Chapter 118: The Four Hundred Heroes Fight the Four Lines
After solving the authentic problem, Luo Tianyou led a large number of people and some officers and soldiers of the Central Regiment to start a large-scale excavation. At the same time, the various gunpowder and fireworks collected by Mr. Zhao were transported back to Taicang in large quantities, and the third battalion left behind in Jiading was also ordered to collect a lot of gunpowder and firecrackers.
With sufficient gunpowder, the manufacturing speed of land mines has also accelerated.
The manufacturing of position fortifications, authentic fortifications and landmines was proceeding in an orderly manner. Zhang Xinghan finally breathed a sigh of relief. At this progress, his plan could be successfully completed before the national army retreated.
At this time, the Kuomintang army fought the most difficult battle on the Songhu battlefield. On average, a large number of troops were killed or killed every day. Sometimes a division was destroyed in less than half a day after it was thrown in, and the losses were heavy and forced to reorganize and merge.
Under the joint attack of the Japanese ground and air firepower, the Kuomintang army, which resolutely resisted with flesh and blood, often suffered losses in the entire company and platoon. Among them, the fierce battles between the Dachang and the Jiangwan area were particularly fierce. Due to the prominent geographical location of the Dachang, the Japanese army launched the most fierce attack on this place.
Under the fierce attack of the Japanese army, the 18th Division of the National Revolutionary Army, which was defending the field, was almost wiped out. Zhu Yaohua, the commander of the 18th Division, was so sad that he was so angry that he drew his gun and committed suicide on the spot when he retreated, and died heroically for his country.
The big field was lost and the whole line was shaken. The defense line north of the Suzhou River had actually been broken through. The head of the Third War Zone had to be forced to give up the Jiangwan position - North Station.
The entire line was retreated to the south bank of Suzhou River and continued to hold on. At this point, anyone with a little strategic vision could see that the national army had no chance of winning in the battlefield of Songhu. The only option was to immediately prepare to retreat, give up Shanghai, and withdraw the main force of the troops to the Wufu Line, Xicheng Line, Zhajia Line and Haijia Line. There were strong national defense fortifications in the areas of the Wufu Line, Xicheng Line, Zhajia Line and Haijia Line. We continued to resist, consume the Japanese army, and make long-term resistance.
However, at the time of the Dineva meeting, and Chairman Chiang has learned that the League of Nations will also hold a nine-nation convention meeting in Brussels in the near future to discuss the ongoing Sino-Japanese War. Chairman Chiang, who has always been relying on the intervention of Western powers to prevent Japanese aggression, was immediately overjoyed.
Not only did he reject the suggestion of Chief of Staff Bai Chongxi and senior officers of the Third War Zone to give up Shanghai and retreat to the Wufu and Xicheng Lines, he instead required that the Third War Zone not give up the position north of the Suzhou River to the Japanese army easily, and at least one elite division must be left to continue to resist on the north bank to gain sympathy and support from international public opinion.
In the third war zone, Gu Zhutong, Chen Cheng and other senior generals understood that the political significance of staying on the north bank was greater than the military significance, and there was no need to ruin an elite division for nothing. So after everyone's private discussion, it was decided that the 88th Division of the National Revolutionary Army would send a reinforced battalion troops to defend the north bank.
The person responsible for leading the reinforcement battalion to stay on the north bank was Lieutenant Colonel Xie Jinyuan, deputy of the 524th Regiment of the 262nd Brigade of the 88th Division. On October 26, the main forces of the North Bank's National Army had retreated to the south bank of Suzhou River and set up positions. Only Xie Jinyuan, the leader of the 524th Regiment, led more than 400 warriors from the first battalion of the regiment to the Sihang Warehouse in Zhabei.
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At dawn on October 28, the sky had just turned bright, but tens of thousands of people from all walks of life in Shanghai had gathered on the other side of the Sihang Warehouse. Since the 26th, the commander Xie Jinyuan led 400 heroes to defend the Sihang Warehouse alone, the people of all cities in Shanghai learned that the 400 heroes were fighting alone in the Sihang Warehouse, tens of thousands of people from all walks of life in Shanghai spontaneously rushed to the other side of the river regardless of the danger of the flowing bullets on the north bank, and cheered the warriors who guarded the Sihang Warehouse across the river.
Among the crowd on the south bank, a teenage girl, with the help of several people, was putting a brand new red flag full of blue sky, white sun, and the ground into a special cylinder.
The girl's name is Yang Huimin, a girl scout. After learning that Xie Jinyuan and the four hundred heroes were alone in Zhabei, she walked to the south bank of Suzhou River, like most Shanghai citizens, to cheer for the four hundred heroes. When she saw that there were many Japanese military flags around the Sihang Warehouse, but there were no national military flags.
Yang Huimin had the idea of presenting military flags to the national army, and her idea coincided with the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce. So the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce made a brand new red flag with blue sky and white sun overnight and handed it to Yang Huimin, who crossed the river and gave it to the national army warriors in the Sihang Warehouse.
At this time, the Japanese army on the north bank launched another attack on the Sihang Warehouse. The guns on the entire north bank roared, and fires soared into the sky, and stray bullets shot everywhere. Yang Huimin carried the bamboo tube with the national flag on his back regardless of his personal safety. Due to the firepower of Japanese ships on the Suzhou River, the new garbage bridge connecting the north and south banks was blocked.
Yang Huimin bravely jumped into the cold river with a thunderous sound. At this time, the eyes of tens of thousands of people on the south bank were all focusing on Yang Huimin who jumped into the river.
She endured the biting cold river water and swam towards the north bank. Several men with high arms raised a wooden sign with the words "someone gave something to the national army."
At this time, the Japanese ships on the river also discovered an abnormality and immediately opened fire on the river. A dense rain of bullets flew over and over again. Bullets were shot into the water from time to time around Yang Huimin, causing countless water droplets.
"Be careful!" The people on Nanban felt their throats in their hearts when they saw this.
"Damn, I'll fuck your grandma!" Some people cursed in anger.
At the top floor of the Sihang Warehouse, Commander Xie Jinyuan, who heard the news, immediately ordered: "Machine gun, fire cover!"
"Yes!" The machine gunners, who had been indignant for a long time, responded with a loud promise, set up light and heavy machine guns and fired violently at the Japanese ships on the river.
Finally, under the cover of the National Army's full firepower, Yang Huimin successfully swam to the other side and was connected to the Sihang Warehouse by the National Army soldiers who had been waiting there.
In the Sihang Warehouse, Yang Huimin, who was already wet and trembling with cold, took off the bamboo tube on his back and handed it over to the Captain Xie Jinyuan who came to greet him.
"Captain Xie, this is what all compatriots in Shanghai have entrusted me to give to you and all the heroes. There is a blue sky and white sun flag inside." Yang Huimin couldn't help but sneeze as he said that.
"Hurry, get clothes for the little girl!" Xie Jinyuan quickly took the bamboo tube and instructed him.
"Yes!" Major Yang Ruifu, the first battalion commander beside him, responded loudly, took off his military uniform and put it on Yang Huimin's body.
Commander Xie Jinyuan took out the military flag inside with a solemn expression and opened it immediately. A brand new blue sky, white sun, all over the ground was red, and the ground was dazzling red, and the kind blue sky, white sun emblem.
"Captain Yang!" Commander Xie Jinyuan said loudly.
"Here!" Yang Ruicun stepped forward and agreed with a loud promise.
"Rise the national flag! Sing the national anthem!" Commander Xie Jinyuan ordered with a stern expression.
"Yes!" Yang Ruicun responded again and immediately took over the military flag.
After a while, Xie Jinyuan, together with Yang Huimin and Yang Ruicun and other officers and soldiers, climbed to the roof of the Sihang Warehouse Building, and then a brand new blue sky and white sun rose slowly on the ground.
The bright and dazzling red ground was covered with redness, and the striking blue sky and white sun emblem drifted over the Sihang Warehouse building with the wind. Tens of thousands of people on the other side suddenly burst into deafening cheers after seeing the national flag raising the flag.
The officers and soldiers who were fighting fiercely with the Japanese invaders also discovered the military flag and their morale was suddenly boosted. At the same time, tens of thousands of people on the other side shouted in unison: "Long live the Republic of China, long live the Chinese nation!"
The soldiers of the National Army who were in the Sihang Warehouse also shouted in unison. The shouts of tens of thousands of people were shocking, and for a moment they actually overwhelmed the dense sound of gunfire.
PS: Thank you to Beibei 104 for the reward of Qidian coins. By the way, I would like to ask for a few recommendation tickets. Thank you sincerely.
Chapter completed!