Moreover, the tire tracks on the ground were densely packed and intertwined. It seemed that many cars had driven here. However, only one track mark was found, and judging from the depth, it was not a tank, but an armored vehicle.

At the rear division headquarters, Ha Feng'a heard the report on the phone and bit his cigarette hard:

"Order the first regiment to arrange for the reconnaissance troops to move forward. The first and second regiments will immediately follow through the woods. The mountain artillery battalion will also follow me!"

After hanging up the phone, Hafeng'a gritted his teeth and said:

"I knew that was the case! ... So, where are all the tanks of the People's Guard?"

…

On the Yuhuatai, Xiang Xiaoqiang was staring at the map in the meditation room. Suddenly, a thunderous sound of artillery came from the distance in the south. The sound was not very loud, and it seemed to be a mountain artillery. According to the account of the prisoners captured from the Qing army's reconnaissance camp

, the main artillery carried by the Sixth Division of the Eight Banners this time is the 75mm mountain gun.

There was also a clear sound of artillery among the mountain artillery. It should be the Ming army in the outer Qinhuai River position fighting back. This was the sound of medium-caliber mortars.

Xiang Xiaoqiang looked at the pocket watch on the table. It was now four-thirty, half an hour away from the scheduled main attack at five o'clock.

It will start to light up after half past five. It's still a bit early now, so we still have to hold on here for a while. If Rommel's side launches now, then the main battle will be carried out in the dark, which is too difficult for the armored group.

Not good.

At this time, the communications troops came to report that the leading troops of the Qing army had launched fire contact with our army along the Qinhuai River outside.

He nodded to Xiaoqiang, looked at his watch again, and ordered:

"Order the heavy artillery position to fire at the predetermined area."

"yes!"

The communications soldier saluted and ran out. After a while, dense muffled sounds came from the distance on the left and right sides. A moment later, explosions of different distances came from the south. It seemed that the earth was shaking here.

Fired at Xiaoqiang's heavy artillery positions deployed on both sides of Yuhuatai.

The shells of 36 105mm howitzers and 12 150mm howitzers screamed in the air and rushed toward the Qing army assembly area south of the Qinhuai River.

However, although the heavy artillery is powerful, after all, there are only a few dozen, and it has to cover an area of ​​25 square kilometers, so its lethality is really limited. If there is no heavy fog and it is daytime, aircraft can be sent to observe and guide the artillery strike, so that the artillery shells can be concentrated

The gathering place of the Qing army. Even if no planes are sent, it can be seen very far from the Yuhuatai.

At this time, the communications soldier asked Xiang Xiaoqiang to answer the phone. Xiang Xiaoqiang went to the meditation room next door and picked up the phone. It turned out to be a call from the Chief of Army General Staff in the Purple Mountain Fortress. The fort on the top of the Zijin Mountain observed a large flash of light in the southern area. The General Staff

The commander called specifically to confirm whether it was our side or the Qing army that fired the artillery.

Xiang Xiaoqiang immediately confirmed that this was the heavy artillery position of the People's Guard and opened fire on the Qing army assembly area. Xiang Xiaoqiang suddenly thought of an idea and asked with the mentality of giving it a try:

"Chief of Staff, our artillery is currently too few, the area that needs to be bombarded is too large, and its vitality is too weak. We may not be able to kill the Qing captives enough before the tank attacks. Can the headquarters order the artillery group on the Yangtze River defense line to turn the artillery?

To help bombard this area?"

The Army Chief of Staff hesitated and said:

"I'm afraid not. The battle on the Yangtze River defense line is tense. But please wait a moment and I can help you ask."

After a while, he came back and told Xiang Xiaoqiang that it was unrealistic to mobilize the Yangtze River defense line artillery group to participate in the bombardment. Firstly, the war was tight, and the artillery there had to bombard the other side of the river with all its strength. Secondly, the artillery on the defense line were all installed in fortifications.

The shooting range is towards the other side of the river, and it is impossible to turn around and shoot back. As for those all-steel turrets that can rotate 360 ​​degrees, the caliber is too small and the range is not enough.

Xiang Xiaoqiang put down the phone helplessly. It seemed that the casualties of the armored forces would be greater after a while. The sparse shells at the moment were like scratching an itch.

The phone rang suddenly again. Xiang Xiaoqiang grabbed the phone and heard Zhu Yourong's voice:

"Xiang Qing! Xiang Qing, do you want a cannon?"

Xiang Xiaoqiang was surprised that Zhu Yourong was still awake! It seemed that she was also excited tonight. Zhu Yourong's voice was indeed very excited, and she asked anxiously:

"Xiang Qing, how many cannons do you want?"

Zhu Yourong called herself "Xiang Qing", so the fight should have been in the Central Command Hall. She was generally unwilling to call herself "Xiang Teacher" in front of the civil and military ministers. But when she asked, did she have a cannon?

Xiang Xiaoqiang smiled and said:

"Your Majesty, do you have a cannon?"

Zhu Yourong said:

"I thought of an idea, but they all said no, so I'll tell you!"

Xiang Xiaoqiang didn't know what other whimsical things she was going to do again, so he smiled bitterly and said:

"Your Majesty, please speak."

"I think there are hundreds of anti-aircraft guns in Nanjing and around Purple Mountain. Well, is it possible..."

Zhu Yourong's voice trailed off as he spoke. But Xiang Xiaoqiang's mind immediately thought of the huge power of the famous 88-gun in World War II joining the land battle.

Xiang Xiaoqiang knew that those anti-aircraft guns in Nanjing, which he saw every day in the city, were produced by Ming Dynasty with a caliber of 75 mm. They had no problem with their range and power, so they should be competent.

His whole body immediately became excited and he kept saying:

"Your Majesty, it can be done, it must be possible, I know it can be done! ... Even if we have never done this before, we can give it a try. Your Majesty, can you help me coordinate?"

Zhu Yourong also seemed very happy. She found that she could help Xiang Xiaoqiang at the most critical moment.

…

An order spread throughout the anti-aircraft artillery units inside and outside Nanjing. Ten minutes later, all the 75mm anti-aircraft guns shook their barrels and aimed at the area selected by Xiang Xiaoqiang. The delayed fuses were removed from the shells and replaced with quick-fire fuses.

Xiang Xiaoqiang gave an order on the phone, and hundreds of anti-aircraft guns inside and outside Nanjing roared and spewed out flames. One after another, 75mm high-explosive bombs hit high altitudes and landed in the south of Wai Qinhuai River and north of Moling Town with curved ballistic trajectories.

The Qing army gathering place.

This was the first time in the military history of the Southern Ming Dynasty that a cannon was used with a higher elevation angle and used as a long-range howitzer... Xiang Xiaoqiang didn't know if it was also the first time in the world's military history.

…

A large-caliber howitzer of the People's Guard was exploding in the distance. In the tent of the Sixth Banner Division headquarters, Hafenga pushed away the helmet handed to him by his staff and scolded:

"Take it away, you don't need this thing! Wear it yourself if you're afraid of death!"

Then he glanced contemptuously in the direction of the cannon fire and snorted.

The 150mm artillery shells of the People's Guard were very abnormal. The ground shook when they fell, and even the ground trembled here. But there were only a few cannons, and they couldn't observe them in such a heavy fog. They fell in pieces in the distance.

Most of the guys didn't even have to go into foxholes.

Across the Qinhuai River in front, the Ming army could no longer hold on. Their small-caliber mortars were no match for their dozens of mountain cannons, and they were so overwhelmed that they could not lift their heads. Thanks to the heavy fog, their heavy howitzers

They only dared to shoot in depth and did not dare to use it to bombard our troops attacking by the river. It would be easy to accidentally injure themselves.

Nowadays, the Ming army on the north bank of the river no longer dares to stand on the bank and fire machine guns. Every time a new machine gun point appears on the other side, they will quickly fall into a sea of ​​fire from mountain artillery.

Originally, Hafenga planned to have his engineers build a pontoon bridge, but when they reached the river, they found that there was already a Ming Army pontoon bridge on the river. It is estimated that the Ming Army military vehicles just retreated from here to the north bank. But the bridge has been blown up.

Yes, engineers are working on repairs and it will be repaired soon.

Just then...

Halfon'a seemed to hear a large and dense artillery fire in the north.

No, the Ming Army’s current troops in Nanjing are only the People’s Guard! I’ve even calculated how many cannons the People’s Guard has. How can there be so many?

Besides, Nanjing City is not far to the north. Where could the Ming army have such a large artillery position?

But the truth is cruel.

After a moment, the air above our heads howled, and large-scale, dense shells rained down like hail.

Halfon'a cried out in despair:

"Lie down————"

As soon as they arrived, they fell to the ground. Around them, front, back, left and right, shells exploded like dumplings. The small tent collapsed in an instant, and the staff were all covered by canvas, lying on the mud ground and hugging each other.

I raised my head and felt large pieces of soil, stones, branches, small tree trunks... hitting my back again and again.

There was only one thought in Hafeng'a's mind - why he rejected the helmet just now.

…

The anti-aircraft artillery bombarded for a full fifteen minutes. After fifteen minutes, the sound of the artillery stopped suddenly, and the last artillery shell hit the ground and exploded. A small cypress tree flew into the air, spun around a few times, and fell heavily.

10 kilometers to the south, Moling Town.

Li Gensheng stood next to the armored command vehicle, looking at the firelight in the north, and murmured after a long time:

"Oh my God, Master Xiang...where did you get so many cannons..."

Then he looked at his watch and saw that it was already four fifty-five. Li Gensheng took the wireless phone in the armored vehicle and said in a deep voice:

"All attention... All attention... I am a fox, I am a fox... All units are now reporting the final situation."

The radio hissed, and voices came out one after another:

"The elephant is ready."

"The lion is ready."

"Tiger is ready."

"The Wolverines are ready."

"Coyote is ready."
To be continued...