Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

Historically, many Eighth Route Army generals returned to Yan'an in 1943 and 1944. However, many others remained at the front and did not return. Wei Hongjun initially thought that, given his seniority and rank, he likely would not go to Yan'an.

After all, the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region currently boasts a wealth of experienced and highly decorated generals. Its remarkable performance over the past two years has transformed the situation across North China. Many of them are qualified to go to Yan'an.

But now that Marshal Nie mentioned his name, Wei Hongjun knew that this was not only the intention of the Jin-Cha-Yi Military Region, but also the intention of Yan'an.

After all, transferring important generals from the front line was not something that Marshal Nie could decide on his own; he had to get approval from Yan'an.

Wei Hongjun understood that there were only two important things to do when returning to Yan'an.

One was to participate in the Yan'an Rectification Movement, and the other was to examine their qualifications, possibly to select the Jin-Cha-Yi delegation. The Seventh National Congress of the Party was about to be held, and historically, it was held in early 1945.

But the Eighth Route Army's survival in this time and space is much better than in history. Perhaps the Central Committee will convene the Seventh Congress ahead of schedule.

Wei Hongjun was going to Yan'an this time, and it was very likely that he would attend the Seventh National Congress as a representative of the Jin-Cha-Yi faction. Wei Hongjun calmed himself down. But the thought of his possible participation in the Seventh National Congress still excited him.

Even if I attended the seven major meetings, I was just attending the meetings.

But Wei Hongjun was still very happy.

Of course, besides being happy, I was also a bit nervous. After all, returning to Yan'an would mean I would truly begin to interact with Party leaders. Furthermore, participating in the Rectification Movement in Yan'an would require a proper mindset. After all, I wouldn't be the top leader of the Yirecha Military Region, nor would I be the organizer of the Rectification Movement there. On the contrary, once in Yan'an, I would be subject to criticism.

Historically, Marshal Nie received a lot of criticism in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei delegation.

How do I choose?

These are all things that Wei Hongjun needs to consider carefully.

Marshal Nie continued, "Besides this matter, there is one more thing I want to tell you. This time I go to Yan'an, I plan to take away five main force regiments from the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region to protect the Central Committee. The situation in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region is becoming increasingly tense. Comrade Lü Zhengchao brought back ten regiments, but the stubborn troops in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region are too strong, and the pressure on the Central Committee is still too great. Therefore, the Central Committee decided to withdraw five regiments from the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region. You, the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Military Region, must also withdraw a main force regiment and return to Yan'an with us. You should understand what I mean. We need to withdraw the main force regiment."

"Yes."

The pressure Hu Zongnan put on the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region was really too great.

He did not resort to large-scale warfare, but rather gradually encroached upon the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region. Leveraging his superior military strength, he gradually reduced the Eighth Route Army's operational space in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region. Although the Central Committee withdrew troops from various bases to reinforce the Shanxi-Suiyuan Military Region in 1942, the situation did not improve much.

Therefore, the Central Committee decided to draw five more main force regiments from the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, which was currently the most developed. The Ji-Re-Cha Military Region was strong and powerful, so of course it also needed a main force regiment. And Marshal Nie wanted a real main force regiment.

This time when he returned to Yan'an, Marshal Nie certainly wanted to show off his achievements.

What's the best way?

That is to bring elite troops into Yan'an and let the central leadership in Yan'an see the development of Jin-Cha-Ji over the years.

"Remember, the troops must be fully equipped with weapons and ammunition. They must carry the same weapons and equipment as they were originally equipped with.

There can be no room for sloppiness in this regard.”

"Commander, rest assured. Our Ji-Re-Cha Military Region will definitely select a main force regiment that is capable of fighting.

Chapter 527 Arrangement

After meeting with Marshal Nie, Wei Hongjun had no choice but to shorten his time in Zhangjiakou.

Originally, upon arriving in Zhangjiakou, Wei Hongjun had planned to meet with some old comrades and colleagues to discuss their current situation. After all, after the Eighth Column split, many of his old comrades and subordinates were assigned to the Chahar-Suiyuan Military Region. Wei Hongjun, on the other hand, went to Rehe.

The past few months have been busy organizing the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Border Region and the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Military Region. There's a lot of tedious work involved in establishing a new military region and a prefectural committee for the border region. Although these are all my old subordinates, members of the Eighth Column, there are still many things to balance and take care of after establishing a second-level military region. After all, the Chadong and Pingbei detachments will be abolished, and the cadres of the former Chadong and Pingbei detachments will have to be relocated.

This kind of work is actually the most troublesome, but it must not be taken lightly.

After completing the establishment of the military region and border region, Wei Hongjun began to oversee the "Rectification Movement" in the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Border Region and the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Military Region. Rectification within the Party is also a very tedious task. Without force, the work will be ineffective. Excessive force will lead to expansion.

Therefore, during the Rectification Movement, Wei Hongjun was extremely cautious, fearing any problems. He would review reams of material daily, fearing any problems with the Rectification Movement. Furthermore, while carrying out the Rectification Movement, Wei Hongjun was also responsible for implementing rent and interest reductions in Rehe. This was Wei Hongjun's work for the past few months.

I finally got the chance to come to Zhangjiakou.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to meet with them and give them some advice, asking them to behave themselves and obey orders in the Chahar-Suiyuan Military Region.

Especially Zhao Lu, the commander and political commissar of the Chahar-Suiyuan Military Region, who participated in the Nanchang Uprising and came down from Jinggangshan. He was an old Red Army soldier with a red family background.

Very experienced.

Follow him and work for him, and you will get many benefits in the future.

Wei Hongjun was primarily concerned about some of his veteran subordinates, who had been spoiled in the Eighth Column. This was especially true when many of them had been accustomed to being in command while establishing bases behind enemy lines, and they were having trouble adapting to their new environment. A conflict with Zhao Lu, the military region's well-regarded "good guy," would directly affect the region leadership's perception of them. Even if Zhao Lu didn't mind, that negative impression would directly impact their future prospects.

We are all old comrades and colleagues, and Wei Hongjun certainly hopes that they will have smooth sailing in the future. So I still have to give some advice on this.

However, Marshal Nie only gave Wei Hongjun about two months to prepare before he could return to Yan'an with him. This was too short a timeframe. After all, Wei Hongjun was the top leader of the Party and government in the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar base area, and he had a lot to deal with every day. Therefore, these matters had to be arranged before leaving.

So Wei Hongjun was anxious to go back and had to give up this opportunity.

After returning to Fengning County, Wei Hongjun immediately convened a meeting of the Military District Party Committee. He showed everyone the list of weapons and ammunition he had received from the Military District. Everyone was astonished after reading it. They had not expected the Military District to be so generous this time.

Gave so many good things.

The Eighth Column has always relied mainly on captured troops to fight.

The biggest function of the Eighth Column's military factory was to repair weapons damaged on the battlefield and produce ammunition. But look at the military region's big spending this time.

In addition to a large number of artillery shells, rifle bullets, and light and heavy machine gun bullets, they also gave 700 Type 150 cavalry rifles and Type small cannons.

The 150mm cannon and its shells were particularly satisfying. 150 mm cannons could directly increase the firepower of an entire regiment. It was equivalent to a regiment equipped with grenade launchers. Compared to the previous Eighth Route Army units, this firepower significantly increased their combat effectiveness.

Even 150 Type small guns were too many, enough to equip two main regiments. The main forces of the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Military Region were currently well-equipped, and could easily be given to some newly formed units, such as the rd, th, th, and th Special Forces Regiments.

So that their weapons and equipment can be comparable to the main force.

If the military region's arsenal could allocate this much good stuff every three months, that would be a truly wonderful thing. Or, given the current rate of development of the military region's arsenal, perhaps the amount of good stuff allocated to the Ji-Re-Cha Military Region could double in three months. If that were the case, the Ji-Re-Cha Military Region could equip ten main regiments with enough 50mm small guns annually.

So everyone was very happy.

After discussing the military region’s replenishment of weapons and ammunition, Wei Hongjun talked about his plan to go to Yan’an in two months.

"What? You're going to Yan'an?"

Wang Qiuyun was surprised to hear that Wei Hongjun was going to Yan'an.

It should be said that everyone was surprised.

Although we occasionally heard of some generals from the front going to Yan'an, it was either some important leaders going to Yan'an to report on their work and accept new tasks, or some frontline cadres made mistakes and needed to return to Yan'an for training.

For example, the former commander of the Yireliao Advance Army and Song Shilun, the former political commissar of the 4th Column of the Eighth Route Army, were both sent back to Yan'an due to work errors. Ostensibly, they were returning to Yan'an to take charge of certain matters or to study at the Party School. In reality, they were simply transferred back to Yan'an because they were dissatisfied with their work and wanted to keep them out of the way at the front lines.

But Wei Hongjun does not have this problem.

The Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region has developed rapidly in recent years, and no one can erase the contribution of the 8th Column.

Therefore, Wei Hongjun's sudden return to Yan'an was even more puzzling. Currently, the Ji-Re-Cha Military Region was engaged in a fierce battle with the Japanese and puppet forces in Rehe. Main forces, local troops, local guerrillas, and rural militias were engaged in frequent clashes with the Japanese and puppet forces. Fighting was a constant presence.

Transferring Wei Hongjun back at this time would be detrimental to the development of the Yirecha Military Region in any way.

Marshal Nie had already informed everyone, and since they were all Party members, they knew there was no room for negotiation. Wang Qiuyun, however, remained dissatisfied, saying, "Going to Yan'an is fine; I can meet the Chairman, the Commander-in-Chief, and the others. But we've always been together, and suddenly we have to separate. I always... Well, what can I say?"

Wang Qiuyun has been busy fighting these days.

All other matters were left to Wei Hongjun. Although Wei Hongjun often consulted with him, he generally agreed with Wei Hongjun's opinions. With Wei Hongjun around, Wang Qiuyun didn't have to worry about anything else and could focus solely on how to fight the war. Wei Hongjun would take care of everything else for him.

Suddenly Wei Hongjun was about to leave, and Wang Qiuyun always felt uncomfortable all over.

"It's not like I won't come back."

Wei Hongjun smiled.

The two were from the same hometown and had joined the Red Guards, which Luo Renfa had founded. From that time on, they were almost always in the same unit. However, their true partnership didn't begin until they arrived at the First Red Division. Wei Hongjun was also a military officer. He started out as a guard running errands, but due to his bravery in combat, he rose through the ranks to become squad leader, platoon leader, and company commander, continuing to lead troops at the grassroots level.

However, after arriving at the 1st Red Division, the army lacked political cadres.

Wei Hongjun had always been studious and had good grades in literacy since joining the army, so his superiors transferred him to a political officer position. Wang Qiuyun became company commander, and Wei Hongjun became an instructor, partnering with Wang Qiuyun. From that point on, the two had been partners for eight or nine years. However, as their ranks rose, separation was inevitable.

Both of them have to adapt to this.

Even after liberation, it will be impossible for the two of them to work together forever.

Wang Qiuyun was a true soldier, his daily thoughts focused on training the troops and fighting the war. His personality made it best for him to remain in the army; leaving the military would be a bad idea for him. His personality made him prone to causing trouble in the countryside. But Wei Hongjun had many thoughts on his mind.

Wei Hongjun had no intention of staying in the army for the rest of his life, so the two of them would eventually separate.

"Okay, let's talk about the next steps. The commander has given me two months, and I must arrange my work. There's something I've wanted to discuss with you all for a long time, but everyone's been busy lately, so I haven't had time. I'm leaving soon, so I want to discuss it with you all in advance. Based on the experience of combat, base construction, and recruit training over the years, I propose that the military region establish a supplementary brigade.

"Replenishment Brigade?"

Xu Luomin asked, "Political Commissar, what is the supplementary brigade you are talking about?"

"Second-line corps."

Wei Hongjun said, "After years of development in the base area and the performance of the troops after the expansion, I have discovered a problem. The new recruits added to the army have different performances on the battlefield for the first time. Among them, the best performers are those with a certain military foundation and strong thinking. They obey orders better on the battlefield and are more courageous in fighting.

The troops also prefer such recruits.

Wei Hongjun learned about some combat situations after the expansion of the army through the political cadres under him.

Always doing statistics.

Ultimately, it was discovered that the troops' favorite recruits were those who obeyed orders, didn't cause trouble, and fought bravely. But finding such recruits wasn't easy. Sometimes, when the troops were in a pinch, many new recruits with no prior experience were added. When they arrived on the battlefield, they were prone to desertion.

Another type of recruits were recruited directly from the puppet army or captured Kuomintang soldiers. If these people were not educated enough, their military qualities would be good, but their battlefield performance would be very poor.

It is precisely because of this that the Eighth Route Army adopted the model of local troops and rural militia. When the main force recruited new soldiers, it preferred to recruit from local troops.

But Wei Hongjun later discovered that this model also had its disadvantages.

Especially after large-scale military operations, officers and soldiers in local units developed obvious guerrilla habits. Although they had fought in battles, it took a long time for them to change their guerrilla habits after being added to the army. This kind of reinforcement for the main force was actually not as good as the performance of specially trained recruits.

Because those new recruits are like blank slates. After receiving the most formal training in the new recruit regiment and being added to the main force a few months later, it is actually easier for them to adapt to military life and combat.

Therefore, Wei Hongjun prepared to establish a supplementary brigade in the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Military Region.

It is specifically used to replenish new soldiers for the main front-line troops. Of course, when necessary, the supplementary brigade can also be directly upgraded to the main brigade to fight.

"The military district will form a supplementary brigade, drawing military and political cadres from various units, as well as some veterans, to establish the cadre structure of a brigade. Their mission is to train new recruits, teach them military techniques, and provide them with political education. This training will take two to three months, or three to four months if time permits, before they are assigned to the main force. This way, our main force will have a stable source of new recruits, and the recruits we add can adapt to military life in a short period of time. What do you think?"

Chapter 528 Arrangement 2

"Commander, Political Commissar, I think this is a very good idea."

Xu Luomin was the first to support.

"In the past, our approach was to develop local forces and then draw new recruits from them. But I believe this is no longer suitable. Back when the army primarily engaged in mountain guerrilla warfare, the main and local forces had similar missions and similar combat styles. Some local forces had fought alongside the main forces, while others had independently conducted mountain guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines. Therefore, they could directly supplement the main forces and were very effective. But now, our main forces' combat methods have begun to change. Our main forces have shifted from mountain guerrilla warfare to mobile warfare and large-scale regular operations. However, our local forces still need to fight mountain guerrilla warfare against the Japanese and puppet troops, and the two cannot be seamlessly integrated. Many local troops have difficulty adapting to the main forces. They are used to the unorganized nature of mountain guerrilla warfare, and suddenly joining the main forces feels out of place. This problem has been a persistent issue for some time, and I was just about to report on any solutions to change this situation. The solution the political commissar just mentioned is a very good one. We should start by training new recruits to adapt to the current mobile warfare and large-scale regular operations of the main forces."

This is a compatibility issue between the two different modes.

It's like a local army fighting a guerrilla war in the mountains. Because they don't have accurate information, when they ambush the Japanese and puppet troops, they judge the situation of the Japanese and puppet troops by their weapons and equipment. Once they find that the Japanese and puppet troops have heavy machine guns, the local guerrillas will think that they are the main force of the Japanese and puppet troops and give up the ambush.

This is what they learned from their bloody lessons.

There were also local guerrillas, who generally fought around their own hometowns. So when they got tired from marching, they would find a place to rest. And having been conducting guerrilla warfare independently for years, they were accustomed to the freedom of movement.

But the main force is now engaged in mobile warfare, a large-scale regular war. Warfare does not allow the lower troops to be scattered.