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Clawing Eagle and Crouching Sealion: Chinese Military Modernization from 1912-1926
Thanks to everyone for their feedback and comments. I'm not sure what he future of "Hanjian will be" but I do know that it won't be the Communist Party. In fact that Communist Party will be very different from what we know.
Clawing Eagle and Crouching Sealion:
Chinese Military Modernization from 1912-1926
The Air Force: The Clawing Eagle (1912-1926)
Feng Ru's demonstrative flight... which promptly crashed and caught on fire 10 seconds after take off causing substantial injuries to the pilot.
The beginnning of Chinese military aviation was not an auspicious or orderly affair. The first 'military demonstration' of the 'vast potential of military aircraft' in 1912 led to the near-death of one of the leading pioneers of Chinese aviation: "Feng Ru." The incapacitation of Feng Ru between 1912 and 1922 led to essentially a halt on all attempts to improve Chinese aviation. This period makes it abundantly clear that no other figure in China had either the drive, the skills or the will needed to get Chinese aviation 'off the ground.' Upon his recovery in 1922, Feng Ru found that although aviation had moved by leaps and bounds since his accident, Chinese aviation had in fact moved backwards as the aircraft Feng Ru had purchased and the machinery were sold off, stolen, or crumbled due to lack of maintenance.
Feng Ru was greatly stymied by lack of support among the top echelons of the Kuomintang. They were 'busy' and even when they weren't he was told that 'planes are too expensive...outright impractical, unreliable with no real military use.' The shadow of Feng Ru's failure in 1912 hung heavily on him. Frustrated Feng Ru persisted, the arrival of the German Military Mission vindicated his views as the Germans praised the merit of air power. Feng Ru also found an ally on Chiang Kai-Shek who had personally experienced the terror of an air raid. Still, Feng Ru was told that the 'Army must take preceedence.'
Undaunted by his failure to secure government support, Feng Ru persisted. Finally, after receiving 398 letters in 3 months about the merits of air power Chiang Kai-Shek finally relented. He gave Feng Ru a small amount of funds in 1923 and gave Feng Ru the position of "Air General" - in effect making Feng Ru China's first aviation minister. Despite limited resources, Feng Ru set on his task with gusto and zeal. By 1924 he had managed to find, by fair means or foul about 50 airplanes of various types and established a small workshop in Nanning. An aviation course was added to the curriculum in the Whampoa Military academy.
A mugshot of Feng Ru, taken for his passport.
Feng Ru's big break came in 1924 when he was selected to lead a purchasing commision to Europe. He came back with such a bounty of goods that Feng Ru was formally promoted to "Aviation Minister" and a "Ministry of Aviation" established. The arrival of a German Air Mission headed by Gunther Pluschow also was a bright prospect, as was the numerous air craft he had purchased.
1925 was a busy year for Feng Ru as he set about the task of organizing an Air Force. A dilema was posed whether to have an "independent air force" or a "support air force." It was unanimously decided by all to have a "Support Air Force." Although the Chinese Air Services would have separate ranks and a seperate chain of command from the regular army, air squadrons would be integrated within the divisional command structure. It would be attached, along with it's support components to the divisional headquarters. The purpose of the Air Services would be to act as the "eyes and ears" of the Chinese Army and also as "it's claws and teeth." Feng Ru and Chiang agreed that the Air Services would be "like an eagle."
The German "Taube" (dove) which the "Feng Ru IV" was designed from. The Feng Ru IV had a slighly more powerful engine which allowed 1 Guangzho light machine gun to be placed.
Feng Ru's small workshop was transformed into a factory, where Feng Ru once made 1 plane a month, now there were 10 planes. The "Feng Ru V" design bore a remarkable similarity to a late German design the "Junkers D.1." It was remarkably modern, remarkably fast, and remarkably rugged - a far cry from the "Feng Ru IV" which resembled an early German air design the "Taube". There was simply no way that Feng Ru could have designed or manufactured the "Feng Ru V" without significant German assistance.
Schematics of the German Air Force "Junkers D1." Without significant German assistance, there was simply no way that the Chinese Air Services could field or manufacture such an advanced air craft. The Feng Ru V was pretty much an exact copy with the exception of a lighter machine gun the Guangzho light machine gun (modified.) This made it somewhat faster and more agile in combat, but not by much.
At the dawn of the 2nd Northern Expedition, the Chinese Air Services had grown into a force 500 air planes divided into 70 squadrons with 7 air craft to a squadron. Each squadron was attached to a division and led by an Air Captain.
Inventory of Chinese Air Planes:
100 x Feng Ru V (modified Junkers D.I)
50 x Feng Ru IV (modified Taubes)
200 x Nieuport 17*
50 x Sopwith Pups*
50 x Capriconi Ca.3 bomber
50 x miscellaneous planes of various types.
* - Indicates modified to use the modified Guangzhou light machine gun
Crouching Sealion: Chinese Navy from 1912-1926
Unlike the area of aviation, there was no one in the Chinese Navy with enough drive, inspiration or whatever it is that separates pioneers and dreamers from merely competent men. As a result, the Chinese Navy from 1912 - 1924 was a flottilla of decayed and obsolete ships from the Qing Era.
Wilhelm Canaris, the head of the German Naval Mission
All this would change with the arrival of the German Naval Mission headed by Wilhelm Canaris in early 1925. Canaris pursued a programme of swift modernization and training with a Naval curriculum being added to the Whampoa military academy. Canaris's vision for the Chinese Navy was for a significant brown water navy with a balanced component of cruisers, battleships, destroyers and other aircraft. However Canaris was a realist, he knew that China was not (at least yet) capable of constructing, let alone maintaining such a fleet. Submarines were a more realistic focus for the limited industrial base of South China. The Chinese Navy would use the "tactics and strategy of the weak against the strong" it would focus on mines and torpedoes - a low-cost strategy that could nevertheless pose a significant challenge to any navy. Of particular concern was any possible British "intervention" being staged from Hong Kong. China quickly needed a low-cost solution to her problems.
A Chinese "V-Ship" in action.
The solution was found in the duō yòng tú chuán or vielseitige Schiffe. More commonly known as "V-Ships." The Vielseitige Schiffe could be made from a fishing trawler, in fact it was essentially a fishing trawler with the fishing equipment removed to make way for a deck mounted torpedo launcher, a deck mounted minelayer and a 76mm field gun. (Hence the term "versatile ship." Best of all, the V-Ships could be constructed on the cheap and with existing Chinese manufacturing capability.
Still, for the sake of pride China still wanted a few big ships, if only for appearances sake. A loophole was quickly found in the Treaty of Versailles. Germany may have been forbidden to construct bigger battleships, but if she could build China up to eventually build bigger ships for Germany, then it could dodge the words of the Treaty of Versailles. German aid extended to the construction of a modern shipyard in Guangzhou.
For now, the dreams of Chinese battleships remained a fantasty. By the beginning of the Second Northern Expediction China possessed:
1 x Light Cruiser ( The Guangjia "Composite Cruiser" from Qing Era times)
25 x V-Ships
50 x Other ships of various types (supply vessels, minelayers, small patrol craft etc.)
Next Update: The Second Northern Expedition
Feedback and comments welcome as always (in fact solicited!)
Clawing Eagle and Crouching Sealion:
Chinese Military Modernization from 1912-1926
The Air Force: The Clawing Eagle (1912-1926)
Feng Ru's demonstrative flight... which promptly crashed and caught on fire 10 seconds after take off causing substantial injuries to the pilot.
The beginnning of Chinese military aviation was not an auspicious or orderly affair. The first 'military demonstration' of the 'vast potential of military aircraft' in 1912 led to the near-death of one of the leading pioneers of Chinese aviation: "Feng Ru." The incapacitation of Feng Ru between 1912 and 1922 led to essentially a halt on all attempts to improve Chinese aviation. This period makes it abundantly clear that no other figure in China had either the drive, the skills or the will needed to get Chinese aviation 'off the ground.' Upon his recovery in 1922, Feng Ru found that although aviation had moved by leaps and bounds since his accident, Chinese aviation had in fact moved backwards as the aircraft Feng Ru had purchased and the machinery were sold off, stolen, or crumbled due to lack of maintenance.
Feng Ru was greatly stymied by lack of support among the top echelons of the Kuomintang. They were 'busy' and even when they weren't he was told that 'planes are too expensive...outright impractical, unreliable with no real military use.' The shadow of Feng Ru's failure in 1912 hung heavily on him. Frustrated Feng Ru persisted, the arrival of the German Military Mission vindicated his views as the Germans praised the merit of air power. Feng Ru also found an ally on Chiang Kai-Shek who had personally experienced the terror of an air raid. Still, Feng Ru was told that the 'Army must take preceedence.'
Undaunted by his failure to secure government support, Feng Ru persisted. Finally, after receiving 398 letters in 3 months about the merits of air power Chiang Kai-Shek finally relented. He gave Feng Ru a small amount of funds in 1923 and gave Feng Ru the position of "Air General" - in effect making Feng Ru China's first aviation minister. Despite limited resources, Feng Ru set on his task with gusto and zeal. By 1924 he had managed to find, by fair means or foul about 50 airplanes of various types and established a small workshop in Nanning. An aviation course was added to the curriculum in the Whampoa Military academy.
A mugshot of Feng Ru, taken for his passport.
Feng Ru's big break came in 1924 when he was selected to lead a purchasing commision to Europe. He came back with such a bounty of goods that Feng Ru was formally promoted to "Aviation Minister" and a "Ministry of Aviation" established. The arrival of a German Air Mission headed by Gunther Pluschow also was a bright prospect, as was the numerous air craft he had purchased.
1925 was a busy year for Feng Ru as he set about the task of organizing an Air Force. A dilema was posed whether to have an "independent air force" or a "support air force." It was unanimously decided by all to have a "Support Air Force." Although the Chinese Air Services would have separate ranks and a seperate chain of command from the regular army, air squadrons would be integrated within the divisional command structure. It would be attached, along with it's support components to the divisional headquarters. The purpose of the Air Services would be to act as the "eyes and ears" of the Chinese Army and also as "it's claws and teeth." Feng Ru and Chiang agreed that the Air Services would be "like an eagle."
The German "Taube" (dove) which the "Feng Ru IV" was designed from. The Feng Ru IV had a slighly more powerful engine which allowed 1 Guangzho light machine gun to be placed.
Feng Ru's small workshop was transformed into a factory, where Feng Ru once made 1 plane a month, now there were 10 planes. The "Feng Ru V" design bore a remarkable similarity to a late German design the "Junkers D.1." It was remarkably modern, remarkably fast, and remarkably rugged - a far cry from the "Feng Ru IV" which resembled an early German air design the "Taube". There was simply no way that Feng Ru could have designed or manufactured the "Feng Ru V" without significant German assistance.
Schematics of the German Air Force "Junkers D1." Without significant German assistance, there was simply no way that the Chinese Air Services could field or manufacture such an advanced air craft. The Feng Ru V was pretty much an exact copy with the exception of a lighter machine gun the Guangzho light machine gun (modified.) This made it somewhat faster and more agile in combat, but not by much.
At the dawn of the 2nd Northern Expedition, the Chinese Air Services had grown into a force 500 air planes divided into 70 squadrons with 7 air craft to a squadron. Each squadron was attached to a division and led by an Air Captain.
Inventory of Chinese Air Planes:
100 x Feng Ru V (modified Junkers D.I)
50 x Feng Ru IV (modified Taubes)
200 x Nieuport 17*
50 x Sopwith Pups*
50 x Capriconi Ca.3 bomber
50 x miscellaneous planes of various types.
* - Indicates modified to use the modified Guangzhou light machine gun
Crouching Sealion: Chinese Navy from 1912-1926
Unlike the area of aviation, there was no one in the Chinese Navy with enough drive, inspiration or whatever it is that separates pioneers and dreamers from merely competent men. As a result, the Chinese Navy from 1912 - 1924 was a flottilla of decayed and obsolete ships from the Qing Era.
Wilhelm Canaris, the head of the German Naval Mission
All this would change with the arrival of the German Naval Mission headed by Wilhelm Canaris in early 1925. Canaris pursued a programme of swift modernization and training with a Naval curriculum being added to the Whampoa military academy. Canaris's vision for the Chinese Navy was for a significant brown water navy with a balanced component of cruisers, battleships, destroyers and other aircraft. However Canaris was a realist, he knew that China was not (at least yet) capable of constructing, let alone maintaining such a fleet. Submarines were a more realistic focus for the limited industrial base of South China. The Chinese Navy would use the "tactics and strategy of the weak against the strong" it would focus on mines and torpedoes - a low-cost strategy that could nevertheless pose a significant challenge to any navy. Of particular concern was any possible British "intervention" being staged from Hong Kong. China quickly needed a low-cost solution to her problems.
A Chinese "V-Ship" in action.
The solution was found in the duō yòng tú chuán or vielseitige Schiffe. More commonly known as "V-Ships." The Vielseitige Schiffe could be made from a fishing trawler, in fact it was essentially a fishing trawler with the fishing equipment removed to make way for a deck mounted torpedo launcher, a deck mounted minelayer and a 76mm field gun. (Hence the term "versatile ship." Best of all, the V-Ships could be constructed on the cheap and with existing Chinese manufacturing capability.
Still, for the sake of pride China still wanted a few big ships, if only for appearances sake. A loophole was quickly found in the Treaty of Versailles. Germany may have been forbidden to construct bigger battleships, but if she could build China up to eventually build bigger ships for Germany, then it could dodge the words of the Treaty of Versailles. German aid extended to the construction of a modern shipyard in Guangzhou.
For now, the dreams of Chinese battleships remained a fantasty. By the beginning of the Second Northern Expediction China possessed:
1 x Light Cruiser ( The Guangjia "Composite Cruiser" from Qing Era times)
25 x V-Ships
50 x Other ships of various types (supply vessels, minelayers, small patrol craft etc.)
Next Update: The Second Northern Expedition
Feedback and comments welcome as always (in fact solicited!)
- CCA
- Word Count: 1.4k