Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

Because the 28th Group Army was the main force in this battle in northern Henan.

The 110th Division was also quite worried.

Tang Enbo was considered a formidable general within the Nationalist army. The 31st Army, led by him, performed exceptionally well after the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan. Whether in the Battle of Nankou, the Battle of Taierzhuang, or the subsequent Battle of Wuhan, Tang Enbo lived up to his reputation as a formidable general.

The combat effectiveness is very strong.

28集团军人多，还是汤恩伯手底下的部队110师团当然有所担心。以前的110师团是四联队编制，拥有两万六千人左右。那个时候110师团根本不怕28集团军。

However, the current 110th Division is a three-command division with a total strength of only about men. This time, only about men were dispatched.

可是没想到110师团出击之后，和28集团军交手，没几下28集团军就开始后撤。让110师团非常吃惊。以至于110师团不敢追击，就怕28集团军这是准备给自己挖个坑。

In the past, Tang Enbo's troops were very good at raids.

However, several days later, the 110th Division discovered that the 28th Army was in fact retreating, and the retreat was quite chaotic.

The 110th Division didn't know what was going on. Of course, the 110th Division didn't know. Since the outbreak of the Pacific War, many units of the National Army even believed that the Japanese army would not launch another attack on the National Army.

Completely relaxed in thinking.

This time, we were completely unprepared for the firefight with the 110th Division.

Even during the Northern Henan Campaign, the 28th Army did not want to move north.

After crossing the Yellow River, the 28th Army, though the main force, fought cautiously. Sun Lianzhong's Second Army and Sun Tongxuan's Third Army, on the other hand, were very active. Now, facing the attack of the 28th Division, the 110th Army immediately began to retreat.

"Are you going to attack Baoding?"

"Yes."

Yi County.

Since the Jin-Cha-Ji troops entered Hebei on a large scale, Marshal Nie placed the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region Command in Yi County.

Many of the Jin-Cha-Ji Branch and Jin-Cha-Ji logistics agencies have already moved to Zhangjiakou, but Marshal Nie has no time to think about that now.

Because he is very busy now.

He wanted to transfer a large number of cadres to Hebei to build a base.

The Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region controlled 90% of the towns and villages in Hebei Province, where they began to establish anti-Japanese bases and implemented rent and interest reductions. The work seemed repetitive, but much of it was very detailed.

It cannot be completed with just one command.

After all, this time, a large number of cadres were being drawn from the Jin-Cha-Ji Beiyue District to establish a base in Hebei, an unfamiliar place. How could they adjust and straighten the relationship between these Jin-Cha-Ji Beiyue District cadres and the local cadres in Hebei? How could they maintain a level playing field and prevent the cadres in Hebei from feeling that the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region was suppressing them?

These are not trivial matters.

To balance the relationships within, Nie Shuai needs to step in and consider them.

The Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region sent so many troops and cadres into Hebei, not only to establish a base, but also to expand the army. Since ancient times, Yan and Zhao have produced heroes, and the people of Hebei are very enthusiastic about resisting the Japanese.

A platoon of troops can expand into a battalion by hundreds of men in less than a month. A company of troops can expand a county into a thousand-man force. This is the current situation in Hebei.

But Nie Shuai needs control.

The army cannot expand too quickly. The current Jin-Cha-Ji base area is still short of supplies and food. Too many troops cannot be supported. Furthermore, the Eighth Route Army is past the point of large-scale expansion. The main force of the Eighth Route Army needs to maintain its combat effectiveness, and expansion of the army needs to be carried out in an orderly manner.

Therefore, Marshal Nie had to control the generals under his command.

Let them calm down and not expand the army recklessly. Even if they expand the army, it should mainly expand the local troops, not the main force. If Marshal Nie is not here, the expansion of these troops will be completely out of control.

Even if Marshal Nie was in charge here, the main forces of the First and Third Divisions had already expanded their forces in Hebei on a large scale after entering Hebei.

Furthermore, he needed to restructure the defense zones of the various Jincha Military Sub-districts. The First and Third Sub-districts were strong, and the Central Hebei Military District had been severely damaged. Therefore, the management of the Hebei base area would require the support of the powerful First and Third Sub-districts.

But at the same time, we must not hurt the feelings and interests of the cadres of the Yi Zhong Military Region, and we must also take their ideas into consideration.

After the First Division's troops entered Hebei Province on a large scale, Marshal Nie transferred the First Division's bases in Lingqiu, Dingbei, and other areas in Shanxi to the Fifth Division. But these were not so simple matters.

Once it comes to issues of interest, caution is required.

The transfer of defense zones would result in a significant change in the affiliations of a large number of cadres. To be honest, the territory currently occupied by the Fifth Division, and even some of the Second Division, was originally developed by the First Division. Later, the 120th Division sought to expand its presence in this area, so the First Division transferred these bases to the 120th Division. Starting in late 1939, friction between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party intensified.

In order to defend northern Shaanxi, the main force of the 120th Division retreated to the Jinsui area, and the base was transferred to the Fifth Division.

Of course, another issue is that when the Japanese army evacuated the Hebei-Central Military Region, they caused severe damage there, burning many houses and destroying much farmland. Marshal Nie was stationed in Yi County to quickly restore these damaged bases.

As long as the Ji-Zhong Military Region is in hand, there will be no problem with the supply of materials to the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region.

With so many things to deal with, even the time to go to Yan'an was postponed.

Just as Marshal Nie was busy, Huang Yong, commander of the Third Division, arrived in Yi County. Huang Yong told Marshal Nie directly that the Third Division was preparing to concentrate its forces to attack Baoding and hoped that Marshal Nie would support him. He also asked the troops of the First Division to come and help.

"Are you sure?"

Marshal Nie was very worried.

The Jin-Cha-Ji troops have become a bit too inflated recently.

Everyone thought the Japanese army was nothing special. Their previous large-scale control of towns and villages was nothing to worry about, but Huang Yong was now actually planning to attack Baoding. What city was Baoding? It was the capital of Hebei Province.

When the Beiyang Army was in power, Baoding was also one of its strongholds.

It's not that easy to break through.

When Marshal Nie entered Hebei this time, he never thought of capturing a big city like Baoding.

"How are you going to capture Baoding? I have to tell you, I won't support your blind actions. We have just taken the initiative on the battlefield. If we suffer heavy casualties by attacking Baoding at this time, it will not be worth it."

"Commander, Baoding is not as difficult to capture as you might think."

Chapter 479 Target: Baoding

"You said it's not difficult to capture Baoding?"

"Yes, it's not difficult."

Huang Yong spread out the map, and on it was the map of Baoding.

"Commander, take a look. We've always avoided Baoding because the Japanese forces there were so strong. But this time, after the 110th Division moved south to northern Henan, the Japanese transferred all the remaining 69th Division troops to Shijiazhuang to ensure the safety of Shijiazhuang and the Zhengtai Railway. This leaves only the 63rd Division in Baoding. To blockade the First Division, the 63rd Division built numerous fortifications along the Pinghan Railway. Later, the First Division captured the Dingxing stronghold, splitting the 63rd Division in two. Sustained attacks on the 63rd Division resulted in nearly half of the division suffering casualties. Some of the remaining 63rd Division troops retreated to Peking, while others arrived in Baoding. Currently, the 63rd Division in Baoding consists of only about three battalions. Including its divisional headquarters and some subordinate units, the 63rd Division has just over 63 men in Baoding, less than 3000. There are also some puppet troops in the city. In addition to the Sixth Army of the North China Security Army, there are also over 4000 men from the newly established East Asia Alliance Autonomous Army in Yinan."

"The Japanese and puppet troops in Baoding may seem numerous, but they're actually a motley crowd. Let's start with the 63rd Division. It was a hastily formed security division and wasn't prepared in any way. It then participated in the mopping-up operation in the Hebei-Central Military Region and was severely damaged by the First Division. Currently, there are only three battalions in Baoding."

"Then there was the Sixth Army of the North China Security Army, which had three regiments under its command, totaling about 3000 people.

"As for the East Asia Alliance Autonomous Army, which has the largest number of troops, its origins are complex. It was a unit temporarily reorganized in southern Hebei by the Japanese army to deal with the large-scale entry of our Jin-Cha Wing troops into Hebei. This time, when the 69th Division left Baoding, the Japanese army pulled this unit into Baoding. Such a unit is unlikely to have any combat effectiveness. The Japanese army ordered the East Asia Alliance Autonomous Army troops to focus on defending the Beiguan area. A small number of troops are also stationed in Dongguan."

"In addition to these troops, Baoding also has a puppet police force of over 3000 men. Baoding currently has approximately 17000 Japanese and puppet troops, but they appear to be very powerful. Of these numerous troops, only the 63rd Division of the Japanese Army is combat-ready."

After listening to Huang Yong's words, Marshal Nie still couldn't make up his mind.

There were 17000 Japanese and puppet troops, and they had to attack the city. Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei definitely did not have such strength.

However, Marshal Nie's attention was on the East Asian Alliance Autonomous Army.

The situation within this unit is the most complicated. There are defeated troops of the National Army, bandit troops, and armed forces such as local security groups.

To halt the Eighth Route Army's expansion into Hebei, the Japanese army hastily reorganized this unit, assigning it the East Asia Alliance Autonomous Army. They also provided them with weapons and ammunition and assigned them to garrison Baoding, where they were undermanned. If they could find a way out of this situation, perhaps things would be much easier.

So he said, "Huang Yong, you can make preparations. But you have to wait for orders.

"Commander, now is the best opportunity. The Nationalist Army is currently engaged in the Northern Henan Campaign. The 36th Division, the 110th Division, the 110st Independent Mixed Brigade, and the rd Independent Mixed Brigade are all in Northern Henan. They can't return anytime soon. The Japanese army's new recruits haven't arrived yet, so this is the best opportunity. Once the Northern Henan Campaign is over, the th Division and the st Independent Mixed Brigade have returned, and the Japanese army's new recruits are complete, it will be extremely difficult to capture Baoding."

Huang Yong was very anxious.

Look at what kind of life the Eighth Column lived after it captured Zhangjiakou.

With the weapons and ammunition seized in Zhangjiakou, the Eighth Column's attack on Jining was a piece of cake. Furthermore, after the capture of Zhangjiakou, the entire Eighth Column's living standards improved significantly. Baoding was the capital of Hebei Province and a key city in the province.

If we take over this place, even if the good things here are not as good as those in Zhangjiakou, there will not be too few at all.

Huang Yong has been eyeing Baoding for a long time.

But there has never been an opportunity. Previously, a regiment of the 69th Division was stationed in Baoding. The main force of the Japanese army in Baoding City numbered more than 6000, nearly 7000. Although Huang Yong had a bad temper, he was not arrogant enough to think that the Jinchayi troops could capture a city with nearly 7000 Japanese troops.

But who knew it would be such a coincidence.

The Nationalist Army launched its autumn offensive, and Chiang Kai-shek set his sights on northern Henan and southern Hebei. He launched the Northern Henan Campaign, diverting the Japanese 110th Division and the st Independent Mixed Brigade. Suddenly, an opportunity arose.

Huang Yong also wanted to take over Baoding and then live a more relaxed life.

Baoding is such an important city, so it must have a large number of military warehouses, where the Japanese army would have stored a large amount of military supplies.

"Don't worry. You three divisions should make preparations first. I'll send a telegram to Yang Quanwu to come back, and you two should discuss it first.

"Yes."

Huang Yong certainly knew that Baoding could not be taken by relying solely on the troops in the three-district area.

To capture Baoding, they still needed the troops from Yang Quanwu's First Division. Speaking of troop strength, the First Division was truly formidable. After seeing Huang Yong off, Marshal Nie immediately summoned Zhan Tong, the director of the Political Department.

"Commander, what's wrong?"

"Contact headquarters and ask about the situation of the East Asian Alliance Autonomous Army. We need detailed information.

This 7,000-strong force suddenly appeared in Baoding, but there was no information about it in the Jin-Cha-Ji region because it was a local force operating in southern Hebei and was reorganized by the Japanese army.

"East Asian Alliance Autonomous Army? I know something about their commander.

Zhan Tong opened his mouth.

He said: "The commander of the East Asia Alliance Autonomous Army, Wang Tianxiang, has always had a good relationship with us in his early years. He once organized troops to fight many battles with the Japanese and puppet troops. During the Beiyang government period, he served in Sun Yue's army, and later joined the Chahar Anti-Japanese Allied Army organized by Feng Yuxiang. After the July 7 Incident, he joined Sun Dianying's army and fought many tough battles in the Taihang Mountains. I heard about him when I went to the headquarters. Later, Sun Dianying had friction with us. He was unwilling to fight with us, so he was expelled from the army by Sun Dianying. He led his troops to join Gao Shuxun. However, at that time, the national army already believed that he was in contact with the Communist Party and wanted to execute him.

Gao Shuxun placed him under house arrest and did not allow him to continue leading troops. He later found an opportunity to escape. When he was fighting in the past, he had a good relationship with the local powerful factions in southern Hebei and many local bandits. After leaving Gao Shuxun, he returned to Yinan to recruit his old subordinates, and united these once familiar armed forces, and once again raised the anti-Japanese banner in the Yinan area. However, no one knows what happened, his troops reached an agreement with the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade and were reorganized into the East Asia Alliance Autonomous Army. The troops were pulled to Baoding. " Zhan Tong is the director of the Political Department of Jin-Cha-Ji.

The power wielded is enormous.

They would constantly exchange intelligence with headquarters and other sister units. Therefore, Zhan Tong was aware of important events and individuals. He also had a certain understanding of Wang Tianxiang, the commander of the East Asian Alliance Autonomous Army.

He just didn't understand why Wang Tianxiang, who had been fighting against the Japanese, suddenly defected to the Japanese. However, this was not an uncommon thing, because in the past two years, many people defected to the Japanese army and became traitors.

"There is such a connection?"

"Yes."

"Then go ask headquarters if this Wang Tianxiang has any way to turn things around? How many troops does he actually control?

"Okay, I'll send a telegram to headquarters now."

Marshal Nie was quite surprised.

I didn’t expect that Wang Tianxiang actually had such a resume.

After listening to Zhan Tong's introduction, Marshal Nie even suspected that Wang Tianxiang was one of his own. If he was, then things would be much easier. The Japanese army in Baoding was seriously undermanned, with only 3000 men. With a territory as large as Baoding, 3000 men couldn't accomplish anything.

Therefore, defending the city still depends on these puppet troops.