1905: Beer Hall Speaker

Page 50

However, the National Defense Army's fierce offensive shattered the Japanese's self-righteous illusions, and their early preparations for the attack actually did the National Defense Army a great favor.

The National Defense Army, having crossed the Yalu River, advanced 120 kilometers in three days. Its vanguard had successfully reached Anju, the capital, and was engaged in fierce fighting with the Japanese army in the city.

They traveled along roads repaired by Koreans recruited by the Japanese army, and along the way, various armies seized approximately 40,000 tons of supplies that the Japanese army had stockpiled in various war reserve warehouses on the south bank.

Some were destroyed by the Japanese themselves before their retreat; otherwise, they could have captured even more.

Zhao Yan's headquarters also crossed the Yalu River into North Korea with the attacking troops. He strictly kept his promise and always stood behind the soldiers.

At that moment, Lieutenant Colonel Dai Mingde, the deputy chief of staff, rushed back to the headquarters, carrying with him a collection of battle reports and operational information from various units.

These were all obtained by the headquarters staff officers who went to the front lines themselves, or delivered by messengers from various units on horseback.

In those days, radio was not yet widely used in the military, especially in the army. The army still relied mainly on messengers for communication, and the few expensive field telephone communication systems could only support some units near the headquarters.

"Hurry, is there anything to eat? I'm starving!" Dai Mingde hurried along the road, having lost a lot of weight in the past two days from running around.

A calm voice came from the table: "There are cookies and chocolates on the table, help yourselves!"

Dai Mingde was starving and didn't pay attention to who was speaking. When he heard there was food, he immediately ran to the table, grabbed something, tore open the packaging, and started eating.

"Oh my, French chocolate with filling, and the biscuits are milky, so delicious!" Dai Mingde wolfed down his food; he hadn't eaten much of this kind of imported food before.

"Eat slowly, don't choke!" Soon a cup of hot tea was handed over.

Dai Mingde's attention was entirely on his taste buds. He savored the sweetness in his mouth while quickly taking a sip of hot tea, feeling completely refreshed: "Thank you!"

"You're welcome!" came the steady voice.

Dai Mingde suddenly felt that the voice was too familiar, and then he found that everyone in the entire headquarters was staring at him in astonishment at his eating.

Dai Mingde turned around with difficulty and said, "Your Excellency!"

Zhao Yan looked down intently at the map, and without turning his head, asked, "Have you eaten yet?"

Dai Mingde quickly put down his things: "I'm full, Your Excellency!"

Zhao Yan looked up and glanced at Dai Mingde: "I didn't ask you to lie. Are you full or not? You've been running around to all sorts of front lines."

"As someone who's practically on the front lines, how's the food? Is it enough to meet the needs of frontline staff? What are your thoughts?"

"Everyone says that Dai Mingde is the best eater in the National Defense Force. Now tell me how to eat during combat so I can understand."

Throughout the entire front, Zhao Yan was the only one who could enjoy imported European food during the fighting. However, Zhao Yan did not eat like this for his own enjoyment, but for logistical needs.

Dai Mingde thought the Führer was indirectly calling him a good-for-nothing, and his face immediately turned pale: "Your Majesty, you are wise. Although I enjoy eating, I have never let eating interfere with my work!"

Zhao Yan stood up helplessly, looked away from the map and at Dai Mingde: "Who blames you? I can control everything, but can I control what you eat, drink and fart?"

I asked you to think of a way to see if there's any food product suitable for frontline combat troops that can meet their needs in a combat environment!

The National Defense Forces are advancing rapidly, but Zhao Yan is more concerned about logistical supplies. With the rapid advance, the front-line troops urgently need a battlefield ration.

In the past, the National Defense Army relied on railway lines for combat operations. Military food was not much different from that of the Qing Dynasty. They cooked their own meals and supplied the front-line troops mainly with rice, flour, cured meat, and pickled vegetables, which were easy to transport and store.

In slow-paced offensive and defensive battles or even stalemates, troops can calmly start cooking. However, in a fast-paced mobile warfare environment, having to find firewood and build a stove for every meal would be too time-consuming.

The previous solution was to rely on processed foods such as fried rice, fried noodles, unleavened flatbread, and hard biscuits as an emergency measure, but these foods are inconvenient to store and carry.

Even a little water will cause these foods to spoil and become inedible. Without plastic bags to seal them, these foods will be ruined if they get wet or damp, making them difficult to carry and store in a combat environment.

More importantly, it couldn't keep up with the intense physical exertion of soldiers; the calories and sugar in traditional rice and flour-based military rations were insufficient!

The best military rations for combat personnel during wartime are actually hot meals, the kind that are hot, oily, and salty, but Zhao Yan can't conjure up a field kitchen vehicle right now.

Therefore, they could only choose from the finished rations. However, Zhao Yan did not dare to make a decision based on his own ideas. After all, this was the last thing a million soldiers would eat, and he had to consider it carefully.

The actual needs of combat personnel, costs, and time must all be fully considered. He didn't want his soldiers to fight those weekly offensives with only snow and fried noodles. Only a steel army could fight that kind of battle, and Zhao Yan couldn't believe that the current National Defense Army had that capability.

Dai Mingde understood Zhao Yan's meaning and quickly replied: "What the front line needs is military rations that are easy to eat, easy to carry, have a sufficient supply, are low in cost, and are also nutritious enough."

These are many requests, and I'm finding it difficult to choose for the time being, but I know that imported biscuits and chocolates are definitely out of the question.

Zhao Yan nodded: "That won't work, it's too expensive. Although it has enough energy and is easy to carry, we can't afford it, so we need you to come up with a solution!"

Dai Mingde: "Huh?"

Zhao Yan patted Dai Mingde on the shoulder: "Congratulations, Lieutenant Colonel, you've been promoted! From now on, you are an Army Colonel, no longer serving as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Headquarters. You will be transferred to the position of Minister of Logistics. Your main task now is to coordinate and manage all the supply systems in the rear, and at the same time, creating a military food system adapted to the battlefield is also your task!"

"Time is tight. Your main task right now is to streamline the supply system in the rear, whether it's by manpower, horses, trains, or boats and waterways, it's all under your management."

I have only one requirement for you: whatever the front lines need, you must deliver; and whenever the front lines need it, you must arrive!

Dai Mingde immediately puffed out his chest: "Yes, Your Excellency!"

Zhao Yan continued to instruct, "The current supply situation for military provisions in the rear is very chaotic. The transportation methods are different, the types of goods are different, and the storage locations are also a mess."

A large amount of military supplies could not be delivered, and even when they were delivered, they were frequently sent to the wrong places. Those who needed food were given uniforms, those who needed ammunition were given food, and some combat units didn't need them but were given a huge amount of supplies, leaving them unsure of what to do with them.

Some organizations urgently need it, but they just can't seem to get it!

Although these situations are relatively new and improvements are being made, I still feel they are not being taken seriously enough!

"Everyone was focused on the battle reports from the front lines, ignoring the complaints mixed in with them and thinking they were unimportant."

"But I think this is precisely the most important thing. An army marches on its stomach. If the logistics are up to par, there is no way to fight a battle. If they are not, the soldiers will go hungry, the rifles will run out of bullets, and the artillery will run out of shells. The battle will be lost before it even begins!"

"Therefore, your mission is extremely important. The farther the troops advance, the greater your pressure will be. How far the front line can be pushed forward depends entirely on how long the future logistical lines can be!"

Dai Mingde solemnly promised, "Your Majesty, I cannot guarantee anything, but I can promise that the Logistics Department will only be an aid to the front lines, not a hindrance!"

Zhao Yan nodded: "Yes, go ahead, hurry up. I don't want to see my soldiers fighting on an empty stomach, and you also need to start planning for the needs of winter operations immediately!"

Dai Mingde accepted the order and left, while Zhao Yan stared at the remaining chocolates and biscuits on the table, pondering when he could ensure that every soldier in his army could enjoy chocolate and milk-flavored biscuits as snacks.

That's probably a long way off. Right now, it's good enough that the army can have enough to eat and wear, and that no one starves or freezes to death.

The rear supply of military provisions has been done to the best of its ability. The supply is based on the size of the front-line combat troops. Military rations such as oil, salt, tea, sugar, rice, and flour are continuously collected from all over the country and sent to the front.

The quantities were sufficient, but problems arose with the transportation methods, losses, and scheduling along the way. The rear attached great importance to ammunition and ordnance, but did not pay much attention to food, clothing, and medicine.

Zhao Yan understood the importance of logistics, but he couldn't abandon the front lines and go back to the rear to sort out logistics; that would be putting the cart before the horse.

The best solution is to establish a professional department and give it sufficient authority to manage all related matters. Zhao Yan hasn't even found many combat personnel yet, let alone logistics personnel.

Having heard that Dai Mingde of the headquarters had always enjoyed eating, Zhao Yan simply entrusted him with the important task of managing logistics. Having hobbies would make his work easier.

But don't expect this logistics department to play a significant role right now. The real time to expect it to be effective will be during the North Korean winter!

That was the crucial moment when the power of logistics was truly demonstrated. Just thinking about the sub-zero temperatures in North Korea during winter filled Zhao Yan with a deep sense of despair.

Zhao Yan hadn't paid attention to these issues before the fight started, but he realized it after the fight began. At this moment, Zhao Yan was filled with admiration for how that steel army from decades later in the original timeline managed to defeat the enemy in the Korean winter.

Chapter 92 Iron-Leged Construction Engineer

"Damn it, so what if it's a standing division? So what if they fought in the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign? Why do they look down on us like this?!"

"We all have two shoulders and one head, so why should we just follow behind and eat dust? Why should they eat meat while we can't even get a sip of soup?"

On the way south to Anzhou, amidst towering mountains, Lieutenant Colonel Liu Zhaocheng, commander of the 27th Division of the National Defense Army, was filled with grief and indignation, his teeth almost grinding to powder.

A large group of officers in the division headquarters were all filled with righteous indignation, and not one of them was not filled with anger.

If Liu Zhaocheng doesn't show some backbone now, he won't be able to lead this division in the future, because no one will accept a cowardly division commander.

Currently, the largest unit in the National Defense Force is the division, with 1 to 18 being all standing Class A divisions. Among them, the 1st Division boasts of being the first elite division, while the other standing divisions all claim to be elite.

The 19th to 33rd Divisions were all temporary Class B Divisions reorganized and trained from the Construction Corps. Whether they could retain their unit designations after the battle depended entirely on their performance in this war.

During this offensive by the Eastern Route Army, the headquarters did not assign any forward commanders; all divisions directly obeyed the orders of the headquarters.

But in those days, there was no radio, and military communication was very inefficient. The front lines often had to coordinate their own actions. As a result, the 1st and 3rd Divisions, the main forces of the Eastern Route Army, started to interfere with the other Class B divisions.

The commanders of Class A divisions were all colonels, while the commanders of Class B divisions were all lieutenant colonels, being shorter by a head. They were missing a star on their shoulders and didn't speak with much authority.

But there's a limit to how much you can interfere; you can't go too far.

The First and Third Divisions suffered heavy losses during the crossing of the Yalu River. The two divisions bravely resisted the firepower of the Japanese Sixth Division's river defense forces and crossed the Yalu River. The First Division suffered 772 dead and 1,565 wounded, while the Third Division also suffered more than 2,100 casualties.

They took the credit for being the first to cross the river, and the extra compensation given by the leader was terrifyingly large. It included ten years of tax exemption, which was more than the ordinary compensation for those who died in battle, and an extra 100 mu of cultivated land within the Great Wall.

Having tasted success, the two Class A divisions decided to monopolize the spoils, ordering the other Class B divisions to take a roundabout route through the mountains while they themselves took the main road straight to Anju, clearly intending to encircle the Japanese regiment in the Anju area.

The orders from above were indeed as stated, but the lower-level Class B troops found it hard to accept. They also wanted to gamble and turn their lives into wealth. It was just one life; if they lost it, they could start over in the next life. Compared to thirty years of tax exemption and a hundred acres of land, this life was insignificant!

"Commander, we can't go on like this! We're all part of the National Defense Army, we can't be treated like concubines! If we don't fight for ourselves, we'll be stuck with the reputation of the Infrastructure Division or the Shovel Division for the rest of our lives!"

"Yes, Commander! It's just a matter of dying. The Führer said that a real man should die a glorious death, not die in obscurity!"

"Commander, let's do it! We'll fight our way to earn the title of an elite division. None of the brothers are willing to give up!"

From the moment they were created, Class B units were ridiculed by Class A units as "infrastructure divisions" and "shovel divisions." Whenever they met, Class A units were always arrogant and haughty, while Class B units dared not utter a word of complaint.

There was no other way; while the Class A troops were fighting with guns, the Class B troops were carrying shovels and repairing roads.

Now that they have finally been given the opportunity to go to the battlefield, the anger that has been bottled up in their hearts for so long must be released, otherwise the morale of the team will collapse.

Liu Zhaocheng gritted his teeth and stamped his foot: "Tear up all the orders from the First and Third Divisions! Tell them, we are also divisions, of equal rank! I do not accept their command!"

"We only obey the orders of the head of state! The head of state ordered us to bypass Anju and penetrate the Pyongyang area to block the 6th Division's retreat south. This is our mission!"

Standing before the map, Liu Zhaocheng looked at it, which was still under the supervision of the Guangxu Emperor in the seventh year of his reign, and said resolutely, "My mind is made up. I will abandon the plan to ally with Anzhou!"

“If we’re going to fight, we should fight the toughest ones. The Japanese regiment in Anzhou only has three or four thousand men, which isn’t enough to satisfy two main divisions. If we go there, we won’t even get a whiff of their presence.”

If we're going to fight, we should fight the main force of the 6th Division that's retreating south. They've already withdrawn from Anju, and are about 100 kilometers from Pyongyang. They can escape back in three days.

How far do we need to go to catch up?

The chief of staff immediately gestured, but the lousy map was completely inaccurate. In the end, he could only estimate: "The straight-line distance of the mountain road is about 180 kilometers, but the actual distance is probably over 200 kilometers! We can't make it in three days!"

Liu Zhaocheng slammed his fist on the table and said, "We must catch up in two days, if not three, and bite those Japanese bastards to death!"

"Find North Koreans along the way to be your guides, and requisition all mules and horses along the route!"

"Order the entire division to discard any excess baggage. Each person should carry only three days' worth of rations and ammunition. Two days, two hundred kilometers, catch up with those Japanese and kill them!"

"If we win this battle, I'll risk everything to earn everyone the title of ace division!"

The officers' eyes lit up immediately: "Let's do it, Division Commander!"

"It's only 400 li. Back in the day, my dad and I had to walk 70 or 80 li of mountain road a day carrying grain. Now, if we work our butts off, 400 li in two days is no problem!"

After the order was given, the 27th Division was immediately energized. Originally, they could only go to Anzhou to scavenge for leftovers, but there was no way they could turn things around by scavenging for leftovers, so the morale of the troops could only be suppressed.

Now that the order has been given to drive straight behind enemy lines and fight to the death, the 27th Division is in a frenzy. The leader's attitude of rewarding the soldiers who died in the crossing of the Yangtze River is clear: whoever dares to fight and risk their life will be promoted, made rich, and turn their fortunes around.

If you're just a casual player and coast through the entire war, you'll at most get a guaranteed fifty acres of land. But if you fight a few tough battles, your pay will definitely double!

The 27th Division was originally a Class B unit, and did not have as much baggage as a Class A division. The heaviest equipment in the entire division was just five 75mm mountain guns in the division's artillery company.

The artillery pieces were disassembled and could be carried around; there was hardly any baggage to be discarded.

After the 27th Division changed its route, all 18,000 officers and soldiers of the division entered a state of rapid marching, and the marching speed suddenly increased. Moreover, the direction of marching also changed. Instead of making a sharp turn and heading straight for Anju, they continued to march south and pass through Pyongyang.

Upon seeing this, the neighboring 28th and 31st Divisions immediately understood what was happening. They also abandoned their approach to Anju and suddenly accelerated their advance straight towards Pyongyang.

The order for the First and Third Divisions to move closer was an irregular order, not even an order, but merely a request for cooperation from friendly forces. Listening to you was a favor, not listening to you was their right.

We're all infantry divisions, theoretically equal combat units, so why should you command me?

The five Class B divisions that were originally heading towards Anju to join forces with the 1st and 3rd Divisions and advance side by side all abandoned the plan and sped off towards Pyongyang.

The First and Third Divisions were furious. Their little scheme had been exposed, and they had been outmaneuvered by a Class B unit. This was intolerable.

The 1st Division left the remaining 2,000-plus Japanese troops who were stubbornly resisting in Anju to the 3rd Division, while the main force of the 1st Division began to accelerate its southward advance, also heading towards Pyongyang.

In addition, the Central Route Army successfully broke through the resistance of the Korean puppet troops in the Changjin Lake area and marched south. Only the Eastern Route Army, which was attacking the Hamgyong Province area, was ordered by Zhao Yan to be stationed in Hamgyong Province to build a defensive line against the Russian direction.

Enraged and determined to turn the tide, the five Class B divisions of the Western Route Army unleashed astonishing speed. The 27th Division, at the forefront, abandoned its supply lines, looting Korean villages and towns along the way to obtain military rations and rush on their way.

Later troops followed suit, but those who lagged behind were left with nothing but dust. The locusts in front had looted everything, leaving them only to curse and waste time "requisitioning grain" from even more distant villages and towns.

Some poor North Korean villages and towns have been robbed four or five times in a row, and the only thing missing is that the people have been robbed.

"Four hours of sleep, everyone rest on the spot, and we'll set off immediately when the whistle blows!"

The messenger rode along the route to deliver the order, and the troops who heard the order all found a place to lie down and sleep. The entire 27th Division's marching column stretched for three or four kilometers.

Soldiers who had been forced to march continuously collapsed by the roadside and fell fast asleep with their guns in their arms. Only a small number of guard troops remained on high ground.

Lieutenant Luo Ming's 7th Company, as the vanguard company of the entire division, was at the forefront of the reconnaissance, a distance of more than ten kilometers from the main force behind them.

They were the vanguard and the vanguard, specifically responsible for scouting and reconnaissance to prevent the main force from marching too fast and running headlong into an enemy ambush.

"Take a break now, everyone sleep, and move out on the whistle!"

"Luo Liang, don't fall asleep! Take two men and keep an eye on the North Korean guides. Don't let them escape!"