On the Hunan battlefield, Zhang Jingtang surrendered, Chen Guangyuan was defeated, and the Northern Expeditionary Army advanced on both sides.
As for the Northern Army, various forces were finally temporarily united under the powerful offensive of the Northern Expeditionary Army.
Wu Peifu's 3rd Division, 1st, 2nd and 3rd mixed brigades, Hubei Sun Chuanfang's temporary 1st Division, 2nd Division, 3rd Division, 11th Division, 12th Division, 17th Division, 47th Division sent by Beijing,
A large number of troops from the 48th and 51st mixed brigades entered Hunan one after another, launching a decisive battle posture.
Later, under the strong pressure of the Northern Expeditionary Army, Duan Qirui also temporarily gave up the conflict with the Anhui clique, and led the frontier defense forces with Duan Zhigui as commander-in-chief and Xu Shuzheng as deputy commander-in-chief and chief of staff.
The 3rd Division, 9th Division, 15th Division, 28th and 29th Mixed Brigades massively reinforced Hunan.
Among them, although Wu Peifu only has one third division, it is the strongest among the various aid armies to Hunan. His third division consists of infantry, cavalry, artillery, and heavy equipment, with a strength of up to 15,000 people.
Huge army.
The Beiyang side attaches great importance to Wu Peifu, especially the new leader of the Zhili clique, Cao Zhen. After continuous consultations between the Zhili and Anhui factions, they decided to appoint Wu Peifu as the commander-in-chief to command all the troops aiding Hunan and engage in a decisive battle with the Northern Expeditionary Army.
At this time, the Beiyang army gathered in Hunan, together with Zhang Jingyao's army, reached 15 divisions, 11 mixed brigades, and 270,000 people!
This is the "Beiyang Allied Forces", also known as the "Warlords Alliance"
Beiyang has used all its wealth to fight!
As for the Northern Expeditionary Army, there are eleven divisions, six mixed brigades, and 180,000 troops on the left and right!
Four hundred and fifty thousand troops gathered on the battlefield in Hunan, and the eyes of the whole country and even the world were focused on Hunan.
This is a decisive battle that determines the fate of both the North and the South, and also a decisive battle that determines the fate of China.
History calls this decisive battle the "Battle of Hunan" or "Battle of Changsha"!
Wu Peifu, commander-in-chief of the Northern Army, Duan Zhigui, commander-in-chief of the former enemy, and Xu Shuzheng, chief of staff.
Liu Zhaocheng, the commander-in-chief of the Southern Army, and Zhang Xiaohuai, the deputy commander-in-chief, also served as Li Zongren, the former enemy commander-in-chief and chief of staff!
In late July, the two sides started a small-scale conflict. However, even though neither side had completed preparations for a decisive battle, they both maintained great restraint and stopped the conflict as soon as they came into contact.
Starting from the 21st, Liu Zhaocheng continued to dispatch aircraft to reconnoiter the situation of the Northern Army.
On the 22nd, the Northern Army's aircraft finally appeared on the battlefield. In the afternoon of that day, they carried out the first bombing of the Northern Expeditionary Army. There were no casualties in the Northern Expeditionary Army.
On the 23rd, both sides conducted small-scale exploratory shelling.
Throughout late July, the two sides basically engaged in petty quarrels, and the tentative skirmishes were better than the real decisive battle.
In the opinion of Wu Peifu, the commander-in-chief of the Northern Army, Liu Zhaocheng, although he fought several good battles in Hunan and annihilated some of Zhang Jingyao's troops, was really not worthy of being his opponent.
He had suddenly become the number one general of the Northern Army, but what about his opponent? He was just an unknown soldier who had basically no reputation before.
Driven by this mentality, the psychological warfare between the two sides also began.
Wu Peifu personally handwritten a banner and sent it to Liu Zhaocheng's army. The banner read: "How can a small dog compete with a fierce tiger?"
This is comparing Liu Zhaocheng to a puppy and himself to a tiger. Wu Peifu originally thought that Liu Zhaocheng was a young man. Since he was a young man, he must be arrogant. When he saw his banner, he would be furious and even fight with him in advance.
But what he didn't expect was that after Liu Zhaocheng saw it, he said to the visitor very politely: "Thank you, Commander-in-Chief Wu, for giving Zhao Cheng the calligraphy treasure before the war. Please tell Commander-in-Chief Wu that Zhao Cheng has nothing to repay but can only do it on the battlefield."
Just try your best.”
After saying that, Wu Peifu's hand was actually placed in the most conspicuous place of his headquarters.
When he got the news, Wu Peifu was a little surprised. Maybe he really underestimated this person.
I have long heard that Wang Hengyue is unique in employing people. Is it true that Liu Zhaocheng is so capable that he can be worthy of the important task of commander-in-chief of the Northern Expeditionary Army in Hunan?
Wu Peifu was not an arrogant person. On the contrary, he began to attach great importance to Liu Zhaocheng and kept asking about Liu Zhaocheng's previous achievements from various channels!
Only by knowing oneself and the enemy can one be invincible in a hundred battles. This is what famous generals in the past value most!
"Our army has had several contacts with the Northern Army in Zhuzhou." Zhang Xiaohuai, who rushed to the general headquarters, pointed at the map and said: "Opposite us is the Hubei Army commanded by Sun Chuanfang, which consists of three divisions and a mixed brigade 23.
On the 24th and 24th, Sun Chuanfang used a brigade of troops to continuously launch probing attacks against our positions. The offensive was not violent. As soon as we counterattacked, all the Northern Army retreated to their original positions. On the 25th, the Northern Army continued to reinforce Zhuzhou with two reinforcements.
A brigade of troops!”
"Yiyang, Changsha, Zhuzhou, and Wu Peifu have opened up a long snake formation. This is to take advantage of their military strength to defend first and then attack, first passively and then proactively!" Liu Zhaocheng moved his eyes away from the map: "In this case,
We will fulfill his wish!" Li Zongren laughed and said: "What do the two commanders-in-chief think Wu Peifu is thinking now? Where do they think we will attack first?"
"Yiyang!" Liu Zhaocheng and Zhang Xiaohuai blurted out at almost the same time.
The two looked at each other and smiled, and Liu Zhaocheng immediately put away his smile and said: "Wu Peifu set up this long snake formation, hoarded heavy troops in Changsha and Zhuzhou, and only placed Zhang Jingyao's two divisions on the Yiyang line. This is to tell us that he
His right wing is the weakest, and he also believes that we will concentrate our superior forces to annihilate his right wing position first. This is deliberately putting his own weakness in front of us and tempting us to be fooled. As long as we make a move, he can concentrate all our forces.
The superior force stormed our front."
"With his own weakness and the enemy's strength, Wu Peifu is known as the number one general in Beiyang. This statement is true." Zhang Xiaohuai said with a smile: "Since the commander-in-chief has seen Wu Peifu's intention, he probably has a plan to defeat the enemy!"
The deputy commander-in-chief is probably thinking the same thing as me." Liu Zhaocheng also said with a smile: "It's the same statement, since Wu Peifu thinks so, then we will fulfill his wish.
Attack Yiyang!"
Li Zongren was surprised on the side: "Attack Yiyang?" "Yes, concentrate the superior forces and attack fiercely!" Zhang Xiaohuai helped Liu Zhaocheng and continued: "In Yiyang, it is Zhang Jingyao's two divisions. Wu Peifu overestimated Zhang Jingyao's strength. Zhang Jingyao
The 7th Division, the caretaker force, has just been annihilated. Its morale is unstable, its morale is fluctuating, and it has absolutely no determination to defend Yiyang. If it breaks through the Yiyang defense line in the shortest possible time with its superior force, Wu Peifu's flanks will be truly threatened. Wu Peifu is just self-defeating!"
"What about our front?" Li Zongren was still a little worried: "After all, the Northern Army has a numerical advantage. What if..."
Liu Zhaocheng was confident: "Li Shuai made three expeditions to the north, and we also sent out troops in three directions! The chief of staff commanded the left army, gathered the absolute superiority of four divisions and three brigades, stormed Yiyang, and defeated his long snake.
The deputy commander-in-chief used the strength of the three divisions in his hands to take the initiative from Zhuzhou and launch an attack on Sun Chuanfang's department, making him, the snakehead, unable to move. I then commanded the rest of the troops to attack the frontal enemy at the same time!"
Li Zongren instantly understood what Liu Zhaocheng meant.
The commander-in-chief wanted to use offense instead of defense, causing the Northern Army who was preparing to attack to temporarily fall into chaos. Then, with lightning speed, he cut off Wu Peifu's "snake tail" and surrounded the "snake" of the Northern Army in its own "snake".
"In the nest"!
Thinking of this, Li Zongren frowned: "The commander-in-chief doesn't have much power, with four divisions and three brigades. Once Wu Peifu makes a desperate move, I will worry about the commander-in-chief.
Zhao Cheng smiled faintly: "That's tens of thousands of people. Even if Wu Peifu is really a tiger and wants to eat tens of thousands of my puppies, he must have a good set of teeth!" He looked over his head.
, the most conspicuous place hangs the handwritten letter given to him by Wu Peifu: "How can a small dog compete with a fierce tiger?"
A smile appeared on Liu Zhaocheng's lips.
In Hubei in 1919, Liu Zhaocheng, the "little dog", was about to have a decisive battle with Wu Peifu, the "tiger", that would determine the fate of China!
Guangzhou is staring at Hunan, Beijing is staring at Hunan, the whole country is staring at Hunan, and the whole world is staring at Hunan.
The decisive battle will begin soon, and Liu Zhaocheng and Wu Peifu finally stand face to face.
At least no one knows yet whose hands will hold the final victory in this decisive battle!
"The main force of the Northern Expeditionary Army has been mobilized towards Yiyang." Song Dali clicked on the map: "More than four divisions of troops are moving on the right wing of our army. At the same time, on the left wing of our army,
The three divisions commanded by Zhang Xiaohuai are also in a posture to attack the Hubei army, and in the center Liu Zhaocheng is personally in charge."
Wu Peifu was holding a book in his hand, reading and listening to the report of his subordinates. After listening to it, he laughed and said: "Liu Zhaocheng can be considered bold. He actually sat in the middle and faced the attack of our army. Huangkou Ruzi, I don't know.
The sky is high and the earth is high, I expect that this man will be captured alive in this battle."
Song Dali also laughed and said: "Who is Liu Zhaocheng? But relying on Wang Hengyue's trust, he is young and is actually the commander-in-chief of one side. How can Wang Hengyue use this person to fight with Commander Yu and not be defeated?" "Pass my military order.
"Wu Peifu put down the book in his hand and stood up: "Let Zhang Jingyao hold on in Yiyang for more than ten days, let Sun Chuanfang deal with Zhang Xiaohuai, and the rest of the troops are ready to go to war with me!" "Commander Yu, I am a little worried about Zhang Jingyao." Song Daji is here
The interface said: "Zhang Jingyao's troops have been newly defeated and their morale is low. Moreover, since Commander Yu arrived in Hunan, Zhang Jingyao has been driven out of Changsha. Naturally, he will have resentment in his heart. I am afraid that he will not sincerely fight."
Wu Peifu nodded: "Yes, this is what I am worried about, so I decided to send you to Yiyang to supervise the army and bring a guard group there. If Zhang Jingyao is really unwilling to sacrifice his life, then you can take his place."
Song Dali poked his chest and said loudly: "Yes, I will obey General Yu's order!"!