Zhao Gang nodded and said: "As for the officers, you can ask the headquarters for instructions yourself, but I estimate that all the troops have been expanding recently, and there should not be many officers available to us."
"Not necessarily." Wang Dehou shook his head and said, "When assigning battalion and company-level officers, the headquarters will definitely give priority to our new regiment."
Wang Dehou has been working as a combat staff officer at the headquarters for a long time, and he still knows the headquarters quite well.
In the past year, the Eighth Route Army has expanded a lot of its main forces, especially the main forces of the 129th Division, which have been expanded in units of 10,000.
Under such circumstances, there is a shortage of middle-level officers, especially regimental and battalion-level officers. All military regions are scrambling for an outstanding regimental- and battalion-level officer who graduated from the Anti-Japanese University.
But Wang Dehou knew that the headquarters attached great importance to the development of the New Regiment.
As long as Li Yunlong opens his mouth, the head of the headquarters will usually send outstanding officers to the new regiment, and even send Xing Zhiguo, the leader of the main regiment, to the new regiment as deputy commander.
Because the head of the headquarters knows very well that only when the new group becomes stronger and makes a bigger fortune can the headquarters make a bigger fortune.
However, the speed of development of the new group should not be too fast and needs to be controlled.
"That's true!" Xing Zhiguo nodded with deep sympathy.
"Then the officer problem is solved." Zhao Gang said, "According to our new regiment's establishment of 2,000 men per battalion, our new regiment will have to expand by seven battalions!"
What the new regiment lacks most at the moment is battalion-level officers, and they are the kind of excellent battalion-level officers, such as battalion commanders, deputy battalion commanders and instructors.
As for company-level officers, the new regiment is not in short supply, and they can be promoted from deputy company commander to platoon commander.
After attacking the 36th Division and this counter-mopping battle, many company and platoon-level officers made meritorious service.
"Our new regiment now has a total of twenty-two battalions, including eleven infantry battalions, plus seven infantry battalions, that is eighteen infantry battalions."
Captain Li said with an extremely satisfied look.
An infantry battalion of 2,000 people is equipped with all foreign semi-automatic firepower.
The strength of each infantry battalion is similar to that of the main regiments of other brother units.
However, the firepower of each infantry battalion is at least four or five times that of other regiment-level main regiments, and the ammunition is sufficient.
This means that after this wave of expansion, Li Yunlong will have eighteen main infantry regiments in his hands!
When Zhao Gang, Xing Zhiguo and Wang Dehou heard this, they couldn't help but feel hotter and hotter.
If the new group continues to develop at this rate, it will not be far from the second attack on Taiyuan.
"The troops have developed." Li Yunlong suddenly shook his head and said, "But I always feel that the infantry battalion's firepower is still not enough."
Isn’t this firepower enough?
Zhao Gang, Xing Zhiguo and Wang Dehou couldn't help looking at each other.
Zhao Gang asked with a smile: "Don't you have the phobia of lack of firepower again?"
Zhao Gang heard this term from Chen Feng.
The problem is that the new group's firepower is very strong now. How could Li Yunlong still have a phobia of insufficient firepower?
"I feel that our firepower is still a bit insufficient."
Li Yunlong nodded and did not deny:
"If you do the math, we now have 11 infantry battalions. After the expansion, there will be 18 infantry battalions."
"But we only have three artillery battalions, plus a heavy howitzer company directly under the regiment headquarters."
"When there are 11 infantry battalions, when these infantry battalions are fighting, they can rely on the artillery battalions to provide firepower reinforcements."
"But after we have 18 infantry battalions, the artillery firepower is a bit insufficient. Do you understand what I mean?"
After saying this, Zhao Gang, Xing Zhiguo and Wang Dehou immediately understood.
Xing Zhiguo said: "Captain, what do you mean, give each of our infantry battalions a separate mountain artillery battery?"
Li Yunlong glanced at Xing Zhiguo approvingly and said:
"Yes, the Japanese infantry regiment is usually equipped with an artillery squadron, equipped with Type 92 infantry cannon and 75mm mountain cannon. For example, the infantry regiment of the Class A division also has a rapid-fire artillery squadron."
"The individual soldiers and mortar firepower of our infantry battalions are far more powerful than the mortar and grenade firepower of the Japanese infantry regiment."
"But it lacks attack capability and 75mm artillery suppression."
"I plan to equip each infantry battalion with a mountain artillery battery."
Although Li Yunlong said it was a mountain artillery battery, Zhao Gang, Xing Zhiguo and Wang Dehou all knew that the mountain artillery battery under each infantry battalion started with four 75mm mountain cannons, and there was no upper limit.
Xing Zhiguo said: "But we don't have that many mountain cannons now."
After the expansion is completed, there will be a total of 18 infantry battalions. Each infantry battalion is equipped with a minimum of 4 mountain cannons, which is 72 mountain cannons. This is already a mountain artillery brigade.
"Let's plan like this first." Li Yunlong said, "We have Boss Chen, but are we afraid that we won't be able to get 72 mountain cannons?"
“That’s true.”
"
After Xing Zhiguo's reminder, Li Yunlong also thought of those mountain cannons.
"We won't bring it back for the time being." Li Yunlong looked thoughtful, and then said, "After a while, we will send artillerymen to do some maintenance on the cannons to prevent the mountain cannons from rusting. Maybe the 18 mountain artillery companies of our 18 infantry battalions will be able to
It depends on these mountain cannons and cannonballs!"
Xing Zhiguo agreed: "The North China Front Army will definitely replenish aircraft. That old devil Okamura Neji will definitely equip the First Army with aircraft first. Then our opportunity to make a fortune will come."
There was a look of expectation in everyone's eyes. The price of killing a Japanese aircraft was three 75mm mountain cannons.
If you kill some more Japanese pilots, it will be even more profitable.
Li Yunlong nodded: "Do you have anything else to add about the future development of our new group?"
Everyone talked to each other and offered several suggestions to improve the future development plan of the new group.
Then, Li Yunlong looked at Zhao Gang and asked: "Old Zhao, do you have any ideas about the construction of the base area in northwestern Shanxi?"
This aspect will definitely be left to Zhao Gang in the future. Like Li Yunlong, Xing Zhiguo will still focus on military affairs, and Wang Dehou can also assist Zhao Gang.
Zhao Gang said: "As for the construction of the base area, I think it mainly focuses on three aspects."
Li Yunlong asked: "Which three aspects?"
"Economic, agricultural and industrial construction." Zhao Gang said, "Economic construction is to develop the economy of the base area, set up tobacco, tea and wineries to circulate money. Agricultural construction is easy to understand, which is to vigorously develop agriculture. Agriculture is our base area
Although Boss Chen has provided food, we have to be self-reliant and work hard. With Boss Chen providing seeds and fertilizers, we will definitely have a bumper harvest in the base area in northwest Shanxi next year. The last step is industrial construction. Our base area in northwest Shanxi will have a bumper harvest.
, we can also build up arsenals, steel plants, cement factories and other industries."
When Li Yunlong heard this, he looked extremely satisfied: "Hahaha, Lao Zhao, you really have something good!"