Chapter 541: 541The Targeted Town
Chapter 541 541 The Targeted Town
The general headquarters of the Tang Army's northern front line, a manor built by an old nobleman on the outskirts of Anpu, where radio communication antennas can be seen erected everywhere.
The officers were very busy coming and going, and many female secretaries were crowded on the long table, lowering their heads to sort out various materials and intelligence from the front line.
In the huge command hall, a map of Qi was hung. A lady officer wearing a ship's cap was stepping on a ladder to modify the positions of the troops on both sides on the map.
"Your Majesty! Our army has basically paralyzed the enemy's airship base and destroyed more than 50 Qi army airships. The opponent's air force should have completely lost its combat effectiveness." The liaison officer from the air force, with his hands behind his back, was reporting to Tang Mo about the front line battle situation.
The results of the Air Force's battle are not surprising. The more than 300 aircraft that went into battle for the first time have already flown 2,000 sorties, destroying almost all important material nodes on the front line of the Qi Army, and also paralyzing the Qi Air Force.
Yesterday, they bombed the King's City of Qi, causing huge damage to the production, replenishment, transshipment and mobilization of Qi's strategic materials.
It can be said that they overfulfilled their mission and provided unimaginably strong support to the ground forces.
The armored forces were not to be outdone, and Loew immediately reported the situation of the battle: "On the ground, our tank troops had captured Luo Town an hour ago, blocking the Qi Army's Western Front Group's retreat northward. "
Liu Guozhu's armored force defeated the Qi army that had arrived in Luozhen earlier and deployed defenses here. It was said that the 2nd Armored Division and the 4th Armored Division that were attacking Nanye were completely safe.
Of course, now that Luo Zhen has changed hands, the Qi army's logistical support has been completely cut off, especially the third prince, who is now in a very passive situation.
After roughly drawing on the map, Loew said to Tang Mo: "If the enemy wants to retreat north to Nanye, then they must take back Luo Town..."
Tang Mo held his chin and looked at the huge map. Even a military blind person could see that the current battlefield situation was quite favorable to the Tang army.
The attacking Tang army was like a sickle. While blocking the possible eastward reinforcements of the Dahua Empire army, it extended its tentacles and circled behind the Qi army.
The sharpest blade has been pressed against the neck of the Qi army, reaching the position of the 1st Armored Division in Luo Town. Two railways were extended, one to the southwest into the third prince's jurisdiction, and one to the southeast to the eldest prince's area. Jurisdiction.
This is almost in the middle of the jurisdictions of the two princes, and it is also the only railway lifeline between the two jurisdictions and the hinterland behind them.
After all, Qi’s railway mileage is not very long, and it does not have many railway lines to provide more choices.
So cutting off Luo Town is equivalent to saying that the railway supply line between the eldest prince and the third prince has been completely cut off.
Seeing the lady officer placing the tank logo representing the 1st Battalion of the 1st Tank Regiment of the 1st Armored Division in Luo Zhen's position, Loew confidently assured Tang Mo: "Luo Zhen is now a member of the 1st Armored Division. A tank battalion and a grenadier battalion are defending, so there should be no problems."
"Luozhen is lost. If Redman captures Nanye again, the prince's troops will have to move." A general from the logistics department also analyzed.
He analyzed this problem entirely from the perspective of logistical supplies: "If the eldest prince sticks to his position, his supplies may be enough to last for a while, but if he wants to retake Luo Town, his supplies will not be able to withstand consumption. "
"So, according to logic, the prince's main force must be mobilized now. If Luo Town is not recaptured, he will start to worry about what his troops will eat in a few days!" Loew continued.
"How can he move?" Tang Mo is an arms dealer. Although he can see that he has an advantage in the first phase of military operations, he is not a professional soldier, so he prefers to consult the professionals around him.
Loew immediately answered: "There are just two choices. The first is to join forces with the third prince, attack Luo Zhen and then kill Nanye. The second is to retreat eastward and bypass the second prince's route. Jurisdiction, go around in a big circle.”
Tang Mo continued to stare at the map, and then asked again: "What do you think he will choose?"
A staff officer expressed his thoughts: "It is risky to go to Nanye. What ability does the Qi army have to penetrate our two lines of defense? So the eldest prince may make a circle."
In his opinion, the matter is very simple: Is the opponent confident in defeating the Tang Army's defense line? Eighty percent of them don’t have this confidence. Since we can't kill through this line of defense, how about we wait for death if we don't take a detour?
But sometimes things are not that simple. I heard another staff officer express his objection: "But if we capture Nanye, and he does not dare to return reinforcements but retreats eastward, he will not be able to support the royal city in time." ah!"
Loew glanced at his subordinate and agreed: "That's right, we went directly from Nanye to the north and attacked the King's City of Qi. The eldest prince retreated eastward and lost the only chance to rescue the King's City."
Sometimes, how the frontline commander makes decisions is not entirely based on the battlefield situation. He also needs to consider higher-level strategic intentions and orders.
For example, sometimes, a warrant dropped from a plane can disrupt all the tactical arrangements made by the generals on the battlefield, and even directly determine the life or death of hundreds of thousands of troops.
"So, whether the eldest prince can leave Nanye depends on how King Qi Jiangxian orders his eldest son." Tang Mo also thought of this, so he nodded and said sarcastically. Hearing what Tang Mo said, Le Fu agreed and said: "What your Majesty said is absolutely true. For the sake of the foundation of Qi State, Jiang Xian will probably order the three princes to support Nanye at all costs..."
"We are not sure yet whether the princes dare to pull out all the troops in their hands to fight here." Tang Mo stared at the map and looked at the Qi army in the hands of the eldest prince who was almost motionless. The main force said.
Loew immediately said: "Then let's see if we in Luo Town can beat them to pain and fear, so that they don't dare to take a step further!"
Tang Mo nodded, then looked at Loew: "Order the commander of the 1st Armored Division to defend Luo Town at all costs! Give them maximum support and not give the Qi army any chance!"
“Yes!” Everyone present stood at attention and saluted.
…
In the hidden manor on the outskirts of King Qi City, King Jiang Xian of Qi was also looking at the map in front of him. The advisor from Cyric introduced the current war situation with an ugly expression.
He has just received news that the Qi army's air force has been completely destroyed. The 70 airships aided by Cyric, as well as Qi's own wealth, have almost been wiped out on the front line.
The Tang Army's fighter jets came and went like the wind, and their combat effectiveness was obviously higher. In the eyes of enemy aircraft, the airships were no different from lambs waiting to be slaughtered.
The few remaining airship troops now dare not send them to the front line anymore. That is no different than forcing their precious airship commanders to die.
The opponent's new air defense weapons and the defense network formed by aircraft did not leave any room for the airship troops to perform, and the plan to bomb Anpu had to be shelved indefinitely.
In fact, to say the least, even if there are warriors willing to continue the airship bombing mission, the Qi army will not have a front-line airship base to use...
“The Tang Army has approached Luo Town. We have telegraphed the third prince, asking him to defend Luo Town at all costs and ensure the safety of the communication lines.” A general stared at Luo Town and introduced Jiang Xian.
Seeing Jiang Xian staring at Luo Zhen on the map without taking his eyes away, the general quickly added: "The third prince called back before and said that he had sent an additional regiment of soldiers to Luo Zhen and also handed over all the soldiers he had. All the tanks have been sent to Luo Town..."
"Originally one regiment...now there are two regiments and less than twenty tanks?" Jiang Xian frowned and subconsciously confirmed.
The third prince had an army of 150,000. One-third of them were cut off by the rampage of the Tang army, and some of the remaining troops were stationed at the original border defense positions.
So the number of troops that can be mobilized on the Western Front now is only about 30,000. Putting 3,000 people in Luo Town, which is not a frontline defense area, and strengthening tanks and artillery, it seems that they are already willing to spend money.
But as a monarch, Jiang Xian still instinctively felt a hint of danger. So he raised his head, looked at the surrounding ministers and Cyric's military advisor and said: "It involves the supply and mobilization of hundreds of thousands of troops, and the garrison must be strengthened!"
“Your Majesty, shall I ask the third prince to continue to increase the troops in Luozhen?” the general suggested cautiously.
“Ask the eldest prince to send the 1st Army over! In addition, let the 3rd Army, the most elite in the hands of the third prince, move to Luozhen! Station it there!” Jiang Xian was still worried and personally issued the order to mobilize the troops.
Although the most reasonable counterattack direction at the moment should be to counterattack along the border defense line, cut off the supplies of all Tang army troops invading Qi, encircle these troops and annihilate the opponent.
But Jiang Xian knew that the idea of relying on the less elite troops in the hands of the third prince was basically impossible to realize. At this time, if we mobilize the elite of the prince, it will probably take three or even four days to arrive in the war zone.
He looked at the direction of the Tang army's attack that was reported yesterday on the map. It was obviously heading towards Luo Town and Nanye.
Now, he has ordered the imperial guards stationed in the royal city to go south to reinforce Nanye. It is obviously imperative to strengthen the defense of Luo Town.
Due to communication constraints and lag in thinking, although Jiang Xian realized that Luo Zhen and Nanye might be in danger, he never expected that the day after the battle broke out, his hinterland would be turned upside down by the Tang army.
King Qi completely did not expect that Luo Town, which he planned to send troops to defend, had been lost. He also did not realize that the hundreds of thousands of troops he deployed on the border had now been cut off from most of their supplies and were at risk of being surrounded.
"Yes! I'm going to send a telegram now..." After the officer heard his king's order, he turned around and ran to the telegraph room.
(End of this chapter)