The station was brightly lit and busy. Two locomotives were emitting thick smoke, dragging gondolas to form special trains. Thousands of railway workers and nearby residents came to help, and together with thousands of independent division officers and soldiers, a group of trains were assembled.
The sleepers and rails carried them out of the warehouse.
Liu Shoujiang looked at the moving scene of the enthusiastic army and civilians in front of him and was very moved. Just now, he was still doubtful about giving more than 300 long and short guns to the workers' pickets, fearing that they would be used by the Communist Party to create hidden dangers. Now he sees so many workers and
The scene of strong support from the local people made me sigh with emotion: "Master, it seems that your decision is right."
An Yi was chatting with Yin Jinan in a low voice. Hearing Liu Shoujiang's sudden words, he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, then he understood, waved his hand and said:
"Old Liu, you are too polite. These are extraordinary times, and we have to use extraordinary means! Otherwise, at this moment when all the Northern Expedition departments are competing to retreat, it would be difficult for us to support it with our own strength. If it weren't for the help of the railway masters
, we simply cannot make adjustments in time.
I will have to follow the train to meet with General Wang Tianpei later. Jinan and Lao Yang need to go to the flank positions to prepare for the response. You and Hu Hu will stay at the division headquarters and lead the division's various units to command the overall situation.
It seems that you will have to work harder tonight. We left in a hurry and were busy building fortifications when we got here. We didn't take care of the logistics at all. If we can successfully bring back the main force of General Wang Tianpei's Tenth Army in the early morning, by then
Food for 50,000 to 60,000 people will be a big problem. The brothers in the logistics department have to be ordered to set up pots and cook meals overnight. The officers and soldiers are hungry and have no fighting capacity. I estimate that the next step will be a tough battle. Mobilize the masses as soon as possible and purchase
Stock up on food!”
"Don't worry, I will handle this matter. With the support of so many enthusiastic people, I should be able to make food for tens of thousands of people before dawn." Liu Shoujiang agreed happily.
At this time, Zhou Enrong and two sturdy railway workers strode towards An Yi. After greeting Yin Jinan and Liu Shoujiang, Zhou Enrong smiled at An Yi and said: "General An, all the preparations have been completed, and we can set off now.
."
An Yi glanced at the military belt around Zhou Enrong's waist and saw a piece of red silk carefully tied on the handle of the shell gun. He was full of energy and quite heroic. The two smiling workers behind him were also dressed like him.
Obviously they were all leaders of the workers' picket team. They couldn't help but nodded and joked lightly: "Uncle Zhou, the red silk on the handle of this gun is really beautiful. Was it my sister-in-law who tied it on for you?"
Zhou Enrong grinned happily: "Yes, you were right, it was indeed made by your sister-in-law! In addition to being beautiful, the red silk tie also means peace and auspiciousness. She is looking forward to my safe return, and even more
I hope the Northern Expeditionary Army will win the battle!"
Everyone laughed and laughed. An Yi whispered a few words to Yin Jinan, and then boarded the dark locomotive with Zhou Enrong.
Shen Fengdao followed An Yi calmly, while Lin Yaodong led a well-equipped guard to jump on the second carriage. The eighteen-car-long train slowly drove out of the platform, piercing the dark night sky and heading towards the shrouded darkness.
"Rumble" to the north.
At Liguo Town Station, seven kilometers south of Hanzhuang, there was a bustle of people and a commotion. The officers and soldiers were shouting and hopping around like headless flies. There were calls for their own companies everywhere, as is customary for defeated armies.
Dispersion and panic could be seen everywhere. Under the influence of intensive gunfire and the sound of shell explosions coming from four kilometers to the north from time to time, the whole situation was surprisingly chaotic.
The short and stocky General Wang Tianpei, surrounded by Deputy Army Commander Jin Handing, Chief of Staff Gao Guanwu, Party Representative Zhou Zhongliang and a group of generals, strode onto the chaotic platform. Nearly a hundred guards rushed in front, attacking with rifle butts and whips.
The officers and soldiers, who were almost panicking and huddled together, beat them up without thinking, and soon opened up a wide space.
Ding Zhicheng, who had taken a locomotive to contact him in advance, saw a group of generals approaching, jumped off the locomotive, and hurried forward to salute:
"Report to the general, Ding Zhicheng, commander of the independent division guard battalion, has been ordered to come and contact the general!"
Although Wang Tianpei was panicking in his heart, his face looked calm. He returned the greeting with a polite smile and said, "Thank you, Battalion Commander Ding! Has General An arrived at Liuquan?"
"Reporting back to the general, our division arrived at Liuquan in the afternoon. After four hours of hard work, we have now successfully constructed a three-kilometer-long defensive position. Later, the division will personally bring a two-car extended train
Gondola, order your subordinates to seek the general's opinion whether to send the baggage and logistics officers and soldiers back to Liuquan first?" Ding Zhicheng replied.
“So thoughtful!”
Jin Handing felt relieved and said with great gratitude: "Military officer, it's rare that General An has thought so carefully. Should you transport the withdrawn artillery regiment to Liuquan first?"
Wang Tianpei was in a much better mood. He nodded and said, "Let's do it like this. Give me the order. All the troops on the platform and in the town should stand still and not move. Let the artillery regiment drive here first."
"yes!"
Ding Zhicheng pointed to the densely packed officers and soldiers around him and boldly suggested: "General, if you can, please order the brothers of the two regiments to quickly move sandbag boards. The platform is too low and it is difficult to drag the artillery onto the train. It will save money to prepare in advance."
It takes a lot of time.”
Wang Tianpei smiled awkwardly and waved his hand. Several major generals behind him ran out knowingly and issued orders loudly. Thousands of officers and soldiers spent more than ten minutes before they finally gathered together and then went around looking for guys to do it.
stand up.
Half an hour later, more than a dozen temporary loading and unloading approach bridges were set up one after another. Thirty-four artillery pieces from the 10th Army Artillery Regiment moved quickly under the pull of horses. More than a thousand artillerymen looked nervous and kept shouting. Ding Zhicheng and
The dozen brothers behind him shook their heads frequently and underestimated the combat effectiveness of the Tenth Army.
At this moment, the special train An Yi was riding slowly entered the platform.
Looking at the long train, Wang Tianpei finally let go of his worries. He immediately led his generals to follow Ding Zhicheng and others and strode towards the stopped train.
An Yi jumped out of the car and stepped forward to greet him respectfully. Wang Tianpei and others had met and chatted with An Yi at the Xuzhou Conference. It was natural that they were no strangers when they met now, and they greeted each other like old friends.
An Yi, who was covered in soot, was not polite. He took Wang Tianpei's hand and walked far away. Leaving the noisy platform and the thick smoke and steam, he stopped in front of a tin house. He immediately asked about the battle situation on the front line and learned that
The four divisions of the Tenth Army were resisting tenaciously on the south bank of the front, and the two scattered divisions were gathering and immediately made suggestions to Wang Tianpei:
The divisions in the front retreated quietly step by step in regiment units. Only one regiment from each division was left on the position to keep firing across the river with the enemy who had postponed the attack. Under the cover of the rainy night, the main force was withdrawn to Liuzhou.
On the first line of spring, a solid barrier has been built
The two wings of the independent divisions that attacked the position stopped to build defensive positions. After the main division was settled, it immediately turned back to resist the enemy. The scattered divisions and regiments moved to the rear of the position to quickly rest and be used as strategic reserves to meet the upcoming battle.
Wang Tianpei, Jin Handing and others briefly discussed and then agreed, and orders were quickly sent to the front from the small warehouse next to the platform. Zhou Enrong, who was informed by Ding Zhicheng, took on the responsibility of dispatching the commander-in-chief of the retreat operation, and soon sent the artillery of the Tenth Army to the front.
More than 3,000 officers and soldiers from the regiment's equipment and logistics department were transported back to Liuquan.
Several lanterns were hung in the temporary headquarters, and the map surrounding a group of generals was brightly illuminated. As Wang Tianci, commander of the 28th Division of the Tenth Army, led the three main regiments to retreat quietly, the other 29,
The main regiments of the 32nd Division also withdrew to the platform one after another. Under the calm command of the military ministers, they quickly and orderly boarded the train that had just returned.
The sky was slightly bright, and the troops were almost finished withdrawing. The train that was responsible for the last transportation mission slowly pulled into the station under the command of Zhou Enrong and two deputies. An Yi, who had been busy all night, finally felt relieved. He spent more than three hours talking to Wang Tianpei.
Discuss with the commanders of the divisions of the Tenth Army the troop allocation for the blockade battle, artillery
On issues such as application and mutual coordination, An Yi's decisive strategy and reasonable layout were unanimously recognized by Wang Tianpei and others. These generals from Guizhou finally appreciated An Yi's outstanding military talent and fearless general demeanor in the face of danger, and they expressed their opinions from time to time during the discussion.
The compliments made An Yi feel embarrassed.
Yan Deji, the commander of the instructor division responsible for the post-breakup task, rushed to the headquarters to report that the enemy's three armies had begun preparations for a full-scale attack. The first round of test firings from the enemy's two artillery positions accurately destroyed three firepower points on the south bank of the iron bridge.
The brothers in the six regiments could hardly stand it any longer.
Wang Tianpei glared at Yan Deji angrily and scolded: "Why are you panicking? Ah? What are you panicking about? Aren't I also within the range of the enemy's artillery? Why are you panicking?"
Yan Deji turned pale with fright. He didn't know how to answer for a moment. Jin Handing stepped forward and rescued the siege kindly: "Commander Yan, please return to the frontline organization headquarters and retreat. The train to meet you has arrived. Time is tight and there is no room for any delay."
procrastination."
"I obey my orders!"
Yan Deji saluted with relief, stepped out of the command post, got on his horse, and quickly ran to the front line.
An Yi saw Ding Zhicheng nodding to him outside, turned to Wang Tianpei and others knowingly, and said in a low voice: "The second train that finally arrived stopped at the second train. We can evacuate now. It stopped at the first train."
That train was left for the brothers who were finally retreating. With a little squeezing, the eighteen carriages can basically carry five regiments."
Wang Tianpei nodded and walked out of the headquarters side by side with An Yi.
The group of generals behind them wanted to leave long ago. When they heard the rumbling sound of cannons getting closer and closer, and the hot airflow generated by the explosion hit them in waves, many people were terrified and changed their colors. If it weren't for Wang Tianpei and An Yi walking calmly in front of them.
Ahead, the group of generals might have started making a noise in a panic.
The positions on both sides of the canal south of Hanzhuang were filled with intense gunfire, and dense artillery shells fell on the revolutionary army positions on the south bank. The positions were filled with thick smoke and riddled with holes under the mist.
After ten minutes of shelling, 60,000 officers and soldiers under the Xu Yuanquan Department of the Sixth Army of the Zhili-Shandong Allied Forces, Cheng Guorui's Department of the Third Army, and Wang Dong's Department of the Fifth Army launched a charge. The shouts of killing were loud, and the Third Army officers and soldiers responsible for the breakthrough in the middle successfully rushed across the railway.
bridge, kill direction
The Revolutionary Army soldiers hastily built a position yesterday. Only then did they see that except for scattered corpses, there was no one alive. One kilometer ahead, more than a thousand Revolutionary Army soldiers who had fallen behind could still be seen desperately fighting for their lives.
Running wildly south.
When the news reached Hanzhuang, Cheng Guorui, commander of the former enemy's Third Army, was furious and immediately ordered his Third Army to launch a pursuit. Xu Yuanquan and Wang Dong were surprised by the escape speed of Wang Tianpei's Tenth Army.
I didn't expect that Wang Tianpei's tribe, which numbered more than 50,000 people, could run so fast, let alone
The soldiers of the Tenth Army took advantage of the lull in the fighting on the rainy night, and with the strong assistance of the railway workers, quietly launched a large-scale retreat. Like Cheng Guorui, they also ordered their troops to pursue immediately, thinking that no matter how fast the opponent could run, they
, and it is impossible to go too far on narrow roads with dense water networks.
At 7:50 in the morning, the Revolutionary Army Headquarters in Pengcheng Daying, Xuzhou.
General Bai Chongxi, who was the commander-in-chief of the Second Route Army and also the interim commander-in-chief of the Third Route Army, had just walked into the war room from the backyard. Chief of Staff Zhang Dingfan strode forward to report:
"Brother Jiansheng, General Wang Tianpei called. All the more than 57,000 soldiers of the Tenth Army withdrew to Liuquan Town. Together with An Yi Division, they built a solid blocking position. His three main divisions and two instructor divisions were distributed in Liuquan Town.
In the area two kilometers north of Quan Station, the two wings of the three-kilometer position built by the independent division were lined up, and the artillery regiment under his command was ready to attack the enemy."
Bai Chongxi raised his eyebrows and asked in surprise: "Hey, so fast? Did all the troops retreat completely?"
"Yes, although the message did not report the method of evacuation, according to my subordinates' guess, it is likely to be transported by railway, otherwise it would not have been so fast.
The distance from Liuquan to Liguo Station south of Hanzhuang is only fifteen kilometers. If you use train transportation, you can make four round trips within five hours." Zhang Dingfan is indeed a shrewd chief of staff, and he analyzed eight points after a brief consideration.
Nine is inseparable from ten.
Bai Chongxi nodded heavily: "Yes! I should have thought of it... Last night An Yi sent a report saying that a blocking position was being built north of Liuquan, so we should have thought that he would assist the Tenth Army in retreating. An Yi
He has a generous personality and is good at taking the initiative, so he will definitely do this."
"Just withdraw...I estimate that in six hours at the latest, the Zhili-Shandong coalition army will engage them. It seems that a big war is inevitable." Zhang Dingfan said.
Bai Chongxi thought for a while and gave the decisive order: "Immediately order He Yaozu's 40th Army, which has retreated to Guanhu to rest, to move north quickly. Taierzhuang must be reoccupied before dark!"
"Are you going to have a big battle?" Zhang Dingfan asked in surprise.
Bai Chongxi smiled and nodded: "We are going to fight a big battle. If we win this battle, we can at least stop the enemy's pursuit across the board. Otherwise, our entire 200-kilometer front from east to west will be very passive. In addition, order the guard regiment
Be prepared, I want to go to Liuquan to see it in person."