Chief of Staff Chen Zhengyu, Xiyang County National Salvation Army, finally returned.

A few days of division of troops made him look more mature and steady than before. After a brief greeting, he began to report on his gains and losses on this trip: "Captain, after I led the first battalion into Yangquan, I fought three major battles with the Yangquan Independent Regiment of the Eighth Route Army, which severely damaged the two infantry brigades of the Honda United and seized a large amount of supplies and equipment."

"In order to avoid seizure and affect the mobility of the troops, I took the initiative to give them all to the Eighth Route Army. The regiment headquarters promised the Yangquan Independent Regiment an infantry artillery and 100,000 bullets, and I also gave them all!"

"You guys fight very well!" Zhou Cheng looked at Chen Zhengyu with full appreciation.

"You have fought several battles in the pacification section of the Yangquan and Zhengtai Railway. I heard Deputy Commander Tang say that not only achieved the purpose of attracting the attention of the Japanese and puppet troops, but also killed a large number of Japanese soldiers at the minimum cost. If it weren't for the cooperation of these battles, I wouldn't have taken down Jingxing Coal Mine so easily and returned to the defense zone so smoothly!"

"Is the casualties of the troops serious? When you return to your garrison, pass by Yangquan and pacific peace, are there any new situations in the Japanese and puppet troops stationed in the two counties?"

"Except for the first battalion you took away, there is no specific loss. The other three main battalions and the troops directly under the regiment headquarters all suffered more than half of the casualties. In order to obtain power generation equipment for the arsenal, in this series of battles we launched, the soldiers who died alone were more than one thousand!"

Chen Zhengyu's face suddenly became unnatural.

Although the first battalion and the Yangquan Independent Regiment had great results, the Honda United was not a vegetarian, and the more they fought, the harder they could get a advantage. In several operations, more than half of the participating troops were injured and half, and the first battalion, as one of them, was no exception.

He hesitated for two seconds before speaking: "Report to the regiment commander, the first battalion sacrificed a total of 295 people and seriously injured 46 people in the continuous battles. Only one soldier from more than one company was left to return to the defense zone with me alive."

"When the troops passed by Pingdingheyangquan, all the Japanese and puppet troops were huddled in the county to train troops. When we passed under their noses, no one dared to go out to attack us. It was very cowardly and completely different from their previous combat style."

Zhou Cheng nodded and replied thoughtfully: "The regiment also received some information. After this defeat, the Japanese brigade commander changed his tactics and tactics against us again, and planned to not violate the rivers with us in the near future and develop our strength."

"Not only did the garrison and Honda United shrink their defenses, but they also strictly ordered all Japanese troops not to take the initiative to attack us and provoke war without authorization, otherwise military law would be carried out."

"I was a little unbelievable at the time."

"The Japanese army is famous for revenge. It has suffered such great losses and has also lost a large coal mine. Under normal circumstances, they should immediately gather heavy troops to retaliate against us, but now they are turtles."

"With such a big contrast, I don't know whether to believe in intelligence or my own judgment."

"Chief of Staff, your answer just now proves that the information received by the regiment headquarters is accurate. The Honda United and the garrison team, which have suffered heavy casualties, are indeed not capable of fighting and we continue to fight, and we have to stop and rest."

"Since that's the case, we will seize this rare opportunity to have a good rest, keep the Japanese inseparable waters from the rivers, expand the troops, strengthen training, further improve the combat effectiveness of the troops, and accumulate more strength for the next anti-sweeping."

After saying that, Zhou Cheng turned his attention to Tang Yufeng: "Old Tang, plus the losses of the first battalion, we sacrificed more than 1,300 people in this battle, seriously injured nearly 100 people, which is equivalent to the direct loss of more than 1,400 people in the regiment. My idea is to make up for half of the vacancies, and half of the vacancies are used to make up for the remaining vacancies from the new recruits."

"The rest of the absenteeism secretly formed two independent battalions, hid in the mountains for training, and used them as our trump card for the next anti-sweeping campaign!"

Tang Yufeng understood the gods in his heart: "Don't worry, the leader, there must be enough people."

"After preliminary mobilization, more than 1,600 absentees have voluntarily asked to join our National Salvation Army."

"You give me three more days, and I promise to increase this number to 2,300."

"The 700 people who supplemented the main force were reduced, and the remaining 1,600 people were just about to form two strengthening battalions of 800 people!"

Chen Zhengyu became more and more confused as he heard it, and he couldn't help asking: "Captain, when did our group absent from work? Why haven't I heard of it before?"

Tang Yufeng was very happy to answer: "It was brought back by the group leader!"

"When we were working on equipment in Jingxing coal mines, we brought back all three thousand absenteeism in the mining area. They were all Chinese troops captured by the Japanese on the battlefield. They were sent to the coal mine to mine because they were unwilling to work hard for the Japanese to be traitors..."

As he was talking, Tang Yufeng couldn't help but tell him the tragic experience of the absentee workers at Jingxing Coal Mine. Chen Zhengyu looked indignant and asked for a fight: "Captain, aren't we going to secretly form two battalions with absenteeism? I requested to serve as the battalion commander of one of the battalions, personally direct them to seek revenge on the Japanese and kill those beasts raised by the bastards!"

Zhou Cheng was moved.

After the two independent battalions were formed, because the absentees were all veterans on the battlefield and had a good foundation, they could form combat effectiveness with a little training.

In addition, they would rather be absent from work than a traitor. Everyone had been tortured by the Japanese, and many of their comrades and brothers were tortured to death by the Japanese. Everyone must be full of hatred for the Japanese.

With combat effectiveness and the morale and morale of killing the Japanese, the two newly established battalions will definitely become the two most elite troops of the National Salvation Army.

Such a strong army must be in control of one's own hands before one can feel at ease.

The Chief of Staff is undoubtedly the best candidate to serve as battalion commander.

But Zhou Chengju soon denied the idea.

The newly established two battalions will become the killer weapon for the National Salvation Army to deal with the Japanese in the future. Since it is a killer weapon, it must be absolutely confidential. From the beginning of its establishment, it has been hiding in the mountains for training in secret.

If Chen Zhengyu was asked to be the battalion commander, he would definitely run between the regiment headquarters and the two battalions often. Over time, the Japanese and puppet military spies would find some clues and then find the two battalions as if they were peeling off their cocoons.

Looking at Chen Zhengyu, he shook his head and refused: "You can't go, and I, Deputy Commander Tang, and Deputy Commander Zheng, can't go."

"We are so conspicuous. The Japanese spies who are active in the defense zone must be staring at us for 24 hours. If we often go to and from the two battalions, it won't take long to put the information about the two battalions on the desk of Major General Honda, and they will not report it as our trump card!"

"And in addition to these two main battalions that have not been established, we have four main battalions and a large number of direct troops in the defense zone, and the militia forces are waiting for us to manage."

"It's already difficult to train them into an army and restore their combat effectiveness. I can't even divide my energy into those two battalions."

Chen Zhengyu agreed with Zhou Cheng's reason, but soon his brows frowned and reminded with a worried look: "Captain, after the two battalions are established, the overall combat effectiveness will definitely exceed any of the main battalions we have. Except for us, there seems to be no one in the regiment to go!"

Tang Yufeng nodded in agreement: "The combat effectiveness of the two battalions is so strong, and the components of soldiers are very complicated. Two trustworthy and very capable battalion commanders must be sent over. Except for the existing battalion commanders, other deputy battalion commanders cannot meet these two requirements at the same time."

Zhou Cheng thought for a moment and answered directly in an orderly tone: "I will find a way to solve the problem when two battalion commanders and two deputy battalion commanders in charge of political work. Lao Tang, you are responsible for solving the problem when two deputy battalion commanders who manage logistics, six main company commanders, two firepower company commanders, and eight deputy company commanders."

"I guess there are many officers in the absence of work. If the background is not a problem, they can be appointed as officers below the company, but there is a standard that cannot be broken."

"If the company commander is absent from work, the regiment headquarters must arrange for him a capable deputy company commander, and the three platoon leaders must be transferred from outside."

"Although both battalions are composed of absenteeism, they cannot form hills in the National Rescue Army, nor can they develop into private troops of a certain officer."

"When forming a troops, no matter whether they are absent from the Jinsui Army or the Central Army, they must be disbanded and cannot be organized into one unit."

Tang Yufeng immediately supported: "There is no problem with the deputy battalion commander and the company commander, and the regiment can solve it!"

"I just don't know how you plan to solve the candidates for battalion commander and deputy battalion commander who are in charge of political work!"

Zhou Cheng first showed a slightly restless expression, and then said: "Old Tang, don't worry, I can't take care of porcelain without a diamond, I have already figured out the solution."

"These four people must be capable and our own people, and they cannot attract the attention of Japanese and puppet military spies and Deputy Commander Yuan, so that they can see the clues. The best way is to transfer people from outside."

"I decided to report the situation of these two independent battalions to the division headquarters and ask the division headquarters to support our two battalion commanders and two instructors who serve as deputy battalion commanders."

"They command the troops to hide in the mountains for training. They usually do not contact them except to give them ammunition supplies."

"When the Japanese and puppet troops attack us in the future, two independent battalions will secretly move behind the Japanese army and launch an attack from behind the Japanese. They will definitely be able to give the Japanese a fatal attack at critical moments and defeat them."

Tang Yufeng's eyes lit up: "It is indeed safe to transfer people from outside, and it can be absolutely confidential. As long as you are careful when transporting ammunition supplies to independent operators, no matter how powerful the Japanese spies are, they will not be able to find them."

Seeing that Tang Yufeng also supported his ideas, Zhou Cheng immediately made a decision: "Then I will send a telegram to the leader now!"

The head of the 129th Division was in a particularly good mood.

The National Salvation Army disguised the Eighth Route Army to attack Jingxing Coal Mine. To the outside world, the Jingxing Coal Mine was captured by the Eighth Route Army.

There have been rumors in Chongqing and the war zone before: the Eighth Route Army was swam behind enemy lines without attacking, and on the surface it seemed to be fighting the Japanese, but in fact it was developing its own strength secretly.

The chief wanted to refute it, but the Eighth Route Army had been fighting guerrillas behind enemy lines, attacking the Japanese through accumulating small amounts. There were few big battles that could be used to smash this rumor.

The Jingxing Coal Mine battle not only proved with facts that the Eighth Route Army could also fight tough battles, but also countered the rumors that the Eighth Route Army would not attack.

Because Jingxing coal mines are too important to the Japanese, this destruction caused the Japanese to dig out a ton of coal from Jingxing coal mines within half a year. The huge influence made Chief Yan, who had always been stingy, send a commendation telegram, rewarding 5,000 yuan.

Faced with the series of benefits brought to him by the National Salvation Army, it is difficult for the division commander to be unhappy.
Chapter completed!