The Iron-Blooded Army of Beacon Fire

Chapter 326 Take the initiative
August 1938, 8, Banbishan Fortress Command Post.

He Wei sat at the head of the table in the cold command post war room with a solemn expression. From time to time, his peripheral vision glanced at the faint mist on the river outside the narrow observation port, as if the lingering mist was the current confusing and urgent battle situation. .

On the long table, dozens of officers from major and above under He Wei were seated on both sides.

Although the dozens of officers cannot be called a gathering of generals, there are also many people with the rank of lieutenant colonel and colonel. Judging from the number and military ranks of the participating officers, the upcoming military meeting of the Banbishan Garrison Command has already The weather of the division-level unit headquarters meeting.

Of course, all this was due to Li Yannian's ridiculous and arbitrary order.

Just because of this order, a lieutenant colonel He Wei had the authority to command the 385th Brigade Major General Ma Ji, which can be called a curiosity in the military.

The troops under the command of He Wei have also continued to expand in recent days, reaching an extremely considerable number.

At present, the troops under the Banbishan Fortress Garrison Command with He Wei as the commander include the entire Army Assault Corps of He Wei and three infantry regiments of the 385th Brigade of the 193rd Army Division of Ma Ji, namely The 1124th Infantry Regiment, the 1125th Infantry Regiment, the 1126th Infantry Regiment, Hu Rizhen's mechanized heavy artillery battalion, Huang Tiaoqi's 75th anti-aircraft artillery battery, and Lei Zhongwei's naval artillery team and a Naval Mine Team.

That's why today's military meeting was filled with tables and rooms full of school-level officers.

After He Wei mastered such a heavy army, the defense system with Banbishan Fortress as the center gradually took shape and became perfect under the arrangements he and the staff worked overtime.

Currently, the defense area of ​​the Banbishan Fortress garrison commanded by He Wei is divided into three positions, namely the basic position of Banbishan, the shallow and deep position along the river, and the wide and deep position of the lake network.

Among them, the Banbishan basic position is based on the mountain fortress and deploys the first infantry battalion of the assault group, the artillery battalion, the second battalion of the 10th mechanized heavy artillery regiment, the 75th anti-aircraft gun company, the naval artillery team and the naval mine team. This force, which is guarding the basic position on the top of the mountain, will use the permanent field fortifications on Banbi Mountain as a cover to directly attack and control the deep areas of the river and nearby land.

The main means of attack on the basic position are the various artillery located all over the mountain.

The artillery group arranged on Banbi Mountain includes six 1909mm Japanese -type mountain guns from the Assault Corps Artillery Battalion, six Russian-made mm M mountain guns, and six Russian-made mm tank defenses. Artillery, eight German-made mm heavy howitzers from the nd Battalion of the th Army Mechanized Heavy Artillery Regiment under Hu Rizhen's command, one Japanese-made mm naval gun from the naval artillery team under Lei Zhongwei's command, and one One mm high-level dual-purpose cannon, two mm machine guns and one mm Oerlikon machine gun.

In addition, there is a 75mm anti-aircraft gun battery consisting of four 75mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns to assist in anti-aircraft defense, and a naval mine team to block the river.

After accumulating all kinds of artillery, He Wei turned the small half of the mountain into a "hedgehog" with the artillery as a thorn ball.

The garrison troops in shallow and deep positions along the river are the second and third battalions of the Assault Corps. These two battalions are respectively deployed in shallow and deep positions on the left and right sides of Banbi Mountain to prevent Japanese troops from landing on both sides of Banbi Mountain. During this time, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions built strong defenses at shallow, close and deep distances on both sides of Banbi Mountain, completing the protection and barrier of the left and right wings of Banbi Mountain.

The three field infantry regiments under Ma Ji's 385th Brigade were deployed in the deep lake network behind Banbi Mountain. These three regiments were deployed as one regiment in the highlands of Big and Little Bear Mountain in front of Banbi Mountain. Two regiments built positions in the vast water network area between the deep right side of Banbi Mountain and Fuchikou, protecting the back road of Banbi Mountain.

These three positions together formed the entire defense system of the Banbishan Fortress and its surroundings. After the firefight between Huangmei and Guangji, He Wei, who was deeply aware of the crisis, ordered all ministries to make further preparations for battle.

The infantrymen of the subordinate units further strengthened the fortifications that had been built, set up obstacles in front of their respective predetermined positions, cleared the firing range in front of the positions, and demolished the nearby empty villages and houses that had fled.

The artillery and artillery group located on the half wall also conducted test firings on river targets and land targets, and calibrated shooting reference objects and shooting elements in various situations.

As an auxiliary support force, the communications, baggage, health and other departments are also well prepared for war. The communication units of each army have established wired and wireless communication networks to communicate with each other, and several scheduled wartime supplies of grain and ammunition have been received. The institute was also established under the leadership of Li Youcai, director of the Logistics Department of the Assault Corps, and a temporary field hospital was also organized.

In short, the Banbishan garrison under He Wei was as prepared as possible for all battles.

Carefully built by He Wei, the entire defense system centered on Banbi Mountain is naturally a bit exaggerated to say that it is impregnable and unbreakable. However, the attacking Japanese troops were hit with bloody heads and several big teeth of the Japanese were broken. He Wei asked himself whether he could still do it.

The reason for today's large-scale military meeting is that the fighting situation on the frontline has further deteriorated, and the battle situation ahead has once again suddenly changed.

He Wei took a long breath and collected himself. He turned to look at Wang Yuanling, the chief of staff of the assault corps, and said attentively: "Director Wang, let's get started."

Wang Yuanling stood up and stood at attention. After standing at attention with the officers in the assembly, he opened the folder, took out a document and slowly read: "My colleagues and officers, according to the battle reports compiled by this headquarters, our army and the Japanese army outside Huangmei Guangji After receiving fire for half a month, the 189th Division of our army marched to Huangmei, using the county seat as a stronghold to block and kill the attacking enemy. Now the Japanese army is launching a fierce attack on Huangmei County with infantry, cavalry, artillery and air coordination. Our army also refuses to give up an inch of ground. Both sides The fighting was extremely brutal.”

After Wang Yuanling read the battle report, he paused and glanced at the officers present. Except for a few officers, most of them had expressionless faces.

Indeed, although the fighting on the front line of Huangmei and Guangji is fierce, these two county towns are located outside Tianjia Town, and are across a river from Banbi Mountain. Even if the fighting there is fierce, they can temporarily compete with Banbi Mountain on the south bank of the Yangtze River. The position did not have much impact yet, so most of the officers were able to remain calm.

But then, Wang Yuanling changed the topic and continued: "According to the frontline battle report, the Japanese army also started a large-scale offensive on the south bank. The Japanese army used the area near Hukou as a base and assembled a large number of army troops and naval vessels to launch an attack on Jiujiang. "

"Since the 9th, the Japanese army has continuously used naval guns and minesweepers to clear the shipwreck blocking line deployed by our navy on the Yangtze River. By midnight on the 22nd, the Japanese army, with the cooperation of naval warships and motorboats, took advantage of the darkness, wind and rain , and entered the vicinity of Xie Mountain in Poyang Lake. Starting at 23:20 on the 11rd, under the cover of sea and air fire, they landed near Gutang. The th Preparatory Division of our army guarding the place fought hard to resist, but the Japanese army's sea and air firepower was extremely heavy. Fierce and unable to fight in the end.”

"Subsequently, our 128th Division was ordered to reinforce, but failed to achieve success. The remnants of our army retreated to Jiujiang and Xingzi one after another. At dawn on the 24th, the Japanese troops who landed continued to increase their troops and attack westward. Our 8th Army attacked westward. The Japanese army counterattacked and fought fiercely until the morning of the 25th, when the 8th Army's position was breached. "

"On the same day, the Japanese army landed near Jiujiang, and attacked with a force from Gutang to the vicinity of Shahe. They joined up with the Japanese army that landed in Jiujiang. On the 25th, they launched a general attack on Jiujiang. That night, the Japanese army invaded Jiujiang City. Our army and the Japanese army After a night of street fighting, they withdrew from Jiujiang. On the evening of the 26th, Jiujiang fell. "

After Wang Yuanling finished speaking, he glanced around the officers present, nodded to He Wei and sat down. The expressions of the officers present became extremely wonderful after Wang Yuanling finished speaking. Some were surprised and some were worried. There are also people who are frightened.

If the battle situation on the Huangmei-Guangji front line was covered by the Tianjia Town Fortress and the Yangtze River, the officers could still face it calmly with a relatively stable mentality.

However, the sudden fall of Jiujiang made the officers present at the meeting really feel the harsh situation of the front line. The person responsible for the front line defense of Jiujiang was the Second Corps of Zhang Fakui of the National Army. There were four subordinate corps, and its military strength and overall strength were among It is considered the best choice among the various units of the national army, but who would have thought that Jiujiang would still be lost under the fierce attack of the heavy Japanese army group.

What worries the participating officers even more is the direction of the Japanese army's next attack. Previously, the Japanese army's series of actions and offensive targets were all on the north bank of the Yangtze River. Now, its sudden landing and capture of Jiujiang is equivalent to opening an offensive on the south bank of the Yangtze River. They found a breakthrough and established a firm foothold, forming a situation that echoed the Japanese army's aggressive attacks on the north bank of the Yangtze River.

As long as the Japanese troops on the south bank march straight along the river to launch an attack, the Banbishan Fortress position and nearby Fuchikou and other key passes will soon be caught in the flames of war. Faced with the current precarious situation, the participating officers are of course extremely worried. worry.

Having a clear view of the officers' reactions, He Wei remained unmoved. He cleared his throat as usual and said, "Director Wang has just talked about the latest battle situation on the front line. The situation on the front line has suddenly changed. This department cannot sit back and watch. I am waiting for the Japanese to come over. With my determination, this headquarters must take action immediately to lay a solid foundation for the next battle. I have called you here today just to hear your opinions on the defense deployment of our headquarters. And feel free to express your opinions on the next actions.”

As soon as he finished speaking, an officer stood up and said loudly in a rich and vicissitudes of voice: "Report!"

He Wei raised his head and saw that it was Major General Ma Ji, the commander of the 385th Brigade. He Wei suddenly smiled. After Li Yannian issued the order to unify the command system with He Wei as the supreme commander, He Wei originally thought that this order would arouse resentment or even opposition from Ma Ji, who was higher than him in age, seniority and military rank.

But I never thought that Ma Ji, a former veteran of the Beiyang Army, would calmly accept the order and accept He Wei's overall command. Ma Ji would also treat He Wei in public as a subordinate to a superior. He Wei was really moved. .

He Wei smiled and said: "Brigadier Ma, please sit down and speak."

Ma Ji nodded with a smile, but did not sit down, and said: "Now that Jiujiang has been lost, the Japanese army will definitely go up the river and attack my garrison by land and water. I personally think that our Banbishan garrison headquarters is currently The defense systems of the various units under my command have been formed, and the problem is not big. Outside the defense area of ​​our Banbishan garrison headquarters, the left wing is the defense area of ​​the 82nd Division, and the right side is the defense area of ​​the 18th Division. "

"Among the two defense areas, the 82nd Division's defense area is not bad. With us blocking it, nothing will go wrong. However, the 18th Division's defense area is very important. The Fuchikou they guard is an extremely dangerous place. That is where Fu Shui merges into the Yangtze River. It is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and the terrain is very dangerous. Once the Japanese army breaks through the 18th Division position at Fu Chikou, they can follow Fu Shui to outflank our defense area. Moreover, once the war breaks out, Fu Chikou will They will definitely contact the Japanese army before us, which is equivalent to the barrier of our Banbishan garrison position. I hope that Captain He will contact the 18th Division at Fuchikou to prepare for any unexpected events."

He Wei nodded and said: "Brigadier Ma's suggestion is very good. Fuchikou is indeed extremely important. It was at this time that Li Zicheng's Dashun Army was defeated by the Manchu Army and ended up defeated and dead. We are indeed Take this as a warning.”

Ma Ji's suggestion was indeed pertinent, but when He Wei thought of the 18th Division in Fuchikou, a fire of ignorance rushed into his heart.

Naturally, He Wei also knew the importance of Fuchikou. Therefore, he had frequently contacted the 18th Division at Fuchikou recently. He also sent someone to send a handwritten letter inviting Li Fangbin, the commander of the 18th Division guarding Fuchikou, to have a meal. , to jointly discuss future collaborative operations.

Since Li Fangbin graduated from the second phase of the Engineering Department of Whampoa Military Academy, He Wei also extended an invitation to him in a very polite tone as a junior in the letter.

However, Li Fangbin extremely arrogantly rejected He Wei's invitation, and also perfunctorily stated that his 18th Division was only controlled by Li Yannian's 11th Army Corps, and had an equal relationship with He Wei's Banbishan Garrison Headquarters. All coordination matters require the command of the Eleventh Legion.

In fact, this person did not listen to Li Yannian's orders at all, and was just looking for a reason to prevaricate He Wei.

In short, people don't want to have any contact with He Wei at all.

After being frustrated, He Wei finally understood Li Yannian's mood and pain. Anyone who met a person like Li Fangbin would get very angry.

What makes He Wei even more worried is the troops under Li Fangbin. The 18th Division under his command was a miscellaneous unit of the former Hunan Army. This division suffered heavy casualties in the Battle of Songhu. The former division commander Zhu Yaohua suffered heavy casualties in the Battle of Songhu. The troops suffered heavy losses and committed suicide in anger after losing their position.

After the Battle of Songhu, this unit was annexed by Chen Cheng and incorporated into the civil engineering department's battle order. It was considered a former miscellaneous unit that had just completed centralization. Its combat effectiveness and the quality of its officers and soldiers were not guaranteed at all.

With such a former miscellaneous army that was not considered elite and suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Songhu, and a strange commander like Li Fangbin, He Wei thought that rather than letting them guard an important area like Fuchikou, it would be better to build some scarecrows to fill the gap. Facade.

Wang Yuanling also sighed and said: "I have contacted the 18th Division several times in the past few days, but there has been no response. It seems that they don't want to have too much contact with us. When the Japanese come over, I'm afraid there will be no response. Everyone has to fight his own way.”

He Wei nodded, cursed Li Fangbin a few words in his mind, and said thoughtfully: "I will find a way to do this. Thank you for your hard work, Director Wang. Continue to contact the 18th Division in Fuchikou."

"Understood, Captain, I will continue to contact that side."

"Report sir!"

At this time, another officer stood up and stood at attention to report, but it was Lei Zhongwei, commander of the naval artillery unit, who was wearing a white navy uniform.

"Speak!"

"Sir, my opinion is somewhat similar to that of Brigadier Ma, but it is from the perspective of the navy. As Brigadier Ma said, after the Japanese army captures Jiujiang, they will definitely attack by land and water upstream of the river, and on land. Compared with the mobile marching army troops, the naval warships advancing on the river have a faster maneuvering speed. I believe that the Japanese army will most likely use the naval warships to take the lead in sweeping the attack on the river. "

"The enemy naval warships come up the river to attack. They may not only cover their fleet carrying army troops to land at the opportunity, but also may use naval gunfire to bombard our positions along the river. As Brigadier Ma said, Fuchikou Fortress is in During the war, they will engage the enemy before our troops. If the Japanese warships arrive and the defenders of Fuchikou Fortress are unable to fight or have poor communication with our Banbishan garrison headquarters, the situation will be very critical. "

"I believe that our department must strengthen the alert observation on the river at present. We can even send out some forward observation posts a few kilometers away, or even more than ten kilometers away to conduct alert reconnaissance on the river, and report back immediately if there is any situation. This manpower-based observation and early warning method can offset the disadvantages of poor communication between the defenders of Fuchikou Fortress and our troops.”

He Wei nodded and motioned for Lei Zhongwei to sit down after finishing his report.

Lei Zhongwei's report is actually almost the same as Ma Ji's report. They are both worried that something will go wrong at Fuchikou.

From a military perspective, Fuchikou Fortress is actually equivalent to the forward warning position of Banbishan Fortress. However, this forward warning position will most likely not play its due role in future operations, and may even be used again. It is possible that during the war, He Wei's troops could fail to report an encounter with the enemy at the Fuchikou position before meeting the enemy at Banbi Mountain, refuse to speak to the enemy when encountering the enemy, or even abandon the position without notifying them. .

Therefore, Ma Ji and Lei Zhongwei, who have already spoken, hope that He Wei can take measures to remedy this problem as soon as possible.

He Wei was also deeply worried about this. While thinking about countermeasures, he motioned for others to continue speaking.

The suggestions put forward by other officers were either trivial, or they fell on Fu Chikou just like the suggestions made by Ma Ji and Lei Zhongwei.

Listening to the officers' reports with similar differences, He Wei kept thinking about how to solve the thorny problem of Fuchikou.

Judging from the current situation, the Banbishan garrison commanded by He Wei has basically no possibility of establishing an interoperable and cooperative operational relationship with the 18th Division at Fuchikou. After the Japanese captured Jiujiang, they could There is the possibility of a massive attack.

If this continues, the defenders in the Banbishan defense zone will essentially hand over the initiative to the Japanese and wait for the Japanese to attack.

Although the front-line defense system of Banbi Mountain has been fully perfected by He Wei, the feeling of squatting in a pit waiting for the Japanese to come over really makes He Wei uncomfortable. More importantly, there are still defenders of Fuchikou Fortress. this uncertain factor.

During the entire meeting, He Wei was almost always thinking about how to solve the communication and coordination issue with Fuchikou Fortress, and how to provide early warning of possible land and water attacks by the Japanese army.

When the military meeting came to an end, after comprehensive consideration of the existing problems and concerns, He Wei issued an order at the end of the meeting that shocked everyone present - take the initiative!

(End of this chapter)