Chapter 244: Of Course We Will Attack Taiyuan
After the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain, troops at all levels gradually returned to their respective bases.
Among them, the 120th Division retreated the fastest. In addition to returning to northwest Shanxi to continue to shoulder the task of guarding the border area, the comrades had to return to the base to cooperate with the villagers to plant potatoes.
After all, there were signs of famine in the province, so the more food, the better.
The 129th Division retreated relatively slowly, mainly because the deputy commander-in-chief ordered the four main regiments to go deep into Zhongtiao Mountain to clean up the remaining Japanese defeated soldiers.
It's a pity that the supply line of this battle was too long, and the continuous fighting put too much pressure on logistics. After all, it's impossible to let the Air Force 1st Division airdrop supplies to the pursuit troops every now and then.
As for the remaining enemies, they were naturally handed over to the Central Army and the Shanxi Suiyuan Army.
Although the only well-organized troops in the entire Zhongtiao Mountain were the 9th Army of the Central Army, the 93rd Army and the 358th Regiment of the Shanxi Suiyuan Army.
But with the strength of these three troops, it is enough to kill most of the enemies who have no supplies and lack heavy weapons.
As for the time issue, that is not the point. No one would mind letting the devils experience life in Southeast Asia in advance.
At the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army, an extremely interesting scene was happening in the combat meeting room at this time.
Our Li Datuanzhang perfectly interpreted what it means to be restless. He sat stiffly in the host and guest position, and the host next to him was his own brigade commander.
Since the deputy chief of staff owed Lao Li a meal, he was naturally pulled to the headquarters for dinner after the Zhongtiaoshan Campaign.
The food on the table was very rich, with fish, pork and vegetables.
This was not extravagance by the bosses. The fish was caught by the brigade commander himself in the river this morning, the pig was a paralyzed and infertile second-cut pig, and the vegetables were grown by the cooks of the headquarters.
The whole meal was about making the best use of everything, and there was no special treatment at all.
Seeing the brigade commander pouring himself a glass of Fenjiu, Li Yunlong forced an ugly smile, and his hands holding the wine glass couldn't stop shaking.
The deputy commander-in-chief, deputy chief of staff, division commander and brigade commander all gathered together. There were only a few people in the entire 129th Division who could enjoy such a dinner of this scale.
Seeing his beloved general feeling uncomfortable, the brigade commander's fun-loving nature came out again. He patted Li Yunlong's strong back and said in a "cold" tone:
"Master Li, don't you like drinking a lot? Why are you so shy after winning the battle?"
"Are you complaining that I am not treating you well? Do you want me to find someone who can drink to accompany you? Let you drink to your heart's content at once."
As soon as these words came out, everyone present looked at Li Yunlong with a smile on their faces, feeling a bit like a three-court trial.
Although he knew that his brigade commander was definitely joking, Lao Li still felt creepy. Coupled with the teacher's smiling eyes, this scene was even more terrifying than the first time he jumped off the transport plane.
In order to break the situation, he stood up from his seat. With a serious face, he said righteously:
"What division commander? We only have one division commander in the 129th Division!"
"Those were the soldiers who made a fuss in the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain. Don't take it seriously!"
After explaining, Lao Li picked up the cup and drank the Fenjiu in one gulp. Then he put the cup aside, with no intention of continuing to drink.
At this table, the deputy commander-in-chief doesn't drink easily, and usually mainly drinks tea. The division commander doesn't drink at all, and his biggest hobby is reading.
The brigade commander used to be able to drink a few sips, but now he quits smoking and drinking for the sake of his health.
The only deputy chief of staff who can drink with him happens to be unable to drink because of his health.
If Li Yunlong dares to drink without respect in this scene, the brigade commander will definitely make him pay for it.
He even has the urge to stay in northwest Shanxi for a few days. After all, the bearded division commander never puts down his pipe and can drink a few sips when he is free.
In the end, it was the deputy chief of staff who spoke up and ended the joke of the fun man.
"Okay, stop teasing him."
"Li Yunlong, take the wine with you when you go back. Just eat more today, we have something to talk about later."
After the chat, everyone began to summarize their gains.
This battle is of great significance to the Eighth Route Army. If the Hundred Regiments Campaign allowed the troops at all levels of the three major military regions to master the tactics of positional warfare and encounter warfare.
The Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain allowed the soldiers to practice infantry-artillery coordination and air-ground coordination.
As long as they experience another large-scale battle, the troops at all levels will definitely be able to fully interpret what the theory of superior firepower is.
After all, a strong army must understand what it means to develop troops with science and technology.
Both commanders and combatants need to keep pace with the times, perfectly play their own advantages on the battlefield, and win with minimal casualties.
The above are the gains from a tactical perspective, and they also made a lot of money at the strategic level.
The first and foremost is naturally to solve the strong enemy of the First Army of the North China Front Army. After losing the strength of three divisions and three brigades, Iwamatsu Yoshio is like a toothless tiger, allowing others to twist and flatten him.
After a short rest, the entire Shanxi Province will surely be recovered.
Secondly, most of the Central Army withdrew from Zhongtiao Mountain, which made the development space of the Eighth Route Army extremely broad.
Although the Chinese side won the battle in southern Shanxi, it hit the arrogance and vitality of the invaders. But considering the casualties of the Fifth Army and the Fourteenth Army, the battle can only be regarded as a small victory for Guosu.
At present, all the defenders in the entire defense line need to retreat to the south of the Yellow River for a temporary rest, and they can return to the interior of Zhongtiao Mountain after replenishing their troops again.
Such a bad situation will inevitably lead to the fact that Guofu cannot draw a large number of troops to fill the empty defense line in a short period of time.
This period is the golden period for the development of the Eighth Route Army. When the Zhongtiao Mountain defense line is restored to its pre-battle state, who knows what TG can develop into in Shanxi Province.
In the end, of course, the problem of the Shanxi faction was dealt with. Yan Laoxi made a lot of stupid moves this time.
After a battle, he not only lost the support of the people, but also suffered a complete defeat in public opinion. The only benefit he got in return was just a few remote county towns.
When the devils gave up the county town, they not only looted all the valuable things in the city, but also transported all the most important food and weapons and ammunition to Taiyuan.
The territory occupied by the Shanxi Suiyuan Army was almost an empty city.
That is, everyone did not pursue responsibility for the sake of the united front, otherwise he would definitely not have a good harvest.
In this campaign, the Eighth Route Army killed three birds with one stone and solved many problems at once. No matter from which angle, it was a great victory!
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When everyone was discussing the gains of this campaign, Li Yunlong seized the opportunity to eat a lot, and really implemented the words of the deputy chief of staff to the end.
As a result, he accidentally choked himself when eating the elbow.
Looking at Lao Li who was pounding his chest to try to calm down, the brigade commander helplessly held his forehead, his face full of regret.
"Eat, eat, eat! Just eat! The Marine Corps 1st Regiment is the best unit in the army. How can you, a regiment commander, be like a starving ghost reincarnated."
"Tell me now, what is the next goal of our three main forces? If you can't answer, you don't have to leave. Just stay at the headquarters as a staff officer for a month."
Although Li Yunlong did not participate in the previous discussion, it does not mean that he did not think.
The reason why he did not express his own opinion was that everyone present was a big boss that he could not afford to offend, and it was also because the Marine Corps 1st Regiment was not suitable for the next combat mission.
If you parachute over the city, the risk is too great and the accident rate will be much higher than in the wild. Moreover, the buildings in big cities are dense, so it is not convenient to set up assembly areas.
The Marine Corps 1st Regiment is the elite of the entire army, and Lao Li can't do anything for free.
"Where else can it be? It must be Taiyuan."
"Next, the Japanese will definitely shrink their forces and rely on the city walls and a large number of fortifications to defend."
"We have not trained in urban combat yet. This battle still depends on infantry and artillery coordination and air-to-ground cooperation."
No one was surprised that Li Yunlong could give the correct answer at once.
After all, he is now the head of the special forces directly under the army. It would be outrageous if he didn't have this strategic vision.
As for the combat mission of the Marine Corps 1st Regiment, the deputy commander has not yet thought of the specific arrangements, but it is definitely not to throw it into Taiyuan City to fight street battles with the Japanese.
Such a prodigal son's thing, even a fool would not do it.
"Yes! We must attack Taiyuan!"
"Today we will discuss it carefully and try to come up with a battle plan."
Since the fall of Taiyuan on November 8, 1937, this historic city has been in dire straits, and the people in the city have suffered humiliation and devastation.
There are many benefits to taking Taiyuan. First of all, it is the headquarters of the First Army of the North China Front Army, and a large amount of supplies must be stored in the city.
In this Zhongtiaoshan Campaign, no matter how arrogant the devils are, they must prepare all kinds of supplies needed for four divisions and three independent mixed brigades for one month.
Now the First Army exists in name only, and these things must be fought for as much as possible.
Secondly, Taiyuan has a very good industrial foundation, which ranks among the best in the whole of North China. With the addition of an arsenal, it is definitely a rare treasure.
The last thing is to hit the enemy's morale and improve the confidence of the whole country in resisting Japan.
However, attacking Taiyuan is also a difficult task. Its city wall is about 12 meters high, 6 to 10 meters wide at the top, and about 15 meters wide at the bottom.
For the Eighth Route Army without heavy artillery, it is a very challenging task to break through many permanent fortifications and blow up the city walls.
Once the attack begins, the 26th Division, Cavalry Group, and Independent Mixed Brigade 2 in the north, and the 110th Division and Independent Mixed Brigade 1 in the south will definitely reinforce.
This means that the three major military regions need to work together, and the 120th Division and the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region must firmly stop the reinforcements from Hebei Province and Suiyuan.
Next, the four big guys discussed specific combat plans and emergency plans all day long, and only came up with a draft after dark.
But now it is certain that the scale of this battle will not be smaller than the Hundred Regiments Campaign.
I will revise it after I wake up, and all the updates I owe will be paid off.