Chapter 440, Qingdao's maiden voyage to the United States.
In early April, the Military Commission of the Nanjing Government ordered Luo Zhuoying to unified command one unit each of the Third War Zone and the Ninth War Zone, a total of about ten divisions, to counterattack Nanchang. The policy formulated was: "First use the main force to attack the enemy along the Nanxun line, and truly defeat the enemy.
Contact us and take one direct route to Nanchang."
On April 21, the counteroffensive began: the 184th Division of the Luhan Group Army in the Ninth Theater and the newly reorganized 10th Division launched an attack on the Japanese army in Fengxin; the main force of the 11th Division monitored the Japanese army in Jing'an, and one section advanced towards Tanxi. On the 23rd, the
Shangguan Yunxiang's 32nd Group Army of the Third Theater District sent the 16th Division, the 79th Division, the 5th Preparatory Division and part of the 10th Preparatory Division across the Fuhe River to attack Nanchang. On the 24th, the Japanese army retreated to Fengxin.
The main force of Yu Jishi's army attacked the Japanese troops near Gao'an; one unit of Yu Jishi's army and Liu Duoquan's army each crossed the Jinjiang River north to attack the Japanese troops in the Dacheng and Shengmi Street areas. By the 26th, the 32nd Group Army regained Nanchang Southeast City's Cha Street and approached Nanchang.
Yu Jishi's army and Liu Duoquan's army regained Gao'an, Dacheng and Shengmi Street, and once invaded Niuxing. The Japanese army retreated to the northeastern line of Gao'an.
After that, the troops in the Ninth Theater had difficulty making progress and were unable to cut off the Nanxun Line. On the 27th, the Japanese Saito Division received support from the Marine Corps and launched a counterattack. The Shangguan Yunxiang Group Army's attack was blocked and the 26th Division was sent to join the battle.
On May 5, the airport on the east side of Nanchang and the Nanchang Railway Station were captured. On the 7th, the Japanese army in Nanchang and the Zhongjing Division that came for reinforcements, with the cooperation of the aviation force, continued to counterattack. The Shangguan Yunxiang Group Army suffered heavy casualties, and its second
Lieutenant General Chen Anbao, commander of the 19th Army, died for his country and the attack was frustrated. On the 9th, the Chairman of the Standing Committee ordered the Chinese army to stop the counterattack, and the Battle of Nanchang ended.
On March 17, 1939, the Japanese army began to attack Wucheng. Lieutenant General Okamura Neiji, commander of the Japanese 11th Army, commanded three divisions to defeat more than 30 divisions on the right wing of the Ninth Theater Commanded by Luo Zhuoying in a short period of time. On March 27, the Japanese army
The Japanese occupied Nanchang. The Battle of Nanchang lasted for one and a half months and ended with the defeat of the Chinese army.
This battle was the first major war after the Anti-Japanese War entered a stalemate. A total of more than 50,000 Japanese troops were annihilated, and the Chinese army suffered nearly 100,000 casualties. Although the Nanchang Battle ended in failure, it made the world, especially the Japanese military authorities, realize that
Although the Japanese army occupied three towns in Wuhan, they could neither force the Nationalist government to surrender nor annihilate the main force of the Chinese army, nor could they destroy the will of the Chinese military and civilians to resist.
On May 11, 1939, the 24th Border Guard Unit of the Mongolian Army waded from the west bank of Shanxi to the area east of the Halaha River to graze cattle. A group of soldiers from the 3rd Company of the Puppet Hinggan Guard Cavalry stationed at the Taolagai post in Xilin immediately opened fire
He intercepted them and mounted their horses to pursue them, driving the Mongolian herdsmen and horses back to the west bank.
More than 50 cavalrymen from the 7th Border Post of the Mongolian Army captured the Puppet Manchukuo Xilin Taola Gai Post in the disputed area, officially kicking off the Nomonhan Campaign. In April 1939, after occupying Nanchang, in order to eliminate northern Hubei,
Faced with the threat from the Chinese army in southern Henan to Wuhan, Okamura Ningji began to deploy the battle of Suizao, in an attempt to encircle and annihilate the main force of the fifth theater in the northeastern area of Zaoyang, Suizao County, Hubei.
In late April, Chairman Chiang Kai-shek heard that the Japanese troops were gathering troops in northern Hubei. He immediately ordered Li Zongren to prepare for the battle and ordered the first, third and ninth theaters to provide support. Both sides were deployed and ready. A life-or-death battle was about to begin.
Staged!
At the end of April, the new commander of Japan's Central China Expeditionary Force, Yamada Otsuzo, approved Okamura's combat plan. Immediately, Okamura issued an attack order to the Jiangbei divisions. At dawn on May 1, the Japanese army divided its troops into two groups, the third and the tenth.
Third, the 16th Division and the 2nd and 4th Cavalry Brigades attacked the Suixian and Zaoyang areas, and the Suizao Battle officially began.
Li Zongren, the commander-in-chief of the Fifth War Zone of China, organized his troops into two group armies, left and right, and the Jiang Defense Army to defend and counterattack. In this battle, the Chinese army had a greater advantage in strength and could coordinate and cooperate, but the use of force
Lack of flexibility and was once in a passive situation.
After the whole army fought bloody battles until May 23, the troops of the Fifth War Zone successively regained Zaoyang and Suixian County. The Japanese army returned to Zhongxiang and Yingshan and restored the pre-war situation. The battle was declared over.
The Kuomintang troops killed 13,000 enemy troops and left more than 5,000 Japanese corpses. Among them, Zhang Zizhong's right-wing regiment annihilated more than 4,500 Japanese troops. The Fifth Theater also paid a heavy sacrifice of 25,000 people, shattering the Japanese army's conspiracy to advance westward and consolidating Hubei's
Western Barrier, the Japanese army ultimately failed to achieve its predetermined strategic objectives.
On May 26, the cargo ship Charlotte departed from New York Port and finally arrived at the Qingdao pier. In addition to 800 Ford cars, oil, steel and other commodities and supplies, Xia Houcheng, Shi Lanxin, Zhou Ping and others also arrived on the same ship.
, Hu Yaodong and more than 50 overseas Chinese compatriots.
Thanks to the influence of giants such as Ford and Carnegie Steel, the U.S. government specifically requested the Japanese government to open a commercial route between the United States and Qingdao. Therefore, although the cargo ship Charlotte, which flies the American flag and employs a large number of American seamen, is very
It aroused Japan's jealousy and covetousness, but it was smooth sailing all the way, and the Japanese navy did not dare to stop or question them when they saw it.
Although it took a long time, traveling for more than 50 days, it was all worth it to open this good route.
“Finally we’re here!” “I almost didn’t get suffocated to death!” “I finally got through it!” “Hurry up and get off the boat to get some air!”
After arriving at Qingdao Port, the cargo ship Charlotte anchored on the shore. Passengers walked from the deck to the pier one after another, and some seafarers also disembarked and went ashore to get some air.
"Brothers, get ready to work!" "Quick! Move quickly!" The port loading and unloading team, which had been waiting for a long time, began to enter the site and prepare to unload the goods.
"Dad, Mom, Zhou Mom, Liang Qiao, Su Xian, I'm here!" Xia Yu waved to the crowd excitedly, and then ran over. "Master, madam, look, Xiao Yu is there.
!" "Quick, let mom take a closer look!" "Good girl! You've been thinking about us badly for more than a year!" Xia Houcheng, Shi Lanxin, and Zhou Ping's faces were full of joy and love, staring with wide eyes
I looked at Xia Yu from left to right and liked it very much.
"Wow, Xiaoyu, I haven't seen you for a year, and you are becoming more and more beautiful as you grow older! I envy you so much, you are now a famous heroine!" "Xiaoyu, we finally see each other again, I am so happy! Do you know that we are like this?
How much hardship did you suffer along the way? You almost fainted!" "Hey, I'm very, very happy that you can come! I guarantee that the hardship you have endured is worth it. I will take you to see this after a while.
An unimaginable new world!”
"Hehe, let's wait and see!" Two best friends, Liang Qiao and Su Xian, were equally excited. They hugged Xia Yu and couldn't finish talking about their farewells. It was indeed a drama between three women.
"Let's go! I'll take you to have something to eat and rest your stomach before we talk!" After chatting for a while and taking a lot of photos, Xia Yu pointed at a restaurant not far away. Anyway, she took a long vacation.
Don't worry about work, the most important task right now is to spend time with your parents and best friends.
The port of Qingdao was originally relatively prosperous. After the Shandong Army recovered from the Japanese, it sent a large number of troops and construction personnel to guard Qingdao, build military camps, coastal defenses, and ports. Construction projects everywhere made it extremely lively. With the massive manpower
With the continuous investment of material resources, the fishery, catering, entertainment and other industries have also been promoted and become more and more active. In just two or three months, the popularity has more than doubled than before!
"Okay! Don't tell me, I'm really hungry!" "We almost vomited after eating potatoes and bread every day on the ship these days!" "Today we have to taste the true taste of our Chinese cuisine!"
Xia Houcheng, Shi Lanxin and others nodded happily and walked to the hotel with brisk steps. "Hey, Xiaoyu, why are the characters on this restaurant's sign a little different from the Chinese characters we learned?"
After getting closer, Liang Qiao took a look at the simplified Chinese characters on the hotel sign. She turned around and asked, somewhat confused: "How do you pronounce these characters? Is it called Dong Laishun Hotel?" "You are really smart, congratulations.
You got it right!"
Xia Yu smiled and nodded, and then explained with Rong Youyan: "This is the simplified Chinese character invented by the president. This will allow everyone to better learn and promote Chinese characters. The people here all praise our president.
The zodiac sign is the reincarnation of Wenquxing!" "Simplified Chinese? This name is quite appropriate!"
"Well, it's really interesting! Even though it's the first time I've seen such simplified characters, I can still recognize them!" "Yeah, although it feels a bit weird, it's really easier to recognize and write like this!" "Simplified characters
It will definitely be an amazing initiative!”
After hearing this, Xia Houcheng, Shi Lanxin, Liang Qiao and others praised him again and were deeply impressed.
Liang Qiao suddenly smiled and asked: "Xiaoyu, when can we meet Commander Jiang? We have been looking forward to this moment in New York!" "Yes! Yes! I have heard that Commander Jiang
He is one of the most extraordinary men in the world. A large part of the reason why we traveled all the way back to China is to see Commander Jiang with our own eyes!" Su Xian answered excitedly. There is no personal relationship between a man and a woman, it is purely
A star-chasing mode of worship.
"That's right, the chief executive has been kind to our family. We also want to see the chief executive as soon as possible and thank him in person!" Xia Houcheng and his wife also cast their eyes on Xia Yu, and they had long wanted to mention this after getting off the boat.
, but because there was so much to talk about after the family reunion, I have been holding it back until now.
"Haha, don't be in a hurry! When we finish our meal and then take the bus back to Zhaoyuan, we will naturally see the main seat! Let's go in first and eat and drink before we talk!" Xia Yu smiled, and then he was full of pride.
He strode into the hotel.
"Pot-fried squid rolls with coriander, braised sea cucumber with green onions, three shredded shark's fins, sweet and sour Yellow River carp, double crispy fried in oil, grilled whole-shell abalone, braised prawns in oil, vinegar and pepper fish, Jiaodong four warm mix, sweet and sour pork loin, mullet
Egg soup, pot-roasted duck, crispy chicken, yellow croaker and tofu soup, pot-baked yellow croaker, warm mandarin fish slices, first-grade tofu, white fungus in clear soup, give me a portion of them all!"
Being rich means being willful. Xia Yu belongs to the military civilian establishment, and her salary is not low. In addition, she doesn't have to spend money on food and accommodation. Basically, the money in the bank can only go in and out. So far, she has saved more than 1,200 yuan.
.
So as soon as she entered the restaurant, Xia Yu did her job and picked up the menu and started ordering wildly. It was the basic operation of a wealthy person whether to buy the right one or not. Being rich without returning home is like walking at night in brocade. No matter how much success you have, it will not be complete without anyone to share it with.
At this time, Xia Yu just wanted to share her joy, pride and success with her relatives. As for how much money she spent, she really didn't care.
"Wow, Xiaoyu, can we finish all these dishes?" "Yeah, don't waste it! How much does it cost!" "Yeah, just be interesting! How can we eat so much!"
Xia Houcheng, Shi Lanxin, Zhou Ping, Liang Qiao, and Su Xian all shook their heads at Xia Yu. Even if they didn't know the prices of goods in Huaxia, they knew just from the high-end decoration of this restaurant and a long list of nice dish names.
This meal will definitely cost a fortune!
"Don't worry! We're not short of money! We're happy today, we must eat and drink to our heart's content!" Xia Yu smiled without any panic, and then said loudly: "Boss, let's have another bottle of Maotai wine and a bottle of French wine."
Red wine!" "Ahem!" "..."
Xia Houcheng and others stared at each other, really not knowing what to say. They were new here and couldn't figure out the situation, so they didn't dare to ask more questions. "Wow! It's so delicious! Our Chinese food is indeed delicious!"
You came at the right time! You came at the right time this time! When Tian goes back, those guys who are afraid of dragons before and tigers behind will all regret it to death!" "Hey, everyone, just be happy!"
The meal cost 196.5 yuan, which is equivalent to two months' salary of an ordinary worker. Naturally, the guests and hosts were thoroughly entertained, the meal was smooth, and everyone felt extremely comfortable inside and out.
After eating and walking out of the hotel, Xia Yu took everyone for a walk along the pier to eat. Anyway, she had a car and could go back to Gaomi anytime. There was no need to panic at all! While walking, Liang Qiao suddenly saw an extremely tall building in the distance.
The majestic fort suddenly brightened up and said, "Xiaoyu, can we go over there and have a look? It's such a big fort and it looks so majestic. This is the first time we have seen such a military building!"
For his own safety, Jiang Qiang tried every means and used all kinds of tricks, and the amount of manpower, material and financial resources he spent is really hard to measure.
After several months of full-scale construction, Jiang Qiang built the entire coastal defense line of the Shandong Peninsula into an iron barrel array. It not only has a strict radar network, but also has a huge ultra-long-range coastal defense artillery firepower network, as well as dense anti-aircraft gun and air defense positions.
, and there are extremely strong coastal defense lines to prevent beach grabbing and landing.
Important ports such as Weihaiwei, Yantai, and Qingdao also have airports, and an air force squadron is stationed in each to be responsible for daily patrols. In addition, there are heavy troops guarding the coastal defense line, which can be described as impregnable. It will be reinforced and thickened for up to half a year.
At this time, Jiang Qiang dared to pat his chest and say: In the current era, even if the Japanese devils try their best to break through the "Maginot Coastal Defense Line" they have carefully built.
Even if the U.S. fleet with full firepower wants to attack the coastal defense line of the Shandong Peninsula, it will be beaten to death. It cannot achieve anything without paying an unbearable price. Once we have this impregnable rear base,
, Jiang Qiang can further expand his power and develop more powerful offensive methods and armed forces.
Xia Yu shook his head and said with a smile: "That is an important military area, and it is absolutely forbidden for casual visitors to visit. We can only stand and watch from a distance. After all, it is still a war era, and the little Japanese spies are pervasive!"
In fact, Xia Yu still has some words to say. Not long ago, she visited many forts that were under construction and had been built for on-site interviews, but that requires a special pass. Not everyone can enter these top-notch coastal defense fortifications.
They visited carefully! Liang Qiao said with a smile: "It's okay! It's okay! It's completely understandable! Then I'll stand here and take a photo, right?" "Of course there's no problem!"
Xia Yu nodded and smiled, then took out the camera from her bag. "Wait a minute, how can this happen without me! When we go back, we can brag about it for a long time!"
Su Xian quickly walked over and stood with Liang Qiao and posed. Click! Click! Then the shutter sound kept ringing again. Whether in the past or now, taking photos while traveling is one of the biggest hobbies of girls!
"I can't believe that China still has such a magical land! I now have every reason to believe that it won't be long before our great China will stand at the top of the world again!"
Looking at the majestic forts in the distance, the indestructible coastal defense lines, and the 10,000-ton giant ships that were busy working, Xia Houcheng's heart was filled with excitement and pride. Subtly, Xia Houcheng had secretly made up his mind to do it.
Stay and witness for yourself the coming great national rejuvenation! Buzz buzz!
A helicopter took off from the Qingdao pier and flew directly across Jiaozhou Bay to the Zhaoyuan Municipal Government Square in less than half an hour. Immediately afterwards, two overseas Chinese and two Americans got off the helicopter. "Welcome! Welcome!"
Thank you all for your hard work!”
At this time, Jiang Qiang, Jiang He, Li Shuchun, Liu Qiang and others came forward with smiles on their faces.
"Hi, Jiang! My old friend, I'm so happy to see you again!" As soon as he saw Jiang Qiang, John Benjamin Powell was so enthusiastic that he stretched out his arms and hugged Jiang Qiang intimately.
"I'm very happy too! My old friend, thanks to your help, our company in the United States can develop and grow rapidly!" By meeting again the founder of Miller's Review with a sense of justice, Jiang Qiang
Very happy too!
Powell shook his head and smiled: "You are too polite. Rather than saying that I helped you, it is better to say that you helped me and changed the destiny of our entire family! Thank you from the bottom of my heart, my friend!"
After a while of pleasantries, Powell turned to the Americans beside him and introduced: "Captain Edmund, this is General Jiang Qiang, the commander of the Shandong Group Army I often mentioned to you. He is the wisest and most intelligent person I have ever met.
There is no one more charming person on earth!" "My dear! General Jiang, I am so happy to see you! You are much younger and more handsome than I thought. I am deeply impressed by your bravery and wisdom. Please accept me.
High respect!"
Edmund is Powell's good friend. He is a senior retired US Navy officer with rich experience in naval combat command. He is also the captain of the Charlotte cargo ship that Meng Wuan hired through Powell at a large cost. Jiang Qiang replied in English: "Thank you very much."
Yes! Mr. Edmund, I am very honored to see you here. We will definitely have more pleasant cooperation in the future!"
"Wow, I really didn't expect General Jiang's English to be so fluent and authentic! It's really great!" Edmund's eyes brightened and he praised repeatedly: "I also look forward to our further cooperation. China is an ancient and mysterious country.
country, I am very happy to contribute to her awakening and rebirth!"
As a professional navy, Edmund felt extremely uncomfortable after retiring. At this time, a friend approached him to hire him as a freighter captain. Although the salary was very generous, Edmund was not willing to accept the invitation at first.
, because freighters and warships are two different things!
But later Powell revealed his trump card, explaining that being a freighter captain was just a transitional position, and his ultimate intention was to make him a naval instructor of the Chinese Jiaodong Group Army!
After figuring out the situation, Edmund was instantly overjoyed. He accepted the invitation without any hesitation and officially became the captain of the freighter Charlotte. He also hired many retired Navy comrades who had nothing to do! After more than a month of turmoil, he finally
Coming to the mysterious country of China, starting from Qingdao Pier, Edmund was already shocked by everything he saw!
Especially when I got on a helicopter and flew over Zhaoyuan, I saw and felt unprecedented shock and excitement. Although this place is much smaller than the United States, its momentum and vitality are no less impressive. For this reason, Ed
Meng was already happy in his heart, feeling extremely satisfied and excited for his wise choice! "Don't worry, we will definitely not let you down!"
Jiang Qiang nodded and smiled, then extended his hand to Hu Yaodong who was standing aside and said: "Palace Master Hu, welcome to Gaomi as a guest. I have heard Meng Wu'an mention you a long time ago. I am very grateful for your help and support! Nice to meet you.
!”
Hu Yaodong quickly stretched out his hands and shook hands with Yang Fan, and said excitedly: "General Jiang Qiang, you are so polite. We are all Chinese compatriots. It is natural for us to stay together to stay warm and face the national crisis together!" Jiang Qiang said with a smile: "That's right.
That’s right! Our great China has remained standing for thousands of years because of this spirit!”
Hu Yaodong nodded in agreement: "What General Jiang said is absolutely true! This is Hu Fengjun, the dog son. When he heard that I was coming to China, he insisted on following me to meet General Yang and return to the country to fight against Japan and save the nation. Originally, I didn't dare to give Commander Jiang any trouble.
It was troublesome, but I thought he was a strong young man after all, and he might actually be able to contribute to the war of resistance after returning to China, so I brought him here!"
At this time, Hu Fengjun stretched out his hands with great excitement and said: "General Jiang is as famous as thunder. I have admired him for a long time. I am truly lucky to see him today!"
The Hu family and his son were also greatly shocked. Although they had heard a lot from Meng Wuan and others, they were still full of shock and disbelief after seeing it with their own eyes today. "Welcome! Welcome! What a young and promising person.
Handsome young men, our Shandong Army welcomes all passionate men who are willing to fight the national crisis together!"
Jiang Qiang smiled and stretched out his hand, and then waved his hand and said: "We have prepared some good wine and good food for all of our distinguished guests. Let's chat while eating! Please!" "Thank you, General Jiang, for your hospitality!" "Okay!
Yes! Then we won't be polite!" "It's up to the guest, we'll listen to General Jiang's arrangements!" Powell, Edmund, Hu Yaodong and Hu Fengjun naturally agreed happily, followed by the enthusiasm of Jiang Qiang and others
We were led into several VIP luxury cars and headed to Zhaoyuan People's Hotel for dinner and stay.