The Fourth Outstanding Person of Huangpu Military Academy

The two were talking in the office of the Propaganda Minister at the KMT headquarters. Mao started talking about military matters, and Chen Tianheng immediately wanted to find a map. Mao then pulled one out of a drawer.

As the commander of a combined battalion in his previous life, Chen Tianheng was in charge of an infantry regiment with ease, and even a division would not be a problem. The current degree of synthesis of the National Revolutionary Army is very low, and the arms and subordinate firepower units of a division are not as complicated as those of a combined battalion.

But if you go up the level to armies, army groups, and large-scale military operations... then you really have to learn it on the spot.

According to Mao Runzhi's idea, the Northern Expedition Army should not have only deployed three armies to fight in Hunan and Hubei, but only four divisions of the seven armies should be left to garrison Guangzhou and guard the direction of Fujian, and the remaining six armies, plus the newly incorporated Tang Shengzhi's 8th Army, a total of seven armies would enter Hunan to participate in the war.

One route continued to attack Wuhan, while another, with much fanfare, slowly advanced eastward from Hunan, poised to capture Nanchang. Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi Province, was essential to defend, and the Beiyang reinforcements would take the Yangtze River route to Jiujiang, then take the Nanxun Railway from Jiujiang to Nanchang.

When the Beiyang Army's reinforcements arrived, the troops attacking Wuhan went down the river, raided and captured Jiujiang, cut off the supply line and retreat route of the Nanchang heavy troops group, and then divided and annihilated them along the Nanchang-Jiujiang line.

If the Northern Expeditionary Force slowly advancing eastward from Hunan consisted of three armies, then the Sun Wu army would have undoubtedly reinforced Nanchang to the point where two or three armies could defend the city. This wasn't a war of liberation involving millions of troops on both sides; the annihilation of two or three armies would have been a heavy blow to the Sun Wu coalition.

The short-term logistical problems caused by the almost entire Northern Expedition Army entering Hunan can be solved by providing food and fodder supplies by the peasant associations widely established in rural Hunan, which should be able to solve about half of the logistical transportation capacity.

Chen Tianheng: "Unfortunately, the Northern Expedition Headquarters' current plan is not this. The current Northern Expedition plan was formulated by Borodin and Galen. It is really a straight line pushing northward, occupying Hunan and attacking Wuhan. After taking Wuhan, cross the Yangtze River and attack Henan. After reaching Henan, they will link up with Feng Yuxiang's National Army. The plan doesn't even mention what to do after joining forces with Feng Yuxiang."

Mao Runzhi: "This is the disadvantage of letting a foreigner command the Northern Expedition. If the Northern Expedition Army continues to advance northward, after capturing Wuhan and entering Henan, its flanks may be threatened by the Sun Wu army, and there will be more than one flanking point. The Sun Wu army may start from Nanchang and approach Changsha; or it may start from Jiujiang and go up the Yangtze River to threaten Wuhan. Wu Peifu will definitely think of this, and then Galen's battle plan will have to be changed, and a temporary battle to attack Nanchang will be added to ensure the safety of the flanks."

Chen Tianheng: "Secretary Mao, then... can this plan be made public?"

"It's not very useful to talk about this with Chiang Kai-shek. If you can meet Bai Chongxi after entering Hunan, talking to him might help."

Chapter 95

"One, two, three, four, sing!"

"Down with the imperialist powers, down with the imperialist powers"

"Get rid of the warlords, get rid of the warlords!"

"Strive for the National Revolution, Strive for the National Revolution"

"Strive together, strive together!"

In Shaoguan, Guangdong, the 1st Division of the 1st Army got off the train here and headed towards Hunan.

The First Regiment was the front-line team of the entire division. Under the command of the instructor and counselor, the entire regiment was dressed neatly, moved in unison, sang the Northern Expedition song and the regiment song, and marched north, attracting the attention of all the Shaoguan citizens along the way.

The First Division now has over 7000 personnel, which is considered fully staffed according to the Northern Expedition Army's establishment. The First Regiment was established at 1700 personnel, but the actual total number of personnel in the First Regiment that set out was over 1900, slightly overstaffed.

This does not include the "shadow" following behind - the Nanmao caravan.

"Captain Wei! Captain Jiang!"

Wei Lihuang and Jiang Dingwen rode their horses from the rear of the team and rushed forward. When they passed the column of the first regiment, Chen Tianheng, who was also riding a horse, bowed to greet them.

Qian Dajun, the former commander of the Second Regiment of the First Division, has been transferred to become the commander of the 20th Division, and Wei Lihuang is now the commander of the Second Regiment.

Wei Lihuang glanced at the First Regiment's marching column and said, "You guys from the First Regiment have purchased a lot of things yourselves."

Chen Tianheng: "Change the soldiers' shoes to better ones. The Northern Expedition requires long marches, and without comfortable shoes, you can't go far."

Jiang Dingwen: "In the past month, I have heard people say that Commander Chen of the First Regiment is rich."

"Haha, you're kidding," Chen Tianheng said, throwing out a long-prepared explanation. "I don't have any money, but my second uncle's family has some assets. He's a big supporter of the Northern Expedition, and when they saw the National Revolutionary Army was about to go, my cousin donated some supplies to the First Regiment."

Wei Lihuang: "I heard that the Second Division also bought a lot of supplies on their own. The Second Division is richer than the First Division."

Chen Tianheng: "That's true. The Second Division is stationed in Guangzhou, and they can easily make money by doing business. Division Commander Liu is not stingy either. When the war is about to start, he will use all the money earned by the First Division's industries to improve equipment."

The three regimental commanders continued to ride forward, overtaking the First Regiment column and reaching the First Division Headquarters/First Army Direct Column at the front.

"Commander Wang."

Xue Yue, commander of the First Division, and three regimental commanders saluted Wang Bailing.

Wang Bailing is now the acting commander of the First Army.

He Yingqin remained commander of the First Army, but during the Northern Expedition, the First Army was split in two, with two divisions entering Hunan and three remaining in Guangdong. He Yingqin remained in Guangzhou to lead the three divisions, while Wang Boling led the 1st and 2nd Divisions heading north into Hunan.

"Thank you for your hard work, everyone."

Wang Bailing did not need to march on foot or ride a horse, he rode in a sedan chair.

"I looked at this road. It was repaired a month ago when the Fourth Army entered Hunan. Is it okay?"

Xue Yue: "The road is good, wide and solid, but the road in northern Guangdong is a bit winding."

Wang Bailing: "The Nanling Mountains are high, steep, and rugged. Our troops are scheduled to march from Shaoguan to Hengyang in 15 days, but once we cross the Nanling Mountains and reach Chenzhou, the road will be much easier."

Chen Tianheng: "It seems that the Seventh Army's march from Guilin into Hunan was very fast."

"Otherwise, why would we call them barbarians from Guangxi?" Wang Bailing said. "Li Bai and the other two are not ordinary people. I called you all here to discuss the situation on the Hunan battlefield. According to the latest military intelligence, the Seventh Army has deployed on the south bank of the Miluo River, preparing to cross the river and attack Ye Kaixin's troops retreating to the north bank of the Miluo River. The Fourth Army is advancing on Pingjiang. Wu Peifu's troops in both locations have offered no significant resistance. The two armies are expected to meet at the gates of Yueyang in a week."

……

What Chen Tianheng was concerned about was whether the 34th Regiment (Independent Regiment) participated in the battle to capture Pingjiang County and how it fought.

However, the actual battle of Pingjiang was not too fierce. The Hunan Protection Army collapsed at the first touch, and the Fourth Army captured the county town in two days.

The Northern Expedition Army is now using a typical divide-and-conquer attack tactic. The 4th and 7th Armies will set out from Changsha, attacking in two directions and then joining forces at the city of Yueyang. After capturing Yueyang, they will launch another divide-and-conquer attack.

Wu Peifu misjudged the combat intentions of the Guangzhou National Government (strangely, the Northern Expedition Declaration from Guangzhou was telegraphed to the whole country, but Wu Peifu really didn't take it seriously). The Hunan Protection Army that was formed before was only used to suppress the Hunan Army led by Tang Shengzhi that had rebelled in Hunan. What he didn't expect was that the National Revolutionary Army dispatched two armies at once, and the war situation in Hunan collapsed.

Let it collapse. This was the forefront of the Beiyang forces, and it hadn't been very consolidated before. Wu Peifu's bottom line now was to hold Hubei. A brief resistance in Yueyang would suffice, or even be abandoned. Wu's defenses were further north in Xianning, where the Yue-Han Railway passed through, with numerous rivers and bridges along the way, providing natural barriers and facilitating defense.

Chen Tianheng pondered the current war situation and realized what Wang Bailing said, that the end point of this long-distance march might not be Hengyang. It might be necessary to go from Hengyang to Zhuzhou. Because Zhuzhou and Changsha had been captured by the Northern Expedition Army, the First Army directly entered Changsha City and stationed there, and would decide which battlefield to join depending on the situation.

……

Keep marching.

Because the First Army carried heavy 114mm howitzers during the march, the entire army's marching speed was based on the towing speed of the 114mm howitzers. For the First Regiment, which was mainly composed of light infantry, this marching speed was easy and pleasant. Two days later, the First Regiment left Guangdong.

The boundary between northern Guangdong and southern Hunan is actually very unclear. If it weren't for the boundary markers, it would be impossible to tell which is Hunan and which is Guangdong. It's all mountains and barren slopes and terraced fields, and the rural areas along the way are all very poor.

"Welcome", "welcome", "north", "attack", "army"

——Tianjiawan Farmers Association

Ten kilometers south of Chenzhou, Chen Tianheng saw welcoming farmers' associations and cooperatives along the way. This was perhaps the most striking difference between Hunan and Guangdong. Over the past year, Hunan had established a broad network of rural organizations, mobilizing farmers to support the Northern Expedition, providing assistance to the army, and procuring supplies within their capabilities.

"Hey, this agricultural cooperative also provides boiled water?"

Xu Xiangqian saw that besides the slogans welcoming the Northern Expedition Army hanging on the roadside, there were also supply stations for the marching soldiers to replenish their water. The water at these supply stations was stored in large pots. In order to dissipate heat and cool down on hot days, the pots were opened, and steam rose from inside.

Chen Tianheng: "I know that soldiers on the march always fill their kettles with boiling water. This isn't just any farmers' association; it must be the Communist Party's farmers' association. Let's go over and take a look."

When the members of the Tianjiawan Farmers' Association saw a group of Northern Expedition soldiers who looked like officers approaching, they also gathered here to welcome them. In the crowd, Chen Tianheng saw someone who looked familiar.

"Xiang Qi? It's you!"

Xie Huaide, nicknamed Xiangqi, was a local leader of the Yuebei Peasant and Workers' Association when Chen Tianheng was deeply involved in the peasant movement in the countryside of Yuebei in 1923. When the Hunan warlords dispatched a large army to suppress the peasant movement, Chen Tianheng, Chen Geng, and Jiang Xianyun painstakingly broke through the blockade and brought out key members of the Yuebei Peasant and Workers' Association and the Peasant Guard.

Later I heard that Xiangqi and his group entered the Peasant Movement Training Institute, first as students and then as teachers, and returned to Hunan in 1925.

"Ah, Chen Tianheng, it's really you!" Xiang Qi looked up and down at Chen Tianheng, who was walking in front, and was very excited. "We haven't seen each other for three years. Your military uniform is so impressive!"

"Hahaha, the Northern Expedition Army's uniforms are all the same. Didn't Jiang Xianyun and Chen Geng pass by here last month? You should have received them, right?"

"I see, I see," Xiangqi said, "You three are not ordinary people. Good, very good. We have a revolutionary army now."

Chen Tianheng: "By the way, weren't you originally in the north of Hengyang? Why did you come to Chenzhou in southern Hunan to participate in the peasant movement?"

"It was arranged by the organization. The Yuebei Farmers' Association has also resumed its activities. Liao Fangbing is in charge there. The scale has expanded a lot more than before. The local tyrants and evil gentry dare not confront the Farmers' Association anymore."

Chen Tianheng: "How is your farmers' association, um, the Tianjiawan Farmers' Association, developing now?"

The Tianjiawan Peasant Association governed several townships and dozens of natural villages south of Chenzhou. Founded in October 1925, it managed this vast area within a year and organized four peasant guard teams totaling over 60 soldiers to patrol the villages, marking the first grassroots public security and legal organization in Chenzhou.

The Peasant Association cracked down on rural lending, halting all usury and reducing interest rates to normal. Loans that violated public order and morals were declared invalid by the Association. Gambling and smoking were banned, and the mergers of large landowners were restricted. (Relatively small) water conservancy projects were built to improve agricultural output. The rural assistance system, which had collapsed since the late Qing Dynasty, was restored, promoting mutual assistance between villages and communities. All of this was achieved with the help of a Peasant Guard consisting of over 60 men and 12 rifles.

The rapid development of the Tianjiawan Peasant Association was primarily due to the guidance and assistance of the Hunan Provincial Party Committee. Xiang Qi was a trained and educated cadre of the Peasant Association. When Xiang Qi and several other peasant movement organizers arrived in Chenzhou from Hengyang, they also brought 600 silver dollars for their activities.

Funding, of course, came from Mao Runmin's trading company. This financial backing allowed the farmers' association to expand significantly from its inception, and farmers were more eager to join. Otherwise, to establish a farmers' association, each household would have to donate several dozen kilograms of rice to fund the farmers' guards' work.

The most common problem in rural China in the 20s was poverty. Land, the most important rural asset, was in short supply. Besides land, virtually all rural assets were in short supply.

If there is an injection of foreign capital, but not too much, then where is the most efficient use of this foreign capital?

——It is used for public services and management. In the 1920s, a grassroots management system with farmers' associations as the core was established.

"So, what else do you need now?" Chen Tianheng asked. "I don't have any guns at the moment. Our regiment has a limited amount of weapons, so it's hard to take them out. But when we fight in the future, we can discuss the weapons we've captured. It won't be a problem to allocate dozens of guns to the farmers' association. Besides weapons and ammunition, what else do you need?"

Xiang Qi: "I find that these 60 people and 12 guns are more than enough. The Tianjiawan Farmers Association really doesn't need any external assistance."

Chen Tianheng pulled out a receipt for the Nanmao Caravan from his pocket. "But I've already prepared everything before we set out. Xiangqi, in about five days, after the Northern Expedition's column has passed, a caravan called the Nanmao Caravan will arrive along this road. Find the leader of the caravan and use this receipt to collect the supplies from him. This is for your Farmers' Association."

Xiang Qi took the receipt and said, "Two thousand dollars? One set of medicine?"

Chen Tianheng: "Since we don't know exactly what you need, we've made a set based on the combination of commonly used medicines. One set is a large wooden box, weighing about 70 to 80 kilograms."

Xiang Qi: "What a grand gesture..."

Chen Tianheng: "Don't worry about that. We can afford it anyway. By the way, Xiangqi, how is your farmers' association's ability to mobilize peasant soldiers?"

Chapter 96

On August 13, the First Army arrived in Hengyang.

On August 17, arrived in Zhuzhou and boarded the train.

On the afternoon of August 17, Chen Tianheng saw the long-lost Changsha city wall outside the train compartment. In addition to the ancient city wall, the officers and soldiers of the First Regiment saw something that surprised them even more.

"Look! Handjob!"

Chen Tianheng also looked up, and sure enough, a small biplane flew through the air.

The National Revolutionary Army had aircraft, dating back to the time of Sun Yat-sen, and was known at the time as the "Zhongshan Air Force." However, because all aircraft, parts, and fuel were purchased from abroad, the Zhongshan Air Force was reluctant to fly most of the time.

Before the Northern Expedition, the National Revolutionary Army's Aviation Department possessed eight aircraft: six de Havillands, one Avro, and one Junkers seaplane. In early August, Huang Bingheng led three aircraft to Hengyang to establish a forward base. These aircraft were primarily used for aerial reconnaissance and to harass and demonstrate against Wu Peifu's forces.

With the range and weight of this type of aircraft today, it is indeed a harassment demonstration.

"Hello, Commander-in-Chief!"

Chiang Kai-shek also arrived in Changsha, and left earlier than the First Army. He entered Hunan from Guangdong a week ago and established the Northern Expedition Army Headquarters in Changsha.

"Ah."

Chiang Kai-shek looked him up and down. Although the First Regiment had only arrived in Changsha in the afternoon, Chen Tianheng's uniform was still meticulously kept, showing no signs of fatigue from the long journey.

"Has the camping arrangements been made for the First Regiment?"

Chen Tianheng: "By the time I set out for headquarters, the First Regiment's baggage had already been moved into the camp, and each unit had found its own barracks. At this time, the entire regiment should, under the coordination of the General Staff, take inventory of personnel and equipment, prepare dinner, and rest."

"Very good. Do you know how the second and third regiments and the artillery are bivouaced?"

That’s what Chiang Kai-shek asked.

Chen Tianheng had done his homework before coming - judging from the time Chiang Kai-shek made an appointment to meet him, after the First Army arrived in Changsha, the first person Chiang Kai-shek met was the army commander Wang Bailing, and the second person he met was him, the regimental commander, skipping the First Division commander Xue Yue in between.

"The artillery battalion was the first to unload their vehicles, but the horses, artillery carriages, and harnesses were delayed, and at 6 p.m. they were still on their way to camp. The division's supply train was also stuck on the road. Division Commander Xue had already gone from division headquarters to the artillery and supply train routes, coordinating traffic and organizing the troops to speed up towing and transport. The Second and First Regiments entered the camp at almost the same time. The Third Regiment was about half an hour late, but they had already left the station 15 minutes later than the First and Second Regiments."

Chen Tianheng's answer was concise and comprehensive, and Chiang Kai-shek nodded. "Very good. Tianheng, the Northern Expedition Army has gathered in Hunan. There are two strategic options at this point. One is General Galen's suggestion: the Northern Expedition Army should capture Hubei and then advance into Henan. The other is Chief of Staff Bai's suggestion: after capturing Wuhan, the Northern Expedition Army should march eastward, sweeping across southern and southeastern China. Which of these two strategies do you think is superior?"

"Galun's proposed Henan route would allow our army to link up with Feng Yuxiang's forces. However, whether or not this happens isn't the most important objective of the Northern Expedition. Advancing eastward would allow the revolutionary government to quickly seize the financial and taxation centers of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. However, this would mean engaging our army in simultaneous battles with both Wu Peifu and Sun Chuanfang's forces."

Chiang Kai-shek: "For now, I think it's better to insist on advancing north. Wu Peifu and Sun Chuanfang have 750,000 troops, while the Northern Expeditionary Army has only 100,000. Fighting both Wu and Sun at the same time is too risky. I have sent people to persuade Sun Chuanfang. Although I cannot persuade him to surrender and join the National Government, I can calm his mind and prevent him from taking any rash actions. Let's first defeat Wu Peifu's main force in Wuhan."

……

Chiang Kai-shek used his own unique skills to divide and disintegrate the three major warlords in the north, Wu Peifu, Sun Chuanfang and Zhang Zuolin.

As early as the beginning of August, Chiang Kai-shek asked He Chengjun, the Kuomintang representative in Shanghai, to negotiate with Sun Chuanfang, asking Sun Chuanfang to break away from his relationship with Wu Peifu and join the National Government. Chiang Kai-shek promised that after Sun Chuanfang "surrendered his cannons", he would recognize his current position as commander-in-chief of five provinces.

Sun Chuanfang responded by stating that he supported the Three Principles of the People but firmly opposed communism. As for the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Five Provinces, he was already the leader of the five provinces and did not need the title bestowed by the Nationalist government. If he was forced to "throw the cannon," it was fine, but the Nationalist government would provide him with military funds. Furthermore, Hunan was to serve as a buffer zone between the two sides, with neither side stationing troops there.

He Chengjun continued to bargain with Sun Chuanfang, telling him that he could give the military funds, but it was impossible for the Northern Expedition Army to withdraw from Hunan. During the bargaining period, Sun Chuanfang temporarily gave up the idea of ​​attacking the Northern Expedition Army from the flank of Jiangxi, which was exactly what Chiang Kai-shek needed.

The negotiations with Zhang Zuolin were handled by Li Dazhao, Li Shizeng, and Zhang Xueliang. Li Dazhao proposed surrendering the Fengtian clique and attacking Wu Peifu, to which Zhang Zuolin responded with a "kidding me!"

However, despite rejecting the Nationalist government's demands for surrender, Zhang Zuolin, fully aware of the Northern Expedition's intentions, secretly withheld millions of rounds of ammunition and 5,000 artillery shells that were intended for Wu Peifu. Zhang Zuolin believed that the Northern Expedition's limited numbers would never be able to cross the Yangtze River, but inflicting more defeats on Wu Peifu in Hunan and Hubei would help the Fengtian clique expand its territory in the north.

Zhang Zuolin's suspension of supply of guns, ammunition, and ammunition made Wu Peifu feel uncomfortable. This was actually what Chiang Kai-shek really needed.

In short, due to the relatively successful divide-and-disintegrate strategy, the Northern Expedition's flanks are temporarily secure, and Chiang Kai-shek is currently leaning towards a northward approach. Even if capturing Henan and joining forces with Feng Yuxiang wouldn't be of much use, let's not worry about it for now and focus on capturing Wuhan first.

After determining this strategy, the 8st Division moved north from Changsha again on August 20.

However, they did not participate in the war. Chiang Kai-shek was reluctant to send his most loyal men to the battlefield. He left the Second Division in Changsha to monitor Sun Chuanfang's army in the direction of Jiangxi, and the First Division as a reserve force in the direction of Wuhan.

"Zuo Quan! Hahahaha, see you again! Zhou Shidi! See you again!"

"Haha! Are you from the First Group here to join in the fun too?"

"Where's Chen with glasses? Where's Jiang Xianyun?"