Han Shaogong, the protagonist of the hit TV series "Chinese Expeditionary Force". Played by Huang Zhizhong, he is a colonel officer who has experienced various battles, large and small, and is a representative figure of the expeditionary force's combat heroes.

Part of the historical facts in the popular TV show of the Expeditionary Force have been misunderstood. The army was not a group of people. There is a hidden secret behind the defeated army

Looking for the prototype of the 200th Division without Han Shaogong

Tracing the origin of the army

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This expeditionary force is not that expeditionary force

The title of "Chinese Expeditionary Force" comes from the collective name of the Chinese army fighting the Japanese army in Burma and western Yunnan. However, if we judge from the establishment of the Chinese army at that time, Look, the film doesn't cover all the troops participating in the war.

After the outbreak of the Pacific War, China, the United States and Britain began to put China's dispatch of an expeditionary force into Myanmar on their official agenda. However, at first, the term commonly used by all parties was to join the Myanmar Army. On March 12, 1942, the First Route Commander's Headquarters of the Chinese Expeditionary Force was formally established, and the "Chinese Expeditionary Force" became the official designation of our army.

General Dai Anlan's 200th Division is affiliated with the 5th Army, the main force of the expeditionary force. General Sun Liren's New 38th Division is under the command of the 66th Army.

After our army failed in its first entry into Myanmar, the troops withdrew to India and China respectively. The troops that retreated to India were later reorganized into the Chinese Army in India, and were organized into two armies after injecting new soldiers.

The troops stationed in India are the main force of our army’s counteroffensive in northern Myanmar. Among them, the only troops that participated in the first battle into Myanmar were the New 38th Division and the New 22nd Division. These two troops were later used in the counteroffensive in northern Myanmar. It is the absolute main force of our army, sweeping across northern Myanmar and being unstoppable.

The counterattack in northern Myanmar is actually the "army stationed in India"

After the TV series protagonist Han Shaogong's 200th Division withdrew to the country, it was placed under the command of the reorganized Chinese Expeditionary Force Commander's Department. . The reorganized Expeditionary Force expanded to 5 corps and 16 divisions, and was the main force in the counterattack in western Yunnan in 1944.

However, the 200th Division failed to regain its previous glory during the counterattack in western Yunnan and did not participate in the famous Songshan Battle. According to statistics from the "Table of Overview of the Expeditionary Force's Formation and Participation in the Battle", the 200 Division mainly participated in the battle to recapture Longling during the counterattack in western Yunnan, and the losses were not large. As of December 31, 1944, the 200 Division had *** casualties of officers and soldiers There are more than 3,200 people, which is not too many among the participating troops.

Therefore, judging from the establishment of the Chinese army at that time, the expeditionary force refers to the troops that participated in the first battle into Myanmar or the counterattack in western Yunnan. To tell the story of the counterattack in northern Myanmar, it would be more accurate to use the term "troops stationed in India".

Docking the prototype

None of the three commanders of the 200 Division was Han Shaogong

According to the history of the expeditionary force, the 200 Division that entered Myanmar to participate in the war had three main forces. Regiment, including Zheng Tingji, leader of the 598th Regiment, Liu Shuren, leader of the 599th Regiment, and Liu Shaofeng, leader of the 600th Regiment.

On the way the expeditionary force retreated into the country, Liu Shuren led the 599th Regiment as a rear guard. He was ambushed by the Japanese army on the way and died for his country. Zheng Tingji, the commander of the 598th Regiment, was also the division infantry commander at the time. He became the division commander after the death of division commander Dai Anlan and was appointed as the division commander in June 1942. Liu Shaofeng later served as the deputy commander of the 200th Division. Therefore, judging from the resume, there are no people like Han Shaogong who hold important positions in the 200th Division and the New 38th Division.

However, the move from the 200th Division to the new 38th Division coincides with the shift in the focus of the Chinese army’s operations in Myanmar. In the first battle into Myanmar, the 200 Division was the protagonist of the two major events, the Battle of Tonggu and the retreat from Yerenshan. When it entered Myanmar for the second time, the experience of the 200th Division was relatively simple, but the new 38th Division showed the power of the Chinese army and was undoubtedly the focus of the Myanmar operation. Therefore, the TV series designed such a legendary resume for Han Shaogong, more to comprehensively and completely display the Chinese army's two combat experiences in Myanmar.

Evaluating allies

The British troops fleeing in all directions are indeed "ineffective"

In the TV series "Chinese Expeditionary Force", there was such a plot, in Chongqing Xie Xiaozhang found that due to the selfishness of human nature and national interests, the British were really hard to count on, and our army should make plans early. But Xie's suggestion was ridiculed by his boss and colleagues.

The British performance in the Burma Campaign was indeed shocking. On the one hand, the British and Burmese troops with advanced equipment were driven everywhere by the Japanese army. On the other hand, they obstructed the Chinese army from entering Burma to resist the war. After having to invite Chinese reinforcements, they had their own plans and did not hesitate to sacrifice our troops to protect themselves.

However, the senior leaders of the Chinese government and military had learned from the inability of British allies to fight in Myanmar long before they entered Myanmar. It is not as shown in the play that Xie Xiaozhang is a high-minded person.

In a meeting with the British at the end of December 1941, Xie Xiaozhang's "big boss" and the then Minister of Defense He Yingqin even had a quarrel with the British because the British insisted on dividing up the US anti-war materials. With a red face, he said angrily, "China is willing to return all leased materials in Myanmar to the United States and stop cooperation between China, Britain and Myanmar." Chiang Kai-shek also ordered the already mobilized 5th Army and 6th Army not to enter Burma for the time being.

China’s dissatisfaction with this ally is evident. In fact, due to the lack of cooperation from the British, our army was only able to gradually enter Myanmar in February and March 1942, more than two months after the war began, after three mobilizations.

Asking for help from China is actually to abandon Burma and protect the seal

Supplies are still a small problem. The British are more worried that asking for help from the Chinese army will affect the British's continued rule of Burma after the war. To this end, while asking for help from China, the United Kingdom has already formulated a strategy of "abandoning Burma and preserving India."

Requesting China to send troops was not so much to defend Burma as to cover the withdrawal of British troops to India. The so-called bystander knows clearly. On this point, the Japanese see the British clearly. The "Comprehensive History of the Greater East Asia War" written by the Japanese army pointed out that "the cunning and cunning British army is nothing more than the Chongqing army and the British-led Malay and Hong Kong Indian soldiers, who are the same kind of consumables."

In After the failure of the first battle into Myanmar, Lin Wei, the head of the expeditionary force's staff group, wrote a report "The Process of the Myanmar Operation and Reasons for Failure", in which he painfully stated the adverse impact that the British side had on our army during the operation in Myanmar.

Lin Wei pointed out that there were three main reasons for the failure of our expeditionary force, namely: the main force of the 5th and 6th armies entered Myanmar too slowly, thus missing the opportunity to fight; the British side had no overall plan and no combat operations plan, but also required our army to use troops one by one, unable to concentrate our forces; the British commanded our army indiscriminately. The report pointed out that these three major causes of failure are all related to the British.

Click on the Japanese Army

How can Tanaka Shinichi, who has a bad temper, lose his temper?

In the two battles in Burma, the Japanese 18th Division was our army's old rival. This unit is known as the "King of Jungle Combat". It has its footprints in landing in Yangon and occupying Mandalay. After the fall of all Myanmar, the 18th Division was responsible for the defense of northern Myanmar, which happened to be the enemy of our troops stationed in India.

The division commander of the 18th Division, Tanaka Shinichi, can be regarded as an "elegant man" in the Japanese army. Before coming to Burma, Shinichi Tanaka served as the Chief of Operations at the General Staff Headquarters of the Japanese military's central organization. This man had a bad temper and often "fighted" with his colleagues. He even had a big quarrel with the then Japanese Prime Minister and Minister of War Hideki Tojo over the issue of requisitioning civilian ships. At that time, Tanaka was so angry that he swore at Tojo and called him "Baggaru". As a result, he was driven to Myanmar the next day.

And such an outstanding person who even the Prime Minister dared to scold was defeated by General Sun Liren's troops in the Battle of Hukang Valley. In the Battle of Mengguan, the 18th Division lost more than 10,000 people. Tanaka Shinichi himself was driven into Savage Mountain by our army, and he escaped only after suffering a lot. The seal of the 18th Division headquarters was also destroyed by our armor. Seized by troops. But this time, the irritable Tanaka Shinichi lost his temper. According to statistics, the 18th Division has been fighting in Myanmar for four years and has lost more than 30,000 soldiers. Most of them were wiped out by our troops stationed in India.

This page's text/reporter Yang Zheng, graphics/Li Ming Zhou Jianwen

Qiu Shanshan, a representative of the National People's Congress, recently suggested at the National People's Congress meeting that the remains of the anti-war martyrs of the Chinese Expeditionary Force should be searched to welcome the dead back home. Qiu Shanshan said that the country should not forget that the expeditionary force made huge sacrifices for the victory of the Anti-Japanese War. Today, this newspaper launches seven pages of planning to show you the story behind the expeditionary force.

Viewers who like to watch "Chinese Expeditionary Force" often have some questions: Is "Colonel Commander" Han Shaogong really a real person? How could the British Empire, which was said to never set, collapse in front of the Japanese army? What is the origin of the Japanese army confronting the expeditionary force?

In order to restore these histories, reporters recently visited the Second Historical Archives of China. This archives located on Zhongshan East Road in Nanjing was once the former site of the Nanjing National Government and is only a few miles away from the Presidential Palace. It is the place with the richest collection of historical archives from the Republic of China period in China.

Here, the reporter consulted a large amount of precious historical materials about the Chinese army's entry into Myanmar, and also discovered many historical facts that were omitted or misread in TV dramas.

The sequence of the Chinese Expeditionary Force when it first entered Myanmar

Commander

Wei Lihuang (acting for Du Yuming)

Fifth Army Du Yuming

New 22nd Division Liao Yaoxiang

96th Division Yu Shao

200th Division Dai Anlan

6th Army Gan Lichu

49th Division Peng Bisheng

93rd Division Lu Guoquan

Provisional 55th Division Chen Mianwu

66th Army Zhang Zhen

New 28th Division Liu Bolong New 29th Division Ma Weiji New 38th Division Sun Liren

Zhang Zhen

Gan Lichu

Wei Lihuang

Du Yuming

Edit this paragraph to "combine virtual and real" to restore the group portraits of the expeditionary force

As many as 300,000 people went to the expeditionary force one after another. How to embody the bloody battles of soldiers in a TV series? Qiu Dui's approach is "combination of virtuality and reality". Chief of the General Staff Stilwell, Commander of the 5th Army Du Yuming, Commander of the 200th Division Dai Anlan, and Commander of the New 38th Division Sun Liren, these generals who objectively existed in history, Qiu Dui recorded truthfully; even the bodies of those generals could not be found The unknown veterans are concentrated in the form of group portraits on Han Shaogong, Da Qin, Yao Erlin, and Carpenter.

Real character

Sun Liren (played by Zhang Fengyi)

Reduction level: ★★★★

Historical records: Ren’an Qiang’s great victory Sun Liren became famous in one fell swoop, which also allowed him to win the trust and respect of British and American generals. However, he later suffered suspicion as a "pro-American faction" and was eventually banned for injustice. Liu Fangwu, one of the heroes of Ren'an Qiang's victory and regiment leader, also suffered injustice along with his superiors. After that, the credit for the Ren'an Qiang victory was claimed by others, which made this period of history even more chaotic. Only in recent years, through re-excavation and research, has the truth of this period of history been revealed.

Replay of the episode: "Chinese Expeditionary Force" designed a dialogue between Du Yuming and Sun Liren. Du Yuming warned Sun Liren that going to India would humiliate Chinese soldiers. Sun Liren said that he would never let this happen. The TV series designed a classic line: "Dignity is in your own heart and cannot be taken away by others." This sentence not only highlighted Sun Liren's character, but also moved the audience. Sun Liren, played by Zhang Fengyi, is the second-largest character in the play after the fictional protagonist Han Shaogong. The play highlights his calmness and courage in war, his tactical acumen and boldness, and his intelligence and self-esteem in dealing with problems. In the great victory of Yan'anqiang, the drama repositioned him - no longer a sentimental general who desperately saves people, but a rational person who makes decisions based on intelligence and assessment of the situation.

Dai Anlan (played by Xu Yongge)

Reduction level: ★★★★★

Historical records: There are very few historical records of Dai Anlan’s deeds. His character's personality is even less known. Dai Anlan is known as the "hero of Huangpu and the hero of the nation". He graduated from the third phase of Huangpu Military Academy and is famous for his bravery in combat. On May 16, 1942, Dai Anlan was seriously injured in a fierce battle with the Japanese army during the retreat and fell into a coma.

One day, Dai Anlan woke up from a coma and murmured: "Counterattack! Counterattack!" Another version is that he pointed in the direction of the motherland and shouted "Long live the motherland." Since then, a generation of famous anti-Japanese generals has died at the age of only 38.

Replay of the episode: In the play, Xu Yongge showed three aspects of Dai Anlan: the tenderness of loving soldiers like a son, the wisdom of using soldiers like gods, and the loyalty until death. These characteristics are even more tragic when set against the tragic ending of the first battle into Myanmar - the part where General Dai Anlan sacrificed his life, including being injured, seriously ill, and passing away full of regrets, has become the biggest emotional tear in the play. point. If Sun Liren is the representative of the new American-style military in "Chinese Expeditionary Force", then General Dai Anlan is the representative of Huangpu soldiers. The TV series not only emphasizes Dai Anlan's loyal and passionate side, but also from his suicide note and poems to his wife. Showing another side of his talent.

Stilwell (played by Zuborenko Nikolay)

Reduction level: ★★★★★

Historical records: General Joseph Warren Stilwell (1883-1946), American general. Graduated from West Point Military Academy in 1904. He served in the U.S. Army in the Philippines and later served as an instructor at West Point Military Academy. He first came to China in 1911. Participated in World War I. He came to China several times from 1920 to 1939 and served successively as battalion commander of the 15th Infantry Regiment of the US Army in Tianjin and military attaché of the Embassy in China. He was nicknamed "Vinegar Joe" because of his forthright attitude and sharp words.

Replay of the episode: Stilwell appears to be much gentler in the episode, and his acerbic personality is not shown much, although he also said in the episode that Chinese generals are incorrigible. famous words, but he is more often seen as a mediocre foreign commander who does not understand Chinese soldiers and Chinese politics. He trusted the British army too much, underestimated the war situation, and had conflicts with Sun Liren over the appointment of officers. His way of thinking about issues based entirely on the interests of his own country made him almost a villain in the eyes of the audience. However, the TV series also showed his love and appreciation for China's lower-level non-commissioned officers, his approachable character, and his unremitting praise of the national soldiers, which were also fully demonstrated.

Fictional character

Xie Xiaozhang (played by Liu Xiaoning)

Compared with the purity of Han Shaogong, Xie Xiaozhang, played by Liu Xiaoning, represents a part of the soldiers who have lost their essence. , this is a TV series that exposes the dark side of the Kuomintang army. When soldiers start to care about gains and losses and try to take a wrong approach, they deviate from the normal track of being soldiers. Compared with Han Shaogong, the character of Xie Xiaozhang is more complex and contradictory. His rivalry with Han Shaogong and the collision of two different concepts constitute one of the highlights of the play. Liu Xiaoning played this role delicately and believably, and his character was very fleshed out.

Yang Wen (played by Hao Baijie)

Having a fictional character bring out major historical events is one of the story features of "Chinese Expeditionary Force". Yang Wen is a survivor of the Nanjing Massacre, and like Qin Daling's Northeastern identity, this is the mark of the show's attempt to include all anti-Japanese beings across the country. He was a witness to the despicable use of poison gas by the Japanese army in the Battle of Yunnan and Burma, and a witness to the annihilation of almost all female soldiers during the retreat from Savage Mountain.

Qin Daling (played by Zheng Hao)

Qin Daling can be regarded as the watershed between officers and soldiers. The position is neither high nor low, deputy company commander; his Northeastern accent reminds people of the Northeastern soldiers in the expeditionary force. Da Qin, as Han Shaogong's right-hand man, is a qualified grassroots officer, rough and righteous, with a touch of comedy. Perhaps in order to highlight the Northeastern characteristics, his Northeastern dialect seems a bit "excessive", but this character is made very cute and likable.

Yao Erlin (played by Xie Mengwei)

Yao Erlin represents a part of the expeditionary army who have never been on the battlefield and have never had a military spirit. They are not fighting for their beliefs, nor for He fought passionately, so he was incompatible with real soldiers on the battlefield, and was even almost shot for being a deserter. But they grew up step by step during the war. Such characters make the story of the expeditionary force more believable and have a strong human touch.