembered to ask questions.
After the press conference, Song Ziwen led the central delegation to immediately go north to Jehol to inspect the army and the disaster situation. The generals from various ministries who had held a four-day meeting also immediately returned to their respective ministries to convey the spirit of the meeting and prepare for war.
Lieutenant General Xu Tingyao of the 17th Army who had just arrived with his troops, Deputy Commander Hu Jialin who had returned from a walk outside the Great Wall, and former enemy commander-in-chief An Yi were walking on the path in the backyard of the camp, admiring the snow scenery. Xu Tingyao thought of the interesting situation in the meeting just now.
, said with a smile:
"Xiao Yi, when an American reporter asked the young marshal just now about the ownership of our three divisions, the 44th Division, the 17th Division and the 2nd Independent Division, I saw the young marshal's reaction was very interesting. He hesitated for a moment and finally let
Your answer will prove that the young marshal is still the honest and honest young marshal who was not good at lying a few years ago."
"Eh!? Why does this sound wrong to my little brother?" An Yi had a problem.
Xu Tingyao shook his head and smiled: "Can you please stop being so sensitive? I said the young marshal is honest, but I didn't say you were cunning. How come you have such rich associations?"
Hu Jialin also laughed: "Yes, the young marshal is indeed an honest man. He knows clearly that we have only withdrawn 20,000 brothers, and there are still 10,000 elites lurking outside the customs waiting for opportunities, but he is not willing to give any clues to the reporters, so
Only then did he think of asking Xiaoyi to answer.
Xiaoyi's answer is correct. The phrase "withdraw one after another" can have many meanings. In fact, we have really withdrawn most of them. We are not intentionally deceiving all walks of life. Even if it is deception, it is a military necessity. It is reasonable.
It’s normal for soldiers to never tire of deceit.”
Xu Tingyao nodded and said with emotion: "It's really hard for our soldiers. Brother Hutou and Jiuxiao are both rare tough guys. Their willpower and self-confidence are extraordinary and comparable to generals. In such difficult weather, they still made plans.
It’s amazing to have so many combat plans! But the difficulties they face are too great. Not only do they have to be self-sufficient to withstand the severe cold, but they also have to launch special operations of various scales against the Japanese army. I’m really worried about them!”