Amidst the violent explosions, more than a dozen war horses that were driven to the road ahead by bayonets were blown to pieces one after another. Several war horses that luckily escaped the mine explosions screamed and ran for tens of meters, and were hit by mines again. The violent explosion impact destroyed them.
A white horse exploded into the air. The white horse straightened its handsome neck in the air, let out a long and sad neigh, and crashed onto the gravel pile on the roadside. The landmine was triggered again and there was a huge explosion. The thick smoke and dust had not yet been released.
After rushing to the highest point, a stone as big as a fist came with a strong wind, and with a "snap" sound, it smashed the head of a second lieutenant who was among the crowd of spectators dozens of meters behind, and his brain and bloody bones were smashed.
, blood splashed everywhere, spraying the stunned officers and soldiers around them all over their heads and faces.
The smoke and dust dissipated, revealing a road ahead that looked flat but was actually full of murders. The bearded leader of the Northwest Army couldn't help but shudder, and his face became extremely ugly. Looking at the frightened and restless war horse beside him, he
Gritting his teeth, he asked his brothers to temporarily stop using their horses to ride through the minefields. He led his guards and ran all the way panting to the central army. He passed a group of guards who were waiting for him and came to the front of the frowning commander Liu Ruming:
"Military seat, the front is densely covered with mines. All the fifteen war horses that crossed the mines were killed. It seems that the mines in this area are more densely buried than the Laohugou that we passed in the morning. It's difficult to get through!"
Chief of Staff Zhao Xichen wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with worry: "Military seat, since two o'clock in the morning, our forward and Chinese army units have been continuously attacked by the opponent's cold guns. When they set off again, they stepped on landmines again and again, causing casualties.
It was a heavy casualty. Nineteen officers alone were killed. My subordinates speculated that it must be a trick the enemy had painstakingly hatched because they did not want our two divisions to rescue Nanyang, forcing our army to stop and go and slow down.
It contains a bigger conspiracy. If the military thinks it is feasible, you might as well telegraph the location of my main force to the deputy chief of staff of Nanyang, so that he can closely guard against the enemy's plot."
Liu Ruming glanced at the generals surrounding him with a gloomy face, and snorted: "Our army has traveled hundreds of miles a day in the past two days, which can be said to be very fast, but today it took most of the day to harass the small enemy troops.
We have only advanced for more than 20 miles, and this place is still 40 miles away from Neixiang County. If we do not rush to Neixiang as soon as possible to join the Ma Zhiren Division on the North Road and go to Nanyang, we are most likely to encounter the enemy's conspiracy. The Chief of Staff asked me to sit down
Calling Deputy Chief of General Staff Cao is not equivalent to telling the commander-in-chief that our army is trapped by a small group of enemy attacking troops and cannot move forward."
"Military seat, this is not what I mean. I am..."
"Okay, stop talking! Give me the order. There are mountains of swords and seas of fire in front of me. I have to get through it. The entire army must arrive at Neixiang City before midnight today!" Liu Ruming gave the decisive order.
"As ordered..."
Six o'clock in the evening, six kilometers east of Neixiang County, Fuling.
At the foot of an unnamed hillock more than 400 meters away from the main road, in a makeshift thatched shed, four forward radio stations were placed in a row, and the sound of "tick-tick-tack-tack" was heard continuously. Under the big tree by the stream, the commander of the 16th Division
Yin Jinan, deputy division commander Xie Chi, 44th Division commander Gu Changfeng, deputy division commander Yan Yaohuan and other generals gathered around the bluestone board and discussed in low voices over the map.
More than ten minutes later, Xie Chi finally put forward his opinion: "In that case, let's continue to use our two division special brigade brothers to hold back Liu Ruming's troops with all our strength, and try every means to let his main force of more than 17,000 people fight at dawn tomorrow.
We have not been able to reach Neixiang before, so we concentrate our two divisions and wait for the exhausted Ma Zhiren division to enter Neixiang. Do not disturb them, but let them make rice and get in touch with Liu Ruming's troops until dawn tomorrow when the troops are most sleepy.
At that moment, pinch him from both sides and give him a hard blow. Even if you can't eat him, you will still cripple him. Then you can turn around and deal with Liu Ruming's men in time."
"There is no problem in terms of time, but due to long-distance stealth, all artillery and heavy machine guns of our two divisions are left in Dengzhou, so the raid must be resolute and fast, otherwise it will be endless once the confrontation begins. Because
Our Ninth Division, brother Deng Bin, who is on guard against the enemy in Nanyang, is lurking in the Heilongji area, which is a full thirty kilometers away from our headquarters. If our two divisions cannot fight quickly, they are likely to fall into a melee from the east, west, and north.
, even if we get out of trouble, Brother Deng Bin will be entangled by the enemies of Nanyang, but the gains outweigh the losses. This is a situation that the commander has repeatedly emphasized before to avoid. Therefore, I advocate that regardless of whether Ma Zhiren's division can be completely annihilated, both of our divisions must be defeated in one blow.
Seize the initiative firmly." The meticulous Yan Yaohuan suggested in a low voice.
Yin Jinan and Gu Changfeng looked at each other and nodded tacitly. Yin Jinan stood up, walked out of the shade of the tree and looked at the sky. He came back and squatted down and said confidently:
"I think it would be better to postpone the attack until 5:40. This time period is when the morning light breaks, and it is also the time when the exhausted enemy forces relax their vigilance after thinking they have spent the night safely, and it can also effectively prevent our brothers from the two divisions.
Possible accidental injuries and attack targets are relatively clear and clear, making the fight easier. After all, the brothers of the 44th Division are lacking in night combat training, so choosing this time period to start the battle can make up for it.
I suggested that before the attack begins, concentrate the mortars of the two divisions to fire a salvo at the enemy division headquarters camp. When the guns are fired, the brothers from the two divisions rush in from the east and west sides of the county town, leaving the north side for the enemy to escape.
This saves us from needlessly sacrificing soldiers while trapped animals continue to fight."
"You are always so thoughtful, but don't worry. I will personally go to the county town in the middle of the night and draw out the attack targets of the two divisions. I don't believe that my brothers can't understand it." Gu Changfeng said with a look on his face.
Said easily.
After hearing this, all the brothers smiled knowingly, but Xie Chi shook his head and said, "Where can a distinguished teacher become a thief?" This once again provoked a burst of cheerful laughter from the brothers.
At eleven o'clock in the night, Dengzhou City temporary frontline headquarters.
Under the bright gas lights, An Yi, together with Li Fuqiang, Chief of the Operations Division, Liu Qing, Chief of the Intelligence Division, the four chief and deputy brigade commanders of the New 14th Division, and more than a dozen generals, put on the lights and worked hard to wait for news from the front line.
Zhao Rui, the chief of staff in Xiangyang City, called to inform: Zhang Cunzhuang led the New 10th Division and the 1st Teaching Division had quietly retreated to the newly completed blocking fortifications in Lijiagang to rest. Zhu Shigui's 17th Division received news from the special detachment that Cao Haosen and his troops had arrived in Nanyang City.
, was turning around and slowly retreating southward to Xinye, guarding Xinye together with General Xu Yuanquan's independent brigade.
An Yi finally felt relieved. The quiet retreat of the right army would definitely cause Cao Haosen, who was cautious by nature, to have doubts and hesitations in his judgment. Before accurate information was obtained, the Northwest Army, which was huddled inside and outside Nanyang City, was only five.
The main force of the division will never dare to attack easily. By the time Cao Haosen reacts, the attack battle commanded by Yin Jinan in the west is probably over. By then, no matter whether the angry Cao Haosen sends his troops to Xinye, Nanyang, or Neixiang, Liu Ruming's troops will be hit head-on.
It was a foregone conclusion that all his troops needed to do was to leave the battlefield and slowly retreat south, and the enemy would have no choice. As long as one-third of Liu Ruming's troops were eliminated, it would be enough to drive Cao Haosen, who had just assumed the post of commander of the Third Route Army and was eager to achieve success, crazy.
, the forces of both sides will wax and wane, and the initiative will return to their own hands again.
"Report to the commander, Nanjing Chief of Staff Yi Gong called." The communications staff handed a long message to An Yi.
An Yi was shocked when he took it and read it. He admired the cavalry of the Northwest Army in the telegram: More than a thousand cavalrymen of the Zheng Department galloped for more than 80 miles at night, unexpectedly attacked our Guide Airport, burned twelve aviation aircraft, and captured the aircraft.
More than 50 division and ground staff evacuated safely after completing their mission. That night, the commander-in-chief secretly inspected the front line and was camping with a special train at Zhuji Station near the airport. There were only more than 200 guards on the left and right. Fortunately, the enemy cavalry did not notice this situation.
, with one hit, all of them will be able to escape. My wise nephew, Wan Wang, must always think carefully and do not be careless. Don’t let a good battle situation be ruined by a small mistake.
An Yi handed the message to the communications staff officer and asked him to send a message to thank Zhu Peide. He sat down and turned to Zhao Dongquan: "Brother Dongquan, what do you think of General Zheng Dazhang, commander of the cavalry of the Northwest Army?"
"General Zheng is from Jinghai, Hebei Province. He has followed Marshal Feng for many years. He has a strong character and leads the way. He started from a small soldier and has served as platoon leader, company commander, battalion commander, regiment commander, and today he is a lieutenant general. Every promotion level
Well-deserved of his reputation, his riding skills are unique among the generals of the Northwest Army. He can eat, drink, and pee without getting off his horse for three consecutive days and three nights. He has unique insights into cavalry operations and long-distance raids. Most of his subordinates are horse thieves and desperadoes.
In the Northwest Army, General Zheng was deeply loved by the soldiers because of his forthright character and loving soldiers. He was the best friend with General Ji Hongchang. The lieutenant general in the army jokingly called General Zheng and General Ji Hongchang, who was famous for his bravery, the second generals of Hengha. General Ji
He is tall and strong, with a chest full of black hair and muscles. He goes into battle naked every time he fights. He holds a short spear in his left hand and a broadsword in his right hand. Beside him are two burly Ma Bian who are excellent in martial arts. One holds a broadsword and the other holds a big flag. The three of them march together.
The whole army was shocked by their invincible bravery. In the Northwest Army, as long as General Zheng and General Ji shouted from the high ground, their followers would rush to the front like clouds. Therefore, it is not surprising that General Chen Cheng's troops suffered setbacks." Zhao Dongquan was very impressed.
Introduced with emotion.
Everyone was very interested and admired what Zhao Dongquan said after hearing what Zhao Dongquan said. An Yi saw Zhao Dongquan's questioning eyes and told him about Zheng Dazhang's bravery in commanding more than a thousand elite cavalry to attack Guide Airport at night. The generals were shocked.
Call it a good risk.
"There are many generals and heroes in the Northwest Army. I heard from the senior martial arts veterans in Hebei that even Senior Zhang Zhijiang, the Chief of General Staff, is a master of internal martial arts. It's a pity! You can recruit all the heroes in the world but fail to become a hegemon. This cannot be explained by destiny.
!”
An Yi couldn't help but sigh sincerely. After a while, he suddenly found that the room had become silent. The brothers looked at him with surprise and meaningful expressions in their eyes. They quickly laughed and asked loudly:
"What are you all thinking about? After listening to what I just said, do you think that I will rebel one day? Let me tell you, there is no way! I, An Yi, know how much I weigh. It is okay to be a general. It is okay to be a general.
It is not difficult for a big businessman to become rich, but it is not that simple to go further. Besides, I have no interest at all. If the country had not yet been unified and the country was facing internal and external difficulties, I would really like to marry ten or eight wives and raise a group of children in peace and stability.
Live a stable life. Thinking of the days of fighting and killing over the past few years, I can’t bear to look back. I don’t know when the day will be the end? I am still alone to this day! If anything happens, my old An family will be dead!"
The brothers laughed loudly after hearing this, and started to joke: "Commander, before the army was established, all the brothers called you boss, and the same with the subordinates. We are used to being together casually. But since I saw the commander at the beginning of the year, I don't know why
It felt like the commander had changed. Although he still looked the same, his spirit and spirit were completely different, which made people feel shocked and awe-inspiring at first sight.
At first, the subordinates thought it was their own illusion, but when they asked the brothers, they all said that it was the case. Even a lunatic like Xia Jian did not dare to joke casually in front of the commander. It can be seen that this person will indeed adapt to the environment.
Changes occur due to changes in status and status, and you cannot change your mind. If the day comes, you won’t be able to hide even if you want!"
All the brothers did not laugh but all looked at An Yi. Their faces were ambiguous and their eyes were complicated, as if they were real. An Yi grabbed the matchbox and smashed it at Zhan Dao's head:
"Zhanji, your grandson is also a member of the special forces. How did he learn Huang Yingwu's flattering skills after attending a political school for one year? Did Minister Chen and Minister Xu teach you this?"
All the brothers couldn't help laughing, but Zhao Dongquan did not laugh. He looked into An Yi's eyes and asked sincerely: "Commander, do you know what the brothers of the new 14th Division talk about the commander?"
"Oh...it's strange! The new editor who has just been established for 24 hours has already started talking about the chief?" An Yi asked in surprise.
Zhao Dongquan nodded seriously: "Brothers have many opinions, and they are all praises. The chief officers at all levels also deeply feel the commander's kindness. One thing in all the opinions is the same, that is, from now on, I will sell my life to
Commander."
An Yi was stunned, put away his smile and shook his head: "The more this happens, the heavier my heart becomes..."
"Commander, General Zhu Shigui of the Right Route Army has an urgent message!" the communications staff officer strode over to report.
"read!"
"Yes! Our reconnaissance team urgently reported that the main force of a division suddenly appeared in the north of Nanyang and came quietly. It carried 16 artillery pieces and was designated the 26th Division of Cheng Xixian." The staff member stood aside after reading.
Upon hearing this, An Yi suddenly stood up and walked quickly towards the map. After looking for a while, he returned to his brothers and turned to Zhao Dongquan to ask about the situation of the department. Zhao Dongquan thought for a while and replied in a low voice:
"I guess they just took a train from Shaanxi to Luoyang and then came back. Logically speaking, the 26th Division should have rushed to support General Sun Liangcheng's troops. Now it suddenly turned around and headed south. I'm afraid it's going to attack Dengzhou or Xinye. Commander, Dengzhou is better.
, Xinye only has one division and one brigade, and the city walls have already been blown to pieces, making it difficult to defend."
"That's exactly what I mean...reply to General Zhu: closely monitor the enemy's movements and be prepared to withdraw from Xinye and head to Lijiagang at any time!" An Yi ordered.