Chapter 769
I say the Chairman's opinion is brilliant! Unity leads to progress!
"The Third Army Corps?"
Chang Ruiyuan narrowed his eyes slightly, gently stroking the tip of his cane with his fingers, without immediately expressing his opinion.
Li Delin's move seemed somewhat sudden, but upon closer examination, it was a calculated move.
The 11th Army Group was the main force of the expeditionary force, and Song Xilian was a graduate of the first class of the Whampoa Military Academy, a protégé of the emperor, and of impeccable lineage.
Appointing him as the commander-in-chief of the Annamite army, and replacing Qiu Qingquan, was nominally a lateral transfer, but in reality, it gave him control over the situation in Toungoo and Siam.
It not only filled the void left by Qiu Qingquan's departure, but also brought together the previously relatively independent departments.
Most importantly, this move cleverly resolved the potential power struggle among the various parties over "who has the final say in Dongwo".
Song Xilian was a direct descendant of Chang Ruiyuan and also had a past relationship with Chu Yunfei.
Chu Yunfei played a crucial role in enabling the 71st Army to be selected as a direct assault force under the General Headquarters in 1939.
The 11th Army Group had previously received support from North China while serving in the Expeditionary Force.
"Brother Delin's suggestion is indeed excellent."
Chang Ruiyuan nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the entire room: "hope Lian is strict in his military discipline and has made great contributions in several battles. I am truly at ease having him in charge of Toungoo."
He paused, then his tone became decisive: "Then there's no need to continue discussing this candidate; let's make a decision."
"An urgent telegram was sent to Song Xilian, ordering him to immediately hand over the defense of the 11th Army Group and go to Toungoo to assume the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Annam Army and concurrently Commander of the 1st Army Corps."
"As for the remnants of the 11th Army Group, they will be reorganized into the 3rd Army Corps, stationed in Siam, to assist the royal family in stabilizing the situation. The specific commander will be selected later."
After a moment's thought, Chang Ruiyuan finally said, "Then let Huang Jie go. Since he was injured in the Battle of Yudong, he has been training and honing his skills on the second line for so long. It's time for him to show his abilities."
"Chairman, your insight is brilliant!"
With just a few words, the military landscape of Southeast Asia was reshaped.
The rise of Song Xilian and Huang Jie, two generals from the Central Army, undoubtedly further consolidated Chang Ruiyuan's control over overseas garrisons.
This paved the way for Qiu Qingquan's return to China.
"As for Qiu Qingquan..."
Chang Ruiyuan's tone held a hint of expectation: "Since everyone thinks he's the most suitable candidate, then let him come back!"
“Tell him not to stay in that poor, remote place in northern Myanmar.”
"I've prepared a thousand brand-new American tanks for him, so he can come back and lead me to an invincible iron army!"
"In addition, establish an 'Armored Forces Inspection Office' under the control of the Joint Command, and you, Yunfei, will be in charge of it personally!"
Chang Ruiyuan changed the subject, his gaze sharpening once more as he swept across the room, finally settling on Chu Yunfei:
"The reception of all equipment, the allocation of fuel and ammunition, and the standards for training and assessment are all determined by the Inspection Department."
"Qiu Yu'an is only responsible for leading troops into battle. If his training is substandard, even if he is my student, you, Chu Yunfei, have the right to confiscate his tanks and fuel!"
Chang Ruiyuan's balancing act was masterful.
Military power rested with the central government's direct subordinates, but the real power over "supplies" and "assessment" was handed over to Chu Yunfei.
This is both trust and a subtle balance and constraint.
Chu Yunfei bowed slightly, his expression solemn: "Yes! This student will certainly live up to the mission and forge this peerless sword for the Party and the country!"
The audience watched this scene with a variety of thoughts.
Some envied Qiu Qingquan's good fortune, some were jealous of his real power in North China, and some secretly rejoiced that they had escaped a disaster.
But in any case.
The framework of the First Armored Army Group has been officially established.
With this major personnel appointment finalized, the atmosphere in the meeting room became tense once again.
Because the next topic will directly affect the vital interests of every general present—the reorganization and reduction of combat troops.
As is well known, the National Revolutionary Army nominally had six million troops, but according to the actual investigations and statistics of the Ministry of Military Affairs...
Currently, there are only 4.5 million combat troops.
Even the Central Army's direct subordinate units under the South China Joint Command concealed information to varying degrees.
This matter was mentioned at a previous military conference in Changzhi.
Now, the relevant disarmament work has officially begun to avoid chaos after the war.
Chang Ruiyuan waved his hand, his expression returning to its cold stern, and gestured for Lin Wei to continue: "Then let's move on to the next item, the reorganization and reduction plan for redundant combat units in each war zone."
After clearing his throat, Lin Wei continued, "Due to some historical factors, as well as the defects in the Nationalist government's conscription system and the inadequacy of its work, the replenishment of troops in various departments is uneven, and there are even a large number of 'non-combat personnel'."
"This greatly strained the Nationalist government's finances and also significantly affected the organization and cohesion of the combat troops."
"The reduction and merger of relevant combat units is carried out in accordance with the principles of fairness and impartiality, taking into account the units' performance on the anti-Japanese battlefield and their performance in recent battles."
"As for those officers and soldiers who are discharged, they will receive three months' worth of military pay in a lump sum, and appropriate resettlement will be arranged."
"Doesn't that amount to a buyout?"
One of the teachers muttered something under his breath.
Lin Wei immediately nodded: "Commander Li is right. This demobilization and severance pay can be understood as a peaceful redemption."
"This round of troop reductions and downsizing is not just for show; it's aimed at improving the overall combat effectiveness of the fighting forces and preparing for future national defense construction and counter-offensive missions."
"At the same time, we will also reorganize a portion of the defected soldiers who have not made any major mistakes from the defected puppet army combat units and send them to the new recruit training center for training as reserve soldiers."
As for the rest...
Everyone was very curious at this moment.
Yes, over 100,000 puppet troops surrendered.
A small portion was sent for training to supplement the captured soldiers in the future, but what about the rest?
We can't just send them all home, can we?
These damned puppet troops will definitely cause a lot of trouble when they go home.
"Based on their previous performance, if they have committed too many crimes, they will be assigned to the Production and Construction Corps for service. Only after completing their service can they return home freely, and we will provide them with the corresponding travel expenses."
"Of course, during this reorganization process, some veterans who are unwilling to leave the National Army can also voluntarily join the local construction corps. We also have corresponding policies, which we will distribute in detail after the meeting."
"Alright, now, and this is the main point of this meeting: the first batch of units whose original combat designations will be cancelled is the Second Army Group."
"The Second Army Group previously only had the 69th Army under its command."
"Commander Mi Wenhe."
"Have!"
"The 69th Army has been incorporated into the 15th Group Army's operational sequence and will undergo corresponding reorganization along with the 15th Group Army."
"The fifteenth episode of He Zhuguo's unit, after reorganization, includes the 69th Army and the 92nd Army."
"The Second Cavalry Corps was reassigned to the direct command of the North China Mobile Corps."
One by one, the numbers were read out, and some were kept, some were merged, and some were canceled directly.
Some generals argued vehemently, some were heartbroken, and some wept with joy upon hearing that their troops had been preserved.
But no matter how tortuous the process, in the face of this military reform storm jointly led by Chang Ruiyuan and Zhan Shuai, the will of any individual seems so insignificant.
……
The meeting lasted a full six hours before all the relevant reorganization plans were read out.
After sorting, the entire North China region was included.
The directly subordinate combat forces are extremely streamlined.
The North China Mobile Corps consisted of the First Cavalry Corps, the Second Cavalry Corps, and the Third Cavalry Corps.
The North China Artillery Corps comprises three mobile heavy artillery brigades: the 4th Artillery Brigade, the 8th Artillery Brigade, and the 13th Artillery Brigade.
The North China Armored Corps Group, comprising Armored Units 1, 2, and 3,
22nd Group Army (Wang Mingzhang - Class B)
Northeast Advance Column (Special Formation)
The Eighth Route Army's Eastward Advance Column (Special Formation) Mysterious Force (Uh)
The rest.
These are combat units directly under the command of each war zone.
For example, the Second War Zone currently commands the following: the Fourth Army Group (Sun Weiru - Plan A reorganization), the Fifth Army Group (Tang Huaiyuan - Plan B), the Sixth Army Group (Qian Bojun - Plan A), the Seventh Army Group (Fu Yisheng - (No reorganization plan)), the Fourteenth Army Group (Liu Maoen - (No reorganization plan)), the Fifteenth Army Group (He Zhuguo - Plan A reorganization), the Thirty-Fourth Army Group (Li Yannian - (No reorganization plan)), the Thirty-Eighth Army Group (Fan Hanjie - No reorganization plan), and the Eighth Eighth Army Group (Fang Ligong - Plan A).
The First War Zone currently comprises: the 21st Group Army (Li Pinxian - Class A), the 36th Group Army (Li Jiayu - abolished and merged into the 21st Group Army), the 19th Group Army (Zhang Xuezhong - Class A), the 28th Group Army (Li Xianzhou - abolished and merged into the 19th Group Army), and the 31st Group Army (Wang Zhonglian - (no reorganization plan)).
PS: The 24th Army Group, originally belonging to the Fifth War Zone, had now been taken over by Wang Yaowu.
obviously.
The organizational structures of the Jin Army's Eighth and Thirteenth Group Armies, which Chu Yunfei was familiar with, have long been lost to the dust of history.
During this process, many organizational structures are also being further adjusted.
For example, the 40th Army Group under the Northwest Ma Command, which had been abolished long ago.
As the meeting drew to a close, Lin Wei announced in a clear voice: "After this reorganization and reorganization plan is completed, the North China Joint Command will have six army groups under its Class A forces, three army groups under its Class B forces, and the other forces will also be organized into three army groups."
"The number of combat troops will be reduced from 1.85 million to 1.2 million."
"The strength of the local construction corps is expected to increase from 180,000 to 580,000."
Immediately, murmurs arose again from below.
"With such a small force, can they defeat the Japanese?"
"I don't know, I just feel like they cut too many at once."
"Six hundred thousand men. That's equivalent to cutting six army groups and more than a dozen corps. Many of our units need three corps to fight a single Japanese division... Isn't that a bit risky?"
A considerable number of officers share this view.
Chang Ruiyuan tapped his cane, then said loudly, "Do you know how many of our enemies, the Japanese Kwantung Army and the puppet troops under Puyi, are?"
Cao Potian, the director of the inspection department who attended the meeting, spoke for the first time: "According to the intelligence we currently have, the number is at most 400,000, or even less."
Chang Ruiyuan was full of confidence. He stood up in front of the crowd and said in a firm tone: "1.2 million men against 400,000 men, the ratio of troops is 3:1, the advantage is on our side" (in Fenghua accent).
"As long as we stand united, victory will ultimately belong to China, to the Chinese nation, and to every Chinese person."
-
The Kaifeng Conference has concluded.
The commanding officers of each unit are basically returning to their troop locations quickly to carry out the next phase of their mission.
three days later.
A C-47 transport plane landed at Kaifeng Airport.
The cabin door opened, and Qiu Qingquan, dressed in military uniform and covered in dust, strode down the gangway.
He took off his sunglasses, looked at the ancient city shrouded in the sandstorms of the Yellow River in the distance, and took a deep breath of the earthy air.
"You're back"
Qiu Qingquan muttered to himself, his eyes gleaming with an almost fanatical light.
He knew what glory and challenges awaited him.
One thousand tanks.
It's still the world's most advanced medium tank, the Sherman M1A3!
Four heavily armed divisions, a fully mechanized army group.
Meanwhile, on the arrival tarmac not far away.
A black sedan had been waiting for some time.
Chu Yunfei and the others stepped forward: "Brother Yu'an, how have you been?"
Qiu Qingquan strode forward, saluted earnestly, and laughed heartily: "Commander Chu is as dashing as ever!"
After exchanging pleasantries, the two got into the car. As soon as the car door closed, shutting out the wind and sand outside, Qiu Qingquan couldn't wait to speak.
I won't bother with formalities.
"When will all one thousand Shermans finally arrive?"
"The first batch of fifty training vehicles is already on its way and is expected to arrive in Zhengzhou tomorrow."
Chu Yunfei pulled a document from his briefcase and handed it over, his tone calm and confident: "At least two hundred vehicles will be transported every month via the Burma Road and sea routes. At the latest, your four armored divisions will be fully staffed in four months."
"Four months"
Qiu Qingquan took the document, gently stroking it with his fingers, his eyes gleaming: "That's enough!"
"As long as the equipment is in place, I can set up the scaffolding within three months and achieve combat readiness within six months!"
"but."
Qiu Qingquan changed the subject, his expression becoming serious: "This is not just a matter of equipment. As you and I both know, we have never had any experience with armored warfare, especially large-scale armored assaults like this before."
"Tanks are not meant to be mobile bunkers, nor are they meant to be babysitters for infantry."
"It is a fist, a sharp dagger that tears apart the enemy's defenses!"
Qiu Qingquan became more and more excited as he spoke, even gesturing wildly: "We can't just copy the Americans' approach. Their tank tactics rely too much on logistics and air support, which we don't have the resources for."
"We can't learn everything from the Germans. Our soldiers and officers don't have their combat skills, and we haven't had the time to train them."
"We need a unique tactic suitable for the Chinese battlefield, especially for the future Northeast Plain!"
Chu Yunfei listened to Qiu Qingquan's eloquent speech, his eyes revealing admiration.
In China today, there are very few people who understand armored forces.
Qiu Qingquan is indeed a talent in this regard.
Although he was arrogant, he had the right to be arrogant and he was indeed knowledgeable.
"Brother Yu'an is right."
Chu Yunfei nodded and continued, "Therefore, I suggest that we emphasize coordination in terms of tactics."
"With the continuous improvement of our radio communication technology, we should emphasize the role played by various technical equipment."
"Tanks charge, self-propelled artillery provides close support, half-tracks transport infantry for escort and cover, and engineers breach obstacles and air defense units accompany them."
"It's like a fist with all five fingers clenched tightly; none of them can be missing."
"Yes, that makes sense!"
Qiu Qingquan slapped his thigh and said excitedly, "As long as the coordination is proper, it will be able to unleash even greater power."
As the two got into a lively conversation, the topic expanded from tactical thinking to specific command systems, even delving into details such as tank crew configurations and the division of communication channels.
The carriage was filled with aspirations for future warfare models and a collision of ideas about the next steps in military development.
When the convoy entered the city of Kaifeng.
Chu Yunfei glanced at the street scene outside the window and subtly steered the conversation to another key point—personnel.
"Brother Yu'an, what are your plans for the core members of this unit?"
Qiu Qingquan pondered for a moment, then frowned slightly: "This is indeed a big problem."
“There are already few officers who understand armored tactics. I can recruit some of the old guard from the 200th Division and the 5th Army, but the gap is still huge.”
“Especially the commanders at the division level, they must be able to take charge independently.”
Chu Yunfei smiled slightly, took out another list from his pocket, and handed it to Qiu Qingquan: "Brother Yu'an, I have a few recommended candidates here, you can take a look."
Qiu Qingquan took the list, his eyes sweeping over the first name, and his eyebrows immediately rose.
"Yin Chongyue?"
"Yes."
Chu Yunfei nodded, his tone solemn: "Episode 88, Armored Brigade Commander Yin Chongyue." (End of Chapter)