Just when Zhou Weihan arrived in southern Hebei, the situation in western Hebei was also very critical.
Zhu Huaibing's unit of the 97th Army of the National Army was transferred from Tainan North to West Hebei, and joined the commander-in-chief of the Hebei-Chacha War Zone Lu Zhonglin and other units in an attempt to launch an attack on the anti-Japanese base in the northern Taihang Mountains.
97th Army Military Headquarters.
"Military seat, there is an urgent telegram from the commission's attendant's office!" Zhu Huaibing's confidant adjutant took the telegram and knocked on the door to report.
At this time, Zhu Huaibing wiped the glasses in his hands. Then Zhu Huaibing received the telegram and carefully studied the instructions conveyed by the micro-manipulation master.
Zhu Huaibing was very good at figuring out what was going on. He had always been an expert in causing friction. He had followed him from the Soviet area to the Taihang Mountains. Zhu Huaibing had always understood what Principal Chang meant.
"Inform officers above the regimental commander to come to the military headquarters for a meeting!" Zhu Huaibing said with joy in his eyes.
"No, directly notify Zhang Dongkai's 24th Division to march towards Shahe in Xingtai." Zhu Huaibing has always been cunning and suspicious, and even the Eighth Route Army's intelligence work was in place. Maybe one of the officers attending the meeting was from the Eighth Route Army, so he simply let the team march directly.
That afternoon, the Eighth Route Army headquarters in Wangjiayu, Wuxiang County.
The conference room was filled with smoke, and several major leaders from the headquarters and division headquarters were present.
The boss looked around and broke the silence first: "Chief of Staff, please tell everyone!"
"Everyone, according to the intelligence transmitted from the 97th Army's internal line, Chiang Kai-shek has ordered the 97th Army to station along the Shahe River in western Hebei. The purpose is obvious. Lu Zhonglin in western Hebei has sent troops to support Zhu Huaibing's northward movement of the 97th Army.
In the area of Fukou and Cejing west of Shahe County, the elected county magistrate of Shahe County was replaced, the second government of Shahe County was established, and Xingtai Commissioner was appointed." The deputy chief of staff said slowly.
"You see, Chiang Kai-shek is forcing us to take action. We put the overall situation first and are dedicated to resisting Japan. We have given in again and again. We are already retreating. There is really no place to retreat." Commander Liu said sternly.
In 1938, Lu Zhonglin entered southern Hebei, and with Sun Liangcheng as the guerrilla commander-in-chief, he incorporated Zhao Yunxiang, Hu Hedao, Xia Weili and other troops, and unified the command of the local armed forces scattered throughout southern Hebei.
Zhang Yinwu, director of the Department of Civil Affairs and commander-in-chief of the Hebei Civilian Army, also led his troops from northern Henan to the Luancheng area of Zhao County to join his affiliated Qiao Mingli Department.
Lu Zhonglin also formed a "Hebei-Shandong Joint Defense" with SD Provincial Chairman Shen Honglie, and PY Commissioner Ding Shuben cooperated with Shen Honglie to restrict the development of the Eighth Route Army in the Hebei, Shandong and Henan regions.
In 1939, Commander Liu personally went to western Hebei many times and expressed the solemn position of the Eighth Route Army to Lu Zhonglin, commander-in-chief of the Hebei-Cha theater, and Xia Weili, captain of the second column of the Hebei-Cha guerrillas.
"Our Eighth Route Army's position on local armed conflicts is a clear principle of self-defense. If we are not attacked, we will not attack others. If others attack us, we will attack others. We must use contradictions to win over the majority, oppose the minority, and defeat them one by one.
We have made the truth very clear to them. Since they want to take action, we will use fighting to promote peace." The boss said decisively.
"The national army is not monolithic. Lu Zhonglin is nominally the commander-in-chief of the Hebei-Cha War Zone. Most of the Hebei People's Army only listens to Zhang Yinwu's command. In addition, there are three close friends in southern Hebei. The three sides stand side by side. This is a good thing for us to defeat each one.
Opportunity." said the deputy chief of staff.
"Order the main force of the 385th brigade, the Western Hebei guerrillas and the Central Hebei Security Brigade, the Central Hebei 21st Regiment, the 25th Regiment, and the basic troops of the First Military Division of the Southern Hebei Province to assemble along the Shahe River. If Lu Zhonglin dares to make any move, before the arrival of the 97th Army
, quickly annihilate this unit." The boss said with a wave of his hand.
"Zhou Weihan's new second regiment has been reorganized into the Jinan Independent Detachment. Chief of Staff, please help Zhou Weihan find a candidate for Chief of Staff. They are all detachments, not just the commander and political commissar!"
At this time, Zhou Weihan had no idea what was happening at the headquarters, but the small actions of the stubborn troops in southern Hebei did not escape He Wensheng's eyes.
"Captain, I have sorted out the intelligence network around Feixiang County in the past two days. According to the intelligence, Shiyou Sanyi stationed in Guangping County, east of Feixiang County, has recently purchased a large number of supplies. It is very strange.
!
The New Eighth Army's Gao Shuxun also marched from northwest Shandong to southern Hebei!" He Wensheng summarized the recent intelligence and reported it to Zhou Weihan.
Zhou Weihan was horrified after hearing this: "This is going to be a big move!"
"Captain, what do you mean?" He Wensheng asked hesitantly.
"The Three Friends of Friends have never fought against the Japs, so this time the target of the attack must be directed at our Eighth Route Army. Immediately notify the surrounding brother troops to be more careful!" Zhou Weihan said slowly.
"Dong Jiang, ask the telegraph operator to notify the headquarters of this information!" Zhou Weihan said to Dong Jiang standing aside.
Before Dong Jiang left the house, the telegraph operator hurried in: "Regiment commander, the political commissar sent an urgent message. The headquarters instructs the new second regiment to form an independent detachment, and tells you to return to the base area to reorganize the troops immediately!"
After Zhou Weihan received the telegram, he immediately ordered Gu Yi and Guo Dong's two companies to always pay attention to the movements of the stubborn troops in Guangping County. For this reason, he specially left the telegraph operator with them.
On that day, Zhou Weihan returned to the base of the New Second Regiment.
The next day, Lu Zhonglin directly ordered Hou Ruyong's troops and the Hebei People's Army, which were stationed in the area west of Zanhuang and Yuanshi, and had already secretly communicated with the Japanese army, to launch an armed attack on Fan Zixia's troops of the Pinghan Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Column.
At the same time, the main force of Qiao Mingli's troops of the Hebei People's Army stationed in Shulu, east of Pinghan Road, between Ning and Jin, also stepped up their provocations against the Eighth Route Army.
The Eighth Route Army was forced to defend itself, so it sent the main force of the 385th Brigade, the Western Hebei guerrillas, the Central Hebei Security Brigade, the Central Hebei 22nd Regiment and the 25th Regiment, and the basic troops of the First Military Division of the Southern Hebei Military Region to move northward. In just two days, they captured Hou Ruyong and Qiao Mingli.
Most of the more than 8,000 troops stationed east and west of Pinghan Road were wiped out.
When our army was clearing out the remnants of Hou Ruyong on the west side of the road, the Japanese army dispatched more than 2,500 troops from Zanhuang, Yuanshi, SJZ, Huolu, Jingxing, and Xiyang to rescue Hou Ruyong. With the cooperation of aircraft, they divided into 9 groups to attack the Eighth Route Army west of Zanhuang.
.
I immediately started a fierce battle with the enemy, inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy, and then withdrew from the encirclement. Hou Ruyong led more than 700 remaining troops under the cover of the Japanese army and fled to Zanhuang County to openly surrender to the enemy.
After the Hebei People's Army suffered a heavy blow, Zhu Huaibing, who was heading north, was isolated and hurriedly retreated south to Wu'an, Shexian and Cixian areas together with Lu Zhonglin.
The conversation was divided into two parts, and Zhou Weihan returned to the headquarters of the New Second Regiment that night.
"Old Zhou, you understand the orders from the headquarters, right?" Zhao Gang said.
"I've been waiting for such a long time, and finally it's our new second group's turn to play!" Zhou Weihan said happily.
"Headquarters didn't say anything else except this order?"
"What do you mean?" Zhao Gang asked.
"To upgrade the size of a regiment to a detachment, not only the number of people is enough, but also the cadres are indispensable. In the past, it was all supported by you as the political commissar. Will it be all supported by you in the future?" Zhou Weihan said.
Zhao Gang also complained about being always tied to the base area: "This is indeed a problem, but there is a shortage of cadres everywhere now. Do you have any good ideas?"
"Hehe, I say it's impossible for the headquarters not to send people to us, but as our natal family, the 386 Brigade has to send people to support us, right? Lao Zhao, you have to go to the brigade commander for this matter, you have face!" Zhou Weihan!
Encouraged.
"Why should I go? Why don't you go? The brigade commander is trying to take advantage of you?"
"Didn't I just get three comrades from the enemy's engineering unit from the brigade commander? Why do I have the nerve to open my mouth? Lao Zhao, you are different. You have always been a good student. When you were in school, didn't the teacher just like you like this?