The Fourth Outstanding Person of Huangpu Military Academy

The bullets and the thunderous gunshots arrived almost at the same time, and the Anhui Army, which had been charging forward just now, fell down in large numbers.

“Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang…”

The second volley began. Guan Huimin pulled the bolt, ejected the empty cartridge, and loaded the third round. As he did so, he glanced to his right across the squad to see how the other soldiers were loading their rounds.

“Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang…”

After five salvos, the deputy platoon leader said, "Beep!" "Load the ammunition!"

Xu Jishen: "Light machine guns, fire!"

The Madsen light machine gun, which had been silent just now, began to fire. Bullets from more than a dozen light machine guns followed the volleys seamlessly and covered the opposite side.

The Anhui troops on the opposite side had been completely stunned by the 5th volley gun company. Some lay on the ground screaming, some lay there without making a sound, and some even forgot to lie down and stood there trembling. As the light machine gun bullets flew over, many of the more than 400 Anhui troops began to turn around and run back.

Xu Jishen shifted his telescope, looking left, then right. Was this the only wave of skirmishers attacking the enemy? What about the second wave?

"Snapped--"

On the north bank, Xu Xiangqian fired a flare.

The view from the high ground on the north bank is still wider than that from the river beach. The regimental headquarters knows that the enemy only has this wave of infantry charge. Now the second battalion can launch a counterattack to annihilate or force back the heavy machine guns that have been strafing the river bank, so that the third battalion can also board the boat to cross the river and join the battle.

"Go on the bayonet!"

The heavy machine guns had been unloaded from the ship and assembled, replacing the light machine guns in suppressive fire. The entire Second Battalion rose from the ground, bayonets fixed, and, at the command to attack, the more than 300 men automatically organized into squads, centered around the light machine guns.

Xu Jishen: "Everyone in the battalion, charge!"

"Fuck your mother!!!"

……

Yongxiu County.

"Captain! Why... did you come back?"

"...Brigade Commander! Where are my two battalions?!"

Wang Pu looked depressed and his eyes were dull: "We can't win. Let's retreat immediately."

"Ah? You don't want the bridgehead anymore?" "You don't want to defend the Xiushui Iron Bridge anymore?"

"Guard, guard, guard, what the hell are you guarding! Damn it, where the hell did this Northern Expedition Army come from..."

The entire Anhui Army at the Yongxiu bridgehead and in Yongxiu County fled south. The First Battalion discovered enemy troops on the opposite bridgehead moving heavy machine guns from their positions. Battalion Commander Zheng Dongguo immediately launched a frontal assault. The First Battalion simply rushed across the 100-meter-long railway bridge, throwing the Anhui Army's hastily relocated troops into further disarray. Their orderly retreat turned into a rout. The previously intact battalion left behind over 100 men, along with heavy machine guns and other heavy equipment that was too heavy for one person to carry.

At 8 a.m., the First Regiment occupied Yongxiu.

"Nanchang is in front of us, and Jiujiang is behind us."

Now, Chen Tianheng and others are walking on the tracks of Nanxun Railway.

Xu Xiangqian: "There are enemies in front of us and behind us. To our left is Poyang Lake, and to our right is Luoxiao Mountain."

Yuan Zhongxian smacked his lips. "Why does it sound like we're in a desperate situation?"

Xu Xiangqian: "It's okay. I'll survive after risking my life."

Huang Wei walked to the railway track and said, "Commander, the supply and supply battalions have crossed the bridge and are preparing to be stationed in Yongxiu City. The reception team is expected to arrive this afternoon."

Chen Tianheng: "Okay. Also, the Anhui Army has abandoned a lot of weapons, ammunition, and military supplies inside and outside Yongxiu City. The logistics department should collect them as soon as possible, sort them, and use them if they can be used."

"Yes."

Qian Deng Ruoxian: "Captain! The engineering company called from the traffic police station!"

Chen Tianheng walked into the regiment headquarters: "You Buying! How badly is the railway damaged?"

"Reporting to the regiment commander, the railway line has been cut, and more than 40 meters of track has been removed!"

Chen Tianheng: "I found a working locomotive at Yongxiu Station. I'll deliver it to you at noon. We'll do the damage more thoroughly. Are there any reinforcements coming from the north for Sun's army?"

"Not at the moment, but ten minutes ago a locomotive headed south. It stopped in front of the road section we damaged and then drove back. It must be Sun Jun coming to check the road conditions!"

……

Chen Tianheng put down the phone. "Although we've cut the telegraph lines, the Five Provinces Allied Forces have plenty of radio stations. Sun Chuanfang must know Chiang Kai-shek is attacking Nanchang. But we don't know how quickly Sun Chuanfang's reinforcements will arrive, so we can only rely on reports from the forward police station. Reconnaissance Company, send a squad to the railway police station to report back to us from the engineering company. After destroying the railway, the engineering company will return to Yongxiu to help reinforce the fortifications."

Xu Xiangqian: "Our defense is mainly deployed towards the north. Will the enemy also come from the south?"

Chen Tianheng: "Although it's not easy for the principal to capture Nanchang, it's not difficult to encircle it. Now I'm worried about the reinforcements Sun Chuanfang will send from Jiujiang. Will he send them one brigade at a time, or a whole division? Or two or even three divisions at a time?"

Huang Wei: "Commander, I have information on the number of locomotives and wagons in service on the Nanxun Railway. Sun Chuanfang's reinforcements are limited by this. They can only transport one infantry division at a time."

Xu Xiangqian: "'Only'? 'One division'? Our First Regiment might have to withstand a charge from a division of the Five Provinces Allied Forces?"

Chen Mingren: "Our regiment can still handle a division."

Chen Tianheng: "But then again, everyone, we can't just stay in Yongxiu and passively take the beating."

Chapter 106

Morning of May 10th.

The special train of Xie Hongxun, commander of the Soviet Army's 4th Division (Jiangsu Army of the Five Provinces Allied Forces), stopped five kilometers south of De'an County.

Xie Hongxun glanced out the window and started cursing, "Damn these southern bandits! They destroyed a perfectly good railway like this!"

On the nearby Nanxun Railway, over 80 meters of track and sleepers were missing. A few hundred meters further out, a locomotive had its wheels blown off by the Northern Expedition, its entire front end sprawled across the track. It was unclear how this over 10-ton machine could be moved.

"Commander, please wait for two days. The railway bureau can lay the rails and sleepers in two days. The locomotive can also be temporarily pushed to the side of the road." The manager of Nanxun Railway Bureau expressed his determination to Xie Hongxun.

"Take your time to fix it!" Xie Hongxun waved his hand and told the manager to get out of here. "On the orders of the Marshal, I'm going to attack him today."

The 4th Soviet Division marched along a dirt road parallel to the railway line, with the 7th Brigade on the left and the 8th Brigade on the right. Scouts led the way one or two kilometers ahead. The first battalion on each road dispersed in a state of readiness for battle, advancing with guns raised and their backs hunched.

……

"Enemy reinforcements have appeared! They're marching south along both sides of the railway in combat formation! Judging by their uniforms, they're Soviet troops from the Five Provinces Coalition!"

Guan Linzheng was at the front, using the telephone at the road police station to report the enemy situation to the regiment headquarters.

Chen Tianheng: "Excellent! Quickly find out the size of the enemy reinforcements from the south. If possible, determine their numbers!"

"Yes!"

He hung up the phone. Guan Linzheng was on a dirt slope next to the Nanxun Line Police Station. The telephone line stretched over 110 meters from the station directly to the slope. A few minutes later, a three-man reconnaissance team rushed back: "Company Commander, there are about 7,000 people marching on both sides of the road. They are fully equipped with heavy machine guns. At the rear of the team is a baggage train and a mountain artillery team, totaling 15 mountain and field artillery pieces."

Guan Linzheng: "Can you detect the enemy's unit number?"

"No reconnaissance has been detected yet. The enemy is very vigilant, and reconnaissance teams have been deployed in front of and on the flanks of the marching column."

Guan Linzheng frowned. "Their reconnaissance team? Isn't that just a walking designation?"

The outskirts of the Nanxun Railway. A swamp about 2 kilometers from the railway.

A four-man Soviet reconnaissance team used their bayonets to push aside the reeds that were as tall as a person, carefully stretched out their feet, and made sure they were stepping on solid land before moving forward with confidence.

Being a scout is such a dirty and tiring job!

What the scouting team, struggling with the swamp and reeds, didn't notice was that a figure slowly rose from the mud a few meters away. By the time anyone in the scouting team noticed this, the figure, covered in mud, had already leaped into the air and pounced on the last member of the scouting team.

"Yes, I have!"

The Soviet soldier at the rear was tackled, his right arm dislocated before his face even touched the mud. The three men in front turned in terror, but before they could even aim their rifles, a series of thuds and thuds rang out from the other side of the reeds. Crossbow bolts lodged in their chests and necks, sending them careening into the mud.

In Yongxiu County, the phone at the First Regiment Headquarters rang again.

"Report to the regimental commander! The enemy reinforcements are the Soviet 4th Division, including the entire 7th Brigade and the 16th Regiment of the 8th Brigade, minus the 15th Regiment of the 8th Brigade, totaling approximately 7,000 men. They are fully equipped with heavy machine guns. At the rear of the division are a baggage train and a mountain artillery train, totaling 15 mountain guns. The division is led by Division Commander Xie Hongxun himself!"

After hanging up the phone, Chen Tianheng turned to the rest of the staff and said, "Comrades, the newcomers are one of Sun Chuanfang's three main forces, the Soviet Fourth Division."

……

The 4th Soviet Division of the Five Provinces Allied Forces was originally the 2nd Regiment of the Beiyang Regular Army, part of Yuan Shikai's Wuwei Right Army. During the reorganization of the new army in the 31st year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign, it was renamed the 4th Regiment of the New Army. Its first commander, or rather, its first commander, was Duan Qirui. After the founding of the Republic of China, it was renamed the 4th Army Division. In 1923, it was incorporated into the Soviet Fourth Division by Sun Chuanfang.

Throughout its history, the 4th Division suffered numerous defeats or was absorbed by various warlords, resulting in a significant loss of key officers and NCOs, and thus lacking any military traditions. However, after being incorporated into the Soviet Army, due to the relatively wealthy Jiangsu province and ample military funds, the 4th Division, with a total strength of 12,000 men, was well-equipped. The training and tactical prowess of the officers and soldiers were considered acceptable.

The primary force in Sun Chuanfang's Five Provinces Allied Forces was his Zhejiang Army, Lu Xiangting's Central Second Division. This was Sun Chuanfang's direct line, modeled after the Japanese regular divisions, with a total of 10 men. Xie Hongxun's Soviet Fourth Division and Zheng Junyan's Soviet Tenth Division were secondary forces.

Sun Chuanfang's three main forces were now concentrated along the Nanchang-Nanxun line: Zheng Junyan's Soviet 10th Division was in Nanchang, defending the city; the Soviet 4th Division, the Central 2nd Division, and two weak divisions were in Jiujiang. This time, Sun Chuanfang had sent the Soviet 4th Division.

"The enemy is on a field march, and their mountain artillery can't be deployed quickly. Furthermore, we're constantly on the move, so even if we deploy our artillery, we can't get accurate aiming parameters and cover the enemy with fire. There are many narrow passes along the Nanxun Line, and the parallel railway road is cut off. Their lines will be stretched out when they pass through. We still have the information initiative, allowing us to launch a surprise attack. Therefore, we have a good chance of defeating the Soviet Fourth Division in this battle."

As chief of staff, Xu Xiangqian quickly came up with a combat plan.

The two battalions of the first regiment advanced rapidly from both sides. When the 4th Su Division passed through a narrow intersection, the two battalions simultaneously launched a pincer attack on the rear half of the 4th Su Division's marching team. The front half of the 4th Su Division turned back to support and densely blocked the narrowest intersection with mortars. At the same time, a battalion in the front began to charge.

Chen Tianheng: "If we only seek to destroy the enemy's baggage and mountain artillery, how will the battle turn out?"

Xu Xiangqian: "If this is the goal, then it's strike-and-disengage. The general deployment is similar. The two battalions will directly choose the two baggage trains of the Soviet 4th Division as the pincer point. One of them should be the baggage train containing mountain artillery. After the attack, they will flee and all return to the Xiushui Iron Bridge to set up defenses."

Lu Deming: "This would only damage the 4th Soviet Division, but fail to defeat it. I don't think this would hurt Sun Chuanfang."

Chen Tianheng: "Five staff officers, Yuan Zhongxian, Zheng Dongguo, Xu Jishen, and Du Yuming, let's go for a walk outside."

The General Staff, the Party Representative, and the three battalion commanders were all core personnel who knew all the secrets of the War Research Society. Chen Tianheng led them outside the headquarters and said to Xu Xiangqian:

"The battle plan to defeat the Soviet Fourth Division is not without the possibility of success, and the success rate is very high, but the casualties are too great."

"We all know what our team is supposed to do. We are now a regiment, and in the future we may be a division or an army. The loss of every commander, every non-commissioned officer and sergeant, and even every soldier in the First Regiment is something I find difficult to bear."

"During the Battle of Wuchang, Hou Jingru was injured and had his leg amputated. He could never return to command. I still feel pity when I think of him. The bloody battle at Mianhu was even more dangerous. Chen Geng was shot in the chest! He went back and recuperated for several months before he recovered."

"Of course, the First Regiment of the First Division must be a powerful force in the Northern Expedition and a model for the revolutionary army. We must win every battle and achieve outstanding military achievements. However, we must do our best to avoid victories like the Battle of Mianhu that resulted in heavy casualties."

Xu Xiangqian fell into deep thought. Several people in the staff also fell into deep thought.

"I want to express my opinion."

Party representative Yuan Zhongxian.

"The First Regiment won a resounding victory in the siege of Wuchang, marching 300 kilometers to penetrate the Nanxun Line. Yesterday, they decisively annihilated the enemy forces in Yongxiu. The morale of the entire regiment is now at its peak, and the desire for battle is strong."

"The Soviet Fourth Division is Sun Chuanfang's elite, that's true, but we've just publicized it among the companies. All the officers and soldiers know they're about to face off against the legendary Sun Chuanfang's elite troops, and morale has soared. We're all looking forward to crushing this elite force under our feet."

Xu Xiangqian: "...Well, Commander, I just thought about it. Attacking and destroying the Soviet 4th Division's baggage and artillery will not do much to relieve the pressure on us while we hold Yongxiu."

"The artillery of the Soviet Fourth Division has been destroyed, but Sun Chuanfang still has three divisions in Jiujiang. Each division has mountain and field artillery. Lu Xiangting's division even has an artillery regiment. Sun Chuanfang will send another artillery unit to the north bank of Xiushui to bombard us."

Du Yuming: "Commander, there is another possibility. That is, Sun Chuanfang sent other troops to the front in addition to the artillery, such as one or two regiments from Lu Xiangting's division. Because we raided them before, they suffered losses and realized how powerful we are. The next time, they will use even more troops to deal with us."

Chen Tianheng nodded and looked at Du Yuming: "You are right, Du Yuming, your thinking is very clear."

Xu Xiangqian and Yuan Zhongxian: "Then the regimental commander...?"

Chen Tianheng checked his watch. "Twenty minutes left. Xu Xiangqian, use the next twenty minutes to refine our plan for defeating the Soviet Fourth Division. I want to minimize the casualties of the entire regiment."

Xu Xiangqian: "Yes!"

Chen Tianheng: "The three battalion commanders, please return now and lead your troops to the north of Xiushui Bridge to await orders."

"Captain!" Xu Xiangqian, his brain almost smoking, shouted, "I think we should also add the replacement battalion. I've just come up with a new plan that requires the replacement battalion to participate in the battle!"

Chen Tianheng: "Yes! If necessary, the regimental guard platoon can also join the battle!"

……

Nanxun Line.

The Soviet 4th Division marched slowly and methodically. By noon, it had walked about 10 kilometers and it was time to stop and rest.

"Commander, the reconnaissance found no enemy troops, but there are some minor situations."

The Chief of Staff of the 4th Division reported to Xie Hongxun.

"At a railway police station we just passed, we discovered that all the police there had disappeared. The telegraph wires had been cut, and the telephone wires towards De'an had been cut. In addition, one of the four reconnaissance teams we sent out this morning never returned."

Xie Hongxun: "It must have been done by the Red Bandits. Yongxiu City and Xiushui Iron Bridge are already in the hands of the Red Bandits. The Marshal's planes have already conducted reconnaissance. I just don't know which Guangzhou Red Bandit Army occupied Yongxiu."

"The Five Provinces Allied Forces General Staff isn't quite sure either and is investigating. However, my colleagues at the General Staff privately suggested it might be the First Division of the First Army of the Red Army that disappeared from Wuchang a while ago."

Xie Hongxun: "Is it the First Division of the Communist Party Army at Huangpu? The one Chiang Kai-shek hid for several months and only fought a single battle in Wuchang?"

"Yes. However, Commander-in-Chief, the fall of Wuchang was beyond many people's expectations. Three days, just three days to capture the city. General Liu Yuchun was defeated and attempted suicide..."

“Da da da da…” “Da da da da…”

Bursts of gunfire could be heard in the distance. Xie Hongxun, a veteran of battle, stood up suddenly and asked, "Has the reconnaissance team made contact with the Red Army?"

“Da da da…” “Da da da da…”

The gunshots were still coming from a distance, still one or two kilometers away, but from another direction.

“Da da da…” “Da da da…”

Xie Hongxun turned around, turned around, and turned around again.