Chapter 8, The War of Resistance, New Organization, New Troops

Ma Biyuan did not speak, while Ma Benzhai took the initiative to explain.

No, it is still too little

At that time, there were countless similar grassroots armed groups in Hebei that claimed to be anti-Japanese, as numerous as the hairs on a cow. Although they all operated under the banner of resisting Japan, many among them engaged in activities that were akin to selling dog meat under the guise of selling lamb.

Even so, for the volunteer team that has long been under the siege of the Japanese puppet regime, whether it is empty gestures of goodwill or means of restraint, gaining the recognition of the Hebei Provincial Government is already a rare achievement

The applause grew even more fervent, though some individuals were not responding to the military-tinged words of Ma Buyuan.

Such an infantry company will have 225 officers and soldiers, equipped with 2 mortars, 4 heavy machine guns, 18 light machine guns, 9 grenade launchers, 67 submachine guns, 106 rifles, 13 officer's pistols, 9 9mm revolvers for warrant officers and non-commissioned officers, and 20 mules and horses

However, Ma Zhongsan continued to gaze at Ma Buyuan relentlessly, clearly waiting for the newly arrived instructor to resolve another issue for him

Thus, an infantry battalion should have approximately 1,000 officers, soldiers, and support personnel, equipped with 10 infantry guns and mortars, 72 light and heavy machine guns, 30 grenade launchers, over 250 submachine guns, about 400 rifles, more than 100 various handguns, over 130 military horses and mules, and more than 10 large carts

However, as time went on, with the Japanese army gradually establishing independent mixed brigades for garrison duty and conducting sweeps in Hebei, these so-called anti-Japanese armed forces either vanished without a trace, were eliminated by the Japanese army, or simply transformed into puppet troops. Those that remained and were able to persist naturally stood out.

Ma Buyuan's attitude, however, was unexpected

Who does Ma Bu support? He emerged from the bloodbath in East Henan. If it weren't for the injuries sustained in Minquan, he would still be galloping on the front lines, wouldn't he be stumped by a small farmer like Ma Zhongsan? He responds with great dignity.

The police communication detachment is organized into a radio team, a telephone team, a messenger team, a service team, and two guard teams, totaling ninety-seven personnel. It is equipped with two sets of 20-watt and 30-watt radio stations, twenty field telephones, four light machine guns, two grenade launchers, thirty-two submachine guns, thirty-three rifles, two officer's pistols, eight pack or draft horses, and two four-wheeled cargo carts

The mortar squad is composed of thirteen personnel, excluding the sergeant who serves as the squad leader. It is further divided into two six-man mortar teams, each commanded by a corporal. The equipment includes one rifle, two submachine guns, two 82mm mortars, and six pack mules for transportation.

However, at present, the provincial government and the transportation lines behind enemy lines are intermittent, and the Taihang Mountain munitions factory has just begun operations, resulting in a scarcity of resources. Chairman He is also in a difficult position. Nevertheless, despite these challenges, Chairman He still considers the difficulties faced by the Hui People's Volunteer Corps. This time, the brothers have brought a total of twelve Mauser rifles produced in the Northwest, two Czech-style light machine guns, four MP-28 submachine guns, one Type 10 50mm grenade launcher, 20,000 rounds of various ammunition, 100 rounds of 50mm grenades, and 400 Type 17 hand grenades.

As for the insufficient weapons of the brigade, it is indeed a problem

Captain Ma, hailing from the Ma Family Army in Qinghai, has been skilled in archery and horsemanship since childhood. He also studied cavalry at the Northwest Military Academy. After the outbreak of the War of Resistance, he was ordered to lead the cavalry brigade of the Henan Hui People's Anti-Japanese Corps, where he achieved significant victories on the battlefield in Guidé, causing great fear among the Japanese troops. This time, he was personally appointed by Chairman He to come from Henan to support our Hui People's Anti-Japanese Volunteer Team. Now, I will not elaborate further; let us welcome Captain Ma to address us.

Each heavy machine gun squad is composed of the same number of personnel as an infantry squad, divided into two five-man heavy machine gun teams commanded by corporals and a five-man security/transport team directly commanded by a sergeant. The squad is equipped with two 97 Maxim heavy machine guns, two submachine guns, five rifles, and six mules.

It is said that the unit was granted a designation, and that more than thirty blank appointment letters were issued, ranging from colonel to second lieutenant. However, in reality, this action by He Ou can be seen as more verbal than substantive.

This is Captain Ma Buyuan of the Henan Hui People's Anti-Japanese Detachment

The company headquarters consists of one captain as the company commander, one lieutenant as the company deputy, one sergeant major with a rank of three, three candidate and intern officers, one warrant officer as the company clerk, one company accountant, one company cashier, one sergeant major with a rank of three as the company quartermaster, five medical personnel directly under the company, four members of the company flag guard, four signalers, and four cooks in the company kitchen.

The sanitation detachment consists of three doctors from the first aid team, twelve medics, two stretcher teams of fifteen members each, and a ten-member supply team. In total, including the detachment headquarters, there are sixty-two personnel. The equipment includes two submachine guns, fifteen rifles, five officer's pistols, twelve non-commissioned officer's pistols, a set of medical instruments and medicines, two horse-drawn carts, and eight draft horses.

It was precisely because of the various benefits that came after being incorporated that Ma Zhongsan, upon reflection, nodded in agreement, thus the matter of "expansion" was brought to light.

Firstly, the volunteer team has gained a formal identity, thus shedding the awkward status of a civilian armed group; secondly, with the establishment of a designation and organization, the volunteer team can expand its influence and active strength; thirdly, and most importantly, the Hebei provincial government will subsequently provide subsidies for a portion of military salaries and military supplies that cannot be purchased even with money.

The battalion headquarters is composed of one major battalion commander (the senior officer being a lieutenant colonel), one captain deputy battalion commander (the senior officer being a major), one captain battalion staff officer, one first lieutenant operations officer, one first lieutenant intelligence officer, one sergeant major battalion staff sergeant, two second lieutenants serving as accountant, cashier, and quartermaster respectively, four to five reserve and intern officers, and two cooks in the battalion kitchen

The seventeen brothers are like this

According to the new organizational chart, the strength of a single infantry squad has been expanded from the original seven members to fifteen members. This includes the establishment of one sergeant squad leader, one corporal squad deputy, two three-man light machine gun teams, one five-man rifle team, and one two-man grenade launcher team. The squad is equipped with two Northwest-replicated ZB-26/ZB-30 Czech light machine guns, one 45mm Northwest-made specialized grenade launcher, five Northwest-replicated MP-28 submachine guns, and eight Mauser 98k rifles.

Three infantry companies, along with the artillery detachment, medical detachment, logistics detachment, and communication detachment directly under the battalion, as well as the battalion headquarters, constitute a complete infantry battalion

The vacancies for officers and soldiers must be filled by the volunteer team through self-recruitment, and the insufficient firearms can only address a portion of the needs

However, we cannot solely rely on our superiors to supply us; we must also find ways to obtain resources from the enemy.

The newly organized infantry company consists of three such infantry platoons, in addition to a fire support platoon and the company headquarters

Ma Benzhai served in the Fengjun army from the time he entered the Northeast Military Academy, eventually rising to the rank of Corps Commander of the Northeast Army. After the "8.20 Northeast Incident," he resigned from his official position and returned to his hometown due to his disapproval of Zhang Xueliang's policy of non-resistance.

The logistics detachment is composed of two unarmed supply squads, each consisting of 15 personnel, one transportation squad with 15 personnel, and one horse maintenance squad with 10 personnel, totaling 62 individuals in the entire detachment. The equipment includes 2 submachine guns, 16 rifles, 2 officer pistols, 24 pack animals/draft horses, and 6 four-wheeled rubber-tired carts

We are currently unable to attack the county town, but can we take on a few isolated enemies, say three or five? Of course we can

In this way, we will first practice for a while according to the outline of our military training in the Northwest, and then we will find the puppet army and traitorous armed forces to hone our skills. I do not believe that they are invincible; they are all flesh and blood. The little devils were driven to flee in Henan, so how could they become ironclad when they reach Hebei

The thunderous applause quickly erupted, and Ma Buyuan stepped forward, confidently presenting himself before the crowd. Without saying a word, he first saluted everyone present: "We are all comrades in faith, so I won't indulge in pleasantries. I have only one thing to say: although I am new here, I will contribute to the fight against the Japanese. There is no need to call me 'Captain' anymore; from now on, I am a member of the Volunteer Team, and you can just call me 'Instructor'"

Unable to move? You have overestimated the enemy's capabilities.

The enemy wants to requisition grain but is not at ease with the puppet troops; they will eventually have to come out of their shells, right? This is our opportunity

--- "Several Organizational Adjustments in the History of the National Defense Army's Formation (Part II)" National Defense Historical Series

However, to gain the support of the current Chairman of Hebei Province, He Guangfu, merely insisting on armed resistance against Japan is not sufficient; ultimately, it is necessary to align completely with the Northwest. This led to the emergence of the scene where Ma Buyuan joined the Hui People's Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army.

An infantry platoon consists of three infantry squads, one lieutenant platoon leader, one second lieutenant platoon deputy, one sergeant major, and two messengers. Each infantry platoon will be equipped with six light machine guns, three grenade launchers, seventeen submachine guns, twenty-seven rifles, and two imitation Walther PPK 9mm pistols for officers.

During this trip to Fuping, Chairman He expressed great satisfaction with our resistance efforts and specially approved the expansion of the volunteer team to a corps level. Below the corps, three battalions will be established, and military ranks have been conferred. I hold the rank of colonel, you are a lieutenant colonel, and Yong'en and Guozhong have been appointed as captains of the battalions.

As the Japanese army's rule in Hebei became increasingly stringent, it was already quite rare for these illicit goods to reach the depths of the enemy's rear in Hejian. This is why Ma Buyuan's words were so significant. Ma Zhongsan and the cadre of the Volunteer Corps were already wide-eyed with excitement: "Not a small amount, not a small amount, we are truly grateful to Chairman He."

The crowd was startled and shocked, and then they heard Ma Buyuan continue.

At that moment, Ma Buyuan was just about to step back behind Ma Benzhai when Ma Zhongsan, who was originally the captain of the Hebei Guerrilla Army's Hui Nationality Instruction Team and is now the vice-captain of the Volunteer Team, hurriedly asked: "Captain Ma, no, Instructor Ma, what did you just say about the headquarters? Additionally, our Volunteer Team currently has over 200 members, but we are severely lacking in weapons. I wonder how many you brought this time, Instructor?"

The artillery detachment is organized into four ten-man artillery squads, one fifteen-man guard squad, and one fifteen-man logistics squad, totaling seventy-seven personnel including the detachment headquarters. It is equipped with four 120mm heavy mortars, two light machine guns, one grenade launcher, seven submachine guns, fifteen rifles, two officer's pistols, and twenty pack or draft horses.

The firepower platoon consists of two heavy machine gun squads and one mortar squad

Due to the scrutiny of the report on the Eastern Henan Campaign, which specifically questioned the issue of insufficient troop strength at the grassroots level, the recent reorganization of the Northwest Army primarily involves the squad, platoon, company, and battalion levels. The most fundamental change occurs at the squad level, which is the smallest unit within the entire command system

The voice of Ma Buyuan struck the eardrums of the crowd like the resounding tones of a grand bell.

After the outbreak of the War of Resistance, witnessing the fall of North China and the Japanese army flaunting their power in China, he established anti-Japanese forces in his hometown of Dongxinzhuang, Xian County. Initially, it was merely a civilian armed group of over 60 people, equipped with five or six makeshift guns