Comrade, Your Ingredients Are Too Complicated

Chapter 244: Defeat Taiyuan, of course

 After the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain, troops at all levels returned to their bases one after another.

 Among them, the 120th Division retreated the fastest. In addition to returning to northwest Shanxi to continue to shoulder the task of guarding the border area, comrades also had to return to the base area to cooperate with the fellow villagers in planting potatoes.

 After all, there are already signs of famine in the province, so the more food, the better.

The 129th Division retreated relatively slowly, mainly because the deputy commander-in-chief ordered the four main regiments to go deep into Zhongtiao Mountain to clean up the remaining broken Japanese troops.

It’s a pity that the supply line in this battle is too long, and continuous fighting puts too much pressure on logistics. After all, we can’t just let the Air Division airdrop supplies to the pursuing troops every now and then.

As for the remaining enemies, they will naturally be handed over to the Central Army and the Shanxi-Sui Army.

Although within the entire Zhongtiao Mountain, the only well-organized troops left were the Ninth Army, the Ninety-third Army of the Central Army, and the 358th Regiment of the Shanxi-Sui Army.

 But the strength of these three troops is enough to kill most of the enemies who have no supplies and lack heavy weapons.

As for the time issue, that is not the point. No one would mind letting the Japanese experience life in Southeast Asia in advance.

 At the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army, an extremely interesting scene was taking place in the combat conference room.

Our Captain Li Da perfectly explained what it means to be restless at this time. He sat stiffly in the position of host and guest, and the host next to him was his own brigade commander.

Since the deputy general staff officer owed Lao Li a drink, he was naturally dragged to the headquarters for dinner after the battle of Zhongtiao Mountain.

 The food on the table is very rich, including fish, pork and vegetables.

This is not an extravagance by the bosses. The fish was caught by the brigade commander himself in the river this morning, the pig was a paralyzed two-crop pig that could not produce crops, and the vegetables were grown by the chef at the headquarters.

The whole meal was about making the best use of everything, and there was nothing special about it at all.

Looking at the brigade commander pouring himself a glass of Fenjiu, Li Yunlong forced out an ugly smile, and his hands holding the wine glass couldn't stop shaking.

 The deputy commander-in-chief, deputy general staff officer, division commander and brigade commander gathered together. For a dinner of this size, few people in the entire 129th Division could enjoy such treatment.

 Looking at his beloved general's uncomfortable look, the brigade commander's fun-loving nature emerged again. He patted Li Yunlong's strong back and said in a "cold" tone:

“Mr. Li, don’t you usually like to drink? How come you are so coquettish after winning a battle?”

"Are you complaining about my poor hospitality? Do you want me to find someone who can drink to accompany you? Let you drink to your heart's content."

As soon as these words came out, everyone present looked at Li Yunlong with smiles on their faces, and it felt a bit like a three-chamber trial.

Although he knew that his brigade commander must be joking, Lao Li still had a creepy feeling. Coupled with the smiling eyes of the teacher, this scene is simply scarier than jumping out of a transport plane for the first time.

To break the situation, he suddenly stood up from his seat. With a serious face, he said righteously:

“What division commander? We only have one division commander in the 129th Division!”

“Those are all soldiers making a fool of themselves during the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain. Please don’t take it seriously!”

 After explaining, Lao Li picked up the cup and drank the Fenjiu in one gulp. Then he put the wine glass aside and had no intention of continuing to drink.

 At this table, the deputy commander does not drink alcohol easily and mainly drinks tea. The teacher is a teetotaler, and his biggest hobby is reading.

The brigade commander used to be able to take a few sips, but now for the sake of his health, he has given up smoking and drinking.

The only deputy general staff officer who can drink with him happens to be unable to drink freely due to health reasons.

If Li Yunlong dared to drink alcohol in this scene, the brigade commander would definitely make him walk around without food.

He even had the urge to stay in northwestern Shanxi for a few days. After all, Mr. Huzi always kept his pipe in hand and could take a few sips when he had nothing to do.

　　In the end, the deputy general staff officer spoke up and put an end to the joker.

 “Okay, you guys, please stop teasing him.”

“Li Yunlong, take the wine with you when you go back later. Just eat more today. We have business to talk about later.”

 After the small talk, everyone began to summarize the harvest.

 This battle is of great significance to the Eighth Route Army. If the Hundred Regiment Battle is to allow troops at all levels in the three major military regions to master the tactics of positional warfare and encounter warfare.

 The Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain allowed the soldiers to practice infantry and artillery coordination and air-ground coordination.

 As long as they experience another large-scale battle, troops at all levels will definitely be able to fully explain what the superior firepower theory is.

 After all, a strong army must understand what it means to build an army through science and technology.

 Both commanders and combatants need to keep pace with the times, fully utilize their own advantages on the battlefield, and achieve victory with minimal casualties.

 The above are gains from a tactical perspective, and there is also a lot of money to be made at a strategic level.

The first one was to deal with the fierce enemy of the First Army of the North China Front. After losing three divisions and three brigades, Yoshio Iwamatsu was like a toothless tiger, letting anyone round him up and flatten him.

 With only a short rest, the entire Jin Province can be recovered.

Secondly, most of the Central Army has withdrawn from Zhongtiao Mountain, making the Eighth Route Army's development space extremely broad. Although China won this battle in southern Shanxi, it dampened the arrogance and effectiveness of the invaders. However, considering the casualties of the Fifth Army and the Fourteenth Army, the battle can only be said to be a small victory for Guo Preserved.

 At present, all the defenders in the entire defense line need to return to the south of the Yellow River for temporary rest and replenishment before they can return to the interior of Zhongtiao Mountain.

 Such a bad situation will inevitably result in Guoju being unable to mobilize a large number of troops to fill the empty defense line in a short period of time.

This period is the golden period for the development of the Eighth Route Army. When the Zhongtiao Mountain defense line is restored to what it was before the battle, it is uncertain what kind of development TG can develop Jin Province into.

 In the end, the problem of the Jin Dynasty was naturally solved. Yan Laoxi made a lot of stupid moves this time.

 After one battle, not only did they lose the support of the people, but they also suffered a complete defeat in public opinion. The only benefit gained was just a few counties in remote locations.

When the Japanese surrendered the county seat, they not only looted everything of value in the city, but also transported all the most important food, weapons and ammunition to Taiyuan.

The territories occupied by the Jinsui Army were almost all empty cities.

 That is to say, everyone did not hold him accountable for the sake of the united front, otherwise he would never have any good fruits to eat.

 In this battle, the Eighth Route Army killed three birds with one stone and solved many problems in one go. No matter from any angle, it’s a win!

  ·······

When everyone was discussing the gains from this battle, Li Yunlong seized the opportunity to eat and drink, and really carried out the words of the deputy general staff.

 When I was eating the elbow, I accidentally choked myself.

Looking at Lao Li who was beating his chest wildly in an attempt to calm down, the brigade commander helplessly held his forehead, with a look of hatred on his face.

“Eat, eat, eat! You know how to eat! The 1st Marine Corps has the best food in the entire army. How can you, the commander of the regiment, be like reincarnation of a starving ghost?”

"Now tell me, what are the next goals of our three main forces? If you can't answer it, you don't have to leave. Just stay at the headquarters as a staff officer for a month."

Although Li Yunlong did not participate in the previous discussion, it does not mean that he is not thinking.

The reason why I don't express my own opinions is not only that everyone here is a big boss that I can't afford to offend, but also because the 1st Marine Regiment is not suitable for the next combat mission.

If you skydive over urban areas, the risk is too great and the accident rate will be much higher than in the wild. Moreover, there are dense buildings in big cities, making it inconvenient to set up assembly areas.

The 1st Marine Regiment is the elite of the entire army, and Lao Li can't do anything for free.

“Where else could it be, it must be Taiyuan.”

“Next, the Japanese will definitely shrink their troops and rely on city walls and a large number of fortifications to defend.”

“At present, we have not trained for urban combat. This battle still relies on infantry and artillery coordination and air-ground cooperation.”

 No one was surprised that Li Yunlong could give the correct answer in one breath.

　　It would be outrageous to say that he is now the commander of the special forces directly under the army. It would be outrageous if he did not have this strategic vision.

As for the combat mission of the 1st Marine Regiment, the deputy commander-in-chief has not yet thought of specific arrangements, but it is definitely not to be thrown into Taiyuan City to fight with the Japanese in street battles.

No fool would do this kind of prodigal thing.

 “Yes! We’re going to hit Taiyuan!”

“Let’s discuss it carefully today and try to come up with a combat plan.”

Since the fall of Taiyuan on November 8, 1937, this historical city has been in dire straits, and the people in the city have suffered humiliation and ravage.

There are many benefits to capturing Taiyuan. First of all, it is the headquarters of the First Army of the North China Front. There must be a large amount of supplies stored in the city.

 In this battle of Zhongtiao Mountain, no matter how conceited the Japanese are, they still have to prepare all kinds of materials that four divisions and three independent mixed brigades will need for a month.

 Now that the First Army exists in name only, these things must be obtained as much as possible.

  Secondly, Taiyuan’s industrial base is very good and ranks among the best in North China. Coupled with an arsenal, it is definitely a rare treasure.

 The last step is to lower the morale of the enemy and improve the confidence of the whole country in resisting Japan.

However, attacking Taiyuan is also difficult. Its city wall is about 12 meters high, 6 to 10 meters wide at the top, and 15 meters wide at the bottom.

 For the Eighth Route Army, which does not have heavy artillery, it is a very challenging task to break through many permanent fortifications and blow open the city walls.

Once the attack begins, the 26th Division, the Cavalry Group, and the 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade in the north, and the 110th Division and the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade in the south will definitely provide reinforcements.

This means that the three major military regions need to coordinate operations. The 120th Division and the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region must firmly block the reinforcements from Hebei Province and Suiyuan.

 Next, the four bosses spent the whole day discussing specific combat plans and contingency plans, and it was not until after dark that they came up with a first draft.

 But what is certain now is that the scale of this battle will not be smaller than the Hundred Regiments Battle.

  Wake up and make changes again, and all the updates you owe will be paid off.

 (End of this chapter)