Sword: Heart of Iron
Chapter 75 The Red Flag Remains Unbroken
Chapter 75 The Red Flag Remains Unbroken
sunset.
Zhang Dabiao panted heavily, barely supporting himself on his legs. "Captain, a company of Kuomintang troops has come and wants us to retreat back to the hillside."
Li Yunlong was covered in blood and felt dizzy. He turned around and looked around.
Half of the remaining 800 soldiers of the New 1st Regiment were killed in just half an hour. If the fighting continued, the entire army would be wiped out.
"withdraw!"
The third company of the third battalion appeared in time and temporarily saved the situation.
In order to ensure that everything would go smoothly, Wang Feng gritted his teeth and deployed the fire support company of the third battalion in the direction of the new first regiment.
The battle situation was urgent and the soldiers had no time to build machine gun positions, so they directly found a flat area to set up light and heavy machine guns.
With the cover of firepower, the new regiment extricated itself from the hand-to-hand combat.
The Japanese troops were chasing them relentlessly.
"Kill him!"
The Japanese commander drew his saber, with the blade pointed diagonally at the top of the slope, and the two sides began a fierce battle to capture the position.
Inside the command post.
Wang Feng was always observing the movements of the Japanese army, and the war situation was developing in the expected direction.
The Japanese army suffered repeated setbacks in counterattacks and moved their positions after paying a considerable price. They crossed a valley with a straight-line distance of 200 meters and a drop of more than ten meters and gained a foothold on a high ground. The two sides fought for the ridge road.
Wang Feng frowned.
Zhao Fangyuan noticed something was wrong and said, "Sir, the situation on the front line is at a stalemate. If this continues, the battalion can hold out for at least two days."
"It's the Second Battalion"
Wang Feng hesitated for a moment and asked: "How many shells does the mountain artillery battalion have?"
Zhao Fangyuan: "There are still nearly two-thirds left!"
Wang Feng: "Move the mountain artillery position, pay attention to concealment, and concentrate the superior artillery fire on the second battalion."
"The Japanese suddenly changed their tactics. It's obvious that they changed their commander in chief."
Military command is very similar to medicine. It is an empirical discipline. Theoretical knowledge is important, but if you want to grow, you must go through actual combat.
The command style is the tone set through many actual combat operations and is difficult to change.
There are only a handful of generals in history whose command styles vary.
"Order the heavy artillery battalion to enter combat readiness!"
After saying that, he began to conduct a carpet search of Donghui Town on the bird's-eye view.
The four Type 91 howitzers have always been Wang Feng's most valuable treasures. The mountain artillery battalion can move to a new location after firing a few rounds, but the heavy artillery battalion cannot do that.
Moreover, the target was large and easily discovered by Japanese planes, so there were not many opportunities to take action.
It is equivalent to a one-time ultimate move, good steel must be used on the blade!
hum!
In the overlooking interface, a series of abrupt small red dots moved at high speed, instantly attracting Wang Feng's attention and interrupting the search of Donghui Town.
Use your mind to zoom in.
Eight Type 97 heavy bombers, under the cover of more than ten fighter planes, flew through the air and attacked the first battalion at high speed.
This scale is at least a bomber squadron!
Wang Feng cursed inwardly: "Little Japanese son of a bitch!"
There were a few fighter planes hovering over the first battalion before, but they were all small-scale operations and only dropped a small number of aerial bombs.
Like a fly buzzing in your ear, not very threatening, but annoying.
But professional bombers are different. Eight Type 97 heavy bombers and a dozen fighter jets carrying aerial bombs look like they can flatten the entire hillside.
The more anxious the Japanese are, the more it shows the importance of the Kashiwagijing area.
Wang Feng turned his head and called the messenger: "Send a telegram to the first battalion, pay attention to hiding! The Japanese bombers are coming!"
The messenger responded and quickly ran out of the command post.
Wang Feng didn't know if this would work. Not to mention the entire North China Battle Group, even the entire Chinese army generally lacked air defense weapons.
Ordinary anti-aircraft machine guns can only barely deal with diving low-altitude fighter jets, and when faced with high-altitude bombers, they can only surrender.
The killing efficiency of anti-aircraft guns is ridiculously low.
The best way to deal with bombers is to seize braking power and block the airspace with fighter jets.
The few Hawk fighters that the Jin Air Force had were all lost at the beginning of the war.
On the first battalion's position.
The gunfire from both sides stopped. Zhang Hu lay in the trench and observed the movements of the Japanese army with a telescope.
A battalion commander was lying on the side, and asked curiously, "Captain, what did you see?"
Zhang Hu put down the binoculars, looking puzzled: "What is this little Japanese doing? They were right in front of us, and they just retreated like that?"
The battalion commander recalled something and his expression changed drastically: "Captain!"
"Are the Japs going to release poison gas?"
Zhang Hu thought for a moment, then denied the guess: "No!"
"We are behind the wind, and there is only a 200-meter gap between us and the enemy's position. These bastards can't be so stupid."
"Besides, if you're not afraid of artillery shells, why would you be afraid of poison gas?"
Inside the trench, Zhang Hu laughed and joked.
In the early stages of the war, the Japanese army's poison gas warfare was very restrained. They did not use the so-called "red gas" or "mustard gas", but only used tear gas and other types of bombs.
Compared with the first two types, tear gas can cause great harm to the human body, but fortunately it is not fatal.
The signalman came running over: "Commander, there's an urgent message from the command post!"
The two stopped talking, Zhang Hu took the telegram and looked it up and down.
A battalion commander poked his head out and asked anxiously, "Commander, what instructions did the higher-ups give?"
"Have the reinforcements arrived?"
Zhang Hu's face suddenly froze as he read the words above. He quickly stood up and said, "Notify all companies to avoid the bombing!"
"quick!"
The battalion commander was suddenly startled and ran into the trench without even having time to confirm the telegram information.
"Everyone get up! Everyone get up!"
"Hide! Anyone who can lie down should lie down! Don't show your head."
Since most of the weapons and equipment of the regiment were captured, the position deployment and firepower configuration were also modeled after the Japanese army.
The formation was relatively dispersed, and many small foxholes were dug around the main trench.
hum!
Zhang Hu raised his head and looked towards the sky in the northeast.
With his back to the setting sun, he crossed his legs and squinted his eyes to see it very clearly.
The dense black dots gradually enlarged in my eyes, and the roar of the engine came to my ears.
Zhang Hu gnashed his teeth and slammed his foot on the sandbag: "Damn little Japanese, so damn arrogant!"
I recalled something Sergei once said.
"China is simply a paradise for Japanese air forces. With absolute air superiority, even large bombers dare to act alone. Since the Nationalist troops lack effective air defense firepower, Japanese fighter planes are even more unscrupulous, and every time they carry out a mission, they fly at the minimum safe altitude limit."
"I will beat you all down sooner or later."
When turning to enter the bunker, Zhang Hu raised the telescope and took note of the Japanese position.
Infantry is the core of the battlefield. Whether it is aerial bombardment or long-range artillery bombardment, they are all paving the way for the infantry's advancement.
as predicted.
Through the telescope, Zhang Hu could clearly see the Japanese positions.
A big Japanese soldier gathered two or three hundred small Japanese soldiers, and they were chattering about something.
The Japanese soldiers took off their helmets and put on headbands with the Rising Sun flag painted on them. Their deafening roar reached the sky. Even though they were more than 200 meters away, Zhang Hu could still hear it faintly.
"This is fucking insane."
Zhang Hu is very familiar with this process.
During the battle of Nanhuaihua Village, the Japanese soldiers were also dressed like this. They seemed to be immortal in hand-to-hand combat. They could still drag their bodies and walk even after being stabbed twice.
hum!
The roar of the engine cut through the sky, and the sound in his ears became louder and louder. Zhang Hu quickly retreated into the shelter.
At the last moment, he looked around the positions.
After making sure that the soldiers were adequately prepared, he considered his own safety.
Three minutes later, a group of bombers flew over at low altitude, and more than 20 fighter planes covered the sky above the position like dark clouds.
The bomb bay door opened.
One aerial bomb after another fell straight down, and the landing point was very precise. In an instant, the position was engulfed by flames and raised yellow sand.
The shock wave generated by the explosion caused the ground to shake violently.
The narrow underground bunker could only accommodate five or six soldiers. There was no communication between them, and even if someone spoke, no one could hear clearly.
Apart from the continuous explosions, the only thing in my ears was the buzzing sound caused by the damaged eardrum.
The soldiers covered their ears and swallowed the air in big gulps.
This type of shelter can protect against flying shrapnel, but it is not 100% reliable. If a heavy bomb hits the shelter directly, or a bomb explodes nearby, the violent shock wave will shatter the soldier's lungs or cause the entire shelter to collapse.
The large-scale bombing lasted for a while, but the surviving soldiers in the bunker felt like the days were passing by like years.
The surviving soldiers were pale and struggled to climb out of the bunker. Zhang Hu felt dizzy and almost fell to the ground after taking two steps forward.
"Cough cough."
Zhang Hu coughed violently. The feeling of yellow sand entering his nose and throat was really uncomfortable.
The smell of gunpowder mixed with blood filled the air, and every breath choked my throat.
"Captain Yiyi?"
"If anyone is still alive, make some noise!"
Zhang Hu sat slumped in a foxhole, holding his forehead and speaking weakly.
"Captain, the commander of the first battalion was killed."
A soft voice came from somewhere.
Zhang Hu didn't care to be sad. He had experienced so many wars that he was numb to death.
It's nothing strange. Who knows, one day the King of Hell might get unhappy and take him away.
Who can say for sure about this kind of thing?
Zhang Hu gritted his teeth and held on to his body, roaring on the battlefield: "Hurry up, move as fast as you can, and prepare for battle!"
"Everyone, lend a hand and see if there is anyone alive!"
The position was bombed into ruins, trenches collapsed on a large scale, and even the sand underfoot felt much softer.
The soldiers who regained consciousness made full use of everything they had. Those who had no weapons dug with their hands, racing against time to rescue their comrades who might still be breathing but were buried under the yellow sand.
"Captain, look!"
"The devils are coming!"
Zhang Hu turned his head suddenly, and he didn't know where the telescope was lost. He could only observe the enemy situation with his naked eyes.
Not far away, the Japanese army was seen forming an attack formation, crossing the ravine and slowly moving towards their position.
Zhang Hu's heart trembled: "Bayonet!"
"Go on the bayonet!"
Looking around, some soldiers have regained consciousness and are working very efficiently.
Most of the soldiers had dull eyes, faces full of fear and helplessness. Their hands holding the shovels were shaking constantly as they shoveled the soil, and their hearts were completely filled with fear.
When they heard the news that the Japanese were attacking, they even showed signs of wanting to escape.
Although the bombers have flown away, the impact they caused continues.
Morale collapsed in the army.
despair
Having lost air superiority and lacking anti-aircraft firepower, every soldier felt a deep sense of powerlessness in the face of Japanese bombers.
Can this war really be won?
The lamb to be slaughtered can at least struggle a bit, but the soldiers on the ground can never threaten the fighter planes in the air.
Zhang Hu was anxious and looked back at the Japanese soldiers who were walking slowly towards him.
Two hundred meters is a very short distance. In the blink of an eye, the Japanese soldiers walking in the front had stepped out of the valley and were only fifty meters away from the front line.
The Japanese army was in a low position and could not see the situation in the trenches. Seeing that they had not encountered any resistance all the way to this point, they could not help but feel secretly happy.
"Souga! All the Chinese soldiers are dead!"
"Yoshi,"
The Japanese soldiers stepped onto the trench with smiles on their faces, and the next second Zhang Hu's bayonet stabbed at them.
It directly pierced through the thigh of a Japanese soldier.
Blood splattered on his face, and Zhang Hu's dizziness instantly made him clear-headed.
The soldiers who still had the will to fight stood up and fought a desperate battle with the Japanese invaders on the front line.
The Japanese army jumped into the trenches, and the soldiers on the verge of collapse immediately retreated.
Zhang Hu pulled the bayonet out of the Japanese soldier's body and ran quickly to the front command post.
"Send a message to the commander!"
On the way, he stepped on a military flag.
It is a group flag.
The military flag that he once treasured was now lying casually on the ground. There were several large holes on the flag, and the shape of the blue sky and white sun could no longer be seen.
There were several large pieces of torn military uniforms scattered around, with some flesh and blood still stuck to them.
It should be that during the bombing, a soldier wanted to pull out the military flag, but unfortunately it was blown into pieces by an aerial bomb.
The flagpole is buried in the soil and is relatively intact.
At the critical moment, Zhang Hu remembered the red flag that Li Yunlong gave him before the war.
I originally planned to find a good tailor to make two big red quilts.
Thinking of this, Zhang Hu quickly ran into the command center.
His hands turned into shovels and he found the red flag from the loess.
During this period, he also dug out the body of a battalion commander. His blood seeped through the soil and stained the red flag with a brighter color.
Zhang Hu rushed out of the forward command post and neatly strung the red flag on the flagpole.
Then he exerted force with his arms and thrust them directly into the soft soil.
The breeze blew, the sun set, and the red flag fluttered gently.
The flag is the spirit of an army. As long as the flag stands, the army will have a breath!
This place is less than 200 meters away from the people fighting in the front trenches.
Zhang Hu picked up the rifle, pulled the bolt, and fired a shot into the air.
Sudden gunshots rang out throughout the battlefield.
Instantly attracted the attention of countless people.
The defeated soldiers raised their heads and looked at the red flag fluttering in the wind. The person standing below was the regiment commander who ate and lived with them.
The Japanese army also noticed Zhang Hu.
"idiot!"
"shooting!"
The Japanese soldiers pulled the bolts of their guns one after another, trying to aim and shoot.
The soldiers nearby rushed over and grappled with him.
"Quick! Protect the leader!"
"I'm going to fight you guys!"
Bullets flew by him, but Zhang Hu showed no fear at all, and said in a loud voice: "Brothers!"
"If you are still Chinese, pick up your guns and fight the devils!"
"Why should we be afraid of airplanes? Didn't our brother troops shoot down more than 20 airplanes in the Battle of Yangmingbao?"
"Everyone charge back. If anyone is to die, I, Zhang Hu, will be the first to die!"
The defeated soldiers stopped where they were, feeling extremely conflicted.
Looking back, the brothers who used to eat from the same pot are still fighting against the Japanese. Even the regiment commander, such a high-ranking official, is standing at the highest position risking his life.
Died on the battlefield is a martyr, but gone like this is shameful.
A general should be prepared to die, and a soldier should not be greedy for life!
Some of the fleeing soldiers hesitated for a moment, picking up rifles, or even scattered stones and sticks from the ground.
Turn around and rush back to the battlefield.
Emotions are contagious, and as long as someone sets an example, morale will visibly rise.
The defeated soldiers returned to the battlefield one after another.
Watching the troops reorganize effective resistance, Zhang Hu breathed a sigh of relief and slumped down behind the bunker.
He covered his right shoulder with his left hand, and blood oozed out.
"It hurts so much."
Zhang Hu had cold sweat on his forehead. Just when he was boosting morale, a stray bullet hit him in the right shoulder.
He knew very well how dangerous the action just now was.
Fortunately, the hit was on the right shoulder. If it was one or two inches lower, it would have directly destroyed the right lung.
But he had no choice.
When morale collapses in times of crisis, he, as the regiment commander, must step up.
The officers were afraid of death and still expected their soldiers to fight the Japanese invaders to the death.
Isn't that a dream?
Just as we said at the Tuanchengkou position, anyone can die on the battlefield, but you must never bend your back.
Once it bends, it can never be straightened again.
Zhao Fangyuan hurried over, and Wang Feng saw the situation on the first battalion’s position clearly in the command post.
Zhang Hu pried up his eyelids and said, "Old Zhao? Why are you here?"
Zhao Fangyuan checked the wound on his right shoulder and said, "The commander received the message and asked me to bring the guard company to support us."
"How are you hurt?"
Zhang Hu smiled and said, "I won't die."
"The head of the group is not a rare official."
"There are so many group leaders who die every day in the country that I can't even count them on one hand. One more person like me won't be a big deal."
(End of this chapter)
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