Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

After the July 17 Incident, the Japanese army quickly realized they lacked the necessary manpower to launch a full-scale invasion of China. Originally, the Japanese army had only 24 divisions, but the unexpected resistance on the Chinese battlefield allowed the Japanese army to rapidly expand to 21 divisions, with the st division deployed in China.

But it still cannot solve China's problems.

As a result, the Japanese army continued to expand after entering 1938. By then, the Japanese army had expanded to 34 divisions, 32 of which had been deployed in China. In just one year, the Japanese army doubled in size.

But even with this expansion, the Japanese army's situation was still not good.

The Kwantung Army, the North China Front Army, and the Central China Front Army were all short on troops. They all petitioned Japan for reinforcements. With no other options, Japan continued to train its troops, aiming for a force of 1939 divisions by 40. Furthermore, the Japanese-occupied areas were far from stable, prompting the central government and the Eighth Route Army to deploy large numbers of troops behind enemy lines.

Therefore, while the Japanese army was expanding its divisions, it was also building a garrison on the Kwantung Army side (roughly a brigade organization, about 5000 people) and began large-scale training of mixed brigades on the battlefield inland.

But even so, the Japanese troops in China still felt short of manpower.

So the Japanese army began to arm the puppet army. Of course, this was all their plan.

At this stage, the large-scale puppet army had not yet begun training, so the Japanese army was currently flooded with telegrams requesting reinforcements. The Battle of Wuhan had not yet ended, and the Jidong uprising had not yet been resolved. However, the Japanese army could no longer bear it, and Terauchi Hisaichi of the North China Front was under tremendous pressure.

There is constant criticism at home.

Therefore, Terauchi Hisaichi could only give orders to the troops stationed in Mongolia.

"Your Excellency, Lieutenant General, this order from the headquarters is too sudden.

Zhangjiakou.

The senior generals of the Mongolian corps are all here.

Chief of Staff of the Mongolian Corps, Ishimoto Toranozo, frowned.

"Because of the situation in Jidong, the North China Front Army is currently under great pressure. The North China Front Army cannot spare troops for the problem in Jidong, and needs the Kwantung Army to send troops to encircle and suppress it. The headquarters is worried that when we encircle and suppress the Chinese troops in Jidong, the Eighth Route Army's Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei troops will cause trouble. That's why they asked us to send troops."

Hasunuma Han, commander of the Mongolian garrison, spoke.

At the end of September 1938, the Mongolian Garrison Corps received an order from the North China Front Army Headquarters. The North China Front Army requested that the Mongolian Garrison Corps dispatch troops to sweep the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region and eliminate the Eighth Route Army troops currently threatening Chahar, Yanbei, western Hebei, and central Hebei.

Because the Kwantung Army and the puppet Manchukuo Army were already in place, the North China Front Army finally pulled some troops from the transportation lines to prepare to encircle and suppress the Jidong troops. However, they were worried that the Eighth Route Army in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region would be restless.

Ishimoto Torazō replied, "Lieutenant General, we suffered heavy losses in our last raid. We've only had new recruits for less than a month, and the troops aren't yet well-coordinated. Attacking like this will affect the effectiveness of the raid."

The Mongolian garrison currently consisted of only the 26th Division, the 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade, and five garrison battalions. The previous raid on the Sanggong Anti-Japanese Base Area had resulted in the complete abandonment of all defenses and heavy casualties.

Although new recruits have been added from the mainland, and these new recruits are well-trained, many of them are reservists with two or three years of training experience. The quality of the recruits is very high.

But it's only been a month after all.

Many new recruits have just been added to the new troops, and the troops have not yet fully formed combat effectiveness.

Hasunuma said sternly, "This is an order. And it's not just us. The 20th, 109th, and 110th Divisions, as well as the 4th Independent Mixed Brigade, will also be dispatching troops to participate in this sweep of the Eighth Route Army's Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region. This time, the Front Army has made up its mind and is ready to mobilize troops to participate in the operation. Furthermore, local police and security forces will also be operating alongside the Imperial Army."

The famous 25-way siege in the history of the Eighth Route Army's Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region began.

Although it was different from the 25-way siege in history, the number of troops dispatched did not decrease at all. In order to successfully complete this mopping-up operation, the Japanese army even transferred some troops from the Zhongtiao Mountain front.

However, the Japanese army's shortage of manpower was very serious.

This time, even with so many divisions mobilized, only about 50,000 troops were mobilized. And while it's said to be 50,000, it's impossible for so many troops to act simultaneously. This is already the maximum number of troops the North China Front can currently mobilize.

More importantly, although there are 50,000 troops, in fact these troops are scattered.

This 50,000-man force included some Japanese garrison troops. Almost every county had garrisons, as did important transportation lines. Some garrison battalions seemingly numbered around a thousand, but because they were stationed in various locations, sending just a few hundred men to participate in the mopping-up operation was already their maximum. Even with just a few hundred men, the entire garrison battalion was counted as part of the mopping-up force, effectively making it part of the 50,000-man force. To put it bluntly, the mobile forces actually involved in the mopping-up operation were no more than 20,000 to 30,000 men.

"Ishimoto-kun, are you afraid of the Chinese? This is not the attitude the Imperial Japanese Army should have."

Commander of the 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade, Kanji Tsuneoka, mocked Ishimoto Torazō.

Although Ishimoto Torazō was the Chief of Staff of the Mongolian Army, his seniority, rank, and status were far inferior to Tsuneoka Kanji's. After the previous raid on the Sanggong base was unsuccessful, Tsuneoka Kanji was also criticized by the headquarters.

If the situation in North China as a whole had not been so bad, Tsuneoka Kanji would most likely have been transferred back to China to be punished.

Therefore, Tsuneoka Kanji has been waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity to "take revenge". This time, the North China Front Army decided to sweep the Shanxi-Chahar-West Military Region, and Tsuneoka Kanji thought his chance had come.

The opportunity to wash away the shame on yourself has come.

He said firmly, "Your Excellency, Lieutenant General, I believe that the main reason our previous sweeps were unsuccessful was because our forces were dispersed. Therefore, my suggestion is that this time we should concentrate our forces and attack the enemy directly."

"I want to hear your opinion."

"Your Excellency, Lieutenant General, the troops currently causing great trouble in the Chahar region are all from the Eighth Column of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region of the Eighth Route Army. This so-called Eighth Column has become a force to be reckoned with in Chahar, and it's difficult to eliminate them with dispersed forces. However, the Eighth Column currently has three main bases: one is the Sanggong area where the 16th Regiment is stationed, one is Beilingzhuang in Sheng County where the 8th Column's headquarters is located, and the other is Songjiazhuang in Sheng County where the 8th Column's logistics agency is located. Therefore, my idea is that this time, our 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade will attack, first taking the Sanggong area, then Beilingzhuang, and finally destroying Songjiazhuang. As long as we can defeat the 8th Column's most powerful 16th Regiment and destroy the 8th Column's headquarters and logistics agency, then the 8th Column's threat to Chahar will be completely resolved. After that, we can deal with the 8th Column's remaining troops one by one."

Defeating those small units of the Eighth Route Army will not wash away the shame.

Only by completely solving the problem of the Eighth Column can the problem of Chahar be solved fundamentally.

"How many troops are you planning to bring?"

"In order to contain the small units sent by the 8th Column, the garrison battalion should sweep away the small Eighth Route Army units in its own area. I will lead the main force of the 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade and attack the 16th Regiment in the Sanggong area."

Hasunuma looked at the map and nodded.

The 8th Column is the biggest enemy of the Inner Mongolian Army. It's not that the 8th Column is the most powerful unit in the Jin-Cha-Yi Military Region, but rather that the Inner Mongolian Army primarily maintains stability in Chahar and Suiyuan. Currently, the 8th Column has the greatest influence on Chahar. Therefore, the Inner Mongolian Army's biggest enemy is the 8th Column.

If the Eighth Column can be dealt with this time, the mopping-up operation of the Mongolian Corps will be considered a success.

Therefore, Hasunuma thought for a moment and said, "I will transfer 150 vehicles from the Motor Vehicle Regiment to you. I've seen the Eighth Route Army fight and they're very good at hiding. You must speed up and quickly find their main force and defeat it before they can react. Sheng County is the Eighth Column's stronghold. If we can destroy the Eighth Column's headquarters and logistics agencies in Sheng County this time, we'll win."

"Thank you, Lieutenant General."

150 vehicles can carry a force of 1500 to 2000 people.

In addition, the 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade also had its own vehicles, horses, and brigades. Its marching speed would be very fast, giving it a greater chance of defeating the 8th Column.

Chapter 170 Pre-war meeting

The Japanese army was going to launch a large-scale autumn sweep, and intelligence soon reached the Eighth Route Army.

After all, mobilizing a 50,000-man army, plus local puppet police and security forces, would be a significant undertaking. Simply procuring weapons, ammunition, and supplies for these troops would not be a task that could be accomplished in a day or two. Therefore, the Japanese army's sweeps of this scale were not conducted without the support of the Eighth Route Army.

This time, the Japanese army was determined to eliminate the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region. That's why they mobilized so many troops despite being so short of manpower.

Want to solve the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei troops once and for all.

The Eighth Column was also holding urgent discussions.

Chen Zhonghe, head of the Operations and Training Section, briefed several people at headquarters on the current situation. He continued, "This time, the Japanese army is making a massive move, claiming to mobilize 100,000 troops. However, judging by the current situation, they've even mobilized a regiment of the 20th Division, which was fighting the Nationalist Army in Zhongtiao Mountain. That's unlikely to be that many troops. Furthermore, our Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region has grown rapidly over the past year, and its troops are now strong. The Jin-Cha-Ji Beiyue District currently has thirteen main force regiments, and the Ji-Central Military Region has nine. The main force alone numbers around 40,000, with tens of thousands more in the field. This means we have over 100,000 troops available for mobilization."

The expansion speed of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei troops was really fast.

The Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region currently has two major military districts under its jurisdiction. One is the four military sub-districts of the former Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, known externally as the Beiyue District. The other is the currently thriving Yi-Zhong Military Region.

Of course, the Jizhong Military Region is nominally under the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, but it currently operates independently. The Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region will not directly interfere in the affairs of the Jizhong Military Region.

Of the thirteen main force regiments in the Beiyue District, eight were under the command of Division 1. Division 1 directly controlled the 1st, 3rd, 17th, 20th, and 25th Regiments, while the 8th Column had the 16th, 18th, and 19th Regiments.

After introducing these, Chen Zhonghe continued, "Judging from the current deployment of the Japanese army, the 120th Division will mainly be assigned to the 109th Division, as well as the Second and Fourth Divisions. The 110th Division, the 120th Division, and the Fourth Independent Mixed Brigade will be assigned to the First and Third Divisions and the Hebei Central Army. The troops dispatched by the th Division will mainly need to be dealt with by the First Division and the th Division. Our Eighth Column is mainly responsible for the Second Independent Mixed Brigade. According to current intelligence, the Second Independent Mixed Brigade has requested that the independent infantry battalions stationed in various places withdraw their main forces to assemble in Zhangjiakou. They should be preparing to gather their main forces and attack our Eighth Column from the south, rather than sending troops separately as before."

The Japanese army has a large number of troops, and the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region is not weak either.

Not only were there many main forces, but there were also numerous local forces. Therefore, as a rising star in the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, the 8th Column had to deal primarily with the 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade. The Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region had its own forces to deal with the other Japanese mopping-up forces.

"Where's the intelligence on the 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade?"

"The intelligence relayed by the military region indicates that the 4000nd Independent Mixed Brigade has deployed over 650 men to participate in the mopping-up operation. Each infantry battalion includes three infantry companies, a machine gun company, an artillery squadron, and the battalion headquarters, totaling approximately 700 to men.

Including the brigade's direct engineering, artillery, and heavy units, as well as 150 vehicles dispatched by the Mongolian Army, the total number reached approximately 4300. However, in addition to the Japanese troops, the 1100nd Independent Mixed Brigade also deployed approximately security forces from Zhangjiakou and Chabei to fight alongside them.

"That's more than 5,000 people."

Wei Hongjun's face was very serious.

During the counter-mopping-up operation, the Japanese army was easiest to attack from all sides.

Because they can choose to attack the weakest unit. In the Japanese army's sweep, if one unit is defeated, it will easily lead to the destruction of the entire Japanese sweep plan. Because the main force of the Eighth Route Army can escape from here as long as it tears a hole.

But what we fear most is the heavy pressure from the Japanese army.

Who could possibly withstand a force of 5,000 men? Just like when the Japanese Fifth Division was fighting in Shanxi, even several Nationalist armies couldn't stop it. Now, if a Japanese mixed brigade were to attack, who could possibly stop the Eighth Route Army?

Of course, the Japanese army rarely used this method of concentrating heavy troops when sweeping the Eighth Route Army's large bases.

Because the mountain roads were difficult to navigate, large forces found it even more difficult to move. A force of over 5,000 would have to be stretched out for several miles just to march. They were vulnerable to flanking or rear-end attacks by the Eighth Route Army. Adding the troops in central Hebei to this area would inevitably leave fewer troops elsewhere. The main force of the Eighth Route Army could break out from elsewhere.

"Old Wei, how about we go big this time?"

"How do you play big?"

"How about we annihilate this group of Japanese troops?"

Wei Hongjun was shocked.

He looked at Wang Qiuyun. Then he said bluntly, "Old Wang, this is not a game. You want to annihilate a brigade of Japanese troops? How do you annihilate them?"

"Old Wei, take a look. After the failure of their last mopping-up operation, the Japanese have learned their lesson and are preparing to launch a massive offensive this time. But I believe the Japanese are eager for revenge, eager to eliminate our 8th Column to redeem themselves from their previous defeat. This gives us an opportunity. I will lead the 16th Regiment in a fighting and retreating retreat, creating the illusion of a hasty escape to draw the Japanese in. Then we will quietly gather our forces and set up an ambush on the road from Beilingzhuang to the county seat. The terrain north of Beilingzhuang is open, but to the south, there are mountain roads stretching for more than ten miles, perfect for an ambush. What can we do about the Japanese? We will concentrate the 16th, 18th, 19th, New 1st, and New 2nd Regiments, a force of over 10,000. If we also bring in the column's guard regiment and artillery, we can definitely wipe out this Japanese force. Just think about it, once we annihilate the Japanese Second Independent Mixed Brigade, the only Japanese forces left in the entire Chahar region will be the garrison battalion."

The main task of those garrison battalions is to protect the safety of the Pingsui Road. By then, we can develop the Chanan, Chadong, and Chabei areas as we please.

Lao Wang was very excited.

His voice grew louder as he spoke, "Also, for over two months, we've been training the local troops. Their combat effectiveness has improved significantly. Even if the county brigade and district squadrons can't fight big battles, they should still have no problem assisting the main force."

"No."

Wei Hongjun said two words directly. Wang Qiuyun immediately responded.

Then he said, “I knew you wouldn’t agree.”

"Old Wang, think about it, that's a Japanese army of several thousand people. And this time the devil's North China Front Army has mobilized so many troops to fight, there must be aircraft support. If we ambush the main force of the Japanese army, once they choose to build a position on the spot, then we may have to fight for several days and nights. If we attract Japanese planes and bomb us indiscriminately, how many troops will we lose by then. Not to mention whether we can wipe out a Japanese brigade, even if we wipe out a Japanese brigade, the Japanese can still reorganize a force. But if our troops suffer too many casualties, it will not be easy to rally them again. Our troops are all new recruits and need a long time to train.

But I heard that Japan has many reservists who have received military training, and it would be easier for them to form a unit than for us. The losses would be too great for us to bear.”

"What do you mean?"

"Of course, it's the old way. A combination of guerrilla warfare and mobile warfare. But I think your idea of ​​luring the enemy deep into our base area is still quite reasonable. We can use other units to pretend to be the main force, drawing the Japanese army deep into our base area, and then use guerrilla warfare to tire the enemy out and mobile warfare to annihilate them. Only when the Japanese are sufficiently exhausted and have lost enough combat effectiveness will I agree to your annihilation war against them."

"Do you agree to a war of annihilation?"

Wang Qiuyun's eyes lit up. Wei Hongjun then smiled wryly and said, "Old Wang, fighting a war of annihilation requires certain basic conditions; we can't just attack haphazardly. Tell me, what's your battle plan?"

Wang Qiuyun stood up and pointed at the map. "Old Wei, take a look. The Japanese are definitely planning to wipe out our 8th Column this time. They'll move south from the Sanggong area, then take out Beiling Village, and finally destroy Songjia Village, where our logistics headquarters are located. So, I'll retreat all the way, making the Japanese think we're going to be defeated. As long as we can get past the Japanese and make them think our troops have been defeated, they'll definitely keep chasing us.

However, the Japanese troops' marching speed is unlikely to be consistent, and the distance between them will inevitably increase. Once this happens, it will be an opportunity for us to find one of the Japanese troops who has separated from the main force and attack. Moreover, Sheng County has been our base for over a year. We have fortified our defenses and cleared the countryside, completely trapping the Japanese in Sheng County. Once they enter, we will not let them leave.

"Lure the enemy deep into our territory and defeat them one by one."

"Honestly, you have foresight. The training of the local troops over the past few months has been very successful, greatly improving their combat effectiveness. This time, as the main force is gathering, some work needs to be assigned to the local troops."

Although no specific tactics were discussed, both of them understood what it meant.

Use local forces to lure the enemy while the main force hides and waits for orders. When the opportunity arises, the main force can unleash its might. This was a tactic the Red Army used repeatedly in the Soviet areas.