Chapter 437 Commander-in-Chief of Southeast Asia Theater
Chapter 437 Commander-in-Chief of Southeast Asia Theater
At the end of December of the 30th year of the Republic of China (1941), Chairman Chiang signed a promotion order and promoted Yue Weihan to the rank of first-class general.
On January 1, the 31st year of the Republic of China (1942), Chairman Chiang Kai-shek issued a New Year's Message as the leader of the government, expressing full support for the Chinese Expeditionary Force's strategic counteroffensive in the Southeast Asian battlefield. In addition to the millions of strong men and 100,000 students mobilized in the early stage,
, and also mobilized two ace armies from the more than 4 million troops in the rear area to rush to the front line in Burma.
The two ace armies are Huo Kuizhang's 20th Army and Song Xilian's 11th Army.
Among them, the 20th Group Army has 3 corps and 7 divisions, and the 11th Group Army has 3 corps and 9 divisions. These two armies are direct members of the Central Army of Chairman Chiang Kai-shek. The two commander-in-chiefs Huo Kuizhang and Song Xilian are from Huangpu.
Among the first-term students, the following six corps commanders and sixteen division commanders were all born in Huangpu, and even the regiment, battalion, and company-level officers were mostly from the Central Military Academy.
The Whampoa Military Academy or the Central Military Academy was Chairman Chiang's private military territory. Therefore, Chairman Chiang never doubted the loyalty of these two armies, let alone worried that these two armies would be forcibly reorganized by Yue Weihan, because these were the 16 armored troops of the two armies.
Master Zhong, if Yue Weihan really dared to force the reorganization, it would cause a mutiny.
Yangon, Chinese Expeditionary Force Headquarters.
Stilwell walked into Yue Weihan's office excitedly with a pipe in his mouth and a telegram. He said with a smile: "Yue, the approval from the Allied General Headquarters has come down. They agreed with our suggestion and decided to form a separate Southeast Asia."
Theater, you will serve as the commander-in-chief of the Southeast Asian theater, and I will serve as the chief of general staff."
"Oh, really?" Yue Weihan was overjoyed when he heard this.
The Southeast Asian Theater is at the same strategic level as the Chinese Theater. After Yue Weihan became the Commander-in-Chief of the Southeast Asian Theater, it meant that he was at the same level as the Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese Theater, Chairman Chiang. Of course, Yue Weihan did not care about this height.
What I care about is the great convenience brought by this identity!
More importantly, this appointment changed the historical disadvantageous phenomenon of overlapping powers.
Historically, there were four Allied headquarters with overlapping powers in the Asian battlefield, namely the China-Burma-India Theater with Chairman Chiang Kai-shek as Commander-in-Chief, the Anglo-India-Burma Theater with Alexander as Commander-in-Chief, and MacArthur as Commander-in-Chief.
The Asian Theater of Operations and the Burmese Theater of Operations with General Stilwell as Commander-in-Chief.
Now, this situation no longer exists.
After this appointment from the Allied General Headquarters is issued, at least until the end of World War II, Yue Weihan will become the de facto military dictator of the entire Southeast Asia region, and dozens of Western colonies and countries in Southeast Asia will become China's
In the replenishment area of the expeditionary force, the 150 million indigenous people in Southeast Asia will become ants under Yue Weihan's feet.
Stilwell handed the message to Yue Weihan casually, and then said: "Yue, I heard that Peanut (Chairman Chiang Kai-shek) sent you two ace armies. I think he must have ulterior motives. I don't know how you plan to arrange it."
?Give them a collective change of clothes, and then join the Chinese Expeditionary Force in the battle order, or deport them?"
"Return?" Yue Weihan shook his head repeatedly, "No, of course not."
Yue Weihan has always had a bad temper, so how could he not take a bite of the fat on his lips?
Huo Kuizhang's 20th Group Army and Song Xilian's 11th Group Army are the real elites of the Communist Party. They have been training with the little devils on the anti-Japanese battlefield for several years. The combat effectiveness of these 200,000 veterans is not comparable to that of millions of strong men.
This was a real help in times of need. Yue Weihan was worried that there were not enough veterans, so Chairman Chiang rushed to send them.
Of course, these two pieces of fat are not delicious, but don’t forget that this is Southeast Asia, and now it is Yue Weihan’s territory.
What is the saying? I have the final say on my territory! In Southeast Asia, there is really nothing that a local emperor like Yue Weihan cannot do. Chairman Chiang Kai-shek may have to be the captain of the transportation brigade in advance this time.
Well, these 200,000 veterans will probably be beaten by meat buns and dogs, and they will never come back.
"Yue, I must remind you that the 20th Army and the 11th Army are not the Fifth Army and the Sixth Army." Stilwell frowned and said patiently, "Before you came to Myanmar, the Fifth Army and the Sixth Army were
The Sixth Army has suffered several defeats in a row. The officers and soldiers are humiliated and long for victory, so they don't have much resistance to your arrival."
"In the subsequent series of battles, your motivational methods and commanding abilities were greatly recognized by the officers and ordinary soldiers of the Fifth and Sixth Armies. It was under this circumstance that the Fifth and Sixth Armies
I have followed the orders and prohibitions, but the officers and soldiers of the 20th Army and the 11th Army are direct descendants of Hua Mi, and are completely strangers to you."
"So I'm worried that these two group armies will go back to the country directly after changing their equipment. Even if they don't go back to the country immediately, they will never obey your orders, especially Huo Kuizhang and Song Xilian. These two people have nothing to do with Du Yuming.
The difference is that I have always been obedient to Huaimi's instructions and I would never dare to disobey him in the slightest."
"General Stilwell, I know all this." Yue Weihan said with a smile, "But no matter what, these are two powerful forces that have been in battle for a long time. With these two powerful forces in the Southeast Asian battlefield, the Allied forces defeated the Japanese invaders.
The certainty is greater. As for the obedience issue you are worried about, I think it is not a problem, really."
Looking at Yue Weihan's smiling expression, Stilwell suddenly felt a chill running down his spine.
This expression, this smile, seems like a cunning fox seeing the delicious chicken!
Stilwell shrugged and left doubtfully. Immediately, Yue Weihan called Luo Youlun and Liu Yi to the office.
With the first batch of 100,000 men entering Myanmar, the command structure of the Chinese Expeditionary Force must be established as soon as possible. Yue Weihan decided to form six field armies, each of which has 5 infantry divisions. In addition, direct airborne divisions and tank divisions must be formed.
, heavy artillery division, special operations division and aviation corps. In order to facilitate command, the two-level command structures of corps and brigade must be abolished.
Yue Weihan, Luo Youlun, and Liu Yi discussed briefly and quickly drafted the command structures of each group army and directly affiliated divisions.
The list of command structures of the Chinese Expeditionary Force in Southeast Asia Theater is as follows:
Chinese Expeditionary Force (Allied Southeast Asia Theater):
Airborne Division (adapted from the 1st Regiment of Baoshan Division):
Division Commander: Li Jiuding (Major General)
Chief of Staff: Yang Jiamao (Colonel)
Tank Division (adapted from Cavalry Brigade):
Division Commander: Liu Fengsheng (Major General)
Chief of Staff: Zhao Youting (Colonel)
Heavy Artillery Division (adapted from Artillery Brigade):
Division Commander: Niu Dagen (Major General)
Chief of Staff: Zhang Guowei (Colonel)
Special Operations Division (expanded from Special Operations Brigade):
Division Commander: Liu Tiezhu (Major General)
Chief of Staff: Chu Zhongtian (Colonel)
Aviation Corps (temporarily vacant):
Yunnan, Chuxiong.
Two jeeps slowly stopped beside the road.
As the car door opened, two major officers quickly got out of the car from the passenger seat, then turned around and opened the door. Immediately, two *** generals with the rank of lieutenant general on their collar badges bent down and got out of the car. This person was none other than someone else. Shockingly,
It was General Song Xilian, commander-in-chief of the 11th Group Army of the National Revolutionary Army, and General Wang Lingyun, commander of the 2nd Army.
Song Xilian and Wang Lingyun were both first-term students of Huangpu, and both were Chairman Chiang's favorite students.
Song Xilian and Wang Lingyun got out of the car and immediately strolled up the hill next to the highway.
Standing on the hill and looking down, I saw the rolling traffic of the 2nd Army of the 11th Group Army and the mighty marching column slowly heading towards Myanmar along the Burma Road.
Seeing the billowing smoke and dust and witnessing such a spectacular marching scene, endless heroism immediately emerged from the bottom of their hearts.
While the two were sighing, a major officer had already hurriedly climbed to the top of the mountain.
"General, urgent telegram from Yangon!" the major officer snapped to attention and handed the telegram in his hand to Song Xilian.
"Yangon?" Song Xilian frowned, and immediately reached out to take the telegram. After reading only a few lines, Song Xilian's expression changed.
"Brother Yin Guo (characterized by Song Xilian), what did Yue Weihan say?" Wang Lingyun next to him couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that this guy has already dismissed you and me from our posts before we even arrived in Myanmar?"
"Dismissal? Yes, no." Song Xilian shook her head and said with a bitter smile, "You'd better see for yourself."
After that, Song Xilian handed the telegram to Wang Lingyun. Wang Lingyun took the telegram, and there was a long list of names on it. It was the command structure of the Chinese Expeditionary Force. The designation of the 11th Group Army had been changed to China Expeditionary Force.
Song Xilian is still the commander-in-chief of the 1st Group Army, but the three army commanders have been transferred. Zhong Bin, commander of the 71st Army, became the deputy commander-in-chief of the 1st Group Army, and Wang Lingyun became the deputy commander-in-chief of the 1st Group Army.
Chief of Staff, and Commander Wang Jie of the 9th Army was directly transferred to the headquarters and became the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Chinese Expeditionary Force.
"Damn it, what is Yue Weihan doing?" Wang Lingyun's face suddenly darkened.
Wang Lingyun was transferred from the commander of the 2nd Army to the chief of staff of the 1st Army. He was promoted in name, but in fact he was demoted!
There is an old saying in China that it is better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. In the Second Army, Wang Lingyun was the commander of the army. He was the first brother in the true sense and the boss of the matter. But after he arrived at the group army headquarters, he
Now that he has become the second brother or even the third brother, he has to look up to Song Xilian for everything and look at Song Xilian's face. How can he be embarrassed?
"Brother, please be patient." Song Xilian said with a relaxed expression, "The abolition of the army and brigade command structures is also expected. Besides, although the 11th Group Army has been reduced from nine divisions to
There are 5 divisions, but the total strength has soared from more than 40,000 to nearly 80,000, and they are all art weapon masters. What else do you and I have to be dissatisfied with?"
After that, Song Xilian patted Wang Lingyun's shoulder again, then put his hands behind his back and walked slowly down the hill.
Watching Song Xilian go down the mountain, Wang Lingyun gritted his teeth with hatred. Even though the 11th Army was the Central Army, most of the chief officers at all levels were from the Huangpu Military Academy, there were also many factions within it, including Wang Lingyun, Zhong Bin and so on.
The army commander usually does not take credit for Song Xilian, the commander-in-chief, and the armies of the group army also have their own systems.
However, as soon as Yue Weihan sent this telegram, the small group of army commanders such as Wang Lingyun, Zhong Bin, and Wang Jie immediately fell apart. Song Xilian took control of the entire army at once. As the commander-in-chief, he finally became a
Commander-in-chief, for Song Xilian, isn't this a big pie falling from the sky?
Stilwell, an old American man, didn't understand China's national conditions, so he didn't know how insidious Yue Weihan's methods were.
Yue Weihan's method is actually not clever. He is clearly imitating the ancient "two peaches kill three soldiers". As long as there is a power struggle between the Huangpu generals in the 11th Group Army and the 20th Group Army, Yue Weihan can take advantage of it, and there will always be a chance.
Defeat them one by one until they finally fully control the two ace armies.
Of course, in this regard, Yue Weihan can only be regarded as a child at best, and Chairman Chiang is the real master!
When the Northern Expedition began, the only army that Chairman Chiang could actually control was the 1st Army, which numbered less than 20,000 people. It was precisely by virtue of his skillful political skills that Chairman Chiang constantly provoked conflicts among local warlords and among local warlords.
Internal power struggles then continued to erode and annex the troops of local warlords to strengthen themselves.
Before the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, many local warlords such as the Gan Army, the Hunan Army, the Northwest Army, and the Northeast Army had ceased to exist. However, Chairman Chiang’s army had soared from less than 20,000 people at the beginning.
Two million people have become the unquestionable "big brother" of the Republic of China. Other local warlords need to unite to compete with them.
After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Chairman Chiang's use of "differentiation and co-optation" was reached to the extreme, and he successively defeated the Sichuan Army, the Guangdong Army, the Gui Army, the Yunnan Army and the Shanxi-Sui Army. Now, in addition to the ***
The Eighth Route Army led by Mao Zedong was still fighting independently, and the troops of other local warlords had already changed their surname to Jiang.
However, Chairman Chiang also made mistakes sometimes.
Other local warlords have already obeyed, but Yue Weihan, a junior, is very powerful, and has quickly formed a trend of being the last one. Now, Yue Weihan has become the commander-in-chief of the Southeast Asian Theater, and his international status is enough to compete with
Chairman Chiang is now on an equal footing. How can this make Chairman Chiang feel embarrassed?