? Text Online Reading Site Domain Mobile Phone Reading Please Visit
The Second Regiment, First Brigade, Third Division, Second Army of the Liberation Army suffered 85% casualties in a battle, setting a record for the Liberation Army casualties. This record was only broken decades later. Moreover, China's military history community had many doubts about the new data, and the debate about it had never stopped.
The scale of the tragic battle this time was actually not very large, and the command of the Liberation Army was also criticized a lot in later generations. For example, a regiment of 2,500 men had to face nearly 4,000 British soldiers. Another example was that there were major problems with the infantry and artillery coordination. Another example was that the commander of the 2nd Regiment and the General Staff had underestimated the enemy …
But War History's evaluation of this battle was very positive. "… After summarizing this victory, our troops finally realized what the combat power of the most advanced armies in the world was like. They realized the cruelty of war, and it played a major role in improving the organization and political work of the troops in the future …"
The news released by the British was that the British army suffered more than 1,100 casualties in the battle. In the recorded history of the Liberation Army, the British army lost 1,228 men on the battlefield. After the war, the British accused the Liberation Army of massacring the British wounded. Although the Liberation Army was firmly opposed, their reply to this was very vague. In reality, the follow-up troops of the Liberation Army rushed to the position that the British had withdrawn from. When they saw nearly 2,000 dead and wounded soldiers on their side, they could not help but vent their anger on the British troops left on the battlefield. Quite a number of enraged officers took the lead in delivering the finishing blow. In the end, only forty or so British soldiers who were seriously wounded survived.
The casualties of the Liberation Army were quite consistent with the pattern of ordinary gunshot wounds. The ratio of the wounded to the dead on the battlefield was about 3: 1. About six hundred officers and men were killed and about one thousand five hundred wounded. After more than 1,500 wounded were sent to the military hospital, more than 300 people unfortunately passed away. With the help of morphine hydrochloride anesthetics, gas lamps, timely surgeries, clean gauze, lime water, and other room disinfectants, as well as the use of medical maggots to treat the pus, the lives of 1,200 people were finally saved.
The leader of the second regiment, Wu Liao, was shot twice during the charge. During the battle, he was stabbed by the British bayonet and cut six large wounds, but he ignored his injuries and fought to the end. When the British army retreated, Wu Liao chased after them and was shot twice. Because his injuries were too severe, he lost too much blood and fainted on the ground. In the end, he couldn't fulfill his wish of dying on the battlefield.
When he finally woke up, it was already the third day after the battle. Wu Liao's eyes were blank as he stared blankly at the white walls of the hospital and the white objects around him. His first words were, "Am I dead?"
When the medical staff saw that Wu Liao had finally woken up, they immediately told him happily, "Commander Wu, you're still alive!"
Wu Liao's lips twitched, and then began to tremble. He suddenly tried to get up from the bed, which startled the doctors and nurses. Even though Wu Liao's voice wasn't loud due to his heavy injuries and his lack of strength, he didn't have much strength left. But Wu Liao still cried with all his strength, "Why did you save me? Just let me die! Just let me die! "
Wu Liao's injuries were very serious. In order to remove the bullets, the doctors made several large incisions on his body. This torment caused the wounds to rupture, and soon the white bandages were dyed red again. But what shocked the doctors and nurses even more was Wu Liao's attitude. That voice wasn't a mental disorder, and it wasn't an act. The voice of this brave and courageous commander was filled with despair and pain, and his pleas for death came from the bottom of his heart.
Because of the rupture of the wounds, Wu Liao quickly fainted. In the next few days, he had a high fever. During the fever, Wu Liao would suddenly shout, "Charge!" "Kill!" Sometimes, he would cry, "It's all my fault!" "I killed my brothers!"
The hospital had no choice but to send him to the intensive care unit. After a few more days, Wu Liao's injuries finally improved, and his consciousness gradually returned. After waking up this time, Wu Liao didn't make a fuss again. He just lay on the bed, and no matter who talked to him, he would stare blankly at the wall, and then cry at some point.
On the afternoon of the second day after Wu Liao woke up for the second time, Vézé appeared in front of Wu Liao's ward. Commander-in-chief Wei Ze, who had just restored the Governor's Manor, looked indescribably tired. Ever since the battle with the British near Foshan ended, who wouldn't be busy? Especially the hospital staff, who were performing surgeries and taking care of the wounded, day and night. Seeing the dark circles under Vézé's eyes, the accompanying doctor couldn't help but whisper to Vézé after introducing Wu Liao's situation, "Governor, you also need to rest."
Vézé sighed and squeezed out a smile. He patted the shoulder of the doctor, who also had dark circles under his eyes, "Doctors and nurses also need to rest. Doctors and nurses, you have worked hard. "
His gentle and approachable attitude made the doctor's eyes moisten. He wanted to say something, but his throat was choked, and he couldn't say anything.
Vézé walked into Wu Liao's ward, pulled a stool, and sat down beside Wu Liao. Wu Liao slowly turned his head and looked at Vézé with listless eyes. His emaciated face twitched, and his Adam's apple under his loose skin moved a few times. Then he said in a weak voice, "Governor, are you here to order my head to be chopped off?"
Vézé looked at his subordinate, and his eyes couldn't help but turn red. He wiped away the tears that almost came out and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? We won the battle, why would I kill you!"
"Won the battle?" Wu Liao's dry voice sounded very ethereal.
Vézé turned his head, and Xu Yingfei, the commander of the 1st Brigade, immediately said to Vézé in a low voice with a little nervousness, "Governor, we have already sent someone to tell Commander Wu that we won the battle."
Vézé turned his head back, and gently pressed his palm on Wu Liao's bandaged arm, "Commander Wu, we really won!"
Wu Liao didn't say anything, but tears flowed down his skinny cheeks. His voice was still so faint, as if he was in another world. "Commander-in-chief, I sent my brothers to the frontline, but in the blink of an eye, they're all gone. I really didn't know, I really didn't know I was the one who hurt them! I hurt them … "
"Commander Wu, you can't compare the British's fighting ability with the Manchu Qing's. I have said many times before the battle, they are not the same army." Vézé advised. His voice was very gentle, but Vézé's heart was far from being as relaxed as his tone. With the fighting ability of the Liberation Army, there was no doubt that they would win the battle by relying on superior forces. Although Vézé wasn't completely satisfied with the plan made by the General Staff during the battle on Foshan, Vézé himself ultimately agreed to the battle plan.
First of all, there was no problem with the battle plan, except for the fact that they had never fought against the British, so the troops really couldn't believe that the Liberation Army would be able to stop them. Moreover, the General Staff actually tried to be as lenient as possible.
Secondly, Vézé himself didn't think that he had any reason to influence the military command with some information that only he knew, and the troops didn't. He could do it this time, but what about next time? Did Vézé have to personally command every battle in the future? A general's success was built on the bones of thousands. Were those generals born heartless and didn't care about the lives of their soldiers? Vézé now held a negative attitude towards this. A lot of experience must be accumulated through blood and lives. If people hadn't experienced great pain, they often didn't have a good memory and would be more daring.
But after reading the records of the brutal battle in the report, Vézé could already imagine the cruelty of the battle. The commanders used the only correct tactic to throw their soldiers to the front line, and then they were consumed in the fierce crossfire. What shocked Vézé was the final result. If it weren't for the strict training of Wu Liao's Second Regiment, if it weren't for the courage that the Second Regiment had accumulated through the years of victories, there wouldn't have been 85% casualties in this battle. Ordinary troops would have collapsed under the fierce fire of the British.
Especially at the end of the battle, Wu Liao personally led the last troops of the Second Regiment to launch a charge, forcibly blocking the charge of the British and maintaining the battle line until the end. In just ten minutes or so, the reinforcements of the Second Brigade were barely able to form a battle formation. The Second Regiment that attacked from the side was also able to attack the flank of the British army, and in the end, the British army had no choice but to take the initiative to retreat.
Of course, during the post-battle summary, some people also pointed out that if Wu Liao didn't launch a charge and retreated instead, the battle would have turned into a battle of annihilation. The majority of the British army wouldn't have been able to escape back to their positions on the shore, and in the end, most of them would have withdrawn from the battle.
Vézé was furious. He stood up and scolded, "If there was such a plan in the beginning, and the Second Regiment didn't carry it out, then you can say that. From the records, the troops thought from the beginning that they had to block the British army head-on, and in the end, they completed the battle plan with their lives on the line. How did this become the Second Regiment's fault?! "
After being scolded by Vézé, the voices that blamed the Second Regiment disappeared. But the battle this time was too tragic. Such a large number of casualties occurred in such a short period of time, and it deeply shocked the Liberation Army. The tactics and tactics that were always victorious in the past were now faced with the tough British army, and the battle became the norm. This was indeed a great shock to the Liberation Army, which could easily crush the enemy with a small number of troops.
At least Wu Liao was saved, and no one dared to hold him accountable. With Vézé's approval, the General Staff Department began to evaluate the merits of the Second Regiment, who had made great contributions in this "victory." At this time, Vézé heard that the Second Regiment's commander, Wu Liao, had sought death, and hurried over to express his condolences.
Even with Vézé's comfort, Wu Liao still looked as if his soul had left his body. He muttered, "I sent everyone to the front line, and I'm the one who harmed everyone! I'm the one who harmed everyone! "
Vézé had seen so many movies about the era of being shot in line, and he had read some related articles, especially the introduction of the famous "Battle of Stonewall" in the Civil War. He could understand Wu Liao's shock. The strategy that had worked so many times to determine victory could no longer be won easily, and Wu Liao couldn't accept the huge difference.
"Commander Wu, you survived as a commander, so you should take care of your health. We are still waiting for you to report on the battle situation at that time, and how you commanded at that time. Less than a thousand of our comrades died on the battlefield, or couldn't be saved. As their commander, you have the obligation to tell us their experience in blood. So don't think about dying anymore. You live first! "Vézé said in a low voice.
"A thousand of our brothers died?" Wu Liao turned his head, tears glistening in his eyes. He asked in a trembling voice, "What about the remaining thousand or so brothers?"
"They all survived!" Vézé replied. "Many of them are staying in the hospital where you are."
Hearing this news, Wu Liao didn't know whether to be happy or sad. He blinked a few times, covered his face, and began to cry. Vézé sighed and stood up. Just as he was about to leave, he heard Wu Liao cry, "Commander in Chief, I was wrong. If you want to kill me, I have no complaints! "
If this was a scene in a movie, Vézé would feel that it was too pretentious. However, being here, Vézé could hear the pain in Wu Liao's voice. It was a pain in his heart that was more painful than death.
"Take care of yourself," Vézé said with red eyes, wiped his tears, and strode out of the ward.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
