Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Daze from Dragon Snake

Ma Zhanshan fought in the Northeast for more than a year, and the people in the pass formed a volunteer army to go north to "aid the horse". Among them was a Cantonese named Cai Tingkai, who was then the commander of the 19th Route Army. In the 19th Route Army, Cai Tingkai was not the boss, but the commander-in-chief Jiang Guangnai. These are two people who are completely different in appearance, personality, and even family background: Jiang is thin and thin, Cai is tall; But just like a husband and wife, at first glance, outsiders seem to be mismatched, but the foundation of their marriage is very solid.

Jiang Cai has cooperated for many years, and the two have formed a very tacit complementarity.Jiang Guangnai was rich in knowledge and in charge of the overall situation, while Cai Tingkai was in charge of commanding after many battles.Over the years, their opponents have tried their best to separate this golden pair, but they have never been able to succeed. Cai Tingkai started his career as a soldier until he became a general, all by himself from the rain of guns and bullets. When he swore to the Northern Expedition, Cai Tingkai charged forward, and his left hand was seriously injured.Before he recovered from his injuries, he stormed Wuchang City with his wounds, climbed the city three times, and finally conquered all of them.

In people's memory, the Northern Expedition was a glorious era, but when that page was turned, everything changed quietly.Especially since the death of Sun Yat-sen, the soldiers in Guangdong seem to have lost their way collectively. Cai Tingkai's old bosses, Chen Mingshu and Zhang Fakui, were called the "Two Tigers of the Iron Army" and both became famous because of the 4th Army. Cai Tingkai and Jiang Guangnai could only follow behind, choosing "Mingzhu" like a stroke of luck.Since then, fighting is no longer for the ultimate ideal, but just a tool for some people to fight for power and territory.

For the former "revolutionary soldier" Cai Tingkai, this undoubtedly meant a great pain.But what can he do other than continue to be confused and walk with difficulty. When the news of "September 18" came, Cai Tingkai was greatly shocked, and he suddenly realized what he should do: To survive for the nation and to fight for the personality of the soldiers. After Chen Mingshu entered Sun Ke's cabinet, the 19th Route Army was valued by the government. It was upgraded from a local army to the "Royal Forest Army" and transferred to Beijing and Shanghai for garrison.

At that time, Beijing and Shanghai did not refer to Beijing and Shanghai, but Nanjing and Shanghai, both of which were prosperous places in the south of the Yangtze River.But Cai Tingkai was not fascinated by it. What he was most passionate about at the time was to organize the Southwest Volunteer Army, ready to go to the Northeast to assist Ma Zhanshan at any time. Some people dissuaded him, but he didn't listen at all. He insisted on participating in the Northeast Anti-Japanese War, even if he didn't want to die.He repeatedly said to the staff around him: "We now have a way to protect the country, and soldiers must regard death as home!"

As a pure soldier, Cai Tingkai finally found the pride and dream of this profession. No need to go north, the provocative self came to the door. But this time it is not the army but the navy, more precisely, the Japanese Marine Corps stationed in Shanghai. As an oceanic island country, and it started from the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, Japan does not take the navy lightly.In terms of large destroyers, heavy cruisers, and large aircraft carriers, etc., they can independently design and manufacture, and their naval strength even Western powers have to look at it differently. Compared with the navy, the army is much poorer. From the perspective of the navy, there are only two words: rough.Apart from bragging, it is incomparable with the British and American armies in the West, and it is destined to not achieve much.

But this is just wishful thinking by the Navy.Although the army is "rough", their hearts are higher than the sky. Soon, they fully developed the spirit of not needing to raise their whips, and launched the "September 18th" Incident, which made the country several times larger than Japan. "Manchuria" was taken down. What kind of performance is this? The deeds that have to be put on the shrine for worship are enough to shine in the annals of history and shine for thousands of years. Seeing the army with its head held high and supercilious, the navy, which relied on its "technical flow", was dumbfounded.

I can't swallow this breath. But if you can't swallow it, you have to swallow it.Because according to the internal statement of the army, "Manchuria" is the sphere of influence of the army. On other people's ground, no matter how anxious you are, it's useless, at most you won't cooperate. So where is the sphere of influence of our navy? The answer is: in the south. The Navy believes that the southern part of China is the meat of their mouths, and they must bite tightly and never let go. Now that the army has achieved such great success in the Northeast, it is time for our navy to show off.

According to the experience of the Kwantung Army in creating the "September 18th" Incident, it is necessary to cause trouble before fighting, and this time it is the army (Kwantung Army) that the navy despises to help them make trouble. This incident can be explained as: Compared with the army, the navy is considered a person of status, so the ability to fight and cause trouble is much worse. Since the League of Nations has been staring at the Northeast, it is very uncomfortable to stare at the Kwantung Army, the senior staff officer Itagaki wanted to do something in the south, so as to divert the attention of the international community.

He set his sights on Shanghai. In the 1930s, Shanghai was known as the "Paradise of Adventurers". All the big powers who wanted to get involved in China almost set up stalls here, so there was a saying of the Concession of Nations. There is no better place to grab attention than here. He also found the person in charge.This person is Major Tanaka Takashi, Assistant Military Attaché of the Japanese Legation in Shanghai. On the surface, he engages in diplomacy, but in fact he is an old spy in secret. It is only natural that you have to pay for doing things. The Japanese have always been very stingy in doing things. Itagaki was only willing to pay a mere 20,000 yen for such a potentially earth-shattering event.

What Itagaki did not expect was that it was this Tanaka who later testified against him in court at the Tokyo trial, and even revealed how much money he had given at that time. With such a small amount of money, after so many years, and without checking the accounts, he can still remember it clearly, which shows that Tanaka's memory is really not so good, and being a spy is indeed a piece of material. After taking the money, Tanaka found another partner—the famous traitor and female spy Yoshiko Kawashima. The two discussed together, discussing what could make the Japanese angry and the Westerners sympathetic. Hard to find. Boycott Japanese goods?Crowd fights?Fighting between soldiers? No, no, it's been fried N times, it's not new for a long time, and when these things come out, the Japanese marines always come out first to bully each other and beat up the Chinese. Of course it's good to take advantage, but it's not a big deal.Besides, if you want to stir up this kind of stuff, it is tantamount to airing Japan itself for people to judge. Thinking of their swollen heads, these two guys finally had some clues. Both the masses and the soldiers are laymen.To jump out of this box, you can only find good people. Who is a decent person? Monk. Buddhism in Japan was passed down from China.However, there is a sect of Buddhism that developed later and has no direct connection with Chinese Buddhism.This is the Nichiren sect. The Nichiren sect is widely spread in Japan, not only common people, but also some military and political dignitaries believe in it.At that time, some monks of the Nichiren sect lived in temples in Shanghai, and they often went outside the concession to seek alms. Both Tanaka and Kawashima Yoshiko believe that if these people have any troubles, they will definitely touch the sensitive nerves of the Japanese. On January 18, 1932, the "Ma Yushan Road Incident" (also known as the "Sanyou Industrial Co. Incident") planned by Japanese agents broke out. Although the planning of the incident was complicated, the process was very simple to say the least. Tanaka disguised dozens of his intelligence officers as Chinese workers, killed and wounded two monks of the Nichiren sect. Due to the Japanese's ulterior motives, the incident became more and more troublesome in the end. Of course, the Japanese Marine Corps stationed in Shanghai "take over" and began to prepare for the use of force. Seeing the tense atmosphere in Shanghai and the spread of rumors, Cai Tingkai had to slow down his pace of going north, but this did not shake his original determination. He asked someone to draw up automatic dismissal and power on. If no special accidents occurred in Shanghai within ten days, he would take the Jinpu bus to the north as the commander-in-chief of the Southwest Volunteer Army. Others fought for military power and territory, but these were insignificant in Cai Tingkai's eyes, and they could be thrown away at will. Soon, Cai Tingkai saw a piece of news through the newspaper, which listed several requirements made by the Japanese Consul General in Shanghai to the Shanghai Municipal Government. Before "January 27, retreat 30 kilometers from the garrison in Zhabei". The 19th Route Army is a Chinese army. When will it be the turn of the Japanese to issue a "restriction order"?Out of anger, Cai Tingkai immediately called Shanghai Mayor Wu Tiecheng and asked him if this was really the case. Wu Tiecheng replied that yes, but don't worry, the government will not back down. But Mayor Wu's words didn't really count. The Japanese were in a hurry, and the government couldn't take it anymore. Minister of Military and Political Affairs He Yingqin came to Cai Tingkai in person and asked the 19th Route Army to retreat 30 kilometers. During the period when the 19th Route Army was stationed in Shanghai, the military discipline was praised in everything, and it was within its own territory. Why did it give way to the Japanese? Cai Tingkai blurted out in grief and indignation: If the government must withdraw the 19th Route Army, of course it must obey the order, but the army obeys the government, not the enemy. Tune us to leave, leaving Beijing and Shanghai, it is absolutely impossible to retreat! Of course the Imperial Forest Army couldn't leave, so Minister He could only persuade him with good words, and then stood up and resigned. This conversation stimulated Cai Tingkai so much that he couldn't sleep well all night. In Cai Tingkai's view, the government is too weak. When the other party's bullying comes to the door, not only can't help support, but in turn persuade you to hold your hands. What kind of world is this. Before embarking on the trip to the north, the reality like a knife has cut a heart to pieces. The next day, Cai Tingkai called Ou Shounian, the commander of the 78th Division stationed in Zhabei, and told him that although he had not received a formal order from his superiors, he should be prepared, and he would definitely withdraw. Ou Shounian frowned, with a bitter face, and it took a long time before he said a word: Forget it, stop being a soldier, go back to be a farmer and farm the land, so as not to lose face here. This sentence is actually exactly what Cai Tingkai himself wanted to say. Yes, after scolding the Northeast Army for a long time, it turned out to be the same for the 19th Route Army, so what else can I say. Cai Tingkai could only find words to comfort his subordinates: a little unbearable will lead to chaos and big plans, and a man who can bend and stretch is a real man. The army commander and division commander went to see the commander-in-chief together. Jiang Guangnai listened, sighed and was speechless, and left a last sentence: follow the government's order. Cai Tingkai asked Ou Shounian to "bend and stretch", but he himself had made up his mind. Once the order to retreat is given, I will go to the northeast, where I will recover my dignity and honor. On January 26, the Ministry of Military and Political Affairs issued an order to retreat, and it turned out to be a retreat of 30 kilometers. Cai Tingkai felt helpless and sad.He sent an order to Qu Shounian: Tomorrow the retreat will be completed, but before the military police take over the defense, a small number of them must stay in place to serve as guards, so as not to take advantage of the Japanese. The tail left by Cai Tingkai laid a mystery for the development of subsequent events. The gendarmerie came, but the "small part" refused to move, and the two sides froze there. Even so, everyone knows that what the 19th Route Army did was just like a retreat order, but it was just a gesture, and in the end they were forced to give up the place. Cai Tingkai had already packed his luggage, but an unexpected situation happened at this time, which made him completely give up the idea of ​​leaving Shanghai. At 9:00 p.m. on January 28, residents of Hongkou District fled with their families. Hongkou District is where the Japanese Marine Corps is stationed, and ordinary people will not make such abnormal behaviors for no reason. After asking, I found out that they heard the assembly number of the Marine Corps. The common people lived nearby, so they were naturally very familiar with the marine corps' living habits. Once the other party made any abnormal behavior, they could immediately predict that something bad might happen. Didn't you agree to retreat 30 kilometers? Not only was it a retreat, but the Nanjing government agreed to all the conditions put forward by the Japanese side. In the afternoon of the same day, Wu Tiecheng formally delivered the written reply to the other party. Your requirements have all been met, so there should be nothing to say this time. The Japanese consul naturally had nothing to say, but the navy was different. The commander of the Shanghai Special Marine Corps, Major General Shiozawa Koichi, almost jumped up in anxiety. How can you all agree to our conditions?Can't agree, our request is very "unreasonable". Because he has prepared everything, even the mobilization of the Marine Corps, and the attack order of the Navy Command has already been issued, just to punish you. However, the Chinese government accepted Japan's "unreasonable" demands in full, which is tantamount to wasting their time in vain. But at this time Shiozawa discovered that he could find faults. The 19th Route Army was asked to walk before "January 27". Today is "January 28", and there are still people who have not left. Ha ha, it's wonderful. At this time, Yanze didn't care anymore, and he didn't even notify the consul, so he immediately wrote a letter. In the letter, he demanded that the 19th Route Army in Zhabei must retreat immediately, destroy the fortifications, and hand over the defense to the Japanese army. The time is fixed, just today. The letter was written, but he didn't send it. Of course he couldn't send it out. Once he did, he was afraid that this request would be satisfied on the same day.You must know that the efficiency of the Chinese government in handling such external incidents has always been relatively high. Finally, at 11:25 in the evening, the assembly number was blown, and there was still half an hour before the prescribed ultimatum time, and he sent a letter. Letters were delivered to the mayor of Shanghai and the director of the Public Security Bureau. In such a short time, you think the messengers come and go by magnetic levitation. Yanze didn't have the patience to wait another half an hour. Five minutes after the letter was sent, he gave the order to attack Zhabei. Cai Tingkai was visiting at a friend's house when the gunshot was fired. After receiving a call from the front line in Zhabei, he was not surprised, but replied calmly: follow the plan. Then he put down the phone, followed his friend upstairs, and saw through the window that there were indeed dense gunfire across the sky in the direction of Zhabei. Well, you don't need to go to the northeast to fight against the enemy. Although Cai Tingkai always had the desire to desperately go to the Northeast to "aid the horses", but long before the "Ma Yushan Road Incident" occurred, he had already foreseen the possibility of the Japanese Marine Corps launching a provocative attack. There is no doubt about resistance, the problem is to determine a resistance line, that is, which line to step on to fight the devils. At that time, three resistance lines were proposed. The first line was the urban area of ​​Shanghai, the second line was the suburbs of Shanghai, and the third line was farther away in Kunshan. If you follow the general battlefield requirements, you should choose the second or third, but Cai Tingkai chose the first. Why? The 19th Route Army has the responsibility of defending the territory, and what it guards is Beijing and Shanghai. Losing Shanghai is not much different from not resisting. And if we fight in Shanghai, we can use our strengths and avoid weaknesses in the military: our weapons are definitely not as good as those of the devils. This is their strength. It is impossible not to admit it, but we can minimize it. How to shrink it?It is to get into the city and fight street battles with them.Shanghai is a big city, full of houses, the most important thing is the Concession of All Nations, where foreigners live, and the Japanese army's aircraft and cannons dare not show off their prestige. It is also important to make up for one's own weaknesses while minimizing the other's strengths.Cai Tingkai also thought of this. The 19th Route Army is a standard poor army, and its weapons are very shabby.Most of the guns used by officers and soldiers were Type 79 rifles made in Guangdong (Guangdong products at that time were not fashionable and were quasi-eliminated products). Each rifle was equipped with more than 100 rounds of bullets. There were no heavy weapons, only some light machine guns made in Hanyang . Improving weapons and equipment has become a top priority. First reach out to the government and ask for allocation. But at that time, Sun Ke's cabinet was almost so poor that it would sell everything, destroying the family to relieve difficulties, so there was no leisure and spare money to deal with this problem, so the report was typed without even hearing a sound. In desperation, Cai Tingkai had to find a way by himself.Fortunately, there are many foreign firms in Shanghai, as long as you give money, there is always a way to get you weapons. Finally, a sum of money was raised, and a batch of weapons and ammunition were obtained from foreign firms. These weapons played an important role in the street fighting in Zhabei. The 19th Route Army is not the Northeast Army of the "September 18th" period. Its military commanders have been on the battlefield for a long time, and their will is as strong as iron. The words in the quotation can be commented as follows: an army also has temperament and character, and this temperament and character are related to the first military director. soul. Because everything is already clear in the chest. Because everything has already been prepared. Because everything has long been neglected. At the headquarters, Cai Tingkai sent a secret message to Nanjing: Zhabei has opened fire, and our army is determined to resist. Yanze's attack had a certain degree of concealment, and Tiantong'an Station was occupied in a surprise attack. The easy success of Tiantong'an Station made Yanze very proud.If he wins Shanghai North Railway Station again, he will be able to control the Songhu traffic in the city. In the first attack, the Japanese navy invested a total of 2,000 marines. Zhang Ruosong's regiment on the Zhabei front line has 1,000 people.But when the battle started, he unexpectedly got a support army. This supporting force is the Gendarmerie.Because the 19th Route Army was always procrastinating and refusing to give up the defense area, the Gendarmerie was very dissatisfied, but they had no choice but to find a rental house first.There is a place where we live together is very close to the place of the battle. When I saw it, what's the matter, the devils really came over, so what are you waiting for, let's fight with the 19th Route Army. In addition, there are two squadrons of the police brigade.The police are in charge of city order, while the gendarmerie is in charge of military order. Naturally, they are not as good at fighting as field troops, but as long as they have guns in their hands, they can be used to some extent.With this addition, there are 1,700 people. 1,700 to beat someone with 2,000, if it is put on a serious battlefield, it will definitely suffer.Fortunately, the fight here is street fighting. No matter how many people you have, how much can you squeeze in an alley?What's more, in order to facilitate the attack, Yanze had already divided his people into three groups, each with 500 people.Therefore, we should not look at the total amount, but at the local level.1700 is enough for us. There is even a surplus.After Zhang Ruosong dispatched the troops, he left three additional companies as reserves. After the official exchange of fire, it turned out that the difficulty was not that there were too many people, but that the marines had tanks as their leading cover. This kind of tank was imported from Britain by Japan and is called the Vickers wheeled tank.It looks like a big beetle in appearance, with a circular turret on the top, and two heavy machine guns that can swing and shoot. Sophisticated weapons are coming. Previously, the 19th Route Army mainly experienced civil wars such as the Northern Expedition and the Central Plains War.Many people have never seen tanks (called "iron bulls"), let alone know how to defend them. The Japanese Army of the Three Routes had two to three tanks to open the way ahead. The fortifications built by the Army of the 19th Route Army at the intersection were destroyed, and the Japanese Army once rushed into the line of defense. Seeing this situation, Zhang Ruosong hurriedly called the headquarters and asked for reinforcements. Cai Tingkai did not increase troops immediately, but asked him: How many troops do you have now? Zhang Ruosong replied that 1/3 of the original 1,700 people had been killed or injured. Cai Tingkai nodded. There are still a thousand people, what kind of reinforcements do you want? At the very least, your regiment has to hold out in Zhabei for three days, and can only change defenses after three days. Zhang Ruosong didn't dare to say anything more. Cai Tingkai has fought countless battles, whether the front line can withstand it, and how long it can last, you can't hide it from him. Zhang Ruosong had no choice but to call up the reserve team, and after a while of beating and charging, he regained his position and repelled the Japanese army. Although no reinforcements were sent, Cai Tingkai sent the chief general, Weng Zhaoyuan, commander of the 156th brigade. In the big tent of the 19th Route Army, Weng Zhaoyuan can be regarded as a dazzling star, but this star often gets himself into trouble and uses his mouth. When the news of the "September 18th" incident came, he made a lot of comments. With a gun in hand, why not shoot?Even if you lose that way, you will still be a soldier! He also bluntly told the young marshal: "Zhang Xueliang is not a strong and excellent soldier." The evaluation is just one sentence: this buddy is nothing more than a young master. It's easy to offend people by saying these words, but Weng Zhaoyuan never seemed to think of putting a brake on his mouth. Weng Dazui speaks frankly and is very adventurous in his actions. This graduate of the Japanese Academy of Non-commissioned Officers suddenly thought of going to France to learn how to fly. However, an airplane is not a car after all, and a pilot's license is also different from a car license, so the difficulty can be imagined.What's more, the aircraft at that time was still a new thing, neither the driving technology nor the performance of the aircraft itself was considered mature. There were often news reports in the newspapers that the aircraft caught fire and even crashed while driving.Not to mention the Chinese, even the native French, few dare to get involved in this difficult technology. The "flying enthusiast" Weng Zhaoyuan not only had the courage, but also did a very good job. Later, he was even able to fly the plane by himself. If you ask pilots what they are most afraid of, nine out of ten they will say that while flying, the fuselage has a mechanical failure. Because it is in the air, not on the ground, it cannot be repaired immediately.In this case, no seniority or technology is useless. If you want to save your life, the only option is to parachute immediately. As for the plane, there is no way to control it anymore, just do what you like. Unfortunately, brother Weng also encountered such bad luck. He also wanted to skydive, but found that he couldn't.Because there are residential houses under the plane, it doesn't matter if he jumps like this, the plane that lost control can only go into the houses of the French people. Of course, if a parachutist really jumped, no one would be able to stand up and criticize-the plane is about to die, and of course the pilot cannot go to the funeral with him. This is common sense and routine, and anyone will do it. At the critical moment, Weng Zhaoyuan made a choice different from "anyone": risky forced landing. Fortunately, God took care of the brave and righteous, and the plane made an emergency landing. Upon hearing the news, the French burst into tears.Touched. They called Weng Zhaoyuan "a brave Chinese". Weng Zhaoyuan said yes, but in fact, all of us Chinese have a bright face.This is like a tourist running to someone's house and spitting on the street. Although he is the one who is punished, the whole family has to be ashamed. When Weng Zhaoyuan rushed to the front line, the Marine Corps launched its second offensive. Shiozawa believed that the failure of the first attack might be due to the insufficient number of people, so when organizing the second attack, 1,700 people were added. The tank was still driving ahead, terribly arrogant. Now, like learning to fly an airplane, the "brave Chinese" began to think about how to break through the "iron bull" in front of them. After the first round of competition, everyone has woken up from the initial surprise.Many people have seen the problem of "Iron Bull": this is a wheeled tank vehicle, the bottom is not tracks, but wheels. The wheels are its weak point. Although the Chinese army saw tanks for the first time, some people have seen cars.The method of hitting a tank with wheels should be similar to that of hitting a car. Weng Zhaoyuan picked out some agile Guangzai and formed a death squad, ambush in shops on both sides of the road. The Japanese tanks drove vigorously, not aware of these changes at all, but continued to rumble forward. store, over.Here comes the bullet. As soon as the tank drove past, the death squad hiding in the shop suddenly rushed out, cutting off the connection between the infantry and the tank. To be honest, it's not a good feeling to be in a tank.It is safe to have a steel plate cover outside, but the field of view is too small, and it is difficult to see the surrounding situation clearly. The tank was driving, and suddenly felt something was wrong, why only the front shot and threw grenades, but no movement was heard behind? Looking back, it's terrible, the followers have been separated by bullets, and they can't keep up even if they want to. That's not bad.Turn back quickly and go to help the brothers. But the roads in Shanghai are too narrow (and many streets seem to be the same now), so it collided with the tank next to it with a bang. This is good, everyone is stuck in a pile and can't leave. The traffic accident happened at the wrong time.Because the Chinese police will not only help direct traffic, but also beat the dog in the water. The way to fight a tank is very simple, that is, to blow up its wheels hard. A bundle of seven or eight grenades was tied into a cluster and thrown under the tank. There was only a bang, and it was done. The tank vehicle that was showing off its power just now was paralyzed there motionless. Although the machine gun on the turret could still fire, the body could no longer move, and it was actually a disabled person. Don't be afraid of tanks anymore, just greet them with whatever you have in hand. When encountering a hail of bullets, the Japanese soldiers outside the vehicles could still lie down to avoid them, while the immobilized tanks had to stand and endure. Gradually, the Chinese soldiers discovered that not only the wheels can be blown up, but even the body of the tank is not indestructible.If you are lucky and the location is right, you can still drill a hole in the car with a Czech machine gun. It stands to reason that if the skin of the tank vehicle is thicker, unless professional armor-piercing bullets are used, ordinary bullets will be more difficult to penetrate. The problem is that the skin of this British tank is not only not thick, but also very thin. You can't blame the Brit for cutting corners.This kind of tank was originally used to patrol the city and prevent riots. It is just right for the police. If it is used on a regular battlefield, it will be strange. It may be that the big-nosed foreigners arbitrarily expanded the scope of effectiveness when they advertised, which made Little Japan spend a lot of money and suffered a big loss. In this way, illegal advertising is really a nuisance. Even if the rifle is used again, it is not completely useless. Tanks can't go in, but the bullets hitting them can rebound. Some Japanese marines followed up, squeezing beside or behind the tank, thinking it was safe, but never thought that the bullets bouncing off the tank would hurt themselves. Two hours later, Shiozawa found something was wrong.The tanks were gone, and the offensive lost momentum.However, he no longer had any extra troops to use for reinforcements, so he had to change the course and change the three-way attack into a two-way attack. He transferred troops from the withdrawn way to the other two ways.