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

Chapter 15 The World's Greatest Soldier (Battle of Nanchang) (3)
Wang Yaowu did what he said, but he couldn't bear the pain of having no money. It wasn't that he was short of money, but that the army was short of money.Before the supplementary brigade was reorganized, it was a miscellaneous brand in the direct line, and the funds were not abundant.Wang Yaowu led his troops to Jiangxi to fight against the advance team of the Red Army going north. In less than a year, he owed the soldiers four months' salary.In addition, money is needed to manage the top and bottom, and Wang Yaowu is unwilling to find a way out of the shortage of soldiers, so it is impossible for the money to fall from the world.

If you have no money, you have to find a way to earn it!Forced to do nothing, Wang Yaowu had to assume another role besides leading the troops.

oriental fortitude
Mr. Wang became Boss Wang and started to set up a factory and start a business.He is very business-minded, the factory is booming, and a branch factory has been opened.However, unlike the common use of troops to make profits at that time, all factories and business organizations belonged to Wang Yaowu's private enterprises, and he did not personally participate in it, but arranged for friends to handle it on behalf of others.After earning money, most of the money was used for military subsidies to improve and improve the living conditions of officers and soldiers.

Before and after the Northern Expedition, if we compare domestic living standards, the treatment of Chinese soldiers is still acceptable. If they can be paid normally without owed wages, they can even be called generous.Take the Cantonese army as an example. Soldiers have three yuan (silver dollars) in military pay and six yuan in food expenses every month. As long as they don't get any bad habits, they will send home the surplus money every month.Officers who start as warrant officers are paid 32 yuan a month; when they become major generals, they get 320 yuan;
Officials with real power also have greater sources of income. For example, as long as they deposit military funds in private banks, they can earn high interest.Among the generals of the Kuomintang, Fang Jing is relatively clean and honest, but according to his self-report, he spent 4000 yuan to buy an old house in Shanghai for only one term as the head of the regiment; The old house was refurbished into a building, and he also sponsored his brother to open a printing factory in Nanyang.

Later, with the reform of the currency system, the military pay was changed from silver dollars to banknotes, that is, the legal currency issued by the national government.Before the Anti-Japanese War, the prices were relatively stable. After the Anti-Japanese War, the prices rose by somersaults, and the French currency depreciated rapidly. However, the salaries and food expenses of the soldiers still did not increase. This amount of money could not buy any vegetable cooking oil at all. In the words of the soldiers, "(The banknotes issued) are too slippery to wipe your butt"!
If there were any problems with the supply of military rations, it would be difficult for soldiers to even drink porridge, so many troops deserted at that time.One was because they were not able to eat enough at the front line; the other was that many of the soldiers were young men who had been captured. After they were captured, they were very worried that their families would not be able to earn a living.

An officer's life is no better than a soldier's. After the "September [-]th Incident" broke out, the Ministry of Military and Political Affairs stipulated that the "National Disaster Salary" be issued. The military pay from generals to colonels was halved, [-]% off for majors, and [-]% off for lieutenants.In contrast, high-level military officers have been less affected, and even those with real power can still make profits for themselves through various income-generating channels.It is the grassroots military officers and those aides who have positions but no power. They are no more than soldiers.As a result, those who can lead soldiers will be short of soldiers, or let soldiers help them to work and run business; those who cannot lead soldiers even secretly use the troops' mules and horses to carry salt in exchange for local specialties in order to maintain a basic life and dignity.

Wang Yaowu is very aware of this, and he also knows that these problems cannot be solved above, and can only be "self-relief".He bought fields in Jiangxi, Guangxi and other places, and let old and disabled officers and soldiers reclaim farms. When the troops were reorganized and trained, they also reclaimed farms and livestock farms to grow vegetables and fruits, and raise chickens, ducks, pigs, and fish. "Integration of farmers and soldiers", all the achievements are used to improve the non-staple food of officers and soldiers.Feng Yuxiang, who is good at military training, once inspected the 74th Army. After the inspection, he was also satisfied with the living conditions of the officers and soldiers of the 74th Army.

Naturally, the identity of "Boss Wang" cannot be given up either.During the Anti-Japanese War, Wang Yaowu not only ran the business as usual, but also sent people to sell daily necessities in various places. These daily necessities were also sold to officers and soldiers of the 74th Army, but the price was [-]% lower than the market price.

With money in hand, you can do things without haste.In the 74th Army, officers and soldiers at all levels have any public and private difficulties in funds, which can be resolved immediately.When the subordinates go home with private matters, as long as they go to see Wang Yaowu, Wang Yaowu will give him travel expenses in order to show his strength, so the subordinate officers and soldiers are all grateful to him and strive to serve him.

Wang Yaowu is not the kind of person who puts on airs. Officers are shy in their pockets, which will not only embarrass and embarrass him, but also help boost morale and attract talents. After all, people cannot always live by slogans with enthusiasm.Knowing this, Wang Yaowu allowed the grassroots officers of the 74th Army to take up vacancies—not for soldiers, but for long-term husbands, that is, the vacancies when civilians were recruited.

Each captain is 15 yuan. According to regulations, the head of the regiment can eat 15, which means he can get an extra 74 yuan in subsidies;If the army needs to temporarily recruit civilian husbands, the rewards will still be paid, but it is strictly forbidden to arrest civilian husbands.Similarly, the [-]th Army is also strictly forbidden to eat the empty space of soldiers, which makes the troops of the troops always complete and sufficient.

All Western journalists who have been to China were deeply shocked by the difficult conditions and heroic spirit of Chinese soldiers.

These soldiers are always in danger of being destroyed by the weapons of the 20th century, but most of the social organizations and medical care behind them still belong to ancient China.

British reporter Atri has seen many Chinese soldiers on the front line, and witnessed how thin the soldiers' bodies and how weak their limbs are, but under such conditions, the survivors on the battlefield will still continue to fight the next day .

In the eyes of foreigners, this oriental perseverance is really a mysterious miracle.Some people even invented a theory about it, saying that the nervous system of Chinese people must be different from that of Westerners, so they don't feel the same as Westerners.

Of course not.It is still the courageous American Carlson who said well: "As long as the Chinese soldiers are given spiritual encouragement and enough food, there is no difficulty that they cannot overcome safely. Their perseverance is unsurpassed. They His patience is unparalleled in the world!"

Ateli also firmly believes that no matter how backward the weapons and equipment are and how poor the logistical conditions are, China will surely win because this country has the greatest soldiers in the world.

Carlson and Atri are right.Wang Yaowu's leadership made the 74th Army more well-equipped and well-equipped, and this powerful army gradually entered its heyday in history.

Take a step back

Beginning in June 1939, the Ninth War Zone, with Xue Yue as the commander-in-chief of the theater, launched a three-month guerrilla operation against the Japanese army. Although the results were not great, the threat to the Japanese army was not small.At the same time, the espionage personnel and armed units that infiltrated into enemy-occupied areas also took advantage of the momentum to launch operations. The Japanese post offices and transport teams were often attacked. The pictures were all intercepted by Chinese personnel.

In order to counter the guerrilla warfare in the ninth theater, ensure the security of the enemy-occupied area, and create momentum for the soon-to-be-established Nanjing Wang puppet regime, Commander Neiji Okamura decided to launch a sweeping large-scale attack on Changsha.

When Okamura planned this attack, he did not plan to occupy Changsha like Nanchang. This was mainly because of the shortage of garrison troops due to the expansion of the combat and occupation area.He plans to deal a huge blow to the Chinese army in the ninth theater in a short period of time through the tactics of surprise and victory, and then quickly return to the original defense zone.

In view of this, Okamura did not first touch the "Xue Boling defense line" in northern Hunan (that is, Xue Yue's defense line, Xue Yue is also known as Boling), but planned to break through from the west of Fengxin in order to confuse and contain the Chinese defense forces. The main attack direction of the 11th Army.

On the front line about 19 kilometers from Gao'an to Fengxin, four armies of Luo Zhuoying's No. 74 Army were deployed to block the way for the Japanese army to advance westward. The [-]th Army, as a theater reserve, was deployed near Fenyi, where it could move toward Gao'an or Changsha.

In response to China's deployment, Okamura mobilized the entire 11th Division and the two regiments of the [-]st Division to form the "Northern Jiangxi Attack Army".At this time, both the [-]th Division and the [-]st Division had been adjusted to a triple team system, and mules and horses had been fully implemented.The No.[-] Army Headquarters of the Japanese Army also allocated heavy artillery, tanks, and engineering units directly under the [-]th Division to the [-]th Division, which greatly enhanced its mobility and firepower.

On September 9, the 15th Division of the Japanese Army was assembled in Fengxin.According to Okamura's prior design, the 19th Division adopted a surprise attack method, with a small number of troops to contain the front, while the main force made a detour from the north wing, so that it penetrated into the rear of the Chinese No. [-] Army at once.

The defender's defensive front was in chaos, and the four armies responsible for the defense were forced to retreat again and again. Luo Zhuoying urgently asked for help from the ninth theater, requesting that the 74th army be transferred to Gao'an to fight.

There is wind in the wall, and ears in the wall. Xue Yue has obtained accurate information, knowing that the main force of the No. 11 Japanese Army is rushing to Changsha. Several armies of the No.19 Group Army came to participate in the operations in Changsha.For Xue Yue, those armies could not come. The 74th Army was recognized as the most effective army in the Ninth War Zone at that time. Of course, he wanted to use this army to fight in Changsha.

Each had their own ideas and considerations, but in the end, unable to withstand Luo Zhuoying's repeated pleadings, in order to stabilize the defense line in northern Jiangxi, Xue Yue ordered the 74th Army to immediately start from Fenyi and go to Gao'an to fight.

Under the urgent situation, Luo Zhuoying, then commander-in-chief of the No.19 Army Group, wanted to rush up all the 74th Army to help the No.30 Second Army stationed in Gao'an to support the defense line, but Chiang Kai-shek personally sent Xue Yue a message at this time. Call to inform that except for the 74th Army, the Ninth War Zone cannot transfer the rest of the troops to the Gao'an front line for reinforcement under any circumstances.

Chiang Kai-shek's telegram indicated that even if the defense line in northern Jiangxi was penetrated, Luo Zhuoying should no longer expect to use troops from northern Hunan to fill the loopholes in the defense line. The 74th Army was Luo Zhuoying's only trump card and reserve team.After weighing it over and over again, Luo Zhuoying chose the safe method of saving troops. On September 9, the No.18 Second Army was ordered to withdraw from Gao'an City, and other troops also fought and retreated, entering the second line of defense.

After occupying Gao'an, the 11th Division of the Japanese Army was very proud. When reporting to the No. [-] Army, they claimed that they had defeated the enemy in front of them through surprise attacks and roundabouts, and began to capture the retreating "Chongqing Army". "The loss is small, the result is big."

The happy news of the [-]th Division was delivered a bit too early.Taking a step back, Luo Zhuoying quickly figured out that the main force of the [-]th Division of the Japanese Army was in Huibu, west of Fengxin, and Gao An's side was just a feint attack, so there was no need for him to shrink the defense line on Gao'an's side.

After grasping the reality of the opponent, Luo Zhuoying ordered the No.30 Second Army to launch a counterattack against Gao'an again.The Japanese army occupying Gao'an belonged to a reinforced unit sent by the 9st Division to help out. It was numbered Saeda Detachment. Its strength was not very sufficient, and the terrain of Gao'an itself was not conducive to defense. Once a strong impact was made, it would lose its position. . On September 22, the 32nd Army invaded Gao'an, and the Saeda detachment was extremely embarrassed when it withdrew, and even the combat order was seized.

Seeing that the Saeda Detachment suffered a defeat, the Japanese [-]th Division simply gave up the offensive in Gao'an and put the Saeda Detachment on the defensive in order to attract as many Chinese troops as possible.

The sudden advance of the 19th Division gave Luo Zhuoying a good opportunity to wipe out the enemy.Because at this time, with the timely recovery and expansion of the Chinese second-line positions, the Japanese [-]th Division has already been strategically isolated and in-depth. As long as the No. [-] Army can send strong troops to advance northward, it can intercept the Japanese army in Fengxin. retreat.

Luo Zhuoying saw this good opportunity, he decided to stand firm first, and after the formations of the various armies were connected with each other, he divided his troops and marched northward in multiple ways.During this period, he made up his mind to call No.70 Fourth Army.

After receiving Luo Zhuoying's order, Wang Yaowu immediately sent the 51st Division northward to help the friendly forces hold on to the line of defense and buy time to attack the flanks of the Japanese [-]th Division.

After the 51st Division went north, it got in touch with the friendly army and intercepted the Japanese army at the same time. The defense line in the north was gradually consolidated.Seeing that the time was ripe, Luo Zhuoying sent a telegram to order all the troops to switch from defense to offense. At the same time, the 57th Division was also ordered to advance to Huibu and take the enemy's flank.

There have been new changes in the battlefield situation.The main force of the 57th Division of the Japanese Army was besieged on three sides, and the rear was threatened by the 11th Division. The situation was very embarrassing.Lieutenant General Nakai Ryotaro, the head of the division, felt extremely panicked, and had intentionally given up the originally scheduled meeting plan and withdrew to Fengxin.However, at this time, the main force of the No. [-] Japanese Army, which launched an attack from the front of northern Hunan, was also in a state of difficulty, and urgently needed support and cooperation from northern Jiangxi. Therefore, Okamura strictly ordered the [-]th Division not to retreat before defeating the Chinese army in front of them.

With the order in hand, Nakai concentrated all his strength to resist, and counterattacked with small troops from time to time. As a result, the offensive of the besieging troops weakened. Everyone could only wait for the good news from the 57th Division.

The 57th Division lived up to expectations. At midnight on October 10, the division broke through the Japanese security position at Hengqiao. One company rushed to the high ground northeast of Hengqiao and fired down with superior firepower, forcing the Japanese security forces to abandon their positions and flee.

Conquering Hengqiao is equivalent to cutting into the flanks of the [-]th Division of the Japanese Army.When its position was shaken, the frontal friendly forces took advantage of the momentum to attack fiercely. According to the Japanese military history: "The enemy's resistance gradually became tenacious, and they repeatedly counterattacked."

What kind of medicine is sold in the gourd
The initial surprise of the [-]th Division has long since expired, but limited to Okamura's order, and they cannot withdraw troops alone-if they want to withdraw, they must launch a reasonable offensive to prove that the [-]th Division has indeed completed "" Annihilate the main force of the Chongqing Army" strategic goal, so that it can be justifiably withdrawn to Fengxin.

After observation, the [-]th Division found a weak point in the Chinese defense line, and immediately made a key breakthrough.

At this time, although the defense line in the north of the Chinese side had a weak point, the surrounding troops were very close together. As soon as the Japanese army broke in, the reinforcements would fill in the gap, making it impossible for the [-]th Division to move forward.

Seeing the failure of the breakthrough, the head of the Zhongjing Division had no choice but to use lies instead of the results of the battle, and reported to the No. strike".

From the beginning of the Battle of Nanchang, Okamura deliberately supported the [-]th Division in order to regain confidence in the "weakest division" accused of being useless. The extent to which one destroys the other is naturally overjoyed, even saying that the current [-]th Division "makes me happy and makes me feel at ease."

Receiving Okamura's nod and letting go, Nakai was amnesty and hurriedly prepared to retreat, lest the rear road be completely cut off by the 57th Division.

The retreat of the Japanese army was a secret operation. Although the Chinese army in front seized a map of the Japanese army, which clearly indicated that the [-]th Division would withdraw to Fengxin, Luo Zhuoying still couldn’t help but feel that the opponent’s superficial gesture of not retreating or advancing He was hesitant, not knowing exactly what kind of medicine Nakai's gourd was selling.

After some research, Luo Zhuoying judged that the Japanese 74th Division would continue to attack westward.According to his order, the 51st and 58th Divisions of the [-]th Army assembled behind Shanggao, and the [-]th Division attacked north of Hengqiao in order to attack the Japanese [-]th Division with friendly forces.

In this regard, Wang Yaowu, commander of the 74th Army, is more clever than Luo Zhuoying.As early as when the [-]th Division of the Japanese Army was looking for a weak point to attack, he believed that the purpose of Nakai's offensive was not to join up with the main force in northern Hunan, but to cover the army to gain a firm foothold in Jiuxiantang, and then look for an opportunity to retreat to Fengxin .

(End of this chapter)