The Iron-Blooded Army of Beacon Fire

Chapter 182 Thick Fog and Song

The sky is gray

Raindrops mixed with fine snowflakes were sprinkled from the sky, and endless fog shrouded the surroundings. When the north wind blew, a large number of dead branches and leaves were swept into the house. The sound of wind, rain, and gunfire were intertwined. At the same time, all the officers in the [-]th Army command post were worried.

In the command post of the Sixty-sixth Army, staff officers were coming and going to deliver documents. The sound of electricity from the radio and the ringing of telephones were heard one after another. In the depths of the endless fog, there were muffled sounds of gunfire from time to time. came.

In front of the command table, He Wei, Ye Zhao, Director Guo and other officers were staring at the battle map attentively. Only He Wei led his troops to join the Sixty-sixth Army and entered the field command post of the Sixty-sixth Army. However, Although they were in the same place, their moods were completely different. Ye Zhao, Director Guo and other senior officers of the [-]th Army were all as anxious as ants on a hot pot.

The Tangshan line that the Sixty-sixth Army is now responsible for is actually equivalent to the first line of defense of the Nanjing Garrison. What is the situation of the Japanese troops who are attacking? The Sixty-sixth Army all has a black eye, and for several days along the highway The defeated troops and refugees who escaped only intensified the panic of the Sixty-sixth Army.

Many of those defeated troops were those who escaped from Jiangyin, including those from the [-]th Division of the former Northeastern Army, and the [-]rd Division of the Guizhou Army. According to these defeated troops, the Japanese army's firepower was extremely fierce, especially heavy heavy equipment. The artillery firepower could not even withstand the bombardment of the fortress, and the people who fled were tearfully describing the tragedies they had experienced. The Japanese army almost burned and killed every village they passed through. How could it be so tragic?

Compared with Ye Zhao and others, He Wei is much calmer, perhaps because he has the confidence of a time traveler. So far, he has done everything he can to defend Nanjing. If you have the right, soldiers will stop it. When Shui came to Tuen, He Wei had this mentality. Although he knew that the Japanese army he would face this time was much stronger than the Japanese army he faced at Xinkou, his mentality was far calmer than that time.

A staff officer came over carrying a tea tray with several cups of steaming strong tea on it. Just as the staff officer was about to speak, He Wei made a gesture to him, took the tea tray, and handed over two cups of hot tea. In front of Ye Zhao and Director Guo.

"Sir, it's cold. Let's have a cup of tea."

Ye Zhao raised his head, took the tea cup and took a sip, and then his frown relaxed.

"Brother, you are calm."

Director Guo also said from the side: "He is indeed a nationally famous anti-Japanese war hero. He is indeed different from ordinary people."

He Wei also took a cup of tea and drank it, and just laughed at the compliments of Ye and Guo.

"Brother, to be honest, I am really worried now. According to the reports of the defeated soldiers, the Japanese army is extremely strong in terms of military strength and firepower. They are the Japanese troops who fought with us in Songhu. According to my estimation, the Japanese army The strength of our army is definitely no less than our garrison in Nanjing, or even more. Our army is on the front line, with just these two divisions, we still don’t know how the Japanese army will fight.”

Ye Zhao sighed softly and said.

Now the 66th Army has been fully deployed. Among them, the 160th Division of the 159th Army is deployed in Jurong and its west line, and the [-]th Division is deployed in Tangshan Town. The north and south lines of Xianlan Bridge are generally arranged in a second line. Wei's special agent battalion is on standby near the headquarters of the [-]th Army.

"Two sirs, don't worry. In a war, you fight yours and I fight mine. It's useless to worry. Besides, our retreat has been arranged. The artillery chariots of my secret service battalion are not vegetarian and can be provided to your army at any time. support."

He Wei said.

He Wei comforted him with a few words, and the tense atmosphere in the command post also dissipated a lot. Just as a few people were taking a break to drink tea and talk, suddenly, a lieutenant staff officer ran over and said anxiously: "Commander, there is a situation ahead. .”

"Speak quickly." Ye Zhao said anxiously.

"Chief of Staff Situ of the [-]th Division sent a telegram that the Japanese troops were found near Lizili outside Jurong. It was impossible to judge the number of enemy troops due to the heavy fog. It was reported that the enemy troops were advancing along the road, chasing and killing the broken troops in front of them. Common people, the two sides have not yet contacted each other. Due to the heavy fog and unclear enemy situation, and the large number of new soldiers in the army, it is extremely disadvantageous to fight in special weather, so we do not dare to act rashly. Please ask the military commander to decide how to deal with it."

Ye Zhao overturned the tea cup in a hurry and said: "It's broken. Now the Japanese are rushing straight up. It's foggy again. Our army has many new recruits. Braving the fog to fight with the Japanese is likely to cause trouble." , it’s not easy to handle now.”

As he said that, Ye Zhao cast his expectant eyes on He Wei. He Wei naturally would not escape. He drank all the tea in the cup and said, "Commander Ye, since the two sides want to cooperate in fighting, your army has encountered difficulties." This unit is naturally obligated. Most of our units are veterans, with good tactical literacy and combat quality, and good combat capabilities in complex terrain and weather. You give the order to the front-line troops, and I will take this unit with me."

Ye Zhao nodded: "I'm not polite anymore. I'll immediately give orders to the [-]th Division and ask them to cooperate with you in fighting. But you have to be careful. The fog is too heavy today."

"This is not a bad thing. Now the sky in Nanjing is completely dominated by the Japanese. There are Japanese aircraft everywhere. My troops are both trucks and tanks. They rely entirely on wheels to maneuver. This fog can also We provide cover, which is a good time to maneuver, and according to my experience, the fog looks heavy now and will disperse by noon. Without further ado, I will organize the troops to move forward now."

At this time, Director Guo also spoke: "Commander, why not allocate another company from the Army Artillery Battalion to Battalion Commander He? The [-]th Division also lacks artillery fire and needs to be strengthened, so let Battalion Commander He lead it."

Ye Zhao nodded in agreement and quickly sent a telegram to the [-]th Division ahead. He Wei returned to the secret service camp to organize troop operations. When he heard the battle order came down, the morale of all the officers and soldiers in the secret service camp was high, and they quickly started gearing up. .

A captain company commander of the mountain artillery battalion directly under the Sixty-sixth Army also came to report with the whole company dragging four Schneider light mountain guns. Now without further ado, He Wei ordered the company commander to bring the mules and horses on board. All the artillerymen and artillerymen were left on the truck and used the truck to maneuver. Soon, the special agent battalion, reinforced by a mountain artillery company, began to move forward in a mighty manner.

A huge convoy consisting of more than a hundred trucks and a tank company, under the cover of thick fog, advanced mightily towards the forward position of the [-]th Army located at the front of Jurong.

When the [-]th Division reported, the person who came to greet them was Situ Fei, the Chief of Staff of the [-]th Division. Currently, the [-]th Division does not have a division commander. The position of division commander is concurrently held by Army Commander Ye Zhao, who is responsible for actual command responsibilities. It was Chief of Staff Situ Fei.

If He Wei remembered correctly, this chief of staff also died heroically in the original battle to defend Nanjing. However, He Wei had no time to remind him to be careful now. The better he fights, the greater the chance of their survival. After learning about the basic enemy situation and the basic defense situation of the [-]th Division from Situ Fei, He Wei quickly had a suspicion in his mind.

The [-]th Division has two infantry brigades and four infantry regiments. The division adopted a deployment plan centered on the highway and spread out along both sides. After all, the Japanese army contained a large number of baggage artillery and must maneuver along the highway. Accordingly, Yes, the [-]th Division can only deploy defenses in this way, and these four infantry regiments adopt a front-line configuration. Three infantry regiments are deployed on the first line, and another infantry regiment is deployed on the second line to serve as a reserve.

Due to the bad weather, the [-]th Division adopted conservative defensive tactics. The main force of the troops squatted in the trenches and set up defenses. Only sentry lines and a small number of warning skirmishers were set up at the front of the position.

Considering the enemy situation and the defense situation of the [-]th Division, He Wei, after discussing with Situ Fei, decided not to move the tanks of the secret service battalion, nor the tank defense guns of the artillery company. These heavy equipment had no way to do anything in the fog. Expand.

Therefore, He Wei decided that the secret service battalion would only dispatch three infantry companies, the secret service platoon, the communications platoon and the two [-]mm mortar platoons of the artillery company, tanks, tank defense artillery and other units in the [-]th Division. The main position is on standby.

So, in the vast fog, the secret service battalion is about to usher in its first battle after forming an army.

Jurong, Lizili. He Wei hid in a foxhole, holding his telescope attentively and looking in the direction of the highway. He Wei made no misjudgment. Just as the secret service camp advanced, the dense fog began to dissipate, and the surrounding visibility was greatly improved. He Wei adopted bold leap forward and rapid assault tactics. After leaving the first-line position of the [-]th Division, he advanced directly forward for more than three kilometers in one breath, without riding in a car, relying entirely on two legs.

However, for the officers and soldiers of the special agent battalion who were beaten during high-intensity physical training, this was nothing. The only ones who struggled were the officers and soldiers of Guangdong who cooperated in the battle.

After learning that He Wei was going to take the initiative, the first line regiment of the [-]th Division specially dispatched an infantry company to follow the spy battalion. The kindness could not be refused, but the physical fitness of these Guangdong brothers obviously could not keep up with the spy battalion, and they attacked all the way. When they came over, the officers and soldiers of the secret service battalion were not red-faced or out of breath, but they were quite tired to these Guangdong soldiers.

The three infantry companies of the special agent battalion, the two August [-]st mortar platoons and the special agent platoon of the artillery company, the communication platoon, and the infantry company of the Guangdong Army were all hidden on both sides of the road. He Wei led the special agent platoon, the communication platoon, and Fu Chen's First Company, Fang Jing's Second Company and the artillery company's mortar row were hidden on the right side of the road.

Hu Zhaowu's third company and an infantry company of the Cantonese Army, as well as the second mortar platoon of the artillery company of the Secret Service Battalion, were deployed on the left side of the road.

Now the sound of gunfire is getting louder and louder, and the road is a tragic scene. There are corpses everywhere, burning cars, carriages, broken limbs and injured soldiers and civilians lying on the ground wailing. Why? Wei knew that these were all good things done by Japanese aircraft.

"Help me."

"Take up the fire, please."

"Master Jun, please save me, I beg you, I have money, I will give you money."

The injured people and wounded soldiers on the road were wailing and calling for help one after another. After He Wei led the troops to this place, these people kept asking for help from the secret service camp. Many brothers couldn't bear this miserable situation and got up. They all wanted to help, but they were all stopped by He Wei.

It wasn't that He Wei was cruel, but there was really no way to save people. Those people either had their legs broken or their stomachs were blown open. How could we save people? Even the temporary field hospital sent to the [-]th Army was helpless, because with the poor field medical conditions of the Chinese army, even if he was sent to the field hospital, he would have to wait in another place to die.

"Damn it, why haven't we seen the Japanese army coming yet?"

Seeing his compatriots lying on the ground waiting for death in pain, Fu Chen, who was in a irritated mood, couldn't wait any longer. He put down his binoculars and cursed in a low voice next to He Wei. In fact, after about half an hour of hiding and ambush here, there were already people on the road. Three Japanese troops arrived.

According to the combat structure of the Japanese army, it should be a unit under the infantry detachment. These Japanese soldiers did not even maintain the most basic awareness of combat readiness. They walked sloppily on the road covered in mud and water, carrying guns, and even the most basic field combat orders. The gun-carrying posture was not maintained.

These guys all carried their rifles on their shoulders, with chickens, ducks, fish and red women's bellybands hanging on their bayonets, and they kept laughing cruelly. The soldiers in the secret service camp were so angry that they were itching their teeth, why? However, Wei forcefully suppressed the anger of the officers and soldiers of the special agent battalion, let them go, and did not allow anyone to open fire.

He has the strength of a battalion, so it would be a real loss to fight these Japanese soldiers now. Besides, if these guys go further forward, they will probably hit the sentry line of the [-]th Division soon. Someone will take care of them when the time comes.

"Be patient, wait, wait, we have to wait for a big fish and find out the situation of the Japanese."

He Wei comforted Fu Chen, who was hot-blooded, and continued to observe the road that was gradually becoming clearer in the telescope. The performance of the Japanese forwards just now was really not a good sign. Even the forward troops who opened the way were moving forward happily. It can be expected that the Japanese army How successful is the current battle?

Only troops that are accustomed to fighting with favorable winds will behave like this.

It was precisely because of the incomparable arrogance of the Japanese army that He Wei had to wait for the big fish behind him and the most valuable target.

About half an hour later, the sound of gunfire and gunfire around suddenly stopped strangely, and was replaced by increasingly louder singing and footsteps. This time, what entered He Wei's telescope were at least hundreds of Japanese soldiers. The strength of an infantry squadron.

This at least one squadron of Japanese soldiers, led by the flag of the sun, turned a blind eye to the corpses and the injured who were not dead on the road. They stepped on the bodies of the corpses, heads, legs, living people, luggage, and broken limbs as they marched ruggedly forward.

The leather shoes of the Japanese infantry and the hoofs of the war horses stepped directly on the bodies of the dead and the living, causing screams one after another.

However, these pitiful screams of the Chinese people and the defeated troops could only be drowned in the footsteps of the Japanese infantry and the noise of the horses. Each Japanese soldier had various kinds of weapons hanging on his rifle bayonet. Trophies and chicken, duck and fish.

Even hidden in the wilderness on both sides, the officers and soldiers of the special agent battalion could feel the extremely arrogant momentum of the Japanese army. The Japanese army's marching column was like a tsunami with an overwhelming momentum on the road. Marching, and under their feet is the land of China.

The arrogant aura of the Japanese army made the officers and soldiers hiding on both sides of the road blush. However, the incomprehensible songs that the Japanese sang in their mouths made the brothers even more angry.

‘In the summer of the fourth year of Hong’an, the national crisis was imminent, and Kublai Khan, the Yuan invader, was out in force. I, a man from Kamakura, was determined to defeat the Yuan invaders and uphold justice for the world…’”

"What are these little devils singing? What are they singing? It's really ugly."

Fu Chen said bitterly.

"This song is called Yuan Kou."

He Wei suddenly said coldly, his words were full of coldness and harshness, which actually startled Fu Chen beside him. The other brothers could not understand, but He Wei could understand this song, which was composed in The Japanese military song on the eve of the Sino-Japanese War was based on the historical war between Japan and Mongolia, but it actually contained the implication of launching an aggressive war against China.

The distance between the two sides is getting closer and closer. The front of the Japanese army's march has entered the range of the machine guns of the special agent camp. He Wei carefully counted the firepower equipment of the Japanese army. There were about six crooked handles. It seemed that there were still more on the army's horses. Two heavy machine guns, this is a standard infantry squadron with enhanced heavy machine gun firepower. The total number of people is about two hundred.

This number of people, no more and no less, is just right for the appetite of the secret service camp.

The corpses of Chinese soldiers and civilians, the footsteps and songs of the arrogant Japanese army, the neighing of military horses, and the whistling wind, He Wei felt a surge of anger rising from his heart. He put down his binoculars and looked at Tao Heiwa coldly. Said: "Hei Wa, prepare to fight, put on the signal flare."

(End of this chapter)