Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

Overall, the atmosphere at the military district meeting was quite positive. While the Japanese army had mobilized a significant number of troops this time, the Jin-Cha-Ji Military District was no longer the Jin-Cha-Ji region of the past. Jin-Cha-Ji currently boasted over fifty main force regiments designated by the military district alone, and with the addition of the various regiments developed by the sub-district, this number exceeded one hundred. It was truly a formidable force.

This was very obvious during the Hundred Regiments Campaign.

So, although the Japanese army mobilized fifteen regiments, four independent mixed brigades, and nearly seventy battalions—only a dozen fewer battalions compared to the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain—the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region remained optimistic about countering the mopping-up operation and was not particularly afraid of the Japanese mopping-up operation.

But Wei Hongjun is different.

Instead, I feel worried.

So we found Yang Quanwu.

"what happened?"

"I've studied the battles fought by Okamura Neiji. He wasn't a commander who followed rules and preferred to advance cautiously. He liked to mass his forces and make feints to the east while attacking in the west. He liked to confuse his opponents and then surprise attack their true targets. He also liked to use the tactic of "black tiger ripping out the heart" to mass his troops and directly attack the enemy's command structure. The Japanese are now massing their forces, seemingly intending to sweep through eastern and central Hebei. But I'm worried this is just a feint; their true target isn't in central and eastern Hebei.

With the Japanese army's mobility, they can quickly change the direction of attack.

"what do you mean?"

Yang Quanwu's expression changed.

Became very serious.

Come to the front of the map and look at the current deployment of the Japanese army. Wei Hongjun approached Yang Quanwu and pointed at the map. "Old leader, look here. These Japanese troops appear to be encircling the Hebei-Central Military Region from north to south, but looking at it from another angle, they've actually also surrounded the First and Third Divisions' bases in Hebei. Their current offensive is aimed at the Central Military Region, so we assume they're going to sweep it. But if the Japanese turn their attention, they'll likely be targeting the First and Third Divisions. The same applies to the Eastern Hebei Military Region. The Japanese are concentrating their forces in Jixian, Zunhua, and Miyun. Combined with the 27th Division's movements, we assume they're going to sweep Eastern Hebei. But what if this is just a smokescreen? They suddenly decide to sweep our Eighth Column's bases. What will we do then? Right now, our forces are scattered, fighting for territory with the Japanese and puppet troops on the fringes of our bases. If a large Japanese force suddenly enters our bases at this moment, we'll be completely caught off guard. Furthermore, if a large Japanese and puppet force were to penetrate the command structures of our various bases, without adequate defenses, the consequences would be disastrous."

Wei Hongjun's guess is not random.

In history, Ningci Gangcun liked to use this tactic of making a feint to the east and attacking in the west when he swept the Eighth Route Army base.

It looked like they were going to sweep a certain base, but suddenly the direction of attack changed. As a result, the Eighth Route Army made several misjudgments, catching the other side off guard. Many bases were completely unprepared for the counter-sweep. This also happened during the famous "May 1st Sweep" in history.

The Japanese army made many confusing moves, causing the Eighth Route Army in Hebei Province to lose their vigilance.

The result was heavy casualties.

The same is true in the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region.

The Japanese army pretended to sweep the Hebei-Central Military Region, and even initially sent troops there. After the Jin-Cha-Ji Beiyue District relaxed, they suddenly turned their guns and penetrated the Jin-Cha-Ji Beiyue District.

The Eighth Route Army troops, not just the local troops but also the main forces, usually operated separately.

Act as a battalion or a company.

Fight for territory with the Japanese and puppet troops.

If a large Japanese force were to come and sweep the base at this time, the base would be caught off guard. The Japanese could even split their forces, using a battalion and a reinforced squadron to sweep the Eighth Route Army base. Because the main force of the Eighth Route Army could not assemble, it would be helpless against these mopping-up forces.

The Eighth Route Army troops had very poor communication conditions.

If we don't make a plan to counter the mopping-up operation early on, many units will have to fight on their own. During a large-scale Japanese mopping-up operation, the command center and the units below will lose contact. Therefore, making a good plan to counter the mopping-up operation is crucial.

Historically, Marshal Nie was criticized for his inability to fight, and during the Rectification Movement, he was heavily criticized. This was due to his repeated losses at the hands of General Okamura Yasuji, who misjudged the direction of several of Okamura Yasuji's attacks. As a result, the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region suffered heavy casualties.

The Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region is developing so well now.

Wei Hongjun certainly couldn't let the Jin-Cha-Ji Beiyue region suffer too much of a setback. So after carefully studying Gangcun Ningci's deployment this time, Wei Hongjun felt that things were not that simple.

Ningji Okamura would never honestly sweep the Hebei-Central Military Region and the Hebei-East region.

There will definitely be a back-up plan.

So they immediately sought out Yang Quanwu. Although Wei Hongjun was now also the commander and political commissar of the 12th Military Region, his influence was certainly not as strong as Yang Quanwu's. Yang Quanwu was a very special figure in Jin-Cha-Ji. He was Marshal Nie's favorite general in Jin-Cha-Ji and the commander of the most powerful First Division in Jin-Cha-Ji. Only if Yang Quanwu supported Wei Hongjun's views could the military region, including Marshal Nie, change their minds.

"Let me think about it."

Yang Quanwu kept shaking his fingers.

Because he was nervous too.

During the Hundred Regiments Campaign, half of the Jin-Cha-Ji region's victories were achieved by the First Division. However, despite achieving such significant results, the First Division also suffered heavy casualties. Consequently, a large number of new soldiers were subsequently recruited.

For more than half a year, the troops in the first division have been training.

A large number of troops were dispersed to fight for territory with the Japanese and puppet troops. During these battles, the troops were trained and their combat effectiveness was improved. Overall, the results were very good. Especially because the Japanese army was short of manpower, the first division took the opportunity to expand its territory.

The current population of the first division base area is about 3.5 million.

There are also many newly expanded troops.

If there were no preparations for counter-mopping-up operations, the Japanese would inevitably cause heavy casualties if they were swept by the Japanese army under the current circumstances. However, if the Japanese army did not conduct a mopping-up operation but instead concentrated its main forces, it would also affect the development of the base area.

Mobilizing troops to counter mopping-up raids is no simple matter. Because once a counter-sweep is launched, it's not just a military undertaking; the people in the base area must also participate. After all, once a counter-sweep is launched, the assembled troops will number in the tens of thousands, and with the local troops, there will be over a hundred thousand.

After looking at it for a long time, Yang Quanwu nodded slowly and said, "You make sense. If the Japanese army really wanted to sweep the Hebei Military Region, they shouldn't have concentrated their troops in Shijiazhuang and Baoding. The 21st Division was originally stationed in southwest Shandong, northern Jiangsu, and northern Anhui. If the Japanese army really wanted to sweep the Hebei Military Region, they should have transferred the 21st Division to northwest Shandong. This way, they could completely surround and sweep the Hebei Military Region. But the Japanese army placed two regiments of the 21st Division in the area north of Baoding, which is indeed a problem. If they just turn around, they will face our First Division directly."

As he spoke, Yang Quanwu's expression became more and more serious.

"The target of this Japanese raid is very likely us. I will go talk to the commander now."

This is no small matter.

If the judgment is wrong, big problems will arise.

However, if the direction of the Japanese army's movement is judged correctly, it will be of great benefit to the counter-mopping-up operation. It may be possible to take advantage of this opportunity to deal a major blow to the Japanese army.

"Old leader, I'll go back first."

"Yes. After we return, we must prepare as quickly as possible. Judging by the speed at which the Japanese army is assembling troops and supplies, they will probably officially launch a large-scale sweep in early September. Before then, we must be well prepared to counter the sweep."

"I see."

Chapter 373 A blow to the head

Laishui, an important base in the first division.

Huang Fa, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the First Division, was personally in charge. The First Division now had a growing number of troops, with thirteen main force regiments alone. The military division had also formed over ten regiments of its own, along with numerous local units at the regimental level. Furthermore, the base area had expanded significantly, with the base area encompassing over ten counties in the Hebei and western Hebei regions alone. It could be said that the First Division now possessed a vast territory, a large population, and numerous troops. Direct management of these troops was impossible for the First Division Headquarters.

Therefore, without the detachment model of the Eighth Column, the First Division chose to send its generals to the local areas, with each person responsible for several counties and regiments. Although Huang Fa was nominally the deputy commander and chief of staff, he rarely served as chief of staff at the headquarters.

Normally, he would come down to lead the troops during wars.

Because he was a top-tier commander in the First Division. He had served under Yang Quanwu since the Red Army era. Of course, Huang Fa wasn't the only one in the First Division who had this experience. The former commanders of the 1st and 3rd Regiments had also been promoted to the headquarters. During battles, they would be released to temporarily command two or three regiments.

Laishui is an important base in the district, second only to Laiyuan and Yixian, and can be compared with Lingqiu and Mancheng counties.

It was also the place where the Japanese army and the First Division fought most fiercely.

"Deputy Commander, the 21nd Battalion of the 83rd Regiment of the st Division of the Japanese Army suddenly turned around and headed for Xiagou Village. They are marching very quickly and will reach Xiagou Village in about three hours.

"The Japanese army was indeed bluffing."

When Huang Fa heard that the Japanese army was coming to Xiagou Village, he couldn't help but slap his thigh. His legs were very excited.

Although Laishui was a key base for the First Division, the county seat was in Japanese hands. However, the vast rural areas of Laishui were essentially the base for the First Division. Xiagou Village was the headquarters of the 20th and 22nd Regiments of the First Division and also served as the Eighth Route Army's most important logistics facility in Laishui County.

Ningji Okamura's attack direction was not chosen randomly when he made a feint to the east and attacked in the west.

Ningji Okamura had carefully learned about the situation of the Eighth Route Army base.

We have investigated the locations of several important command organs in the Eighth Route Army base area and learned that Xiagou Village was the location of the Eighth Route Army headquarters in the Laishui and Mancheng areas.

That's why we headed straight here.

“It seems the Japanese didn’t notice we had changed our frontline troops.

"Of course they can't tell. Our local troops aren't just simple militias; they've fought alongside the main army. These days, we've been fighting mainly the puppet army. As long as we don't reveal our true identity, they won't know if we've changed units."

After Wei Hongjun told Yang Quanwu his opinion, Yang Quanwu immediately went to see Marshal Nie. Marshal Nie was persuaded by Yang Quanwu, and the military region immediately convened a secret meeting again.

It really was a secret meeting.

In the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, Yang Quanwu is really important.

When he agreed with Wei Hongjun's opinion, he was able to directly influence Marshal Nie's attitude. Therefore, the military region began to re-discuss the direction of the Japanese army's attack.

Finally, several military sub-district leaders suspected that the Japanese army was deliberately laying a false front and that their target was probably the Beiyue area of ​​Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei. Therefore, the military sub-district decided to mobilize the Beiyue area to resist the mopping-up operation as well.

This decision is not easy.

After all, once anti-mopping-up preparations are carried out, it will seriously affect the current autumn harvest.

But in the end, this was the decision.

However, this wasn't just a simple counter-mopping-up operation. The commanders of the Jin-Cha-Yi military sub-districts were all battle-hardened generals with formidable abilities. They were prepared to exploit the Japanese's deception and attack from the east, a diversionary tactic.

It was precisely to take advantage of the situation that Huang Fa came to Lai Shui.

Huang Fa is in Lai Shui, and he currently has four regiments of troops under his command.

The 20th and 22nd Regiments, originally operating in Shui, along with the 3rd Regiment brought over from Yi County and the 36th Regiment transferred from Laiyuan, had previously operated separately. Working in battalion and company units, they engaged in a seesaw battle with the Japanese and puppet troops.

If the Japanese army set up a stronghold or bunker, they would go over and destroy the Japanese stronghold and bunker.

This battle goes on almost every day.

Because of the important location of the water, battles between the Eighth Route Army and the Japanese and puppet troops were very frequent.

After Huang Fa arrived in Laishui, he secretly replaced these main forces with local troops. Unfortunately, the puppet army troops that fought the most with the Eighth Route Army did not notice this change.

Allow Huangfa to successfully complete the assembly of troops.

"Pass on my orders. Once the Japanese enter Xiagou Village, have the 22nd Regiment cut off the road between the county seat and Xiagou Village. Once the Japanese and puppet troops are dispatched from the county seat, they must be stopped. The 20th Regiment must cut off the road between Laishui and Dingxing. Once we ambush the Japanese, the rest of the 83rd Regiment will surely reinforce us. We must hold them back and buy time for the 3rd and 36th Regiments to annihilate the 83nd Battalion of the rd Regiment."

This time we will give the Japanese army a heavy blow.

I made a big bag and waited for the Japanese army to jump in.

For this battle, Huang Fa mobilized the elite troops of the First Division. The 3rd Regiment, currently considered the strongest unit in the First Division alongside the 1st Regiment, boasted the highest combat effectiveness of any unit in the division. It had always been stationed in Yi County, the division's most important base. The 20th and 22nd Regiments, both from the second and third batches of development in the First Division, were also among the most formidable units in the division.

The 36th Regiment was reorganized from a divisional special forces regiment.

In its early years, the Special Forces Regiment operated directly under the First Division Headquarters, effectively serving under it. Therefore, despite being the last unit to be reorganized, the 36th Regiment was still quite capable. It was usually stationed near the First Division Headquarters.

In order to set up a large pocket in Laishui, the 3rd and 36th Regiments were mobilized.

The deployment of four main regiments in Laishui was to annihilate the first Japanese vanguard to jump in. Now that the 21nd Battalion of the 83rd Regiment of the st Division has come in on its own, you can't blame Huangfa for being ruthless.

The Japanese army was really fast.

The captain of this brigade was named Takeo Kuroda, so this brigade was also called the Kuroda Brigade.

This time, Ningji Okamura's target was indeed the Beiyue area of ​​Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei.

Just as Wei Hongjun had predicted, he had assembled his troops to create a confusing array. The main force appeared to be aiming to sweep away the Eighth Route Army in eastern and central Hebei. However, after the troops had established an offensive posture, some units had even entered eastern and central Hebei, attempting to deceive the Jin-Cha-Ji forces. Once the Jin-Cha-Ji Beiyue District relaxed its vigilance, the troops suddenly reversed course and headed directly for the First and Third Divisions.

In order to launch a surprise attack on the Beiyue area of ​​Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei, Ningji Okamura asked the troops to speed up.

When the Jin-Cha-Ji Beiyue District was still unprepared, they would raid some of the command structures in the Jin-Cha-Ji Beiyue District base. If the Jin-Cha-Ji Beiyue District fell for it, they would then use the Black Tiger to rip out the heart and annihilate some of the Eighth Route Army's command structures. Then the Japanese army could use battalions as units to sweep the entire Jin-Cha-Ji base area.