Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 51: Incorporating troops and rallying the army's morale [Please read on! ]

Wang Feng glanced at the group of Central Army soldiers in front of him. It seemed that they had just finished a battle. They were all in dishevel, and their khaki uniforms were tattered. Some of them still had bandages on their arms, with traces of blood seeping out of them.

But these are not reasons to scramble for supplies.

Wang Feng's voice was cold: "What's going on?"

Zhao Fangyuan took a step forward and responded first: "Sir, these Central Army troops came here and wanted to take away the weapons and equipment allocated to us by the higher-ups without saying a word."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Central Army on the opposite side started shouting again: "We want these weapons to fight the devils!"

"That's right. Ever since we entered Shanxi, we have no guns or ammunition!"

"Let alone other things, even the food and fodder are being cut. The enemy will attack us soon, so what's wrong with asking for some supplies..."

Wang Feng frowned and snorted coldly: "Be quiet!"

The voice was not loud, but the sense of pressure honed on the battlefield and the temperament of a superior suppressed everyone.

Everyone present fell silent.

The Central Army on the opposite side looked at Wang Feng's collar badge with some fear in their eyes and swallowed.

Even if they belong to different factions, the shining star on the collar badge is still enough to overwhelm everyone.

Wang Feng continued to ask: "Which unit are you from? Who is the military commander?"

The Central Army soldiers looked at each other, and finally a lieutenant walked out of the crowd.

"Sir, we are from the 21nd Battalion of the 62nd Regiment of the st Division, and we have just withdrawn from the Tuanchengkou position."

"The battalion commander and deputy battalion commander were both killed, and the communication station was destroyed by the Japanese artillery shells..."

"Sir, I've heard of you. We are all part of the army fighting the Japanese invaders. Please be kind and give us a few thousand rounds of ammunition."

"We don't need much, as long as we can beat the devils!"

Wang Feng's frown gradually relaxed: "The 17th Army..."

"Gao Guizi's troops?"

"The Sixth Army's order to retreat has been passed down. Why don't you retreat?"

The lieutenant was embarrassed and poured out his bitterness: "Sir, our regiment held the position, but the enemy's firepower was too strong and the troops were dispersed."

"There is really no other way. Before his death, the battalion commander specifically told us to gather in Daying Town and wait for the regiment's dispatch."

"Otherwise it would be disobedience on the battlefield..."

"Yes, sir, please be merciful. The Japanese are about to attack us!"

The people on the opposite side begged one after another, their voices getting louder and louder.

Wang Feng was troubled and secretly thought of a solution.

He was acquainted with Gao Guizi, and the 17st Temporary Brigade and the th Army were brothers who had fought in the same trench.

The 17th Army is the Shaanxi Army, and these soldiers can be considered the iron-willed men of Shaanxi.

Faced with a powerful enemy, he not only did not flee from the battlefield, but also resolutely carried out his superior's last orders.

Zhao Fangyuan seemed to be thinking about something, and whispered softly beside Wang Feng: "Sir, when we were retreating, we seemed to have run into the 62nd Regiment they mentioned."

"The main force has retreated. If I'm not mistaken... they should have been abandoned."

Wang Feng suddenly realized.

Abandoned?

It turned out to be the case.

This is not uncommon.

In the battle of Tuanchengkou, the 17th Army was disbanded as a whole, and it took some time to gather the defeated soldiers.

Daying Town might become the front line at any time. The military commanders of various troops had no time to gather the defeated soldiers and were eager to retreat. The missing soldiers were uniformly treated as killed in action.

I can also deduct more pension...

Zhao Fangyuan's voice was very low, but the two sides were very close, and the Central Army on the opposite side heard it clearly.

The crowd immediately became agitated.

“This…” “Is this true?”

"Sir, this..."

Wang Feng: "How many people are left in your group?"

Lieutenant: "Report to the commander, there are still 285 soldiers left in our unit, and 120 wounded soldiers."

"There are very few guns and ammunition left, and some soldiers don't even have guns."

Wang Feng thought for a moment and said, "I'm sure you all know the current situation. The main force of the 62nd Regiment has withdrawn to the rear. Your names are already on the list of casualties. I will ask the theater headquarters to incorporate you into our unit."

The lieutenant hesitated and looked back at the soldiers behind him.

He was already the highest-ranking surviving officer in the unit.

Whether to join the Temporary 1st Brigade is just a matter of the lieutenant's nod.

The Central Army soldiers looked at each other with hesitant expressions.

Then he looked at the lieutenant and asked the question.

Seeing that everyone was undecided, Wang Feng offered a shot of confidence: "According to the instructions of the Army Group Headquarters, our unit has the right to recruit the defeated troops along the way."

As he spoke, he reached into his pocket, pretending to take out a document.

Seeing this, the lieutenant hurriedly said: "Sir, we will follow you from now on!"

During the warlord era, changes in organizational structure were common, not to mention that now that the various factions have openly formed a united front, it doesn't matter who they serve.

Wang Feng couldn't help but raise his lips: "Okay, after we defeat the devils, I will take you home!"

Seeing that the way forward was settled, the newly recruited soldiers smiled at each other, their hearts finally settled down, and they whispered softly: "After the battle is over, we can go home."

"Go home! Go home when the war is over!"

"go home!"

Wang Feng waved his hand and said, "Tell the logistics company to light a fire and cook dinner immediately. Move to the rear right after finishing the meal."

"Yes!"

During the war years, people had a hard time, and many people joined the army because they couldn't get enough food.

In this situation, there is no need to make empty promises if you want to rally the troops.

Preparing a decent meal and paying one month's salary in advance will be more effective than shouting ten thousand slogans.

An hour later, the rich fragrance filled the entire training ground.

The food was very ordinary. On the battlefield, people ate in a big pot, not in a restaurant. The cook was also a soldier, and his cooking skills were very amateurish.

In order to save time, the method is very simple.

It's basically a hodgepodge, with anything edible thrown into the pot.

The soldiers were sitting on the ground on the parade ground. Suddenly there were so many more soldiers, and there were not enough bowls for a brigade, so only five or six people could sit together.

"Save some for me!"

"Eat less! Do you have any shame?"

"No. I just took a sip!"

The soldiers scrambled for the wild vegetable soup in their bowls, and the scene was noisy.

Wang Feng sat among the crowd holding a bowl. The food in his bowl was the same as that of ordinary soldiers.

"Sir, is the food in our army so good?"

"I've been in the army for many years, serving in cavalry, infantry and everything in between, but I've never eaten anything this good!"

"Why does this vegetable soup smell like meat?"

The newly recruited soldiers expressed their sincere emotion.

Everyone felt the newly-paid military pay in their pockets, smelled the aroma of food in the air, and chatted with each other even though they had never met before.

The morale of the army is gradually gathering.

(End of this chapter)