Anti-Japanese War: I have unlimited assistance

Chapter 472 Busy Captain Li

Commander Li has been very busy these days. He is busy receiving goods and reorganizing the troops.

"Reporting to the regiment commander and Political Commissar Zhao, the motor vehicle battalion has completed its mission and returned."

Automobile construction engineer Liang Jinrong walked quickly into the regiment headquarters and saluted Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang.

"Yes, did anything go wrong along the way?"

Zhao Gang nodded and asked.

"A large truck overturned in a ditch, killing eight recruits and injuring more than a dozen others."

Liang Jinrong replied.

Li Yunlong raised his head and nodded with a look of regret: "Go find the logistics staff officer Wang Shoujin and talk to him about the aftermath of the sacrifice of the new recruits."

Li Yunlong did not blame them. Although the motor battalion took the road, in order to avoid being bombed by Japanese planes, the hundreds of large trucks in the motor battalion marched at night.

Many sections of the road are very steep, and it is normal for large trucks to overturn into ditches.

"Yes."

Liang Jinrong saluted and turned to walk out.

Zhao Gang walked over to Li Yunlong with a notebook in his hand.
"Old Li, these 1 people have arrived in Northwest Shanxi. The total strength of our Northwest Shanxi New 8st Regiment is almost 4 people."

"According to your plan, we will expand to ten infantry battalions, with each battalion having 2500 men, for a total of 2 men."

"Currently, we have six main infantry battalions, each with 1500 men. We suffered 1 casualties in the last battle, so we now have a total of about 8 men."

"With the addition of these 1 newly recruited infantrymen, the total number of infantrymen is 8. Expanding to ten infantry battalions should be no problem at all."

"but."

"We also need to expand by a tank battalion, an anti-aircraft battalion, two cavalry battalions, and a 105mm howitzer battalion."

"A tank battalion has 1200 people, an anti-aircraft battalion has 1500 people, a cavalry battalion has 650 people, and a 105mm howitzer battalion has 2000 people."

"To expand these five battalions, approximately 6000 people are needed."

"That means we still have a shortage of 5000 people."

There is also a reconnaissance company and a guard battalion directly under the regimental headquarters, but both the reconnaissance company and the guard battalion are normal forces. The reconnaissance company has 130 people responsible for reconnaissance missions, and the guard battalion has 460 people responsible for protecting the regimental headquarters. They are all veterans and elite soldiers of the New st Regiment, and most of the soldiers are equipped with submachine guns.

On the streets of Ping'an County, villagers often see a row of guard battalion soldiers patrolling with helmets on their heads and submachine guns hanging on their chests, giving the villagers a sense of security.

Li Yunlong nodded. If he did not place the other 5000 new recruits in the Jinzhong base, the new round of troop expansion would be just right.

but.

The Jinzhong base also suffered losses in the battle with the Japanese, and needed to replenish troops after the battle.

The young and middle-aged men in the Jinzhong base have been drained. If Xing Zhiguo is not given reinforcements, the Jinzhong base will be destroyed if the Japanese attack a few more times.

"If we only expand the main infantry battalion to 2000 men, then the troops we need for this expansion will be more than enough."

After a pause, Zhao Gang gave a solution.

This kind of work was originally done by Zhang Dabiao, but Zhang Dabiao was sent by Li Yunlong to Dagu Town Airport to receive the goods.

Each main infantry battalion has 2000 people, and 10 infantry battalions have people.

“一个步兵营2000人？”李云龙食指敲击着桌面，目露思索，随即摇了摇头：“不够，咱们的步兵营可是包括6个步兵连、1个山炮连、2个机枪连、1个迫击炮连、1个机炮连、1个后勤保障连。”

The main infantry battalions were expanded from 1500 to 2500 people. Although the structure was rather bloated, there was no other way around it.

He only has the organization of one regiment, but now the new regiment in northwest Shanxi has more than 4 regular main forces.

If a regular infantry battalion is set up with 400 people, then there must be at least 100 battalion commanders, 100 deputy battalion commanders and 100 instructors to distribute so many people.

The company commander, company instructor and deputy company commander require hundreds of people.

However, that would have made the unit's structure even more bloated, and Li Yunlong didn't have that many experienced battalion and company officers. Based on the performance of the various units in these operations, Li Yunlong felt that 12 companies per battalion was the appropriate structure for the new regiment.

After all, infantry is no longer the main branch of the New 1st Regiment. The main branches are artillery and tank troops.

After the artillery and tank troops finished their bombardment, the infantry rushed forward to clean up the mess.

The New 1st Regiment is a special combat unit, and its troop deployment obviously cannot follow the conventional structure.

When it came to commanding the battle, Li Yunlong simply commanded these troops at the regimental level.

Li Yunlong has calculated that as all the infantrymen of the new regiment are about to be equipped with semi-automatic rifles, and the infantry battalion will have an artillery company and other units under its command, the battalion-level combat ammunition consumption will increase sharply, and the size of its logistics support forces will also have to be expanded. One logistics support company must have 1 people under its command and be equipped with 400 mules to meet the combat needs of the main infantry battalion.

Zhao Gang suggested: "How about reducing one infantry company, one machine gun company, and one mountain artillery platoon?"

Li Yunlong glanced at Zhao Gang and said, "5 is not 5 people. Just recruit them. We have so many militias and guerrillas."

After a pause, Captain Li's eyes became sharp:
"In this battle, we not only have to deal with the Japs, but also with Yan Laoxi. We can't do without enough troops. The Japs won't attack for a while, so we have plenty of time to train."

Zhao Gang's eyes lit up. "Why didn't I think of this? Datong is home to the 26th Division and the 28th Brigade, which was crippled by us. Actual combat is the best way to improve a unit's combat effectiveness."

"Then it's settled."

Li Yunlong nodded, called over the combat staff officer Yang Ziyun, and gave him an order:
"Xiao Yang, order the Recruiting Department and the Militia Arming Department to recruit 5000 high-quality militiamen within a week. Each militiaman must undergo a background check."

Yang Ziyun: "Yes."

After Yang Ziyun left, Zhao Gang continued, "We're short on battalion-level cadres. This time, we're going to expand to nine battalions. Each battalion needs a battalion commander, a deputy battalion commander, and a political instructor. We're going to expand to over seventy companies, and each company needs at least a company commander, a deputy company commander, or a political instructor."

Li Yunlong thought for a moment and said, "How about promoting Wei Dayong and Wang Xikui from the Blade Commando and Sword Commando to be the main battalion commanders?"

Although the officers of the battalion-level units of the new regiment all hold battalion-level positions, their military commanders must possess the ability of a regimental commander.

It includes marching and commanding operations, organizing military training, logistical support, grasping the enemy and our own situation, formulating correct strategies and tactics, and commanding troops to complete military tasks assigned by superiors.

There was a severe shortage of regimental commanders throughout the Eighth Route Army.

"I think it's a good idea." Zhao Gang nodded. "They all come from special forces. They might be more effective than expected in combat and training."

Both the Blade and Sword units are at battalion level, and Wei Dayong and Wang Xikui are both battalion commanders. There is no problem in letting them be battalion commanders.

Of course, it will be difficult to adapt at first when you suddenly go from managing a hundred or so people to managing 2500 people.

But Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang both believed in their abilities and learning abilities. Over the past year or two, the two have been studying like crazy.

Zhao Gang asked, "With the captain gone, who will lead the two special forces, the Sword and the Blade? They are two strategic-level forces of our New 1st Regiment. One special forces unit is equivalent to an entire main infantry battalion."

Li Yunlong said, "Lü Yingjun and Duan Peng are both very capable, not inferior to Wei Dayong and Wang Xikui."

Zhao Gang said, "That still leaves seven battalion commanders."

"Battalion Commander, you can promote two or three outstanding company commanders, and company-level officers can be promoted from platoon-level officers. I'll fly to southeastern Shanxi in a couple of days," Li Yunlong said. "Then I'll ask the head of headquarters for officers. We've handed over so many weapons and ammunition this time. If the head of headquarters doesn't give us some battalion and company-level officers, I won't leave headquarters!"

An airport has also been built in Yangcun, southeastern Shanxi, not far from the headquarters Daxiawan, to facilitate future delivery.

Li Yunlong discussed with Boss Lin and paid Boss Lin for the plane ticket at the Japanese price, so that Li Yunlong could take Boss Lin's transport plane to southeastern Shanxi.

Zhao Gang laughed: "What a fucking peasant-like cunning."

Li Yunlong said, "By the way, the steel mill and cement plant must be put into production as soon as possible. Although we have built three fortress-like defensive fortifications, no matter how powerful the tactics and fortifications are, there are ways to break them. I'm afraid these fortifications will not be able to stop the Japanese advance."

"So, we need to build more fortifications."

"After the cement and steel plants go into operation, we need to start building quarries and harden the roads in northwest Shanxi as soon as possible. This will reduce rollover incidents and improve the efficiency of logistics supply to the front lines."

Zhao Gang nodded. "The tasks of the Ping'an County Industrial Zone can be handed over to the intellectuals sent from Yan'an. Before the Japanese attack, we can send some troops to the periphery to ambush the Japanese transport convoys and cut off their food supply and ammunition."

Li Yunlong nodded and recounted the recent work he was going to do. He was afraid that he would be very busy in the near future and would even wish that he could do the work of three people.

Tired and happy.

(End of this chapter)