Chapter 49: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 49: Easily Taking Pinghu

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

At 1:30 PM on the tenth, the First Regiment of the Training Regiment arrived near Pinghu Station and dispatched its regiment-direct reconnaissance platoon to scout the enemy situation inside Pinghu Station.

Lv Muzhi wore a flower mechanism on his chest and followed Second Battalion Commander Liu Zhi as he wandered around.

The battalion commanders were all meeting at the regimental headquarters, and Lv Muzhi was also assigned to stand guard at the entrance of the regimental headquarters.

This once made Lv Muzhi doubt whether he was a platoon leader or a guard.

Inside the First Regiment headquarters, the officers were meeting, and Lv Muzhi heard everything clearly from outside the door.

"The enemy situation at Pinghu Station has been ascertained; there are only six or seven hundred rebels inside. The reconnaissance platoon discovered that the rebels are digging trenches on the small highland at the north end of Pinghu Station. I propose we take advantage of the fact that the enemy's fortifications are not yet complete to launch a surprise attack."

Upon hearing this, Regiment Commander He Yingqin's several battalion commanders all became restless, for this was the First Regiment's first actual combat, and its significance was extraordinary.

Third Battalion Commander Yan Fengyi took the initiative to volunteer: "All officers and men of my Third Battalion have long been prepared to sacrifice for the cause. I request Regiment Commander He to send our Third Battalion to attack the highland at the north end of Pinghu Station and seize the initiative on the battlefield!"

First Battalion Commander Shen Yingshi was not to be outdone: "My First Battalion is also ready; we will attack into Pinghu Station!"

Artillery Company Commander Chen Cheng: "I am willing to provide fire support for our friendly forces!"

Everyone argued back and forth, but Lv Muzhi outside the door frowned: Why didn't his battalion commander Liu Zhi fight for it? This was a great opportunity to earn merit!

In the end, He Yingqin sent Yan Fengyi's Third Battalion to set out immediately and attack the rebels' position on the small high mountain north of Pinghu Station.

Shen Yingshi's First Battalion flanked from the right wing, the armored vehicle fleet advanced into the station along the railway line, while Liu Zhi's Second Battalion acted as the reserve force and moved together with the regimental headquarters.

Chen Cheng's artillery did not participate in this battle.

After the meeting adjourned, Liu Zhi came out of the regimental headquarters, and Lv Muzhi hurriedly followed him.

"Battalion Commander, why didn't you fight with the regiment commander? Even if you can't snatch the main attack from the Third Battalion, you could at least snatch a feint attack! There are few enemy soldiers inside Pinghu Station and no solid fortifications; this is a great opportunity to establish merit!"

Lv Muzhi's words entered Liu Zhi's ears, but Liu Zhi just smiled: "Young man, you're still too impatient. I'll explain it to you later."

All units set out immediately and acted according to the tasks they had received.

Liu Zhi's Third Battalion also moved eastward for a distance to be ready to support the battle at Pinghu Station at any time.

Liu Zhi took Lv Muzhi up a small hill west of Pinghu Station. Chen Cheng, the artillery company commander who did not participate in the battle, also went up the hill, and the three of them could observe the situation around the battlefield with binoculars.

"Muzi Ah, don't be anxious. This Pinghu Station is nothing but a sesame seed; recording it on the merit register is nothing noteworthy. I can guarantee that this Pinghu Station will be taken in less than an hour."

"I'm afraid it won't even take an hour; forty minutes is enough!" Chen Cheng put down the binoculars in front of him and looked at Liu Zhi.

Lv Muzhi looked at these two men. Chen Cheng wanted to participate in the battle but was not allowed, on the grounds that artillery should be used for real assault battles; while Liu Zhi had not even tried to fight for the task of attacking Pinghu Station.

The two men began to direct the battle ahead from the hill, while Lv Muzhi listened to their boasting from behind.

But the two men were not actually boasting; the First Regiment's first battle indeed advanced like a bamboo splitter.

On the small high mountain north of Pinghu Station, the rebels entered the trenches they had already dug to meet Yan Fengyi's Third Battalion. Shen Yingshi's Second Battalion flanked from the right, and the armored train advanced to attack the station.

The defensive focus of Pinghu Station was on the small high mountain to the north, from where one could overlook Pinghu Station.

The rebels saw Yan Fengyi's Third Battalion of several hundred officers and men from afar, advancing toward their position in a skirmish line.

"That student army is here! Fire at them! Don't let them come over!" Upon the order of the rebel leader garrisoning the station, his men opened fire on Yan Fengyi's Third Battalion.

However, embarrassingly, the Third Battalion was still 2000 meters away from the rebels. At this distance, bullets were no longer within effective range, yet the rebels fired wildly without regard.

The rebels were completely panicked, misjudged the situation, opened fire prematurely, and did a lot of useless work.

Third Battalion Commander Yan Fengyi, hearing the gunfire, remained calm: "Comrades! The rebels are amateurs; at this distance they can't hit us. Charge with me! Take the first merit of the First Regiment!"

On the highland behind, Lv Muzhi looked through the binoculars and finally understood: "So this is the caliber of the rebels garrisoning Pinghu Station!"

Liu Zhi put down the binoculars and smiled: "Chen Jiongming's rebels vary in strength. The weak ones are like those at Pinghu Station, while the strong ones... are like Lin Hu's troops."

"Lin Hu?"

"That's right. Lin Hu is a fierce general. His strength is actually above Chen Jiongming's, and he doesn't listen to Chen Jiongming's orders. He is stationed in the Heyuan and Xingning area. The deeper our Eastern Expedition goes, the closer we get to him." Artillery Company Commander Chen Cheng added.

"What's going on? These rebels are too useless; they've already routed!" Liu Zhi suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

On the small highland north of Pinghu Station, the rebels' reaction was extremely dramatic.

Originally, the rebels had opened fire on the Training Regiment's Third Battalion soldiers from 2000 meters away, naturally missing. Third Battalion Commander Yan Fengyi did not order his soldiers to return fire, requiring them to enter the rifle's effective range before shooting.

Unexpectedly, seeing the Third Battalion soldiers so brave that they dared to charge without returning fire, the rebels panicked at once, abandoned their position, and ran straight east.

Liu Zhi glanced at his field telephone; it had been less than half an hour, and Pinghu Station was already taken. The flanking Second Battalion had not yet reached its insertion position, and the armored train had not fired many machine gun bullets. The rebels had already fled in disarray, and it was a wasted trip.

"Battalion Commander! Regiment Commander He orders our Second Battalion to send a company to pursue the rebels!" The regimental headquarters signalman came to deliver the order.

Liu Zhi said: "Tell the Sixth Company to go pursue them, but don't pursue too deep. Withdraw the troops after at most twenty li!"

After the signalman left, Liu Zhi looked at Chen Cheng and then at Lv Muzhi: "See? No need to use a cleaver to kill a chicken. The real test will be at Danshui and Huizhou later. Our road is still long!"

After driving the rebels out of Pinghu Station, the First Regiment officially stationed at the station.

That night, a train came from Guangzhou City to the west, entered Pinghu Station, and was fully loaded with grain and ammunition.

The Whampoa Cadet Army would continue to attack toward the northeast after receiving supplies.

The Second Regiment of the Training Regiment also stationed at Pinghu Station. With the arrival of the Second Regiment, an old friend of Lv Muzhi also came over.

"Brother Muzi! Long time no see!" Looking toward the sound, it turned out to be Huang Wei.

"Eh, Younger Brother Huang Wei? You're discharged from the hospital?"

"It's been fine for a long time. I lay in the hospital for over a month, then recuperated at home for a while. Hearing that the Cadet Army was launching the Eastern Expedition, I hurried back as fast as I could. Now I'm a platoon leader in the Second Regiment!"