The convoy drove out of the airport with a gust of wind and headed towards the mouth of the old river. In the car, Wilkie and Lin Wei sat side by side, neither of them had the intention of speaking, the road was not very good, the bumps were more advantageous, and both of them couldn't help but grab the back of the front seat to maintain the balance of their bodies.

Before the victory, Chiang Kai-shek was very cooperative, and he quickly arranged Wilkie's trip to the Five War Zones and asked Lin Wei to accompany him personally. Wilkie didn't take all of his members with him, only Brian and Thomas, who happened to be diplomats and military personnel.

The convoy gradually drove out of the mountains and forests, the old estuary avenue, a road, the situation was completely different, the speed of the convoy slowed down quickly, there was a large convoy in front of the road, the unicycle convoy, the unicycle made a clattering sound, covering up the sound of the motor of the car, the sedan slowly squirmed forward, the driver couldn't help but press the horn, the unicycle in front of the car, was a pair of men and women, the man pushed the cart with both hands, and the woman pulled the rope in front.

Hearing the horn, the woman looked back, and then motioned for the man to push to the side of the road, and the wheelbarrow slowly leaned towards the side of the road, like splitting waves, and the wheelbarrow slowly moved to both sides. Wilkie looked at the wheelbarrow outside the window, he had seen this kind of unicycle for the first time, but he paid more attention to the fact that there were many women and old people in the car, and even many half-grown children, and most of the things in the car were sacks, bulging sacks, but in front of the convoy was not a wheelbarrow, but a group of people carrying stretchers.

"Find a place to stop." Wilkie said to the driver. The driver quickly found a fork in the road and stopped the car, Wilkie got out of the car, looked at the crowd and asked Lin Wei, "What are they doing here?" ”

Lin Wei was also quite puzzled, he turned his head and asked Gong Chu, the deputy chief of staff, Gong Chu said with a smile: "This is the front team formed by the Salvation Association, the battlefield is getting more and more south, the scale is getting bigger and bigger, and the logistics supply is not enough, and the Salvation Association has formed some front teams. ”

"Fellow, where are you from?" Gong Chu grabbed an old man with a somewhat white beard and a stretcher and asked.

"We are from Yun County." The old man replied.

"Where are you guys?" Gong Chu asked again.

"South, Wuhan" The old man stopped, looked at the officer in front of him, he didn't know how big this person's official was, but it didn't look small, he looked at Gong Chucai and said: "Sir, the Salvation Association said that the troops are going to counterattack Wuhan, let us send food to the troops." ”

"So, did you spring sow it?" Gong Chu knew more about agriculture, at the beginning of the campaign, Gong Chu was not in the headquarters, but in the preparation of the political work school, until yesterday he returned to Laohekou, but as soon as he came back, he was sent by Zhuang Jihua to meet Wilkie and his party.

"Half of the sowing." The old man had wrinkles on his forehead, and after a long walk, he simply opened the placket to reveal his bronzed, somewhat loose skin. Seeing the look on Gong Chu's face, he smiled: "It's okay, the Salvation Association said that the people who stayed at home helped to sow the seeds, and they couldn't miss the land." Besides, isn't it also for ourselves to support ** to fight devils? ”

In a few words, the stretcher team had already gone far, the wheelbarrow team had already come, the old man hurriedly said goodbye to Gong Chu, and quickly chased after the team, Lin Wei and Wilkie had already heard the conversation between the two clearly.

"General Gong, where's your car? Why not send it by car? "Wilkie is weird.

"Mr. Wilkie," Gong Chu sighed: "Our cars are limited, there are hundreds of thousands of troops on the southern front now, and our cars are only more than a hundred, which is not enough at all, and now these cars are pulling ammunition and the wounded, and food can only be sent forward by manpower." ”

Speaking of this, he pointed to the wheelbarrow convoy in front of him: "Mr. Wilkie, from the beginning of the campaign, the Salvation Association of our theater and the party departments of various counties have formed hundreds of front teams, and a total of 200,000 people in northern Hubei and western Henan have been mobilized to support the battlefields on the north and south fronts. ”

"You see, some of these wheelbarrows are husband and wife, some are fathers and sons, and some are even grandchildren." Gong Chuhao sighed that Li Zongren had been in the Fifth War Zone for several years, unremittingly promoting social reforms, supporting the National Salvation Association, and successfully organizing the society.

Wilkie silently looked at the front team that was gradually moving away, and secretly sighed in his heart that between China and Japan, it can no longer be described as an ordinary war, but a total battle that mobilizes all levels of society, involves national history and culture, and all the resources of the country.

"It can be seen that your organization is very successful, General Gong, I now understand why you were able to win the Northern Hubei Campaign." Wilkie's admiration was prosaic and in a way could only be regarded as politeness.

"It's a pity that such an organization came too late," Gong Chu did not shy away from commenting: "If we had such a social organization six years ago, we would have defeated Japan long ago." ”

"Brother Fuchang is right, I understand why the Cultural Revolution insisted on carrying out social reforms, if we had carried out social reforms ten years earlier, the Japanese would not have been able to hit Wuhan." Unexpectedly, Lin Wei also sighed that during the camp in Kunming, he also heard that the people of western Yunnan had organized a front team, but he had never been there in person, and the shock was far less great.

The front team walked forward silently, not knowing how much impact their actions had brought to these high-ranking generals.

From the airport to the headquarters, in a short period of several tens of kilometers, they have encountered several front teams, and even outside the headquarters of Luliuzhuang, they also encountered a front team dominated by the people of Luliuzhuang, and the people who were staying behind beat gongs and drums to see them off, as if it was the army going on an expedition, and Xu Jingxiang, deputy director of the political department of the theater, was leading people to see them off.

"General Lin, Mr. Wilkie, the commander is in the war room, he ordered, please wait in the reception room, of course, if you wish, you can go to the war room."

Zhuang Jihua did not greet Wilkie and Lin Wei at the entrance of the headquarters, but sent Guo Yueping, director of the Theater Liaison Office, to wait here.

"Then go to the war room," Wilkie was a little anxious, he chose the war room without thinking about it, he wanted to see on the spot how this Chinese general, who had different evaluations among the Allied generals, commanded the battle.

Gong Chu and Guo Yueping didn't say anything, and led them to the war room, Lin Wei frowned slightly, and after taking two steps, he asked Guo Yueping in a low voice: "Has the battle situation changed?" ”

Guo Yueping nodded and replied in a low voice: "Yes, it is said that the guy from Toshima did not choose to withdraw to Wuhan through Xiaogan, but suddenly advanced eastward in Xiaochang, and in addition, the first part of the Jinzhong army in Huanglingji retreated to Hankou. ”

Lin Wei couldn't help but stop, he stopped suddenly, but Thomas, who was following behind, was caught off guard and almost hit him.

"What is Anan doing yet? He doesn't want Wuhan anymore? ”

Lin Wei's voice was a little loud, which made Wilkie and Gong Chu in front of him stop, Wilkie looked back and saw Lin Wei's somewhat shocked look, and couldn't help asking, "Lin, what happened?" ”

"Oh, nothing, the situation in Wuhan has changed." Lin Wei noticed his gaffe, immediately smiled in disguise, and then walked to Wilkie's side.

"Oh, what is the change? The Japanese began a counteroffensive? Wilkie asked.

"It's not clear, let's go to the war room." Lin Wei made a gesture, and at this moment his heart was a little excited and a little anxious. If Guo Yueping is right, the biggest victory since the Anti-Japanese War will be in hand.

Toshima turned around and marched eastward, and without this force, it would be difficult for Wuhan to hold; Another signal was sent from the Huanglingji battlefield, the Chinese troops were struggling to support, the troops suffered heavy casualties, and the defense line was crumbling.

If Huanglingji is abandoned, Wang Jingjiu's army of more than 100,000 troops will come to the city of Hankou and join Wang Guobin's troops in the south of the Fifth War Zone. At that time, Wang Guobin supplied Hanyang, and Wang Jingjiu attacked Hankou, and with the strength of today's Chinese troops, it was impossible to block it.

If so, Lin Wei quickly came to a conclusion, how long did Anan give up Wuhan?

In the war room, Zhuang Jihua was standing in front of the map, and the staff officers around him were expressing their opinions and expressing their views on the new movements of the Japanese army.

"..., the purpose of Toshima is likely to bypass my Xiaogan defense line and enter Hanyang through Huangpo." A staff officer shouted.

"Impossible," another staff officer who looked thinner immediately retorted: "There are the Seventh Army and the Thirty-first Army behind Toshima, and if Toshima wants to enter Hanyang, it must cross the Fu River, and under the air superiority of our army, the casualties are bound to be heavy." ”

"Yes, if my Xiaogan troops catch up and attack it halfway, we can completely defeat Toshima." Shangguan Jun shook his head in thought, as if he saw the scene of Toshima's troops being completely defeated: "So, Anan will not make such a decision, he is not so stupid." I thought that Anan was ready to give up Wuhan. ”

As soon as these words came out, almost all the staff officers were shocked, but He Wei nodded frequently, and Zhuang Jihua still maintained that demeanor and walked slowly in front of the map.

"Give up Wuhan? Is it possible? When the staff officers came to their senses, they began to talk about it.

"Why can't it be?" Zhuang Jihua spoke at this time, and as soon as he spoke, the discussion of the staff officers stopped abruptly, and then he saw Lin Weiweiwei and others standing outside the door, and walked over.

"Mr. Wilkie, Brother Weiwen, General Blaine," when it was Thomas's turn, Zhuang Jihua hesitated: "This is Mr. Thomas, welcome to the Fifth War Zone." ”

"General Zhuang, you don't have to take care of us, is there any change in the Japanese army in Wuhan, you command the battle first, and then we will talk." Wilkie held Zhuang Jihua's hand, stared at Zhuang Jihua's eyes very sincerely, and said, "We're next to us, you won't mind, right?" ”

"It's nothing at all, I heard that General Bryan has participated in the European war and is a veteran of the battlefield, if you have any opinions, you can put them forward." Zhuang Jihua shook Brian's hand again and said.

Brian held Zhuang Jihua's hand tightly, and the eyes of the two collided in the air, and then retracted almost at the same time. Brian's feelings about Zhuang Jihua are very complicated, it is under the influence of this person that the Chinese generals began to resist the US military advisory group intentionally or unintentionally, which made the work of the US military advisory group extremely unsmooth.

"I heard that General Zhuang won a hundred battles and defeated almost all the Japanese generals," Brian smiled faintly: "I just want to see the general's demeanor." ”

Gong Chu hurriedly interjected: "That's it, Commander, you continue to command, and I will accompany Mr. Wilkie and General Bryan to rest beside me." ”

Zhuang Jihua let go of Bryan's hand, made a gesture of invitation to Lin Wei, and then walked back indoors quickly, saying as he walked, "Go on, what does Anan Weiji want to do?" Opinions continue to be expressed. ”

He Wei is already very experienced in Zhuang Jihua's way of working, and he knows that Zhuang Jihua is likely to have a plan at the moment, and this discussion is to unify everyone's understanding, and it is likely that there are other meanings.

"Staff Officer Shangguan," He Wei asked, "The Japanese army can build a bridge over the Fu River in advance, and the Toshima troops will only need to cross the Fu River in the middle of the night. ”

Shangguan Jun hesitated and looked at the map: "You can let the 102nd Army and the 77th Army advance eastward and occupy Huangpo before the Japanese army." ”

"But what if Toshima just took a false shot?" He Wei seemed to be making things difficult for Shangguan Jun, and threw out another problem: "After the 102nd Army and the 77th Army advance eastward, they will turn around and go south." ”

Shangguan Jun's momentum was suppressed, he fell silent, and another captain stood up at this time: "You can let the Seventh Army and the Thirty-first Army bite Toshima tightly, but don't really fight them, unless they go south to attack Xiaogan, or south to attack Huangpo." ”

"What's your name?" Zhuang Jihua suddenly asked.

"Humble combat staff officer, Chao Zhenwei."

Zhuang Jihua closed his mouth again at this time, He Wei faintly guessed what Zhuang Jihua meant at this moment, he coughed lightly and cleared his throat: "The court staff officer said well, this is a method, but if Anan Weiji's purpose is really as Shangguan staff said, to give up Wuhan, Fengdao is likely not to go south to Huangpo, but to take Macheng or Songbu directly, and then go south to Huanggang and withdraw from the Yangtze River." ”

"But this raises another problem," Zhuang Jihua stood firmly at this time and looked at everyone: "Anan Weiji's move is very likely to prepare for the abandonment of Wuhan." Kanda was no longer able to stand out from the encirclement, and the fall was just over the next two days. Once Kanda is destroyed, our army will be able to add 200,000 troops, plus 300,000 troops in the Ninth Theater, and 500,000 troops will surround Wuhan. It will not exceed 50,000 people, ten times the number of troops, superior firepower, Anan has few chances. Even if Toshima returned to Wuhan, there would be no chance. So, now, our situation is how many Japanese troops can be annihilated when Wuhan is recovered. ”

Just as the staff officers began to discuss, Zhuang Jihua concluded that Anan was preparing to evacuate Wuhan and that the operation in Toshima had two purposes, one was to preserve the troops; The other is to disperse the forces attacking Wuhan from the north and reduce the pressure on the city.

"Order, General Li Pinxian, lead the Seventh Army and the Thirty-first Army, bite Toshima, but do not take the initiative to attack; Ordered, Feng Zhi'an led the 77th Army and the 36th Division to immediately advance eastward, seize Huangpo, and build a blocking position on Huangpo. The 102nd Army and the 95th Division set up a blocking position in Xiaogan, and the 103rd Division immediately moved south to rebuild. ”

"Inform the whole army that when attacking the urban area of Wuhan, it is forbidden to use rocket artillery and heavy artillery with a caliber of more than 105mm, and tanks are only allowed to be used in peripheral battles, and are not allowed to be used in urban operations."

"Finally, I sent a telegram to the chairman of the committee, requesting that Wang Jingjiu's department be placed under my command."

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