Tang Qiuli was very puzzled by the eagerness of Chief of Staff Zhao Yuhe, took the telegram, glanced at it slightly, and put it aside, "Yuhe, the Soviet army's occupation of Chita is expected, there is nothing to be surprised about, why, can't hold your breath?" He said with a smirk.

Zhao Yuhe didn't smile, and reminded: "Division commander, you still have to take a closer look at the content of the telegram, Deputy Division Commander Liu judged that the Soviet Army Waixinganling Front Army occupying Chita has an attempt to divide its troops to approach Kulun and Saiyin Shanda, so it will form a three-sided attack on us, Deputy Division Commander Liu Jianyi, we will immediately return to the country!" ”

"Oh!" Tang Qiuli frowned slightly, only then did he pay attention to this telegram, read it carefully for a long time, put down the telegram, and his face was cloudy.

Tang Qiuli believed in Liu Tiehan's judgment, and pointed to the east in the Chita area, with its own reconnaissance channels, but there were already two Soviet troops with more than 2.5 million troops, outflanking Kulun, if the Soviet army on the east road was also coming to Kulen and Seyinshanda, it seemed that there was no need for this, unless, Stalin hated himself to the core, and it was faster than he wanted to kill all the military forces of the independent division in Outer Mongolia!

In this situation, how can we talk about striking a head-on blow to the Soviet Union Baikal Front in the Sejingge River, and it is only right to run away as soon as possible, otherwise, it is the danger of being wrapped in dumplings, and no matter how well-equipped and brave and good at fighting the corps directly under it, it will not be able to withstand the crushing of more than 4 million Soviet troops.

"Isn't it?" Tang Qiuli's heart suddenly rose an alarm, could it be that Stalin pressed all his troops in Outer Mongolia, not just to eliminate himself and reoccupy Outer Mongolia. But there is another intention?

There is only one attempt for this purpose, after occupying the Outer Mongolia region, continue to wave troops south, and then attack the Inner Mongolia region, most likely, occupy Kulen, and then occupy Saiyin Shanda, and then south, but the domestic Erenhot.

Tang Qiuli woke up from his contemplation. His face was very ugly, and he said to Zhao Yuhe: "Yuhe, give an order, and the directly subordinate corps will immediately withdraw from Kulun and enter the Saiyin Shanda area." Lay out the line of defense. ”

After a deep sigh, he continued: "Order the Sun Zhenbang Outer Mongolia Field Corps trained in the Pingjin area of North China. Immediately go to the Erenhot area to stand by. Yuan Jinghao's North China Field Corps was on standby on the front line of East Wuzhumuqin, Liu Tiehan's East Command Troops were deployed along the line of the Haraha River, and Feng Jiwu's Niangziguan Garrison Corps was a strategic reserve! ”

Zhao Yuhe finished recording the order. After handing it over to a staff officer, he said in disbelief: "Division commander, you are arranging it like this, is it?" Do you think that after the Soviet army occupies Kulen, it will continue to move south and attack the country? ”

Tang Qiuli's gaze penetrated the sky of Outer Mongolia and looked at the far west, as if he wanted to see clearly, Stalin in Moscow, the true thoughts in his heart, after a long time, he said slowly: "Yuhe, it's not that this possibility is impossible, Stalin will never be satisfied with his greedy desire for territory, hmph, sooner or later he will be killed!" ”

"If such a thing really happens, then we have no possibility of retreating, only the practice of fighting to the death with the Soviet army, be prepared, more than 1.7 million troops of our four corps, Chen soldiers on the side of the border line, itself is a kind of deterrent to the Soviet army, perhaps, can scare off the Soviets!"

The next day, the strength of the 12 brigades of the directly subordinate corps, plus the artillery, armor, and air defense units, withdrew from Kulen and moved to the line of Seyinshanda, leaving an empty city.

Five days later, in the evening, the vanguard of the Soviet Baikal Front approached the outskirts of Kulen, and in accordance with the orders of the commander and political commissioner of the Front, General Gregariv, the Soviet vanguard did not rush into the city, but stopped on the outskirts of the northern part of Kulen and assumed an offensive posture.

Several Soviet commanders, holding binoculars, looked at the hazy Kulen in the twilight, and always felt that something was not quite right, it was too quiet, so quiet that it made people panic, there were no lights, there was no movement, the largest city in Outer Mongolia, like a silent beast, squatting on the twilight steppe, just silently looking at the Soviets.

On the periphery of the city, there are no fortifications to be built, and there are trenches one after another, and there is no appearance of a big war at all, and the whole city is as if it is asleep, and only in this way will the Soviet commanders be more fearful.

According to the habitual thinking of European soldiers, Kulen is the largest city in Outer Mongolia and the center of Tang Qiuli's rule, and the loss of Kulun means that the Outer Mongolia region has returned to the embrace of the Soviet Union, such an important city, the Chinese will not give up in any way, and on the periphery of Kulen, there will inevitably be a bloody battle, a big battle with artillery fire, and the commander of the front army, General Gregarrif, is even ready to capture Kulen and pay more than one-third of the casualties.

But what is the situation now, in the telescope, Kulen is silent like a dead city, more like a sleeping monster, after waking up, it will burst out and hurt people at any time, the cunning and sinister of that Chinese Tang Qiuli has been imprinted in the hearts of all Soviet officers, whether it is in the Tangnu Mountains or in Minusinsk, fighting with this Chinese, the biggest worry is the endless and ubiquitous traps.

No one can judge how many troops Tang Qiuli had in the ambush in the city of Kulen, preparing to fight a street battle with countless casualties, just tens of thousands of people in one army, stepping into this city that is terrifying to look at, maybe there is not a single one left, and the corpses are scattered on the streets, so even without the order of the commander of the front army, General Gregariv, the vanguard of the Soviet army does not dare to step into Kulen half a step.

After making observations, several Soviet commanders discussed for a while and reported the situation to the headquarters of the Front, and General Gregariv's reply was simple: "Stay where you are, pay attention to observation, and never act rashly, waiting for the arrival of the main forces!" ”

With the experience of the past, the 43rd Group Army of the Outer Mongolian Front was almost completely annihilated, didn't it just make the mistake of lightly advancing the enemy, of course, there was also a mistake in intelligence, anyway, no matter what you say, General Gregarif will not make such a mistake again, he has already rushed in front of Vasilevsky's guy, so there is no need to take risks.

Thinking of this, General Gregarif was so happy that he finally overwhelmed Vasilevsky and captured Kulen, which means that he has in fact occupied Outer Mongolia, fulfilled Comrade Stalin's order, and solved the biggest concern for the leader, which is the first achievement!

Therefore, after giving the order to the vanguard, General Gregarif ordered the two subsequent army groups to speed up their march and prepare for a full-scale attack after reaching the outskirts of Kulen.

After giving the order that should have been given, General Gregariv was extremely bored, perhaps too excited, and sent a very painful telegram to General Vasilevsky, who was running so fast that his shoes were about to fly, "Comrade Vasilevsky, the vanguard of our front has entered the periphery of Kulen, and the two subsequent army groups will arrive to launch a full-scale attack on Kulen, and it is planned to end the Kulen campaign within three days." ”

"In view of the fact that our division can independently solve the defense of the independent division of Kulun, your troops do not need to rush to march, and when you arrive at Kulen, I will meet Comrade Vasilevsky in the city of Kulen!"

Provocations, naked provocations, one order after another, almost made the Soviet soldiers of the Outer Mongolian Front, General Vasilevsky, who was forced to break his leg, after receiving the telegram from General Gregariv, he was so angry that he almost spurted blood, and he did not hesitate to use all the scolding Soviet folk slang and colloquialisms that could be thought of to greet the female relatives of General Gregariv.

After scolding, General Vasilevsky, who was still angry, angrily replied to General Gregariv with a telegram, "Comrade Gregariv, according to the plan of the General Staff, Kulen should be occupied by our front, although the plan was later. There is a slight adjustment, but it does not change the fact that our Outer Mongolian Front, as the main force of this campaign, the honor of your head to occupy Kulen should not belong to a certain army, but to all the soldiers of the Soviet Red Army! ”

General Vasilevsky's words are very clear, you Gregariv don't want to take the credit alone, the so-called seeers have a share, of course, this telegram is lethal to General Gregariv, the first army to occupy Kulen, that is an indisputable fact, he still prepared to attack Kulen according to his own plan.

On the evening of 24 March, the two armies of the Soviet Baikal Front arrived at the outskirts of Kulen and immediately began to surround Kulen from all sides.

However, they are also puzzled, why under the siege of hundreds of thousands of troops, the Chinese who are already trapped in an isolated city will be so calm, tossing by their own troops outside Kulun, at the very least, there should be a reaction?

If they were calm, these Chinese would have been too calm, and more likely, with the determination to die, all kinds of doubts and speculations, constantly flew to the commander of the front, General Gregarif, and the ensuing reaction was that they did not dare to act rashly, and the attack that was supposed to be launched on March 15 was postponed to March 28.

On the afternoon of 27 March, all the troops of the Soviet Union Baikal Front arrived at the outskirts of Kulen, and immediately surrounded Kulen in all directions, so that not even a fly could fly out. ”

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