Yang Ling and the others succeeded in breaking through the blockade, which made the Japanese commander furious, because the brigade commander, Major General Tomidi, had issued a strict order that anyone who failed to prick the hole and let the culprit escape would have to commit seppuku.
The Japanese commander had a cold face with fierceness. He knew in his heart that he could either rush across the river and kill Yang Ling and others to avenge the fallen general, or he would become the scapegoat for letting the Chinese go. He had no third way to go.
Under the cover of tanks, mountain artillery and field artillery, Japanese soldiers wearing steel helmets and yellow dog skins filled the mountains and fields and launched an attack on the garrison positions on the north bank of the river.
When the Chinese garrison observation post guarding the north bank of the river saw the Japanese coming in waves like waves, their faces suddenly turned pale, and they hurriedly dialed the phone to report to the regiment headquarters.
"Tanzuo! Tuanzuo! The Japanese are coming in overwhelming numbers! This time they are serious!" the observation sentry said in a rapid voice with trembling.
The two sides had been fighting each other across the river for several days, but this was the first time the Japanese had attacked with such force.
Guarding here is the 615th Regiment of the 103rd Division of the Guizhou Army. The regiment leader Zhou Xiangkui is greeting Yang Ling and others in the makeshift regiment headquarters. He did not panic after hearing the report from the forward observation sentry.
"Let all battalions and companies immediately withdraw to the second line of defense and call for artillery support from the Huangshan Fort! Beat the little devil hard!" The regiment leader Zhou Xiangkui thought clearly and calmly ordered, which made Yang Ling secretly approve in his heart.
After Zhou Xiangkui, the team leader, hung up the phone, he turned to Yang Ling and showed an awkward smile: "Brother Yang, I wanted to keep you guys together for a drink, but this little devil is restless. This time he is coming with a lot of force. It's not safe here. I'll let you guys go."
I will escort you to the headquarters, and after this battle is over, I will treat you to a drink at the best restaurant in the county."
Yang Ling and the others fought bloody battles behind enemy lines for half a month and killed the Japanese Lieutenant General. The leader of the regiment, Zhou Xiangkui, admired brave men like Yang Ling and others the most, so he was very enthusiastic.
Zhou Xiangkui said that he ordered his guard platoon leader: "Liu Dagen, escort Brother Yang and the others out of here immediately."
The strong guard platoon leader had a ring of bullet boxes tied to his body, and he energetically said a word of invitation to Yang Ling and the others: "Captain Yang, please go this way."
"Captain Zhou, the Japs came because of us. How can we run away? Please give us some bullets, and we can stay and fight the Japs!" Yang Ling stood still and did not move.
The leader of the regiment, Zhou Xiangkui, was in a dilemma. Yang Ling and the others were the people that Commander Liu wanted to see, and he couldn't afford the punishment if they were betrayed by him.
Yang Ling also saw Zhou Xiangkui's difficulties and added: "One more person means more strength. We will leave after this battle is over. If anything goes wrong, Commander Zhou will not be harmed."
The Japanese came with great force this time, and Yang Ling knew that it must have something to do with them. Although they could leave now, they still felt guilty, so they asked to stay and fight together.
"Okay, since Brother Yang is willing to stay and fight side by side with the brothers, he thinks highly of our 615th Regiment. How can I not appreciate it?" Zhou Xiangkui also thought clearly. Just take more care of them on the battlefield, and there should be no big trouble.
question.
In fact, there is another important reason why Zhou Xiangkui is willing to keep Yang Ling and the others. The Japanese are attacking in large numbers, and it is difficult for him to resist them with his own strength.
And Yang Ling and the others have returned with great honors and the news of killing the Japanese Lieutenant General has spread. If they stay and fight together, it will boost the morale and confidence of his brothers. They fight with courage. Now he needs Yang Ling and the others.
Stabilize military morale.
"Liu Dagen, give Brother Yang and the others bullets!" Zhou Xiangkui saw that Yang Ling did not grease his feet and run away, but stayed and fought side by side. He got closer to Yang Ling and admired his courage even more.
Yang Dashu shouted: "Do you have a machine gun? Give me a machine gun."
Zhou Xiangkui laughed: "Give him a machine gun!"
The Japanese's fierce artillery fire swept through the 615th Regiment's position, with smoke and flames everywhere. The trench bunkers built were blown to pieces, and the communication trenches were reduced to pieces.
However, the regiment leader Zhou Xiangkui withdrew his troops to the second line, and the Japanese artillery fire did not cause many casualties to the active forces.
The Japanese troops quickly reached the small river bank under the cover of artillery fire, and the engineering troops quickly built a bridge against the counterattack fire of Huangshan Fort.
The Japanese engineering troops built bridges at an astonishing speed. In less than twenty minutes, they had erected several simple pontoon bridges on the river. The speed was astonishing.
The artillery exchange between the two sides had just ended when a large number of ferocious Japanese soldiers had already rushed towards the north bank of the river along the pontoon bridge.
"Quick! Quick!" The Chinese soldiers who retreated to the second line to avoid the artillery fire quickly re-arranged to the first line at the urging of the officers.
Most of the communication trenches had been destroyed by artillery fire, and the soldiers could only keep climbing over the trenches. When they entered the front-line trenches, the Japanese assault troops had already rushed up the gentle slope of the river bank, and the distance was less than a hundred meters.
"Fight! Fight quickly!" someone yelled.
"Da da da--"
"Boom-boom--"
The soldiers who jumped into the trenches had no time to breathe, so they immediately set up their guns and started shooting. The light and heavy machine guns rang out one after another, and a rain of bullets like water splashed towards the Japanese soldiers.
Ahhhh!
The violent bullets wildly harvested the Japanese soldiers who were pressing forward. The dozens of Japanese soldiers in front were immediately beaten into a hornet's nest by the bullets, and bursts of blood mist rose in the air.
"Kill Gaigai!" the Japanese officer raised his saber and roared crazily.
The Japanese soldiers changed from their usual wretched behavior. They faced the dense rain of bullets from the defenders and did not lie down or hide. They charged and hit them while charging straight over. Their ferocity made people shudder.
The battle became intense as soon as it started. The Japanese rushed forward desperately, the defenders beat them desperately, and the bloody corpses continued to roll down the gentle slope of the river bank.
The Japanese soldiers holding bayonets were as if they were possessed by a demon. They were not afraid and stepped on the corpses of their companions. Facing the fierce Japanese soldiers, a company of defenders hesitated for a moment before the Japanese soldiers rushed into the position.
"Yeah!" The Japanese soldiers, covered in blood, stabbed out their bayonets with red eyes. One of the defenders' soldiers was knocked over and convulsed in the trench.
"Hold on! Hold on!" The defender's company commander was sweating profusely and threw a grenade to knock over the Japanese soldiers who were rushing towards him, but more Japanese soldiers poured into the position.
These Japanese soldiers who rushed into the position were all combat troops. After tearing open the gap in the position, they did not stop at all. They charged in depth and swept across the two wings, and the gap quickly expanded.
More than a dozen soldiers who rushed forward and tried to block the gap were beaten to pieces as soon as they met. The Japanese soldiers attacked fiercely and ruthlessly. Once the bayonet was struck, the Chinese soldiers would lose their combat effectiveness without the need for follow-up blows.
"Big tree! The machine gun extends fifty meters to block the shooting! Others follow me!" Yang Ling saw the gap opened and knew that the situation was critical. He greeted Yang Dashu and rushed forward with his bayonet drawn.