A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

The Japanese army bombarded our positions with heavy artillery from time to time.

"Hurry up and repair the fortifications, deploy defenses according to the pre-arranged plan, and pay close attention to enemy movements. Remember, be prepared for air defense and artillery fire!" Song Hongfei instructed the battalion commanders.

"Yes, sir!" Several capable battalion commanders immediately went to carry out the order, and the soldiers of the 3rd Regiment quickly sprang into action.

As the saying goes, an expert can see the details; the style, organization, discipline, and tactical and technical military skills of a unit can be fully reflected in this.

Hu Boyu, commander of the 199th Brigade of the 67th Division, exclaimed sincerely: "Their swift action upon receiving orders and their decisive and efficient execution demonstrate their formidable combat power."

“Strict adherence to orders is an essential quality of soldiers,” said Song Hongfei, who is well-versed in war history and has great respect for this famous general in the War of Resistance Against Japan. “Although the Japanese army was repelled, we still cannot let our guard down and must guard against another attack in the afternoon.”

“It’s very likely. I need to go and urge the forward regiment to make proper defensive arrangements.” Hu Boyu nodded and then used his binoculars to observe the movements of the Japanese troops in Zhangxiang in the distance. “Fortunately, Commander Song’s reinforcements arrived just now, which prevented the Japanese from succeeding in their flanking maneuver.”

"It's just my duty, nothing to mention," Song Hongfei said. "Brigadier Hu, there's something else I need to do. I need to go to your division headquarters to discuss the handover of garrison duties with Division Commander Huang. I hope someone can show me the way."

“No problem, the division headquarters is in a courtyard south of Qujiaqiao.” Hu Boyu beckoned to a staff officer. “Staff Officer Huang, accompany Regiment Commander Song to the division headquarters and urge them to send ammunition supplies as soon as possible.”

Division Commander Huang Wuwo was engrossed in studying the battle map, discussing the next steps of the operation with several staff officers.

Huang Wu frowned. After four days of fierce fighting, the 67th Division's two brigades and four regiments had suffered more than half of their casualties.

A staff officer came in to report: "Division Commander, Regiment Commander Song Hongfei of the Training Corps has arrived."

Huang Wuwo's ​​face lit up with joy: "Please come in quickly!"

Just now, Hu Boyu, the brigade commander of the 199th Brigade, called the division headquarters to inform them of Song Hongfei's arrival.

Song Hongfei paid great attention to military etiquette. As soon as he entered, he stood at attention and saluted: "Commander Huang, Song Hongfei, the commander of the 3rd Regiment of the Training Corps, has come here on orders!"

Etiquette is also a basic quality of soldiers. Huang Wu returned the courtesy and shook hands very warmly: "You came at the right time, you solved my urgent problem!"

The two were actually acquaintances, both being division-level military commanders in charge of reorganizing their units, and had considerable interaction during the military reorganization plan. When Song Hongfei joined the delegation to Europe in May, Huang Wuzheng was studying military affairs in Germany, and the delegation had also organized meetings and exchanges for officers studying in Germany.

Song Hongfei also held this famous general in high esteem. Huang Wuwo was strict in managing his troops and also demanded strict standards of himself. He never indulged in women or gambling. His integrity and honesty were recognized in the National Army. He was upright and honest in his conduct, and had the qualities of a Confucian gentleman.

Originally, Division Commander Huang Wuwo was quite dissatisfied with the fact that only one regiment of reinforcements had arrived. However, he did not expect that Song Hongfei would be able to strike hard at the weak point of the Japanese army as soon as he arrived, helping the 67th Division to repel the Japanese army and hold the position. His dissatisfaction had long since disappeared.

He greatly admired Song Hongfei's keen battlefield observation and judgment, and was extremely impressed by the powerful combat capabilities of the 3rd Regiment of the Training Corps.

Huang Wuwo said sincerely, "Brother Hongfei, the firepower and combat effectiveness of your regiment are truly eye-opening."

He added with a hint of envy, "A regiment has a 75mm infantry gun company, an anti-tank gun company, a 20mm mortar company, and numerous 82mm mortars. Their firepower is equivalent to that of my entire division."

That's not entirely untrue. Because the island nation tried every means to prevent my country from purchasing military equipment, many of the pre-war military procurement plans simply couldn't be realized. Even for the three reorganized divisions, the heavy firepower configuration was only on paper. In reality, only the Training Corps achieved the goal of having one mountain artillery battalion on the organizational chart. Although the 67th Division was also a reorganized division, the planned battalion only had one company in reality.

Song Hongfei said with some helplessness, "This little Japanese is too cunning; it will never give you a chance to prepare."

He greatly admired the 67th Division's tenacious resistance against the combined firepower of Japanese aircraft, heavy artillery, and tanks, and their heroic act of holding their ground despite heavy losses.

Huang Wuwo then said to Song Hongfei, "Come over here and take a look. This is the current situation and my master's deployment map."

As the saying goes, an expert will know if something is there as soon as he makes a move.

Upon glancing at the map, Song Hongfei immediately recognized Huang Wuwo's ​​merits as a top graduate of the Whampoa Military Academy and an elite officer who had studied modern military affairs in Germany. His defensive deployment, positional organization, firepower configuration, and combat command were all commendable, and Song Hongfei couldn't help but secretly praise him.

Huang Wuwo said, "I overlooked something. Our army blew up the bridge over the Suzhou River, but I didn't expect the Japanese army to be able to transport tanks across the river and coordinate with two regiments to launch a flanking attack. This area is a network of rivers and waterways, and I didn't deploy anti-tank guns in front. The hasty deployment during the battle resulted in significant losses. If you hadn't arrived in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Song Hongfei said, "The Japanese army has the initiative, while our army is completely passive. We did not expect that the mechanization of such a long river would allow its engineers to transport tanks from a certain crossing point. We do not have air superiority and cannot conduct reconnaissance by aircraft."

In fact, none of the Nationalist generals, including Song Hongfei, knew that the Japanese army was desperate and had to resort to any means necessary. In order to break through as soon as possible, under the strong order of Matsui Iwane, they mobilized the 2nd Independent Engineer Regiment and the 3rd Ship Engineer Regiment, which were specially equipped with river-crossing equipment. They used all their strength and finally transported two tank companies across Yaojiadu in one night.

Huang Wuwo continued, "According to the latest intelligence from the Songhu Command, the Japanese army is very likely to also build a pontoon bridge here, deploy heavy troops to expand the existing breakthrough, attack in depth, and encircle Nanshi."

He sighed again and said, "It's hard to say, it's already been erected. The salient is nearly 3 kilometers long, and our army can't reach it."

Song Hongfei's expression also turned serious.

All the officers were well aware that if the Japanese army broke through this breach, the entire Suzhou Creek defense line would inevitably crumble instantly.

Huang Wuwo continued, “My 67th Division has fought fiercely for many days and suffered heavy casualties, so we have to withdraw. The Japanese mechanized forces have broken through from the salient, which will put even more pressure on you to rotate. Fortunately, this area is a water network with many rivers and ditches, which greatly restricts the movement of the mechanized forces.”

The area around the Wusong River in the western suburbs of Shanghai was mostly open wilderness. The Nationalist army never built a permanent defensive line on the south bank and could only hastily dig fortifications. These temporary fortifications could not withstand heavy bombardment from aircraft and artillery. The only barrier was the Wusong River. During the dry season, the western section of the Wusong River was only 50-60 meters wide, and in some places only 30-40 meters wide.

The defensive pressure was doubled, as they had to guard against both a Japanese amphibious assault and a Japanese breakthrough through the gap in the triangular protrusion.

Song Hongfei thought for a moment, pointed to the map, and said, "I just saw a stone arch bridge over the river here. Can the Japanese tanks cross it?"

Song Hongfei refers to a stone bridge over an unnamed ditch south of Caijiazhai.

“This bridge is a stone bridge from the Qing Dynasty, built entirely of stone slabs. It is sturdy enough for vehicles to pass through, and even the Japanese army’s 10-ton medium tanks had no problem crossing it. There are also a few small wooden bridges, which are passable for people but not for vehicles,” Huang Wuwo said. “This river was originally an unnamed ditch, no more than three to five meters wide and a little over a meter deep. The banks were mostly silt. People could wade across the river, but tanks could not cross it and could only pass through this one and only bridge.”

Huang Wu thought for a moment and then said, "Because we didn't expect the Japanese army to deploy tanks here, we didn't blow up the bridge. Unexpectedly, this has left a hidden danger. My division has already withdrawn from Caijiazhai and retreated. Do you want my division to send troops to launch a surprise attack and blow up the bridge?"

After careful consideration, Song Hongfei said, "This open plain, several hundred meters wide, has been bombarded by planes and heavy artillery for many days. The position has been completely destroyed and there is nothing to rely on. Now that the Japanese army is blockading it with artillery fire, there is no need to take this risk."

Song Hongfei added, "Furthermore, since the Japanese engineers were able to build a pontoon bridge over the Wusong River, this nameless ditch would naturally be no problem for them. Leaving the bridge might actually encourage the Japanese tanks to cross it for convenience, and their engineers probably wouldn't want to risk our artillery fire to build another bridge elsewhere."

Upon hearing this, Huang Wuwo was immediately filled with respect and praised, "Brother Hongfei, you truly have the courage of a hero! From what you've said, you seem to be planning to set a trap for the Japanese army here?"

Song Hongfei said, "That's the intention, but we still need to devise a plan."

A smile appeared on Huang Wuwo's ​​originally solemn face: "To be honest, when I learned that only one regiment of reinforcements had come, I was a little disappointed and worried, but now I am really convinced."

Song Hongfei said with some helplessness, "The Training Corps has a lot of artillery equipment, so it moves slowly and makes a lot of noise, but its mobility is not enough. Avoiding Japanese aircraft reconnaissance is a big problem. Originally, the Corps planned to come when the Japanese aircraft could not be dispatched at night, so only my regiment rushed here as the vanguard."

Huang Wu smiled again and said, "Of course the Japanese invaders know that the Training Corps is a model unit of our army, the elite of the elite, so they will naturally pay extra attention to reconnaissance. To be honest, since you came, Japanese planes have been dispatched early this morning, and they have been coming much more frequently than before."

"The Training Corps is well-equipped, with a full-strength regiment of more than 3000 men. My 67th Division's four main regiments have been fighting fiercely until now, and our combat-ready forces are only equivalent to one of your regiments."

Song Hongfei knew that the 67th Division had been involved in the Battle of Shanghai since the beginning and had repeatedly exhausted its resources, but when he heard that the casualties of those holding the Wusong River defense line had also been so heavy in the past few days, he was still very surprised and filled with respect.

Song Hongfei solemnly said, "To be honest, I have great respect for the fighting spirit and will of Commander Huang's 67th Division. Despite the fact that they fought hard for more than two months, were exhausted from the long battle, and suffered heavy casualties, they were still able to hold their ground, fight tenaciously for several days, and inflict heavy casualties on the Japanese invaders. They have demonstrated the military might and spirit of not fearing a strong enemy and fighting to the end. They are truly a model for our army!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the 67th Division headquarters, including Division Commander Huang Wuwo, felt a surge of pride and honor.

The two discussed the deployment and handover issues for a long time. Near the end, a staff officer came in and quietly reported something to Huang Wuwo.

Huang Wu seemed to hesitate for a long time before saying, "Brother Hongfei, I have a favor to ask. Sigh, I'm shamelessly asking."

"Commander Huang, please speak freely."

Huang Wuwo said, “We were fortunate to receive strong support from your 3rd Regiment in this battle, which enabled us to successfully repel the Japanese army. The enemy suffered a significant setback and retreated in disarray. We just cleaned up the battlefield and obtained quite a few spoils of war, including rifles, light and heavy machine guns, and grenade launchers. We also captured several wounded Japanese soldiers. In principle, some of these should belong to your unit. As you know, my division has suffered heavy casualties, which is related to whether we can be given priority in replenishing our manpower and equipment in the future. I wonder if Brother Hongfei could…”

Before Huang Wuwo could finish speaking, Song Hongfei nodded and waved his hand, saying, "Commander Huang, there's no need to say anything more. In this battle, the 67th Division turned the tide and fought bravely to repel the enemy. It deserves the greatest credit for consolidating the western defense line and is worthy of the spoils of war! Hongfei has the utmost respect for the 67th Division. My unit is merely adding icing on the cake and dares not accept such credit."

"Brother Hongfei—" Huang Wuwo was deeply moved and said, "I am extremely grateful!"

Commander Huang and the people at the 67th Division headquarters were very moved.

"I dare not accept such praise, Commander Huang, there is no need for such formality."

The Military Commission introduced a corresponding reward and punishment system for capturing prisoners and seizing spoils of war. The more spoils captured, the more priority the troops would receive in replenishing manpower and equipment, and they would also receive a corresponding reward based on the quantity.

Song Hongfei knew that there was a severe shortage of manpower, equipment, supplies, medicine, and food. The replenishment of combat losses was often far from sufficient, and many units had to use captured weapons to supplement their equipment. Huang Wuwo had no choice but to speak up.

He simply did a favor and helped the other person achieve their goal.

On another note, which he was somewhat embarrassed to tell Huang Wuwo, the Training Corps was highly favored by the Military Commission and the Ministry of Military Affairs, and received generous treatment. They had no worries about supplies, equipment, medicine, or food. He simply looked down on the Japanese army's shoddy stuff.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Then, a deafening explosion suddenly rang out again.

The Japanese army deployed a large number of aircraft and heavy artillery to carry out even more intense bombing.

A dark mass of Japanese planes swarmed overhead like locusts, swooping down and dropping heavy bombs.

On the ground, Japanese heavy artillery shells, high-explosive shells, airburst shells, delayed-action bunker-buster shells, and incendiary shells rained down on our positions.

The violent explosion caused the earth to tremble violently, leaving the ground cratered and trees uprooted, tumbling through the air before crashing heavily to the ground. For a moment, sand and stones flew everywhere, thick smoke billowed, and the sky darkened; this terrifying scene seemed as if even the heavens and earth were about to collapse.

Because the planned breakthrough of the Wusong River before the Meiji Festival was not achieved, Matsui Iwane was frustrated and angry. He gave Yoshizumi Ryosuke, the commander of the retreating 9th Division, a severe dressing-down and ordered another fierce attack. He insisted that the army must show its might and live up to the emperor's expectations.

Yoshizumi Ryosuke, feeling humiliated after being scolded by Matsui Iwane, turned around and doubled the scolding he had just received on his subordinate regimental commanders.

The 9th Division launched another fierce attack.

This time, Yoshizumi Ryosuke was a bit more cunning. The 67th Division on the east side had even more firepower, and several Type 89 medium tanks, each weighing over 10 tons, were destroyed.

Then let's find an easy target to bully.

He shifted the focus of the attack to the west, with the 19th and 36th Regiments launching a fierce assault on the Tianduoli and Xujialong line defended by the 46th and 154th Divisions.

The 7th Regiment and the 35th Regiment simultaneously attacked the 67th Division and the 3rd Regiment of the Training Corps at Qujiaqiao, preventing our troops on the east side from supporting the defense on the west side.

Suddenly, our army felt increased pressure on the western flank defense.

The 46th and 154th Divisions fought to the death, with almost all the squad and platoon leaders on the front lines being killed or wounded. Soldiers continued to fight, resulting in even heavier casualties.

The 19th and 36th Regiments launched a fierce attack and finally broke through the first line, but they were already exhausted and unable to continue to expand.

At the critical moment, the 1st Regiment of the Training Corps arrived.

The 1st Regiment's tactics were exactly the same as those of Song Hongfei's 3rd Regiment. They immediately launched a counter-encirclement of the Japanese flanks, inflicting heavy casualties on the Japanese with fierce flanking fire. Unlike most previous Nationalist reinforcements, they did not simply spread out on the front line and passively take hits.

The tactics employed by the Training Corps had been repeatedly simulated and practiced at the Corps headquarters in Xinzhuang, which gave the officers and soldiers of the 67th, 46th, and 154th Divisions a fresh perspective and provided them with valuable insights.

Division Commander Huang Wuwo said to the division staff with great emotion, "Looking at their tactics, strategies, and technical skills, they are indeed unique and worth studying carefully."

Our troops were greatly encouraged and launched a full-scale counterattack. The Japanese army was finally exhausted and the two sides were locked in a stalemate.

By evening, the follow-up troops of the Training Corps arrived, and the 75mm mountain gun battalion, guided by the forward observation team, fired accurately. The fierce artillery fire shattered the Japanese army's nerves, and the Japanese army eventually retreated to the attacking position, suffering increased casualties and gaining nothing.