Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

But it's different now.

The Hundred Regiments Campaign dealt a heavy blow to the Japanese army. During subsequent retaliatory raids, the Jin-Cha-Ji troops were not helpless due to a lack of ammunition, as they had been in the past. Instead, the most powerful division of the Jin-Cha-Ji region had ample ammunition reserves and dealt a heavy blow to the Japanese forces.

Not only was the North China Front Army not seriously damaged by the Japanese army's sweep, but it also suffered heavy losses.

As a result, in 1941, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei troops not only did not shrink as in history, but were still in a state of expansion.

The Jin-Cha-Ji Beiyue District commands over a hundred main force regiments. Even the Fourth Sub-District, the slowest-developing within the Jin-Cha Military Region, is currently experiencing remarkable growth. Its base area now spans six counties. In addition to the Fifth Regiment, which was granted by the Military Region, the sub-district has developed three large regiments and two basic regiments. The main force of the sub-district exceeds 10,000 men.

It can be seen how well the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region has developed in recent years.

If the Central Hebei Military Region and the Hebei-Rehe-Liaoning Advance Army were included, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region could deploy nearly 200 main force regiments. However, most of these main force regiments had not yet been assigned designations by the military region.

The Jin-Cha Wing alone developed a main force of 30.

Under such circumstances, how could Marshal Nie not be proud? Of course, countless generals rose to prominence during the development of Jin-Cha-Ji. Even more satisfying to Marshal Nie was the fact that many of the political cadres he valued had performed exceptionally well after transitioning to military positions.

But the ones who really made a big splash, causing a sensation throughout the Jin-Cha-Ji region, and were even remembered by Yan'an and the Eighth Route Army headquarters, were Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun.

The speed at which these two people rose to prominence was really too fast.

They had begun to establish a base in Sheng County, and now the two of them were on the verge of controlling the entire Chahar region. Their 11th and 12th Military Sub-districts controlled more than 20 counties.

Furthermore, the 11th and 12th Military Sub-districts fought the most difficult battles in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei base area. In fact, the First, 11th, and 12th Military Sub-districts all originated from the First Sub-district. The number of Japanese troops they eliminated and the number of tasks they undertook surpassed the combined totals of the Central Hebei Military Region, the Hebei-Rehe-Liaoning Advance Army, and the other military sub-districts in the Northern Yue region of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei region.

Especially Wei Hongjun.

Many of Wei Hongjun's articles, including those on military construction, base area construction, and even strategies and tactics for fighting against Japan, were adopted by Yan'an and the Eighth Route Army Headquarters and then promoted throughout the Eighth Route Army system.

Many of these things had a great impact on the Eighth Route Army system.

Wei Hongjun's long-held advocacy of "self-reliance for adequate food and clothing" was promoted by the Eighth Route Army and local governments, significantly increasing the army's food reserves. After 1941, drought in North China worsened, and locust plagues also occurred. However, the Eighth Route Army remained relatively calm due to the sufficient food reserves accumulated in previous years. While these reserves were not enough to completely prevent the drought in North China, they did significantly mitigate the impact on the Eighth Route Army.

There is also the "new-style army reorganization movement" initiated by Wei Hongjun in the Eighth Column.

After the Eighth Route Army system was promoted, it achieved very good results. The rapid development of the Eighth Route Army and Wei Hongjun's "New Army Reorganization Movement"

are closely related.

The "New-Style Army Reorganization Movement" was highly praised by both Yan'an and the Eighth Route Army Headquarters, who considered it to have pioneered a new model for the People's Army's reorganization. Wei Hongjun, as a political commissar, might not have been widely known outside the army, but within the Eighth Route Army, he was a household name, a name known to everyone.

If Wei Hongjun's qualifications were not so shallow, he might have been transferred to the Eighth Route Army headquarters.

What impressed Marshal Nie even more was that Wei Hongjun wasn't just a political officer. He was also a skilled commander of troops in battle. Furthermore, during the last Japanese raid, Wei Hongjun was the first to discern the direction of the sweep. As a result, the Jin-Cha-Ji troops gave the Japanese a severe lesson. The Eighth Route Army placed the highest priority on seizing spoils.

For the Eighth Route Army, ambush and annihilation warfare is the best way to seize various weapons and ammunition.

If Wei Hongjun had not seen through the direction of the Japanese army's attack and allowed the Japanese army to attack the unprepared Beiyue area of ​​Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei, it is unknown how much damage the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei base area would have suffered.

So Marshal Nie had a very good impression of Wei Hongjun.

In previous meetings, Wei Hongjun usually just listened quietly. After all, Wei Hongjun was too inexperienced. Although he was also a military sub-district leader, he was completely incomparable to other military sub-district leaders.

But now Wei Hongjun is no longer the junior he used to be.

Its position in Jin-Cha-Ji is becoming more and more important. So when Wei Hongjun wants to speak, no one is inferior.

"Commander, I don't think next year will be an optimistic year. I certainly don't think the North China Front will shrink its forces, retreat to major cities and major transportation routes, and abandon its campaign against us. On the contrary, I believe next year will be the most dangerous time for us in Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei. We must be prepared for major and tough battles."

Chapter 394 Alarm 2

Wang Qiuyun was standing next to Wei Hongjun, her hands sweating.

After Wei Hongjun's speech, the atmosphere in the conference room suddenly became solemn. Many cadres present were very dissatisfied with Wei Hongjun's words.

Although the Eighth Column was forged through hard work in Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei, and the Red Army's current status was also due to its solid military and political achievements, the cadres in the Northern Yue District of Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei were mainly from the First Corps of the Central Red Army.

In the early years, they were all led by Wei Hongjun.

Many of them are even Wei Hongjun's direct superiors.

Not to mention Yang Quanwu, people like Deng Guo and Huang Yong had all served as direct superiors of Wei Hongjun during the Red Army period. It was just that Wei Hongjun's rank was too low at the time, so they did not know him.

Everyone is optimistic about 1942, yet you're singing a different tune. What's your point? While the Beiyue District cadres are dissatisfied, they won't blame Wei Hongjun too much. After all, they all came from the Central Red Army, and truly, they all have a connection.

But many cadres in the Hebei-Central Military Region are different.

They have no historical relationship with Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun.

During the Anti-Japanese War, although they were all under the jurisdiction of Jin-Cha-Ji, the Wei Hongjun was in the Beiyue District, and the Jizhong Military Region had always been developing independently. Although the Wei Hongjun had great merits and was well-known, they were still unhappy.

Because Wei Hongjun not only poured cold water on them, but also directly opposed their judgment of the situation, making it seem as if everyone was wrong and they were the only ones who were clear-headed.

If there weren't so many leaders watching, Wang Qiuyun really wanted to pull Wei Hongjun in.

The same is true for Yang Quanwu.

Wei Hongjun is too reckless.

If there are any issues, discuss them privately with me after the meeting. Just like last time, you can discuss them with me first. In Jin-Cha-Ji, Wei Hongjun's words carry a different weight than Yang Quanwu's. Even if some people are dissatisfied with what Yang Quanwu says, Yang Quanwu's position is such that he isn't afraid of being resentful. However, Wei Hongjun is currently on the rise and shouldn't offend too many people at this time.

Wei Hongjun immediately sensed the change in the atmosphere. He knew that his words had displeased many officials present and offended many. But Wei Hongjun had no choice but to speak out. After all, history had always been optimistic about the 1942 campaign. Even during the May Day mop-up operation, the entire Jinchayicha region simply considered it a routine raid by the Japanese and puppet troops.

They all thought they could win the anti-mopping-up operation just like before.

Underestimation of the enemy and optimistic thinking spread throughout the Jin-Cha-Ji region. The anti-mopping-up operations prepared by the Hebei Military Region were also prepared according to the previous mopping-up operations of the Japanese and puppet troops. As a result, the Japanese army's May 800st mopping-up operation was not a small-scale mopping-up operation. Okamura Ningji mobilized all the troops he could mobilize in Hebei and directly broke through the Hebei Military Region. The Hebei base area, which had more than counties and a population of million at its peak and provided main forces of the Eighth Route Army, declined just like that.

By the time Yang Quanwu became the commander of the Jizhong Military Region in 1944, the situation there was still very serious. Originally possessing dozens of main force regiments, the Jizhong Military Region had virtually no main force regiments left during the May st mop-up campaign.

More importantly, the decline of the Jizhong Military Region after the May 1st mop-up directly implicated the Jin-Cha-Ji base area, as the Jizhong Military Region was the most important material supply station for the Jin-Cha-Ji base area.

The Ji-Zhong Military Region is very prosperous and has abundant resources.

It is a military region with a large number of personnel and abundant supplies. After the establishment of the Jizhong Military Region, it not only provided a large number of troops to the Eighth Route Army, but also sent a large amount of supplies to the Eighth Route Army. It can be said that without the support of the Jizhong Military Region, the Jin-Cha-Ji Beiyue Region would not have developed to its current scale.

Not to mention the supplies directly supported by the Ji-Zhong Military Region.

In the Jin-Cha-Ji Beiyue region, there was a lot of trade between the First Division and the Hebei-Central Military Region. Large quantities of supplies flowed through merchants into the First Division, replenishing its supplies. Meanwhile, the Eighth Column, in turn, purchased large quantities of supplies from the First Division.

It's safe to say that half of the troops in the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region relied on supplies from the Ji-Central Military Region, or obtained through trade with the region. The Jin-Cha-Ji Beiyue District has experienced rapid development in recent years. While food and clothing haven't been plentiful, they've never suffered from hunger. This is all thanks to the Ji-Central Military Region.

However, the May 1941st mopping-up campaign led to the decline of the Jizhong Military Region, directly cutting off half of the Jinchayi Military Region's supplies. North China was already suffering from drought in 1942, 1943, and , which had drastically reduced grain production. The loss of the Jizhong Military Region left the Jinchaji Military Region severely short of food, forcing troops to fight on empty stomachs.

To what extent.

In early 1943, the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region organized three main regiments to ambush a -man Japanese unit. Previously, this would have been easily resolved, ending in three or four hours. However, this ambush, involving three main regiments, resulted in half the Japanese troops fleeing.

The reason was that the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei troops had not had enough food for a long time and were completely unable to run, so they could not catch up with the Japanese army at all.

It can be said that the May 1942st purge and the decline of the Hebei Military Region dealt a heavy blow to the then Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region. 1943 and became the most dangerous times for the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region.

The troops and the people were not well fed. As a result, many people lost their confidence in the victory of the war of resistance during this period, and some even defected to the Japanese army.

Wei Hongjun must prevent this from happening.

Even if the Jizhong Military Region suffered heavy losses during the Japanese and puppet army's sweep, as long as it could be preserved, the Jin-Cha-Ji region wouldn't have been as passive as it had been in the past two years. The Japanese and puppet army were short-handed, and even if the Jizhong Military Region suffered heavy casualties during the counter-sweep, as long as the region was preserved, the Eighth Route Army would have been able to quickly retake it. And as long as the Jizhong Military Region was not lost, the development of the Jin-Cha-Ji Beiyue region would not have been affected.

So he has to stand up.

This is Wei Hongjun's responsibility for the revolution, for the history of Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei, and for China's War of Resistance.

Marshal Nie felt a little unhappy after hearing Wei Hongjun's words. "You are pouring cold water on everyone by saying this now. We were all so happy, and now you suddenly say this. What will everyone think?"

Marshal Nie, however, had led the Jin-Cha-Ji base area for many years and remained unmoved. Furthermore, Wei Hongjun was relatively young and inexperienced, and had made significant contributions to the development of Jin-Cha-Ji. Therefore, Marshal Nie wouldn't really blame him. Therefore, Marshal Nie didn't reprimand Wei Hongjun for his outrageous remarks.

Instead, he whispered, "Xiao Wei, then tell me why next year will be the most dangerous time for the base."

Wei Hongjun knew that once the arrow is shot, there's no turning back. So he encouraged himself and said, "Commander, with the war between Japan and Britain and the United States, Japan's strategic objectives will change. For the past two years, the Japanese army has been holding the Central Army hostage. Last year, they concentrated 100,000 troops to launch the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain, all in an effort to force the Chongqing government to surrender. If the Chongqing government surrenders, the Japanese army can establish a puppet government in China that will obey their orders."

But the situation is now clear. If Japan goes to war with Britain and the United States, Britain and the United States will inevitably arm the Nationalist Army to help them fight the Japanese. The Chongqing government had not surrendered before, and now with the support of Britain and the United States, it is even less likely to surrender. This can be seen from the fact that after the United States declared war on Japan, the Chongqing government immediately followed suit. In other words, Japan's original strategy of forcing Chongqing to surrender has completely failed.

Marshal Nie nodded.

Although there was some unpleasantness just now, Coach Nie still agreed with Wei Hongjun's analysis.

Wei Hongjun's strategic vision is still very good.

Wei Hongjun continued, "Then how will Japan's strategy change? Japan must also know that under the current circumstances, Chongqing is unlikely to surrender. Unless Japan can force the United States to surrender. Only by defeating the United States on the battlefield and forcing the United States to surrender will Chongqing be able to surrender as well."

Moreover, compared to China, which is an agricultural country, Britain and the United States are both among the world's leading industrial countries and are extremely powerful. Japan would certainly fight with all its might to fight such an opponent. Therefore, for Japan, the upcoming war with Britain and the United States is the top priority. In contrast, Japan's war in China will take a back seat. All of Japan's strategies will revolve around fighting Britain and the United States. In other words, the Pacific and Southeast Asian theaters will become the main battlefields for the Japanese army.

"Comrade Wei Hongjun, you yourself said that Japan's main battlefields would become the Pacific and Southeast Asia. Why do you also say that next year will be the most dangerous time?

Wang Dahai (Wang Changjiang), commander of the Sixth Division of the Jizhong Military Region, spoke.

Wang Dahai had a rich background. He began his military service in the Northwest Frontier Defense Army under the Anhui warlord Qu Tongfeng. After Duan Qirui's defeat in the Zhili-Anhui War, he served in the 23rd Division under the Zhili warlord Wang Chengbin. He later attended the Baoding Military Academy, but was expelled from the Zhili army due to his ties to the Southern Revolutionary Party. He subsequently defected to the Fengtian clique, serving under Zhang Zuolin.

Later, he followed his senior from the Baoding Military Academy to join Yan Xishan. After the Central Plains War, he served in Shang Zhen's army. He fought many battles with Shang Zhen and served as the deputy commander-in-chief of the Hebei People's Army as a major general after the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War.

In December 1938, Wang Dahai and his troops defected to the then Hebei-Central Eighth Route Army. In 12, when the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei troops underwent training, Wang Dahai served as the commander of the First Guard Brigade of the Hebei-Central Military Region. Last year, he was appointed commander of the Sixth Division of the Hebei-Central Military Region.

"Because Japan's strategy has changed. As the Pacific and Southeast Asian battlefields become the main battlefields, Japan's demands on China will change. In the past, they wanted to force the Chongqing government to surrender and completely colonize China. But now this goal cannot be achieved in a short period of time. Therefore, Japan's strategy towards China will also change accordingly. In order to support the Pacific and Southeast Asian battlefields, Japan will definitely need China to become their material supply base. Japan needs to plunder more materials from China to support their battles with Britain and the United States. So who is the biggest obstacle for Japan to plunder materials in China? It is our anti-Japanese armed forces behind enemy lines."

Wei Hongjun said with certainty: "In order to ensure that they can continue to steadily plunder more supplies from China, the Japanese army will inevitably focus more on our anti-Japanese armed forces behind enemy lines. Only by severely striking our anti-Japanese armed forces behind enemy lines can the Japanese army stabilize the occupied areas and plunder the supplies they need from the occupied areas. And now the anti-Japanese armed forces behind enemy lines across the country are mainly our Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army. In North China, the North China Front Army will inevitably concentrate all its forces and focus on sweeping our Eighth Route Army base. They will be more determined to achieve this combat goal than before. So next year will definitely be the year when the Japanese army concentrates its forces and focuses on sweeping our Eighth Route Army base. That's why I judge that next year will be our most dangerous year. As long as we can survive next year, or even succeed in the counter-sweep, then the strategic counterattack we expect will come.

Chapter 395 Alarm 3

Many people were initially dissatisfied with Wei Hongjun's cold response. But as Wei Hongjun expressed his views, everyone's faces began to grow serious. Those gathered here were all high-ranking generals from the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei region.

They are all cadres who have fought on the battlefield for many years and have a certain understanding of the world situation.

He is not the kind of reckless man who knows nothing.

What Wei Hongjun said was not nonsense; on the contrary, it was well-founded. He analyzed the future choices of the Japanese army based entirely on the changes in Japanese army strategy. With the outbreak of war between Japan and Britain and the United States, the importance of the Pacific battlefield to Japan was far higher than that of the Chinese battlefield. If the Pacific battlefield was victorious and Britain and the United States were defeated, then the Chinese battlefield would also be victorious. No matter how tough the Chongqing government was, once Japan defeated Britain and the United States, it would certainly not dare to continue to resist. However, if Japan failed in the Pacific battlefield, then no matter how well you fight in the Chinese battlefield, you will not be able to win this war.

Therefore, for Japan, the outcome of the Pacific battlefield was directly related to whether Japan could win the war. In order to win the Pacific battlefield, the status of the Chinese battlefield had to change. The Japanese army's strategy in China would also change.

Marshal Nie fell into deep thought as he listened to Wei Hongjun's analysis.

While Marshal Nie was lost in thought and other leaders were considering Wei Hongjun's suggestions, Yang Quanwu spoke up, "What Comrade Wei Hongjun said makes a lot of sense. Since the Japanese army is unable to swallow up China, the next step must be to consolidate the areas they originally occupied. Plunder more supplies from their occupied areas in China to further support their war with Britain and the United States. But within the areas they control, the existence of our Eighth Route Army prevents them from obtaining enough supplies. In other words, from now on, our Eighth Route Army will become a thorn in the eyes of the Japanese army. So it is inevitable that the Japanese army will focus its attacks on our Eighth Route Army." The weight of Yang Quanwu and Wei Hongjun is completely different.

Yang Quanwu was the pillar of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, supporting half of it. During each North China Front's sweep, a division would be responsible for half of the Japanese and puppet troops. With his seniority, high rank, and extensive contributions, Yang Quanwu's words carried far more weight than Wei Hongjun's.

Even Marshal Nie had a solemn expression.

Wei Hongjun breathed a sigh of relief.

He was deeply grateful to Yang Quanwu. His old leader was truly considerate, shouldering all the pressure. Furthermore, with Yang Chengwu's support, Marshal Nie couldn't just handle things casually.

"Commander, I also think what Comrade Wei Hongjun said makes sense."

Second Division Commander Guo Tianmin echoed this sentiment: "As the Japanese army diverts its forces to the Pacific, their ability to launch large-scale military operations has further declined. Under these circumstances, the Japanese army's first priority must be to consolidate security in the occupied areas, rather than engaging in direct combat with the Nationalist troops. This means that the primary target of the Japanese military operations will not be the Nationalist troops, but the Eighth Route Army. If the Japanese army decides to deploy a large force to sweep us, it will put enormous pressure on the Eighth Route Army. We should be prepared for even more severe combat. Now is not the time to let our guard down."

Wei Hongjun was overjoyed to hear Guo Tianmin's support.

Although the Second Division was not very popular in the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, Guo Tianmin was a rare warrior in the region. Like Yang Quanwu, he had extensive experience and high rank, and held a high position in the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region.

Commander of the Fifth District, Deng Guo, also nodded.