After Liu Yimin returned to the division headquarters, in view of the imminent war and the need for a high degree of concentration of the main force, he sent a telegram to Yuan Guoping to immediately organize the 30,000 reorganized local armed forces in northwestern Shandong that were undergoing intensive training into the Southwest Lu Garrison Brigade, the Luxi Garrison Brigade, and the Taixi Garrison Brigade, complete with weapons and ammunition, and participate in the battle while training. Among them, the Southwest Lu Garrison Brigade was equipped with cadres from the 1st Brigade and joined the 1st Brigade in the battle sequence. The Luxi Garrison Brigade was equipped with cadres from the Second Brigade and joined the Second Brigade in the battle sequence. The Tessie Garrison Brigade went to the Tessy area to join up with the Cavalry Brigade and take over the defense of the Cavalry Brigade in the Tessie area. Yuan Guoping led the training headquarters to the Yimeng Mountains. The cadres of the four regiments transferred from Nangong during the eastward march immediately crossed the Jinpu Road and went to the Taixi area to join up with the Taixi Garrison Brigade and form the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Taixi Garrison Regiments.

As for the main leaders of the three garrison brigades, Liu Yimin did not worry; this time the chairman made a great determination to run Shandong, and the cadres who were transferred were all famous generals of our army; not only at Liu Yimin's request, Zeng Chunjian, the commander of the old Red 18th Regiment, was also sent back, but also Huang Su, director of the Political Department of the old Central Guard Division, was not too addicted to this chairman, and sent the historical founding generals Tan Zheng, Xu Guangda, and generals Zhu Liangcai, Chen Shiqu, Xu Shiyou, Wang Jian'an, Yang Zhicheng, and Tang Liang, and lieutenant generals Zhang Jingwu, Zhang Renchu, Luo Shunchu, Zhang Guohua, Yang Guofu, Hu Qicai, Mo Wenhua, Wu Kehua, Guo Huaruo, Liang Xingchu, Liang Biye, Cui Tianmin were all sent over, and several famous martyrs such as Guo Zheng and so on. Liu Yimin was dizzy when he first looked at the list, not to mention Tan Zheng and Xu Guangda, one of the two is a political work cadre, and the other has just returned from the Soviet Union, and they were sent here, this Zhu Liangcai and Guo Huaruo are both military theorists of our army, and they have also been on the Kang Da in Xi'an, and the chairman is also willing to be sent to Shandong. The rest of the people are all famous generals of our army in Shandong in history, and history is so coincidental that the chairman still sent them.

With this part of the cadres, Liu Yimin will be easy to do. The central order is very clear, Tan Zheng is appointed as the deputy political commissar of the Shandong Military Region, the instructor, and the member of the Shandong Bureau; Yang Zhicheng served as a member of the Shandong Bureau, a political commissar of the Shandong Military Region and the Teaching Instructor Logistics Command, and Wu Zheng served as the full-time commander of the Logistics Command; Xu Guangda served as the commander of the training headquarters, and Yuan Guoping served as the political commissar of the training headquarters; Zhou Huan served as the political commissar of the air defense brigade, and Han Qianjin served as the commander of the air defense brigade; Li Peinan served as the president and political commissar of the first branch of Kang University, and Wei Guoqing served as the vice president. Huang Su served as deputy director of the Political Department of the Shandong Military Region and the instructor. The rest of the personnel are assigned by the Shandong Bureau and the Shandong Military Region.

Liu Yimin knew that these people were all famous generals of our army, the treasures of our party, and their seniority was very old, like Zhang Jingwu, who had been the commander of the Shandong Column in history and had made outstanding contributions to the liberation of Tibetan Province. However, at this time, the 115th Division was strong and strong, and the 129th Division and the troops of the original Fourth Front Army left behind in northern Sichuan were also strong. Liu Yimin felt that being able to command these famous founding generals was also a blessing in life, so he directly appointed Chen Shiqu as the commander of the Southwest Lu Garrison Brigade, Tang Liang as the political commissar of the Southwest Lu Garrison Brigade, Xu Shiyou as the commander of the Luxi Garrison Brigade, Zhu Liangcai as the political commissar of the Luxi Garrison Brigade, Wang Jian'an as the commander of the Taixi Garrison Brigade, and Huang Su as the political commissar of the Taixi Garrison Brigade.

ordered Zhang Jingwu to be transferred to the post of instructor and deputy chief of staff of the Shandong Military Region, Zhang Renchu was appointed as the head of the First Garrison Regiment of the Southwest Lu Garrison Brigade, and Mo Wenhua was appointed as the political commissar; Luo Shun was the head of the Second Regiment of the Southwest Lu Garrison Brigade, and Yang Guofu was the political commissar; Zhang Guohua served as the head of the Third Garrison Regiment of the Southwest Lu Garrison Brigade, and Guo Huaruo served as the political commissar; Wu Kehua served as the head of the First Garrison Regiment of the Luxi Garrison Brigade, and Cui Tianmin served as the political commissar; Hu Qicai served as the head of the Second Luxi Garrison Regiment, and An Zhengfu served as the political commissar; Liang Xingchu served as the head of the Third Luxi Garrison Regiment, and Xu Qiu served as the political commissar. Deng Yongyao served as the head of the First Regiment of the Taixi Garrison Brigade, and Liang Biye served as the political commissar; Liu Haitao served as the head of the Second Regiment of the Taixi Garrison Brigade, Wen Yunzhi served as the political commissar, Guo Zheng served as the head of the Third Regiment of the Taixi Garrison Brigade, and Gao Wei served as the political commissar.

After issuing the order, Liu Yimin was worried that these generals would not be satisfied with the number of the garrison brigade, so he instructed Yuan Guoping to convey his instructions to these cadres who were transferred: "It is the mule or the horse that leads it out and slips." If you are not afraid of not knowing the goods, you are afraid of comparing goods. The generals are all beaten! Units with great results, small casualties, and large captures are the main forces, and any garrison brigade that can destroy a brigade of devils alone can be equipped according to the standard of eight teaching brigades. ”

According to Yuan Guoping's report afterwards, Liu Yimin's instruction made the newly transferred cadres completely angry. Chen Shiqu said: "It doesn't matter if Commander Liu looks down on me Chen Shiqu, but he can't look down on the tactical level of our army. If I, Chen Shiqu, can't destroy a big team of devils in the first battle, I will go back to Xi'an directly to review the chairman, I can't afford to lose that person! ”

Xu Shiyou said: "Commander Liu is a stingy ghost. What kind of garrison brigade, Lao Tzu has always been a general who charges into battle, not a guard of the hospital. Seeing that the weapons of the newly formed Luxi Garrison Brigade are quite neat, Lao Tzu reluctantly became the commander of this garrison brigade. A year later, I will bring out a well-known main force and let Commander Liu see if Monk Xu is a vegetarian! ”

Huang Su told Chen Shiqu and Xu Shiyou with a smile: "I am the political commissar of the Red Eighth Army Corps, the deputy political commissar of the Central Guard Division, and the commander of the Xi'an Garrison District, and I am also the political commissar of the garrison brigade?" As long as there is a devil to fight, what does it matter what its number? I know Commander Liu, and he has a big heart! As long as we win the battle, what division commander, army commander, commander, is that not a word from Commander Liu? I heard what the artillery brigade commander Li Chang said, and Commander Liu personally told him that he would let him command a few artillery corps in the future! Tell me how big our troops will grow in the future! ”

Chen Shiqu is a very upright person, and he is also the chairman's favorite general, so he smiled and said when he heard this: "Lao Huang, I don't think the brigade commander is small, but I think we should be organized into the Ninth Brigade, the Tenth Brigade, and the Eleventh Brigade." In that case, there will be more opportunities for a big battle. This formation is a garrison brigade, and needless to say, it is mainly a local garrison. ”

Xu Shiyou immediately said: "That's the truth. The instructor is the first-class elite of our army, and as soon as the commander makes a move, he is the division of the army. No, I have to find a commander, even if it is to be a regiment commander, as long as I can fight a big battle! ”

Huang Su was about to answer, so he heard Wang Jian'an say: "It doesn't matter what name it is, as long as it can fight devils." Lao Chen, Lao Xu, you quarrel first, but I'm going to take office first. The Taixi area is close to Jinpu Road, and there are many devils, so I'll fight a brigade for Commander Liu to see. ”

As soon as Wang Jian'an pulled Huang Su away, Chen Shiqu, Tang Liang, Xu Shiyou, and Zhu Liangcai stopped arguing, and went to Yuan Guoping and Xu Guangda in a panic to ask for troops, and Gao Yuan and Liu Jianjian to ask for cadres.

Yuan Guoping looked at it with a straight smile, Xu Guangda said that this Commander Liu is not very old, but his methods are very high, and a few words have fanned the fire of several famous generals, and it is estimated that the three garrison brigades will compete with the eight main brigades, and they will compete for the number of the main force. I'm afraid the little devil is going to be unlucky!

Yuan Guoping said what is this, I heard that when the Xiaoshui ambush was fought, those prisoners were instigated by Commander Liu's words to cry and shout to be the Red Army, and those people are now the backbone of our army.

After arranging the garrison of Luxi, Luxinan, and Taixi, Liu Yimin began to think about how to deal with the crazy encirclement and suppression after the end of the Battle of Xuzhou.

According to Liu Yimin's plan, it is planned to concentrate the main forces of our army in Shandong, and in 10 to 20 days, first crush the garrison troops of the Syrian army in the hinterland of Shandong, thoroughly eliminate the puppet forces in the base areas of Shandong, and thoroughly oppress the key points of Jinan and Yanzhou on the Jinpu line. Even if the heavy army group of the Chinese army is ordered to come back to help, it is also necessary to lower the combat intentions of the Chinese army, reduce their goal of destroying the main force of the instructors to open up the Jinpu Road and the Jiaoji Road, and urge the Chinese army to divide its troops and troops again, so that the permanent divisions and regiments that will serve as the main strategic offensive will become garrison troops on the communication line, and form a point-and-line confrontation with our army on the entire national strategic layout, so as to promote the early arrival of the stage of strategic stalemate.

According to this idea, our army in Shandong must think of eliminating within a month the 3rd Brigade of the Yue Army, which is serving as a garrison on the Jiaoji Line, the 6th Brigade of the 6th Brigade, the 7th Brigade of the Dexian garrison, and the 10th Brigade of the Tai'an garrison.

This plan is crazy and bold, and under normal circumstances, don't even think about it, not to mention whether the Eighth Division of the Yue Army has arrived in Jinan and has not yet figured it out? But Liu Yimin felt that he should be able to do it, and the key issue was how to lure the snake out of the hole and concentrate superior forces to defeat the enemy.

Now a new task has emerged, that is, it is necessary to receive the materials and equipment that Ni Hua brought back from the United States. Liu Yimin must get these equipment, and he has to rely on these things to open mines and factories, develop the military industry, and support the protracted war of resistance. In this case, it is necessary to set up the main battlefield on both sides of the Jiaoji Line in Luzhong, use the elimination of the Third Brigade of the Yue Army as a bait, mobilize the Qingdao and Jinan armies to send reinforcements, eliminate the reinforcements of the Yue Army on the preset battlefield, and then attack and occupy Qingdao and storm Jinan, so as to reverse in one fell swoop the dangerous situation in which the Yue army pursued and suppressed the main force in the later stage of the Battle of Xuzhou, and avoid the tragedy of Chiang Kai-shek blowing up the Huayuankou in history.

It would be nice if the Eighth Division of the Chinese Army really arrived in Jinan, and the Eighth Division would certainly do its best to reinforce the Eighth Division according to the special surname of the Third Brigade that the Eighth Division was accustomed to desperately reinforcing the army, and in that case, it would be possible to kill the Eighth Division on the Luzhong Plain and achieve the brilliant record of completely eliminating a permanent division. That would be much more affordable than occupying Qingdao and Jinan.

After making up his mind, Liu Yimin ordered Qian Zhuangfei to immediately contact the Jinan Working Committee to find out the changes in the strength of the Jinan Army, and ordered the Second and Sixth Brigades to quickly report the movement of troops between Jinan and Dexian and Cangxian.

Liu Yimin knew this understanding in his heart. Liu Jianli reported that the 108th Division of the Yue Army stationed in Jinan began to attack the Luxi base area, but the enemy acted cautiously, and as soon as it was attacked and harassed by the militia, district squads, and county brigades, it stopped its advance, set up camp, and left enough troops to defend the line of communication. Zhang Haitao reported that there was no major change in the strength of the army between Dexian and Cangxian. After our army took control of the situation in the Jilu border, there were no large-scale puppet forces in the Jilu border, and the enemy's 24th Division in Cangxian County and the Reading Force in Dexian County were mixed into the Seventh Brigade, and their actions in peacetime did not exceed 20 miles away from the railway and highway, ensuring that the main force could be reinforced at any time. Recently, the enemy's 24th Division and Reading Power were mixed into the 7th Brigade and Regiment, and with the cooperation of the North China Public Security Army, they began to make frequent sorties and carry out small-scale and multi-batch sweeping operations against the Jilu border area and the central Hebei base area. The Jinan Working Committee reported that the army had recently increased its troops to Jinan on a large scale, but the blockade was tight, and it was impossible to find the number of the army.

After reading the reports in several aspects, Liu Yimin immediately understood that the army's attempt was consistent with his own judgment, and to attack and suppress the troops in Luxi, southern Hebei, central Hebei, and Hebei, so as to ensure that the battle of Xuzhou would not be affected by the instructor.

Liu Yimin immediately sent a report to the chairman and the general headquarters, reporting on the plan for the upcoming Luzhong campaign. At the beginning of the telegram, Liu Yimin wrote: "The purpose of launching the Luzhong Campaign this time is to gather and annihilate the defenders of the first line from Jinan to Qingdao and capture Jinan and Qingdao, the two largest cities in Shandong. The campaign initially set up the annihilation of the Eighth Division and the Jinan Seventh Reading Force Garrison transferred to Jinan, the Jinan Reading Garrison, the Reading Power Mixed Third Brigade in Wei County, and the Twelfth Reading Force Garrison of the Yue Army living in Qingdao to destroy the puppet forces in Luzhong, Jiaolai, Jiaodong, and Qingdao in one fell swoop, and to fight in response to our army in Shanxi and our army on the front line in Xuzhou. The goal of the later stage of the campaign was to eliminate the 10th and 8th Divisions of the Yue Army and the garrisons stationed in Dexian and Cangxian counties. ”

After receiving Liu Yimin's telegram, [***] pondered for a long time, pondered repeatedly in front of the map, and felt that Liu Yimin's appetite was too great, this Eighth Division is a veteran division of the Chinese army, once our army surrounds the Eighth Division, the Chinese army will inevitably rescue at all costs, and the battle is easy to stalemate. However, thinking that Liu Yimin had concentrated the 1st and 3rd Brigades, as well as the 4th, 7th, and 8th, cavalry, air defense, artillery, engineer, and heavy machine gun regiments of our army, and that the 2nd Brigade had far surpassed the Eighth Division of the Chinese Army in terms of strength and firepower. Moreover, the 2nd Brigade of the Sect, the Luxi Garrison Brigade and the local armed forces in western Lu Province to contain the 108th Division, the 6th Brigade to block the enemy in Dexian and Cangxian, and the 5th Brigade to teach the 5th Brigade, the Southeastern Detachment of Shandong, the Tai'an Detachment, the Southwest Lu Garrison Brigade, and the Taixi Garrison Brigade to contain the enemy in the southern section of the Jinpu Road, can completely eliminate the enemy before the army reinforcements arrive.

Pick up the pen, [***] I wanted to call back to agree, but as soon as I moved the pen, I hesitated, this is a full 11 infantry brigades, two brigade-sized detachments, a cavalry brigade, an artillery brigade, a heavy machine gun regiment that is close to the brigade scale, an engineer regiment, and a baggage regiment, which is already 18 brigades. If it is done well, it will be possible to settle Shandong in one battle. Even if the army is encircled on a large scale, and the instructor is well-equipped, well-trained, and commanding, he is not afraid of little devils. It's a big deal to give back the Jinpu line and the Jiaoji line to the devils. If this battle is won, the instructor will have a lot of strategic maneuver space in Shandong.

[***] was embarrassed, and sent a report to Zhu, Peng, Lin, Liu, and Xu, informing them of Liu Yimin's plan and asking them to express their opinions.

Zhu and Peng replied by telegram saying that there was no problem in destroying the Eighth Division with the strength of the instructors, and that the campaign plan should be approved.

Lin and Nie telegraphed back and said that if the troops could take a short rest after attacking Jinan, they could completely look for fighters, and completely annihilate the 108th Division and the 7th Division, and even further expand the results of the battle, and we are also very eager to command such a large annihilation battle.

Liu Bocheng called back and said that the battle would be won, and the army's garrison in Shandong plus the Eighth Division should have a total of about 90,000 people, but the main force was gathered around Jinan, and the Sixth Division of Lunan had suffered heavy losses from the Linyi defenders, and now it was a broken brigade. The 10th Brigade of the Reading Power Mixed Brigade in Taean has been attacked by our army, and its combat effectiveness has been reduced. The instructor of this battle is to concentrate absolutely superior forces and firepower, implement the tactics of encirclement and reinforcement, and break through each one, as well as the cooperation of special forces, and the odds of victory are extremely great.

Xu Xiangqian called back and said: In order to cooperate with the instructor's battle, our Shanxi troops, Jizhong troops, and Jinan troops should immediately launch a containment attack on the devils to cover up the instructor's combat intentions.

[***] immediately sent a telegram back agreeing to launch the Luzhong Campaign, and asked Liu Yimin to urge the Fifth Brigade and the Southeast Lu Detachment to quickly complete the battle in southeast and south Lu, and be ready to put in at any time to block the return reinforcements of the Southern Front. He also asked Liu Yimin to immediately organize the Luzhong Front Committee, which was composed of five people, Liu, Luo, Zeng, Guo, and Cai, with Liu as secretary, to coordinate and command the battle. It was determined that everything was aimed at destroying the Eighth Division of the Japanese Army.

As for whether to capture Jinan, the chairman believes that there is no need to make a hard surname plan, and if it can be attacked, it will be attacked, and if it cannot be attacked, it will not be reluctant. After the elimination of the 8th Division, the army will inevitably be shaken, and if the fortified city is attacked again, it will be easy to cause casualties and be easily flanked by the enemy. But Qingdao must be occupied, and the materials and equipment brought back by Ni Hua must be accepted.

After receiving the telegram from the chairman, Liu Yimin immediately convened a meeting of Luo Ronghuan, Zeng Zhongsheng, Guo Hongtao, and Cai Zhong, announced the establishment of the Luzhong General Front Committee, and asked Guo Hongtao and Li Yu to be specifically responsible for the work of supporting the front. One is to ensure the supply of ammunition, and the other is to allow the fighters to eat delicious meals. Zeng Zhongsheng was ordered to serve as the commander of the former enemy, organize the headquarters, and quickly launch the battle of Dawenkou.

The General Front Committee immediately issued an order, requiring the 1st Brigade and the Cavalry Brigade to hand over the defense of Southwest Lu and Taixi to the Southwest Lu Garrison Brigade and the Taixi Garrison Brigade, and immediately secretly go north to Tai'an, wait for the Tai'an defenders to go south to reinforce Dawenkou, and then go north to Boshan via the Tailai Highway, and advance to Weixian in a concealed manner with the 4th Jiao Brigade. Ordered Zeng Zhongsheng and Cai Zhong to mobilize the Tai'an detachment, artillery brigade, air defense brigade, heavy machine gun regiment, engineer regiment, and baggage regiment, and hit Dawenkou twice, mobilize the Tai'an defenders to mix the 10th brigade and regiment to reinforce, and after destroying it, leaving the Tai'an detachment to stick to the base area and defend the central base area of Yimeng.

Hong Chaoyuan and Wang Nanhu were ordered to concentrate on teaching the main forces of the Fifth Brigade and the Southeast Lu Detachment to form the Southern Front Command of the Shandong Military Region, with Hong Chaoyuan as commander, Guo Zihua as political commissar, Wang Nanhu as deputy commander, Hu Xuerong as director of the Political Department, and Zhang Yicheng as chief of staff, seize the opportunity of the enemy's 16 th Division to attack in the direction of Xuzhou with all its might, concentrate forces on sweeping southeast Lu, eliminate the remnants of the Sixth Brigade and Regiment of the Yue Army that remained in Ju County, and uproot the puppet forces in southeast Lu. After that, the main force turned to Lunan to clear the puppet forces east of Jinpu Road and north of Tengxian and Linyi, annihilated the garrison troops left in the above-mentioned areas by the 16th Division and the 6th Brigade of the Reading Force and the advance commander of the Imperial Allied Army, Liu Guitang, and was sure to kill the habitual bandit Liu Guitang. After completing the task, the detachment in southeastern Shandong returned to the southeastern part of Shandong, stepped up the reorganization of local armed forces, established political power at all levels, consolidated the base areas, taught the main force of the Fifth Brigade to rest in concealment in the areas of Linyi and Feixian, reorganized the local armed forces in various areas of southern Lunan, and established base areas.

Liu Jianli was ordered to command the 2nd Brigade and the Luxi Garrison Brigade, create fighters, find and destroy the 10th 8th Division, lure it to go deep into the belly of the Luxi base area, and after the Luzhong attack, make every effort to block the 108th Division of the delayed enemy, forcing it to fail to return to Jinan smoothly. When necessary, they can report the enemy situation to the troops of the 129th Division in southern Hebei and request the troops in southern Hebei to advance eastward to cooperate in the operation.

Zhang Haitao was ordered to lead the main force of the Sixth Brigade to actively attack the Jinpu Road, and after the start of Luzhong, he immediately destroyed the railways and highways, and resolutely blocked the 24th Division of the delayed army from moving south to reinforce Jinan.

Li Qing was ordered to immediately reconnoiter the 3rd Brigade and the Jiaoji Road Railway Garrison stationed in Weixian, survey the terrain on the east and west sides of Weixian, and prepare for a preset battlefield. Chen Dayong was ordered to lead the Seventh Brigade to conduct a detailed reconnaissance of the defending enemy in Qingdao, and prepare to attack and occupy Qingdao with the cooperation of Wang Laohu's No. 1 Special Operations Squadron. Ordered Zhao Shanjiao Eighth Brigade to return to the division and march westward, join up with the Third Brigade, and wait in concealment.

The Southwest Lu Garrison Brigade was ordered to quickly go to Southwest Lu, and after completing the troop organization, it cooperated with the Taixi Garrison Brigade to disguise the troops of the First Theater and carry out raids and harassment operations against the Yanzhou and Jining Garrison Brigades.

Forced the enemy turtle to retreat into Yanzhou and Jining. At the same time, it is necessary to keep a close eye on the movements of the Heze Army, especially the movements of the 14 th Division in northern Henan, and report immediately to the enemy once it advances eastward and southward, and be prepared to attack the enemy's baggage troops at any time.

After giving the order, Liu Yimin asked Qian Zhuangfei to listen to the signals of the army, grasp the dynamics of the army, and at the same time contact Ni Hua and ask them to prepare to leave.

After all this, Liu Yimin said to Luo Ronghuan: "Political commissar, I originally meant that you stayed in the central base of Yimeng, but the chairman meant that you would go to Weixian with me to command. As soon as the two of us leave, there will be no main leader in this Yimeng central base for the time being. You see who is right to command here. ”

Luo Ronghuan said: "Zhu Rui is also going to the front line, Guo Hongtao is in charge of supporting the front, let Li Yu stay, and have Lin Feng as Guo Hongtao's assistant, it's enough." ”

(To be continued)