Chapter 13 Military Exercise
November 13, 1924, Huangpu Island.
Since the last time they received partial sponsorship of weapons from Sun Xinghua's father, Sun Shi Yu, the Huangpu Instructional Brigade reorganized and strengthened each battalion's artillery and machine gun equipment. In order to strengthen the combat capability of the Huangpu Instructional Brigade, Principal Chiang specially discussed with Commander He Yingqin and Deputy Commander Sun Xinghua, and once again formulated the organizational structure of the Huangpu Instructional Brigade.
The Huangpu Instructional Corps had three infantry regiments, each with two French 37mm infantry guns (aided by Sun Shiyue), two Russian-made Maxim heavy machine guns. Each battalion had a machine gun platoon (one Russian-made Maxim heavy machine gun and one Madsen light machine gun). The corps' own machine gun battalion was equipped with four Madsen light machine guns and four Russian-made Maxim heavy machine guns. A artillery regiment was also established earlier, equipped with eight Russian 76.2mm field guns and four American 120mm field howitzers. Cai Zhonggui served as the regimental commander, Chen Cheng as the commander of the first battalion of the artillery regiment, Cai Zhonggui concurrently serving as the commander of the second battalion, and Luo Zhuoying as the commander of the third battalion.
Sun Xinghua benefited from this by forming a pistol team, with Sun Xinghua as the team leader, under which there was an assault rifle platoon (24 Thompson submachine guns) and a pistol platoon (24 long and short pistols each).
This battalion was equipped with automatic weapons, although it was called a pistol team, in fact, it was used as a dare-to-die team. Chiang Kai-shek originally had no intention of letting Sun Xinghua serve as the team leader because what is known as a dare-to-die team is actually a suicide squad. Chiang Kai-shek established the pistol team entirely for preparation for future bitter battles. However, in light of Sun Xinghua's repeated pleas, Chiang Kai-shek finally agreed to let Sun Xinghua serve as team leader, but set up a deputy team leader position for him, planning to select a first-term student to take charge of the work of the pistol team.
"Are you ready to assist the nation?" He Yingqin stood on the dock of Huangpu Island, looking at Sun Xinghua beside him.
"Everything is ready, there won't be any problem." Sun Xinghua hastily replied.
He Yingqin nodded and gazed out at the distant river surface.
The weather was fine, with a gentle breeze. Premier Sun accompanied by Song Qingling, Wang Jingwei and Dai Jitao among others passed through Huangpu and once again landed on the island for a brief inspection. As soon as the "Yongfeng" gunboat appeared on the waters of Huangpu, Chiang Kai-shek, fully armed with a sword at his waist, immediately boarded a small motorboat and sped to the middle of the river to welcome and lead the way, then docked alongside the "Yongfeng" at the military academy's large wharf.
On the dock, several main officials of the Whampoa Military Academy stood in a row: Liao Zhongkai, Zhou Director, Wang Boling, He Yingqin, Sun Xinghua, Deng Yanda and Soviet political advisor Mikhail Borodin. All teachers and students were dressed neatly, wearing big hats, white gloves, holding guns and standing solemnly on both sides of the passage from the dock to the school gate, paying a gun salute to Premier Sun.
Premier Sun waved his hat and saluted the Whampoa Military Academy students.
"How is the military school situation?" Sun walked into the Whampoa Military Academy and asked Chiang.
Principal Chiang immediately replied: "The first batch of students, after half a year of intense study and training, are about to graduate. The second batch has been enrolled according to plan with 490 people. After the graduation of the first batch of students, except for those who have been assigned to the Peasant Movement Training Institute and some military units in Shaoguan at the request of various parties, they will be retained as the backbone to form the revolutionary army of our party."
Premier Sun nodded repeatedly, apparently very satisfied with such achievements.
At 4:00 pm, Premier Sun began to watch the military exercise of the Whampoa Student Brigade.
The military exercise was led by He Yingqin and Sun Xinghua. He Yingqin commanded the 3rd Battalion of the Huangpu Instructional Brigade, defending the Fish Pearl Battery area on the opposite shore of Huangpu Island. Sun Xinghua led the students from the first and second periods to attack this place.
In order to be fair, in addition to the pistol team, the school headquarters also strengthened two 37mm infantry guns and two Russian-made heavy machine guns.
More than a thousand students boarded dozens of wooden boats and bamboo rafts, braving the dense gunfire from the "enemy" side. One by one, they leapt into action, their boats reaching the opposite shore as they jumped into the waist-deep river, shouting as they charged towards the enemy's positions on the shore.
"For the sake of the cause, forward!" Charging at the forefront, the first batch of the vanguard team, Jiang Xianyun, Dong Zhao, Xu Xiangqian, Song Xilian and others, with unstoppable bravery, led the way into the "enemy" position, and planted a bright red National Army flag on the Fish Pearl Battery.
"Hurry, intercept them." Sun Xinghua watched as the Third Battalion Commander Wang Jun led his troops in a swift retreat and hastily gave orders.
The pistol team cooperated with the third student team, quickly circling around to the flank. Under Tomson's close-range attack, Wang Jun-led retreating troops were "killed" in large numbers, and the remaining part of the people were all surrounded. This exercise ended with Sun Xinghua-led student team winning the final victory.
Of course, the three camps led by Wang Jun deliberately let go a little, otherwise with the combat effectiveness of the three camps and the advantageous terrain, it would be very difficult for the student team to capture the position in just a few days.
Wang Jun did so entirely in accordance with Principal Chiang's wishes, because Principal Chiang wanted to see the best side of the Whampoa students before Premier Sun went north.
Sun Yat-sen held up a pair of binoculars and observed very carefully, almost without putting them down. After the exercise was over, he let out a long sigh and said: "This time I went to Beijing, knowing it's extremely dangerous, whether I can return or not is still uncertain; but my going north is for revolution, for saving the country and people, what danger can be spoken of? Besides, I'm already 59 years old, even if I die, I can rest in peace!"
"Premier, don't say that, Premier still has a lot of time. Premier can rest assured that with North and Central both here, we will definitely be able to train an elite party army, and won't disappoint the Premier's hopes. When the Premier returns from his trip north, he will definitely see an elite party army, and in his lifetime, he will also be able to lead the party army and achieve the Three Principles of the People." Principal Chiang hastily said.
Premier Sun shook his head, looking at Principal Chiang and said: "I have something to say. The doctrine I have been advocating, I hope can be implemented soon. Now observing the students of Whampoa Military Academy, they can endure hardships and work hard, strive so hard, must be able to inherit my revolutionary cause, achieve 'Three Principles of the People'. Everyone will die one day, as long as he dies for a good reason, if two or three years ago, I couldn't have died; now with all you students, can complete my unfinished mission, then I can die!"
Premier Sun said this, his face showing a look of excitement.
Premier Sun then shook hands with the students who took part in the military performance, encouraging them to continue working hard in their new posts and urging the second-term students on campus to study diligently and make contributions to the Party's army in the future.
Then, Principal Chiang and Liao Zhongkai jointly hosted a farewell dinner for Premier Sun.
After the banquet, Sun Yat-sen gathered all teachers and students to give a speech. He instructed them earnestly that "regardless of whether they were members of the Kuomintang or the Communist Party, for the sake of the revolutionary cause, they should shed their blood together".
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