Chapter 231

The course of the war, Cai Ye and others knew it in their hearts. Cai Yi, who was quite kind, did not mean to expose the shortcomings, but turned his head and discussed with Zhang Xiaohuai: "Runnong, what does it mean to ask about supporting the country?" ”

Zhang Xiaohuai said: "Let's discuss with Fu Shuai first." "Fu Shuai refers to Feng Guozhang, who took the initiative to ask Ying before setting off and was appointed as the chief of staff of the expeditionary force. When it comes to the experience of commanding a large corps of soldiers, Feng Guozhang is one of the few generals in China. After taking office, Feng Guozhang did not interfere much in command, mainly in charge of logistics and supply. Supposedly, these things should not be taken care of by others, and the task of the chief of staff is to assist in drawing up the battle plan. It can be seen that although Feng Guozhang took the initiative to go out of the mountain, his desire to avoid suspicion is obvious.

"General Neville, the command of the Chinese Expeditionary Force needs to hold a meeting to study it before we can give you an answer. According to the agreement, the expeditionary force has independent command power, and we guarantee to cooperate with the requirements of your army when it comes to carrying out combat missions. However, our army has just arrived, and many things need to be coordinated before they can be decided, and you don't want to see an army that goes to the battlefield and drags your allies behind, do you? Cai Ye said implicitly, and it also has the meaning of dragging. In fact, when he was at home, the strategy of the expeditionary force had already been roughly decided. After arriving in France, he had to rest for a month and a half before he considered going to war. Now that the French army's request is in advance, it is impossible to agree to it so simply. Being in a foreign country, any decision is related to the survival of the expeditionary force, and the three of them are naturally cautious and cautious. Considering that there will be many places to rely on the French in the future, it is necessary to be careful in wording.

Neville was not satisfied with this answer, the commander-in-chief of the French army, Xia Fei, meant that within half a month to twenty days, the squadron would be able to fight. They were not expected to be able to show themselves in the Battle of the Somme, but at least to increase the thickness of the following lines of Verdun and Shambani. Twenty-one divisions, the first assault force of the Germans on the Verdun line. It's only thirty divisions. Together with the fact that the French army has already reinforced more than a dozen divisions in the past, it should be able to stabilize the Verdun line.

Of course, the so-called Verdun Line actually did not exist, and the French insisted on calling it so for the sake of face.

"The Entente** is about to launch a powerful counterattack against the German army, and there is a certain shortage of troops at present, and I hope that your army will complete its rest and recuperation as much as possible. Then send someone to Paris with me. Meet the commander-in-chief, General Xia Fei, and hear what he means. Neville couldn't move, so he had to invite people to Paris and let the politicians lobby. The task of the military is to go to the battlefield.

At this time, Neville's mood was complicated. Before he came, he had great doubts about the Su zhì of the squadron. After watching the scene, I had some expectations. Especially when I saw the light weapons and equipment of those middle ** people, they were not worse than the French army at all, and even better than the French army, and compared with the German army, the meaning of letting came out. It can be seen that the dictator in China is still very willing to spend money on his army. Moreover, the reasons of the Chinese are indeed very strong. After a long journey, rest is a must. At this time, some Chinese soldiers had already completed the whole team, and Neville subconsciously took out his pocket watch and looked at the time. In less than half an hour, a group of Chinese soldiers, led by the advance team and the liaison officer of the French army, walked out of the dock singing songs and marching in orderly steps. I went to the outskirts of the station. The Chinese soldiers did not even count on the French army to provide transportation, and they simply hit the road. That kind of light infantry artillery, they were actually dragged by one person in front, and pushed by one person in the back and left. This made the French soldiers say that they must make trouble, so they should give it to a donkey.

Completing the whole team was the 28th Regiment of the 7th Division under Li Yifeng, and the regiment commander was Yang Zui. This guy can be regarded as catching up with a good time, and every time the Wehrmacht expands, he has not been promoted. This has something to do with his meritorious service, which is an important criterion for measuring promotion.

"Onward! Forward! Forward! ……。 The singing was loud, and the long journey did not seem to have deprived the young soldiers, and their singing voices were still loud. An army wearing steel helmets (domestic), carrying various weapons, and waving a five-color flag appeared in front of the French, and their faces naturally attracted everyone's attention.

After a short consultation, Cai Ye and Zhang Xiaohuai went to Paris together to meet the commander-in-chief of the French army, Xia Fei. Feng Guozhang, who disembarked later, was in charge of the settlement of the troops.

After a short period of rectification, there were constantly squadrons lined up in neat lines, waving flags, and walking out of the dock with neat steps. Walking towards the military camp on the outskirts, there were many French people on both sides of the road. When they learned that this army from the East had come to help the French in the war, they greeted them warmly. Some passionate French girls, kissing and kissing.

"Tuanza, that girl is smiling at me." Zhang Jingyao walked beside Yang Zui and spoke proudly in a low voice. Yang Zui glanced at him and said disdainfully: "Pull down, who knows who you are." Zhang Jingyao was not discouraged, and said in a low voice with a smile: "I must taste the Yanma when I go back."

Taste. ”

The barracks of the 7th Division was in an old barracks on the outskirts of Marseille, and soldiers of the advance team stood guard at the entrance of the barracks. When they arrived, they saw some French women gathered at the gate of the barracks, as if waiting for something.

Zhang Jingyao was very curious, and pulled the soldier at the door and asked, "Brother, what are these French women here for?" ”

The soldier told him: "Oh, they are all from the city of Marseille, and they can be found for laundry and sewing, and some of them are from the foreign kiln." Hehe, by the way, sir, these foreign women don't charge money, they just need to eat. Canned food, biscuits, medicines, you can. ”

Zhang Jingyao's eyes lit up suddenly, and he had been floating at sea for more than a month, and he saw sows with eyelids. No, as soon as he settled down, Zhang Jingyao found Yang Zui to ask for leave, the reason was to go into the city to have a look.

Yang Zui didn't know his fancy intestines, but the Wehrmacht couldn't help it, Zhang Jingyao was also a battalion commander, and he was desperate enough to fight. It's nothing to play with a French woman. "Yes, but let's say it first, go out at most once a week. Remember not to get bayberry sores when looking for a woman. ”

Zhang Jingyao's good mood was hit for a moment, and then he came out happily, found the logistics office, bought ten canned luncheon meat with his personal allowance, put it in a cloth bag, and left the barracks with great interest.

As soon as he left the camp, Zhang Jingyao was surrounded by several French women, gesturing and trying to communicate. Zhang Jingyao couldn't understand these bird languages, but the body language was common. When a woman lifts her skirt to reveal her white thighs, things are simple. Zhang Jingyao took out a canned luncheon meat, the woman raised three fingers, and Zhang Jingyao nodded to indicate the deal. The other women walked away disappointedly, leaving the French woman to come forward and drag Zhang Jingyao away with a smile.

This French woman is not very old, and she looks like she is in her early twenties. The appearance of foreign women is almost the same, a bit of a big buttocks, and they twist when they walk. The big Yanma took Zhang Jingyao's hand and entered a farmhouse yard not far from the barracks, where two children of three or four years old were playing. When he saw them come in, he stopped, his eyes fixed on Zhang Jingyao. The child's eyes were very strange, which made Zhang Jingyao a little embarrassed, and after thinking about it, he took out a handful of white rabbit toffee from his pocket. This thing is produced by a food factory under the Eurasia Group, and it tastes very good, but it is a little more expensive. Zhang Jingyao is an army officer, and he can buy some specials every month. So I bought some and took them out, I didn't expect it to come in handy.

A man and a woman, the two children hesitated, and the Yanma seemed to let them take it, so one of them took one carefully. Zhang Jingyao actually squatted down patiently and helped them unwrap the wrapping paper. When the toffee entered their mouths, the eyes of the two children were cold, and they subconsciously reached out and took all the remaining toffee in Zhang Jingyao's hand, and ran out of the yard holding hands.

Yanma didn't know what he muttered, and Zhang Jingyao couldn't understand it anyway, but he saw the tears flashing in the woman's eyes, and there was sadness on his face. Zhang Jingyao was moved by this woman's expression, and impulsively poured out all the canned food in the bag, and gestured: "It's all for you, for the child to eat." ”

When Xia Xiang came out of the French army's liaison office in Paris, his face was gloomy. Waiting outside was Feng Hua, the captain of the aviation brigade, and the reason why the two went out together was that Feng Hua's aviation brigade had a car. Both of them were officers of the advance team, and they got along for a long time along the way, and they became good friends, so they got together for a drink or two when they had nothing to do.

"How? The French are prevaricating again? Feng Hua was also very unhappy, the French on the dog day were all fooled, they didn't see a single tank they promised, and the air brigade didn't have enough gasoline. Feng Hua brought a total of sixteen Thunder Dragons, whose mission was to provide aerial reconnaissance for the expeditionary force. If you want to say that the French also have airplanes, Feng Hua can't look at them after flying once.

"Still no, the French themselves are not enough, how can there be anything for us. The spicy one next door, the French promised to give two armored brigades, and I don't think there is much hope. Let's go back, go buy some wine, the team arrived yesterday. ”

The two were about to leave, and a judge stood out, wearing a cylinder hat and long riding boots.

"Wait, two, please!" The French interpreter shouted, the two stood and turned back, and Colonel François, the head of the liaison office, came over and said: "The tanks you want will arrive tomorrow with twenty-four." ”

Xia Xiang was stunned, and before he could speak, the François said again: "Your chief asked you to wait and go back to Marseille together." Hearing this, the two of them reacted that the commander of the expeditionary force had arrived in Paris.

In fact, the French did not intend to give tanks to the Chinese expeditionary force at first, at least not until the end of the Battle of the Somme. It was Neville's words that changed that decision.

Immediately after returning to Paris by train from Marseille yesterday, Neville went to see Xia Fei.