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"Chief of Staff, let's go to the rear to fight the American guerrillas!" Li Zhenwu hurriedly said. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

"No, the guerrillas of the Americans are nothing more than a disease of scabies, and one defensive infantry division is stationed, plus three cavalry divisions are enough, and you are not needed. Facing the expectant eyes of the two, Diao Fei waved his hand without hesitation and rejected their proposal.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Meng Changgui said impatiently: "Commander, chief of staff, now the fraternal troops in the entire American theater are fighting, and our two divisions are training every day, watching the excitement on the sidelines, what is this called!"

"Yes, Commander, now the brothers of other divisions outside call us cavalry old soldiers, and we can't go to the battlefield or fight, which makes the soldiers in our two cavalry divisions very angry, and everyone hopes to go to the battlefield and show prestige, proving that our cavalry division is not a bad breed in the army. I hope the commander can be accomplished!" Li Zhenwu said loudly with a serious expression.

Although Li Zhenwu's words were a little rushed, Diao Fei was not angry, thinking that he often talked to his commander like this back then, whether he wanted to give it, ask for weapons, or go to the battlefield. But if you don't hate it, you don't hate it, and he doesn't have any intention of modifying it. The 1st Cavalry Division and the 4th Cavalry Division were the new forces he had set aside and the powerful weapons of the U.S. Army that had dragged the front line in Erie when he carried out the retreat order, so it was impossible to use these two sharpened knives at this time.

And until the old partner's plan, Pang Wanchun, naturally would not agree to Li Zhenwu and Meng Changgui's request to fight.

"Report!" Just when Zhao Meng and the others were about to give full play to their thick-skinned degree and continue to persuade again, they were suddenly interrupted by the sound of a report outside the door.

"Come in!" Diao Fei's voice made the communications staff officer outside the door push the door and walk in, but looking at the two major generals with red faces and thick necks, the young communications staff officer didn't figure out what was going on here for a while.

"What's the matter?" Pang Wanchun's words made the communications staff officer immediately let go of the curiosity that had just raised his head, and hurriedly walked over, "Report to the commander and chief of staff." The theater command sent an urgent telegram!" After finishing speaking, he took out the five-star red-headed document that had already been translated from the black folder he was carrying.

As soon as I heard it, it was a message from the theater command, and the level of secrecy was so high. After Diao Fei and Pang Wanchun glanced at each other, they hurriedly took the telegram over, and the two read it together.

The content of the telegram was very simple, and it boiled down to two words: 'Retreat'!" 'Order the Northern Route Army of the American Theater to prepare to retreat immediately after receiving the order, and to arrive at the second line of defense before 20 March for deployment!'

After reading the telegram, the joy on Diao Fei's face flashed, "There are still a little more than three days until March 20th, although I am a little nervous, but it should be enough!"

"Hmm. But the Americans on the other side are a nuisance, and we must withstand their attack for three days, and we must not let them perceive our intentions!"

After listening to Pang Wanchun's words, the two of them turned their heads to Li Zhenwu and Meng Changgui, who were looking at them with their eyes, and then the two glanced at each other. Diao Fei said: "Since you want to fight, then I will give you a task!"

Although I don't know what was written in the letter from the theater command, which eventually caused the commander and chief of staff who didn't plan to send them to the battlefield to change their minds, Li Zhenwu and Meng Changgui couldn't manage so much, and the letter of invitation below was about to drown their division headquarters. Therefore, as long as they can get the combat order, they are willing to deal with the American guerrillas who are just the scum of combat power in the rear.

"Please command, commander!" Li Zhenwu and Meng Changgui replied loudly with happy expressions. Now for them, as long as there is a task, it is victory.

"Order the 1st Cavalry Division and the 4th Cavalry Division to immediately replenish ammunition and logistical supplies. Ready to fight in three days!"

After listening to Diao Fei's order, Li Zhenwu and Meng Changgui couldn't help but agree loudly with joyful expressions. It would take another three days to wait, but it was nothing compared to the joy of being able to fight.

Seeing the two happily walking out of the war room with the order, Diao Fei and Pang Wanchun, who were pressed for time, also began to prepare a detailed plan for the retreat of the troops.

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Seeing that the opposite side was still standing still, each firing port sprayed tongues of fire to firmly block the attacking troops on the position, and could not move forward to the Erie line. Joseph Johnston, commander of the U.S. Army's Northern Front Corps, had a frosty face on his face.

Of course, as a meritorious veteran who came out of the American Civil War, he was used to the sacrifice of soldiers, even if he paid 600,000 casualties before this Huo family army defense line, he could not be shaken at all, but what really made him feel angry was. When he had the advantage in strength and his weapons and equipment began to catch up gradually, he was firmly blocked by the Chinese, whose number of troops was far inferior to his own, for a month and could not advance an inch. This couldn't help but embarrass the arrogant Johnston.

"Get the troops down!" Johnston ordered aloud, tossing the telescope onto the table in the center of the war room. Although as a general of the First Army, he is prepared for the sacrifice of his soldiers, but this does not mean that he can watch his soldiers die and not see the results.

"Ask those veterans of the War Department, when will the six 'Big Johns' assigned to us arrive?" After listening to Johnston's words, the confidential staff officer next to him hurriedly ran out with an order.

'Big John' is a giant mortar cannon that the U.S. War Department specially convened artillery experts from all over the country in order to overcome the large number of strong fortifications built by the Huo Jiajun on the defense line of the two rivers, and it took more than two years to produce it, and named it after its chief designer, John Adams, called 'Big John Cannon'!

The gun is 6 meters long, with a muzzle diameter of 340 mm, and the barrel and gun carriage weigh 95 tons, and can fire nearly 0.6 tons of shells to targets up to 12.5 kilometers away. Each shell used up nearly 150 kilograms of propellant, and it took more than 160 gunners to operate it.

In addition, it fires armor-piercing shells equipped with a delayed fuse, causing the shell to explode after penetrating the target. However, it was so cumbersome that it had to be disassembled and hauled by a locomotive. It was also necessary to lay a special track in order to transport it to the gun mount. At the same time, due to the huge recoil it generates when fired, it is necessary to pour a concrete base several meters deep and blow it up as it moves. And its rate of fire of one shot every half hour is also destined to be the title of the slowest rate of fire in the world.

However, even if the Great John Cannon has so many shortcomings, it is undeniable that the Americans' goal has been achieved, this kind of terrifying cannon is the nemesis of all fortifications, if it were not for the US Army to come up with this kind of giant cannon in the end, I am afraid that they would not be able to destroy two of the seven fortifications of the Huojia Army's Yili Defense Line, and put so much pressure on the defense of the Huojia Army.

However, if this kind of giant mortar that must rely on 40 horses or can only be moved by train, because of the range, is destroyed by the new heavy cannon of the Huo family army, relying on the ultra-long range of 15 kilometers, then the damage to the Huo family's defense line will be even more serious.

It was also the realization of John's use of restraint for strong fortresses that Johnston would be more partial to this kind of artillery.

"Commander, if the War Department receives your telegram, I'm afraid they will complain in front of the president again!" Bullock Cena, chief of staff of the U.S. Northern Front Corps Command who worked with Johnston, couldn't help but laugh as he watched the confidential staff officer run out with the order.

The Great John Cannon is powerful, but the manufacturing process is also extremely complex. Since the successful development of the project, only three have been successfully manufactured, all of which have been assigned to Johnston's Northern Front Corps. Now he wants Liumen again, even if the arsenal has arranged a mature production line and skilled workers, I am afraid that it will take two months for Liumen to be produced.

Of course, this is nothing, and the most dissatisfying thing for the War Department is that Johnston basically has no idea what subtlety is and what obedience is. Since the war with Huo Jiajun, his telegrams asking for soldiers, weapons, and logistics supplies have never been interrupted, and several letters from Jishan appear on time every day on the desk of Secretary of War Gareth Wilkins.

After listening to his partner's words, Johnston didn't have the same expression on his face at all, picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip before asking, "Bullock, are the two big Johns settled?"

"Don't worry, Commander! I have built the strongest shell for our two treasures according to your orders, and even the most powerful cannonballs of the Chinese will not want to shake it!" said Brock Senna with a determined expression.

Hearing this, Johnston couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief in his heart, the Big John Cannon was the last weapon he used to take the Huojia Army fortress, after accidentally being destroyed by the Huo Family's long-range heavy artillery, Johnston never used it again in the past few days even if the soldiers died, but the Chinese opposite the scholars, within the range of Big John, built a strong fortification for these two big guys, in order to be able to completely destroy the damn defense line that blocked them for a month.

After pacing back and forth in the war room for a few steps, Johnston decisively gave the order, "Order the artillery, after half an hour, launch a full-scale artillery bombardment, especially the Big John Cannon, and must destroy the fortifications in the center of the Chinese defense line for me to open the passage for the infantry to attack."

After hearing his words, Brock Senna nodded and walked out with an excited expression.

"This time, you must use all your strength and take it down!" Johnston said to himself with a solemn expression and a hint of excitement as he looked at the continuous fortress groups crawling on the ground like giant beasts in the distance.