Chapter 148: Injured

After leaving the regiment headquarters and returned to the position, I hurriedly took the troops to set off. The troops walked along the highway in the night for a while, but every ten minutes, an enemy reconnaissance plane fired flares on the highway. This seriously affected the speed of the troops' march. In desperation, we could only walk on the mountain road under the leadership of Park Chung-su.

The Americans' frequent flare reconnaissance on the road seems to indicate that the US military will act soon. Because the US mechanized troops did not dare to go out at night, they could only send reconnaissance planes to reconnaissance along the road to prepare for the attack at dawn the next day. Recognizing this, I urged the soldiers to speed up the march and rushed towards Mapingli without stopping.

After passing through a forest of woods, in the oncoming mountain breeze, the sky was like a pool of muddy water gradually clearing. In the hazy roost, a scorched earth appeared in front of it - that is Mapingli on the map.

"Damn it, it's finally here!" Hu Zi sat down, and the soldiers were all lying on the ground and couldn't get up. It had been a day since the troops were completely out of food. Even Hu Zi couldn't stand it even if he was hungry, let alone other volunteer soldiers.

My legs were trembling and my body was sweating all over, but I knew very well that it was not the time to rest, so I had to shout and order the soldiers to pull them up one by one: "All up and keep moving forward!"

The soldiers also understood the urgent military situation, so they all stood up and dragged their tired bodies down the mountain.

As soon as I walked into Maping, I felt something was wrong. The road was filled with volunteer soldiers and cars moving north. The cars were loaded with wounded people without exception. The soldiers in the marching also carried the wounded people. The wounded people who could still walk casually took a branch as a crutch and limped forward, and some supported each other. The whole scene was in chaos and the order was very chaotic.

There were corpses everywhere on both sides of the road, blood and bombed cars. The blood had not yet solidified and the cars were still emitting blue smoke. It seemed that they had just been bombed. There were also some wounded people who could not leave and had no one to take, so they had to sit under the trunks of trees and beside the stones, watching all this quietly.

Looking at this scene, I realized that Mapingli is not only a logistics supply station for the 60th Army, but also a shelter for the wounded and sick. The military headquarters has always asked the 180th Division to set up defenses along the river. The purpose must be to cover the retreat of the wounded and troops here. But what the military headquarters did not expect was that the interspersed position of a US division was exactly here. Once the US military was interspersed, not only were the several divisions fighting on the front line running out of food and bullets, but also the wounded and sick who came without sudden transfer...

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but grit my teeth and made up my mind to block the US military, at least to stop the wounded people here from retreating.

After asking a few soldiers, he found the Logistics Department in an air-raid shelter next to the ravine. The person who received us was Battalion Commander Li from the Logistics Department. After hearing our number, he couldn't help but ask in confusion: "Didn't the Forty Army retreat long ago? Why are you still here?"

"We are behind!" I replied casually.

"That's right!" Battalion Commander Li nodded and said, "We still have more than 2,000 wounded people who have no one to take. You can help us transfer the wounded people together!"

"We are here to station in Mapingli at the order of Pang Kechang, the commander of the 538th Regiment of the 180th Division!" I answered, and then asked back: "Are the two companies that the 180th Division came to collect grain?"

"Station in Mapingli? Is the enemy going to fight here?" Battalion Commander Li did not answer my question, but looked at me in surprise.

"Yes!" I nodded: "According to information, a division of the US military will penetrate here along the road..."

"A division?" Battalion Commander Li was obviously startled by my words and asked quickly: "How many of you are?"

"One battalion!" I was afraid that I would scare him, so I didn't tell him that our battalion actually had less than one company.

"A battalion people come to block a division of the US military?" Battalion Commander Li looked at us with disbelief.

"Military information is urgent!" I couldn't help but frown and said, "Where are the two companies of the 180th Division? I need them to join the battle right away!"

"They..." Battalion Commander Li said in embarrassment: "They have been used by me to transfer the wounded, and have been away for more than an hour now."

"What?" I couldn't help but feel angry when I heard this. I grabbed Battalion Commander Li's collar and said, "You, how can you ignore the 180th Division and order the people who come to receive the supplies to help you transfer the wounded? In order to complete your own mission, you let the 180th Division fight a bulletless battle on hungry?"

"Comrade, comrade!" Battalion Commander Li raised his hand to stop me and said, "Listen to my explanation, all the cars must be used to transfer wounded people, so there are no cars used to transport food and ammunition. All the troops who came to collect food returned halfway. Because the two companies of the 180th Division had arrived, I told them not to return and help transport the wounded people..."

After hearing this, I finally understood that without cars, even if the soldiers in the two companies were strongmen, they could return to the division headquarters with a bag of rice or a box of ammunition, which would be a drop in the bucket.

I couldn't help but curse, what kind of strange order is this? On the one hand, I asked others to receive supplies, and on the other hand, I used all the cars to transport the injured...

"Can you recover the soldiers of those two companies?" I let go of Battalion Commander Li and asked.

"I'm afraid it's difficult!" Battalion Commander Li shook his head: "The road has been crowded and cannot catch up in a few hours, let alone what if I chase it? Let them leave the wounded on the road?"

Upon hearing this, I couldn't help but think of the wounded who were sitting on the side of the road and waiting quietly. When I remembered their gazes and their expressions, I had nothing to say.

"Where is your army?" I asked again.

"Everyone is mobilized to send the injured!" Battalion Commander Li replied: "There are only more than 2,000 wounded people in Maping now, except for dozens of health workers who care for the injured, the remaining ones are only more than 2,000 wounded people who cannot be transported away."

Upon hearing this, I couldn't help but smile bitterly. Battalion Commander Li said that the more than a hundred people in my hands would be to resist a division of the US military alone.

"Then there will always be food and bullets!" I touched my hungry stomach and thought to myself that this was a military logistics supply station. If there was no food or ammunition here, it would be unreasonable.

"This one has it!" Battalion Commander Li nodded, and this time he finally got his affirmative answer.

When he brought us to the tunnel with food and ammunition, I was shocked when I saw the mountains of food, weapons and ammunition.

On this high ground with an elevation of 307.3, more than fifty or ten meters deep tunnels were dug side by side. Some were piled with grain, some were piled with explosives, grenades, bullets and various guns. There was even an air-raid shelter with more than a dozen howitzers were neatly placed...

I knew in my heart that these supplies were exchanged for blood and life by the Volunteer Logistics Force, but now the soldiers on the front line were hungry to fight without food and ammunition, but there were tons of tons of food here, and the whole boxes of ammunition could not be transported, and they would soon fall into the hands of the Americans...

Without waiting for my order, the soldiers rushed into the air-raid shelter with cheers. Submachine guns, light machine guns, heavy machine guns, and mortars kept moving outwards, and bullets were transported outwards one by one,

"Comrades, hurry up!" I looked at the sky that was slowly brightening and ordered to the soldiers: "Transport the ammunition to the position immediately, hurry up and build fortifications. When the sky is bright, the enemy will come soon!"

"Yes!" The soldiers responded and grabbed all kinds of weapons and ran to the position with their ammunition boxes on their backs. However, they were stopped by a large group of wounded soldiers before they could run a few steps. Battalion Commander Li tried his best to call back the wounded soldiers who were rushing back, but no matter how he shouted, it would be useless.

"What's going on?" I asked Battalion Commander Li.

This is a very strange feeling. Although my official position is smaller than that of Battalion Commander Li, I always feel that I am the leader of the talk. Even the tone of speaking is the same as when speaking to my subordinates. Battalion Commander Li seems to be used to this. This is probably what is often said in this era - the gun is coming out of power!

"Deputy Battalion Commander Cui." Battalion Commander Li replied helplessly: "I just told the wounded that the enemy was about to attack Mapingli, so that they could still move around and quickly. Unexpectedly, after discussing, they came to you in a hurry, saying that they could not escape the four wheels of the Americans anyway, and they would die back and forth, so it would be better to fight with the Americans!"

"Yes! Deputy Battalion Commander Cui!" Someone among the wounded heard what Battalion Commander Li said to me, and he surrounded me and shouted at me: "Let us participate in the battle! Anyway, there is no shortage of guns. Even if we don't have the strength to dig trenches, we can't fight bayonets with the enemy. It's okay to shoot guns. If we don't succeed, we can wait until the enemy rushes to the position to pull the grenades!"

"Yes! Deputy Battalion Commander Cui, let's go!"

"Yes, we will have to take the lead even if we die!"

...

"Does any of you guys have fired artillery?" I shouted at the wounded soldiers.

"Yes!" Soon dozens of people raised their hands.

I didn't care whether they really know how to shoot artillery or fake it. I waved my hand and said to them: "I will give you more than a dozen howitzers in the air-raid shelter. Point the muzzle at the road ahead, and you will smash the shells onto the road as soon as you start to hit it!"

"Yes!" The dozens of soldiers responded happily and went to prepare.

"Captain Li!" I hesitated for a while and asked Captain Li, "How many wounded people are there with combat capabilities?"

"Can you get more than 500 people!" Battalion Commander Li thought for a while and replied: "Most of the wounded people left behind are seriously injured, and so are the only ones who can shoot!"

"Yeah!" I nodded and gritted my teeth and said, "Send them a gun!"

As soon as these words were said, the wounded cheered and walked over to Battalion Commander Li towards the arsenal. I think what the wounded said was reasonable. Anyway, they were going to die, so it would be better to fight with the Americans!

"Comrade!" said Battalion Commander Li, who was blocking a volunteer soldier with his legs clamped and walking with two crutches, and said: "You have become a problem with walking, how can you still go to the battlefield?"

Only then did I notice that beans of sweat were flowing from the warrior's pale face, and every step he took, the corners of his mouth would twitch due to pain. But he still pretended to be relaxed and said: "No problem. As long as someone lifts me into the position, gives me a gun and a few grenades, I can still fight the Japanese!"

"Comrade!" Battalion Commander Li stopped another soldier with only one left arm and said, "You use your right hand to shoot a gun, and you only have your left hand left, and you go to the battlefield..."

"It's okay!" The soldier clenched his fist with his only arm and shook it in front of Battalion Commander Li: "You can't shoot a gun, I can also pitch grenades, right? I bite the strings with my teeth, and I will guarantee that it won't be slower than others!"

"Comrade!" Battalion Commander Li stopped another soldier who was blind and was supported by another one-armed soldier: "You can't even see your eyes, how can you still fight?"

"No problem!" The soldier patted the one-armed soldier beside him and said, "I am a machine gunner. Give me a machine gun. He will make my eyes and help me change the magazine to ensure that the enemy I will attack will not be fewer than others!"

Captain Li was silent. He never said anything or stopped anyone. He just allowed the soldiers who were missing their arms and legs to walk up one after another to get guns and bullets.

This is not the first time I have seen the wounded soldiers voluntarily seeking a fight, but I am still deeply shocked by the wounded soldiers' spirit of not fearing death.

From the perspective of modern people, life in the world is nothing more than fame and fortune. From this outlook on life and worldview, it is really impossible to understand their behavior. They know that even if they participate in the war or sacrifice, no one will know their names, and no one will know the merits they have made. Because they are wounded, their original troops think they have been sent to the rear, so their names are likely to be listed on the list of missing persons...

What if he doesn't matter! Looking at the wounded men who were excitedly picking up the gun and preparing to go to the battlefield, I couldn't help but hold the rifle in my hand tightly. I don't care about fame and fortune, and whether anyone can remember our names. What I think about now is to beat a few more Americans to relieve their anger and regret their hatred.

The two sides of the battlefield had no hatred or hatred, but as they fought, they saw too many comrades falling down by their side. After seeing too many death and blood, this hatred existed, and hatred also existed.

Thinking of this, I shouted to the soldiers: "Everyone is there, enter the position immediately and prepare for battle!"

"Yes!" the soldiers shouted and responded, and without saying a word, they picked up all kinds of weapons and ran towards the high ground on both sides of the road.

I mixed the sound soldiers with the wounded. After all, if the wounded do not have the sound soldiers to help dig trenches, transport bullets, or even carry them into the position, they will not be able to exert much combat effectiveness at all. So I mixed them into three companies, each with more than 200 people, commanded by Hu Zi, Ren Fengyou and Battalion Commander Li, and were stationed on the 259th highland, the 273.1 highland and the 307.3 highland where the equipment supply is located.

The 259th and 273.1th highland are located on the left and right of the highway, while the 307.3th highland is opposite the highway in the middle. This arrangement is a bit like the arrangement of troops when the British Gloucester Battalion was surrounded. The three highlands form an iron triangle, and the firepower can support each other and cover each other. More importantly, the highway passes between these three highlands. If the enemy mechanized troops insist on passing here, they will inevitably be hit by firepower on the three highlands, and in this local area will be surrounded by us.

At that time, Gloucester Battalion used such troops to hold on for three days and three nights under the siege of a volunteer army. I wonder how long we can hold on this time.

Thinking of this, even I thought it was funny. How could I compare the team in front of me with Gloucester Battalion? Gloucester Battalion is full of well-trained elite soldiers and generals, and the forces of the battalion I have in my hands are temporarily pieced together, even if there are more than two-thirds of the personnel, they are wounded.

Moreover, when Gloucester Battalion was surrounded, there were US aircraft and cannons to provide fire support to them, and there were also reinforcements from the brigade, but we did not have any support. There were only a dozen cannons, and the gunners were all wounded and sick…

Originally, because the Volunteer Army was not good at positional warfare and was good at mobile warfare, I should have the soldiers defend in the movement in a staircase like when they retreated in the fourth battle. That is, each company was heading on the position for a few hours, and then moved to the second line to rest for a while to prepare to cover the troops on the front line to retreat to the second line. But considering that the troops in my hands were mainly wounded and sick, they could not move at all, and there was still a lot of supplies on the 307.3 Highland, which must not fall into the hands of the enemy, so they chose to defend to the death in desperation.

As soon as the soldiers entered the position, they stepped up the construction of fortifications and transported ammunition. There were already soldiers from other troops stationed on these high grounds, so they had all tunnels, trenches and other fortifications, but most of the trenches were blown up by enemy planes. What the soldiers had to do was repair these trenches.

But since most of the wounded and sick people were unable to build fortifications and transport ammunition at normal speed, this task naturally fell on the more than 100 soldiers I brought. These soldiers did not rest for several days, and had not eaten yet, so they were so tired that they were sweating all over.

Fortunately, after a while, Battalion Commander Li sent someone to deliver buckets of sorghum rice, and also made some oil and salt to mix it into the rice. Although there was no dish, it still tasted delicious.

Just as the soldiers were eating their jobs, a strange scream suddenly sounded in the sky. More than a dozen enemy "wild horses" and "pirate" fighters flew through the clouds toward the volunteer soldiers' positions.
Chapter completed!