novelden Chapter 127: Conversation on the Future War Situation (1)
Chapter 127: Conversation on the Future War Situation (1)
Sunlight streamed into the spacious, bright cafe through the vast glass walls, filling the air with the aroma of coffee and pastries. In this quiet corner, several Allied officers sat on comfortable sofas, enjoying this rare moment of leisure. Their laughter and conversation mingled, creating a relaxed and joyful atmosphere.
Located within the prestigious Hilton Hotel in Silchar, this elegant and beautifully appointed café served as not only a haven for Allied officers to relax and unwind, but also an ideal venue for exchanging intelligence and discussing tactics. Here, they could temporarily let go of the tension and stress of war, immerse themselves in the tranquil atmosphere, and experience a moment of peace.
Music flowed softly through the café, creating a warm atmosphere. The Allied officers' moods brightened as they began to discuss combat experiences, anecdotes among their comrades, and their hopes for the future. Although the war was not yet over, this moment of relaxation made them feel the beauty and hope of life.
All of this came from the Allied forces defeating the Japanese heavy armored group in Silchar, which not only eliminated the Japanese threat to India, but also made the Allied forces full of confidence in the future victory over Japan and even the fascist Axis powers to achieve ultimate victory!
The officers present were all high-ranking generals. Zheng Dongguo and Sun Liren, for the first time, felt the equality and compliments shown to them by the American and British generals. They knew that this was earned by the Chinese soldiers with their flesh and blood, iron will, and unwavering determination.
This gathering was hosted by Lieutenant General Slim, commander of the British 14th Army. Invitations were received from all Chinese officers who participated in the battle, including Zheng Dongguo, Sun Liren, Kuang Zhengqi, Yang Hong, Liu Bolong, Pu Zhengsong, and Cai Yong, all of whom were major generals and above. British General Strand and American Generals Martin Hughes and White were also in attendance. Rather than a thank-you party from General Slim for the Allied forces' assistance in defeating the Japanese, it was more of an early celebration for the Allies.
Sure enough, the Allied high-ranking officers, including Theater Commander Mountbatten, Deputy Commander Matthews, and Chief of Staff Wedemeyer, also arrived soon. Although this was a private and informal gathering, the arrival of the high-ranking officers still made the officers stand and salute, as was the norm among military personnel.
Mountbatten took the initiative to shake hands with Chinese officers including Zheng Dongguo and Sun Liren, a gesture that surprised them but also seemed natural. Matthews and Wedemeyer even gave them warm hugs.
Not long after, the hurried arrival of Liao Yaoxiang and Huang Wei startled all the Chinese officers. This gathering was clearly more than just a simple one; something more important must be happening.
Sure enough, after a brief introduction, in a seemingly casual chat, Mountbatten intentionally or unintentionally called Zheng and Sun together, Wedemeyer pulled Yang, Kuang, Pu, Cai and others together, and Matthews and other American and British officers gathered Liao, Huang, Liu and others around him.
On the Wei side, everyone was chatting and exchanging ideas. When Strand came over, Wedemeyer changed his casual tone and said to them in a somewhat informal manner, "The East Indian campaign has basically come to an end. The Allied forces are increasingly struggling in North Africa and the Middle East. The top leaders plan to transfer a group of troops from East India to the North African battlefield, especially those with rich armored combat experience. General Strand's 7th Tank Division has been decided to be transferred to North Africa, and the new Allied tank group formed in Calcutta will also be heading there."
Wedemeyer paused, his eyes fixed on the Chinese generals present. Kuang Zhengqi understood Wedemeyer's ulterior motives, and after exchanging glances with Yang Hong, he decided not to respond to Wedemeyer's words and let him express his purpose himself.
Wei waited for a while, and when he saw that Kuang, Yang and others did not respond to him, he secretly laughed in his heart. These Chinese people were indeed not easy to deal with.
Wedemeyer had no choice but to organize his words and asked Yang Hong, "Dear Yang, what strategic and tactical preparations do you think the Allies need to make in order to break the deadlock and achieve victory in North Africa?"
Wedemeyer said he was asking Yang, but his eyes remained fixed on Kuang. Yang Hong understood that Wei was targeting his second brother (Kuang Zhengqi). It seemed that his second brother's participation in the North African and even European wars was a foregone conclusion. Now it depended on how much power and support the Americans and British could provide. Perhaps it was up to his second brother to earn these.
Yang Hong took advantage of the situation and pointed at Kuang Zhengqi and said, "Your Excellency Chief of Staff, General Kuang has demonstrated his potential in mechanized warfare. I think it's better for General Kuang to answer your question."
This was exactly what Wei Demai wanted. Wei nodded quickly and looked at Kuang Zhengqi affectionately.
Kuang Zhengqi had already understood from Wei's words that the US and Britain needed experienced and courageous mechanized commanders to counter the "Desert Fox" Rommel, break the deadlock in North Africa, and, like in East India, defeat the German-Italian threat to the Middle East oil regions. His mechanized corps combat prowess, demonstrated in the operations at Haflon and in the reinforcement of Silger, had already caught the attention of Allied high command, and his participation in the operations in North Africa and the Middle East on behalf of China was a foregone conclusion.
After Kuang had thought this through, he stopped dwelling on it and spoke frankly. "If the Allies want to defeat the German tanks in North Africa and even in future campaigns, they desperately need mobile firepower that can counterbalance the German tanks," he said.
"Rommel's armored forces in North Africa initially had no advantage over the Allies, but he efficiently integrated existing weapons, organized rapid maneuvers, and consistently defeated the Allied heavy armored forces with superior numbers, strategy, and tactics. Now, with the expansion of new tanks, they have reached a considerable size."
"If the Allies want to defeat Rommel, in addition to a heavy tank corps to compete with him, they need a light armored unit with heavy firepower and high mobility. This time, we were able to defeat the Japanese Panther Group. In addition to the Japanese army's shortcomings in tank application, we also seized the shortcomings of the Panther tanks and prioritized destroying its supporting force, the Weasel Tank Destroyer Battalion, cutting off its connection with the armored infantry and logistics support units. If the Japanese Panther Group had a highly mobile tank destroyer armored unit, we would have no chance of winning this battle!"
"The Allies also need to possess lethal firepower. Rommel's use of the 88mm anti-aircraft gun to strike tanks with flat-range fire has become a classic. Germany will inevitably develop even more ferocious tanks based on the 88mm anti-aircraft gun, which will be fatal to us. I believe that the Soviet Union is in such a difficult situation at this time because it must be under the mortal threat of the German army's new tanks. Otherwise, how could Germany mobilize so many Panthers to join the battles in North Africa and the Middle East when such a large battlefield in Eastern Europe urgently needed them, and how could it possibly provide a large Panther cluster to Japan?"
Kuang Zhengqi spoke eloquently, but every word he said touched Wedemeyer's heart. Even Stellan, the professional armored commander, kept nodding his head, agreeing with Kuang's words in his heart.