Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

Han Weiguo served as the director of the Political Department from the establishment of the 8th Column until the establishment of the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Military Region. In Wei Hongjun's absence, Han Weiguo was the most suitable person to act as the political commissar of Wei Hongjun.

So no one objected.

"Old Han, after I leave, your work will be even busier, and you'll have to put in more effort.

After the meeting, Wei Hongjun had a special conversation with Han Weiguo.

Han Weiguo nodded and said, "Political Commissar, don't worry."

"Old Han, how many years have we worked together?"

“This is already the sixth year.”

"Old Han, we've had a great cooperation over the past six years. Before I leave, I'd like to ask you for something.

"Commissar, you go ahead."

When Han Weiguo first came to the Eighth Column, because of his seniority and many years of underground party experience, although he was the director of the political department, he also had some intentions of watching over Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun.

If he objected to something, it would not even be passed at that time.

But after joining the 8th Column, he had never done anything like this. Nor did he use his seniority to dictate the work of Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun. If he had any ideas, he would share them openly with Wei Hongjun.

It can be said that the two people cooperate very well.

Wei Hongjun also trusted Han Weiguo. Therefore, he said without hiding anything: "Although I have already carried out a rectification movement in the base area, it was still on a small scale. Once the documents from Yan'an come down, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region will definitely carry out a large-scale rectification movement. After that, our Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Border Region and the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Military Region will also have to carry out rectification. When the time comes, you must grasp the policy well. You must investigate and rectify those that need to be investigated. In recent years, our Eighth Column has developed too rapidly, and the number of party members and troops has increased too rapidly. There are indeed many problems within the party and the army. There are good and bad people mixed together, and we must clean them up. This is a certainty."

As he was about to leave for Yan'an, Wei Hongjun's only concern was the rectification movement in the border areas and military regions.

The Eighth Column developed too fast and indeed had many problems.

A rectification movement was necessary to properly sort things out. But Wei Hongjun was worried about it being exaggerated. That's why he specifically discussed it with Han Weiguo.

"But I hope you can grasp a few key points. First, there's no problem with educating those who deserve it, criticizing those who deserve it, removing those who deserve it, or even expelling them from the Party. But you absolutely must not arbitrarily exaggerate matters, and you must not resort to forced confessions, as you did during the anti-counterrevolutionary campaigns in the Soviet areas. Once that starts, the rectification movement will be unstoppable.

"I will definitely pay attention to this. I will definitely not force a confession."

"Second, without solid evidence, no massacre is permitted. Our border region and military district, nor any local government or military under it, have the right to conduct private trials for murder. Any case involving murder must be approved by the commander, you, and Comrade Hong Man. If the three of you disagree, the execution must not take place. The case will be postponed. We'll discuss everything after I return."

"it is good."

"Third, some students in our base areas have many petty-bourgeois tendencies and many bad habits that are incompatible with the base areas. Education and criticism should be the main approach for them. These people complain a lot, but we should not arbitrarily accuse them of crimes simply because of their complaints.

“Don’t worry, I deal with these students quite often.

"If you ask me, the rectification movement is the responsibility of our Party and cadres. Therefore, the rectification movement is primarily about educating our Party members and cadres. Therefore, the main focus is on them. We want our Party members and cadres to abandon liberalism and bureaucracy and follow the mass line. Unqualified cadres should be given opportunities to learn, and if they still fail, they should be transferred from their posts. Unqualified Party members may be punished with criticism, warnings, probation, or expulsion. For others, those we want to unite with, the main focus will be on criticism and education.

Another point is that while we are carrying out the rectification campaign, we must also have a department where people can file complaints. If Party members and cadres believe that the organization's criticism or punishment of them is inappropriate, they can file a complaint."

“What if all those punished come forward to appeal?”

"If there really is a mistake, we will correct it. If the punishment is appropriate, but they don't admit their mistake, and after criticism and education, they still appeal, then it means they don't understand their mistake clearly, so we increase the punishment.

"it is good."

Wei Hongjun said seriously, "Old Han, our party's rectification movement is for the purity of the party, for unified thinking, and for greater unity. It is not for retaliation. Therefore, we must never let the situation of the Soviet area's anti-counterrevolutionary movement happen again."

Chapter 530: Setting foot in Yan'an

While Wei Hongjun was making final preparations, the situation in North China was once again in turmoil.

As the Japanese increased their offensive power, the pressure on the Second and Third Armies increased significantly. Sun Lianzhong and Sun Tongxuan led the Second and Third Armies in a desperate fight against the Japanese siege.

However, as the Japanese army dispatched tank divisions, the 37th Division and the 132nd Division also joined the siege, and a large number of air forces were dispatched, the situation became increasingly unfavorable for them.

Of course, the situation on the North China Front Army side was also very bad.

Tang Enbo made a gesture of crossing the river, so that the 36th Division did not dare to make any unusual movements in Xinxiang.

Wu Shimin's 98th Army launched a fierce attack on Jincheng.

Wu Shimin personally experienced the disastrous defeat in the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain. Since the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain, he has been leading the 98th Army in the Taihang Mountains and fighting in conjunction with the Eighth Route Army in the past few years.

But the hatred at that time will always be remembered.

This time when there was an opportunity to attack Jincheng, Wu Shimin was very passive.

The remaining troops of the 37th Division in Jincheng were in critical condition after being beaten by the 98th Army.

到现在华北方面军这边调动的部队有35师团、59师团的一部分部队，还有37师团、110师团、69师团、131师团、132师团、战车师团围攻第二集团军和第三集团军，36师团坐镇新乡看着汤恩伯集团。

Support is needed everywhere.

Especially the support of the air force bombers.

But the North China Front's air force was only moderately strong. They needed air force support everywhere, so they didn't have the necessary resources. But now, Okabe Naozaburo was facing more than just a fight with the Nationalist army.

How could the Eighth Route Army let go of such a good opportunity?

In the Zhongtiao Mountain area, the 129th Division once again began to develop in great strides.

Originally, the Zhongtiao Mountain area was a mixture of various forces, including the base established by the 129th Division, the National Army troops, and the Japanese and puppet troops.

The 37th Division, in particular, had been focusing its efforts on the Zhongtiao Mountains, frequently raiding the 129th Division's base there. However, this time, the 37th Division was dispatched to southeastern Shanxi and southern Hebei, hoping to quickly resolve the situation. However, events unfolded completely unexpectedly, and the 37th Division was instead sidelined.

Now their retreat has been cut off by the 98th Army.

Wu Shimin is definitely a fierce general.

In other words, whether it was Feng Yuxiang's Northwest Army or Yang Hucheng's Shaanxi Army, known as the "Little Northwest Army," both produced powerful generals. After the 98th Army was dispatched, not only were the remaining troops of the 37th Division unable to withdraw, but even the Japanese garrison and puppet troops surrounding Jincheng were all reinforcing Jincheng, fearing that the 98th Army would capture Jincheng. If Jincheng was lost, the 98th Army could then march to northern Henan and attack the 36th Division in Xinxiang.

As a result, all the surrounding Japanese and puppet troops were attracted to Jincheng.

The strength of the Japanese and puppet troops in the Zhongtiao Mountains was rapidly declining, with few men remaining. The 129th Division had developed significantly over the past two years, and was now full of highly effective units. Taking advantage of the 37th Division's confinement in southeastern Shanxi and southern Hebei, while other Japanese and puppet troops were drawn to Jincheng, the 129th Division rapidly expanded its base around the Zhongtiao Mountains.

Within a few days, four county towns were captured in succession.

Now most of the Zhongtiao Mountain area has become the base of the 129th Division.

The situation along Zhengtai Road is also not peaceful.

The 62rd and 132th Independent Mixed Brigade were previously responsible for protecting the Zhengtai Road. The th Independent Mixed Brigade was later merged with other units and expanded to become the current nd Division. The rd Independent Mixed Brigade was then expanded to become the nd Division.

因为大本营接连从华北方面军抽调了21师团、33师团、41师团，因此在山西实在是缺少部队。所以62师团进驻太原，132师团独自负责正太路安全。

However, due to the urgency of the war, the North China Front Army requested the 132nd Division to withdraw its main forces to besiege the Second and Third Armies. After the 132nd Division withdrew its troops to the battlefield, the Zhengtai Road was directly empty.

In the early years, when the Independent Mixed Brigade 129 and the Independent Mixed Brigade were protecting the Zhengtai Road, the troops of the th Division frequently attacked the Zhengtai Road.

Although the 132nd Division had a similar number of men to the rd Independent Mixed Brigade and the th Independent Mixed Brigade, both numbering around , its combat effectiveness was significantly reduced.

It was not easy to deal with the 129th Division on Zhengtai Road.

This time too many troops were mobilized, how could they possibly stop the 129th Division?

The 129th Division, including the newly established Hebei-Shandong Military Region in the Jin-Cha-Ji region, began to send troops to attack the Zhengtai Road. The Hebei-Shandong Military Region sent troops to recapture Jingjing, and the 129th Division also successively captured Yangquan, Pingding, Shouyang and other places, completely cutting off the Zhengtai Road.

There is also the 129th Division of the Ji'nan Military Region.

The fighting in Yi'nan was very intense, and it seemed that many Japanese and puppet troops were gathered. But for the Ji'nan Military Region, this was the best opportunity. The logistics units of the Japanese and puppet troops were everywhere, and the Ji'nan Military Region frequently attacked the logistics units of the Japanese and puppet troops.

This is the Eighth Route Army’s favorite thing.

In the past few years, after the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region became powerful, it has not been able to get such a good opportunity. Now the Japanese and puppet troops are gathering in southeastern Shanxi and southern Hebei, and a lot of supplies need to be sent to the front line. This just gave the troops of the Southern Hebei Military Region an opportunity.

Then there is the Jireliao Military Region.

This time, the 35th Division and the 59th Division both sent troops south, and the strength of the Japanese army in the eastern Hebei region declined again. It was completely a case of one side gaining while the other side gained. After the establishment of the Jireliao Military Region, the strength of the Jireliao Military Region has been growing.

The chances are even better now.

The Jireliao Military Region took advantage of this opportunity and continued to control more and more counties. By April 1943, the Jireliao Military Region had directly controlled 4 counties in eastern Hebei, which means that half of the counties in eastern Hebei were under the control of the Jireliao Military Region.

It can be said that the current situation in North China is really a matter of great importance.

Due to a shortage of troops, the North China Front Army is currently fighting by tearing down the east wall to repair the west wall. However, tearing down the east wall to repair the west wall is not so easy to do. After all, if you tear down the east wall, the east wall will also cause problems. The problem is that the North China Front Army's combat effectiveness has declined, and after tearing down the east wall, the west wall cannot be repaired. This is the biggest problem.

The North China Front Army is now drawing troops from this area, so problems arise in this area. Then they draw troops from other places, and problems arise in other places.

It does not solve the underlying problem.

Okabe Naosaburo is the most angry now.

The Japanese had originally hoped to resolve the battle quickly, but the situation was so unfavorable that it turned into a mess. Since the establishment of the Changdao Detachment, the Japanese army suddenly moved south to besiege the Nationalist Second and Third Armies, hoping to resolve the battle within a few days and force the surrender of Pang Bingxun's 24th Army.

As a result, the problem was not solved after several days.

Instead, the weakness of the North China Front Army was clearly exposed. The highly anticipated 110th Division, in particular, not only failed to complete its assigned mission but also suffered heavy casualties at the hands of the Second Army. After only a few days of fighting, two battalion commanders were killed and a regiment commander was seriously injured, bringing the total casualties to over 2400.

It's really embarrassing.

The performance of the 131st and 132nd Divisions was not much better.

Originally, the performance of these three divisions should not be so bad. The main reason is that they have just received a large number of new recruits and originally needed a period of training to form combat effectiveness.

But Naosaburo Okabe insisted on fighting this battle, and as a result, all three of their divisions performed poorly.

Ultimately, however, the Second and Third Armies were short of logistical supplies. After all, they were caught off guard by the Japanese and suffered heavy casualties. So, on April 1943, 4, Sun Lianzhong and Sun Tongxuan decided to break out. They each chose a different direction.

Sun Lianzhong decided to break out from the 132nd Division, while Sun Tongxuan decided to break out from the 131st Division.

After these days of fighting, both of them realized that the combat effectiveness of the 131st and 132nd Divisions, the two newly formed security divisions, was indeed much weaker. Therefore, they decided to break out from the positions of these two divisions.

Sun Lianzhong led the Second Army to break out and reached Liao County and Liaoxi County, which later became Zuoquan County. This was the base of the 129th Division. Sun Lianzhong had a bad relationship with the Eighth Route Army. But at this time, Sun Lianzhong had no other choice.

Now we can only go to the Eighth Route Army base to rest, otherwise if we continue, there will be a danger of annihilation of the entire army.

So he didn't care about the conflict between himself and the Eighth Route Army.

After the Second Army retreated to Liaoxian and Liaoxi County, Sun Lianzhong's face was extremely grim. The Second Army originally had nearly 40,000 troops, but only about 9,000 of them retreated with him. In just one battle, 30,000 troops were lost.

Sun Tongxuan led the Third Army to break out westward and enter the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei-Shandong Military Region.

Sun Tongxuan didn't have the same concerns as Sun Lianzhong, as he had a very good relationship with the Eighth Route Army. This time, Sun Tongxuan's Third Army also suffered heavy casualties. The Japanese aircraft inflicted heavy casualties on the troops.

Especially in plain areas.

There was nowhere to hide. Even hiding in the trenches would result in high casualties. Sun Tongxuan led the Third Army into the Yilu Military Region, leaving only about 4000 men.

The Jilu Military Region dispatched the 131th Brigade to support Sun Tongxuan's rd Army and repelled the pursuing troops of the st Division following the rd Army.

Sun Tongxuan is very single.

After entering the Hebei-Shandong Military Region, he met with the leaders of the region and quickly announced his joining the Eighth Route Army. This was because Sun Tongxuan's Third Army already had many underground party members, and many of its subordinate units even had direct party organizations.

Therefore, after Sun Tongxuan decided to join the Eighth Route Army, the troops did not encounter any problems. The troops accepted the reorganization very smoothly, and the Third Army was reorganized into the Guard Brigade of the Hebei-Shandong Military Region.

The Second and Third Armies suffered losses of 40,000 men.