At the headquarters of the Second War Zone in Southwest Shanxi, Yan Xishan was suddenly awakened by his chief of staff when he was dreaming of regaining Taiyuan.
"Commander, the military and political forces need an urgent telegram!" Seeing Yan Xishan's unhappy look, the chief of staff quickly handed the telegram to him and said.
"It took three days for the Japanese army to send troops to return reinforcements. Is Old Jiang treating me like a monkey?" The dissatisfied expression on Yan Xishan's face was directly replaced by anger, and he cursed mercilessly.
Then he ordered: "Go to the war room now!"
"Also, the Eighth Route Army attacked Taiyuan. Why didn't you report such a big thing earlier! I will take care of you after this matter is over, old man!"
When Yan Xishan rushed to the brightly lit headquarters, the staff had marked all relevant information on the sand table.
Before Yan Xishan could speak, the staff officer on duty ran over and reported: "Commander, the Japanese reinforcements in southwestern Shanxi are divided into two groups, two forward cavalry regiments, and a mechanized infantry brigade have already set off, very fast, and tomorrow at the latest
We can kill outside Taiyuan City at night!"
"It is almost impossible for us to hold them back according to the orders of the Ministry of Military Affairs, unless we directly mobilize the cavalry division directly under the theater to pass through the Japanese defense line and fight behind the Japanese army!"
"This is really too dangerous. A bad cavalry division will be attacked from both sides and the whole army will be destroyed. Our staff does not recommend this."
Seeing Yan Xishan's gloomy face and not speaking, the staff officer on duty continued his report.
"The second wave of Japanese reinforcements includes two infantry regiments and one artillery regiment, with a total strength of more than 8,000."
"The troops are gathering now. Preliminary estimate is that they will be out in two hours!"
"If we want to send troops to hold them back, we must set off now and mobilize at least three divisions to take the initiative!"
"In addition, the attacking troops will also face the dangerous situation of being attacked from both sides and the whole army will be destroyed!"
"Stop talking!" Yan Xishan finally spoke.
After giving the staff officer on duty a hard look, he cursed mercilessly: "Are you from the Central Army or the Shanxi-Sui Army? Send three main divisions through the Japanese defense line to intercept the Japanese returning reinforcements. At this glance,
I know it's a matter of narrow escape. These are the only troops left in our Jinsui Army. We lost three main divisions at one time. Old man, I will not do such a stupid thing!"
"Is it an order from the Military and Administrative Department?" the chief of staff suddenly reminded.
Yan Xishan frowned and did not come back immediately, but stared at the location of Taiyuan on the sand table.
As the former king of Shanxi, Yan Xishan wanted to return to Taiyuan more than anyone else.
However, the opponent, the Japanese North China Front Army, was too strong, and the Shanxi-Sui Army in their hands was not up to par, so they could only give up this idea again and again, and then entrenched themselves in southwest Shanxi, waiting for the opportunity.
The Eighth Route Army attacking Taiyuan City in front of him once again aroused his desire to return to Taiyuan City. Then he stared at the sand table and asked the chief of staff.
"Don't worry about holding back the Japanese reinforcements. We don't care about these few minutes. Chief of Staff, please introduce to me the fighting situation around Taiyuan City first! You all analyze whether Taiyuan City is likely to be recaptured by the Eighth Route Army!"
"Yes! Commander... the Eighth Route Army has assembled a main force of 50,000 people around Taiyuan City! The Japanese army has nearly 20,000 people, and there are more than 10,000 Imperial Army troops!"
"However, the Japanese and puppet troops are well-equipped and have sufficient ammunition. However, the Eighth Route Army has poor equipment and insufficient ammunition!"
"Although the Eighth Route Army now has the advantage on the battlefield, we infer that the longer this battle lasts, the more disadvantageous the Eighth Route Army will be, and the entire army may be destroyed!"
"The biggest problems are ammunition supply and air defense!"
"Without ammunition supplies, the Eighth Route Army had no choice but to fight with the Japanese with bayonets. And after dawn, Japanese planes would come to the battlefield and bomb the Eighth Route Army troops!"
"I understand!" Yan Xishan's face showed an expression of sudden realization.
"Old Chiang Kai-shek killed two birds with one stone. He forced the Eighth Route Army to attack Taiyuan City, killed people with a borrowed knife, and allowed the Japanese to consume the 50,000 Eighth Route Army troops around Taiyuan. Let us send troops to delay the Japanese returning reinforcements, and we can also consume several of our main divisions. Okay
Calculate!"
Having said this, the gloomy expression on Yan Xishan's face was directly replaced by a sneer.
"However, Chiang Kai-shek underestimated me, Yan Xishan, and the Eighth Route Army!"
"Does he think his single order can make the Eighth Route Army and the Japanese fight to the end? What a joke!"
"Commander, do you mean that the Eighth Route Army will disobey the military orders of the Military and Political Department!" the chief of staff asked with a frown.
"Of course not. If you directly disobey the order, it will give Chiang Kai-shek an opportunity to suppress them. Didn't you see the reply from the Eighth Route Army to the Ministry of Military Affairs: Only if we delay the Japanese troops returning to reinforcements will they continue to attack the city. Then Lao Chiang
Chiang gave us an order to hold back the Japanese reinforcements for three days, and our Jinsui Army was also included!"
"The Eighth Route Army calculated that we could not hold back the Japanese troops' return reinforcements, and then they had the courage to accept the order from the Military and Political Department to attack Taiyuan City. As for whether there were other reasons, I don't know!"
Hearing this, the chief of staff couldn't help but cursed: "Commander, the Eighth Route Army is too cunning. If it weren't for them, Chiang Kai-shek would never have thought of us!"
"Also, if we don't send troops to hold back the Japanese troops heading north to Taiyuan, then our Shanxi-Sui Army is disobeying the orders of the Military and Political Ministry. At that time, we will definitely be reprimanded by Chiang Kai-shek and the Military and Political Ministry!"
Yan Xishan responded with a smile instead of anger: "If this is true, Chiang Kai-shek is too underestimating me, Yan Xishan!"
"Chief of Staff, don't forget, in addition to the Shanxi-Sui Army in our second theater, there are also troops from the Central Army!"
The chief of staff immediately showed a look of realization: "Yes, let the Central Army come in!"
"The Military and Political Department gives orders to our Second Theater Command, and our Second Theater Command gives orders to the Central Army. The Military and Political Department cannot bypass the Second Theater Command and give orders to the division commanders and corps commanders below!"
"When the time comes, Chiang Kai-shek will plot again and again, and finally the plot will fall on himself!"
Yan Xishan said: "If the Central Army attacks, our Shanxi-Sui Army cannot stay still."
"No matter whether the Eighth Route Army can capture Taiyuan or not, as the real masters of Taiyuan City, our Jinsui Army must help!"
"There is nothing we can do to delay the return of the Japanese reinforcements in southwestern Shanxi, but we can take the initiative. The Japanese have taken away more than 10,000 people from southwestern Shanxi at one time. There will definitely be many defense gaps in the Japanese defense line confronting us. Find these gaps and counterattack
After a while, maybe we can recapture a few county towns from the Japanese and support the Eighth Route Army in Taiyuan City!"
"Also, if only the Central Army in the World War II zone is dispatched, our Shanxi-Sui Army will not move, which is neither emotionally nor rationally appropriate!"
"Chief of Staff, according to what I just thought, old man, draw up a combat plan, I will sign it, and then execute it immediately!"
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