Chapter 5: Training and Initial Formation

Fifth Brother's words are also correct; there will be numerous issues with the coordination of this unit. Moreover, the grenade throwers should at least be equipped with a spear or a large knife. While they can throw grenades, they should also be capable of engaging in close combat. Such configurations exist within northern armies

Luo Yaoguo's mind is indeed filled with many advanced tactics, not only the knowledge imparted by the West Point Military Academy in the 1920s, but also the air combat knowledge he acquired in his previous life. However, none of these are suitable for the national conditions of China in the 1920s. You need to use the most popular artillery-infantry coordination of the 1920s, but, I apologize, the Northern Expedition Army currently has no artillery. Even if they had artillery, they would lack ammunition, and even if they managed to obtain ammunition, they would certainly miss their targets. As for ground-air coordination and mechanized warfare, those are even more irrelevant.

Wei Lihuang? It seems I have heard this name somewhere before. Luo Yaoguo felt that this name sounded familiar, and despite his efforts to recall, he still could not remember, but he was certain that he knew of such a person.

In the coming month of training, Wang Bao is responsible for grenade training, Liu Dezhuzhu oversees bayonet training, and Wang Guodong trains the pistol team. The three snipers are learning camouflage, reconnaissance, and target identification under the guidance of Luo Yaoguo. Time passes quickly, and before long, it is September, with the day of the Northern Expedition Army's advance into Fujian gradually approaching

"The name sounds good. Have you achieved some merit and been promoted?" Luo Yaoguo raised his hand and shot a mysterious smile at Wang Bao: "So, have I guessed it right, my third brother?"

I am not worried about my brothers not putting in the effort, but rather about not knowing which tactics to adopt in order to maximize the combat effectiveness of our troops. Therefore, I would like my brothers to assist me in strategizing. " Luo Yaoguo shook his head and added, "To be honest with you, as a graduate of West Point, I have learned a plethora of advanced tactics from the West, but upon reflection, I find that none of them are applicable to our current situation.

Hehe, big brother, you see that we have now entered Fujian, while Zhou Yinren and the others did not follow us. Do you know what this means?" Luo Yaoguo's face was filled with unmistakable pride.

Several people exchanged glances and thought: "Old Three, Old Three, are you really asking us to advise you? Clearly, everything has already been planned out, but this plan should still be feasible."

There are several, but they are the class monitors Wang Bao felt somewhat troubled and did not know how to continue speaking

I believe that when we launch an attack, we should have the riflemen charge first to draw the enemy's machine gun fire. Then, the sharpshooters can take out the enemy's machine gunners, after which everyone can charge together, with the sharpshooters targeting the enemy officers from the rear

It is of no concern. Brother, you are responsible for selecting the three best marksmen from the 27 class leaders, and then choosing three good rifles from over a hundred rifles in the entire battalion to assign to them. They may also select their own ammunition. I will grant these three individuals the rank of Second Lieutenant, and they will form a sniper team directly under the battalion headquarters. In future operations, we will rely on them to eliminate enemy officers and machine gunners.

Wang Bao is indeed a seasoned veteran who has spent many years in the military, possessing an abundance of battlefield experience. With his contributions, Luo Yaoguo's tactical approach has gained significant operability

After reaching this agreement, Sun Yat-sen immediately ordered Xu Chongzhi's Northern Expedition Army to move into Fujian, and Luo Yaoguo's supplementary battalion naturally followed Huang Dawei's troops as they departed from Ruijin. Initially, Xu Chongzhi led his troops towards the border of Fujian, Guangdong, and Jiangxi, and the local militia in Fujian responded in kind. In this situation, Chen Jiongming, who had already established a foothold in Guangdong, seemed to forget the goal of provincial autonomy and instead allied with Wu Peifu, dispatching Yin Ji's Third Army of Guangdong to "aid Fujian," in conjunction with the 12th Division of the Beiyang Army, and Li Houji's Wang Xianchen's forces to launch a three-pronged attack on the Northern Expedition Army. In this situation, Chen Jiongming, who had already established a foothold in Guangdong, seemed to forget the goal of provincial autonomy and instead allied with Wu Peifu, dispatching Yin Ji's Third Army of Guangdong to "aid Fujian," in conjunction with the 12th Division of the Beiyang Army, and Li Houji's Wang Xianchen's forces to launch a three-pronged attack on the Northern Expedition Army.

Due to the fact that the direct line was unaware in advance that Sun Yat-sen and Wang Yongquan had reached an agreement, they fell victim to Xu Chongzhi's strategy of drawing the tiger away from its mountain lair during this three-pronged siege. Xu Chongzhi first organized his troops to march south, creating the illusion of an incursion from the Wuping and Shanghang areas of western Fujian, thereby attracting the three enemy forces to concentrate towards western Fujian. Then, on September 7, he suddenly turned north, shaking off the three pursuing armies, and under the banner of Wang Yongquan's mixed 24th Brigade, he launched an incursion into northern Fujian from Ninghua County in Fujian.

On that day, the supplementary training camp completed its reorganization, and the pistol team was also selected. A veteran in his thirties named Wang Guodong, who had previously served as a bodyguard to a high-ranking official in the Guangdong army, had developed exceptional pistol shooting skills and was now chosen as the captain of the pistol team

Ah! Look at my mind, your second uncle is our chief of staff, how could you not know about such matters? However, speaking of it, this fellow really is lucky; without firing a single shot, he used a feigned attack strategy and got promoted to colonel. Sigh, why can't such good fortune come to you, Third Brother?" As Wang Bao spoke, he began to talk about promotions. This man had only managed to become a squad leader after more than ten years. Luo Yaoguo originally thought he was indifferent to a career in politics, but unexpectedly, he really did become an official, and he seems quite addicted to it. When it comes to handling affairs, he is more serious than anyone else, fearing that any mistake might cost him the position of major.

On August 21, 1922, Sun Yat-sen dispatched another prominent subordinate, Hu Hanmin, to Yanping, Fujian, to negotiate with the Beiyang Warlord faction's General Wang Yongquan, the commander of the 24th Mixed Brigade. They reached an agreement to jointly attack Fuzhou and expel Li Houji, and it was promised that after the expulsion of Li, Fujian would be placed under the administration of Wang Yongquan.

"There is no need for Third Brother to worry. Our supplementary battalion has been training for a month now. Moving forward, let the brothers put in more effort and practice diligently; it will surely not be too bad." Seeing Luo Yaoguo's concern, Wang Bao spoke to comfort him.

Throughout this journey, we have traversed several hundred miles, yet the battles we have encountered are few and far between; it is only this battalion led by Luo Yaoguo that has not experienced any combat.

"Good, indeed, the elder brother's method is remarkable," Luo Yaoguo exclaimed, slapping his thigh in approval. "This organization is simple and feasible; with a month of training, we should be able to mobilize the troops. This time, we can truly showcase our skills in the battle of Fujian"

Seeing that there were no objections, Luo Yaoguo nodded and continued: "Each squad will appoint an additional deputy squad leader, selecting nine squad leaders with some education to serve either concurrently or exclusively. Furthermore, excluding the squad leaders, we currently have only 260 soldiers. The battalion headquarters, pistol team, service personnel, and the cooking teams of each company account for nearly 50 individuals, leaving 210 soldiers divided among 27 squads, which is too many. I plan to merge the number of squads into 18, with each squad consisting of 12 to 13 individuals, including the squad leader. Each platoon will oversee two squads, one fully equipped with rifles and the other fully equipped with grenades. This way, over the next month, we can allow the soldiers to focus on mastering a single skill, either rifle handling or grenade throwing, which should make it easier. What do you all think?"

Today is August 1st. By September at the latest, our Northern Expedition Army will enter Fujian for combat, which means we only have one month to enable the supplementary battalion to achieve combat readiness. The upcoming battle in Fujian is crucial for our brothers; if we perform well, the supplementary battalion may have the potential to expand into a regiment or even a brigade. After laying out such a grand prospect, Luo Yaoguo's eyebrows slowly knitted together, and his eyes were filled with concern. The upcoming battle in Fujian is crucial for our brothers; if we perform well, the supplementary battalion may have the potential to expand into a regiment or even a brigade. After laying out such a grand prospect, Luo Yaoguo's eyebrows slowly knitted together, and his eyes were filled with concern

Wang Bao scratched his head and thought for a moment, then said: "This indicates that the person with the surname Zhou is unaware, right?"

This indicates that Li Houji, this fool, is still unaware of the collusion between Wang Yongquan and us. At this point, Luo Yaoguo could no longer contain his laughter and said: "Hehe, we are bound to win this battle. It’s possible that by the time we enter the gates of Fuzhou, Li Houji will still be in the dark. Once we capture Fuzhou, it will be impossible for our forces not to grow. Do you think I, the third brother, will fail to secure even a regiment leader position?"

What does elder brother think?" Luo Yaoguo nodded and sought Wang Bao's opinion again

Indeed, it is also quite popular domestically to charge into battle with flower machine guns or handguns. The firepower of flower machines and box cannons is formidable; if hundreds or thousands come rushing in, ordinary enemies will certainly be unable to withstand it. Gao Shaojie gave a dull smile and also offered a suggestion

I have a question. Wu Ziliang slightly furrowed his brows and asked: I believe that Third Brother's method is generally feasible, but the key lies in the coordination among the riflemen, grenade throwers, snipers, and pistol team, which seems a bit complicated.

In addition, the proposal from the fourth brother to organize a pistol team is also good. I will find a way to acquire 20 Mauser pistols. You all go back to your respective units and select 20 individuals each. We need three squad leaders, one to be promoted as the team leader, and two as team leaders. What do you think

Li Shun'en gently shook his head and asked, "Where are we supposed to get portable machine guns when we can't even equip ourselves with rifles?"

After listening to Luo Yaoguo's words, Wu Ziliang scratched his head and smiled slightly: "So it turns out that Third Brother is worried about this matter. In fact, the Guangdong Army has developed a set of tactics over the years, which is to rely on mass charges, close combat, and the effective use of hand grenades to achieve victory. Although this tactic is somewhat outdated, it is still quite effective domestically"

There is also a marksman named Chen Tian, aged 26, who has become the captain of the sniper team. Although he only has two snipers under his command, this small-sized man from Guangdong, who often tilts his head and squints his eyes, is always cheerful. In this world, some people are suited for official positions, while others are too lazy to manage others. This seemingly carefree marksman belongs to the latter category. The other two snipers include one named Zhang Hu, who is only 20 years old this year. He hails from a hunting background in the mountains near Shaoguan, Guangdong, is illiterate, yet possesses astonishing marksmanship, able to take lives within 300 meters as easily as reaching into a pocket. This is achieved with a 7.92mm rifle from the Shijingshan Arsenal. The other is a 35-year-old veteran known as Brother Liu. He is short, has dark skin, and is somewhat balding, but his eyes shine with a cold light. With 20 years of military experience, Brother Liu has extraordinary shooting skills. His specialty is not hitting distant targets but rather engaging moving targets within 200 meters, with quick draw and precise aim. While this distance may be considered short for the European battlefield, it is quite sufficient for the Chinese Civil War of the 1920s.

"Third brother, have you heard? There is a battalion commander named Wei Lihuang in the Second Army of the Guangdong Army, who was sent out to cover the rear a few days ago." Upon entering Ninghua County, the Northern Expeditionary Army managed to shake off the danger, and the march became considerably easier. Wang Bao, who had been quite tense throughout the journey, found himself in the mood to chat with Luo Yaoguo about some rumors he had heard from somewhere, among which was a mention of a person named Wei Lihuang. The Northern Expeditionary Army managed to shake off the danger, and the march became considerably easier. Wang Bao, who had been quite tense throughout the journey, found himself in the mood to chat with Luo Yaoguo about some rumors he had heard from somewhere, among which was a mention of a person named Wei Lihuang.

Among this group of soldiers, Luo Yaoguo discovered a talent named Liu Dezhuzhu, a native of Henan who had once been a monk at the Shaolin Temple. Later, he served in the model regiment organized by Yuan Shikai, where he mastered the art of bayonet fighting. Despite being a slender young man of only 25 years, he was able to outmatch the bayonet skills of Wang Bao, a robust Shandong man standing at 1.80 meters tall. Consequently, Liu Dezhuzhu was appointed as the chief instructor of bayonet training, responsible for teaching bayonet techniques.

I think we can select a few skilled marksmen from the veterans in the entire battalion to form a sniper team. What do you all think?" Luo Yaoguo observed that the atmosphere was about right, so he put forward his idea: "We have 27 squad leaders, all of whom are veterans. Are there any among them who are particularly skilled with firearms?