Although the Japanese army did not have too many troops in Baotou, the strength of the puppet army was quite a lot. Although the combat effectiveness of these miscellaneous puppet armies is not good, under the supervision of the Japanese army, there is no big problem in hiding in the fortifications and shooting outside. Moreover, after these puppet troops knew that it was the troops of the Eighteenth Group Army, their resistance was extremely fierce.

The fortifications of Baotou are extremely strong because of their important strategic position. In addition, it was the first time that the Jinsui troops fought such a fortified city, and the actual experience in attacking fortified cities and the lack of experience in coordinated infantry and artillery operations, the casualties in the battle were very light.

After a tough battle, the casualties of this column as the backbone were really not small. In addition to the 359th Brigade of the main force, which suffered more than half of the casualties and lost its combat effectiveness, the remaining three brigades also suffered heavy casualties. In addition to other large and small battles, the casualties of the main force of the Jinsui Military Region reached more than 5,000 in this Baotou operation.

These casualties are all front-line fighters, and most of them are even backbones. Some of the sacrificial battalion, company, and platoon cadres were even old bones cultivated during the Red Army period. The number of casualties after a tough battle made the commander of the Jinsui Military Region tremble in distress.

Although after the recovery of Baotou, the troops of the Jinsui Military Region recruited more than 7,000 recruits in Suixi and Suinan, the training of recruits takes time, and the losses in a short period of time cannot be made up for for the time being. In particular, it is very difficult to make up for the losses of the backbone fighters and grassroots cadres.

In addition to these casualties in the Baotou operation, and after removing the two brigades that had to remain in Suiyuan from Baotou to the south of Yinshan in Jining, as well as the one brigade that the Daqingshan guerrilla detachment had changed, the strength of the five main columns of the Jinsui Military Region that could now be put into operation would be even more unable to meet the needs.

At present, except for the strongest force, the 3rd Brigade, which remained in Suiyuan, and the 1st Brigade lost more than half of its losses in the Baotou Campaign, and was unable to participate in the battle in a short period of time. Of the five columns of the whole army, only nine and a half brigades can actually be put into operation. Even the fourth and fifth columns are now only one brigade.

This is the case with the main forces, and the actual strength of those units that have only been upgraded from the local forces that remain behind is even worse. At present, the newly formed column in northern Shanxi Province has only more than 6,000 people in the two brigades combined. In addition to the direct subordinate units of a column of several hundred people, an average brigade has only more than 2,000 troops.

The entire column and the whole army only had seven 92 infantry guns, six rapid-fire guns, two mountain guns, and a few mortars handed over by the Anti-Japanese Union. Although the number of light weapons has received the equipment captured by the Anti-Japanese Federation from the Jining Campaign, and all of them have been fully equipped with Japanese weapons, the foundation is there. With a strength of more than 6,000 troops, excluding the directly subordinate units and non-combatants, the troops that can actually be put into front-line combat are less than the two regiments of the Anti-Japanese Union.

With these troops of more than 6,000 people, even if the two regiments of the Anti-Japanese Union are added, it will be quite difficult to encircle and annihilate this left detachment in the shortest possible time. What's more, when fighting with the Zuojian detachment, it is necessary to divide a part of the troops to guard the 32nd Division in the northwest of Shanxi at any time on the Taiyuan front?

Moreover, after making contact with the Jinsui Military Region, Chen Hanzhang also found that there was a rather strict problem in the troops in the Guannai. In terms of staffing, the Anti-Japanese Federation has made every effort to favor the front-line troops, and there are strict regulations on the number of organs at all levels. Front-line combat units are quite sufficient, both in terms of establishment and actual number.

The number of non-combatants in all units of the Jinsui Military Region, whether local units or front-line field units, is quite large. The establishment of directly subordinate teams at all levels is generally very large. There was even a sub-division directly under the team, and there were five or six hundred people. The infantry companies of the front-line troops are generally around 60 or 70 people, and the situation of being top-heavy in various units is very common.

This situation is almost impossible to occur in the Anti-United Nations. He is equivalent to the armored corps headquarters at the column level, and the four major departments, namely the headquarters, the political department, the logistics department, and the equipment and technology department, have only more than 200 personnel in all organs combined. There is no way to compare with the direct team of a regiment here.

The large number of personnel in the organs will inevitably squeeze out the number of troops in front-line combat units. If the organs at all levels occupy too many staff, the fewer front-line combat soldiers will be in the units below. Under the circumstance that the strength itself is the weakest, and the limited population base cannot support a large expansion of the army, it is not a good thing that the organs have too many personnel.

Chen Hanzhang thought that Yang Jicai's calculations were very accurate, but he ignored one point, that is, the existing strength of the Jinsui Military Region. Not only is the strength of the main force of Jinsui now limited, but even the troops left in the northwest of Jinsui Military Region can not all participate in the war.

The Second Theater of Operations, with the strength of one army, has already entered the front line of Fangshan. Although it has now stopped continuing to advance northward, its move is under the current domestic political situation, involving a large part of the Jinsui Military Region's troops. No matter how tense the battle situation is in the north, it is certain that a certain amount of troops should be left to defend in the south, so as to prevent some parties from taking advantage of the opportunity to fish in troubled waters.

Don't block the Japanese attack on this side, but the Chinese themselves were stabbed in the back on the other side. That's a lot of fun. Maybe he has too little experience, or he has enough arrogance, the enemy in Yang Jicai's eyes is only the Japanese army. There are many things outside the battlefield, but he doesn't take them into account.

In this way, the troops of the Jinsui Military Region who can participate in this battle are like a mirror in Chen Hanzhang's heart. He knew that with the current strength of the Jinsui Military Region, it was very likely that it would not be able to deal with the entire battle situation in the northwest of Shanxi alone. This is also where he is dissatisfied with Yang Jicai's plan.

Chen Hanzhang clearly knew that the most critical node in the entire western battlefield in this battle was coming. Once the Japanese launched a full-front counterattack, it would be an all-out offensive. The entire northern part of Shanxi will become a huge battlefield. Whether it is in the northeast or northwest of Jin, it is impossible to stay out of this fierce battle.

In the deployment of the last period before the war, you must be cautious. Because once the bow is fired, there can be no turning back. For the sake of prudence, under the condition of limited strength, the main force of the Jinsui Military Region must all go south. And it is not possible to concentrate one brigade in the south when it arrives, as it is now.

It is necessary to wait until the whole army is assembled before moving south, so that the limited strength can be clenched into a fist and beaten out. One hit to kill is the most tactical action you should take at present. Otherwise, if there is any delay on the battlefield, it will affect the progress of the overall situation.

After hesitating for a moment, Chen Hanzhang looked at Yang Jicai and said, "Your original mission of going south to find the main force of the Zuojian detachment is now revoked." You will remain with me and continue to serve as your chief of operations, specifically responsible for the liaison between our troops and the Jin-Cha-Ji and Jin-Sui forces. ”

"You record now. First, it was ordered that the Sixth Column of the Jinsui Military Region, which was under the command of our department, should be strengthened by a cavalry battalion and a field artillery battalion, starting from Luping through the line of Biguan and Sanchakou, and arriving at the west of Wuzhai to wait for a concealed position. Tell the commander of the sixth column to avoid a populated place when marching, and the more hidden his whereabouts are, the better. ”

"Two infantry regiments, two tank companies, as well as a 122 howitzer battalion and a 75 field artillery battalion were dispatched to Ningwu under the personal command of Mu Changqiu from Shuo County through Qianzhai and Yangwankou, and to seize Ninghua Fort between Ningwu and Jingle."

"Sue Mu Changqiu, I don't care what method he uses, but there is one thing for him to remember, the bigger the movement when he goes south, the better. It is best to cause the entire Taiyuan City to be alarmed, and that is the best. Ordered all the troops of our army stationed on the line from Shentou to Yanmen Pass, except for part of the troops, the main force to the line from Xishuo County to Shenchi. Wang Minggui was ordered to blare in the west and put on a posture of the whole army going south to fight. ”

"Third, mobilize the third automobile regiment assigned to our department, and concentrate all the trucks to be deployed on the line from Daiyue to Yinshan on standby. Fourth, the logistics department was ordered to seize the time to stock up on ammunition, food, oil, and all other supplies. Especially shells, be sure to stock up as much as possible. ”

"Fourth, order all the troops of our army that are still stranded in Suinan to immediately withdraw to northern Jin, and hand over all the current control areas to the Jinsui troops, and not a single soldier will be left. All the current trains at Datong Station, including the six trains you brought back, are all heading north to leave the northern Jinbei area. Fifth, order the western cluster of the air force to immediately prepare for the full sortie. ”

"Send a report to the acting commander of the Jinsui Military Region, asking all the units left behind in the Jinsui Military Region to closely search the predetermined location. But as long as the Japanese did not move, they should not be alarmed as much as possible. At the same time, the Jinsui Military Region is requested to pay close attention to the changes in the enemy situation around Taiyuan. In particular, the whereabouts of the 32 nd Division must be firmly controlled. ”

After Yang Jicai quickly recorded a few of his orders, Chen Hanzhang turned his head and looked at the map and pondered, but said to the boss who did not say a word about Chen Hanzhang's deployment: "My Jianyi still concentrates the main force of Jinsui and all the artillery firepower of the Jinsui Military Region to encircle and annihilate the main force of this left detachment.

"At present, the local troops remaining in the northwest of Shanxi, as well as the few existing main forces, are all heading south to guard the front line of Fangshan. At the same time, the Jinsui Military Region should seize the time to examine and conduct rectification and training for the cadres and fighters of our army who have been captured among the rescued prisoners of war. ”

"Don't care if these captives are from Jinchaji, Taihang or Taiyue District. After the main force of the Jinsui Military Region moved south, it was immediately supplemented into the various regiments of the Jinsui Military Region. With so many prisoners, it is enough to enrich the strength of the Jinsui Military Region in a short period of time. ”

"But boss, when the troops of the Jinsui Military Region arrive at a brigade, they will go south to the next brigade, so it is not possible to disperse to the south. If it is decided that the battlefield in the northwest of Jin will still be dominated by the Jin Sui troops, then it must be clenched into a fist and fought out. In my opinion, all the troops of the Jinsui Military Region that had returned to northern Shanxi stopped moving south. Wait until the whole army is assembled, and then go south. ”

"If before all the main forces of the Jinsui Military Region arrived, we found traces of the left detachment. Then we will go south to the sixth column of Jinsui and the troops of the two regiments of the Anti-Japanese Federation, and we can put them on the battlefield first. Even if the 32nd Division is dispatched, we will have a large number of vehicles, which can transport the concentrated main forces of the Jinsui Military Region to the place where they are needed at the first time. ”

"In the northwest battlefield of Jin, I think that according to the current strength of our army's various strategic groups, it is appropriate to concentrate all the main forces of Jinsui to the south. With the thousands of troops of the Sixth Column currently in northern Shanxi, even if the strength of the two regiments of the Anti-Japanese Union is added, I am worried that the strength is still insufficient. If we add the main force of the Jinsui Military Region, we will be able to navigate the northwest of Shanxi with ease. ”

"This area is the old base area of Jinsui, and the Jinsui troops are familiar with the terrain and people's conditions, and can give full play to their combat effectiveness. I still used a regiment of the Anti-Japanese Alliance, plus the Sixth Column of Jin Sui, and the local troops left behind by Jin Sui to encircle and annihilate this left detachment. The main force of the Jinsui Military Region was deployed on the entire southeast of Jingle, and was responsible for the vigilance of the Japanese troops on the Taiyuan front. ”