Chapter 2930
It was the first time for Feng Xingbang to explain the battle plan in front of so many senior officials. He was a little nervous. He coughed twice and cleared his throat. He calmed down a little before speaking.
Compared with the previous military operations carried out by the Manila authorities against Spanish colonial forces, the most significant difference this time is that the purpose of the operation is no longer just to attack Spanish colonial forces and drive away Spanish colonists, but to clearly define these areas. The land was brought under the rule of Haihan, leaving no chance for the Spaniards to make a comeback.
But to implement long-term occupation of these locations, it is not only necessary to defeat the local colonial armed forces, but more importantly, to station troops to prevent the Spaniards from returning.
With the existing military strength of the Luzon Region, it is indeed not difficult to conquer these places, but if troops are to be stationed, the existing strength may be somewhat stretched.
According to the estimates of the staff, at least one battalion must be stationed in relatively large colonial ports, and at least one infantry company must be stationed in small places. To completely occupy all the colonies operated by the Spanish in the Philippine Islands, at least the existing strength of the Fourth Mainland Division must be More than half of the U.S. military was stationed in these new territories. The Fourth Army Division is also responsible for guarding Luzon Island, so it is obviously impossible to dispatch all troops. Then in the later stages of the operation, the number of troops that can carry out cross-regional combat missions will be very limited.
This will obviously have a negative impact on the Manila authorities who are determined to control the entire Philippine Islands and push the battlefield all the way to the south of the Sulawesi Sea.
When Qiu Yuan heard this, he raised his hand to signal a pause, and then asked: "What is the staff's solution?"
Feng Xingbang said: "The most direct and effective solution is to increase the number of troops put into action. Although our regular army only has the Fourth Army Division and the independent cavalry battalion, we still have at least three to five battalions of militia that can be mobilized, and we also have Retired veterans can be recruited from the people of Luzon. In addition, police from various places can also be converted into combat personnel during wartime. Although the combat effectiveness of these people cannot be compared with the regular army, they are more than enough to maintain local security, whether they stay in the local area or not. Or be stationed in a new territory, I believe they can complete the mission well.”
When Feng Xingbang said this, he looked at Xiao Liang and said: "In addition, we can also apply for reinforcements from other regions. The garrison troops in Annan and Taiwan should be happy to send troops to participate in the operation."
The militia mentioned by Feng Xingbang is essentially a reserve force that can be converted into a regular army at any time. These troops do not occupy the establishment of the regular army, but the training they receive on weekdays is not much different from that of the regular army, and they can be quickly transformed into combat troops in wartime.
The actual forces that can be mobilized during wartime also include registered veterans, police, and various private armed forces that are not part of the military establishment. For example, Qiu Yuan and others have private armed guards, and some powerful Han families on Luzon Island also have armed personnel to provide security for their homes. These people will be recruited by the government as a reserve army during wartime.
As for applying for reinforcements from outside, this is nothing new. When the Haihan Army attacked Manila, they mobilized elites from all over the country, and even brought Qian Tiandun's troops back from all the way from the north to participate in the operation. The garrison that stayed in Manila after the war was also a hodgepodge of troops from many armies. There were quite a few soldiers from Annan and Taiwan, so the Manila garrison maintained relatively close ties with these two places.
Of course, Feng Xingbang took the initiative to make this suggestion, and he also wanted Xiao Liang and others to borrow troops from Annan. When the troops sent by his father Feng Annan from Annan made military exploits, he would definitely have a share of the credit.
Little did he know that Xiao Liang and others had already listed this as one of the emergency plans. When Xiao Liang went to Camlan Port for a meeting, he had already discussed this with Feng Anan, and after returning, he also confirmed it with Harugong and Qiu Yuan. the feasibility of this move. However, unless it is absolutely necessary, borrowing troops from outside is only an alternative. After all, this loan is not in vain. In addition to bearing the corresponding expenses, some additional benefits must be given to make up for this great favor. And the reinforcements that have gone through so much trouble may not be able to be used smoothly.
Xiao Liangdao: "As for the issue of military strength, I have mentioned it to Yan Chujie before at Camlan Port. Whether it is temporarily recruiting troops from the private sector or borrowing troops from other regions, it is only a temporary measure. To fundamentally solve the problem, we still have to By expanding the military.”
Qiu Yuan asked: "What did Yan Chujie say?"
Xiao Liangdao: "What else can I say? Let's just follow the procedures. The staff department will compile a report on our current actual situation, detail the reasons for our application for military expansion and the scale of the military expansion required, and then submit it to the Ministry of National Defense."
Harugong interjected unhurriedly: "Judging from the past, the Ministry of National Defense's response to matters such as military expansion is generally slow. Military information takes priority, and military expansion can be done first, and the procedures can be completed later."
Regarding the situation of the Cam Ranh Port meeting, Xiao Liang had informed them long ago after returning. The reason why he brought it up to the meeting to talk about it again was mainly to take this opportunity to make the decision to expand the army public so that all parties could have an understanding of it. prepared. It is imperative to expand the army. If we take this step, we will have sufficient troops available for subsequent operations to expand our territory.
When Feng Xingbang heard this, he knew that his idea was still too simple. What these big shots wanted was not an emergency solution at all, but to use this situation to achieve the purpose of expanding the army.
Sure enough, Xiao Liang immediately agreed with Harugong's opinion: "Old Ha is right. I think it is necessary to use the wartime system and temporarily integrate the existing militia forces into the regular army to ensure that we have enough The troops will be put into the next operation. The old equipment that the troops replaced this time is just enough for the militia to take over.”
Feng Xingbang calculated in his mind that if he calculated based on the militia establishment of five battalions, he could quickly increase the number of troops by about 3,000. Although the number of weapons and equipment originally distributed to the militia for training is limited, with the old weapons replaced by the regular army, it is not difficult to arm these militia.
While he was still calculating the strength of his troops, Xiao Liang had already called his name: "Feng Xingbang, please tell me more about the naval force's preparations and action plan."
Feng Xingbang came to his senses and quickly continued to explain.
Compared with the army, the task of the navy is obviously more complicated. It not only has to find and defeat the Spanish armed fleet, but also is responsible for transporting the army to various target locations.
(End of chapter)