Chapter 1485: Artillery in Place
It turned out that the 10th Army Artillery Battalion, which had received 12 US 75mm mountain guns and 4,000 rounds of artillery shells from Liuzhou, had arrived in Guilin for transit as planned, and then returned to Hengyang by special train.
This plan had long been approved by the 9th War Zone Command and reported to the Ministry of Military Affairs, but something went wrong in Guilin.
The First Artillery Brigade stationed in Guilin actually detained the artillery battalion and asked them to transfer to the brigade on the spot.
The reason was very strange, saying that Hengyang was a dead end, and 12 advanced mountain guns must not be allowed to seek death. It is better to join the brigade to prepare for a decisive battle in Guangxi Province and the Japanese army after conquering Hengyang, and contribute their own strength.
This First Artillery Brigade is not an ordinary artillery unit. They were originally directly under the Ministry of Military Affairs. Four years ago, in order to strengthen the firepower of each war zone, they were assigned to the war zone. The major general brigade commander of the First Artillery Brigade is the artillery commander of the 9th War Zone.
In 1942, the First Artillery Brigade was dispatched to Langa, India to participate in the Expeditionary Force training. The training assessment results ranked first among the artillery units participating in the training. They were commended by General Stilwell and had outstanding military achievements on the battlefield in Burma. In April 1944, they were just ordered to return to China to rest in Guangxi Province.
They dared to stop the 10th Army Artillery Battalion. In addition to the support of the bigwigs of the Ministry of Military Affairs, there was also the shadow of the Americans.
In fact, even Admiral Stilwell, the Chief of Staff of the Chinese Theater, was not optimistic about China's decisive battle with the Japanese in Hengyang. He believed that with the current deployment of Chinese troops, it was more suitable to deal with the Japanese in Guangxi Province. Putting 20,000 elite troops in Hengyang would most likely lead to the loss of 20,000 elite troops, weakening the power to fight against the Japanese, and the gains would not outweigh the losses!
In fact, he was not the only one who had such thoughts, and even the thoughts of most generals, perhaps including the commander-in-chief, who also thought that Hengyang could be defended for 3 or 4 days at most in his real world!
For example, at this time, several artillery regiments were stationed in the Fourth and Seventh War Zones along the Hunan-Guangxi Railway and the Guangdong-Hankou Railway. These artillery regiments had many artillery pieces and sufficient ammunition. However, no senior general had come forward to transfer these elite artillery troops that could arrive in Hengyang in a few days to Hengyang, but left them there to bask in the sun.
Because, in the eyes of these senior generals, Hengyang was a small place that could not be defended for a few days, so there was no need to make a big fuss about it. Not only would it not help the overall situation, but it would also waste precious artillery.
You see, everyone was pretending to be confused!
However, he could not convince the commander-in-chief, nor could he convince Tang Dao, who could contact him through Laura.
"Knowing that it is impossible and doing it is called a benevolent person; knowing that it is impossible and not doing it is called a wise man. Tang Dao is not talented, and wants to be benevolent but not wise!" Tang Dao replied to Stilwell's telegram. Not to mention that Stilwell did not understand, even Laura, who was well versed in Chinese culture, consulted books for a long time.
After understanding Tang Dao's meaning, the two Westerners, one man and one woman, one old and one young, stood in front of the window and stared at the night sky for a long time.
"Tang is the wisest Chinese I have ever seen, but also the most stubborn. We have already gained the upper hand in the Pacific battlefield. The war will be won in two years or even one year at the latest. Is it worth it to fall in the darkness before the dawn?" Stilwell spread his hands, his face full of helplessness and incomprehension.
He thought he knew the Chinese very well, but at this moment he still didn't understand them. The commander-in-chief's thoughts were easy to understand. Hengyang was the gateway to the southwest. He couldn't tolerate his own capital under the threat of the Japanese army, but why did Tang Dao and his troops still rush into the fire?
The 10th Army was forced by military orders, but the Four-Line Regiment was an engineering regiment, and it was backed by the Rockefeller Foundation and him, the chief of staff of the China Theater. The commander-in-chief with great ambitions and little talent would not be able to do anything with them.
The lover chose to seek benevolence and got benevolence, and he might die in the war. Laura should have been full of sadness, but she leaned against the railing and stared at the night sky and smiled: "General Stilwell, now you know why Laura likes Tang alone! He is the William Wallace of China!"
In ancient Chinese, there is nothing more moving and tragic than "knowing it is impossible but doing it", but what is moving is not the words, but the masters in the long history of China. Knowing that the correct proposition is at a disadvantage, the just cause is at a disadvantage, the clear mind is at a disadvantage, and their own strength is far from enough, they still stand up with the determination to die and the estimate of defeat.
What is a hero? This is a hero!
Looking through the history of Western civilization, perhaps only William Wallace, who fought for freedom, can barely meet this standard.
Stilwell felt sorry for Tang Dao and the Four-Line Regiment, but as the chief of staff of the China Theater, Stilwell had to consider the series of operations after the failure of Hengyang. The 12 new American mountain guns were all donated by the United States. He naturally did not want them to be wasted in Hengyang. As his former subordinate, the First Brigade was naturally happy to include the 12 mountain guns and a well-trained artillery battalion officers and soldiers under their command after receiving his hint.
With his support, not to mention that the generals of the 10th Army who were cursing were powerless, even the general surnamed Xue of the 9th Theater who was also jumping up and down could do nothing.
Tang Dao could only find Laura again to persuade Stilwell to order the First Artillery Brigade to let go, but Laura's reply after 12 o'clock at night was only the word "sorry".
How could a general who was promoted from a brigadier general to a four-star general in three years change his strategic and tactical deployment of a battle involving millions of lives and deaths because of personal feelings?
As a result, all efforts of the 10th Army, the 9th War Zone and Tang Dao failed.
The First Artillery Brigade controls the railway traffic with authority. Even without authority or armed intervention, it is estimated that it will take more than 20 days for the officers and soldiers of the 10th Army Artillery Battalion to reach Hengyang by carrying it on their shoulders and hands. By then, the opportunity will probably be gone. If there is no miracle, the 10th Army Artillery Battalion can basically only watch their comrades in Guilin fighting the Japanese in Hengyang and shed their last drop of blood, but they are powerless.
If things go wrong, they will be the only two complete units left in the 10th Army.
No, perhaps when the main forces of the two main infantry divisions of the 10th Army are completely lost, the commander surnamed Xue, who has always been resentful of the 10th Army, is very likely to propose to the higher authorities to withdraw the army to a division and reduce its army-level organization.
The artillery battalion was naturally incorporated into the First Artillery Brigade, and the 10th Army, an infantry army that won the title of "Taishan Army", disappeared in an instant.
Even Tang Dao frowned deeply and thought that this powerful artillery battalion would not be able to return to Hengyang, and the gears of fate turned again.
If a drowning person does not have external rescue, he can only rely on himself to survive.
The 10th Army Artillery Battalion did not sit still and wait for death. Major Battalion Commander Zhang Zuoxiang, who graduated from the 13th class of Huangpu Military Academy, filed a complaint with the Military Commission: "Since I went to Yunnan to change my uniform, it has been nearly three months. All the 10th Army comrades have been eagerly waiting. Commander Fang often leans against the door and looks forward to it. I and all the comrades in the battalion are looking forward to returning to Hengyang, just like a wanderer looking forward to returning.
Especially because Hengyang is flat on three sides and faces the river on one side, there is no strategic location. The army is short of artillery, and the comrades have no firepower to cover. They can only exchange their flesh and blood for the fierce artillery fire of the enemy. Whenever I think of this, I and all the comrades in the battalion shed tears.
If I build another brigade, it will be spared for both public and private reasons."
A telegram from an artillery major is basically destined for the trash can for the highest-level command organization such as the Military Commission, but the magical thing is that this telegram was actually seen by Minister He, the second-in-command of the Chinese military, and he was deeply moved.
Even a blind man knows what is happening in Hengyang now. It is a place to fill the hole for Mr. Xue who made a big mistake out of arrogance. Eighty percent of those who are there will die.
As a result, a small artillery battalion commander is so loyal and righteous. He is willing to die for his comrades in a safe place. He is really loyal and brave.
So, the Minister of Military Affairs personally came forward to coordinate. On the afternoon of May 25, the First Artillery Brigade was finally released and the 10th Army Artillery Battalion was allowed to board the train. It is expected to arrive in Hengyang in 2 days.
Railway traffic is still smooth, which may be the only advantage of the Hengyang defenders at this time!
The Japanese 11th Army suffered little infantry loss in conquering Tanzhou, but the air force suffered huge losses. Although the Chinese Expeditionary Force Command is still trying its best to coordinate and replenish, it cannot pose a threat to the Hengyang airspace in the short term.
In order to ensure air supremacy in Hengyang, China and the United States have once again invested more than 200 fighters, patrolling around the traffic line almost around the clock.
Otherwise, if the Japanese fighter planes had full air superiority a few years ago, the trains that were frantically feeding supplies to Hengyang would only become live targets for Japanese fighter planes, and transporting 70,000 to 80,000 old, weak, women and children in Hengyang would be in vain.
Seeing that the artillery battalion was about to return, Tang Dao took stock of all the artillery of the 10th Army. Before the war, there were 4 field guns and 16 mountain guns. As for shells, the artillery battalion brought 4,000 rounds, plus the 20,000 shells of various types that the person promised to give, the shells should be enough.
If the 24 artillery pieces of the Four-line Regiment Artillery Battalion are added, the total number of large-caliber artillery pieces is 44, which is barely enough. What is lacking now is a qualified artillery commander.
Originally, Tang Dao subconsciously wanted to choose one of Pang Dahai or Cheng Tieshou as the artillery commander in Hengyang City, but he quickly rejected this idea.
Because the main force defending the city is the 10th Army, and the Four-Line Regiment is only a regiment-level unit. Bai Sheng is already the second-in-command of the engineering corps, second only to Zhao Junmai. If there is another supreme commander of the artillery, even if the 10th Army does not want to say anything, someone will say something strange.
He is now not only the head of a regiment, but also the director of operations of a war zone. He cannot make a decision based on his own preferences, but also has to consider the acceptance of friendly forces.
Zhang Zuoxiang, the artillery battalion commander of the 10th Army who successfully saved himself, is a character and can be a candidate for the artillery commander, but it will take two or three days for them to come back, and it is a bit too late.
Now the artillery in the city needs to be integrated, and the hills, mountains, intersections and other targets around Hengyang and all buildings that can be called landmarks need to be measured in detail, the shooting parameters need to be set in advance, and a 1:20,000 punctuation map needs to be made. In this way, the efficiency of the artillery will be greatly improved, especially the mountains and hills in the south and southwest of the city, which will become the focus of the artillery attacks of the Chinese and Japanese armies. The more detailed the punctuation is, the more accurate the artillery fire will be and the stronger the lethality will be.
When Tang Dao was having a headache and wanted to discuss it with Zhao Zili, someone suddenly came to report that a reinforcement force of artillery had arrived, led by Cai Rulin, the supervisor of the 9th War Zone.
When Tang Dao inquired about this person's background, he was immediately overjoyed.
It turned out that this Army Lieutenant Colonel Cai Rulin was quite a figure. He had served as the artillery battalion commander of the 10th Reserve Division of the 10th Army, and was later promoted to deputy commander of the artillery regiment directly under the theater. His command of artillery was extremely famous throughout the 9th Theater. But somehow he came to Hengyang as a supervising officer and brought an artillery unit with him.
He is not only a war supervisor sent by the war zone, but also an old member of the 10th Army, and has a very high ability to command artillery. Isn't he the best candidate for the artillery commander?
Tang Dao immediately went out of the city to greet him!
However, when Tang Dao saw the artillery commander of the Hengyang war zone that he had already decided on in his mind, he was slightly different from what he imagined.
He has two artillery officers under him. Cheng Tie is hot-tempered, and Pang Da is a sponge with a needle. Their personalities are completely different, but they have one thing in common. They are neat and tidy during the march and attach great importance to their appearance. Even if Pang Dahai takes off his military uniform when he is excited during the war and carries the shells to load the artillery himself, his shirt buttons are buttoned tightly, and he will never easily reveal his fat.
In his words, a commander must look like a commander. If the commander is not well-dressed, then everyone will fight with bare chests. Isn't it the same for bandits!
After a few years, it was not only Tang Dao who grew up, his old comrades also looked more and more like commanders.
The straight backs and solemn and neat military appearance of Chinese soldiers were never just for show, they represented the spirit of an army!
When Tang Dao saw this war supervisor, Cai Rulin was carrying three Zhongzheng rifles across his body, with yellow bullet bags hanging from left to right on his chest, blue fried rice bags hanging from right to left, and a bunch of messy observation equipment such as binoculars hanging on his back. He was busy and sweating. He didn't look like a lieutenant colonel war supervisor at all, but a civilian laborer who was temporarily assigned to work.
When he saw Tang Dao, who had the rank of colonel, coming over, he immediately raised his hand to salute, but he had too much equipment on his body, so the military salute was terrible.
"I am Tang Dao, the head of the Four-Line Regiment, what are you doing, war supervisor Cai?" Tang Dao returned the salute and smiled gently.
"It turned out to be Captain Tang. Well, to be honest with you, I came to Hengyang this time. Cai Rulin almost cried.
At the same time, a 'cooing' sound was heard, which was very clear even in the noisy military camp.
"My brothers and I haven't eaten for a day and a night." Cai Rulin blushed, but told the truth without disguising it.
"Dayu, let the kitchen team prepare food for the artillery brothers. No, send the canned beef and instant rations immediately." Tang Dao ordered immediately. "Brother Cai, how many people do you have?"
"We have 433 people! They are all brothers I brought from the 2nd Regiment of the 3rd Artillery Brigade." Cai Rulin said hurriedly.
After Cai Rulin wolfed down two cans of canned food and a bag of instant rations, and listened to his detailed story, Tang Dao knew how this man became a war supervisor and brought an artillery from near Tanzhou to Hengyang.
It turned out that the lieutenant colonel deputy commander was ordered to lead two mortar battalions to deploy on the flank of Yuelu Mountain. As a result, the Japanese army took a different approach, avoiding their attack range and directly attacked the field artillery positions of Yuelu Mountain. In addition, the two infantry divisions collapsed unexpectedly when crossing the river, and the infantry of Yuelu Mountain was insufficient, which led to a rapid collapse.
Cai Rulin could only move south quickly with two mortar battalions. Later, Tanzhou fell. Cai Rulin, who had nowhere to go, initially planned to return to the war zone headquarters with the mortar battalion. Who knew that after finally contacting the headquarters, the headquarters gave him the title of supervisor and ordered him to rush to Hengyang overnight.
It is estimated that from the perspective of the general surnamed Xue, the two mortar battalions did not have much effect on the large battlefield, but it was also his support for the Hengyang defenders. He could deal with the Military Commission and give some explanations to the 10th Army.
The order was easy to give, but Cai Rulin and the artillerymen had to run themselves to death. More than 400 of them carried a total of 32 mortars and 800 shells, but only 20 pack horses.
Not counting the nearly 40 kilograms of the gun body, the 800 shells alone weighed 6 pounds each, and 800 shells weighed 4,800 pounds. A box of shells had 5 shells, 30 pounds, and a total of 160 wooden boxes were needed. A horse could carry at most 250 pounds, which was 8 wooden boxes. The 26 pack horses were weak, and the artillerymen were afraid of tiring the horses to death, so they put at most 6 wooden boxes. A total of 120 wooden boxes were transported by pack horses, and the rest had to rely on manpower.
A mortar body and gun carriage required 4 people to carry. If divided into three shifts, that would be 12 people. 32 guns required 360 people to take care of them, and the remaining 70 people had to carry 60 shell boxes and other supplies.
No wonder Cai Rulin, the lieutenant colonel deputy commander, was covered with all kinds of equipment. Fortunately, he took a train for most of the day to save them 200 miles. Otherwise, he, the war zone supervisor, and more than 400 artillerymen and 32 mortars could not reach Hengyang at all.
Even so, he survived on a small amount of fried rice for 24 hours, which was the only food brought down from the battlefield.
Let alone the ability, just this attitude and perseverance, Tang Dao knew that he did not choose the wrong person.
A good artillery commander and the unexpected addition of 32 mortars have allowed the artillery output in Hengyang City to reach the passing line.