On May 30, 1919, Liu Zhaocheng's army, which had not moved for a long time after the start of the Northern Expedition, finally moved!

This was the beginning of the famous "Northern Expedition to Hunan"!

On May 30, Liu Zhaocheng launched a fierce attack on Huaihua with the strength of two divisions, and in this battle, armored units appeared on the battlefield for the first time.

Unlike the "armored cars" that appeared before and were converted from cars, this time it is an armored car in the true sense.

It is still strictly implementing the orders of President Wang Hengyue, and the use of new weapons in the domestic battlefield should not be too much, but only a small amount of investment.

But even this small number of new weapons is enough to make the enemy feel cold.

Airplanes are flying in the sky, and armored vehicles are showing off their might on the ground.

The enemy's bullets hit the armored vehicle with a chaotic "clanging" sound, but it was unable to do any damage to the ironclad monster.

The armored vehicle advanced in a triumphant manner, followed by a large number of infantry. The emergence of this new type of weapon and new offensive tactics was indeed far ahead of the Hunan army on the opposite side.

Shocking battlefield, shocking offensive mode.

In the sky, planes are constantly circling there, Huer dives and bombs, and Huer pulls high into the sky; On the ground, there were attacking infantry under the cover of twelve armored vehicles.

In just twenty minutes, the first position on the periphery of Huaihua was breached!

It's not a level contest at all.

Liu Zhaocheng pointed to the opposite side and said: "If there is a large-scale armored force, it may be very easy to unify the whole of China on the premise of ensuring the supply of oil and logistics." In the future, this mode of operation will inevitably become the mainstream of warfare! ”

Li Zongren nodded and said, "Yes, the cooperation of aircraft, armored vehicles and infantry has made the battle a lot easier. ”

"War is always changing." Liu Zhaocheng groaned; "Previously, the Germans concentrated the use of heavy machine guns, which caused heavy losses to the British and French troops, and later the advent of armored vehicles allowed the British and French troops to take the initiative. I feel fortunate not that we have won here, but that we have finally not been distanced by the Great Powers in new weapons. ”

President Wang Hengyue attaches great importance to the development of the military industry and to the research and development of new weapons, which has finally been brought into full play on the battlefield.

Liu Zhaocheng, who had won the first battle, did not immediately continue to attack Huaihua, but ordered his troops to quickly stabilize their positions. At the same time, the armored forces bypassed Huaihua and went straight to the Golden Well and Jinshi Bridge in accordance with the previously set goals!

At the same time, the two divisions of the Second Army commanded by Xu Mu set off ahead of schedule, and after the Huaihua attack began, Hongjiang launched an attack at the same time.

Only one battalion from Beiyang was stationed in Hongjiang, but Liu Zhaocheng did not hesitate to make a big move, and smashed eggs with a hammer with the absolute superiority of two divisions!

The defenders of Hongjiang Beiyang did not dare to confront head-on at all, and fled from Hongjiang in a hurry and fled in the direction of Wugang.

The Second Army was non-stop, and as soon as it occupied Hongjiang, it immediately pursued the fleeing enemy and pursued it all the way to Wugang.

The same battalion in Wugang was there, and in the face of the overwhelming Northern Expeditionary Army, the mountains and tsunamis were dumbfounded and at a loss. Who did you provoke? How did you attract so many enemies?

The Beiyang Army in Hongjiang and Wugang never dreamed that the Northern Expeditionary Army would attack it with the strength of two main divisions!

The defenders of Wugang were again defeated and fled.

Having defeated the people on the right flank of Huaihua, the Second Army quickly followed the previously set goals, Lianke Dongkou and other places, and rushed Zhang Jingyao's originally arranged orderly defense line from Huaihua to Shaoyang.

Shaoyang's Beiyang Army wanted to fight but didn't dare to fight, on the opposite side was the Northern Expeditionary Army, which was fierce and full of morale, and it was already thankful if it didn't directly attack Shaoyang, where would it dare to launch a counteroffensive?

Those damn planes seemed to be showing off the strength of the Northern Expeditionary Army, appearing over Shaoyang from time to time, and they didn't drop bombs, hovering in the air for a while and then left on their own!

This seems to warn the Shaoyang defenders: Don't act rashly!

Zhang Jingyao was in a dilemma, whether Huaihua should hold on or order to withdraw. Just when Zhang Jingyao was in a dilemma, Liu Zhaocheng's general attack on Huaihua began.

On June 1, the 3rd Panzer Regiment occupied the Golden Well and the Jinshi Bridge, cutting off the enemy's retreat in Huaihua. At the same time, the Second Army reached Qianyang and completed the encirclement of the enemy in Huaihua.

Huaihua was stationed with one division of Zhang Jingyao and 8,000 local troops, while Liu Zhaocheng was concentrated with four whole divisions and two brigades, with an armored vehicle regiment, a reading artillery brigade, and an absolutely superior force of six aircraft!

Concentrate all superior forces, use the shortest time, the most fierce attack, and completely annihilate the enemy!

It's still those five words: hammer smashing eggs!

Zhang Jingyao hesitated, but Liu Zhaocheng never gave him time to think about it!

On the day of June 1, Liu Zhaocheng issued a general attack order for the whole line!

"Withdraw, withdraw!"

When Zhang Jingyao, who got the news and finally made up his mind for a decisive battle, shouted frantically, Zhang Jingtang shook his head in despair: "Big brother, no, the Northern Expeditionary Army's movements are too fast, Huaihua has been surrounded on all sides, and the second brother can't break out." ”

"What about the third? Let the third child send troops from Shaoyang to rescue the second child! Zhang Jingyao roared.

Zhang Jingtang smiled bitterly, pointed to the map and said, "Big brother, look." From Shaoyang to Huaihua, I am afraid that the second brother has already been defeated halfway through. ”

Zhang Jingyao looked at the map blankly, and suddenly vented all his anger on the fourth brother: "Don't you always call yourself Xiao Zhuge ? Yes! Find a way, find a way to rescue the second child! ”

Zhang Jingtang's face is like dirt.

At the beginning, from Huaihua to Shaoyang, the troops were deployed all the way, one point was attacked, and the rest of the points were immediately reinforced, making it a complete line of defense to defend Hunan, this plan was proposed by himself, and was also appreciated by the eldest brother.

But who would have thought that in front of Liu Zhaocheng, this "perfect" line of defense would be like paper paste.

He and Liu Zhaocheng are not opponents of the same level at all.

Zhang Jingyao is also like ashes. In Huaihua, there is a main division of its own, as well as 8,000 local troops, is it about to end?

The second child is still in Huaihua, and it seems that he can't run out

On June 1, the Huaihua general attack was launched, and at that time, the Beiyang troops were defeated one after another, and countless surrenderers and escapers were numerous.

On the night of the 1st, the Northern Expeditionary Army completed the encirclement of Huaihua, and Huaihua had become an iron bucket that was surrounded to death!

Zhang Jingyu, the commander of the Shaoyang garrison with brotherly affection, sent troops to try to reinforce them, but as soon as they left the city, those hateful planes used a burst of bombs to blow them back to Shaoyang

The "perfect line of defense" arranged by Zhang Jingtang has now not only been torn to pieces, but has also become full of loopholes and attack points everywhere.

It was night, and the commander of Huaihua, who was in despair, Zhang Jingyao's second brother Zhang Jingshun, after receiving Zhang Jingyao's instructions, sent officers out of the city to negotiate surrender.

The negotiations were very brief, lasting less than half an hour.

On the morning of the 2nd, the city gate of Huaihua was opened, and Zhang Jingshun surrendered with all his troops.

The Huaihua Offensive Battle began on May 30 and ended on June 2, and the Huaihua, Hongjiang, Wugang, Jinjing, and Jinshiqiao lines all fell into the hands of the Northern Expeditionary Army.

In three days, the western part of Hunan fell into the hands of Liu Zhaocheng, and the speed of the attack was so fast and the intensity of the attack was so fierce that it was jaw-dropping.

After that, Liu Zhaocheng once again made an unexpected decision, not to attack Shaoyang, which seemed to be within reach, but to order the main force to advance directly in the direction of Loudi.

He is going to fight a decisive battle with Beiyang in Hunan!

It's not Hunan's Beiyang, but Hunan's, Hubei's, and Jiangxi's Beiyang, and he wants to destroy them all by himself!

This momentum may only be possessed by Liu Zhaocheng in the Northern Expeditionary Army!

"Zhang Jingshun, the general of the defeated army, has seen the commander-in-chief."

Looking at Zhang Jingshun, who was shrinking his head, Liu Zhaocheng suddenly smiled:

Duan Qirui, who was the prime minister in Yanjing Zhengaxe, appointed Zhang Jingyao as the overseer and governor of Hunan for the benefit of the Anhui family, and put aside Wu Peifu, the direct warlord who had made the largest meritorious contribution to attack Hunan, and Wu Peifu was so angry that he scolded Duan Qirui for being blind. Is there such a thing? ”

"Yes, yes." Zhang Jingshun said repeatedly.

Liu Zhaocheng nodded: "I also heard that after Zhang Jingyao entered Hunan, he felt that his long-cherished wish for many years had been realized, and he couldn't help but feel overjoyed, and he simply regarded Hunan as his permanent private territory." Therefore, while cultivating his own power, he also did everything in economic and other aspects, and wantonly looted from the common people. This time, he has been the king of Hunan for more than 1 year and wants to celebrate. held that 40th birthday, and even set up a Daqing Preparatory Office, and appointed the fourth brother Zhang Jingtang as the director of the Preparatory Office. First of all, send someone to notify the major hotels, so that they can select the best chef to report to the time limit and report their own skills, so that they can be dispatched in a unified manner. Zhang Jingtang also set the scale of the birthday feast at 400 seats, and its specifications were divided into four levels according to Fu, Lu, Shou and Xi, which were 1,000 yuan, 500 yuan, 300 yuan, and 200 yuan. He also assigned the banquet to the major hotels and inns by name. The owners of the unfortunate selected hotels and inns had no choice but to break the bank and consider themselves unlucky, is there such a thing? ”

"Yes, yes." Zhang Jingshun wiped his cold sweat and said, "I really don't know about this." ”

Liu Zhaocheng waved his hand: "Let's go." ”

"Zamon?" Zhang Jingshun didn't react for a while.

"Let's go, let's go." Liu Zhaocheng said lightly: "Go back to Changsha and tell Zhang Jingyao that he sent me an invitation and invited me to eat his birthday wine, I will definitely go, there is no point in arresting you, your Zhang family brother is not my opponent." I heard that Wu Peifu in Beiyang is the best at fighting, so I went to tell Zhang Jingyao and asked Wu Peifu to come to Hunan to fight with me! ”

I heard that Wu Peifu in Beiyang is the best at fighting, so I went to tell Zhang Jingyao and asked Wu Peifu to come to Hunan to fight with me!

This sentence made Zhang Jingshun stunned, he had never heard such heroic words!

(To be continued)