Songhu: Never Give Up

Chapter 42 The War Begins (Please read, collect, vote, and recommend)
In the early morning of August 8, the dawn in Shanghai was quiet.
Teams of elite soldiers wearing M35 helmets, led by officers at all levels, secretly entered the Yangshupu, Zhabei and Hongkou areas of the city to deploy defenses. These were troops of the 87th and 88th Divisions that had received German equipment and training. They were affiliated with the Beijing-Shanghai Garrison Command and were responsible for launching the first attack on the Japanese.

At the Beijing-Shanghai Garrison Command, a combat deployment meeting was in progress. Commander Zhang Wenbai said loudly:
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the National Government took the initiative to launch the Battle of Songhu after careful consideration, mainly based on four considerations:

First, in terms of military strategy, the main goal of seeking war in Shanghai was to attract as many Japanese as possible to leave North China, disperse their military strength, attract part of their main forces to the battlefield in East China, delay the Japanese offensive, and gradually implement a strategy of protracted consumption of the Japanese;

Second, it is to protect the economic and political interests of the Shanghai area;
The third was to defend the capital Nanjing and guard the Yangtze River;
Fourth, the Battle of Shanghai was used to promote the implementation of diplomatic strategy.

According to intelligence, the Japanese headquarters has already mobilized heavy troops to support Songhu. Before the enemy reinforcements arrive, our 87th and 88th Divisions must annihilate the Japanese Navy Special Marine Corps stationed in Shanghai!

The specific deployment is as follows..."

Zhabei, 88th Division 264th Brigade 527th Regiment nd Battalion Defense Zone, a red sun hangs high in the sky

The officers and soldiers were already sweating profusely while repairing the fortifications. Ever since Yue Qianli took over the position of commander of the Second Battalion, the Second Battalion had developed the habit of digging whenever they had nothing to do.

"Captain, the fortifications are not easy to dig. Water started to seep in after digging less than one meter."

When Yue Qianli inspected the position of the third company, the third company commander Sun Gang complained to him. Yue Qianli immediately frowned and said:

“Can difficulties be more important than saving lives? There are so many tall buildings in Zhabei, how did they lay their foundations?

Now that we can lay the foundation, we can also dig out fortifications. We need to think of ways and use our brains!

Don’t you know how powerful the Japanese naval guns are?

The seepage water was washed out with basins, and the interior of the tunnel was supported by wooden stakes and stones. The tunnel for hiding soldiers and the headquarters could be dug underground in solid buildings. With a house on top, no naval guns would be effective.

After being scolded, Sun Gang went to implement the plan. Many military fans in later generations believed that Songhu did not have the conditions for fighting tunnel warfare. Yue Qianli thought that they really took it for granted.

He still said the same thing, there are always more solutions than problems. There are high-rise buildings everywhere. Doesn’t a building with more than ten floors require a foundation of more than two meters?

Since the construction workers can dig out the foundations to support high-rise buildings, he can dig tunnel fortifications to defend against the Japanese naval guns and aerial bombs. Otherwise, there is no way to fight this war, and his own battalion will not be enough to sustain it for half a day.

The others didn't seem to be impressed by the Second Battalion's outrageous actions. In their view, the 88th Division came here to launch an attack on the Japanese, not to act as groundhogs. Only Duan Yulin, the Third Company Commander of the First Battalion, followed suit and led the Third Company to dig fortifications.

Battalion Commander Li Jie saw this and laughed and scolded:
"As expected, the soldiers led by Yue Qianli are all groundhogs. You have been struggling here for a long time, and by the time the main force has fought to the Japanese concession, won't your efforts be in vain?"

Duan Yulin quickly explained:

"Captain, you guys are idle anyway. It would be best if the main force could drive the Japanese into the sea. If the battle goes badly, at least there is a place to hide from the Japanese artillery fire.

The Huangpu River is full of Japanese warships. If there are no fortifications, half a platoon will be wiped out with one shot."

Li Jie thought about it and said:
"You are still thinking ahead, the Japanese ship's guns are indeed very powerful, and it is necessary to take precautions;

Instead of letting them sit there doing nothing, it's better to give them something to do. What a good idea!"

Li Jie left after he finished speaking. Platoon leader Song Yunhan came over and said:

"Company commander, the battalion commander is probably going to mess with other companies. The brothers in other companies will definitely scold you in private."

Duan Yulin said nonchalantly:
"That's better than being bombed by the Japanese! Our First Battalion is more than just the Third Company. My position is low, so I can influence as many people as possible."

Song Yunhan looked around slyly and said:

"Captain, our old commander got a lot of good stuff from the foreign devils. You are his brother-in-law, but you don't go and get some self-defense for your brothers." "Old Song, don't talk nonsense. What brother-in-law? That's not true!

He is now the commander of the third battalion, one level away from us. Besides, didn’t he give us two anti-tank guns (bazookas)?

And that home-made cannon (the conscienceless cannon), we also learned how to make two of them, and you’re still not satisfied?”

"Captain, there are better ones."

Duan Yulin quickly stopped him and said:
"Stop, people should be content. I heard that thing is hard to get. There are only a few of them. The Second Battalion is not enough for itself."

Song Yunhan smiled embarrassedly and said:

"I'm not ungrateful. The old company commander has been very good to us. I just think of you as his brother-in-law..."

"roll!"

Duan Yulin raised his foot and kicked him. He was really bringing up that matter. It was just a joke, but he didn't expect that his sister would still be unmarried.

Song Yunhan had been on guard against Duan Yulin for a long time. Seeing that he was a little angry and embarrassed, he ran away like a rabbit, and Duan Yulin was left alone.

"You bastard, you're running pretty fast. I can't kill you with my kicks if you don't have good eyesight!"

Everyone burst into laughter after hearing this. They liked to see the company commander get angry, and this noise made them more motivated to work.

Yue Qianli would naturally not forget the third company, but he couldn't do it too obviously, as others were watching;
During a reminiscing match with Duan Yulin, he was drunk by Duan Yulin at the table, and lost the arm wrestling match to the Third Company, where he was given two 40 rocket launchers (40 rockets), medicines worth more than a dozen gold bars, and the production method of the flying thunder cannon was also stolen, making him a laughing stock of the whole regiment.

Li Jie could roughly guess what was going on. They were all old brothers, so he saw through it but didn't say anything.
Aren’t the third company members from the first battalion?

Although he didn't know the use of the gasoline barrel gun and didn't think much of it (because of its short range and poor accuracy), he still kept it in mind and planned to build it immediately if it worked.

The next morning, the officers and soldiers of the Second Battalion were still digging fortifications without a trace, and almost became mud figures.

After a day and a night of earthwork, the Second Battalion's defensive fortifications began to take shape, but Yue Qianli was not satisfied and continued to urge loudly like Zhou Paopi:
"Hurry up, you guys! You're just dawdling like you didn't eat! At about 3 a.m., the Japanese opened fire on the Nationalist troops between Tiantongan Station and Yokohama Road!

They may open fire on us at any moment—"

"Chirp—"

The piercing sound of artillery shells breaking through the air made Yue Qianli's face change drastically. It was true that the Japs would arrive when they arrived!
"boom!"

A large-caliber shell landed in the defense zone of the 88th Division in Zhabei, instantly creating a huge crater. Yue Qianli cursed:

"That's a naval gun!"

Immediately, the anti-artillery whistle was blown, and the officers and soldiers of the Second Battalion dropped their work and swiftly hid in the anti-artillery cave built under the concrete building...

"Boom boom boom..."

"Boom boom boom..."

Rows of naval gun shells fell, and the Japs launched an attack brazenly, but they were still the first to strike.

(End of this chapter)