The next day, as soon as Xiang Xiaoqiang arrived at the headquarters, the current commander of the Western Front, General Fang Dongcheng, reported good news to him.
Fang Dongcheng and Xiang Xiaoqiang are old acquaintances. As early as the Pukou Counterattack in early 1936, Fang Dongcheng was one of the five group army commanders who voluntarily crossed the river with the People's Guard and besieged Pukou. Later, during the Unification War, he continued to serve as
The commander of the left army group commanded half of the Ming army to fight against the Qing army. He was also considered a famous general of the Ming Empire.
Since Zhao Cunnian was arrested for espionage, the People's Guard has no more generals who can command the entire war zone. After all, this is an armed force that has grown rapidly from tens of thousands of people. Now it only has more than 200,000 people, and its scale is only about the same.
For a group army, in terms of talents, it can't compare with the army with more than two million people and a long history. The commander-in-chief of the Western Front was replaced by someone other than the People's Guard. Xiang Xiaoqiang must have felt a little regretful, but other than that, he felt sorry for him.
It has no impact. Besides, Fang Dongcheng has a good relationship with him.
Xiang Xiaoqiang is now beaming with joy:
"Really? Ten thousand vehicles were shipped at once?"
Fang Dongcheng smiled and said:
"Your Majesty, I didn't believe it at first, but I heard they said this kind of ship is called a 'Liberty Ship'. It is said that the United States started designing this kind of ship during our Unification War, and has built dozens of them now. I guess they were
I'm just holding my breath and waiting for this opportunity today..."
When Xiang Xiaoqiang heard this thundering name, he immediately smiled and said:
"Ah, Freewheel? Appeared so soon?"
"Your Majesty?"
"Ah, well, ahem," Xiang Xiaoqiang said with a smile, "I know this kind of cargo ship... Yes, I have some information about this kind of ship. This is a kind of cargo ship specially designed for large-scale production and rapid construction.
Cargo ships have a simple structure, but are very reliable and can be installed very well. This thing is completely different from the previous shipbuilding model. A large part of it is completed on the assembly line, but is finally assembled on the slipway. The cost is low, the construction period is short, and it is the most suitable
It was built in large quantities during the war. The carrying capacity... seems to be more than 9,000 tons."
Fang Dongcheng smiled and said:
"Your Majesty is right. The fleet docked in Guangzhou this time is chartered by the Ford Company. There are ten Liberty Ships in total, and they are all trucks. Each ship carries a thousand trucks, making a total of ten thousand trucks!"
"Ten thousand cars, ten thousand cars...hehe, ten thousand cars."
Although Xiang Xiaoqiang had heard this terrifying number before, when he heard it for the second time, he still smiled broadly and kept repeating it.
Ten thousand military trucks were transported by just ten ships. What a concept! The Ming Dynasty produced only a few thousand vehicles in a month. Now these ten cargo ships can be transported on the sea for a month.
Ten thousand! Moreover, this is just a small fleet of ten ships. There may be five, six, seven, eight, or even a dozen of this kind of small fleet sailing on the sea at this time! God knows this month
There are still several such fleets calling the port! Moreover, the output of free ships will be higher and higher! It is very likely that in a few months, sea transportation will no longer be a bottleneck.
Of course, although this fleet is not large, only ten ships, but because it is chartered by Ford Company, it transports all cars and nothing else, so for military vehicles, this is a very large batch of goods.
Generally speaking, Freewheelers can only carry two to three hundred cars, and then other cargo can be loaded with them.
"This should be the largest single purchase of military vehicles from the US military that has arrived in Hong Kong? Haha," Xiang Xiaoqiang said with a smile, "Master Fang, what do you think? With these 10,000 trucks at the bottom, do you have the confidence to go back to northern Xinjiang in one go?
?”
Fang Dongcheng nodded and smiled:
"Haha, I will try my best in the end."
…
Due to the huge gap in preparation, morale, and logistical support between the two sides in this battle, the Ming army's northern and southern offensives were rapid and fierce. Although bloody battles were fought one after another, the Soviet army failed to stop the Ming army after all.
On the fourth day of the offensive, that is, May 18, the vanguard of the Ming Army's South Road had entered Guazhou, recaptured Guazhou County, and began to turn northwest along the highway and attack Hami, 350 kilometers away.
Since the North Road Offensive did not proceed along a zigzag road, but a straight line in the vast Gobi, it was closer to Hami, with only about 200 kilometers left. In the vast Gobi, they first ushered in the first battle.
A tank battle.
In the previous tug-of-war, both sides also liked to start the decisive battle closer to themselves. In this way, the battlefield was closer to their own supply base, but the other side was further away. Because both sides knew that everyone was at the end of the battle and decided the winner or loser.
The key is already the supply line. Whoever's supply line is a few hundred kilometers shorter will be able to win a big victory, annihilate the opponent's power, and chase the opponent to the ground.
This time was no exception. In the desert only 200 kilometers away from Hami, the first tank decisive battle began. The two forward armored divisions of the Ming Army, about 400 tanks, faced about 600 Soviet tanks. This was a thousand-person battle.
A vehicle-level tank battle. The two sides fought for a full half day in the yellow sand. In the end, more than 500 Soviet tanks were destroyed, while the Ming army lost 150 tanks. Judging from the number of tanks destroyed by both sides, the Ming army had a small victory. Because the Ming army had a small victory.
The artillery, armor, power, craftsmanship, etc. of the Soviet tanks are much superior to those of the Soviet tanks, and the cost is also much higher. One tank can hold up to at least three Soviet tanks.
But in this battle, the Ming army was the attacker and fought a pursuit battle in the end, while the Soviet army was the defender and fought a retreat battle. All the injured tanks of the Soviet army were left on the battlefield, and none of them could be brought back.
Let's go. Even if it's just a broken track or a minor ailment like engine failure, it's the same as being destroyed. The Ming army was the last to clean up the battlefield, and all injured tanks can be repaired, unless the tanks were completely blown up.
Scrap metal has no repair value and can only be thrown away. But there are not many that are so damaged. Most of them can still be used after repair.
In the end, the Ming army was able to completely repair only a few dozen vehicles, while the Soviet army actually lost more than 500 vehicles. So based on this calculation, the Ming army turned out to be a great victory.
…
The South Road offensive conquered Guazhou and entered the Great Gobi region. The oasis corridor with rich water and grass ended here. Next, whether it was the South Road or the North Road, the test of logistical supplies suddenly became severe. In the previous tug-of-war, the Ming army
The farthest distance that the front troops could reach was a hundred kilometers east of Hami, and Hami had never been captured. It was because they could not pass the supply line. The Soviet army was confident about this.
But this time, when the Ming army captured Guazhou, they did not stop and wait for fuel, water, medicine, parts... as they did in the past. They did not wait for anything, but drove straight through without blinking.
According to reports from Soviet reconnaissance planes, there were "terrifying numbers" of military vehicles transported by the Ming army on the road behind them. The tanks of the entire division were not driven by themselves, but were mounted on flatbed trucks and lined up to gallop along the road.
The number of water tank trucks has increased several times compared with before, and they are not like special water tank trucks, but ordinary trucks with iron water tanks installed on the back... There are also oil tank trucks. In the past, the Ming army mostly used special oil to transport fuel.
Tank trucks, but now more and more ordinary trucks with large oil drums full of them on the back.
Anyway, the Soviet command headquarters has a feeling: the Ming army has transferred all the military vehicles that can be used in the country here. Their garrison in the mainland seems not to use military vehicles.n!~!