The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 367 Helplessness (Two-part chapter combined)

...Some time after the war, I remember a foreign journalist asking me a rather strange question: "What impressed me most about the defense of Gaofeng Pass?"

My response at the time was the bald principal's selfless care and the officers' decisive command.

It was the brothers' heroic fighting against the enemy, the strong support of the villagers in the Guinan region, and the viciousness of the Japanese devils that made it possible.

Actually, that's not the case! What I remember most vividly is that during that period, the sky above Gaofeng Pass was always black.

The night sky is naturally black.

During the day, we constantly burn large amounts of damp wood, producing thick black smoke that rises up and completely obscures the sky above.

The rising smoke was used either to prevent Japanese planes from accurately strafing and bombing, or to prevent Japanese reconnaissance planes from spying on them.

Even so, every time we faced the Japanese planes ravaging overhead, we felt extremely helpless and powerless.

Those who haven't experienced this can never imagine the emotion and ecstasy I felt when my companions and I heard that Lao Shi had easily defeated his opponent 181 kilometers away after returning to the modern world.

I can hardly believe it, fearing it's all just a beautiful dream...

...Excerpt from Hu Biao's diary collection "Hu Shuo"...

Time: 10:47 AM on November 26, 11.

When the piercing warning of "Airplanes, Japanese planes are coming!" rang in his ears, Black Star showed not a trace of extra tension on his face.

As a veteran who participated in the Battle of Shanghai and the series of battles at places like Yunzaobang and Dunwu Temple.

He was already familiar with the Japanese tactic of sending in aircraft to bomb after suffering losses in infantry.

As soon as they finished cleaning up the battlefield and returned to their hilltop positions, they selected a group of brothers with the best eyesight to guard the area with the captured Japanese binoculars.

Once the Japanese planes are detected approaching, the above-mentioned warning sound will be emitted immediately.

In short, he believed that as long as they were not caught off guard by Japanese planes, they were not so afraid of Japanese air raids, given the various preparations they had made on the front lines.

With this thought in mind, Black Star lazily stood up on the front line of the main position and looked in the direction from which the Japanese planes were flying.

At the same time, he prepared to shout out a series of orders: "Immediately light the fire, release thick smoke, and everyone get into the air-raid shelter."

The reason it was Black Star who issued the order, rather than Hu Biao, was because the entire defensive fortification complex at Gaofeng Pass was under specific division of labor within the transmigrator team.

Xiao Henan and Lao Ma, the two of them, led a company to guard the small hill on the left; Lao Yu, along with the newbie guard, led a company to guard the small hill on the right.

On the most crucial main battlefield, Black Star led four rookies: Lao San, Lao K, Da Shou, and Lao Qian.

They were both commanding a company of soldiers, responsible for defending the first and second lines of defense.

Uncle Bo and the warehouse manager were also on the front lines, but they each led a squad of brothers, acting as snipers.

Under normal circumstances, they do not interfere with the command of the battle.

Hu Biao, Annie, Mina, AT, and the other two brothers served as a reserve team, ready to provide support as needed.

Xiao Cui, along with Lao Tai who was just there to make up the numbers, served as medics and ambulances.

As for Mo Shuiyan, this guy couldn't even participate in the battle. He made all the planned equipment, which was the biggest contribution to this time travel.

When Kuroshi, who was in charge of the first and second lines of defense of the main position, saw the scale of the incoming Japanese planes, he was immediately terrified.

All the composure he had maintained vanished in an instant.

The reason was simple: he was used to seeing Japanese planes attacking, but this was the first time he had ever seen thirty or forty planes flying towards his position at the same time.

A larger number of attacking aircraft naturally indicates a higher intensity of airstrikes and a more serious threat to them.

To be honest, he wasn't very confident that the original preparations could withstand this level of air raid.

"Damn it! Those usually stingy Japanese have actually sent out so many planes this time. They're not planning on coming here again."

Looking at the dense formation of aircraft in the distance, I silently made a comment in my mind.

Then, Black Star lost all his previous composure and, as if his pants were on fire, shouted out the order he had prepared earlier: "Immediately set fire and release thick smoke. Everyone, get into the bomb shelter."

However, his tone revealed a great deal of haste and panic...

As the loud explosions gradually faded, a faint command, "The Japanese are coming! Come out and prepare for battle!" reached my buzzing head.

The new recruit, a thug, was so moved he almost cried.

Because this means that the bombing by the Japanese planes has finally ended, and those damned things have finally flown away.

So, ever since he chopped off a Japanese soldier's head with a machete during a chase and carried it along the way, the thug felt incredibly brave.

Having already experienced such brutal scenes, what on the battlefield could possibly frighten him?

As a result, he was immediately proven wrong after the Japanese air raid.

Even though they were hiding in this anti-artillery bunker, and knew that all the anti-artillery bunkers were reinforced with a lot of logs and had at least 70 or 80 centimeters of soil on top as a buffer, they were still able to hide there.

As long as you are not directly hit by a 25-kilogram bomb from the Japanese, there will be no danger at all.

Before the Japanese planes arrived, they had already lit several bonfires on the position.

The branches were all soaked in kerosene and water, and when lit, they immediately emitted thick black smoke that swirled in the air above the position.

Under such circumstances, Japanese pilots had difficulty seeing the details on the battlefield and were unable to drop bombs accurately.

The problem is, knowing this is one thing, but after actually crouching down in this artillery shelter...

The mud and sand above their heads rained down relentlessly, and the terrifying explosions made their heads buzz. The feeling that the earth, and even the whole world, was shaking made the thugs feel that death was so close.

It gave him the illusion that the bunker he was in might collapse at any moment, burying him alive.

This agonizing wait to die made him wish he were dead.

Fortunately, that ordeal is finally over.

After receiving the order to prepare for battle, he grabbed a Type 38 rifle that he had captured from the Japanese but which was not yet fitted with a bayonet, and a bench, and rushed out of the artillery shelter.

After quickly taking in the situation outside, the thug was completely dumbfounded.

Not only had the bombing lasted for an unknown period of time, perhaps an hour or two, or perhaps only ten minutes, the position he had personally led people to dig and build, which he knew so well, changed drastically.

Everywhere there were shell craters and collapses, and a once intact trench was now in ruins, as if it had been chewed up by a dog.

More importantly, the sound of Japanese plane engines could be heard above the black smoke overhead, indicating that these deadly things had not left at all.

Like vultures symbolizing death, they constantly circled above the position, ready to swoop down and bring them to their deaths at any moment.

So here's the question: How do you fight a battle with planes overhead and Japanese soldiers in front of your position?
The thugs quickly came up with an answer to this question: fight with their lives on the line.

Just as the thug was completely stunned, someone suddenly kicked him in the back, making him stagger and bringing him back to his senses.

Looking back, I saw that Black Star looked as if he had just crawled out of the ground, his whole body covered in dust and dirt.

The moment he turned his head, Black Star cursed, "What are you spacing out for? Get ready for battle!"

Once they realized what was happening, the thugs hurriedly put down the bench they were carrying, stood on it, and lay prone on the still-hot trench, gun in hand.

Only then did he realize that the Japanese soldiers had already rushed to within 200 meters of the position.

Looking around, one could see small groups of Japanese soldiers everywhere, at least two companies in total; further down, several heavy machine guns were firing to suppress the enemy, bullets whizzing through the air above the positions. The hilltop positions on the left and right flanks each had roughly a company of soldiers deployed.

They seemed poised to take advantage of their weakness and kill them.

On instinct, the thug aimed at a Japanese soldier and prepared to fire; even though he only learned how to fire a gun after crossing over, he had only fired 10 bullets and was not at all sure if he could hit a target that far away.

But we can't not fight, what else can we do?

At a distance of 200 meters, the Japanese could reach it in half a minute at most.

At that very moment, almost simultaneously, Black Star roared an order: "Attention everyone, bring the Japanese within thirty meters before firing!"

Only when we mingled with the Japanese would the planes in the sky dare not strafe us indiscriminately.

The henchmen naturally understood the simple principle that by associating with the Japanese, they would make the Japanese planes hesitate to swoop down and attack.

What he didn't understand was that if the Japanese soldiers were placed only 30 meters in front of the position, they could rush up in just a few seconds once they started moving. What would happen if the position was breached then?

******
With a 'bang,' Old Qian fired a bullet, hitting a Japanese private first class right in the forehead; shot in such a vital spot, the Japanese soldier was killed without uttering a sound.

However, this does not mean that Lao Qian's marksmanship is excellent.

In the modern world, Lao Qian is just an ordinary office worker, an unremarkable middle-aged man, and he's using a bolt-action rifle with amazing recoil. How accurate could his aim be?
The key to allowing him to hit a vital spot was that the Japanese soldiers had already rushed to the front of the position, only twelve or thirteen meters away.

At such a distance, it's very difficult to miss.

Because the Japanese soldiers had already charged to such a distance, after killing one of them, Old Qian felt no joy whatsoever; only one thought remained in his mind:
Fire! Keep firing! We absolutely cannot let the Japanese get onto the position.

Otherwise, if I can't be resurrected after I die, wouldn't the house I just paid off in the modern world be given to another man?

However, after he hurriedly pulled back the bolt, he discovered that the magazine was empty. Immediately, Old Qian cursed, "Damn it!"

You should know that he had an extra thought when choosing weapons.

Unlike the thugs, guards, and Old K, who all chose a Japanese Type 38 rifle, he exchanged it with a former Guangxi Army comrade for an English Type 77.

That is, the famous British, the Indians of the next century, and the Lee-Enfield rifles used by the police.

According to his understanding, this thing uses a double-stack magazine that can hold 10 bullets at a time, which is half again as many as the Type 38 rifle, thus reducing the reloading time in critical battles.

Unexpectedly, even with 10 bullets, it seemed like they were used up in a short while during the intense battle.

Frustrated, he had no choice but to reach into the ammunition box at his waist with his right hand, pull out a five-round magazine, and laboriously push it into the opened chamber.

He had just loaded five bullets, but before Old Qian could load another five, he was already finished.

Sensing a dark shadow rapidly approaching him, he looked up abruptly and instantly saw a Japanese soldier charging towards him with a bayonet.

The gleaming blade was now less than a meter away from his face.

The middle-aged man's mind went blank at that moment, and he reacted entirely on the instinct for survival.

He slightly raised his right foot and pushed off the trench wall with all his might; using this movement, he fell backward, dodging the deadly bayonet.

The next second, his back slammed into the ground of the trench, onto a rock hidden in the loose soil.

The pain, like his heart was about to stop, contorted his face; but even so, he lay on the ground and pulled the bolt as fast as he could, loading a bullet into his rifle.

There was no other way! After the Japanese soldier rushed to the edge of the trench, he instinctively stopped and pulled the bolt of his rifle.

The current situation between the two is essentially a contest of who has the faster hand speed and who can fire first. Whoever can kill the opponent and survive will at least live a little longer.

Lucky him! Thanks to his lightning-fast reflexes from being single for over thirty years, Old Qian got the first shot.

A shot landed on the Japanese soldier's chest, causing him to fall headfirst into the trench with a look of resentment on his face; a large cloud of dust rose up, and he could never get up again.

Unfortunately, or perhaps incredibly lucky! Because when that Japanese soldier was shot, he had already loaded the gun.

Before falling into the trench after being shot in the chest, he stubbornly pulled the trigger, firing a bullet at Lao Qian.

Fortunately, the Japanese soldier's last shot was not very accurate; it didn't actually hit Old Qian lying on the ground, but only struck the ground between his unconsciously spread legs.

The bullet landed only three to five centimeters away from Lao Qian's groin.

Even the mud and sand kicked up by the bullets hit Lao Qian's taut crotch, causing a dull ache.

Good heavens! No normal man could stand such a situation. When Lao Qian realized what was happening, he was almost scared to death.

This thing was already a bit unruly; if we fired another shot, wouldn't the sky just fall down?

Unfortunately, even though he was lucky enough to dodge the fatal shot, in the time that followed, Old Qian was still shaken and didn't even have a moment to breathe a sigh of relief.

Before he could pull the bolt again, two Japanese soldiers in khaki uniforms jumped down from his fighting position, bayonets at their sides.

After hurriedly getting up from the ground, Old Qian didn't even have time to attach his bayonet.

He swung the butt of his rifle and smashed it into the head of one of the Japanese soldiers who had not yet fully regained his balance; in an instant, the soldier fell backward like a wooden stake without uttering a sound.

Then, before he could continue swinging the rifle butt, he smashed it at another Japanese soldier.
The Japanese soldier had regained his balance. Fortunately, the two were only about 60 or 70 centimeters apart, and the bayonet in the soldier's hand, which was like a spear mounted on a rifle, was not very effective.

So the Japanese soldier threw down his rifle and punched Old Qian in the left eye socket.

Amidst the flying stars in his head, Old Qian was not to be outdone. He also threw down his rifle and delivered a hook punch to the Japanese soldier's chin, causing him to let out a muffled groan of pain.

And so, the two began to fight like wild beasts.

What happened to Lao Qian was just a microcosm of the situation of all the defenders on the front line.

This was just a single company of 120 or 130 defensive troops, yet they managed to keep two full-strength companies of Japanese soldiers, nearly 400 men, within 30 meters of the position before opening fire.

It's not surprising at all that the Japanese soldiers, disregarding casualties, forcibly stormed the position.

It is quite natural to see scenes of guns firing almost face-to-face, with soldiers fighting each other in the trenches.

It is worth noting that this can happen even without any prior communication.

When Black Star issued the order to "bring the Japanese within 30 meters before firing," the defenders on the front line did not immediately open fire.

Thanks to the excellent teamwork among the team members, Hu Biao, AT, Annie, and others on the three fronts have already figured out Black Star's plans and tactics.

"Boss lady, sister-in-law, you two continue to keep watch here."

Hu Biao first gave a quick instruction to Annie and Mina, then drew a pistol with his left hand and held a large knife in his right.

At the same time, AT shouted, "Assault team, come with us!"

The so-called assault team was a group of more than two hundred people carefully selected by Hu Biao and his men. They were equipped with machine guns if possible, and pistols if they didn't have machine guns. They also had a large knife or a machete, making them a mobile force suitable for close combat.

Just as Black Star and Lao San were locked in fierce combat with the Japanese on the front lines, Hu Biao and his fresh force of over two hundred men fiercely charged in and joined the battle.

In the midst of this incredibly bloody battle, Japanese planes took turns diving down.

However, faced with the indistinguishable battle groups below, they were simply unable to strafe or drop bombs; they could only fly over the positions and then helplessly regain altitude.

During this process, the roar of the aircraft's engines and the strong airflow generated by the fuselage were present.

This made the bloody battle between the two sides on the front lines appear even more intense and brutal...

(End of this chapter)