Chapter 51 Martyr Xiao Shanling (1892-1937)

Lieutenant General Xiao Shanling, the former deputy commander of the Kuomintang Gendarmerie, was one of the martyrs who died honorably in the defense of Nanjing during the Anti-Japanese War.In the brutal bloody battle to defend the capital, he commanded the gendarmerie to fight against the Japanese army. He was seriously injured and died for the country. General Xiao Shanling, courtesy name Tienong, was born in 1892 in Fangshan Village, Yiyang County, Hunan Province.His father, Xiao Yuxiang, was a scholar in the late Qing Dynasty. He studied with his father in a private school since he was a child. He was smart, studious, and fond of his father.In 1904, Xiao Shanling graduated from a normal school.

In 1909, he was admitted to Hubei Army Primary School. In 1910, Xiao Shanling was transferred to the third phase of Baoding Military Academy. In 1916, he graduated from Baoding Military Academy and was assigned to serve under the He Yao Group of the Hunan Army.Because of his skillful command of troops and clear rewards and punishments, he was loved by the officers and men and trusted by the chief. In 1929, the National Government established the Capital Garrison Headquarters in Nanjing, and Xiao Shanling was appointed as the staff officer of the lieutenant colonel. In 1931, the Capital Garrison Command was reorganized into the Gendarmerie Command, and he was promoted to Colonel and Director of General Affairs.

In 1936, Xiao Shanling was promoted to Major General Chief of Staff of the Gendarmerie Command. In 1937, Japan launched a large-scale war of aggression, and the Chinese army rose up to resist. They held a stalemate with the Japanese invaders on the front line of Shanghai for two months, smashing the arrogant boast of the Japanese invaders to "occupy Shanghai within 24 hours". Because our weapons and equipment were outdated and our casualties were too high, we had no choice but to withdraw from Shanghai in late October.After the crazy Japanese occupied Shanghai, they rushed to Nanjing in a few minutes.In order to arouse the confidence of the people all over the country that they will surely win the war against Japan and win the support of the international community, the National Government appointed General Tang Shengzhi as the Chief of the Nanjing Garrison and led 100,000 troops to defend Nanjing.General Xiao Shanling was also ordered to lead two military police regiments to participate in the defense of Nanjing as the deputy commander of the military police, the mayor of Nanjing and the chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.

Knowing that he was in a dangerous situation, he remained calm as usual, encouraged the military police to stick to their posts, and vowed to fight the enemy to the end. Relying on superior forces and the cover of superior firepower of aircraft and artillery, the Japanese army attacking Nanjing continued to launch fierce attacks. Our officers and soldiers resisted desperately. On December 12, the Japanese army successively captured the Xiaolingwei, Tongjimen, and Yuhuatai lines in Nanjing. Our Nanjing defenders retreated under the order of General Tang Shengzhi, and General Xiao Shanling also led the military police to resist the Japanese army every day. recede.At this time, the enemy planes in the sky bombed indiscriminately, and the Japanese troops on the ground kept chasing troops. When the troops walked out of Yifeng Gate, the order was out of order. General Xiao urgently ordered the military police to rectify the order, and crossed the river in order. And the rear of the troops.

At this time, a large number of Japanese pursuers arrived, and the land and water attacked, and the two sides fought fiercely. General Xiao Shanling was shot several times in the battle, and died on the spot, martyrdom. In recognition of General Xiao Shanling's patriotic spirit of heroic sacrifice for the country, the National Government specially presented General Xiao Shanling as Lieutenant General of the Army.