northernbook Chapter 1139 Inspection of the Artillery Regiment
Chapter 1139 Inspection of the Artillery Regiment
"Everyone, stand at attention."
At the command of the artillery regiment, Hao Dashan, the men present immediately stood up straight and accepted the commander's inspection.
Li Shaoyi's jeep also stopped. After getting out of the car, Li Shaoyi shook hands with each of the brothers he met and walked over to them. When he encountered some wounded brothers, Li Shaoyi would carefully ask them which battlefield they had been wounded on.
The brothers had assumed that Li Shaoyi's visit would just be a short trip in a jeep, given his many commitments and the impossibility of wasting time on a small artillery regiment like theirs. They were completely surprised by the commander-in-chief's affable nature; he actually chatted with them, ordinary soldiers, for a while.
Some soldiers felt abandoned by the 72nd Army after the retreat from the defense of the capital. After all, they hadn't seen any friendly forces on the way; all they saw were retreating Central Army troops and miscellaneous units from various places.
According to some rumors they had heard, the 72nd Army Group was fighting the Japanese again in the north, so they had no time to deal with them. After all, it was only a regimental-level unit, so it would be reasonable to hand it over to another theater command.
But this lie was quickly exposed. On the sixth day of the retreat, it was time to pay the soldiers. As before, each army was lucky to receive a receipt; most didn't even have one and could only stare blankly at their superiors.
Of course, this wasn't something their superiors could decide. If they could, they would have paid their salaries immediately.
Unfortunately, this matter was decided by those above, and with the national treasury empty, no one is discussing paying the soldiers' salaries; it's as if the issue never existed. Those in power continue to enjoy themselves, while the soldiers below can only wait anxiously.
If you're going to ask, then it's because you weren't aware enough during the national crisis.
But Hao Dashan's artillery regiment was different. That very morning, a plane flew in from the north, carrying whole crates of silver dollars.
As per Li Shaoyi's instructions, the money should be distributed in full. Either you keep the money yourself, or it can be delivered to your home. Anyway, our 72nd Army has offices in various places, so sending the money home isn't a difficult thing.
Over the next few days, a large number of artillery shells and various spare parts were airlifted in. After all, a number of artillery pieces had been destroyed in the previous battle. The Nationalist government could not provide them with replacement parts, but it could not simply watch those artillery pieces lie there unused.
After the spare parts were brought over from the north, the brothers finally had something to do. They worked day and night to repair these cannons. If the Japanese really manage to reach Hankou in the future, these cannons will teach them a lesson.
At lunchtime, the brothers hoped Li Shaoyi would stay and have a meal with them. Li Shaoyi naturally had no objection and stayed to share a drink with the brothers. Although alcohol was strictly prohibited in the army, an exception was made today, with each person receiving two ounces.
"It seems the Central Army has made good arrangements for you. Along the way, I've seen many armies that don't even have a proper barracks. At least this place is a proper barracks."
While waiting for the food, Li Shaoyi, accompanied by Hao Dashan, took a walk around the area.
Their artillery regiment also had an infantry battalion, and the defensive line they set up around the perimeter was quite effective. After all, the various Japanese and traitors were rampant in Hankou; they even dared to attack some officers, let alone the main troops below them.
This artillery regiment possesses the most powerful heavy artillery currently available, and it will certainly become a target for the Japanese.
"General, the main reason is that we have enough equipment. There were few artillerymen who withdrew from the front, and most of them lost their own cannons. Although we also abandoned some, they were all damaged on the battlefield. Just talking about 150mm heavy cannons, apart from our artillery regiment, you can't find another set in the entire Hankou. If the Japanese really come, we are an important defensive force."
Hao Dashan said with great pride that when they retreated, he had already had his men scout out the route. Although they detoured nearly 90 kilometers to the south, the brothers managed to cover the distance in just 3 hours with the help of the vehicles. It didn't delay anything; on the contrary, it prevented the Japanese from finding their marching route and allowed them to bring all the artillery back. This was a great achievement.
In addition, during the retreat, there was still some empty space on the vehicle, and more than 1000 wounded soldiers from other units were also brought back.
"You need to intensify your training during this period and not lose your battlefield skills. Hankou is not safe. In my estimation, the Japanese will be here soon. I will send another batch of troops then. You are the bridgehead soldiers here, and you need to set an example for the brothers who come later."
Li Shaoyi's words immediately made the officers of the artillery regiment realize the weight of their responsibilities, and the rumors from a while ago also disappeared. For example, the rumors that our commander-in-chief was angry and would no longer care about the affairs between the Japanese and the Nationalist government meant that our army would definitely be forgotten by the commander-in-chief, and we would just grow old and die here.
Upon hearing this rumor, the morale of the entire regiment plummeted. Hao Dashan couldn't prove anything to his men; after all, the Nationalist government had truly betrayed their commander. If their commander had really done that, outsiders wouldn't be able to say anything, so what could they?
Judging from today's conversation, although the Nationalist government is ruthless, our Commander-in-Chief is by no means unjust. He still remembers the Japanese invasion of Hankou. More troops will arrive soon; we'll have to see how that meeting goes.
"Don't worry, Commander. Although the brothers suffered some losses in the defense of the capital, the main force is still intact, and..."
Hao Dashan clearly had some unspeakable difficulties. This was a somewhat taboo subject, as it hadn't been a big deal before, but after the 72nd Army's reorganization, strict orders had been issued forbidding any combat units from temporarily conscripting soldiers. However, during the retreat, they had managed to gather over 3000 men.
When Hao Dashan said this, he was already prepared to be punished, after all, he was committing the crime while the police were on high alert.
We were just thinking of getting them involved, but who knew that after arriving in Hankou, they wouldn't leave and insisted on staying here to work with us.