Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

After all, he had just taken office, and the Eighth Route Army was so unwilling to give him face that he was constantly reprimanded by the headquarters. This was really intolerable.

But what can I do if I can’t bear it?

No one in hand.

Tada Shun had considered transferring troops from Shanxi and Shandong. However, the anti-Japanese forces in Shanxi and Shandong were also strong, and withdrawing troops from them would cause chaos in the local situation.

So Tada Shun can only endure it now.

After a moment's thought, he said, "Send a telegram to headquarters, informing them of our difficulties. Request that the 36th, 37th, and 41st Divisions be deployed as soon as possible. Also, headquarters wants the 109th Division to return home. On behalf of the North China Front Army, I oppose this idea. Either headquarters send another division to replace the 109th Division, or keep the 109th Division. The 109th Division has suffered heavy casualties and could use new recruits. Alternatively, we could use the remaining 109th Division troops as the backbone to form two new independent mixed brigades."

Originally, Tada Shun had agreed to let the 109th Division return home.

After all, four more divisions were about to be added. However, after the First Division launched an offensive in Hebei, Tada Shun changed his mind. Although the 109th Division's combat effectiveness was average and it had suffered heavy casualties after a year of combat, it was better to stay here and still be able to fight than to return home directly.

If there had been no 109th Division this time, relying solely on the 110th Division, the First Division would probably have taken Tianjin.

"I will use the 109th Division to form the th Independent Mixed Brigade and the th Independent Mixed Brigade in Peking. I hope the headquarters will support this."

"Commander, your request is likely difficult. The current pace of military expansion in our country is so rapid that military spending can't keep up. The military funding that the headquarters has allocated to us this year is already less than what it provided the year before and the year before. Furthermore, I've heard that the situation in the north is dire. Even if the headquarters adds new troops, they'll give them to the Kwantung Army first, not us.

The Japanese army expanded very quickly.

Before the July 17 Incident, the Japanese army had only 40 permanent divisions, some of which were merely numbers. However, after the July Incident, within a year and a half, the Japanese army had over divisions. In addition to the divisional structure, there were also more than a dozen independent mixed brigades.

However, one-third of the Japanese military expansion is currently allocated to the Kwantung Army.

Because many high-ranking Japanese military officials still have fantasies of moving north.

The main forces of the Kwantung Army were currently in the Heilongjiang and Hulunbuir areas, confronting the Soviet Army. Therefore, Yamashita Tomoyuki said that even if the army was expanded, the North China Front Army would not be included.

"Do your best. Oh, and let's talk about the troops stationed in Mongolia. They need to recruit new soldiers as quickly as possible. The 26th Division and the nd Independent Mixed Brigade must also be well-equipped with new soldiers. Once all the troops are in place, we must eradicate this cancer of the Eighth Route Army's Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region."

Chapter 230 Chadong Detachment

1939, an unstable start.

are very busy.

All troops were mobilized.

The main force fights and the local forces cooperate.

This was also the first time that the Eighth Column had launched such a large-scale offensive. Overall, the Eighth Column's actions were very effective. So effective, in fact, that they revitalized the anti-Japanese situation in many areas.

The Jireliao Advance Army was revived.

Originally, the Ji-Re-Liaoning Advance Army was stuck in Changping, unable to advance. Internal conflicts were even rampant. However, this time, Ji-dong and Rehe suddenly pulled troops to support Zhangjiakou, leaving a gap in Ji-dong and Rehe.

The Jireliao Advance Army also had no time to order it.

Because the opportunity was fleeting, Yan'an, the Eighth Route Army Headquarters, and the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region all ordered the Hebei-Rehe-Liaoning Advancing Army to advance, forbidding them from remaining in Changping. Regardless of its perceived strength, the Hebei-Rehe-Liaoning Advancing Army still possessed three main regiments. Their advance into eastern Hebei and Rehe ignited anti-Japanese fervor in the region.

Especially in Jidong.

Although the main force withdrew, the remaining troops in eastern Hebei developed very well, forming three detachments. The 110th Division and puppet Manchukuo troops were primarily responsible for the encirclement and suppression of the Eighth Route Army in eastern Hebei. After the Ji-Re-Liao Advance Army entered eastern Hebei, the anti-Japanese situation there rapidly improved.

This is especially true in Rehe.

After the Rehe War, the area was occupied by the Japanese. For five or six years, there had been no fighting in Rehe. Now, a main regiment of the Yireliao Advance Army entered Rehe and engaged in a series of battles with the puppet Manchukuo troops. The puppet Manchukuo troops, with their poor combat effectiveness, suffered repeated defeats when they encountered the main regiments of the Eighth Route Army.

The Eighth Route Army officially began to develop in Rehe.

This is the Jireliao Military Region.

Another place that underwent major changes was Suiyuan.

The 35th Army of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army and the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army were already very strong in Suiyuan. This time, the 35th Army and the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army jointly fought and almost wiped out all the Japanese and puppet troops in Suiyuan.

The Japanese 26th Division's remaining troops in Suiyuan, along with the puppet Mongolian Cavalry Division, were practically annihilated. Their designations were practically revoked. Furious, the North China Front ordered two regiments of the 26th Division to enter Suiyuan, while the th Independent Mixed Brigade was stationed in Jining.

And all the puppet troops they reorganized in Shanxi were sent to Suiyuan.

Then there is the Yanbei region.

The Yanbei region was the defense zone of the 120th Division and the Second Jin-Cha-Ji Division. However, the First Division was strong, and its troops continued to advance into the Yanbei region. With the strong support of the First Division, the 120th Division and the Second Jin-Cha-Ji Division in the Yanbei region established a strong presence.

The Yanbei area is also a poor place, and it is very difficult to maintain troops.

However, thanks to the support of the First Division, the Eighth Route Army's strength in the Yanbei region gradually overwhelmed the local Japanese forces. The Yanbei Eighth Route Army's strength also protected the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region from the side, threatening Datong to the north and Taiyuan to the south. The Tongpu Road was even more intermittent, and the Eighth Route Army was able to cut it off at any time.

As for the divisional troops currently running rampant in Hebei, let’s not even talk about them.

It can be said that the Eighth Column's proactive attack in early 1939 greatly affected the anti-Japanese situation in North China.

However, the Eighth Column is very busy now.

The 16th and 18th Regiments also suffered heavy casualties during this operation. The 16th Regiment, in particular, had engaged in several head-on battles with the 8th Independent Mixed Brigade before its withdrawal, suffering heavy casualties.

From the attack on Kangzhuang, the ambush of the Japanese squadron, to the subsequent attack on Huailai, and the battle with the 16th Independent Mixed Brigade, the th Regiment and local troops suffered more than a thousand casualties. This was no small loss of life.

Although the 18th Regiment suffered fewer casualties than the 16th Regiment, it still suffered a significant number of casualties when it took Xuanhua. It had also ambushed a Japanese squadron before, resulting in over 600 casualties.

The 16th and 18th Regiments are the most combat-effective units of the 8th Column.

The casualties this time are so heavy that they must be replenished as soon as possible, otherwise it will affect the combat effectiveness of the 16th and 18th Regiments.

There were also the 34th and 35th Regiments, which fought against the Japanese and puppet troops in Wanping County more than a dozen times.

Still suffered a lot of losses.

The Japanese were furious and kept targeting the 34th and 35th Regiments. After all, the 34th and 35th Regiments were newly formed and had never fought such a tough battle. Not only did they suffer heavy casualties, but many were also missing.

In less than a month, the losses exceeded 1500 people.

It was definitely a serious blow to the 34th and 35th Regiments.

However, it was only after experiencing such brutal battles that the 34th and 35th Regiments were able to grow.

Besides the heavy casualties, the Eighth Column also had to reorganize captured Kuomintang prisoners and civilian laborers. After all, they had brought tens of thousands of young and strong men from Xiahuayuan and Xuanhua. Besides serving as technicians and workers in the base area, the rest couldn't all be left to farm. With such a good source of recruits, the best way to utilize them was to reorganize them into units.

In a word, the entire Northeast Shanxi, Chahar, Suiyuan, East Hebei, Rehe, West Hebei, and North Yan were in chaos. On the contrary, the Eighth Column, which had provoked this chaos, began to busy itself with its own affairs at this time.

At this time, the 8th Column's political commissar, Wei Hongjun, was not at the headquarters. Instead, he had already crossed the Ping-Sui Road and headed north to the Longguan Chadong Detachment headquarters. If it weren't for the Xiahuayuan Campaign, Wei Hongjun would have reached Longguan long ago. An inspection of the Chadong Detachment and the Longyanchi base was also within Wei Hongjun's planned itinerary.

"The Chadong Detachment has a very good foundation. The New 1st and New 3rd Regiments are developing well. However, there are still problems. This place is very poor, and food production is limited. You must pay attention to the issue of food. When the Japanese army recovers, the first place the North China Front Army will sweep will definitely be our Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, and our 8th Column will be the top priority. The Longyanchi base will also inevitably become the focus of the enemy's sweep. At that time, food will be more important than anything else. Whether our troops can hold on depends on whether we have enough food."

No matter which base Wei Hongjun arrived at, the first thing he emphasized was food.

Because Wei Hongjun knew that the Japanese offensive momentum in 1937 and 1938 had subsided by 1939. After the Battle of Wuhan, the Japanese army had also been resting and recovering in the past few months.

The Japanese army suffered heavy casualties in the Battle of Wuhan.

Therefore, many Japanese divisions that suffered heavy casualties on the battlefield began to return home for rest and recuperation.

By June and July 1939, the Japanese army's refitting was basically complete. By then, the Japanese army's goal was to consolidate the areas they had occupied. By then, the pressure on the armed forces behind enemy lines would be increasing.

In fact, many people believe that it was after the Hundred Regiments Campaign that the Japanese army began to pay attention to the Eighth Route Army behind enemy lines.

In fact, as early as 1939, the Japanese army gradually shifted its attention to the Eighth Route Army. It was also because of this that the Japanese army began a "cage policy" in northern China, squeezing the Eighth Route Army's space for operation. The so-called Hundred Regiments Campaign was actually intended to break the Japanese army's "cage policy."

The most important thing for the troops to face the large-scale raids by the Japanese army in the future is to have sufficient food reserves.

So this is what Wei Hongjun attaches the most importance to.

The base should start storing food from now on so that it can survive the most difficult times.

"Political Commissar, last year I have been encouraging the people in the base area to open up wasteland.

We also organize land reclamation efforts whenever the troops have time. However, last year, the troops were heavily burdened with tasks and the people were concerned, so the scale of land reclamation was limited. However, between the end of last year and the beginning of this year, we stepped up publicity and expanded the scope of land reclamation. This year, we plan to have the people of the Longyanchi base reclaim 60,000 to 100,000 mu of land. Our troops, logistics agencies, hospitals, and schools are working hard to reclaim approximately 5,000 mu of land.

Xia Houwen, the political commissar of the Chadong detachment, answered.

Wei Hongjun nodded.

"I'm not just saying this to scare you. We've already received intelligence that the Japanese military budget is limited. But their numbers are increasing, and they're still arming their puppet troops. So many troops need money to eat and drink, and where in Japan can we find that much money and food? Therefore, I estimate that this summer and autumn, the Japanese will inevitably come to our base to rob us of food. In the next few years, there will definitely be more battles between us and the Japanese for food. So, if we stockpile more food now, we'll have more of the initiative in the future."

"Commissar, we understand."

War and peace are two completely different situations.

In peacetime, cadres were promoted according to established procedures, and many even rose through the ranks based on seniority. Mediocre abilities were not a problem, as long as they maintained military stability. But in wartime, mediocrity was a crime.

At this time, we need capable cadres to overcome difficulties.

Therefore, during wartime, it is easy for capable cadres to emerge. For example, Xia Houwen demonstrated unparalleled organizational, propaganda, and overall management skills during the establishment of the Longyanchi base.

Within a few months, he quickly became a general who could stand on his own.

Wei Hongjun was very happy.

The more such outstanding cadres the Eighth Column produced, the happier Wei Hongjun was.

"We have already made a number of contingency plans, including how to deal with the Japanese and puppet troops seizing food.

"That's good."

Chapter 231 The Strength of the Chadong Detachment

"Good work has been done in building the base."

Xia Houwen is definitely an all-round talent who is good at both literature and martial arts.

Not only did the Chadong detachment develop very well, but the base area also developed very well. In the Longyanchi base area, Xiahou Wen made great progress in rent and interest reduction, recruiting party members, and working with women.

The Eighth Route Army is now lacking such independent cadres.

If Xia Houwen hadn't had much experience and was not a late-developing cadre in the Eighth Column, Wei Hongjun would have wanted to transfer Xia Houwen to the column to serve as his deputy.

"I want to hear the most accurate information about the Chadong Detachment's personnel and weapons. I will assign you new tasks based on your true strength."

"Political Commissar, the Chadong Detachment currently consists of five units: the New 1370st Regiment, the New 770rd Regiment, the Cavalry Regiment, the Special Forces Regiment, and the Longyan Chixian Battalion. The New st Regiment has men, rifles, one heavy machine gun, and six light machine guns.

Zhang Dahu, commander of the Chadong Detachment, reported.

The Chadong Detachment and Xiahou Wen are inseparable. Not only was the Longyanchi base established by Xiahou Wen, but so were the rural bases in southeastern Huailai. Even the Huailai Southeast Base and the New 1st Regiment were established single-handedly by Xiahou Wen.

The new group still has limited room for development.

Huailai was the territory of the 16th Regiment, and the New st Regiment could only pick up the leftovers and could not develop. Later, the New st Regiment was merged into the old leader Xia Houwen and became a member of the Chadong Detachment. However, its foundation was limited.

The strength is still relatively poor.

The New Third Regiment consisted of 1820 men, 1490 rifles, four heavy machine guns, and 4 light machine guns. It also had three mortars and eight grenade launchers.

The number of people in the new third regiment is much smaller than when it was first formed.

The main reason was that the cavalry unit was separated, and the New Third Regiment suffered heavy losses during the Japanese raid last year. After Zhang Dahu became the commander of the Chadong Detachment, he began to reorganize and train the New First and New Third Regiments.