Colonel Wang Jun, chief of staff of the Outer Mongolian Frontier Army, came to his own judgment that the purpose of the two Soviet infantry divisions in the area of Uzhgentala was to capture the important town of Kobdo in western Outer Mongolia.

But Tang Qiuli still couldn't convince himself, he didn't believe that the commander of the Soviet front, the commander of the Transcaucasian Military District, General Kulygin, was so bored that he took an idle move, and he couldn't see that this move had any effect on the current main battlefield of the Selenga River or a more far-reaching campaign purpose, and the intention that could not be judged was the most dangerous, because you don't know how to deal with it.

He needed a reason to convince himself, Wang Jun was undoubtedly a good object, Tang Qiuli said simply, "Chief of Staff Wang, your basis and reason?" ”

Wang Jun pointed to the map and said: "Division commander, you see, the two banks of the Sejingge River near Uzhgentala are the most unsuitable places to cross the river, if these two Soviet infantry divisions want to cross the river for a roundabout battle, then they have to continue to travel more than 100 kilometers west before there will be a suitable place to cross the river, and when they go around to the rear of Commander Sun, I am afraid that it will take more than a month, I am afraid that by then, the battle has already ended, isn't the Soviet army afraid of becoming a lone army?" So, this can be ruled out. ”

Tang Qiuli nodded and said, "Makes sense, keep talking!" ”

Wang Jun, who was encouraged, continued: "Then, the rest, there is only one possibility, westward to seize Kobdo, division commander, you see, along the line from Uzhgentala to Kobdo, there are towns such as Uriya Sutai, Daichintala, Chaganzadegai, Suhaitu Gaole, Hari Suhai, Tolgoi, etc., and the Outer Mongolia region is vast and sparsely populated, especially in the western region. The Soviet army's control of these towns along the route is equivalent to controlling the western part of Outer Mongolia. ”

"And Kobdo is the final target of the Soviet army, closer to the Tangnu-Ulianghai area, which was originally recovered from the Soviets in the first Outer Mongolian War, and the Soviets must not forget, after the capture of Kobdo, the Soviet army can not only get the support of the Soviet Caucasus Military District, but also move eastward and approach Kulen. With the main force of the Soviet army moving south, it formed an encirclement of Kulen. ”

"However, there is one thing that I can't figure out anyway, since it is the strategic intention of the Soviet commander. Why, then, send only two infantry divisions that are not equipped with trucks, tanks, armored vehicles. In terms of troop strength and speed of advancement. None of them can achieve the strategic intent they should have, unless, there is another possibility, the Soviet commander is in a suspicious position, trying to distract us, or to distract our forces. Division, I can only judge these! ”

Tang Qiuli smiled and applauded, and said, "It's not missing, Chief of Staff Wang." In the past few years, I have a lot of experience in Outer Mongolia! ”

Wang Jun said embarrassedly: "The division commander has won the award, I just judge according to the position of the two Soviet infantry divisions, I hope not to interfere with the division commander's decision-making!" ”

Tang Qiuli said with a smile: "Strategic detours are all possibilities, which can be ruled out, two infantry divisions with less than 30,000 troops, it will not be a big deal, therefore, the westward advance to capture Kobdo is the most likely, since you know the intention of the Soviet commander, next, it will be easy to deal with, Chief of Staff Wang, introduce the distribution of troops and combat effectiveness in front of our army in the western region of Outer Mongolia!" ”

Wang Jun said: "Division commander, in the western region, we have adopted the method of scattered stationing, roughly with major towns as the stationing place, stationed a regiment of cavalry, more than 3,000 soldiers, and a total of eight regiments of troops, scattered in a vast area, speaking of combat effectiveness, division commander, not afraid of your jokes, except for the backbone battalion of an old army, the rest are recruits recruited in the past two years. ”

"Although the training is very tight, I have never been on the battlefield, I have never smelled the smell of gunpowder, and the combat effectiveness is roughly equivalent to less than half of the troops that Commander Sun brought to the Sesagoge River, if you really want to fight, I am afraid you can't count on it!"

Tang Qiuli smiled and said, "Recruits are not afraid, veterans are also fought on the battlefield, as long as they have seen blood once, they will become veterans, now, there is a chance, Chief of Staff Wang, record orders, 1. Zeng Shiqiang's Third Cavalry Brigade followed the Soviet army westward, but it cannot be confronted head-on, mainly rapid rush and sneak attack, before each battle, the battle plan must be reported to the division headquarters and approved before it can be implemented." ”

"2. The local garrisons of the Outer Mongolian Frontier Army along the route from Uzhigentala to Uriya Sutai do not have to hold on to the existing towns, but adopt the tactics of resisting, exhausting, and delaying the advance of the Soviet army, and gradually withdraw to the Uriya Sutai area in a purposeful manner, focusing on preserving their strength."

"3. The 6th and 7th Brigades of the Corps directly under Kobdo as the assembly area shall immediately go to the Sutai area of Uriya and, with the cooperation of the local garrison of the Outer Mongolian Frontier Army and the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, seek an opportunity to completely annihilate the enemy in this area."

"In order to ensure the smooth implementation of the campaign, Qian Jiaye, commander of the Sixth Brigade, Wang Zhanqun, commander of the Seventh Brigade, and Zeng Shiqiang, commander of the Third Cavalry Brigade, formed the Uriya Sutai Campaign Command, with Qian Jiaye as the commander-in-chief, Wang Zhanqun and Zeng Shiqiang as deputy commanders, to unify the command of all troops in the western part of the Outer Mongolia region.

During the First Outer Mongolian War, in the Sutai area of Uriya, Tang Qiuli commanded ten brigades of the Corps directly under Tang Qiuli, first ambushed and encircled the Third Infantry Corps of the Soviet Far East Military Region, and then besieged more than 100,000 people of the First Army of the Soviet Far East commanded by Zhukov.

There are more than 32,000 troops in the two field brigades of the directly subordinate corps, 5,000 pairs of troops in the Third Cavalry Brigade of the Outer Mongolian Frontier Army, and eight cavalry regiments of the local garrison troops, totaling more than 52,000 troops, and encircling and annihilating the two Soviet infantry divisions that belonged to the lone army advancing westward and had no backup, tanks, or armored vehicles.

In fact, it is enough to solve these two Soviet infantry divisions and the 6th and 7th brigades of the directly subordinate corps, but this is a rare actual battle, and it is also an opportunity for the troops stationed in the western region of the Outer Mongolian Border Guards to train and grow up as much as possible.

In fact, both Tang Qiuli and Wang Jun analyzed the intention of General Kulygin, commander of the Transcaucasian Military District of the Soviet Union, and Major General Sergeyev, commander of the Third Army of the Military District, to command two infantry divisions and advance westward alone.

General Kuregin's original intention was to capture the western region of Outer Mongolia and first recover the Tangnu-Ulianghai region, but it was dispensable, it could be successful or not, just two pure infantry divisions, but the strength of 30,000 people, what big thing could it do?

The real intention of General Kurygin was to play from a distance with Major General Sergeyev, the commander of the Third Army, whom he hated, so as not to wander in front of him and look upset, and also to exclude him from the list of winners of the campaign to recover Outer Mongolia, the battle that attracted the attention of Comrade Stalin, after the victory, glory and garlands, which were indispensable, and if Sergeyev appeared in the list of meritorious service awardees, he would be very uncomfortable.

The deeper intention is to give Sergeyev an extremely difficult task, and if it is completed, he will command it well, and if he can't complete it, there will be a reason to remove the candidate for the commander of the Third Army, anyway, no matter what happens to the Third Army, General Kulygin has achieved his goal.

If General Kulygin knew that Tang Qiuli had mobilized nearly 60,000 horses and was ready to eat the Third Army in one bite, he would definitely regret it, this was not a murder with a knife, but a stinky move that killed people with a knife, which cost the lives of 30,000 soldiers of the Soviet Red Army, and the number of the Third Army was revoked by the General Staff, and he himself was ridiculed by the Soviet military circles because of this risky and stupid order, although General Kurygin at that time was already in the prisoner of war camp of the Independent Division.

On the night of 19 September, under the cover of night, after crossing the Sejingge River, according to the plan, it went all the way to the west, avoiding the front of the advance of the main Soviet troops, making a big circle and inserting itself into the area between Barnaor and Irkutsk, around the vicinity of the Soviet army's logistical supply line.

For the whole day of the 20th, the 3rd Cavalry Brigade did not encounter any Soviet troops, but in order to conceal the traces of the troops, more than 5,000 horses and horses could not run wild in broad daylight, which was not called arrogance but stupidity, and reported to Lao Maozi that he was hungry, and besides, there were Soviet planes that could appear at any time, so the 3rd Brigade walked in hilly and bushy areas, and the marching speed was not fast.

At six o'clock in the evening of the 20th, it was just along the Sejingge River, more than 60 kilometers west, seeing that the twilight was vast and darkness covered the land and grassland, Zeng Shiqiang reined in the horse's head and said to Colonel Tian Guangzhu, the chief of staff of the brigade beside him: "Chief of staff, the troops have been marching all day, and they are all taking the road of avoiding people, and it is difficult to walk, don't fucking mention it, continue to march, I'm afraid the war horses can't stand it, camp in place, old man, you can arrange it!" ”

This is the work within the scope of the chief of staff's duties, Tian Guangzhu did not shirk, called over a staff officer, and ordered: "Convey the order of the brigade commander, the three regiments are camped five kilometers apart, and each regiment will send reconnaissance teams, and the reconnaissance area will be centered on the camp, and the surrounding area will be 20 kilometers. ”

As soon as Tian Guangzhu's words fell, not far ahead, there was a rapid sound of horses' hooves, which was exceptionally clear in the night.

(To be continued)(To be continued......