The Fourth Outstanding Person of Huangpu Military Academy

Chen Tianheng: "The 1st and 2nd Divisions will quickly capture Changsha and annihilate the 8th Army's headquarters and its two divisions. All of the First Army's barreled artillery will be used in the Changsha battle. Pay attention to the rapid capture of Changsha. In the Changsha siege, Xu Xiangqian will coordinate the battlefield coordination of the two divisions on the spot."

Xu Xiangqian and Du Yuming: "Yes!

Chen Tianheng stated: "The 5th Division of the 2nd Army will be stationed in Yichun to guard against enemy forces advancing westward from Jiangxi. Although this possibility is small, we must ensure the defense of Yichun. After the Changsha Campaign begins, the 4th and 6th Divisions will attack Anyuan and capture the 900-man Railway and Mining Guard Regiment and 400 railway and mining police there. If Anyuan can be captured relatively smoothly, the two divisions will then move along the railway line toward Changsha and capture Zhuzhou Town, which has a guard regiment and a Zhuzhou militia, totaling over 1400 men.

The Second Army was pulled out to fight mobile warfare.

This was mainly to allow the guerrilla army, which had been in existence for less than two months, to gain its first real combat experience. Therefore, the mission assigned to the 4th and 6th Divisions was quite humorous: the two divisions would fight against a security regiment of less than a thousand men, and they could also get internal support from the Anyuan Road Mine Workers Club.

But it’s true, for this army whose 90% members are new farmers, fighting a guard regiment is a very suitable task in the novice village.

"Commander-in-Chief!"

Xiao Jinguang, commander of the 4th Division: "The commander-in-chief is coming to Anyuan to supervise the battle in person?!"

Chen Tianheng: "I'm familiar with Anyuan and Pingxiang. Moreover, this is the Second Army's first battle since its formation. How many soldiers deserted the ranks during the march?"

Xiao Jinguang: "More than 130 people left the 4th Division, and more than 170 people left the 6th Division. Fortunately, the number of people leaving was much less than expected.

Chen Tianheng: "The timing of our attack wasn't ideal. It was early July, and the rice in the fields was almost ripe. I guess those who left the team were thinking about harvesting the rice soon. ... Which regiment is launching the attack?"

“The 10th and 11th Regiments of the 4th Division.

"Report to the commander-in-chief! Report to the division commander!"

The scouts reported back, "More than 200 guards and 100 road and mining police stationed at the Pingxiang coal mine have surrendered!"

Xiao Jinguang: "So smooth!?"

"It was the coal miners who spread the news in the mining area that the First Division of the First Army was coming to attack Anyuan. The battalion commander of the security regiment there immediately surrendered!

"Yes, that's a clever move. But why don't the Anyuan Railway Station garrison surrender?"

Xiao Jinguang: "The commander of the security regiment has a lot of assets here, and the director of the Anyuan Railway Mine also has a lot of money and assets at the railway station. These two people are reluctant to leave. The 10th Regiment is about to launch an attack.

Chen Tianheng and Xiao Jinguang raised their telescopes.

The 10th Regiment's four to five hundred soldiers were rapidly approaching the train station and the station town. According to intelligence, the garrison regiment had 300 men, half of whom were defending to the east and half to the west, the direction of the 10th Regiment's attack.

When the 10th Regiment approached the station and was still three or four hundred meters away, two heavy machine guns of the Security Regiment immediately opened fire.

"At such a long distance, how come someone lay down as soon as they heard the gunshot?"

Chen Tianheng saw that as the heavy machine guns opened fire, more than a dozen soldiers skillfully dropped to the ground, landing flat on their faces. The company commander and platoon leader, standing in front, turned back and shouted desperately, some of the soldiers moving, while others seemed to remain motionless.

Now the infantry of the Second Army has only undergone drill training and the most basic combat training. The soldiers know how to crawl on the ground, but they don’t know when to crawl and when to stand up and charge.

Moreover, there are very few veterans who play a core role in the army, and they are not yet able to serve as the tactical backbone of the company or battalion.

"Boom boom—" Two mortars opened fire near Chen Tianheng, their shells flying towards the guard regiment's position more than a kilometer away. The first round of mortar fire missed the heavy machine guns, but it was clear that the guard regiment's heavy machine guns had paused firing for more than ten or twenty seconds.

Chen Tianheng: "If this were the First Division, the combat teams would have already taken advantage of the situation and advanced dozens of meters. But they haven't moved at all. ... In this wave of attack, the team on the center right is slightly better, and their forward movement is more decisive.

Xiao Jinguang: "That's the 1st Company of the 10th Regiment. More than half of them are veterans from my former training camp, and there are also several grassroots officers and sergeants from the 1st Army who came to support them.

Chen Tianheng continued to monitor the attack. The third mortar salvo completely silenced a heavy machine gun, boosting the morale of the attacking troops. The 1st Company of the 10th Regiment gradually accelerated its advance, pulling ahead of the other three companies by over 100 meters and being the first to enter grenade-throwing range.

At this time, the 11th Regiment, which was responsible for the flank attack, also engaged the positions of the Guard Regiment. Both directions were threatened, especially the front position, which was bombarded with a barrage of grenades, and the Guard Regiment finally surrendered.

In another direction, Anyuan City, the 200-man guard regiment guarding it quickly surrendered under the attack of more than 1,000 troops from the 12th Regiment of the 4th Division. This 200-man guard regiment was the worst equipped and did not even have a Maxim rifle.

"Hmm, cough cough!!!"

The first to show some embarrassment was Xiao Jinguang. He had served as the Party representative of the 6th Division of the 2nd Army of the Northern Expedition. A comparison showed that the combat effectiveness of the current Second Army of the Revolutionary Army was probably even worse than that of the 6th Division of the 2nd Army back then.

Chen Tianheng: "We haven't mastered basic infantry offensive tactics yet, and they haven't been implemented well. But the little we've learned has been effective, and casualties have been minimal. What was the Sixth Division's performance like today?"

"Report to the commander-in-chief, no fighting occurred in the Sixth Division because all the defenders of Pingxiang Coal Mine surrendered." The staff of the Second Army reported the situation.

Chen Tianheng: "Then it seems we must attack Zhuzhou. The Sixth Division has not yet had any actual combat experience."

Changsha.

7月5日，第一军1、2师抵达城外，1师3团迅速攻占长沙县，其余部队对长沙市实施包围。7月6日佛晓，第一师、第二师各以一个团作为先锋攻城，至上午9时就已突破城防。城中战斗持续到下午，驻扎长沙的第8军8-1师和8-2师已不复存在第一师和第二师进入全城抓溃兵模式。

Because the 8th Army headquarters there was unable to evacuate, this old Hunan clique's army was effectively wiped out, with only the 8-3rd Division remaining to confront the Guangxi clique near Wuhan. However, its commander, Li Pinxian, managed to escape during the battle. He disguised himself and, upon approaching the Xiang River, dove into the water. His excellent swimming ability allowed him to swim four kilometers downstream, reaching shore and escaping.

"Capture the fleeing soldiers, confiscate their weapons, post notices, and seal off the military warehouses, especially the granaries," Xu Xiangqian ordered. "Wang Erzhuo!

Wang Erzhuo, commander of the 2nd Regiment of the 1st Division, said: "Here!"

"Take one or two hundred men and rush to the northern part of the city. There is the 8th Army's ammunition depot. Guard and receive it, and immediately prepare a plan and transportation for its removal."

Wang Erzhuo: “Yes!

"boom!!!!"

A deafening explosion erupted from the north of the city. Startled, Xu Xiangqian and Wang Erzhuo simultaneously turned to look north: "Ammunition depot? Who blew it up?"

Chapter 106: What? You asked Peng Dehuai to beat Xu Xiangqian?

When Chen Tianheng returned to Shangli from Anyuan, Xu Xiangqian had already sent the situation of the capture of Changsha to the command center.

The details of the battle were as planned from beginning to end. The only unplanned event was the explosion of the ammunition depot in the north of the city by captured soldiers.

By then, troops of the Second Division had already advanced into Changsha. They called out to the enemy outside the ammunition depot, urging them to surrender. The enemy agreed, but a company commander secretly lit a fuse inside the depot. When the enemy troops, following orders, raised their hands and left the depot area, the fuse burned out, blasting one of the four ammunition depots to pieces with a resounding bang.

Not all four ammunition depots were destroyed, but the losses were substantial. The depot that exploded contained bulk explosives (with fuses and explosive packs placed on top of the bulk explosives) and mountain artillery shells. The ammunition destroyed in this depot accounted for 40% of the total weight.

Fortunately, bullets were rescued from the other three ammunition depots, and the troops were replenished with a large number of 79 rifle bullets and 9mm pistol bullets. The former were used for the Hanyang-made rifles, which were the main rifles of the Second Army of the Guerrilla Army, and the latter could supplement the MP18 submachine guns of the First and Second Divisions.

In his telegram, Xu Xiangqian also reflected on the troops' inexperience with such matters. He stated that in future encounters with similar ammunition depot surrenders, he should first send a few of his own troops into the depot to inspect it, and then allow the officers inside to come out to accept the surrender. After counting and confirming that all officers had emerged, the soldiers would then line up and come out.

It would have to be an officer who lit the fuse to set off a bomb in the ammunition depot; a soldier wouldn't risk his life. Even if an officer lit the fuse, the soldiers would put it out themselves after the officer left.

On the evening of July 6, various units in the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan Campaign came online on the radio channel one after another and sent back combat status.

The Fifth Division of the Second Army is in Yichun guarding against attacks from Jiangxi, and is now idle and busy catching ants.

The 4th and 6th Divisions captured the Anyuan Railway Mine. Chen Tianheng personally visited the scene today. In the evening, the two divisions sent a battle summary.

He Long's 3rd Division (formerly the 15th Independent Division) was stationed north of Changsha, responsible for blocking the Yue-Han Railway. By 7 p.m., no enemy troops from the north had arrived to rescue Changsha. Reconnaissance units from the First Army, stationed further north of He Long's forces, also reported the same intelligence.

On July 7, the missions of each unit were also sent out via radio.

The Second Division traveled north by train from Changsha, joining He Long's Third Division as they advanced northward until they reached Miluo Station on the Miluo River. This station was 60 kilometers from Changsha, and with a distant view of Yueyang, it looked like a move to break through Hunan, advance into Hubei, and seize Wuhan.

The First Division remains in Changsha. Mao Runzhi will enter Changsha tomorrow and issue a telegram from the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Government of the Republic of China. This is part of the political campaign.

The 5th Division of the 2nd Army will withdraw from Yichun tomorrow and move west to Anyuan, while the 6th Division in Anyuan will move west to seize Zhuzhou. After the 6th Division captures Zhuzhou, the 5th Division will continue westward from Anyuan to seize Xiangtan, west of Zhuzhou.

Zhuzhou was not a city, nor even a county, but rather Zhuzhou Town. However, it was the southernmost point of the unfinished Yuehan Railway and the starting point of the Pingzhu Railway. Although administratively a town, it was already quite large in 1927, no smaller than a county town of the same era.

Pingxiang, Zhuzhou and Xiangtan, three towns that Tang Shengzhi had semi-abandoned with very few garrisons, were used to serve as novice villages for the three divisions of the Second Army.

"Is the intelligence station radio station in Wuhan not turned on?

Chen Tianheng asked the communications staff.

"There has been no call or response so far. Due to limited conditions, the Wuhan Intelligence Station cannot turn on the radio every day, but if it is not turned on today, it will definitely be turned on tomorrow to transmit intelligence. We agreed that the radio station will contact each other at least once every three days.

Chen Tianheng looked at the time, 8:30 p.m.

Military intelligence in places like Wuhan, Nanjing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou fell outside the First Army's purview. According to the military hierarchy, this falls under "strategic intelligence," theoretically handled by the General Staff Intelligence Department. However, without a fully-fledged military general staff, strategic intelligence fell under the responsibility of Zhou Enlai.

Chen Tianheng: "Isn't the military intelligence finally transmitted by the Strategic Intelligence Office slower than the newspapers and telegraphs we read? The Communications Office is guarding the channel line in the Wuhan section until two o'clock tonight.

Wuhan.

Tang Shengzhi, who had come to Wuhan to argue with Li Zongren, learned of the Communist raid on Changsha that afternoon. The last news Li Pinxian passed on to him was that "Changsha City was under fierce attack," and then Li Pinxian fell silent.

Knowing that Changsha could no longer be defended, Li Pinxian left the Eighth Army headquarters at three o'clock in the afternoon, disguised himself as a private and prepared to escape the city.

"Commander Tang," Li Zongren said sternly, "The Communists are fiercely attacking Changsha. Hunan's provincial capital is now cut off from external transportation and communications. If Changsha falls into the hands of the Communists, it will be the second provincial capital to be occupied by the Communists after Nanchang. How will you be held responsible?"

Tang Shengzhi: "This is due to improper troop deployment by the headquarters and the General Staff. Our unit was just reacting normally.

Li Zongren: "The headquarters did not ask you to transfer the 36th Army in Changsha to Wuhan. Now it is interesting. You transferred the 36th Army without authorization, leaving Changsha's defense empty. This must be the case, right?

"Commander Li, the Seventh Army's move from Nanjing to Wuhan also seems to be an unauthorized troop transfer."

On the morning of July 7, the First Army occupying Changsha reconnected the telegraph office that had been disconnected the day before, and the wired telegraph service between Changsha and the outside world returned to normal.

Merchants, shop owners and factory owners in Changsha flocked to the telegraph office, some reporting safety, some issuing instructions, and they were very busy.

Of course, private telegrams also carried local news.

"The Communist troops have occupied Changsha, ship the goods quickly and sell them." The cloth owner who sent the telegram understood that wealth and honor can be achieved through risk.

At the telegraph office in Wuhan, a copy of the telegram was sent out and a courier copy was sent to the branch of the cloth owner in Wuchang. The telegraph office also kept a copy, and the military and political agencies and some sources could see these copies - in short, on the morning of July 7, the news that "the Communist Party captured Changsha" had spread.

Among the numerous civilian telegrams, there was also a telegram:

"Letter from the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Government of the Republic of China to the People of the Nation"

In Changsha, the staff of the 1st Division of the 1st Army was also searching the drafts of telegrams received by these telegraph offices for interesting messages.

“First, there was a standoff between Hunan and Guangxi, but it’s still a standoff; they haven’t fought.

Second, Li Zongren and Tang Shengzhi had been arguing in Wuhan for two days. Wang Jingwei in Nanjing sought to appease the situation by giving each side fifty lashes of the scepter. Tang Shengzhi had strongly supported Wang Jingwei when the Nationalist government was based in Wuhan, but Li Zongren now commanded the most powerful military group, the New Guangxi Clique. Wang Jingwei felt that Tang Shengzhi's Fourth Army should be compromised, with the 18th Army given to the Guangxi Clique, but Tang Shengzhi was unwilling to do so.

Third, rumors circulating in Wuhan recounted in near-perfect detail the 18th Army's surprise attack on incoming Commander Zhang Gan, even going so far as to identify which regiment of the 18th Army ambushed Zhang Gan. However, Tang Shengzhi still insisted that the attack was carried out by Hubei bandits.

"The fourth piece of information is that the KMT Central Committee may want to impeach Wang Jingwei.

Chen Tianheng received news from Changsha. Taking everything into consideration, the most important thing was:

Chiang Kai-shek may be making a comeback.

Liu Bocheng: "The return of Chiang Kai-shek can settle the differences among the various factions, but before Chiang Kai-shek returns, the national army in Wuhan may take action.

Chen Tianheng: "Yes, they lost a provincial capital. Even if there are conflicts among them, the headquarters will issue orders to them, and they will have to do something. However, we are now prepared for this.

Wuhan.

Both Tang Shengzhi and Li Zongren, the two enemies, received orders from Wang Jingwei and telegrams from the headquarters in Nanjing.

"Commander Tang, you can leave the 18th Army there, and I don't want it to move," Li Zongren said, "but I advise you to quickly mobilize the 35th Army. Even if the 35th Army cannot recapture Changsha, if you do nothing, I cannot guarantee that you can continue to serve as the commander-in-chief of the Fourth Army under Wang Jingwei.

Tang Shengzhi: "It's fine for the 35th Army to move towards Changsha, but what about after that? Commander Li, your Seventh Army has come to Wuhan. Aren't they just coming to Wuhan to demonstrate against me?"

"Changsha is under the jurisdiction of the Fourth Army. I will not join your battle to recapture Changsha until I receive clear orders from Nanjing Headquarters."

Tang Shengzhi: "The 35th Army suffered heavy losses in the previous battle with Ye Ting and has just recovered its troops. ... We'll talk about it tomorrow."

The two major military leaders from Hunan and Guangxi spent the entire day of July 7th arguing.

On the morning of July 8, Tang Shengzhi finally started working.

He first called Xia Douyin of the Independent 14th Division stationed in Wuhan and Fan Shaozeng of the Sichuan 7th Division, and asked the two divisions to set off and assemble in Yueyang along the Guangdong-Hankou Railway to prepare to recapture Changsha.

Xia Douyin asked Tang Shengzhi for 3 silver dollars as travel expenses, and Tang Shengzhi gave it to him.

Halfway through the call, Fan Shaozeng said he had a severe headache and thought it might be a brain disease, and said he wanted to go to Hankou to see a doctor.

Tang Shengzhi first deployed the two non-Xiang Army divisions, now also under the command of the Fourth Army. However, Tang Shengzhi's goal was to recapture Changsha, or at least show the Chinese people that he was attempting to do so. Simply mobilizing two Sichuan Army divisions did not seem like an intention to recapture Changsha.

In the end, the 35th Army also had to move.

"Got it. Okay. Got it."

In Pingjiang County, Zhou Pan, commander of the 1st Division of the 35th Army, hung up the phone.

The call just now was from Army Commander He Jian, asking the 1st Division to march into Miluo Town.

He Jian's military headquarters was with the 35-2 Division. According to He Jian, the 35-2 Division had to be dispatched as well, and the entire 35th Army had to be dispatched, because Commander Tang had to recapture Changsha, otherwise he would not be able to explain to the people.

He Jian had hinted to him over the phone that the 35th Army was in no position to recapture Changsha. At best, they could just do a superficial job. Starting from their base, they could just edge closer to Changsha, and that would be mission accomplished. To truly recapture Changsha, Commander Tang's entire Fourth Army, perhaps even reinforcements from Jiangxi, would be needed.

Zhou Pan thought about how to put on a good show, then dialed the phone.

"The first group?"

“Yes, this is the first group.

Zhou Pan: "We have a mission from above, assigned by Commander Tang himself. The First Division is moving out. We are to attack Miluo Station in Miluo Town from the flank, while the Second Division will attack from the front. Gather your regiments and bring them to the county seat tomorrow."

"Commander, the First Regiment's pay is still two months in arrears.

Zhou Pan: "Of course I know I owe you! We do have departure expenses this time. Your regiment will receive them when it arrives in the county!"

"Commander, the First Regiment's pay is still two months in arrears."

"Damn it! I'll owe you first! The marching fee is the marching fee, and the military pay is the military pay. I will certainly not erase this debt!" Zhou Pan was furious: "Listen carefully, you were a battalion commander two months ago, and you were almost expelled by Zhou Xiwu! If Ye Ting hadn't inflicted heavy losses on our division and asked Zhou Xiwu to take you back, you wouldn't have any military pay now, do you understand?"

"understood."