Look at the various combat situations marked in detail on the map, as well as the forces to be used to launch an offensive on the Western Front. Chen Hanzhang's brows furrowed deeply, and after pondering for a long time, he said: "No. 1, it doesn't matter if the Mongolian garrison arrives. The biggest variable in this battle should be the possible reinforcement of the Japanese army in the area of Beijing and Tianjin and northern Jin. ”

"The various units of the Japanese army have always been closely coordinated in terms of strategy, and they have never been unable to save themselves when they die. If we launch an offensive against the troops stationed in Mongolia, the Japanese troops stationed on the Pingjin front line and the First Army in Shanxi will definitely not sit idly by. The biggest difficulty now is not the Mongolian garrison. ”

"In the case of flat terrain, not to mention that there is only one 26th Division and an independent mixed brigade, plus a cavalry group of the Mongolian Army. Even one or two more divisions will be difficult to withstand the onslaught of our army's tank clusters. The biggest uncertainty in this battle was how many troops could be drawn up for reinforcements from the Japanese forces in other directions in North China. ”

"No. 1, the Japanese army on the front line of Pingjin has brother troops to deal with, and at the same time, it can rely on a series of mountains such as the Dama Mountains, the Yanshan Mountain Range, the Qilaotu Mountain and the Nuruer Tiger Mountain for defensive operations. However, the Japanese army in the north of Jin was the biggest threat to our army's westward cluster. ”

"Moreover, in the area north of Yinshan, although it is a plateau terrain, the terrain is relatively flat, and our army can give full play to the power of our army's mechanized rapid assault. But in the area south of Yinshan, except for the Tumut Plain west of Guisui. Most of Jining, Zhuozi and Fengzhen are mountainous and hilly, with a small amount of mountain plains in between. ”

"This kind of terrain restricts the movement of our tank clusters, and once the Japanese army relies on the various mountain passes to form an overall defensive line, it will make our army fall into a war of attrition that is fought for point by point. And this line is the main combat area of our army and the Japanese army in the north of Jin. ”

"No. 1, I think that if we want to achieve our army's campaign goal of seizing Suidong, the most important thing is to be fast. Before the Japanese army in northern Jin has reacted, or before they make a large-scale sortie, they will use the main force to cross the Hunshandak sands, and do not force the rear to advance to the front line of Zhuozi and Fengzhen. As long as we can seize Fengzhen and block the northward passage of the Japanese army in northern Jin before they leave the Great Wall, then the initiative in this battle is in our hands. ”

"I launched a strong attack on the main force of the 26th Division with one division, entangled the 26th Division, and attracted all the attention of the Japanese army to the Chanan area at the same time. Then with a cavalry and mechanized cluster, using the few plains between the mountains south of Yinshan, regardless of the interception of the surrounding Japanese troops, forcibly interspersed and advanced to seize the first line of Shangdu and Fengzhen, relying on the terrain advantage to block the Japanese army in northern Jin within the Great Wall. ”

"As for Baotou and Guisui, I want not to send armored clusters for the time being, but to take advantage of the cavalry's small reliance on roads, easy to move in mountainous areas, and far less reliance on logistics than armored clusters, to concentrate a cavalry brigade across the Yinshan Mountain Range and seize two places in the middle of the campaign."

"Of course, in consideration of strengthening the offensive capability, I think our army can transfer one or two BT rapid tank battalions to cooperate with them. Although the BT tank is weakly armored, it is very mobile and adapts well to the terrain. Although there are great restrictions on movement in mountainous areas, there is still a large range of movement in hilly areas. ”

"We've done experiments with this tank, which can even be driven up a hill in relatively gentle hilly terrain. But this is crucial for us to have reliable guides, at least a good understanding of the mountainous terrain between the Maoming'an Banner and the Daqingshan Mountains and the Hetao Plain. ”

"I don't know much about the terrain there. But judging from the map, the Daqingshan District around Baotou is the most precipitous part of the entire Yinshan Mountain Range. Without a reliable guide, it is difficult for us to cross the entire Daqing Mountains in a short time. However, since the cavalry of the ancient nomads was able to cross the Yin Mountain and go south many times, I think there must be some ancient roads in the mountains. ”

"Even if the armored forces can't cross it, the cavalry should have no problem. In this way, we can completely avoid the real and suddenly go south. No. 1, if we are seizing the two banners of Maomingan and Durhan, we can completely concentrate a cavalry across the Yin Mountain and move south quickly. ”

"And once our army on the southern front arrives between Fengzhen and Liangcheng, the Japanese cavalry group stationed in Baotou will inevitably shrink and return to Sui. In order to prevent it from being separated from the main force of the Mongolian army, and also to keep the more important Guisui in order to keep the more important Guisui. Because once they return to Sui, then they will have no meaning in hanging Baotou alone, and they will still be in a situation of fighting alone. Unless the Japanese high-level went crazy, this cavalry cluster would continue to be placed on the front line of Baotou after our army launched an attack. ”

"Once our army attacks Guisui with one force, then this cavalry group has only three options. The first is to fight a decisive battle with our army around Guisui to seize it, but no matter from the perspective of comparison of troops and equipment, this choice is very inappropriate for the Japanese army. Except that the Japanese commander went crazy, it would be difficult for them to choose this. ”

"The second is that the whole army immediately withdraws from Guisui and retreats in the direction of Datong and Fengzhen, so as to get closer to the enemy army in northern Jin. In fact, if the Japanese cavalry group chooses this way, it is the most in line with the current conditions of our army. In the field, give them great abilities, and they will not be the opponent of my cavalry tank cluster. ”

"If our cavalry cluster can cross the Yin Mountain and move south, we can even form a two-sided attack on it. We can concentrate our superior forces and eat this cavalry cluster in one bite in the middle of the movement. Completely swept away the area between Baotou and Guisui, the largest mobile force of the Japanese army. ”

"The third is the most troublesome choice for us, which is to stick to Sui. If I were the commander, then that was what worried me the most. Although Guisui is backed by Daqing Mountain in the north and east, the Tumut Plain in the south and west is unsafe and flat. However, fighting a tough battle is a headache for our army. ”

"I'm not worried about anything else, but I'm a little worried that although Guisui is not big, it is also the most important town in the entire Suiyuan region. We don't know exactly how many people there will be. But one thing is for sure, the population will definitely not be too small, at least a hundred thousand should be there. ”

"If we don't use artillery fire to attack the city, like this battle of Tongliao, our army will pay heavy casualties, not to mention, but also delay a lot of precious time. And once artillery fire is used to attack the city, it is not only a question of whether our artillery can keep up with the assault troops in the long-distance maneuver of difficult terrain under difficult terrain, but also the problem of accidental injuries. ”

"To complicate matters further, there is a mixture of Mongolian and Chinese, and the Mongols make up a considerable part of the population, so the shape is much more complicated. If we make too many casualties among the people, it will not only cause ****, but also give the Japanese puppet army an excuse to provoke. In that case, we will occupy Suidong, and the future troubles will be quite big. ”

"Most of the Mongolian people are illiterate, and the feudal superstition is very strict. Once the Japanese puppet army takes advantage of the casualties brought to the people in the battle of Guisui and sow discord from it, No. 1 will make a big mess. Once this person's heart changes, how much effort will it take to redeem us. ”

"No. 1, in the previous stage, Wang Guangyu detoured to Linxi all the way to collect timber and build bridges and demolish them, and the follow-up impact has not been solved yet. The commander-in-chief is still in charge in person in Ximan, recovering the impact and losses. We must take precautions as a lesson from the past. ”

"However, if our cavalry group has the option to move south across the Yinshan Mountains from Maomingan and Darhan Banners, then we can concentrate our heavy forces against this Japanese cavalry group in Guisui. As long as this cavalry group is defeated, the entire battlefield in Suidong and northern Jin will become a game of chess. ”

"As for Baotou, I think we might as well brake statically. The Jinsui Military Region has a guerrilla detachment in Daqingshan, so after the launch of our army's campaign, they did not take any action, and they stared at the Japanese puppet army in Baotou. Once the Japanese puppet army in Baotou was evacuated, it was immediately stationed at the first time. ”

In the end, he is a figure who is both military and political, and he thinks about things far more than ordinary military cadres. Chen Hanzhang not only considered military issues, but also political and ethnic issues in detail. Suidong and Western Manchuria have similar situations, but there are also big differences between the two.

The Japanese army's control over the Mongol League banners in Suidong was far inferior to that of Western Manchuria, and it was precisely because of this that a large number of miscellaneous troops and bandits survived there. Moreover, although both of them are traditional Mongolian nomadic lands in history, the number of Mongolian compatriots in Suidong and the proportion of the entire population far exceed that of Ximan, which has been greatly infiltrated by the Han or other ethnic groups.

Compared with Ximan, which used to be rich in water and grass, most of the Suidong area is desert terrain. This condition undoubtedly limited the enthusiasm of the Han people to emigrate. In the entire Suiyuan region, apart from the Hetao, there are few places that are too suitable for the agrarian economy. As a result, the local population is still the majority of the traditional Mongols.

This means that the westward troops will not only have to face the local Japanese puppet army, but also the more complex ethnic situation in the local area. More important is the Suidong Theater, which is in close proximity to the troops of the Eighth Theater that are currently entrenched in the Hetao area. In the entire Daqingshan, there are not only the strongholds of the Japanese puppet army and the Daqingshan guerrilla detachment, but also all kinds of guerrilla armed forces of one kind or another.

The westward march into Suidong was not only a military issue, but also a more complicated ethnic and political issue. From a military point of view alone, it is simply not enough to meet the needs. The chief officer chosen must not only have excellent military ability, but also have a certain degree of political judgment. And Chen Hanzhang's keen judgment in military and political affairs is undoubtedly the most suitable candidate.

What Chen Hanzhang didn't expect was that if Yang Zhen was still a little hesitant between him and Wang Guangyu before. Then it was his words that made Yang Zhen's heart make up his mind at this moment to make the final decision about the selection of the commander of the westward expansion.

Wang Guangyu's actions in Ximan made Yang Zhen very worried that the Ximan incident would be staged again in Suidong. And the situation there is far more complicated than Simon. What Chen Hanzhang said is not wrong, once the people there are in turmoil, then it will take countless efforts to clean up this mess.

Yang Zhen didn't answer Chen Hanzhang's words, but already knocked on the map and said, "I'll vacate this office for you now, and I want a rough battle plan tomorrow morning." There is also this map, which is absolutely not allowed to be taken out of this room, and there is no combat staff to cooperate with you, and all the plans are completed by you alone. ”

"Remember, as long as the sky doesn't fall tonight, let your chief of staff deal with the rest first, and you're here to give me a rough map based on what you just analyzed. Nothing but this map can be said except in your head. ”

"Also, when thinking about the whole campaign, we should consider the emergence of some unexpected situations. Especially in the direction where the Japanese army may send reinforcements, you must know that Datong in northern Jin is not necessarily the only choice for the Japanese army. At the same time, it is necessary to do more consideration in the terrain. ”