Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

Chiang Kai-shek's greatest enemy was always the Chinese Communist Party. The Japanese were, after all, outsiders, destined to be expelled. The Chinese Communist Party was the real threat, the one who truly wanted to overthrow the Nationalist government.

"Chairman, my opinion is that we absolutely cannot allow the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army to develop in this way. We should impose a stricter blockade on the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army and not allow them to obtain any supplies. If necessary, we should mobilize the army to eliminate those disobedient Eighth Route Army and New Fourth Army.

He Yingqin spoke.

Chiang Kai-shek and He Yingqin had the same idea in this regard.

The Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army must not be allowed to develop. Zhang Zhizhong objected, "Chairman, our biggest enemy now is the Japanese. The development of the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army at this stage has greatly reduced the pressure on the Nationalist Army. The development of the Eighth Route Army in Shanxi and Hebei over the past two years has greatly benefited our Yellow River defense line."

“The pressure on our frontline troops is small because the Japanese army is now short of manpower and lacks the ability to attack.

He Yingqin does not support Zhang Zhizhong's statement.

Bai Chongxi remained silent until he finally spoke: "The Eighth Route Army launched such a large-scale battle this time, dealing a heavy blow to the North China Front Army. Judging from the Japanese's habits, they will definitely retaliate.

The Japanese will undoubtedly regard the Eighth Route Army as their greatest adversary and attack them in the future. This presents a good opportunity. While the Japanese attack the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army, we can blockade them and prevent them from obtaining the supplies they need. If any units are isolated, we can mobilize our troops to deal with them.

"Correct."

He Yingqin nodded.

"Chairman, that's exactly what happened. We should deal a greater blow to the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army, otherwise we will no longer be able to control them. Especially those units that are far away from the main forces of the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army, we should concentrate our forces to encircle and suppress them. And we must do it swiftly, not giving them any chance to react."

The reason why the Kuomintang and the Communist Party were able to cooperate again was to deal with the Japanese.

But the foundation of this cooperation was not solid.

The two sides fought for a full decade during the Agrarian Revolution, a life-and-death struggle fueled by a genuine blood feud. Beyond the blood feud, the two sides were completely at odds over China's future development path.

How could it really be what is called a smile to settle grudges?

joke.

Now that the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army were so powerful, how could Chiang Kai-shek and his generals sit still? Zhang Zhizhong saw Chiang Kai-shek nodding in support of He Yingqin and Bai Chongxi, and his face turned ugly.

He didn't say that he had any good feelings towards the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army.

If a war broke out between the Nationalist government and the Eighth Route and New Fourth Armies, he would undoubtedly side with the Nationalist government. He supported the Nationalist government's unification of military and political orders across the country. But for him, now was not the time to turn against the Eighth Route and New Fourth Armies.

Our biggest enemy now is still the Japanese.

We should first deal with the Japanese, and then deal with the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army. We should not attack the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army while we are still fighting the Japanese. The only people who would be happy about this are the Japanese.

But he knew that it was useless for him to say anything now.

Because Chiang Kai-shek had already made up his mind.

Chiang Kai-shek turned his head and looked at Chen Cheng and said, "Ci Xiu."

"Chairman."

"We must pay close attention to those officers and generals in our frontline troops who have frequent contacts and close ties with the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army. They must be disciplined. Those officers and generals with good ties to the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army must either sever ties with them, have their troops leave, or be transferred. Frontline troops must absolutely not allow anyone to have any ties with the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army. Any 'communist collusion' within the army must be strictly investigated."

"Chairman, the generals currently closely connected with the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army are mainly from the Northeast Army, the Northwest Army, and the Shaanxi Army, as well as some other units.

Chen Cheng replied.

Seeing Chiang Kai-shek looking at him, he immediately said, "Sun Weiru's Fourth Army in Zhongtiao Mountain, Fu Zuoyi's 35th Army in Suiyuan, the Northeast Army's 51st and 57th Armies under Yu Xuezhong in Shandong, and Sun Tongxuan's Third Army. Wei Lihuang is in Zhongtiao Mountain and is also very close to the Eighth Route Army."

Chiang Kai-shek looked grim.

Sun Tongxuan was a general under Han Fujia, who was shot, and currently led Han Fu's troops. The Northeast Army and the Shaanxi Army were both troops involved in the Xi'an Incident. Chiang Kai-shek could understand all of this.

But Wei Lihuang, Fu Zuoyi and Chang Kai-shek were very dissatisfied.

Therefore, he said, "Send a telegram to Yan Xishan, telling him to control Fu Zuoyi. If Fu Zuoyi continues to have close ties with the Eighth Route Army, he must be transferred. As for Wei Lihuang, first send someone to understand the situation in Zhongtiao Mountain. Jingzhi, you go to the First War Zone in person to understand the relationship between the Shaanxi Army and the Eighth Route Army. If Sun Weiru's Fourth Army has a close relationship with the Eighth Route Army, then first transfer Sun Weiru's Fourth Army from Zhongtiao Mountain. Then talk to Wei Lihuang. If he doesn't change, have him come to Chongqing. I will talk to him in person."

"Yes."

"In Shandong, warn Yu Xuezhong first. If he still doesn't change, transfer him away.

Chiang Kai-shek would have wanted to shoot them if possible.

But Chiang Kai-shek knew he couldn't do that. These people were small, local lords with significant military power. If they weren't handled properly, who knows what might happen. So he had to deal with them one by one.

"Yes."

"Remember, the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army are our real biggest concerns. We will not be able to sleep or eat peacefully until we deal with them.

Chapter 349 Resource Sharing

The Hundred Regiments Campaign plays a vital role in the history of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

This is not an exaggeration.

If the July 7 Incident marked the beginning of the all-out war of resistance, the Battle of Shanghai shattered the Japanese army's three-month plan to resolve the Chinese problem, and the Battle of Wuhan marked the transition of China's war of resistance from the strategic defensive phase to the strategic stalemate phase, then the Hundred Regiments Campaign completely altered the relationship between Yan'an, Chongqing, and Japan on the battlefields of the Chinese War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

Especially Chongqing.

Although relations between the KMT and the CCP took a sharp turn for the worse after the Fifth National Congress of the KMT, and in 1939, there were constant clashes between the two sides, including military clashes in Shandong and Shanxi, despite the tensions, neither side considered a complete breakup. Chongqing's frequent attacks on the Eighth Route Army were intended to limit its development. Even in this environment, some localized areas saw cooperation between the KMT, the Eighth Route Army, and the New Fourth Army. For example, Wei Lihuang in the Zhongtiao Mountains and Yu Xuezhong in Shandong enjoyed good relations. During battles, they exchanged intelligence and even fought together. However, after the Hundred Regiments Campaign, relations between the two sides reached a freezing point, and true hostility began to set in. It is now difficult to find instances of joint operations between the KMT, the Eighth Route Army, and the New Fourth Army.

Because Chongqing could not accept that the Eighth Route Army troops had become so powerful.

Therefore, after the Hundred Regiments Campaign, the relationship between the KMT and the CPC could never be reconciled. In other words, after the Hundred Regiments Campaign, although Chongqing and Yan'an did not completely fall out and split completely, they were actually not far from it.

Chongqing began to formulate how to restrict the development of the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army, and even began to consider how to deal with the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army.

By December 1940, the large-scale conflict between the Japanese army and the Eighth Route Army had basically ended.

The Japanese troops sweeping across northwestern Shanxi and central Hebei also gradually withdrew, bringing the sweep to an end. The Eighth Route Army launched the Hundred Regiments Campaign on August 8th, completing the first and second phases of the offensive in about a month and a half.

Overall it was very successful.

The subsequent retaliatory raid by the Japanese army was somewhat anticlimactic.

It looked powerful, but lacked a clear tactical plan; it was simply a blind, retaliatory sweep by Tada Shun. The resulting raids were largely uncoordinated, with separate units seemingly aiming to completely wipe out the Eighth Route Army base. The result was widespread setbacks and heavy casualties.

The final sweep lasted for more than a month and ended hastily.

Of course, the success of the counter-mopping-up operation did not mean that the Eighth Route Army would feel good.

The Hundred Regiments Campaign, which lasted nearly three months, had inflicted heavy casualties on the Eighth Route Army and severely damaged the base area. It was already a cold winter, but many rural areas in the base area had lost their houses.

Because the Japanese army burned down too many houses.

Those houses must be built as soon as possible, otherwise they will freeze to death outside in such cold weather.

"Old leader, are there heavy casualties in Division 1?"

"Yes. Three months of fighting resulted in over eight thousand casualties."

After the Hundred Regiments Campaign ended, Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun came to Laiyuan.

The base of the Eighth Column had suffered little damage during the Hundred Regiments Campaign, so compared to other military sub-districts, the work was not as busy.

I want to see the situation of a partition.

The First Division and the Eighth Column are currently the core of the Shanxi-Chahar-Wing Military Region. Furthermore, the Eighth Column itself was spun off from the First Division, and the two sides' bases are connected. Not only are their bases connected in Shanxi, but their bases in Hebei are also connected.

This time, the Eighth Column marched southward along Peking, fighting in the First Division's base area and coordinating with the First Division's local troops. After the Hundred Regiments Campaign ended and the First Division's main force returned to its base area, the Eighth Column's troops gradually withdrew from the First Division's base area.

The relationship between the First Division and the Eighth Column must increase cooperation.

Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun both sighed.

During the Hundred Regiments Campaign, the First Division led the offensive, fighting numerous tough battles. Not only in the initial offensive against the Zhengtai Road in the Jin-Cha-Ji region, but also in the Yinghun and Lailing campaigns in the second phase, the main force came from the First Division. During the counter-mopping-up campaigns in the third phase of the Hundred Regiments Campaign, the First Division was also the primary force.

The casualties must be considerable.

"Old leader, can the troops be replenished?"

"That's no problem. During this raid, the puppet troops who rebelled against the Japanese, along with our First Division, destroyed three Japanese coal mines, rescuing over 5,000 miners. Our First Division lacks everything except manpower. Although adding new recruits will affect the unit's combat effectiveness, it won't be a major problem."

Wei Hongjun nodded.

Division One had a large base. Although it had completely ceded the Yanbei region to Division Five and the area south of Baoding to Division Three, Division One still held Lingqiu, Laiyuan, Yixian, and Mancheng counties, as well as Xushui, Dingxing, Laishui, Zhuoxian, Xincheng, and Rongxian counties north of Baoding.

Even in Liangxiang and Daxing areas, there was a work team sent out by the sub-district to carry out work.

These places have large populations.

Not to mention that some troops of the First Division are on the border of central and eastern Hebei.

Jizhong and Jidong are the truly densely populated areas. Although it is difficult for the First Division to directly recruit soldiers in Jidong and Jizhong, it is not a problem to recruit soldiers in the marginal areas.

"I heard you made a fortune in Wanping?"

"Yes. The weapons and ammunition captured in Wanping could equip several regiments. The various money and supplies seized and confiscated in Wanping are also very rich, enough for our Eighth Column to use for a long time.

"That's good."

Yang Quanwu nodded.

He advised, "The Japanese army will certainly not give up after suffering such a blow this time. Once they recover, they will surely launch an even more brutal sweep of our Eighth Route Army base. Don't think that the Japanese army is not formidable just because you have won a few battles."

"Yes."

"How are your ammunition supplies?"

“It’s quite abundant.”

"I'm representing Division One and would like to exchange 300,000 rounds of ammunition with you. During the three months of this operation, our Division One troops used 570,000 rounds of ammunition, but we didn't capture many, so our current ammunition reserves are limited. I need to consider next year's counter-mopping-up operation, and the troops must have ammunition."

Division 1 fought too many tough battles this time.

Not only did the troops suffer heavy casualties, but they also consumed a lot of ammunition. Fortunately, before the Hundred Regiments Campaign, the First Division had entered into an ammunition trade with the Imperial Army and purchased a large amount of ammunition. However, none of these ammunition were wasted.

During this Hundred Regiments Campaign, the First Division nearly completely wiped out the 26th Independent Mixed Brigade on the Zhengtai Road, severely damaging the 11th Regiment of the 35th Division and the 221st Regiment of the 221th Division. The 221st Regiment, in particular, was fought independently by the First Division. By the time the 600st Regiment, decimated and fleeing, had only about men left by the time they reached Yi County.

During the subsequent counter-mopping-up operations, several more battles were fought against the Japanese 110th Division in Laiyuan, Yi, Mancheng, and Laishui counties. However, they were not completely at a disadvantage. Such outstanding performance was due to the st Division's ample ammunition reserves, which enabled them to engage in head-to-head combat with these troops.

But the biggest problem with this kind of head-on combat is the high consumption of bullets and the small amount of spoils.

Yang Quanwu was a very visionary general.

Although the Hundred Regiments Campaign was a great success, he did not become complacent. Instead, he had already begun to consider the issue of counter-mopping-up operations in 1941. The North China Front Army had suffered such heavy casualties this time, and there was no way they could swallow this humiliation.

"Old leader, we are sending 300,000 rounds of ammunition to the First Division. We have also captured a large number of artillery shells and are sending 500 rounds to the First Division."

If other troops wanted so many bullets, Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun would not be so happy.

This isn't about two people being stingy.

Instead, two people need to consider the development of the Eight Verticals.

But one partition is different.

Not to mention that the two men themselves were from the First Division. Their current achievements, and the Eighth Column's current development, are inseparable from the training and promotion of veteran leader Yang Quanwu. If Yang Quanwu hadn't supported the independent detachment when it was just beginning to develop, there would be no Eighth Column today.