Two months after the end of the battle at Qiaokou, in October of the fourth year. A batch of weapons and ammunition was brought back from Hankow, and the First Army Command allocated a sum of money. However, these weapons and equipment are mainly rifles, and the number of machine guns is only about 200. In addition to a few dozen grenadiers, there were only two dozen mortars.

In order to replenish the gap in the southeast of Jin as soon as possible, the First Army can be said to have fought hard. The former commander of the North China Front, who had been transferred to the post of commander of the Sixth Front in Central China, was encouraged to send the weapons and equipment of the Chongqing side captured in the Battle of Changheng to the Taiyuan area. In order to expand the puppet army and replace the Japanese army, which is currently understaffed.

This policy, because it also happens to be in line with the appetite of this general, who has always advocated using China to control China. The weapons captured in the just-concluded Battle of Changheng were almost all sent back to Shanxi. Among them, there are more than 3,000 Chinese formal rifles alone, and the light machine guns are also Czech-style machine guns made by Isshiki, and the more than 10 heavy machine guns are all Type 24 heavy machine guns.

Considering that there were almost no original puppet troops in the entire Ludong area, the Japanese army transferred a number of puppet troops from Taiyuan and other regions, and reorganized the prisoners released by the Eighth Route Army. And from the puppet security army in Hebei, the strength of two regiments was transferred as the backbone.

It's just that these two regiments were said to be relatively strong units in the puppet army at that time. Like all the puppet armies at that time, the establishment was quite large. The group, if you don't know, you think it's a group army. In fact, a group is equivalent to the compilation of a compendium. The two regiments, combined, were only fourteen or five hundred people.

Despite its large size, it is small. But in terms of quality, this puppet army is quite good. At least it is much stronger than Wang Tieshi's original Ludong Joint Defense Command, which belongs to the garrison wing. These puppet armies are all Xinsi rifles and light machine guns, and they are relatively well-equipped.

After this puppet army drove to the southeast of Jin, it was recruited with the permission of the First Army. In addition to the weapons and equipment replenished by the First Army, it was expanded to more than 5,000 people in a short period of time. The original two regiments were expanded into three regiments and one independent regiment, and reorganized into the 13th Group under the Security Army.

The puppet army that came from Hebei had all been disguised as Wang's puppet military uniforms at this time. In addition to the slight differences, the military uniform is almost exactly the same as that of the Chongqing side. Compared with the original Wang Tieshi's unit, after being reorganized into the security army, the nondescript military uniform with small lapels, a large-brimmed hat, and a bow tie around the neck is more capable of bluffing.

However, this time, the Japanese army still reorganized the puppet army in the Ludong area. But whether it is the strength or equipment, it can no longer be the same as Wang Tieshi's department. However, as the backbone of the puppet security army, the combat effectiveness and equipment are still okay, as for the other puppet armies, it is still a word.

After these puppet troops were transferred, they also held on to the town and several large strongholds. At most, it is to concentrate and go to the countryside to collect some grain. It is basically similar to the Japanese army, and it is easy not to go out to fight. But after the transfer of this puppet army, although it is easy not to go out, it is a little arrogant.

For the group of half-grown old men of the 14th Independent Infantry Brigade, as well as a group of half-haired children with yellow mouths, they obviously looked down on them. For the Eighth Road outside the city, it doesn't take it seriously at all. If it weren't for Major General Yoshikawa Yoshiyoshi, he would be beaten up by the Eighth Road when he went out, and he would have become a toothless tiger again, and he would not agree with them to go to the countryside to sweep.

These guys think that the puppet army of Shanxi people can't fight, maybe they will take the initiative to attack. However, after this puppet army came to the Ludong area, it was well-equipped, and it was obvious that it did not get along well with the local traitors. There is some rejection of the local puppet army officers.

In particular, the puppet army officers who were released back by the Eighth Route Army were basically demoted. He was originally a company commander, but he was demoted to a platoon commander or deputy company commander. The so-called officer cadets or non-commissioned officer students who were promoted by a group of pseudo-security army teaching groups brought by themselves from Hebei were promoted.

This puppet army has engaged in such a situation, and there are great internal contradictions in the puppet army. After a dispersed garrison, there was little contact between the various strongholds. The independent battalion of Ludong County pulled out a stronghold of the puppet army of the department, and except for one stronghold in the surrounding area, which sent troops to rescue and was beaten back halfway, the rest of the strongholds basically stood still.

The current situation makes Li Ziyuan, who is also the deputy commander of the Ludong Army Division, quite worry-free. The Japanese army is very honest, and there are many contradictions within the puppet army. You can concentrate on thinking about the training of the troops, as well as other things. Although he said that when he took office, he only brought Wang Jun and Liu Lianming. However, they began to promote their own training methods in the whole region.

At present, the Ludong Army sub-district has two main regiments, five county independent battalions, and two backbone guerrilla detachments. Although the strength of the troops in the various sub-divisions of the Taihang Military Region is only medium-ranked, the equipment of the troops is excellent. Li Ziyuan's own second regiment, needless to say, the number of light and heavy machine guns is sufficient.

Even the original regiment was replaced with shotguns after the Battle of Qiaokou. Through Li Ziyuan's internal adjustment in the military sub-division, the two battalions of the whole regiment have all been equipped with Type 38 rifles and crooked machine guns. The regimental heavy machine gun company was armed with two Taisho Type 3 heavy machine guns and three Type 92 heavy machine guns.

Thirty rounds of ammunition were distributed to each infantryman, two of which were captured, and two of which were made by the military district arsenal itself. The ammunition base for light machine guns has also increased from more than 100 rounds to 300 rounds, while the base number of heavy machine guns has reached 500 rounds each. Not only did the fighters reach one gun per man, each company was armed with five light machine guns.

The five independent battalions are also fully organized, although there are only three to five light machine guns in each battalion except for the Hubei independent battalion, but the number of Hanyang-made and Jin-made 38-type equipment is very sufficient. The standard of ammunition equipping also reached twenty rounds per person. As for the Hubei Independent Battalion, because it was right next to Li Ziyuan, the Battle of Qiaokou made a fortune.

The whole battalion had three Hanyang-made rifles, three light machine guns per company, and one 30-section heavy machine gun and two Soviet-made turntable light machine guns directly under the jurisdiction of the battalion. Only two of the backbone partisan detachments were slightly poorly equipped, mainly with a relatively small number of machine guns and ammunition. Two guerrilla detachments of the battalion level, in total, had less than ten light machine guns.

The sub-district directly administers one company of light and heavy mortars, and is equipped with more than 10 mortars. Among them, the heavy mortar company has three Jin-made 150-millimeter heavy mortars and two Japanese-style 150-millimeter mortars. A light mortar company, equipped with 11 domestic and Japanese-made mortars. Although the heavy mortar company was somewhat short of ammunition, with only about 50 shells in the whole company, it was quite good.

In addition, there is a mountain artillery company equipped with three mountain guns, and although the number of shells is not much, it can at least support it for a while. It's just that one of the old Krupp mountain guns, because it is too old and has some faults, can only be used as a flat-fire gun. The other two Taisho sixth-year mountain cannons have always been in a state of ready use.

The only bad thing is that the number of shells is somewhat insufficient. Two Taisho 6th year mountain guns, with less than 20 shells. This is the last time Li Ziyuan captured the mountain artillery in the puppet army, he handed it in together with the mountain artillery and the cannonballs. This time, because the divisional troops were not in the main combat direction, they basically did not capture any artillery except for two Japanese-made mortars.

On the contrary, the military region used the captured artillery and the mountain artillery originally handed over by Li Ziyuan to form an artillery battalion. Together with the mountain artillery and other artillery captured in the original battles, an artillery regiment was formed. There were more than 30 mountain artillery and infantry guns, but the total number of shells was not much.

Such an artillery regiment is provided by the military region as a treasure. Although Li Ziyuan also knows that once there is a big battle, the military region will definitely not hide or hide it, as long as the application below will definitely be dispatched. But the distance between the military region and the military region may not be able to be counted on at that time.

This lack of firepower for his own support is also a problem for Li Ziyuan. The power of heavy mortars is still somewhat insufficient for attacking fortifications, and the number of shells is too small. A similar situation existed with mountain artillery, where those few shells could only be used at the most critical time.

Thinking of this, Li Ziyuan touched his chin. Now the Japanese dare to sell heavy machine guns, but artillery and shells are absolutely refused. Even the number of grenadiers* sold by Ken did not meet his expectations. Even *, they refuse to sell it. The insufficient number of shells and * means that the troops' ability to attack the fortified positions is insufficient.

There is no way to solve the shells for the time being, but * still have to find a way to solve it. The output of the arsenal of the military region is too small, and it is simply not enough for so many troops to stuff their teeth. In the end, the solution is to start with the Japanese army. Since the Japanese army refused to sell it, then he still had to think of a way.

Li Ziyuan didn't know at this time that it wasn't that the 14th Independent Brigade didn't want to sell. Even if their superiors strictly forbid the sale of these weapons of mass destruction, the poor and crazy people below will find a way to sell them. The problem is that the Japanese army transferred a large number of * from the whole of North China to the Northeast. The pitiful * in the hands of the 14th Independent Brigade is estimated to be no more than the poor reserves of the Ludong Army Division.

But although Li Ziyuan didn't know about this matter, if the Japanese really wanted to make this money, of course, it was not impossible at all. At least the Jingcheng Coal Mine on the Zhengtai Line, the Datong Coal Mine in the north, and several coal mines around Taiyuan produced coal that was urgently needed for strategic materials by the Japanese army.

Of course, * for mining * and military * are two different things. But as long as he can blow up the work, who cares whether he is military* or civilian*. Hubei County naturally doesn't have to worry about it, the last time it defended Hubei County in the third battle, the entire city wall was blown down. The Japanese simply don't have the financial and material resources to rebuild.

However, in the territory of Ludong, there are still many Japanese artillery towers and strongholds, and the walls of several other county towns are also intact. Although some of the walls are in disrepair, most of them are still intact. In the face of a serious lack of artillery support, even a serious lack of *, the siege of fortifications is a difficult problem that has plagued this army since it was formed.

In mid-October, when the Japanese army began to raise supplies for the winter, Li Ziyuan, in the name of the acting commander of the military division, suddenly issued an order to stop exchanging weapons and ammunition with the Japanese army. After receiving Li Ziyuan's order, the Japanese army was also caught off guard. Seeing that the cold winter was coming, the Japanese army in the entire Ludong area had no food for the winter, as well as firewood and grass for heating.