Chapter 102 The ruler is short and the inch is long
Tang Shengzhi's wishful thinking of inspecting Dong Daying failed to come true. Early the next morning, a commendation telegram from Chiang Kai-shek, Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Expeditionary Army, was delivered to Tang Shengzhi's breakfast table. In addition to praising the brilliant achievements of the Left Column and the Eighth Army,
In addition to the praise, he left this sentence at the end of the telegram:
The Seventh Army has been very depleted by hard fighting for days. After repeated consideration by the headquarters, it is planned to transfer Division Liu She to the reserve of the Seventh Army. I hope that my brother will take advantage of the victory to attack and lead his troops to the predetermined battlefield south of Tingsi Bridge as soon as possible. We will be able to defeat the enemy with all our strength soon.
Before Tang Shengzhi could figure out the deeper meaning of Chiang Kai-shek's telegram, his staff urgently came to report: A call from the headquarters. The inspection team led by the head of the advisory group, General Gallen, will arrive at our army station by special train at noon to offer condolences. Also: Command of the right column
The special train dispatched by the Ministry from Puqi is about to arrive at Chengdong Station. Liu She, the commander of the Second Division of the First Army, and Hu Shusen, the chief of staff, have arrived at the front office and said that they have received an urgent order from the headquarters to break camp and go north to urgently support General Li Delin's headquarters. They came to the military seat.
Farewell!
Tang Shengzhi took the telegram and read it again, handed it to Liu Wendao who was opposite him and asked in a low voice: "What does Brother Yongqing think of this matter?"
Liu Wendao handed the read telegram to the staff officer, waved his hand to ask the staff officer to leave, gently wiped the corners of his mouth with a white napkin, and explained slowly:
"It's very simple. Our troops have been having difficulty crossing the river due to the lack of ships in recent days. The progress of the entire army has been delayed by a day and a half compared to the scheduled time. The 7th and 4th armies commanded by Li Delin have made rapid progress since the war began. There has been no day without fighting. The day before yesterday and the day before yesterday were two consecutive days.
Fighting fiercely with the enemy at Yangjialing in the south of Tingsi Bridge, from Guantangyi to Taiyidong. They were able to repulse the stubborn enemy and approached Tingsi Bridge. They faced off with strong enemies at both ends of the bridge. The seventh and fourth armies were already exhausted by this point.
, could no longer advance under the powerful artillery fire of the Northern Army.
It is estimated that the Northern Expeditionary Army headquarters saw this and was anxious, so they sent important figures like Galen to urge our army to rush to the battlefield as soon as possible in the name of condolences. As for the urgent dispatch of Liu She's Second Division to rush to the battlefield, there can only be two explanations.
First, the relatively weak Seventh Army of Li Delin really needed the support of Liu She's division. Second, Commander-in-Chief Chiang had lost his patience when he saw that his direct troops were doing nothing behind our army. Or it was a combination of the above two points, but no one wanted to
Just look into it."
"That makes sense, let's go out and meet Liu Zhen together. We have been working together for many days, so we should start well and end well, haha!" Tang Shengzhi laughed, stood up slowly, and motioned to the adjutant to hand over the specially made general's hat.
At Yanglousi Railway Station, the Engineer Battalion of the Second Division, which had just been fully staffed and had no time to rest, was arranged to take the second train entering the station together with the divisional departments.
Since the first extended train carrying the three main divisions had set off twenty minutes ago, the pitifully small artillery force also went northward by land together with the automobile company. The 500 officers and soldiers of the Anyi Camp, 25 horses and engineers
The baggage was successfully boarded on a special train with 13 carriages, bound for Guantangyi, 60 kilometers away in the northeast.
An Yi was chatting with the division staff on the platform just now and learned that Liu She, the division commander, called the principal last night and told the principal of the greedy Eighth Army's despicable attempt to rob them halfway. An hour later, the principal called back and ordered the second division to prepare for departure.
, so there was an order to go north immediately before dawn.
An Yi also found out that the headquarters of General Li Zongren of the right column was located in Guantangyi, which was only nine kilometers away from the Tingsi Bridge, the second railway bridge on the Han-Changchun Railway. He remembered what Zhang Chengzhu said about the powerful
The range and lethality of the large-caliber artillery on the armored train made me worried about Li Zongren and other Seventh Army officers.
The steam train crawled like a snail, like an old asthma patient. It took four hours to complete the fifty-six kilometers.
The train arrived at Quanhongsi Station and stopped. The divisional staff ordered the staff to blow the whistle for getting off the train. An Yi, who jumped off the train, took out the map and looked carefully and realized that this place was still four miles away from the original destination Guantang Station.
Point two kilometers away, there are still thirteen kilometers away from the main battlefield of Tingsi Bridge where the sound of gunfire can be heard constantly.
After everyone got off the bus and assembled, deputy division commander Xu Tingyao came to An Yi with several combat staff and ordered An Yi to lead his troops to camp at Yanjiawan, five kilometers east, and required the engineer battalion to make emergency repairs before 6:30 in the evening.
The broken bridge 800 meters north of Yanjiawan was used to restore the road traffic between the Seventh Army and the Fourth Army. After the task was completed, they stayed in place to rest and guard the bridge, waiting for the next order from the division headquarters.
The lieutenant colonel and staff director handed An Yi a leather cylinder with a diameter of about ten centimeters and a length of about ninety centimeters, which contained a new detailed map of the combat area and order documents. The lieutenant colonel director kindly told An Yi: Pay attention to the enemy at all times.
In the long-range artillery attack, the 30-meter-long highway bridge in Yanjiawan was blown up by the enemy's heavy artillery. The straight-line distance between Yanjiawan and the enemy artillery position north of Tingsi Bridge was less than ten kilometers.
Finally, Xu Tingyao pulled An Yi aside and told him in a low voice: From now on, the division will face a real fierce battle. Logistics support and ammunition transportation are unprecedentedly important. Engineer Battalion Commander Kuang Shimin received an order to report to the division headquarters yesterday afternoon.
He also entered the Munitions Department to carry out intense military resources allocation and connection work, and no longer served as the engineer battalion commander. At this critical moment, the division headquarters could not spare time to hold a meeting for this purpose. The engineer battalion commander position was taken by An Yi, waiting for the war.
The division headquarters will pause for a moment to confirm the following, hoping that An Yi and his two assistants will not disappoint Shangfeng's ardent expectations.
An Yi thanked and saluted in a low voice and said goodbye. In the hustle and bustle of the station, he ordered Huzi to lead the brothers in the first company and the second platoon to set off first, clear the traffic along the way, do a good job in investigation and security, and determine the camp site in Yanjiawan.
Set up warning posts.
Beard was ordered to leave. An Yi got on his horse amidst the rumble of cannon fire from the north. Together with Yin Jinan, he led his newly replenished brothers and then set off, quickly heading towards Yanjiawan along the field path east of Quanhong Temple.
In the fast-moving team, the veterans seemed not to have heard the rumbling of the cannons, and they kept joking to the panicked recruits. After they were almost amused, they finally told the anxious recruits, don't listen to this rumbling.
The sound of explosions and screaming shells piercing the air is scary. In fact, the impact point of the shells is at least three kilometers away from us, so there is nothing to worry about.
An Yi watched with joy and was very satisfied with the hundreds of new veterans in his army. These veterans who had gone through countless fierce battles relied on their rich experience, strong will to survive, excellent physical fitness and excellent military skills.
Those who survive will bring extremely valuable experience to the entire battalion, greatly improve the overall combat effectiveness of the unit, and play a good role in helping others.
However, An Yi felt that it was necessary to make them realize their shortcomings due to some stubborn ideas in the minds of the newly joined veterans and the blind sense of superiority they had upon entering the battlefield, and also to prevent the more than 300 veterans he had brought in from entering the battlefield.
Brothers who have been on the real battlefield should not underestimate themselves, use practical actions to build the confidence of these brothers, and show their true abilities to these awesome new veterans, so that the old and new brothers in the whole battalion can learn from each other's strengths and make each other more harmonious.
get along with each other.
Having made up his mind, An Yi reined in his horse and waited for Yin Jinan, who was behind the team, to catch up. He explained his idea in detail and immediately gained Yin Jinan's agreement.
An hour later, all the brothers in the battalion camped at the river bend north of Yanjiawan Village. The brothers in the cooking team quickly unloaded their belongings and buried pots to make rice. Yin Jinan immediately gathered his team without saying a word and asked the engineering brothers from the 2nd and 3rd companies.
An emergency order was issued: the second and third company officers immediately led their squad and platoon leaders to the broken bridge ahead, and measured the extent of damage to the broken bridge and the amount of work required as quickly as possible. The remaining brothers put down their bags and prepared tools under the leadership of their respective instructors.
, rushed to the broken bridge within ten minutes and went all out for construction.
The more than 120 new veterans who had not decided which company to join were suddenly dumbfounded. They did not expect that the commander would issue such an urgent order just after they had arrived at their destination and had not yet had a belated lunch.
These more than 120 brothers saw the brothers of the 2nd and 3rd companies getting ready in the blink of an eye, carrying all kinds of strange tools on their shoulders, lining up neatly and running towards the north shouting majestic slogans. They didn't know what to do for a moment.
.
At this moment, An Yi happily walked up to everyone and relaxedly invited the more than a hundred brothers to come and have a look. Anyway, there was still more than an hour before dinner, so go and see how our brothers from the second and third companies were doing.
Those who work will also benefit the brothers in the future.
The Yanjiawan Highway Bridge is a reinforced concrete bridge running from north to south. The bridge deck is only four meters wide and has a span of about 36 meters. There are three support piers distributed in the middle of the river and on the north and south sides. It was originally built by the Hubei Provincial Government directly.
It was built a year ago. Two days ago, it was hit by an unexpected large-caliber artillery shell during a fierce artillery exchange between the two armies. The bridge deck near the south bank was blown off and an irregular fracture more than five meters wide appeared. The supporting bridge piers
Nothing is damaged or loose.
After on-site investigation and analysis, the company platoon leader led by Yin Jinan was very confident that it could be repaired within three hours using logs and steel fasteners and connectors carried by the headquarters. The logs were very convenient to obtain.
There are patches of thick cypress trees growing on the hills. They can be cut down and thrown into the river and transported down the river to the broken bridge for construction. Due to the continuous drought, the depth of the river is only about 1.4 meters, and the sandy and gravel river bed provides stability for the construction.
The support is convenient. The bridge deck supported by logs with a diameter of more than 30 centimeters can fully withstand the safe driving of a five-ton truck. If nothing happens, the safe service period will be at least one year.
As Yin Jinan issued orders one by one, 250 brothers from the second and third companies, led by the squad platoon leader, went to various construction sites and logging sites.
Suddenly, several large-caliber artillery shells roared over and fell five hundred meters northeast. The huge explosion shook the ground and deafened the ears. The mud and rocks kicked up by the explosion shot up and fell overwhelmingly, frightening two hundred people.
Fifty construction brothers were so frightened that they fled back to the broken bridge, causing ridicule from the new veterans who were sitting on the bridge without fear.
The explosion was so close and the destructive power was so great. This was the first time An Yi faced it. In fact, he was quite frightened. However, amid the ridicule of the veteran ruffians, An Yi strode up to the broken bridge, pulled out his shell gun and walked to the end of the broken bridge.
Duan Kou fired three shots into the sky, finally stopping the brothers who were running back in panic on the shore and by the water.
After the explosion faded away, the three gunshots also silenced the hundreds of new veterans who were laughing at the bridge. The entire battalion officers and soldiers, including the brothers who were on guard on all sides, looked at An Yi in panic.
An Yi put away his gun and shouted at the frustrated engineers: "Brothers, you are all brought out by me. From the founding of our engineer battalion to the present, you have made achievements one after another that have impressed the whole army and become the world's most respected engineer."
The pride and role model of the army has become an example for the whole army to learn from! But look at you now, how do you look like a revolutionary army? A few cannonballs scared your soul away? Look, there are more than a hundred people sitting at the bridge.
The old ruffians are standing still, they are laughing at you with their mouths wide open, laughing at you for being timid, laughing at you for being so frightened by a few shells that your balls are all gone! Don't you feel ashamed? In comparison, you are just a bunch of cowards.
You are a loser! Once you arrive on the battlefield, you will be so scared that you lose your balls!"
The brothers were all dumbfounded by An Yi's harsh words that he had never scolded before. They stood there at a loss. An Yi glanced at the ashamed faces fiercely. When he saw that they were done, he yelled loudly:
"From now until the end of the construction, I will stand on this broken bridge and stay with the brothers. If God is not forgiving and allows the cannonballs to fly over, I will be killed first, but before I die, brothers
We are going to act like a model company for the whole army, let all the brothers see what you are capable of, and see if you still have balls! Let’s start work——”
The brothers who were full of guilt no longer had any fear. They all turned around and rushed to each construction site and started working desperately. Big trees fell down under the astonished gaze of more than a hundred veterans on the bridge, and thick ropes were flying.
At both ends of the broken bridge, groups of components were quickly transported to the bridge deck...
When the first six-meter-long thick log was pushed under the broken bridge along the current, An Yi took off his belt and carried a gun, threw it to Dong Yazi on the shore, jumped off the five-meter-high broken bridge, and jumped from the water.
After getting out, he caught the rope thrown by the brother on the broken bridge and quickly tied up the logs. Another brother also jumped off the broken bridge without risking his own life, holding a hammer in one hand and a special steel nail in the other and started hammering hard.
Following An Yi's shout, the brothers on the broken bridge grasped the rope ends and exerted force in unison. The six-meter-long thick log weighing nearly a ton was quickly erected with the concerted efforts of more than 20 brothers.
Then the brothers on the broken bridge fixed it firmly with a special steel sleeve. The hundreds of veterans at the bridge were stunned and ashamed.
Instructor Huang Yingwu excitedly ran onto the broken bridge and sang loudly at the top of his voice: "Come on and do it, hey, forget it if you die, hey, if you don't do it, I won't do it, he won't do it, get the hell out of here..."
"
This song, sung in an extremely difficult situation since the troops started embarking on the Northern Expedition, immediately resonated with more than 300 old brothers. All the fear, shame, regret and uneasiness turned into huge strength and uneasiness in the blink of an eye.
With a sense of pride, the heroic singing of hundreds of people covered up the rumbling explosions not far away, causing the river to rise and fall, shaking the hearts of more than a hundred new brothers at the bridge, and causing more than a hundred households in Yanjiawan to open their doors.
The closed door, one by one involuntarily walked towards the broken bridge...
Deeply moved, the new cannon platoon leader Shi Junren stood up, stripped off his clothes several times, and shouted loudly to the hundreds of brothers around him: "Brothers, if you have balls, just follow me -"
In less than a minute, more than a hundred new brothers rushed down the embankment and jumped into the water. In small groups, they held on to giant trees and started working together with the old brothers.
Panting, An Yi climbed up to the middle pier base, wiped the water from his head, and laughed wildly...