ATPnovel Chapter 191: The 71st Army Voluntarily Requests Battle, Song Xilian's Redemption
Chapter 191: The 71st Army Voluntarily Requests Battle, Song Xilian's Redemption
Although the Ninth and Fifth War Zones are currently conducting joint operations, the northern foothills of the Dabie Mountains have always been the legally designated defense zone of the Fifth War Zone.
Li Zongren covered his mouth and coughed rapidly, his face pale from a long illness.
After his coughing subsided, he slowly spoke in a hoarse voice:
"Since the Battle of Xuzhou, our Fifth War Zone has not received much replenishment of troops and equipment. This time, the Japanese army is coming in with great force and its offensive is extremely fierce."
The Japanese 10th, 6th, and 13th Divisions, along with the Imperial Guard Division, were assembled along the Lu'an and Huai River line alone, bringing the total strength to over 130,000.
"The troops stationed on the northern slopes of the Dabie Mountains in my Fifth War Zone alone would likely be unable to withstand this."
His words were not a deliberate attempt to shirk responsibility, but rather a reflection of the actual situation.
The defense lines along both sides of the Yangtze River had already tied down a considerable portion of the Fifth War Zone's forces. Currently, the only troops fighting on the northern slopes of the Dabie Mountains are Zhang Zizhong's 27th Army Corps and Yu Xuezhong's 51st Army.
Both of these units were temporarily reorganized after being decimated in the previous bloody battle. The two armies combined could not even muster 40,000 men, and the disparity in troop strength was too great.
These words were not only spoken to Chen Cheng, but also to He Yingqin, the Minister of Military Affairs who was standing nearby.
The meaning was crystal clear: our Fifth War Zone is short of troops and ammunition, and we must be given support and replenishment.
He Yingqin naturally understood his implied meaning, and with a smile on his face, he slowly spoke:
"The Central Committee is well aware that the Fifth War Zone suffered heavy losses in previous battles."
However, as far as I know, isn't the main force of Li Jianghe's Third Column stationed along the Huangchuan line? With such a formidable enemy at hand, if not now, when?
Chen Cheng, who was standing next to him, also smiled and chimed in:
"That's right. Perfect timing. We all want to see just how powerful Li Jianghe's Third Column really is, and whether it can hold off the main Japanese force's attack head-on."
Commander Li was not surprised by what Commander He and Commander Chen said.
He picked up the enamel mug in front of him, took a sip, and spoke calmly:
"Li Jianghe's troops are best at surprise attacks, rather than defensive maneuvers."
If we cannot first wear down the Japanese offensive momentum through defense, creating opportunities for the Third Column, how can we maximize the advantages of its mechanized forces' mobile warfare capabilities?
The officer standing next to him immediately chimed in, his tone laced with sarcasm:
"That's exactly right. Do you two intend for Li Jianghe to dismantle all the tanks and cannons he has and stuff them into the bunkers to use as fixed artillery positions? Wouldn't that be a waste of this elite force?"
Commander He, with his usual smile still on his face, slowly said:
"That's not right. As the saying goes, the best defense is a good offense. Why not let Li Jianghe's Third Column take advantage of its overwhelming force and launch a frontal assault on the Japanese invaders?"
"The plains of southern Henan are flat and have almost no terrain for cover or concealment. Once Li Jianghe's tanks launch an attack, the Japanese invaders will be terrified and unable to match them."
Commander He knew perfectly well that he had made up his mind to have these local troops take the lead.
Of course, this was not his own idea, but the principal's; he was merely conveying this will on behalf of the principal.
Just as the argument was reaching a stalemate in the conference room, a calm voice suddenly came from the side.
"This humble officer is willing to lead the 71st Army to reinforce the northern foothills of the Dabie Mountains."
The moment the words were spoken, the conference room fell silent, and everyone's eyes turned to the speaker.
Song Xilian, commander of the 71st Army, stepped forward. His crisp military uniform was impeccably worn, and the medals on his chest gleamed under the lamplight.
He straightened his back, head held high, his gaze resolute, and repeated each word carefully:
"This humble officer is willing to lead the 71st Army to reinforce the northern foothills of the Dabie Mountains. I hope the Commander-in-Chief will grant my request."
Commander He's brows furrowed instantly, the smile in his eyes vanished, and his expression turned icy.
He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his tone carrying a hint of warning:
"Yin Guo, this matter is of utmost importance; you must think it over carefully."
Commander Li looked at Song Xilian with a face full of surprise.
He knew all too well that Song Xilian was a true member of the Whampoa Military Academy, and even more so, the principal's most trusted confidant and most beloved general.
Couldn't he see that this meeting was, openly or secretly, intended to push Li Jianghe's Third Column and the local troops of the Fifth War Zone to the front lines to wear down the elite Japanese forces?
71军是什幺部队？那是中央军里的嫡系王牌，麾下四个师，分别是36师、61师、87师和88师。
Among them, the 36th, 87th and 88th Divisions were all famous German-equipped divisions at the time.
Even though they suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Shanghai, they were given priority in replenishment, both in terms of equipment and high-quality personnel, and their strength remained formidable.
Unlike Xiao Shanling's 11th Army, which was not only a remnant of the Nanjing Defense War, but also lacked sufficient weapons and equipment.
But Song Xilian seemed not to have heard Commander He's warning, remaining upright and his tone unwavering:
But Song Xilian seemed not to have heard Commander He's warning, remaining upright and his tone unwavering:
"Sir, I have thought it through very carefully, and I hope you will grant my request."
Just then, Xue Yue, who had been sitting silently to the side, suddenly spoke, his tone calm yet resolute:
"In my opinion, it is not as beautiful as it is."
After all, it would be extremely difficult to withstand the westward advance of the Japanese invaders with just one third column.
If the 71st Army of the Central Army were to go and intercept us, the defense of the northern front would be about 70% successful.
These words carried immense weight in terms of support.
Commander Li immediately seized the opportunity and said:
"If we have the assistance of the 71st Army of the State Council, then I will also transfer Sun Lianzhong's troops from the Fifth War Zone to the Dabie Mountains to fight together."
Having said all that, Commander He looked into Song Xilian's incredibly firm and unwavering eyes and sighed inwardly.
He remained silent for a long time, but finally managed a smile again and slowly said:
"In that case, let's do as Yingguo says and send the 71st Army to provide support on the northern slopes of the Dabie Mountains."
Upon hearing this, Song Xilian, Commander Li, Bai Chongxi, and the others all breathed a sigh of relief.
After the meeting, Commander Li was still puzzled as to why Song Xilian would volunteer at this time.
Is it really just for the sake of resisting Japan and serving the country that one is willing to push one's own trusted aces to the most dangerous front lines?
Until Bai Chongxi leaned close to his ear and whispered:
"When Nanjing fell, Song Xilian led the 36th Division and defended the isolated city together with Li Jianghe's troops. The two had a life-or-death bond."
These words instantly enlightened Commander Li. He nodded in sudden realization and whispered:
"I see. I didn't expect there to be such a connection between these two."