Facts have proved that we can never think too simply of the invaders.
When the Japanese Eleventh Army in Central China launched its second large-scale attack on the Ninth Theater, the Mongolian Army stationed in Suiyuan and the "good-hearted" Kwantung Army also began to penetrate into the Eighth Theater.
With the army aviation reconnaissance aircraft supported by the Kwantung Army, the Mongolian army had an absolute advantage in intelligence for the first time.
Although the above-mentioned three forces are independent of each other, there are even many conflicts and deep grievances between some commanders. But they had a tacit understanding and launched two large-scale battles at the same time, just to make Bald Ying too distracted to worry about one thing and the other.
This move is very fatal for Guojiao, after all, the synergy between their war zones is really good.
Often in large-scale battles, adjacent theaters cannot cooperate with each other, let alone the eighth and ninth theaters that are thousands of kilometers apart.
The Suiyuan area belongs to the plateau, and its west and north are almost entirely desert. Except for the Hetao area, the province is not yet self-sufficient in food.
The only advantageous mineral resources are not suitable for large-scale mining due to inconvenient transportation.
But such a difficult area has invisibly become a hot spot, which is extremely important to the current Eighth Route Army, Seventh and Half Route Army, and Japanese Army.
This was not the first time that the Kwantung Army had peeked here. A few years ago, they had attempted to formally march into the territory, and even had the crazy idea of taking over the four provinces in northern Saibei in one fell swoop.
After all, going north from the Hetao Plain, you can directly point to the Baikal region from the east and south.
Although they signed the infamous neutrality treaty with the north some time ago, recognizing each other's territory that did not belong to them. However, the Far East troops carefully prepared by Dalinzi are stationed on the east, west, north and west sides of the Kwantung Army. Once they break up, they will be in crisis.
If Suiyuan is occupied, the rebels' territory can be directly threatened.
Let’s not talk about whether it can be defeated, at least it can achieve a relatively balanced state in terms of strategy and face.
The idea of the Mongolian Army is simpler. Currently, Shanxi has been lost by Okamura Neji and Iwamatsu Yoshio. To protect Suiyuan, there is still a chance to counterattack North China, or even march to the northwest to seize the entire Central Plains.
Invaders are always evil.
As for the idea of Qilu and a half, Suiyuan is his biggest asset to settle down and make a living. How can he give up the foundation he finally built after half a lifetime?
During the current winter offensive, Bald saw that the losses of the 35th Army were too serious and gave him a large sum of military funds, and suggested that he go to Lanzhou to take up the post of commander of the Eighth Theater.
Logically speaking, if two happy events, promotion and wealth, come together, ordinary people will definitely accept it happily.
However, Qilu politely refused without thinking. After all, he finally got out of the quagmire of the Jin Dynasty and established his own kingdom in Suiyuan with the help of the 35th Army.
If the price of promotion and wealth is to depend on others, then it is better to continue to lead the remnants of the army to fight with the Japanese for their lives.
Finally, there is the Eighth Route Army. Compared with the above-mentioned forces, Ba Ye simply looks like a college student.
The border area has only one goal from beginning to end, and that is to recover all the lost land in Guozhou's hands, so that the people in the occupied areas no longer live in fear.
······
On September 27, the Eighth Theater Deputy Commander Headquarters.
"Brother, it's better to ask for help than to ask for yourself. Now Tanzhou has been reduced to a pot of porridge. Intelligence shows that the Japanese have broken through the Laodao River defense line this morning. The Chairman has no energy to take care of Suiyuan."
"Although the Eighth Route Army secretly sent us a batch of anti-aircraft artillery, it never officially responded to the issue of sending troops for reinforcements."
"Now we have no choice but to save ourselves, or retreat to the Lanzhou area before the enemy officially attacks, and then seek opportunities to counterattack the Hetao in the future. Or we can take the initiative and concentrate our superior forces to eat the Japs' vanguard troops first."
After hearing Chen Jieshan's persuasion, Qilu closed his eyes in pain.
At first, he had some illusions about Baldhead. After all, Suiyuan could, to a certain extent, contain the development of the Eighth Route Army. Even if you don't care about the life and death of ordinary people, you can't just watch the "friendly forces" grow bigger and stronger.
But who would have thought that the other party would be so decisive. After the southern granary was threatened, they immediately concentrated their resources to prepare for the battle, without caring about the life and death of the northern desert.
"Is there a way to hold on firmly? Haha!"
"What a clear and understated telegram. With the current remnants of our army, it is estimated that even the evacuation of all members is a luxury."
"Faced with the Japanese's aircraft, tanks and artillery, do our soldiers and civilians in the Eighth Theater have to go into battle to kill the enemy with their flesh and blood? This is the second time they have voluntarily given up on Suiyuan! Damn it! Damn it!"
The world often only sees the many victories his Eighth War Zone achieved in Suiyuan, but only a few people know how much they paid.
After the Battle of Baotou and the Battle of Suixi, the 35th Army, the main force of the Seven and a Half Army, was reduced by nearly half, from 30,000 at its peak to 16,000.
Weapons and equipment were also lost a lot, with only one rifle per capita.
Wuyuan's victory was the most costly. He reduced the regiment to a battalion and the battalion to a company before gathering the troops to fight the enemy in a bloody battle. If they hadn't buried the ammunition and supplies underground in advance, their army wouldn't even have the weapons for a counterattack.
After a while, Qilu took a deep breath and made a decision.
"Pass my order to have the Sixth Cavalry Corps, the Third Cavalry Division, and the Fourth New Cavalry Division mobilize."
"I don't ask them to fight the enemy head-on. They only need to insert themselves between Guisui and Baotou to destroy the railway. If they encounter the Japanese transport troops, they will act according to the situation! Everything is to preserve their strength!"
"Let the 35th Army, 35th Division, Wulin Guard Brigade and other units at all levels move to the north of Anbei immediately, and along the way cooperate with the cavalry in the theater to ambush the support troops stationed in Mongolia."
As a general who had been fighting with the Japanese since the Great Wall Anti-Japanese War, Qi Lu and a Half knew that the end of clinging to Wuyuan would be death.
Nowadays, the cavalry group stationed in Mongolia has undergone earth-shaking changes. While retaining some cavalry, the opponent actually formed a tank brigade.
That was a total of 130 tanks. Their anti-tank capabilities in the Eighth Theater were limited, and they had no other choice but to use the anti-aircraft guns sent by the Eighth Route Army to shoot flatly.
Once the troops stationed in Mongolia are allowed to form a joint operation of infantry, artillery, tanks, and air force, no matter how strong the city wall is, it will not be able to withstand the enemy's impact.
Therefore, the Seventh and a Half Routes decided to take the initiative and attack the opponent's transportation lines as much as possible before the Japanese troops were fully assembled. By the way, they attacked the infantry brigade of the independent second brigade.
After all, the enemy's occupied area is more than 300 kilometers away from Wuyuan City. As long as there is a problem with the opponent's logistics supply system, the crisis can naturally be solved.
Of course, the above-mentioned countermeasures alone are definitely not safe. Qi Luban thought for a while and continued to give instructions to the staff:
"Mobilize the people in the Linhe area. We need to prepare a retreat and let the troops build fortifications with the locals."
"Except for the bridge we have to cross, all roads and bridges will be blown up. Dig more anti-tank trenches. This time the enemy will use a huge number of tanks."
"Give electricity to the Eighth Route Army! Ask them if the Jinsui Military Region can support us with a batch of weapons and rations! He Dabeard must know the truth of the situation. Even if we can't send troops, we must provide material support."
As a well-known defensive general in the Republic of China, Qi Lu and a half fought many city defense battles in the first half of his life, and he knew very well what his troops needed most when defending a city.
During the chaotic war between the Jin Army and the Northwest Army, he once led a regiment of troops to defend Tianzhen City.
Originally, Yan Laoxi just wanted to push Qilu out to block the knife, but no one expected that he would actually stay in the city for three months.
During the Northern Expedition, he resisted seven attacks by the Feng clan in Zhuozhou.
At that time, the old Zhang family used all possible means, including tanks, engineers, tunnels, air strikes and even poison gas. If there hadn't been a shortage of food and weapons in the city, he could have led his troops to fight forever.
Yesterday’s replenishment is completed, I will try to continue with 6K today and get a makeover in August!
(End of chapter)
