The Fourth Outstanding Person of Huangpu Military Academy

1师3团首战小胜，12月10日晚上宿营时，桂军再度对1师3团进行试探--夜袭。

The 3rd Regiment maintained strict defensive discipline when camping at night, and the Gui army returned without success.

This battle surprised both sides: Qiu Qingquan hadn't expected the Gui army to launch a night attack; the Gui army hadn't expected the First Army to have a set of countermeasures. The three battalions of the 5th Regiment of the 2nd Division of the Gui army, responsible for the night attack, were beaten back, losing over 200 men (either killed or captured), with over 80 returning wounded. The 6th Regiment of the 2nd Division of the Gui army, which had been preparing to expand its victory, saw little chance and retreated along with the 5th Regiment.

Send a message to Qiu Qingquan: Today, the 3rd Regiment will move from Hujia Village to Rulin Village, relying on the surrounding terrain to continue its movement and blocking. The 1st Regiment is 5 kilometers east of the 3rd Regiment. The two regiments will maintain battlefield contact.

Chen Tianheng then looked towards Yongxing County, east of the battlefield. "The 11th Regiment of the 4th Division of the 2nd Army? Remind them to be on the lookout; they might be attacked by a Guangxi clique army today."

The 10th Guangxi Division had been marching through the mountains for the previous two days. Reconnaissance units from the First Army had also spotted a lightly armed Guangxi clique advancing through the mountains. Yongxing County's original garrison consisted of the Peasant Guards. After the Second Army joined the battlefield, the 11th Regiment advanced rapidly, arriving in Yongxing a day ago and strengthening its defenses.

If the estimate is correct, Li Zongren wanted to infiltrate from the east side of the battlefield, cross the mountain to occupy Yongxing, and then occupy Zixing from Yongxing, which would be a detour to the east of Chenzhou.

You win

"Wang Yaowu, whether your regiment can hold its position depends on the artillery. Behind you are the mountain artillery battalions of the 1st and 3rd Divisions.

"Therefore, communications between defensive positions and artillery forward observation posts must be unimpeded at all times and must not be lost."

Wang Yaowu was the commander of the 9th Regiment of the 3rd Division and one of the three main commanders under He Long.

"The three battalion headquarters on the front line and the three artillery observation posts on the commanding heights have all had telephone lines laid, and the communications corps are ready to repair them at any time," Wang Yaowu said. "Commander, I've noticed a significant consumption of telephone lines this time.

Chen Tianheng: "Because the 123rd Division's mountain artillery battalion has now switched to the Type 41 mountain gun, which has a range of 6,000 meters. The previous Su-76 and Han-made and Shanghai-made K-75 guns had a range of 4,000 meters. The artillery positions are further away from the forward observation post, so the telephone lines have to be laid an extra two kilometers.

The "Xujiadong Defense System" has been under construction for three days. Judging from the situation on the front line, the 3rd Division and the 1st Brigade of the 5th Army can carry out earthwork for another two days.

Yapoling where Wang Yaowu was located was divided into five defensive groups according to the earthen hilltop. The first three groups were the main force facing the enemy. The regiment's mortars supported the first three groups. The two mountain artillery battalions behind Yapoling had 24 mountain cannons that could support the entire Yapoling direction.

All trenches in the first three groups were constructed with anti-bombardment bunkers, capable of withstanding the bombardment of 75mm mountain and field artillery shells. The Gui army's main equipment in this attack was also 75mm mountain and field artillery. Although Zhang Zuolin freely supplied Chiang Kai-shek with ammunition, heavy artillery - even if Zhang Zuolin was willing to provide it, it would be difficult to maneuver in the southern mountainous areas.

The defense on the ridge was supported by heavy machine guns. About one-third of the fire was from direct fire from heavy machine gun bunkers, and even more was from side fire. In addition, in response to the gully terrain unique to southern Hunan, heavy machine gun firing positions were specially set up at the end of some long gullies.

Light machine guns and rifles are firepower supplements.

On Yapo Ridge, the soldiers of the Ninth Regiment were still busy working. A dozen soldiers, two of them each, carried a roll of barbed wire on a shoulder pole and trudged up the mountain.

Chen Tianheng: "We need to be careful about theft prevention on barbed wire and telephone lines. Don't let the enemy cut the telephone lines before the nearby farmers come and cut the wires."

"Barbed wire is so useful," Wang Yaowu said.

He said, "If the ironworks in Guangzhou could produce enough iron wire, the added value to our defense would be equivalent to that of a mountain artillery battalion."

Chen Tianheng: "You must have suffered during the Guangzhou exercises.

Wang Yaowu nodded, rolled up his sleeves to reveal a scar on his forearm: "That time I didn't believe it and also drilled a barbed wire defense line."

Toward Changning.

To the south of Changning lies Yinshan Mountain, a towering, long, north-south mountain. A main road leads to Changning City in the valley to the west of Yinshan Mountain. East of Yinshan Mountain, there are no main roads, but rather a series of rugged paths. These paths are fragmented, sometimes broken and sometimes crossed by rivers.

Given that Li Zongren had noticed Changning's importance in the battle and sent troops to seize it, the Second Division's infiltration troops changed direction and marched along a small road east of Yinshan.

Yu Chengwan, commander of the 4th Regiment of the 2nd Division, opened the map. The troops were on lunch break, but he had just received a report from a scout that enemy activity was detected a few kilometers ahead.

"If the reconnaissance is correct, it's at this location in the Yinshanxi Passage," Yu Chengwan pointed at the map, "nearly 40 kilometers from Changning. Will the Gui army advance another 40 kilometers south from Changning?"

"We can't rule this out," said Chen Lie, the regimental chief of staff. "The Gui army is very fast, and they don't have much baggage, so their equipment is relatively light."

Yu Chengwan: "Our regiment is in the lead among the three infiltrating regiments. If the Gui army appears here, it will pose a threat to our infiltrating troops. Even if they cannot threaten the infiltrating troops, they will expose our combat intentions as they see our three regiments rushing past. The first battalion will set out in 10 minutes to drive away this enemy force.

On the afternoon of December 11, the Chenzhou Command received a telegram from Yu Chengwan's regiment.

Between noon and afternoon, the 4th Regiment of the 2nd Division went forward to fight and indeed encountered the Gui army—not scouts, but organized troops. Yu Chengwan defeated a battalion of the Gui army in front of him, but then discovered another battalion of the Gui army not far away.

The battle lasted until at least 5 p.m., and there were no more Gui army troops in front of Yu Chengwan, but the marching order of the three regiments had changed. Now the 5th regiment was in the front, the 6th regiment was next, and the 4th regiment was at the end.

Chen Mingren quickly adjusted the tasks of the three regiments of the 2nd Division. The 5th Regiment took over the 4th Regiment's infiltration position, the 6th Regiment remained unchanged, and the 4th Regiment monitored the direction of the Yinshan West Passage. If they encountered the Gui Army heading south again, they would take the initiative to defend and repel the enemy.

On the morning of December 12, the battle situation changed again. Yu Chengwan was confronted by 700-800 Gui troops, which seemed to be the size of two battalions.

Is the Gui army trying to lure the enemy deeper into our territory?" Chen Mingren asked.

Chen Tianheng: "What is the response plan proposed by Yu Chengwan?

Chen Mingren pointed to a point on the map 20 kilometers away from Changning: "Yu Chengwan advocates advancing another 5 kilometers, occupying Dishui Mountain and the small village in the mountains, and pinning them down there, blocking the west passage of Yinshan Mountain while maintaining a threat to Changning City.

small body day

“Why is this place called Dripping Water Mountain?”

"Captain, the villagers said that this is the mountain stream dripping everywhere."

Yu Chengwan and First Battalion Commander Guan Huimin quickly found the stream the locals had mentioned. Sure enough, water was dripping from the cliffs along the banks. Yu Chengwan scooped up some water and sipped it. "Great! We have a source of water! This stream twists and turns so many times we can even draw water from three different locations."

"There's not only a stream, but there's also a well in that little village nestled in the valley between the mountains."

Yu Chengwan: "The small village on Dishui Mountain is a depression where the supply and radio stations are located. The first battalion is on the northwest side of Dishui Mountain, and the second battalion is on the southwest side of Dishui Mountain. The engineering company will be divided into two halves to assist the first and second battalions in building fortifications. After they are completed, the engineering company will serve as the reserve force.

Guan Huimin: "How should mortars and flat-fire guns be deployed?"

Yu Chengwan: "The 1st and 2nd Battalions will each be equipped with two flat-fire artillery pieces. As for the mortar company, first survey suitable locations for mounting and firing within the 1st and 2nd Battalions' defense zones. Each defense zone must have at least two launch points. I'll direct how to use them. The six mortars must be concentrated together to be effective."

"Reconnaissance Company, head to Yinshan behind us. Also, Chen Lie is staying behind. Guan Huimin, please take over for the Chief of Staff."

Chenzhou.

“敌穿插进攻永兴的是桂10师。他们从山里穿突然对永兴县城发动袭击，但第二军11团扛住了桂军的第一轮进攻。1师2团短促行军15公里，赶到永兴附近从侧面对桂10师发起攻击，桂10师重新遁入山中。”

Chen Tianheng: "So, from noon until now, the Gui 10th Division has not launched any further attacks?"

Chen Mingren: “Yes.”

Chen Tianheng looked at his watch. It was 6 o'clock in the evening on December 12.

The Xujiadong defense system has been completed. The three regiments of the First Division continued to move around and block the enemy for a day. According to the plan, the First Division will break contact tomorrow and allow the six divisions of the Gui Army to hit the Xujiadong defense line.

The 2nd Brigade of the 5th Army has re-established contact with the main force. The wounded continue to be evacuated. The two thousand people who can still fight form a complete regiment and temporarily move together with Qiu Qingquan's 3rd Regiment.

Over the past three days of roving resistance, the First Division completely annihilated a regiment of the Gui army. Other large and small contact battles also occurred, but no complete destruction of the enemy was achieved. The main purpose of this phase of the battle was to delay the Gui army rather than completely annihilate it.

Chen Tianheng: "The 10th and 12th Regiments of the Second Army can wait for another day.

Chen Mingren: "We have sent a telegram asking them to continue waiting where they are. However, the 10th Regiment reported to us that the enemy they are facing has changed. It is no longer the 8th Army, but the 18th Army.

"Zhang Gan's 18th Army, originally stationed in Hengyang, has now moved south to join the battle," Chen Tianheng pointed at Hengyang. "Hengyang cannot be left without troops to defend it."

Chen Mingren: "The 5th Division of the 2nd Army should penetrate Hengdong and Hengbei from Chaling and be able to contain the Gui army moving to Hengyang.

Chen Tianheng: "Send a telegram to Chen Yi, commanding the Second Army's Fifth and Sixth Divisions to attack. If a sufficient number of enemies are annihilated between Hengyang and Xiangtan, the two Second Army divisions will then turn to attack Hengyang."

Dripping Mountain.

On the morning of December 13, Yu Chengwan saw in the winter sunshine a large group of enemy soldiers busy moving back and forth two or three kilometers away at the foot of Dishui Mountain.

"There are three assault directions in total?" Yu Chengwan put down the telescope. "There's about one enemy battalion in each direction. Normally, this wouldn't be one infantry regiment sending out all three battalions. This should be one battalion from each of the three enemy infantry regiments.

Guan Huimin: "It seems so. Let's wait for the reconnaissance team to report. Report to the regiment commander! There are about 3 regiments of troops on the front of Dishui Mountain!" Yu Chengwan's scouts came back. "3 regiments?! What are their numbers?

"The prisoners were from Liao Lei's unit of the 9th Guangxi Division and the 22nd Division of the 8th Army."

"That means we've attracted the attention of two divisions," Yu Chengwan said with a laugh, "Come on, attack my hilltop!

Chapter 151, World War I Western Front Experience Server

At noon on December 13, when the battle of Dishui Mountain broke out, the Gui Army Group finally ran into the Xujiadong defense system on the main line of the battlefield.

The main axis is Hengyang-Leiyang-Matianxu-Xujiadong-Chenzhou, which is basically where the later Yuehan Railway Line passed. Of course, the railway does not exist now, but there is a fairly wide road.

The First Division circled around the Gui Army near Ma Tianxu for three days in regiment and battalion units. Xia Wei, the front-line commander of the Gui Army and commander of the Seventh Army, knew very well that the Guangdong Communist Party was trying to delay the opponent's offensive.

However, Xia Wei now believed that the Guangdong Communist Party's 1st Division had retreated to the Xujiadong defense line after the delaying operation was completed. In fact, this was not the case. The 2nd and 3rd Regiments of the 1st Division hid to the west of the main axis of the battlefield, and the 1st Regiment hid to the east of the main axis, in a position where they could penetrate the Gui army group at any time.

"How is the enemy's defense deployed north of Chenzhou?

Xia Wei asked the scout to report to him in person.

"Reporting to the Commander, the Guangdong Communists have deployed defenses on several hilltops in Yapoling. Their heavy machine guns can reach Dachong and Dengjiaao. Observing the hilltops, we can see that the Guangdong Communists have built quite a few fortifications, including trenches, communication trenches, and machine gun firing points."

Xia Wei asked the staff to mark the enemy's defense force at Yapoling on the map, "How many troops do you think it will take to attack the first hill?

"Commander, the enemy's defense area is relatively narrow. I think we should use one regiment on the Yapoling ridge and one regiment on the flat land below the ridge. Any more would be too dense. As for the attacking force," the staff officers gave an opinion: "It would be better for the 23rd Division of the Eighth Army to launch the first attack.

The Hunan Eighth Army, once agile and resilient, was now incorporated into the Guangxi clique. It had previously been annihilated in the Changsha Campaign in July, with two divisions lost in Changsha. Now, hastily recruited and rebuilt, its combat effectiveness lags far behind that of the 7th and 37th Armies.

Xia Wei called the commander of the Eighth Army, Li Pinxian, and told him that the 23rd Division of the Eighth Army only needed to take charge of one ridge, and the next two ridges would be handed over to the Seventh Army. After taking the next ridge, the 23rd Division could take a temporary break.

In addition, Xia Wei also gave Li Pinxian some advice, telling him that he had to climb up a ridge, but if he could first take down the flat land and road below the ridge, forming a fan-shaped encirclement of the ridge, the attack would be much easier.

Li Pinxian returned and led the 23rd Division into battle personally.

The 22nd Division of the Eighth Army was not in the main attack group, but was transferred to Changning. Now Li Pinxian had only two divisions under his command. It was said that the Guangdong Communist Party had also made some movements in the Changning direction, and fighting might have also taken place.

At noon, the 23rd Division attacked Yidaoling. At 5 pm, Li Pinxian returned to the headquarters in a daze.

"Commander, the 23rd Division has been wiped out."

In front of a ridge.

Xia Wei originally wanted to get closer, but the remaining officers and soldiers of the 23rd Division told him that the heavy machine guns of the Guangdong Communist Party on the opposite side would fire long bursts from time to time, sniping and killing those who were blind and exposed at a distance of 700 to 800 meters. It would be safer to be more than 1,000 meters away from the Guangdong Communist Party's defense line.

Xia Wei: "Didn't I tell you to take control of the flat land in front of the mountain before attacking the top?"

"I attacked the flat ground first!" Li Pinxian pointed at the flat ground and said, "You don't know, two of my three regiments were deployed on the flat ground!"

The Hawaii telescope turned toward the flat land.

The men of the 23rd Division were really "filling" the plain. Through the telescope, one could see the bodies of officers and soldiers of the 8th Army in khaki uniforms all over the ground.

In the center of the flat land was a relatively wide highway, the main artery connecting Hunan and Guangdong. The bodies lying on the road were even more numerous than in the fields, and the sight was horrifying.

Xia Wei: “Barbed wire?

"Over 800 meters of the front was covered with this kind of barbed wire. The three layers of wire had barbs. If someone's clothes got caught on them, they couldn't move, and were then shot down one by one by the machine guns behind the wire."

Xia Wei turned his gaze toward a ridge. A hundred or two hundred meters in front of the enemy's defenses, there was another iron-gray line. It looked like there was barbed wire on the mountain as well, but there seemed to be no bodies in front of it.

"The 23rd Division didn't make it to the top of the hill.

Li Pinxian: "The infantry attacking the hilltop were covered by artillery fire halfway up the mountain. The Guangdong Communist Party's artillery is too accurate. I'm telling you, the old Guangxi Army needs to be careful tomorrow. The Guangdong Communist Party's shooting is very deadly, all German-style machine gun shooting.

Li Pinxian was a general of the Guangxi clique, so of course the 8th Army he led was not Guangxi troops. So Li Pinxian seriously reminded Xia Wei that he had to be careful when the old Guangxi troops attacked tomorrow.

Xia Wei called Yang Tenghui, the commander of the 2nd Guangxi Division, and carefully checked the number of firepower points and heavy machine guns on the ridge defense line.

Yang Tenghui: "You said your troops attacking the mountain were shot down by the Guangdong Communist Party's mountain artillery. How many artillery pieces did the Guangdong Communist Party have?"

Li Pinxian: “More than thirty.

"More than 30 mountain cannons?" Yang Tenghui broke out in a cold sweat. "Are you saying there are two artillery battalions behind this mountain?

"Yes. Ah, not necessarily. Maybe in addition to mountain artillery, there are also some mortars.

Yang Tenghui: "Commander, should we just go around the ridge?

Xia Wei: "See that tall mountain to the east? There's no road up it. And to the west, Li Chaofang's 1st Division has a regiment stationed at a place called Tongziwo. Opposite them are the Guangdong Communists stationed there, and the terrain is too difficult to pass. But on the bright side, we've tried both east and west and deployed our troops. There won't be any sudden Guangdong Communists rushing out from our flanks to outflank us."

On the morning of December 14, Yang Tenghui and his troops arrived at the attack starting position.

The Seventh Army's Mountain Artillery Regiment opened fire. Shells from more than 20 guns sent clouds of smoke swirling across a ridge, but the enemy defenses on the ridge remained silent. After firing upward for a while, the regiment shifted its firepower to cover the flat ground in front of the ridge.

Yang Tenghui: "4th Regiment, attack!"

The two Gui army companies arrived at their starting position. After the mountain artillery bombardment of Yida Ridge ended, the two infantry companies dispersed and charged up the mountain. After climbing about 200 to 300 meters and gaining a height of more than 40 meters, the two companies temporarily halted their advance, taking cover behind rocks and ravines.

The Gui army attacking on the plain - the 5th Regiment of the 2nd Division of Gui has started to move. Yang Tenghui still hopes to make a breakthrough on the plain first.

As soon as the infantry of the 5th Regiment rushed out of the starting trenches, mortar shells from the opposite side hit them.

"One, two, three, four, five, six. Damn it! This is standard for the First Army, six mortars per regiment."

Yang Tenghui cursed.

Before the Battle of Jinpu Road, he was the brigade commander of the 7th Army. He had worked with the 1st Division of the 1st Army and was familiar with the organization of the 1st Army's troops.

The 1st, 2nd and 3rd companies of the 5th Regiment, which were charging, lay down, and when the shelling stopped, they stood up and continued to charge, and after a while they lay down again.

Because mortar shells are slow, experienced veterans can actually listen to the whistling sound in the sky and lie down two seconds before the shells hit the ground. Of course, inexperienced recruits are more unlucky. A two-second difference may result in a few more holes in their bodies.

During the third prone charge, the Gui army, which alternated between charging and lying, encountered heavy machine gun fire within the defensive line. The heavy machine guns of the 2nd Gui Division followed suit, and the two sides exchanged fire at a range of 500 to 600 meters. However, the Gui army's heavy machine guns did not draw all the defenders' firepower, as some flanking fire points could not be destroyed by heavy machine guns. These fire points did not fire directly into the front, which was faced by a wall of sandbags.

Two other Gui army companies launched an assault from the flanks of their flat ground positions, practically at the edge of the battlefield, precisely to counter this flanking fire. However, the Gui army's flanking attacks were also targeted by mortar fire. Although both frontal and flanking attacks were advancing, the casualties of the five advancing infantry companies were rapidly increasing.

"5th Regiment, get the reserves in! 4th Regiment, it's time to charge!"

Yang Tenghui, who was personally supervising the battle on the front lines, noticed that the defending Yuechengmingsi's Gongqiaochao mountain artillery had not yet opened fire, waiting for a large, intensive attack from the attackers. Yang Tenghui did not forget this. He intended to increase the intensity of the attack, but two regiments were attacking simultaneously in two locations, and the infantry was also dispersed in squads.

The number of infantry companies sent up the mountain by the 4th Regiment of the Gui Army increased to 5, and 8 of the 9 infantry companies of the 5th Regiment were dispatched. The Gui Army infantry finally rushed to the three barbed wire fences on the flat ground. As expected, the defending mortar and mountain artillery salvos opened fire at this time.