Thanks to the friends of Broken Hammer Hengkong for the reward. It is precisely because of the support of friends that Yutou has the motivation to continue moving forward.
After repelling the German attack, Qin Zhiyuan ordered the troops to start clearing the tunnel.
The first to bear the brunt were the corpses of the German and French troops. Fortunately, the French corpses had been wrapped in white cloth, with names and other identity information written on the outside. They could just be transported to the rear for burial.
The German ones are more troublesome.
Qin Zhiyuan called Charles and asked him if there was any way to hand over the German corpses to the Germans for disposal. Qin Zhiyuan did not have high hopes for this, but he did not expect Charles to say that there was a way. Then he used a rigid The wireless telegraph machine that was sent up sent a clear telegram through the public channel. Not long after, the radio station received a telegram with the word "agree" written on it.
Now, as the body was moved out of the tunnel, four high-power hair dryers started working, fresh air was injected into the tunnel, and the environment in the tunnel suddenly became completely new.
After the Germans stopped shelling, India began to use laborers to continuously deliver supplies to the position. Hand grenades were the top priority. Cappi's Captain Falcao squeezed out another company to enter the position despite the extreme shortage of troops. Garrisoned on a position less than 400 meters long, David's men, Bastian's men, Qin Zhiyuan's men, and reinforcements that were added three times later were concentrated. Although the organization was relatively chaotic, the total number of people exceeded 700. Qin Zhiyuan can finally retain a reserve team.
Half an hour later, all the German corpses were sent to a place about 500 meters away from the French position. All the corpses, including those left on the outside position, were moved there by Indian borrowed workers, waiting for the Germans to send people to receive them. Part of the body was rotten, slippery and smelly. You could smell the disgusting smell through the gas mask. Qin Zhiyuan looked at the Indians who were working hard and secretly rejoiced. Fortunately, the Chinese workers had become Chinese legions. , otherwise these disgusting jobs would have to be done by Chinese workers.
Thinking of this, Qin Zhiyuan felt his hands were a little greasy and couldn't help but rub them against the wall of the trench.
The Indians also brought a large amount of white ash. Qin Zhiyuan ordered that all the white ash be sprinkled in the tunnel, on the one hand for disinfection and on the other hand to prevent moisture.
Qin Zhiyuan arranged all the lightly wounded members of the French army and the Sixth Regiment into the hall. The door of the room where the gold was stored was a key location. There were empty ammunition boxes piled outside the door, and it seemed impossible to find anything inside. Qin Zhiyuan plans to use all the tunnels outside the Qiankun Hall to accommodate the British.
The British came from afar. If they had to guard against German shelling during the battle, the British would definitely hide in the underground tunnels. Qin Zhiyuan had no reason to refuse such a reasonable request. He could only play hard to get and mark out their respective territories. , to prevent the British from discovering gold.
When everything was finished, what Qin Zhiyuan was waiting for was not the British reinforcements, but the German attack.
According to the agreement between Charles and the other party, three o'clock in the afternoon is the time when the war starts again. Before that, the Germans had just collected all the corpses and were ready for battle.
At three o'clock, not a second more, not a second less, the Germans started the bombardment on time, which fully demonstrated the punctuality and rigor of the Germans.
Except for the observers, everyone else was hiding in the tunnel like mice, waiting for the observer's notification. The observer's observation point was in a branch next to the trench. There was a trench periscope there to report the movements of the German troops.
Strong permanent fortifications have been built with cement and logs around the observation point. If it is not directly hit by heavy artillery, there is no need to worry about safety. The probability of being directly hit by heavy artillery is about the same as the probability of winning a Christmas lottery ticket.
The Germans took a particularly long time to prepare their firepower this time. Qin Zhiyuan looked at his watch. It took a full forty minutes. Qin Zhiyuan estimated that the Germans fired at least five or six thousand rounds.
When the artillery fire began to extend to the rear, the observer blew the bronze whistle in his hand, and the French and Chinese troops filed out, racing against time to enter the battlefield and compete with the Germans for time.
The Germans learned their lesson this time. As soon as the artillery fire extended, the skirmisher line was lined up and launched a charge, and the speed was very fast. Instead of walking forward slowly and leisurely, the speed was increased from the beginning.
The riflemen and light machine gunners are ready to fire from 500 meters. The grenadiers are ready to throw grenades from 100 meters. The heavy machine guns need a certain amount of time to prepare, and they can only start shooting when the preparations are complete. Qin Zhiyuan cannot follow steps. He felt it from the beginning.
The Germans were determined to attack this time and responded immediately.
The distance between the German skirmisher lines was very tight, only about seven or eight meters away. Qin Zhiyuan felt there was an opportunity and immediately ordered artillery support. He also ordered Charles to come to the position to observe the German starting position and directly carry out fire strikes.
The Germans were very fast. They started from a distance of 1,500 meters and only took about four or five minutes to reach 500. Considering that the Germans were still carrying equipment and running in the hills, this speed was considered very fast.
Soon.
Just when the German forward line had just reached 500 meters, the light machine guns and rifles on the French position opened fire at the same time. The French artillery shells also flew over in time, and the guns and cannons intertwined, once again turning the area into a place of death.
land.
The Germans were not afraid of death, and continued to rush forward despite the bombardment of artillery shells and the heavy firing of bullets. One team after another, one after another, in an endless stream.
The heavy machine gun was finally ready. When the heavy machine gun began to roar wildly, bursts of cheers rang out from the French army's position, as if the victory or defeat was determined and the French army was in an invincible position.
At this moment, the German army used mortars to launch smoke bombs. The French army's position was suddenly plunged into thick smoke, and the firing range of the heavy machine guns was interfered with. They could only rely on the guidance of tracer bullets and experience to attack the Germans.
Grenadiers, prepare grenades. Qin Zhiyuan felt that he could hear the howling of the Germans and immediately ordered the grenadiers to start throwing grenades.
When the line of sight is obstructed, the range of damage of grenades is the time to use force.
Understand that Zheng Dali led forty or fifty strong Chinese and French troops, shouted, and threw the grenades in their hands together. Since it was a group killing, it was better to throw them together, at least the killing density would be higher.
After the first row of grenades was thrown, Qin Zhiyuan clearly heard the screams and curses of the Germans. Very good, since it was useful, Qin Zhiyuan waited for four or five seconds and ordered the grenade salvo again.
In the thick smoke, some Germans finally rushed to the position. Unfortunately, the number was too small. Before any waves were made, they were swarmed by Chinese soldiers and French soldiers and stabbed down with knives.
When the thick smoke gradually dissipated, a dense layer of corpses had been laid out in front of the French army's position, one after another, continuously, all the way to the German army's starting position.
Although they suffered heavy casualties, the Germans had no intention of stopping. They lined up incomplete skirmishers and continued to advance towards the French positions.
Artillery attack, artillery attack. Charles's horrified and shrill cry, and at the same time the heart-rending whistling of artillery shells filled the air.
Damn it, Qin Zhiyuan knew something was wrong. The Germans were ready to be destroyed. They actually used artillery to strike while the infantry was still charging.
This is the rhythm of dying together.
The French army's position suddenly fell into a fierce battle.
