The unexpected death of Liu Jinhu, deputy commander of the 2nd Battalion, made everyone who had just captured Baoying feel particularly heavy.
The people who we talked and laughed with the day before and drank together after winning the battle have now turned into cold corpses separated by yin and yang. They can no longer drink together and fight side by side. All the brothers who are familiar with each other have tears in their eyes.
Liu Jinhu can also be regarded as a strong man in the Jiangsu North Corps. He must be the first to attack Baoying this time. It was he who took the lead in attacking the Japanese headquarters.
But everyone also knows that even veterans of hundreds of battles who have been through hell several times may die in the next very inconspicuous battle and disappear forever.
But everyone also understands that this is war. Whether you are an officer or a soldier, as long as you put on your military uniform and go to the battlefield, any fragment of an explosion or a stray bullet may kill you.
Even so, facing the broken mountains and rivers, they knew they would die, but they still put on their military uniforms without hesitation, picked up their guns and joined the rolling torrent. These are the Chinese people.
"Brother Liu and the brothers who died in the battle died well and did not bring shame to our Northern Jiangsu Corps. Our living brothers will continue to fight to complete the important task of regaining the country!"
Yang Ling ordered the deputy battalion commander Liu Jinhu and the brothers who died in the battle to be buried in peace.
"I would rather die in battle than be a slave to the country's subjugation!"
"I will die if the country survives!"
Both officers and ordinary brothers clenched their fists, like those countless brothers who had fought to the death, ready to shed the last drop of blood to defend the dignity of the nation.
"Report, urgent telegram from Gaoyou, Japanese troops are invading the north!"
Before the burial ceremony was over, the communications staff hurriedly walked to Yang Ling with a message.
"As expected, the devil couldn't bear it anymore."
Yang Ling had already expected the Japs to advance northward. After all, their main force was now in Baoying, and the Japs had no reason not to take advantage of the empty space in Jieshou to invade.
"The Japs actually sent four infantry brigades and one artillery brigade this time. It seems that the Japs came with bad intentions." The message was passed in the hands of the commander-in-chief officers, and everyone looked solemn.
Now the North Jiangsu Corps has only five combat battalions that are fully equipped to fight. If they have to fight head-on with the Japanese's five brigades, they have no chance of winning.
"There is no need to worry. We are a guerrilla force. As long as we hold the Japs in the water network area for a week and then send out infiltration troops to cut off the Japs' supply lines, the Japs will naturally retreat." Yang Ling was not too worried about the Japs' heavy invasion north.
They are now very skilled in using guerrilla tactics. When the enemy advances, we retreat, when the enemy retreats, we pursue, and when the enemy is tired, we attack. With so many of their troops scattered to fight guerrillas with the Japanese, no matter how strong the Japanese are, they will be blinded.
As long as they implement the attrition tactics of guerrilla warfare, constantly harass the Japanese, delay the Japanese, and fight coldly, the Japanese will eventually be unable to bear the losses and retreat.
"The telegram ordered Shen Biao to delay the Japanese advance northward according to the original plan, so that the main force of our northern Jiangsu Corps can go south to fight." Yang Ling ordered the communications staff.
"Yes!" The communications staff officer hurried away.
Yang Ling estimated that it would take two days to capture Baoying, but now it only took one day to defeat it, so they had enough time to go south to return reinforcements.
"Two companies of the Fifth Battalion were left in Baoying to wait for Huaiyin to send people to take over, and the rest of the troops quickly assembled and headed south."
The Northern Jiangsu Corps had just captured Jieshou and rested for less than five hours. The troops once again assembled in formation under the orders of the officers, preparing to go south to face the battle.
"Everyone is only allowed to take ten bullets and two grenades!"
At the south gate of Baoying, the officers of the Munitions Department had already led people to move Baoying's Japanese ammunition to the city gate. Sun Zhong, the director of the Munitions Department, stood on the ammunition box and shouted loudly with a tin trumpet.
"Those who receive pancakes should line up over there, and each class will receive an extra can!"
Groups of officers and soldiers heading south lined up at the city gate to receive ammunition and food, and then they were about to head south to a new battlefield.
"Woo-"
When the brothers were gathering in Baoying to replenish ammunition and prepare to go south to fight, suddenly the sound of roaring motors came from the sky.
"The Japanese plane is coming! The Japanese plane is coming!"
The air defense sentry issued a stern warning and at the same time sounded the air defense siren seized from the Japanese.
The shrill alarm sound suddenly rang through Baoying City. The brothers who were gathering were also stunned and looked at the sky. In the southwest sky, more than a dozen small black spots were quickly approaching.
"Hide! Spread out and hide!"
Seeing the Japanese plane arriving at this time, the officers who had not seen the Japanese plane for a long time also reacted and shouted loudly.
Fortunately, the troops had also gone through air defense drills on a regular basis. The assembled troops dispersed with a crash, taking shelter in ditches and grass.
"Da da da da..."
Soon, more than a dozen Japanese planes flew over at low altitude, and the distant airborne machine guns opened fire on the brothers who were fleeing in panic.
The hot bullets plowed two trajectories into the ground, sending smoke and dust flying everywhere. The empty ammunition boxes suddenly flew into pieces, turning into transparent holes.
The Japanese planes were very arrogant. They almost flew over the brothers' heads. The strong air waves from the wings of the planes knocked many brothers directly to the ground.
"What a stupid little devil!"
The two four-gun anti-aircraft machine guns that the Jiangsu Northern Corps obtained from the theater headquarters had long been guarding against the Japanese planes. At this moment, they all lifted up the tarpaulins and opened fire on the Japanese.
"Teng Teng Teng——"
Two quadruple anti-aircraft machine guns spit out tongues of fire, and a string of bullets flew past the Japanese plane.
"Ta-ta-ta! Ta-ta-ta!"
Many machine gunners also quickly set up their machine guns and joined in the fire attack on the Japanese aircraft.
The Japanese planes rushed towards them with great force. It was quite frightening to think that a guerrilla force like the Jiangsu North Corps had anti-aircraft machine guns.
"Puff!"
A Japanese plane faced anti-aircraft machine gun bullets coming from the front. The Japanese pilot wanted to pull up, but there was no time at all.
He watched helplessly as the protective cover of the cabin was riddled with holes, and then the bullets sprayed blood everywhere.
The out-of-control Japanese plane flew past the city wall, knocking away a large piece of brick and stone, and then crashed straight into a farmland.
"Boom!"
The Japanese plane crashed into the farmland, and immediately with a deafening roar, the entire fuel tank of the Japanese plane exploded, and the fireball swallowed up the Japanese plane.
"Bagaya road!"
Seeing that one of the planes in the formation was shot down as soon as it arrived, the other Japanese planes yelled angrily and hurriedly pulled up, fearing that they would make the same mistake again.
The Japanese planes no longer dared to shoot at low altitudes, so they had to fly to high altitudes and drop the flying bombs one by one.
"Boom! Boom!"
Heavy aerial bombs fell into the city one after another. Amidst the dull roar, mushroom clouds rose up one after another, and the earth shook violently.
"Little devil, I'm sorry for your grandma, come down if you can!"
Seeing the Japanese planes that only dared to drop bombs, the brothers were so angry that they couldn't do anything about the Japanese planes.
The Japanese planes bombed Baoying indiscriminately, and soon Baoying fell into a sea of smoke and fire. Large buildings collapsed in the explosion, and the entire Baoying was filled with smoke.