1905: Beer Hall Speaker

Page 49

Turning to the ministers and generals, Bannerman said, "Gentlemen, prepare for a distant war thousands of miles away!"

The people present all smiled, showing no signs of pressure, but rather a sense of relief as if a mystery had been solved. For the British Empire, the Chinese declaration of war was just a minor inconvenience, nothing of great importance.

Soon, a representative from the Chinese People's Republic of China's diplomatic mission in the UK entered the Prime Minister's office. His face was serious, and without saying anything more, he handed over the opened declaration of war to Bannerman.

Prime Minister Bannerman arrogantly pulled out a gold-cased pocket watch from his breast pocket and checked the time: "It is now 5 p.m. on May 29, 1907. From this moment on, the British Empire and China are officially at war."

I hope to see your country's surrender document by this time next month, so I will not arrest you to avoid trouble later.

The Chinese representative, however, said bluntly, "Then we would like to trouble you, Prime Minister. We have several declarations of war here, and we are not sure which countries participated in the war against our country. We would appreciate it if you could help us submit them."

Bannerman's face was almost black with rage, but he still maintained his composure and had his secretary take the thick stack of declarations of war.

In Tokyo, Japan, thousands of miles away, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also received a telegram from Beijing declaring war. No, to be precise, it was not a telegram declaring war, but a letter of rebuke from the superior nation.

The arrogant Beijing republican government did not treat Japan as an equal country at all, but rather treated it with the tone of a suzerain state towards an unruly vassal state, and issued a letter of rebuke.

Japan contemptuously referred to China as "Shina," and Zhao Yan certainly showed no respect for Japan, treating it directly as a vassal state and not even bothering to issue a proper declaration of war.

The Republican government officially declared war on Japan on the grounds that Japan, a tiny and insignificant country, dared to harbor the Qing government in exile, defying the will of the Celestial Empire and protecting the remnants of the Qing dynasty!

The entire Japanese team was furious when they received the telegram. They condemned it for contemptuously referring to Japan as the "Wa" country and demoting the Emperor to the "King of Wa"!

A dozen minutes later, on the north bank of the Yalu River on the Korean Peninsula.

Behind the Eastern Route Army's attack positions, on the artillery positions formed by the artillery battalions of the two main divisions, the 1st and 3rd Divisions, thirty German-made 105mm howitzers were making final preparations for firing.

On the position, the artillerymen were all in high spirits, tending to their cannons, wiping each heavy shell repeatedly, and constantly checking the firing data.

The artillery officers also appeared very nervous, as this was the first time the Chinese army had concentrated so many large-caliber artillery pieces in a single battle.

The officers who previously served the 75mm howitzers now had to adapt to the new 105mm howitzer. The 105mm caliber was not considered a large caliber by the great powers, whose naval guns were often over 300mm.

But for the Chinese army, the 105mm artillery is definitely a large caliber!

The officers repeatedly checked the firing data and compared it with the map to confirm that there were no errors.

Artillery is currently the only elite branch of the National Defense Force. Ordinary soldiers are selected from active duty through a rigorous process and then sent to the Beijing Artillery Training School for at least six months of advanced training.

The officers in the artillery units were all top graduates from Nanjing National Defense University, and each officer had received at least a year of training.

While other branches of the military may have illiterate soldiers or even officers, in the artillery, even a loader is professionally trained.

The National Defense Forces only have so many artillery pieces, so the artillery units are practically overflowing with top talents, and the overall quality of the personnel is even better than that of the headquarters.

Every single one of them is a seed for the future artillery of the Chinese army, and this impending war is their last practical lesson.

"All personnel, take your battle positions and prepare for artillery fire!"

Five minutes before 3:30 a.m., all personnel at the artillery position were in their combat positions, every cannon was loaded with shells, and all firing data were set.

Every officer in the artillery unit was issued a specially made imported watch and a telescope. The artillery position commander looked up at the deep night and occasionally looked down at his watch.

As the last minute approached, the commander picked up the expensive imported telephone system on the table, put the receiver to his lips, and shouted: "Begin the bombardment!"

"Boom boom"

Soon, the roar of artillery fire came from the artillery positions. Tonight, on the north bank of the Yalu River, the National Defense Army had assembled more than 700 artillery pieces of various calibers at multiple artillery positions and launched a fierce bombardment on the Japanese defense line on the south bank.

With over 700 cannons, each salvo could wipe out the entire annual income of at least a thousand farmers, and the rate at which money was being burned every second was astonishing.

Expensive shells rained down on the opposite bank of the river one after another. The dense flashes of explosions and the deafening roars that filled the night sky ushered in a new phase in the history of the newly established republic.

Chapter 90 The Fierce Dragon Crosses the River!

"Charge through! Even if we die, we'll make sure our bodies float across!"

"To die on one's own soil is merely resistance; to die on foreign soil is true heroism!"

In the dense forest along the river, soldiers of the First Division carried rafts towards the Yalu River, with Captain Liu Gensheng, the commander of the Second Battalion, personally carrying a raft towards the riverbank.

Liu Gensheng was originally just a prison guard in Changsha Prefecture. After joining Zhao Yan in the Changsha Uprising, he rose through the ranks and became the main battalion commander of the elite First Division of the National Defense Army, and is now an active captain.

It's just that Liu Gensheng is too old, already fifty-two, and illiterate, so his foundation is too weak, and he can only be promoted to this level.

Zhao Yan treated these veterans who had followed him from the beginning very well. He even wanted to arrange for Liu Gensheng to become a county magistrate at the grassroots level, at least for his safety.

But Liu Gensheng resolutely refused, insisting on staying in the army, even if he was just a battalion commander, as long as he had the opportunity to fight.

Liu Gensheng understood that even if he seized the opportunity to rise to power, he was destined not to go far. His abilities were too poor, and he was already incredibly lucky to have reached the position of battalion commander.

Therefore, Liu Gensheng no longer had any hope of climbing the social ladder himself. He placed his hopes on his sons, who he believed would bring true glory to the Liu family in the future.

What Liu Gensheng needs to do most now is to burn out his last bit of life, make the most of his remaining time, and pave the way for his sons.

Liu Gensheng had no intention of living to the end of the war; from the very beginning, he was prepared to die for his country.

Based on the lingering connection from the Changsha Uprising, the leader couldn't possibly remember him forever. However, if he died for the leader's loyalty, his descendants' future would surely be remembered by the leader. Although a small person may not have much wisdom, he could still change the fate of a family at crucial moments!

Not only Liu Gensheng, but also countless soldiers behind him, all participated in this battle with the determination to change their fate!

"Hurry! Charge across at all costs! Cross the river!"

"When the cannons roar, gold is worth a fortune! Anyone who dares to waste the time bought by those ten thousand taels of gold will be shot!"

After each raft was launched into the water, a dozen or so fully armed soldiers would rush up and frantically row towards the opposite bank.

On the river, Japanese gunboats turned on their searchlights, illuminating the densely packed ferry boats. Each boat was crammed with soldiers, some of whom were even carrying rifles and clinging to logs as they desperately swam towards the opposite bank.

The densely packed army crossing the river shocked the Japanese gunboats; a mere three or four gunboats were simply no match for so many people.

"Da da da boom boom"

The Japanese gunboats opened fire, and machine guns and cannons began firing at the crossing army on the river, but it had little effect. The densely packed National Defense Army soldiers were like a school of salmon swimming upstream, completely ignoring the Japanese gunboats' fire and just rushing towards the opposite bank, even if they died, their bodies would just drift to the other side.

The Japanese gunboats became desperate and even began to ram the boats directly. However, the National Defense Army artillery, which was lying in ambush on the shore, also began to fire directly at the Japanese gunboats. Although the weak 75mm guns could not sink the Japanese gunboats with a single shot, they could still cripple them if they hit.

The Japanese army's riverbank defenses also began to open fire and return fire. Dense bullets fell into the river, and soldiers of the National Defense Army were hit and fell into the water from time to time.

But no one came to their rescue; everyone who survived had to continue their mission.

The mission of pioneers is to sacrifice themselves to pave the way for those who follow.

The National Defense Army specifically chose this night of low tide to cross the river, but even so, the river that the First Division now needs to cross is more than 700 meters wide. This distance can be covered in an instant on land, but it is extremely difficult to move an inch in the water.

Every minute and every second, soldiers were falling into the river and drowning, being sunk by artillery shells, or being strafed by bullets. The commander of the First Division, who was watching from the rear, couldn't bear it and closed his eyes.

But these are all necessary costs to bear. The title of the Elite First Division is not something that can be earned with words; it must be built through real battles, blood, and fire.

The few hundred meters of river surface seemed so long at this moment, and advancing even one meter required a heavy price.

But some time later, the first unit successfully landed, and a signal flare went up, indicating that at least one battalion had reached the other side.

This signal flare made the other landing troops even more eager. The credit for being the first to land was gone! They could only rush over and grab as much meat as possible, lest they end up with nothing left.

Liu Gensheng's desperate efforts yielded significant results. He led about half of the Second Battalion to successfully reach the south bank, while the remaining brothers were either killed or wounded on the way or swept away by the river.

"Grab your weapons and charge! Those with officers, follow their orders; those without, follow the orders of the sergeants!"

"Don't look for official positions, just join friendly forces and take command according to rank!"

"There is only one mission: to capture the Japanese defense line at any cost and expand the landing beachhead!"

Under the cover of night, the large number of landing troops rushed over and the organization was completely in disarray. The officers had anticipated this situation and didn't care about the organization at all, they just used chaos to disrupt things.

Liu Gensheng led more than sixty soldiers to form a temporary assault team and took the lead in rushing towards the Japanese army's riverbank defense line.

But the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. As the first to successfully land and fire a signal flare, Liu Gensheng immediately attracted the attention of the Japanese army.

Heavy firepower quickly poured down on him, a hail of bullets raining down on him. The empty riverbank was completely exposed, with no cover or cover to be found.

The assault team led by Liu Gensheng fought for more than 20 minutes, but all of them were killed in action. Liu Gensheng became one of the first officers to die in a foreign land.

However, the sacrifice of the Second Battalion and Liu Gensheng was not meaningless. They bought time for the follow-up troops, and then a large number of National Defense Army troops successfully landed and continued their attack over the bodies of Liu Gensheng and the others.

Several Japanese patrol boats on the river had been blown to smithereens and were floating in flames. The Japanese riverbank defenses were being constantly attacked by wave after wave of landing troops, and they had no way to control the National Defense Army that was attempting to cross the river.

The engineering corps couldn't wait for news of the successful beachhead construction. Large numbers of engineers carried pontoon bridge equipment and rushed into the river to begin building the pontoon bridge. Their orders were strict: the pontoon bridge had to be built before dawn!

The First Division, as the vanguard force, went in and out without holding back, throwing in all of its more than 20,000 officers and soldiers. In the first wave of the crossing, half of the troops rushed in, and in the second wave, they went all in.

The Third Division followed suit without hesitation, pouring men into the area. They didn't care how many people died or were injured tonight; as long as they could break through, it would be like a dragon crossing the river!

By 5:15 a.m., the entire 1st Division of the National Defense Army had successfully crossed the river and established a solid and secure beachhead.

At 6:30, the fierce battle was still going on, but the engineering division had successfully built a pontoon bridge, so subsequent troops could cross the river directly by stepping on the pontoon bridge.

After daybreak, the Japanese army's riverbank defense line was completely defeated, and the remnants fled south. The 1st and 3rd Divisions of the National Defense Army successfully crossed the river, and subsequent heavy weapons began to arrive on the south bank via pontoon bridges.

Thus, the river-crossing operation was finally a success after paying a heavy price.

After Zhao Yan heard that the Western Route Army had successfully crossed the Yalu River, the Central Route Army and the Eastern Route Army also reported that they had successfully crossed the Yalu River. Among them, the Western Route Army suffered the greatest losses and encountered the fiercest resistance in the Andong direction.

The Western Route Army will face the main force of the Japanese 6th Division stationed in Uiju, Korea. Last night's crossing of the river resulted in heavy casualties for the 1st and 3rd Divisions.

Zhao Yan learned the news at the rear command post. Wang Chongshan personally reported a piece of bad news to him after dawn: Captain Liu Gensheng, the battalion commander of the 2nd Battalion of the 14th Regiment of the 1st Division, led his troops to be the first to land on the south bank last night, but unfortunately died in battle against overwhelming odds.

There was no need to report the death of a mere captain to Zhao Yan, but Liu Gensheng was completely different.

Ignoring all advice, Zhao Yan personally went to the Yalu River to inspect the battlefield that afternoon.

After arriving at the front line of the river-crossing battlefield from the rear last night, Zhao Yan witnessed a scene that he would never forget.

The Yalu River has completely calmed down, with the wreckage of three burning Japanese gunboats floating on the surface, and a slender pontoon bridge extending from the north bank to the south bank.

On the river, the corpses of soldiers were still floating, like water plants. The pontoon bridge spanning the river blocked a large number of bodies from drifting downstream, making the area around the bridge almost a pile of corpses.

However, the friendly forces on the bridge could only hurry across and could not reach out to retrieve the bodies, because the south bank needed more living people and equipment to cross.

The other three pontoon bridges were also under construction at a rapid pace, with a large amount of materials and engineering equipment being invested regardless of cost. In the later stages of the campaign, the engineering division even had to build permanent concrete railway steel frame bridges.

"Issue the order to conscript fishermen from both sides of the strait and ensure that all the bodies of the fallen soldiers are recovered and buried in a timely manner!"

"Yes, Führer!"

"Also, has Liu Gensheng's body been found?"

Wang Chongshan replied, "It's been found!"

Zhao Yan said anxiously, "Where is it? Take me there quickly!"

Finally, Zhao Yan saw Liu Gensheng's body covered with a white cloth in a command post of a Japanese position that had already been occupied on the south bank.

Zhao Yan pulled back the white cloth with a complicated expression, but was stopped by Wang Chongshan: "Sir, Captain Liu died from heavy machine gun fire. You'd better not look at it too much."

"Let go!" Zhao Yan insisted on pulling back the white sheet, revealing Liu Gensheng's body, torn to shreds by heavy machine gun bullets.

Zhao Yan saw that Liu Gensheng had a smile on his lips before he died, and he immediately recalled the prison guard with a kind smile in the winter of 1905.

"Did Lao Liu give any instructions?" Zhao Yan asked.

Wang Chongshan said, "His suicide note only said that he asked for the care of his family, and he made no other requests!"

Zhao Yan said, "I remember that Old Liu's family has three sons. The eldest is thirty years old, the second is twenty-three years old, and the youngest is only twelve years old, right?"

Wang Chongshan nodded: "The Führer has a good memory, that's right!"

Zhao Yan ordered, "Lieutenant Liu died a heroic death for his country. His achievements are worthy of praise and tears. Since the Changsha Uprising, he has made countless contributions. The country cannot let him down."

Let his eldest son be admitted to the presidential palace as a civil servant without taking the entrance exam, and his second son be admitted to Nanjing National Defense University without taking the entrance exam! Please take good care of them in the future, understand?

Wang Chongshan quickly replied, "Understood, Your Majesty!"

Everyone present felt a warm glow in their hearts upon hearing these words, and some even felt a pang of jealousy towards Liu Gensheng.

In this day and age, what does death matter? Everyone has to die. But if you can pave the way for your children and grandchildren after you die, then your death is well worth it.

The head of state personally gave the order and instructed that they be taken good care of, so the future of the two Liu boys is now secure.

But Liu Gensheng's merits are truly worthy of this treatment. He was the first to scale the walls, died for his country, and was a veteran of the Changsha Uprising! Even if his two sons are incompetent in the future, they will at least be able to get a sinecure as a department head or a major general!

Of course, Zhao Yan did not forget the others who died in battle besides Liu Gensheng: "Pass on my order and inform the entire army that the families of those who died in this battle will inherit the military tax exemption for thirty years and will be given an additional 100 mu of land!"

Wang Chongshan's hands were trembling: "Yes, Your Majesty!"

Chapter 91 Establishment of the Logistics Department

On June 2, 1907, the National Defense Army crossed the river in full force, with 6 troops advancing into Korea in three routes.

The Japanese army was completely unprepared for the National Defense Army's proactive attack. They simply deployed a weak defensive line on the south bank of the Yalu River, which was no match for the fierce attack of hundreds of thousands of troops.

Even after the National Defense Army arrived, they were surprised to find that the Japanese army was still conscripting laborers to repair roads and build warehouses to stockpile supplies. These were all preparations made by the Japanese for the offensive, but now they were all benefiting the National Defense Army.

After the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese never considered defense. They unilaterally believed that they were the largest in East Asia and that they were the only ones who attacked others, never the other way around.

After Zhao Yan came to power and Sino-Japanese relations deteriorated sharply, the Japanese prepared for war based on the most cost-effective offensive plan.

It would be too expensive to gather a large army on the Korean Peninsula, so they would focus on training and expanding their forces on the mainland, at most sending two more permanent divisions to Korea, which they believed would be sufficient to deal with the early stages.