After Guo Bingxun finished speaking, Yang Zhen nodded and said, "The Chief of Staff is right, these are all things we must improve. However, not only these, but also some other shortcomings that can even be considered fatal in future battles, and the Chief of Staff did not say it."

Yang Zhen glanced at Li Yanping and Wang Guangyu who were recording, and sighed: "To be honest, in this attack, we did not take much advantage except for the two battles between Wei'anshan and Weihe County. In the last battle, we defeated two groups of Japanese and puppet troops. Rather than saying that we were strong in combat or had good command, we were too lucky."

"If the Japanese and puppet troops attacked the three routes in the battle, if the three routes firmly implemented their step by step and squeezed us into their preset ambush circle tactics, you can think about it, what would be waiting for us under the circumstances at that time?"

"Although I don't know why among the three Japanese and puppet troops, the Japanese and puppet troops in the middle were in the tactics of step-by-step Japanese and puppet troops, and they violated the rules and advanced alone when the troops did not have an absolute advantage, their move gave us the opportunity to change our environment."

"If it weren't for the Japanese and puppet troops in the middle of the road, and with our combat effectiveness at that time, as well as our military strength, equipment and even training at that time, to be honest, I wouldn't know what to do? With the continuous squeeze of the Japanese and puppet troops in the three routes and no situation along the way, even if we knew there were ghosts in it, we might have to bite the bullet and drill into the Japanese ambush circle."

"Luckily, we seized this opportunity to die and survive, adopted a roundabout tactic, attacked on the flanks, took advantage of the opportunity of the Japanese and puppet troops to put all their strength into the offensive, defeating the Japanese and puppet troops in the middle and turning the situation around.

"I took advantage of the opportunity of the Japanese and puppet troops in the middle to be defeated, and the other two Japanese and puppet troops were eager to close the encirclement, and they defeated all of them through maneuvering ambush, completely turning the situation around. So I said that our victory in continuous combat was quite lucky, rather than our combat effectiveness really surpassing the Japanese and puppet troops."

"Through two consecutive battles, it was revealed that our training still needed to be greatly strengthened. The Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff commanded two fully organized infantry companies, which had the advantage of the terrain and the local firepower was not at a disadvantage. However, it cost the Japanese and puppet troops four hours to block the Japanese and puppet troops."

"This is not because you have any problems in command, but because the training of the troops really needs to be strengthened. In the command of these two blocking wars, you have completely implemented the prior arrangement and the command is in line with the rules. I don't feel that there are any mistakes in it. Why do you still suffer such great casualties when the command is not in trouble? That only means that our troops still have problems in training, at least their basic skills are not solid."

"In the battle, most of our soldiers' tactical actions are not in place and will not avoid artillery fire. They shoot frivolously and waste ammunition. The team's tactical coordination ability is poor, and the grassroots commanders are not in place. Many people even don't even repair basic fortifications and only use natural bunkers. These are all fatal problems for us. Usually, it's not a big deal, but when it comes to the battlefield, it's all deadly."

"Just as the Chief of Staff said, two heavy machine guns could not suppress the Japanese light machine guns when the ammunition was relatively sufficient. What does this mean? It only means that we still have serious shortcomings in training."

"We cannot use the excuse that most soldiers have only received one and a half months of training before they attack. Some people will say that it is good to be able to reach the current level in just one and a half months of training. I said that this is seriously irresponsible for the lives of the soldiers. As commanders, we have the right to order the soldiers to die, but we do not have the right to order the soldiers to die in vain."

"I decided from now on, until the beginning of next spring, as long as the Japanese do not find us hidden here and do not launch an encirclement and suppression of us, we will not have any combat missions and spend all our time on training."

"We got a lot of food from Weihe County, and now the reserves on hand are enough to support half a year. With these grain reserves and enough winter clothes, we don't have to go out of the mountain except for sending a small number of reconnaissance personnel."

"I said that I want to build an invincible iron army, rather than an army built on the beach, which can be swept away by a big wave. I will repeat this sentence now. Not only do I have to repeat it, but I also need to add a sentence: Only by sweating more in peacetime can I shed less blood during wartime."

After Yang Zhen finished speaking, several people were a little stunned by his decision. It was already October, and there were nearly four months left until the beginning of next spring. In other words, Yang Zhen’s decision was planned to take half a year to train, which was almost incredible for the Anti-Japanese All-China Federation of Anti-Japanese Allied Forces, which had been surrounded by Japanese and puppet troops all day long, and had marches in the past year, and combat became commonplace.

Looking at the few people staring at him in a daze, Yang Zhen sighed lightly: "It's not that I'm arrogant, nor that I'm passively hiding from the war. In fact, this is also an inevitable choice in helplessness. Do you still remember the army that Li Mingrui exploded east of Weihe? Those army shipped the Fourth Japanese Division that had just arrived in the northeast."

"Don't think this is a normal rotation of the Japanese army, but the Japanese army is increasing its troops to the Kwantung Army. What unit is the Fourth Division? It was the first batch of A divisions formed after the Meiji Restoration and imitating the creation of a new army in Europe and the United States. Its personnel configuration and weapons and equipment are definitely elite."

"Now the Japanese are launching a full-scale war of aggression against China. Elite veteran divisions like the Second and Fourth Divisions are not transferred to the inner city to participate in the war, but are placed in this relatively calm Northeast. In the fierce battle within the inner city, I would rather form a new batch of special divisions. Isn't it strange if you think this is?"

"Actually, it's not surprising. Since the Japanese launched the full-scale invasion of China, the Northeast, as its main resource, especially the source of coal and iron ore, has a strategic position. It can be said that without the Northeast's resources that seem to be free of charge for its near-between China, the Japanese cannot fight the war of invasion of China at all."

"In order to protect the Northeast, the main supply of most of its strategic resources required by the army, and the dumping place for commodity, when it launches a full-scale war of aggression against China, the Japanese will not not mobilize heavy troops."

"From before the September 18th Incident, the Japanese, especially the military headquarters, had already threatened that the so-called Manchuria and Mongolia were the lifeline of Japan. This was the case during peacetime, and the strategic position of Northeast China during the war is even more important."

"This year, the Japanese not only added military units under the Kwantung Army, but also continued to expand their troops. Compared with last year, the Kwantung Army's troops almost doubled in less than a year. The number of divisions under its jurisdiction has expanded from five divisions at the end of last year to eight. And it is also constantly expanding its troops."

"Unlike the continuous formation of new divisions by the dispatched troops in the pass, almost all the newly transferred to the Kwantung Army are old-fashioned Japanese divisions. Both combat power and equipment are not comparable to those special divisions or mixed brigades."

"With the continuous expansion of its Kanto Army, the form we will face in the future will be even more severe. Because we have to face not only the continuous expansion of the Japanese Kanto Army, but also more than 100,000 Puppet Manchukuo Army, as well as a large number of miscellaneous police units called forest police, railway guard police, and so-called self-defense regiments. The combat effectiveness of these puppet troops, especially the elite combat effectiveness, is considered medium even compared with the national army."

"In the battle of the Jing'an Army, the reason I refused was not only because the troops were extremely tired in continuous combat, but the ammunition they carried had consumed embers. One of the most critical reasons was the combat effectiveness of the Jing'an Army itself."

"Although the Jing'an Army has fallen into chaos under the sudden artillery fire of our army. However, this chaos is only relative. Although the main combat formation has undergone a certain degree of chaos, it is chaotic and not defeated, and its combat effectiveness has not been completely lost. In this case, once our army escapes from the cover of artillery fire, it is very likely to be entangled by it. Once it reacts, it will be a powerful opponent for us."

"The number of Japanese and puppet troops is constantly expanding, and their weapons and equipment is hard to match. Our combat effectiveness is incomparable to them. Not to mention the Japanese army, even the elite of the puppet Manchukuo army, we are far inferior to that of the people. The number difference is too big. If the quality is far inferior to that of people, I can't think of any other outcome we will have except being eaten by the Japanese and puppet troops in the end."

"Under the increasingly severe form at present, our troops' combat effectiveness must undergo a qualitative change. Only by eliminating the enemy can we save ourselves. If we cannot destroy the Japanese on the battlefield and protect ourselves, we will be destroyed by the Japanese. What else can we talk about saving China and liberating the entire Northeast?"

"We not only try our best to get time to train the troops, but also select a group of cadres with good work style and brave combat to form a group of stubborn troops. Once we have the opportunity, we can expand the troops as quickly as possible. The situation we will face will become increasingly severe, and it is not possible to expand the troops."

"Not only that, we will train all squad leaders as cadres according to the original scheduled plan, and soldiers must be trained as squad leaders. We will not only train our current troops into a tenacious and strong military force, but also regard them as the skeleton for future expansion. Once the flesh and blood are enriched, we will immediately form combat power."

Speaking of this, Yang Zhen opened the map and said, "We are now in the depths of the Zhangguangcai Ridge's primeval forest. The mountains are high and the terrain is extremely complex. They have both cliffs and deep valleys and steep slopes. They are the most prominent high mountains and ridges in the Heilongjiang area. And we are surrounded by primeval forests that cover the sky and the sun, and are basically deserted."

"This place is connected to Laoyeling in the east, Wanda Mountain, and to Changbai Mountain in the south. It can attack and defend when advance. Although it is difficult to supply, it is better because the terrain is hidden. Moreover, the food in our hands is enough to support for half a year, and the ammunition is enough to be trained. As long as there are three to five months, I will be confident of training a team of iron troops."

After Yang Zhen finished speaking, Li Yanping and Wang Guangyu, except Guo Bingxun, were both in deep thought. Guo Bingxun was a military background and returned from studying abroad, so he was not very sensitive to the political situation. He agreed with Yang Zhen’s proposal to suspend the dispatch and seek three to five months to complete the training.

But for people like Li Yanping and Wang Guangyu who were born as cadres of the Anti-Japanese Allied Federation, they were hidden in this deep mountains and forests, and had no information with the outside world. They didn't know the situation of the Anti-Japanese Allied Federation, but they couldn't accept it no matter how they said it.

Especially now that the Japanese and puppet troops are mobilizing a large number of troops to crack down on Xiajiang area of ​​the main activity of the Anti-Japanese United Army, they hid in the deep mountains and forests and interrupted their contact with the General Command. It is really difficult for them to accept.

Although they also knew that Yang Zhen won consecutive battles and even if he could not redirect all the Japanese and puppet troops concentrated in Xiajiang area, he would at least attract some of his troops to return. Although the dilemma of the Anti-Japanese Allied Forces could not be completely improved, it would at least greatly reduce the pressure of the Anti-Japanese Allied Forces. But after he retreated like this, he disappeared without a trace. Will the Japanese army re-emerge against the heavy troops of the Anti-Japanese Allied Forces be in the forefront?

Perhaps seeing the indifference between Li Yanping and Wang Guangyu, Yang Zhen shook his head but said nothing. He read the information in later generations. In the winter of 1938, although the Anti-Japanese Allied Forces were difficult, their vitality was severely damaged, and most of them lost their combat effectiveness, the main force persisted through strategic transfer.

The most difficult time facing the Anti-Japanese Allied Forces was in 1939. It was also this year that the Second Route Army of the Anti-Japanese Allied Forces, which were active in the North Manchuria area, failed one after another, and the Allied Forces suffered heavy losses. The remaining remnants of the various units were forced to retreat into the Soviet Union one after another.

Although Yang Zhen did not know very well about the cruelty of the environment that the Anti-Japanese Allied Forces will face in this upcoming winter, he also saw a lot of information in later generations. But Yang Zhen knew that if a unit lacked training, suffered a lot of casualties in the previous actual combat, and had little guerrilla experience, could only be a way to the door.

Just looking at Li Yanping, Wang Guangyu and the others who were frowning, Yang Zhen hesitated for a while and said, "In this way, political commissar, Lao Wang, you can pick out a few capable and reliable personnel from the former Fourth Army troops, lead a capable team, take a radio station, and go to Xiajiang to find the commander-in-chief. If found, take him and the command center here to rest."

If the commander-in-chief refuses to come and insists on staying in Xiajiang area, then we will contact each other through radio. Once the Second Route Army needs us to attack, we will do our best to rescue? But now, we need rest and training."

When Li Yanping heard the decision made by Yang Zhen, he was silent for a while but smiled bitterly: "Commander, on behalf of the Commander-in-Chief, I would like to express my gratitude to you. I am afraid that the plan to ask the Commander-in-Chief to come to Ning'an for rest and rest is impossible.

"Don't talk about others, even if I go, it will be difficult for me to convince the commander-in-chief. The Second Route Army of the Anti-Japanese United Army is not only a Fourth Army, but also other troops. The Fourth Army was completely destroyed during the Western Expedition, but the Fifth Army rushed out. Moreover, we still have left-behind troops in the Xiajiang area. The Third Division, the most combat-capable of the Five Armies, is still active in the Xiajiang area. The Seventh Army and the Ninth Army are still insisting on fighting, and the Commander-in-Chief will not come here."

"The Anti-Japanese Allied Forces have no radio stations, and they mainly rely on traffic officers to contact each other. Ning'an is still far away from the Second Route Army's activities, so it is difficult for the commander-in-chief to achieve command of the rest of the Second Route Army's troops here. As long as the other troops are still persisting for a day, the commander-in-chief will not come."

After hearing Li Yanping's words, Yang Zhen shook his head and didn't say anything for a long time. After a long time, Yang Zhen said, "Then we have to go, and not only we have to go, but also choose the best radio operator. Even if the commander-in-chief cannot come, but with the radio station as a means of communication, I cooperate with each other and fight more conveniently."

Yang Zhen finished speaking, and when Li Yanping was about to answer, the door of the Mulengzi, which was temporarily acting as a conference room, was suddenly knocked open. Li Mingrui, who was acting as a warning outside the conference room, interrupted the conversation of several people: "Commander, political commissar, a few Japanese planes came from the sky just now. I don't know if they found something, and they kept hovering over our heads. For safety, it's better for you to come out and hide."
Chapter completed!