A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

Early Monday morning, Song Hongfei ordered: "All battalions, fully equipped, assemble immediately!"

A flurry of activity ensued, and after a full ten minutes, the entire sergeant battalion, fully armed, lined up on the parade ground, looking at their new battalion commander, Song Hongfei.

Song Hongfei's face was cold and stern, he remained silent, and his eyes flashed with a sharp, cold light. Everyone in the sergeant battalion was on edge; it seemed the battalion commander was very dissatisfied. None of them had expected the new battalion commander to pull such a stunt on his first day in office.

The officer in charge relayed the order: "Warm up for 5 minutes!"

5 minute later.

"The whole battalion is ready!" Song Hongfei shouted. "Each company will be a separate unit! The rest will be in a team with the battalion headquarters—3 kilometers of armed cross-country running! The company's result will be determined by the last-place finisher! The last-place finisher in the infantry company will have to run back again!"

The four companies of the sergeant battalion lined up in a row, with four company flags fluttering side by side at the front. The battalion headquarters personnel formed a detachment and lined up in a row, eager to get started and ready to fight.

The battalion clerk, fully armed, ran out and handed the battalion flag to Song Hongfei: "Battalion Commander!"

Song Hongfei took the battalion flag bearing the words "Training Corps Sergeant Battalion": "Everything's ready! Sergeant Battalion, charge!"

Everyone was surprised again; no one expected the battalion commander to take the lead himself.

Hundreds of valiant soldiers from the sergeant battalion, fully armed and equipped, charged out with thunderous slogans, causing a commotion throughout the entire training corps camp and immediately attracting everyone's attention. People from other units stared wide-eyed at the group of sergeants who seemed to have been injected with chicken blood.

Commander Gui was reading documents in the headquarters when he heard a deafening noise. He turned around and looked out the window, where he saw the group of sergeants rushing past.

"Full of energy!" Gui Shuaizhen said with a smile, "This is quite interesting. This new broom sweeps clean."

Guided by the fluttering battalion flags, the four company flags followed behind amidst the shouts of the entire battalion's soldiers, with several companies running almost side by side, shouting as they went.

"Three steps inhale, three steps exhale! Don't gasp for air, breathe through your nose!" Song Hongfei shouted from his command post, "Pay attention to managing your energy and adjusting your breathing! At the 2-kilometer mark, two steps inhale, two steps exhale! Carry your rifle on your back, be careful not to bump your knees!"

"Our 3rd Company will always be number one!" Zhang Yi shouted. "3rd Company, charge with me!"

The other company commanders were not to be outdone, and they all shouted slogans. The soldiers of each company roared and rushed forward, kicking up clouds of dust.

The entire battalion strained and sprinted for 3 kilometers, roaring as they reached the finish line—a small hill. Song Hongfei checked his watch; the entire battalion, fully equipped, had run 16 minutes. He thought it was alright.

Song Hongfei ordered: "Five minutes of free time!"

The morning light shone on his young face, revealing his resolute character.

The soldiers and officers of the entire battalion looked at Song Hongfei with a hint of admiration. Their battalion commander was fully armed just like them, and was even leading them down the run while holding the battalion flag.

Song Hongfei carefully observed the soldiers' physical reactions after the weighted cross-country run. In fact, he did this for a very important reason: he needed to understand the physical condition, endurance, and stamina of the soldiers in the sergeant battalion.

Currently, the mechanization and motorization of the Chinese army are basically zero. They rely entirely on their iron "iron feet" for marching and fighting. Strong physical fitness and good leg strength are essential conditions for every soldier.

The choice of 3 kilometers was also quite deliberate. During military marches at that time, the interval between each unit was 3 kilometers. Training for 3-kilometer cross-country runs was also to enable soldiers to engage in combat more quickly.

The most common infantry-attached mortars and infantry guns have an effective range of 3 kilometers. Once the distance is 3 kilometers, it is beyond the range of infantry artillery fire. Therefore, marching troops will generally assemble 3 kilometers away from the front line and then carry all equipment and weapons on foot into the war zone.

Given the physical condition and nutritional intake of Chinese soldiers at the time, a distance of 3 kilometers was a reasonably determined "optimal value." For a soldier marching with a load of 20-30 kilograms, exceeding 3 kilometers would lead to exhaustion and, over time, irreversible damage to the soldier's body; conversely, marching less than 3 kilometers would fail to meet the aforementioned tactical requirements. Therefore, 3 kilometers was a malleable optimal value.

Therefore, carrying a load for 3 kilometers in cross-country running can improve soldiers' endurance and physical strength, and is also an important method to hone their fighting spirit and enhance their willpower.

Song Hongfei carefully observed the reactions of the machine gun company and the 82mm mortar platoon soldiers. They had the heaviest average load in the entire battalion. As the saying goes, "No journey is easy without a light load," especially for the soldiers of the 82mm mortar platoon, some of whom carried nearly 30 kilograms, several kilograms heavier than the average soldier, resulting in greater physical exertion.

"How are you? Can your body handle it?" Song Hongfei asked the soldiers of the machine gun company and the 82mm mortar platoon.

"No problem, we can handle it!" the soldiers replied, panting heavily, some of them already out of breath.

"Good! Excellent morale!" Song Hongfei couldn't help but shout in praise. "The machine gun company and artillery platoon have the heaviest loads in the entire battalion, yet they still keep up. They deserve praise! Let's give them a round of applause!"

The whole battalion erupted in enthusiastic applause. The soldiers of the machine gun company and artillery platoon were filled with pride, their chests puffed out involuntarily. The excitement made them feel refreshed and invigorated, and even the fatigue in their bodies vanished.

Song Hongfei then went to the infantry company and said to a few soldiers, "Now I order you to aim at a human target 100 meters away! Can you guarantee a hit?"

Several soldiers lay prone on the ground, aiming, only to find that their hearts were pounding, they were panting, and their hands were shaking. The crosshairs in front of them kept wobbling as they aimed at the target. They couldn't guarantee accurate aiming at a distance of 100 meters. They looked at each other, feeling a little dejected.

Song Hongfei now had a better understanding of the situation.

Several company commanders also had a sudden realization, as if they had figured something out.

Song Hongfei said to several company commanders, "The soldiers' physical strength and endurance need to be strengthened. We should carry out this kind of targeted training in the future."

The company commanders replied, "Yes, sir!"

Shortly after, Song Hongfei ordered: "Each company, line up and return to your units, march in step! The last person from earlier, run back without a time limit!"

The soldiers' morale was high, with hundreds of them marching in perfect unison, their steps firm and resolute.

"Sing a song—!" Song Hongfei shouted, "The winds rise, the mountains and rivers tremble—ready—go!"

As the brilliant sunrise painted the sky, the resounding "Army Song" echoed across the fields at the foot of Zijin Mountain, resonating in the ears of those who rose early to work.

When the winds rise and the mountains and rivers tremble,

The founding of the Whampoa Military Academy was a momentous occasion, and the revolutionary heroes were devoted to their cause.

With swords and spears, they fought countless battles on the battlefield, serving as pioneers in pacifying the internal and resisting the external.

. . . . . .

Mobile offensive, brave and composed, surprise attacks, proactive and strategic.

With unwavering loyalty and mutual support, we will unite and strive for self-improvement, annihilate the enemy, and sing a triumphant song.

. . .

After the cross-country run returned to camp, Song Hongfei announced: "Training will proceed as scheduled this morning. In the afternoon, each company will conduct live-fire exercises."

Everyone was excited. The soldiers in the sergeant battalion's eyes lit up, and several company commanders were eager to participate. The country was poor, and the army wasn't wealthy either; even for the sergeant battalion of the training corps, opportunities for live-fire exercises were precious.

“The soldiers are very simple-minded. Let them show off in front of the new battalion commander and have a competition between several companies. They will be motivated to train hard without any encouragement, which will greatly benefit their combat effectiveness.” This was Song Hongfei’s own idea. “At the same time, we can also take the opportunity to assess the strength of the troops. Otherwise, we won’t know the current physical strength and tactical skills of the soldiers.”