"No need, the Japanese know that we have armored troops, so they must be careful. Moreover, after fighting for a day, the soldiers were exhausted. Let them have a good rest and accumulate energy. Tomorrow's battle will be much crueler!" Qiao Anbang looked at the vast night sky thoughtfully and said calmly.

Qiao Anbang has decided to completely solve the 20th Division tomorrow, so the Japanese reinforcements outside the city will definitely attack Suxian like crazy, so tomorrow's battle will definitely be extremely tragic.

"Yes!" Zhang Xudong nodded and sighed.

"General Qiao, what are your plans after encircling and annihilation of the 20th Division?" Chi Fengcheng, who was standing on Qiao Anbang's right, suddenly asked. After all, the two major strategic groups in the north and south of the Japanese army still had the momentum of attack. As a commander, he was curious about Qiao Anbang's next action.

Qiao Anbang took a few deep breaths and said unsurprisingly: "I plan to implement a strategic detour on the Japanese army in North China, and completely damage the Japanese army entering the south of Xuzhou, and even eat them all!"

"What? Strategic detour? Eat them all?" Chi Fengcheng was stunned when he heard this and asked in surprise: "Shu Zhen'e is ignorant, please let General Qiao make it clear?" (Zhen'e, Chi Fengcheng's name)

Qiao Anbang waved his hand to Liang Jiahan behind him. Liang Jiahan stepped forward understandingly, took out a small combat map from his carry-on file and handed it to Qiao Anbang.

Qiao Anbang took the map and squatted down on the ground. Chi Fengcheng and Zhang Xudong also hurriedly squatted down. Zhang Xudong even took a flashlight from Liang Jiahan's hand.

After Qiao Anbang spread the map, Zhang Xudong quickly turned on the flashlight to provide lighting.

Qiao Anbang took out a pencil from his shirt and started his homework on the map. After a moment, Qiao Anbang had marked the battle area between the Tiger Army and the Japanese strategic fronts on the map at this time.

Although Qiao Anbang is the commander of a military army, he commands 100,000 soldiers, but his kung fu in the picture is really unsatisfactory. After all, he is not from a professional military academy and has not received a serious military education.

Fortunately, the areas he outlined were all areas where they were fighting at this time. Based on the battlefield situation, Zhang Xudong and Chi Fengcheng could also see clearly.

However, although the two knew the areas marked by Qiao Anbang, they did not know the significance of his drawing of these areas. The two looked at each other in surprise and finally looked at Qiao Anbang with suspicion.

Facing the inquiring eyes of the two, Qiao Anbang smiled and pointed the pencil in his hand at Xiangcheng, Yongcheng and Suxian on the map, "Look... this is the frontier battlefield for our army to block the Japanese army in North China. In Yongcheng, thanks to the joint cooperation of friendly troops withdrawn by Tang Enbo and Xuzhou, the main force of the Chiang army's 5th Division successfully blocked part of the 10th Division of the Japanese army outside Yongcheng. In Xiangcheng, Zhang Zizhong and Liu Ruming's troops remained in expectations and successfully blocked the 5th 109th Division and other units of the Japanese army on the north bank of the Xinbian River, ensuring the safety of the northern gate of Anhui."

After a pause, Qiao Anbang continued: "As for Suxian, everyone knows the situation, so I won't say much."

Fengcheng nodded thoughtfully and asked, "What's the strategic detour that General Qiao talked about?"

Qiao Anbang once again pointed from Suxian on the map with a pencil as a pole and explained: "After encircling and annihilation of the 20th Division, we concentrated our efforts to defeat the KB Division, and then went straight to Xuzhou along the Jinpu Railway!"

"Let's go straight to Xuzhou?" Chi Fengcheng and Zhang Xudong asked in surprise.

"Yes, head straight to Xuzhou. Since the Japanese captured Xuzhou, their main forces have all gone south and west to pursue our retreating troops. Therefore, the Japanese garrison forces in Xuzhou and even the entire southern Shandong region are very empty. As long as we regain Xuzhou and cut off the logistics supply line and retreat route of the Japanese army's main force in North China, our army will definitely win a great victory in this battle. As long as the main force of the Japanese army in North China is severely damaged or completely wiped out by us, our neighbors in the fifth war zone can also take advantage of the opportunity to launch a strategic counterattack and retake Shandong."

After saying that, Qiao Anbang pointed the pencil in his hand at Yingzhou and said, "When the main force of the Japanese army in North China is defeated by us, the central and Japanese army in Huainan will inevitably retreat without fighting. At that time, our southern army troops will take advantage of the situation to launch a pursuit. If this battle is fought well, we are likely to recover all the lost land north of the Yangtze River and south of the Yellow River in one fell swoop. From then on, the Anti-Japanese War will enter a strategic stalemate.

The Japanese army will fall into the quagmire of protracted war that they least want." There is another saying, Qiao Anbang did not say that if the Anti-Japanese War entered a stalemate stage, within two years, the Hu Ben Army would be able to sweep all the Japanese army in China and recover all lost territory.

Chi Fengcheng was obviously deeply shocked by Qiao Anbang's series of jumping strategic ideas. However, Chi Fengcheng is worthy of being a member of the army and quickly pointed out several shortcomings that may occur in Qiao Anbang's plan and said: "General Qiao, Zhen'e admires your strategic detour tactics very much, but Zhen'e has a few questions."

"General Chi, please speak." Qiao Anbang signaled with a stern hand.

Chi Fengcheng was not polite, and immediately took the conversation, pointed to the map and said, "First of all, after encircling and annihilation of the 20th Division, does the Hu Ben Army still have the ability to defeat the 108th Division of the Japanese army? You should know that although the combat power of this 108th Division is not as good as that of the 20th Division, it has not suffered any serious damage so far, so its strength remains and should not be underestimated!"

Before Qiao Anbang could speak, Zhang Xudong, who was standing aside, smiled indifferently and said, "General Chi was too worried and surrounded and annihilated the 20th Division. Our Hu Ben Army used an armored tank regiment, a guard regiment, a ** garrison brigade, and the most elite main infantry division of our Hu Ben Army, plus all the air forces. Among them, the first infantry division was the starting force of our military commander. At that time, the military commander used thousands of officers and soldiers of the first division to go deep behind the enemy in the defense of Nanjing, and fought thousands of miles away, and still achieved a series of victories. Now there are even more powerful air forces. In addition, we are fighting in the base area, and the logistics supply is very convenient. With absolute superior force, we are besieging a Japanese division with incomplete and broken logistics. Isn't it easy to capture?"

Qiao Anbang nodded with a smile. Zhang Xudong said it very correctly. The current Hu Ben Army is no longer the same as before. Although the 20th Division is called a division, the two main infantry regiments of its 39th Infantry Brigade were completely wiped out by the Hu Ben Army in Suxian and Zhiheji respectively. At best, it is a strengthened mixed brigade.

Under the multiple blows of the Hu Ben Army's powerful ground-air firepower and the ubiquitous poison gas war, they were already dying. Therefore, encircling and annihilation of the 20th Division is far from enough to make the above-mentioned troops exhausted, and they will not hurt their muscles or their vitality.

Seeing Qiao Anbang nodding in agreement, Zhang Xudong continued to talk quietly: "The Japanese 108th Division has a slightly inferior combat power than the 20th Division. When the 20th Division is completely wiped out by our army, it will inevitably have a certain impact on the morale and morale of the Japanese army of the KB Division. On the other hand, our army, with the momentum of victory, took the initiative to attack the 108th Division under the cover of absolute ground-to-air firepower and armored forces. With one increase and the other decrease, killing the 108th Division is not empty talk."

"At that time, we can also take the initiative from Suxian City, combine with the main forces inside and outside the periphery, and attack the Japanese army on both sides." Chi Fengcheng nodded silently and continued Zhang Xudong's words. Obviously, Zhang Xudong's analysis has completely dispelled Chi Fengcheng's previous doubts.

Qiao Anbang nodded with satisfaction and continued to ask: "General Chi, do you have any questions?"

"There is no doubt, but General Qiao, once we capture Xuzhou and cut off the Japanese retreat, the main force of the Japanese army in North China will turn back and rush towards our army. This battle will definitely be another fierce and extremely fierce battle!" Chi Fengcheng said in a heavy tone.

"War is full of dangers, but for our country and for our compatriots, why are our 100,000 soldiers in the Tiger Ben Army afraid of death?" Qiao Anbang said sternly.

"Well, a man is loyal to the country and dies in the battlefield. It is so lucky that he has a loving person like Qiao Anbang. From now on behalf of all the soldiers of the 31st Division, I would like to express my opinion to General Qiao in this battle. In this battle, all the officers and soldiers of our division are willing to cooperate sincerely with your troops, advance and retreat together for the country and the nation, survive and die together! Fight with all their might!" Chi Fengcheng was in awe and expressed his gravely attitude.

Qiao Anbang did not speak, but instead gave Chi Fengcheng a standard military salute with a serious expression. Chi Fengcheng hurriedly responded. This was the silent oath and determination of the soldiers, and they were tacitly informed.

While the KB Division was quietly taking action, the 5th Japanese Division on the north bank of the Xinbian River also made an move.

The night was like ink, and the north and south sides of the Xinbian River were silent. On the bridgehead position, two Hu Ben Army sentries were lying in the bunker and closely observing the situation on the north bank. Suddenly, a soldier seemed to hear a rustling sound of water waves coming from the river.

"Dragon, have you heard it?" the soldier asked his companion next to him.

"What did you hear?" Another soldier named Lao Er asked in surprise. His attention was all on the bridge just now, and he did not notice the water surface under the bridge.

"Listen!" The warrior had previously listened to the faint voice in front of him with his ears sideways.

The second brother general came out of the bunker, pricked his ears, and listened forward with care. Sure enough, he heard some faint and inaudible sounds of water waves.

"There is a situation." The second brother lowered his voice.

"Yeah!" Another soldier nodded and said, "Dragon, hurry up and fire up a flare!"

The second nodded, quickly pulled out a firing gun, and decisively pulled the trigger towards the dark night sky. A flare suddenly rose slowly with a sharp sound. Once the flare was lifted out, a dazzling light burst out.

The dark night was illuminated like daylight in an instant.

With the light of the flares, the two sentries clearly saw that hundreds of heads were floating on the river surface, which was not in a hurry.

The launch of the flares had already awakened the officers and soldiers of the Hu Ben Army who were sleeping in the trenches with guns. When a captain company commander saw the situation on the river, he immediately opened his throat and shouted: "Enemy attack...! Hurry up, open fire!"

ps: There are two more chapters later...


Chapter completed!