With the return of Langya, the Battle of Wujiashan was finally over. Although the New Regiment won a great victory in this battle, it also suffered heavy losses.
Several battalions suffered heavy casualties.
Before the war began, the New Regiment had a total of more than 5,000 people. After the war, the New Regiment suffered nearly half of its casualties, leaving only more than 2,000 people. Even if the more than 1,000 lightly and seriously injured people in the hospital were included, it was still only a small number. More than three thousand people.
The Changbai Mountain Anti-Japanese Base Area includes the four counties of Yanji, Hunchun, Wangqing, and Tumen. To actually control such a large area, more than 3,000 people are naturally far from enough, so Xu Rui decided to expand the army.
The first to join the new group were the bandits from Changbai Eighteen Villages. Xue Lihong and others’ team totaled about 3,000 people. In this battle of Wujiashan, there was no hard battle, so the losses were not big. There were nearly two people left. Thousands of people.
However, these bandits were mixed, some committed murder and arson, and some smoked cigarettes. For such bandits, Xu Rui would remove them from the team.
As a result, there were only about a thousand bandits left who met the conditions for joining the army.
Xu Rui originally wanted to break them up and add them to each company of the new regiment, but thinking that they had just joined the new regiment, they would inevitably be resistant if they were broken up, so Xu Rui decided to organize these bandits into five companies.
Each battalion added a company structure and appointed Zhen Sanjiang, Xue Lihong, Jiang Quan, Piedhu and others as company commanders. This increased the strength of each battalion.
The second is to supplement the militia into the main force,
In the battle of the sewers in Wujiashan, the militia played a big role. It was their desperate protection, coupled with the fatal killings of Chiyoko Inoue and Mai Asahina, who finally defeated the Japanese special operations division. , and in this battle, the militiamen also suffered heavy losses. More than a thousand people participated in the battle, and in the end only less than 500 people were left.
Fortunately, these 500 people have grown up after being tested by the fire of war, so Xu Rui enriched all 500 militiamen into several main battalions.
However, the number of militiamen was too small. Even if they were all added to the new regiment, the number of people in the new regiment would still be insufficient.
So Xu Rui ordered conscription within the four counties to expand the army.
However, to everyone's surprise, the recruitment effect was not good.
On this day, Gao Chu, who was in charge of recruiting soldiers, came to Xu Rui with a frown on his face.
Xu Rui said: "Gao Chu, what happened?"
Gao Chu said: "The people in Changbai Mountain are too bloodless. It has been three days, and the four counties have recruited less than 200 people to join the army. Excluding those with poor quality, less than 100 people can be used."
Xu Rui immediately understood that the Changbai Mountain area had been ruled by the Japs for nearly ten years, and the common people had received the Japs' enslavement education. In school, students were required to salute in the direction of the Japanese Imperial Palace every day. In this way, many common people were Accepting the fait accompli and lacking the spirit of resistance.
Xu Rui was also a little annoyed. He said: "It seems that the people in this area have developed the habit of being submissive and do not dare to resist the Japanese rule. Moreover, they are also afraid that the new group will not last long like the previous Anti-Japanese Alliance and the Japanese will Come back to settle things.”
"That should be the case, but it won't work. If we don't join the army, how can we increase our strength!" Gao Chu said with a bitter face.
Xu Rui said: "If you want to recruit soldiers, you must first break the image of the Japs among the common people. Nowadays, the common people are afraid of the Japs. If they are not afraid of the Japs, they will join the army enthusiastically."
"Captain, how can we make the people not afraid of the Japanese?" Gao Chu asked.
"You have to figure it out yourself." Xu Rui said with a smile.
Gao Chu thought about it for a long time, then his eyes suddenly lit up and he said: "Commander, didn't we capture a lot of Japanese soldiers this time? You said, if we escort these Japanese soldiers around the streets of the county, Will it be able to break the image of the Japanese in the hearts of the people?"
"This is a good way to let the common people see the devilish behavior of the Japanese, so that the common people will no longer be afraid of the Japanese, which will help us carry out future activities." Xu Rui nodded.
Gao Chu said: "Okay, commander, give me a hundred Japanese soldiers, and I will drive them through the streets."
"No problem." Xu Rui said without hesitation.
Xu Rui continued: "This alone is not enough. What is the greatest advantage of our Eighth Route Army?"
"What?" Gao Chu asked.
"Silly, that means mobilizing the masses. The political commissar is good at this. You go to him and ask him to help you think of ways to mobilize the masses. As long as the masses are mobilized, isn't it easy to recruit troops?"
"Hey! Captain, this is really what happened. I'm going to find the political commissar right now!" Gao Chu went to find Wang Husheng excitedly.
Wang Husheng asked Gao Chu: "What do you want from me?"
Gao Chu told Wang Husheng his thoughts.
Wang Husheng said: "This mass work is the heirloom of our party. The army and the people are close to each other, and the army and the people are one family. We cannot abandon this tradition. In normal times, let the soldiers do more work for the common people, such as fetching water, chopping firewood, and cleaning the yards. First of all, If you become one with the common people, your work will be easier to carry out."
"That's it?" Gao Chu said.
"This can only have a certain effect. If we want people to join the army enthusiastically, we need a strong dose of medicine."
"Political Commissar, what do you think we should do?" Gao Chu became interested.
Wang Husheng said: "The simplest thing is to fight against the Japanese and divide the land! There are Japanese pioneer groups stationed in these four counties. They have occupied the best farmland in the four counties. Now that the four counties have been liberated, these Japanese pioneer groups will also If they all run away, we will distribute their fields to the common people, so that the common people will naturally support us."
"High! Political Commissar, the common people have divided the fields owned by the Japanese. Firstly, they want to protect their own interests, and secondly, they are afraid that the Japanese will come back to settle the score, so they will definitely support us, and naturally more people will join the army."
"Yes, that's the truth." Wang Husheng said.
"In this way, I will immediately transfer some political cadres to form a work team and enter the jurisdiction of the four counties. First divide the Japs' land, and then you will recruit troops. The effect will be much better." Wang Husheng said.
"Political Commissar, I've finally convinced you!"
"Coming from the masses and going to the masses is our party's consistent policy and the foundation of our party, which must not be lost at any time."
After Gao Chu's conversation with Wang Husheng, Wang Husheng quickly established dozens of work teams and went deep into the cities and towns of the four counties. They confiscated the enemy's and puppet assets and distributed all the fertile land occupied by the Japanese pioneering regiments to the common people.
At the same time, the garrison troops from the four counties also took the initiative to help the people fetch water, chop firewood, clean yards, and repair houses.
…
Outside Yanji City, Xiaoling Town.
Old man Zhang is a resident of Xiaoling Town and has lived here alone for most of his life.
Old man Zhang got up early in the morning and was about to go out to fetch water. As soon as he opened the door, he saw several soldiers standing at the door. These soldiers entered Old Man Zhang's house without any explanation. Those who chopped firewood chopped firewood, and those who carried water carried water. Some even picked up brooms and swept the yard. When two soldiers saw that the pig pen at Old Man Zhang's house was broken, they immediately helped move stones to block the pig pen.
Old man Zhang ran into the house and hid, lying on the crack of the door and looking out at everything. He had lived for most of his life, the patrol camp of the Qing Dynasty, Marshal Zhang's Northeastern Army, Japan's Kwantung Army, and the Manchukuo Army. The police have all seen these soldiers bullying ordinary people everywhere, asking for this or that. I have never seen an army take the initiative to help ordinary people work.
Old man Zhang touched his forehead. He didn't have a fever! I rubbed my eyes again, I saw that right! But why did the sun come out in the west and these soldiers came to help the people
These soldiers were busy for a full hour before leaving.
Old man Zhang breathed a sigh of relief. The soldiers finally left, and he felt relieved.
"These soldiers have actually learned how to win people's hearts. I don't want to fall for your tricks. There are no good soldiers." Old man Zhang muttered.
Early the next morning, when Old Man Zhang opened the door, he found those soldiers coming again. Old Man Zhang hid behind the door again and watched these soldiers chop wood, boil water, and sweep the yard for him. Before leaving, these soldiers A soldier also placed a bag at the door of the room.
After the soldiers left, Old Man Zhang opened the bag and saw that it contained white noodles.
Old Man Zhang's eyes were moist. He had no children and was extremely poor. He had to do everything by himself. For so many years, he could only maintain food and clothing. Even during the holidays, he only ate potatoes and cornmeal porridge. This was a waste of money. I haven’t eaten white flour in several years.
It seems that these soldiers are not just trying to win people's hearts. Old man Zhang thought to himself.
For several days in a row, every morning when the door opened, there would be soldiers working for the old man Zhang’s family. Old man Zhang’s initial resistance turned into moved. He thought about it and baked a few white dry biscuits (a kind of baigan biscuit) with white flour in the morning. Pancakes without oil), when they saw the soldiers coming, they came out immediately.
Old man Zhang said: "Master, eat this cake and then go to work."
When those soldiers were having fun, a talkative soldier said: "Sir, don't call me military master, just call us comrade. Our army has regulations. We can't eat this cake without taking every stitch and thread from the common people." "
"Is there such a troop?" Old man Zhang held the pancake in his hand and was moved to tears.
"What a good man!" Old Man Zhang said with emotion. This was the first time he had seen such an army in his entire life. It seemed that the soldiers of the new regiment were really different from other soldiers.
Old man Zhang is not alone. This kind of thing is happening in many places in the four counties of Changbai. As the work progresses, more and more people have changed their views on Xinyi Tuan.
They saw Xinyi Tuan's behavior with their eyes and remembered it in their hearts. From staying away and escaping at the beginning to actively approaching Xinyi Tuan, Xinyi Tuan finally became one with the common people.
After nearly a month of hard work, the new regiment finally gained the support of the people and established a firm foothold in the four counties. At this time, Wang Husheng led the work team to divide the land of the Japanese pioneering regiment.
Speaking of which, the land of the Japanese pioneering group was obtained from the Chinese people in a way that was close to robbing. The common people resisted, but were later suppressed by the Japanese. The common people were crying without tears.
Now it's good, the New Regiment has divided the Pioneer Regiment's land, and the common people have finally stood up. The land is the ** of the common people. With the land, the common people burst out with great enthusiasm and began to support the New Regiment fanatically.
In particular, the common people who had been allocated land actively joined the army in order to protect their immediate interests. Within a few days, the new regiment had five to six thousand new recruits!