Baldhead ordered Minister of Military Affairs He Yingqin to convene senior generals, staff and relevant personnel of the National Government agencies to study countermeasures. Within three months, He Yingqin held thirty-three meetings in the large living room of his official residence in Gulou Doujizhai.
Starts at 9pm.
Thirty or forty ministers, chief ministers, chairman, directors, department heads, directors and directors, and committee members listened carefully to the information transmitted from the war in Shanghai, imagined various possibilities, and discussed various strategic arrangements.
Because Jinling and Shanghai are so close, the train can reach them in less than a few hours. If Shanghai falls, Jinling will definitely be in danger. Therefore, they are most concerned about two major events.
One is the issue of moving the capital, and the other is whether to build fortifications and strengthen defenses between Jinling and Shanghai.
There have been endless debates over these discussions.
Baldhead is a sober man and a master of micro-management. He is very clear about the ambitions of the Japanese army. After the Japanese army takes over Shanghai, they will never stay in Shanghai. Their appetite will become bigger and bigger. Since the September 18th Incident, the East
With the fall of four provinces, the appetite of the Japanese army grew little by little.
Therefore, when the war in Shanghai was going on in an intense and orderly manner, Baldhead had been thinking about the defense of Jinling City. Once the Japanese army captured Shanghai, the next target must be Jinling. Jinling is the capital and the top priority of China. Baldhead has no doubts about the defense of Jinling City.
How to defend Jinling, I don't have the slightest confidence in my heart.
Therefore, within a few days after the Battle of Songhu broke out, he found Falkenhausen, who was the head of the German Military Advisory Group, hoping that he would have a good plan.
Falkenhausen was an upright general who made great contributions to China's War of Resistance. He drew up a master strategic blueprint for the War of Resistance against Japan. He also invested in China's military training, reform, military equipment, navy, air force, and air defense facilities.
He worked hard and did a lot of work conscientiously.
After the start of World War II, due to the special relationship between Japan and Germany, Hitler strictly ordered the advisory group to return to China in 1938. The members of the German advisory group headed by Falkenhausen were unwilling to leave China when China needed them. Hitler even refused to return to China in the end.
Threats of treason, cancellation of nationality, confiscation of property, and the safety of their families in Germany. Even so, many members of the advisory group remain in China.
However, under the pressure of Nazi Germany, Falkenhausen and other advisers boarded a ship in Guangzhou on July 8, 1938 to return to China. After returning to China, Falkenhausen was appointed as the supreme commander of the German army in northern France and Belgium.
The prototype of "Chinese Women Under the Guns of the Gestapo" is based on Falkenhausen. When he was the top commander of the German army in northern France and Belgium, von Falkenhausen was assisted by the "Chinese Schintler" Qian Xiuling.
He relied on his official position to try his best to rescue the underground resisters in Belgium who were arrested by the Nazis, so that no tragedy like France happened in Belgium.
He is undoubtedly a conscientious consultant, and Bald Head also trusts him very much. Bald Head gave him a certain amount of time to familiarize himself with China's situation, and then asked him to formulate a strategic plan for national defense construction.
Falkenhausen's understanding of China was limited to books. If he wanted to have a deeper understanding of China, he needed to conduct an on-the-spot investigation of China's terrain. Baldhead agreed to his request and sent Chief of Staff He Yaozu to accompany him.
Falkenhausen, He Yaozu and his party took a small cruiser, departed from Xiaguan Pier in Jinling, passed through the Yangtze River, entered the sea from the Huangpu River, and then sailed south to Zhenhai and Zhapu.
Zhenhai is an important port opposite the islands in today's Zhoushan Archipelago. After Falkenhausen and He Yaozu arrived here, they looked at the fortifications on the pier, which were built with bricks to build fragile fortifications and a semicircular exposed fort.
Facilities, as well as the accumulation of guns of various sizes and calibers, these outdated forts and backward shore guns made Falkenhausen frown.
The book mentioned China's backwardness, but I never thought that China would be so backward. These backward forts and shore batteries have no effect on modern defense.
Falkenhausen pointed to the exposed forts on the mountains and said: "I don't know what value these military equipment have in existence and use. They are too backward. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties when spears and broadswords were used, they were still used to bluff people.
Yes, but today, they have no effect. And with such forts exposed, the enemy will discover them at the first opportunity and completely destroy them through air power."
Falkenhausen's evaluation is quite simple and crude. These cannons are antiques from the Qing Dynasty. They are okay for scaring people, but they are completely insufficient for attacking warships at sea.
Then, they came to Zhapu in northern Zhejiang. On the ground protruding from the coastal plain, there were intricate reinforced concrete infantry fortifications built in a crisscross pattern.
Falkenhausen shook his head and frowned and said: "These fortifications are exposed on the ground and lack depth. How can they function as a defense against the enemy? If the enemy wants to log in from here, it is simply too convenient. Once they successfully log in from here,
, not only Shanghai, but also Shanghai will be threatened."
Facing Falkenhausen's suggestion, He Yaozu nodded repeatedly: "You are right, we will improve the fortifications here immediately."
Japanese aircraft could bomb the open-air fortifications at will, and the cannons on the ships could easily destroy the concrete bunkers of the bunker fortifications. Falkenhausen commented that they had no effect.
After the cruiser Falkenhausen rode entered the Yangtze River Estuary, they went up the river to the Jiangyin Fortress. They went ashore and followed the mountain road to the Jiangyin Fortress. Many of the fortifications here were built during the Qing Dynasty. Falkenhausen inspected
Later, it was proposed that Jiangyin is very important. The Yangtze River suddenly shrinks here, and this place will definitely become an important gate to Jinling and Jiangcheng. However, the defense facilities here are so old that they must be renovated or rebuilt immediately.
He Yaozu listened to Falkenhausen's words and asked: "Mr. Advisor, once a war breaks out, how do you think this place should be defended?"
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Falkenhausen looked back at the rolling river and said: "Block the Yangtze River!"
He said with great confidence and certainty: "Coupled with the newly built fort and the latest cannons produced by the German Krupp Factory, a strict blockade will be implemented. The enemy will not be able to reach Jinling if he cannot cross here."
After Falkenhausen's trip to the southeast, accompanied by Yu Dawei, director of the Ordnance Department of the Nationalist Government, they went deep into the interior for inspection. They still went up the river in a small warship.
The cruise has already entered midsummer. The sun is scorching and the heat is unbearable. Falkenhausen is so hot that he only wears a vest and trousers. He is standing on the warship waving a fan. He has a panoramic view of the beautiful scenery on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. He is reading "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" in his hand.
, quite leisurely and contented. When we arrived at the foot of Lushan Mountain, we were excited and full of praise for the picturesque scenery on the shore.
They passed through Hankou, Yichang, and Nanjin to the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. Looking at the terrain of the Three Gorges, Falkenhausen waved his hand and said to Yu Dawei: "This is very good. It is the best terrain to defend against the Japanese. If a war breaks out, the stronghold should be located here."
On the other side of the Three Gorges, the Japanese can't do anything to you. We will build a fortress at the mouth of the gorge."
After leaving the Three Gorges, Falkenhausen and his party came to Chuzhou and climbed Mount Emei. In the evening, Falkenhausen wrote down his experience of these days of inspection in the temple on the mountain, and then returned to Jinling with his things.
Found the bald head.
After he sat down, he said to the bald head: "China is too backward. It is like an old ox cart. It cannot be touched at all. If you touch it, it will completely fall apart. My idea is to turn this cart into pieces."
The old ox-cart was replaced part by part.”
Taking the strong coffee handed over by the bald Mrs. Song, he shook his head and said: "The task of your government at this stage is to be a car repairman, and to replace all the parts of this broken ox cart within three to five years.
New.”
Baldhead was very anxious about this, because the Battle of Songhu had already broken out, and they had no time to replace all the parts of this dilapidated ox cart.
Falkensenhower suggested that Baldhead should play the role of the "Hindenburg Line" to intercept the enemies advancing westward.
Falkenhausen said: "Once the Japanese invade, depending on your country's strength, it will not be possible to drive them away in one or two years. Based on your country's economy and terrain, you will have to fight a protracted war. To fight a protracted war, you must
Preset the battlefield and choose the rear area where we can accumulate strength for counterattack. In other words, from now on, we must look for a base for revival.”
What he meant was clear and obvious.
Jinling is no longer suitable to be the capital of a country. Japanese warships have stopped on the Huangpu River, and the Battle of Songhu has broken out. If the battle fails, the Japanese army will inevitably march westward into Jinling.
Falkenhausen followed his own train of thought. He did not talk about specific tactics, but first looked for a revival base. He said: "We might as well use the method that Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu wrote on the palms of their hands at the same time during the Three Kingdoms period. Look at me.
Do the two have the same idea of a rejuvenation base? What does Mr. Jiang think?"
Without waiting for the bald head to nod, Falkenhausen picked up the pen on the table and wrote two words on the palm of his hand. The bald head had no choice but to write two words on the palm of his hand. Falkenhausen saw the bald head.
After he finished writing, he smiled and said, "Let's open our palms together."
The two people opened their palms at the same time and couldn't help laughing. They coincided with each other. The words "Sichuan Fourth" were written on their palms. The bald man forgot his worries and said with a smile: "Mr. Consultant, we are heroes."
Slightly the same.”
"That's right, that's right!" Falkenhausen was also very happy and said: "Then please tell Mr. Jiang your opinion on why you chose Sichuan Fourth."
The bald head said: "I think Sichuan and Sichuan are rich in resources and have a large population. Judging from the terrain, it is mainly for dodge and there is enough room for maneuver. If the banks of the Yangtze River and Yellow River are lost, I will lead my troops to Sichuan to fight guerrillas and recruit troops for farming.
, waiting for an opportunity to revive.”
He thought of one of his old rivals, a very good guerrilla player.
"Oh." Falkenhausen nodded and said, "I agree with you. I like Sichuan and Sichuan for three reasons. One is that Zhuge Liang once went to Sichuan and Sichuan to develop, and it was full of vitality. This is my history.
The second reason is that the terrain of Fourth Sichuan can be used as a military fortress, and the mountains are numerous and high, which is a major feature."
He had been to Songhu, a large plain. The Japanese army advanced from the plain, which was a unique advantage.
"Even if Mr. Chiang's troops have almost fought, taking the remaining troops to climb Mount Emei, which is high and dangerous, isn't it equivalent to entering a safe? Another point is that Sichuan and Si are rice granaries. Anyone who leads troops must
Raising food and fundraising, Sichuan and Si have great potential to support the war."
Falkenhausen was not only familiar with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but also had an in-depth understanding of Sichuan and Sichuan. He knew that the Anti-Japanese War broke out and 3 million warriors from Sichuan and Sichuan came out to protect their homes and country.
The bald man was very convinced of Falkenhausen, and silently kept in mind his suggestion of finding a base for rejuvenation.
Seeing the bald head, Falkenhausen nodded repeatedly and continued his analysis: "Sichuan is just the rear of a protracted war, but the front, especially at the beginning of the war, must also be supported by Shanghai, Jinling, Jiangcheng, Pengcheng and other places.
Point, you can't withdraw to Sichuan and Si without fighting a battle. In that case, the political impact will be too bad. You will lose popular support and military morale throughout China, and in terms of military quality, you will be an unqualified ordinary commander.
Just a member."
Falkenhausen's evaluation is spot-on. The bald man is known as a master of micro-management and can turn victory into defeat.
"Do you mean to fight the Japanese in Shanghai, Jinling, Pengcheng, and Jiangcheng?"
"That's right."
Baldhead listened to Falkenhausen's words, and after the Battle of Songhu, he launched the Battle of Jinling, the Battle of Jiangcheng, and the Battle of Pengcheng, until the Central Army was exhausted. Of course, the Japanese army also paid heavy casualties.
Completely plunged into the huge quagmire of invading China.
"Then can you talk about your plan."
Falkenhausen is confident, and this is the result of testing his tours these days, "Shanghai, Jinling, Pengcheng, and Jiangcheng are big cities in China. The purpose of competing with the Japanese here is to use the buildings in these cities and consume them.
The enemy's ammunition will block the enemy's offensive pace, especially Jinling, which is your capital. You must call on the army and the people to fight a tough battle. Put forward the slogan of defending the capital to call on the people, and at the same time extend the position to defend the capital forward to Pingjiang.
In Xinwu, it is best to build a Hindenburg Line of Defense there similar to the one used in World War I. The function of this line of defense is to use a series of reinforced concrete bunkers and hard defensive positions to form a strong defense line."
The bald head agreed very much with Ping Jiang's suggestion, but he felt that it was very expensive to build such a line of defense. He felt that he could not afford it, so he was very worried and said: "With our economic strength, it may be difficult to build such a line of defense."
Falkenhausen lowered his face and said: "This is the great trust of the nation. The future security needs of the country and the capital are a major matter related to strategy. For such an important project, I think it must be done no matter how difficult it is!"
The bald head only felt that what he said was right, but felt very difficult in his heart. This was a huge military expenditure.
Annual military expenditures, weapons and equipment purchases, recruitment expenditures, etc. all require money. Construction according to the standards of the Hindenburg Line requires a lot of military expenditures.