Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

But there are too many new recruits.

Two battalions of new recruits totaling 800 men.

"How's it going in the county?"

"The Japanese army headed straight for the county town. Feng Anmin and the National Salvation Army fought with the Japanese army in the county town for a while. Soon the National Salvation Army withdrew from the county town."

"Feng Anmin is very clever. If we were to fight the Japanese army to the death in the county town, the National Salvation Army would be no match. Where is the National Salvation Army now?"

"They retreated to Beilingzhuang, their old nest. After the Japanese entered the county town, the situation wasn't good either. Many people in the county heard that the Japanese were burning, killing, and looting along the way, so Feng Anmin issued a notice saying the Japanese were planning a massacre. As a result, many residents fled. According to our information, the county town's population is now less than a thousand."

“Thousands of people have fled the county?”

"Correct."

Wei Hongjun frowned.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "It's so cold. Where can those people go after leaving the county? Won't they have to return to the county in the end?"

"We'll try to arrange it. Secretary Duan told me today that Districts Three, Four, and Five have recently accepted nearly two thousand people from the county seat.

But Secretary Duan said he would do his best to make arrangements and not let them spend the night in the snow."

"Are there any movements by the Japanese army at the moment?"

"They are behaving themselves now. They must have just arrived in Sheng County and are not yet aware of the situation there. The Japanese army's siege of the Eighth Route Army was a hasty deployment, and they have no idea of ​​our Eighth Route Army's current situation. Now that we and Feng Anmin are coordinating north and south, the Japanese army dare not act rashly. I have already sent hundreds of people along the way to monitor the situation in the county. If any small Japanese unit dares to come out, we will destroy them.

I have already sent people to warn the landlords in the areas around the county. Anyone who dares to approach them at this time will be a traitor to the Japanese and will be shot.”

“This is well done.”

Wei Hongjun laughed out loud.

The Japanese army is now alone and deep in the enemy's territory.

They were completely unfamiliar with Sheng County, and there were few traitors in Sheng County who could help them. The traitors who had defected to the Japanese army had already been swept away by the independent detachment.

"Old Wei, now that the Japanese army isn't moving, it's difficult for us to move either. What do you think we should do?"

"We will not move unless the enemy makes a move. We will use the army to monitor the Japanese and train our own troops. Then it will be time for the local Party committees to show their prowess."

We should take advantage of this opportunity to widely mobilize the people and occupy the rural areas of Sheng County. We should turn all the rural areas of Sheng County into our base. The Japanese army is isolated. As long as we occupy all the rural areas of Sheng County, what can they do? Besides, there is nothing in the county town, and sooner or later people will flee. What will the Japanese army eat and wear in the county town?

"Attack the supply lines. If the Japanese army continues to stay in the county, they must rely on supplies. But in our Sheng County, the supply lines are not so easy to get in. We will attack them every time they come in."

The two of them came up with a plan instantly.

However, Wei Hongjun still said: "We also need to pay attention to Feng Anmin's situation. If Feng Anmin colludes with the Japanese army, then our situation will not be so good."

"Hmm. I wonder what's going on with Commander Nie and the division commander?"

The situation in Sheng County is generally stable.

Two ambushes wiped out 700 Japanese and puppet troops. It could be said that they had won a great victory. However, this time, the Eighth Route Army was under siege. The Eighth Route Army in northeastern and southeastern Shanxi was a unified force. If any one base area could not be defended, or if it suffered heavy losses, it would directly affect the others.

Although Sheng County has a relatively good terrain.

However, if the surrounding Eighth Route Army bases could not hold out and the Japanese army sent in a large force, Sheng County would not be able to be defended.

"Don't worry. Commander Nie and the division commander are men of all kinds. They've seen everything. We'll just do our job, and they'll be the only ones to worry about it."

"Too."

"By the way, is Wu Qinghe also in Songjiazhuang?"

"Yes. His troops suffered heavy losses this time and are currently recuperating in Songjiazhuang."

"What a shame. Wu Qinghe's troops are all veterans and very capable. Old Wang, I have an idea. The First Battalion performed very well in this ambush. Now the First Battalion has begun to form a main force. I wonder if we should form another powerful main force battalion so that we can strike with two fists."

"Are you planning to recruit Wu Qinghe's troops?"

"Ah."

Both of them had their eyes on Wu Qinghe's army.

This is a capable and combat-savvy unit. Wei Hongjun said, "We will combine Wu Qinghe's unit with the special forces company to form a special forces battalion.

This way we have two main battalions: the First Battalion and the Special Forces Battalion. If the Japanese army's main force is reckless and insists on raiding Songjiazhuang, we must have the main force to confront and stop the main force of the Japanese army. After all, once the Japanese army is determined, we will not be able to completely stop them by relying on guerrilla warfare.

"That's a good idea. I've always been worried that Zhang Shan is too young and inexperienced. If we can form a special forces battalion and let Zhang Shan learn from Wu Qinghe, it would be good for him."

"Then I'll talk to Wu Qinghe. After the special forces battalion is established, let Lei Jiabin go there as the instructor. Originally, I wanted to make Lei Jiabin the deputy director of the political department to assist Teacher Li."

"Negotiate as soon as possible. Wu Qinghe has so many officers and veterans in his army. Incorporating them into our independent detachment will benefit our entire detachment."

"it is good.

Chapter 067: Forming a Special Forces Battalion

"Captain Wu, how is Songjiazhuang?"

"it is good."

Wu Qinghe nodded vigorously and said, "Speaking of which, Marshal Feng also emphasized military discipline to us back then, forbidding the troops from looting. Unfortunately, as the number of troops grew, all sorts of things started to happen. I've been in the army for seventeen or eighteen years, and I've never seen a unit have such good relations with the local people.

"From the day we were born, the Eighth Route Army has been an army of the people. Chairman Mao has always taught us that the relationship between us and the people is like that between fish and water. Fish cannot live without water. Since we have a relationship like that between fish and water, our relationship with the people must of course be harmonious, because we are one family.

Fighting the war behind enemy lines is not exclusive to the Eighth Route Army.

The Nationalist government also deployed a large number of troops behind enemy lines. Preliminary estimates suggest that the Nationalist government deployed over a million troops behind enemy lines over the next two to three years. This was dozens of times the size of the Eighth Route Army at its inception. Even at the height of the Eighth Route Army's power, the Nationalist government was not as wealthy as it was to deploy a million troops deep behind enemy lines.

The results of it?

Instead, it was the weak Eighth Route Army that ultimately persevered.

By 1942 and 1943, the Nationalist troops were largely gone from the enemy lines. Those who were behind enemy lines were either wiped out by the Japanese, became traitors, or defected to the Eighth Route Army. Of course, some were eliminated by the Eighth Route Army during the battle for territory.

why?

In fact, it is because these troops do not manage their own bases.

Moreover, they were often behind enemy lines, and living conditions were poor. Once the Nationalist government's supplies were not in place, they would seize the land. To survive behind enemy lines, if you don't build good relationships with the local people, how can you possibly survive?

The troops that truly survived were those that emphasized military discipline and managed their bases, the most typical example being General Fu Zuoyi of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army.

During the Anti-Japanese War, Suiyuan developed very well. But how did it develop?

We learned from the Eighth Route Army from beginning to end.

Even Fu Zuoyi's troops employed a large number of CCP members. As a result, Fu Zuoyi's troops were called "Seven and a Half Route".

"No wonder your Eighth Route Army, an outsider force, is able to thrive in Sheng County. Look at those young men who want to join the army. They are truly incredible.

"Captain Wu, this is Shanxi. The 29th Army has long been disbanded and is fighting elsewhere. It's impossible for you to return. Why don't you stay and join our Eighth Route Army? How about we fight the Japanese together?"

"Political Commissar Wei, I only have a force of about a hundred people under my command.

Your independent detachment has over 2,000 men, right? Are you impressed by my small force?"

Wu Qinghe was shocked when he arrived at Songjiazhuang this time.

The last time he came, Wu Qinghe was already astonished by the scale of Songjiazhuang. Unexpectedly, this time when he retreated to Songjiazhuang, he found it even larger. And more institutions had appeared in Songjiazhuang.

And Wu Qinghe discovered it.

In addition to the independent detachments, the Eighth Route Army also established district teams in the newly established local governments of Districts 3, 4, and 5. While the number of these teams was small, they still numbered several dozen. Sheng County had eleven districts, and the Eighth Route Army was planning to establish district teams throughout the county.

The speed at which the Eighth Route Army developed its army made Wu Qinghe feel inferior.

The Northwest Army also expanded rapidly back then, but not at the same pace as the Eighth Route Army. Wu Qinghe couldn't even count how many troops the independent detachment had now. He knew it had at least two thousand men.

How many people are there on your side?

All the people under his command add up to only about a hundred.

"Captain Wu underestimates himself and his troops. Captain Wu has extensive military and combat experience, and our Eighth Route Army is in need of military officers like you. Your troops are also battle-hardened veterans, so how could we, the Eighth Route Army, look down on you?"

"Political Commissar Wei really wants to keep me?"

"Of course. The commander and I are both sincere and hope that you can join our Eighth Route Army."

"If I join the Eighth Route Army, what will you do with my brothers?"

The more Wu Qinghe came into contact with the Eighth Route Army, the more he realized that his troops had no future.

Look at the expansion of the Eighth Route Army, and then look at yourself.

The troops were shrinking with each battle, now numbering around a hundred, with only sixty or seventy actually capable of combat. Meanwhile, the Eighth Route Army, which had fewer than a hundred men at the start, had expanded to two thousand within three months. But Wu Qinghe didn't want it to end like this.

He had been in the army for seventeen or eighteen years, almost half his life. He didn't want to leave the army because he didn't know what else he could do. However, given his current situation, the army wouldn't survive unless he joined the Eighth Route Army.

But he was still worried.

After all, in the National Army, the methods used by the main troops to swallow up the miscellaneous troops were not honorable.

"Captain Wu, the Commander and I want to create two powerful units in the Independent Detachment. Currently, the First Battalion is the most powerful unit in our Independent Detachment, followed by the Special Forces Company. Therefore, we originally planned to upgrade the Special Forces Company to a Special Forces Battalion. If Captain Wu is able to join our Eighth Route Army, then our idea is that you and your brothers will merge with the Special Forces Company. Captain Wu will serve as the commander of the Special Forces Battalion, and we will send an instructor. The former commander of the Special Forces Company, Zhang Shan, will serve as the deputy battalion commander and concurrently the commander of the next company. The other two company commanders will be selected from Captain Wu's headquarters. Our Independent Detachment does not have a regimental organization, so we can only let Captain Wu serve as the battalion commander."

"Political Commissar Wei, do you trust me so much?"

"The commander and I both believe you are an upright soldier. In this moment of national destruction and national peril, we all believe that Commander Wu will fight for our country and our nation. Furthermore, Commander Wu and your troops have maintained military discipline under such difficult circumstances and have refrained from looting. For this reason alone, the commander and I trust you. Because in today's China, there are not many troops that can maintain military discipline in difficult times."

Indeed, this is what Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun value most.

Historically, as the Eighth Route Army advanced behind enemy lines, it incorporated numerous units in an effort to rapidly expand its forces. However, some of these units retained their bad habits and were simply not adapted to the Eighth Route Army's discipline. Consequently, numerous defections occurred.

Moreover, if troops with poor military discipline join the Eighth Route Army, it will only damage the reputation of the Eighth Route Army.

From this perspective, there was no problem with Wu Qinghe's unit. Wu Qinghe was very proud to hear Wei Hongjun's praise.

"How many people are there in the full complement of the special forces battalion?"

"500 people. Once the special forces battalion is formed, it will become one of the two fists of the independent detachment."

"Do I have the final say in the Special Forces Battalion?"

"Captain Wu, you may not be familiar with the situation of our Eighth Route Army. Our Eighth Route Army has a dual-chief system, which means that each unit has a military chief and a political chief. Just like our independent detachment, in addition to the commander, there is also me, the political commissar."

"Then who has the final say between us two?"

"Of course we discussed it. But since one is the military commander and the other is the political commander, there is a division of labor. I can't explain it clearly right now, but I can briefly explain it. For example, if your special forces battalion sees a group of enemies outside, you two will discuss whether to fight them, but the final decision rests with the political commander. In other words, the decision to fight is made by the political commander, but how to fight is the decision of the military commander."

"In other words, the political commander is the one who makes the final decision, and the military commander is the one who is responsible for fighting the war.

"You can say that."

"What about the officer appointments?"

"You need to discuss this together. If there are disagreements between you that cannot be resolved, you can report them and have them resolved by the detachment. Of course, we hope that the military commander and the political commander can work together in harmony; only in this way can we win the battle. If there is a disagreement between two people, and it even affects work, we will transfer one of them out based on the actual situation. If you join our Eighth Route Army, you will gradually understand this."