Chapter 57: The Battle of Songhu!

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  After Ma Lianggui left, Zhang Xinghan ordered the entire regiment to disperse. It was unlikely that they would be able to go north to fight against Japan because the Battle of Shanghai was about to break out and the First Regiment of the Training Brigade would definitely have to go to the battlefield.

  The wheels of history keep turning as usual.

  On July 9, 11 and 19 of the Republic of China in the twenty-sixth year, the Japanese North China Garrison troops reached a ceasefire agreement three times, but the Japanese army tightened its reinforcements from Korea and Kwantung to enter the pass, while continuously shelling Chinese troops.

  Both sides fought fiercely, and the friction did not stop. The Japanese army took advantage of the empty words "on-the-spot negotiations" to fight while talking, and secretly intensified the deployment of reinforcements, preparing to occupy Beiping, Tianjin, and then invade North China, destroying the whole of China.

  While Song Zheyuan, the commander of the 29th Army stationed in Beiping and Tianjin, still had hopes for peace talks at that time and was hesitant to make a decision. Moreover, Song Zheyuan himself had deep-rooted feudal warlord ideas, so after the Lugou Bridge Incident broke out, he sent a telegram to Chiang Kai-shek saying that the Beiping war could be peacefully resolved, asking Chiang Kai-shek to order the Central Army troops advancing north to temporarily suspend their advance. This resulted in missing the best opportunity for battle and laid the groundwork for the defeat of the defense of Beiping and Tianjin.

  By July 25, the Japanese reinforcement troops arrived in Pingjin one after another. At this time, the number of Japanese troops in the Pingjin area had exceeded 60,000. After the Japanese army increased its forces and deployed its combat plan, it issued an ultimatum to the 29th Army of North Ping on the afternoon of the next day, requiring the 29th Army to withdraw from the Pingjin area completely, otherwise it would take military action.

  General Song Zheyuan, commander of the 29th Army, immediately refused and on the 27th issued a telegram to the whole nation, leading the 29th Army in resolute resistance to defend the country.

  On the same day, the Japanese General Staff reported to Emperor Hirohito for approval and issued a combat mission order to the commander of the North China Garrison Army, Shunroku Hata, ordering the North China Garrison Army to attack Chinese forces in the Pingjin area.

  The next day, the commander of the North China Garrison Army of Japan, Shang Yueqing, commanded tens of thousands of Japanese troops to launch a comprehensive attack on the garrison areas of various divisions of the 29th Army in Beiping under the cover of aircraft and artillery.

  The 29th Army fought bloody resistance and engaged in a desperate battle with the Japanese army. In the afternoon of that day, General Tong Linhe, deputy commander of the 29th Army, and General Zhao Dengyu, commander of the 132nd Division, died heroically one after another.

  Under the attack of the Japanese army's superior forces and strong air power, the 29th Army suffered heavy casualties and was forced to withdraw from Beiping City, which fell on July 29.

  The next day, Tianjin also fell, and the 29th Army was forced to retreat to the north of China.

  The news of the deaths in action of Generals Zhao Dengyu and Tong Linge spread, the whole nation mourned. On July 31, the National Government posthumously awarded the two generals the rank of General of the Army.

  Just as the Japanese army clashed with the 29th Army in Beiping, the National Government not only dispatched elite troops to reinforce the north but also began preparing for the Battle of Shanghai.

  In order to gain the initiative in the war, the Military Commission discussed and reported to Chiang Kai-shek for decision, appointing General Zhang Zhizhong as the commander-in-chief of the Jiangsu-Shanghai-Hangzhou area, while establishing the Ninth Army Group with General Zhang Zhizhong as the commander-in-chief. The Ninth Army Group was under the jurisdiction of the 87th Division, 88th Division, 36th Division, and a supplementary Second Division (actually one brigade). At the same time, the 87th Division, 88th Division, and 36th Division secretly departed from Wuxi, Kunshan and other places to the Songhu area.

  Prepare to annihilate the Japanese naval landing force of over 3,000 people entrenched in Shanghai port.

  ………..

  Nanjing Xiaolingwei, Garrison of the 1st Battalion of the 1st Brigade of the PLA's Eastern Theater Command.

  The officers and soldiers of the whole army lined up to wait, the army was waiting to be dispatched. Half an hour ago, Zhang Xinghan received the order from the regimental headquarters that the first division led by Deputy Commander-in-Chief and First Division Commander Zhou Zhenqiang would secretly advance towards the Songhu area, preparing to participate in the Battle of Shanghai and besiege the Japanese Navy's Marine Corps in Shanghai.

  All the officers and soldiers looked solemn, each with a white cloth tied on their arms, and even Zhang Xinghan was no exception.

  "Attention, all units!" Zhang Xinghan shouted sternly.

  All officers and soldiers stood up straight with their heads held high and chests out, standing at attention in unison.

  Zhang Xinghan surveyed the crowd, his expression solemn as he said: "Brothers, news has come from the Northern Front that just two days ago, Pingjin fell. General Tong Lin and General Zhao Dengyu died heroically in battle against the Japanese devils. The brothers of the 29th Army have also suffered heavy casualties and are now engaged in a bloody battle with the enemy, blocking their advance. Now I order all officers and soldiers to face north and pay respects to the martyred soldiers and the two generals!"

  As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Xinghan turned around with a loud slap and gave a heavy military salute. The more than 180 officers and soldiers behind him also stood up straight and saluted in unison.

  "With the ceremony over," Zhang Xinghan turned around with a loud slap and said: "Brothers, today the enemy is gathering forces in Shanghai, attempting to launch a second Lugou Bridge Incident. Once the enemy's plot succeeds, Shanghai and Hangzhou will be in danger, the capital will be in danger! Our Chinese nation has reached its most critical moment, brothers take up your steel guns and fight the invaders to the death! Defend Greater Shanghai, defend Nanjing City!"

  "Fight to the death! Defend our homeland!" All the officers and soldiers shouted in unison with righteous indignation.

  "In compliance with the order from General Feng, I led all officers and soldiers to board the train heading for Songhu! Now I command you, target the railway station, advance at a run!" Zhang Xinghan took the opportunity to give the order.

  He immediately led all the soldiers of the whole regiment to rush to the train station in a mighty manner.

  ………

  On August 13, 1927, the various units of the Ninth Group Army of the Chinese National Revolutionary Army secretly entered Shanghai and launched an attack on the Japanese naval landing forces stationed in Shanghai under the command of General Zhang Zhizhong.

  The Battle of Shanghai officially broke out.

  The Japanese army relied on the powerful firepower of the naval guns to support, stubbornly resisted, and the Ninth Army's progress was slow, with heavy casualties.

  At the same time, Japan's General Headquarters began to urgently organize the Shanghai Expeditionary Army, with Matsui Iwane, known as a specialist in siege warfare, as its commander. Matsui led two divisions from Japan to rush to the aid of Shanghai.

  The 1st Regiment of the Central Military Academy's Instructional Corps, led by Regimental Commander Zhou Zhenqiang, was ordered to reinforce the front line. On August 15th, Zhou Zhenqiang led the 1st Regiment to Songhu, and after arriving, they immediately replaced the 264th Brigade of the 88th Division in launching an attack on the Japanese army's position at Gongda Cotton Mill.

  In the attack on the 14th, General Huang Meixing, commander of the 264th Brigade, who was in charge of commanding the brigade, made a heroic sacrifice, becoming the highest-ranking general to die since the start of the Songhu Battle.

  The 264th Brigade suffered heavy casualties and its morale was severely damaged, forcing it to retreat and regroup.

  After taking over from the 264th Brigade, Regimental Commander Zhou Zhenqiang immediately launched an attack on the Japanese army's position with the 1st and 2nd Battalions as the main assault troops.

  "Boom boom" The artillery battalion fired at the Japanese position, shell after shell fell into the enemy's fortifications, instantly setting off a dazzling fire. A dozen or so devils wearing blue naval uniforms were blown away by the blast, taking their guns with them.

  "Charge!" Zhang Xinghan, holding an MP 18 submachine gun, led a company of soldiers in an attack on the Japanese army's position at Gongda Cotton Mill under the cover of artillery fire.

  PS: These days, due to the old book being about to end and moving house at the end of the month, updates have been less frequent. One update per day for now, but starting next month after the move is complete, there will be two updates per day with around 6,000 characters each. After going online, if everything goes smoothly, daily updates of 10,000 characters will resume. Begging for recommendation tickets and collection! Thank you!