. After leaving Beijing and returning to the Volunteer Army Headquarters, Huang Zhibo felt the pressure.

It was definitely not a joke to agree in front of Fu Xiubo. But for the current volunteer army, attacking Seoul is like a fool.

Huang Zhibo couldn't get around the topic when he was in front of him.

The big problem is logistics support.

Relatively speaking, soldiers are still trivial matters.

Although the seven armies suffered a lot of casualties, especially the 24th Army, the 39th Army and the 54th Army, the reduction rates reached 53% and 47% respectively. However, through certain emergency measures, some troops can be replenished, such as drawing some officers and soldiers from the 15th Airborne Army to allow the injured and mildly injured to return to the team, etc.

According to the data statistics of Qi Kaiwei, without dispatching troops from the country, 7,800 officers and soldiers can be added to the front-line combat troops within five days, eight of which are minor wounded people who have recovered from injuries, and mainly minor wounded people in the first battle. In addition, about 12,000 officers and soldiers can be drawn from the logistics forces, but a larger mobilization must be carried out in North Korea to enhance logistics support capabilities.

Fortunately, there is not a big problem in mobilizing North Korean military and civilians.

After the Volunteer Army restored Pyongyang, the confidence of the North Korean military and civilians was greatly enhanced. Not only did the People's Army become more active, but even the people who spontaneously assisted the Volunteer Army in combat became more enthusiastic.

Not to mention, on the 26th, after the news of the surrender of the 2nd Infantry Brigade spread, nearly one million people from all over North Korea reported to the conscription station and volunteer army stations, demanding to join the army to serve the country, and there were many women among them. Some elderly Koreans were unable to join the army and helped the volunteer army through other means. After the first battle, citizens of Shinyiju donated 20,000 sets of cotton clothes to the volunteer army. Although the volunteer army did not need cotton clothes from the Korean people, China now does not lack these basic strategic materials, and the standard winter combat uniforms of the volunteer army are made of chemical fibers, which are not only warmer but also lighter, but the actions of the Korean people are enough to convince the volunteer army that they are not fighting for strange neighbors, but fighting for friends.

According to Qi Kaiwei's estimate, if a large-scale mobilization is carried out, at least two million laborers can be mobilized.

This scale is definitely not small.

Importantly, among the mobilized North Korean labor force, there are many young and middle-aged people, even women, who can play a role in logistics support. What the volunteer army needs to do is to let these North Korean people learn how to drive vehicles and how to carry vulnerable combat materials as soon as possible.

These are all small things, or skilled jobs, and there is no difficulty.

The real problem lies in logistics support, to be precise, the lack of combat supplies.

At the end of the second battle, the front-line troops almost used up their ammunition. In order to transport more ammunition, they had to reduce the transportation of food and other daily necessities. According to the situation at that time, if the coalition forces did not surrender on the 23rd, but were dragged until twenty-five days later, the volunteers would likely return without success.

After a few days, the main job of the Volunteer Army was to deliver supplies to the frontline troops.

When Huang Zhibo returned to the Volunteer Army Headquarters on the night of the 26th, the supply work was underway. The frontline troops obtained the most urgently needed daily necessities and winter combat suits prepared for the coming severe winter, but the combat supplies transported in place were very limited.

According to the statistical report obtained by Qi Kaiwei, the four armies mobilized by Huang Zhibo at that time only received less than three days of combat supplies, especially the fuel urgently needed by the armored troops, and the reserves were very limited.

In fact, this is exactly what was prepared to open the city according to the attack.

According to Huang Zhibo's pre-arrangement, after crossing the 38th parallel, the volunteers would not advance to Seoul immediately, but would set up defense lines near the 38th parallel to force the Kaesong defenders to surrender by encircling. In this way, three days of combat supplies were enough.

After the fight begins, logistics support will not be cut off and the front-line troops will be able to obtain supplies.

With the combat effectiveness of the volunteer army, it should not be a big problem to defeat the South Korean army outside Kaicheng within three days.

The problem now is that the volunteers not only have to capture Kaicheng, but also have to capture Seoul before the US military completes assembly. For three days of combat supplies, let alone capture Seoul, whether they can reach Seoul is a problem.

In addition, new tasks will also have an impact on offensive tactics.

Kaesong is the most important strategic stronghold in southern North Korea and the most important transportation hub north of the 38th parallel. If you do not advance south, the volunteers do not need to consider capturing Kaesong immediately. Anyway, encircling Kaesong is to capture Kaesong. However, if you want to march south, you have to consider capturing Kaesong as soon as possible, opening up the main transportation arteries, allowing combat troops to obtain more reliable support, and making the attack last longer.

In this way, before attacking Seoul, you have to conquer Kaicheng.

Surrounding obviously doesn't work, so you can only attack.

The combat effectiveness of the troops is not a problem. The key is that a strong attack on Kaicheng will inevitably consume a large amount of combat materials. Even if it can be defeated, it may not be able to march towards Seoul.

Before solving this problem, say anything equals zero.

"It's not that I don't have confidence, it's a real difficulty." Qi Kaiwei sighed and said, "No matter how powerful the volunteers can fight, they can't fight hungry. After the three-day attack, even if they conquer Kaicheng, it will take about a week to prepare for the attack on Seoul. From a time perspective, at this time, the two armored divisions of the US military have completed the assembly, but our combat troops have not received the right supplement. If they fight with the US military's armored troops in the Greater Seoul area, not only will the casualties and losses of the troops be very huge, but they cannot guarantee victory."

"So, we have to launch an attack before the U.S. troops arrive."

"But……"

Huang Zhibo pressed his hand and said, "I have also considered this issue carefully. On the other hand, if we wait until we are ready before launching an attack, even if the US military did not take the initiative to fight in the Greater Seoul area before this, will we have a chance to win?"

"this……"

"Not good answer?"

Qi Kaiwei smiled. He had never thought about this problem.

"Now, I'll tell you." Huang Zhibo also smiled and said, "We have taken advantage of all the favorable conditions in fighting in North Korea. The right time, place, and people are all on our side. When fighting in South Korea, there will be no one. The poor performance of the South Korean army in the Korean battlefield does not mean that they will be equally decadent in the battle to defend their homeland. In terms of geographical advantage, the Greater Seoul area is the place with the most concentrated population and the densest urban agglomeration, and you should be very clear about our urban combat capabilities. In terms of time, as the coalition front shrinks significantly, the military density increases greatly, the defense intensity will definitely increase significantly, and the coalition forces will definitely not retreat as much as before. It can be said that if we really want to fight a head-on battle with the coalition, we will not have a big chance of winning, and we can even say that there is no chance of winning."

"Since that's the case, why fight Seoul?"

"**, this is a political decision, not a military decision. Also, you have to know that war is just a high degree of continuation of political struggle. Although we are not politicians, on the battlefield, we have to serve politics." Huang Zhibo smiled, "This is a decision made by the head of state himself, and I agreed. No matter how difficult it is, we must face the difficulties. If we fight it well, the war is likely to end before the arrival of the severe winter."

"Is it not good to fight?"

“It will end.”

Qi Kaiwei was stunned for a moment, as if he didn't understand Huang Zhibo's meaning.

"The difference is, where and how to end it." Huang Zhibo sighed and said, "My idea is to first make sure to conquer Kaicheng. No matter what, our bottom line is to sign an armistice agreement with the coalition forces on the 38th parallel. As long as there is still a coalition force in Korea, the war will not end. After achieving this goal, we will march towards Seoul. It will naturally be better if we can fight. If we can't fight, I will take the responsibility and you don't have to take the blame. What you have to do is do the best and don't return to China with regrets."

Qi Kaiwei breathed a sigh of relief and said, "We can only do our best."

"After all, the key is how to fight." Huang Zhibo paused for a moment and said, "For us, the current situation is very favorable. The US reinforcements have not yet formed combat effectiveness, and the morale of the South Korean army is at the bottom. Seizing this opportunity, the chance of winning should be quite good."

"No matter what, Kaesong is also North Korea's largest military fortress."

"It depends on how to fight." Huang Zhibo smiled and said, "If you are sure, you can surround Wei and save Zhao. You can use the tactic of surrounding Wei and attack Seoul after surrounding Kaicheng, so that the Korean army will lose its foothold. If you are lucky, the Korean army will shrink the front line and withdraw the troops deployed in Kaicheng. We can fight a mobile war between Kaicheng and Seoul. Even if we cannot annihilate all the Korean army, we can still capture Kaicheng."

Qi Kaiwei thought for a while, then nodded.

"If it were me, I would not have encircled and annihilated the breaking South Korean army at this time, but would have attacked Seoul with the momentum."

"Why?"

"The Korean army is defeated in a new way, and it is useless. No matter how many troops are, it is useless. Take advantage of this opportunity and we can fight a mobile war in the Greater Seoul area and even have the ability to encircle the rear of the South Korean army. As long as we show momentum, the South Korean authorities will be completely desperate to defend the capital."

"And then force the South Korean authorities to evacuate?"

Huang Zhibo nodded and said, "This is the best result. If the Korean army persists, we have to fight a city war with the Korean army in Seoul, so you have to prepare early."

“How to prepare?”

"Seoul is not Pyongyang, with more than 20 million people, and it is impossible to evacuate all within a few days. So if you really want to fight into the city, you must pay attention to the impact of the battle on civilians."

"This is not controllable."

"Then we have to find a way, at least we can't let the outside world think that we are imposing war on civilians."

Qi Kaiwei smiled bitterly. The people who were most hurt in the war were the civilians. If you think about everything, don’t fight.

"I will consider how to fight in detail, so you can arrange it first."

"Okay, I'll try to give you a complete combat plan tomorrow."

Huang Zhibo nodded and said nothing more.
Chapter completed!