Lieutenant General Yoshio Shinozuka was speechless for a long time.

Obviously, Lieutenant General Yoshio Shinozuka has been persuaded by Teng Tian Zhi, as Teng Tian Zhi said, although the number of the squadron [***] assembled in the Xuzhou area is huge, but they are all simply armed peasant army, such an army can annihilate a hundred divisions? The Shina political axe will soon be able to reorganize two hundred divisions, and it will not be fatally hit at all.

Unfortunately, however, the decision of the base camp is not something that Lieutenant General Yoshio Shinozuka and Tomosaku Tengda can change.

After a long time, Lieutenant General Yoshio Shinozuka said: "Tengtian-kun, then what good opinion do you have about the battle of Xuzhou that will start?" ”

Teng Tianzhi said without thinking: "There is no problem with the battle of Xuzhou, the imperial army will inevitably win, the only suspense is how much success can be achieved?" I think the best result is to completely annihilate the [***] team gathered in the Xuzhou area, and the worst result is that most of the main force of the [***] team can successfully escape. ”

Lieutenant General Yoshio Shinozuka said: "So, what should the imperial army do to completely annihilate the [***] team?" ”

"The imperial army must achieve at least three points before it can completely annihilate the [***] squadron in the Xuzhou area." Teng Tian Zhi said, "First of all, the garrison brigades of Jining, Hincheng and Juxian must detain the [***] team in front of them as much as possible, neither let the [***] team cross the defensive line, nor too dampen the spirit of the [***] team and make it alert in advance. ”

"Secondly, the divisions of the second echelon must enter the attack position in time to ensure that a complete encirclement is formed before the squadron reacts."

"Last but not least, the completion of the encirclement does not mean that the Chinese army will be captured, and the Chinese political axe will inevitably draw more troops from the neighboring first, second, and third theaters to rescue the besieged Chinese army, and at this time, it is necessary that the divisions of the third echelon can successfully block the incoming reinforcements of the Chinese army."

"Yo Si." Lieutenant General Yoshio Shinozuka said, "Tengtian-kun, our 5th Division has been assigned to the third echelon by the front-line command post sent by the base camp, and we will be responsible for monitoring the Zhina Army on the Pinghan Line with the 25th Division and the 105th Division, what do you have good thoughts on this combat mission?" ”

Teng Tian Zhi said: "Your Excellency General, I think offense is the best defense. ”

"Attack?" Yoshio Shinozuka said, "You mean to take the initiative to launch an offensive against the Shina Army on the Pinghan Line?" ”

"Yes." Teng Tianzhi said very simply, "Take the initiative to attack and ensure that the Zhina Army along the Pinghan line cannot divide its troops to rescue the Xuzhou battlefield, but the timing must be mastered!" ”

"Yo Si." Lieutenant General Yoshio Shinozuka said happily, "Your opinion is very reasonable, I will immediately telegraph your idea to the front command post of the base camp dispatch, and ask Okabe-kun to seriously consider it." ”

………… Xuzhou, the Fifth Theater Governor's Department.

The generals in the headquarters were star-studded, and Chairman Jiang walked into the war room surrounded by a large group of senior generals of the party-state, such as General Li and Deputy General Director Bai. There was only one infantry brigade guarding Jining City, and he still couldn't defeat a group army after half a month? ”

Admiral Li said with a wry smile: "Commission, the army has aircraft to help the battle, and has the advantage of artillery fire, and although Sun Lianzhong's 2nd Army has an absolute advantage in strength, it lacks heavy weapons to attack the fortification, so the siege effect is very unsatisfactory, and the 44th Brigade of Reading Force, which is the main attack, has already suffered more than half of the casualties." ”

"What about Hina City and Ju County?" Chairman Jiang frowned.

"It's all the same." General Li said, "The army is defending the fortified city, and our army is weak in attacking fortifications." ”

Deputy Chief Bai next to him said: "Commission, the reason why our army is taking the offensive is not to recover the lost territory, but to consume the sharp spirit of the army, but at the moment we are only facing the garrisons of Jining, Hincheng, and Juxian, and the field divisions of the army have not even seen a shadow at all. ”

Chairman Jiang frowned and said, "What do you mean...... Take the troops back? ”

"At least our army should not take the initiative to attack anymore, otherwise the casualties will be too great." Deputy Chief Bai said, "I estimate that the field division of the Yue Army will also rush to the Xuzhou battlefield, so it is better to wait for the Yue Army to come to the door and take the initiative to attack." ”

"Okay." Chairman Jiang really had no other ideas, so he could only nod his head in agreement.

This waited for half a month, and in a blink of an eye, it came to the middle of April of the 27th year of the Republic of China (1938), and most of the more than 20 field divisions of the Yue army were finally in place, and suddenly the Yue army in the direction of Jining, Yancheng, and Juxian launched a large-scale counteroffensive, and the Yue army also appeared in the direction of Puyang, Heze, and Yuncheng.

On the Huaihe defense line, the offensive of the Yue army also quickly became fierce.

By the end of April, the three divisions of the Central China Front Army of the Chinese Army moved from Huainan to attack the front line of Fuyang and Mengcheng, seriously threatening the flank of Bengbu, and the Huaihe defense line supported by Bengbu suddenly began to be in a hurry, and if it could not withstand the three divisions and regiments of the Central China Front Army that had moved to attack Fuyang and Mengcheng in time, the 20 or so divisions gathered in Bengbu would probably be completely annihilated!

Suddenly, the situation on the entire Xuzhou battlefield began to take a sharp turn for the worse.

Chairman Chiang, who received the news, flew to Xuzhou for the third time and urgently summoned the high-level officials of the theater to discuss countermeasures.

In the conference room, Deputy General Director Bai had already briefed Chairman Jiang on the current situation, and finally concluded: "All in all, the situation on the battlefield in Xuzhou is already quite grim, and if we do not respond in time, the 62 divisions and two other brigades gathered in Xuzhou and Bengbu will be surrounded by the heavy army group!" ”

"The battle of Xuzhou is good, why is it like this?"

Chairman Jiang immediately asked loudly, such a result was obviously much beyond his expectations, he originally thought that even if the battle of Xuzhou could not be won, it would at least be able to inflict heavy losses on the Yue army, but the current situation is that the two armies have not clashed at all, and the [***] battlefield in Xuzhou is already in danger.

Including Admiral Lee, everyone was speechless.

Chairman Jiang tried his best to suppress the anger in his chest and said, "So, the situation in Xuzhou is irreparable?" ”

Admiral Li sighed: "Although I don't want to admit it, the reality is indeed so, the defeat of Xuzhou is decided." ”

Deputy Chief Bai also said: "Based on all kinds of intelligence, it can be basically concluded that the army has built a tight and huge encirclement around Xuzhou, and if it is resolutely abandoned to defend Xuzhou now, most of the main forces will still have the opportunity to penetrate out of the gaps in the various departments of the army. ”

"Fight a fish to die and break the net?" Chairman Jiang said awe-inspiringly, "Is it possible to put it to death and come back to life?" ”

"It's impossible." Deputy Chief Bai said coldly, "Hundreds of thousands of troops gather in Xuzhou, eating and drinking every day is a big problem, the army only needs to cut off the Longhai line, then there is no need to engage us head-on, just relying on the siege is enough to make our army collapse, Xuzhou is not Nanjing after all, and the army will never repeat the mistake of Nanjing street battle." ”

Chairman Jiang frowned and said, "Jiansheng, what do you mean by this?" ”

Deputy General Bai explained: "Nanjing is the capital of the national political axe, and the occupation of Nanjing is of great political significance, so the army will be eager to occupy Nanjing, and will choose to enter the city and fight in the streets, but the political significance of occupying Xuzhou is almost zero, so the army will never enter the city to fight with our army in order to occupy Xuzhou." ”

"So......" Chairman Chiang said unwillingly, "our army has only one way to retreat?" ”

Admiral Li sighed and said: "Commission, I still say the same thing, strategically our army should indeed fight for every inch of land and defend every city, but in terms of specific tactics, our army should be flexible and mobile, and must not care about the gains and losses of one city and one pool. ”

"I'll talk about the retreat when I get back." Chairman Jiang coldly stacked the next sentence, and then turned back to Wang Shihe, the chief of the national guard, and said, "Shihe, let's go to Baoshan Brigade." ”

………… Xuzhou Garrison Command.

Liu Yi is reporting to Yue Weihan: "Brigade seat, after nearly 40 days of intense construction, the tunnel fortifications of each regiment and battalion have basically been completed, this time we should really thank Reporter Zhao, if it weren't for Reporter Zhao to mobilize the villagers in Xuzhou City to volunteer to help, our construction period would have been extended for at least half a month." ”

"Hmm." Yue Weihan flipped through the list of supplies in the munitions warehouse and said absentmindedly, "I know, I will definitely thank Reporter Zhao another day." ”

Liu Yi thought for a while, and suddenly said, "Brigade, there is a sentence I don't know whether to say or not?" ”

"Say it." Yue Weihan said without thinking, "Don't hold it if you have something to say, you don't have to get sick." ”

Liu Yi said: "Look, you see, Reporter Zhao's ability is really speechless, her eloquence and ability to mobilize her fellow villagers are simply unmatched, this is really a rare talent." ”

Yue Weihan heard the meaning and said, "You mean to transfer her to our Baoshan Brigade?" ”

"Yes." Liu Yi said excitedly, "I mean to set up a special team, with reporter Zhao as the captain, the military rank is major, the work of the special team, usually is to do chores, when necessary, we will mobilize the villagers to help us build fortifications, anyway, the things that deal with the villagers will belong to the special team." ”

"That's a good idea." Yue Weihan said, "That's it." ”

"Uh......" Liu Yi said, "Brigade, don't you make a report to the Chief's Department for a case?" ”

"What kind of report to file?" Yue Weihan said coldly, "In extraordinary times, these will be exempted." ”

"Then I should talk to Reporter Zhao first, right?" Liu Yi said, "I have to ask for people's opinions." ”

"Asking for what? What is there to solicit? Yue Weihan said disapprerovingly, "It is the responsibility and mission of every descendant of Yan and Huang to defend the land and resist the war, and this matter is decided." ”

"Yes, that's it." Liu Yi instinctively stood up and answered loudly.

Liu Yi's voice fell, and the voice of the guards suddenly sounded outside the door: "Chairman Jiang has arrived ......"

(To be continued)