pappabearbooks Chapter 26 The Nouveau Riche of the New First Regiment
Chapter 26 The Nouveau Riche of the New First Regiment
Soon, Zhao Dahu and his men arrived at the company headquarters at Chen Xiaoquan's summons.
Although Liu Tiegang and the others had only just joined, Yang Zheng considered that they were warriors summoned by the system, and their loyalty was guaranteed.
At the same time, they were either former military officers or possessed professional skills, so Yang Zheng also invited them to participate in the meeting.
After everyone gathered together, Yang Zheng spoke first, saying, "Our Eighth Company fought three battles with the Japanese after arriving in Changning Village, killing more than 130 Japanese soldiers. We achieved remarkable results and captured a lot of spoils!"
At the same time, it has attracted many brave men to join, and now there are 170 people. It's time to reorganize!
Listening to Yang Zheng's words, Zhao Dahu, Luo Dashan, and the others were filled with pride, while Liu Tiegang and the other newcomers were also full of anticipation.
Yang Zheng looked around and said again, "Chen Xiaoquan, give us a report on the equipment and personnel we currently possess!"
"Yes, Company Commander!" Chen Xiaoquan stood up, holding a piece of paper in his hand, and read aloud, "Currently, our company has a total of 95 Type 38 rifles, 57 Hanyang rifles, 6 Type 96 light machine guns, 2 grenade launchers..."
Yang listened from the side with a faint smile on his face, but in his heart he was thinking that even Zhang Dabiao's battalion didn't have as many weapons as his own. He was now definitely the richest man in the new regiment.
They've only been developing independently for less than ten days now. What will things be like three months from now?
Soon, Chen Xiaoquan finished reading out all the existing weapons and equipment, and then began to report on the relevant personnel, including those who were still seriously injured.
Currently, the Eighth Company has 115 combat-ready personnel, 49 new recruits, and 15 seriously wounded personnel, totaling 179 people.
During Chen Xiaoquan's report, Yang Zheng also made his decision and announced it on the spot:
Platoon leader Chen Xiaoquan remained unchanged, commanding 40 soldiers, including 16 new recruits, equipped with 25 Type 38 rifles, 13 Hanyang rifles, and one Type 96 light machine gun.
The second platoon leader, Zhao Dahu, remains unchanged, and his personnel and weapons are the same as those of the first platoon.
The newly formed 8th Company, 3rd Platoon, was led by Zeng Dahui as platoon leader and Liu Tiegang as deputy platoon leader. The personnel and weapons under its command were the same as those of the 1st Platoon.
A new fire support platoon was established, with Luo Dashan as the platoon leader. Artillerymen such as Yu Dahai were also assigned to the platoon. The platoon was equipped with 3 Type 91 light machine guns, 2 grenade launchers, 5 Type 38 rifles, and 10 Hanyang rifles. The total number of personnel was 30.
A new reconnaissance squad was formed, with Mao Dashuan, who was recovering from injuries, serving as the squad leader. Lin Xiaoye and other reconnaissance personnel, along with three cavalrymen including Sun Ming, joined the squad. Sun Ming was the deputy squad leader, and the squad consisted of 10 people.
In addition, there are non-combat personnel such as cooks and blacksmiths, which are not listed here.
After this arrangement, the organization and management of the Eighth Company became clear, making subsequent command more convenient.
At the same time, Yang Zheng also emphasized several things during the meeting: the fire support platoon must immediately familiarize itself with the weapons and equipment at hand, as they will play an important role in the next battle.
The comrades in the reconnaissance squad must learn to ride warhorses as soon as possible, and at the same time be responsible for monitoring the surrounding Japanese strongholds.
In addition, the standardization of military uniforms must be implemented as soon as possible, and the construction of the camp must be completed at a faster pace, with the first to third platoons helping out simultaneously.
Yang Zheng assigned tasks one by one, and Chen Xiaoquan, Zhao Dahu, and others stood up to acknowledge them.
But then Chen Xiaoquan raised a rather crucial question.
"Company Commander, now that we have more men, our daily consumption is also increasing dramatically. With our current food reserves, we're afraid it will only last for half a month."
When Yang Zheng heard Chen Xiaoquan raise the issue of grain, the smile on his face faded a little, and his fingers unconsciously tapped the table, making a soft tapping sound.
The main room fell silent. Everyone realized that no matter how glorious the victory or how sophisticated the weapons, they couldn't withstand the protests of their stomachs.
With nearly two hundred mouths to feed, they consume hundreds of kilograms of food every day.
Zhao Dahu scratched his head and muttered, "How about... we borrow some more from the Japanese? We outnumber them and have more guns now, let's find their stronghold and give them a good thrashing!"
Luo Dashan's eyes lit up: "That's right! Company Commander, we're strong and well-equipped now, perfect for practicing at the Japanese stronghold, and letting the brothers in the artillery platoon test the power of their new equipment! There must be a grain depot in the stronghold!"
Zeng Dahui, Liu Tiegang, and other newly joined officers did not speak, but their eyes revealed their agreement.
In the old army, they often ate wherever they fought, or relied on "conscription," although it often turned into looting.
Chen Xiaoquan frowned: "Attacking Japanese strongholds is certainly one way, but we can't rely solely on that."
After all, the Japanese strongholds are well-fortified, and those with ample food supplies often have pillboxes. Without heavy weapons, it will be difficult for us to take them down. We need a more reliable and sustainable method.
Yang Zheng gave Chen Xiaoquan an approving look; this kid was becoming more and more strategic.
He stopped tapping the table and spoke in a calm voice: "Dahu and Dashan are right, we do need to take it from the Japanese. But we can't attack blindly; we need to be selective and prepared."
He pointed to the map on the table, his finger pointing to the Daejeon stronghold. "We've been watching this stronghold for so long, and we've caused it to lose a lot of troops. Now it's at its weakest and most panicked."
We can try taking them down first, and the food inside can help replenish some of our supplies.
Of course, this is not a long-term solution. So, the reconnaissance squad has a heavy task ahead. They not only need to find out the movements of the surrounding Japanese strongholds, but also the patterns, routes, and escort forces of the Japanese transporting grain to the strongholds!
Furthermore, we must also find out which villages were most severely exploited by the Japanese, and which villagers hated the Japanese the most but dared not resist!
"What happens after we figure it out?" Zhao Dahu asked impatiently.
"We've figured it out," Yang Zheng said, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Now it's time for us to show our skills. We'll choose the right location and time to ambush the Japanese grain transport team!"
We'll wipe out the small groups, and harass the large ones. We'll burn their grain so the Japanese won't get any! As for those villages being oppressed by the Japanese..."
He paused for a moment, then said, "We'll send someone to secretly contact them and tell them that the Eighth Route Army is here, and they're here to fight the Japanese. We'll help them get back some of the grain that the Japanese stole from them."
Alternatively, we can trade captured daily necessities, salt, or even weapons for food!
We must let the villagers know that by following the Eighth Route Army, they can not only fight the Japanese and vent their anger, but also truly survive and thrive!
Chen Xiaoquan's eyes lit up: "Company Commander, do you mean we should both attack the Japanese supply lines and mobilize the masses to establish our own supply sources? Turn those villages into our fortified villages?"
"That's right!" Yang Zheng said decisively. "Relying solely on robbing the Japanese isn't stable. And we don't have that much capital to rely on buying or exchanging."
We must adopt a two-pronged approach! We must disrupt the Japanese supply lines to weaken the enemy and strengthen ourselves; simultaneously, we must mobilize the masses to establish our base and secure stable support. This is the only long-term solution!