The characteristic of young comrades is that they are not stable enough, and it is easy to think about problems without taking a holistic view. As soon as Chai Qingguo's view of winning at any cost came out, some people thought that it was better to avoid meaningless casualties as much as possible. Everyone has no rich experience in war, Chai Qingguo had the experience of bloody fighting, and when he fought against the Beiyang Army and the foreigners' army in Hebei, Chai Qingguo escaped with his life by charging without fear of death. The People's Revolutionary Army has fought dozens of battles so far, with a total of no more than 200 dead and wounded. Hearing the kind of battle proposed by Chai Qingguo, which often involved hundreds or thousands of casualties, everyone generally felt that the battle did not need to pay such a big price.

Chai Qingguo is fighting on the basis of reason, and other comrades also have their own reasons. Comrades with relatively high military ranks, such as Hua Xiongmao and Zhang Yu, were also reluctant to speak rashly, so although Chai Qingguo was alone, he was not completely defeated.

"Fighting Anqing is by no means a siege, since it is necessary to fight quickly, there will inevitably be great casualties." Chai Qingguo knows what fighting a war is all about. After joining the People's Party, the intensity of the battle was much less than that of fighting against the Beiyang Army in Hebei and Shandong. But in terms of scale, Chai Qingguo's vision is not a little higher than that of the comrades of the Military Commission.

"You have to be more prepared. What if you can't beat Anqing for a while? If you can win a quick battle, you have to be able to win. He Zudao didn't mean to go against Chai Qingguo, but according to what Chai Qingguo said, the troops rushed forward against the enemy's bullets, and He Zudao felt a little shuddered just thinking about that kind of casualties.

"The Anqing New Army is not a landlord in the enclosure, and their equipment and troops are definitely not like that." Chai Qingguo's face was already very gloomy. He couldn't help but think of the years when he was in Hebei and Shandong, facing thousands of Beiyang Army and foreign devils. The Beiyang Army and the foreign devils lined up neatly, and no matter how the brothers provoked, the enemy was still able to maintain their discipline. It wasn't until the rebels attacked the enemy and entered the enemy's range that the shells and bullets swept towards the rebels' brothers like water.

Thinking of this, Chai Qingguo felt that his hairs instinctively began to stand up. At that time, Chai Qingguo led the cavalry team to charge, and he even rode a horse to the forefront, and the brothers on the left and right were shot and fell off their horses one by one, and the short screams were instantly drowned out by the rumbling guns and horses' hooves. Before the war, everyone asked the gods to worship the immortals, put the charm they had obtained on their chests, and drank the talisman water. But these things did not protect the brothers, and one charge down, the brothers of the cavalry unit suffered almost half of the casualties. Chai Qingguo found that he had only a few brothers left and were still charging, and the enemy on the opposite side had already formed a formation with bayonets, and the bright bayonets shook the eyes of the horses, and the horses subconsciously stood up. The enemy infantry had already rushed forward with bayonets and began to stab at the few cavalrymen. While the brothers tried to control the horses, they fought the enemy with their own hands.

How the hell did you survive there? Chai Qingguo has been very strange for several years, and Chai Qingguo has no impression of how he broke away from the enemy who couldn't see the edge. All he could remember was that he didn't know when the battle had hit, and he was retreating with his other infantry brothers, covered in blood. As for what happened to the cavalry brothers who were with him that day, he couldn't remember how. That day, more than 500 cavalry brothers were left with Chai Qingguo alone.

Every time he rethinks of these, Chai Qingguo will always subconsciously lose his mind for a short time, as if something powerful has forcibly deprived Chai Qingguo of his consciousness. When he came to his senses, he saw He Zudao's mouth opening and closing, which should be saying something. But I can't hear any sound at all, it's like watching a funny shadow puppet show.

"Lao Chai, what's wrong with you." As his wrist was grabbed, Chai Qingguo's hearing suddenly returned to normal. Turning his head to look, it was Hua Xiongmao who looked at him in surprise and grabbed his hand. Chai Qingguo swallowed with difficulty, "It's nothing, I just remembered some things from the past." With that, he sat back on the bench with a little prostration.

“…… I think it's better for us to use a small force to test it. He Zudao finally ended his speech. Many comrades looked at He Zudao with approving. Stared at Chai Qingguo, who was out of shape, with doubtful eyes.

At this time, I heard Chen Ke say: "Comrade Hua Xiongmao, how many troops can we dispatch?" ”

Hua Xiongmao hesitated a little before answering this question, "This, at most, is only five thousand people." If you want to send a more guaranteed combat effectiveness, it is only 3,000 people. ”

Comrade Pu Guanshui, how many troops are there in Anqing now? ”

"Anqing now has a mixed association, and the actual number of soldiers does not exceed 3,500. Attached cavalry, artillery each with a standard, engineering, baggage each battalion, military band. Each infantry association has two infantry standards, and each standard has three battalions, each battalion has three teams, each team has three platoons, and each platoon has three sheds. The most basic unit shed has about 14 soldiers. The attached cavalry has jurisdiction over three battalions, each battalion has jurisdiction over four teams in front and behind, left and right, two rows in each team, and two sheds in each row. The attached artillery has jurisdiction over three battalions, and each battalion has jurisdiction over three teams on the left, center and right. The team below is composed of synchronous soldiers. engineering, the following formation of the baggage battalion is the same as the cavalry. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, the new army also added a machine gun team (heavy machine gun) to the infantry standard...... "Pu Guanshui introduced the information to everyone in detail.

In fact, the members of the Military Commission have already read these materials, but in the past, everyone was busy with the things in front of them, where did they have time to think about so much. Military and official affairs are so busy that everyone just wants to fall asleep after finishing their work. The attack on Anqing was too far away for the comrades. Now the strength of the two sides has become a number, and the 5,000 Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army is facing the 3,500-strong Anhui New Army. Everyone suddenly found that there was little difference in strength. But the Forces nouvelles were very well equipped and had the upper hand. The comrades of the Military Commission couldn't help but be silent, this gap in strength was far beyond everyone's imagination.

Suddenly, the discussion seemed pointless. The attack on Anqing is to gnaw hard bones, the enemy's strength is strong enough, and the strength of the People's Party is far from being as strong as everyone intuitively feels.

Chen Ke understood the big idea very well, and he said to the people who were temporarily silent: "Comrades, if we consider the entire army of the People's Revolutionary Army, which has 11,000 people, and is fighting on the inner line of the base area. We can think that we can still win. Now we are running to Anqing to fight, and it is an external battle. It's much more difficult. ”

"Then can we wait for the enemy to divide their forces and we will break them one by one?" Hua Xiongmao put forward his own suggestions.

Chen Ke replied very simply: "No, the base area is still very unstable. The basis for stability is that we have an overwhelming advantage over the enemies around us. No one dared to jump out and make trouble. If we let the enemy in, the trust of the people who have been formed with great difficulty in us will be immediately shattered. Even if we win, we even counterattack and take Anqing, there will be a lot of trouble. So this battle is a political battle. ”

"Then we can fight in the direction of Anqing first and take the Luzhou Mansion in the south. Then he competed with the new army in Luzhou Mansion. Why can't the enemy enter our base area, what do you think? Hua Xiongmao still hopes to be more serious.

"Now is the time when the gap between us and the new army is the smallest. Because the Manchus had not yet mobilized. Don't just think about Anqing Mansion, once a tug-of-war is formed, the Manchus will mobilize military forces to exterminate us. Under such an unstable situation, the base area cannot withstand the toss. If the Hubei New Army has another 5,000 people, our numerical advantage will also be wiped out. And at the beginning of the war, everyone suffered casualties on each other, what do you think the morale of the troops will be? Will anyone join the army? And how is the combat effectiveness of the new troops better than ours now? It's definitely incomparable. Now the troops have won one battle after another, and their morale is still very high. Able to fight a big battle. If morale is low and there are setbacks, I'm not optimistic. ”

Chen Ke did not overestimate the troops at all.

The discussion unconsciously changed from how to fight Anqing to whether to fight Anqing.

Hua Xiongmao didn't want to hit the morale of the comrades of the Central Military Commission, but he really couldn't make such a big decision, although he had discussed the combat effectiveness of the new army with Pu Guanshui many times in private, but Hua Xiongmao still couldn't help asking: "Comrade Pu Guanshui, now that the army and the new army are fighting, what do you think?" ”

Hearing this question, everyone's eyes fell on Pu Guanshui. Pu Guanshui had already thought about this problem, he thought about it, and squeezed out a sentence with difficulty, "With the same strength, I'm afraid it won't work." ”

Except for Yan Fu and a few other people who were quite cultivated, everyone showed a look of disappointment on their faces. Everyone immediately set their eyes on Chen Ke.

Chen Ke knew that he had to convince his comrades that the battle of Anqing had to be fought. This is the last opportunity for the strategic initiative to be in the hands of the BJP for the time being

"If we pull away, we'll just let the new army fight on the battlefield they're good at. Strategic design is to make it impossible for the enemy to exert its combat effectiveness. The merit of our troops now lies in their high morale. Morale is built on a string of victories. If we let the new army fight within the range of what it is good at, a series of defeats can only lead to a general demoralization. At that time, it was even more impossible to fight. The new army is good at arrays, and in urban battles, the pattern is intricate. Troops often did not have time to shoot in formation. At this point, a spear may be more useful than a rifle. And we specially trained grenadiers. There is an advantage against street fighting. ”

Although Chen Ke listed many advantages, it still did not have an immediate effect. The mood of the comrades is still not high. "If we fail, at least we can fight the enemy in the base area, and if we are killed by the enemy, then we won't even have a chance to start again. Moreover, although we are inferior to the enemy in weapons and equipment, we have a political advantage. More than half of the soldiers of the New Army brought by Comrade Pu Guanshui this time have joined our ranks. Everyone joined the army to make a living, so that their families could have a better life. But after the flood, everyone has seen what the homes of these New Army soldiers look like. Equally miserable. Do you think the morale of the soldiers of the new army in Anqing City will be high? Will they really give their lives to those Manchu officials? ”

"I agree with Chairman Chen Ke." Pu Guanshui said, "Although the training of the Anqing New Army is relatively good, its morale is far inferior to ours. If I send someone from my side to lobby the new army, it should have a good effect. ”

Pu Guanshui was finally willing to play an internal role, and the comrades of the Central Military Commission were all relaxed in their hearts.

Chen Ke glanced at Pu Guanshui with satisfaction, and continued: "The tactics of the Manchu Qing are still backward, because there is no core to gather morale. The defeat of the Manchu army by foreigners was a little breakthrough, and then the Manchu army was completely defeated. We fought Anqing this time, although the enemy has a strong city to rely on, this is their psychological weakness. As long as this psychological support was broken, then the Manchu army would be immediately defeated in a chain of defeats. Moreover, our side is the attacking side, and first of all, we have an advantage in morale. As long as we can break through the city defenses, our morale will be greatly boosted. This is one and the other, and Anqing is not so difficult to overcome. ”

Encouraged by Chen Ke like this, the faces of the young comrades were bright. Yes, these days the battles have been fought a little bit, and the enemy immediately collapsed. Although the enemy's core was still stubbornly resisting, once the organized mass resistance ended, the troops were immediately freed from the heavy pressure. The scurrying enemy posed no threat at all, and the BJP forces seemed to have an all-round superiority in strength and firepower in an instant.

"Chairman Chen, do you think this battle is strategically necessary?" Yan Fu finally asked.

"Yes," the discussion enlivened Chen's thinking, and many of the issues that used to focus on details were now suddenly figured out at a higher level, "We now have the strategic initiative." That is, we can choose our own strategic direction, and the enemy poses no threat to us for the time being. ”

Referring to the strategic initiative, Chen Ke's thinking suddenly became clear, "Just like when we were in Fengtai County at the beginning, due to the isolation of the news of the flood, the enemy did not know what was happening in Fengtai County at all. So whatever we do, we can completely ignore the presence of the enemy. At this time, we set up a water detachment to transport supplies and mobilize troops. Suppress the landlords, you can do whatever you want. All the initiative and choice are in our own hands. This is the strategic initiative. If the enemy of Shouzhou exerts a little pressure on us at that time, even if it is a gesture, we must take the enemy of Shouzhou into account in every consideration. Do we dare to move our troops at will? And in this mentality, we always give priority to the close Shouzhou enemy. How uncomfortable is that? ”

This analogy made these veteran comrades fully understand, and it was because they had no need to think about what the enemy would do, and they had complete freedom of action, that the revolutionary work could go so smoothly. Hearing this, many comrades who originally felt that the situation was critical, so much so that their mouths were dry, suddenly felt that saliva appeared in their mouths again. So much so that several people shook their Adam's apple and swallowed saliva back into their stomachs.

Chen Kequan didn't see it, he continued: "Now we can consider that as long as we lay down Anqing, we will still have the strategic initiative in northern Anhui in the next year. It is based on the fact that we still have the strategic initiative and freedom of action. Able to actively choose the direction of attack. This is still based on the advantage of strategic initiative. If we do not fight Anqing now, and when the enemy has eased up and they have freedom of action, then we must devote a great deal of our forces to guarding against the direction in which the enemy may attack. We can now say that the enemy is in Anqing. When the enemy in Anqing moves freely, will we know where the enemy is at that time? ”

Yan Fu nodded, "So what are our strategic advantages?" ”

"First, morale is high. After we defeated the floods, the morale of the troops was far higher than that of the new officers and soldiers who hid in Anqing all day watching the victims. Second, political superiority. Many of the Forces nouvelles have joined our ranks, and we can send them to infiltrate the ranks of the Forces nouvelles before the war and let them convince the Forces nouvelles. Don't be hostile to us. This will also be able to effectively disintegrate the mood of the new army and us to fight to the death. Third, the suddenness of the battle. Although the enemy knows something about us, he still doesn't know enough. Our side suddenly launched a campaign, and from a strategic point of view, it has already caught the enemy by surprise and made it impossible to carry out targeted deployments. The original equipment advantage has also been greatly reduced. From these perspectives, strategically we still have the initiative. This is the time when we have the smallest gap between the forces of the enemy in Anqing. ”

Yan Fu is proficient in military affairs, and although he does not agree so much with the political advantage, he still understands and accepts the purely military explanation, "What about the tactical aspect? What are our advantages? ”

"The Forces nouvelles are training more in the field, and all our recent battles have been siege warfare. There is a lot of difference between the training and the level of actual combat between the two sides. The reason why the comrades are worried about the difficulty of conquering Anqing is precisely because everyone has experience and can truly understand the main points of the siege war. That's our biggest advantage. We know how to attack a city, but the enemy is not familiar with how to defend it. And as I said, the Manchu troops were fully armed, so it was very easy to break through and collapse on the whole front. Our troops are divided into multiple routes and fight on various battlefields, so we can form multiple siege teams. If the enemy ignores the first place, something will definitely go wrong. As for the weaponry, we have developed some special weapons, explosive packs, and grenades for siege. And there is also practical combat experience. Anqing's new army is mainly based on traditional rifle shooting, which is not suitable for street fighting. This is another advantage for us. ”

This time, not only Yan Fu, but other comrades could also understand it. For the advantages of Chen Ke's analysis, everyone still agrees.

"The only problem is that the comrades have not experienced such a big battle, and they are accustomed to the strategic initiative, and feel that we always have a choice. In fact, there are few strategic options in the first place. If you want to maintain the strategic initiative, there are even fewer options. Playing Anqing is the only option to ensure our strategic initiative in the next year. We have to fight. Chen Ke said categorically.

Looking at the comrades who were mixed with joys and sorrows, Chen Ke said loudly: "Everyone comes to the revolution together, and they all hope that they can see the success of the revolution, and the current situation is like this, if Anqing is not broken, the enemy's strength is far greater than ours." Step by step, we can't stand it. Only by conquering Anqing can we have the opportunity to continue the revolution. We, the members of the People's Party, have sworn in front of the party flag that we will never care about bloodshed and sacrifice for the liberation of the Chinese people. Now that the time has come for bloodshed and sacrifice, I can't say that I am the first to lead the team to rush forward, but in the battle, the troops really encountered hard bones that could not be gnawed, and I personally led everyone up. ”

After hearing this, Hua Xiongmao stood up, his face was full of excitement: "Chairman Chen, how can I let you go." I'll lead the troops first, and I'll die before it's your turn. ”

"Ha," Chai Qingguo couldn't help laughing, he stood up proudly, glanced at the comrades who just wanted to reduce the casualties of the troops, and then said loudly: "Speaking of which, you still have to fight hard." I was killed with a knife and a gun in Hebei with the Beiyang New Army. I have long assured Brother Wu Xingchen, and I have also told Chairman Chen Ke that in a tough battle, I, Chai Qingguo, will definitely not be a bad seed. I was asked to lead the siege this time, and I didn't believe how hard these cubs of the new army could be. ”

Fang Cai He Zudao hoped to reduce casualties, and after listening to Chai Qingguo's arrogant statement, he couldn't help but stand up, his young face was angry after being underestimated, "Fighting a war should also be scientific, and when it can reduce casualties, no one will want to die more." But since you can only fight, then fight. Our political commissar is responsible for political work, and at this time, our political commissar will definitely not hide behind. ”

Everyone in the Central Military Commission is a young man, and they have listened to all the truths that should be heard, and several major leaders have expressed their attitudes, and everyone knows that this battle must be fought, and if they have other opinions, they can only be regarded as cowards. These people are all soldiers who have fought on the front line, and under a series of victories, everyone is actually a newborn calf, and they are ridiculed by the words, and everyone's anger has also risen. Members of the Military Commission, including Zhang Yu, stood up one after another and said that they would never be cowards.

At this time, only Yan Fu and Shang Yuan were still sitting upright. saw Shang Yuan slowly stand up and take out a dagger from his waist. Then he grabbed his braid, and cut the braid by the roots with a slow but very powerful movement. In the stunned eyes of everyone, Shang Yuan threw the cut braid on the table. "This battle, I asked to participate."

These simple words are worth a thousand words from everyone, Shang Yuan, a civil official, has made a statement, and it seems empty to say anything at this point. The comrades attending the meeting of the Military Commission looked at each other, all of them had impulse on their faces, and all of them had resoluteness on their faces, and Chen Ke asked everyone to sit down, and then began to explain their tactical ideas.