At the moment, what concerned Jiang was the hundreds of thousands of nationalistic troops in Manchuria equipped with American equipment. This was an important asset that he had to preserve. He repeatedly ordered the 53rd Army and the 207th Division to guard Shengyang and withdraw the main force from Shengyang to Jinzhou. For this reason, he urgently sent the Third Department of the Ministry of National Defense Director Luo Zejian and Deputy Director Li Shuzheng to the northeast to discuss with Wei.
"This won't do," Wei Lihuang said. We all know that the common method used by the party is always to 'besiege the city and attack the reinforcements.' We have been fooled many times. If our main force were to leave Jinzhou from Mukden, it would be along the border of the base areas of the northern and western Liaodong of the Chinese army. The Chinese army had already occupied the important pass between Jinzhou and Mukden, and they would have already laid an ambush. Moreover, we had to pass through three major rivers, the Liaohe, Daling, and Raoyang. Now that the rivers had already thawed and become flooded, our main force, with heavy weapons and many baggage, would not be able to pass through. There was a danger of being cut off, surrounded, and defeated one by one. Our troops in Shen Yang are incomplete and cannot be used without a period of replenishment. Therefore, we can only hold on to Shen Yang and wait for the troops to be replenished before we can find a suitable opportunity to open Shen Jin Road.”
Wei Lihuang sent Zheng Dongguo with Luo, Li and others to fly to Guling to express their opinions to Jiang. However, Jiang Jieshi did not agree with Wei's proposal and still ordered Zheng Dongguo to return to Shen to ask Wei Lihuang to get through Shen Jinqian and withdraw his main force to Jinzhou. If necessary, he could give up on Kirin and Changchun. Jiang Jieshi said: The revolutionary army had a revolutionary spirit during the Northern Expedition. They defeated the masses with fewer troops and succeeded in the Northern Expedition. Fan Zhongxiu could fight from Guangdong to Henan with more than ten thousand people. Why can't our Huangpu army reach Jinzhou?
After Zheng Dongguo returned to Shen, Wei Lihuang summoned the generals to a meeting. Everyone agreed with Wei's plan and advocated not to implement Jiang Jieshi's plan. Among them, Liao Yaoxiang, Zhao Jiaxiang, Luo Youlun and others advocated the most. So Wei sent Zhao Jiaxiang and Luo Youlun to Nanjing to see Jiang and state the gains and losses. Jiang then promised to maintain the status quo in Northeast China.
Jiang Jieshi, proceeding from his subjective desire, never gave up the idea of withdrawing the main force of Shenyang to Jinzhou. He summoned Wei Lihuang to personally persuade Wei to withdraw the main force of Shengyang to Jinzhou. Wei passed through Peiping at noon on March 31. After a long talk with Fu Zuoyi at the airport, he flew from Peiping to Nanjing and reported the situation in Northeast China to Jiang that night. Jiang then told Wei that the traffic between Shenyang and Changchun had been cut off, and that air supplies alone could not be maintained. Jiang repeatedly asked the Wei to withdraw the main force of Mukden to Jinzhou, leaving a small number of troops in Mukden and Changchun to defend. Wei declined the offer on the grounds that his troops were broken and had not been trained, and it was impossible to reach Jinzhou. Instead, there was a danger of being destroyed.
The conflict between Wei Lihuang and Jiang Jieshi eventually evolved into a conflict between Jiang Jieshi and Wei Lihuang.
"Our transport planes and gasoline are unable to sustain the supplies of such a large force in the northeast," he said with a sigh."The situation forced us to withdraw the main force of the northeast to Jinzhou.”
Wei had never seen Jiang in such an awkward state, so he said to Jiang,"As long as we don't withdraw our main force from Shengyang, I will be responsible for the supply of the Northeast troops.”
"Good!" said Jiang. Good! As long as you have a way to supply the troops, we can follow your suggestion and not retreat to Jinzhou. However, once the supplementary training was completed, they still had to quickly open up the Shen Jin line.”
Wei Lihuang agreed. Wei said to Liu Yaohan, the supply commander," I've booked the supplies in the northeast. Tomorrow, I'll invite you to the US military consultant group and ask them to help transport the supplies…"
The next day, Wei Lihuang paid a visit to the head of the US military's consultant team, Ba Dawei. Ba Dawei agreed in principle to help as much as possible.
On April 1, Jiang Jieshi summoned Wei Lihuang to Nanjing for a talk. Jiang said that transportation from Shenyang and Changchun was cut off, and that air supplies alone could not be maintained. Still repeatedly asked Wei to withdraw the main force to Jinzhou, Shen, Chang left a small number of troops to defend. Wei replied that the troops were broken and the training was not completed, so it was impossible to attack Jinzhou. Wei also said," As long as we don't withdraw our main force from Shengyang, I'll be responsible for the supply of the northeast troops. Please ask the US consultant team to help solve this." Jiang agreed to his request." As long as you have a way to supply the troops, you can temporarily not retreat to Jinzhou." However, after the supplementary training was completed," we still have to quickly open up the Shenjin line." The next day, Wei Lihuang ordered Liu Yaohan, the supply commander, to accompany him to visit the head of the US military consultant group, Ba Dawei. After receiving his promise, he reported to Jiang and then returned to Shen. Wei said to his subordinates,"As long as the United States can provide assistance with 30 large transport planes, we are confident that we can protect the northeast."”
When Wei met Jiang again, Jiang promised to follow Wei's plan to consolidate the three strategic points of Changchun, Shenyang, and Jinzhou first. After the army was trained, they would open up the Shenjin line.
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