After Yang Ling and the others completed the rescue of the captured officers and soldiers and escorted them safely to the Dahongshan guerrilla zone, they were immediately ordered to go to Enshi, Hubei, because that was where the re-established headquarters of the Sixth Theater Commander was located.
Chen Cheng's Sixth War Zone shoulders the important task of guarding the capital Chongqing. At the same time, he also serves as the chairman of Hubei Province. Therefore, the commander's headquarters of the Sixth War Zone is established in Enshi, a small town in Hubei.
With the headquarters of the Sixth War Zone Commander, Hubei Provincial government agencies and units, as well as many schools and factories moving into Enshi, this small town has become noisy and lively.
However, as a large number of government agencies and factories retreated to the small city of Enshi, various problems also followed.
The most important problem was the housing problem. More than 100,000 people, officers and soldiers poured into Enshi, causing the small town to become overcrowded. Most people could only build shacks to live temporarily.
So when Chen Cheng, commander of the Sixth War Zone, arrived in Enshi and set up his headquarters in the Ai family ancestral hall, the first thing he did was to organize manpower to build houses, because all the agencies and units he accompanied were crowded into a few small houses, which was really difficult.
Office.
Fortunately, Enshi, Hubei Province is rich in products, and with the influx of a large number of people, there are enough manpower. After only half a month of work, new houses have been built. In order to prevent Japanese air raids, many houses were built.
At that time, many air-raid shelters were specially dug.
Since Wuhan and other places have fallen, a large number of government agencies and factories have moved to Enshi, so Enshi has actually become the temporary administrative and military economic center of Hubei Province, and all aspects are booming.
When Yang Ling and his Flame Special Forces arrived at the small town of Enshi in Hubei Province after an arduous journey, they felt as if they were in a dream when they saw the hordes of merchants and cavalry and the shouting merchants and hawkers.
Now there are wars everywhere outside, and the Japanese-occupied areas are run rampant by Japanese and puppet army bullies. The economy is depressed and it looks dilapidated.
But in this small town of Yangling, they finally felt the vitality. The officers and soldiers of the Lieyan Special Warfare Brigade who had just returned from the bloody battlefield felt as if they were in another world.
After Yang Ling and the others submitted their documents to the security forces stationed in Enshi and received proof of identity, they were sent to a camp to rest and standby.
When Yang Ling and others arrived in Enshi, at the Ai family ancestral hall where the headquarters of the Sixth War Zone Commander was located, the Sixth War Zone Commander Chen Cheng had just concluded a meeting of senior generals after the Sixth War Zone was reset.
Now that the Sixth War Zone has been re-established, the Chongqing Military Commission has assigned five army groups to the Sixth War Zone. Their main task is to block Yichang and other places to prevent the Japanese from continuing to advance westward and threaten Chongqing.
General Wu Qiwei's Jiang Defense Army, which was assigned to the Sixth Theater, was the top priority for defense. Therefore, if Jiang Defense was breached, the Japanese would move up the Yangtze River and attack Chongqing.
Therefore, after the meeting of senior officers above the division level held in the Sixth War Zone, Commander-in-Chief Chen Cheng deliberately left General Wu Qiwei, the commander of the Jiang Defense Army, to have a private conversation and listen to his combat plan for the Jiang Defense Army's defense against the Japs.
"Now our Jiang Defense Force has very few ships. They can only be used to maintain patrols. It is difficult to confront the Japanese fleet head-on. Therefore, our main defense focus is the coastal defense forts."
The Chinese naval force was almost completely wiped out in the battle at Jiangyin a few years ago. Now several gunboats belonging to the Jiangyin defense force have even captured the Japanese.
Those ships that were converted from merchant fishing boats were fine for transporting troops and patrolling. Once they encountered Japanese ships, they would only be beaten. Therefore, the commander of the Jiang Defense Force, General Wu Qiwei, focused his defense on the shore.
"The waterway from Yichang to Chongqing has many narrow places. I plan to build forts in these places. Once the Japanese ship wants to go upstream, we will surely sink it so that it cannot threaten Chongqing."
"I agree with your idea. We have few ships. If we go head-to-head on the river, we will hit you with eggs and stones. We will not do the business that makes us lose money. After you go back, you will build a large number of coastal defense forts according to your plan, but only build forts.
not enough."
"Please give me your instructions, Chief Chen." General Wu Qiwei asked humbly.
"If the Japanese advance by land and water, once the coastal defense forts are captured, there will be a gap in our defense. Therefore, I suggest that we sink ships in narrow areas of the river. They must be connected with iron chains. This can be used to organize the Japanese ships to go upstream.
The second line is released."
"Of course, the so-called best defense is to attack. While you are actively defending, your Jiang defense troops can also launch active attacks on the Japs' bases along the river. This can not only consume the Japs' power, but also seize the initiative on the battlefield.
"
"What Chief Chen said is that when I go back, I will have the staff office perfect and formulate a practical combat plan." General Wu Qiwei immediately agreed.
General Wu Qiwei also expressed his difficulties while agreeing: "Sir Chen, to be honest, our Jiang Defense Army has suffered serious losses after several battles, and is seriously short of weapons and soldiers. Now the Japanese have heavy troops in various bases.
We are stationed there, and given the current situation of our army, if we take the initiative to provoke the Japanese, I am worried that by then we will kill one thousand enemies and lose eight hundred to ourselves, which may not be worth the gain."
"What do you mean?" Chen Cheng stared at General Wu Qiwei and asked curiously.
"Now that it's all said and done, I won't hide it from Commander Chen. I implore Commander Chen to allocate a batch of weapons, ammunition and additional troops to our Jiang Defense Army." General Wu Qiwei gritted his teeth and said.
After hearing what Wu Qiwei said, Commander-in-Chief Chen Cheng stood up with a solemn expression, walked slowly to the window, pondered for a while and then turned around and said: "I can allocate a batch of weapons and ammunition to you, but I'm afraid there are not many additional troops at the moment.
Difficulties, you also know, many troops have suffered heavier losses than your Jiang Defense Force."
After bloody battles, many troops were almost wiped out, and large areas of the country fell. Now the main source of troops of the Chinese Army relies on several provinces in the southwest. It can be said that the source of troops has almost been exhausted.
In this battle, the 18th Division of the 18th Army under his direct command was almost exhausted, and they were waiting to replenish their troops. Now that there were too many troops, the only priority was to replenish those direct troops and those that had suffered heavy losses.
After General Wu Qiwei heard this, a look of disappointment immediately flashed across his face. Their division, which was originally affiliated to the Ninth War Zone, was now assigned to the Sixth War Zone and immediately became a stepmother. Naturally, he knew that Chief Chen had selfish motives.
Priority will be given to replenishing his direct troops.
"Of course, when there are enough reinforcements, I will replenish your Jiang Defense Army as soon as possible."
He was not very happy to see General Wu Qiwei, and the newly appointed Chen Cheng did not want to offend anyone. After all, he had to rely on them to defend himself against the Japanese.
"Thank you very much, Chief Chen." Although he was dissatisfied, General Wu Qiwei still expressed his gratitude.
"Don't worry too much. When you don't have enough troops and launch an active attack on the Japanese, I will send elite troops to support you, such as Yang Ling's Lieyan Special Warfare Brigade."
"Yangling Lieyan Special Warfare Brigade?"
A flash of light flashed in General Wu Qiwei's eyes. If the Lieyan Special Forces Brigade could really assist them, it would really be a great help to their Jiang Defense Army.
Because the Lieyan Special Warfare Brigade is now well-known, and Yang Ling, the commander of the Lieyan Special Warfare Brigade, has some connections with them.
When General Liu Xing served as the commander of the Jiang Defense Army, Yang Ling fought side by side with their Jiang Defense Army to defend Jiangyin in the battle of Jiangyin.
Later, during the Battle of Wanjialing, he was the commander-in-chief of the former enemy, and Yang Ling was the colonel commander of the 74th Army. They had fought on the same battlefield. Although he had never met Yang Ling, he was familiar with Yang Ling's name.
But it was like thunder.
"It would be great if the Flame Special Operations Brigade really helps." General Wu Qiwei said happily.