The Fourth Outstanding Person of Huangpu Military Academy

Eggs, sweet potatoes and other supplies that the troops really needed after camping were purchased at market prices by three soldiers from the kitchen squad, carrying copper coins and dollars, from the people along the way who welcomed the Eastern Expedition Army.

The Political Department of the Teaching Corps posted various notices along the way.

"Since we killed Chen Jiongming to save our elders, brothers and sisters from suffering, we dare to sincerely and clearly declare several important things to our elders, brothers and sisters:"

"No forced labor, no shopping, no military stamps, protecting the people's interests."

"Three requests: 1. Report those who violate discipline so that they can be severely punished; 2. Fair buying and selling; 3. Help this army."

Guangdong has been plagued by wars since the Republic of China, with bandits and old and new warlords fighting each other non-stop. In the memory of Dongguan citizens, the Whampoa Training Corps was the first army that did not disturb or exploit the people.

The morale of the officers and soldiers of the teaching corps became increasingly high when they saw the people's fanatical support and love for them.

……

"Everyone come here, the meeting is about to start."

Chen Tianheng called the party representative Jiang Xianyun and the four company commanders of the first battalion to the map.

"During the attack on Xinxiu today, I saw that none of the companies suffered any casualties. What was the exact number of casualties?"

Chen Geng: "One wounded soldier was sent back from the company, and four sick soldiers were also sent back. The casualties were not as many as the number of soldiers lost due to illness."

Xu Xiangqian: "There are no wounded soldiers in the Second Company, only three sick soldiers."

Du Yuming: "There are no wounded or sick soldiers in the third company. Our company did not engage in combat with the enemy."

"Eight men lost," Chen Tianheng said. "Chen Jiongming's troops have retreated to the Huizhou-Danshui line. The Guangdong Rescue Army troops outside this line know they're abandoned and have no desire to fight. For the past week, these stragglers have retreated whenever they engage us, a sheer waste of our time. ... The Training Corps will arrive at Danshui City tomorrow."

"An hour ago, I went to the Training Regiment headquarters for a meeting. The current situation of the right-wing army is as follows: Ours is the main force. We have arrived in Xinxu Town, and the 2nd Guangdong Division is also in Xinxu Town. However, the Training Regiment's artillery and supply battalion is camped at Huangnitang tonight, 5 kilometers behind us. The other 2nd Training Regiment is a detachment. They took a boat from Changzhou Island and landed at Shajiao. They then fought at Humen, Shilong, Zhangmutou, and Pinghu. Tonight, they camped at Sifangtang in Longgang. Tomorrow, the 2nd and 1st Regiments will meet outside Danshui City."

"The attack on Tamsui City is also scheduled to begin tomorrow, February 14th."

"Xu Xiangqian, Du Yuming, Huang Wei, you haven't been to Danshui before. The three of us have been there for field research. Danshui City is a must-defend point on the road from Huizhou City to the sea. In order to protect Huizhou's access to the sea and prevent pirates, the city wall was built with great difficulty."

"But before we attack the city, we must first address the perimeter of Danshui City. The main residential stronghold is the Yuxu Palace outside the South Gate. However, according to the arrangements of the Right Route Army Headquarters, the South Gate and Yuxu Palace are under the responsibility of the Guangdong 2nd Division. Our First Battalion will bypass Danshui City to the north and cut off its connection with Huizhou."

……

The 1st Battalion consisted of four companies: the 1st, 2nd, and 4th companies were infantry companies, and the 4th company was a machine gun company (it should have been called a machine gun company, but it lacked mortars). Early in the morning of February 14th, the 1st and 2nd companies set out lightly, while Du Yuming's 3rd company, along with the machine gun and two basic ammunition companies, set off.

The road north of Tamsui City was guarded by Chen Jiongming's troops, but they were few in number. After arriving at the battlefield, the 1st and 2nd Companies made brief preparations. Before the heavy machine guns could arrive, they charged and captured the commanding heights of a low hill beside the road. The remaining ten or so Chen Jiongming troops fled back into the city.

"Tamsui City has changed a bit since the last time we were here, you see."

Chen Tianheng looked at Danshui Town from a commanding height and noticed some differences.

Jiang Xianyun took the telescope and looked through it. "Chen Jiongming's troops have demolished all the houses along the city wall! They've cleared their firing range."

When several people came here to investigate last year, they saw many messy houses under the city wall of Tamsui. This is a very normal urban construction pattern in China today.

The old city, enclosed by ancient city walls, was narrow and lacked land. By the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, the growing number of urban residents began to move out of the city, building houses next to the walls. Blacksmith shops and horse shops were built, followed by inns, and then restaurants next to the inns. Gradually, a street outside the city was formed.

Now all these houses have been demolished. Although there are still some bricks and tiles left on the ground, there is at least 100 meters of open space outside the walls of Tamsui City.

Chen Geng opened the map. "Except for our direction, the houses of South Gate and Yuxu Palace were originally connected, but now the space between the city and the village has been demolished to create open space."

Chen Tianheng: "This is normal operation. If we were defending the city, we would also have to clear the firing range. Otherwise, the attackers would infiltrate the foot of the city wall house by house and suddenly jump onto the top of the city wall. However, there is still a way to attack after clearing the firing range, but we have to wait."

Jiang Xianyun: "Is that the 'four fast and one slow' thing?"

Chen Tianheng: "Yes. Commander He Yingqin should be arriving soon. I'll go see him first."

……

He Yingqin, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and carrying a command sword given to him when he was studying at a military academy in Japan, rode a group of short southern horses and hurried on. His guards and adjutants trotted all the way and arrived outside Tamsui City at noon on the 14th.

He Yingqin was the only high-ranking officer of the Right Route Army who arrived at Danshui City at noon, while the other high-ranking officers were still crawling behind. This was because only He Yingqin rode a horse, while the others rode in sedan chairs.

"Reporting to the regiment commander, the first battalion has cut off the northern route and is approaching the north side of Danshui City."

"Okay," He Yingqin wiped his sweat, "where's Captain Liu?"

A few minutes later, Liu Zhi also arrived, and his second battalion was in position, arriving at the west side of Tamsui City.

Now the teaching group has blocked the north and west sides of Tamsui City, the 2nd Division of Guangdong has blocked the east side, and is attacking the Yuxu Palace in the south of the city. It is estimated that they are about to take it down.

He Yingqin: "Chen Tianheng, you said that we should advance quickly towards the enemy and prepare for the attack quickly, but we should be slow before launching the attack?"

Chen Tianheng: "Yes, we need to further investigate the enemy situation, conduct firepower reconnaissance, confirm the terrain, select a breakthrough point, and confirm whether the troops and firepower support are in place before launching the attack. Based on my preliminary observation just now, the enemy defenses in Danshui City are relatively tight. I suggest waiting for the arrival of the artillery battalion before launching the siege."

He Yingqin: "The Guangdong 2nd Division also has artillery."

Chen Tianheng: "As far as I know, Zhang Minda's 2nd Guangdong Division only has two old mountain cannons, and the firepower is not enough to suppress the defenders."

He Yingqin said, "The artillery battalion and baggage train are still on the way, and won't arrive until this evening at the earliest. Chen Tianheng, you have to consider one thing: the Guangdong 2nd Division has over 2,000 men gathered in Danshui City. They might launch an assault first."

Chen Tianheng: "With their combat effectiveness of over 2 people and two old mountain cannons, I'm afraid it's not enough to capture Tamsui City."

"I need to contact the principal." He Yingqin dismounted. At this time, the regiment's signalman pulled the telephone line over and connected it. He Yingqin picked up the phone.

"Report to the principal, I have arrived outside Danshui City."

"The enemy forces in Danshui City are surprisingly well-organized, and their defenses are intact. Judging from the current situation, we'll probably have to wait for the right-wing army's artillery to arrive and bombard the city walls before we can capture it."

"Yes, yes, I'm afraid it will have to be tomorrow."

“$^$^%$##@)(!!!!”

The sound coming from the telephone receiver suddenly became louder. Although Chen Tianheng still couldn't hear what Chiang Kai-shek was saying, the squeaking sound continued.

"Yes, yes! I'll be ready to greet you right away."

After hanging up the phone, He Yingqin said to Chen Tianheng, "The principal is very unhappy. He said that the Whampoa Military Academy troops must capture Tamsui City before Zhang Minda's troops. He is going to come and teach the First Regiment Headquarters."

Liu Zhi: "The principal wants to personally command this battle?"

"I'm afraid so."

……

Right Route Army Headquarters.

The Right Route Army now had two "brains." Zhang Minda, commander of the 2nd Guangdong Division, was the designated commander of the Right Route Army, but Chiang Kai-shek disobeyed him, and Zhang Minda disobeyed Chiang Kai-shek. Each side commanded its own troops.

Therefore, the 2nd Guangdong Division and the 1st and 2nd Whampoa Training Regiments have always been coordinating rather than jointly operating.

Chiang Kai-shek slammed the phone receiver back and shouted, "Prepare the carriage! I want to go to Tamsui City!"

Yu Jishi: “Yes!”

Chiang Kai-shek's fellow townsman and first-term student Yu Jishi was indeed recruited by Chiang Kai-shek and is now his secretary-adjutant.

Yu Jishi went out. 20 meters outside the door was the only car of the Right Route Army Headquarters, an old Ford. He first sent the guard away, then walked over to the car, opened the hood, and pulled out a pipe inside. Then he went to the driver's side and said:

"Where's the driver? Where's the car driver?"

"To!"

Yu Jishi: "The principal needs a car. Start the car immediately and get ready to go to Tamsui City."

……

Tamsui City, the headquarters of the 1st Teaching Regiment.

"Captain, let's have some afternoon tea first. Our first battalion's cooking team is quite skilled."

"Ah."

It's already four o'clock in the afternoon.

He Yingqin waited from 11:30 am to 4 pm. Chiang Kai-shek was supposed to be there soon, but he still did not show up.

Chen Tianheng: "Since the principal is not here, I don't think we need to launch an attack right away today, right?"

He Yingqin: "That's for sure. If he doesn't come within half an hour, it will be useless even if he does. It will be dark by then. I think we can only launch the attack tomorrow."

Chen Tianheng: "Besides, the Guangdong 2nd Division suffered such a terrible defeat today when they attacked without authorization. They suffered heavy casualties and failed to capture Tamsui City. It won't be too late for us to attack again tomorrow."

Chapter 53

Yu Jishi was recruited when the War Research Society expanded its membership.

This man later became a eunuch beside Chiang Kai-shek and was extremely loyal to Chiang Kai-shek. However, he actually had high IQ and EQ, and was very logical in his speech and actions. Chen Tianheng had no reason to refuse, otherwise he would not be able to explain to other comrades in the War Research Society.

Even if we say that Yu Jishi was highly trusted by Chiang Kai-shek just three months after entering Whampoa Military Academy because of his hometown, then isn't Chen Tianheng also "highly trusted by Chiang Kai-shek" now?

Moreover, Yu Jishi was only 20 years old at the time and was full of revolutionary enthusiasm. He firmly believed that through his own struggle and that of his comrades at Huangpu, he could change China. He was a true idealistic revolutionary youth.

Yu Jishi eventually joined the War Research Society and, after graduation, remained with Chiang Kai-shek as his secretary, maintaining a good relationship with Chen Tianheng and others in the War Research Society. During the Eastern Expedition, Chiang Kai-shek, accompanying the Right Route Army, was eager to defeat the Guangdong Army through military exploits. Chen Tianheng contacted Yu Jishi, requesting his assistance at a crucial moment and preventing the president from interfering with He Yingqin's command.

Chiang Kai-shek said on the phone that he would come to the front line, but he did not show up until the evening. Chen Tianheng finally confirmed that it seemed that Yu Jishi had done a good job.

While waiting for Chiang Kai-shek that afternoon, the 2nd Division of the Guangdong Army on the Tamsui front did something unique: attack the city.

After capturing the Yuxu Palace, the Guangdong 2nd Division saw that it had more than 2,000 soldiers, was outnumbered and had high morale. Zhang Minda called the two regimental commanders on the front line from the rear command center and asked them to launch an attack on Tamsui City immediately.

However, Zhang Minda underestimated the defenses of Danshui City and the firepower of the defending troops. Although it was only Danshui Town under Huizhou, due to its important geographical location, Danshui City's defenses were quite strong.

The 6-meter-high, 3-meter-thick city wall was constructed of stone and rammed earth. During the Republican era, the defenders dug firing holes in the center of the wall. Together with the battlements and sandbag fortifications at its base, this provided three layers of firepower. During a previous field investigation, Chen Tianheng concluded that such a city defense would require repeated bombardment by field artillery to collapse a portion of the wall, combined with sustained suppression by the vastly superior light and heavy machine guns, before infantry could possibly capture it.

The 2nd Guangdong Division used two mountain cannons to hastily fire a dozen shells and then launched a large-scale attack, trying to attack the city in an ant-like manner. The Guangdong Rescue Army of Hong Zhaolin, who was defending the city, fired crazily with more than a dozen machine guns on the third level of firepower. More than a hundred people of the 2nd Guangdong Division's charging force were knocked down in an instant. They did not have the death squad spirit of the Whampoa Student Army, so the attack came to a halt and they lay on the ground, unable to move forward or backward.

Finally, the attacking soldiers were covered by the mountain artillery and machine gun volleys from the 2nd Division of Guangdong, and they supported each other and withdrew from the range of the defenders' fire. During the entire battle, the 2nd Division of Guangdong could not even reach the base of the city wall, let alone attack the city like ants. The ladders brought by the siege troops were all left in the open area in front of the city wall.

……

"Reporting to the principal, the Guangdong 2nd Division's siege of the city failed. Yes, failed."

"...Hong Zhaolin's troops have over 2,000 men in Tamsui City. In addition, there are over 1,000 militiamen in the city. It won't be easy to take them down. We have to wait for the artillery to arrive."

He Yingqin reported to Chiang Kai-shek the news of the failure of the Guangdong 2nd Division's attack.

"The principal is relieved now. Chen Tianheng, no matter what, the teaching group must take over Danshui City tomorrow. You can be a little slow, but not too slow."

Chen Tianheng: "If the artillery battalion can be in place today, we can launch the attack tomorrow morning."

"Okay," He Yingqin said, "the overall situation of the Eastern Expedition is a bit off. The Left and Central Armies are advancing too slowly, practically waiting and watching, while only our Right Army is pressing forward. The Central Army, which should have been at the gates of Huizhou City, hasn't been able to contain the enemy at all. Intelligence reports say that Chen's army in Huizhou City has been mobilizing intensively today, preparing supplies and distributing military pay. It's clear they're heading south to provide reinforcements. We must seize Tamsui before their reinforcements arrive."

The Left Army and the Central Army were composed of the Yunnan Army and the Guangxi Army. At the end of last year, Yang Ximin's Yunnan Army demanded 60 silver dollars before they were willing to send troops. Later, due to the urgent situation, they had to send troops. After the revolutionary government gave them 15 yuan, Yang Ximin reluctantly agreed, but kept asking for more money along the way.

If you don't pay more, he will just slack off.

Chen Jiongming had 10,000 troops in Huizhou. If the Central Army was slacking off, he could dispatch 2,000 to 3,000 men to reinforce Danshui, which would require a force to block the reinforcements. Fortunately, the Second Training Regiment, taking a different route, arrived outside Danshui in the afternoon.

"Zuo Quan, Zuo Quan!" Chen Tianheng found Zuo Quan in the Second Teaching Regiment.

The Second Teaching Regiment was formed with the second-term students of Whampoa Military Academy as the basic team, but it was obvious that the second-term students who had just enrolled for two months knew nothing. Therefore, most of the sixth team of the first term of Whampoa Military Academy, that is, the more than 100 graduates from the original Military Academy merged into Whampoa, also joined the Second Teaching Regiment, and Zuo Quan served as the deputy company commander.

"Chen Tianheng, I heard that the first attack on Danshui City failed?"

Chen Tianheng: "The Guangdong 2nd Division launched a hasty attack but was repelled, suffering many casualties. They dare not attack again. Tomorrow it will be our turn."

Zuo Quan: "What a pity! We have set up blocking positions in the north to deny reinforcements, so we have no chance of attacking the city."

Chen Tianheng: "You just came here, so you may not have had time to receive the latest intelligence. Chen Jiongming's troops in Huizhou City have definitely sent reinforcements, and they will definitely engage in a firefight with you tomorrow. Be very careful then. Also, after your regiment sets up its defensive position, send someone you know to me. I need to know the location of your defense line before I can feel at ease."

……

Chen Tianheng was worried that the Second Training Regiment would not be able to withstand the onslaught of Chen Jiongming's reinforcements, as the second-term students of the Second Training Regiment were not yet fully grown, and the commander of the Second Training Regiment was currently Wang Bailing.

This professor and director of the military academy's department is a complete novice when it comes to on-the-spot command of operations.

From the evening to the night of February 14, there was a busy scene outside Tamsui City.

The artillery battalion of the Whampoa Military Academy finally reached the site. The domestic draft horses were too small to pull the mountain artillery on the bumpy dirt road, making it very difficult for them to pull it. Nearby soldiers often had to help push the wheels to get out of the potholes, and the journey was very slow.

The Soviet advisor to the school's army, Shastlov, personally commanded the artillery battalion. Shastlov had been an artillery division commander in the Soviet Army before coming to China, so Chen Tianheng didn't have to worry about this. Sure enough, upon arriving in Danshui, the artillery battalion pushed six mountain guns to within 800 meters of the city wall, intending to use the artillery to directly fire at close range and breach the wall.

"Damn it, the quality of Ford cars in the US is so poor!"

"As soon as the driver started the engine, the front of the car burst into flames. It pissed me off!"

Chiang Kai-shek, without a car, finally arrived on foot. However, this did not affect Chen Tianheng's plan. It was already dark and he could not climb the wall at night. He could only follow Chen Tianheng's idea and attack the next morning.

"Where is Chen Tianheng?"

He Yingqin: "Chen Tianheng's first battalion will be the first to attack tomorrow. He has taken two company commanders to observe the enemy situation on the ground."

Chiang Kai-shek: "Is the artillery ready?"

"Advisor Shastlov is directing the artillery battalion in setting up its artillery positions."

"Take me to the artillery position," Chiang Kai-shek said, "I want to personally teach them how to fire."

Now, Chen Tianheng circled the city, completed the final reconnaissance and returned to the base. Chiang Kai-shek was still arguing with Shastlov.

Shastlov was the division commander of the Soviet Army and was not inferior to Chiang Kai-shek at all. In the end, the artillery positions were arranged according to Shastlov's plan.