The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 415 They Really Can Withstand It (Two-in-One Chapter)

On the evening of the 6th, the fighting on the Nanning battlefield, which had lasted for thirteen or fourteen hours, finally came to a halt.

At the moment the battle came to a halt, countless Chinese and Japanese soldiers, whose tense spirits had been broken during the battle, collapsed to the ground as soon as they relaxed.

Today's long and fierce battle has exhausted their physical and mental strength.

This scene naturally fell into the eyes of Bai Jiansheng, Chen Xiuci, Li Jisheng, and Zhang Fakui, who were watching the battle from a fortified field fortification several miles outside the city.

They could bring their own soldiers to a state of exhaustion, but the soldiers seemed not to notice.

In particular, after Commander Bai put down his binoculars, he asked without turning his head, "So far, how many positions of the Japanese first line of defense have been captured?"

The premise of this question is based on the deployment map provided by Hu Biao and his team.

The Japanese army constructed two lines of defense, relying on the Yong River, the city walls, and the city's outskirts; the Nationalist army marked these two lines of defense on the map with multiple positions, making it easier to allocate them to various units for attack.

As soon as the voice fell, a major general-level senior advisor behind him immediately reported:

"Reporting to Commander Bai, the Japanese have captured 17 of the 36 positions on the first line of defense. At this rate, we should be able to take over the Japanese first line of defense by the morning of the 9th at the latest."

The Japanese second line of defense was significantly weaker in terms of both strength and troop deployment.

Optimistically speaking, we should be able to penetrate to the outskirts of the city and engage the Japanese in street fighting by the 12th.

While reporting these details, the major general's senior advisor remained relatively calm, even showing a hint of excitement. However, Commander Bai's next sentence immediately broke his composure:

"No! The speed is still too slow, and it's not putting enough pressure on the Japanese."

"I hereby order all units to rest for two hours before launching another attack on the enemy in front of them, engaging in night combat; the first line of Japanese defenses must be completely captured by 6 PM tomorrow."

Upon recalling some recently compiled and inferred data, the major general's senior advisor instinctively objected:
"Commander Bai, how about we let the brothers take a break, get a good night's rest, and fight again tomorrow during the day?"

Preliminary statistics show that, in just the fighting today, our troops have suffered over 5,000 casualties. If night fighting continues, wouldn't the casualties reach nearly 10,000 in a single day and night? This casualty figure is truly terrifying.

"Execute the order." Commander Bai didn't even bother to discuss it before issuing the order with a stern face.

"Tell the division and regimental commanders of the attacking forces that as long as this battle is won, even if they are all wiped out, they will be given priority to replenish their troops and equipment afterwards."

If this battle is lost, all officers will be held responsible.

Immediately afterwards, Chen Xiu added a sentence:
"Tell them that this battle is crucial and they should not have any negative thoughts about avoiding the battle, otherwise it will be difficult for everyone to save face when I send an inspection team up."

Good heavens! They even brought up something as ruthless as a "supervisory team."

Upon hearing this, the major general's senior advisor knew perfectly well that these officers had already gone all out.

However, it's understandable when you think about it. In order to recapture Nanning and restore the overseas supply lines, our side has already lost too many troops, equipment, and supplies.

If they ultimately fail to capture Nanning, even these bigwigs and officials will not be able to bear the enormous responsibility.

They could only bet their chips on the board like a gambler with bloodshot eyes.

Before shutting up and going to relay the order, he instinctively glanced at the setting sun outside the window. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that today's sunset was blood red...

Three hours later, it was completely dark.

In a valley northeast of Dadong Township, Andrei, a Russian military observer, circled a familiar yet unfamiliar tank, his eyes filled with doubt.

Familiar! That's the tank in front of us, a T-26 tank produced by the Russians.

Based on the Sino-Mauritian Non-Aggression Pact, the military aid provided by the Russians to the Nationalist government was delivered at the beginning of last year, totaling 83 vehicles.

As a military officer, he was naturally very familiar with all the data about this thing, and had even driven it himself more than once.

Puzzling! After the modification, there were some unfamiliar things on this thing.

For example, there were many more handles and hooks on the tank's outer shell; and there was an extra metal box at the rear, inside which was a telephone.

An iron frame was added to the turret, and a heavy machine gun capable of both high-altitude and low-altitude fire was mounted on the frame.

With all these additions, the tank, which he had once known, suddenly felt somewhat unfamiliar to him.

The key point is that after following the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment for so long, he had long since let go of his contempt for Hu Biao and his comrades, these self-taught individuals, and instead had quite a bit of respect for them.

Knowing that the modifications Hu Biao and his men had deliberately made must have a significant effect.

But he couldn't think of anything for the time being, and he started to feel quite anxious.

This continued until he saw Hu, Annie, and others, along with General Qiu Qingquan and a large group of people, walking over, chatting and laughing.

It would be extremely impolite to interrupt their conversation.

He stepped forward and hurriedly asked Hu Biao, "Hu, could you explain the rationale behind these modifications and what functions they serve?"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Qingquan asked without waiting for Hu Biao's reply:
"Brother Yitong! Tell me quickly."

"You always said it needed to be kept secret before, but now you can finally tell us, right? The brothers in the armored unit still want to learn a lot from you."

After considering that Andrei, this foreign devil, was quite good at keeping secrets after these days of getting to know him, at least he wouldn't reveal it to the Japanese, Hu Biao gave Annie a look.

Let Annie explain, since many of the modifications were suggested by her.

It's really strange! How can such a pretty girl know so much about military affairs?

Annie wasn't intimidated by such a small matter and immediately began to explain everything, starting by pointing to the hooks and handles and stating their ideas:

"The key to this battle was to use tanks, cavalry, and modified trucks to launch rapid assaults and break up the Japanese formation."

Maintaining high-speed maneuverability is the most crucial thing in this process.

However, if tanks are not accompanied by infantry, they will not only be destroyed by Japanese human bombs when they get close; but the tanks will also be closed up again as soon as they are opened.

If infantry were to follow tanks in a normal charge, it would greatly reduce their mobility.

Our solution was to have a large number of infantrymen ride on tanks and follow the assault.

Firstly, it can provide cover for the tanks; secondly, after breaking through the Japanese formation, it allows the accompanying infantry to quickly dismount and deploy defenses, preventing them from regrouping.

So these handles are for them to grip firmly, and the hooks are for attaching ropes to secure their bodies.

However, this approach also has a major drawback: it results in significant infantry casualties.

"I must say, this is a very good method." Andrei gave his evaluation on this point, and even inexplicably felt that this method was very suitable for their Russian family.

As for the fact that the infantry casualties were relatively high, it seemed to be no big deal to him at all.

After all, decades ago, Russian infantry were affectionately called "gray animals"; as long as they could win, a few more casualties wouldn't be a big problem.

Anne nodded, in response to Andrei's praise.

He then pointed to the telephone and the anti-aircraft machine gun and said, "As we all know, the T-26 tank does not have an onboard radio, so all command and communication can only be done using flag signals."

In the heat of battle, this method would cause great trouble and even increase the risk of casualties among the crew.

However, with vehicle-mounted infantry, no matter what happens, they can notify the crew immediately by phone, which greatly improves efficiency and safety.

Adding an anti-aircraft machine gun would serve one purpose: air defense. However, the key is to enhance firepower, as the T-26 tank's firepower is still somewhat lacking.

"A brilliant idea! I think the Russian tank forces must do this." Andrei's emotions grew increasingly agitated.

Because the Russians have a huge weakness in tank communications.

Vehicle-mounted radios are a thing of the past, not to mention now, even in the future, their prized T-34 tanks will only be equipped with a small number of them in the early stages.

Even with the later installation of numerous vehicle-mounted radios, the radio power was severely insufficient, often making it impossible to contact the rear.

Therefore, Anne's actions opened a huge door for Andrei, and the results were enormous.

After a moment's thought, he solemnly made a request to Hu Biao: "Hu! Once the battle begins, you must allow me to sit in a tank and participate in the entire battle."

Don't worry, I will explain this to my superiors in advance.

Even if I die in battle because of this, you will not bear any responsibility.

And you'll also gain gratitude from me and the Russians, because your tank tactics seem tailor-made for us Russians.”

Faced with this request, Annie couldn't help but complain inwardly. "What do you mean by 'tailor-made'? A bunch of fearless infantrymen sitting on tanks and charging together—isn't that a classic scene from the early stages of World War II for you Russians?"

"And this is just the beginning! I haven't even mentioned your Russian tank's signature 'steam roller tactic' yet."

It was precisely because of these tactics that the Russians were able to quickly summarize the reasons mentioned above during World War II, and Hu Biao readily agreed:

"Okay, as long as you're not afraid to die."

As for whether this promise will make the Russians stronger in tank tactics in the future and cause the Germans to suffer some great losses, that's none of their business.

After inspecting the armored vehicle unit, Hu Biao and his group set off again that night to check on the situation of the modified motor transport unit.

Later, we will visit the cavalry unit and accompany the infantry unit to take a look.

In short, like hamsters busily stockpiling food before the coming winter, they had to make every possible preparation before engaging the 18th Division...

******
At 00:12 on the 7th, unlike usual when Nanning would be deathly silent at this time, the faint sound of explosions broke the tranquility of the night.

Even now, the Nationalist army is still launching a continuous offensive.

Their relentless attack put significant pressure on the Japanese troops in the city, leading to a substantial reduction in curfews, patrols, and surveillance.

Thanks to this, and with Shen Zui's help, Uncle Bo finally evaded the Japanese surveillance and secretly arrived at the 'Sihai Restaurant'.

That is, at our party's stronghold in the city, we met Lao Tai, this time traveler companion.

Due to the time constraints, after a warm hug with Lao Tai, Uncle Bo didn't bother with further pleasantries and went straight to the point:

"Before I entered the city, Dead Pujie gave you a task."

That is, to take full action immediately after receiving the signal, and to achieve two objectives: first, to launch a pincer attack from both inside and outside the city, so that the troops outside the city can break in as soon as possible and eliminate the remaining Japanese soldiers in the city.

Secondly, it diverted the Japanese troops' attention, so that even if they wanted to massacre their compatriots in the city, they wouldn't have the energy or time.

"So, you guys can't do it, Lao Tai?"

To be honest, Old Tai is a true veteran of the PAL, having personally fought those ungrateful monkeys back in Laoshan.

Upon hearing Lao Tai's instructions, he blurted out, "I guarantee I'll complete the mission."

But after finishing speaking, he still said with some frustration:

"The Japanese devils are committing atrocities all over the city. Our compatriots hate them to death, which makes it easier for us to develop our manpower. Now we have more than 1200 people."

Many of them were men with a deep-seated hatred for the Japanese invaders, and they dared to fight the Japanese to the death even without weapons.

With their help, we should be able to complete the task assigned by Xiao Hu.

But they have absolutely no combat experience and need someone to command them. Unfortunately, Xiao Yu has been captured by the Japanese. Now, even though we know where he's being held, we have no power to rescue him. It's such a pity.

"Yes! It's a pity that the taciturn fellow died." Uncle Bo echoed with great emotion.

However, after agreeing with it, I felt something was off.

A crucial question blurted out: "Oh, you rescued Lao Yu? Didn't he try to commit suicide immediately after being captured by the Japanese?"

"Suicide? Xiao Yu definitely didn't commit suicide, he's still alive." Old Tai answered with unusual certainty.

He also explained, "Although we have no way to go to the Xiyuan Hotel, this is the Japanese command post, to rescue people."

However, in the past, they had also recruited several compatriots working inside as informants; they were usually responsible for hard labor such as disposing of corpses and cleaning.

The Japanese soldiers didn't know Xiao Yu's true identity. If he committed suicide, his body would definitely be dragged out and thrown away by his compatriots.

But even now, they haven't seen Xiao Yu's body, which only means he's still alive.

"Damn it! A silent person is better off dead."

Uncle Bo spoke with a sorrowful expression, his mind involuntarily conjuring up the image of poor Old Yu, suffering unbearable pain under the inhuman torture inflicted by the Japanese soldiers...

At the same time, also in Nanning, but in the room where Lao Yu was being held at the Xiyuan Hotel.

Uncle Bo was right; a tragedy was unfolding in this room at that very moment.

If you get close to the tightly closed gate, you can see a cracking sound of a whip followed by a scream filled with pain.

However, Uncle Bo would never guess that Old Yu, who was supposed to be being severely tortured, was currently whipping someone else—a Japanese girl in a kimono.

In a luxurious guest room, a sumptuous meal was laid out on the table, along with several kinds of fine wines, including sake, yellow wine, and red wine.

Ironically, it seems that only a small portion of the delicious food and wine has been consumed.

Despite being unbound, Old Yu wore a sinister grin and brandished a whip, repeatedly lashing out at a voluptuous Japanese woman.

Despite the brutal beating, the Japanese woman cried out in pain, then forced a fawning smile at Lao Yu, not daring to dodge.

This is the scene that would probably make Uncle Bo's brain shut down on the spot.

He decided to abandon his suicide attempt in order to attract the attention of the Japanese soldiers and save Chairman Yang and his daughter-in-law.

Under immense pressure, Lao Yu's mind raced at an unprecedented speed, and in a very short time, he came up with a method that would make the Japanese take him very seriously without revealing his identity.

He shouted at the Japanese captain who was about to pounce:

"Stop! I don't want you to establish a bacterial research and experimental base in Northeast China, the secret of the Kwantung Army's Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Headquarters."

If the fact that we secretly used biological weapons against the Russians during the Nomonhan Incident last year is exposed, then you should stop now.

Otherwise, this secret will soon be known to all the foreigners, and your reputation will be completely ruined.

Upon hearing this, the Japanese captain indeed stopped; for his name was Fujiyama Kazuo, and in addition to being a captain in the Fifth Army Military Police, he was also a member of the Ume Agency.

Even with his status, he only vaguely knew that the Empire was researching biological weapons, and knew nothing more about the details.

But this guy in front of him, whom he thought was just a nobody, actually knew more details and even seemed to have other accomplices and key evidence.

What does this represent, and what does it mean?
This means that the secrets belonging to the empire are about to be exposed, and once the foreigners find out, it will definitely cause huge trouble for the empire.

This means that if such secrets could be leaked, then are there high-ranking spies and traitors within the empire's upper echelons? This is what caught their attention.

Immediately, Fujiyama Kazuo, that Japanese devil, no longer cared about his methods against Chairman Yang and his daughter-in-law.

He hastily reported this situation to the Mei Agency's superiors via telegram; upon receiving this information, the superiors attached even more importance to it than Fujiyama Kazuo.

Since even he didn't know the relevant details, he could only continue to report it.

After working until dark, Fujiyama Kazuo received orders from his superiors to find out exactly where Lao Yu learned of this secret, and where his accomplices and evidence were.

Old Yu naturally knew the above information from data in the modern world, but these Japanese devils didn't.

Immediately, Fujiyama Kazuo prepared to torture Lao Yu, using all his best methods.

Just before the torture began, he casually asked, "There's a saying in China: 'A wise man submits to circumstances.' I hope you'll confess honestly, and you'll be rewarded with gold and beautiful women."

otherwise……"

Before the Japanese soldier could finish his objection, Old Yu spoke up: "Fine! But I'm hungry now. Prepare some good wine and food for me, and also arrange for a sexy old woman from an island nation. Let's see how sincere you are."

Remember! I don't want girls from island nations, don't try to fool me with Korean girls.

Upon hearing this, even Fujiyama Kazuo was somewhat taken aback.

Perhaps because Old Yu's pretense of being a coward was too convincing, the Japanese captain, almost by chance, made arrangements and decided to try to appease him first.

Then the scene described above, where Lao Yu is waving a whip and lashing the Japanese girl, unfolded.

In short, Lao Yu's approach is nothing more than dragging things out as long as possible, lying as much as possible, and only resorting to toughing it out when all else fails; if he can have some fun along the way, that would be even better.

What else? The torture methods used by the Japanese were truly terrifying to watch.

To his surprise, after he beat the Japanese girl, her eyes filled with tears; fortunately, he managed to hold on...

(End of this chapter)