Chapter 279

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Li Zongren asked in surprise: "The Sichuan Army? The Twenty-Second Army Group?! Wei Yue, you can really incorporate them into the Fifth War Zone?"

Li Zongren's surprise was not without reason.

The Sichuan Army Twenty-Second Army Group was one of the two army groups Liu Xiang brought out of Sichuan.

After Liu Xiang and Lv Muzhi cooperated in the Southwest, their military strength grew significantly.

Judging by equipment alone, the strength of the Twenty-Second Army Group could already compare with the regular Central Army, and it played an active role during the Taiyuan Campaign.

The current Sichuan Army Twenty-Second Army Group was not a worn-out ball passed back and forth between war zones, but a real delicacy!

This was exactly why Li Zongren was surprised. If it were an ordinary miscellaneous unit, tossing it to his Fifth War Zone like garbage would not surprise Li Zongren.

But the actual situation was that Yan Laoxi, commander of the Second War Zone, and Cheng Qian, commander of the First War Zone, were both vying for it.

The Sichuan Army Twenty-Second Army Group originally belonged to Yan Laoxi's Second War Zone, so Li Zongren was also embarrassed to try to win over the Sichuan Army.

The Central Government's disposition of this Sichuan Army was also very difficult.

The Taiyuan Campaign ended in a crushing defeat, and a counterattack was currently hopeless. Keep the elite Sichuan Army Twenty-Second Army Group for the useless Yan Laoxi? That was not what the Central Government wanted, nor would it serve any purpose.

Let the Twenty-Second Army Group return to Sichuan? That was even more out of the question! With so many troops behind Chongqing City, how could the old man sleep?!

After Lv Muzhi explained the current situation to Li Zongren, he said: "The First War Zone is currently trying to win over the Sichuan Army, and our Fifth War Zone can also try to win them over. Future operations will revolve around the Xuzhou area, so it is more reasonable for us to try to win them over;

Also, I will send a telegram to Liu Xiang, who supports the troops, asking Sichuan Army Twenty-Second Army Group Commander Deng Xihou to petition the Central Government himself to join the Fifth War Zone, and this matter can be accomplished."

I think within two days, this Sichuan Army can reach Xuzhou, and then head north to provide support."

Li Zongren was delighted upon hearing this: "In that case, another elite brigade joins the Fifth War Zone, then we have to trouble Wei Yue!"

After Lv Muzhi finished speaking, he sat down to draft telegrams, one to the Central Government and one to Liu Xiang.

Li Zongren received a telegram from the frontline, his expression grew even more serious, and he walked to the combat map to study it carefully, and began working on the map.

After Lv Muzhi had someone send out the telegram, Li Zongren said: "The Central China Expeditionary Army in the south is also moving, Wei Yue, this is your Ninth Army Group's old opponent!"

Lv Muzhi stepped forward to look at the combat map that had just been updated. The Central China Expeditionary Army dispatched the Thirteenth Division, advancing north along the Tianjin-Pukou Railway within Anhui Province, about to reach Bengbu, and engage in fierce fighting with the garrison there.

"De Gong, regarding this Thirteenth Division in the south, I think the troops of our Fifth War Zone deployed in Bengbu can hold them off. There is no need to worry for now. We still need to find a way to take down the Isogaya Division in the north."

Li Zongren said instead: "You have only been in the Fifth War Zone for a short time. Actually, after Isogai Rensuke's Tenth Division successively captured Jinan and Taian, it is currently undergoing reorganization;

Tang Enbo's Twentieth Army Group has not yet engaged the Tenth Division, so the situation in the north is not very urgent;

The Thirteenth Division in the south has already advanced in large strides, marching north arrogantly all the way;

I am thinking, after your Ninth Army Group arrives, first divide our forces into one part, find a way to devour the Thirteenth Division in the south?"

Put bluntly, the Thirteenth Division of the Central China Expeditionary Army was a defeated general under the Youth Army in Songhu. If the Youth Army comes to the Fifth War Zone's first battle and defeats the Thirteenth Division, it can boost morale and shake the military morale of the Central China Expeditionary Army in the south, making them dare not easily advance north, and we can also be more at ease dealing with the North China Area Army."

After hearing Li Zongren's words, Lv Muzhi felt it was feasible.

The current state of the Thirteenth Division was already a case of no tiger in the mountain, monkey calls itself king.

Forgetting the miserable defeat at the hands of the Youth Army on the Songhu Battlefield initially, after capturing Jinling, it marched north triumphantly along the Tianjin-Pukou Railway. It was indeed necessary to give them a heavy blow.

"I think it is feasible. After the Sichuan Army arrives in Xuzhou, they will advance north along the Tianjin-Pukou Railway to Teng County to support Tang Enbo's Twentieth Army Group in Jining City;

After my Ninth Army Group is in position, one part will attack the Thirteenth Division of the Central China Expeditionary Army near Bengbu to the south; one part will attack Isogai Rensuke's Tenth Division to the north."

"Lu Commander, Liao Yaoxiang's troops, as the vanguard, have already arrived in Xuzhou by train; the Southwest Air Force has also stationed at the airfields in Xuzhou and Kaifeng to prepare for battle." A staff officer came to report.

Li Zongren said with eyes full of anticipation: "I have heard many legends of the Youth Army before. Today I am finally fortunate enough to witness them with my own eyes. Come, let's go see the military appearance of the Youth Army!"

Everyone first took a car to the airfield in Xuzhou. The hangars were already parked with many BF109 fighters of the Southwest Air Force, and Central Government Air Force aircraft were also waiting in the airfield, with many models, Soviet ones and American ones.

Li Zongren looked at the neatly arranged, imposing BF109 fighters in the hangar. These fighters had brand-new paint, and the 20mm cannons under the wings made Li Zongren nod repeatedly.

"Wei Yue, this Southwest Air Force is truly a sharp sword in your hand! My Fifth War Zone no longer needs to worry about our own heads!"

The two walked and talked, leaving the airfield. The group then drove to the train station.

The scene at the train station was another kind of shock.

On the military platform on the west side of Xuzhou Station on the Tianjin-Pukou Railway, the white smoke of the steam locomotive condensed into thick fog in the cold air.

Liao Yaoxiang had already brought people to wait on the platform.

Seeing Li Zongren and Lv Muzhi arrive, Liao Yaoxiang, as the commander of the First Division of the First Army of the Youth Army, quickly stepped forward.

"Li Commander, Lu Commander, the vanguard of the First Division has arrived according to plan and is currently unloading and assembling."

Li Zongren nodded, but his gaze had already passed Liao Yaoxiang and fell on those open carriages.

On the first flatcar, tank after tank was fixed, exactly the Sanhao Tanks Lv Muzhi had mentioned.

On the other train cars, T Light Tanks were fixed.

Li Zongren walked to other carriages again. Here were heavy artillery pieces.

"105mm howitzers, the main force of my division's artillery regiment." Liao Yaoxiang explained beside him.

Li Zongren said nothing, just continued walking forward.

It could be said that every carriage was like a mobile arsenal.

From Zhongzheng Rifles to MG34 Machine Guns, from 20mm machine cannons to 88mm Gaoping Dual-Purpose Guns; from bicycles to armored vehicles......

On the other side of the platform, the troops that had already unloaded were assembling. The soldiers all wore German M35 Steel Helmets, thick gray-blue winter uniforms, leg wraps, and carried large backpacks on their backs.

Li Zongren was very shocked. What caught Li Zongren's attention most was the look in those soldiers' eyes.

There was no fatigue or dispersion from long marches, but rather a quiet, sharp spirit of gathering strength and waiting to strike.

"These soldiers... many of them must have retreated from the Jing Hu Battlefield, right?" Li Zongren asked.

"Report to Li Commander, the veterans are those who survived several rounds of fighting in Songhu and Jinling," Liao Yaoxiang answered calmly, "the new recruits are all reservists who have trained for at least six months, and not a single tactic is lacking!"

Li Zongren finally understood why Lv Muzhi dared to say he would annihilate the Isogaya Division — with such equipment, with such troops, no wonder he had confidence!