In many war-themed film and television dramas, we can see the so-called "strengthening regiment" and "strengthening battalion". In fact, this is not the creation of the directors and screenwriters, but the organization that does exist in the real army.
However, in film and television dramas, since the creators are not very clear about what step the so-called "strength" can go, they often make it amazing, which is a bit too much.
Generally speaking, the so-called strengthening of troops is strengthened based on the organization of this level. The reinforcement can be infantry, technical troops, or both.
The troops that have been strengthened are generally in the main position of offense or defense, and the combat tasks they undertake are very important.
As the battle of Lugou Bridge in 1937, the battle of the 29th Army was defending nearby was a reinforced battalion of the 29th Army.
29 The army was a special existence in the Chinese army at that time, and the reinforcement battalion arranged in the Lugouqiao area was even more special. Let’s talk about it briefly in this article.
First of all, it is the essence of the remaining troops of the Northwest Army.
In the warlord melee in the 1920s, the Northwest Army was once a very important force, with its military strength reaching 400,000 at its peak.
However, in Central Plains War in 1930, the Northwest Army was defeated and disintegrated, some of which defected to Lao Chiang, some were disbanded, and some retreated to Shanxi, and later was compiled by Zhang Xueliang .
This part of the Northwest Army was the later 29th Army. Since it did not have its own base, the 29th Army had very poor weapons and equipment and the treatment of officers and soldiers.
However, at this time, the veterans of the 29th Army had a high proportion of military veterans, strong combat experience and ability, which laid the foundation for their subsequent development and growth.
1933 Great Wall Anti-Japanese War :00, the 29th Army went to Hebei to participate in the war, and performed relatively well in the battle against Japan, so it became famous throughout the country.
After the Great Wall, the 29th Army was able to gain a foothold in Chahar , and at the same time, they included Northeast Army and Chahar Anti-Japanese Allied Army. The strength of the headquarters has increased sharply to more than 50,000 people, and the weapons and equipment have also improved greatly.
1935, the 29th Army seized the opportunity to enter Pingjin, filled the power of North China , and actually controlled the power of Pingjin, Hebei and Cha.
Due to the large population and relatively developed economy in the region, the 29th Army's troops scale and weapons and equipment have continued to expand and improve.
By the outbreak of the full-scale war of resistance in 1937, its troops had already had 4 infantry divisions and 1 cavalry division. As for brigade-level established troops, there were as many as 22 regular troops alone. If the security teams in various places under the command of the 29th Army were added, their total strength would reach 100,000.
Please note that the number of the 29th Army at this time is not the Lu Army, but it is still just the number of the army, but its actual strength is no less than that of the group army. Each infantry division under its jurisdiction is basically the strength of a small army.
Since it is already a powerful faction in North China, the 29th Army has not unified the organization of troops at all levels with the Central Military Army of Nanjing. Its organization system is actually a separate system.
In addition to the original regular number, each division under it also has an expanded independent brigade . Each infantry division has 4 infantry brigades. In addition, the division is directly under one special regiment. The regiment consists of pistol battalion, cavalry battalion, artillery battalion , engineer battalion, machine gun battalion, and heavy mortar company. The technical troops at the division level are quite balanced.
is at the first level of the infantry brigade and has 2 infantry regiments and brigade spy companies; each infantry regiment has 3 infantry battalions, light mortar companies and machine gun companies; each infantry battalion has 4 infantry companies, and each infantry company has 2 infantry platoons and 1 small cannon platoon.
In terms of the Liu Ruming 143rd Division system stationed in Chahar, its troops reached more than 25,000 people, and its main equipment includes more than 8,000 rifles, more than 2,000 pistols, more than 500 light machine guns, heavy machine guns, 50 light mortars, 47 heavy mortars, 4474 grenade launchers, 20 mountain field guns, and 46 anti-aircraft guns.
In the Chinese army at that time, this level of equipment was already considered good.
. In the 29th Army, the 37th and 38th Divisions stationed in Pingjin area are actually more powerful in equipment than Liu Ruming's 143rd Division system.
For example, the first shot of the full-scale war of resistance was fired in the Lugouqiao area. The reinforced battalion of the 219th Regiment of the 110th Brigade of the 37th Division, with more than 1,400 troops.
As mentioned earlier, the basic organization of the 29th Army's infantry battalion actually has only 4 infantry companies, but this reinforced battalion based on the 3rd battalion also has 1 light mortar company, 1 heavy mortar company and 1 heavy machine gun company. Its real strength is the 4 infantry companies and 3 technical corps companies in the headquarters.
If the number of troops of 1,400 people is calculated, the infantry company of the 3rd Battalion headquarters is likely to have also been strengthened.
According to the benchmark organization of the 29th Army infantry company at that time, each company had 2 infantry platoons and 1 small cannon platoon. The infantry platoon was under the jurisdiction of 3 14-man infantry squads. Each squad had a light machine gun, and the rest were equipped with rifles; the small cannon platoons were equipped with 4 grenade cannons. The main firepower of such an infantry company is 6 light machine guns and 4 grenade launchers. If the infantry company itself is strengthened, its strength will be stronger.
Of course, it is more worth mentioning that it strengthened the 2 artillery companies and 1 heavy machine gun company to the 3rd Battalion.
heavy machine gun company was a regiment-level firepower in the system of the 29th Army at that time. Of course, if some regiments are light machine gun companies, then the heavy machine gun companies come from the machine gun battalion of the division's secret service regiment.
Infantry Regiment-level heavy machine gun companies are generally equipped with 4 heavy machine guns; if it is a heavy machine gun company from the machine gun battalion of the division's special agent regiment, the number of equipment may be greater.
As for the light mortar company, it is obviously from the regiment-owned artillery company of the 219th Infantry Regiment, which is generally equipped with 4 medium-caliber mortars.
and the heavy mortar company said even more.
This company does not belong to the regiment level, nor does it belong to the brigade level, but to the division level firepower. In terms of the organization of the 29th Army at that time, each division actually had only one heavy mortar company.
Theoretically, this mortar company is equipped with 8 heavy mortars with a caliber of 150 mm. At that time, the firepower of this caliber could be said to be very powerful.
Therefore, such weapons were strengthened to the 3rd Battalion of the 219th Regiment, which was defending the Lugou Bridge, , which shows how much importance the 37th Division attached to the protection of the Japanese army and the defense of the Peiping, , to the outside world.
29 The reason why the army is so vigilant is closely related to the rampant activities of the Japanese army in North China.
After the eight-nation coalition invaded China, the Japanese army had a so-called garrison in North China. Its strength was only 530 in the late Qing Dynasty, but the troops were increased three times, and their strength was greatly enhanced.
By 1936, the so-called North China garrison army had reached the brigade level, with a 5,774 personnel, and a complete range of troops, and had the offensive strength.
Since then, the Japanese army has conducted large-scale live-fire exercises around Peking many times, blatantly practicing to capture Wanpingcheng and Lugou Bridge.
It is in this context that the 37th Division of the 29th Army specially strengthened the defenders in Wanping City and Lugou Bridge, increasing the strength of a reinforced battalion to more than 1,400 people, and there are two light and heavy artillery companies and heavy machine gun companies.
At the same time, Battalion Commander Jin Zhenzhong also strengthened his reconnaissance of the Japanese army and strengthened targeted deployment. The heavy mortar company strengthened at the division level is prepared to deal with Japanese tanks and intensive troops, and the light mortar and heavy machine gun companies directly support the operations of each company.
Therefore, after the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Regiment of the Japanese North China Garage Army launched a provocation, our defenders rose up to fight, fired the first shot of the full-scale war of resistance, and once severely damaged the invading Japanese army.
Of course, the defenders suffered heavy casualties during the battle. The battalion commander of the reinforcement battalion, Jin Zhenzhong, was seriously injured in the counterattack of the Japanese army. Now we can learn about the true situation of the Lugou Bridge War at that time, which is largely due to the oral and records of Battalion Commander Jin Zhenzhong.
"I would rather be a dead ghost than a slave to the country." With the sound of gunfire from Lugou Bridge, the curtain of the full-scale war of resistance finally opened.
