Fierce gunfire has been heard in the city of Nanjing, and the city defenders have started fierce street battles with the Japanese who broke into the city. The two sides repeatedly fought for every house and every street. The battle was fierce and the streets were stained with blood.
Tang Shengzhi's garrison commander's headquarters could clearly hear the sound of firefights in the distance, and emergency phone calls came and went from everywhere.
The staff officers in the garrison commander's department were all busy and nervous, and there was an atmosphere of panic in the air. Tang Shengzhi had no intention of sipping tea, looking at the gloomy sky outside the window, smoking heavily.
The Chairman of the Generalissimo had already sent him a secret message. If Nanjing was really undefendable, he could evacuate immediately. He sighed dejectedly.
The heavy artillery bombardment of the Japanese planes had completely destroyed his vow to live and die with Nanjing. If he continued to fight, he might really lose his life to Nanjing. At this moment, he had no intention of fighting anymore. Just retreat.
, it’s better than losing your life.
"Report!" An officer rushed to Tang Shengzhi and said, "Sir Tang, Chief Liu and Chief Luo are back."
Deputy Commander-in-Chief Liu Xing and Deputy Commander-in-Chief Luo Zhuoying personally went to the front lines of Guanghua Gate and Zhonghua Gate to take command during the fierce battle. After receiving orders from Tang Shengzhi, they returned to the garrison commander's headquarters in dust.
"Sir Tang, why did you call us back in such a hurry?" Liu Xing was covered in blood. On his way back, he exchanged fire with Japanese soldiers who broke into the city several times.
Tang Shengzhi said to the two of them seriously: "Chief Liu, Chief Luo, the city of Nanjing has been captured by the Japanese army and cannot be defended. The chairman of the committee has ordered us to evacuate immediately. I am ready to retreat."
When Liu Xing heard this, he became a little angry and said: "Sir Tang, although several city gates have been lost, our defenders still have strength. We can retreat into the city and fight in the streets. Even if Nanjing cannot hold it, the Japanese army will
It’s a huge price to pay! If we retreat now, wouldn’t we give up Nanjing?”
Deputy Commander Luo Zhuoying also frowned and said: "There are still three to four hundred thousand soldiers and civilians in the city who have not yet evacuated. If we retreat hastily now, what will they do? We can't leave them to the enemy, right?"
Tang Shengzhi was now in a irritable mood and no longer wanted to defend the city. He asked: "What should we do? We can't be trapped in an isolated city and wait to die, right?"
Liu Xing suggested: "Even if you want to retreat, you must have a careful plan. How will the retreat routes of each unit be taken? Where will the troops gather if they are scattered? Which unit will be responsible for covering the rear? We have not prepared these yet."
Tang Shengzhi waved his hand and said: "I have considered these and asked the staff to formulate a breakout plan. Take a look." He picked up a temporary draft plan from the table and showed it to the two deputy chiefs.
After reading it, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Luo Zhuoying asked: "Although our troops have a breakout plan, what will the people in the city do?"
Tang Shengzhi replied: "The situation is urgent now and we don't have to worry about so much anymore. The war is a matter between two countries and has nothing to do with the people. Even if the Japanese army enters the city, I don't think it will do anything to the people. The troops will withdraw first."
Deputy Commander-in-Chief Liu Xing came here from Jiangyin and knew that the Japanese were ferocious and cruel. They dropped bombs indiscriminately on Nanjing and knew that they treated soldiers and civilians the same. He wanted to dissuade Tang Shengzhi to consider the civilians again, but was interrupted by Tang Shengzhi with a wave of his hand.
"I have ordered the commanders of each unit to go to the conference room. Let's go to the meeting." After finishing speaking, Tang Shengzhi went straight to the conference room.
In the basement of the headquarters of the garrison commander of the Ministry of Railways in Nanjing, all the army and division commanders who had been urgently summoned from various places on the front line had gathered here.
The commanders of these military divisions all looked dusty and embarrassed. The unsatisfactory battles on the front line made them frown and smoke in silence. The conference room was filled with smoke and was dull.
The arrival of Tang Shengzhi and the two deputy commanders made these military commanders hurriedly put out the cigarettes in their hands and stood up to salute.
Tang Shengzhi walked to the front seat, looked around at everyone, put his hands down and said, "Everyone, sit down."
He told the adjutant behind him: "Send the retreat order and breakout plan to everyone."
Hearing Tang Shengzhi's words, the army commanders and division commanders who came to attend the combat meeting looked at each other. Although the city was broken, it was still possible to fight in the streets. Why was it suddenly necessary to withdraw without receiving any news in advance?
With serious expressions on their faces, they hurriedly launched the retreat order and breakout plan that had been sent to them. They suddenly understood that it was the Chairman of the Committee who had sent the retreat order.
No one spoke in the conference room, and the unspeakable dullness suppressed everyone's nerves. After fighting for so many days, so many officers and soldiers died, and they were reluctant to withdraw immediately.
"Sir Tang, our teaching corps is still fighting in Zijin Mountain. This breakout plan requires us to break out from the northern foot of Zijin Mountain while it is dark and head south, facing the enemy's attack direction. Doesn't this mean we will die?" Gui, the teaching corps leader.
Yongqing stood up and said.
Tang Shengzhi said: "There are not many enemies in front of you. You only need to rush out from the gaps in the encirclement. You can fight your way out. I will let the artillery cover you."
When Gui Yongqing heard this, he immediately understood. This was clearly asking them to teach the corps to act as targets to attract Japanese firepower.
When the corps commanders and division commanders who attended the meeting received the breakout plan, they already knew that Nanjing could not be defended. They sat there like deflated rubber balls and thought about how to escape while still thinking about the meeting.
Tang Shengzhi stood up and said in a hoarse voice: "Everyone, the war does not end today, but continues tomorrow. The war does not end in the Nanjing garrison, but extends indefinitely in areas outside Nanjing. Please bear in mind
Today’s shame, tomorrow’s shame will be avenged!”
Although Tang Shengzhi's words were impassioned, they still could not hide his greed for life and fear of death. Some of the generals present sneered softly, but Tang Shengzhi did not care.
He sighed and added: "We have done our best to defend Nanjing, so you don't have to blame yourself too much."
"When each unit retreats, it should be pointed out to the commander in charge. If the troops are scattered and cannot be controlled, they can cross the river with me. There are still boats crossing the river at the commander's headquarters in Xiaguan."
After Tang Shengzhi finished speaking, before the commander of the military division could react, he waved his hands dejectedly and said, "Let's go." He strode out of the conference room.
When Xiao Shanling, the mayor of Nanjing and the commander of the military police, saw that Tang Shengzhi left so quietly, he hurriedly stood up and grabbed the deputy commander Liu Xing who was about to leave and said: "Sir Liu, sir Liu, are you just leaving like this?"
Liu Xing also shook his head helplessly and said: "Let's break up, everyone can act according to the breakout plan." At this moment, Liu Xing was also disheartened and unable to turn around.
Although the breakout plan clearly stipulated that each unit should break out along its own breakout route after dark, but with the departure of Commander Tang Shengzhi, how could these military commanders still have the heart to return to the army?
The commander-in-chief had already run away, so why did they go back to die? After leaving the commander-in-chief's gate, they all wanted to escape quickly. Many people did not bother to organize the troops to retreat, and followed them to Xianguan Ferry.
Some officers returned to the headquarters to convey the orders before leaving, and some directly sent their adjutants back to convey the orders without returning their own troops. Sun Yuanliang, commander of the 88th Division, ran away after the meeting without even conveying the message of retreat and breakout.