The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 532 New Recruits (Two-in-One Chapter)

To be honest, the pomp and circumstance with which Hu Biao and Hu Tuanzuo returned to their hometown was quite impressive.

However, this guy was also quite clear in his heart that the mysterious existence had placed them in Xinning, his hometown, during this time travel.

The goal was definitely not to let him take the opportunity to show off.

Instead, they hoped he would leverage his home advantage to bring about some positive changes to what was historically a disastrous second Battle of C-Shabaab.

This point is actually the key to this journey.

So after a brief period of excitement, he tried his best to calm himself down and, with his group of friends, began to prepare with all his might in the limited time available.

The purpose was to give the Japanese a good beating when they appeared on the battlefield.

This will trigger key moments on the battlefield, gradually changing the course of the war and ultimately achieving the outcome they desire...

Time: September 5th, 9th year, which is the fourth day after the start of this time travel, around 6 o'clock in the morning.

Location: On a sandbar that locals call 'Liushanli'.

In normal years, this sandbar is just a long strip with a total area of ​​one square kilometer; but due to a year-long drought, the Fuyi River on one side has dried up drastically.

Today, this sandbar has grown five or six times larger, and its area is quite large.

After a hasty cleanup, this place became the base and training ground of the Hunan Provincial Supplementary Regiment of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment in Xinning.

A slightly chilly river breeze was blowing as Chen Tang jogged along with great ease.

He cursed wildly at a group of new recruits running hard across the uneven gravel beside him.

He unleashed a barrage of words, each one more than two days after enlisting, words that were incredibly poignant and hurtful to the hearts of the new recruits from Xinning:

"Hurry, hurry, hurry, run faster! You're all so effeminate; even an old lady with bound feet could run faster than you!"

"Why can't you run anymore? With your skills, you still dare to call yourselves descendants of the Hunan Army? If the Hunan Army had been this bad back then, it would have been wiped out by the National People's Congress long ago."

"Over the years, I've led troops in countless places."

"Compared to soldiers from Sichuan, Northeast China, Xuzhou, Shanxi, and Guangxi, you cowards are definitely the worst class I've ever led."

"What do you mean 'no army can exist without Hunanese,' or 'the people of Fujian are tough and domineering'? Bah! If it weren't for Regimental Commander Hu's sake, I would rather recruit soldiers from neighboring Guangxi province."

Amidst such insults, Jiang Jinqiao, Xu Heming, and Lei Shiqiang—the Yao ethnic minority men who had fought with Jiang Jinqiao on the day Hu Tuanzuo entered the city—were among those present.

They all tightened the straps of their homespun backpacks, which were stuffed with pebbles to increase their load.

They exchanged a glance, reaching two points of consensus:
Firstly, even if they run themselves to death or get exhausted, they will persevere in completing this "armed cross-country 5km run".

We must not bring shame to our predecessors in the Hunan Army, nor to the people of Hunan or Commander Hu.

Secondly, this Commander Chen's mouth is really foul and venomous.

It's one thing if they're in the military camp, but at other times, don't let them find an opportunity, or you'll definitely trap them and beat their foul mouth until it's swollen.

With this consensus in mind, they dragged their heavy legs, which felt like they were filled with lead, and endured the feeling that their lungs were about to explode.

Amidst Chen Tang's loud shouts and curses, he continued to stumble and struggle as he ran.

Then, something amazing happened. Just when they thought they were about to give up and collapse to the ground,

It was as if some mysterious switch in my body had suddenly been turned on, and I felt much more relaxed.

They even felt a little pleasure from it, but just then, Chen Tang's devilish words rang out again, dragging out their long, drawn-out endings:
Five kilometers!

Because we encountered a similar situation while running yesterday, and everyone suffered a great loss as a result, we learned a valuable lesson.

Immediately, Jiang Jinqiao, Xu Heming, Lei Shiqiang, and all six hundred or so new recruits in the battalion immediately echoed, "I love you!"

Chen Tang: "One a day~"

Everyone: "No worries at all!"

Chen Tang: "Brothers~"

Everyone: "Give it your all..."

Perhaps to vent their frustration and resentment through these shouts, Jiang Jinqiao and the other new recruits roared at the top of their lungs.

So much so that the voices of hundreds of people came together, yet they traveled a great distance.

The situation in Chentang is just one example among many scenes in this military camp on the sandbar in Liushan.

The reason for this situation is quite simple:
In Hu Biao's territory, the recruitment process was incredibly easy; since recruitment began on the afternoon of the 3rd, almost every eligible man in the county had come to sign up.

Although Xinning is located in a remote area, it is an ancient county with a history of over a thousand years. In 1941, it had a population of 450,000 to 460,000.

This shows just how incredibly influential Hu Biao was in his hometown.

Originally, Hu Biao and his team planned to recruit a reinforced regiment of 3000 men.

The main reason is that it's not enough to just recruit people; we also need to provide enough equipment for so many people and assign them a suitable group of officers.

Otherwise, just having a large number of people doesn't necessarily mean they have much fighting power.

However, the villagers were just too enthusiastic, so Hu Biao had no choice but to increase the quota from 3000 to 5000.

And every new recruit is the result of selecting the best of the best.

They don't want those who are too old or too young, they don't want only sons, and they can only take one of their brothers.

Even so, a scale of 5000 people is still somewhat frightening.

This means that the supplementary regiment of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment in Hunan Province was equivalent in strength to a fully-equipped independent brigade of the National Revolutionary Army.

In other words, Hu Biao's Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment was a complete anomaly in that era; no one else could have pulled off such a miraculous operation.

After being recruited, these 5000 men were initially organized into five infantry battalions.

In addition, there was a guard battalion, a cavalry battalion, a replenishment battalion, a supply battalion, a reinforced artillery company, and some medical, communications, staff, and logistics support units.

The military commanders of these units were naturally all time travelers; consequently, the task of training new recruits also fell to these time travelers.

And there he is! Chen Tang is the battalion commander of the 1st Infantry Battalion.

Now, I'm leading my men on a standard PLA-equipped 5km off-road run early this morning.

After the recruits finished running the five kilometers, they were allowed to wash up and have breakfast. Then, they naturally began training in various drill subjects.

Training in marksmanship, tactical maneuvers, and tactical coordination will not begin until at least the 8th.

Then the key question arises: given such a tight schedule, why spend several precious days training the most basic queue?
Regarding this point, all I can say is based on Hu Biao and his colleagues' experience.

Through training in various subjects and drills, new recruits can develop a strong sense of obedience and discipline, which is often more important than their marksmanship.

While Chen Tang was training his battalion, the military commanders of other units were not idle either.

Zanana led the guard battalion, AT led the second infantry battalion, Huang Adi led the third infantry battalion, Lao Yu led the fourth infantry battalion, and Van Gogh led the fifth infantry battalion.

The foreman led the supply battalion, and Huang Yizhi led the replenishment battalion.

They each chose a specific area on a large sandbar and are now conducting training similar to that of an infantry battalion.

The main focus is on teaching these recruits, who were civilians just a few days ago, what it means to obey orders and what military conduct is...

******
Seven or eight minutes later, after finally running five kilometers.

In an instant, Lei Shiqiang took off the homespun backpack containing 20 kilograms of pebbles from behind him and threw it aside like trash. Exhausted, he slumped down on the sand, almost wanting to lie flat on the ground like a starfish.

Before he could even catch his breath after his buttocks touched the ground, Chen Tang's cursing rang out again.

Previously, he had also carried a 20-pound load and run the full 5 kilometers without missing a beat; but now he acts as if nothing happened, his cursing still full of energy.

"Are they all brainless idiots? I remember saying yesterday that you can't sit down right after running."

"Now get up, all of you, move around a bit, and wait until you've caught your breath before we talk."

Although Lei Shiqiang, the Yao ethnic minority man mentioned by his comrades in the platoon, didn't understand any professional knowledge of kinematics, he still knew that Commander Chen's orders were for their own good.

Lei Shiqiang knew that after such strenuous activity, suddenly sitting on the ground could cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, or even fainting.

However, knowing this didn't affect his decision at all:
If I get the chance, I'll definitely give that stinking mouth of his a piece of my mind.

However, to Lei Shiqiang's surprise, such an opportunity to slap Chen Tang's foul mouth came much faster than he had anticipated.

They had just caught their breath and then lined up again in four crooked rows on the beach, each in a company.

Chen Tang looked them over with utter disdain.

He said with a disdainful tone, "What's wrong? You all seem pretty resentful."

They must be thinking that if they don't let you practice your marksmanship properly, what's the point of just running around like silly kids or standing like wooden stakes, walking back and forth in a line?

No matter how well you march, you can still outmaneuver the Japanese soldiers, right?
I don't have time to reason with you, but if you want to skip running and marching drills, that's fine too. As long as you beat me in hand-to-hand combat, I'll arrange for you to practice marksmanship this afternoon.

"By the way! Whatever skills you have, feel free to use them; if you kill or injure me, it's my own fault, Commander Hu won't bother you."

Upon hearing this, the men of the First Battalion were immediately eager to try it out.

Xinning has a long history of fierce and tough people. In order to avoid being bullied, the people have a tradition of practicing martial arts. Many of the people present are skilled in martial arts.

Lei Shiqiang, a Yao ethnic minority man, was particularly agitated at this moment.

You should know! He started practicing the Rock Eagle Fist, a traditional Yao family Panwang Fist, when he was five years old.

In ordinary fights, two or three ordinary people are no match for him; he would certainly be no match for Commander Hu, but he has full confidence in facing Commander Chen.

He immediately shouted "I'll do it!" and parted from his comrades, striding forward.

After walking up to Chen Tang, he first clasped his hands in salute, and Chen Tang returned the salute.

Lei Shiqiang squatted down slightly, his hands forming a hook shape, and then suddenly launched an attack with astonishing speed and angle; it was believable that if one were hooked by his calloused fingers, there would be no outcome.

Then, Lei Shiqiang's hands were locked by Chen Tang.

He was kicked in the abdomen again, and flew backward, crashing heavily to the ground; in the first exchange, Lei Shiqiang was easily taken down by his opponent.

Chen Tang clearly released his weight from his feet, and although Lei Shiqiang fell loudly, it didn't stop him from getting up immediately.

However, being defeated in such a single move dealt him an even greater blow to his mental state.

Soon after, he realized that such a blow to his spirit was nothing compared to what Chen Tang said that was even more hurtful: "Looks like you two aren't any good either, then let's do it together."

"Fine! Let's just bring all three on at once, then two more."

According to this statement, everyone in the battalion was thoroughly enraged.

The next second, two voices rang out, "I'll come!" and "Count me in!" and two more people quickly walked out of the crowd. They turned out to be Jiang Jinqiao and Xu Heming.

The two dared to come up because they had a certain confidence.

Jiang Jinqiao, a descendant of the Hunan Army, had practiced Shaolin Black Tiger Fist since childhood, while Xu Heming, although a middle school student, had been practicing "Eight Fists," a traditional Hunan martial art, for six or seven years.

Therefore, the combined strength of the three should not be underestimated.

Then, a minute later, all three of them were knocked to the ground; Chen Tang spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva with a "pui".

He started yelling, "I gave you a chance, but you're still useless."

Alright! It's 7:03 now. Hurry up and wash up and eat breakfast. We'll assemble here promptly at 8:00 and then continue yesterday's military posture and drill training.

Let me tell you in advance, if anyone still can't tell their left from their right foot today, don't blame me for beating them to death.

Without a doubt! The fact that the three men in the battalion, all of whom were quite strong, couldn't even defeat Chen Tang alone left the entire battalion feeling very disappointed.

So this morning, I used broth made from pork bones as the base, added a spoonful of tofu and minced meat topping, and made a rice noodle feast that I could eat in twenty minutes as long as I didn't waste any.

Jiang Jinqiao, Xu Heming, and others each ate only three large bowls before putting down their chopsticks.

There were still seven or eight minutes left in their mealtime, enough time for them to eat another bowl or two.

Similar situations occurred in other units, causing the new recruits to lose their appetite by 30-40% this morning.

This situation arose because, before properly training these new recruits, the veterans decided to first show them what the difference in skill and experience truly meant.

Only after they are completely convinced can you train them to the point of exhaustion.

All I can say is that they are training troops, and training them quickly. These veterans are incredibly experienced and skilled.

While the new recruits were severely discouraged and had a poor appetite for breakfast, they were unaware that at the same time, the veterans, including Chen Tang, were quite satisfied with their performance...

"I have to say it! These fellow villagers from over eighty years ago were truly some outstanding soldiers; by the way! This rice noodle is also quite delicious."

After taking a satisfying sip of the bright red rice noodle soup, Lao Yu praised it in his mouth.

While the others were busy eating and drinking, they didn't have time to say anything, but the expressions on their faces showed that they were quite in agreement.

That is indeed the case.

Based on their extensive experience in leading troops, what elements were needed to be considered for an outstanding soldier during the Republic of China era?
Of course, a certain level of cultural background is necessary, as it allows one to understand the reasons for fighting more quickly, as well as having stronger learning and learning abilities, and even be trained to become an officer.

Other qualities include good physical fitness, the ability to endure hardship, and high tolerance.

Despite its remote location, Xinning has actually done a pretty good job in popular education thanks to the wealth brought back by the Xiang Army.

Most of the new recruits this time have attended private schools for one or two years and know a few hundred characters.

Some of them have attended modern primary school, and even a small number have attended secondary school.

Although their physical fitness is only average, the tradition of martial arts here means they have a stronger fighting ability in hand-to-hand combat.

Their ability to endure hardship and their patience are also excellent, as clearly demonstrated during the two days of armed 5km cross-country running, as well as military posture and formation training.

As for those who are just like Hu Biao, they are stubborn and inflexible in nature.

This is not a problem. In their eyes, soldiers who are obedient and well-behaved are actually not very promising.

Even the rice noodles from Xinning were very much to everyone's liking, and even Lao Yu and other members from the northern region gave them high praise.

If there is anything that Lao Yu and others feel is lacking, it is that this kind of rice product is not as filling as flour products.

Even if I eat several large bowls of food in the morning and burn a lot of calories, I often get hungry before lunchtime.

And so, after breakfast, Chen Tang and the others began another day of recruit training; on the surface, they were very sarcastic and berated the recruits, but in their hearts they were quite satisfied.

However, there were also things they had always been worried about.

That is, where will Hu Biao, that damned bastard, get the weapons and equipment for these five thousand men? This is quite a headache...

(End of this chapter)