Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

After we review it, we will submit it to the military district for final approval."

"Yes."

"Also, I've received a clear answer from the commander. The future construction of the Cha'nan base will be the responsibility of your Eighth Column. All the working groups previously dispatched to the Cha'nan area by the Pingxi Detachment and the Pingxi District Committee can be taken over by your Eighth Column. However, if anyone in the Eighth Column does not want to stay and wants to return to their original unit or unit, you are not allowed to stop them."

Wei Hongjun frowned when he heard this.

Then he questioned, "Commander, this is disadvantageous to us. The Pingxi Detachment and the Pingxi Prefectural Committee have no subordinate relationship with us and are of higher rank than us. If they order the cadres of the working group to return, what should we do?"

Although it was given the designation of the Eighth Column, it was still nothing compared to the Pingxi Detachment and the Pingxi Prefectural Committee.

There are a lot of cadres in the Pingxi Detachment and the Pingxi Prefectural Committee who have more experience than Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun.

"Just when I said you were smart, you acted foolishly. The Military District needs to approve your appointment to the Eighth Column, and it will take some time. By the time the Pingxi Detachment and the Pingxi Prefectural Committee get the news, it will take at least ten days or half a month. You should hurry back now and incorporate those people into your Eighth Column. Those with more experience should go to your Eighth Column headquarters. Those with less experience should be assigned to the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Regiments. If that doesn't work, you can go to the battalion-level units below. Then report it to me, and I will approve it immediately, and then submit it to the Military District for approval. That way, they will already be cadres of your Eighth Column, so how can they go back?"

Yang Quanwu spoke angrily.

Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun were overjoyed.

With such a supportive old leader, I am happy to do anything.

However, Wei Hongjun still felt that it was not enough, so he flattered his face and said, "Division Commander, we have established the 8th Column, so shouldn't the division headquarters also show some support? I heard that the headquarters has sent a lot of young cadres, so you should give us some as well. Our 8th Column Headquarters should also establish departments such as the Operations Department and the Propaganda Department. When we were independent detachments, we didn't have the cadres to set up these departments. If we establish a column, it will still be an empty shell, and it will be embarrassing for you to tell others about it.

"roll roll roll."

Yang Quanwu was so angry that he laughed.

These two guys are really shameless. So he waved his hands like he was shooing away flies and said, "Don't try to hit on me. If you have the guts, there are plenty of students in Peking and Tianjin. Go and snatch a hundred or eighty of them and bring them back. Then you'll have everything."

"Commander, it's not that easy. The student cadres sent by the Peking underground party were all divided up by the headquarters and the military region, or captured by the nearby Pingxi Detachment and Jizhong troops. It was never our turn."

"Then there's nothing I can do."

As the main force of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region, the First Division was under great pressure.

The troops had almost no time to rest, fighting the Japanese and puppet troops every day. As a result, there were heavy casualties and a serious shortage of cadres. Yang Quanwu currently had no cadres to give to the Eighth Column.

"Commander, we have captured two radio transmitters this time. Do you think the division headquarters can help us deal with the radio operator?"

"That's possible. I'll send a telegram to the military district and ask them to help us take a look.

Chapter 117 Reorganization

The Eighth Column of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region.

Compared with the independent detachment, the Eighth Column is the official designation of the military region.

Everyone was very happy.

It has been given an official designation, meaning the military district has officially recognized this armed force. This armed force has entered the regular ranks of the military district. In the future, when the military district has any benefits, the Eighth Column must not be left behind.

The same is true for cadre arrangements.

A large number of young students entered the base area, and many young cadres came from Yan'an. The military district would assign them to the troops below. Previously, the independent detachment was only a temporary organization, and good things did not happen to the independent detachment.

But from now on, the Eighth Column will also have a share when the military region allocates cadres.

Of course, another important thing is that with the official designation, everyone's rank can be determined. The independent detachment previously had a temporary designation, so everyone's rank was not very clear.

It's different now.

The columns were organized roughly at the brigade level, meaning the military district recognized Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun as brigade-level cadres. This way, the cadres of the Eighth Column also began to have clear ranks.

Wei Hongjun immediately convened a meeting of the Independent Detachment's Party Committee to discuss the unit's reorganization into the Eighth Column. After briefly explaining the situation, Wei Hongjun stated, "With the Military District designating us the Eighth Column, we are permitted to maintain two main force regiments: the 16th and 17th. The appointment of officers for the 16th and 17th Regiments will require approval from the Military District and the First Division. As for the other units, which do not have designations within the Military District, we can expand our forces independently. Everyone, please share your thoughts on how to organize the 16th and 17th Regiments."

Forming the Eighth Column is a big deal.

So everyone is very cautious.

After a while, Xiao Yongshi said, "I think the reorganization of the 16th and 17th Regiments should be based on the mission of our troops. Our Eighth Column is to shoulder the heavy responsibility of developing the Chahar base area, so we must have a strong force in the Chahar area. Therefore, one of the 16th and 17th Regiments must be placed in the north.

From another perspective, our Eighth Column is a divisional unit.

Currently, Division 1 is facing a heavy workload. The Japanese are encircling the military zone, and a large portion of their forces are focused on combating Division 1. As Division 1's troops, we should cooperate with them. Therefore, the other regiment should be stationed in the south. Judging from the road conditions in Sheng County, we should be stationed in the area around Divisions 3 and 4. If the Japanese deploy troops from Tongpu Road to encircle Division 1, we can also dispatch troops to support them.

Wei Hongjun looked at the map and nodded slightly.

I am very satisfied with Xiao Yongshi’s suggestions.

The military district was able to give them the designation of the Eighth Column this time, thanks in large part to the contributions of the veteran leaders. Although the First Division was currently developing very smoothly and its forces were expanding rapidly, it already possessed three main regiments, each with over 2,000 men. However, the enemy they faced was also formidable.

The Eighth Column is a divisional unit.

Although the First Division had not previously requested this, the Eighth Column should also take the initiative. When the First Division is countering the mopping-up operation, troops should be sent to help. Yang Quanwu is a very open-minded person.

If you send troops to help him, he will definitely not treat you unfairly.

So Wei Hongjun nodded and said, "I agree with Comrade Xiao Yongshi's idea. Our 16th and 17th Regiments should be deployed one each in the north and south directions. What do you think, Old Wang?"

"Well, that makes sense."

Wang Qiuyun also agreed.

Pointing to the map, he said, "Here's how I see it. Developing a base in southern Chahar is the top priority for our Eighth Column. We will merge the Third Battalion currently in the Sanggong area and the First Battalion in Beilingzhuang into the Sixteenth Regiment. It will be specifically responsible for developing a base in Huailai."

"can."

Wei Hongjun supports.

There are two main reasons why it is difficult to develop the Chahar base.

One reason was that this was the location of the Pingsui Road, heavily guarded by the Japanese. Another reason was that the Eighth Route Army had no roots in this area, and the local people did not support the Eighth Route Army. To establish a base here would require more effort.

And there must be enough troops.

It would be too much for the Third Battalion to establish a base alone. Therefore, if we also bring the First Battalion up, it can provide effective support to the Third Battalion.

"Let's put the 17th Regiment in the Third District. I think we can use the Second and Sixth Battalions as the core battalions to build the 17th Regiment. It will cooperate with the Second Regiment of the First District currently stationed in Lingqiu, mainly to guard against the Japanese troops coming from the same road."

"I agree."

Political Commissar Wei Hongjun agreed, and this was a suggestion put forward by Deputy Commander Xiao Yongshi. As long as Deputy Commander Li Shiping and Political Department Director Han Weiguo didn't raise any objections, it would be passed.

"As for personnel appointments, Lao Wei, you speak first."

"it is good."

Wei Hongjun said, "I'll start with the columns. Comrade Wang Qiuyun will be the commander of the 8th Column, Comrade Wei Hongjun will be the political commissar of the 8th Column, and Comrade Han Weiguo will be the director of the 8th Column's political department. I propose that Comrades Xiao Yongshi, Zhang Zihua, and Li Shiping be appointed deputy commanders of the 8th Column. Comrade Xiao Yongshi will be responsible for the work of the training brigade and the headquarters, Comrade Zhang Zihua will also be the commander of the 16th Regiment, and Comrade Li Shiping will be responsible for the column's logistics."

Li Shiping has been in charge of the army's logistics work in the past few months.

Rather than letting him serve as deputy political commissar, deputy commander is more appropriate.

Wang Qiuyun nodded and said, "I think it's okay."

Others nodded.

Because besides the change in Li Shiping's position, there was also the addition of Zhang Zihua. No one objected to this, as Zhang Zihua had high qualifications and rank, and they all had fought side by side in the Independent Regiment before, so they were all familiar with each other.

The main reason for swallowing up the cadres of the Pingxi Detachment and the Pingxi Prefectural Committee this time is definitely to completely turn them into cadres of the Eighth Column. If this is to be done, they cannot be separated from each other.

"During my visit to Sanggong, I met with Yao Ziming, the head of the Anti-Traitor Section of the Pingxi Detachment. My suggestion is to transfer him to the Column as the head of the Base Area Security Section, under the Political Department and led by Comrade Han Weiguo."

Those cadres of the Pingxi Detachment have been seen by Wei Hongjun.

Of course Wei Hongjun wanted to catch them all in one fell swoop.

So, according to Yang Quanwu's instructions, they should first be assigned to the column. Once approved by the First Division and the Military Region, they will become cadres of the Eighth Column. The Pingxi Detachment will no longer have any reason to take them back.

"Comrade Xiao Yongshi, the commander and I have actually discussed this before.

We will inevitably need more cadres in the future. If we rely solely on our superiors to allocate them, we will always be short of cadres. The best solution is to train our own cadres. My idea is to establish a Chanan Cadre School in addition to the teaching brigade, with Comrade Xiao Yongshi in charge. We will train local cadres in Chanan. We will need a large number of local cadres to develop the Chanan base in the future. You have experience in this area and you have connections. Please introduce some outstanding instructors to our Eighth Column. Let's establish our own Chanan Cadre School."

"Commander, Political Commissar, the fight against Japan is not a one- or two-day endeavor.

I think we can definitely draw some people from the army and local areas to set up the Chanan Cadre School first."

“Okay, let’s build a scaffold first.

Wei Hongjun nodded.

After eight years of war, we are still a long way from victory.

The Wei Red Army was ready for a long-term war of resistance. Sheng County was the best rear base. Relying solely on the teaching brigade was not enough.

Because the teaching brigade is responsible for training grassroots military cadres.

But the war of resistance not only requires military cadres, but also a large number of local cadres.

To open up and build a base area, local cadres are essential. Therefore, Wei Hongjun planned to learn from the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military and Political Cadre School and establish a Chahar-South Cadre School in the Eighth Column Base Area.

"As for the Sixteenth Regiment, it's difficult to set up. A regimental headquarters requires a certain number of cadres. But we simply don't have enough cadres to allocate to the Sixteenth Regiment right now. So, I suggest appointing Comrade Zhang Zihua as concurrently the political commissar, transferring Comrade Xia Houwen to be the director of the Sixteenth Regiment's political department, and sending Comrade Zhang Dahu to the Sixteenth Regiment as deputy commander and chief of staff. Let's simply set up the regimental headquarters first."

"Yes. Let's set up the framework first, and then gradually improve it later. The 16th Regiment's main task right now is to lead the 1st and 3rd Battalions, so the construction of the regimental headquarters can be slowed down. Transfer the pistol battalion to the 16th Regiment and treat it as a direct armed force under the regimental headquarters."

Wang Qiuyun agreed.

The 8th Column has just been established, and many of its institutions are not yet perfect.

What’s more, there are the 16th Regiment below.

However, Wang Qiuyun took into consideration the heavy tasks of the 16th Regiment, so he assigned the elite pistol battalion directly under the column to the 16th Regiment.

"Speaking of the Seventeenth Regiment, it has even more problems than the Sixteenth. Tao Laifeng of the Second Battalion is cautious and steady, and he's very good at fighting defensive battles. The Sixth Battalion is a newly reorganized unit. Although we transferred a company from the First Battalion, it still has a lot of problems. Since the detachment can't send more cadres, reorganizing the Seventeenth Regiment will have even more problems. So I propose that the Seventeenth Regiment also set up a framework like the Sixteenth Regiment. Kong Detachment, the political instructor of the Sixth Battalion, will serve as the commander and political commissar of the Seventeenth Regiment, and Cai Xin, the head of the Propaganda Department of the Pingxi Detachment, will be transferred to serve as the political instructor of the Sixth Battalion."

Although the military district gave the Eighth Column the numbers of its two main regiments.

But for the Eighth Column, with its shallow foundation, this wasn't so easy. Even setting up a regimental headquarters didn't have enough cadres. So, they could only appoint a few important positions. The vacant positions would have to be filled gradually.

Wang Qiuyun nodded slowly.

Although two main regiments were established, Wei Hongjun did not actually transfer too many people.

Wang Qiuyun said, "The 16th and 17th Regiments are both organized into two battalions, with a force of approximately 1,000 to 1,500 men. Compared to the main regiments of the First Division, our 16th and 17th Regiments are still too weak. Giving the 16th and 17th Regiments an empty organization means each regiment can expand by one battalion. How they expand is up to them."

The battalion of the previous independent detachment was quite large in scale.

However, after the two battalions were formed into a regiment, the strength of the 16th and 17th Regiments was mediocre, because the two battalions combined had less than 1,500 people.

It cannot be compared with the main force of the first division.

So Wang Qiuyun gave these regiments a battalion organization and let them develop on their own.

Chapter 118: Encirclement and Suppression of the Sanggong Base

"In addition to the 16th and 17th Regiments, we also have five battalions: the 4th, 5th, and 7th Battalions, as well as the Independent Battalion and the Special Service Battalion. The organization of these units does not need to be reported to the military district, but must be reported to the First Division. Our 8th Column is a unit under the First Division. If the First Division makes any major moves in the future, they may need our cooperation. Therefore, the situation of our troops must be reported to the First Division."

Wei Hongjun paused and said, "Currently, the Independent Battalion is responsible for developing a base in Xining County, and the Special Service Battalion is responsible for developing bases in Xuanhua and Zhuolu. Therefore, my idea is to change the Independent Battalion to the First Detachment and the Special Service Battalion to the Second Detachment. They are developing outside, so it is not appropriate to impose strict organizational rules on them. If they have the ability, they can develop the detachment into a regimental unit. If not, then I will continue to serve as their battalion commander."