Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

The Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Advance Army was originally on par with the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region. However, compared to the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region's rapid development, the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Advance Army saw little growth. The main regiments initially planned for the advance were never established, and ultimately the army was merged into the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region.

The chaos inside is very complicated.

Whether it was the Pingxi, Pingbei or Jidong base areas, their development was very poor.

"I have done some research on the areas of Yanqing, Longguan, Chicheng, Chongli and Fengning. Especially in Yanqing, Longguan and Chicheng, which are very close to us, there are many village associations that have bad relations with the Japanese. They do not obey the orders of the Japanese army, nor do they obey the orders of the pseudo-Chahar League Office. There are even some village associations that openly oppose the Japanese army. When the Fourth Column attacked Pingbei, the brave troops among these village associations attacked the convoys of the Japanese and puppet troops. In the past two months, our Eighth Route Army has been famous in Chahar. Our Eighth Column not only smashed the siege of the Japanese army, but also continuously expanded the territory, making the Japanese The troops have retreated into the city, afraid to leave. The Fourth Column swept through the Japanese and puppet troops in Pingbei, and the Yidong uprising shook all of China. I think we should use this opportunity to contact the village associations in Yanqing, Longguan, and Chicheng that are dissatisfied with the Japanese army and are fighting against it, recruit them, and reorganize them. This way, we can have a force in Yanqing, Longguan, and Chicheng. As long as we can vigorously develop the armed forces in this area in a short period of time, and then destroy the puppet government offices in Chicheng, Chongli, and Fengning, and crack down on traitors, we will definitely attract the attention of the Japanese army. The Japanese army in Rehe will definitely respond."

Xiahou Wen talked freely.

It's obvious that some effort was put into it.

Everyone was looking at the map, looking at the important places Xiahou Wen had pointed out. Overall, Xiahou Wen did have a very strategic vision.

He had already jumped out of Chanan and saw further.

Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun were considering the possibility of this matter.

The strength of the Japanese army in the Pingbei area cannot be underestimated.

Especially since the Japanese occupied this place for a long time, the traitor organizations here were relatively well-established. The existence of traitor organizations was the reason why many anti-Japanese armed forces had difficulty surviving. To put it bluntly, how many Japanese troops were there?

With such a vast territory as Chahar, Suiyuan and Mongolia, what could 20,000 Japanese troops do?

However, it was precisely because of the existence of the traitorous organizations that the Japanese army was able to control such a vast territory with a small number of troops. The traitorous armed forces maintained local security, while the Japanese army was specifically responsible for combating the anti-Japanese armed forces.

"Do you have a goal?"

Chapter 146 The Situation in Pingbei

"Have."

"Talk about it."

"In the northern part of Kangzhuang, an armed Black Horse Corps of 300 to 400 men is active. This unit is mainly composed of cavalry, and they frequently attack the logistics units of the Japanese and puppet troops. The Japanese army and the traitors have always wanted to eliminate them, but they can run, and the Japanese army has failed to capture them despite several encirclement and suppression efforts. In order to encircle and suppress them, the Japanese and puppet troops even sent out cavalry units, but they are still alive and well. After the Japanese army retreated for the past two months, this unit has become even more active. They began to frequently attack the traitor armed forces in the Yanqing area and have become very famous locally."

"What kind of weapon is this?"

Both Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun were very interested.

In Yanqing, Longguan and Chicheng areas, where the Japanese army had such strong control, they were still able to frequently attack the devils. It was really amazing.

However, there are many armed forces in this area, many of which call themselves "Dark Horse Teams" or are called "Dark Horse Teams".

The armed forces of the Lianzhuang Association that Xiahou Wen recruited in Huailai were called the "Black Horse Team," and the bandits eliminated by the Eighth Route Army in southern Hebei were also called the "Black Horse Team." The armed forces currently active in Yanqing, Longguan, and Chicheng are also called the "Black Horse Team."

"I heard that it was part of the Chahar Anti-Japanese Allied Army Cavalry Unit in the early years, and it incorporated local horse bandits to form a bandit force.

Their leader, Ma Hongyuan, is a gifted cavalry commander. The Japanese cavalry has repeatedly attempted to annihilate them, but they haven't been successful. Recently, he contacted us through an intermediary, hoping to collaborate with us in the fight against the Japanese. I think this is a good start. If we can work together, we'll have a formidable cavalry unit here."

"It's a good thing."

A cavalry unit that has been galloping across the grassland for several years.

If the Eighth Route Army could successfully incorporate them, they would have a powerful fighting force. However, Wei Hongjun said, "They are horse bandits. They don't need logistics in normal times. They can survive as long as they have a nest. For them, there is no need to build a base."

But if we want to develop here, we can't be like them. We need a stable base."

The biggest difference between the Eighth Route Army and those bandits is that the Eighth Route Army wants to build a base.

Only with a base can the troops come to rest when they are tired. The troops need logistical supplies, and the base can provide them. If there is no base, how can these problems be solved?

"This is the second target I want to talk about. There is a village called Haituo Village in Haituo Mountain, which is located at the junction of Huailai, Yanqing and Longguan (Longguan Town, Chicheng County). There is a village association in the area. It was formed by the union of more than a dozen local villages and has more than 300 members, most of whom are local hunters. I heard that its weapons and equipment are also very good. It is the largest village association organization in Longguan County. Later, after the Japanese army occupied Longguan County, they asked the local village association to either hand over all its weapons or join the Anti-Communist Defense Corps. They disagreed, so the Japanese arrested the president and vice president of the village association, as well as several local wealthy families who supported the village association, and asked them to hand over their weapons. These people still disagreed, so the Japanese killed them all. The village association elected Zhou Yuanming, the younger brother of the former vice president, as president. The Japanese sent the puppet Manchukuo army to prepare for a military encirclement and suppression. Zhou Yuanming led the village association to resist and drove them away.

Later, as the Japanese army pressed forward, Zhou Yuanming bribed the local traitors and handed over dozens of broken guns and a light machine gun, which put an end to the incident. However, despite handing over these guns, they still maintained the scale of the Lianzhuang Association with more than 300 people and still retained sufficient weapons. This was the result of the local traitors turning a blind eye. I heard that Zhou Yuanming was well-educated and very prestigious in the local area. Many other Lianzhuang Associations around him usually follow his lead. He has a blood feud with the Japanese. If we can persuade him to join the Eighth Route Army, we will be able to have 500 to 600 people here. Together with the "Black Horse Team", we can gather a force of 1,000 people here in a short time. In addition, Zhou Yuanming is a local, so we will open up a new base in Haituo Mountain with Haituo Village as the center."

Wei Hongjun nodded.

There are many armed forces fighting against the Japanese behind enemy lines.

Especially after the July 7 Incident, such armed forces became countless. Both the Nationalist Army and the Eighth Route Army were trying their best to win over these armed forces. If these armed forces wanted to continue the anti-Japanese war, they could only join the Nationalist Army or the Eighth Route Army. There was no third way.

The National Army can distribute money, and the Eighth Route Army can build bases.

The Japanese were still engaged in a fierce battle with the Nationalist army on the front lines, leaving them with few troops to mop up the enemy lines. Consequently, various anti-Japanese armed forces were springing up behind enemy lines. Besides building and developing bases, the Eighth Route Army also had to reorganize these armed forces for its own use.

"Can you contact them?"

"Yes. When the Pingxi Detachment was establishing the Huailai and Zhuoxian Anti-Japanese Base Areas, they actually sent a working group to the Yanqing and Longguan areas. However, the work there was not going well, and the Fourth Column was quickly formed, and then they attacked Pingbei to support the Jidong Uprising. Therefore, they only had the most basic understanding of these areas and had not yet had time to establish a new base here.

Xia Houwen said it very tactfully.

But Wei Hongjun knew that the Pingxi Detachment's difficulty in opening up here was due to the fact that their own base, the Pingxi Base, had not been developing smoothly. In other words, the Pingxi Detachment and the Pingxi Base had many cadres and students, so they could send work teams in all directions. They had to try their luck first.

Overall the effect is very poor.

Had the independent detachment not dispatched troops, the Sanggong region work group would have been wiped out by Dong Baji. The work groups in other regions were similarly slow, though making some progress. The Eighth Route Army in Chahar was poorly equipped, and establishing a base without the support of the troops was extremely difficult.

Xia Houwen's work is considered the best.

Rural bases were established, party members were recruited, and anti-Japanese guerrillas were formed.

If it were the Eighth Column, Wei Hongjun would not have been willing to send out so many work groups. Those work groups were staffed by such excellent cadres.

“That’s a good idea indeed.”

Wang Qiuyun also nodded.

Now is the best opportunity to develop an anti-Japanese base in this area by taking advantage of the fact that the Japanese army is short of troops on the Pingsui Road.

Wei Hongjun was also very interested.

Historically, the Eighth Route Army's advance into the Pingbei region occurred between the summer and the end of 1939. By then, the Battle of Wuhan, the largest front-line battle, had concluded almost a year earlier, and the Japanese had even captured Guangzhou. As the Japanese front expanded, anti-Japanese forces behind enemy lines frequently attacked Japanese transportation lines. The Japanese understood that allowing these forces to continue their advance would be of little benefit to them.

Therefore, after entering 1939, the Japanese army began to intensify its sweep of the enemy's rear areas and even began to withdraw troops from the front lines. As a result, the Ji-Re-Cha Military Region encountered great resistance in its several attempts to advance into Pingbei.

The timing is right.

The Japanese army's 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade and five garrison battalions, which were supposed to guard the Ping-Sui Road, had all been hit. Furthermore, a large number of troops had been mobilized due to the 4th Column's offensive in Pingbei and the subsequent Jidong uprising.

The Japanese troops along the Pingsui Road were seriously understaffed.

This period of time was a good opportunity to rapidly develop bases in Yanqing, Longguan, and Chicheng. The Eighth Route Army's greatest strength was that once a base was established, no matter how dire the situation, even if the entire army was annihilated, they could still maintain their vitality.

Wei Hongjun looked at Xia Houwen and suddenly asked, "What do you think if the column wants you to open up the Haituo Mountain base?"

Wang Qiuyun turned her head and looked at Wei Hongjun, but did not object.

Among the cadres of the Eighth Column, Xia Houwen was the most experienced in establishing new bases. He was an all-round cadre who could lead troops in battles in the army and, in the field, build bases and recruit Party members.

Xia Houwen stood up and said, "I will definitely complete the task."

"What do you want?"

"I want to take a company from the New First Regiment, specifically Zhou Chong's Third Company. I also want to take ten local Party members and cadres with me."

Wei Hongjun looked at Wang Qiuyun. Wang Qiuyun nodded and said, "You will open up the Haituo Mountain base. I will give you the designation of the New Third Regiment of the Eighth Column. You will serve as both regimental commander and political commissar."

Give a name.

If the name is not right, the words will not flow. There must be a name.

Wei Hongjun thought for a moment and said, "After you go to Haituo Mountain, you will establish the Long (Longguan) Yan (Yanqing) County Government there, and you will serve as the county party secretary. Develop the local government and the party branch there."

"Yes."

"When are you leaving?"

"Commander, Political Commissar, I think the sooner the better. When all the Japanese army's attention is drawn to eastern Hebei, we can catch them off guard."

"it is good."

Chapter 147 Adjustment of Base Area Development

After the meeting, Wang Qiuyun felt a little depressed.

Originally, they had envisioned a spectacular battle, demonstrating the Eighth Column's strength to the Military Region and the First Division. However, they hadn't anticipated that with tens of thousands of troops, achieving anything would be far more challenging than they'd imagined. While there were tens of thousands of troops, each unit had its own mission, and it was impossible to mobilize so many to fight. After the meeting, only a few leaders from the Eighth Column remained in the conference room.

Political Commissar Wei Hongjun, Deputy Commanders Xiao Yongshi, Li Shiping, Zhang Zihua, and Director of the Political Department Han Weiguo.

"Old Wang, Xiahou Wen is leaving to establish the Long (Longguan) Yan (Yanqing) base. Who will be in charge of the New 1st Regiment?"

"New group?"

Wang Qiuyun thought for a moment and said, "Let Comrade Zhang Dahu go. He has served as Chief of Staff since joining the army. Let him command the frontline troops."

The status of the chief of staff in this era was completely different from that of the chief of staff decades later.

The chief of staff in this era was just a chief of staff. He served as a consultant to military officers, and his real status was lower than that of the commanders on the front line.

Zhang Dahu, a graduate of a regular military academy, previously led troops on the front lines and possessed extensive combat experience. He first served as Chief of Staff to Wang Qiuyun and, after the Sixteenth Regiment was established, assumed the role. He rarely led troops in combat independently. At most, he would be temporarily assigned to take charge of a specific area during combat.

He should be allowed to lead the troops on the front line.

Wei Hongjun nodded.

Zhang Dahu had served as a military commander in the 29th Army. The New 1st Regiment was supposedly regimental-level, but in reality, it was a small regiment. Furthermore, Xiahou Wen had withdrawn Zhou Chong's Third Company, which had many veterans, so the New 1st Regiment's combat effectiveness was questionable.

It is a good thing to let Zhang Dahu train her.

"Old Wang, if Xiahou Wen can really cause a big incident in the Longyan area, the impact will be even greater than if we directly attacked the important strongholds of the Pingsui Road."

"The Longyan area is an area none of us have touched upon. Not only have we not been involved, but even when the Pingxi detachment was there, there was no disturbance in the area. It's not easy for Xiahou Wen to cause a major incident with just a company of troops."

Wang Qiuyun sighed.

Xiahou Wen is capable, but the Eighth Route Army in Longyan area has no foundation.

It's not easy to do anything.

Wei Hongjun nodded.

However, Wei Hongjun quickly changed the subject, saying, "Since everyone is here, let's talk about the development of the base area. Comrade Zhang Zihua and Comrade Han Kaiming just introduced their work in Huailai at the meeting. I'd like to discuss this issue."

"Commander, Political Commissar, I'm here to make a self-criticism. I forgot that we were at war and thought everything would be fine once the Japanese and puppet troops retreated to the county town. So I dispersed the 16th Regiment and forgot to leave behind a mobile unit.

Zhang Zihua stood up and reviewed himself.

Wei Hongjun nodded.

"This is indeed worthy of criticism. All of our troops must pay attention to this. No matter what happens, we must always keep a mobile force at hand. The battlefield situation is changing rapidly, and so is the situation in the base area. Anything could happen. The same applies to the column, the regiments, and the detachments below. Having a force that can be mobilized is the only way to remain calm in the face of emergencies. Like now, if the Japanese army raids your base area, it will be very difficult for you to temporarily mobilize troops."

“I accept criticism.”

"Director Han, please write this down and send it to all the regiments and detachments below. Let them learn from this and pay attention to it in the future."

"Yes."

Han Weiguo accepted the order.