Yang Zhen hesitated for a moment and said: "At the same time, in terms of the domestic political situation, if the invading Japanese army mobilizes all its forces to go north to fight a decisive battle with me, it is difficult for me to imagine that Chongqing will take the initiative to launch a full-front counterattack to contain and disperse the Japanese forces in central China, especially the Eleventh Army, the largest field group of the Japanese army in Guannei." ”

"And even if we do their job, they will fight back and fight with us. In terms of the overall situation that Chongqing currently lacks heavy equipment, and in addition to a few elite troops, most of the troops also lack guns and ammunition. As long as the Japanese army sticks to a few strategic points, it may be of limited use. ”

"After the war of resistance in the past few years, they are also exhausted. Coupled with the tactics of fighting to the death, the heavy equipment wears out the embers. The ability of most troops to attack fortified positions has been completely lost. Relying on terrain to defend operations, there is still the ability to counterattack tactically. But for a large-scale counteroffensive on all fronts, I really don't have an optimistic attitude. ”

"In the Northeast Battlefield, the Anti-Japanese Federation must remain at least 50 percent of its troops, stick to the northeast base area, and guard against the Kwantung Army, which has basically recovered its vitality. Then the number of troops we can invest in North China is at most one-third of the total number of troops. It is possible to invest more in technical equipment, but the issue of logistical supply is also a key issue. ”

"Even if these forces are combined with the forces of Shandong, Shanxi, Chaji, Shanxi, Hebei, Shanxi, and Henan, I am afraid it will be difficult to fight against the entire main force of the Japanese army invading China. The survival of the North China Front is threatened, and the Japanese base camp and the headquarters of the invading Japanese army will definitely not sit idly by. A Japanese North China Front is not a big deal, but we must pay attention to the issue of the number of troops that the Japanese army will invest in the future. ”

"What's more, even the various base areas in the Guannai can't devote all their troops to the war. The Jinsui Military Region, which serves as a barrier in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningbo Border Region, cannot be transferred even a single soldier. The rest of the Jin, Hebei, Luyu and Jinchaji still have to leave troops to stay inside each base area, which means that half of the troops that can be drawn from each base area is the limit. ”

"In this way, according to the comparison of the forces of the two sides, we are still at a great disadvantage. Moreover, if we launch such a large-scale campaign, the Japanese army will inevitably be reinforced with new troops. It is even very likely that the Japanese army will draw troops from Southeast Asia and the Pacific theater to return to help. The Japanese army has a sustainable combat capability, but our army cannot withstand much attrition at present. ”

"In particular, the various base areas in Kannai are not yet able to bear the huge consumption caused by such a big war. Food, ammunition, clothing, and the placement and care of the sick and wounded are all unaffordable. After a big war, it is good to hear that several base areas in North China have gone bankrupt. ”

"Boss, the Jizhong Plain is not impossible to recover. However, the Japanese army in Kannai and the Kwantung Army have always complemented each other and are each other's strategic reserves. If we launch an offensive on the Jizhong Plain, then the Kwantung Army will definitely cooperate strategically, so it will be difficult for the Anti-Japanese Union to draw too many troops to the south. ”

"In the last battle, we fought a fish and died in the net, and we almost ran out of blood to fight like that. Although the overall strategic task has been accomplished, in the northeastern battlefield, due to the insufficient number of troops invested, it has never been able to make a breakthrough. In the end, there was a stalemate. ”

"In the last battle, we were on the offensive, using mechanized troops to break through quickly and save a lot of infantry. However, if the Northeast Theater is turned to defense, I am afraid that more troops will be needed. Boss, we must carefully calculate the number of troops that can be invested. ”

"Second, if we want to recover the Jizhong Plain and firmly control it. Pingjin in the north must be recovered, otherwise it will be difficult for us to gain a foothold even if we fully recover the Jizhong Plain. Especially Tianjin, if we don't take Tianjin, we simply can't cut off the follow-up reinforcement route of the Japanese army. The Jinpu line is easy to say, but the Japanese reinforcement channel by sea is the most difficult for us to handle. ”

"At the same time, we don't have the necessary experience to attack such a large and densely populated city. At the same time, these two cities are both historical cities and the largest industrial and commercial cities in North China. Whatever it is, we will have to suffer a huge loss. ”

"If the central government insists on recovering the Jizhong Plain, we will resolutely support it. However, we need to carefully weigh the next step of the operation, how to fight it, and to what extent should the scale of the campaign be controlled? Will it return to the situation it was four or a year ago, or will it firmly control the Ukraine of northern China? ”

"If the second option is chosen, then the scale of the entire campaign will be expanded indefinitely, and we must be prepared to face the continuous investment of troops by the Japanese army in the future. At the same time, we must carefully weigh the fortified operations in the two cities of Tianjin and Beiping, as well as how to control the coastal areas such as Tanggu and Tangshan that can be used for Japanese troops to land. ”

"In this battle, we are not the only ones who have to pay for it. The issue of controlling the whole of North China after the war is something that the central authorities and the various base areas in North China need to consider in detail. Without a detailed battle plan and a sufficient number of second echelons, this battle will not be easy to fight. ”

"To tell you the truth, I'm not worried about how many Japanese troops will come up from the ground. But what I was most worried about was that the Japanese army did not know when it would take advantage of its naval superiority to land and fight from behind. The Battle of Jinshanwei during the Battle of Songhu is a lesson from our past. ”

Yang Zhen turned his head to look at the map hanging on the wall, and after being silent for a while, he said: "Recovering the Jizhong Plain region, and even the entire Huanghuai region, and creating a good strategic rear base for our army, this is also what I want." In this way, the entire richest region of North China is in our hands, and if the whole army of the Anti-Japanese Federation moves south, the logistical pressure will be greatly reduced. ”

"But boss, although Hebei has a short coastline, it has the largest port in northern China. Moreover, because of the transportation, this port has a strong ability to radiate the surrounding area. If we want to take Jizhong, we are bound to take the whole of Hebei. If we do not take Pingjin, it will be difficult for us to get out of the situation of being attacked on our backs. ”

"And as long as Tianjin is in the hands of the Japanese army, then I will guard against the Japanese army from stabbing us in the back during the entire operation. I'm not worried about going south, but the geographical location of Jizhong determines that this battle will affect the whole body. At a time when we are still far from the overall strength of the Japanese army, it is far from the time when we can have a decisive battle with the Japanese army. ”

"The most important thing is that I don't think we should bear this heavy pressure for the United States and the United Kingdom. Boss, natural disasters are not sustainable. As long as we grit our teeth and get through this, I think the future will be fine. When we make up our minds, we must be cautious, especially in this kind of battle. ”

"If we can, I think we don't have to go toe-to-toe with them for the time being, and we should take a squeeze approach. Relying on the two major base areas of Shanxi, Chahar, Hebei, Shanxi, and Henan, it continuously sent small forces to re-infiltrate the Jizhong Plain. At the same time, we transferred a part of the armored cluster to Jinchaji, and gave them a plain interspersed with heart-to-heart tactics from time to time. ”

"For the battle for the Jizhong Plain, I think it is better to adopt the method of squeezing and encroaching. Taking advantage of the fact that the Japanese front was too long to maintain sufficient troops, and the control of the countryside was weak, the tactics of boiling frogs in warm water were used to encroach on and squeeze them out of the Jizhong Plain little by little. ”

"In fact, if it weren't for the concern about the follow-up troops that the Japanese army might transfer, and the transfer of Japanese troops from the south to help North China. However, it is difficult to change the situation in which our army's sustained combat capability is insufficient and its follow-up is weak. In fact, in my opinion, fighting in the plain terrain of the Jizhong Plain is very much in line with my intentions. ”

"Fighting under the terrain of the plains is very conducive to giving full play to the superiority of the armored forces that our army is currently building with all its might. Concentrate a large number of tank clusters, fight a tank breakthrough battle on the Jizhong Plain, and take advantage of the advantages of the armored clusters, as well as the inherent weakness of the Japanese army's weak anti-tank firepower, to turn the Jizhong Plain into a meat grinder for the Japanese army. ”

"However, the shortcomings of our army's weak sustained combat capability and poor strategic supply capability have limited the combat radius of our army. The results of last year's battle were a wake-up call for us. Given the lack of effective strategic supply capability of our army, how to fight this campaign is a new topic for us. ”

"CEO, I understand that the central government put forward this idea at this time, and it is also based on the overall strategic requirements. Although there are great difficulties, I, Yang Zhen, resolutely support the overall consideration of the central authorities. As long as the central authorities give orders, I promise to resolutely obey them. However, the central authorities must have a consideration, that is, the possible losses to the vital forces of our army in this battle. ”

"But I still say that we need to sit down and study how this battle should be fought. After all, we are now facing a wolf and a tiger, and it is impossible for us to invest too much strength in North China until the situation in Northeast China is completely stabilized. ”

"If the central government insists on fighting, I put forward three hopes. First, I hope to be able to complete the training of the North China troops and fight after changing clothes. They also immediately began to carry out retraining and retraining of the local armed forces in various base areas in North China, so as to make good preparations for the second echelon. ”

"Second, it is hoped that the central authorities will adjust the military service policies of the various base areas in North China in advance, do a good job in mobilizing young and middle-aged people, complete basic military training, and form a reserve echelon of the third line. In order to be able to quickly replenish the troops at any time when necessary, and maintain the vitality of the troops participating in the battle. ”

"The reservists I'm talking about are not the militias in the base areas, but the reservists who have completed all the basic training of recruits. Boss, it's not like I'm bargaining. If we want to recover Jizhong, it is necessary to fight a decisive battle with the Japanese army in North China, then we must be fully prepared. ”

"If we go deep into the Jizhong Plain now, then what awaits us will be a bloody battle on an unprecedented scale. Whether it is the Anti-Japanese Federation or the various base areas in North China, we must be prepared to pay the price of hundreds of thousands of casualties. Without timely and reliable reinforcements, it will be difficult for us to ensure sustained combat capability. Even if Jizhong is taken, it will be difficult to stand in the counterattack of the follow-up troops of the Japanese army. ”

"In each base area, at least 100,000 reserve soldiers should be prepared that can be replenished into the army at any time. In the event of heavy casualties among the forward troops, these reserves can be replenished at any time. At the very least, it can replace the local armed forces that need to be upgraded and pulled away, and do a good job in the internal defense of the base area. ”

"Third, and most crucially, each base area must complete the reserve of food for three to five months before the war. Our army's strategic means of transportation are limited, and once it is deployed on the entire line in North China, the limited logistical force will inevitably be dominated by ammunition and oil. ”

"The grain problem can only be solved by relying on the various base areas in North China. Although all of them rely on North China to solve the problem, there are some difficulties. But we hope that North China will be able to provide at least some of the additional to ease the pressure on our logistics. Ensuring the supply of forward combat ammunition, as well as other materiel. ”