Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 228 Madang Fortress
7 month 12 day.

Within Pengze County, Jiangxi Province.

On the muddy dirt road, Wang Feng sat in the swaying jeep, looking at the weeds by the roadside. A damp, earthy smell filled his nostrils.

After entering July, the rain in Wuhan seemed to be heavier, with rain every few days. Even when it wasn't raining, the sky was always overcast, and sunny days were rare.

Zhao Fangyuan: "Sir, the rain has stopped. Why don't we get out of the car and rest? The wheels are stuck again."

Wang Feng frowned: "How long have we been gone?"

Zhao Fangyuan glanced at his watch: "It's been almost 40 hours."

Wang Feng: "Is there any news from Wuhan?"

Zhao Fangyuan: "These were all routine reports. The day after He Yingqin returned to Chongqing, the Chairman approved our strategic shift plan and decided to shift the focus of defense to both sides of the Yangtze River."

Wang Feng nodded, already having anticipated this.

A few days ago, after He Yingqin returned to Wuhan, the first person he approached was me, to inquire about the defense strategy in person.

There's not much to say. They acted first and reported later. The troops had already set off, and even if Chiang Kai-shek wanted to stop them in time, it was too late to reverse the situation.

Lieutenant Jin Lei, his feet covered in mud, waded briskly through the dirt, one foot deep and the other shallow.
"Report sir!"

Wang Feng: "Tell me what's on your mind!"

Jin Lei held up a telegram: "It was sent to me by a staff officer from the communications department. We intercepted a Japanese telegram. The Hata Detachment, under the cover of the navy, is rapidly advancing towards Anqing!"

Wang Feng took the document, glanced at it, and repeatedly confirmed, "Is the information accurate?"

Although a large-scale hot war has not yet broken out, the information war has already begun in secret. The Japanese army releases some "false intelligence" every day, deliberately letting the National Revolutionary Army intercept it, in order to deceive the commanders and create more information noise to affect their judgment.

Jin Lei, panting heavily, said, "The message came from the Military Intelligence Bureau, so there shouldn't be any problem. Oh, and, sir, what do you think?"

After saying that, he took out a photo from his pocket: "This was taken by our brothers in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, eighty kilometers east of Anqing. It shows a Japanese warship!"

Wang Feng looked over.

Although the photo is somewhat blurry, it doesn't prevent it from being identified. The gun barrels pointing diagonally into the sky on the deck of the warship are very conspicuous. If I'm not mistaken, this should be a Japanese river gunboat.

It seems the news is true!

The Japanese army attacked so quickly!

Zhao Fangyuan: "Sir, I will immediately notify the 27th Army Group and have them prepare to defend against the enemy!"

Wang Feng added, "Tell them that no matter how fierce the Japanese firepower is, they must hold out for at least a week. Anyone who dares to retreat without authorization will be dealt with according to military law!"

Zhao Fangyuan's expression was solemn as he saluted: "Yes, sir!"

"Drip-drop-drop—!"

As they spoke, raindrops began to fall, striking the carport with a series of crisp, beating sounds.

Jin Lei stepped forward and said, "Sir, this rain came too fast. Please go inside and rest!"

Wang Feng looked up at the sky; the dark clouds were like a tarpaulin, completely obscuring the light.

The humid air and thick, dark clouds created a suffocating atmosphere.

Jin Lei quickly took off his coat: "Sir, don't catch a cold."

Wang Feng sat in the car and looked out the window at his adjutant: "Go and urge them to resume marching in half an hour."

Jin Lei stood ramrod straight in the rain: "Yes!"

Wang Feng turned around and switched to an overhead view.

The essence of the Battle of Wuhan was mobile warfare, not traditional trench warfare. The consensus among all senior officers was that it was not about gaining or losing a single city or place.

But the current situation is far beyond Wang Feng's expectations.

Anqing's defenses were weak, with only a few divisions of the Sichuan Army stationed there. They were no match for the advancing Japanese army.

Under normal circumstances, he would have ordered his troops to fight and retreat simultaneously, temporarily avoiding direct confrontation and preserving their strength.

The problem is, what will happen to Madang Fortress now that the troops in Anqing have withdrawn?
Further on, hundreds of thousands of troops are being mobilized, and it will take at least a week to complete the corresponding tasks.

Wang Feng sighed, "A miscalculation before the battle even begins! A miscalculation before the battle even begins!"

There are too many messes to deal with.

It has reached a point where it seriously affects command and control of operations.

"All they do every day is embezzle funds, fawn over their superiors and bully their subordinates. The fortress has been under construction for three years, and the bunker complex is still not finished!"

Wang Feng swiped the camera to get a clear view of the situation at Madang Fortress.

This place is located north of the Yangtze River and is named after the mountain that resembles a horse.

From an overhead view, the fortress mountain and the small isolated hill in the middle of the river are dotted with bunkers that are in a semi-finished state.

Some of them could be used as ordinary machine gun and anti-artillery positions, while the vast majority of the bunkers could only be used as cover for ordinary infantry.

------

Three hours later.

Madang Fortress.

Li Yunheng, commander of the 16th Army, stood in the heavy rain. His adjutant tried to hold an umbrella for him, but was sternly refused.

"Commander Wang will be here soon. There might be scouts watching from the shadows right now!" Li Yunheng said in a thick Hunan accent to his adjutant and the division commanders behind him.

Everyone immediately understood, dropped their umbrellas, and stood upright in the downpour.

"boom--!"

The sound of a car engine gradually rose in my ears.

Li Yunheng straightened his back and looked ahead with a firm gaze.

Sitting in the jeep, Wang Feng saw several officers standing in the rain, and his brows immediately furrowed.

"parking!"

The driver stepped on the brakes.

Wang Feng lowered the window, and raindrops slanted against his face, bringing a chill.

Li Yunheng immediately stepped forward and gave a standard military salute: "The 16th Army respectfully welcomes Commander Wang!"

Looking at the drenched general before him, Wang Feng felt a surge of disgust: "You're Commander Li Yunheng?"

Li Yunheng bowed: "Commander Wang is right, it is indeed me!"

Wang Feng glanced down at his watch: "I remember that three hours ago, the Garrison Command sent you a telegram."

"The message states that the Japanese army is assembling its land and sea forces and is advancing towards Anqing, and your 16th Army is required to prepare immediately."

"Commander Li, is this all the preparations you've made?"
"You're a corps commander, and behind you are a chief of staff and several division commanders. You've come quite a full complement!"

Li Yunheng shuddered: "This..."

He never expected that his "sincere welcome" attitude in the rain would not please his superiors, but instead earn him a reprimand.

Wang Feng's voice was icy: "Since Commander Li enjoys getting wet in the rain so much, why don't you go to the back and run forward with the infantry?"

Li Yunheng stammered, as if he wanted to say something.

Wang Feng ignored him and simply closed the car window.
"Let's drive."

The truck driver glanced furtively at the officers standing in the pouring rain, muttering something under his breath.

The jeep started up again, and mud kicked up by the wheels splashed everywhere, landing on Li Yunheng's face.

"go ahead!"

"Hurry! We're almost there!"

The infantrymen behind them, wearing straw raincoats and carrying rifles, swaggered past.

The adjutant hesitated for a moment: "Sir, we..."

Li Yunheng gritted his teeth: "Keep up with these infantrymen!"

Lieutenant: "Huh?"

Inside the Jeep.

Zhao Fangyuan turned his head: "Sir, this is outrageous. With the enemy at hand, instead of thinking about fighting and killing the enemy and serving the country, they are just doing this useless flattery."

Wang Feng: "After spending a long time in contact with these Central Army troops, you will find that this is actually nothing."

"Besides the 16th Army, are there any other units at Madang Fortress?"

Zhao Fangyuan: Yes!

"It's the 2nd Marine Regiment, and their main defense area is in the mountains."

Wang Feng: "Marine Corps?"

"What's the commander's name?" Zhao Fangyuan thought for a moment, "I think it's Bao Changyi!"

Wang Feng tried hard to recall, and he seemed to have some recollection of the name.

"Keep a close eye on him. No, once you enter the defense zone, call him over directly."

Zhao Fangyuan replied, "Okay!"

-------

Inside the Madang defense zone.

Wang Feng sat by the fireplace to warm himself. Fortunately, he was physically strong; otherwise, with prolonged sleep deprivation and a cold, he might have fallen seriously ill.

In front of him, Li Yunheng was soaking wet, his pants covered in mud, and he looked nothing like a military commander.

He looked more like a beggar sleeping under a bridge on the street.

Wang Feng took a sip of hot tea: "I didn't expect you to be able to keep up."

Li Yunheng forced a smile: "Military orders are absolute. I will obey your orders, even if it means going through fire and water!"

Wang Feng: "So you know that military orders are absolute."

Li Yunheng stood there dumbfounded. Realizing he had said the wrong thing again, he wished he could slap himself.

Wang Feng put down his teacup: "I heard you set up some kind of Anti-Japanese Military and Political University in Madang?"

Mentioning his school, Li Yunheng's face flushed, as if he hadn't been caught in the rain: "The officer is right!"

Wang Feng frowned: "You previously supported Mr. Sun Yat-sen and participated in the Constitutional Protection War. How come such a general with illustrious military achievements became obsessed with academic pursuits after the War of Resistance against Japan?"

Li Yunheng: "Sir, everyone has their own preferences. Besides, the purpose of establishing the Military and Political University is to provide our army with talent for the War of Resistance. It can be considered as killing two birds with one stone!"

Wang Feng snorted coldly: "What a brilliant way to kill two birds with one stone!"

In the original timeline, on the night the Japanese army's Hata Detachment reached Madang Fortress, when the situation was critical, Li Yunheng summoned all officers of platoon level and above from the 16th Army to attend the graduation ceremony of the Military and Political University.

They left the entire defense line to the Marines.

That's fucking bullshit!

-------

As soon as Li Yunheng left, Zhao Fangyuan strode in:

"Sir, the latest battle report from the front!"
"The Japanese 6th Division is approaching Qianshan, and the 26th Army is in dire need of help!"

Wang Feng jumped to his feet: "The two sides have run into each other?"
"The Japanese army moved so quickly?"

Zhao Fangyuan shook his head and said with a wry smile, "We haven't encountered them yet. The Japanese 6th Division is still dozens of kilometers away from the Qianshan-Taihu line."

Wang Feng frowned, then realized: "Why are the frontline troops in dire need of help?"
"Are we already demoralized before the battle has even begun? What kind of behavior is this?!"

Zhao Fangyuan: "Sir, I've checked the data. The 26th Army Group was reorganized from the local armed forces of the former Hubei-Henan-Anhui border region. Most of the soldiers are from Hubei. Although they are familiar with the terrain, they have not undergone formal training at all. Their actual combat capability is probably not as good as that of the 27th Army Group."

Wang Feng turned to look at the strategic map that the operations staff had just hung up.

The Qianshan-Taihu-Huangmei line is the gateway to Anqing. Once this line is lost, the situation will immediately become precarious.

Wang Feng: "Send a telegram to the 27th Army Group, instructing them to bomb the Anqing military airfield. The action must be swift and without error!"

There is another reason why Anqing is important.

Wuhan is located deep in the heart of China. If the Japanese Army Air Force wanted to bomb it, due to the long flight distance, by the time they reached the airspace over the three towns of Wuhan, they would only have fifteen minutes left to drop bombs or carry out combat operations.

What can you do in fifteen minutes?

They had to turn around quickly before dropping all the bombs, otherwise the remaining fuel wouldn't be enough to support their return flight.

However, once the Anqing military airport was occupied by the Japanese invaders, the situation would be completely different. The flight distance of the Japanese bombers would be shortened by 300 kilometers. Wouldn't they be able to bomb for as long as they wanted?
Zhao Fangyuan: "Understood, I will give the order right away!"

Wang Feng added: "Based on the speed of the Botian Detachment, we expect to arrive at the outskirts of Anqing tomorrow. Tell Yang Sen that my headquarters is at Madang Fortress. Anyone who dares to desert or retreat without authorization will be dealt with by military law!"
"Also, send a telegram to the 31st Army, ordering them to immediately depart from Taihu Lake and head to the Qianshan defense line!"

Zhao Fangyuan: "Yes!"

Wang Feng looked at the map, his palms sweating.

Two poorly organized, ragtag army groups are holding off two elite Japanese forces here for at least a week. Anyone who comes here would be tense.

The 6th Division was an elite Class A division of the Japanese army.

If he remembered correctly, the Hata Detachment was reorganized from the original Taiwan-based mixed brigade. Its strength was as much as 12,000 men, equivalent to an elite brigade, and it was extremely skilled in amphibious landing operations.

Given the Japanese army's troop deployment, it is estimated that the 26th and 27th Army Groups would have a hard time winning.

------

into the night.

The defense camp was brightly lit. Perhaps because the commander-in-chief had personally come to the front line to supervise the battle, the patrolling soldiers were all on high alert. Li Yunheng did not dare to slack off either, and conscripted a large number of laborers from nearby towns and villages to build fortifications overnight.

The matter of allocating funds was never mentioned again.

Bao Changyi walked to the office door: "Reporting, sir, the Second Marine Corps Commander is here to report for duty!"

Wang Feng raised his head and waved: "Come in, have a seat!"

Bao Changyi sat up straight and properly, his posture was so upright that he was different from those good-for-nothings just by his demeanor.

Wang Feng looked the other person up and down. He thought the other person looked very young, probably in his early thirties.

"Your unit's defense zone is at the Changshan position?"

Bao Changyi nodded: "Yes!"

Wang Feng: "Changshan position, if I remember correctly, is the core position of the entire Madang Fortress. If Changshan is lost, the entire Madang will probably be exposed to the Japanese guns. Your Marine Corps is under a lot of pressure!"

Bao Changyi smiled and said, "Please rest assured, sir. The Madang Fortress has been in preparation for many years. It is surrounded by thirty reefs, 1,800 mines, and twenty coastal defense guns. It is known as the 'Magino of the East' and is best described as impregnable."

Wang Feng: "I can't listen to that. How long have you been stationed at Madang with your troops?"

Bao Changyi: "It's been a few months."

Wang Feng: "Today is my first day here, and I have already noticed the fatal flaw in Madang Fortress. You have been stationed here for several months, so you should know it better than I do."

Bao Changyi was speechless: "Sir, this..."

Wang Feng stood up, smiled, and said, "I am the commander of the Central China Garrison, in charge of the army, navy, and air force. Your Marine Corps should also obey my command, right?"

These unprovoked words immediately startled Bao Changyi, who broke out in a cold sweat and jumped to his feet.

"Your subordinate dares not disobey orders from your superior!"

Wang Feng: "Good!"

"Now I'm giving you a task: while keeping an eye on the 16th Army, especially Li Yunheng. If any emergency occurs, your Second Brigade must immediately arrest him under the guise of a supervisory team!"

Bao Changyi was taken aback: "Sir, this...monitoring friendly forces?"

Wang Feng: "What's wrong? Are you having trouble?"

Bao Changyi: "I think..."

Wang Feng waved his hand to interrupt him: "After the Battle of Jiangyin, your navy's main warships were almost completely lost, and the Ministry of the Navy was abolished. The navy was used like the army. What a pity."

When the old story was brought up, Bao Changyi stood there in silence.

The decline of the navy, besides the loss of its fighting spirit, was most unacceptable due to its change in status.

He was originally the deputy commander of the Third Fleet of the Navy, a highly sought-after member of the Central Army, but after the Battle of Jiangyin, all of the Navy's main warships except for the Zhongshan were sunk.

Without warships, the fleet size will naturally have to be reduced.

The former deputy commander of the fleet has now become the second commander of the Marine Corps.

He only has two thousand men under his command.

It's equivalent to a regular infantry regiment.

Major General Regiment Commander
It's ironic just thinking about it.

Bao Changyi: "Commander Wang, what exactly do you mean by saying these things?"

Wang Feng: "What does your navy lack? Is it manpower?"
"It doesn't seem like there's a huge shortage. The Huludao Naval Academy has trained many talents like you. I think what we need most right now is warships. If we have enough new warships, it shouldn't be too difficult to get the Chairman to order the rebuilding of the Navy."

"At that time, you won't have to be like this now. Hey, I remember during the Wuhan Military Conference, almost all the army division commanders attended. Why didn't I see Chen Shaokuan, Commander Chen?"

Bao Changyi gave a wry smile: "Commander Wang, please don't joke with us. Rebuilding the navy is no easy task."

During the Battle of Jiangyin, he watched as the warships scuttled by the sailors slowly sank to the bottom of the river, becoming "reefs" that blocked the advance of the Japanese navy. From that moment on, all the naval officers understood one thing.

The Republic of China Navy has no chance of being rebuilt within ten years, and no hope of revival within thirty years!
Building warships is not like building rifles or cannons; it's a huge undertaking.

With coastal areas suffering from invasion, the remaining shipbuilding industry struggled to even build some inland river warships, let alone destroyers like the Ninghai, Pinghai, and Yixian.

Moreover, the warships sunk in the Battle of Jiangyin were mostly outdated light cruisers, which were still far inferior to the battleships and aircraft carriers of the Japanese Navy.

(End of this chapter)