Chapter 21 Chapter 21: The Nu River Is Roaring (1)

As the two major branches of the expeditionary force, when the Chinese army stationed in India, there was also the Western Yunnan Expeditionary Force. However, unlike the Indian Army, the West Yunnan Expeditionary Force had an agreement at the beginning of its establishment, that is, This army must be commanded entirely by Chinese officers, and the Americans are only responsible for training and providing weapons. Without the first expedition, Chiang Kai-shek could not have thought of this. Now that he thinks about it, he can only be limited to Yunnan, and the officers have to be selected by Stilwell himself.There is no way, they hold the right to distribute the aid to China that will kill you.

Stilwell had good eyesight, and the first commander-in-chief of the Western Yunnan Expeditionary Army he had his eyes on was Chen Cheng. Old Qiao didn't want to be favored by Chiang Kai-shek. It can be said that he liked and recognized the qualities of Chen Cheng. Even if measured by American standards, he could definitely be called an excellent commander. However, Chen Cheng is busy now. For a period of time, he wanted Gu Yuanzheng's share, but he couldn't lose the share in the Sixth War Zone. Going back to Enshi to command the battle, there is almost no way to avatar. Similar to many military officers who have been fighting for many years, Chen Cheng also suffers from severe stomach problems. After such a toss, this decathlon man was really exhausted, so he had to ask for leave to go to the outskirts of Chongqing to recuperate.

The position of commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force is vacant again. There are many domestic generals who are used to fighting, but the key is that Stilwell has to be recognized. Can you let Du Yuming and Luo Zhuoying go? In order to find a suitable candidate, He Yingqin, Minister of Military and Political Affairs, rummaged through a list of military officers, and finally found a person's name. Comeback Because of the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain, the former tiger general Wei Lihuang fell to the bottom of the valley, and the punishment of dismissal and dismissal of the rank of general was a little better than imprisonment and execution.

After being dismissed, he was transferred to the director of Xi'an camp of the Military Commission. Wei Lihuang is very stubborn. He is one of the "five tiger generals" who likes to talk strangely and complain most. Sometimes he can't deal with Chiang Kai-shek. But now, he has nothing to say, and the handover will be completed in a short time After the formalities, I went to Xi'an to find a job. The so-called director of the camp is a standard idle job with little power. After he left, Wei Lihuang was unwilling to sit in the office with a serious face, but pushed the affairs to the staff, and took his family to wander around Xi'an.

After spending time like this every day, Wei Lihuang has never said anything about military affairs since then, even when his former subordinates asked to see him, he politely declined. The lights of swords and swords were dimmed, and the drums and horns were far away. In the eyes of outsiders, Wei Lihuang really wanted to retire. Otherwise, how could he be so leisurely and quiet? Only at night, in the dead of night, does this tiger show its true face occasionally. He often flipped through the newspaper, and after reading it, he sighed and complained. The value of a general lies in the battlefield, and if it goes on for a long time, "the flesh grows in the belly", and the body grows fat, and he can't even ride a war horse. Wouldn't it be sad?

Needless to say, in fact, my heart is full of words, but I can't cry and say things like "Lian Po is not old, I can still eat a big bowl for a meal". After wandering around Xi'an for a month, Wei Lihuang couldn't stand it any longer, so he left Xi'an and went to Chengdu. On the surface, it is a complete retirement, but in fact, it implies strong dissatisfaction: Don't you think such a job is overkill? This is called retreating to advance, but at first they could only retreat but not advance. After two consecutive years of frustration, when it was time to employ people, the high command realized that there had been such a tiger before.

In the list of going abroad for the first expeditionary force, Luo Zhuoying's position was originally assigned to Wei Lihuang. The excitement in my heart, but Wei Lihuang still held back. No matter how good the opportunity is, you have to take the airs you need, otherwise people will look down on you and think that you have been demoted like this. Why do you want to come out of the mountain with a greeting from above. If you want people to value you, you have to learn to "take". This is the experience of traditional Chinese official circles. After receiving the recruitment order, Wei Lihuang replied: "When I went to Zhongtiao Mountain for inspection, I was frightened by the horse and knocked me off the top, which shocked my brain, so I couldn't go to the post."

When Chen Cheng fell ill, He Yingqin thought of Wei Lihuang again, reported the list to Stilwell, and Old Qiao nodded. At this time, Stilwell and Chiang Kai-shek were already at odds in private, and whoever fell in love with Chiang Kai-shek would not please Stilwell.Wei Lihuang was demoted due to the defeat of Zhongtiao Mountain, and his relationship with Chiang Kai-shek was no longer as close as the other tigers. Naturally, he had no reason to object. If the Yankee can nod, everything is OK, but because of the previous example, Wei Lihuang can no longer be hired by a minister of military and political affairs, and the head of state must go to invite him.

In the spring of 1944, Chiang Kai-shek sent a special plane to Chengdu to invite him. This time, if he "takes" again, it will be over. After so many years of ups and downs in the officialdom, Wei Lihuang can still weigh the size clearly. The Chongqing party was received by Chiang Kai-shek in person, and Wei Lihuang officially took office as the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force, and was able to resume the rank of general. The problem of "concussion" no longer exists, and what needs to be faced is how to restore his reputation on the battlefield. The general's honor and disgrace are on the battlefield, Wei Lihuang (second from the right) has to rely on the first

The second expedition to turn over During those days when he retired, Wei Lihuang didn't talk about military affairs, but to some extent, he was too painful to speak. That battle was so embarrassing, it could be regarded as the most useless battle in the middle of the War of Resistance, and even if Zhongtiao Mountain was not mentioned, it would be a miserable word. When bidding farewell to Luoyang, Wei Lihuang deliberately asked the driver to return, and made a big circle around the residence before leaving. What he didn't know was whether it was possible for him to return to the original place in the future.

Although it is said that victory or defeat is a common thing for military strategists, soldiers in real life often lose their heads for the rest of their lives after one defeat, just like Liu Zhi, who is known as the "General Ever Victorious" and is the most powerful among the old "Five Tigers". Damn, but because of a tumble in the Battle of Baoding, he was ridiculed as a "commonly defeated general". Wei Lihuang is lucky, because there is still a chance to start again. We must not lose again this time. When Chen Cheng was in office, he set up the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force in Chuxiong, which is 300 miles away from Kunming. At that time, Chen Cheng was concerned that the military style and discipline had been abolished for a long time, and he implemented the "bitter trick" when he could not effectively improve the treatment of officers and soldiers. ——If you want to be poor together, everyone has nothing to say. Wei Lihuang moved the chief's department to Baoshan, but this time he didn't want to show off, but to practice with real swords and guns. Baoshan was close to the border of Yunnan and Burma, and not far from the front line of the Nujiang River, so it was convenient to observe the enemy's situation and plan the deployment of troops. The defeat in Zhongtiao Mountain back then was due to insensitivity. If he had been able to command a little more at that time, the defeat would never have been so miserable. You have to go to see the Nu River first. Zhuge Liang once mentioned in "The List of Former Teachers" that he "crossed Lu in May and went deep into the barren" in order to go south. The Lu River is said to be the Nu River. The Nu River originates from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Its surface is not wide, and the water flow is not very fast in the dry season, but in the rainy season, it seems to change its face, and the waves are turbulent, really like the roar of a god. This is a natural barrier that is difficult to easily overcome. It is true for the Japanese army on the west bank, and it is also true for the expeditionary force on the east bank. In April 1944, Wei Lihuang and his staff went through several inspections and finally found a suitable place to cross the river. The Western Yunnan Expeditionary Force also initially completed its equipment and training. At this time, the Chinese troops stationed in India had already launched the second dry season offensive in northern Burma, and the Menggong River Valley was full of bloodshed. Stilwell, who was in a state of excitement, urged the Western Yunnan Expeditionary Force to cross the Nu River as planned and join forces with the troops stationed in India. The army formed a situation of attacking from east to west. At this juncture, the Japanese army launched "Operation No. 1", and Kunming and Chongqing were greatly shaken. Chiang Kai-shek sent an urgent call to Wei Lihuang, asking him to return to Chuxiong to protect Kunming. Holding the telegrams from the two bosses, Wei Lihuang thought over and over again, and felt that it would not be good to follow the meaning of either end. Returning to Chuxiong means that the plan to leave the army will come to naught, but what is going on when I come out this time, without military achievements, the hat on my head is still a "Zhongtiao Mountain" in the end, what future can I talk about in the future? If he only listened to Stilwell's words and fought across the river regardless of everything, if there was anything wrong in Kunming, he would be unable to eat and walk around.Stilwell was certainly not easy to mess with, but Chiang Kai-shek was not an easy boss to serve. A crime of disobedience and loss of ground can make you permanently locked up. It's not easy for these two great men, Wei Lihuang finally decided to take the "middle way": first send some troops to Guiyang, wait for the situation to ease up, and then launch the battle of crossing the river. weakest army In May 1944, when the rainy season entered and the Nu River was about to lose its temper, Wei Lihuang felt that he could not wait any longer and had to "cross Lu in May" like Prime Minister Zhuge. Five armies had been assembled on the banks of the Nu River, but before crossing the river, a commandant suddenly asked the engineer troops: "After crossing the river, if we cannot stand, can you take us back?" Hearing this, my heart sank. Thinking of coming back before crossing the border is like looking for a way out before the battle, it is a sign of lack of self-confidence, and this is undoubtedly the worst thing. At that time, in the domestic Chinese army, only the super-class troops like the 74th Army could face the Japanese army head-to-head. That is to say, before going to war, you must look back and find a way to retreat. The madness of the 56th Division caused a lot of damage to the first expeditionary force. deadly threat Not to mention that it was the 56th Division of the Japanese Army occupying the other side of the Nu River. During the first expedition, two divisions became famous. They both came from Kitakyushu. One was the 18th Division of the "Chrysanthemum Corps" that repelled the expeditionary army from the front. The 56th Division of the Expeditionary Army's Back Road. After that battle, the 56th Division from Kurume had a great reputation in the Nanyang Japanese Army, known as the "Dragon Corps". Since the invasion and occupation of the area west of the Nujiang River, this division has been stationed in western Yunnan without changing defenses. Digging fortifications there every day, the solidity of its position can be imagined. When all visible circumstances are in full view, worry and fear can spread like weeds. After Wei Lihuang arrived in Yunnan, he visited every army and talked with officers above the division commander one by one. He knew that this kind of mentality of being timid before fighting is not only in one army, but in everyone, not just the officers. Yes, and so do soldiers. Here, Wei Lihuang saw the 53rd Army. The 53rd Army originally belonged to the Northeast Army series. The old commander of the former army was Wan Fulin, who was the first army to flee during the Baoding Battle. The 53rd Army was under the command of Wei Lihuang, and at that time it was considered the largest army in the Northeast Army system. Although it was defeated in Baoding, the emaciated camel was bigger than a horse, and there were still four The division has 60,000 people, which is beyond the reach of ordinary troops. But when they appeared in front of Wei Lihuang again, they were already miserable and pitiful. The reason, of course, has to be found in oneself first. The 53rd has many soldiers and relatively good weapons, but its combat effectiveness is weak. Every battle is the same as in the Battle of Baoding. It will be defeated after a few resistances. As a result, no one dares to put it in an important position when organizing large and small battles in the theater. , I am afraid that if the Northeast Army loses the chain, I will follow in Liu Zhi's footsteps. Not to mention Wei Lihuang back then, even Xue Yue in his heyday did not dare to boldly use the 53rd Army.The Fifty-third Army participated in the two Changsha battles, but basically there were not many of it, and there was not a lot of it, and its effect was not as good as Yang Sen's Sichuan Army. This is a vicious cycle. The more you fear war, the more difficult it is to fight, and the less you fight, the less your superiors will value you, and you will miss out on good things like commendations and supplies. The 53rd Army marched from Hunan to Yunnan. At this time Wan Fulin had been promoted, and Zhou Fucheng, deputy commander of the army, took over as commander. The number of troops also shrank from four divisions to two divisions, from 60,000 to 30,000. When the troops are together, what can be compared is the combat effectiveness and previous records.Among the Western Yunnan Expeditionary Forces, the 53rd Army is the undisputed "weakest army", and no one wants to see it. However, Wei Lihuang did not ignore it just because the 53rd Army was at the bottom. On the contrary, he still attached great importance to it. He stayed in the barracks for five days. After checking the weapons, it was found that each infantry company had only four mortars, but according to the uniform standard of American equipment, there should be six mortars. Wei Lihuang asked the army commander Zhou Fucheng to take out the other two mortars. It's not that Zhou Fucheng didn't take it, but the group army didn't send it. The Western Yunnan Expeditionary Army was divided into two major armies, the 53rd Army was subordinate to the 20th Army, and Huo Kuizhang, the commander-in-chief of the army, felt that the "weakest army" was not strong enough, and felt that it would be a waste to give them all, so he took the initiative to close the two gates so that If other troops that can fight are depleted, they can be replenished immediately. No matter what Huo Kuizhang thinks, this is of course unfair to Zhou Fucheng, but even though he is angry, if the higher-ups don't ask, he won't dare to say more, because he is afraid that you will all wear a pair of trousers and work together to bully others. Now that the commander-in-chief asked, Zhou Fucheng couldn't hold back the grievance in his heart, "All my cannons are here, and the two that I didn't have were confiscated by the group army!" Wei Lihuang turned his gaze to Huo Kuizhang. Huo Kuizhang's face was flushed, but in front of Zhou Fucheng, he couldn't say the reason of "the weakest", so he could only explain: "The buckle was deducted, but it was planned to be reissued in the future, because I was worried that the 53rd Army It’s used up all at once, and if it’s broken, it can’t be refilled.” Of course, Wei Lihuang couldn't be fooled by this little trick, and he immediately asked: "In this case, why did the other troops in the group army send out all of them?" Huo Kuizhang was speechless, speechless. Wei Lihuang put on a straight face, "If two mortars are fired less, the firepower will be reduced. This is a bitter medicine for myself." Huo Kuizhang hurriedly said repeatedly, "It will be launched tomorrow, and the mortars are all stored in the warehouse." Wei Lihuang gathered the officers of the 53rd Army to give a lecture, and made a clear promise, "Please rest assured that the 53rd Army will be treated equally in the future, and all equipment and supplements will be in accordance with the regulations of the Commander-in-Chief's Department, and shall not be deducted." Anyone who disobeys orders will be punished! Due to poor record and bad reputation, the 53rd Army has always behaved with its tail between its legs after arriving in Yunnan.From Zhou Fucheng to the most grassroots officers of the Northeast Army, the biggest worry is not the seizure of weapons, but the fear of being downsized or even "annexed". Now, finally someone is willing to support and speak up, and this person is the highest officer, can you not be excited and moved? Why did Chief Wei treat us so well? Some people say that Wei Lihuang himself is "a miscellaneous brand in the direct line". What he relies on is not nepotism and education, but actual military exploits, so he treats all troops equally. This seems to make sense, as Wei Lihuang said in his lectures, we must "treat them equally." But the development of the matter far exceeded the imagination of the 53rd Army. What Wei Lihuang showed to the "weakest army" was not as simple as "treating them equally", but it was a kind of extraordinary attention and care. battle of confidence Before the forced crossing, Wei Lihuang distributed the prepared combat plans and plans, but as soon as the armies got them, they aroused discussions. The first focus is that the Eleventh Army has become a defensive force. The Western Yunnan Expeditionary Army had two major armies, and the Eleventh Army was superior to the Twentieth Army in terms of combat effectiveness and familiarity with the enemy's situation and terrain in western Yunnan. In large corps operations, especially for such a critical counterattack, the expeditionary army would not be able to pounce on it enough, and they had to keep people on defense. Even if they wanted to defend, they should let the twentieth army defend, but it turned out that the eleventh army became The main attacking force. The second focus is also the most controversial focus. Regardless of the main attack of the Eleventh Army, what almost everyone couldn't figure out was that the 53rd Army was actually arranged as one of the main forces. Can the "weakest army" also become the main force?How powerful is it, and can it fight such a tough battle? Zhou Fucheng himself didn't know which one was drawn in his dream and asked Wei Lihuang to take care of him like this. After thinking about it, there was no other way to explain it. He could only make contact based on human relationships. Perhaps it was because he was under the command of Chief Wei back then, that's why he regarded us as his own sons? It is of course a good thing to be favored by accident, and it must be a shame to the leader if you don't fight hard, but the problem is that the 53rd Army's ability is so little, and even they themselves have no idea whether they can succeed in the forced crossing. The few people are Wei Lihuang. Drawing lessons from Zhongtiao Mountain, Wei Lihuang prepared very carefully for this expedition.When he was observing across the river, he found that the 56th Division was actually adopting the tactics of sticking to the key points, that is, defending the high mountain strongholds, instead of deploying heavy troops along the river. Wei Lihuang immediately realized that crossing the Nujiang River was actually not difficult. What was difficult was fighting the "Dragon Corps" in the mountains with complex terrain. That was really difficult. Do you know why the Eleventh Army should be in charge of the defense? It is false to keep the strongest troops, and it is true to invest in follow-up attacks at any time. The inclusion of the 53rd Army as the main force for the forced crossing stems from Wei Lihuang's other calculations. It is true that the 53rd Army is the "weakest army". Wei Lihuang is not unaware of this, but he didn't expect it to gnaw hard bones at the first bite. The key is to give it confidence and make it think that it is good , especially after equipping a beautiful weapon. Not only that, but it can also serve as a demonstration for all armies. You see, the "weakest army" has successfully crossed the river, so what are we afraid of! "Sun-fear disease", or fear that the disease of the 56th Division will definitely die and heal itself, so there is no such thing as "Can I go home" in the commander's mind. The premise, of course, is that everyone thinks that the Nu River is difficult to cross. In the final analysis, crossing the Nu River by force is actually a psychological warfare, or a battle to restore confidence. The thinking of famous generals has something in common. Wei Lihuang's tactic is quite similar to Okamura Ningji during the Nanchang Battle. The latter used the "weakest division" as the lead to restore the morale of the Japanese army. . At dawn on May 11, the Western Yunnan Expeditionary Army opened the prelude to the Battle of Crossing the River. The troop crossing the river is a kind of canvas boat with a pointed front and a rear. One boat can transport a squad, but it is extremely convenient to use. The airbag needs to be inflated. The American logistics equipment is really first-class in the world, and there are almost no faults. However, the hearts of the passengers are still hanging in the air, and they can't land for a long time. As soon as the eyes are closed, the boat is closed, and as soon as the eyes are opened, they go ashore. Forcing the Nu River The imagined fierce battle did not happen, because Wei Lihuang had already paved the way for the "weakest army" with special forces. Before the forced crossing, the expeditionary force established an artillery position on the bank. A wave of howitzer heavy artillery was swung there, and the Japanese artillery could not reach it, but it could completely destroy the Japanese river bank defense line without error. After the clearing of firepower, when the forced crossing officially started, there were no Japanese troops on the shore. The first batch of crossing troops only had two casualties and successfully captured the crossing position. The morale of the Western Yunnan Expeditionary Force was greatly boosted by this, and the "sun-fear disease" was also wiped out.