Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

In the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, some Mongolian princes wanted independence.

To stabilize the border region, the Beiyang government established four special administrative regions: Rehe, Chahar, Suiyuan, and Ningxia. Rehe's territory encompassed the former northern Zhili, western Liaoning, and southern Mongolia.

It is at the junction of three provinces.

The territory controlled is quite large, covering an area of ​​more than 100,000 square kilometers and a population of more than 5 million.

Because this place is so important, not only the Kwantung Army but also the North China Front Army paid attention to it. The Kwantung Army established the Fifth Military Region in Rehe, which was under the jurisdiction of four puppet Manchukuo infantry brigades and nearly 10,000 puppet Manchukuo troops.

It’s just that these puppet Manchukuo troops were almost wiped out.

There are really no troops in Rehe now.

The Kwantung Army was preoccupied with the Soviet Union, fighting the Soviets at Nomonhan, and had no time to focus on Rehe. Consequently, pressure shifted to the North China Front Army. The Kwantung Army lacked the energy or the resources to manage Rehe, but the North China Front Army could not ignore it.

"Does the 11th Regiment have accurate intelligence?"

"According to the intelligence we received, after the 11th Regiment entered Rehe, the troops operated in company units. They then went to the countryside to mobilize the farmers. Because the 11th Regiment sent out too many troops and they were too scattered, we currently do not have accurate data. However, according to our calculations, the 11th Regiment should now have no less than 5000 people.

"These Eighth Route Army soldiers are so annoying."

Tada Shun was very angry.

When he was in Japan, Tada Shun's enemies had always been the Nationalist troops. When he was appointed commander of the North China Front Army, his goal was to wipe out all the Nationalist troops in North China.

As for the Eighth Route Army, he didn't take them seriously at all.

It was only after he became the commander of the North China Front Army that he realized that compared to the visible defense line of the Nationalist Army, the Eighth Route Army was the most difficult to deal with.

The Eighth Route Army expanded too quickly. Given a chance, they could find a way to thrive in any adverse environment. The 11th Regiment had only been in Rehe for a short time when they were able to deploy over 5000 troops.

"Where's the Secret Service?"

"They have quite a few people. They've been developing in Fengning County. Judging from the troops they pulled out this time, there are about 3000 of them."

"In other words, the Eighth Route Army already has nearly 10,000 troops in Rehe?

"Yes."

Tada Shun looked at the map and kept calculating.

The 8th Column was indeed a significant enemy, but it was developing in southern Chahar. Its influence was primarily limited to Zhangjiakou, and at most, it affected the Pingsui Road. However, the Hebei-Rehe-Liaoning Army was primarily developing in eastern Hebei and Rehe.

What is affected is the connection between Northeast China and North China.

Even if they continue to develop, they may even reach into the Northeast in the future. This is something the Japanese army will never allow.

"What's the current situation in Jidong?"

"The Eighth Route Army troops are operating in the mountain valleys. When our troops raid them, they hide. They then specifically attack the government agencies we have set up in the area, and also raid our transport convoys. Currently, the 110th Division can only deploy four or five battalions to the Eighth Route Army's raid in Yidong, which is a serious shortage of troops. The Eighth Route Army in Jidong has recently become active again."

“It looks like the Eighth Brigade will have to return to Gubeikou.

Tada Shun looked at the map and spoke helplessly.

The 8th Independent Mixed Brigade was originally formed to deal with the Eighth Route Army in Jidong. However, the North China Front Army was short of manpower, so it was transferred out to participate in the mopping-up of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region.

However, the Jireliao advancing army took advantage of this opportunity.

Yamashita Tomoyuki worried, "If the 8th Brigade is transferred, what will happen to Changping?"

After a great deal of effort in sweeping Changping, the Eighth Route Army was driven into the mountainous areas and occupied most of the area. If the 8th Independent Mixed Brigade withdrew, the situation in Changping would have changed drastically.

"Let the 16th Independent Mixed Brigade garrison Changping."

Tada Shun began to abandon his previous plan to wipe out the Eighth Column.

Tada Shun's original idea was to use the 16th Independent Mixed Brigade and the 18th Independent Mixed Brigade to sweep the Xuanzhuohuai base. As long as the 25th and th Regiments could not stop the Japanese army, the th Column would inevitably mobilize the th Regiment, the st Security Regiment, the nd Security Regiment, and the rd Security Regiment directly under the column to support the Xuanzhuohuai base.

If the Eighth Column troops were trapped in the Xuanzhuohuai base, Tada Shun would order the 16th Independent Mixed Brigade to enter Shengxian from Wanping and destroy Shengxian, the Eighth Column's stronghold.

But there is no way now.

Rehe and Jidong are very important, and we must never allow them to become the Eighth Route Army's amusement park.

"Commander, what about the troops stationed in Mongolia? The Eighth Route Army is currently causing a great deal of trouble in the Chabei area.

“Let them figure it out on their own.

Tada Shun felt a sense of frustration.

He had been the commander of the North China Front Army for less than eight months, but he had accomplished nothing. Instead, the Eighth Route Army was becoming increasingly active. The Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Eighth Route Army, in particular, was killing more and more people the more they were eliminated. Tada Shun looked at the map and said, "Speed ​​up the construction of blockhouses along the railways and highways. I want to divide up the Eighth Route Army's territory. I'm going to use blockhouses to surround the Eighth Route Army, divide them, and ultimately destroy them."

Tada Shun became furious.

Although Tada Shun had previously begun erecting blockhouses along the railway, many of them were temporary, intended to protect the railway. But now his thinking had completely changed. Since the troops' raids into the Eighth Route Army base were vulnerable to logistical disruption, he planned to use blockhouses to slowly approach the base. He would use them to shrink the Eighth Route Army's operational space and divide the base with them.

Although the method is a bit clumsy, it's fine as long as it works.

"Commander, Qi Xieyuan is once again requesting a batch of weapons, ammunition, and military pay.

"He still dares to ask for things?"

Tada Shun was furious.

Half the North China Security Army had been wiped out, and tens of thousands of guns had been lost to the Eighth Route Army. Dozens of artillery pieces and hundreds of heavy and light machine guns were lost. It could be argued that the weapons and equipment lost by the North China Security Army could have expanded the Eighth Route Army by seven or eight main regiments. In all his years in the military, Tada Shun had never seen such a useless unit as the North China Security Army.

Even so, Qi Xieyuan still dared to ask him for weapons, ammunition and military supplies.

If it weren't for his usefulness, Tada Shun really wanted to shoot Qi Xieyuan. If the North China Security Army hadn't failed, the last raid on the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region wouldn't have ended like that.

However, Tada Shun still suppressed his anger.

After all, Tada Shun has already understood that if he wants to stabilize the situation in North China, he really cannot do without these puppet troops.

Tada Shun thought for a moment and said, "Tell me, what if I transfer the 108th Division to Shijiazhuang?"

"Commander, the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army is no less powerful than the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region. Their troops are more combat-capable, and releasing them would be even more dangerous. Furthermore, the 108th Division suffered heavy casualties, and the headquarters has not received any new recruits, so they are now preparing to return home.

Yamashita Tomoyuki quickly persuaded Tada Shun.

After Tada Shun became the commander of the North China Front Army, the First Division and the Eighth Column of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region did indeed embarrass Tada Shun. But in terms of combat effectiveness, the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army fought tough battles.

We fought many head-on battles with the Japanese army.

The 108th Division is currently the main force in the sweep of the 129th Division's base in the Taihang Mountains. If the 108th Division were transferred to Shijiazhuang, the 129th Division would be extremely happy. Right now, the Jin-Cha Military Region appears to be a significant threat, but if the 129th Division were released, it would be difficult to deal with it later.

Besides, the 108th Division itself had suffered heavy casualties, and the headquarters had already prepared to transfer the 108th Division back to China at the end of the year, so no new soldiers were given to it. The 37th Division and the 41st Division entered Shanxi to fill the gaps in the 108th Division.

"Damn it."

The North China Front Army had nearly 200,000 troops, but what good were they? Most of the troops were stationed in cities and on key transportation routes, leaving only a limited number of mobile forces. Each division had its own enemies to contend with.

The last time they were able to mobilize 70,000 troops, they were almost all the mobile forces that the North China Front Army could mobilize.

So although he was very angry, Tada Shun still asked, "How much does Qi Xieyuan want?

"He demanded we replenish our forces with 24000 rifles, 50 heavy machine guns, 220 light machine guns, 40 mortars, 20 infantry guns, and 6 heavy artillery pieces. He also wanted us to equip them with ammunition. He not only wanted to restore the First and Fourth Armies, but also to expand the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Security Armies. He also demanded a six-month military pay of 420 million."

"Qi Xieyuan is crazy."

Tada Shun really wanted to spit in Qi Xieyuan's face.

How dare you ask me for so many weapons and ammunition?

But when he thought about the severe shortage of troops in the North China Front, he could only calm himself down. The tactic of moving troops to the bunkers that Tada Shun was promoting required troops to garrison there. The North China Front lacked enough troops, so he couldn't just station them all in the bunkers.

Then the only troops that could garrison in the bunkers were puppet troops like the North China Security Army.

So he swallowed his anger and said, "Cut everything in half. Let Qi Xieyuan figure out the insufficient weapons, ammunition, and military pay himself. Also, tell Qi Xieyuan that if his North China Security Army behaves the same way as this time, don't blame me for being rude to him."

Chapter 281 The Fifth Military Division

With the 8th Independent Mixed Brigade returning to Gubeikou and the 16th Independent Mixed Brigade stationed in Changping, Tada Shun's plan to sweep the 8th Column's Xuanzhuohuai base completely failed.

He could only change his original plan.

After the 110th Independent Mixed Brigade returned to Gubeikou, the th Division immediately dispatched a regiment to Rehe.

The Kwantung Army had no spare troops to draw upon, leaving the North China Front Army to resolve the situation in Rehe. After a regiment from the 110th Division entered Rehe, the previously active 11th Regiment and the Special Forces Regiment suddenly fell silent. The Special Forces Regiment, which had previously appeared poised to attack Xining County, was immediately disbanded, and the militia and young men returned to their respective homes.

Anyway, the troops of the 110th Division were troops of the North China Front Army. After all, Rehe was the territory of the Kwantung Army, and these troops would eventually return to Hebei East.

The 11th Regiment and the Special Forces Regiment did not want to confront the 110th Division head-on.

As for the affairs in the Chabei region, the North China Front Army Headquarters could not intervene. So they directly ordered the Mongolian troops to solve the problem on their own and not to bother them. The Mongolian troops were also very angry when they received Tada Shun's order.

But there is no way.

The Eighth Route Army couldn't be allowed to cause such trouble in the Chabei area. Therefore, the Mongolian garrison had no choice but to send the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade to attack and resolve the situation in the Chabei area. However, after receiving the order, the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade, although it swept the Chabei base area, did not actually use its full strength.

After all, they had just finished their raid.

They are tired too.

Therefore, they only sent two battalions of about a thousand people to drive out the Chabei Detachment that was attacking Chongli County. They also drove away the New 1st Regiment and the Cavalry Regiment that had wreaked havoc on the Chabei Iron Mine. They did not intend to actually sweep the Chabei base.

This is already a relatively large battle.

Of course, skirmishes between the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region and the North China Front Army occurred daily. During the last mopping-up operation, the First Division and the Eighth Column both lost a large number of base areas.

The main force is currently resting, so there won't be any major battles, but clashes between smaller units, local forces, and the Japanese and puppet troops are a daily occurrence.

The Jin-Cha-Ji Eighth Route Army and the North China Front Army were both recuperating and preparing for the next battle. Of course, after the last sweep, the fastest-growing division in the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region was the Third Division.

Since the First Division's troops expanded north of Baoding and returned the former Third Division's base to the Third Division, the Third Division's base area has expanded significantly. However, it was still difficult for the Third Division to fully absorb these base areas at that time. This was due to the Third Division's lack of strength and prestige.

But this time, the third division performed well in the counter-mopping-up.

In particular, Commander Huang Yong of the Third Division demonstrated his mastery of command. For the first time since its establishment, the Third Division fought a decisive battle, annihilating an entire Japanese field battalion with minimal casualties. This greatly boosted the morale of the troops in the Third Division.

The various units of the Third Division, with the exception of the 30th Regiment, which was reorganized from the Jidong troops, were all elite units, including the 2nd Regiment and the Cavalry Regiment. The 115nd Regiment was previously the main force of the First Division, housing two Red Army companies, a rare sight in the entire Eighth Route Army. The Cavalry Regiment was formed by combining the th Division's Cavalry Battalion, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region Cavalry Battalion, and the First Division's Cavalry Battalion.

The combat effectiveness is outstanding.

Although the 24th Regiment, which was formed by training two guerrilla detachments from the 2st Division, was not as powerful as the nd Regiment and the Cavalry Regiment, it was also a battle-hardened unit.

Now with Huang Yong's command, their fighting power has been fully unleashed.

Moreover, the clean and efficient annihilation of a Japanese battalion made the Third Division famous in the base area between Shijiazhuang and Baoding. As a result, the Third Division now entered the fast lane of development.

Even Commander Huang Yong was ready to upgrade some of the guerrilla units in the Third Division to main force units. Once the Third Division successfully reorganized the guerrilla units into main force units, it would have four infantry regiments and one cavalry regiment. Among the Eighth Route Army's military sub-districts, it would already be quite powerful.

In 1939, the entire Eighth Route Army was undergoing training.

In fact, it is reorganizing the troops.

The Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region has been reorganizing its forces. For some sub-districts to be promoted to main force units, they must either demonstrate strong combat effectiveness and gain recognition from the military region, or they must be sent to the military region for training. After training, if the military region approves, they will be given the designation of a main force regiment. However, with the exception of the First Division and the Eighth Column, the other sub-districts have undergone minimal changes. They remain the same as they were at the beginning of 1939.