Although the Japanese stopped attacking, the brothers still did not relax their vigilance. After all, in this life-and-death battlefield, a little carelessness could lead to a life-threatening situation.
The guard post hidden high up saw a group of people approaching under the eaves on the street behind, and immediately signaled a warning to the brothers resting in the yard.
More than 20 officers and soldiers in tattered military uniforms who were resting in the yard heard the warning from the guard post. They jumped up from the ground like a conditioned reflex and quickly rushed to the nearest bunker. More than 20 rifles immediately moved out.
The brothers pressed the trigger with their fingers, gasping and staring at the street behind them that had been covered with rubble. Through the smoke that shrouded the city, they saw a vague shadow coming against the wall.
In such urban street fighting, there is no such thing as front and rear. It can be said that there are dangers everywhere. Who doesn't know whether the person coming behind is an enemy or a friend.
The platoon leader, whose head was wrapped in a bleeding bandage, carefully poked half of his head towards the street, observing the enemy's situation.
"It seems like we are wearing our clothes..."
Some brothers saw that the people coming were also dressed as officers and soldiers of the Northern Jiangsu Guerrilla Corps, and whispered to their platoon leader.
When the platoon leader heard the brother next to him talking, he turned his head and gave the brother a sharp look, telling him to shut up.
The group of people who came close to the eaves were also very vigilant. Perhaps they noticed some movement and stopped coming on the other side of the broken wall.
"Which battalion are the brothers opposite?" Soon, a shout came from the other side of the street.
The platoon leader knew that they had been exposed, but he did not give up. He pointed his gun at the broken wall and replied: "We are from the second battalion, which battalion are you from?"
"Old Zhang, damn it, you're not dead yet, it's me, Xu Big Head."
The familiar voice of the platoon leader came from behind the broken wall, and a man with a shell gun in his hand flashed out from behind the broken wall with excitement.
The platoon leader in the yard looked at the opponent's shaved head and breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that he was also from the second battalion. He laughed and scolded: "The Prince of Hell is a relative of me. If I want to take him, I have to take you first."
"
"Put down your guns. Don't let them go off and hurt your brothers." Seeing that the people coming from behind the broken wall were all people from the Second Battalion, the platoon leader also hurriedly waved his hands to the brothers to put down their guns.
Soon, the two groups came close to rendezvous. They were all brothers from the same battalion. Although they were separated for only half a day, they almost never saw each other again.
"Why are you such a fool coming back?"
The platoon leader named Zhang and the bald-headed platoon leader Xu hugged each other and asked in confusion.
Because they were ordered to go to the east of the city to suppress the rebellion of the Fourth Battalion, they lost contact with the camp and were later blocked in the city.
They thought the camp had been withdrawn, but who knew that now they saw these familiar people back? The more than 20 brothers in the yard were happy but also very puzzled.
The naked Platoon Leader Xu clenched his fist and punched Platoon Leader Zhang on the chest, stepped aside to get out of the way, and said with a smile: "Old Zhang, look who's coming?"
When Platoon Leader Zhang saw Yang Ling being protected by everyone in the middle, he was stunned for a moment, then his face showed ecstasy, and he stood up and saluted: "Sir Yang!"
"Put it down, put it down, be careful of Japanese snipers." Seeing Platoon Leader Zhang raising his hand in salute, Platoon Leader Xu hurriedly reminded him.
"Oh, yes." Seeing Yang Ling actually fighting back into the city, Platoon Leader Zhang was so excited that he was a little incoherent, but he quickly said worriedly: "Sir, the city is dangerous, there are Japs everywhere, why did you come to the city?
Already..."
"You are all my brothers. If you haven't withdrawn, how can I just leave?"
Yang Ling looked at the more than 20 dusty brothers in the yard and said distressedly.
Hearing Yang Ling's words, the more than 20 brothers in the courtyard felt a surge of warmth in their hearts, and almost shed tears of emotion, that is, Yang Ling had not abandoned them.
"Give the brothers some food and water."
Seeing these brothers relying on the yard to fight bloody battles with the Japs, Yang Ling's heart was filled with guilt, and he felt sorry for them.
"Sir, we're not hungry..." Platoon Leader Zhang swallowed his saliva and said sheepishly when he heard that there was food.
"Old Zhang, we have suddenly become like women. The commander asked you to eat to replenish your strength. That is to fight against the Japanese."
As he spoke, Platoon Leader Xu took out a box of seized biscuits from a canvas hanging on his body and handed it over, smiling.
Hearing this, Platoon Leader Zhang also laughed naively, and soon he and more than 20 brothers started to eat hungrily.
They haven't eaten even a drop of rice since last night. They were ordered to guard this courtyard and be responsible for the safety of the flanks. They didn't dare to leave. They were already hungry.
"Why are there only so many of you? Do you know where the other brothers are?" While these brothers were eating and drinking, Yang Ling also asked Platoon Leader Zhang.
"Sir, we are guarding this courtyard and covering the flanks under the orders of Deputy Captain Zhang. Deputy Captain Zhang and his people are in front to cover the movement of the people," Platoon Leader Zhang replied.
Hearing that deputy commander Zhang Liechen was in front, Yang Ling did not delay. He left some people behind to help platoon leader Zhang expand the control area on the flanks, and then headed straight for Zhang Liechen.
At this moment, Zhang Liechen was leading his men to build a simple defense line centered on the General Command, trying to block the Japanese at this line and cover the movement of the people behind him.
When he heard the report that Yang Ling was back, the disgraced Zhang Liechen didn't believe it at all. But when he actually saw Yang Ling appear in front of him, he hurriedly rushed forward as if he had found a backbone.
"Sir Yang——"
Seeing Yang Ling return to the city, deputy captain Zhang Liechen held Yang Ling's hand and was so excited that he could not speak.
During Yang Ling's absence, Yuan Guangtao, the deputy captain in charge of the military, became the actual person in charge. However, after Yuan Guangtao's command error, he immediately led his troops to withdraw in a panic, which was equivalent to handing over Huaiyin to the Japanese.
Faced with the troops trapped in the city and many people who had not evacuated, Zhang Liechen could have left, but in the end he stayed.
Because he knew that if he led his people to resist and delay the Japanese for one more minute, he would be able to evacuate more brothers and people.
But he never thought that under such a bad situation, Yang Ling would come back, and return to the war-torn city.
"How is the situation now?"
Yang Ling only exchanged a few words with Zhang Liechen and then asked about the battle situation in the city.
"The Japs are now organizing forces to encircle and suppress our brothers who are surrounded in several places. Now there are brothers who are surrounded by the Japs in these places..." Zhang Liechen said, using a pencil to circle on the simple map of the city.
"To the east of us are part of the original Fourth Battalion led by the traitor Xie Zhengxiang. On our front are about one reinforced squadron of Japanese soldiers. On our side and behind are two Japanese infantry squadrons controlling us. On our left wing are Japanese soldiers of about one infantry squadron and one Japanese infantry squadron.
A mortar and a Type 92 infantry gun.”
Soon, Zhang Liechen introduced some information to Yang Ling, giving Yang Ling a general understanding of the situation.
"How many of us can still fight?" Yang Ling asked.
"There are still fifty-five people in the guard company, there are still 170 people in the two companies of the second battalion, and there are still more than 130 brothers in the fourth battalion who have not surrendered to the enemy. We now control two streets, and more than ten
We built a simple defense line from a commanding height, and we were able to repulse the Japanese attacks several times..."
Hearing that Zhang Liechen had gathered so many brothers now, Yang Ling also beamed with joy. The situation was not as bad as imagined.
Yang Ling has now brought brothers from four platoons. With these brothers now, they are already a considerable fighting force.
"The top priority now is to rescue several brothers who are surrounded by Japanese soldiers. I'm worried that they won't last long," Yang Ling said.