Gu Changfeng's troops fought their way through a narrow escape and entered the hinterland of Jiulong Mountain. They stopped for a rough inventory. Of the nearly 10,000 soldiers, only about 5,000 were left, including more than 700 lightly or seriously injured and more than 110 women and children.
.
More than a hundred women who had been on the run for many days in the war seemed to have abandoned their fear in the blink of an eye, forgetting the difference between men and women. Each one of them squatted or knelt with great gratitude and carefully tended the wounded, with tears still flowing on their faces.
This is not fear, nor is it
It's because they are worried about the uncertain future, but because the young eyes that were originally full of vitality and even slightly shy can no longer open. It's because they have protected them with their flesh and blood and have been regarded by them as brothers and sisters.
Young life flies away.
In the abandoned hunter's cabin at the foot of the mountain, the "didi" sound of the radio station kept ringing. The generals were spread out on the platform paved with logs at the door, looking up at the sky in silence, with pairs of red eyes full of sadness. They are now
They didn’t know it yet, but the brothers in the aviation brigade were risking their lives to help them fight their way out.
During the siege, locust-like Japanese aircraft flew over Kuancheng and the northern positions of the city. One hundred and six Japanese aircraft mobilized from Shenyang and Changchun defeated the pitiful dozen or so aircraft of the Anyi Aviation Brigade and began to attack the ground.
The residential buildings in Kuancheng and the Chinese army positions on the ground were bombarded with overwhelming and indiscriminate bombing.
In just over twenty minutes, the sky with a radius of more than ten miles was blocked by thick smoke, and the snow-covered woods were dried by the blazing heat. Under the burst of bomb flames, fires were ignited all over the mountains and plains.
The melted snow on the ground flows down like rainwater flowing down after a heavy rain. It merges into a stream in the low valley and flows. The pungent smell of burning, gunpowder and blood swirls rapidly in the air.
make people do
Ugh, all the positions have been destroyed, all the firepower fortifications have been razed to the ground, all the bunkers have been shrouded in flames, and flooded with snow and water. More than 30,000 soldiers of various divisions and brigades who received an urgent order in advance to evacuate their positions and disperse southward
and more than 3,000 civilians, under such brutal bombing, more than 5,000 people were killed or injured. Among them, the soldiers of an infantry battalion of the Independent Division who stayed in the deep dug bunker died due to burns, thick smoke and suffocation due to lack of oxygen.
In the evening, the remaining fires on the already charred position were still burning, and the hills were scorched black. Only the main trunks and thick branches of the trees were still emitting bursts of green smoke, and the hot ground was still steaming with steam.
Amidst the mist, more than 20,000 soldiers appeared again
Ci Han stepped into the position without fear of death, using shovels, sacks, stone bars, and broken wood to re-build defensive positions. The "Model Camp"'s flaming red flag stuck to the upper corner of the flagpole with stars shining in the blue sky,
Once again, it was inserted into the highest point of the position due north.
After hearing the news, Japanese commanders from three directions immediately went out to observe. They were extremely shocked by everything that appeared in the telescope. The Chinese army's tenacious and unyielding spirit, so tough that it was almost ruthless, finally made the arrogant Japanese army panic. They were in panic.
There was still a little bit of awe.
The Kwantung Army headquarters was also very surprised when they received the report from the Kuancheng front line. They immediately realized that the large-scale air strikes with all their strength had not achieved the expected results. Night had fallen, and it was obviously impossible to send out aircraft for air strikes again.
General Zuo couldn't figure out for a while how the Chinese army survived in those crude fortifications and trenches that were hastily built and razed to the ground.
Finally, Muto Nobuyoshi turned his attention to the intelligence section chief Seishiro Itagaki.
Itagaki Seishiro stood at attention with his legs crossed, turned around and walked out. A counter-insurgency movement that swept through the three airport cities of Shenyang, Changchun and Tongliao and the senior officials of the puppet Manchukuo army suddenly started without warning.
At the former enemy headquarters in Tangshan, Peking, An Yi personally called Tu Zhirong, commander of the air defense brigade, to thank him, deputy chief of staff and adjutant Ye Ziquan and other soldiers for their outstanding contributions in putting radar warnings into actual combat in just one month.
The heavy radar, which has a theoretical range of 120 kilometers but a practical range of only 50 kilometers, finally showed its inherent great value under the creative use and summary of Tu Zhirong and Ye Ziquan. An Yi was extremely happy to express his gratitude to Chief of Staff Zhao Rui He sighed: I am willing to invest another 20 million!
The Japanese army's lightning-fast and extremely large-scale air strike on the front line of Kuancheng triggered panic among the generals of the Peiping Headquarters. Huang Shaohong, the chief of staff, personally called An Yi and asked An Yi to go to the city immediately to attend an emergency military meeting.
An Yi put down the phone and discussed the map with Zhao Rui, Zhan Dao, Liu Qing, Fang Pengxiang and other generals for more than half an hour. He then discussed with the head of the advisory group Owen and others, and personally drafted three messages to Liu Qing urgently. After sending it out, he led Zhao Rui and Shen Fengdao and drove to the headquarters in the city.
At 9:40 pm, An Yi, Zhao Rui, and Shen Fengdao entered the tense venue and sat down in the empty seats reserved for him and his two assistants.
Huang Shaohong and An Yi, who presided over the meeting, sat down and continued the topic again: "...Through this afternoon's sudden changes on the front line of Kuancheng, and the local ground attack launched by the Japanese army at our four defense points on the east and middle lines, Staff Sgt. The regiment initially judged that the Kuancheng and Chengde lines were still the key attack areas of the Japanese army. Especially around 3:15 in the afternoon, a Japanese bomber suddenly entered the sky over Chengde City and dropped two high-explosive bombs, triggering a huge outcry among the people in the Chengde area. In panic, the number of originally sporadic fleeing civilians suddenly increased significantly.
"Everyone imagine, how much impact will tens of thousands of people fleeing Chengde have on the rear area? How much panic will it cause? What negative impact will it have on our military preparations and logistics supply? Based on this, Staff Sgt. The regiment reported to the Military Commission and Chairman Chiang Kai-shek for approval, and requested the Northeast Army Headquarters to make every effort to maintain local order in Chengde, conduct extensive publicity, and appease the people."
All the generals looked at the young commander Zhang Xueliang who was sitting next to Huang Shaohong.
The young marshal raised his head in embarrassment and said sincerely: "An hour ago, our army headquarters once again ordered the commander of the Fifth Army, General Tang Yulin, to prepare for the war with all his strength and launch extensive publicity among the people of Chengde to strengthen the military and civilian We share the same hatred of the enemy and have the confidence to fight with all our strength. I believe that the Fifth Army Corps will submit specific measures within a few hours. Secondly, I have called the auxiliary general (Zhang Zuoxiang) who is inspecting the defense of the Fourth Army Corps and suggested that he rush to Chengde tomorrow morning to preside over The big picture.”
All the generals nodded in unison, saying that if the auxiliary commander went there in person, he would be able to appease the people and reverse the situation.
An Yi, Zhao Rui and Shen Fengdao, who were sitting upright behind him, looked at each other and stopped talking. The three of them all knew that given the current emergency situation on the front lines of Kuancheng and Xifengkou, it would be surprising if Zhang Zuoxiang could find time to rush to Chengde tomorrow.
This important issue covering both political and military aspects has come to an end. Huang Shaohong asked Yang Jie to continue to preside over military issues.
In fact, after Yang Jie introduced the latest enemy situation and the changes in the situation between the enemy and ourselves, other topics were no longer important. They only emphasized once again how to cooperate and support each other among the various ministries. The specific operational plans were all guided by the headquarters of each army.
Few people are willing to make their own battle plans public. As for the coordination issues between the various legions, most of them are discussed privately among the ministries.
However, based on the principle of unified command and fighting side by side, and a large part of the logistics supply of each legion needs to be solved by the Central Staff Group, it is not easy for the generals to stand up and walk away. On the contrary, a fierce battle is imminent, and more and more things are needed.
There were many, so at Huang Shaohong's suggestion, the meeting was adjourned for half an hour to allow each general to discuss with each other and have time to raise their own questions.
An Yi didn't say a word from beginning to end. His eyes drifted towards Peng Zhenguo, the commander-in-chief of the First Legion of the Volunteer Army from time to time. After the meeting, he saw a young major general hurriedly walked to Peng Zhenguo and reported in a low voice. His expression was quite nervous. An Yi's expression
My heart suddenly became much more peaceful. If it weren’t for
In order to meet Peng Zhenguo and save Gu Changfeng's troops in danger, An Yi would not leave the Tangshan headquarters at this time. After all, so far, among the more than 200,000 troops in North China, only the more than 20,000 soldiers of He Zhuguo and An Jia
Thirty thousand soldiers of the army were fighting bloody battles with the Japanese army.
All the generals left their seats and started walking around. Yang Jie came and sat down next to An Yi. The two lowered their heads and whispered, exchanging opinions. Others were embarrassed to disturb him when they saw this.
Since Xu Tingyao, deputy commander-in-chief of the Central Army Corps and commander of the 17th Army, has been stationed at the frontline headquarters in Changping, Yang Jie has become the sole commander-in-chief of the Central Army Corps. He needs to reach consensus with An Yi on many matters in order to command various units smoothly.
Due to the arrival of the Central Staff Group, An Yi, the former enemy commander of the Military Commission, did not have much to do. Strictly speaking, An Yi became the full-time commander-in-chief of the four divisions under his command. In addition to logistics, An Yi was responsible for other matters.
Basically there is no direct contact with the armies in North China.
To outsiders, it may seem that An Yi's role and status have been reduced. In fact, An Yi is calm and even content. The absence of other affairs allows An Yi to concentrate on commanding his army and aviation forces.
Yang Jie's question about how to mobilize weapons and ammunition as soon as possible, An Yi really can't do anything about. Jinling Factory's poor production capacity can make some bullets and mortar shells. High-explosive bombs used in artillery can only be solved from Jiangnan Arsenal, but now
The Jiangnan Arsenal has been transferred to the Ordnance Administration, and An Yi can't make any move at all, not to mention Jiangxi and Sichuan-Shaanxi are carrying out massacres.
It consumes a huge amount of money. The Jiangnan Factory and the Jinling Factory cannot meet the needs of dozens of invasion divisions even if they are running at full capacity, let alone being transferred to North China. As for the Xiangxi Factory, it is an arsenal that is not directly under the leadership of the Military Commission. They have their own sales
Channels and autonomy, not to mention thousands of kilometers away and many twists and turns of roads and waterways, the day lilies might have been cold when they were transported here.
While the two were talking, Shen Fengdao gently pulled An Yi's sleeve and reported in a low voice that he had guests.
An Yi looked up and saw that it was the young major general who had just whispered in Peng Zhenguo's ear. He apologized to Yang Jie and stood up. He extended his hands to shake hands and asked kindly. After a few words, he followed the major general out of the hall, entered the corridor, and turned into
Enter the second lounge on the west side.
Seeing An Yi, Peng Zhenguo, who was sitting on the sofa, immediately stood up, stretched out his hand to shake An Yi's hand lightly, and asked with a smile: "Chief An is really a god, he touched my old bottom in a few days."
You are so transparent, I admire you, I admire you!”
An Yi smiled slightly: "Senior was joking, but it's not the past few days. Since the beginning of last year when senior led his troops to fight against the Japanese invaders in western Liaoning, the junior has learned about the senior's situation through the Personnel Department of the General Staff Headquarters, and consulted the senior's senior Lu
It was only through my classmates Ge Jingen, Lin Wei, He Guoguang and other generals that I got to know my seniors."
Originally from the Zhili clique army, he joined forces with the Feng clique warlord Guo Songling and was driven away by Zhang Zuolin. He led his troops to defect to Tang Shengzhi, one of the commanders of the Northern Expedition at the time. After that, he was disarmed and retired to seclusion due to the fall of Tang Shengzhi. Peng Zhenguo, the former deputy commander of the 30th Army of the National Revolutionary Army
Shake his head and smile:
"No wonder three classmates who I haven't seen for a long time sent me urgent calls at almost the same time. Brother An is so proud of me, haha! I am a cheerful person. Let's be honest, how can I help Brother An?"
An Yi said politely: "Senior, please don't come out! The junior has indeed encountered a difficult matter, and the incident is suddenly urgent, so I can only ask for help from the senior!"
Peng Zhenguo looked at An Yi in surprise: "Is it the tiger-headed general Gu Laodi who wants to break out from the Longhua line?"
"Exactly! Senior, if the junior's sworn brother Gu Changfeng and the remaining more than 4,000 soldiers and more than 1,000 wounded soldiers, women and children cannot break through the Chicheng Line (Chifeng-Chengde Highway) before tomorrow morning, the entire army will be annihilated.
It’s dangerous, so the juniors have no choice but to ask the seniors for generous help, but if the seniors are motivated, the juniors will all work hard to move forward!”
An Yi truthfully stated his difficulties and tactfully made a promise to Peng Zhenguo to save his five thousand brothers at all costs.
Peng Zhenguo's expression kept changing. He took a few steps, lowered his head and thought quietly. After a while, he turned around and said unhurriedly:
"Brother An, although I hold the title of commander-in-chief of the legion, I only have one brigade with a total of four regiments, all of which are stationed in the poor Longhua area. One of the regiments is almost entirely made up of new recruits, including their clothes, shoes and hats.
Even if I want to help you, there is nothing I can do to help you!"
An Yi took a step forward with a smile: "Senior, three regiments are enough. The junior knows that these three regiments are elite troops that have followed the senior in the fierce battle across western Liaoning for two years and one year, and the junior does not need these three regiments of the senior.
When the regiment moves into the area from Chifeng to Ningcheng, it only needs to attack a squadron of Japanese troops in Huaishu Bay, 25 kilometers northeast of Dunhua, and quickly retreat after one attack. In this way, seniors will not be reluctant to do so, right?
"After this matter is completed, I will immediately allocate a regiment's equipment from the Baoding Military Station to my senior, plus two hundred thousand oceans to express my gratitude. I sincerely ask my senior to agree!"
Peng Zhenguo was shocked: "Brother An...Brother An is really loyal to his friends. If I don't agree, it will be difficult for me to live a good life! Brother An, don't worry, just give me your orders whenever you need them."
An Yi was overjoyed, took Peng Zhenguo's hands and whispered: "Tomorrow morning at six o'clock!"
"What? Impossible!" Peng Zhenguo shook his head repeatedly.
An Yi explained: "Does the senior army have a radio station?"
"Of course, it is. It's not the same as it was two years ago. But..." Peng Zhenguo still didn't believe that it could be done in such a short time.
An Yi said kindly: "Senior, do you know Chicheng Airport? An air defense technical unit of junior is hidden in Wangmao Mountain to the west of Chengde. The person responsible for the security mission is a company commander of the younger brother's special agent group. He has two jeeps in his hand.
, it is less than 60 kilometers away from Dunhua. As long as the senior sends a greeting to the garrison commander of Dunhua in advance, the company commander of my younger brother will be able to arrive within three hours.
"When we get there, we prepare for two hours. Then we set off lightly under the stars. Without anyone noticing, we will arrive at Huai Shue Bay before six in the morning. We will make a surprise attack when we arrive at our destination. We will turn around and leave. This is considered done.
.”
Peng Zhenguo thought for a while and asked again: "Is it that simple?"
"It's that simple. Seniors can give them all instructions in the telegram."
"Brother An, you are so polite, haha! Okay, in order to work together to resist Japan and protect the country, and to make a good brother like Brother An, I will risk my life!"
"Thank you, senior! On behalf of all the soldiers of the Anjia Army, An Yi would like to express his high respect and deep gratitude to his senior..."