The Fourth Outstanding Person of Huangpu Military Academy

However, Chen Tianheng in Changsha could not see the battle scene. Xu Xiangqian called back and said that the action was originally planned, and then the radio channel entered a brief period of silence.

At 7:30, Xu Xiangqian sent a telegram stating that the 1st Regiment of the 1st Division and the 5th Regiment of the 2nd Division had launched an assault on Baishui Town and successfully broke through the enemy's first line of defense. Xu Xiangqian added that the enemy's so-called first line of defense had not actually been built.

At 8 o'clock, Xu Xiangqian sent a second telegram, stating that the 3rd Regiment of the 1st Division, which was responsible for attacking Maoling Village, had successfully broken through; in the direction of Baishui Town, the 1st Regiment of the 1st Division had reached the Baishui Town Railway Station.

At 9 o'clock, Xu Xiangqian's telegram indicated that about half of Baishui Town had been occupied, and about 3,000 enemies were resisting in the remaining houses in the town. The 1st Regiment of the 1st Division was encircling and annihilating the enemy at night.

It was natural that the battle went so smoothly. Although four regiments were fighting against two divisions, and one of the regiments was still blocking reinforcements, the three regiments involved in the battle had a total strength of 7,000 people, while the two divisions of Wang Tianpei's 10th Army had a total of only 10,000 people.

"Do we need to send a telegram back to Xu Xiangqian?"

Chen Mingren's question indicated that he hadn't immediately thought of anything that needed to be brought to Xu Xiangqian's attention. But Xu Xiangqian continued to broadcast the battle live via telegram. Would it be okay for the headquarters not to send back a telegram with some content?

"Tell Xu Xiangqian that our troops have not detected any signs of large-scale enemy movements in the north. In the south, Du Yuming of the 36th Army has launched a diversionary attack as planned. If the final assault encounters significant resistance, the 2nd Regiment can be transferred from its blocking position to participate in the final general offensive.

Chen Tianheng was currently eating his dinner with a rice bowl in his hand. Of course, Chen Mingren was also holding a rice bowl. After Chen Tianheng finished his meal, he asked, "Am I on duty at midnight tonight, or are you?"

Chen Mingren: “I was on duty in the middle of the night.

"Pay attention to Chief of Staff Liu's contact information. He'll often call in the middle of the night to inquire about your situation. The enemy's movements to the east and south cannot be ignored."

Chen Tianheng put down his bowl and prepared to rest. The first half of the night was from 10 pm to 2 am, and the second half was from 2 am to 6 am. If he lay down early, he could get four hours of sleep.

Whether in terms of reaction speed or the combat effectiveness of a single unit, the First Army was far superior to the armies on the Guangdong-Hankou Line. After the enemy's front line was torn apart, it was not too difficult for the First Army to dig out a piece of meat to eat.

It's a pity, they should have sent one or two regiments of the Second Army to the north to participate in the battle and gain some experience...

This is a more regular and more intense battle than the Eastern Front...

"How's it going? Has anything happened in the past four hours?" Chen Tianheng got up and walked back into the headquarters. Chen Mingren, who had been up all night, said, "Commander, something serious has happened." Chen Tianheng: "Hmm?"

"Du Yuming, send his division reconnaissance battalion—yes, Dai Anlan's team—to steal the 36th Army's armored train. They literally stole it. Right now, Dai Anlan is driving the armored train around the 36th Army's base and wreaking havoc."

Chapter 114: Tang Shengzhi quits playing

The armored train of the 36th Army was a thorn in Du Yuming's side.

Tang Shengzhi's Hunan Army is now very cunning. It is obvious that Tang Shengzhi not only knows the reputation of the First Army, but also has studied the battles fought by Chen Tianheng: The First Army not only has field artillery, but is also good at direct shooting to eliminate point targets. Since the Northern Expedition, it has destroyed two armored trains and more than a dozen bunkers.

Therefore, when the 36th Army advanced towards Changsha, the infantry protected the armored trains, preventing the field artillery from having a direct line of sight within 2 kilometers of the armored trains. The armored trains advanced slowly only when the infantry advanced; if the infantry was repelled, the armored trains would also reverse and retreat.

During the day on July 24, the artillery battalion took advantage of the hilly terrain and had an opportunity to directly fire at the armored train from 1800 meters away. However, after carefully observing the terrain, Du Yuming ordered the field artillery not to fire.

One reason was that the shooting angle was not good, and the other was that Du Yuming already had a new plan at that time.

The armored train was well protected by infantry, but there would eventually be a loophole.

The loophole is at the train station, Gaojiafang Station.

To the west of Gaojiafang Station is Gaojiafang Town, and there is no town to the east, only a long hill - the railway line and the station are close to this hill, and a long trench has been dug at the foot of the hill to allow the railway to pass through this area without turning as much as possible.

Therefore, when the 36th Army camped in Gaojiafang Town, the armored train was not surrounded by infantry, and due to the presence of hills, the reconnaissance battalion might even have captured the train.

Throughout the day on the 24th, the reconnaissance battalion commander Dai Anlan used a high-powered telescope to observe the Hunan Army's armored train in the front-line infantry formation.

This armored train was not entirely original. The front of the train was a specially designed and manufactured armored turret, equipped with a flat-firing cannon; the rear consisted of an ordinary front section, several steel-plated sealed carriages, and a flatbed car, which served as a machine gun carriage, a troop carriage, and a launch platform for mountain guns and mortars.

After the observation, Dai Anlan reported to Du Yuming that the plan was feasible.

On the evening of the 24th, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 2nd Division's Reconnaissance Battalion launched an attack.

The 3rd Battalion eliminated the 36th Army's sentry post on the hill. Scouts dropped two ropes from the top of the hill and slid down to the roof of the armored train. The armored carriage, constructed from ordinary carriages with steel plates, had a significant weakness: its ventilation openings were completely unshielded.

The scouts used their daggers to pry open the vent shields and toss several grenades into each sealed car. After a series of muffled thuds, they pried open the doors, seizing the machine gun carriage and the troop carriage. Dai Anlan's two squads then attacked the front and rear of the train, seizing the steam locomotive, flatbed cars, and the train engine. The entire armored train was now under the control of the reconnaissance battalion.

Soldiers from the 36th Army stationed and patrolling near the station reacted and rushed the armored train. Dai Anlan simply turned on the train's searchlights, and wherever the two beams of light swept, bullets from the machine guns' breech blocks covered the area. The soldiers' sporadic counterattacks were ineffective, with bullets only clanking against the steel plates.

The soldiers attempting a counterattack were repelled, and Dai Anlan immediately fired two green flares into the air, signaling that the reconnaissance battalion had successfully captured the armored train. Shortly thereafter, the soldiers of the reconnaissance battalion figured out how to use the vehicle-mounted artillery, and with a bang, the mountain artillery fired shells into the 36th Army's 1st Division camp in Gaojiafang.

The soldiers of the 36th Army who had just lain down to sleep were suddenly thrown into chaos.

After capturing the armored train, the three infantry regiments of the 3rd Division, following signal flares from the front, advanced into Gaojiafang Town from three directions. By 2 a.m., the 36th Army Headquarters and the 36th Army's 1st Division had been driven out of Gaojiafang Town, fleeing towards Tianjing Village and the wilderness to the northwest, respectively.

“我已令三师7团追击沿西北荒野方向逃窜的敌军;装甲列车与二师4团、三师8、9团攻击天井村，解决驻扎在此地的36军3师;二师6团监视玉路村的36军2师，该师不在铁路线上，可暂时置之不理。

Chen Tianheng: "After defeating the enemy forces in Tianjing Village or forcing them to leave the railway line and escape into the mountains, the armored train continued north, passing Baishui Station and then continued on to the blocking position of the 2nd Regiment of the 1st Division 4 kilometers north of Baishui Town to assist in blocking the enemy.

"clear."

Before dawn, the battlefield situation north of Changsha had become like this.

With the armored train in hand, the First Army gained absolute control of a two-kilometer stretch of the Yue-Han Railway. The 36th Army, which had been defending along the railway line according to established procedures, was suddenly unable to continue. At 4:00 AM, the 4th Regiment of the 2nd Division and the 8th and 9th Regiments of the 3rd Division concluded the fighting in Gaojiafang Town and moved to Tianjing Village. The armored train also arrived at Tianjing Village. The 3rd Division of the 36th Army experienced the same shock as the 1st Division.

Tianjing Village lacked a train station, but the village was not far from the railway line, only about 300 meters away. The additional tents of the 3rd Division of the 36th Army were even closer, roughly halfway between the village and the railway line. When the armored train arrived, it could fire not only artillery and mortars, but also heavy machine guns, which could sweep through the enemy.

The soldiers on night watch in the outer perimeter of the 36th Army's 3rd Division went crazy first, and then the officers and soldiers in the barracks behind them followed suit. As soon as they left their houses, they could see the big black iron lumps on the railway line blazing, especially the flatbed carriages at the rear. Every time a ball of fire appeared, there was a loud explosion. How could they continue to play?

The defeat of the 20,000 officers and soldiers with low morale was a foregone conclusion. The only suspense was how many prisoners the First Army could capture on their way to the Miluo River.

Even if you walk, there is no good road to take. The highway from Yueyang to Changsha basically runs parallel to the railway line in this section. Controlling the railway is equivalent to controlling the highway.

At 6 a.m., the battle of Tianjing Village ended. The First Army captured 2700 prisoners, and more than 3,000 defeated soldiers escaped, running towards a place farther away from the railway line.

The armored train continued north, arriving at Baishui Town at 6:30. By then, the battle there was essentially over. The First Division had successfully defeated Wang Tianpei's two divisions the previous night. Officers and soldiers searched through the piles of spoils, large and small.

Wang Tianpei's troops were originally from the Guizhou province, and their greatest characteristic was poverty. Judging from the spoils captured so far, the most useful artifacts were probably several thousand French M1915 Adrian helmets, as the Beiyang troops previously annihilated had no steel helmets.

Behind the armored train, Chen Tianheng also found a train, departing from Changsha and driving to Baishui Town.

“Captain.

Xu Xiangqian, Du Yuming and He Long were all in Baishui Town.

Chen Tianheng saluted back. "Where's Dai Anlan? Is he on the armored train?

Du Yuming: "Yes. The reconnaissance battalion installed a radio on the train. Ten minutes ago, Dai Anlan reported that the armored train had already reunited with the 2nd Regiment at the front line."

Xu Xiangqian: "From last night to early this morning, a unit from Miluo fought southward and had a minor contact with the 2nd Regiment. After being firmly blocked, they retreated, but did not retreat back to Leiluo. Instead, they confronted each other not far from the front. After the armored train arrived at the front line, the enemy troops retreated again.

Chen Tianheng: "I want to see how the various troops are doing in the field chasing the remaining troops.

At Xu Xiangqian's command post, it was marked that the 1st Regiment of the 1st Division was heading west, the 3rd Regiment was heading east, and the regiments of the 2nd Division were mainly on the west side of the road. The troops of several regiments were happily capturing prisoners.

The baggage and artillery of the 36th Army of the Hunan Army had fallen into the hands of the 2nd Division. This army had 3 divisions and a total of 2 artillery battalions, one of which was equipped with old-style recoil guns and the other with Hanyang-made K-75 mountain guns.

It is considered good that there are two artillery battalions in three divisions. Wang Tianpei's 10th Army, which was annihilated last night, had two divisions and did not have a single barreled artillery piece.

Chen Tianheng: "It's no longer meaningful to capture the fleeing officers and soldiers of the 36th Army. If they are caught, they will simply be educated and released. It all depends on how well the senior officers capture them.

Du Yuming: "Two division commanders were captured last night: Army Commander Liu Xing and Deputy Army Commander Zhou Lan. The 1st Division Commander Liao Lei escaped."

Xu Xiangqian: "In Baishui Town, the commander of the 10th Army, Wang Tianpei, also escaped. After we annihilated the enemy, we immediately sent out two regiments to capture Wang Tianpei.

Chen Tianheng: "Not every high-ranking officer can afford a high ransom. The Guizhou army behind Wang Tianpei has collapsed by now. They have either been annihilated by us or absorbed by the Hunan Army and the Guangxi Clique. It's likely that no one will be willing to redeem Wang Tianpei if he is captured this time. If he escapes intact, he might even end up in prison for his poor performance in combat. ... We should now re-establish our control over the area all the way to the south bank of the Miluo River."

Chen Tianheng made adjustments and the messengers set out quickly to find the 1st and 3rd Regiments of the 1st Division that were pursuing and annihilating the 36th Army, and ordered the troops to return to Zishui Town.

By noon on the 25th, troops from the two regiments returned one after another.

"What is the current physical condition of the battalion and company commanders and soldiers? Can they support continuing the fighting during the day?" Chen Tianheng asked Zheng Dongguo and Qiu Qingquan, commanders of the 1st and 3rd Regiments.

Zheng Dongguo: "The whole group has not had a break since last night, but if we want to play, we can still play in the afternoon.

Qiu Qingquan: “You just have to eat a full meal at noon.

Xu Xiangqian: "The kitchen staffs of the various barracks in Baishui Town are all preparing meals. The two regiments will be able to have hot meals and dishes immediately. We will depart at 1 p.m.

Miluo Town.

第8军、18军在镇子建立了联合指挥部--18军本来都要被桂系吞并了的，但张淦上任路上被截杀，换军长换血一事也就暂停，没有军长且只有2个师的18军暂时由第8军军长李品仙接管。

Since the afternoon, Li Pinxian has been using the railway telephone to frantically contact Tang Shengzhi, commander of the Fourth Army stationed in Yueyang.

"Commander Tang! The 10th and 36th Armies ahead may be dead! The 36th Army's armored train is now in the hands of the Communists! We don't know if it's defected or been captured by the Communists. Anyway, Commander, that armored train is bombarding Miluo Town!!"

The 8th and 18th Armies must retreat north of the Miluo River!"

"The 7th Army? I can't control the 7th Army!" Li Pinxian was anxious and angry. "At noon today, the 7th Army's advance battalion, which had crossed the Iron Bridge, returned north from the Iron Bridge! Now Xia Wei is commanding the 7th Army to set up a defense line north of the bridge, with field artillery pointing directly at the Iron Bridge. It's clear that they're relying on the Miluo River for defense. I think we should withdraw our small force to the north of the river!"

"All right, all right! Well, you can just take the three divisions back with you.

Tang Shengzhi from Yueyang hung up the phone and sighed again: "Alas!!"

"Commander, Li Pinxian should retreat. It's too dangerous to stay south of Miluo River." Tang Shengzhi's adjutant interjected.

"The 10th Army is fine, but the 36th Army is the foundation of the Hunan Army Military Academy!"

Adjutant: "But the 8th Army is the foundation of all Hunan troops.

Tang Shengzhi: "..."

The Fourth Group Army and Hunan Province call for peaceful communication

"Since the Northern Expedition, China has been in turmoil. By the 16th year, the warlords' rule had been ended by the Northern Expedition Army. The country was about to be unified, and the nation was expected to be revived.

"However, the struggle between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party intensified, and the purge of the party and the purge of the Communist Party occurred. Then the Nanchang Uprising of the Communist Party and the Yeshiva and Chen forces occurred, and the government of the Republic of China, which was about to be unified, was split into two again.

"Brothers are fighting each other, families are fighting each other, wars are rampant, lives are lost, social order is disrupted, and people are displaced. This is not the scene I wish to see."

"Tang calls on both the Kuomintang and the Communist Party to abandon their conflict and restore domestic peace to prevent further damage to national rights and interests. 'I hereby announce that the Fourth Army will take the lead in suspending military operations as a pioneer in the peace of the Republic of China.'"

"Tang Shengzhi, noon, thrifty.

Chapter 115: The Sword of Revolution, the Pig of Revolution, the Knife of Revolution

When Tang Shengzhi's peace telegram was issued, there was a sudden silence in the country. Everyone was looking at Nanjing to see how Wang Jingwei would deal with it.

Wang Jingwei did not hesitate. The next day, July 29, Wang Jingwei dismissed Tang Shengzhi from his posts as commander-in-chief of the Fourth Army of the National Revolutionary Army and chairman of Hunan Province, and ordered Tang Shengzhi to rush from Yueyang to Nanjing for investigation.

In Wang Jingwei's opinion, the Nanjing National Government was not a powerful faction under the Beiyang government. If it still regarded itself as a vassal under the Beiyang government, it must be dealt with with an iron fist.

Tang Shengzhi said he didn't care about this treatment. What Fourth Army? Now the 36th Army is gone, the 8th and 35th Armies are crippled, and these armies are constantly being poached by the Guangxi clique. There's no point in doing anything.

What Chairman of the Hunan Provincial Government? It's so funny. I don't have Hunan anymore, so let this provincial chairman remove himself.

The "new warlords" under the National Government (different from the old warlords of the Beiyang period) challenged the central government for the first time and were thus treated as a "heavy blow".

Miluo Town.

This small town on the south bank of the Miluo River once again became the dividing line between the two armies. On the north bank of the Miluo River Bridge on the Guangdong-Hankou Railway, the Guangxi Seventh Army now personally guarded the bridgehead, with well-hidden 75mm field guns pointing directly at the railway bridge to prevent the uprising army's armored train from rushing in this direction.

The same was true on the south bank, with field artillery aimed at the railway bridge, as were the heavy machine guns in the bunkers. In short, neither side dared to blow up the bridge, but both sides were confident that the enemy would not be able to break through.

"The bridgehead defenses have excellent manpower and firepower deployment, but Du Yuming, the Second Division must also prepare a withdrawal plan. If we need to evacuate Miluo Town, the Second Division must be able to withdraw the defenses in the shortest possible time, including personnel, weapons, ammunition, supplies, and all valuable items and materials. Nothing must be left behind."

Du Yuming: "The General Staff has a plan for evacuation. We can evacuate within a day and take away everything we need. However, when we retreat south, we need a train to help transport it.

Chen Tianheng: "There will be trains at Miluo Station to assist with transportation. What are the recent developments of the Seventh Army?"

Du Yuming: "The division's reconnaissance battalion crossed the river and infiltrated near the Seventh Army's base. The Seventh Army currently shows no signs of launching a large-scale attack, but the reconnaissance battalion discovered something new in the Seventh Army's infantry training."

Chen Tianheng: "Are you imitating our training methods?

"yes.

The First Division/First Army's achievements since the Northern Expedition have shocked the whole country. It is normal for there to be imitators and learners. It would be abnormal if no one imitated them.

Without understanding the tactical principles of the First Division, its organization and the responsibilities of officers and commanders, and the military theory behind its combat doctrine, simply studying training and squad tactics will not achieve the combat effectiveness of the First Division. However, even superficial aspects of optics can significantly improve a unit's combat effectiveness.

The Seventh Army in front of them was like this, and Chen Tianheng estimated that the 37th Army stationed in Nanjing was probably similar. Both armies were split and expanded from the Seventh Army of the Guangxi Clique. The two armies each inherited two of the four brigades of the Seventh Army during the Northern Expedition.

Chen Tianheng: "Let's go and see the results of He Long's Third Division's training."

The Third Division is now led by the First and Second Divisions. After the Battle of Miluo, with morale high after a major victory, the Third Division, from top to bottom, conducted a review of lessons learned, comparing its performance with that of the First and Second Divisions, which had fought alongside it, to identify and narrow any gaps.

"We fight when we say we fight, and we act when we say we act"

"Practice with the gun"

"Bayonet grenade"

"If you aim well, you can throw far"

"The sight of the bayonet frightened him."

"Hurry up and practice hard"

"Practice your skills and prepare for battle"

"If you don't defeat the reactionaries, you're not a true man!"

At the training ground of the Third Division, shouts, commands of "one, two, three, four," and whistles were heard one after another, but the loudest and most recognizable ones came from the two companies practicing singing.

The Third Division also has its own military song.