The Dameishan base area is clouded with war. In addition to the direct warring parties, there are two forces that are also paying close attention to the upcoming war. One of the forces is the 32nd Army of the National Army entrenched in the Dabie Mountains.
When Wan Xiangyun walked into the war room, he saw Chief of Staff Li Motang leading a dozen combat staff members from the staff department to conduct a war game. Seeing Wan Xiangyun come in, Li Motang and a dozen combat staff members quickly stopped what they were doing. , stood at attention and saluted.
"Leave me alone." Wan Xiangyun waved his hand and said, "You continue."
Li Motang waved to the dozen or so staff officers to continue, then walked to Wan Xiangyun and stood next to him, saying: "General seat, I am humble and my colleagues from the staff department, regarding the upcoming mopping up operation of the Damei Mountain area by the Central China Condemnation Army. Do war games.”
Wan Xiangyun said oh and asked, "What was the result?"
"The results are not optimistic." Li Motang shook his head and said, "According to the information provided by the military commander, this time the Central China Condemnation Army mobilized two divisions and one detachment of troops. Among them, the Japanese army in the direction of Pukou also had an entire tank. The united team is assisting in the battle, it’s coming with great force.”
The Military Command had just been reorganized from the Fuxing Society Secret Service. Dai Li was transferred from the Director of the Secret Service to the Director of the Military Command. It was a time when he was very ambitious and very motivated. In recent times, Dai Li had sent thousands of trained personnel to major cities in the Japanese-occupied areas. Specially trained agents established hundreds of military control stations.
These hundreds of military control stations soon began to show their power, and the intelligence sources of the National Army were significantly strengthened.
Therefore, even if there were no high-level spies like Nakamura Shun, the military commander had basically figured out the troop deployment of the Central China Condemnation Force through other channels.
"Chariot regiment?" Wan Xiangyun was surprised when he heard this, "Does this old Japs like Nishio Shouzao really think highly of Xu Rui? Even during the Battle of Songhu and the Battle of Nanjing, the Japs never dispatched A tank unit organized by the regiment, right?"
"Is that possible?" Li Motang shook his head and said, "Xu Rui used Damei Mountain as his base to infiltrate more than a dozen surrounding counties. This move has seriously threatened the Japanese rule over central Anhui. Xiwei Shouzao is probably under great pressure, so Only then will a heavy army be mobilized to give a thunderous blow."
"It's true that the first ones die first, Xu Rui, Xu Rui, when we conquered and infiltrated more than a dozen counties around Damei Mountain, did you ever think that this day would happen?" Wan Xiangyun chuckled and continued, "Japs If you really show your strength, it looks like Xu Rui will have a hard time getting through this level."
Li Mutang said: "Chief Commander, it is now the period of the Kuomintang-Communist contract. No matter what, the Dameishan Army is a friendly force. Otherwise, we can send one or two divisions out of central Anhui. Even if we cannot directly give the Dameishan Army Regiment support, and at least a side attack on Feicheng to relieve them some pressure."
Wan Xiangyun's face immediately turned cold. He glanced at Li Mutang coldly and said, "Chief of Staff, are you out of your mind? The Dameishan Revolutionary Regiment is only a theoretical friendly force of the party and state. Once they defeat Little Japan, After that, **’s troops will be dealt with sooner or later.”
Li Mutang said: "But hasn't Little Japan been driven away yet? Now let the Japanese army in Central China sweep away Damei Mountain unscrupulously. Once the Dameishan *** regiment cannot withstand it and is driven out of Damei Mountain by the Japanese, there will inevitably be two consequences. A serious consequence."
"Two serious consequences?" Wan Xiangyun's eyelids twitched and he said, "What consequences?"
Li Mutang said: "First, after Xu Rui's troops were expelled from Damei Mountain, they would definitely look for a new foothold. However, whether they were going south, east or north, they had already been occupied by several other detachments of the New Fourth Army or the Eighth Route Army. Control, then Xu Rui will have no choice but to go west and enter the Dabie Mountains to compete with our 32nd Army for territory."
Li Mutang's vision is indeed farther than Wan Xiang Yun's, and he sees the problem more thoroughly.
After a pause, Li Motang continued: "Don't forget, sir, during the ten-year civil war, the Dabie Mountains were the Hubei-Henan-Anhui base area of the Communist Party. After the main force of the Fourth Red Army was driven away, Gao Hanting's troops continued to hold on in the Dabie Mountains. Guerrilla, and then the Kuomintang and the Communist Party cooperated. Gao Hanting's troops were incorporated into the first detachment of the New Fourth Army and went to fight in central Anhui. However, with the Communist Party's consistent style, it is impossible for them not to leave people in the Dabie Mountains."
"So?" Wan Xiangyun said in a deep voice.
Li Mutang said: "So, if Xu Rui's troops are really driven out of Damei Mountain by the Japanese army, and really go west to compete with us for the Dabie Mountains, we may not be able to win, because the hearts of the people in the Dabie Mountains are all toward the Japanese. This You should be able to feel it when you click on the seat, right?"
Wan Xiangyun nodded, and then asked: "What is the second consequence?"
"The second consequence is even more serious." Li Motang pointed to the map and continued, "You can tell by looking at the map. At present, most of Hubei, Hunan, Henan, Jiangxi, and Jiangsu have basically fallen. , our Dabie Mountains have almost become an isolated island, surrounded by Japanese territory, and the situation is very bad. But on the other hand, our Dabie Mountains border area has also become a sharp knife piercing the Japanese-occupied areas, making it difficult for the Japanese troops in Central China to sleep and eat. "
After a pause, Li Motang continued: "So, the old Japs of Nishio Shouzao must be a stick in our throats, so after severely damaging the Dameishan Army Regiment, and then taking over, the old Japs should mobilize a heavy army group , encircling and suppressing our 32nd Army."
At this point, Li Motang's meaning has been expressed very clearly.
To put it simply, there is a tall one like the Dameishan ** regiment, so the Japs’ attention will not turn to their 32nd Army for a while, but once the Dameishan ** regiment is defeated by the Japs , then the 32nd Army will immediately become the number one target of the Japanese.
Now that the Sino-Japanese war has entered a stalemate, the Japanese army has stopped its offensive on the frontal battlefield. This is indeed true, but the encirclement and suppression of the anti-Japanese armed forces behind enemy lines will only become more and more intense. From this point of view, it is really We cannot allow the Japanese to destroy the Dameishan Revolutionary Regiment.
Wan Xiangyun said: "Chief of Staff, I understand what you mean, but it is absolutely impossible and not allowed for our 32nd Army to send troops to help the Dameishan *** Regiment."
After a pause, Wan Xiangyun continued: "But what you just said makes sense. It would be really troublesome if Xu Yun's troops were allowed to flee into the Dabie Mountains. In this case, immediately order Xia Hanzhong's 98th Army to move forward. In the areas of Huoshan and Tongcheng, once it is discovered that there are broken troops of the enemy scurrying into the territory, they will immediately disarm on the spot without asking for instructions. If the enemy refuses to disarm, they will be eliminated on the spot!"
Li Mutang's face changed slightly and he whispered: "Maintendent, think twice? This is causing friction!"
"To cause friction? Hehe, I just want to cause friction!" Wan Xiangyun smiled sinisterly upon hearing this.
When it comes to military command attainments and tactical vision, he is not as good as Li Motang, but when it comes to political sensitivity, Li Motang is not as good as him. Wan Xiangyun. In recent times, Wan Xiangyun has keenly discovered that the Nationalist Government is not as good as Wan Xiangyun. The attitude of the people is quietly changing. The previous harmony no longer exists, replaced by a turbulent undercurrent under the calm water.
However, just when Li Motang was about to go to the communications office to convey the order to the 98th Army, a communications staff officer suddenly walked in and handed a telegram to Li Motang. After reading the telegram, Li Motang immediately showed a strange look on his face. .
Wan Xiangyun frowned and asked, "Chief of Staff, what's the matter?"
"General, something happened on the Japs side." Li Mutang whispered, "The 104th Division, which was originally scheduled to participate in this mopping up operation, suddenly suffered a large-scale false casualty incident. Therefore, the mopping up operation that was originally scheduled to be launched today , had to be postponed.”
"What are you talking about?" Wan Xiangyun said quietly, "A large-scale fraud incident?"
Li Motang nodded and continued: "According to the intelligence provided by the military commander, this incident of false injuries was very serious. This morning, less than one of the four infantry regiments originally scheduled to assemble was completed. The rest of the Japanese soldiers all Admitted to the hospital with all kinds of injuries.”
"Is there such a thing?" Wan Xiangyun's mouth was so big that he could almost swallow a goose egg. After a long while, he finally came back to his senses, and then said angrily, "Xu Rui, this kid is really destined to die." Well, he can encounter such weird things!"
Li Mutang nodded and said: "If it really takes ten days and a half, once the Dameishan Army's tunnel network in Guanxian, Shanxian and Puxian is formed, Xu Rui's chances of winning will be greatly increased. It’s hard to predict who will win in this battle.”
Wan Xiangyun shook his head and said with great annoyance: "Chief of Staff, why do you think our 32nd Army did not encounter such a good thing? What if this old devil Nishio Hisao sent the 104th Division to clean up How good should our Dabie Mountain area be?"
Li Mutang hummed softly, but thought coldly in his heart that the reason why the Japanese 104th Division suffered large-scale false injuries was because the Dameishan Army Regiment had a good reputation, and if they really changed the combat target to their first The Thirty-Second Army is probably going to be a different story.
Li Mutang didn't know that five years later in another time and space, their 32nd Army actually fought a battle with the Japanese 104th Division in the mountains of southern Anhui, and the final result was just as Li Mutang expected. The Fourth Division was as ferocious as a pack of wolves, but their 32nd Army was on the verge of collapse.
This is the great defeat of Henan, Hunan and Guangxi that "leads its name in history"! The Japanese army called it a battle to open up the mainland's communication lines!
What is particularly intolerable is that the Allied forces were advancing triumphantly and winning successively in various battlefields in China, Europe, and the Pacific, but only the Chinese battlefield suffered the largest defeat since the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War. In this Battle of Henan, Hunan, and Guangxi The territory lost and the National Army wiped out far exceeded any previous large-scale frontal battle. At this point, the Nationalists were really dead.
It was also during this battle that Stilwell, Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese Theater, was so angry that he said the eternal famous saying: The National Army has the world's first-rate soldiers, second-rate grassroots officers, third-rate commanders, and a The unworthy supreme commander! (To be continued.)