After Lieutenant General Toyoda's combat order was issued, the four Japanese warships tried their best to conduct artillery bombardment on the Huangpu River towards Songjiang City.
Songjiang Prefecture faces the East China Sea and guards the dangers of the Three Rivers. From the south, it can march to Zhejiang and Fujian for offensive operations, and from the north, it can march into Jiangsu, Huaihe and other regions. It is the only place along the Yangtze River to enter and exit the East China Sea.
As long as Songjiang Prefecture is defended, the Japanese fleet can be blocked from the Yangtze River.
Songjiang Prefecture, plus Qiantang, Yangtze River and other places, is related to the strategic position of half of the world!
The main rivers in the SJ area include the Huangpu River that flows through the southern border, as well as the Dianpu River, Sijingtang and other rivers.
Therefore, Japanese ships can still enter, although they cannot enter too much.
But a few lighter ships are still okay.
Songjiang City,
The Northeastern Army is fighting against the officers and soldiers of the Kunisaki Detachment who are constantly conducting exploratory attacks.
"Commander! These Japanese troops are attacking more and more frequently. Although we have some 105 artillery groups to carry out artillery bombing operations, we were already bombed by Japanese planes in the morning battle!
"
"There are very few combat artillery pieces left!"
"Should we block the city to hold on? Or send troops to attack and destroy these tentative Japanese troops that are attacking?"
Zhang Wenqing, commander of the 108th Division, reported anxiously to Commander Wu.
"If we send troops out of the city to fight, I am willing to lead my troops to attack first!"
"Kill all these damn Japs! Anyway, we have a certain supply of heavy machine guns and light machine guns, so we can still have a close-quarters battle out of the city!"
"Otherwise, it will be a waste of He Xiaoyang's efforts to send weapons, equipment and ammunition to us to fight!"
Jin Kuibi, commander of the 107th Division, also hurriedly interjected.
"Killing the Japanese is a must, but it also depends on the situation!"
"What I'm worried about is that these probing Japanese troops are trying to lure you into combat!"
"First use our few remaining mortars to bombard these Japanese troops who are tentatively attacking, and then let our surviving artillery units be ready to lock in the location of the Japanese artillery units that will bombard them at any time!
"
"Prepare for counterattack artillery operations!"
Commander Wu responded cautiously to the requests from his two division commanders to go out and report.
He was not afraid of the Japanese army coming, but fought cautiously.
I try my best to stay in Songjiang City for three days.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
"Boom, boom, boom."
But just after Commander Wu finished speaking, the four Japanese ships that finally appeared in the Huangpu River began shelling and bombing with naval guns.
Soon, the deafening sound of shelling resounded throughout the sky above Songjiang City and Cangcheng.
"It's not good! It's the bombardment of the enemy's naval gun group. Everyone, please take cover!"
"Damn it! When did the Japanese ships come?"
As soon as I heard the rumbling sound of shelling and bombing,
Commander Wu was startled by the sudden sound of artillery bombardment, and immediately issued a concealed combat order to his officers.
In response to this, Zhang Wenqing, the commander of the 108th Division, and Jin Kuibi, the commander of the 107th Division, who were also shocked, also came to their senses and hurriedly directed the troops to conduct artillery bombardment of anti-ship guns, and prepared to counterattack the incoming Japanese troops.
Combat.
For a time, the entire Songjiang City fell into a rather chaotic scene of shelling and bombing.
There were also some unfortunate Northeastern officers and soldiers who were injured or killed by the Japanese naval guns that suddenly launched artillery bombardments.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Just as the Japanese naval guns were unleashing their might,
A series of engine sounds of the Japanese aircraft group also approached quickly from far to near.
Two Japanese bomber groups, escorted by a squadron, quickly flew to Songjiang City and Cangcheng to carry out bombing.
However, the main bombing targets of the Japanese aircraft group were all locked at Songjiang City.
The Northeastern Army, which had heavy firepower and weakest anti-aircraft firepower, was selected to carry out intensive bombing.
"The bloody devils even attacked with a swarm of planes!"
"And more and more planes are coming!"
"Stop talking. Hurry up and take cover and air defense. Hurry! Use the anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns given to us by the Sichuan Army to shoot down all these damn Japanese planes or disperse them! Hurry!"
"Air defense shelling and shooting are already underway, but the enemy's aircraft groups are getting more and more numerous. They even have carrier-based aircraft groups coming!"
"Fight! Hit me hard! Even if all our air defense troops are killed here, we still have to shoot down one more Japanese pilot and Japanese aircraft. If the Japanese have one less pilot, they will have one less Japanese aircraft to bomb us and other innocent people."
of the military and civilians!”
Following the double flanking bombing by the Japanese aircraft group and naval artillery group, the entire Northeastern Army in Songjiang City suddenly fell into a chaotic scene of air raids and bombings filled with smoke and war.
The number of casualties continued to increase, but all the officers and generals of the Northeast Army calmly commanded their troops and carried out covert and air defense counterattack operations.
Therefore, several Japanese planes conducting low-altitude bombing were shot down by anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns.
Cangcheng,
Major General Liu Qiwen, commander of the 322nd Brigade of the 108th Division of the Northeastern Army, and the most capable person under his command, Li Xinrong, the new commander of the 621st Regiment, at this time also set his sights on the side of Songjiang City where the Japanese naval artillery group and the Japanese aircraft group were bombing.
However, Cangcheng on his side was not much better.
Because there were also quite a few Japanese planes carrying out indiscriminate bombings,
As for the original anti-aircraft firepower, it has been blown up by the incoming Japanese aircraft groups, and there is not much left. Therefore, facing the anti-aircraft counterattack of the incoming Japanese aircraft groups this time, it has fallen into a trap.
into a relatively weak combat state.
Many fortifications were bombed by Japanese aircraft and collapsed.
"Sir He! Do we have any way to counterattack? Can we shoot down these damn incoming Japanese planes?"
"They have already destroyed quite a few of our defenses. If we continue to bombard us like this, I'm afraid our casualties will be greater this time, and our losses will also be greater!"
When Li Xinrong, the new commander of the 621st Regiment, observed the battle situation in Songjiang City through a military telescope,
He also worriedly asked He Feiyang beside him.
"Aren't our anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns counterattacking these incoming Japanese troops?"
"Although the current anti-aircraft firepower is not as powerful as before the war started, it can still shoot down a few Japanese planes!"
"As long as they fly low enough, they will be easy to deal with and shoot down!"
"We are trying to hide as much as possible now. After these damn Japanese planes finish bombing, we will find a way to defend against those Japanese troops and launch a full-scale general attack!"
"Because if the Japanese didn't plan to launch a general attack, there would never have been such a large-scale air raid. The fleet also sent several ships to bomb the Songjiang City side!"
"So everyone, get ready for the big battle. We must find a way to survive and hold on here for three days!"
"After completing the holding period, we will evacuate here immediately. We cannot be reluctant to fight, because once the Japanese army comes to rescue and encircles us, we will not be able to evacuate even if we want to!"
"Evacuating here does not mean that we will not continue fighting, because we can still return to the capital Nanjing for defensive operations. Actually, the Japanese army has successfully landed at Jinshanwei, so they will definitely move towards our capital Nanjing.
If we keep pushing in the direction, they will attack there!"
He Feiyang also responded decisively to Li Xinrong, the new commander of the 621st Regiment of the Northeast Army.
After the new regiment leader Li Xinrong digested He Feiyang's words, he immediately calmed down and commanded the Northeastern officers and soldiers under him to find a way to hide themselves and avoid being blown up by the Japanese planes.
And prepare for the counterattack after the Japanese aircraft group completes the bombing.