The Fourth Outstanding Person of Huangpu Military Academy

"It's located on the Xiang River, with inland navigation facilities. It's also at the intersection of the Yuehan Railway and the Zhuping Railway, offering convenient transportation by land and water. Not far away is the Pingxiang Coal Mine, and to the north is the Hanyang Iron Works. If the revolutionary situation permits, Zhuzhou would be a good place to develop industry, especially the arms industry."

Chen Tianheng came to Zhuzhou from Changsha to supervise the reorganization and training of the Second Army, but in Zhuzhou, Chen Tianheng still habitually observed the terrain of Zhuzhou.

Zhuzhou is neither a city nor a county, but Zhuzhou Town in Xiangtan County. However, due to the railway, Zhuzhou is now a large town, and it is not an exaggeration to call it a county seat.

But at that time, Zhuzhou only had one railway machine repair factory. The Zhuzhou Arsenal only appeared in 1936 in the original historical dimension. It was one of the results of the "Republic of China version of the Third Line Construction" carried out by the Kuomintang government after the September 918th Incident. French Schneider Company and German Krupp Company participated in the construction and provided technical support.

Of course, given the efficiency of the Nationalist government, by August 1937, most of the planned production capacity of the Zhuzhou Arsenal had not been built. With the outbreak of the Battle of Shanghai and the blockage of the Yangtze River, industrial mother machines could not be transported in, and most of the artillery factories, artillery shell factories, gun and ammunition factories, gunpowder factories, acid plants, electric furnace alloy steel mills and copper smelting plants... were gone.

Chen Yi: "I know a comrade who studied industry, Nie Rongzhen. Before studying at the Moscow Oriental University, he studied in Belgium and received a degree in chemical engineering from the Labor University of Charlevoix."

Chen Tianheng: "I know that Comrade Nie Rongzhen is in Changsha, but given the current situation, we may not be able to occupy the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan area for long. However, we will need industrial talents when developing industry in the future. Let's go to the headquarters of the 4th Division of the 2nd Army."

The 4th Division of the 2nd Army is currently the unit with the highest technical and tactical qualities and the best combat record in the 2nd Army.

After the battle east of Pingxiang, the 4th Division also suffered heavy losses, with more than 600 casualties. It was a difficult task to replenish the troops (none of the three divisions had supplementary battalions organized with the regiments), and the reorganization was only completed four days ago.

Xiao Jinguang: "Commander-in-Chief, the 4th Division just completed an 80-kilometer training march from Pingxiang to Zhuzhou. It took two days for the entire division to arrive in Zhuzhou in its entirety."

Chen Tianheng: "A daily march speed of 40 kilometers is considered acceptable. However, you should also note that the 4th Division and the other two divisions of the 2nd Army are lightly armed infantry divisions. They have no barreled artillery and very little baggage. Under such conditions, marching is naturally easier to organize and implement."

Xiao Jinguang: "During the Miluo Campaign, the Second Army already had artillery. I believe that if the battle continues, the Second Army will have even more artillery.

"In the future, if we have a base with an arsenal," Chen Tianheng said, "I would also prefer to equip the divisions of the Second Army with lightweight weapons. All weapons, including artillery, should preferably be disassembled and manpower-carryable.

"Like the mortars equipped to our regiment, which can be disassembled and carried away by three or four people?

Chen Tianheng: "There may also be direct-fire artillery similar to the 37mm flat-fire cannon.

"Yes, the 37mm flat-firing cannon is quite good. It would be nice if we had two more.

The 37mm flat-fire gun with a total weight of 95 kg was indeed very popular among the infantry units at that time. However, Chen Tianheng was not thinking of finding an arsenal to imitate the Taisho 11-year type flat-fire gun, but was thinking of a recoilless gun.

The recoilless rifle is essentially a perfect replacement for the Taisho 11-year-old flat-fire gun. It's also a flat-fire gun with a similar effective direct-fire range, making it capable of hitting both bunkers and tanks. However, the 57- or 75-caliber recoilless rifle weighs only about half as much as the Taisho 11-year-old flat-fire gun, yet its shells are significantly more powerful.

"I came to Zhuzhou today to discuss with you the principles of mountain warfare and guerrilla warfare.

"We all know the mnemonics of guerrilla warfare; they're simple and easy to remember. However, as commanders, we also need to understand the entire set of tactical principles behind these mnemonics.

The basis for guerrilla warfare's success lies in: first, extensive and complex terrain with sufficient depth; second, flexible and unexpected transfers, dispersion, and concentration of limited forces; and third, small-scale, deep-seated harassment and attrition attacks. These three basic principles are the fundamental conditions for guerrilla survival and are indispensable.

"So, what is the most basic skill that the troops must master to achieve these three things?"

Chen Tianheng proposed an open topic for the commanders of the Fourth Division to participate in the discussion.

"The troops must be able to march quickly, just like we did this time when we marched quickly from Pingxiang to Zhuzhou.

Chen Tianheng: "Yes, this is a fundamental skill that must be possessed. Rapid marches and rapid engagement allow troops to fully utilize the terrain's depth and concentrate cases in the areas they need. Furthermore, rapid marches by regimental units and above test the overall quality of a unit and the overall operational capabilities of its staff. Units that can run at full speed and not fall apart will be strong in combat."

"So, what else is there that must be mastered?

Su Yu: "I think intelligence and communication are also essential basic capabilities. If we have accurate and fast communication, it can be equivalent to the ability to march quickly to a large extent.

Chen Tianheng: "That's why, even though the Second Army doesn't have heavy equipment like artillery, we still equipped it with radios of the same standard as the First Army when it was formed. Now, each infantry regiment of the Second Army has its own radio, and the army and division have higher-powered long-range radios. In future operations, the Second Army must make full use of the communication tools at its disposal on the Hunan-Jiangxi border."

"In addition, the Second Army must fully utilize the mass base of the base area. The masses are the eyes of the army. In interior operations, only by fully utilizing the mass base of the base area can we gain the so-called interior combat advantage.

Chen Yi: "This shouldn't be a problem. The people in the base areas along the Hunan-Jiangxi border are very supportive of the revolutionary army.

The issue of mass base was more difficult to resolve for Peng Dehuai's troops, whose designated combat area and base were southern Hunan.

There is a solemn and bleak atmosphere in southern Hunan now, and many villagers hide when they see soldiers.

By the way, Peng Dehuai’s troops are still organized as a regiment. Not to mention the planned Fifth Army, the expansion of this regiment into a division has not yet been realized.

"Commander Chen.

Chen Tianheng: "Director Zhou, are you also working in Zhuzhou?"

Zhou Enlai: "I have come to the nearby countryside to inform the various peasant associations of the recent disciplinary decision made by the Central Committee regarding the land reform work in the revolutionary central axis, so as to calm their hearts.

"By the way, I just received news today that Wang Jingwei has resigned.

Chapter 118: The Guangxi Clique sent a messenger to negotiate a deal

"Wang Jingwei resigned?!"

Chen Tianheng stopped walking and said, "It seems we have no intention of ousting him."

As President of the Nationalist Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Expedition (Nationalist Army), Wang Jingwei's performance in his previous position is another matter, but his performance as Commander-in-Chief was certainly not very good. As long as Wang Jingwei was in power, conflicts arose among the various factions of the Nationalist Army. If multiple factions were to mobilize together, at least one army would be ineffective in the battle, which was undoubtedly a very favorable situation for the revolutionary army.

Therefore, when the Communist Party and the left-wing Kuomintang issued a declaration on the current situation, they only mentioned Chiang Kai-shek and Li Jishen as the culprits of the massacre of workers and peasants, and skipped Wang Jingwei.

Zhou Enlai: "We didn't force him out. It was groups within the Kuomintang that were increasingly dissatisfied with him. The 'Declaration on the Current Situation' was merely the trigger. Since May, first Chiang Kai-shek's Jiangsu-Zhejiang Army clashed with the Hunan Army; then, in the north, Zhang Zuolin's change of flag was repeatedly postponed; the conflict between the Guangxi Army and the Hunan Army escalated to the point of physical annihilation; Feng Yuxiang's Nationalist Army expelled the commissioner sent by the Nanjing government, and so on. The phenomenon of military and political orders being at odds with each other has been endless, and the calls for Chiang's reinstatement have grown louder in the past month."

Chen Tianheng: "If Wang Jingwei were still in power, there would have been a possibility that Changsha could have been held while we marched south to capture Guangzhou, allowing the revolutionary army to briefly control two provincial capitals and two and a half provinces. Now that seems impossible. ... Was Soong Ching Ling's swift telegram, responding to and endorsing the 'Declaration on the Current Situation,' another factor that led to Wang Jingwei's resignation?"

Zhou Enlai said: "Ms. Soong Ching Ling's telegram was like a brick in Wang Jingwei's back. This is indeed a factor that cannot be ignored. The day after the telegram was issued, Wang Jingwei resigned."

Wang Jingwei resigned, giving up both the positions of Chairman of the National Government and Commander-in-Chief, as well as the position of President of the Kuomintang, and announced that he would go to France for inspection.

Wang Jingwei pursued the rebels for two months but failed. He sensed the rebels were planning to attack Changsha, but the Hunan-Guangxi conflict erupted, leaving Changsha empty and vulnerable to the rebels. He then deployed troops to recapture Changsha, but the lack of coordination between the various forces led to his failure.

The military campaign was ineffective and resulted in heavy casualties. Wang Jingwei announced that he wanted to negotiate peace. The Communist Party said that it responded to the request for peace talks, but put forward a series of extremely harsh conditions that the Nanjing government would never agree to.

Chiang Kai-shek, who had been traveling in his hometown of Xikou, Fenghua for the previous two months, suddenly appeared in Shanghai and issued a declaration, "The current situation is unfavorable and the country is in danger. Only by suppressing the rebellion can we build the country, and only by suppressing the Communists can we realize the Three Principles of the People." He then took over the post of commander-in-chief.

The position of Chairman of the National Government required more formalities, but it was expected to be held soon. Of course, Chiang Kai-shek could also have promoted a prestigious veteran, such as Hu Hanmin, Yang Sen, or Li Liejun, who were old but powerless figures, to the position of Chairman of the National Government, while he himself would only hold the positions of Commander-in-Chief of the Army and President of the Kuomintang.

"The General Headquarters believes that after Chiang Kai-shek's reinstatement, the Kuomintang reactionaries will launch a new round of attacks."

Central Military Commission, Chen Duxiu attended the joint meeting and listened to the analysis and forecasts of the General Command and the General Staff.

Chen Tianheng: "During the period when Chiang Kai-shek was out of office, the enemy's various factions fought openly and secretly. Each faction's leaders believed that their faction was the most powerful and coveted the position of commander-in-chief. After a period of struggle, the Hunan Army, the Guangxi Army, the Guangdong Army, the Fujian Army, the National Army, and the Fengtian Army all realized that they could not quickly win the battle among the new warlords. The result of their compromise was to invite Chiang Kai-shek back to power.

"Chiang Kai-shek's return to power means the warlords' open and covert struggles have temporarily ended. They will openly unite and launch an attack on us. This should happen very soon. Judging from the speed of the enemy's assembly and preparations, the attack will be launched in one to two weeks.

Mao Runzhi: "When Chiang Kai-shek comes to power, he will first allow Li Zongren to annex Tang Shengzhi's Hunan Army. After successfully obtaining the Hunan Army's troops and territory, Li Zongren will also respond to Chiang Kai-shek. The Guangxi Clique Army, which had previously been holding back its strength, may now appear on the battlefield."

Chen Tianheng: "Earlier in the Miluo Campaign, it was very obvious that the Nationalist troops in Jiangxi were not working hard. Except for a small battle east of Pingxiang, the rest of the time, the troops of the Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Jiangxi factions, that is, Chiang Kai-shek's direct line of ​​army, kept a distance from us. Until the Miluo Campaign was over and the Hunan Army was completely defeated, they did not advance again.

"In terms of military strength, the current strength of Jiangzhejiang-Jiangxi—Chiang Kai-shek's own southeastern army—has clearly increased. They have a total of six armies, including the Nationalist First Army, which comprises the 6rd, 20th, 21st, and 22nd Divisions. Three divisions have already been stationed in Nanchang. Ye Jianying, the former chief of staff of the 20th Division, was a comrade of ours, but Chiang Kai-shek has not yet re-established his trust in Ye. He transferred him from Changzhou Island to Nanjing, ostensibly to oversee the relocation of the Whampoa Military Academy to Nanjing, effectively removing his authority over the 20th Division.

Chen Duxiu: "What is the current situation of the 20th Division?"

Chen Tianheng: "The 20th Division is still stationed on Changzhou Island in Guangzhou because the facilities and supplies of the Whampoa Military Academy have not yet been relocated. But I estimate that even if the Whampoa Military Academy completes its relocation, the 20th Division may still remain stationed in Guangzhou. Chiang Kai-shek needs a force in Guangzhou to monitor the Guangdong Army and the powerful factions in the eastern provinces."

"In short, based on my discussions with Chief of Staff Liu, the next round of attacks will almost certainly take two directions. The main force of the Guangxi clique's elite troops will depart from the north of Miluo, attacking our Miluo River defenses and heading south to Changsha. The Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi cliques will once again depart from Nanchang and head west to Changsha. The common objective or meeting point for these two armies should be Changsha City."

Chen Duxiu: "The time for the central government to evacuate Changsha should be determined as soon as possible. There are many people in the central government who cannot fight, and there are also many things.

Chen Tianheng: "Yes, once we discover that the enemy is gathering to launch an attack, the central government will begin to evacuate Changsha. But I think there will definitely be enough time. The Guangxi clique has shown on the battlefield that they charge aggressively in the mountains and are cautious on the plains. When they encounter an opponent like the First Army, they will be even more cautious. Even if we only send a division from the Second Army to cover the rear, it will effectively deter the Seventh Army or the 37th Army."

By early August, the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Government had the following forces:

Chen Tianheng's First Army, the most complete and regular army-level unit;

Chen Yi's Second Army, a lightly armed and streamlined mountain army;

Peng Dehuai's Pingjiang Uprising Group;

Zhu De's Third Army was also a lightly armed and simplified mountain army:

Ye Ting's Fourth Army, one of the two main forces of the revolutionary army, had undergone adjustments and reorganizations over the past two months, with the 24th Division renamed the 10th Division and the 25th Division renamed the 12th Division. In addition, Ye Ting had also established the 11th Division of the Fourth Army.

The total military strength was about 8 people, which was a beginning to take shape. However, compared with the military strength of dozens of armies across the country under the control of the Nanjing government, the revolutionary force could only be described as "small but elite."

"What? The Guangxi clique sent a messenger to visit?

Chen Tianheng rushed back to Changsha from the military camp in the suburbs. Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao were already in the conference room, as was a courier from the Guangxi clique, an officer who was almost as young as Chen Tianheng.

"Hello, Commander Chen, I'm Cheng Siyuan, secretary to Commander Li Zongren.

"Hello, Secretary Cheng," Chen Tianheng shook hands with this famous figure of the Guangxi clique, whose name had also been recorded in history. "I wonder what message Secretary Cheng brought from Commander Li?

Cheng Siyuan reported: "Commander Li wants me to communicate with you.

The day after arriving in Shanghai, Commander-in-Chief Chiang met with Commander Li and Chief of Staff Bai. Even before he was sworn in, he had already decided on a plan to concentrate his forces to recapture all of Hunan. The Guangxi clique would attack Changsha from Yueyang. The Seventh Army was already in Yueyang, and the 37th Army had been ordered to be transported from Nanjing to Wuhan.

"Commander Li, Chief of Staff Bai, and Mr. Huang all agreed that the purge wasn't necessary, but it was carried out nationwide, and Guangxi also expelled the Communists. Now we're about to face another major battle. Commander Li believes that the Seventh, First, and Fourth Armies were all elite troops from the Northern Expedition, and that they had fought side by side before. Turning against each other now is simply unacceptable."

"But Commander Li had no choice but to do so, because firstly, this was an obvious military order, and secondly, Hubei was already the territory of our Gui army. If we march south to Hunan, then the three provinces of Guangxi, Hunan, and Hubei would become one. And the commander-in-chief promised that after we conquer Hunan, Hunan would be under the control of our Gui army. Therefore, Commander Li wanted to discuss with you whether we could peacefully give up Changsha.

"Oh," Chen Tianheng said, "I wonder if Commander Li has ever thought about where our revolutionary army and the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Government would live if Changsha were gone?"

Cheng Siyuan said, "You might consider advancing eastward and capturing Nanchang and Jiujiang, making them your own territory. In fact, Commander Li believes that once you secure this territory, the Generalissimo might even negotiate peace with you."

Chen Tianheng: "In the Jiangxi direction, there are six armies of the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Jiangxi Allied Forces.

"Actually, there were five. After the 37th Army set out from Nanjing to Wuhan, the commander-in-chief transferred an army from Jiangxi and stationed it in Pukou, Nanjing," Cheng Siyuan said. "Commander Li believed that with the combat effectiveness of the 1st and 4th Armies, as well as the troops you are currently expanding on the Hunan border, a counterattack to Nanchang would not be a problem.

"By the way," Cheng Siyuan added, "if you have such an idea, Commander Li can provide some conveniences... For example, he can inform you of some intelligence on the movements of the Nationalist Army in Jiangxi.

Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao looked at each other, and Chen Duxiu said: "You provide intelligence on the movements of the national army, but you still have to obey military orders when the time comes. Once the battle begins, your two armies still have to rush across the Miluo River defense line, right?

“If we reach a tacit understanding, then our army will only advance slowly after you withdraw from Miluo Town.

Chen Tianheng also exchanged glances with Chen Duxiu and said, "Secretary Cheng, to be honest, the intelligence on the movements of the Kuomintang army in the Jiangxi direction is not very valuable. If we want to obtain the movements of the Kuomintang army, then our reconnaissance troops will definitely be able to obtain it.

Cheng Siyuan: "No, no, no, we will provide you with more valuable intelligence, more forward-looking and predictive intelligence. Report"

Cheng Siyuan's words were equivalent to implying that the estimate they provided was the Nanjing Ministry of National Defense's combat plan.

Chen Tianheng: "Secretary Cheng, in addition to intelligence, we also hope that your side can provide a batch of ammunition.

Cheng Siyuan: “That’s no problem.

Chapter 119: No War in Guangdong

Before formally replying to Cheng Siyuan, Chen Tianheng took stock of the situation of the First Army and the Second Army.

Since the Nanchang Uprising, the First Army has fought several battles, including the capture of Changsha and the Battle of Miluo, both of which were major battles in which the entire First and Second Divisions were involved, and the consumption of ammunition was particularly high.

According to current statistics, the First Army's ammunition is sufficient for approximately four more battles, after which its mortar and mountain artillery ammunition will likely run out. The Second Army is slightly better off—it has very few mountain artillery, and its primary ammunition consumption in battle is bullets. However, its mortar shells are currently shared with the First Army's, and will also run out after four battles.

Weighing the situation of ammunition supply, the Central Military Commission decided to reach a tacit peace with the Guangxi clique.

A decisive battle with the Seventh and 37th Armies in Hunan, if victorious, would naturally boost morale and deal another blow to the Nanjing government's military strength. However, this would significantly reduce the First Army's ammunition supply and might not sustain it until it could advance south to Guangdong. After all, conquering Guangdong was not something that could be accomplished in a single battle.

Chen Tianheng sent another telegram to contact the Fourth and Third Armies, and received the reply that the Fourth Army's ammunition was only enough to support three battles, which was a little more limited than that of the First Army.

The tacit agreement finally reached with Cheng Siyuan is:

After Chiang Kai-shek's encirclement and suppression campaign was fully launched, the Communists gradually gave up Changsha, Xiangtan, and Hengyang. However, they would not allow the Gui army to cross the Miluo Railway Bridge so quickly. They had to wait until the central organs in Changsha were transferred.

The Guangxi clique took over these three Hunan cities from the Communists, but was not allowed to send troops to the rural areas of Hunan. In return, the Communist underground party organizations also did not launch riots in cities such as Changsha, Xiangtan, and Hengyang that were occupied by the Guangxi clique.

The ammunition provided by the Guangxi clique was handed over in Miluo Town. The Guangxi clique transported the ammunition by train, and the Communist garrison in Miluo Town immediately withdrew.

With these agreements, Cheng Siyuan returned satisfied and took the train from Changsha to Wuhan via Miluo Town.

--Yes, up to this point, the Wuhan-Zhuzhou section of the Guangdong-Hankou Railway was still operating normally, with freight trains and passenger cars coming and going.

"Commander Li, the Communist Party has reached an agreement with us, now it's up to Chiang Kai-shek.

Li Zongren nodded with satisfaction: "Xiao Cheng, you have done a good job on this matter. We don't have many soldiers in the Guangxi clique yet, so there is no need to fight to the death with the First Army. We must save them for future use."

Cheng Siyuan: "Commander Li, we suggested that the Communist army attack Jiangxi, why didn't we suggest that they attack Guangdong?

"Guangdong? Just think about it, they won't attack," Li Zongren said. "Li Jishen is deeply rooted in Guangdong now, and all of Guangdong supports him. How can the Communist Party break in?

Guangzhou.

"Guangdong Province firmly stands on the side of the Nanjing Central Committee and Commander-in-Chief Chiang.

As for the previous conflict on Cheung Chau Island, it was really due to a misunderstanding. My subordinates misunderstood my order and thought that we were going to the Whampoa Military Academy to eliminate the communists. Now it is clear that the Whampoa Military Academy has already been eliminated once.

Li Jishen met with Zhang Qun, the special envoy sent by Chiang Kai-shek. During the meeting, Li Jishen vowed to Zhang Qun that from now on Guangdong and the central government would be of one mind.

Zhang Qun: "That's good. Guangdong Province is a prosperous place with abundant tax revenues. The country has emerged from war and is moving towards peace. I believe that Guangdong will also prosper under Governor Li's governance."

"No, no, Guangdong can't be said to be thriving in all its industries right now. It can only be said that everything is in ruins. Previously, the National Revolutionary Government was in Guangzhou, and they used Guangdong alone to fight the Northern Expedition. Since last year, Guangdong's finances have been completely drained. Only by rebuilding commerce and trade can we generate new financial and tax revenues.

Li Jishen keenly sensed that there was something else behind Zhang Qun's words, so he started to cry poor.

In the future, when the central government of the Republic of China asks for money, Guangdong will have to give less and keep more taxes and revenue locally, so that the Eighth Route Army can be expanded.

Zhang Qun: "Governor Li, you're exaggerating. Guangdong is in such a state, and the entire country is in a state of disrepair. The central government's finances are under immense pressure. However, we'll discuss the issue of financial remittances after T.V. Soong arrives in Guangdong. Oh, the Whampoa Military Academy on Changzhou Island has largely relocated to Nanjing. The Central Military Academy in Nanjing will open soon, but the school buildings on Changzhou Island may have to be retained for a while. Furthermore, the 20th Division is still based on Changzhou Island."

Li Jishen: "I also have deep feelings for the Whampoa Military Academy. It would be good if the school buildings on Changzhou Island were preserved. I heard that Ye Jianying of the 20th Division also returned to Guangzhou from Nanjing?"

Zhang Qun: "Yes, he returned to Changzhou Island as Chief of Staff to take charge of the 20th Division.

Li Jishen: “Yes.