The muffled thunderous sound of cannons seemed to come from the ground. The city of Huaiyin was trembling with the roar, and billowing black smoke shot straight into the sky.
Among the ruins that looked like broken walls, Japanese silhouettes holding bayonets hurried forward one by one, bumping into lone guerrilla officers and soldiers from time to time. Fierce gunfire was followed by dull close combat.
The Japanese broke into the city from three directions, and then divided into countless fighting groups like mercury pouring down the ground, and began to infiltrate.
Because the Northern Jiangsu Guerrilla Corps gave the order to retreat in such a hurry, the troops holding on to the various defense lines had no time to pack up their things and arrange the troops behind them, and chaos broke out in the city.
The result of this was that the retreating troops were affected by the chaos in the city and hurriedly retreated in panic. They encountered infiltration attacks by the Japanese on the way, and finally got trapped in the streets and alleys of the city and started a melee with the Japanese.
When many troops in the city failed to withdraw and fell into street fighting with the Japs in the city, the situation of the other troops who evacuated the city was not much better.
In the panic and confusion, many companies were swept away by the surging crowds, being carried away by the people who were leaving the city like a mud flow. As a result, the officers could not find their soldiers, and the soldiers looked for their officers. Even so, the so-called defeat was like a mountain.
There were heads of people running for their lives everywhere, and there were shouts of fear everywhere. The officers and soldiers leaving the city mixed with the people were like duckweeds, and they were also panic-stricken.
Deputy Captain Yuan Guangtao led a group of staff from the General Command out of the city first. However, under the leadership of Deputy Captain Yuan Guangtao, because they were worried about being attacked by the Japs, they did not stop to gather the troops, but withdrew directly to the north.
The officers and soldiers of the Northern Jiangsu Guerrilla Corps who left the city were like headless flies without the command of their superiors.
Some of them followed the crowd and evacuated to the north, hoping to stay away from the war-torn Huaiyin first, while others stayed in place to wait for their immediate superiors who had not yet left the city. The Northern Jiangsu Guerrilla Corps, which had beaten the Japanese to pieces, suddenly fell into disintegration.
When the troops trapped in the city started a melee with the Japanese and the officers and soldiers leaving the city were scattered, more than a hundred Japanese cavalry detoured from the south of the city to the inside.
"Second Battalion, gather here!"
"Second Battalion, gather here!"
...
Second Battalion Commander Wu Changqing, who was leaving the city, led his men to place a tattered blue sky and white sun flag on the roadside, and was shouting loudly to gather the troops leaving the city.
One after another, officers and soldiers who had been scattered by the crowd were gathered together. In a short period of time, more than 150 people were gathered, almost an infantry company.
"Go to the city gate in a row to maintain order!"
"Go to the bridge at the back and build a position to cover the withdrawal of the brothers in the city."
Although there were not many people gathered together, Second Battalion Commander Wu Changqing did not leave them idle, no matter which battalion he was from, he reorganized them on the spot and assigned them tasks.
Just as Wu Changqing was gathering the stragglers at the north exit of the city to maintain order out of the city, they suddenly felt the ground shaking slightly, and the amplitude of the shaking was getting bigger and bigger.
"Sir, there are ghosts!"
At this time, a brother pointed to a field to the east and shouted in terror.
Second Battalion Commander Wu Changqing also looked to the east of the brother's finger. Smoke and dust were billowing, and a large group of Japanese cavalry were swooping over with murderous intent.
Seeing so many Japanese cavalry suddenly appearing, the face of Second Battalion Commander Wu Changqing, who was maintaining order, suddenly changed wildly.
"Devil!"
"Run quickly!"
...
The charge of the Japanese cavalry was frightening. Although they were still almost a mile away, the pressure of thousands of troops charging towards them still caused the crowds leaving the city to instantly become confused.
Amid the frightened screams, the people who had evacuated in an orderly manner were like a flock of frightened birds, and instantly became a mess, crowded and fleeing into the distance.
"Don't mess up, don't mess up!"
Although the officers and soldiers who maintained order shouted at the top of their lungs, the frightened crowd still collapsed like a flood that burst a dam, unable to stop them, and ran all over the mountains and plains.
Once these unarmed people are caught up by the little devils, they will inevitably die.
The ground was shaking, and the Japanese cavalry on military horses also saw the chaotic crowd, with cruel smiles on their faces, as if they were a group of lambs waiting to be slaughtered in front of them.
"Battalion...battalion commander, what should we do?"
Facing the powerful pressure of the Japanese cavalry charge, the pale-faced adjutant's arms trembled and he almost couldn't help but run away.
In such an almost unobstructed flat area, when infantry and cavalry faced each other, there seemed to be no other choice but to be slaughtered.
Second Battalion Commander Wu Changqing looked at the people who were fleeing all over the mountains and plains, and then at the officers and soldiers who gathered automatically, a flash of determination flashed in his eyes.
Wu Changqing suddenly pulled out the bayonet from his waist and hung up his rifle, then raised his voice and roared: "Get ready to fight!"
At this moment, there were only more than a hundred panic-looking guerrilla officers and soldiers gathered around Wu Changqing. But when they heard Wu Changqing's roar, they were stunned for a moment, and saw that Wu Changqing had already raised the rifle with the bayonet and was pulling the bolt neatly.
when.
These brothers gritted their teeth, took out their bayonets and loaded their rifles one after another. In an instant, a forest of gleaming bayonets stood up.
Behind them are the common people. There are no defensive fortifications in front of them. The brothers use their flesh and blood to block the Japanese cavalry. They want to use their own flesh and blood to block the Japanese cavalry!
"The first row raised their guns!"
"Second row ready!"
"Third row..."
Second Battalion Commander Wu Changqing's face was sticky with mud and gunpowder smoke. At this moment, his eyes were fixed on the rushing Japanese cavalry, and his voice became extremely calm.
Although the brothers who received the order turned pale, they still obeyed the order subconsciously, raised their guns, loaded the ammunition, and prepared to stop the Japanese.
Those Japanese cavalrymen who were lying low on their horses also saw more than a hundred Chinese soldiers blocking their way forward. Their eyes were full of disdain, as they were overestimating their own capabilities.
"Kill Gai Gai!"
The leader of the Japanese cavalry squadron looked fierce. When he was only 400 meters away from Wu Changqing and the others, he suddenly raised his saber and pressed forward.
The Japanese cavalry all increased their speed one after another, crushing towards Wu Changqing and the others with thunderous momentum.
"Target military horse, first row shooting!"
When the Japs entered a range of about 100 meters, Wu Changqing's pupils shrank when faced with these Japs cavalry charging at an astonishing speed, and he shouted and ordered to shoot.
"Second row shooting!"
"Third row shooting!"
"Bang bang bang..."
The muzzle of the gun flashed with flames, wisps of green smoke floated up, and the nose smelled the smoke, and the bullets whizzed towards the direction from which the Japanese cavalry was charging.
Although the Japanese tried their best to press their bodies on the horse's back, they would not be hit by the dense bullets.
However, the Japanese cavalry still miscalculated. Wu Changqing and others did not aim at the people, but aimed at the horses, which had a larger target.
In a series of splashes of blood, the bullets shattered the skulls of the horses, causing the horses to bleed all over. The horses neighed in pain, and some fell to the ground after being hit by the bullets.
The Japanese cavalry on horseback showed panic, and then were thrown away by the horses. Many Japanese cavalry had their heads trampled by the cavalry galloping from behind before they could even dodge after landing...
About twenty horses in the front row were shot and fell to the ground. Many of the Japanese who were thrown were thrown to death. The Japanese in the back hurriedly rode over the horses and their companions who were knocked over by bullets. Some of the Japanese charged.
He pulled out an arc in an attempt to bypass the obstacle in front of him.
"Machine gun fire!"
Seeing that the shooting caused chaos to the Japanese charge, Wu Changqing ordered the three light machine guns hidden behind to fire.
Click, click, click - Amidst the trembling sound of the light machine gun, the bullets were fired out in a fan pattern, and the Japanese cavalry who had been slowed down by the fallen cavalry were enveloped in the hail of bullets.
PS: Recommend the good book "Absolute Honor" Special Forces to promote our country's prestige.