Therefore, it will take a long time for these eighteen battalions to become an army.
Then, during this period of time, the combat effectiveness of the independent regiment will not increase, but will decline to a certain extent. This is the same situation as when the Eighth Route Army just penetrated behind enemy lines.
Before the Eighth Route Army penetrated deep into the enemy's rear, the three main divisions had 30,000 men, all of whom were veterans of the Red Army who had experienced hundreds of battles. Their combat effectiveness was so strong that they could compete with the Japanese with bayonets without losing a single step.
However, after going deep behind enemy lines, the Eighth Route Army quickly expanded from 30,000 to hundreds of thousands, and the combat effectiveness of the army suffered a serious decline. Therefore, for a long time, the Eighth Route Army was unable to organize any offensive and could only rely on suppression. Huidaomen is armed, or a few stronghold gun towers are built to live.
This situation lasted until 194o before it improved. By 194o, after more than a year of training and the seizure of Huidaomen armed weapons and equipment, the Eighth Route Army had recovered to a certain extent in both training and equipment. Then, there was the Hundred Regiment War that will go down in history.
The situation of the Independent Regiment is basically similar to that of the Eighth Route Army.
If there is no expansion, using these two thousand veterans, plus the original troops, Xu Rui will be able to pull together an elite veteran regiment that is well-trained, well-equipped, and experienced in hundreds of battles in a blink of an eye. The combat effectiveness of this veteran regiment is so great But what’s great is that with this group, Xu Rui can go out and do many things.
While the Japanese army in Central China sent the main force of the Condemnation Army to go on an expedition, Xu Rui even dared to lead this regiment to attack Pukou and bite off a piece of flesh from the Japanese!
With this regiment, Xu Rui has the ability to turn the entire Wanzhong upside down, and even southern Sunan and Wannan are within the attack range of the independent regiment.
But if it is expanded, these two thousand hard-core veterans will be spread like beans.
Xu Rui only had three main battalions and one cavalry battalion at his disposal. The independent battalion suffered heavy casualties during the Feicheng defense battle. Afterwards, a large number of new soldiers were added, and the combat effectiveness was seriously reduced. The guard company was expanded into a guard battalion. Later, a large number of new soldiers were added, and the situation was similar. Both battalions were temporarily unable to be used.
With only three main battalions and one cavalry battalion at hand, Xu Rui was very limited in what he could do.
At most, they can only threaten Pucheng, and there is no hope of attacking Pukou. Not to mention crossing the river to attack southern Jiangsu or southern Anhui, it is simply impossible.
So, this is a dilemma.
Expanding the military is beneficial in the long run, but has disadvantages in the short term.
Not expanding will be beneficial in the short term but harmful in the long term.
For others, this may be a difficult decision, but not for Xu Rui.
Because Xu Rui understood very well that due to the limited manpower and material resources of Japan, the Battle of Wuhan was already at its limit. After the Battle of Wuhan, the Japanese army would no longer be able to organize a large-scale offensive. From now on, it would have to focus on military strikes and political attacks. Encourage to surrender is the supplement, turn to attack and control to induce surrender, and military strikes are the supplement.
At that time, the Japanese army will concentrate its forces to launch a large-scale law and order campaign against the occupied areas.
By that time, the Eighth Route Army in North China and the New Fourth Army in Central China will face the most difficult period. At that time, they will not only have to face the crazy raids of the Japanese, but even face the provocation and harassment of the stubborn troops from all walks of life.
The reason why Xu Rui gave up his immediate interests was to prepare in advance for this upcoming difficult time.
Xu Rui knew very well that in half a year, the Central China Condemnation Army would shift from the current offensive operations on the frontal battlefield to the security battle. By then, the Independence Regiment and Dameishan Base Area would become a thorn in the side of the Central China Condemnation Army. The thorn in the flesh will definitely become the main target of this old devil, Shunroku Hata.
If nothing unexpected happens, Shunroku Hata, an old Japanese soldier, will definitely mobilize more than two divisions of troops to launch a large-scale mopping up operation against the Dameishan base area.
If the independent regiment does not take advantage of this precious opportunity to expand its troops in time, wait for the Japanese to switch to security warfare, and wait for the old Japanese like Shunroku Hata to mobilize heavy troops to mop up, it will be impossible to defend the Dameishan base area with just one regiment. , even with the Shaqiaogang Fortress, it is still not enough.
Shaqiaogang Fortress can block the front, but cannot block other directions.
Even if the Japanese do not attack from the front, they can also attack from both sides by climbing over Qingniu Ridge and Qingfeng Peak. Although Qingniu Ridge and Qingfeng Peak have dangerous terrain, and the bandits from Qingniu Village and Qingfeng Village were in all directions before. The mountain roads are covered with traps, but in the face of an army of tens of thousands, these traps have no practical effect at all.
However, if the independent regiment is expanded to eighteen battalions and almost has the structure of an A-class division, when the Japanese mobilize heavy troops to sweep away, Xu Rui will have the confidence to fight in the high mountains of Qingniuling and Qingfengling. By fighting a small-scale mobile war with the Japanese, Xu Bu would have the confidence to thwart the Japanese's raids.
It was out of this consideration that Xu Rui decided to use the two thousand veterans who had returned from injury as the backbone to reorganize eight to ten battalions of troops.
After explaining the whole story to Mei Jiuling, Xu Rui said, "Jiuling, among the eight to ten newly formed battalions, I want to form a separate engineer battalion. Are you willing to be the commander of this engineer battalion?"
"Engineer battalion commander?" Mei Jiuling's still immature face immediately showed a look of embarrassment.
In today's world, engineer battalions are almost the standard configuration of infantry divisions. They are mainly responsible for building bridges and paving roads, repairing fortifications, or dismantling enemy fortifications, such as mine clearance. They rarely have the opportunity to go to the frontal battlefield. Mei Jiuling is determined to be on the battlefield. Killing the enemy head-on, of course he has no interest in being an engineer.
Mei Jiuling said with some embarrassment: "Captain, are you giving an order or asking for advice?"
Xu Rui smiled slightly when he heard this and said, "This is not an order, but I am asking for your opinion."
"Then I won't go." Mei Jiuling immediately perked up after hearing this and said without hesitation, "I would rather stay in the independent battalion and be a company commander than be the engineer battalion commander."
"Is this what you said?" Xu Rui smiled, "Don't regret it then."
"Regret?" Mei Jiuling said blankly, "Why should I regret it? What are the benefits of being an engineer?"
Xu Rui said: "Let me tell you, this engineering battalion of our independent regiment is not an ordinary engineering battalion. In our engineering battalion, there will be two extremely special companies."
"Two extremely special companies?" Mei Jiuling was even more confused, "What company?"
Xu Rui said: "In our engineering battalion, in addition to two engineering companies, there is also a motorized infantry company, plus an armored fighting vehicle company!"
"What?" Mei Jiuling's eyes immediately widened and she shouted, "A motorized infantry company, plus an armored fighting vehicle company?!"
If it were replaced by old and rough battalion commanders like He Guangming and Wan Zhongshan, they might not be able to figure out what a motorized infantry company or an armored fighting vehicle company is. It would be even more nonsense to ask them to learn the corresponding tactics, but Mei Jiuling , He Shuya and others systematically studied the corresponding combat theories when they were in the youth training team.
When Xu Rui talked about the theory of large corps and large-depth operations in class, and explained the blitz battle of tank clusters, the blood in Mei Jiuling and other student soldiers began to boil, and they wished they could transform into a simulated sand table. The tank cluster commander led hundreds of tanks in a quick blitz.
It was from that time on that the seeds of tank cluster blitzkrieg were planted in the minds of trainee soldiers like He Shuya and Mei Jiuling.
Although Xu Rui only planned to form a motorized infantry company and an armored fighting vehicle company in the engineering battalion, this was enough to make Mei Jiuling's blood boil.
"Captain, are you telling the truth?" Mei Jiuling's tone even changed.
"Of course it's true." Xu Rui said, "It's a pity that you don't want to. It seems that I can only find Shouxin."
"No, please don't, Captain." Mei Jiuling shook her hands repeatedly, wanting to grab Xu Rui, and then said in a heart-wrenching voice, "I'll do it, I'll do it, Captain, I'll do it." !”
"Are you willing again?" Xu Rui said happily, "Are you really willing?"
"Yes, yes." Mei Jiuling nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking at rice.
"Okay." Xu Rui nodded and said, "When the fortress is completed, you will prepare to set up this engineering battalion, but I have to say something ugly first. All I can provide you now is a Type 95 light Whether the tank, six three-wheeled motorcycles, two heavy-duty trucks, and finally the motorized infantry company and the armored fighting vehicle company can truly form an army depends entirely on your own ability."
"Yes!" Mei Jiuling stood up straight and responded loudly, "I promise to complete the mission!"
Coming out of the main bunker, Xu Rui saw the little widow Chu Chu who was close to Gao Chu at a glance.
Oh no, we can't say we are in love now. Chu Chu and Gao Chu are already married, and the wedding is hosted by Xu Rui and Wang Husheng is the witness.
I saw Chu Chu standing by the playground with a pot of water, waving to Gao Chu: "Brother Gao, drink some water to relieve yourself from the heat. Don't be exhausted on such a hot day."
The recruit Danzi, who was running circles around the playground, chuckled.
The more daring recruit Danzi took the opportunity to make a fuss and said, "Battal Commander, my sister-in-law asked you to stop being tired and save some energy to go home at night. Do you hear me?"
The other recruits burst into laughter.
Gao Chu became angry and roared: "That one is you, you will run twenty more laps, and you won't be allowed to eat until you finish! I still don't believe that I can't cure you, it's his grandma's fault."
After finishing speaking, when Gao Chu turned to face Chu Chu again, his face immediately blossomed with joy.
Then he trotted up to Chu Chu and said with a smile: "Chu Chu, why are you here on such a hot day? Didn't I ask you to stay at home so that you can give birth and raise your baby? Don't tire our son."
It has to be said that Gao Chu's shooting skills are very accurate, and he won the bid within a month of getting married.
A blush appeared on Chu Chuqiao's face, and she said angrily: "How did you know it was your son?"
"It's necessary. The first born will definitely be a boy." After Gao Chu finished speaking, he lowered his voice and said, "Daughter-in-law, didn't you see your butt is so big? The old man said that the first born will definitely be a boy."
"I hate it." Chu Chu poured a glass of water for Gao Chu and lightly punched Gao Chu.
Gao Chu took a big sip of cold water and enjoyed his wife's pink fist, which was very satisfying. (To be continued.)