While Gao Hongming was training his troops and flirting with Xie Dajun's doctor, Yan Laoxi also started to activate his propaganda machine.
Chongqing, Chengdu, Guilin, Nanning and other major cities that have not yet fallen
"Extra number...Extra number...The Shanxi-Sui Army Liantai County Militia Corps, led by its leader Gao Hongming, completely annihilated the third regiment of the 4th Mixed Brigade in the battle of Cangyunling, killing the regiment leader Sakata Nobutetsu and seizing the regiment flag.
This action broke the record of the Japanese army's regiment flag never being captured since the Meiji Restoration!
In order to commend his military exploits, Chief Yan has specially reported to the Ministry of Military Affairs to request merit for him, and plans to hold a commendation ceremony in Kenanpo on March 15th. Journalists and colleagues from all over the world are welcome to attend the ceremony!"
1940 was the most difficult year of China's Anti-Japanese War. In the past three years, the Japanese army occupied nearly half of China's territory with overwhelming force. On the other hand, the national army could only retreat steadily, relying on the vast space
Resisting with difficulty.
The reason why the Chinese army was defeated so miserably was not only that the individual quality of the soldiers was inferior to that of the Japanese army, but also the weak industrial strength. In addition, the United States, Britain and other countries deliberately curry favor with Japan for their own interests in the Pacific and Southeast Asia.
He turned a blind eye to matters in China and even cut off military aid to China.
Under such circumstances, the Chinese people's confidence in resisting Japan suffered a severe setback. When Wang Jingwei publicly declared in Nanjing that he would form a new government, a large number of former national army generals immediately defected to him.
At this time, news suddenly came out that a Japanese regiment captain was shot dead and the regiment flag was also seized. This news was no less than a shot in the arm for China, which was in a sluggish atmosphere. Soon, people all over the country were
There was a sensation, and many reporters flocked to Kenanpo, a place that was unknown in the past.
Chongqing Zengjiayan Mansion
Chairman Chiang, dressed in casual clothes, sat on the sofa, and Dai Li, the military commander in military uniform, stood respectfully in front of him.
"Yunong, is what Yan Baichuan said true?"
"Principal, according to our investigation, what Chief Yan said is indeed true. The person who killed Nobutsu Sakata, captain of the third regiment of the Japanese 4th Mixed Brigade, was indeed a man named Gao Hongming.
This person was from Liantai County, Shanxi Province. A few months ago, his father encountered a Japanese patrol on his way to the countryside for errands. There was a conflict between the two parties, and his father was shot dead by the Japanese army.
After hearing the bad news, Gao Hongming vowed to avenge his father, and then organized a local militia of three to four hundred people. More than half a month ago, while the Japanese army was fighting a fierce battle with the Eighth Route Army in Cangyunling, he led the militia to raid from the rear.
The Japanese army’s headquarters actually overthrew Sakata Nobutsu’s headquarters in one fell swoop and seized the Japanese army’s regiment flag.”
"That's it?" The Chairman couldn't believe it. If the Japanese headquarters were so easy to fight, even a local militia group that had only been established for a few months could easily overthrow their headquarters. He had millions of nationals under his command.
What do soldiers do for food? Are they all trash?
"After repeated confirmation by the students, this battle report is indeed true." Dai Li also had a bit of embarrassment on his face. When he received the following report, his first reaction was that he couldn't believe it. Just looking at this battle report, it seemed like
Treat them like fools.
He ordered a re-investigation without hesitation, but after checking three times in a row, the final result showed that it was still the same. It was so embarrassing. How dazzling this battle report was, it showed how incompetent the national army was.
The chairman was silent for a while and suddenly cursed: "Incompetent...shameless..."
Dai Li lowered his head and did not dare to speak. He understood the pain in his principal's heart.
It had been three years since the war started, and millions of national troops had been defeated one after another and the country had been lost one after another. In this dark moment, how much he hoped to see a victory.
Although the battle has been won now, what is embarrassing is that it was not his direct troops that won the battle, but a local militia that did not even have an official designation. If this matter spreads out, how will the people across the country think about it?
How does the national army view his leader?
However, the chairman is the chairman after all, and he quickly came up with a countermeasure, "Yunong... you immediately notify the Ministry of Military Affairs and ask Jingzhi to issue a letter of appointment to appoint the senior..."
"Gao Hongming!" Dai Li said quickly from the side.
"Yes... appoint Gao Hongming as colonel, give his militia a designation, and put it under the control of the Sixth Army, and then advance the date of the letter of appointment by half a year. Do you understand?"
Dai Li was stunned for a moment, then immediately came back to his senses and looked at his boss with admiration, "The principal is wise... the students admire him!"
"Well... you go ahead!"
Of course Gao Hongming didn't know that he was inexplicably appointed as regimental commander. At this time, he was inspecting the training situation of the artillery battalion at the training ground.
Yes, you read that right.
Having recently transferred a large amount of money by selling medicine, he was like a nouveau riche who had been poor for a long time and suddenly became rich. His mentality began to expand, and he actually built an artillery battalion and an anti-aircraft company.
This artillery battalion includes a company of six American M101MM howitzers, a company of eight M1 75MM howitzers and a company of eight M30 107MM mortars.
The air defense company is equipped with eight 88mm guns and is temporarily under the command of the artillery battalion.
The bloated Captain Gao is so inhumane.
In the national army, so many artillery pieces would be more than enough for an artillery regiment, but in Gao Hongming's place they could only form one artillery battalion. Don't ask why, it's just that the author didn't read enough.
However, the consequence of acquiring so many artillery pieces at once was that there were not enough gunners to operate these artillery pieces.
You must know that operating artillery is a delicate job, and it is difficult for uneducated people to master it, especially the air defense company is a technical branch.
The previous M2 60 mortar was better. This mortar has a small caliber and a maximum range of only 1,800 meters. The gunner can completely use visual aiming.
But once it is replaced with the M101 105-caliber howitzer and the M1 75-caliber howitzer, it will not work.
The maximum range of the two artillery guns, the M101, which can hit the furthest, is as high as 11.27 kilometers. Even the M1 howitzer has a range of up to 9 kilometers. For artillery shooting like this, the artillery observer in front must be relied on to guide and report the position, and then the gunner will calculate it.
Target distance and height can be adjusted automatically.
As a result, the requirements for the gunner are very high. Once the gunner makes a mistake in calculation, he is very likely to hit the head of one of his own people with the cannonball.
"Sir...please spare me. Where can I get so many qualified gunners for you?"
Geng Changshun, the newly minted artillery battalion commander, chased Gao Hongming and begged for mercy.
Gao Hongming's order to him was to have the artillery battalion form a basic combat capability within a month, which would cost him his life.
"Sir, it takes at least half a year to train a qualified howitzer. This requires the gunner to have some basic knowledge of mathematics. But nowadays, there are not many soldiers in the militia who can even read, let alone the basics of mathematics.