After that, Yang Zhen walked to the conference room in front of a map of the whole of China that had already been hung, pointed to the map and said: "The direction of our next operation, if we choose South Manchuria, except for a small number of hilly areas, most of the strategic points are in the Liaohe Impact Plain. ”

"And if you cross the Yanshan Mountains further south, you will find the vast Great Plain of North China. Crossing the Yellow River to the south, it is also the flat Huanghuai Plain. Of course, we can also go west and attack the Japanese garrison in Mongolia. However, it is located in the steppe and desert terrain of the Mongolian Plateau, and the terrain is much flatter. ”

"In other words, as long as we launch an offensive, no matter which side we choose, we will face almost all plains. And the Shanxi region west of the Taihang Mountains, before we take the North China Plain, even if we hit the line of the Outer Great Wall, we will not consider it. ”

"Because it's all mountainous, once you put in a lot of living force, it's likely to fall into endless mountain attrition. At the same time, if the North China Plain is not taken first, and the Jinpu Railway, which is the main communication artery between the Japanese army in North China and Central China, then the Japanese army in Central China will continue to reinforce the North China battlefield in the whole operation. When the time comes, our main forces will inevitably be locked in a bitter battle. ”

"And once the Japanese army takes advantage of its naval superiority and lands in Jinzhou and Huludao, it will take a detour behind us. Seize Fuxin and Rehe, and close the Yanshan Mountains. Then there is a danger that our whole army will be cut off from the North China Plain by the whole army when it goes south. At that time, the ammunition and oil produced in North Manchuria will not be supplied, and we may even be wiped out in North China. ”

"So, no matter which direction we choose to attack, we have to do it quickly. To end all fighting and secure the newly recovered areas before the Japanese take advantage of their naval superiority and land behind us and cut off our retreat. ”

"If we want to achieve this, we need to maximize our attack capabilities and increase our attack speed. At the same time, at least ten or more infantry divisions should be created, as well as a large number of tank and mechanized troops. These are supplemented by a large number of tanks and artillery, as well as tactical aircraft. ”

"Both, I know that you American and British sides will definitely do their best to help us. But in times of war, who could have predicted what would happen? For the sake of some security, but I still want you to provide you with captured German tanks and artillery, which are no longer of any use to you. Although we also wanted to get new equipment, we had to choose a backup option for the sake of the international shape. ”

"In this way, we can avoid some accidents that affect our combat capability. You, the United States and Britain, can also rest assured that you will invest more armored troops on the European battlefield without any worries. For all three of us, this deal is still a good deal. ”

"Actually, we know that if the German tanks are still performing well. Then the performance of their 105 and 150 howitzers can only be said to be average, and there is nothing too outstanding. Compared with the 122 and 152 howitzers of the Soviet army, they were inferior in both range and power. ”

"The LeFH 105mm howitzer of the German army's current standard, not to mention the comparison with the D30122 howitzer of the Soviet army. Even compared with the 25-pounder howitzer currently used by the British army and the latest M-2 105 howitzer of the US army, there is also a considerable gap in performance. ”

"Admiral Wavell, if I am not mistaken, the German LeFH 105 howitzer has a maximum range of 10,600 meters, which is a full 3,000 meters shorter than the range of the MK 2 25-pounder howitzer you use. The firing range of the FSH Type 150 howitzer is also far inferior to the MK type 25-pounder howitzer of your British army. ”

"And in addition to the disparity in the performance of the artillery, we also have to consider the supply of spare parts, the maintenance of the artillery, and the production of shells. Second-hand goods that have experienced war, and shortages of spare parts are a common phenomenon. We also had to reverse map the missing parts without the original drawings. ”

"German tanks and armored vehicles, we have to face the same problem. To be honest, if you, the United States and the United Kingdom, can provide enough tanks and armored vehicles, as well as modern artillery, in the quantities you have promised, we are willing to ask for new ones. But can you guarantee it? Not only the equipment, but also the military raw materials, you can guarantee that every ton of steel and explosives promised will be delivered? ”

"So two, that's all I can say right now. Because apart from the equipment that has no effect on you, I don't know if your active equipment can be provided exactly on time and in the amount you say. But our battle situation cannot wait, and we cannot afford to wait. ”

"Besides, Mr. Hopkins, in terms of artillery, you only promised that you would provide us with a batch in March next year. Not only is there no later, but there is not even a specific number. Especially the large-caliber artillery that we urgently need at the moment, you barely mentioned a word. ”

"At that time, more than a dozen doors were also provided, and dozens of doors were also regarded as assistance. But can this little thing meet our practical needs? Once your U.S. forces enter the war, the amount of equipment needed will be astronomical. Is it possible for you to stop equipping your own army for the time being, and transfer the weapons and equipment you have produced to us? ”

"I don't want to involve too much of our energy in this matter. But your assistance is not very reliable, and our production capacity is limited for the time being. Especially the artillery steel you have provided, we have to give priority to the production of 75 mm caliber mountain guns, and in the case of replacing our already old divisional artillery, I must find a remedy. ”

"It's a similar story with tanks and steel helmets, and until the equipment you provide is in place and installed, our tanks will be barely producing at best. Your loot has become a temporary alternative. In order to ensure our combat capability and expansion needs, there will be no vacancies due to the disconnection of equipment. ”

"And our own production is simply not enough to meet the needs. The vast majority of the artillery now equipped by our troops, especially the divisional 75-mm guns, is shoddy Polish and French products of the First World War. After our long-term high-intensity use, a considerable part of the artillery has reached the standard of scrapping. ”

"Artillery with a caliber of more than 100 millimeters is not only insufficient in number and has fallen behind in performance by a large margin, but according to the standards of your two countries, the vast majority of them have also reached the point of being scrapped. Not to mention the small number of captured Japanese-made artillery, most of the parts are incomplete, and the firing range is relatively backward. The most important thing is the artillery at the division level, and if we expand it, it will not be able to meet the needs at all. ”

"In this case, even if our arsenal works overtime, and your material transportation can meet the needs, it is impossible for us to produce enough artillery in a short period of time to reload. What's more, we also have to face the expansion of the army and the need for large-caliber artillery. ”

"Although the German artillery and tanks are of average performance, they can provide some of the guns and tanks that are in stock, no matter how much. I hope that the United States and Britain will agree to this request. This trade is almost nothing to lose for you, and it can even be said to be quite cheap. The price to be paid is nothing more than some transportation costs. ”

"If it's convenient for the United States and the United Kingdom, of course, it's mainly for the British side now. We hope that you will be able to transfer to us the German prisoners of war, engineers and technicians in armor, artillery, aircraft, etc., personnel who repair and maintain all weapons and equipment, and graduates of science and engineering universities. In order to make up for the shortage of personnel for our equipment maintenance, especially on the battlefield. ”

"As for the matter of supplying part of the radio equipment to the Soviet Union, I hope that Mr. Hopkins will still think and consider. If you, the American army, go to war, then according to your ideas, there will be a great demand for radio equipment. And my equipment list does not mention any radio equipment other than a wired phone. ”

"This shows that we have the strength to meet our own needs and provide some help to the allies. Mr. Hopkins, so that you can prioritize the needs of the American military when necessary, rather than going to court with Stalin. In the interest of reducing the pressure on the American side, I would still like you to reconsider my opinion. ”

In fact, Yang Zhen insisted on asking for the German artillery captured by the British and Soviets now, and the Americans on the battlefield a few months later. In addition to the lack of supplementary US aid and the lack of its own military production capacity, there is another very important reason why he did not say it.

The German LeFH 105 howitzer, which weighed the lightest compared to American howitzers of the same caliber, was also the only one that could be towed by horses. The Japanese-made Type 91 howitzer, although it is 200 kilograms lighter, has a firing range of more than 100 meters. However, the number of captures was not large enough to meet the needs of the troops. Second, it is quite difficult to imitate it yourself.

China's terrain is complex, neither the desert plains of North Africa, nor the mostly Eastern European plains of the Soviet-German battlefield, or the relatively flat terrain of Western Europe. Mountains, plains, rivers, the terrain is far more complex than the battlefields of Europe and North Africa.

Moreover, the transportation facilities in most parts of China are far inferior to those of European countries. It is said that the traffic environment in the Soviet Union was poor, but the traffic environment in China, where there are no roads in most areas, is even worse. In many places, there are no high-grade roads in Western Europe, but there are no simple roads.

Under the complex terrain, it is difficult to meet the operational needs of artillery towed by cars alone. Large-caliber artillery is necessary for suppressive firepower, but artillery with a caliber of less than 100 mm, including 100 mm, is better to be able to tow horses.

The performance of the American-made M-2 howitzer is indeed advanced, but it can only rely on car traction, which is extremely limited in the maneuverability of the Chinese battlefield. At the very least, fighting in the mountains would limit the use of artillery. Moreover, the Chinese horses were short and not as strong as the Soviet Don hippos. If the gun is too heavy, it also limits the ability to maneuver.

Even if the Americans now promise to provide a large number of high-performance trucks, the availability of a large number of modern cars does not mean that horses can be completely eliminated. The current state of China's roads also restricts the use of trucks in a considerable part of the country. Division-level artillery retains the ability to pull horses, and even the ability to move positions with men, which is still crucial.

If you choose the American-made M-2 howitzer, let's not talk about how many artillery pieces the Americans can provide and whether they can meet the needs. This kind of artillery, which can only be towed by trucks, as the backbone artillery of divisional artillery, is not only limited in mountainous areas, but also in many plain areas.