Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 504 Zhaoqing unites multiple anti-Japanese forces, the 12th Army Group of the National Revolutionary Army

Sun Mon 1938 12 27 years

Northern Guangdong region.

It was already winter, and the temperature in the mountains had plummeted to below 10°C. The temperature in the early morning and at night could often drop as low as 5°C, and the temperature in the mountains was even lower, possibly even falling below freezing, resulting in frost and ice.

The cold winds of northern Guangdong are raging, and the mountain mists are biting cold, like needles pricking your face.

The remnants of the 12th Army Group of the National Revolutionary Army huddled along the temporary defensive line from Wengyuan to Conghua. The damp and moldy tents creaked in the wind, as if they could be overturned by the gale at any moment.

The soldiers were wrapped in thin, mud-stained uniforms. Some were clumsily mending their worn-out cloth shoes with their hands, which were turning purple from the cold, while others huddled around the dying campfire, trying to draw warmth from its last remaining heat.

They were frustrated and disheartened, lacking any fighting spirit.

Several new recruits huddled together, their teeth chattering, and complained in low voices: "We ran away before the battle even started, and now we're going to suffer here."

The veterans remained silent, staring blankly into the distance, their faces etched with weariness and despair.

There's a saying that goes something like this: "It's not a fault of the war."

This perfectly encapsulates the absurdity of the current situation.

After landing at Daya Bay, the Japanese army only sent out an advance force to launch a probing attack, while all the other units in Guangzhou fled.

This is a disgrace to the entire 12th Group Army.

Officials in northern Guangdong also had no expectations of them.

Inside the command post, the oil lamp flickered in the draft. Commander Yu stared at the faded battle map on the wall, his fingers unconsciously tracing the location of Guangzhou on the map. One wonders if he felt any remorse for his actions at that moment.

In the staff room next door, the telegraph machine emitted a piercing "beep beep" sound, constantly transmitting urgent news from the front: Japanese tanks were rampaging around Huaxian, and the makeshift fortifications hastily constructed by the 12th Army were no match for their artillery fire; multiple breaches had appeared in the Qingyuan defense line, and the soldiers, lacking effective command, were engaged in chaotic resistance.

The staff officers reported the battle situation dejectedly, their voices filled with helplessness and anxiety, and the entire command post was shrouded in an atmosphere of oppression and despair.

The training ground had become a mere decoration. A few officers weakly shouted commands, while the soldiers marched haphazardly, their gun-holding postures limp, showing absolutely no combat capability.

Those so-called tactical drills were nothing more than soldiers moving mechanically on muddy ground. During shooting practice, the gunshots were sparse and the hit rate was pitifully low.

The supervisory teams from Nanjing were posting newly printed propaganda slogans.

In the cold wind, the propaganda posters fluttered and shook, but not a single passing soldier stopped to look at them.

The soldiers were already numb to those rousing slogans; they were more concerned with how to get through the cold night.

As night fell, the temperature plummeted again. The distant, sporadic sounds of gunfire echoed through the silent valley, adding to the eeriness. The soldiers huddled in their damp blankets, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, listening to the chilling noise. They didn't know whether tomorrow would bring further defeat and retreat, or a pointless death on the battlefield.

The defeated 12th Army of the National Revolutionary Army, which had fled in panic from Guangzhou, was like a small boat lost in a storm on this cold winter night, teetering on the brink of collapse, with no hope in sight.

At that moment, a radio signal came from the south. After the military radio station received the signal, the telegraph operator stood up excitedly.

"Something big has happened in Guangzhou!"

These words piqued the interest of the staff officer on duty in the staff room, who got up and came over to inquire.

Upon learning the contents of the telegram, the duty officer grabbed it and rushed out to report the situation to the neighbor.

"Commander, it's a telegram from the Tax Police Corps in Sihui. They say the Japanese headquarters in Guangzhou has been attacked, with more than half of the high-ranking officers killed or wounded. The Japanese command system in Guangzhou is now inoperable, which is the perfect time for a counterattack."

Commander Yu was stunned: "What a joke! The Japanese army is not child soldiers. The headquarters, which is protected by three divisions, is so well protected that even a fly cannot get in. How could it be attacked?"

"That's what the telegram said. The Tax Police Corps wouldn't joke about something like this, would they?" the duty officer replied.

"Give it to me, let me see it." Commander Yu picked up the telegram and read it word for word.

The attack on Guangzhou was carried out by the Taishan Independent Regiment.

Commander Yu knows about this unit.

They fought several tough battles in the north, especially the coordinated operations between aircraft and the army, which were quite impressive.

But weren't they fighting in the Taihang Mountains north of the Yellow River? How did they suddenly end up in the south?
That's no longer important. The more crucial question is: did the Taishan Independent Regiment really launch a surprise attack on Guangzhou?
Commander Yu was eager to contact the Taishan Independent Regiment.

Yangjiang station.

The Independent Regiment has entered a state of full alert.

After all, they had just carried out a decapitation strike against the Japanese army and needed to guard against Japanese retaliation.

The air defense radar was constantly scanning the surrounding airspace, and the radar squad was on duty 24 hours a day to ensure timely defense against Japanese air raids from Guangzhou and the sea.

Meanwhile, in order to prevent a Japanese naval landing operation, reconnaissance units were also dispatched to the nearby coastline.

Based on Fang Wen's assessment, the Japanese forces in the southeast were all deployed in Guangzhou, making it impossible for them to launch a larger attack on Yangjiang. At most, they would launch air raids and land operations by the Japanese marines.

While guarding against the Japanese army, Fang Wen also contacted various anti-Japanese forces.

The anti-Japanese guerrilla forces led by the underground party are certainly willing to cooperate, but they have only been established and do not yet have enough strength to carry out large-scale military operations.

The various anti-Japanese forces in Zhaoqing could be put to use.

The Tax Police Corps remains unchanged, only willing to stick to one place.

As a result, the 12th Army Group became the main force in this offensive.

Fang Wen was conflicted about this unit that had voluntarily abandoned Guangzhou.

If we don't cooperate with them, we'll have no soldiers to use.

In this state, he received a telegram from the Tax Police Corps.

The other party stated that they had contacted the 12th Army Group and provided the contact frequency of the 12th Army Group's headquarters radio station in the telegram. They also indicated that they would no longer act as intermediaries and would allow the Independent Regiment to contact the 12th Army Group directly.

However, the Taishan Independent Regiment did not have access to the 12th Army Group's military codebook. Even if they had communication frequencies, they couldn't possibly communicate in plaintext.

Ultimately, the Tax Police Corps provided a copy of military-grade codes, which were the communication codes used by various units of the Guangdong military.

Fang Wen immediately piloted a gunboat to the outpost in Sihui, obtained the code, and returned to Yangjiang.

He then sent a telegram to northern Guangdong.

On the 28th.

The Yangjiang garrison of the Taishan Independent Regiment.

Fang Wen, Wu Yingzong, and Pan Jiafeng were in the room.

Fang Wen adjusted the radio frequency and sent a message to the 12th Army Group.

Fang Wen of the Taishan Independent Regiment has important military intelligence that he wishes to discuss with your unit.

After the telegram was sent, the three waited.

Pan Jiafeng couldn't help but ask, "Master, is the 12th Army Group reliable?"

Fang Wen sighed helplessly, "It's the only reliable option. It's a pity the 19th Route Army is gone. If the 19th Route Army had been defending Guangzhou, the Japanese army would probably still be fighting fiercely right now."

Wu Yingzong agreed, saying, "The 19th Route Army was an elite force of the Guangdong Army. They made a name for themselves in the Central Plains War and fought the Japanese army to a standstill in Shanghai. They were old adversaries of the Japanese Navy."

Fang Wen couldn't help but recall the scene he witnessed in Fuzhou as the 19th Route Army retreated; that was also the last time the 19th Route Army appeared in history. Just then, he heard radio waves through his earpiece. Fang Wen immediately cleared his mind, wrote down the Morse code, and then translated it using a military codebook.

[I've long admired you. The Japanese troops in Qingyuan have recently retreated. My unit has contacted our scouts in Guangzhou and confirmed that your regiment will launch its attack on the 25th. Would you like to discuss joint operations?]

The other party actually spoke first.

Fang Wen then communicated with them via telegram.

The two sides negotiated and formulated a joint operational plan.

The 12th Army Group launched a counter-offensive from Qingyuan and fought its way back to the north of Guangzhou.

The Independent Regiment, together with the anti-Japanese forces in Zhaoqing, set off from the Sihui outpost, crossed the Beijiang River, and attacked west of Guangzhou.

The date is set for the 30th, giving us two days to prepare.

In the past two days, the main reason for this has been that the 12th Group Army has been transferring troops to Qingyuan. Given their marching speed, it will take them quite a while to return to Qingyuan.

Once the plan was agreed upon, Fang Wen immediately deployed the operation, with 10 gunboats and a company on standby, and the third company at the forward position also entering a state of combat readiness.

He then contacted the underground party in Zhaoqing to discuss joint operations.

After the telegram was sent, the other party replied, saying that they would meet with various forces in Zhaoqing.

Fang Wen readily agreed and drove the Water Tiger 4 there.

The plane landed on the north bank of the Xijiang River. After docking, Fang Wen led Gong Xiuneng and five soldiers off the plane, while the remaining ten soldiers stayed on board to guard it.

Upon landing, they were greeted by a group of local Nationalist government officials from Zhaoqing.

Amid their warm welcome, the group arrived at the city government, where Fang Wen explained the situation directly.

"Because of the fall of Guangzhou, Zhaoqing has become a front line of the War of Resistance against Japan, and many anti-Japanese forces have gathered here. I want to unite all forces to launch an attack on the Japanese army."

The city official smiled and said, "In the past two days, news of your Independent Regiment's surprise attack on Guangzhou has spread. The Taishan Independent Regiment fought with incredible speed, like heavenly soldiers and generals. We admire them. We are naturally happy to cooperate with you. However, there are many anti-Japanese forces gathered in Zhaoqing now, and we cannot mobilize them. We can only inform them on your behalf."

"Then I'll trouble you all. Could you please meet with the various anti-Japanese forces today?" Fang Wen pressed.

After discussing it for a while, the officials replied.

"That works. How about we set the location near Seven Star Crags, around 2 PM?"

“Okay. I have some personal matters to attend to first. We’ll go to Seven Star Crags at 2 PM.” Fang Wen agreed.

He ended his conversation with the Nationalist government officials and left the city hall.

The so-called private matter involved contacting the underground Communist Party in Zhaoqing.

The meeting place agreed upon in the telegram was a restaurant, so Fang Wen, Gong Xiuneng, and five soldiers asked for directions along the way and arrived at the restaurant.

When the waiters in the restaurant saw Fang Wen with soldiers carrying Thompson submachine guns, they didn't dare to be negligent and quickly went to greet him.

"Sir, there are private rooms upstairs. Please come up."

Fang Wen replied, "I'm looking for someone. Is Mr. Hu, who deals in silk, here?"

"Yes, yes, he arrived a while ago. He said he was going to host a distinguished guest. Oh, it's your superior. Please come with me."

The waiter led Fang Wen and his group upstairs and directly to a private room.

"Mr. Hu, your guest has arrived."

After saying that, he wisely left.

Fang Wen looked into the private room and saw three people, all wearing long robes.

He told Gong Xiuneng and the soldiers to stand guard outside, then went into the private room and introduced himself.

"Hello Mr. Hu, this is Fang Wen from Taishan, here to pay a visit."

"I am honored to have heard of your great reputation."

The two exchanged pleasantries on the surface before getting down to business.

"The municipal government has arranged for the anti-Japanese forces in Zhaoqing to gather at Qixingyan at 2 pm. I hope you can also go, under the name of my business partners."

“Okay. The Xijiang Special Committee has just been established, and we need to maintain contact with all parties. However, it is not appropriate to participate under the name of a business partner. I can participate under the name of the Gaoyao Textile Self-Defense Force.”

This name is better. Fang Wen didn't dwell on it and agreed immediately.

He then discussed the specific situation of the anti-Japanese forces in Zhaoqing with three underground party members.

In Zhaoqing, the underground party is currently mainly developing in Gaoyao, preparing to learn from the model of the anti-Japanese revolutionary base areas in the north and to wage a protracted struggle against the Japanese army.

Meanwhile, there were also defense troops from the 12th Army Group stationed in Zhaoqing, originally responsible for the defense along the river and blocking the Japanese army's westward advance.

This unit has been incorporated into the Xijiang Garrison Command.

Counties such as Gaoyao, Sihui, and Guangning all had local self-defense forces, which were spontaneously organized by local gentry and clans. They were poorly equipped but familiar with the terrain.

Besides these, there was another force resisting Japan.

That was the bandit gang in the Fengkai and Deqing area.

These criminal gangs also joined the ranks of those resisting the Japanese invasion.

After listening to the underground party members, Fang Wen gained an understanding of the anti-Japanese forces in Zhaoqing.

He had lunch at a restaurant and then set off for Seven Star Crags.

The group arrived at Seven Star Crags.

This is a famous local attraction in Zhaoqing.

Picturesque.

The lake at the foot of the mountain is called Qixing Lake. There are several pavilions on the lake, and you need to take a boat to get there.

Because the city government convened a meeting of anti-Japanese forces here, the waterside pavilion has been closed off, and only those attending the meeting can get there by boat.

When Fang Wen and his group arrived, the city government arranged two boats: one for Gong Xiuneng and his soldiers, and another for Fang Wen and three underground party members, to go to the pavilion opposite.

When Fang Wen and his group arrived, the city government arranged two boats: one for Gong Xiuneng and his soldiers, and another for Fang Wen and three underground party members, to go to the pavilion opposite.

When the two boats arrived at the pavilion on the water, Fang Wen and his group disembarked and saw the lively scene inside the pavilion.

The leaders of various groups were invited here, and they chatted warmly in small groups.

When the city government officials saw Fang Wen, they immediately announced, "Gentlemen, Commander Fang of the Taishan Independent Regiment has arrived."

As soon as he said this, all the noise stopped and everyone looked at Fang Wen.

For them, it was simply miraculous that the Taishan Independent Regiment was able to break through the Japanese army's heavy defenses and attack the headquarters.

If they could fight alongside such troops, they would be more confident of winning the battle.

(End of this chapter)