Teams of civilians were meandering up the mountain along the rugged mountain road. Because the mountain road was too steep, all the carts used to carry supplies could no longer be used. Even the wheelbarrows known as "wooden cows and stray horses" could not be used.
The only way for civilians to carry supplies up the mountain is by carrying them on their backs, which immediately greatly reduces efficiency.
Xu Rui has already led his troops to catch up with the transport team and set up a warning position at the Black Wind Pass.
Xu Rui originally prepared a plan to hide the enemy's pursuers, but what he never expected was that He Shuya performed so well that he directly burned the Japanese reinforcements in the direction of Fengyang in Huilonggou, and the enemy reinforcements in the direction of Pukou were burned.
The Japanese reinforcements finally arrived at Huilonggou at dawn, but inexplicably turned around and returned south.
When the security team came back with the news that the Japanese troops in Pukou were returning south, Xu Rui dared not believe it.
Immediately afterwards, news that confused Xu Rui even more came one after another. The Japanese who had left Shijiakeng in front of Pucheng and were preparing to cut off the retreat of the brigade also retreated back to Pucheng.
At this time, Xu Rui immediately felt that something was unusual.
Xu Rui immediately summoned Leng Tiefeng, Wan Zhongshan, Hei Pi, and of course He Shuya, Huang Shouxin, Mei Jiuling and more than 20 youth training team trainees.
Xu Rui confessed all the confusion in his heart, and then asked: "Tell me, what do you think?"
Leng Tiefeng, Wan Zhongshan and Hei Pi all frowned and remained silent, and most of the twenty or so student soldiers were also lost in thought.
In the end, it was He Shuya who was the first to say: "Captain, the Japs suddenly gave up the pursuit. There are only two possibilities. The first possibility is that the fire in Huilonggou caused the Japs commander to misjudge and thought that the army
Most of the supplies on the list have been burned, so continuing to pursue them is risky and the benefits are small, so it is not worth it."
Heipi and several other student soldiers nodded, this was also their idea.
Xu Rui knew that this possibility was very small, and asked: "What about the second possibility?"
He Shuya said: "The second possibility is that the Japanese commander is convinced that it is impossible to recapture the materials from us, so he begins to deal with the situation after the materials are robbed. If I am not wrong, this situation should be very difficult.
, so that the Japanese no longer have the energy to take care of us."
As soon as He Shuya said these words, almost everyone's expressions suddenly changed.
Leng Tiefeng was the first to shout: "Nerd, you mean the Japs in Huaihe River are in big trouble!"
Only Heipi was slow to react and said in confusion: "Impossible, what big trouble can the Japs in the Huaihe battlefield cause?"
"Xiao Hei, you are stupid." Leng Tiefeng said angrily, "We intercepted half of more than 3,000 tons of supplies, and the remaining half was burned by a fire. In this way, the two Japanese divisions on the Huaihe battlefield
The regiment will soon be in a desperate situation of running out of ammunition and food. If the fifth theater mobilizes heavy troops to launch a counterattack, the northward cluster of Japanese troops in Central China will most likely collapse!"
Heipi still didn't turn around and frowned: "Aren't the Japs going to send supplies to the Huaihe battlefield anymore?"
"Do you think the Japs' supplies were brought by strong winds?" Leng Tiefeng said, "This is 3,000 tons of supplies, enough to sustain two Japs divisions to launch a large-scale battle, or to guarantee regular operations for at least two divisions for half a year.
We need it, but now that everyone is gone, do you think it will be easy for the Japanese to assemble so many supplies?"
Xu Rui said solemnly: "A mere 3,000 tons of military supplies should not be a problem for the Japanese government, but it is by no means easy to raise so much supplies in a short time and transport them to China in time and send them to the Huaihe battlefield.
According to optimistic estimates, it will take at least half a month. According to pessimistic estimates, it will most likely take a month."
Leng Tiefeng said: "In other words, the fifth theater will last at least half a month?"
He Shuya said: "If the Nationalist Government can decisively make up its mind and transfer all the hundreds of thousands of troops gathered on the Xuzhou battlefield to the Huaihe battlefield, it will have a chance to severely damage or even completely annihilate the northward cluster of Japanese troops in Central China. After all, the Japanese troops in Central China will move northward.
The swarm will soon be out of ammunition."
Xu Rui immediately yelled: "Nerds, take the youth training team to make a simulated sand table, and then conduct war games on the spot. Let's see if we have a chance to eat the northward cluster of Japanese troops in Central China."
As soon as he said it was done, He Shuya immediately took more than 20 students from the youth training team to use local materials to make a sand table.
An hour later, a large field simulation sand table with an area of more than 100 square meters was completed. Due to the tight time, the sand table was very rough, but it basically conveyed the topography of the Huaihe River battlefield clearly. This is enough to prove that the youth training
The students in the team are by no means free earners, at least they are more than enough to serve as staff officers.
Xu Rui is becoming more and more satisfied with the performance of the youth training team, especially He Shuya.
Leng Tiefeng also gave Xu Rui a thumbs up secretly. When Xu Rui decided to start a youth training team, Leng Tiefeng used to make sarcastic remarks, but today, Leng Tiefeng is completely convinced.
Judging from He Shuya's performance, among the twenty or so trainees in the youth training team, there might actually be a chance to produce a few senior commanding talents.
It's a pity that they don't have that many troops to command them.
The sand table has been prepared, and now it’s time to simulate the deployment of troops on both sides.
At that moment, Xu Rui broke off more than a dozen twigs from a small tree and inserted them one by one to the north bank of the Huaihe River. While inserting them, Xu Rui explained: "This is Huainan. On the south bank is the 9th Japanese Division, and the 9th Division of the Japanese Army."
The divisions facing each other across the river are Liu Shiyi's 31st Army, Wang Zanbin's 48th Army and Yu Xuezhong's 51st Army. This is Bengbu. On the south bank is the Japanese 13th Division, on the north bank is General Zhang Zizhong's 59th Army, and on the north bank is the 59th Army of General Zhang Zizhong.
The 180th Division of the 59th Army occupies a prominent position on the south bank. In addition, Hu Zongnan's 17th Army is at the northern foot of the Dabie Mountains, not far from the Huaihe River battlefield."
Leng Tiefeng said: "Old Xu, how do you know this?"
Xu Rui smiled and said: "I saw it on the map at the 180th Division's headquarters that day."
Xu Rui was actually lying. At the headquarters of the 180th Division that day, he did not see the deployment of enemy and friendly forces on the entire Huaihe battlefield at all, because the 180th Division's combat map only had the 59th Army's own troop deployment, and the rest of the friendly forces
The deployment of troops was not known at all, and the Japanese troops on the opposite side only knew their numbers.
The reason Xu Rui knows so clearly is because he is a time traveler.
After a pause, Xu Rui continued: "The 31st Army and the 48th Army were almost crippled in the Battle of Songhu, and they were not seriously repaired after that. Therefore, the situation on the Huainan battlefield almost relied on Xuezhong's 51st Army.
The army is supporting it, let alone Bengbu, which is entirely supported by General Zhang Zizhong’s 59th Army alone.”
Leng Tiefeng said: "In other words, the troops on the Huaihe battlefield alone are not enough to launch a counterattack."
Xu Rui nodded and continued: "However, as long as Hu Zongnan's 17th Army is thrown into the Huaihe battlefield, the situation will immediately take a turn for the worse."
As Xu Rui spoke, he drew a large arc on the sand table.
This large arc starts from Gushi and Huoqiu at the northern foot of the Dabie Mountains, and goes straight east to Changfeng and Mingguang. In the blink of an eye, this arc is like the 51st Army, the 59th Army, and the 31st Army guarding the north bank of the Huaihe River.
The 48th Army formed a pincer attack from the north and south, and vaguely included the Japanese 9th and 13th Divisions on the south bank of the Huaihe River.
Seeing this arc, everyone present immediately became excited.
Because they knew that the 9th and 13th Divisions were about to run out of ammunition and food. If Hu Zongnan's 17th Corps really boldly crossed eastward from the northern foot of the Dabie Mountains, it would be very likely to encircle the northward cluster of Japanese troops in Central China on the south bank of the Huaihe River.
Once this happens, the Huaihe battlefield will usher in the greatest victory since the full-scale Sino-Japanese war broke out!
It is also possible to annihilate the two permanent divisions of the Japanese army in one fell swoop!
A God-given opportunity, this is simply a God-given opportunity for me!
Xu Rui immediately ordered Sai Hongfu to send a report to the 180th Division and inform Xiang Tianhu of their war situation analysis and the results of the war game on the sand table.
(Dividing line)
In recent days, the Bengbu battlefield has been relatively quiet.
The Japanese did not launch much offensive, and the 59th Army did not take the opportunity to counterattack. Since the Battle of Songhu, the situation on the battlefield has been that the Japanese army attacked and defended. This has become a convention. Even if the Japanese stopped attacking, their first reaction would be
It is often about strengthening fortifications rather than counterattacking.
The commander of the 180th Division, Xiang Tianhu, really wanted to counterattack, and the report also reached the army commander Zhang Zizhong.
Zhang Zizhong also felt that the pressure on the Japanese should be maintained, so he also asked the Fifth War Zone Chief for instructions whether to send additional reinforcements to launch an active offensive against the Japanese troops on the south bank of the Huaihe River. However, he was vetoed by the Fifth War Zone Chief because at that time the Fifth War Zone Chief
The theater commander's attention has been completely focused on the northern front.
On the northern front of the Xuzhou battlefield, the Japanese 5th and 10th divisions have gradually fallen into the siege of superior forces due to their lone troops. The commander of the fifth theater is dispatching troops from various battlefields to Taierzhuang and Linyi to prepare for the attack.
The 5th and 10th Divisions, which were alone, carried out encirclement and annihilation.
Against this background, the war zone commander ignored Zhang Zizhong's request to fight.
The considerations of the commander of the Fifth War Zone cannot be said to be wrong. After all, the strength is limited and it is impossible to counterattack the Japanese army in both the north and south directions at the same time. Therefore, under the premise of counterattack on the north line, it is best to take a defensive position on the south line. Zhang Zizhong also fully understood this.
The war zone commander had no intention of counterattack, so he gave up the thought of counterattack.
Without Zhang Zizhong's order, Xiang Tianhu would not have dared to act without authorization.
Early that morning, Xiang Tianhu was wiping his pistol out of boredom when Chief of Staff Yan Yuhui suddenly walked in excitedly.
Seeing the uncontrollable joy on Yan Yuhui's face, Xiang Tianhu couldn't help but joked: "Chief of Staff, what makes you so happy? Look at you, you are grinning right up to your ears."
