In the past, Zhang Yunfei was prepared to implement a plan of slow expansion of the army.

Zhang Yunfei originally wanted to expand the army slowly, first recruiting about 10,000 recruits in Datong and Taiyuan, and after the training of these recruits was completed, he would recruit another 10,000 or 20,000 recruits in two or three months, and expand the size of the army by about 100,000 in about a year.

Zhang Yunfei was originally going to carry out this plan of slow army expansion, but at present, Zhang Yunfei's largest army expansion is the establishment of the Seventh Infantry Division.

But Zhang Yunfei didn't expect that there were so many hot-blooded young people from all over the country, who traveled thousands of miles to their base areas and asked to join the army to fight the little devils.

So, Zhang Yunfei said with a straight face: "Comrades, since everyone has the same opinion, then we will recruit 100,000 new soldiers again, and our 36th Group Army will also expand the army on a large scale again." ”

Hearing this, everyone was happy, and in their hearts, everyone was also slightly excited.

Everyone didn't think that Commander-in-Chief Zhang would expand the army by 100,000 at a time, plus the 20,000 recruits recruited earlier, plus the newly formed 7th Infantry Division, the total number of the 36th Group Army would increase from the previous 200,000 to 400,000.

400,000 troops, thinking about this, everyone is enthusiastic.

Deputy Commander-in-Chief Comrade Liu Dazhu couldn't hold back any longer, and said excitedly: "Commander-in-Chief, it's really good that we have really expanded our army by 100,000 again." ”

Zhang Yunfei looked at everyone's expressions, and said with a slight smile: "This recruitment work, the surname is to recruit 100,000 recruits at a time, and the task is relatively heavy.

Tomorrow, we will put up a notice on large-scale recruitment, and at the same time, tomorrow's "Datong Bao" will be on the front page to report and publicize our recruitment work this time. ”

Zhang Yunfei's deployment, everyone is carefully recorded, in the entire office, only Zhang Yunfei's voice of speech and rustling of writing.

Zhang Yunfei paused slightly, and then continued: "After the completion of this recruitment, those young comrades who failed to be selected, as long as they meet our conditions, can be recruited into our factories, and our factories will soon expand the scale of production, which requires a large number of laborers and workers. ”

"Yes! We will arrange the recruitment of workers. ”

Seeing that Zhang Yunfei wanted to recruit workers in large quantities, he was happiest than Fangzheng, and immediately happily assured.

At present, Comrade Zuo Qingquan, chief of the General Staff, is also very happy, and Comrade Zuo Qingquan also said happily: "Commander-in-chief, we have recruited so many new recruits at one time this time, and the number of troops has increased dramatically. ”

Chief of Staff Zuo is worthy of being from the first phase of Whampoa, and he saw this at once.

In fact, Zhang Yunfei has already considered the establishment of the troops, and in Zhang Yunfei's heart, there is already a belly case, but Zhang Yunfei didn't expect that the situation would be so hot this time, and now he is recruiting 100,000 recruits at a time, Zhang Yunfei's plan has not had time to tell you.

Now, seeing that Comrade Zuo Qingquan, chief of the General Staff, asked, Zhang Yunfei planned to tell everyone about his plan now.

So, Zhang Yunfei smiled slightly and said: "Comrades, we are recruiting 100,000 recruits at a time this time, and our troop establishment must also be adapted accordingly.

Our unit currently has seven infantry divisions, one armored division, one cavalry division, one artillery division, one guard division plus a flying group.

This time, when we have recruited 100,000 new soldiers, the total number of our infantry will be close to 400,000, so I plan to set up 10 columns on the basis of seven infantry divisions, armored divisions, cavalry divisions, and artillery divisions.

After being changed to columns, each column will have two divisions, one heavy artillery brigade and one cavalry regiment, and the heavy artillery brigade will be equipped with 60 155-mm howitzers.

Each division has two infantry brigades, one division directly under the 105-mm howitzer artillery regiment, one division directly under the Type 39 tank regiment, and each infantry brigade under three infantry regiments.

In the future, the total number of each column will reach about 35,000 people, and each column will be a combat unit with basic reading ability. ”

After listening to Zhang Yunfei's plan, everyone felt that it was very reasonable, and there were basically no major objections.

As soon as Zhang Yunfei finished speaking, only Comrade Liu Dazhu slightly raised the doubts in his heart, "Commander-in-chief, I very much agree with your plan, but I still haven't figured it out, that is, after the formation of the column, what will happen to the cavalry division, armored division and heavy artillery division?" ”

Zhang Yunfei smiled slightly and patiently explained: "Comrades, after we established the column, the three divisions were disbanded, but they became columns on the original basis, and the ten cavalry regiments of the current cavalry division are allocated to various columns, and there is exactly one cavalry regiment in each column.

The Panzer Division and the Heavy Artillery Division were also evenly distributed among the ten newly formed columns, and each column formed its own heavy artillery brigade and tank regiment on the basis of these.

With regard to the cavalry, I repeat here that with the progress of the times, the introduction of tanks and armored vehicles into the battlefield, the cavalry is already going downhill, so I decided that only one cavalry regiment will be retained in each column, and the total number of cavalry of our army group will no longer expand.

Our main energy will be put into the mechanization of various columns, and my long-term plan is to use about two years to basically realize the mechanization of more than half of the columns, and all infantry regiments will be established into mechanized infantry regiments. ”

After listening to Zhang Yunfei's words, everyone began to get excited again, and everyone thought in their hearts, the commander-in-chief is really thinking about the long term, not only is the establishment plan of the 10 columns very reasonable, but also the mechanization of the troops is now being considered.

Zhang Yunfei looked at everyone's expressions and knew that everyone had to digest them well, so Zhang Yunfei said: "These are just preliminary ideas of mine, and the specific plan still needs to be worked out by the General Staff and the General Political Department to come up with a detailed plan." ”

Upon hearing this, Comrade Zuo Qingquan, chief of the General Staff, and Comrade Deng Wenping, director of the General Political Department, immediately stated: "Please rest assured, Commander-in-Chief, we will definitely come up with a detailed plan in the fastest time." ”

Zhang Yunfei smiled and nodded lightly: "Lao Zuo, Lao Deng, don't be too anxious, this large-scale expansion of the army, the establishment of the army will be disrupted to a great extent, your workload is still very large, I will give you 10 days." ”

"Thank you, Commander-in-Chief, we will definitely come up with a reasonable plan." The two said in unison.

After talking to everyone about the establishment of the troops, Zhang Yunfei talked to everyone in detail about the issue of the column.

In fact, everyone has heard of the establishment of "columns"; during the Nanchang Uprising, the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and some local armed and guerrilla units also had columns. During the current period of the Anti-Japanese War, some of the guerrilla units led by China were called columns.

However, there is a certain difference between the column Zhang Yunfei mentioned and these, and the column that the 36th Group Army will set up is actually equivalent to an army.

In the early days of the Liberation War, a total of 27 field columns (including divisions equivalent to columns) and 6 field brigades were organized.

The columns Zhang Yunfei mentioned were somewhat similar to the columns that appeared during the War of Liberation, but they were larger in scale and better equipped, such as the 10 columns of the 36th Group Army, each of which had 35,000 men as soon as it was established, all of which were equipped with heavy artillery and tanks.

When Zhang Yunfei combined his own understanding and talked to everyone in detail about the formation of the column, everyone listened with enthusiasm and was full of longing for the 36th Group Army in the future.

Everyone talked in detail together for a long time in Zhang Yunfei's office, and the meeting also lasted for two or three hours.

After the meeting, watching everyone leave one after another, Zhang Yunfei was alone in the office, and he also looked full of ambition, and Zhang Yunfei was full of expectations for the 36th Group Army after the reorganization.

Zhang Yunfei thought, when the 10 columns are reorganized, it will only take half a year to form a strong combat effectiveness, and then they can be pulled out for activities, and in another year or two, they can basically start looking for the bad luck of the little devils.

Zhang Yunfei thought about it for a long time in his office, and the more he thought about it, the happier he became, and finally, Zhang Yunfei laughed happily.

After a long time, Zhang Yunfei retracted his thoughts and put his mind on the recruitment work, Zhang Yunfei decided to go to Datong tomorrow to take a look around and understand the situation.

After listening to the report of Chief of Staff Zuo just now, the situation is so hot, Zhang Yunfei's mind is also hooked, and he also wants to see the specific situation very much.

Zhang Yunfei thought that it may be that his 36th Group Army formed a group to eliminate the Mengsui Legion of the little devils some time ago, and publicly executed so many senior officers of the little devils, which pushed the enthusiasm of the people to join the army to a supreme point.

(To be continued)