Military orders are like mountains and cannot be refuted.
The major general turned his back to the heavy-faced officers of the 524th Regiment, letting them make their own choices. However, the four guard soldiers who followed him into the headquarters involuntarily tightened their muscles, and their palms holding the handles of submachine guns were sweating.
The four soldiers are all elites drawn from the security regiment of the theater headquarters. Rather than being personal guards for the major general's chief of staff, they are more like a law enforcement team appointed by the theater headquarters.
Before leaving, the theater headquarters issued a death order to the 88th Division. If anyone refused to accept the order, they would be dealt with according to battlefield military law.
It just means, anyone who disobeys the order will die!
However, this is not the theater headquarters, but the Sixing Warehouse!
Hundreds of people killed thousands of Japanese invaders, so how could they be afraid of just four of them?
Even if we don’t count the hundreds of troops in the warehouse, the officers in this headquarters alone are all an iron-blooded army that was fought out in a hail of bullets. Even if they were not equipped with guns when they arrived, that one did not reveal his identity.
The strong smell of blood?
Especially the two people sitting directly opposite them, one is the famous Captain Lei Xiong of the 88th Division, and the other is an army lieutenant who looks quite ordinary and has an easy-going look, but the four are drawn from the theater guard regiment and claim to be able to block ten with one.
Elite but instinctively put all his attention on him.
It's not because from the moment he walked in here, he unscrupulously reminded them with his eyes, you four scumbags, get out of here.
Rather, the warrior's instinct told them that this guy who did not conceal his aura was the most dangerous to everyone here. He was like an ancient beast staring at them with his eyes open. If he moved, it would be death.
The officers' eyes were all focused on the military orders, but the four fully armed soldiers were focused on Tang Dao, who had a calm expression.
Inside the headquarters, a terrible silence fell.
Everyone is waiting for the selection of the lieutenant colonel, including the major general who has his back turned to them.
"You four, get out first!" The major general turned his head and frowned.
"Yes!" The four soldiers breathed a sigh of relief and accepted the order without hesitation.
They didn't want to lose their lives for no reason. They had already seen the lieutenant's hand hanging down.
Seeing the four soldiers from the law enforcement team sent from the war zone just obeying the order and leaving, the major general's eyes flashed with surprise, and he immediately regained his composure. He looked at the upright officers and the army lieutenant colonel with an ugly face, and said seriously:
"Zhongmin Na! You have also seen the military orders from the theater headquarters. Whether to fight or to withdraw is beyond my control.
In fact, this battle has already achieved the goal of the war zone.
On the battlefield, you fought brilliantly in the Four Lines of Jedi battle, severely damaging the 36th Infantry Regiment of the Japanese 3rd Division and forcing the Japanese 36th Infantry Regiment to replenish its troops for the second time.
Outside the battlefield, both the domestic media and international public opinion overwhelmingly praised your lone battle this time. The people at home were enthusiastic, and the overseas Chinese were also inspired by it.
We have won a great victory both politically and militarily.
It is a certainty that you are the heroes of the country. The promotion order for all the garrison troops to be promoted to the first level, which was personally issued by the Ministry of Military and Political Affairs, was conveyed the day before yesterday. The Ministry of Military and Political Affairs also promised to distribute the pensions of brothers who died in battle to their families.
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Retreat! There is little point in persisting any longer. Do you, Xie Zhongmin, have the heart to let all 400 brothers be buried here in order to make your name go down in history? Are you taking the huge risk of disobeying military orders and becoming a rebel?
I arrived at the concession in the afternoon and found the commander of the coalition forces in the concession, Brigadier General Smartet, to discuss with him the withdrawal of our four lines of defenders. He personally replied to me that after our army retreated to the concession, the equipment would be kept by them first, and they would return the original items when we left the concession.
In the future, you and your brothers can continue to fight against the Japanese army, and you are not in a hurry if you want to serve the country.
As for the Japanese army that may intercept our troops on the way, Brigadier General Smart promised that if the Japanese army dared to shoot, they could also defend the concession and fight back against them, ensuring that our troops arrived safely at the concession."
It is impossible to be the chief of staff of a division without some brains. The well-founded words of this army major general are even more effective than the military order.
The combat mission has been accomplished. If you persist, you will risk becoming a rebel. You can also ensure the safety of the entire army and continue to fight against Japan. No one can find any reason to refuse every excuse.
Tang Dao knew that withdrawing troops had become the Army Lieutenant Colonel's only option, and he could not be that selfish person.
The reason is simple, everyone here is a hero, but will history remember everyone?
No, from ancient times to the present, history has been habitually forgetful. Only a few people can record their names in the long history.
Everyone else will just become a number, the number called 'eight hundred' after Xie Jinyuan's name. It won't take long for time to pass by, and no one will remember the blood these little people once left for their country and nation.
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To say that he led 400 soldiers to commit suicide in order to be remembered in history is really the straw that broke the camel's back.
"Take a seat, I can withdraw the troops!" the Army Lieutenant Colonel thought for a long time and finally spoke with difficulty.
"Sir!" Lei Xiong, who had not spoken for a long time, looked angrily.
"Shut up!" the Army Lieutenant Colonel said with a frosty look on his face, waving his hand to stop the wide-eyed Lei Xiong. "But, I don't trust Westerners!"
"I have to leave one unit to cover the retreat of our entire army from the Suzhou River Bridge. I will cover them after my main force has crossed the river." The Army Lieutenant Colonel's eyes showed a rare fierceness. "Xie can obey the military order and go there.
They will die, but these soldiers will never be sent to the gunpoint of the Japanese to die in vain."
After testing last night, the Lieutenant Colonel of the Army understood very well how much the Japanese hated his own unit. If it were him, any promises he made would be bullshit. He must kill the enemy quickly, and they would definitely not let go of the 524th Regiment.
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As Tang Dao said, if the Westerners in the concession could be so tough, would they still be forced by the Japanese?
"Okay, it's up to you!" the major general agreed.
From his point of view, he also had no favorable impression of the Westerners who used diplomatic relations to pressure senior officials to order his subordinates to withdraw their troops, and the so-called sense of trust was naturally out of the question.
If this elite army was shot and killed by the Japanese army during the retreat because of his persuasion, he would also feel guilty.
In this case, it's better to protect yourself.
As long as the main force of the defenders successfully crosses the river, he can be regarded as completing the military order from the theater headquarters, and the big shots will not have to send six retreat order telegrams to the division headquarters in half a day.
"Sir! Our 1st company is willing to assume the responsibility of rearguard!" Tang Dao stood up and asked for a fight.
"Our machine gun company is willing to assist the first company to provide cover for the entire army!" Lei Xiong also stood up suddenly.
The two looked at each other and smiled, which was the sympathy of heroes and the brotherhood of comrades-in-arms. Even though both of them knew that the death rate of the rear group was much higher than that of the company crossing the bridge in front.
"Okay!" the Army Lieutenant Colonel stood up. "My order!"
All the officers stood up solemnly.
"We have received a military order from the theater headquarters to withdraw all troops to the concession at 3 a.m., and each of your four company commanders will go back to inform each company and prepare for the withdrawal.
The preliminary retreat plan is as follows:
The 2nd company is responsible for carrying the entire company's equipment and the two heavy machine guns of the cannon company to take the lead and cross the river; the 3rd company is responsible for carrying the entire company's equipment and the two heavy machine guns of the cannon company in the middle; the first cannon company carries some heavy equipment.
Behind; the 1st company sends an infantry platoon to protect the machine gun company across the river quickly, leaving two infantry platoons and the first part of the machine gun company in the rear; if the Japanese attack, resolutely fight back!"
"Yes!" All the officers shouted in response.
No one saw the coldness hidden in Tang Dao's eyes.
Because he is the only one among everyone here who knows that due to the stubborn rut of history, the Westerners will definitely break the contract. Once this iron-blooded army enters the concession, it will become a tragedy.
He, a little butterfly, may not have enough power to reverse the trend, but he must try his best to kick the back of history.
Just like these days, didn't the Japanese army pay several times more casualties than before?
