Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

"Yes, this is a good idea. Let the special forces battalion and the independent battalion have more freedom."

Wang Qiuyun nodded.

This is how Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun developed.

As long as they can obey the overall situation and abide by the discipline of the Eighth Route Army, how they develop is up to them. Seeing Wang Qiuyun's agreement, Wei Hongjun said, "Comrade Gao Wei will serve as the commander of the First Detachment, and Comrade Huang Hao will serve as the political commissar of the First Detachment. Comrade Wu Qinghe will serve as the commander of the Second Detachment, and Comrade Lei Jiabin will serve as the political commissar of the Second Detachment. As for the positions of deputy commander and chief of staff of the detachment, they will be left vacant for now. Of course, if they have their own candidates, they can also report them to the column."

"it is good."

Seeing the establishment of the First and Second Detachments, Xiao Yongshi, who was standing nearby, chimed in, "Commander, Political Commissar, I believe the column headquarters should have a mobile unit. We can't just send all our troops out. Only by having a strong mobile unit can we deploy troops when needed. Besides, even though Sheng County looks safe, it's not absolutely safe. We must have troops in Sheng County, preferably directly under the column."

"What Xiao Yongshi said makes sense."

Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun both nodded in agreement.

Indeed.

Once the troops are sent out, what will happen if the column needs them?

The column must have directly subordinate troops that can follow the column to fight at any time.

Wang Qiuyun made the decision, "The 4th, 5th, and 7th Battalions will form an independent regiment, directly under the command of the column."

"Old Wang, I propose that you personally serve as the commander of the independent regiment, and Comrade Xiao Yongshi will concurrently serve as chief of staff. We will combine the independent regiment headquarters with the headquarters, and the headquarters will directly lead the independent regiment."

"can."

The rise of the Eighth Column was too short.

There are really too few regimental-level cadres.

For example, Kong De, the commander of the 17th Regiment, had been a platoon leader in the Eighth Route Army seven months earlier, and a company commander during his time in the Red Army. But in just seven months, he had become the commander and political commissar of the main force regiment of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region. This burden was no small task.

Commanding a few hundred people in battle in the past and commanding thousands or even two or three thousand people in battle in the future are two completely different things.

Such things have happened in history.

Many Eighth Route Army commanders performed exceptionally well when leading only a few hundred men, inflicting heavy casualties on the Japanese. However, during the Liberation War, they were suddenly faced with the task of leading thousands of men, and their fighting style had completely changed, leaving many commanders feeling uncomfortable.

Because commanding a few hundred people in battle is completely different from commanding a few thousand people in battle.

Everyone has to adapt.

There are not many people in the entire column who can currently serve as regimental-level cadres.

Therefore, an independent regiment was established, with the headquarters directly responsible for its command. The column headquarters was the regimental headquarters. While the independent regiment was called a regiment, the individual battalions developed independently. When needed, the headquarters could gather them together and fight.

1938 5 Month 21 Day.

The Eighth Column of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region was established in Songjiazhuang, Sheng County.

The Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region is currently undergoing a period of rapid development. Therefore, the Jin-Cha-Ji troops currently have various organizational structures, including detachments, corps, columns, and so on.

Although the Eighth Column was newly established and was still under the First Division, its strength was still not weak. It could even be compared with the strength of the Second, Third, and Fourth Divisions.

The 8th Column had just been established and had not yet taken any action, but the Corps stationed in Mongolia took action first.

"This time the Japanese army launched a three-pronged siege."

Because Zhang Dahu was transferred to the 16th Regiment as deputy commander and chief of staff, the current chief of staff of the column is mainly handled by the deputy commander Xiao Yongshi. Xiao Yongshi introduced the current situation to everyone and said: "After the political commissar led the third battalion to annihilate a squadron of the Japanese Army's Second Independent Infantry Battalion, the Japanese army has been investigating the situation in the Sanggong area.

It is estimated that during this period, the Japanese army has already grasped the situation of the third battalion. Therefore, this time the Japanese army has mobilized a total of eight infantry companies, two infantry companies from Xuanhua, two infantry companies from Zhuolu, and almost all the Japanese troops from Huailai have come out. In addition to the cavalry company sent from Zhangjiakou, the Japanese army has dispatched a total of about 1200 Japanese troops this time.

The 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade has a total of five infantry battalions.

The development of the Third Battalion in the Sanggong area attracted the attention of the Japanese army.

This time, the Japanese army was prepared to eliminate the anti-Japanese armed forces in the Sanggong area at one time, so they transferred more than 1200 people from three counties.

"In addition to these devils, a self-defense group under the Chahar Autonomous Government, numbering about 1500 people, also set out from Chahar.

The Japanese troops from Xuanhua and Huailai headed straight for Sangshan Fort, while the Japanese troops from Zhuolu headed for Gongshan Fort.

"This is a huge test for the 16th Regiment."

Everyone looked at the map and was worried.

With such a large Japanese force sweeping the area, the 16th Regiment was under considerable pressure.

Wang Qiuyun looked at the map and said, "If the 16th Regiment can hold on during this mopping-up operation, then the situation in southern Chahar will be completely transformed. Since two squadrons of Japanese troops have been withdrawn from Zhuolu, there are only about four or five hundred left. This is a good opportunity for the Special Forces Battalion. Let's send out all of them and cause a big commotion in Zhuolu. We should capture the important towns in Zhuolu and wipe out all the local traitors."

Although the Eighth Column did not have the strength to defeat the Japanese and traitors in Chanan head-on, it was not without the ability to fight.

Cha'nan is a typical place with a large territory and a small population.

In the vast Chahar region, the entire Mongolian garrison consisted of only about 20,000 troops. Of these, 10,000 were stationed in Datong, and only 10,000 were stationed along the Pingsui Road. They had to protect the Pingsui Road while also stationing troops in important cities like Zhangjiakou, Xuanhua, and Huailai, effectively limiting their available manpower.

The wider rural areas are maintained by traitors.

The withdrawal of Japanese troops this time will cause their prestige in the area to drop significantly, which will be a good opportunity for other troops to expand their territory.

"And there's this unit in southeastern Huailai. Xiahou Wen has developed a force of over 200 people here. Although their combat effectiveness is average, they're still an important force. With the Japs in Huailai County now out in force, the entire southeastern Huailai region is no longer in danger from Japs. This is a good opportunity for them. We should order them to swiftly strike down those traitors and turn the entire southeastern Huailai region upside down."

Wang Qiuyun will not interfere too much in how the 16th Regiment fights.

After all, this was the Sixteenth Regiment's first encounter with an encirclement and suppression campaign since establishing the Cha'nan base. If the Sixteenth Regiment could hold its own, then they would be trusted even more. If they couldn't, then they would have to rebuild the Sixteenth Regiment.

But formulating overall tactics is what the Eighth Column Command should do.

"This is not enough."

Wei Hongjun thought for a moment and said, "After all, the 16th Regiment was just established.

I mean, we should send a battalion to support them.

If they can’t hold on, we can help them. If they can hold on, we can help them expand their territory.”

"The Fifth Battalion is in District Six, close to Beiling Village. I'll take the Fifth Battalion to support the Sixteenth Regiment. Old Wei, you stay here and take command."

"it is good."

Chapter 119 Counter-Sweep

"We have to retreat."

Zhang Dahu was transferred from the chief of staff of the independent detachment to the deputy commander and chief of staff of the 16th Regiment, which was actually a lateral transfer.

The independent detachment was reorganized into the Eighth Column, which effectively became a brigade-level unit.

Zhang Dahu didn't feel any resentment for not being able to become the column's chief of staff. After the appointment, Wei Hongjun had a special talk with Zhang Dahu and told him about the complex situation in the Sanggong area.

Including our own troops, the cadre sources are complex. Sending Zhang Dahu there was to strengthen the column's command of the 16th Regiment. Zhang Dahu had just arrived in Sangshanbao for two days when the Japanese army launched a sweep. Fortunately, Zhang Dahu had previously served as the chief of staff of an independent detachment and was familiar with the situation of each battalion.

So Zhang Dahu expressed his views directly at the meeting.

Pointing to the map, he said, "The devils coming out of Xuanhua and Huailai will all attack Sangshanbao along this road. I think everyone knows that the area along this road is basically flat. The last time we were able to ambush the Japanese army, it was because of the special terrain in the area around Shilifeng. Apart from Shilifeng, the entire road is flat on both sides. Even Sangshanbao itself is a flat land with almost no defensive areas. There are eight or nine hundred devils dispatched by the Japanese army from Xuanhua and Huailai, plus thousands of self-defense corps, that is 2000 Japanese and puppet troops. We are definitely not their opponents if we fight hard. So my suggestion is that the troops temporarily evacuate Sangshanbao. As long as we evacuate Sangshanbao and retreat to the area around Gongshanbao, there will be high mountains and dense forests all around. We have plenty of opportunities to fight guerrilla warfare and ambush the Japanese army."

After fighting so many battles with Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun, Zhang Dahu became more and more familiar with mountain guerrilla warfare.

Although the Third Battalion has expanded its forces during this period, the improvement in its combat effectiveness has been limited.

They were no match for so many Japanese troops.

Seeing that several people were silent, Zhang Dahu was very anxious and said, "Captain, look at the Japanese soldiers coming out of Zhuolu. They will go straight to Gongshanbao. Once they take Gongshanbao, we will be surrounded by the Japanese army.

If we are surrounded in Thornhill Castle, it will be extremely difficult for us to break out, and we may even be completely wiped out.

This time, the Japanese army's raid was a two-pronged attack.

The Japanese in Zhuolu wanted to cut off the retreat of the 16th Regiment in Sangshanbao.

"Commander, Chief of Staff, I want to say a few words."

Guo Yonghuai spoke.

Zhang Zihua nodded and said, "Everyone can speak freely."

Guo Yonghuai stood up and said, "I know that from a military point of view, we should indeed abandon Sangshanbao and withdraw our troops to Gongshanbao. Gongshanbao is surrounded by mountains, which is conducive to our guerrilla warfare and breaking this blockade. But some accounts are not so simple to calculate. The Chief of Staff has just arrived and may not be clear about the situation here. Our Eighth Route Army has no roots here, and it is very difficult to establish a base. Because the people here don't trust us. This time the Japanese army comes, if we retreat without firing a shot, we will inevitably lose the support of the people here. The people here have been tough since ancient times, and they believe in strength. If we can't show them our strength, they will not trust us."

"So what does Comrade Guo Yonghuai mean?"

"No matter what, we must fight the Japanese army. Let the local people see the strength of the Eighth Route Army. Only by letting them see our strength, even if we are defeated, they will be afraid of us. Coupled with our rent and interest reduction policies, we will be able to win the hearts and minds of the people here."

Hearing Guo Yonghuai's words, Zhang Dahu frowned.

From a military perspective, retreat was the best solution. Guo Yonghuai's words were not without reason. However, while they made sense, direct confrontation with the Japanese army was not appropriate for the Sixteenth Regiment's current situation.

The commander of the 16th Regiment, Zhang Zihua, the commander of the 3rd Battalion, Yu Ping, and the commander of the 1st Battalion, Li Wanfu, were all silent.

"I support Comrade Guo Yonghuai's opinion."

Han Kaiming spoke.

"We have just begun our work in the Sanggong area. If we don't fight a battle, it will be unacceptable. It will definitely affect our efforts to establish a base."

Everyone looked at Zhang Zihua at this time.

Zhang Zihua fell into deep thought.

After thinking for a long time, Zhang Zihua said: "Then let's fight a battle. Let the Japanese army see the strength of our 293th Regiment. Comrade Zhang Dahu, this battle is a political battle. If this battle is won, our situation in Huailai will be completely opened up. Huailai has villages, and almost every village has a village association. These village associations are village protection teams. Those who can lead these village protection teams are people with some knowledge and insight. They will definitely not be willing to become traitors and bear the stigma. If we can reorganize all the village associations in the Huailai area, that will be thousands of people and guns. More importantly, the members of these village associations are all locals.

If we gain their support, we will have the support of the entire Huailai County countryside. This will be of great significance for us to establish a base in Huailai."

Zhang Zihua made the final decision.

We have to fight a battle.

Because of the prevalence of bandits here, nearly every village has a village association. They're numerous, and most are well-equipped. Regardless of the quality of their equipment, they all possess weapons. This was especially true when the Central Army, the 29th Army, and the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army suffered defeats in Chahar. Many of the fleeing soldiers abandoned their weapons and ammunition. These were picked up by the local people, who used them to arm their village associations.

Now these rural areas are waiting and watching.

Chahar has been a frontier region since ancient times, so although the people here are not very educated, they certainly do not want to be Han Chinese if given a choice. However, even if they do not want to be Han Chinese, they are not incapable of becoming traitors if the reality forces them to do so. This is when the Eighth Route Army must step in.

As long as the Eighth Route Army stands up, it will be able to get the support of these people.

Thousands of guns, this is a good thing.

Zhang Dahu nodded.

Since Zhang Zihua had decided to fight, Zhang Dahu, as Chief of Staff, had to come up with a battle plan. Zhang Dahu was an officer with extensive combat experience, having served as Chief of Staff of the Independent Detachment for the past seven months. Therefore, he was very familiar with this job.

He immediately said, "Since we have to fight, we can only fight on this road. Once we enter Sangshanbao, there will be no place to fight. The Japanese army is very mobile, and with its powerful firepower, it can drive straight in, and we can't stop them at all. There are many flat lands on this side of Sangshanbao, but there are mountains in other places around. So whether it is the devils from Xuanhua or Huailai, if they want to enter Sangshanbao, they will definitely choose this road. This road is wide, there is almost no cover around, and cars can run. So we have to find a way on this road."

"My suggestion is to first mobilize the militia and the masses in Sangshanbao to destroy this road. You can dig holes, throw rocks on the road, or use other objects to block the west road. In any case, you must do everything you can to slow down the Japanese army's march. Then, plant a large number of mines on this road."

"This is a tactic to tire out the enemy. Our troops should choose to stop the enemy at Shili Peak. This road is very long, but there are not many places to stop the enemy. Shili Peak is a rare natural position that can stop the enemy. However, we must consider how to retreat safely after stopping the enemy. The Japanese army has a cavalry squadron. If they bite us, we may be completely wiped out.

Zhang Zihua nodded.