Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

It would be a waste to leave so many infantry guns and shells unused. This counter-mopping-up operation is so important, this is not the time to be stingy with ammunition. No matter how many good things there are, as long as the battlefield needs them, they should be used.

"Correct."

Huang Yong, who was standing next to him, continued, "Many of these bunkers built by the Japanese army can't even withstand flat-fire artillery, let alone the mortars and infantry guns in our hands. The Japanese built bunkers to bully us because we don't have heavy weapons, but now the situation has changed. As long as we are prepared, the Japanese bunkers will not only fail to protect them, but will become their graveyard. We can even bury them all in the bunkers before the Japanese army reacts. This time we have enough artillery shells, not to mention the twenty or thirty large strongholds. Even one or two hundred bunkers can't withstand our artillery fire.

In fact, Yang Quanwu and Huang Yong are relatively unfamiliar with how to use artillery on a large scale.

After all, there has never been such a rich war.

But the two men were battle-hardened, having spent over a decade on the battlefield. They were still able to simulate the upcoming battle based on the artillery in their hands. If blockhouses had always been the Japanese army's weapon to restrain the Eighth Route Army, then now that the Eighth Route Army had so many artillery pieces and thousands of rounds of ammunition, the blockhouses had become a burden to the Japanese.

If the infantry artillery is used properly, those so-called forts can be destroyed one by one.

"Commander, we have only opened a few holes in the Japanese blockade, and our help to the Jizhong Military Region is limited. Because the Japanese can reseal these holes at any time, or even ignore them. Unless our troops tear open the holes in the Japanese blockade, the main force uses this hole to enter the Jizhong Military Region and directly participate in the anti-mopping-up operation. But the troops in our Beiyue District are all from mountain guerrilla warfare. If a large force goes to the Yizhong Military Region, it will not play much of a role. On the contrary, we will suffer heavy casualties. The best way is to completely solve the Japanese blockade and kill a large number of Japanese troops when breaking through the Japanese blockade. Then break through the Japanese blockade and insert into the Japanese rear base. Only in this way can we hurt the Japanese army and truly support the Yizhong Military Region."

Marshal Nie nodded.

I agree with the ideas of Yang Quanwu and Huang Yong.

The two of them are currently the most outstanding generals in Jin-Cha-Ji, and Marshal Nie still trusts them very much in fighting.

"Commander, isn't the Eighth Column sending over another batch of rifles?

How much difference do you think one point gives us?"

Besides the heavy weapons, Yang Quanwu also had his eye on the rifles sent by the Eighth Column. After all, there were a total of 10000 rifles, of which were Type rifles.

"How much do you want?"

"4000 Type 3000 rifles and Hanyang rifles."

Yang Quanwu was not polite.

Because the First Division had always been the face of the Jin-Cha-Ji region, it always received half of the weapons and ammunition produced by the Jin-Cha-Ji Arsenal. Because the First Division had only so many troops and was a key target for Japanese raids, Yang Quanwu had already considered other military divisions when he only needed 7000 guns this time.

"How many guns do you need? What are you going to do?"

"Some of it will be used to replenish the weapons of the main force. Due to frequent combat, many of the main force's guns have been damaged, so this is a good opportunity to replenish them. The rest will be used to arm the local troops and upgrade them to the main force. Many of the local troops in our first division are well-trained and have rich combat experience, but the only thing they lack is weapons and ammunition. I plan to use this batch of weapons to build five main force regiments."

District 1 has a large area, a large population, and a good economy.

The local troops of the First Division fought alongside the main force year-round. If they were stationed in other military divisions, they would have long been the main force. However, Yang Quanwu disliked their inferior weapons and equipment, so he did not upgrade them to the main force.

Now that we have so many rifles, upgrading 5 main regiments is easy.

"If this counter-mopping-up operation goes smoothly, then our First Division can establish connections with the Jidong and Jizhong bases. We can even connect our bases into one. If we want to control such a large area, we need sufficient troops."

Yang Quanwu showed his ambition nakedly.

What's the point of just countering the raid?

Utilize this counter-mopping-up operation to inflict heavy damage on the Japanese army, forcing them into major cities and key transportation routes. Then, expand the base area and establish connections with the Jidong and Jizhong bases. Both Jidong and Jizhong bases are typically large in population and abundant in resources. Once connections are established with them, Jin-Cha-Yi will have no shortage of supplies.

"Commander, our Third Division needs 3000 Type 2000 rifles and 5 Shanxi-made rifles. We are also preparing to use this opportunity to build five main force regiments. As long as the Japanese army retreats, our Third Division plans to expand the nearly 20 counties between Baoding and Shijiazhuang into bases, connecting them with the Hebei-Central Base Area."

Huang Yong, commander of the Third Division, was eyeing Baoding with a fierce eye.

The Third Division's current base is located south of Baoding. Although the Third Division has seen good development in recent years, Huang Yong remains dissatisfied. Consider the First Division and the Eighth Column, whose bases each command populations exceeding three million. However, the Third Division's actual population is only around 130 million.

However, as long as the nearly 20 counties between Baoding and Shijiazhuang are controlled, the population size of the three-district zone will exceed three million.

"it is good."

Marshal Nie thought for a long time and finally nodded.

The current development of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region has become increasingly clear. Hebei has become the most important place in the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region and also the place with the most development prospects. After all, Hebei has a population of over 3000 million and far more resources than Shanxi.

In establishing the Hebei base, the First and Third Divisions were the main forces.

So there was no problem for the two families to divide the 12000 rifles.

There are still 8000 rifles left.

The 8000 rifles in the Second, Fourth, and Fifth Divisions were enough for them to each add two main regiments. This was already a huge support for them.

"Then you two military divisions must make all necessary preparations. As soon as the weapons arrive, have the troops receive them immediately.

"Yes."

Wei Hongjun knew that a big battle was about to break out in Jin-Cha-Ji, so he didn't waste a moment's delay. While sending a telegram to the military region, he had already started loading the supplies and sending them to the military region.

Zhangjiakou is not close to the first district.

So the path Wei Hongjun chose was to use the railway to transport the goods from Zhangjiakou to Zhuolu. After all, on land, the advantages of railways are unmatched.

If the Japanese army could use the Pingsui Road, the 8th Column could certainly do the same. The Pingsui Road was routinely maintained and operated by Chinese workers, and now the Wei Hongjun Army used it to transport supplies. After arriving in Zhuolu, personnel from the Zhuolu base area carried supplies from Zhuolu through Chunhuabao into Shengxian, and from Shengxian through the Xiaonanshan Pass into Yixian. At this point, the supplies were delivered to the First Division.

In order to deliver the supplies to the military district as quickly as possible, Wei Hongjun mobilized all the drivers in the column who were able to drive. Most of these drivers were either prisoners of the Nationalist army rescued by the Eighth Route Army or captured puppet soldiers. In those days, those who could drive were technically skilled.

The 8th Column had a lot of trucks because it had captured cities one after another.

It was April 4 when the first batch of supplies from the 11th Column was sent out.

There was no rest, as personnel were deployed in each base. Some urgent supplies were delivered by truck. Other supplies were transported by horse convoys. To ensure that these supplies could reach the front lines quickly, several counties even arranged for relays. Deliveries were carried out virtually day and night, and the first batch of supplies did not arrive in Yi County until April 4nd. It took a full eleven days.

This is still fast.

The large amount of ammunition that was transported later was transported by horse and it would take another three or four days.

Chapter 437 A devastating blow

1942 5 Month 11 Day.

The large-scale sweep of central Hebei that Ningji Okamura had been preparing for half a year officially began.

If it weren't for the need to recruit a large number of new soldiers and simply train them, this large-scale sweep would definitely not have started so late.

It’s because too many new recruits were added.

Okamura Ningji learned the lesson from the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain and realized that these new recruits would be ineffective if they were directly deployed in battle. So although he was anxious, he still trained these new recruits for nearly two months.

Then the sweep began.

By this time, the North China Front Army had completely surrounded the Hebei-Central Military Region. The Japanese army had deployed a full four divisions between the Hebei-Eastern and Hebei-Central Military Regions, and between the Hebei-Central Military Region and the First and Third Divisions of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Region.

Their mission was to prevent the Eighth Route Army in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Beiyue District and the Eighth Route Army in Eastern Hebei from providing support, and to gradually reduce the operational space of the Central Hebei Military Region. Their blockade faced not only the Eighth Route Army in Eastern Hebei and the Eighth Route Army in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Beiyue District, but also the Eighth Route Army in Central Hebei.

These blockade forces could be dispatched at any time when needed to join forces with other Japanese troops to wipe out the Eighth Route Army in Hebei Province.

The Japanese army's battle plan this time was to use heavy troops to drive the Eighth Route Army in Central Hebei towards Shijiazhuang.

The main thrust was towards the Tuo River. Because the Japanese army had a heavy presence on the Tuo River, the 110th Division was stationed in Shijiazhuang and on the Tuo River side. With the current strength of the Eighth Route Army, it was absolutely incapable of crossing the Tuo River and breaking through the 110th Division's positions controlling the Tuo River. Once the Japanese army pushed them to the Tuo River, they would have no room for maneuver.

The Japanese were not afraid of the Eighth Route Army gathering together, but they were afraid of not being able to capture the main force of the Eighth Route Army. As long as the Eighth Route Army troops in Hebei Province were surrounded by the Japanese, then the Japanese would have a way to annihilate the main force of the Eighth Route Army.

So this time, Ningji Okamura made a detailed plan.

He even changed his previous adventurous combat style. This time he decided to develop step by step.

Whenever the Japanese occupied a place, they would build large-scale fortifications and dig blockade trenches, gradually squeezing the living and operating space of the Eighth Route Army in central Hebei, forcing them onto the battlefields designated by the Japanese.

One regiment of the 27th Division, two regiments of the 32nd Division, three battalions of the 32th Independent Mixed Brigade, and three battalions of the th Independent Mixed Brigade. Together with the Second Front Army of Sun Liangcheng's puppet army and Xu Chengde's puppet nd Division that had just surrendered, a total of Japanese and puppet troops of the th Division of the "Peace and National Salvation Army" swept the Yi Zhong base from the east and northeast.

Two regiments of the 36th Division stationed in Henan, the 41st Independent Mixed Brigade in southern Hebei, the 3.5rd Independent Mixed Brigade in Zhengtai Road, two regiments of the st Division stationed in Shanxi, plus two group armies of the North China Security Army and Japanese and puppet troops of the Independent Brigade of the North China Security Army, attacked the Hebei-Central Base from southern to north.

Then came the 35th Division, a regiment of the 27th Division, two army groups of the North China Front Army, and the puppet police forces around Peiping. A total of Japanese and puppet troops swept the Hebei-Central base from north to south.

This time the Japanese army was really calm.

Not in a hurry.

The Eighth Route Army's space for activities in eastern Hebei was gradually compressed.

The Eighth Route Army in Central Hebei Province organized several breakout attempts, but none of them succeeded. This was because the Japanese army played it safe this time.

The Japanese army's strategy and tactics were indeed very effective. They swept through the area, built bunkers, and sealed off the area, squeezing the Eighth Route Army's space. However, this strategy took time. As the fighting dragged on, the logistical needs of the troops increased exponentially.

This time, Ningji Okamura really showed off all his family assets.

Ningji Okamura was not in a hurry.

He had been preparing for this sweep for a full six months. Both the Imperial Headquarters and the China Expeditionary Force supported the sweep in central Hebei, providing substantial material support. Even if the campaign lasted three months, Okamura Neiji wasn't afraid. He had ample logistical supplies.

In the past, the Eighth Route Army's counter-mopping-up operations primarily targeted Japanese logistics units, preventing frontline troops from reaching supplies. However, this time, to prevent this, Okamura Neiji deployed a large number of troops to blockade the area, preventing the Eighth Route Army from escaping. Furthermore, he deployed heavy troops along the transportation lines, not only to block the Eighth Route Army troops but also to protect the Japanese army's transportation lines.

The Ji-Zhong Military Region was extremely anxious.

In order to break the tight blockade of the Japanese army, they even organized two or three main regiments to attack together. However, the results were not very satisfactory, with heavy casualties and few people able to break out.

The Ji-Zhong Military Region made a lot of preparations for this counter-mopping-up operation.

The Japanese army prepared for six months, as did the Hebei-Central Military Region. Lü Zhengchao and his men reorganized and trained the troops in the Hebei-Central Military Region, conducting extensive drills. Furthermore, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei region dispatched numerous grassroots commanders to local units in the Hebei-Central Military Region to improve their combat effectiveness.

Mobilize the entire military and civilians in central Hebei and make preparations to resist the mopping-up operation.

However, when hundreds of thousands of Japanese and puppet troops swept through the Jizhong Military Region, these preparations were simply unable to stop them, and the troops suffered staggering casualties. Fortunately, the Jizhong Military Region was the old base of the Eighth Route Army for many years, and the mass base here was very good. Moreover, the Jizhong Military Region in this time and space was much stronger than in history. There were 25 main force regiments designated by the military region alone, and there were also many other miscellaneous regiments. Therefore, although the Jizhong Military Region was in a passive position, the Japanese army was also in a difficult situation.

To break out, the Jizhong Military Region repeatedly assembled its main forces to attack the Japanese. It also concentrated its local forces to harass the Japanese and puppet troops using mine warfare, tunnel warfare, and "sparrow warfare." Furthermore, local forces engaged in village warfare with the Japanese and puppet troops in every village within the Jizhong Military Region.

The soldiers and civilians of the Jizhong Military Region were truly fearless and engaged in brutal battles with the Japanese and puppet troops.

As a result, the Japanese and puppet troops suffered heavy casualties every time they advanced.

However, Okamura Neiji was already bloodthirsty. Because Okamura Neiji understood that this time, the sweep of the Hebei base area could only succeed and not fail. If it failed, the North China Front Army would be suppressed by the Eighth Route Army in North China. From then on, North China would no longer be controlled by the Japanese, but by the Eighth Route Army.

Therefore, the Japanese casualties in the raid on the Jizhong base area kept coming in, but he suppressed them all. As long as he could completely eliminate the Jizhong Military Region, he could accept these casualties.

He must drive the main force of the Jizhong Eighth Route Army to the other side of the Tuo River within 20 days to a month, and then concentrate heavy troops to completely annihilate the main force of the Jizhong Eighth Route Army and completely eliminate the Jizhong Military Region.

May 1942, 5, was the seventh day of the Japanese army's sweep of the Yi-Zhong Military Region.

Japanese military stronghold in Dingxing.

This is the location of a large group of bunkers.

The 63th Independent Mixed Brigade of the rd Division controls this area.

The 63th Independent Mixed Brigade had previously been stationed in Shandong, fighting against the Shandong Eighth Route Army and Yu Xuezhong's Northeastern Army. However, due to the deteriorating situation in Hebei, it was transferred there and participated in the formation of the 63rd Division, a security division. The 63rd Division comprised an independent mixed brigade and an infantry brigade, and the th Independent Mixed Brigade was fully incorporated into the rd Division.

The combat effectiveness of the troops has not improved much.

On the contrary, there is a lot less heavy equipment.

Sadao Okuma, the major general and commander of the 10th Independent Mixed Brigade, was already a mid- to high-level general in the Japanese army.

Understand the importance of this battle.

Before the large-scale mopping-up operation, Ningci Gangcun also mobilized the troops. The mission of their 10th Independent Mixed Brigade was to blockade the First Division of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Region, preventing their troops from breaking through the blockade and affecting the large-scale mopping-up of the Hebei-Central Military Region.