The Fourth Outstanding Person of Huangpu Military Academy

"I'm here! Chen Geng went to contact the nearby villagers!"

As the 1st Division moved north, the 1st Regiment joined forces with Ye Ting's Independent Regiment.

When Zuo Quan, chief of staff of Ye Ting's Independent Regiment (34th Regiment), and Xu Xiangqian, chief of staff of the 1st Regiment, met, they first punched each other on the shoulders.

Chen Tianheng: "Hello, Captain Ye."

"Hello, Commander Chen." Ye Ting also saluted and looked around at the crowd celebrating the reunion: "The people from our two regiments are quite familiar with each other, ha."

Chen Tianheng: "We went to military school together, fought together in the Eastern Expedition against Chen Jiongming, and were both in the War Research Society, so of course we knew each other. Even though Zhou Shidi came earlier, he was also one of the first members of the War Research Society."

"I have a question," Ye Ting said, "since the reorganization of party affairs, your First Regiment has transferred all the Communist Party members to my post. Does this mean that there are no Communist Party members in the First Regiment, or even in the entire First Army?"

"Yes, we must do this after we have sorted out the party affairs. Commander Ye, you may not know that there is a popular saying in our area," Chen Tianheng said seriously, "The Hunan Army does business, the Yunnan Army robs, and there are no Communists in the army."

"Puff--" After Chen Tianheng finished speaking, Jiang Xianyun, who was drinking water not far away, spat out a mouthful of water.

Ye Ting: “…”

While in Guangzhou, Ye Ting had visited the First Regiment's base on Changzhou Island once, but it was just a quick visit. Today was the first time he saw the First Regiment in full combat readiness, on the march.

Ye Ting now knew about the War Research Society. He first heard of this organization when he first met Zhou Shidi. He noticed that Zhou Shidi always wore a small metal badge. When he asked what it was, Zhou Shidi replied that it was the badge of the War Research Society.

Later, when party affairs were being reorganized, more than a dozen core officers from the First Regiment came to Ye Ting's Independent Regiment. These people also had badges of the War Research Association.

What these officers had in common was their exceptional leadership abilities, far exceeding those of their peers, and their agility. Furthermore, they were not clique-based, and from Chief of Staff Zuo Quan down to the platoon leaders at the grassroots level, all enjoyed a very good relationship with Ye Ting himself.

The officers from the First Regiment were also incredibly impressed by Chen Tianheng. This seemed quite normal, as Chen Tianheng was the founder of the War Research Society. However, there was something slightly unusual: these officers were all Communists, but Chen Tianheng was not.

This Chen Tianheng...seems to have a bit of a story.

"Hello, Captain Cao."

Chen Tianheng greeted Cao Yuan, commander of the 2nd Battalion of Ye Ting's Independent Regiment.

"Hello, Captain Yang, or Captain Jin?"

The commander of the 3rd Battalion, Yang Lin, also used other pseudonyms such as Bi Shiti and Yangzhou Ping, and his Korean name was Jin Xun.

He was born in North Pyongan Province, Korea. He participated in the March 1st Movement in 1919 and fled to China after being wanted. He entered the Yunnan Army Academy in 1921 and entered Huangpu Military Academy in 1924 as an artillery instructor.

"It's better to call me Yang Lin. They are only familiar with this name," Yang Lin said. "I usually don't tell people that I used to be called Jin Xun."

"Captain Ye, the Northern Expedition Army is about to attack Xianning. Is there anything the First Regiment needs help with?" Chen Tianheng asked Ye Ting.

"I don't think it's necessary. According to the headquarters' arrangement, your First Division is the general reserve and is usually not used."

"Are there any shortages of supplies?"

"No, the Fourth Army is not poor either. We have sufficient food and ammunition." Ye Ting waved his hand domineeringly. "Based on our current situation and the enemy situation we know, the Fourth Army can basically take over the battle at Tingsi Bridge. Hey, your telescope?"

Ye Ting noticed the Zeiss 6xX30mm telescope that Chen Tianheng brought with him.

"I bought it at my own expense. It's a bit better than the Soviet-made binoculars issued. Do you want one, Captain Ye? I can ask the logistics department to find another one for you."

Ye Ting said he would try it out first. He took Chen Tianheng's telescope and looked into the distance. "The image is indeed better than the one provided..."

"Everyone, how about we take a group photo here? It's such a rare opportunity for our two groups to meet up and get together again."

The suggestion was made by training staff officer and photographer Lu Deming.

"This is……"

Ye Ting had just put down the Cai 63 and began to stare blankly at the Leica-1 hanging on Lu Deming.

Chapter 97

"Click"

Ye Ting and Chen Tianheng sat next to each other in the middle C position, and the officers and party representatives of the other two regiments (mainly members of the War Research Society) sat or stood in three rows and took this group photo.

Including Lu Deming who was using a camera, the shutter button was left to the soldiers of the regiment's guard platoon.

On the second day after the meeting, Ye Ting's Independent Regiment left the camp and continued to head towards the front line. The next combat target was Tingsi Bridge.

The Yue-Han Railway (now called the Hunan-Hubei Railway) ran north from Changsha, passing through Yueyang (Yuezhou) and Xianning, before finally reaching Wuchang. However, the railway line did not pass through the present-day city of Xianning, instead skirting the city's west. Within Xianning, several towns developed around the railway station and bridges, with Tingsi Bridge and Hesheng Bridge being two of the most strategically located locations.

Tingsi Bridge Town has a river as a natural terrain obstacle. The Tingsi River flows into a large lake in the north of the town, and there are high mountains beside the lake. If the attacking party wants to cross the river and capture Tingsi Town in a roundabout way, the optional roundabout route will be cut in half.

On August 24, the headquarters of the Fourth Army arrived in Puqi (now Chibi City). Chen Keyu, deputy commander of the Fourth Army, and Nikigin, chief adviser of the Soviet Union to the Fourth Army, learned that Wu Peifu's army was sending reinforcements to Tingsi Bridge in batches from Wuhan. They immediately decided to launch an attack with a total of six regiments, including the 10th Division, the 12th Division, and Ye Ting's Independent Regiment, to seize Tingsi Bridge.

Ye Ting led the Independent Regiment in the vanguard. On August 25, approaching Tingsi Bridge, they encountered the remnants of a Zhili Army regiment waiting for a train at Zhonghuopu Station. The Independent Regiment immediately attacked and disarmed these several hundred remnants. However, this was only a fraction of the remnants that had fled back from Yuezhou and Puqi. By the afternoon of August 25, Wu Peifu's forces had gathered at Tingsi Bridge, numbering 12000 men. These included over 4,000 remnants of the defeated front, 6,000 reinforcements sent by Wu Peifu (a mixed brigade and a regiment), and over 1,000 of the original garrison troops.

On August 26, the 10th and 12th Divisions, along with Ye Ting's Independent Regiment, fully engaged in the battle, capturing the railway station and nearby buildings on the left side of the river (west bank of the Tingsi River). However, they were unable to cross the Tingsi Bridge to attack the right side. Heavy machine gun fire from both sides of the river clashed fiercely, particularly at the railway bridgehead, where Wu Peifu's troops received particularly intense fire. Two battalion commanders from the 10th Division were killed in the battle.

That evening, Party representative Jiang Xianyun confirmed from local villagers that a section of the upper reaches of the Tingsi River was traversable on foot. After reconnaissance troops confirmed this, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Independent Regiment set out at night, crossing the thigh-deep Tingsi River and launching a swift flank attack on Tingsi Bridge Town.

At daybreak, Zhou Shidi led the 1st Battalion of the Independent Regiment, and Ye Ting led the regimental headquarters across the Tingsi River. Behind Ye Ting's Independent Regiment, the 28th and 29th Regiments of the 10th Division also waded across the river, and Wu Peifu's army fell into chaos.

The Hubei Provisional 1st Division, which had been sent from Wuhan to reinforce Tingsi Bridge, began to flee. Wu Peifu's Guard Brigade, operating behind the lines and supervising the battle, beheaded over 40 fleeing soldiers, including a regimental commander, and drove the Provisional 1st Division back into the battlefield. However, upon its return, the Division ran headfirst into Ye Ting's Independent Regiment. Zhou Shidi and Cao Yuan led the 1st and 2nd Battalions in an immediate bayonet charge. The morale of the Provisional 1st Division had been shattered to zero. After dozens of men were stabbed with bayonets, the remaining 1,000-plus soldiers laid down their arms and surrendered.

So far, the Ye Ting Independent Regiment, with a strength of 1600 people, has captured 3000 prisoners.

Following Ye Ting's Independent Regiment, the 28th and 29th Regiments of the 10th Division, which subsequently crossed the river, rushed into Tingsi Bridge Town. Wu Peifu's troops, defending the railway bridgehead, were attacked from both sides. The bridgehead was quickly captured by the 10th Division, and the 12th Division marched across the railway bridge with unimpeded force. By the evening of August 26, the battle of Tingsi Bridge was a foregone conclusion.

On the 27th, the First Regiment stationed in Yuezhou heard the news of the great victory in the Tingsi Bridge battle, as well as... the wounded of the Fourth Army who were transferred back from the direction of Tingsi Bridge.

"Zhou Shidi? Hello, hey! Are you okay?"

Chen Tianheng looked at Zhou Shidi on the stretcher. Zhou Shidi opened his eyes as Chen Tianheng and Xu Xiangqian called out to him, "It's okay. I was just catching up on some sleep. I won't die."

During the bayonet charge that crushed the Provisional 1st Division, Zhou Shidi personally led the charge, rifle in hand. He was stabbed in the stomach and then in the thigh as he collapsed. Fortunately, the stomach wound did not sever his intestines. After receiving emergency treatment on the battlefield and being transported back, he should be fine after a while, assuming he doesn't develop a serious infection.

Chen Tianheng: "Zhou Shidi, I also want to ask about Second Battalion Commander Cao Yuan. How is he doing?"

Zhou Shidi: "Damn it! This freighter exploded without a hair getting hurt, and he even personally stabbed a Beiyang Army battalion commander."

Chen Tianheng: ...

This is war. Even if you know the general direction, the details are still uncertain. Zhou Shidi was injured in the battle at Tingsi Bridge. Although his life was not in danger, an injury was still an injury. He logged off and returned to Changsha to recuperate.

Hu Huanwen was appointed as the acting commander of the first battalion of the independent regiment.

Tingsi Bridge had been the scene of previous battles. During the Republic of China, the Hunan and Hubei armies battled for over a decade. Whenever the Hunan advanced into Hubei, they never reached Tingsi Bridge, leading Wu Peifu's army to believe that the bridge was a natural barrier. However, the Fourth Army breached this barrier in just two days. The 12,000 defenders engaged the 12,000-man Northern Expedition Army, and the defenders were completely routed and scattered. Wu Peifu sheltered fewer than 4,000 of the frightened remnants in his rear.

Wu Peifu was in Wuhan when the battle of Tingsi Bridge took place. Now, Wu Peifu was personally in charge at Hesheng Bridge.

Hesheng Bridge is not Tingsi Bridge!

Don’t think that you can threaten Wuhan by breaking through Tingsi Bridge. There is also Hesheng Bridge, and the terrain here is no less dangerous than Tingsi Bridge.

……

"According to intelligence, Wu Peifu has personally visited Hesheng Bridge, surveyed the terrain, and oversaw the construction of fortifications. Wu's first line of defense runs from Wang Benli to Yanglindang. Mengjiashan to Taolinpu is Wu's second line of defense. From Hesheng Bridge to Yandou Mountain, the third line of defense has been constructed. As of today, August 29th, the Wu army guarding Hesheng Bridge includes not only two garrison regiments, but also the 13th Mixed Brigade led by Wu Peifu himself, Liu Yuchun's 8th Division, Chen Jiamo's 25th Division, and the Wu troops that retreated from Tingsi Bridge, totaling 8 men."

"In the battle to capture Hesheng Bridge, the 4th and 7th Armies were the main attackers, divided into left and right wings. The 1st Division of the 1st Army and the 4th Hunan Division of the 8th Army served as reserves."

"The 8th Brigade of the 7th Army will launch an attack on Wu's forces in the Yuanjiapu area. It is imperative to capture Yuanjiapu and consolidate its positions to defend it on the spot, guarding against a counterattack by Wu's forces. Simultaneously, the 12th Division of the 4th Army will attack Wujiawan. After capturing Wujiawan, the 10th Division of the 4th Army and the Independent Regiment will cross their positions and attack Mengjiashan."

"After the Fourth Army's offensive achieved a breakthrough, the Seventh Army's subsequent three brigades were deployed to the battlefield, attacking from Yuanjiapu towards Mengjiashan and Yandoushan. Finally, the Fourth and Seventh Armies completed the pincer encirclement at Heshengqiao."

Bai Chongxi, Chief of Staff of the Northern Expedition Army, convened a meeting to arrange the capture of Hesheng Bridge.

Xue Yue: "In this battle, our total strength is only 35,000 men, and the defenders are 45,000. Shouldn't the 1st Army's 1st Division be deployed to the battlefield immediately?"

Bai Chongxi: "This is a battle involving 8 enemy and enemy troops. We cannot do without a general reserve. The general reserve must be reserved for use at the final critical moment. Commander Xue, your troops must be prepared to participate in the battle at all times, maintain open communications, and await deployment orders."

At the pre-war deployment meeting, seven division commanders and three army commanders were discussing matters at the long table in the middle. The regimental commanders did not sit at the table, but sat on small stools in the outer circle, so Chen Tianheng did not speak.

"Chief of Staff Bai, I have a question and I hope you can answer it."

After the meeting, Chen Tianheng went to ask Bai Chongxi.

"This time, the Fourth and Seventh Armies are attacking from the left and right wings. I noticed in your battle plan that the left and right wings are not attacking simultaneously, but with a time difference. This does not conform to the general principles of battle tactics."

Bai Chongxi: "Wu Peifu assembled a large number of troops for this battle. Confident in his ample manpower, he established three lines of defense around Hesheng Bridge, forming a defensive system in depth rather than a point-based defense. Given Wu Peifu's military prowess, he would have undoubtedly reserved mobile forces to fill any gaps in his defensive system. And I suspect the most likely reserve force he retained was the 13th Mixed Brigade, with its full complement of over 6,000 men. An unsynchronized attack could have allowed Wu Peifu to misjudge the battlefield situation and deploy his reserves to fill any gaps."

"When the 13th Mixed Brigade moved to the left wing, the left wing would defend the captured positions while the right wing launched a fierce attack. If Wu Peifu continued to deploy his reserves, the attack and defense of the left and right wings would be exchanged again, and eventually both wings would break into the core position."

Chen Tianheng: "I understand. By deliberately lagging the attacks of the left and right wings, Wu Peifu's main reserve force is forced to maneuver back and forth along the interior, becoming exhausted."

Bai Chongxi: "At the meeting, your Division Commander Xue asked why the First Division wasn't deployed. Actually, even though this battle was 35,000 versus 45,000, I wasn't too worried about whether we could win the Battle of Heshengqiao. In my opinion, Heshengqiao was already a sure thing. Chen Tianheng, do you know why? Don't just say the Northern Expedition Army's morale was high and their fighting capacity was strong; everyone knew that."

"Hmm," Chen Tianheng thought for a moment and replied, "I noticed that based on the battle plan, we didn't deploy any troops to build a defensive line to confront Wu Peifu's army. The two armies, totaling 25,000 men, were all committed to the offensive. These two armies, in their direction of attack, already had a sufficient advantage in manpower and firepower over the defenders, which meant they could achieve a breakthrough."

Bai Chongxi: "Exactly. In a normal battle, like the one I simulated with He Yingqin at the War Research Council, both sides would build a defensive line. The attacking side would use two-thirds of its divisions to fill the line to maintain stability, and the remaining one-third would be the mobile offensive corps. But in the Battle of Heshengqiao, we didn't need to fill the line."

"I think Wu Peifu's troops had lost the courage to attack after a series of defeats at Changsha, Yuezhou, and Tingsi Bridge. Even if they were facing nothing but empty air, they wouldn't dare to rise from their trenches and attack. This gave us an additional advantage in manpower. Another factor was the Northern Expedition's rapid advance. They lacked intelligence and couldn't tell whether the enemy was just empty air or the Northern Expedition's own troops."

Chen Tianheng followed Bai Chongxi's line of thought and completed the rest of the thinking process.

"He's truly an excellent student who dared to submit his paper early for the Huangpu Entrance Examination."

Bai Chongxi nodded, as if remembering something, and continued, "Chen Tianheng, haven't you always wanted me to tell you in detail about the battle to unify Guangxi, and how the 30,000 Gui army defeated 60,000? We can deduce it now."

……

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, all troops are in position. The offensive battle will begin in three hours with the 8th Brigade of the 7th Army."

Chiang Kai-shek, commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition, arrived in Puchi.

At this time, the military order for the Heshengqiao operation had been issued to the troops, and the 4th Army and the 7th Army had already entered the starting position for the attack. There was actually nothing to do in the front command headquarters. Only Bai Chongxi and his staff team, and the main officers of the 1st Division of the 1st Army and the 4th Division of the 8th Army were in the front command headquarters.

To welcome Chiang Kai-shek's arrival, Bai Chongxi put away all the maps on the table.

"Uh-huh."

Chiang Kai-shek looked around at the front-line headquarters and said, "Jiansheng, I heard that you had a heated discussion on military strategy with the commander of the First Regiment, Chen Tianheng, the other day. It was like a master and apprentice?"

Bai Chongxi chuckled and said, "Chen Tianheng is not bad, he is a teachable boy."

"Very good, this is great." Chiang Kai-shek was very excited. "The revolutionary army should unite as one, rely on each other, and learn from each other's strengths. Only in this way can we defeat the Beiyang government and unify the country. Very good, very comforting."

Bai Chongxi: "Jiansheng is also a staunch believer in the Three Principles of the People. Revolutionary soldiers naturally make no distinction between you and me, and we advance and retreat together."

Chiang Kai-shek said, "I have another student, Hu Zongnan, currently the commander of the 4th Regiment of the 2nd Division. Like Chen Tianheng, he is exceptionally gifted, courageous and resourceful. If he can continue to learn and improve, his future is limitless. Brother Jiansheng, would you agree to take on another disciple?"

Behind Chiang Kai-shek, Hu Zongnan was grinning and saluting Bai Chongxi.

Bai Chongxi's head ached. "Commander-in-Chief, my principle for accepting apprentices is that one master and one apprentice are just the right size, no fewer, no more..."

Chapter 98

Both sides fought with all their might in the battle of Heshengqiao, but despite the fierce fighting, Wu Peifu's side only lasted one day before surrendering.

At 1:00 PM on August 29, the 8th Brigade of the 7th Army launched the first attack. Wu's army, already mortified by the Northern Expedition, was so exhausted by the impact that when the 8th Brigade penetrated Wu's defensive positions, Wu Peifu immediately mobilized his general reserve to launch a counterattack. Even worse, the 2,000-strong Wu army failed to dislodge the 8th Brigade.

Five hours later, the 35th Regiment of the Fourth Army attacked Wujiawan. Late on the night of the 29th, the Ye Ting Independent Regiment of the Fourth Army advanced rapidly, launching an attack from the Beilu School. Wu Peifu mobilized all available troops to counterattack and fill the breach. However, the Ye Ting Independent Regiment quickly seized Yindou Mountain, a commanding height in the area. With observation posts on the heights and tracer ammunition deployed, the Wu army's counterattack was severely damaged by the heavy machine guns of the Ye Ting Independent Regiment.

The 7th Army then sent the 2nd Brigade to the battlefield, and then at dawn, the 4th Army sent the 28th and 36th Regiments to the battlefield. At 7:30, Ye Ting's Independent Regiment was the first to break through Wu's defense line.

At this point, Wu Peifu's true strength at Hesheng Bridge was exposed. Although Ye Ting's Independent Regiment had only broken through the first line of defense, his second line was composed of the remnants of the troops who had retreated from Yuezhou and Tingsi Bridge. His third line consisted of the garrison regiment and his weakest division. Upon seeing the remnants of the troops fleeing from the front, the commander of the second line immediately broke into a run, and then the garrison regiment of the third line also began to run.

Wu Peifu supervised the battle north of Heshengqiao. His broadsword troops cut down over a hundred fleeing soldiers, and he even personally killed several retreating regimental officers, but to no avail. Faced with the overwhelming force of defeated troops, the supervisory team was helpless. At 9:8 AM on August 31, Wu Peifu fled, boarding a train and rushing towards Wuhan. The defenders of Heshengqiao were completely routed.

At this point in the Northern Expedition, Chen Tianheng's First Regiment finally joined the battle...

"Go ahead and chase me! Phew, I'm really exhausted!"

Jiang Xianyun was panting on the side of the road.

Chen Tianheng: "That's right! You have to leave some soup for us!"

Half a mile ahead, Second Battalion Commander Cao Yuan was also panting on the side of the road.

"Captain Cao, why are you leading the charge again?!"

Cao Yuan: "This way the battle will be resolved quickly!"

Chen Tianheng: “…”

The First Regiment chased the enemy from Hesheng Bridge all the way north to Yuhuaping, 10 kilometers away. There were no casualties or fierce fighting, and they only captured more than 300 prisoners.

The victory at Heshengqiao once again shocked the nation. This was not only because the gateway to Wuchang was now completely open, but also because the Northern Expedition fought two fierce offensives within four days, both of which were won by the outnumbered army, and both were resolved within a day or two.

After the war, the Fourth Army was hailed as the "Iron Army" by the Guangzhou news media, while the Seventh Army called itself the "Steel Army."

At Yuhuaping, the First Regiment pursued and found that some of Wu Peifu's troops were defending in front of them, so they immediately organized an attack, but just as they deployed their troops, the defenders of Yuhuaping also fled.

Keep chasing...

On the night of August 31, the 1st Regiment led the pursuit to Hongshan, outside Wuchang City. On the morning of September 1, Chen Tianheng could already see Wuchang City from the top of the mountain.

"The current garrison in Wuchang is a brigade of Liu Yuchun's 8th Division of the Beiyang Army, with 6,000 men in the city. They have taken in approximately 10,000 defeated soldiers, bringing the total garrison strength to approximately 16,000."

Wu Peifu, who had fled to Henan, had convened an emergency military meeting and decided to abandon Baoding and transfer the troops of Tian Weiqin, Wang Weiwei, and Wei Yisan south to reinforce Wuhan.

"Wuchang City backs onto the Yangtze River, facing Hankou and Hanyang in the distance. Wu Peifu's warships are stationed on the Yangtze River, so we cannot blockade the river. If Wu Peifu's 30,000 reinforcements arrive in Hankou and cross the river to reinforce Wuchang, the siege will become difficult."