The 18th Army of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army, which won a great victory, did not have the slightest ecstasy, although more than 7,000 Japanese troops were annihilated in this battle, and more than 2,400 commanders and fighters of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army were killed. In the past six months, the 18th Army has fought a series of bloody battles in the northeast, and the casualties of all previous battles plus the casualties of this major battle have caused the troops to lose more than 20% of their troops. Not to mention the fact that the problem of the failure of mass weapons arose in low-temperature and snowy weather.

However, the results of the investigation were also very surprising, after the destruction of the Miyazaki Brigade, the commander of the 19th Division immediately made a decision, and all the remaining troops withdrew to Benxi Lake. As a blocking force, the 18th Army will encounter various problems once it is out of the defensive position, so it is very difficult to choose how to choose.

"It is imperative to quickly inform the other units of what we are encountering. Especially the various troubles we have. Other forces need to hurry to learn our lessons. Mu Husan said.

The comrades did not expect that Mu Husan would be the first to consider this matter, and everyone's eyes couldn't help but fall on Xu Donghai, the acting head of the Sixth Regiment, who attended the meeting. The Sixth Regiment lost 95% of its commanders and fighters in the battle, and once they were seriously injured in the low temperature of more than 20 degrees below zero, even if it was not a fatal injury in the summer, the wounds were frozen, the blood vessels were frozen, and the wounded could not last long without targeted treatment. The Japanese Miyazaki Brigade was almost completely wiped out, not because the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army slaughtered prisoners, but because the Japanese wounded were frozen to death directly in the bitter cold. Similarly, because of more than an hour of hand-to-hand combat, most of the wounded comrades of the Sixth Regiment could not be saved.

After the battle, the remaining commanders and fighters of the 6th Regiment were only enough to form a company, but no one dared to exclude the 6th Regiment from such a terrible sacrifice at the military meeting. Although Xu Donghai was only a deputy company commander before the war, he was only an acting battalion commander during the battle. But his ability to endure from the beginning to the end in a hellish battle has already made his comrades in other units awe-inspiring.

With a blank expression, he lowered his head, as if Xu Donghai hadn't heard what the commander said. It wasn't until Mu Husan stood up and walked in front of Xu Donghai and put his hand on Xu Donghai's shoulder that Xu Donghai raised his head in surprise.

Mu Husan grabbed Xu Donghai's shoulders and dragged him up, then stared at Xu Donghai's eyes and said, "Comrade Xu Donghai, your regiment has borne the most fierce part of the battle, and your regiment has also paid the greatest sacrifice. Your six regiments are the banner of our army and the backbone of our army! So I ask you, cheer up now. The battle has just begun, and it's far from over! ”

Hearing the military commander mention the tragic battle, Xu Donghai's whole person twitched, and a painful look slipped across his face, "Military ...... Commander, our regiment has run out of ......" Xu Donghai's voice had indescribable pain in it.

"When the troops are exhausted, they can be rebuilt, and when they are rebuilt, I will give the highest priority to rebuilding your six regiments!" Mu Husan did not waver in the slightest, his voice was full of strength, "I will also ask the Military Commission for credit for the troops!" Apply to the Military Commission for an honorary title! Apply to the Military Commission for a campaign armband! However, Comrade Xu Donghai, you can't collapse yourself! If you are like this now, what will the more than 1,000 comrades who sacrificed their lives say about you when they see you like this in the Heavenly Spirit?! ”

Xu Donghai heard the army commander mention the sacrificed comrades, his eyes and nose turned red, although he covered his mouth, and finally did not cry in public, but tears couldn't help but flow down his cheeks.

Although Mu Husan's eyes were still resolute and firm, his somewhat trembling voice also revealed his mood at this time. Mu Husan grabbed Xu Donghai's shoulder tightly and said loudly: "Comrade Xu Donghai, if you want to cry, cry out loud!" No one will ever laugh at you. But now what we have to do is to bury our comrades, wipe away our tears, and move on. This battle is just the beginning, what your regiment has to do now is to sum up the experience accumulated in blood and tell these experiences to the comrades of other troops, so that they can exchange less sacrifice for greater victory! Don't you think this is the real way to comfort the souls of your comrades in heaven?! ”

Xu Donghai only cried a few times before he stabilized his mood. Wiping away his tears, he stood up and saluted the army commander Mu Husan, "Resolutely complete the task!" ”

"After this operational meeting, the military headquarters, the general staff, and the training section will immediately send comrades to sum up the course of this battle with you. All comrades of your regiment must participate. After Mu Husan finished speaking, he walked back to his position, "Do you want to fight the 19th Division first or the Japanese troops who came to reinforce it, what do the comrades think?" ”

"In normal times, you just need to pay attention to the maintenance of the gun, but it is more difficult to fight in the snow, and the snow can freeze immediately after it melts, so you can't wipe the gun while shooting. I think I can wait until the snow stops. The commander of the first division said. Cold weather is a big problem, but after many experiments by the Northeast Army, the type of antifreeze oil has finally been determined. These logistical supplies were included in the forced transportation of the railroad soldiers regardless of life and death. However, the problem of snow water produced by the snow melting on the gun is difficult to solve. Moreover, antifreeze oil is very scarce now, and it is impossible to fill the gun full at any time. Not to mention that if it is for antifreeze, a large amount of antifreeze oil will affect the shooting problem after putting a large amount of antifreeze oil on the gun. In the tradition of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army's emphasis on the maintenance of weapons, there was not enough time to come up with a satisfactory plan on this issue.

The quartermaster replied: "Our rifles are not specially designed for alpine regions at all, and there are no snow protection considerations. I thought about temporarily attaching a few attached parts to my rifle and machine gun to see if I could temporarily protect against snow. ”

"Will this work?" All comrades came in spirit.

Looking at the hungry wolf-like looks of his comrades, the chief of the quartermaster department hurriedly replied: "I can't guarantee this. Even if the parts are installed, they can have a big impact on the use of firearms. So I can only do my best, and I can't promise anything. ”

This discussion made Mu Husan quite happy in his heart, since the heavy snow would have an impact on the use of guns in the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army, a large number of Japanese weapons captured this time had also been urgently tested, and the Japanese army's weapons also encountered the problem of fighting in snowy weather. Moreover, there were no signs of any special treatment other than grease protection carried out by the 19th Division. If the problem can be solved in terms of firepower, the heavy snow will be a great opportunity for the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army to display its firepower and assault tactics. The Sixth Regiment has proved with practical actions that the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army will never fall behind the Japanese army in the fight for bayonets. What we need to do now is to find a way to give full play to the advantages of the troops' firepower allocation as soon as possible.

Chief of Staff Liu Guange said: "The messengers of the 15th Army have already brought news that their march in the wind and snow has been affected to a certain extent. However, they could reach the rear of the Japanese army the day after tomorrow at the latest. But if we don't solve the snow problem, we are likely to face a tough battle. ”

The commander of the second division replied: "If you don't destroy the Japanese army here, will you send them back to Korea?" ”

The Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army has always taken the annihilation of the enemy's vital forces as its strategic orientation, and talent is the focus of everything. Even if Japan was able to exert its manpower and sufficient troops to be annihilated, the quality and experience of the newly formed troops could not be compared with the old ones. However, the Sixth Regiment is the unit of the Second Division, and the major sacrifice of the Sixth Regiment this time made the commander of the Second Division also have a strong mentality of seeking war.

The Ninth Regiment was a unit of the Third Division, and although the Ninth Regiment sent reinforcements with only one battalion, the battalion had a fatality rate of more than 90%. Since the 19th Division of the Japanese Army had to retreat to the Benxi Lake area to hold on, as long as the two divisions of the Japanese Army in front of it were resolved, the 19th Division would be completely reduced to a turtle in an urn. At that time, how to fry and fry was completely decided by the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army. Not to mention that the two divisions of the 14th Army should have moved south at this time, although it was not possible to encircle and annihilate the 19th Division of the Japanese Army, which had only one brigade left. However, it is still possible to monitor the 19th Division.

"The only thing we have to worry about now is the sudden retreat of these two divisions of the Japanese army." Liu Guange said.

"Don't completely cut off the Japanese army's line of contact, let the 19th Division help us intercept the Japanese army." The commander of the first division replied. Although the 1st Division did not directly engage with the 19th Division, when the 20th Division was annihilated, the 1st Division made great efforts and suffered many casualties. It was precisely because of the successful annihilation of the 20th Division of the Japanese Army that the 18th Army was able to have a series of victories later, and now it has forced the 19th Division into a desperate situation. Naturally, the commander of the first division could not have any objection to fighting a war of annihilation.

"Then the troops are ready now, and as soon as the 15th Army arrives at its position, we will set off immediately." Mu Hu commanded in three voices.

In fact, instead of deliberately relaxing the blockade of the Japanese army's intelligence line by the Industrial and Peasant Revolutionary Army, the 19th Division had already sent seven or eight small units to ask for help from the Japanese army in the south when it retreated. The 6th and 7th Divisions were receiving the news that the 19th Division had paid half the cost of its strength and was unable to break through, and the 6th and 7th Divisions immediately passed the news back to Andong, and the news crossed the Yalu River, and then through the Japanese telegraph network in Korea at the fastest speed through the north and south of Korea, and crossed the Tsushima Strait along the submarine cable, and arrived in Tokyo in one day.

This is not the first time that the Japanese War Department has received such news that they feel humiliated, and this is really not a good time to shirk responsibility and conceal the facts, so after a whole night of arguing, the War Minister finally mustered up the courage to drive to meet Youtomo in Yamayama County.

Youpeng of Shan County just glanced at the Minister of War and asked coldly, "Which unit has an accident?" ”

The Minister of War was shocked, but since he had already prepared in advance, he seriously reported the latest news to Youpeng in Shanxian County.

Youpeng of Shan County did not get angry, he just ordered someone to take out the map and spread it on the table, "Tell me about the results of the War Department's discussion." ”

This attitude was even more intimidating than scolding, and he first glanced at the face of Shan County, and then pointed to the map and said: "The War Department wants the 8th Division, now in Pyongyang, to cross the Yalu River, and the 6th and 7th Divisions to bypass the enemy's defense line and go to meet the 19th Division. ”

Youpeng of Shan County looked at the map and did not speak for a long time. After a while, he spoke, "Do you have any other plans?" ”

"Other plans...... the Minister of War hesitated, and he listened for a moment before replying: "Another plan is to order the 19th Division to break through to the north on its own and cross the mountains to return to Korea. ”

Shan County Youpeng still looked at the position map calmly, his finger pressed on the map, slid west from Anton, and finally stopped firmly at the Panjin position. The realization of the Minister of War also moved with the fingers of Yama Prefecture Yutomo.

"Order the 19th Division to break through on its own. After returning to Andong, the 6th and 7th Divisions reorganized their troops as quickly as possible and attacked westward. Shan County Youpeng said.

"Your Excellency, why is that?" The Secretary of War asked.

"Since we are one step behind the BJP, there is no need to follow the original plan. No matter how the People's Party moves, their real base is in Panjin. As long as they lay down their nest, the People's Party will inevitably return to recapture Panjin. Youpeng replied.

"Wai Wei to save Zhao?" The Minister of War replied thoughtfully, "In this case, the 19th Division will not be strongly pursued by the enemy?" ”

"It's not about encircling Wei to save Zhao, but that's what we originally planned. Cut off the road for the People's Party to enter the customs, and besiege and annihilate the People's Party troops in Manchuria at the beginning of spring. But I didn't expect the 19th Division to be so useless. Youpeng replied coldly. The great displeasure in his tone sent a shudder down the eyes of the War Secretary.

"Your Excellency, if this does not save the 19th Division, the Admiralty men ......," the Secretary of War asked hesitantly.

"What good will it do to the Admiralty if we are kicked out of Manchuria? Are they ready to send warships into Manchuria? Youpeng asked rhetorically. For these little tricks of the intrigue of the younger generations, Shan County Youpeng is extremely disgusted in his heart. The struggle between the War Department and the Admiralty has a long history, but at least in the era of Yama Prefecture Youpeng, this kind of struggle was a struggle on the basis of the common pursuit of victory, and at least there was a fierce conflict when the merit was sought, and it was not at all like the current situation when facing a crisis and tearing each other down endlessly.

Seeing the relieved expression of the Minister of War, Shan County Youpeng couldn't help but say: "In addition to giving orders, now you will mobilize the 10th, 11th, and 12th divisions to enter Korea. It is impossible for the People's Party to watch Panjin go missing. They will definitely increase their troops as well. By spring, the battle will surely be fought greatly. Mobilize troops now. ”

The Minister of War couldn't help but say: "But the Navy ...... over there"

"I told them on the navy's side, you go and prepare now!" Yama Yama Youpeng ordered in an unquestionable tone.

"Hey!" The War Secretary bowed his head and replied.

The War Department and the Admiralty would also spy on each other, and when Aritomo Yamaguchi listened to the report of the Minister of War in Yama Prefecture, Saionji Konozo also found the current Prime Minister Takahashi Shikiyo.

Takahashi Shiqing looked at the Xiyuan Temple Gongwang with a blue face, and probably stepped on some clues in his heart, he poured tea for the Xiyuan Temple Gongwang, and then quietly waited to hear the latest news.

"Takahashi-kun, what are you going to do if the army is defeated?" Saionji Gongwang did not say anything about the war, but directly asked about the results.

Takahashi was not surprised, nor did he hesitate, he replied calmly: "If this is the case, I can only vigorously trade with Europe, no matter what, to make more money and reduce our losses." ”

Xiyuan Temple Gongwang didn't expect Takahashi Shiqing to be so calm, he was stunned.

Takahashi continued: "In any case, we will fight with the People's Party because of Manchuria, and it is impossible for us to give up Manchuria. So, is there any other option than to try your best to win? ”

"But the performance of the army is too shameful!" Xiyuan Temple Gongwang said angrily.

"Xiyuan Temple-kun, do you still think that our opponent is the former China?" Takahashi is Kiyoshi.

"Huh?" Xiyuan Temple Gongwang was stunned, he had never considered this issue, in fact, this was the first time that someone had raised this question directly.

Looking at the stunned look of the Xiyuan Temple Gongwang, Takahashi said calmly: "Our opponent is not the Manchu Qing Dynasty, nor Beiyang, our opponent is the People's Party." The China of today is no longer the China of the past. Saionji-kun, I hope you can recognize this. I don't think that the War Department failed because the War Department itself was not good at fighting, but because the War Department still thought that we were facing the same opponent as China in the past. ”

Takahashi Shiqing looked at the thoughtful look of the Saionji Gongwang, and a trace of depression flashed in his heart, although he knew that he was just an excessive prime minister, but Takahashi Shiqing really wanted to revitalize Japan during his tenure. However, by this time, he had already understood that his position as prime minister would not last long. In this case, Takahashi is Kiyoshi has nothing to take care of anymore. He continued: "Xiyuanji-kun, at the moment the navy feels that China has not changed, just because the People's Party has not put its strength on building the navy. But for now, this situation will not last long. The current predicament encountered by the Army, sooner or later will also be encountered by the Navy. I can't prevent this war from breaking out, but when the war is out of control, I will still stand up and demand that it be ended. For our Great Japanese Empire, the war in Europe was our best chance. Even if I can use it for an extra year, an extra month, or even an extra day, I will try my best to get this opportunity. ”

Xiyuan Temple Gongwang frowned and looked at Takahashi Shiqing, he knew that the Japanese government and the opposition had a very high opinion of Takahashi Shiqing's economic ability. However, Takahashi is Qing and Xiyuan Temple Gongwang single-handedly pushed to the prime minister's throne, so he still can't help but look down on Takahashi is Qing in his heart. Now listening to Takahashi Shiqing expounding his strong determination in a calm tone, the prince of Xiyuan Temple couldn't help but have a burst of respect for Takahashi Shiqing. After all, it is not possible for anyone to sit in the prime minister's position and work hard to promote their own political ideas with an attitude that they do not care about the prime minister's throne at all.

Even if it's just for this bearing, the public hope of Xiyuan Temple can't help but respect Takahashi is pure heart.