Feng Army

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Feng Army (奉军)
Affiliation	Fengtian regime; later Zhang Xueming's military government 97
Occupation/Role	Major military force comprising conventional, armored, artillery, air, naval, engineering, and specialized units
Status	Active; ordered to concentrate into a single fleet for an assault on Rising Dragon City 486
First Appearance	Chapter 3

Command & Organization

Formation / Office	Known Role	Notes
Marshal Zhang Yuting	Marshal and senior commander	Directed a 300,000-man campaign against the Shou Army and assigned Zhang Xueming's New First Army as vanguard. 51
Zhang Xueming	New First Army commander; Deputy Grand Marshal	Led major campaigns, commanded the army's modernization, and was inaugurated as Guannei United Provinces Garrison Commander. 51 97
New First Army	Elite spearhead formation	Built from three divisions and six mixed technical brigades, using selected veterans and the newest German equipment. 50
Eighth Brigade	Mechanized formation	Operated entirely with tanks, armored vehicles, and trucks during the Ulan campaign. 45
Air Force	Air-defense and strike arm	Commanded by Feng Yong during the defense of the Northeast. 58
Navy / Huaxia Fleet	Naval arm	Commanded by Chen Houpu during fleet operations. 153
Independent 29th Army	Incorporated allied formation	The Northwest 29th Army entered the Feng Army sequence while retaining its designation and receiving equivalent treatment and equipment. 97

History

Early modernization and reorganization

During the Japanese advance toward Fengtian, Zhang Xueming delivered newly acquired rifles, anti-aircraft guns, and other weapons to the Feng Army's frontline positions, surprising its commanders. 3 Foreign observers soon recognized that the army's accuracy and equipment had exceeded its previous standard. 7

Following the Feng–Shou War, the army underwent a severe officer purge. Officers found to have fled or mismanaged commands were executed, dismissed, or barred from future service; nearly one-third of regimental-level officers and above were replaced within half a month. 22

The army's industrial base expanded through the Anshan Armaments Factory and Anshan Industrial Park, where it produced Type 2 Tanks and later displayed industrial-scale assembly-line production to foreign visitors. 18 47

Ulan campaign

The Feng Army's Eighth Brigade deployed to Ulan as a fully mechanized force. It paid local herdsmen above market price for supplies, strengthening local support. 35 45

Against the White Bear Army, thirty Type 2 Tanks used superior guns and armor to defeat outdated opposing armor. 36 The Feng Army captured Kulun after combining artillery, armored forces, flamethrowers, and trench assaults, triggering widespread public support and donations. 37 Its tank units then pursued the retreating enemy for dozens of kilometers. 39

Expansion and defense of the Northeast

Zhang Yuting formed the New First Army as the Feng Army's premier formation and tasked it with breaking the Shou Army's defenses at Shanhai Pass. 50 51 The Feng Army advanced through Rehe and Chaha within five days, reaching Jisheng Province before beginning the Battle of Liuhe. 53

During the Japanese attack on the Northeast, Feng Army soldiers at North Camp defied a non-resistance order and advanced toward Pine Town. 69 The army's air force defended regional airspace, while the Forest Guard Army and Eighth Brigade reinforced the ground defense. 58 69 70

The Feng Army subsequently captured Pine Town and Lüda City, recovering occupied territory and forcing the Japanese to consolidate for a final defense. 76

Entry into the Pass and national consolidation

After entering the Jingjin Area, the Feng Army and the incorporated Northwest 29th Army became the area's garrison force. 97 Its troops were noted for strict discipline and for distributing grain after entering Beiping, winning support among civilians. 97

The army later attacked foreign concessions in Tianjin, employing artillery, armored units, and sniper support. 120 121 It also committed to aid Chinese forces resisting Japan in the southwest, with Zhang Xueming ordering reinforcements for Guixi and Dianxi. 140

Diannan, Bashu, and Liangguang were announced as adopting the Feng Army's Iron Blood Eighteen Star Flag and fighting alongside it. 165

Later operations

The Feng Army used armored reinforcements to reverse the battle at Anzi Mountain, where its oversized tanks were nicknamed “Iron Turtles.” 158 It later employed night-capable Wu Shou 1 aircraft, armored engineering equipment, and air strikes to break Japanese defensive positions. 162 172

During the planned assault on the Annam Kingdom, Zhang Xueming abandoned feints and divided attacks, ordering all forces to assemble as one fleet for a direct strike on Rising Dragon City. 486

Capabilities & Military Assets

Artillery

The Feng Army fields artillery that foreign observers assessed as exceeding 85 mm in caliber, including possible 150 mm heavy guns. Its range, rate of fire, and destructive power were judged superior to contemporary opposing artillery. 11

• Conducted long-range barrages beyond enemy artillery range. 11 31
• Used heavy artillery to soften fortified positions before infantry assaults. 10
• Fielded makeshift rocket launchers alongside heavy guns and howitzers in Tianjin. 120
• Employed “Flying Thunder Cannons” for destructive strikes against fortified positions. 79

Armored Forces

The Feng Army established an Armored Corps under Ma Xiufeng and developed its own tank production capability. 14 18

• Type 2 Tank — Equipped with a 75 mm main gun and armor superior to White Bear Renault light tanks and Fiat 3000 armored cars. 36
• West Number Tank — German-made tank armed with a 75 mm gun; used in urban combat and against enemy armor. 121 173
• Tiger Tank — Armed with an 88 mm cannon and used against Japanese Type 97 tanks. 173
• “Iron Turtles” — Colossal Feng Army tanks equipped with discarding-sabot and incendiary shells; their arrival reversed the battle at Anzi Mountain. 158
• Tank formations could conduct long-distance pursuit operations and cross difficult terrain in concentrated armored columns. 39 158

Air Force

Zhang Xueming conceived the Feng Army Air Force as a means to strike enemy ground forces from above and assigned Feng Yong to develop it. 6

• Jian-1 Fighter Jet — All-metal monoplane with stressed-skin construction and an enclosed bubble canopy. 27
• J-2 fighters — Used in combat over Pine Town against Japanese aircraft. 69
• Airships — Six Zeppelin airships were deployed with fighter escorts for bombing operations over the Korean Peninsula. 94
• Transport aircraft — Used for supply, psychological pressure, fuel drops, and chemical spraying operations. 176 177 180
• Wu Shou 1 Squadron — Night-capable aircraft formation equipped with night-vision goggles and Vulcan Cannons. 162

Engineering and Specialized Units

• Forest Guard Army — Formed from former bandits tasked with capturing Japanese reconnaissance personnel; later fought at Pine Town using White Bear Far East Army weapons. 12 69
• Flamethrower units — Used at Kulun to break trench defenses and collapse enemy morale. 37
• Mine-clearing vehicles — Opened routes through minefields after armored units established a steel bridge across a river. 172
• Modified West Number Tank — Refitted with a large sloped steel shield for assaulting fortified tunnel defenses. 178
• Xuanwu squad — Composite-armored vehicles carrying rotary machine guns and small missile launchers. 315

Equipment

• Springfield rifles and anti-aircraft guns acquired for Fengtian's defense. 3
• M1 Steel Helmet production line. 3
• Type 2 Tanks. 36
• Jian-1 and J-2 monoplane fighters. 27 69
• Zeppelin airships. 94
• M249 machine guns. 94
• High-explosive armor-piercing and saboted fin-stabilized armor-piercing rounds. 39
• Night-vision goggles and Vulcan Cannons. 162
• Cloud-Piercing Thunder strategic weapon. 486

Relationships

• Zhang Yuting — Marshal of the Feng Army and father of Zhang Xueming; directed major campaigns and supported the army's southern reinforcement effort. 51 140
• Zhang Xueming — Commander of the New First Army and later Deputy Grand Marshal; drove the army's technological modernization and operational strategy. 50 97
• Feng Yong — Air Force commander entrusted with control of Northeast airspace. 58
• Ma Xiufeng — Armored commander who led Type 2 Tank operations and later commanded Tiger Tanks. 36 173
• Chu Shixin — Senior field commander of the New First Army; led the Eighth Brigade and later reinforced Chinese forces in Shanghai. 70 213
• Chen Houpu — Naval commander who executed Feng Army fleet operations. 58 153
• Northwest 29th Army — Allied force incorporated as the Independent 29th Army. 97
• Diannan, Bashu, and Liangguang forces — Regional armies announced as adopting the Feng Army flag and joining its military sphere. 165

Notable Quotes

“From now on, there will only be one type of aircraft flying in these skies, and that is the aircraft of our Feng Army.” — Zhang Xueming 58

“Fighting devils knows no ‘us’ or ‘them’!” — Zhang Xueming's order to the New First Army 213