Chapter 45: Lingering Melody (5)

  Liu Yimin knew that the supplies and new troops they sent were like sending charcoal in the snow to the main force of the Red Army. However, he did not expect that several army corps commanders would rush to lead their troops to welcome them. If he had known, Liu Yimin would have let Cai Zhong stay in Jingzhou to train and consolidate, while he himself led a team to escort them directly to headquarters. After all, Cai Zhong was an old Red Army veteran, familiar to most leaders, whereas Liu Yimin had joined the Red Army for a relatively short time, and most leaders only knew him through later studies of military history. Deep down, he was eager to get acquainted with these veteran heroes and generals.

  After seeing off Cai Zhong, Liu Yimin called over the sniper squad leader Wang Tongsheng to ask about the matter of installing a telescope on the gun that he had entrusted last time.

  Wang Tongsheng reported that at the time of the tunnel, there were not so many binoculars, and only one gun was installed in time. The effect was pretty good. During the third ambush of Xiaoshui battle, he hit an officer of the enemy's logistics camp about 600 meters away with this gun.

  Liu Yimin was overjoyed when he heard this and told him to go install telescopes on all the guns in the entire row right away.

  Wang Tongsheng said with difficulty that he had already led the soldiers to turn around in the afternoon, and Jingzhou didn't have any tools. If they forced it, they would damage both the telescope and the guns.

  Liu Yimin immediately ordered him to bring the entire platoon to find the cavalry company commander Hu Lao Hu, ride on the extra war horses of the cavalry company, and have the cavalry company be responsible for protection. Rush back to Tongdao County Castle, find that craftsman who helped him modify, work overnight, strive to install telescopes on all guns in the entire platoon. If possible, install a few more, the sniper platoon is about to expand.

  When Wang Tongsheng turned to leave, Liu Yimin stopped him again and said that if he could bring the craftsman and his tools, Liu Yimin would invite him to drink in Jingzhou. Overjoyed, Wang Tongsheng went to find the cavalry regiment.

  After Wang Tongsheng left, Liu Yimin began to stare at the map in a daze. The current situation was already very clear: due to his arrival, history had undergone subtle changes, and the Red Army's losses in the Xiangjiang Battle were smaller than before. The Tongdao Conference had already achieved a strategic shift in thinking, Chairman Mao had de facto command of the Red Army, and with the weapons, ammunition, and supplies he had sent over, the overall strength of the Red Army was now incomparable to its historical counterpart. On the enemy side, the Hunan army retreated after being defeated, the Guangxi army also retreated out of fear, and the Guangdong army behind them stalled. The only pursuing enemy left was the Central Army. Now should be the best time for the Central Red Army to enter Guizhou. If they acted slowly, it was estimated that the Sichuan army would move. Historically, after the Red Army entered Guizhou, the Hunan and Guangxi armies rarely fought against them; mainly, it was the Sichuan and Yunnan armies cooperating with the Central Army to pursue and attack. Next, how would the Central Committee use its own 18th Division? Would they continue to stay in Tongdao to stall the enemy or withdraw to the Leping and Jinping lines to stall the enemy? Or would they catch up with the main force and join the Guizhou battlefield?

  No matter how the Central Committee uses the 18th Regiment, the top priority is to intensify training and tempering of the troops. Otherwise, once the enemy realizes that there is only one regiment in the corridor area, they will have a field day. After all, the 18th Regiment itself is essentially a reorganized unit with many captured soldiers and complex composition. For now, we are winning battles and riding the wind, but if we encounter defeat or adversity, can we hold our ground and not be defeated? Honestly, it's worth studying. Think about the battle of Xiaoshui in the 6th Red Army Regiment, when the troops were surrounded by the enemy from high ground, a squad of soldiers took the initiative to launch a counterattack, covering the main force, and finally jumped off the cliff after exhausting their ammunition. Our old Red Army soldiers in the 18th Regiment can certainly do the same, but what about the new recruits? The road to training for the 18th Regiment is still very long! If only the Central Committee could mix the existing several thousand people of the 18th Regiment with the main force... Take this time's 4,000 captured soldiers given to the main force, many cadres asked to directly incorporate them into the 18th Regiment and expand its establishment. I thought about it and felt that it wouldn't work, as there are only over a thousand old Red Army soldiers in the 18th Regiment, which can't digest so many captured soldiers. Giving them to the main force would be different, they could easily assimilate. After discussing with Cai Zhong, Liu Jianzhang, Li Qing and others, they also agreed with my views. It seems that everyone can see the drawbacks of rapid expansion of the troops.

  The three battalions that are planned to be newly established must complete their formation tonight, time is not waiting for people, the enemy's central army may come from the east and rear at any time, and there will not be much time left for the troops to train. The cadres have also arrived, it's time to hold a meeting.

  As soon as Liu Yimin walked out of the door, he found that except for the sniper squad leader Wang Tongsheng and the cavalry squadron leader Hu Laohu, as well as the fifth, sixth, and logistics regiments, all the battalion-level leaders of the 18th regiment were sitting neatly in the courtyard. Under the light of the torches, it was clear that after a day of rest, the cadres had proud and happy faces. Even Li Chang, the artillery battalion commander who had been taken away from six mountain guns, had a self-satisfied face. No wonder, in the Xigou battle, the strong artillery firepower not only stunned the enemy but also opened the eyes of the old Red Army soldiers. It turned out that the Red Army could also use such powerful artillery to trample the enemy, which could reduce casualties! Great, wonderful!

  Seeing the team leader come out, the cadres applauded spontaneously. Liu Yimin knew that this was a confirmation of his comrades. With both hands pressed down, the applause stopped instantly. Liu Yimin began to speak: "Yesterday, our regiment fought continuously for a day and night, achieving an unprecedented victory at Xiguan, annihilating three enemy divisions led by Liu Jianxu. This achievement comes from the bravery of the Red Army soldiers, from the correct command of officers at all levels, and even more so from the correct leadership and strong support of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission, Chairman Mao, Vice-Chairman Zhou, and Commander-in-Chief Zhu. Think about it, isn't that the reason?"

  The cadres replied in unison: "Yes!"

  "Faced with achievements, what should we do?" Liu Yimin's gaze swept across the cadres, seeing that everyone was waiting quietly for the next sentence, and continued to say: "The top priority is to do three things well: First, widely carry out the activity of telling grievances and talking heart-to-heart, let those new warriors not only participate in the Red Army with their bodies but also integrate their hearts with the Red Army, firmly establish the idea of fighting for the establishment of a new China, ensure that soldiers will not waver, escape, or surrender under any circumstances, and the troops will not be defeated, dispersed, or crushed under any circumstances, truly becoming the steel army, iron army, and sharp knife in the Red Army. Second, quickly carry out training activities, practice tactical movements, shooting, throwing grenades, and bayonet fighting skills, and take combat effectiveness to a new level. Third, conduct battle summaries, select battle heroes, let battle heroes be rewarded and wear red flowers on their chests, and let soldiers learn from examples and have role models. Did everyone hear clearly?"

  The cadres shouted loudly: "Did you hear that clearly!"

  Liu Yimin nodded in satisfaction: "As long as you understand, that's good. Everyone is a commander and the backbone of our troops. I hope everyone will take the lead in talking to new soldiers, training soldiers, and summarizing combat experience and lessons.

  Next, I announce the troop reorganization order:

  1. Based on the original training team, 450 Xiang Army prisoners were added to form the 7th Battalion of the 18th Red Regiment, with three fighting companies and one firepower support company. The original leadership of the training team will concurrently serve as the leadership of the 7th Battalion, and the training team's organizational structure will be retained.

  2. With the cadres of the new soldier battalion's 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th companies as the backbone, 450 Xiang Army prisoners were added to form the 8th Battalion of the 18th Regiment, with three fighting companies and one firepower support company. The deputy commander of the training team, Shi Ran, was appointed as the battalion commander of the 8th Battalion, and the first battalion's first company commander, Wang Dahu, was promoted to the instructor of the 8th Battalion.

  3. With the cadres of the new soldier battalion's 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th companies as the backbone, 450 Xiang Army prisoners were added to form the 9th Battalion of the 18th Regiment, with three fighting companies and one firepower support company. The original commander of the new soldier battalion, Chen Dazhong, was appointed as the commander of the 9th Battalion, and the first battalion's first company instructor, Wang Xinyun, was promoted to the instructor of the 9th Battalion.

  4. The remaining Xiang Army prisoners were incorporated into the new soldier battalion, which restored its four-company structure. The original instructor of the new soldier battalion, Chang Hua Yu, was appointed as the commander, and the first battalion's second company commander, Zhao Dahai, was promoted to the instructor of the new soldier battalion.

  5. All deputy battalion commanders, deputy instructors, and vacant company-level cadres will be uniformly promoted from among the outstanding cadres in this battle. Each battalion will recommend, and the political department will appoint."

  Liu Yimin finished speaking, looked at the cadres who were all in a state of jubilation, knew that there was no need to say more, and with a wave of his hand: "Dismissed, go and carry out your tasks!"

  That night, in the various garrisons of the 18th Regiment of Hongjun in Jingzhou, they were all holding bitterness meetings. After the old Red Army finished speaking, it was the turn of the new soldier backbone to speak. Slowly, some new soldiers who were not very willing to join the Red Army were moved and also began to speak with tears. The ordinary people of Jingzhou initially hid on one side to watch, but as they watched, some poor peasants also joined the ranks of those speaking bitterness. The next day, 73 young men signed up to join the army and were assigned to the new soldier battalion for training.

  The county town of Tongdao is now a stateless county town. The Kuomintang county magistrate, the secretary of the county party committee, the head of the security team, the police chief and the tax bureau chief have all been suppressed. The Red Army that was originally stationed in the city has withdrawn, and the newly freed soldiers and policemen are temporarily very honest, no one dares to take charge at this time, what if the Red Army comes back?

  Wang Tongsheng and Hu Laohu rushed to the county town, only to find it unexpectedly bustling. So late at night, shops were still open as usual, and restaurants and small inns were filled with people chatting loudly. From time to time, they could hear drinkers discussing the Red Army while drinking.

  Seeing the Red Army troops coming and going, the residents who benefited from the Red Army's military uniforms and grain storage, as well as the suppression of corrupt officials, were very enthusiastic, greeting the soldiers one after another, asking if they had eaten and what they needed.

  Wang Tongsheng soon found the craftsman who helped him install a telescope on his rifle, and after a few words about the price, he started working.

  Hú Lǎo Hǔ led the cavalry regiment to patrol the streets, and after finding nothing unusual, he arranged for soldiers to set up sentry posts at the city gate. He then thought of going to the security team's headquarters, which was also the location of the 18th Regiment's headquarters during the occupation, to see if the 7th Company of the 3rd Battalion had left anything behind when they withdrew.

  While riding a horse at a slow pace on the street, a child's cry came from the roadside. Hu Lao Hu stopped his horse and looked over to see a little beggar shouting "Red Army uncle", with another beggar lying beside him. Hu Lao Hu dismounted and walked over to ask: "Child, what's wrong?"

  Xiao Jiaohua was not afraid, stretched out his hand and grabbed Hu Laohu's hand: "Red Army uncle, quickly save my mother, she fainted from hunger." After that, he started crying.

  Old Hu took a look and indeed it was a female beggar. He pinched her philtrum with his hand, and when she opened her eyes, he helped her up, took out a water bottle, and first fed her some water. Then he took out dry rations, broke them into pieces, and fed her a few mouthfuls. After seeing that she was fine, he let go of the female beggar and also gave some dry rations to the little beggar.

  Watching the two women eating voraciously, Hu Lao Hu turned around and mounted his horse to leave. But unexpectedly, Xiao Jiao Hua Zi came up and hugged his leg. Hu Lao Hu said: "Child, Uncle has something to do, be good, let go of Uncle."

  "Uncle, take us with you," said Little Lotus. "My mother and I are going to find my father, he is also a Red Army soldier."

  "Is your father also a Red Army soldier? Which unit is he from? What's his name?" Hu Lao Hu's interest was piqued.

  "My father's name is Wu Zheng, he was originally from the First Red Army Corps and later went to study at the Red Army University."

  As soon as he heard that they were Wu Zheng's wife and children, Hu Lao Hu said: "Good heavens! You've come from thousands of mountains and rivers, how did you manage to get here?"

  "Wu Zheng's wife spoke up: 'Comrade Ge, you've left, and the Nationalists have arrived. The old landlords who were driven out before have all come back, they're called the "Returning Home Team", and they've taken back all the land. They kill anyone with ties to the Reds, some villages have been completely wiped out. Why didn't you guys eliminate these bad eggs when you had the chance?!'" She said, bursting into tears.

  After a pause, Wu Zheng's wife said: "My father, my mother, my husband's father and mother are all dead. I took my child to hide in the mountains and escaped with my life. Later, I thought that no matter what, I would rather die trying to find the Red Army, to find my child's father, than die at the hands of the local militia. So I brought my child along and begged for food all the way here. Comrade, do you know my child's father? Is he still alive?"

  Old Hu picked up the child and put it on the horse, saying to Wu Zheng's wife: "Sister, you've found him, Wu Zheng is still alive, now he is the party committee member of our 18th regiment, head of logistics department and commander of the baggage camp. Come, I'll help you onto the horse, after we complete our task, we'll return to the troops together."

  Who would have thought that the woman let out a loud "wa" and fell to the ground crying. Hu Lao Hu knew that a thousand mountains and rivers would be fraught with difficulties and dangers, so he sighed, went forward, picked up the woman, put her on the horse, and sat her down properly. He didn't go back to the security team's department anymore, but instead went straight to find Wang Tongsheng.

  Tsai Chung led the 5th, 6th and logistics regiments, escorting 4,000 new recruits, carrying weapons, ammunition and supplies for the main force. They set out at 7 pm, following the path to the highway in Liping, crossing mountains and ridges, walking for five hours before reaching the intersection of the path and Liping. Just as they were about to order the troops to rest before continuing, a string of torches was seen rushing towards them from afar. They hastily ordered the troops to be on high alert, with the vanguard company going forward to make contact and exchange passwords.

  It wasn't long before the vanguard battalion arrived with the Red Army troops. Cai Zhong took a look and saw that the one riding at the front on horseback was none other than Comrade Chen Yun from the Central Committee? He looked again, and following behind Comrade Chen Yun were his old superiors, Political Director of the 8th Corps Luo Ronghuan and Division Commander Cao Lihua. Hurriedly leading the battalion commanders and instructors of the 5th, 6th, and logistics battalions to run forward, they stood at attention in unison: "Reporting to Comrade Chen Yun, Director Luo, and Commander Cao: Political Commissar Cai Zhong of the 18th Regiment of the Red 6th Division has been ordered to escort new soldiers and logistical supplies, please instruct!"

  Several leaders jumped off their horses, and Comrade Chen Yun grasped Cai Zhong's hand, repeatedly saying "you've worked hard". General Cao stepped forward and gave each of the cadres Cai Zhong, Wu Zheng, Zhao Shan, and Lei Ming a punch on the shoulder, shouting as he hit them: "It was exhilarating! It really was exhilarating to fight like this, it brought out the Red Army's prestige, it brought out the Red Army's momentum. The army commander said that when you return, he will treat each of you to a big bowl (of liquor)."

  Director Luo still had that calm and composed look, glanced at Cai Zhong and said: "Thinner, darker, but more spirited!"

  When several leaders walked towards the heavy artillery team, the old Red Army soldiers in the 18th regiment immediately gathered together with the Red Army soldiers who came to welcome them, recognizing comrades and fellow villagers, so affectionate and lively, that the new soldiers were moved to tears.

  After checking the number of new recruits, handing over supplies and ammunition, several leaders came to the front of the 18th regiment. Looking at the soldiers standing upright in their new uniforms, the leaders were all taken aback - was this really the Red 18th Regiment that had been battered in the New Village Blockade Battle? This was clearly a crack troop with overflowing spirit and morale! It seemed that Liu Yimin was indeed a born commander!

  When parting, Comrade Chen Yun casually asked: "Comrade Cai Zhong, I see that the two regiments you brought have very good equipment. Is it because of the special strengthening of the escort mission?"

  Cai Zhong said: "No, our six combat brigades are all equipped with uniform equipment, and the troops are basically evenly distributed."

  Comrade Chen Yun said: "Then how come I see that both regiments are still equipped with mortars?"

  Tsai Chung replied, "Our six combat battalions each have a firepower support company, now equipped with two mortars, three heavy machine guns, and 22 light machine guns. Each infantry squad is equipped with one light machine gun. The regiment commander means that in the future, if there are more captures, we will strengthen our forces and strive to equip mortars and heavy machine guns at the platoon level."

  "Cao Shilang nodded and said, "I understand why you dare to challenge the enemy with just one regiment. The firepower of one of your battalions is even stronger than the firepower of my entire 6th Division in its heyday. Not to mention a single brigade of the Xiang Army, but even against a brigade from the Central Army, we have a sure win. If deployed properly and using ambush and raid tactics, not even an entire division of the Central Army can be our match. I'm at ease now, no longer worried that my 18th Regiment won't return."

  Comrade Chen Yun asked again: "When you are in combat, do you concentrate the heavy weapons of each battalion for use?"

  Cai Zhong replied: "At the first wave of ambush in the Small Water Bay, we only had 6 heavy machine guns and about 30 light machine guns, which were supported by the 34th Division from the battles of Gulingtou and Xiangjiang. After these battles, our weapons were basically equipped, the artillery battalion had 6 mountain cannons and 24 mortars, and the heavy machine gun battalion had three companies, so we didn't need to concentrate firepower during battles."

  Comrade Chen Yun also said: "Our army's bullets and shells all come from captured supplies, the firepower is too strong, it's easy to cause supply difficulties, you must pay attention to this point."

  Tsai Chung said: "Thank you for the reminder, comrade. Our regimental commander has already said that our army does not have its own military-industrial enterprises and is in a state of transfer, which requires us to win every battle with a relatively large number of trophies. We will continue to work hard."

  Comrade Chen Yun smiled and shook hands with Cai Zhong, saying: "Goodbye, thank you comrades, I wish the heroic Red 18th Regiment to make new achievements for the revolution and the Red Army."

  Looking at the departing figures of the leaders, Lei Meng said: "The Central Government really attaches great importance to this, each of the four main army corps has sent a division, it's like they're preparing for a siege!"

  Cai Zhong said: "Our Red Army's main force will become even stronger because of the weapons and ammunition we handed over, as well as the new recruits. Let's go, back to Jingzhou." After finishing speaking, he led his troops, lit torches, and rushed towards Jingzhou along the mountain road.