Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

After Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun returned from Lingqiu, they immediately convened a meeting of the Eighth Column leaders.

This time it was an enlarged meeting of cadres of the Eighth Column.

All the cadres above the battalion level of the Eighth Column were present. This included local leaders from various counties. Wei Hongjun was now the secretary of the Chanan Special Committee, the undisputed highest leader of the Chanan base area. While not quite the top leader of the Party, government, or military, he wasn't far off. Therefore, the local branches could send representatives to the meeting.

"The commander just explained the situation. The reason we called everyone here for a meeting, rather than issuing direct orders from the column headquarters, is because you are all on the front lines and are more familiar with the current situation of the army, the situation within the base area, and the enemy facing you. So the commander and I want to hear your opinions. See if you have any ideas for completing the tasks assigned to us by the military region and division headquarters. Everyone, please speak your mind and don't hesitate."

When the troops are small, you need to do everything yourself.

However, as the number of troops increases, especially the Eighth Route Army developing behind enemy lines, it is even more necessary for the front-line troops to give full play to their subjective initiative.

Trying to handle everything at once is fine when the troops are small and the base is small, but it can tire you to death when the troops are large and the base is large.

"Commander, Political Commissar, let me speak first."

“Speak freely.”

Zhang Zihua, commander of the 16th Regiment, spoke.

Wei Hongjun nodded immediately. Zhang Zihua was a rare independent military and political talent in the current Eighth Column. He was not only skilled in establishing and building bases, but also in building and developing the army.

"Our 16th Regiment's main tasks at the moment are to reorganize and train the troops. The other is to send personnel to support the local government in developing a base. The Japanese army is currently hiding in the county seat, and even with the strength of our 16th Regiment, we can't capture Huailai County. We can send troops to cut off the Pingsui Road, but the Pingsui Road has been interrupted for a while. Since the Fourth Column attacked and captured Changping County and then destroyed the local railway, the Pingsui Road has been under construction. So even if we go to cut off the Pingsui Road, it won't have much impact. Therefore, I believe that the current task of the 16th Regiment is to develop and consolidate the base, rather than to send a large force out to fight."

Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun looked at each other.

Wang Qiuyun was a little angry.

He wanted to say something, but Wei Hongjun pulled Wang Qiuyun under the table and asked, "How is the current situation of your 16th Regiment developing and consolidating the base area?"

"Secretary Wei, I will report on the current development of the base area in Huailai."

Han Kaiming, who was appointed as the secretary of the Huailai County Party Committee, spoke.

"After the 370th Regiment crushed the three-way siege of the Japanese army, the Japanese retreated to Huailai County and abandoned the surrounding towns. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the 1000th Regiment and the County Party Committee have incorporated all the towns in the southern part of Huailai County into the base area, and connected it with the base area opened up by the New st Regiment. At present, the County Party Committee has established district governments in the seven districts of Huailai County and established district teams in each district. new local party members have been developed in Huailai County, and the goal is to increase the number of local party members to within the year. Each district team has between and people, and the captains of the district teams are The Sixteenth Regiment dispatched troops primarily composed of experienced squad and platoon leaders. The Sixteenth Regiment and the County Party Committee envisioned that future district squads in Huailai County would be sized like ordinary companies of eighty to one hundred men, with militia units established in every village. During Japanese raids, the militia would protect the civilians' retreat, while the district squads would primarily harass the enemy, and the county brigade and main force would annihilate them. With the Japanese now holed up in the county seat, it's time to consolidate our base. The Sixteenth and New First Regiments would conduct company-based training in each district (township), while also providing military training for the district squads and militia units.

Wei Hongjun fell into deep thought.

Huailai County’s idea is correct and its approach is very successful.

Huailai County has sixteen regiments and a new regiment. The main force is quite strong in terms of numbers. The sixteenth regiment is a large regiment, and after adding a battalion, it now has three battalions and twelve infantry companies.

Including specialized units like the Guard, Reconnaissance, Logistics, and Engineer Companies directly under the Regimental Headquarters, the total strength reached approximately 2400 men. The New st Regiment was a small regiment, consisting of only six infantry companies, and the Regimental Headquarters had no direct subordinate units. In total, it numbered between and men.

In addition to the main force, there is also the county brigade led by Jia Zheng, which also has nearly 400 people.

But these are all fighting troops.

The Red Army and the Eighth Route Army always fought on a combination of interior and exterior lines. The main force must be highly mobile and must not be confined to a single location, thereby risking detection by the enemy. The task of attracting the enemy, harassing them, and protecting the masses fell to the local forces. Therefore, developing district-level squads and village militias was essential.

Only by close cooperation between the main force and local forces can the base area be defended.

However, at present, the Eighth Route Army is expanding too quickly.

Many base areas faced the problem of excessive growth in the main force, which devoured too many cadres. As a result, the development of local forces was slow. While the problem was not apparent at the time, it became apparent after the Hundred Regiments Campaign, when the Japanese concentrated their forces to sweep through the base areas.

The local troops were unable to hold up, and the main force suffered heavy losses, resulting in a severe blow to the base area. Only then did the Eighth Route Army begin to send large numbers of cadres to the local areas to help improve the combat effectiveness of the local troops.

Huailai County's approach of simultaneously building and consolidating the base, and also allowing military cadres to develop district squads and militia, was a good one. Rather than being carried away by victory, they were focused on developing the base. Wei Hongjun looked at Zhang Zihua with renewed esteem.

He is indeed a man of great vision and an excellent cadre in both military and political fields.

The atmosphere of the meeting was also rather solemn.

After all, Wang Qiuyun's meaning was simple. The orders from the military region and division headquarters were simple, and the meaning was clear. That was that the Eighth Column must stir up some trouble to attract the attention of the Japanese army.

But now the 16th Regiment, the main force of the 8th Column, took the lead in expressing its refusal.

Wang Qiuyun looked unhappy.

"You mean the Sixteenth Regiment can't send out any troops?"

"Commander, our point is that although we had a good relationship before, Wang Qiuyun is now the commander of the Eighth Column." So Zhang Zihua hurried to explain. However, Wei Hongjun interrupted, "The Sixteenth Regiment will be put aside first. Everyone else, please tell us what you think."

"Commander, Political Commissar, our 18th Regiment has been developing the Xuanhua and Zhuolu bases for some time. However, the Japanese army has not reacted much in the areas we have occupied in Xuanhua and Zhuolu. The Japanese army is short of manpower, and after retreating to the county seat, they are not concerned about what is happening outside. Even if we cause any trouble in Xuanhua and Zhuolu, it will not attract the attention of the Japanese army, let alone the devils in the Rehe area."

Lei Jiabin, the political commissar of the 18th Regiment, which was reorganized from the Special Service Battalion and the 1st Battalion of the 10th Squadron, spoke cautiously.

The 18th Regiment is even farther away from Rehe.

If they stir up trouble, they will attract the Japanese from Datong and Zhangjiakou to come out and sweep, and it won't be the turn of the Japanese from Rehe. Lei Jiabin said this, and the First Detachment and the Guerrilla Detachment next to him had the same idea.

No matter how they cause trouble, it has nothing to do with the Rehe devils.

Chen Zhonghe, who had just been appointed as the head of the Operations Section, spoke up. "Commander, Political Commissar, judging from the current situation, it's not easy for us in the Eighth Column to stir up trouble and attract the Japanese troops from Peking and Rehe. This is because we're constantly developing northward, unlike the First Detachment, which has strong forces in Yixian and Mancheng. From these two counties, they can threaten Baoding and Langfang. This will prevent the Japanese troops in Peking and Baoding from deploying too many troops. However, where we are, there's no place that the Japanese would need to rescue."

"Then what do you mean?"

"We only have one place where we can strike and influence the choices of the Japanese troops in Peking."

"Are you talking about Mentougou?"

"Yes."

Chen Zhonghe nodded.

He said, "The only way for our Eighth Column to attract the Japanese army's attention is to send troops from Chunhua Fort to Mentougou and cause a big commotion in Wanping County and along the Yongding River. If we send an elite squad to attack some of the strongholds around Peking, this might provoke a reaction from the Japanese army in Peking."

Although the 8th Column is currently developing well, the strategic position of Chahar is much worse than that of other military sub-districts in Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei.

For example, Division 1 operated directly north of Baoding, and its troops could even move north to near Peking. Division 2 operated around Tongpu Road, Division 3 operated around Baoding and Shijiazhuang, and Division 4 directly threatened Zhengtai Road.

What could the Eighth Column do in comparison? The only thing it could threaten was the Ping-Sui Railway. But since Xiahou Wen destroyed Kangzhuang Station and the Fourth Column destroyed the surrounding railways when it captured Changping, the Ping-Sui Railway had been cut off for some time. With the Ping-Sui Railway already cut off, what was the point of the Eighth Column sending troops to threaten it now?

Chapter 145: Besiege Wei to Save Zhao 2

However, after hearing what Chen Zhonghe said, Wang Qiuyun's expression looked much better.

He had promised the division commander that the Eighth Column would definitely cause a major disturbance. If the Eighth Column couldn't even make a small noise, how would he explain it to the division commander? Wang Qiuyun quickly began to consider the feasibility of this suggestion.

Looking at the map, he said, "If we want to cause trouble, it won't just be Mentougou. We need to make trouble in Wanping, Fangshan, Liangshan, Zhuozhou, Laishui, and other places. It would be best if we could capture one or two county towns, or important strongholds. Only then will the Japanese army in Peking take us seriously and not dare to send out large forces. But there is a problem. These places are all under the jurisdiction of the Pingxi base, and they are not under the jurisdiction of us.

We are not familiar with this place. If we want to make a big move, the remaining troops of the Fourth Column and the local troops of the Pingxi base must cooperate closely with us.

"That's no problem. Comrade Zhong Yun was previously a member of the Pingxi Detachment and is very familiar with the people in the Pingxi base."

Wei Hongjun pointed at Zhong Yun.

Zhong Yun was bought by Wei Hongjun in exchange for many good things.

The Eighth Column sent troops into the Pingxi base area to support the Jidong Uprising. Furthermore, the leadership of the Jidong Uprising had already shifted to the Fourth Column, which had entered the Jidong region. The Eighth Column's entry into Wanping and other areas was, to put it bluntly, a continuation of the Fourth Column's work in Yidong.

"Ah."

Wang Qiuyun glanced at the cadres present.

Start calculating in your mind.

Originally, this kind of thing should have been left to the main regiment. However, the 16th Regiment had just announced they couldn't leave, and the 18th Regiment had recently been reorganized and was establishing bases in the Xuanhua and Zhuolu areas. The 19th Regiment was placed in Districts 3 and 4, specifically to target Datong.

Although the 8th Column had to support the Yidong Uprising, it could not abandon its own base.

Datong was a heavily guarded area by the Japanese. While Datong had many troops to contend with, it wasn't impossible for them to suddenly go crazy and send a regiment to sweep Shengxian. Therefore, the 19th Regiment would still be stationed in the southwest of Shengxian.

Among the remaining troops, the First Detachment and the Guerrilla Detachment have their own things to do, and the New First Regiment is currently developing the Huailai base, so only the New Second Regiment can be mobilized.

"Chen Zuning."

"arrive."

"Your New Second Regiment will enter Mentougou from Chunhua Fort. Once you enter Mentougou, do not act rashly or accept interference from anyone. First and foremost, ensure the safety of your troops, and then strike the enemy from that foundation."

"Yes.

"Zhong Yun."

"arrive."

"You will accompany the New Second Regiment into Mentougou. You are familiar with both the Pingxi Detachment and the local cadres of the Pingxi base area. You will coordinate the two forces and unite to attack the Japanese in the Wanping, Fangshan, Liangshan, Zhuozhou, and Laishui areas.

"Yes."

After Wang Qiuyun gave the order, he thought for a moment and said, "The column's artillery team will equip you with mortar and heavy machine gun companies to strike hard at the enemy. If you can't take out the Japanese, you can take out the traitors. As long as we can make a big noise, anything is fine. I will also assign a training team to your New Second Regiment. Bring back any students who want to join the army. Doctors, teachers, engineers, and the like would be even better. After all, we in the Eighth Column are not afraid of having too many people."

"Yes."

Looking at the New Second Regiment receiving the order, Wang Qiuyun still sighed.

The New Second Regiment was only a small regiment with eight companies in the Eighth Column, with a total number of just over a thousand people. It was not a good idea for the Eighth Column, a main column with a 10,000-strong division, to send only a New Second Regiment of more than a thousand people.

Everyone understood what Wang Qiuyun meant.

But no one spoke.

Wang Qiuyun's desire to send troops in a grand manner was incompatible with the Eighth Column's current situation. The First Division was able to send two main force regiments because they had a strong foundation. The First Division comprised both main and local forces, totaling nearly 30,000 men.

Although the 17th and 20th Regiments were still undergoing training, and the 1st and 3rd Regiments were out on missions, the First Division still had enough local troops to protect their base. However, before the Eighth Column's foundation was established, the development of the local forces was completely inferior to that of the First Division.

"Commander, Commissar, I have an idea.

Xia Houwen, the leader of the new regiment, spoke.

Wang Qiuyun admired Xia Houwen very much, so she said, "Tell me about it."

"Commander, Political Commissar, we want to develop the Chahar base area. Why can we only develop it south of the Pingsui Railway and not the area north of it?"

"Area north of the Pingsui Road?"

Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun immediately looked at the map.

The area south of the Ping-Sui Railway was the focus of the Eighth Column's development. This was primarily because the Ping-Sui Railway had always been a heavily-populated area for Japanese troops and a heavily-protected area. Even the area south of the Ping-Sui Railway hadn't been fully developed, and Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun had never considered developing the area north of the Ping-Sui Railway.

Wei Hongjun asked, "Where are you talking about?"

"Haituo Mountain."

“Do we have a foundation?”

“The foundation is shallow, but it is not without potential for development.

"Talk about it."

Wei Hongjun died on Haituo Mountain.

Haituo Mountain was the historical location of the command center of the Pingbei base area, which developed with Haituo Mountain as its center.

Originally, the mission of the 8th Column was to open up the Chahar base, but now the New 2nd Regiment is attacking the territory of the Pingxi base, and Xiahou Wen is considering developing the Pingbei base.

Historically, the development of the Pingbei base area was not very smooth, and it could even be said to be full of difficulties.