Tiger Troops: The 74th Army of the Kuomintang Anti-Japanese Ace

Chapter 13 The World's Greatest Soldier (Battle of Nanchang) (1)
The Wanjialing victory brought a warm spring breeze to the morale of the Chinese people.When Ateli walked into Wanjialing, she was pleasantly surprised to see the piles of loot there, including rifles, machine guns, "plaster flags", gas masks, binoculars, command knives, and even "thousand needles" carried by many Japanese soldiers. " and runes.Even the food that the frontline generals used to treat her was canned jackfruit seized from the Japanese army.

The closer she was to the front line, the more Ateli believed that the Chinese could hold Wuhan, but Li Hanhun reminded her that once the Japanese army released poison gas on a large scale, it would be difficult for the Chinese front to hold on.

Not long after, Li Hanhun's words unfortunately became reality.Of course, this is not only because the Japanese army implemented poison gas warfare, but more importantly, the strength gap between the two sides is too large.In the entire battle of Wuhan, China had [-] divisions participating in the battle, while the Japanese army only used nine divisions and five detachments, but they were still able to take the initiative to attack, and the Wanjialing victory was a partial victory, which was difficult to change. This overall power pattern and trend.

By the end of the Battle of Wanjialing, Wuhan was surrounded and attacked by the Japanese army from the north to the south.However, Chiang Kai-shek had already made preparations to evacuate Wuhan.It is said that he made this decision not unrelated to the suggestion of Chuikov, the head of the Soviet Advisory Group.Cui Kefu believes that Wuhan relies entirely on railways, the Yangtze River, and the rear, and is a lake and swamp area. It must pass through ferries and build bridges to advance and retreat.If they retreat from Wuhan after the defeat, they may suffer the same heavy losses as they did during the defense of Nanjing.

On October 1938, 10, Wuhan announced its abandonment, but due to the timely evacuation, the Japanese army failed to capture any large Chinese troops except for the large loss of supplies.

We are the pioneers of the nation
Wuhan fell, and Changsha to the south was immediately under the serious threat of the Japanese army. The 74th Army was ordered to defend Changsha, and the 51st and 58th Divisions were rushed to the periphery of Changsha by car and train for deployment.

On the evening of November 11, the 12th Army arrived near Changsha, and the military headquarters was stationed in the southern suburbs of Changsha.But what they didn't expect was that Changsha was burned down by the fire the next day, and it was not the Japanese who set the fire, but their own people who mistakenly thought that the Japanese had already approached the city.

Even if the Japanese army entered the city, would it be possible to burn a thousand-year-old city to the ground and make the people displaced?When the Chinese command center encounters possible dangers, it always habitually shows blindness, passivity and extreme irresponsibility for the lives and property of the people.This scene is almost the same major tragedy as the bursting of the Huayuankou embankment, which is enough to chill people's hearts.From the perspective of a bystander, Ateli said some very bitter words: "Danger always exists among those nervous elements in the rear. They are eager to retreat and dare not take the risk of being killed. What they say may be worse than The generals at the front are more patriotic, but they themselves don't want to die."

The 74th Army, which was supposed to face the Japanese army, temporarily changed its mission and was transferred to Changsha City to deal with the aftermath.Because of strict military discipline, the 74th Army has a good relationship with the local people and left a good reputation when helping Changsha residents restore their homes.

Knowing that the anti-Japanese heroic troops had arrived in Changsha, some anti-enemy drama teams from the rear came to Changsha to perform condolences.After being taught and sung by the theater team, those anti-Japanese and national salvation songs began to reverberate in the barracks: "The Exile Trilogy", "March of the Great Sword", "March of the Volunteers", "The Sacrifice is at the End"...

During the performance, the famous dramatist Tian Han who led the performance visited the 51st Division admiringly.Through extensive collection of materials, he wrote the drama "De'an Great Victory" based on the battle between Zhang Lingfu and Zhang Gushan.After the repertoire was performed, Zhang Lingfu and his 74th Army became more famous and became familiar and understood by Chinese people.

As the author of "March of the Volunteers", Tian Han also splashed ink and wrote a military song for the 74th Army himself.In the loud and clear singing, the officers and soldiers of the 74th Army were inspired by the glorious and glorious history of the army. They sang together, chorused, and roundly sang, inspiring themselves and their comrades over and over again: "We are the country's military force, we are the nation's vanguard. !"

To play a pioneering role, it is impossible without sufficient strength. The 74th Army suffered a lot in the battles of Nanxun and Wanjialing. Due to the lack of a mature and perfect conscription system in China, a unit with heavy casualties was transferred to the rear to supplement, and it often took a long time to recover or approach the original level. For this reason, some ace troops became weaker and weaker until they failed to recover.

Obviously, if you want to prosper forever, you must strive for full blood resurrection in the shortest possible time.Fortunately, as the strategic general reserve directly under the Central Military Commission, the 74th Army enjoys unique conditions in terms of recruiting troops, and can give priority to some Whampoa students as the backbone.

In view of the reality of the urgent need for personnel during the Anti-Japanese War, the Whampoa Military Academy has already expanded its enrollment. It is stipulated that everyone can apply for the exam two years after graduating from high school, and then the military academy will be recruited from high to low according to the test scores.The first phase usually only recruited 700 people, but by the No. 13 phase, it has recruited more than 400 people, which has more than doubled.The school system was also shortened from the original three years to two years. As soon as the graduation ceremony was over, the students went to the front alone with their graduation certificates and notices of assignment to various units in various theaters.

Qian Zhigen, a student of the 74th batch of Whampoa, was assigned to the 74th Army.The senior officials of the [-]th Army also valued these Huangpu students very much.After Qian Zhigen arrived in Changsha, Yu Jishi and Wang Yaowu personally met him and arranged him properly.

At that time, the 51st Division had just added a batch of recruits, and the training time was not long. The 51st Division adopted the method of first grasping the backbone and pointing to the surface, and set up a sergeant training class for this purpose.The sergeant training class is composed of recruits with good physical fitness, a total of less than 200 people, and they are organized into a brigade with four teams, with Qian Zhigen as the team leader.

The teaching of the sergeant training class is very serious from the beginning.From physical training, instilling military knowledge, to assassination, bombing, blasting, and shooting skills training, to education such as "Four Disgraces for Soldiers" and "Four Joys for Soldiers", all can be carried out in an orderly manner.Especially live ammunition training, because it needs to be used as soon as it goes to the battlefield, so it is very strict, and the sergeants have to criticize each other after completing the training.

On March 1939, 3, the 25th Army, which was resting in Hunan, received an urgent order to join the ongoing Battle of Nanchang and quickly reinforce northern Jiangxi.

The four-week sergeant training class came to an end, and the dormitories where everyone lived immediately became empty.Trained sergeants are assigned to companies, most directly serving as squad leaders.Because Qian Zhigen was born in Huangpu, he became the platoon leader.

Soldiers come to block
On the evening of March 3, the 26th Regiment of the 51rd Brigade of the [-]st Division took the lead in arriving at Gao'an, about [-] kilometers away from Nanchang, by car.They had just finished deploying defenses at Xiangfu Temple in the north of Gao'an City when the [-] Brigade, which belonged to the [-] Division of the Japanese Army, rushed in front of them.

Japan has a household registration history of nearly a hundred years, and the conscription system is quite complete.The [-]st Division and the [-]th Division suffered rare heavy losses in the Battle of Nanxun and the Battle of Wanjialing, but after replenishing a large number of young soldiers, their combat strength was quickly restored, and they served as the commander of the Nanchang Army. The main force of the battle.

Seeing that the 57th Regiment was weak, the 51st Brigade arrived in time by train.The brigade commander Zhou Zhidao personally led the main force of the [-]st Brigade to launch a counterattack, and finally repelled the Japanese attack, temporarily stabilizing the Gao'an front line.The [-]th Division that arrived later also seized positions on the right bank of the Jinjiang River, and together with the [-]st Division, they helped defend Gao'an.

There is a tributary of the Ganjiang River in Jiangxi that flows through Gao'an, named Jinjiang.Gao'an is located on the north bank of the Jinjiang River, which is actually a small alluvial plain between the hills of northern Jiangxi.Although the area is not large, it is the throat into northern Hunan, and both the enemy and us are bound to compete. At dawn on March 3, the 27th Brigade of the Japanese Army dispatched a mixed infantry brigade to clear the way with tanks and chariots, and once again launched a fierce attack on the Xiangfu position where the [-]th Regiment was located.

In infantry-vehicle coordinated tactics, the main role of tanks is to destroy the defenders' positions and divert the opponent's attention.Once the position is breached, it will be very difficult to defend.Lu Xing, the head of the [-]th Regiment, hurriedly asked for help from the [-]rd Brigade Headquarters in the city. Zhang Lingfu, the brigade commander, personally led a battalion to attack from the city and launched a counter-charge against the Japanese army.

Wu Qi, a strategist in the Warring States Period, once said that a general must take the lead in battle and share safety and security with his subordinates. Only in this way, soldiers will be willing to obey when orders are issued, soldiers will be willing to fight when they mobilize troops, and soldiers will be willing to sacrifice their lives when they fight hand-to-hand ( "Wu Zi · Li Shi").In the fierce battle, Zhang Lingfu maintained his usual brave style. He took the lead and charged forward.Suddenly, the Japanese machine gun swept over, and the bullet pierced his leg, Zhang Lingfu staggered and fell to the ground.Since then, this fierce general had to leave the battlefield temporarily to seek medical treatment in the rear.

The main general was seriously injured, temporarily suspending the offensive of the 51rd Brigade.The Japanese army took advantage of the situation to counterattack, and the 51th Regiment and the troops who came to reinforce suffered heavy casualties. Li Tianxia, ​​deputy commander of the [-]st Division, believes that under such circumstances, continuing to add reinforcements has become a useless refueling tactic. Not to mention wasting troops in vain, it may not be able to keep Gao'an. It is better to save strength and wait until the whole army is assembled. make plans.So he ordered the [-]st Division to withdraw from Gao'an City.

On March 3, Nanchang fell, but by this time the 27th Army had already assembled.Commander Yu Jishi issued an order, and the 74st and 51th Divisions attacked at the same time. The Japanese army lost its footing.

After exiting the city, the Japanese 3 Brigade was not reconciled, and launched a tentative attack on the Gaoan front line after a little rectification. In the early morning of March 29, the Japanese army repeated the old trick, using two squadrons with eight tanks, in an attempt to pry open the gap from the [-]th regiment's position again.

With the help of tanks, it seems very imposing, but the coordination between scooter is also very high. To put it simply, a car cannot be separated from people, and people cannot be separated from cars.The field of vision of tanks is limited. In order to maintain the marching order, the Japanese tank group often inserts small wooden sticks on both sides of the road during the march, and hangs a piece of white paper on each stick, inserting one every 50 meters.However, on the front line where bullets are flying, no tank soldier will calmly run out to insert sticks. The cooperation between tanks and tanks, and the cooperation between tanks and infantry all depend on normal training.

In the Battle of Songhu and the Battle of Lanfeng, the Chinese army also had tanks participating in the battle, but because of the lack of training in coordinated combat with infantry and vehicles, often the infantry would not cover the tanks when they entered the battlefield. If you say you have armor protection, what are you afraid of? Go ahead. !So the tank had to brave the enemy's artillery fire until it was completely destroyed.

After pre-war training, the Japanese army was much better in terms of coordination, but it was also a temporary match, so there was still a way to fight it into chaos.When the defenders see the infantry charging, don't panic, let alone shoot indiscriminately, let the tank pass if it wants to pass, and the key point is to stop the people behind.When the enemy infantry enters the effective range, they will fire with light and heavy weapons at the same time. Once the man and vehicle leave, the charge effect will be greatly reduced.

Through the last fierce battle, the [-]th Regiment had similar experience.The head of the regiment, Lu Xing, commanded calmly, the soldiers came to block, the water came to cover, and the enemy's attack was repelled.

Seeing that the tanks were not working well, the Japanese army came out with tricks. On March 3, the Japanese 30th Brigade sent troops to attack the [-]nd Battalion of the [-]th Regiment and released poison gas bombs during the battle.

The Chinese regular army also has a certain amount of gas masks equipped, but the models are single, and to wear a gas mask, you must choose the right type, that is, whichever gas bomb the enemy uses, you have to wear that kind of gas mask.For example, if the opponent uses mustard gas bombs, wearing an anti-tear gas mask will not have much effect.

It is such a mask. Due to insufficient quantity, many soldiers still cannot get it.In most cases, the troops can only get on their horses in their own way and let everyone drink their own urine to reduce the symptoms of poisoning.

The gas bombs used by the Japanese army, tear gas and sneezing gas bombs accounted for a large proportion, sometimes mixed with smoke bombs, the purpose of which was to disrupt the opponent's position.For example, if the poison gas bomb falls on the position of Company A, the soldiers of Company A may run towards the position of Company B in panic. On the contrary, if it falls on the position of Company B, some soldiers of Company B will also run in the direction of Company A. It will cause confusion to the command system of the defenders, and the Japanese army can take advantage of the situation to attack.

In the battle that day, more than 150 people were poisoned in the second battalion, but the strict battlefield discipline did not cause confusion for the troops, and they desperately defended their positions.

heroic nature
In addition to the tear gas and sneezing gas bombs, the more vicious mustard gas bombs can stun people in mild cases and kill people in severe cases. On March 3, the Japanese army released poison gas on the position of the Second Battalion of the 31th Regiment located in Sigong Mountain. The poisonous smoke enveloped the defensive position. More than a hundred officers and soldiers of the battalion were poisoned, and the company commanders Dai Tianyou and Chen Yunzhang died of poisoning.

Most mustard gas bombs did not kill people immediately, but they put people in a poisoned coma within 10 minutes after inhalation, at which time the Japanese soldiers wearing gas masks could take advantage of the situation to rush in and occupy positions.Knowing that a corner of the position had been breached by the Japanese, Lao Guanying, commander of the 58th Brigade of the [-]th Division, hurriedly sent reinforcements to intercept it.

When the reinforcements arrived, the poisonous gas had dissipated, and the officers and soldiers mounted bayonets, and after charging and fighting several times, they finally repelled the enemy, and the position was turned into safety again.

Since April 4, the main force of the 1th Division of the Japanese Army occupying Nanchang has gradually shifted to Gao'an.The 51th Brigade was able to attack with all its strength, and a brigade of its forwards rushed towards the position of the Chinese [-]st Division in front of Gao'an.

Qian Zhigen, who had been on the front line for almost a week, finally had his turn to fight.Japanese artillery shells kept flying past his eyes, and then scattered all over the position. At the same time, the shrieking sound of the Japanese Type [-] heavy machine gun "clack" was also extremely harsh, directly oppressing the Chinese position.

As soon as the fire cover was over, the Japanese infantry began to charge. Qian Zhigen saw that Japanese soldiers had appeared on the position about 400 meters ahead.

Seeing the enemy rushing up, the Artillery Battalion of the 51st Division immediately conducted a test firing, and at the same time the heavy machine guns also fired. The position of the 51st Division is located on a hill, and the troops followed the mountain, from the front to the back of the mountain, and dug more than a dozen long and short, winding trenches.Due to the sparse vegetation on the hills and only a few rows of large and small pine trees, the officers and soldiers standing in the trenches have a very wide view and the shooting effect is relatively good.Taking advantage of the gap where the attacked Japanese army lay down for cover, the artillery battalion turned its muzzle and fired at the other Japanese army, temporarily curbing the opponent's fierce offensive.

After a while, the reorganized Japanese army launched an attack again.This time the firepower was more fierce, the battlefield was filled with gunpowder smoke, and missiles rained like rain.

The situation became extremely urgent.Deputy commander Li Tianxia personally supervised the battle. He decisively transferred the reserve team up and organized the 51st Division to launch a counter-charge against the enemy.After the charge horn sounded, except for the cover of the light and heavy machine gun group in the trench, the rest of the officers and soldiers rushed out with guns and grenades.During the fierce battle, Qian Zhigen was injured in his leg, but he was unconscious until a soldier in the platoon saw blood oozing from his trouser leg. After checking, he found that the upper knee of his thigh had been pierced by a bullet.

The soldiers carried Qian Zhigen back to the battlefield, and the stretcher team simply bandaged him and carried him to the field clinic for treatment.It wasn't until he got off the ground and relaxed his mind that Qian Zhigen felt the severe pain in his left leg and was unable to move.

When Qian Zhigen was withdrawn, there were more than 20 people in his platoon that were brought down at the same time due to casualties.Although the 51st Division repelled the Japanese attack that day, the battle was indeed very fierce and difficult. The former enemy commander-in-chief Luo Zhuoying judged that Gao'an was isolated and the defense was too difficult, and the situation of the rest of the Chinese troops withdrawn from the front line of Nanchang was unknown. The No.70 Fourth Army has become the only powerful strategic reserve army.In order to preserve the combat power of the 74th Army, he called Yu Jishi and instructed the 74th Army to withdraw from Gao'an.

(End of this chapter)