Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

"The spoils were plentiful. In particular, after the First Guard Brigade of the Puppet Manchukuo Army was overwhelmed by our cavalry, it immediately lost its combat effectiveness and offered no resistance. Therefore, the weapons and equipment were left intact. Over 2700 Type 22 rifles, 4 light machine guns, and heavy machine guns, all intact.

When the puppet Manchukuo army was first established, it was mainly equipped with Liao-San-3 rifles made in Northeast China and weapons and equipment imported from Japan, Germany, and the Soviet Union. The troops were very scattered. However, after years of development, the rifles used by the puppet Manchukuo army were all Type 38 rifles.

Because the Japanese army had to consider logistical issues.

Only with unified firearms can we arrange logistics in a unified way.

Furthermore, the Japanese had already begun producing Type 38 rifles in military factories in Northeast China. The puppet Manchukuo army was heavily armed with light weapons and few heavy weapons. In other words, they had many rifles and some light machine guns, but few heavy machine guns, and even fewer, if any, artillery. The Japanese army was both using and defending against the puppet Manchukuo army, so it was impossible for them to be given more heavy weapons.

The weapons and equipment of the puppet Manchukuo army were actually designed to fight guerrillas.

But when faced with the main force of the Eighth Route Army, they were nothing.

During World War I, about 2700 Type rifles were captured. The reason why the Eighth Route Army liked to attack puppet troops in history was because they could capture a lot of spoils.

"What about the Japanese army?"

"We captured about 860 Type 52 rifles, including 10 light machine guns, 55 heavy machine guns, 4 grenade launchers, four infantry guns, two mountain guns, and four rapid-fire guns. Because we raided the Japanese offensive, a lot of weapons and equipment were left behind.

"Okay."

Zhang Zihua was very happy.

Although the Eighth Column made a fortune after capturing Zhangjiakou, it was impossible for all the weapons and ammunition to remain with the 8th Column. They were sent in batches to support other Eighth Route Army units.

Therefore, if the 8th Column is to continue to develop, it is necessary to continue to seize spoils on the battlefield.

Zhang Dahu looked at the seized inventory and asked, "Brigade Commander, what are you going to do with these weapons and ammunition?"

"First, equip the Special 4st Regiment with some light and heavy machine guns and grenade launchers, and give all four rapid-fire cannons to the Special st Regiment. The Special st Regiment's combat effectiveness is already strong, and with these weapons and ammunition, its strength will be greatly improved."

Although Kang Shui joined the Eighth Route Army midway, he was born a bandit.

But very good at fighting.

Moreover, since joining the Eighth Route Army and receiving training at the column headquarters, he has matured very quickly both politically and militarily.

Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun admired him very much, especially when the special forces regiment came to Rehe alone in the early years to open up a base and opened up the Fengning base.

Then the Second Special Regiment was developed here, and some local troops were developed.

However, it was not the main force of the Eighth Column after all, but an armed force developed by the Chadong Detachment itself, and its weapons and equipment were relatively poor. After the capture of Zhangjiakou this time, the troops' weapons had a new look.

But it still lacks heavy firepower.

Zhang Zihua planned to equip the troops with more light and heavy machine guns and Zheng missiles to increase the firepower of the troops.

"Yes. The Special 1st Regiment can fight."

Zhang Dahu was previously the commander of the Chadong Detachment.

I am very familiar with the situation of the Special 1st Regiment.

Zhang Zihua continued, "We should also replace the weapons of the Special Second Regiment. Let them all be equipped with Type 1000 rifles. This will also be beneficial to our logistics. Our main enemies in Rehe will be the Japanese and the puppet Manchukuo troops, and they are all equipped with Type rifles. The rifles that are replaced will be handed over to the local troops to improve their weaponry. After that, there will definitely be a lot of Type rifles left. Leave Type rifles and seal them up. We will definitely consume some in the battle, so it is better to replenish them locally."

The Second Special Regiment had a variety of weapons, but there were also quite a few Type 38 rifles.

The Second Special Regiment had all been equipped with Type 1000 rifles, and only about 3000 of them were likely used. This still left nearly 1000 of them. Zhang Zihua decided to seal up of them.

"Lao Lei, you'll be responsible for these matters. The battles we fight in Rehe will surely become larger and larger. The First and Second Special Regiments must strengthen their strength and cooperate with our First Brigade.

"it is good."

Lei Jiabin nodded.

Cheng Shihua followed to see the spoils of the First Brigade.

The more I look at it, the more beautiful it becomes.

When would the 11th Detachment be able to fight a battle like this? However, thinking of the weapons and ammunition that the 11th Column would soon support, Cheng Shihua felt that the future was full of hope. With those weapons and ammunition, the th Detachment could quickly form three combat-capable main regiments.

By then, we won’t have to take the ordinary Japanese and puppet troops seriously.

“And my idea is, how about we expand another regiment?

Rehe was under Japanese rule for many years. Besides the Japanese and Manchurian forces, there were also numerous puppet security forces, military police, and police forces, as well as traitorous armed forces. While these forces were scattered across the land, they were indeed numerous. If we wanted to establish a foothold in Rehe and develop our base, we had to eliminate all of these forces. Since we now had weapons and ammunition, we could expand the army to form a regiment.

Zhang Dahu hesitated and said, "That's true. But we already have nearly 5000 troops in Fengning County, and it's very difficult to expand further. We just entered Rehe and have no foundation here, so it's not easy to expand the army in a short period of time."

Expanding the military and preparing for war is definitely correct.

Before the First Brigade came to Rehe, Wei Hongjun specifically talked to them.

Letting the First Brigade enter Rehe was not only to open up a base in Rehe, but more to prepare for the future march into the Northeast.

If you want to march into the Northeast, you need sufficient strength.

But the 1st Brigade had no roots in Rehe.

The First and Second Special Regiments had been developing in Fengning County. However, Fengning County had already provided around 5000 soldiers to the Special Forces Regiment. Further expansion in Fengning would be difficult.

Cheng Shihua next to him was just listening quietly.

But when he heard them talking about recruiting soldiers, he interrupted and said, "Everything is difficult in Rehe. It's very poor, with limited supplies, and the Japanese puppet troops and traitors are very exploitative. But the only thing Rehe has in abundance is people. Rehe has a large population, with a total population of 600 million.

More importantly, to suppress the resistance in Rehe, the Japanese and puppet troops implemented a "group tribe" system. Specifically, they prohibited people from living in certain areas and growing crops, forcing everyone into designated "group tribes." As a result, many areas in Rehe have become no-man's land. Japanese and puppet troops and puppet police burned down houses and destroyed crops in these no-man's lands. The Kwantung Army even issued a strict order that any living creature found in these "no-residence and no-work zones" must be killed. According to our statistics, over 70 people were forced into "group tribes" around Chengde alone.

What is a “Group Tribe” like?

Lei Jiabin asked Cheng Shihua.

Lei Jiabin had also heard about the "group tribe" implemented by the Japanese army.

But it's not very clear.

After all, in the Chahar region, the Japanese army was defeated by the Eighth Column as soon as they tried to implement this strategy. Therefore, Lei Jiabin had never actually witnessed this situation. Cheng Shihua explained, "Each of their group tribes has roughly 400 to 500 people. They are surrounded by walls and managed by a puppet police force. Because a large amount of arable land was not allowed to be cultivated, crops could only be grown in designated areas. Therefore, after the Japanese implemented the group tribe system, the grain production in Rehe plummeted. The Japanese army implemented the group tribe system in Rehe for just over a year, but many people had already starved to death in the group tribes. Although the Japanese army stipulated that the population of the group tribe was around 400 to 500 people, they did not have so many walls to build, so many group tribes had thousands of people within them.

The situation became more serious as the population grew. There wasn't enough food, and all sorts of diseases were common. There were roughly 1400 tribes living in the area around Chengde.

"Commander Cheng means to recruit soldiers from these groups and tribes?"

"Yes. Their hatred for the Japanese and puppet troops is deep-rooted. Because the Japanese and puppet troops burned their villages, robbed their food, and drove them from their homes to the "group tribes". How many elderly people and children died in the process, and how many women were abducted by the Japanese and puppet troops. The hatred between them and the Japanese and puppet troops is really irreconcilable. If we can break up these "group tribes", we will definitely get the support of the local people. Because the environment in the group tribes is harsh, many elderly people can't survive. So there are many young and strong people here. As long as there are enough weapons, it is easy to recruit 10,000 soldiers here. Of course, the premise is that we can completely break up the Japanese army's "group tribes."

Zhang Zihua nodded.

It is people like Cheng Shihua who have fought in Rehe for many years who are familiar with the situation in Rehe.

Zhang Zihua immediately said, "Commander Cheng, let's cooperate and specialize in this task. The Japanese and puppet troops have set up so many 'group tribes' here. Even if someone is watching, there can't be a large force. At most, they are local puppet police. It will be an easy task for us."

"With you here, this thing can indeed be done. We've broken up the group tribes before, but some of the people within the group tribes were unwilling to come out. They were worried that we couldn't defeat the Japanese puppet troops. It was really because they were scared of being killed by the Japanese puppet troops over the past ten years.

Chapter 446: Okamura Ningji's Pressure

If we talk about a major battle, then the current battle between the North China Front Army and the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region is a major battle. In terms of the number of Japanese and puppet troops involved, it is second only to the Battle of Wuhan and the Battle of Shanghai in the history of the War of Resistance.

Over 200,000 Japanese and puppet troops were concentrated in Gangcun Ningci, Hebei Province. Jinchayi also mobilized what troops it could. The Nangzhong Military Region, the First and Third Divisions, the Eighth Column, and the Jidong Army deployed large forces for this battle. The Jizhong Military Region alone mobilized over 100,000 main and local forces.

In the anti-mopping-up campaign in the Hebei-Central Military Region, more than 50 people from both sides participated in the battle.

Furthermore, the North China Front Army's sweep of the Central Hebei Military Region directly impacted the entire North China situation. The Taihang, Taiyue, Southern Hebei, and Shandong Eighth Route Armies, as well as the Second, Fourth, and Fifth Jin-Cha-Ji Military Regions, all participated. Although not directly involved in the battle, they took advantage of the North China Front Army's widespread deployment of troops to rapidly expand their base areas.

The one who breathed a sigh of relief at this time was the Eighth Route Army in southern Hebei.

Over the past two years, the Japanese and puppet forces have conducted numerous raids on the Ji'nan Military Region. If the Jizhong Military Region served as the supply base for the Jin-Cha-Ji Beiyue Region, then the Ji'nan Military Region served as both the supply and manpower base for the 129th Division. Consequently, the Japanese 36th Division, the 41st Independent Mixed Brigade, the rd Independent Mixed Brigade of the Zhengtai Road, and the st Division would frequently deploy troops to conduct raids on the Ji'nan Military Region, inflicting heavy casualties there. Consequently, a large number of main forces could no longer remain in the Ji'nan Military Region and were forced to withdraw.

Historically, the Southern Military Region was frequently raided by the Japanese and puppet troops, and eventually the Southern Hebei Military Region was almost lost.

But now the 36th Division and the 41st Independent Mixed Brigade were transferred north, and the st Division and the rd Independent Mixed Brigade had also joined the sweep of the Yizhong Military Region, giving the Ji'nan Military Region a chance to catch its breath. The main forces of the Ji'nan Eighth Route Army, which had previously fled to the periphery, returned, not only reestablishing their original Ji'nan base but also expanding it.

In the Taihang and Taiyue Military Regions, the Japanese army also experienced a significant reduction in pressure after withdrawing the 41st Division. The troops were able to rapidly expand their bases.

Such an opportunity comes once in a lifetime.

The Eighth Route Army in Shandong developed the fastest. This was because Shandong had the largest number of Japanese and puppet troops drawn from the North China Front. Suddenly, many areas in Shandong were plagued by loopholes.

Let the Shandong Eighth Route Army catch him.

Start expanding your territory.

Although the Japanese and puppet troops mobilized a large number of troops, they could not allow the Eighth Route Army to develop so recklessly. Therefore, the Japanese and puppet troops that remained there stubbornly resisted the Eighth Route Army's expansion.

If all these battles were added up, the number of troops deployed by both sides would have reached nearly 80, or even more.

It can be said that the whole of North China was involved in the fighting.

"General, just received news. The troops of the Jin-Cha-Ji Third Division are attacking Xinle and threatening the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade from the flank. The 1st Independent Mixed Brigade has requested flank protection.

"Tell them to be careful."

Ningji Okamura's eyes were red because he hadn't slept well for several days.

In the First and Third Divisions of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei region, more and more troops broke through the blockade. In other words, the blockade they had painstakingly built with the 63rd, 69th, and 110th Divisions had completely failed.

The troops in the Beiyue area of ​​Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei could come and go freely.

Moreover, because a large number of troops were deployed in the Hebei-Central Military Region, many areas were seriously short of troops. As a result, the troops of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Beiyue District, especially the troops of the First Division, captured cities and territories along the line of Beiping and Baoding.

But Ningji Okamura didn't care at all.

"All units continue to follow the plan and drive the Eighth Route Army in Central Hebei back to the Tuo River."

"Your Excellency the General, even if we drive them to the other side of the Tuo River, many of their troops can escape into the Beiyue area of ​​Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei. The plan to annihilate the main force of the Eighth Route Army in Yizhong beside the Tuo River is already difficult to achieve." Tanabe Moritake reminded Okamura Ningji.

The blockade lines were torn open by the First and Third Districts. The previous plan to drive the main force of the Eighth Route Army in Central Hebei to the Tuohe area and encircle and annihilate them has completely failed. Those Eighth Route Army troops in Central Hebei can escape into the North Yue District of Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei along the opening torn open by the Third District. Ningci Gangcun shook his head and said, "It is important to annihilate the main force of the Eighth Route Army in Central Hebei, but it is more important to completely destroy the Eighth Route Army's base in Central Hebei. As long as we completely destroy the Eighth Route Army's base in Central Hebei and completely control Central Hebei, then even if many Eighth Route Army troops in Central Hebei escape to the North Yue District of Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei, what does it matter? Without the support from Central Hebei, the Eighth Route Army in the North Yue District of Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei will have problems even with eating. With so many more troops, they can't even feed themselves. In this way, our goal will be achieved.

Ningji Okamura was eyeing the territory of the Hebei-Central Military Region.

Without this base, food would be scarce in Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei. So what if the Eighth Route Army went to the Northern Yue region of Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei? More people would only make food more scarce.

But Tanabe Moritake next to him sighed.

It's a good idea.

But even if the Hebei-Central Military Region was conquered, how could the North China Front Army hold it? Currently, the troops of the Hebei-Central Military Region were being driven out, and the Eighth Route Army in Hebei-Central was engaged in daily battles. The Eighth Route Army in Hebei-Central was suffering heavy casualties, as were the Japanese and puppet troops who were conducting the sweep.

Especially after the opening of the First and Third Divisions, the troops of the Jin-Cha-Ji Beiyue District continued to enter Hebei. Tanabe Moritake was not sure how many troops from the Jin-Cha-Ji Beiyue District would enter Hebei this time.

Less than ten days had passed since the mopping-up operation began, and the Japanese and puppet troops had already suffered over 20,000 casualties. If this number continued, how many more would there be after the mopping-up operation ended? Besides, by the time the mopping-up operation was over, those troops would undoubtedly have to return to their original bases.

Once they all go back, how can we protect this area in central Hebei from being taken away again by the Eighth Route Army?

"General, a telegram from the 29th Division."

You Weijingsan, deputy chief of staff of the North China Front Army, rushed in with a telegram.

"what happened?"

"The 29th Regiment of the 50th Division was ambushed by the Eighth Route Army in Rehe. Two battalions were completely destroyed, and the commander of the 50th Regiment, Ogata Keishi, was also killed. The 50st Guard Brigade of the Fifth Military Region, the 29nd Cavalry Regiment of the Manchurian National Defense Army, and the 18th Cavalry Regiment, which followed the 38th Regiment, were all killed. Currently, the Eighth Route Army has successively captured Luanping, Xinglong, Longhua and other places, and there are signs of an attack on Chengde. The th Division stated that the th and th Regiments in eastern Hebei must return to Chengde to protect Chengde's security. They asked our North China Front Army to send troops into eastern Hebei as soon as possible.