Chapter 41: The Battle of Freshwater (5)

  "A heroic warrior dies before achieving success, causing heroes to shed tears and stain their robes."

  Cai Guangju, a native of Zunyi, Guizhou Province, enlisted in the army at the age of 21 and was admitted to the first class of Whampoa Military Academy. After graduation, he served as the party representative of the third battalion of the first teaching regiment of Whampoa, one of the few minority graduates who held this position.

  The Battle of Tamsui, Cai Guangjiu sacrificed himself at the age of 22 and was hailed as the first martyr of Huangpu.

  On the battlefield, officers and soldiers surrounded Cai Guangjie's body, taking off their hats to pay their respects.

  Principal Chiang stood by, his heart aching with an unbearable pain that no one else could ever understand. These officers were not only his students but also like his own children.

  Especially the graduates of the first phase of Whampoa, followed Director Chiang to suffer hardships. This is also why Director Chiang favored the first-phase students in the future. As long as the first-phase students did not make big mistakes, Director Chiang would tolerate them.

  "Many lives have been sacrificed for the country." Principal Chiang looked at Cai Guangjie's body and asked.

  Principal Jiang's voice was not loud, as if he was worried that he would wake up Cai Guangju who was sleeping beside him. His eyes were bloodshot and he was trying his best to control his emotions.

  "Reporting to the principal, five officers above the rank of squad leader were sacrificed, four were injured and one was seriously injured. Fifty-nine soldiers were sacrificed, 125 were injured, with 27 seriously injured." Sun Xinghua hastily stood at attention and saluted.

  Principal Chiang's tears welled up in his eyes, he patted Sun Xinghua's shoulder, turned around, adjusted his emotions, and then looked at the officers and soldiers of the three battalions: "You are great, you have fought out the prestige of our party army. Cai Guangju and others, they did not disappoint my expectations, nor did they disappoint Premier Sun's high hopes. We must inherit their legacy, capture Dongjiang, annihilate Chen Jiongming's troops, and complete their unfinished work."

  "At the beginning of school, you made a promise: do not want money, do not want life. Love the country, love the people. This time in battle, it is also the time for you to fulfill your promise. From me down to the military academy, we should all have the determination and faith to die for our conviction, with an unshakeable will." Principal Chiang looked at the officers and men of the three battalions and began his speech.

  It wasn't until fifteen minutes later that Principal Chiang finally walked into Danshui City.

  The battle here has ended, Chen Jun's soldiers fought entirely for the sake of the ocean. In the face of the party army's crazy attack, they had no will to resist. They knew that once their lives were gone, even if there was more ocean, it would be of no use.

  But the party's military forces are different. They fight for their own ideology, for their own ideals, and they sacrifice their lives for these ideologies and ideals without hesitation.

  After a brief reorganization, the three battalion troops were put into battle again. Chiang Kai-shek immediately issued an order for the First Instructional Regiment to assemble on the high ground northwest of the city to guard against Chen Jitang's reinforcements from Huizhou. The Second Instructional Regiment left one battalion to garrison the city and defend it, while the rest were stationed outside the city. The headquarters leaders set up a command center at Chongya School in the city.

  On the battlefield, morale was high among the officers and soldiers. After breaching the city walls, the three regiments did not continue to attack, but were ordered by Chiang Kai-shek to withdraw and rest.

  This time, the three battalions annihilated more than 400 Chen army officers and soldiers on the city wall, captured more than 100 people, selected a part of the captives to supplement the troops, and the three battalions restored their combat effectiveness.

  In response to the situation of the three battalions, Principal Chiang also made an immediate readjustment.

  Zheng Dongguo, the party representative of the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Regiment, was transferred to the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Regiment as a party representative. Hu Zongnan, the deputy battalion commander of the machine gun company of the 1st Regiment headquarters, was transferred to the 3rd Battalion's mortar company to serve as the company commander. Guan Linzheng, the deputy battalion commander, concurrently served as the party representative of the company.

  First Company Commander Shen Jian, Party Representative Du Yiming, Second Company Commander Hu Wei, Party Representative Song Xilian, Third Company Commander Dong Tianyong, Party Representative Sun Guangping. The party representatives of the three companies also served as deputy company commanders, which was a recognition of their performance in battle. Sun Guangping also resigned from his position as quartermaster and was replaced by Regimental Staff Officer Chen Shan.

  Chen Shan is a graduate of the first class of Huangpu, 26 years old, serving as the captain of the third company. This time he was promoted by Sun Xinghua to be the staff officer of the regimental headquarters, and also holds the most concurrent posts in the third company, concurrently serving as the regimental staff officer, quartermaster and military doctor of the third company.

  "Regimental Commander, Chen Jun's soldiers have been found." Zheng Dongguo walked from the front line into the command center and said to Sun Xinghua.

  Sun Xinghua nodded and looked at the black armband on his arm.

  "Tell the brothers that this time we must kill at least 200 enemies to avenge Cai Guangjie's party representative." Sun Xinghua took out his own pistol and shouted loudly.

  After spending some time together, he and Cai Guangjie had a very good relationship. Cai Guangjie was a man of both literary and military talents. Sun Xinghua was worried that he would sacrifice himself in Tamsui, so he took over the position of commander of the Brave Troop, but Sun Xinghua did not expect that no matter how he changed, he could not change the fact that Cai Guangjie sacrificed himself.

  "Yes." Zheng Dongguo bowed and said a word, following Sun Xinghua walking out towards the outside.

  On the ground above, the officers and soldiers looked at Chen Jun's attacking soldiers, each with an angry expression.

  Cai Guangjie had a good relationship with the three battalions and didn't put on any airs, whether it was an officer or a soldier, they all got along well with Cai Guangjie. Even those Chen army prisoners who were supplemented to the troops were very grateful for Cai Guangjie's kindness and care. Now that Cai Guangjie has become benevolent, the officers and soldiers are all holding back their breath, this time the Chen army launched an attack, but it allowed the officers and soldiers to find a place to vent.

  These Chen Jyun soldiers were reinforcements from Huizhou, numbering around three thousand. They arrived at Danshui and immediately launched an attack on the Training Corps troops.

  However, Chen Jun's superiors seemed to have forgotten the fatigue of the long march and did not know that the troops of the instructional brigade had just captured Tamsui, with high morale.

  "Fire." Lian Shen Jian gazed at Chen Jun's soldiers less than a hundred meters away and quickly gave the order.

  Machine guns and Thompson submachine guns quickly opened fire, Chen's soldiers fell to the ground one by one, those who were not killed let out painful moans.

  Chen Jun's troops were killed more than 70 people in the first charge, and there were also more than 100 wounded soldiers.

  Seeing the strong firepower network of the defending army, these Chen Jun soldiers did not dare to attack again and retreated in a hurry, choosing to break through elsewhere.

  "Third company, get ready to counterattack! Those bastards are coming up, we must teach them a good lesson!" Sun Xinghua yelled loudly as he watched Chen Jun's soldiers retreat down.

  "Yes." Dong Tianyong, the third company commander of the reserve team, replied immediately.

  However, after Chen Jun's troops retreated, they never launched an attack on the third battalion's position again, but instead chose to attack other units' positions, especially when they saw that the firepower of other positions was much weaker. No unit ever attacked the third battalion's position again.