Chapter 762: The Difficult Blocking Battle (Part 1)
Chapter 762: A tough blocking battle (Part 1)
"Order, the entire division launches the most tenacious attack on the Chinese army, and we must connect our defense areas into a line!"
Kwantung Army Commander Shirakawa Yoshinori roared.
The current situation of the Japanese army in Northeast China is very bad. With the fierce breakthrough of the Chinese Army, the 8th Division of the Japanese Kwantung Army and several railway garrison brigades have been separated.
Once the situation continues, the Japanese army will be destroyed sooner or later.
And this is what Shirakawa Yoshinori least wants to see.
He didn't have many troops at his disposal. Apart from the Railway Garrison Brigade and the Japanese Expatriate Volunteer Corps, there was only the 8th Division, a regular army that could be used.
To open a channel, you must open a channel, no matter how tragic the price is...
All of Shirakawa Yoshinori's hopes were pinned on the 8th Division.
The 8th Division was the product of the expansion of the Japanese Army's armaments after the Sino-Japanese War. After the Sino-Japanese War, in order to expand overseas, Japan established 6 new divisions: the 7th Division - the 12th Division. The 8th Division
This is one of them. The soldiers come from the four northeastern prefectures of Aomori, Iwate, Yamagata and Akita.
The troops in Tohoku and Kyushu are both famous for their strength. The 2nd Division and the 6th Division are the best examples. As a division in Tohoku, it is a little different. The 8th Division absolutely obeys this point.
It is particularly prominent. Although he has shortcomings of one kind or another, he absolutely obeys the orders of the division commander and company commander without making any compromises. His advantages of being strict and having a strong sense of responsibility are not praised even by his Japanese colleagues.
Absolutely.
And can the 8th Division meet its own requirements?
Shirakawa Yoshinori could only pray silently in his heart...
...
Laohuozicheng, 11th Brigade of the Chinese National Defense Force.
This is the key pass connecting the Japanese 8th Division and the Railway Guard Brigade. If the Japanese want to successfully connect the front lines, they must break through this county that has been occupied by the Chinese in advance.
The sky gradually became brighter without realizing it, but the rain still didn't stop. Mist filled the entire land, and the humid air was so thick that it made it difficult to breathe.
Sheng Yuanxin squatted under the parapet and nodded sleepily. His eyelids were so heavy that he almost had to use all his strength to open them again. His body became tense and he had a headache and could only think of going back to sleep.
Slowly, there began to be an imperceptible movement in the surroundings. In the foggy and confused air, a weak sound wave was spreading, becoming weaker and stronger. The earth also began to tremble with this rhythm, until the parapet wall was shaken.
A stone trembled and fell on Sheng Yuanxin's head. He subconsciously stretched out his hand to scratch it. The sheer sleepiness made all his senses dull.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes suddenly, and all his pores suddenly swelled open, because his ears had received the sound that was getting stronger. He straightened up and looked outside the mist-filled city.
The road stretching out seemed to have some blurry images. He rubbed his stiff cheeks and saw clearly the objects that passed through the mist - tanks.
Sheng Yuanxin jumped down from the attic in a few steps and ran back along the street. In the early morning rain, he shouted: "The Japanese are coming, the Japanese are coming."
Everyone was alarmed by the shouting. A call from the 1st Battalion in the south of the city reached the headquarters of the 24th Regiment of the 11th Independent Brigade. Shen Jiaqiang tied a bullet belt to his body and shouted: "Get me from the brigade headquarters, hurry up."
There was a commotion in the hall, and An Xujin was awakened. He stood up from the corner and looked at everyone running around. He was a little at a loss.
Suddenly, there was a loud noise outside the church that the Russians had built here. Along with the smoke rising into the sky, the glass of all the windows was shattered and fell from above. An Xujin was pushed to the ground by something unknown. At this time
He felt the earth tremble violently. Shattered glass shards fell on him. He raised his head and saw Da Xiangzi pounced on him.
"What's wrong?" An Xujin asked at a loss.
"The Japanese army has begun to attack." Daxiangzi got up, shook his body and shouted to the busy people: "Is anyone injured?"
"This way, come here quickly." Someone from the other side of the hall answered loudly.
Shen Jiaqiang turned around and faced Wang Zhimao, the already armed operational staff officer: "It's raining so hard, why are they still attacking?"
Another artillery shell exploded outside, and the two people squatted down instinctively. Wang Zhimao looked at the smoke outside: "It seems they can't wait any longer. I'll go ahead and take a look."
Shen Jiaqiang ran to the signal soldier's side in a few steps: "Is the connection connected?"
"Crow! Crow! Answer, answer!" the signal soldier roared into the microphone.
"I'm Crow!" There was an echo from the phone.
Shen Jiaqiang grabbed the microphone: "I am Lao Huo Zicheng, pick up Lao Crow's Nest for me!"
The shells ripped through the air and flew in the air, hitting the ground one after another. The house was already in the river. Wang Zhimao ran to the south of the city with his rifle. The soldiers ran towards their fighting positions. Wang Zhimao passed by them.
Shouting: "Don't run around, take cover first." His ears kept listening to the screams of the air above his head being stirred up. Years of experience allowed him to estimate where the shells would land. He leaned against the wall and headed south.
Mud water caused by explosions in the distance kept falling on him.
"Mortar." He listened to the explosion and muttered silently in his mind.
At this time, dozens of soldiers chased up from behind. The leader was platoon leader Deng Chunlai. He grabbed Wang Zhimao in a room and said: "The battalion commander ordered our platoon to fight guerrillas on the outside! What should we do?"
Wang Zhimao wiped the muddy water from his face: "Disperse in groups of three. Don't be too eager to fight. Try to attract all the tanks to the main street. There are mines there."
"I got it." Deng Chunlai leaned against the wall, put his gun on fire, and waved to the soldiers: "Follow me."
Wang Zhimao ran up to the attic and squatted in front of a window. He took out his binoculars and looked over there. In the morning fog, the only four tanks of the Japanese Kwantung Army were vaguely visible. They were lined up and waiting there.
, although the infantry could not be seen, Wang Zhimao knew clearly that a large group of people must be gathering behind the tank, and they would start the attack when the shelling was over.
"Counsel Wang, why are you up here?" Sheng Yuanxin ran upstairs and squatted next to Wang Zhimao.
"How dare you gather so close." Wang Zhimao put away the telescope, patted Sheng Yuanxin and said, "Remember, there are signal soldiers and machine gunners who specialize in fighting them!"
"Understood." Sheng Yuanxin nodded.
Before Wang Zhimao went downstairs, he asked again: "Remember what I taught you before."
"Just take a shot and change the place!" Sheng Yuanxin turned around and smiled.
"I am Lao Crow Nest." The voice of Brigadier Liu Xiang came from the microphone.
Shen Jiaqiang suddenly felt a sense of sadness and anger on his forehead. He took a few deep breaths and tried his best to control his emotions: "The enemy has begun to attack. Did you promise me artillery support?"
"I am now in the artillery camp personally taking command here. Your regiment will send people to observe the target position and guide the artillery to fire."
Shen Jiaqiang gritted his teeth and asked, "I can't stand it anymore. Can I retreat?"
There was no sound from the microphone, just bursts of crackling sounds of electricity. After a long time, Liu Xiang's voice came out again: "We must hold on!"
There were explosions outside, and smoke poured in through the broken windows. The pungent smell of gunpowder made people indoors cough. Shen Jiaqiang stood in the smoke. He savored these four words of Liu Xiang, and he knew that he
The last bit of hope was shattered, and he had no choice. He felt a little sad and rubbed his clenched fists on the table.
"Is there anything else you want to say?" Liu Xiang asked on the other end of the phone.
"When you come home, go see my mother for me."
This sentence made Liu Xiang burst into tears. He stared in the south direction for a long time. He even maintained a posture of talking. The guard behind him took the microphone for him. He didn't even realize it. He just stood there sobbing silently.
.
After an unknown amount of time, Liu Xiang asked softly: "How many cannons can we hit there?"
Gu Tong, commander of the artillery battalion, replied from behind: "Four howitzers and 10 mountain guns can hit them."
"How many shells are there?"
"Two and a half bases."
"Call them all."
Liu Xiang walked out of the bunker, and heavy rain fell from the sky. Soon his clothes were soaked. He jumped on his horse and kept wandering in the same place. He took one last look over there, and then walked toward him without looking back.
Galloping away from the north.
Shen Jiaqiang just stood there silently, letting the shells outside explode randomly around him. It seemed that the battle had nothing to do with him, leaving him indifferent. He raised his head and stared at Jesus on the cross above his head. This great God was
Withstood the baptism of gunfire.
Shen Jiaqiang's thoughts returned to his hometown, to that poor mountain village, the two almost collapsed houses, and the old lady sitting on the kang inside, mending his clothes. Thinking of this, he cried, and the tears were in his eyes
Two white marks broke out on his dirty face. Although it was a home that could not protect him from wind and rain, in his heart it was the warmest and safest home, a place where he could sleep peacefully. Nowadays, it is
It became a memory and could never go back. He already knew in his heart that he might die here and everything would end here. His heart was no longer so uneasy and restless. At this time, he was already
His heart was as calm as water, and he no longer had any selfish thoughts. Listening to the rumble of gunfire outside, he knew what he should do.
Everyone in the hall was looking at Shen Jiaqiang's back. In the interlacing firelight, that back looked lonely but firm. Suddenly, Shen Jiaqiang turned around, and everyone suddenly saw the leader who made them extremely proud again.
came back.
Everyone's heart suddenly calmed down, and everyone could feel an invisible but palpable sense of pride gradually steaming around in this empty hall.
"Remember." Shen Jiaqiang's tone was gentle but firm: "Our mission is to stay here!"