PFC Chapter 143 Bin Shanyuan's Doubts
Chapter 143 Bin Shanyuan's Doubts
By the time Li Zongren fully understood the core of the tactics, the other team members had already finished eating, and the food in the room had already gone cold. Li Zongren felt a little sorry and said to Chen Feng apologetically:
"Captain Leng Qiang, this is a very serious matter. I have even missed my meal. I'll ask Yun Yan to get you another one. I don't have time to eat. I have to arrange the task right away."
"Commander Li, you don't have to be polite. When my commando team was surviving in the wild, we had to eat dry food all day long. However, with the invasion of the Japanese invaders, such a life is beyond the suffering of most of the people. In the face of national crisis, what else can we ask for? Commander Li, just go and do your work. You don't have to change the meals."
Li Zongren did not force it. He returned to the headquarters and immediately issued an order:
"Notify all combat staff and student officers in Xuzhou to gather in the military intelligence room as quickly as possible."
"Yes".
Over half an hour later, dozens of people came into the military deduction room. Li Zongren continued to issue orders:
"I believe everyone is familiar with today's battle. The Japanese army used a large number of poison gas bombs without conscience, and our army suffered heavy casualties. If the fighting continues like this, all fronts will not be able to hold out for a few days. The theater command has decided to change the defensive strategy. Once the Japanese army uses poison gas bombs again, our army can retreat immediately and rely on the terrain to snipe layer by layer. I have a brand new tactic here, and you need to understand it and then promote it to the entire line. Time is pressing and the mission is important. I won't say much else. This tactic is of great significance. I hope everyone will study it seriously. If you don't understand, you can ask questions, but you must grasp the core of the tactics. If after promoting it, you fail to achieve the strategic goal and delay the entire battle, don't blame me for being ruthless."
When the staff officers and top students of the headquarters heard their superior speak so seriously, they put away their relaxed mood and stared at the commander-in-chief intently.
After more than an hour of explanation, most people understood it. Although they didn't know what the results of such tactics would be, since it was something the commander-in-chief attached great importance to, no one dared to be perfunctory.
Those who didn't understand were asking for details. In fact, the tactics are not difficult. Commanders with rich combat experience can basically understand them as soon as they hear them. No one is more experienced than the platoon leaders and squad leaders on the front line, so it won't be too difficult to promote them.
After everyone understood the three-three tactics, Li Zongren lectured dozens of people for half an hour. This tactic was related to the overall situation and required a hundred times the effort to complete.
There were two people in one division, and the deputy had already arranged the candidates for each division. Li Zongren did not even have time to eat, and ordered a telegram to be sent to the chief defensive officers of each front, explaining the importance of this tactic and urging them to promote it throughout the army. Violators would be punished by military law.
When the chief officers received the telegram, they were all a little surprised to see that the commander-in-chief was so stern.
But this group of people were not good-for-nothings. Through the main introduction in the telegram, they understood the importance of this tactic. At least they didn't have to fight the Japanese army with bayonets under the poison gas. They immediately ordered the deputy regimental commanders at the front line to gather and prepare to start studying overnight after the instructors arrived.
On May 16, the Japanese army started the attack again under the cover of various artillery fires. The defensive positions were under great pressure. The deputy commanders of each regiment had learned the essence of the three-three tactics overnight and were promoting it under the artillery fire and front-line commanders. Time waits for no one. If the Japanese army continues to use poison gas bombs, then it is very likely that they will have to change their tactics today.
All fronts were under pressure, but fortunately the Japanese army might not have many poison gas bombs left and did not continue to use them. In fact, the Japanese army used poison gas bombs on all fronts under tremendous pressure. However, if they could not take Xuzhou, the entire North China Theater would become a joke. They also had to guard against the destruction of the Lone Wolf Commando. The poison gas bombs were transported in with sufficient confidentiality, and the order was given to use them all in one day.
However, even so, the National Army's position was in danger and the troops suffered heavy losses, especially when facing the Washizu Division's position, the number of troops was reduced too much.
It was almost noon. Seeing that the Japanese army did not use poison gas bombs, the army commanders or division commanders at the front line were studying the terrain carefully, regardless of the fighting situation on the front line. There was still a distance of more than ten miles from the third line of defense to Taierzhuang City, with countless villages and towns.
Although their superiors had ordered them to retreat to Taierzhuang immediately, these military commanders did not want to retreat so easily. With 60,000 to 70,000 troops crammed into the city of Taierzhuang, it would definitely be overcrowded, so they had to use the three-three system tactics to consume the Japanese troops over this distance.
The National Army fought very tenaciously that day. They were full of anger yesterday and had seen countless brothers die tragically. They thought it was their turn today, but when they saw that the Japanese had run out of poison gas bombs, they instantly perked up. Often when the Japanese were still seventy or eighty meters away from the trenches, they launched a collective charge, chopping off heads with swords and stabbing flesh with bayonets. In one day, they engaged in many brutal hand-to-hand combats. Although they suffered heavy losses, they also caused a large number of casualties to the Japanese.
As night fell, officers from regiment commanders to company commanders personally manned the front-line positions to prevent sneak attacks by the Japanese. Platoon leaders and squad leaders all participated in temporary battlefield training and the mission was implemented very thoroughly. Everyone was 100% interested in the tactics taught by the commander-in-chief of the Fifth War Zone himself. In one night, the three-three tactics were conveyed to the entire outer front of Xuzhou.
The Japanese army's infiltration into the Kuomintang-controlled areas was pervasive, and this tactic was placed on Bin Shanyuan's desk on the evening of the 16th.
In August 1936, Sugiyama was appointed as one of the three core leaders of the army, the Director General of Education and Military Counselor. On November 2, he was promoted to Army General. In February 1937, he was appointed Army Minister in the Hayashi Senjuro Cabinet. After the fall of that cabinet, he continued to serve as Army Minister in the Konoe Fumimaro Cabinet.
In 1937, the July 7 Incident and the Marco Polo Bridge Incident broke out. As the Minister of the Army, Sugiyama Gen strongly advocated increasing the number of troops stationed in China and expanding the scale of the war. He strongly refuted Ishihara Kanji, who advocated not expanding the war: "The so-called not expanding only means avoiding a full-scale war, not disregarding the prestige of the Japanese army." He guaranteed to Emperor Showa that the Chinese incident would be resolved in three months.
According to historical traces, Bin Shanyuan should have succeeded Terauchi Hisaichi and became the commander of the Japanese Army's Northern China Expeditionary Army at the end of 1939. Chen Feng's shot changed the course of history, and Bin Shanyuan took over Terauchi Hisaichi's position six months ahead of schedule.
The news came from the Kuomintang-controlled areas and had been confirmed by the Special High Section. Although it was known that the Fifth War Zone was vigorously implementing the three-three tactics, the specific content of the tactics had not yet been transmitted. Bin Shanyuan could only judge based on just five words.
Bin Shanyuan attached great importance to the new tactics of the Fifth War Zone. A simple reverse slope caused serious damage to the Japanese army, indirectly prolonged the Chinese army's defense time, and slowed down the Japanese army's offensive speed.
Three-three tactics? Bin Shanyuan fell into deep thought. Three people or six people? What effect can a team of several people have on a large-scale battle?