Chapter 48: Recruiting Prisoners

In an open space in front of the Japanese barracks, a large group of people stood in the dark, although Ma Zheng did not count them, but it was estimated that there were at least four or five thousand people.

These people were all in rags, some dressed in ordinary clothes, others in military uniforms. Everyone has a look on their faces, and they can be seen to be weak.

Walking in front of everyone, Ma Zheng said loudly: "Hello everyone, we are from the Chanan Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Detachment of the Eighth Route Army, and I am Ma Zheng, the leader of the detachment!" I heard that you want to see me, do you have a master? ”

At this time, a man in military uniform in his thirties stepped forward and said: "Hello, my name is Lu Ming, and I am the person in charge of these brothers, and the chief can ask me if he has something to say!" ”

"Soldiers?"

"Well, the colonel of the 1st Regiment of the 132nd Division of the 29th Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army."

"132nd Division? General Zhao Dengyu's troops? Ma Zheng was in awe.

"The commander knows about our division commander?"

"I know, the first division commander who died since China's Anti-Japanese War, he is a hero!"

"Thank you! I thank you for our division commander! Lu Ming.

"How did you get captured?" Ma Zheng asked again.

"I was wounded during the Battle of Peiping, I was shot three times in the shoulder and leg, and then I was captured!"

"Are these people from the Twenty-ninth Route Army?"

"No, some of these people are from the 29th Route Army, some are from the 20th Corps of the Central Army, some are from the 69th Army of the Jin Sui Army, and some are from the 35th Army of the Jin Sui Army. The number is different, and the place where they were captured is also different, and it was only later that the Japanese army concentrated here. ”

Hearing that these people turned out to be not from the same army, but sporadic troops captured by the Japanese army from various local battlefields, Ma Zheng knew that as long as it was not the same army, it would be easy to do.

"Are they all soldiers here?" Ma Zheng asked again.

"Not all, there are also some villagers nearby, after the Japanese captured here, they emptied all the nearby villages, killed all the old people and children, and the young and middle-aged people were escorted here to mine and mine."

"Bastard, brute!" Ma Zheng said angrily.

Ma Zheng said loudly: "Hello everyone, in my eyes, you are not prisoners, but national heroes. It is precisely because of you that the nation has hope! After the Japanese army invaded China, they burned and looted all the way, and the villagers in many places were exterminated. The heinous crimes committed by the Japanese devils are hard to describe, and looking at the wars of all countries in the modern world, there has never been such a barbaric and shameless army. ”

Then Ma Zheng continued: "We are all like-minded people, I hope you can join our army, of course, if you don't want to, I won't force it." If you want to go back, I can have someone give you money and money, and will anyone want to join us? ”

"Yes!" Many people responded.

At this time, Lu Ming suddenly asked, "Can I ask, what level of formation is this Chanan guerrilla detachment of yours?" Although there are a lot of people, at most they are a reinforced battalion, can you take us all together at once? ”

Ma Zheng smiled faintly: "Our official unit number is the Chanan Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Detachment of the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army, which was established less than two months ago, and the specific level is unknown!" ”

"You've only been around for more than two months?"

"Well, the predecessor of our unit was the 1st Battalion of the 120th Division Teaching Regiment, which was later reorganized into the Chanan Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Detachment, but when the reorganization order was issued, the superior commander did not specify our specific level. So you can be a reinforced battalion or a reinforced regiment, and it's okay to be a reinforced brigade. As for whether I can take you all in, you don't have to worry, there is absolutely no problem. Ma Zheng said loudly.

"It's not impossible to recruit us, but you have to show enough achievements to convince us, I, Lu Ming, have already been a prisoner once, don't I want to be a prisoner again in this life?"

Ma Zheng smiled and said: "If you want to say anything else, our department may not be able to meet your requirements, but if you want to say the results, I promise that you will definitely be satisfied." ”

"Oh, then please tell me sir! If you can really convince us, I guarantee that everyone will follow the chief to fight the devil! Lu Ming.

"Let's not talk about the previous results, and you won't believe it, just talk about the results of our southward journey this time! Our unit was ordered by the superior to go south to attack the Japanese army, and arrived at the outskirts of Tianzhen County yesterday afternoon, and launched an attack on Tianzhen, which was heavily garrisoned by the Japanese army, that night. At the same time, he ambushed the Japanese troops who came to reinforce on the nameless mountain road between Datong and Tianzhen, annihilated more than 3,000 Japanese troops, and killed the commander of the 11th Wing of the 26th Division of the Japanese Army, Sadao Chida. ”

Then Ma Zheng continued: "You can see this command knife in my hand, this is Chida Sadao's combat knife!" ”

Saying that, Ma Zheng threw the command knife in his hand to Lu Ming, he believed that the colonel should be a knowledgeable person.

Lu Ming commanded the knife with the suspicious result, and then observed it carefully. The more I looked at Lu Ming, the more surprised I became, he was a regular graduate of a class, the difference between the Japanese officers' knives in the way of nature.

Although in the eyes of many people, the sabers of the Japanese army are all the same, but for those who really have eyesight, there is still a big difference. The main thing is to look at the handle of the knife and the ornament on it, the captain's knife is generally a brass handle, and the "knife thread" (a spike-like ornament hanging from the tail of the sword) on it is also cyan. The adjutant's knife is a silver handle, and the blade is red. The handle of the general's knife is gilded, and the thread of the knife is also yellow. If it is a child of the royal family, it will also be engraved with a chrysanthemum pattern.

The Japanese war knife in front of me is not only of excellent material, but also the silver knife handle is decorated with red knives, and you can tell at a glance that it is a standard adjutant sword.

After Lu Ming handed the war knife back to Ma Zheng, he asked in disbelief, "Is what the chief said true?" ”

Ma Zheng said loudly: "If it is fake, I swear by the honor of a soldier that these achievements are true." ”

Lu Ming thought about it, saluted a standard military salute at the moment, and said loudly: "Lu Ming is willing to join the commander's troops, and I hope the commander will take him in." ”

"Welcome!" Ma Zheng said.

It would be easy for someone to take the lead, except for some villagers who were unwilling to leave their hometowns, all the others joined the anti-Japanese detachment in Chanan.

After counting, there were 3,897 people who were willing to stay. Although the composition of these people is complex, except for a few exceptions, the vast majority of them have undergone systematic military training. Moreover, they all have actual combat experience against the Japanese army, and their military literacy is much stronger than that of the newly recruited recruits. Therefore, Ma Zheng almost did not hesitate, and quickly temporarily reorganized the small 4,000 people into a 4,000-man brigade, and distributed some of the weapons captured before.

Although Ma Zheng's surplus weapons and equipment and the captured only more than 1,000 people can only be equipped this time, Ma Zheng is not in a hurry at all, and now he has too many weapons and equipment in his hands to be used, not to mention 4,000 people, and another 4,000 people can also equip him neatly.

Besides, isn't it about to attack Yangyuan County, which is the closest county town to the front line of the Japanese army, and there will definitely be a lot of weapons and equipment in it, and if you are lucky, you can arm this group of people without having to know the base area.