20demayo Chapter 182 20,000 Gallons of Fuel, a Summoning from Wuhan
Chapter 182 20,000 Gallons of Fuel, a Summoning from Wuhan
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However, the large-scale deployment of Puma armored vehicles made up for this deficiency in terms of firepower and mobility, ensuring that the overall combat effectiveness of the troops was not affected.
Of course, such a luxurious equipment system comes at the cost of rapidly depleting merit points.
The deployment of the Puma tank alone consumed nearly 200,000 merit points.
The additional purchase of armored tracked vehicles, trucks, and various new types of artillery cost over 100,000 merit points.
Subsequently, Li Jianghe purchased a large amount of fuel, ammunition, and maintenance vehicles, which cost tens of thousands of merit points.
Previously, during the Battle of Taierzhuang, the more than 500,000 merit points accumulated from annihilating the Japanese army were almost entirely used up by this expansion and equipment upgrade, leaving very little.
Li Jianghe decided not to use the remaining tens of thousands of merit points lightly, but to save them for emergencies.
Even for the troops' fuel replenishment, he planned to find alternative solutions—on the one hand, to apply for allocation from the Nationalist government's logistics department through Commander Li, and on the other hand, to purchase it himself through various channels.
Li Jianghe wasn't worried about money. He could buy medicines in the system space, especially sulfonamide drugs, which were considered hard currency on the battlefield and had no trouble selling.
He only needs to sell these medicines to obtain a large amount of money, which he can use to purchase expensive fuel and replenish the troops' logistical supplies.
In addition to the regular army units, the Third Column also had a reserve force of over 10,000 people.
These reserve soldiers are only equipped with basic firearms and ammunition, mainly Japanese weapons and old weapons discarded by front-line troops. Although their equipment is rudimentary, their training requirements are not relaxed at all.
Each reserve soldier is required to master at least two combat skills, including artillery, armored, motor transport, basic infantry skills, and engineer skills.
The purpose is to enable them to quickly fill the gaps in the front line during wartime, adapt to different combat positions, and become a solid reserve force for the troops.
Before the reorganization work was fully completed, an urgent telegram arrived in Li Jianghe's hands.
The telegram came from the Fifth War Zone Command, its wording concise yet carrying an unquestionable authority: ordering him to rush to Wuhan as soon as possible to participate in an important meeting.
Li Jianghe dared not delay and immediately summoned Yang Ruifu, Long Wenzhang, and others, entrusting them with the defense of Huangchuan in detail.
He repeatedly urged them to hold the line and be vigilant about the movements of the Japanese army. Only after confirming that all the arrangements were correct did he get into his car and speed towards Xinyang, where he planned to transfer to a train to Wuhan.
We arrived in Wuhan the following morning, dusty and weary from the journey.
To Li Jianghe's surprise, the person waiting to greet him outside the station was none other than Commander Bai himself.
Settling into the spacious back seat of the car, Officer Bai, a kind smile on his face, took out an exquisitely packaged cigarette from his pocket and handed over a brass lighter. With a flick of his finger, a flame leaped up.
"Do you know why I sent you to Wuhan this time?"
Li Jianghe took the cigarette, brought it close to his nose, and inhaled lightly. The rich aroma of tobacco lingered around his nose. He slowly shook his head and said:
"After the Japanese army takes Xuzhou, their next target will likely be Wuhan."
The smile on Commander Bai's face faded slightly, and he said in a deep voice:
"That's right. At present, opinions are divided, and there is endless debate about the Japanese army's specific offensive routes and operational intentions. The main reason I brought you here is to attend a pre-war summit meeting."
A hint of surprise flashed through Li Jianghe's mind: He was actually qualified to participate in a military conference of this level?
On second thought, he felt relieved.
Having already made a name for himself through the outstanding achievements of the Third Column, he had become a rising star in the War of Resistance. It was only natural that he was invited to attend the meeting; it would have been unusual for him to be absent.
"Are we discussing matters related to the defense of Wuhan?" Li Jianghe asked knowingly, his gaze fixed on the street scenes rushing past the window.
"Exactly." Commander Bai nodded, patted his shoulder heavily, and said earnestly, "If you perform well later, the Commander-in-Chief will try to give you some opportunities."
He abruptly changed the subject: "Of course, in addition to attending the meeting, Commander Li also secured a batch of supplies for you."
We've also managed to get you some of the fuel you've been longing for.
"These supplies are extremely valuable. The Commander-in-Chief and I have the utmost confidence in using them on your Third Column."
As he spoke, Commander Bai took out a neatly folded list of supplies from his briefcase and handed it to Li Jianghe.
Li Jianghe quickly unfolded the list and examined it closely, his eyes scanning the items rapidly, a light gleaming in them.
The list not only contained ample food, military supplies, and daily necessities, but what excited him most was the batch of fuel—a full 20,000 gallons.
"These were all obtained by Commander Li, who risked his reputation to forcefully obtain them from the Chairman."
Commander Bai emphasized, "This batch of fuel was originally allocated entirely to Qiu Qingquan's racing team, but we managed to save a portion for you with great difficulty."
"Thank you, Commander Li, and thank you, Commander Bai, for your mediation."
Li Jianghe thanked him sincerely, but he knew in his heart that although 20,000 gallons of fuel seemed like a lot, it was actually just a drop in the ocean.
His mechanized troops consume hundreds or even thousands of liters of fuel daily during training, and the consumption would only be greater in actual combat.
These 20,000 gallons are at most enough for the troops to march intensively for a few days.
Today, China's fuel production is extremely low, and it relies heavily on imports, which are limited to only one million gallons per year. The total fuel reserves of the National Army are only 180,000 gallons.
Commander Li must have exerted tremendous effort to be able to spare 20,000 gallons from it.
The car drove into a hidden underground command post entrance, passed through layers of guards, and the two finally arrived at the conference hall.
The command post was bustling with people, with many officers in uniform moving about, most of them starting as lieutenant generals, their gold stars on their shoulder insignia gleaming under the lights.
Li Jianghe followed behind Commander Bai.
Inside the hall, arguments were already rising and falling, creating a rather heated atmosphere.
As soon as Li Jianghe stepped inside, he heard a voice with a heavy Northwestern accent, the speaker tapping heavily on the map on the wall with his fingers:
"It is highly likely that after capturing Zhengzhou, the Japanese invaders will advance south to attack Pingdingshan, and then through Nanyang and Xiangyang, launch a flanking attack on Wuhan's rear!"
Li Jianghe looked up and saw that the speaker was General Feng, the former supreme commander of the Northwest Army. Even though he had been relieved of some of his military posts, he still had a significant influence in the Northwest Army.
Commander Li then retorted in a calm tone, his voice not loud but clear and forceful:
"I don't think so. In the Huayuankou area, Chiang Kai-shek has already blocked the Japanese army's westward advance using the Longhai Railway by employing naval forces. They may instead advance along the Yangtze River, using their superior naval forces to sail up the river and eventually capture Wuhan."
The two argued endlessly, each sticking to their own version of events.