The Fourth Outstanding Person of Huangpu Military Academy

The battle isn't over yet.

That afternoon, Liu Zhi's 2nd Battalion of the 1st Teaching Regiment recaptured the blocking position on the northern line.

As the 1st Battalion advanced on the Danshui city wall, reinforcements from the Guangdong Rescue Army, arriving from Huizhou, captured a hilltop holding a blocking position. However, they discovered two other hilltops, one large and one small, where the Eastern Expedition Army was still desperately fighting, blocking the road to Danshui. While the Guangdong Rescue Army was attacking these two hilltops, Liu Zhi arrived with the 2nd Battalion and the retreating troops of the 2nd Training Regiment that had gathered along the way.

The attacking Guangdong Rescue Army was caught off guard and driven off the hills. Liu Zhi shifted his troops into offensive mode again. Following Chen Tianheng's advice, he let the three company commanders control the pace of the attack. With the support of mountain artillery fire, the three companies fought hard and recaptured the hills previously lost by the Second Regiment, ensuring the safety of Danshui City.

Thus, Liu Zhi also made military achievements, and only Wang Bo-ling was injured. Director Wang was demoted to battalion commander to replace the deceased commander of the first battalion, and the commander of the second training regiment was replaced by Qian Dajun, a lieutenant colonel weapons instructor from Huangpu.

This Eastern Expedition (later called the First Eastern Expedition) did not end with the capture of Tamsui City.

Danshui and Huizhou were merely two cities near Guangzhou, belonging to southern Guangdong. Chaozhou, Shantou, and Jieyang in eastern Guangdong were Chen Jiongming's stronghold. However, Danshui was known as the "Gateway to the East River." If the Eastern Expeditionary Army captured Danshui, it would no longer be an obstacle to advancing into the East River and threatening Chaoshan.

On February 20, after resting, the right-wing army continued its eastward expedition and occupied Baimanghua east of Tamsui.

On the 21st, Pingshan was occupied. Hong Zhaolin's troops, led by the Guangdong Rescue Army, became anxious and launched a counterattack on Pingshan. During the battle, Hong Zhaolin's troops initially won a small victory due to their superior numbers. The next night, the right-wing army launched a night attack, destroying Hong Zhaolin's headquarters. This paralyzed the Guangdong Rescue Army's command, forcing them to retreat or collapse.

On the 27th, the First Training Regiment occupied Haifeng, Chen Jiongming's hometown. Seeing that he couldn't even hold his home, Chen Jiongming quickly boarded a ship and fled to Hong Kong. The Guangdong Rescue Army had lost contact with its commander, and most of them had lost their fighting spirit. The Right Route Army successively occupied Puning, Jieyang, and Shantou, and on March 3rd, they occupied Chao'an.

Chao'an is the territory of Chaozhou. By the time they reached here, the right wing of the Eastern Expedition had been opened up, and further ahead was Fujian.

The enemy in front of the right-wing army was completely defeated, and the problem now lies with the left-wing and central armies.

Yang Ximin of the Yunnan Army and Liu Zhenhuan of the Guangxi Army kept saying that their salaries were not paid enough and asked the Guangzhou Revolutionary Government to increase them. Hu Hanmin replied, "Ganima, I don't have any money."

After the Yunnan and Guangxi armies were forced to march out, they kept shouting "More money! More money!"

Two weeks ago, when the First Training Regiment attacked Tamsui, the Yunnan Army and the Guangxi Army, which were supposed to advance simultaneously, stopped moving after reaching Boluo and Fei'eling.

……

"The situation has changed! We must retreat westward!"

He Yingqin returned from the headquarters and hurriedly called Chen Tianheng, Liu Zhi and Hui Dongsheng.

"Rumor has it that Yang Ximin's troops secretly accepted foreign currency from Chen Jiongming and didn't put in enough effort. Not only did the Yunnan and Guangxi armies disobey orders to advance eastward, they even retreated towards Guangzhou the day before yesterday! Now Chen's army, led by Lin Hu, has turned around and is heading towards us!"

"Lin Hu's army has 20,000 men!"

Chen Tianheng: "It's still not too late to set off now. Lin Hu's troops will return to attack Jieyang. Before Lin Hu attacks, we can retreat to Luhe or even Lufeng and meet up with the Guangdong Army's 1st Division."

He Yingqin said: "How can it be so fast? The artillery, baggage, logistics of the school army headquarters, as well as the considerable property we confiscated from Chen Jiongming in the Chaoshan area, all need to be taken back together. We can only withdraw westward on March 11th. Chen Shuming's brigade of the 2nd Guangdong Division will be the rear guard, and Xu Ji's brigade will follow the school army, but the 3st Training Regiment will be the vanguard of the westward retreat."

Chen Tianheng calculated that today, March 9th, would likely mean Sun Yat-sen would die in Beijing three days from illness. However, the Guangzhou Revolutionary Government was certainly keeping this news secret from the front lines, so it would take many days for the troops to reach the expeditionary force.

The Huangpu school army's task now was to defeat Lin Hu's 20,000 men and return to Guangzhou. These 20,000 men were Chen Jiongming's 1st Army to rescue Guangdong. Their combat power was much stronger than the Hong Zhaolin troops they had encountered before, and they were more numerous.

"Comrades!"

The pre-departure mobilization meeting for the company and platoon-level officers of the first battalion was first addressed by Jiang Xianyun.

"Our Whampoa Military Academy has enrolled two classes so far. The two classes have formed the First and Second Training Regiments. The artillery, supply, and headquarters are all located here."

"Not only that, President Chiang was in the army, Director Zhou of the Political Department was in the army, and even Liao Zhongkai, a big shot in the Central Executive Committee of the Kuomintang, was in the army."

"Because the Yunnan-Guangxi troops on the left and center were inactive, Chen Jiongming's First Army, led by Lin Hu, had already turned and attacked us. If Lin Hu surrounded the Whampoa Military Academy troops in Chaoshan from Jieyang, the Guangzhou Revolutionary Government would not have the transport fleet to take us back to Guangzhou."

"If all the Whampoa Military Academy soldiers were to be handed over here, the achievements of the revolutionary government and the two years of cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party would be wiped out. It could even be said that Dr. Sun Yat-sen's thirty years of struggle would also be wiped out."

“So, today we are not just fighting for the First Battalion of the Training Corps, we are fighting for Whampoa, for the life and death of the revolution, and for the future and destiny of China!”

Chen Tianheng: "Comrades, this battle is a life-or-death one, but we must also have the confidence to win. We are a revolutionary army, a National Revolutionary Army that is different from any warlord army or any other army in Chinese history!"

"Before we depart, we must lay out a few important points. First, upon returning, we must repeatedly educate the soldiers, platoon by platoon, on the current situation and the significance of what we are doing. Second, upon returning, we must identify one or two core soldiers within each infantry squad who can command a combat group or even a temporary squad. Third, we must inspect weapons and ammunition, ensuring all are in working order, whether original or captured."

……

Fighting from Danshui to Chaoshan, the Eastern Expeditionary Army annihilated the enemy and also seized a large amount of weapons and equipment. In Danshui alone, they captured over 700 rifles and dozens of light and heavy machine guns. In the Jieyang battle, they unexpectedly seized over 20 MP18 submachine guns. It is unknown when Chen Jiongming found them in Hong Kong.

Chen Tianheng had priority in selecting captured weapons. The 1st Battalion now had 18 light machine guns, not 6, all Madsen-style from the Guangdong Shijing Arsenal. They also received 12 submachine guns, most of which were assigned to Chen Geng's 1st Company.

On March 11, the Eastern Route Army set out from Chao'an and arrived in Jieyang on the same day. On March 12, they marched from Jieyang to the neighboring Puning County.

"Commander, Commander."

Chen Tianheng took the initiative to come to He Yingqin from the marching column of the 1st Battalion.

"The intelligence we received about Lin Hu's army is only from one or two days ago. Even based on their location from a day or two ago, they're very close to Puning. If we camp in Puning, and Lin Hu advances overnight, he could potentially trap us in this huge depression!"

"I think the school army should send out at least one or two battalions to camp along the route that Lin Hu's army must take to advance towards us, to serve as an early warning!"

He Yingqin: "Then, where do you think the main force should be positioned when camping in Puning?"

Chen Tianheng: "10 kilometers northwest of Puning, Mianhu."

……

For two consecutive days of marching, the First Training Regiment was at the forefront. However, He Yingqin noticed that the further back they went, the more anxious Chen Tianheng seemed.

After receiving the order from He Yingqin, Chen Tianheng led a battalion and turned towards Mianhu at the T-junction near Puning.

"The three of us have been to Puning before. Now we all know where to guard, right?"

Chen Tianheng, Jiang Xianyun and Chen Geng visited eastern Guangdong during their trip to Guangdong before the start of school at Huangpu Military Academy, and Chen Tianheng specially took the three of them on a tour around Jieyang and Puning.

Chen Geng: "If Lin Hu's troops attack, the only way they can pass through is Dagong Mountain, which is also the best place to defend."

Chen Tianheng: "Yes. It's noon now. Let's climb up Dagong Mountain first to check the situation. We will set up a sentry post on the mountain at night and camp next to it."

The three men were familiar with the terrain in advance, so Chen Geng led his 1st Company, Chen Tianheng went down to the 2nd Company, and Jiang Xianyun went down to the 3rd Company. The three companies went up the mountain in three different routes.

"Da Da——" "Da Da Da"

Xu Xiangqian: "It's the gunfire coming from the first company!"

"Look ahead of us!" Chen Tianheng had already spotted several figures looming in the half-human-high weeds two or three hundred meters ahead. "Scouts from Lin Hu's army!"

The low mountain of Dagong was suddenly filled with the sound of gunfire. Lin Hu's First Army, the Guangdong Rescue Army, was a well-established force of the old Guangxi clique, and they fought with discipline and method. They had sent reconnaissance teams ahead of the marching column. Upon encountering the enemy, these scouts, realizing their superior numbers, turned and fled. The First Battalion, splitting up the mountain, also pursued the enemy, all the way to the top of Dagong Mountain.

Xu Xiangqian: "It's time to stop!"

Chen Tianheng: "Stop chasing! Oh no, the big fish is coming!"

The soldiers of the Second Company stopped, and the First and Third Companies, not far away, also stopped.

At the foot of Da Gong Mountain, there are crowds of people!

They were all soldiers wearing peaked caps. Chen Tianheng estimated that three thousand people had gathered at the foot of the mountain, and more troops were constantly coming from distant roads and joining the dark crowd!

Lin Hu’s First Army to rescue Guangdong has arrived at Mianhu!

……

The marching column of the Whampoa Military Academy Army.

At noon on the 12th, the main force arrived at Puning County. As soon as they settled down, a signalman came to deliver intelligence.

"What? The Linhu tribe has already left Hepo and split into two groups, heading to Lihu Lake and Honghu Lake respectively?"

Soviet military adviser Cherepanov was the first to realize the seriousness of the matter.

This intelligence was sent from an intelligence station sixty kilometers away, delivered by a signalman. Furthermore, the time required to compile the intelligence and write the letter was significant. In reality, the enemy movements mentioned here occurred last night. In other words, Lin Hu's two armies had already arrived at Lihu and Honghu, respectively, last night!

Cherepanov: "Davriy Chiang, at the speed of their movement, Lin Hu's army, the Western Route Army has already arrived at Tianxinba from Lihu Lake, and the Eastern Route Army has left Honghu Lake and arrived at Mianhu Lake. Mianhu Lake is nearby! They can launch an attack on us at any time!"

Chiang Kai-shek: "Does the school army's reconnaissance have any reports of enemy activity?"

"Get out of the way, get out of the way!"

The signalman of the first battalion rode a horse, galloping on the road with his four hooves pounding.

"Xu Jishen? Is that your Second Battalion walking there?"

Xu Jishen, who was walking on the side of the road, replied, "Yes, our Second Battalion is here."

Communicator: "Chen Tianheng is in Mianhu. He encountered a large number of Lin Hu's troops at Dagong Mountain west of Mianhu Town! There are over 3,000 of them! We need support! I need to continue on my way to report to the headquarters! You all get ready!"

Xu Jishen: "Wang Erzhuo, what do you think?"

Wang Erzhuo: "There is no time to lose. We must immediately turn to Mianhu and march."

"Isn't it enough for your company to rush over? Should our second company also follow?"

"If we're going, let's go together. Company 3 should go too."

Liu Zhi was at the front of the marching team. As he was walking, he suddenly turned around and asked, "Huh? Where's my Second Battalion?"

"Commander, Commander!"

Liu Chouxi, the platoon leader of the second company, ran over from a distance and said, "Battalion Commander, the first battalion encountered a large number of enemy troops in Mianhu. They are Lin Hu's troops! We have to go and reinforce them!"

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

Liu Zhi turned around and chased after his troops who were retreating into the distance.

Chapter 56

Dagong Mountain.

The Cotton Lake battle in the original historical dimension began with the teaching regiment charging towards Dagong Mountain.

The Mianhu battle in this dimension began with Lin Hu's independent brigade of the Guangdong Rescue Army charging towards Da Gong Mountain.

Chen Geng looked at the hundreds of Lin Hu's men who were howling as they rushed forward and shook his head, "Are these warlords' minions fighting so desperately?"

This battle was a matter of life and death for the Whampoa Military Academy, and almost as much for Lin Hu's Guangdong Rescue Army—though Lin Hu was from Guangxi, more than half of his subordinates were from Chaoshan, and the Guangdong Rescue Army's financial and tax revenue source was also from Chaoshan. Now that their hometown had been raided, they were of course anxious to fight back, but they had to make sure these artillery rebels didn't destroy their hometown.

"Attention, all platoons and squads. We have ammunition but not manpower. Fire calmly. Once you open fire, do not stop until the enemy retreats! Minimize exposure when dropping bombs, and avoid hand-to-hand combat unless absolutely necessary! We must minimize casualties in this blocking battle!"

Chen Tianheng inspected the blocking position, walking from the first company to the third company, and gave instructions to almost every platoon.

"Ready—attack!"

Over three hundred Type 38 rifles erupted from their muzzles almost simultaneously, and light and heavy machine guns opened fire. More than twenty of Lin Hu's troops halfway up the mountain immediately collapsed, while the rest rolled or fell flat on their backs. At their commander's beckoning, the soldiers slowly pushed forward again, but just as they straightened their backs, they were met with another burst of precise, short bursts from the light machine guns.

After an officer of Lin Hu's army, who was probably the battalion commander or deputy battalion commander, was shot and fell, the attacking soldiers lost their will to fight and retreated across the board. The first attack ended in such a hasty manner.

Jiang Xianyun: "They underestimated us. They tried to steal us without launching a large-scale artillery attack. For the next wave of attack, they should wait until their mountain artillery is pulled up before attacking."

Chen Tianheng: "Not necessarily. If they launch a second attack within half an hour, there will still be no artillery. If the interval is more than half an hour, they may be waiting for artillery. Lin Hu has too many troops at his disposal. He can easily send another wave of infantry just to disrupt us. ...Here they come!"

Sure enough, the time interval was less than half an hour, only 10 minutes later, the second wave of boarded assaults came. There were still about 700 people, but Lin Hu changed the attacking force.

The results were the same as the first wave.

After the second wave of attack was repelled, there was a long period of silence on the battlefield. The first battalion took advantage of this time to dig trenches.

In fact, the two sides fought an encounter battle. There was only 40 minutes between repelling Chen Hujun's scouts and the first wave of the entire battalion's attack. Most of the people in the first battalion did not have standing trenches, and some did not even kneel. They just used the terrain and features to hide.

Fortunately, the nearby villagers were mobilized. After repelling the second wave of attacks, more than 20 farmers arrived at the Dagongshan position carrying loads. Some carried two buckets of tea, some carried food, and some carried bundles of hoes, pickaxes, and shovels.

The villagers who came to support us and brought us farm tools were a great help. You know, the school troops were not equipped with engineer shovels.

"Restock ammunition, check weapons, and continue to reinforce the trenches! The enemy's third wave of attack is likely to include artillery fire! Guan Linzheng, are there any unusual movements on the opposite side?"

Guan Linzheng climbed a tree. Dagong Mountain wasn't very high, and climbing a tree would allow the lookout post to be five or six meters higher. From the tree, Guan Linzheng replied, "Battalion Commander, the enemy hasn't assembled their infantry yet, but it seems they're setting up artillery positions in the rear!"

"Are your eyes so sharp?" Chen Tianheng quickly climbed up the tree and looked into the distance through a telescope.

...it really was an artillery position. Although three kilometers away, I could vaguely make out a busy crowd and a few small black spots. Most importantly, there was a herd of mules or horses alongside the crowd. Lin Hu's army had no cavalry, so if there were mules or horses in his army, they were pulling carts or artillery.

“Boom!” “Hiss—” “Boom!”

Chen Tianheng jumped up: "Prepare for battle! Everyone, enter the fortifications!"

Chen Tianheng jumped into the trench, and Chen Geng also jumped down. This was a simple trench made up of several foxholes connected together, which had just been completed two minutes ago.

"boom!"

Chen Geng: "It was probably a 75-caliber mountain cannon. It missed by about 50 meters."

Chen Tianheng: "Lin Hu's army is equipped with cannons of this caliber. He doesn't have any larger ones."

"boom!"

Chen Tianheng: "It was still 50 meters off, but in the other direction."

Chen Tianheng and Chen Geng analyzed the sound of the artillery and determined that Lin Hu's artillery had completed its calibration and was firing at full speed to cover the positions of the first battalion. However, the accuracy of the artillery was relatively poor. Even if the parameters were set accurately, the landing points of the shells were widely scattered.

“Charge!” “Charge!”

In the trench, Chen Tianheng could almost make out the faces of the attacking Lin Hu army soldiers.

After the shelling ended, Lin Hu's army launched the third wave of human attack, and the first battalion quickly emerged from the foxholes or trenches.

The attackers were larger than last time, but the key was that this time the enemy climbed the mountain very quickly. If my estimate was correct, the attackers were veteran Guangxi soldiers from Lin Hu's army, who were naturally fast climbers.

"Ready—fire!"