In Guanjialing, Houma County, the remnants of the 37th Division of the Japanese Army were entrenched in this area, and except for the four or five villages and towns held by the Japanese army, the rest of the surrounding villages and towns and strategic points were controlled by the Fifth Army.

The situation should be said to be very favorable to us, but the Fifth Army was slow to settle the battle, and on the contrary, suffered considerable losses of its own, so that its morale was low and its offensive was weak. If it weren't for the timely reinforcements of the Eighth Route Army and the Shanxi New Army, the enemy would have almost escaped from the encirclement. This made Zheng Weiguo feel very annoyed.

Houma County, Provisional Command of the Fifth Army.

Zhang Wenbai, deputy commander-in-chief of the Second Theater and commander-in-chief of the Fifth Group Army, slapped the table and asked angrily: "With a thirteen times superiority in troops and a thirty times superiority in firepower, it has become such a bad battle now!" You are determined to tear down my platform, aren't you? Okay, it doesn't matter if you slap me in the face, but are you worthy of Commander-in-Chief Zheng and the people of North China who feed you? ”

As he spoke, he looked viciously at the army commanders and division commanders in the audience. The generals were ashamed and lowered their heads one after another, not daring to look at them.

"Is the commander of the Third Army here?"

The commander thought to himself that I was sitting next to you and you asked, there must be no good fruit to eat, so he quickly stood up and said, "Humble duty!" ”

"Let me ask you, is your army in charge of the western front of Guanjialing!"

"Yes, Deputy Commander-in-Chief! If the command is ineffective, please punish the deputy seat! ”

"Don't give me this useless nonsense! Tell me for yourself, why can't the Japanese positions be taken for a long time? Do you want me to fight in person, so that you are willing to die! ”

Commander Cun hurriedly explained: "The deputy seat." We are not playing well. But we, we also have difficulties. The western front is full of deep mountains and old forests, and the Japanese army is hiding in the mountains, like monkeys, and it is really impossible to prevent it......"

Zhang Wenbai snorted coldly and scolded angrily: "That means you can't even deal with monkeys? ”

The commander of the inch army felt aggrieved, but he didn't dare to refute it, and his face was flushed.

Zhang Wenbai glanced at him and asked again, "Is Pei Chang, the commander of the Ninth Army, coming?" ”

Commander Pei hurriedly stood up and said loudly: "Humble duty!" ”

Deputy Commander-in-Chief Zhang angrily reprimanded: "Xue Jiawa and Beiqiu Zhang fought twice. How many men did your Ninth Army lose? Say! ”

Commander Pei was suddenly sweating profusely. Ashamed, he said: "I am afraid of my humble position, I am sorry for my brothers, and I am willing to take the blame and resign!" ”

"Hmph, resign? Hum. Afraid of difficulties. When you encounter difficulties, you want to pick on them, don't you? Zhang Wenbai sneered. looked at the commander of the 15th Army, Wu Shimin, and the commander of the Wu Army also stood up in a hurry.

Zhang Wenbai's mouth moved, and he was about to say something. Suddenly, there was a report from the door. A confidential correspondent handed over a telegram and saluted: "Deputy Commander-in-Chief, this is an urgent encrypted message sent directly from the theater of operations." ”

"Got it!" Zhang Wenbai opened it, his face changed slightly, and he suddenly sighed and said to everyone: "Don't stand, follow me to the airport to meet Commander-in-Chief Zheng!" ”

"Commander-in-Chief Zheng?" Everyone looked at each other, thinking that it was difficult for Chief Zheng to run away in person. After thinking about it, it was really embarrassing that this battle was fought so ugly, and the commander of the theater had to come to wipe his ass in person.

Houma County Field Airfield. This airport was built with a direct allocation of 200,000 yuan from the Second Theater Manager Section and by the anti-Japanese government of Houma County. Because of its honesty and efficiency, only 2,000 people were mobilized, and it was done in a week. Of course, the airport is not large, and there is only one runway for take-off and landing.

Thundered...... A B25 circled in the air and soon began to land. As soon as Zheng Weiguo stepped off the plane, Zhang Wenbai greeted him with the generals.

"Wen Bai's command is not effective, and he has to work hard to supervise the head seat in person, I am really afraid!"

Zheng Weiguo glanced at him and the generals, and said lightly: "I know that coming here at this time will definitely hurt your face." But your face was not torn off by me, but by yourself. I've already given you a chance! ”

Guo Jiqiao, deputy commander-in-chief of the Fifth Group Army, hurriedly said: "The general seat is serious, and it is really the glory of the Fifth Group Army that you can give new guidance. What's more, compared with victory, what is the amount of face? ”

Zheng Weiguo asked rhetorically, "Really? But I've heard that some people don't even care about victory for the sake of face, and would rather lose the battle! As he spoke, he glanced at everyone and said bitterly: "Originally, I thought that you were all the best in the Chinese army, so I had high hopes. But if you look at your performance recently, I'm really disappointed! ”

As he spoke, he ignored everyone and strode towards the county seat of Houma. Everyone looked at each other and hurriedly followed.

"I'm not here to rest!" Zheng Weiguo rejected the offer to arrange accommodation for him and walked directly into the war room. It was the first time for the generals to see Zheng Huzi lose such a big temper, and they were all a little at a loss

Zhang Wenbai waved and said with a wry smile: "Everyone go in!" So everyone rushed in and sat down under Zheng Weiguo in turn.

"Let's talk about it! What's the problem? How should I fight in the future? Zheng Weiguo glanced at everyone and sneered: "You won't fight for more than half a month, you're still confused, right?" ”

Zhang Wenbai said embarrassedly: "General seat, I don't know what's going on, it's obvious that the plan is made, but it's always a cut off when it comes to action." It's either this loophole or the poke basket. I...... Alas, Wen Bai is incompetent, and he is really ashamed to be entrusted by the general seat! ”

In fact, this is a chronic disease of the national army. At that time, there was a saying in the Ministry of Defense that the battle plan of the national army was drawn up by geniuses, but it was carried out by fools. Although it is biased, it does point out the problem of the national army - that is, the execution is too weak. If the military order is not clear, how can such a unit win the battle?

Zheng Weiguo asked: "Then where is the loophole, and who is poking the basket?" Has the general manager corrected it in a timely manner, and has the responsible person been held accountable? Are there any remedial measures in place? ”

Zhang Wenbai said embarrassedly: "Uh, this ......"

Zheng Weiguo glanced at him and said sincerely: "Brother Wenbai, I know your ability. However, as a party governor, it is not enough to have ability and integrity. Now that you are the commander-in-chief of the Fifth Army, how can you be alone? ”

Zhang Wenbai hurriedly said: "Thank you for the teachings of the general seat!" ”

Zheng Weiguo sighed. I thought I blamed myself for using people inappropriately. Zhang Wenbai is not suitable for being alone, like when he was the chairman of Hunan Province, he knew that those under him had problems, but he had no intention (or powerlessness) to change the status quo and let the situation deteriorate.

For example, at the beginning of 1938, the state government built an airport in Zhijiang, Hunan, and as a result, from the competent department to the supervisor, a large number of migrant workers died of illness and exhaustion. And Zhang Wenbai was extremely angry. In the end, it was only one overseer who was shot. The typical "good cannot be used." Evil cannot go". As a result, the greedy ones were still greedy, and in the end, the tragic death of migrant workers was as high as 5,000!

There are also policies like Changsha that implement the "scorched earth war of resistance". It stands to reason that Zhang Wenbai's plan is very thorough, but as soon as he got to the bottom, it changed, and in the end, there was a tragedy like the Wenxi fire. This incident also became a stain on his life.

Come to think of it. Zheng Weiguo said again: "The affairs of the war zone are busy now. Chief of Staff Zhou and I are really busy. Wait until the battle is over. Brother Wen Bai will go to the war zone to serve as the executive deputy commander-in-chief! ”

Zhang Wenbai was greatly moved, and hurriedly said: "Total seat! ”

Zheng Weiguo waved his hand and asked again, "Don't the others have anything to say?" Don't be inhibited. Let's talk about it! ”

Deputy Commander-in-Chief Guo Jiqiao hurriedly stood up and talked about some problems existing in the Fifth Army at present, such as the failure to follow orders and the excuse of delay; Fear the enemy and pass the buck to each other; Ignorant and brutal, not tactical; blindly greedy for merit, not sympathetic to soldiers......

As he spoke, he also handed Zheng Weiguo a piece of information, which recorded the performance of generals above the regimental level in previous battles, which was very clear. Zheng Weiguo only glanced at it a few times, and his hair stood up in anger. Nima, how could such a fucking force possibly win? It is a miracle that the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression lasted for eight years in history.

Zheng Huzi suddenly remembered Zhang Yinwu's words: "China is not dead, it is not the law of heaven; If China dies, it is not geography! He even felt a little inexplicably sympathetic to the chairman, thinking that if my subordinates are all of this kind of goods, then I have no confidence in the war, and I will feel that the future is bleak!

What made Zheng Huzi even more angry was that he originally thought that after rectification, the Fifth Army would be reborn and refreshed like the 53rd Army and other descendant troops, but the reality ruthlessly slapped him.

As a matter of fact, the transformation of the 53rd Army and the 63rd Army was not achieved overnight, but only after many rectifications, repeated elimination, and continuous selection of officers and training of non-commissioned officers to reach the current level. The Fifth Army is made up of miscellaneous cards from all walks of life, and its foundation is not as good as that of the Northeast Army.

Zheng Weiguo glanced at Guo Jiqiao and said dissatisfiedly: "Deputy Commander-in-Chief Guo, you should have taken out this information earlier!" Why didn't you just hand it over to Commander-in-Chief Zhang before? ”

Guo Jiqiao glanced at Zhang Wenbai embarrassedly, and said hesitantly: "I am worried that Deputy Commander-in-Chief Zhang will misunderstand. The general seat is known, and the humble position is the chief of the guard......"

When Zheng Weiguo heard this, his head was suddenly as big as two. When has it been, and you are still fighting for factional struggles? Well, this is not a joke, but this kind of estrangement really hinders the normal operation of the troops.

"Lightning!" Zheng Weiguo sighed and said to Guo Jiqiao: "Why do you think I should apply to the Military Commission to transfer you?" It's not because of Chief Wei, it's because of your ability, but what about you? But for all kinds of ridiculous reasons, you have disappointed me so much to stand by and watch at such a critical time! ”

Guo Jiqiao was ashamed and embarrassed, and he couldn't wait to find a crack in the ground to get into.

Zheng Weiguo reassured: "Guangyi, you were my boss before, I shouldn't have said it so bluntly. But ......"

Guo Jiqiao hurriedly said: "The lowly position understands, please give the lowly position another chance!" ”

Zheng Weiguo nodded and said, "Very good, your planning ability is rare in the country, let's make a plan as soon as possible!" I don't want the war in Jinnan to drag on. ”

Guo Jiqiao nodded hurriedly.

Zheng Weiguo turned back to Zhang Wenbai and said: "Anyone who refuses to carry out military orders and delays for any reason must be immediately removed from his post and handed over to a military court for trial. Also, the kind of officers who blindly act brutally must also be dealt with, and they will never be allowed to tolerate and nurture traitors! ”

Zhang Wenbai hesitated: "Those who disobey military orders should be severely punished, but should those brutal officers be treated leniently, after all, their intentions are still good." It's just a little too impatient. ”

Zheng Weiguo said in a deep voice: "It can be divided into two situations, the first is that you don't understand tactics, but you can take the lead." Although such an officer is not qualified, it is limited by his own ability. The responsibility lies not with them, but with the officers who recommend and appoint them. And the second, he is greedy for life and afraid of death, but he pushes his subordinates into the fire pit! ”

"The first type of officer may be demoted, and the person who recommended the appointment may be held accountable; The second type is really scum, and it must be a typical example. With the right military law! ”

The crowd listened convincingly. In unison, he said, "Yes, Boss!" ”

Zheng Weiguo glanced at everyone again, and suddenly said, "Brother Guohui, you are the chief of the general staff of the Fifth Army. Nothing to say? ”

Chief of Staff Sheng Wen didn't expect to be named by Zheng Weiguo. Looks a little flustered. However, the gimmick of the three chiefs of staff of the Republic of China is not blown. He quickly sorted out his thoughts and said, "Chief, I have been studying the defensive tactics of the Japanese army during this time. To be honest, our army was unjustly defeated! ”

Everyone was stunned, thinking to themselves, who are you talking for?

Zheng Weiguo waved his hand disappreciatively and said, "Very good, know yourself and know your opponent, and you will not be defeated in a hundred battles." You go on! ”

Sheng Wen owed, and then said, "Yes, the general seat." According to my summary, the fortifications of the Japanese army have the following characteristics: First, they are concealed, and they are difficult to detect both in the air and on the ground. ”

Zheng Weiguo agreed: "Yes, when I came by plane just now, I went around to Guanjialing to observe, and it was really very hidden." There are few obvious flaws. ”

Seeing that he had been approved by the commander, Sheng Wen was greatly encouraged, and continued: "The second point is that it is strong and complex, in the first battle of Xuejiawa, our army paid a huge price to seize this position. ”

Zheng Weiguo took a look, and his face quickly became gloomy. This fortification is almost identical to the Japanese fortifications in Guanjiayuan, Songshan and other places in history. It is not surprising that the Japanese generals are all from professional backgrounds, and any troops drawn out have the ability to build such fortifications. The only thing that limits them is time and materials.

Judging from this defense map, the solidity and complexity are far stronger than those of Guanjiayuan, but they are much inferior to Songshan. This made Zheng Huzi's face look a little better. Since the expeditionary force can take Songshan, it should not be a problem for the Fifth Army to take Guanjialing.

Sheng Wen also talked about several other major characteristics of the Japanese army's fortifications, all of which were to the point, and then talked about the tactics of the Japanese army: "No matter how good the fortifications are, they also need corresponding tactical coordination. ”

"What were the tactics of the Japanese army like? I have summed it up, and it can be summarized as adapting measures to local conditions and striking with precision, relying on fortifications to stubbornly defend during the day, and organizing death squads to fight back forcefully at night...... Putting aside the factors of friend and foe, the tactics and will of the Japanese army are commendable and worthy of our affirmation and study. ”

The generals were a little unconvinced at first, but Sheng Wen then commented on the previous battles one by one. Only then did everyone suddenly wake up, it turned out that there was such a big gap between themselves and the enemy, and they couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

After the three of them finished speaking, the army commanders and division commanders also spoke one after another, mainly talking about some situations on the front line and some difficulties encountered by various units at present. Zheng Weiguo said that he could help them solve some of the problems, but all units should also regain morale and not blindly rely on their superiors.

"Okay, that's the end of today's meeting, and when you go back, you all have to draw up a plan for the war. Three stinkers, one Zhuge Liang. Whether the Battle of Jinnan can achieve a great victory depends on you! ”

Early the next morning, Sheng Wen, chief of the General Staff, was the first to arrive and proposed his new tactic - ants gnawing bones. Zheng Weiguo took a look, and it was indeed very competitive. If this style of play is followed, the Japanese army will definitely be defeated. But the time has dragged on for too long, and the counterattack is imminent, and the hundreds of thousands of troops in southern Jinnan will be of great use. If it is dragged by two divisions of the Japanese army, it is really not cost-effective.

Chief of Staff Sheng hurriedly persuaded: "General seat, I can't eat hot tofu in a hurry, the Japanese army has made it clear that it is going to defend Guanjialing, and it is possible to win quickly!" ”

Zheng Weiguo nodded with a heavy heart and said, "Well, I know!" ”

As he was talking, Guo Jiqiao, deputy commander-in-chief of the Fifth Group Army, rushed over and said with a smile: "Yo, the chief of staff is also there!" ”

Sheng Wen looked a little embarrassed. He is a member of Hu Zongnan's faction, and he belongs to the "mixed sand" of the Military Commission in the second war zone, so he has always chosen Mingzhe to protect himself some time ago.

Zheng Weiguo nodded and said, "Well, Chief of Staff Sheng has drawn up a new tactic, you can also take a look!" ”

Deputy Commander-in-Chief Guo took a look. Approvingly: "Very good, I have had similar ideas, but Chief of Staff Sheng is obviously more perfect." ”

Zheng Weiguo frowned slightly, and said: "But if you fight like this, it will take at least a month or even longer!" After fighting the 37th Division, the 41st Division to the north was beaten. The Fifth Army is not thinking of anything else this year! ”

In Zheng Weiguo's plan, the Fifth Army was to come in handy. Unexpectedly, he was trapped here by a mere 37th Division.

To the north of the 37th Division was the 41st Division. After the 37th Division was surrounded by the Fifth Group Corps, the main force of the 41st Division stationed in Linfen quickly moved south to reinforce, but it was divided and surrounded by the Shanxi New Army under the command of Xu and besieged in Xiangfen and other places, and the troops left in Linfen were also besieged by the Shanxi New Army.

However, the strength of the Shanxi New Army was limited. It was impossible to completely break the Japanese army in the encirclement. Only a long-term siege can be chosen. In fact, although the 41st Division was divided and surrounded, its strength still existed. If it weren't for the reluctance of the First Army to abandon the 37th Division, it would have ordered the 41st Division to break through and go north alone. And not far from Linfen. There is the 69th Division (formerly known as the 16th Independent Mixed Brigade) stationed in Fenyang.

It was so difficult to annihilate the 37th Division. Wait until the battle is over, and then fight the 41st Division. and the 69th Division, I really don't know if the war will drag on until the Year of the Monkey!

Deputy Commander-in-Chief Guo smiled slightly and said, "General seat." Why did you have to fight the 37th Division first? ”

Chief of Staff Sheng's eyes lit up, and he said excitedly: "Deputy Commander-in-Chief, do you mean ......?"

Deputy Commander-in-Chief Guo smiled: "Not bad! In fact, with the strength of our Fifth Army, the offensive was a little weak, but it was more than enough to besiege the enemy. Since a large number of troops are useless, why not go north first and eliminate the 41st Division! ”

Indeed, due to the limitations of the terrain, the Fifth Army had 150,000 regular troops in the air, but it was unable to exert itself at all, and could only attack in regiments and battalions, and could not gain superiority in troops.

To the north, the Shanxi New Army was significantly more flexible in its tactics. Under the command of General Xu, they divided and surrounded the Japanese 41st Division with a main force of 50,000 (with the cooperation of 100,000 local troops). Moreover, the terrain around Xiangfen is flat, and if the Fifth Army can transfer heavy troops to the north, it will obviously be better than the conditions in Guanjialing.

Zheng Weiguo was also a little moved when he heard this, and said, "Not bad! Commander-in-Chief Xu of the Shanxi New Army once reported that although the Japanese 41st Division was divided and surrounded, its strength still existed. If they abandoned the 37th Division and went north, at least half of the troops could flee to Fenyang. ”

Deputy Commander-in-Chief Guo said with a smile: "In this case, we should fight the 41st Division first." Otherwise, the 37th Division will be wiped out, and I am afraid that the 41st Division will immediately break through and go north. ”

Zheng Weiguo finally made up his mind and said, "Okay, just follow this idea!" Guanghai, how about you command the northward this time? ”

Guo Jiqiao was overjoyed when he heard this, and he thanked him. At yesterday's meeting, Zheng Weiguo had made it clear that Zhang Wenbai would be transferred back to the headquarters after the Battle of Jinnan, and the position of commander-in-chief of the Fifth Army would be vacated. Although Guo Jiqiao is the deputy commander-in-chief, he is not ironclad enough to go further, if he can make a great contribution, then there will be no problem.

Subsequently, Zheng Weiguo gathered the generals of the Fifth Army and reformulated the strategy and tactics. Subsequently, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Guo Jiqiao personally led two armies (each owed one division) and four divisions to quietly go north.

At this time, all counties and villages and towns in southern Jinnan had established an anti-Japanese regime, and the "road system" made the Japanese army lose its eyes and ears, and they were blind to the situation of our army in southern Jinnan, and they did not know anything about the actions of these 60,000 troops.

There is a famous saying in military affairs that a war is doomed before it breaks out, and the course of the war is only to verify this result.

By the time Guo Jiqiao's army suddenly appeared in Xiangfen and other places, the end of the 41st Division was already doomed. Because the Japanese army was in no danger and was in a state of division, it was impossible to form a joint force.

After a week of fierce fighting, the 41st Division was basically completely annihilated, and only a few remnants of the defeated army fled into the mountains. Commander-in-Chief Xu has already transferred local troops and militia into the mountains to clear the area. The Japanese army, which has lost its formation, is no longer much of a threat, and it is believed that it will not be long before it receives good news.

The 69th Division stationed in Fenyang originally wanted to go south for reinforcements, but was ambushed by the new 1st Division of the Eighth Route Army (expanded from the 385th Brigade) in Xiaoyi County. Fearing being surrounded, he had to flee to Qingxu in a hurry. The 37th Division, which was surviving in the Guanjialing area, became a lone army completely. (To be continued......)

PS: Thank you very much for the evaluation votes of the newcomers to the wood, I will change it today, but it is a 6,000-word chapter!