As soon as Yang Zhen returned to the headquarters of the Military Region in Xingshan Fortress, he immediately held a small meeting with Guo Bingxun, Gao Yumin, and Zhang Zhenhua, members of the Standing Committee of the Military Region, who were currently at home, as well as Chen Bo, director of the Military Region's Social Affairs Department, Chen Long, Minister of Intelligence, and several other people from the General Staff Office.

In the previous paragraph, because Yang Zhen was seriously injured and recuperated in Jiamusi, the former commander of the military region specially formed has been revoked with Yang Zhen's recovery. All personnel evacuated Jiamusi and returned to the headquarters of Xingshan Fortress. Therefore, Yang Zhen did not return to Jiamusi, but returned directly to Xingshan Fortress.

After the meeting, the first topic on the agenda was the briefing on the enemy situation. Guo Bingxun, who was a staff officer, still used to point to the map when he reported: "Since December last year, the Japanese army has begun to increase its troops one after another. We successively found the new division numbers of the Japanese army in Yilan in the west, Huachuan and Boli in the center, and Baoqing and Raohe in the west. ”

Among them, in addition to the original 14th Division, the main force of the 6th and 10th Divisions of the Japanese Army was added to the southern Yilan, Boli, and Huachuan lines. In addition to the original 11th Division of the Japanese Army, which had been restored to its full organization, a detachment of the 5th and 10th Divisions of the Japanese Army was found on the Raohe, Baoqing, and Mishan lines in the east. ”

"In addition to the five divisions of the Japanese army that were originally deployed on the line from Raohe to Yilan, through radio and small-scale infiltration reconnaissance, we also found the main force of the Japanese 29th Division on the line of Muling, Ning'an, Weihe, and Hulin in the rear of the Japanese army, as well as a new division being formed, but the number is unknown."

"In addition to a large number of field divisions of the Japanese army, we have successively found the fourth, seventeenth, and twenty-third wings of the Japanese army's independent field heavy artillery, the sixth brigade of independent field heavy artillery, and the fifth, fourth, ninth, and tenth tank wings of the Japanese army. In the territory of Baoqing, the 7th Independent Field Heavy Artillery Brigade, the 1st Independent Heavy Artillery Brigade, and the 3rd Tank Wing were found. ”

"In addition, according to intelligence, there were three separate mortar artillery brigades, two field heavy artillery wings, and a total of seventeen squadrons of mountain artillery, field artillery, mortars, and rapid-fire guns deployed in the rear of the Japanese army. One tank wing, four independent engineer wings, and one field railway wing troops. As well as four infantry brigades and two cavalry brigades of the puppet Manchurian army, six regiments of the puppet Manchurian railway escort army, and two regiments of the military police. ”

"In addition to the greatly reinforced Japanese troops and equipment on the ground, the Japanese army also mobilized a large number of aircraft. On the basis of the original fighter squadron, the Japanese troops stationed at the Muling Bamiantong airfield alone have added one squadron of light bombers and one reconnaissance plane. ”

In addition, one squadron of light and heavy bombers, one squadron of independent reconnaissance planes, and one fighter squadron of the Japanese Seventh Flying Regiment originally stationed in Gongzhuling were also transferred to Tuanshanzi Airfield in the south of Muling a few days ago. The Japanese army also stationed two light bomber squadrons, one heavy bomber squadron, and fighter squadrons of the Eighth Flying Regiment at various airfields in Mudanjiang, ready to be put into front-line combat at any time. ”

"The enemy in front of us is not counting the five divisions of the Japanese army in front of us, and the main force of the 29th Division, which is supporting the direction of its flank and rear. There are also the 11th and 12th divisions deployed on the front line of Hulin, Mishan, and Suiyang near the battlefield, which can be reinforced at any time. and the 1st Division in the territory of the puppet Manchurian Heihe Province. ”

"Judging by the total strength of the Kwantung Army now, the Japanese divisions around us are as high as ten. With the exception of the 7th, 23rd, and 28th Divisions of the Japanese Army deployed in the West Manchurian area, as well as the 4th Division, which was heavily damaged by our troops last year and has now been transferred back to Xinjing to serve as a garrison, and the 24th Division, which has been transferred to Rehe after its reorganization, the total strength of the Japanese troops in our vicinity has accounted for more than half of its total strength. ”

"As for artillery, especially heavy artillery and combat vehicles, it is as high as seventy percent. And that's not counting the aviation and other technical arms that we can't count at the moment. The total number of front-line troops alone is as high as 120,000, with 240 chariots and more than 260 heavy artillery pieces of more than 100 millimeters. Even a two-hundred-and-forty-mm heavy howitzer was found in it. ”

"Judging from the confessions of Japanese prisoners of war captured in the front-line positions and the information provided by our intelligence network, the five divisions of the front-line Japanese army have begun to stop their vacations and enter the first level of alert. At present, we are seizing the time to stock up on ammunition, oil, and food to make final preparations before the battle. Judging from the intelligence, we expect that the date of the Japanese attack is likely to be set in the period between late May and early June. ”

Speaking of this, Guo Bingxun pointed to the forward Japanese army that had been marked on the map and said: "Judging from the current deployment of Japanese troops and equipment, the main assault force of the Japanese army is deployed in the direction of Yilan and Baoqing. From these two places to Jiamusi, most of them are in the Songhua River Plain. ”

"In particular, the terrain from the north of Yilan to Jiamusi is flat and there are few rivers, which is suitable for the Japanese army to take large-scale chariot cluster operations. Therefore, the Japanese concentrated the sixth, tenth, and fourteenth divisions on this line, as well as three heavy artillery wings and four tank wings. That is to say, according to the establishment of the Japanese army, the number of Japanese combat vehicles on this line will be as high as more than 190. ”

"In Baoqing on the Eastern Front, most of the mountainous areas are controlled by the Japanese army, and most of the areas controlled by our army are also plains, which are easy to attack and difficult to defend. In particular, the seat of Baoqing County is mostly located in the Songhua River Plain. Except for the mountains in the west, it is almost a flat river, and there is no danger to defend. ”

"So the Japanese army also concentrated a tank wing in this direction, plus a field heavy artillery wing. Although this part of the Japanese army seemed to be inferior in strength and equipment to the Western Front, it could be supported by the 8th Division of the Japanese Army stationed in Muling and the 12th Division of Hulin at any time. ”

"And from the current point of view, the Japanese army has sufficient troops on the east and west fronts, and its front is connected in a line. I feel that if the Japanese army goes north this time, it is very likely that it will adopt the tactics of pushing from Yilan, Boli, and Baoqing to the north under the cover of chariots and heavy artillery. As for the Rao River line in the east, due to the limitations of the terrain, the Japanese army is very likely to send only part of its forces to launch a strategic attack to disperse our forces, but it will not choose that side as the main direction of the assault. ”

"Judging from the deployment of the Japanese army, our army is about to face a bloody battle. In particular, for the first time, our army will face a large-scale tank attack by the Japanese army. Therefore, I suggest that our army should continue to adopt the experience of last autumn's operations, mainly adopting the tactics of defensive counterattacks. After attrition with layers of defense and as much as possible to disperse the Japanese army, counterattacks were taken one by one. ”

"Judging from the current situation, the main defense of our army should be placed on the line from Baoqing to Yilan. As for Fuyuan, I built yì our army to give up when necessary. The large swamps at the junction of Fuyuan and Tongjiang were used as natural defensive positions, and the defensive position was mainly adopted. ”

Although on the way back, Guo Bingxun had already reported the enemy situation in detail, Yang Zhen looked at the only known deployment of Japanese troops marked on the map, and his brows were still deeply furrowed: "The enemy situation facing me now is much more severe than I imagined. In addition to the transfer of most of the troops of the Kwantung Army, the Japanese army could almost be said to have dispatched technical equipment such as chariots and heavy artillery. The number of various tanks alone is as high as more than 240, which is really a big deal. ”

After Guo Bingxun, who had finished announcing the enemy's situation, returned to his position to do a good job, Yang Zhen, who had been silent, looked at the few people present and said, "Chief of Staff Guo has made the enemy situation very clear. This hostile situation is the largest number of Japanese troops and the most well-equipped that our army has faced since its formation. ”

"More than 240 combat vehicles, the same amount of heavy artillery and a large number of aviation units, and five divisions and regiments on the front line, all of them also announced that our army was about to face an unprecedented fierce battle and bloody battle. And our army will face an even more severe situation than last year.

"What the chief of staff said is not wrong, judging from the large number of combat vehicles mobilized by the Japanese army this time, our army is about to face the first large-scale tank assault battle. And it was a tank assault battle with strong air and ground fire cover. How to do a good job in this antitank operation will be a strict test for our army. More than two hundred and forty tanks, which is not a small number. ”

And judging from the current deployment of the Japanese army, they are not adopting the tactics of one or several divisions alone in depth as in the past. In addition to the five divisions on the front line, they only have four divisions deployed in the rear of the enemy in front of us who can be reinforced northward at any time. ”

"In this way, in fact, the strength of the Japanese army we are facing is not only as simple as the strength of the five divisions of the Japanese army on the front line, but at least doubled. When we draw up our operational plans, we should also take into account the strength of these four divisions. There is also the puppet Manchu army, which is also a problem to consider. ”

"We now have two columns of six brigades, three shadow independent brigades and twelve divisional backbone regiments, and the actual total strength is less than 100,000. That is to say, this time our army not only has no superiority in equipment, but also does not even have superiority in troops. ”

"However, the production and construction corps of our army has been formed, and although the time is still short, a large number of reservists have been trained for our army. And judging from the fact that it has enough equipment to equip 20,000 men in the shortest possible time, we can mobilize twenty regiments to fight in the shortest possible time according to the current strength. ”

"And if time permits, it can also develop according to the shape of the battlefield, and mobilize another twenty regiments. However, due to time constraints, they were able to mobilize only half of their forces, that is, about ten regiments, to participate in the battle at the first time. ”

"Although I don't want to cause panic in the first place, given the current serious enemy situation, it is time for us to reorganize the strength that we hid before. Even if we can't achieve absolute superiority, we must at least achieve a slight advantage. ”

"The reason why the Standing Committee of the Military Region was convened ahead of schedule today when the political commissar was still in the absence of the Central Committee was to announce that we were going to carry out general mobilization within the scope of the Military Region. All field units and local units must enter a state of readiness for combat within 24 hours. The Production and Construction Corps should complete the first batch of mobilization tasks within a week. ”