Holding the original shares, they fought all the way to the Korean War!

That morning.

Zhou Tianyang sat at the table in the regimental headquarters.

Several sheets of paper were placed in front of him, covered with various numbers and plans.

He held a pencil in his hand, twirling it between his fingers a few times, his gaze settling on the number he had just written down on the paper.

Two thousand five hundred people.

This is the current total strength of the New Second Regiment.

From the 126 veterans who left the 772nd Regiment, to this number today.

It only took a few months from start to finish.

This number would be unparalleled in any Eighth Route Army regiment-level unit.

But Zhou Tianyang knew in his heart that having more people did not necessarily mean having stronger fighting power.

The key is how to organize these soldiers and how to enable them to form maximum combat effectiveness in the shortest amount of time.

He put down his pencil, picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip of water, and mentally reviewed the existing organizational structure of the new Second Regiment once again.

The framework for the three infantry battalions is currently in place and stable.

Zhao Wenlong's First Battalion was steady and solid, Tian Chengjun's Second Battalion was rigorous and orderly, and Sun Shengli's Third Battalion was full of vigor.

The more than 300 veterans brought by Deng Chen have not yet been formally incorporated into the ranks and are in a transitional state.

Although they didn't say anything, it's not good to keep things hanging like this.

Zhou Tianyang called out into the courtyard.

"Correspondent."

"arrive."

A soldier ran in from the gate and stood at attention.

"Go and invite the political commissar over. Tell her I have something to discuss with her."

"Yes."

The messenger turned and ran, his footsteps quickly fading into the distance.

Zhou Tianyang walked back to the table, sat down, picked up his pencil again, and drew a rough organizational chart on the paper.

He marked out the three existing operational circles.

A new circle was drawn next to it, labeled the 4th Infantry Battalion.

Then they drew a larger circle further away, marking it as the artillery battalion.

The outlines of the five battalions gradually became clear under his pen.

About ten minutes later.

Light footsteps could be heard outside the courtyard.

Wang Xiuying pushed open the door and walked in.

She walked to the table and sat down opposite Zhou Tianyang. Her gaze fell on the paper on the table covered with circles and lines, and her eyebrows twitched slightly.

"Tianyang, what are you drawing?"

"Big sister, I'd like to discuss the organizational structure of the new Second Regiment with you."

Zhou Tianyang put down his pencil and pushed the paper towards the center of the table.

"We now have nearly 2,500 people, but the organizational structure remains the same."

"Battalion Commander Deng's three hundred-plus men haven't been officially incorporated into the unit yet; they're like an unorganized unit."

"This can't go on forever. We need to streamline the staffing system as soon as possible so that everyone has their place."

Wang Xiuying didn't speak. She looked down at the paper, her gaze sweeping over the circles and lines one by one.

Her gaze lingered a little longer on the circle of the artillery battalion.

Then she raised her head and looked at Zhou Tianyang.

"You already have an idea in mind, so tell us about it."

Zhou Tianyang didn't beat around the bush and directly stated his thoughts in detail.

He held up four fingers, then added another.

"I plan to expand the Second New Regiment into five battalions."

"Four infantry battalions and one artillery battalion."

"Each battalion is estimated to have 500 men, so five battalions would have a total of 2,500 men."

"This way, every soldier has a sense of belonging, and the command structure is clearer."

After listening, Wang Xiuying did not immediately express her opinion.

Her gaze returned to the paper, as if she were going over Zhou Tianyang's words in her mind again.

After a moment she nodded.

"This staffing is reasonable."

"Four infantry battalions are responsible for front-line combat, and one artillery battalion provides fire support. This combination of offense and defense is much stronger than the current three-battalion structure."

"Moreover, each battalion has 500 people, which is just right for our current personnel size and equipment level."

"How should the personnel be allocated?"

Zhou Tianyang had already thought about this problem.

He reached for the pencil and made some dots on the paper.

"Commander Deng's three hundred-plus men were all scattered and reassigned to the First, Second, and Third Battalions."

"Although they are veterans, they are newcomers and need time to integrate with our soldiers."

"Break them down and weave them together; they'll get to know each other faster."

He paused, then moved the pencil to the circle marked with the name of the 4th Infantry Battalion.

"Then, a portion of men were drawn from the first, second, and third battalions to form the fourth infantry battalion."

"When Deng Chen became the battalion commander of the fourth battalion, the company commanders under him were also promoted accordingly."

"This way, we can ensure the core strength of the Fourth Battalion and allow Battalion Commander Deng to get into his role as soon as possible."

Wang Xiuying listened quietly, nodded, and showed an expression of approval after careful consideration.

She tapped her fingers lightly twice on the table.

"The idea of ​​personnel allocation is correct; breaking them up and then reassigning them is indeed the safest approach."

"Have you spoken with Deng Chen himself?"

"Not yet. I want to finalize the plan first before I formally discuss it with him."

Wang Xiuying nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

Her gaze shifted from the circle of the 4th Infantry Battalion to the artillery battalion next to it.

Her gaze lingered there for a long time.

Then she looked up at Zhou Tianyang, her tone more serious than before.

"An artillery battalion is a good idea, but have you considered this problem?"

"Please speak."

"An artillery battalion isn't just about having cannons."

"You need to have officers who can command, and you need people who understand distance measurement, calibration, position selection, and timing of relocation."

"Although our new 2nd Regiment has a few mortars, they are battalion-level firepower. The difficulty of operation and tactical application are completely different from those of an independent artillery battalion."

"Who do you plan to appoint as the battalion commander of this artillery battalion?"

Zhou Tianyang remained silent for a moment.

He had thought about this problem before.

But every time I think of a specific candidate, my mind goes blank.

Among the current officers of the New Second Regiment, there are many who are good at fighting and many who understand infantry tactics, but there is not a single one who truly understands artillery command.

Zhao Wenlong is no good; he's a pure infantryman.

Although Tian Chengjun was trained in the regular army, his specialty was infantry command.

Sun Shengli, needless to say, was a brave warrior, but that was in the field of infantry combat.

As for Deng Chen, he had some experience with artillery support in the 88th Division before.

But that was directing infantry and artillery to coordinate, not directly commanding artillery units in combat.

"Sister, you've hit the nail on the head."

Zhou Tianyang put down his pencil and leaned back in his chair.

His gaze fell on Wang Xiuying's face, and his tone was sincere.

"I really don't have a suitable candidate to be the battalion commander of this artillery battalion."

Wang Xiuying looked at him, the corners of her mouth curving slightly, as if she had expected this answer.

Her gaze lingered on Zhou Tianyang's face for a moment, her tone carrying a mix of seriousness and a hint of amusement.

"Tianyang, what if I told you I know where they are?"