The supplementary company's trenches gradually took shape under Yang Ling's personal command. Traffic trenches, infantry bunkers, machine gun bunkers, anti-tank trenches, and troop hiding holes made the entire position look fragmented. However, compared to the shallow single-line trenches before, the current defensive capabilities
Greatly enhanced.
After the trench was dug down for about one meter, groundwater seeped out. The bottom of the trench had turned into puddles of mud, and it became even muddy after being trampled back and forth.
The leggings of the remnant soldiers were already covered with a thick layer of mud, and they felt wet and cold. At this moment, they were nesting in the half-hidden soldier cave, lighting a bonfire and roasting their wet trousers and clothes.
leggings.
The scorching flames rose up, and the damp clothes and trousers hanging on the branches emitted bursts of white steam. The remaining soldiers huddled beside the fire, and the orange firelight reflected their tired faces flushed.
"I said to the company commander, can our trench be dug so deep to survive?" Luo Dayong held his treasured Czech light machine gun in his arms and was drowsy by the warm flames. He raised his head and asked Lao Smoking.
The old smoker lit the dry pipe in the fire, smashed it and took a puff. Looking at the crooked trenches lying on the battlefield, he answered with some uncertainty: "It should work."
In fact, Lao Yanqiang didn't know whether digging such a deep trench would be able to block the Japs' attack, but since Yang Ling said so, it should at least be of some use if they followed it.
Now that Yang Ling has become the backbone of the more than 30 remnants of the supplementary company, his words still have some weight. The reason why Yang Ling asked the remnants to dig trenches is to increase their chances of survival.
Fatty Tian San ran down the trench to the fire, put his cold hands on the fire and burned them. He felt that his numb hands had a slight feeling and then moved them aside.
"Company Commander Zhou and the company deputy asked us to cut some reed stalks and put them in the trenches."
When Luo Dayong heard this, he immediately became unhappy and muttered dissatisfied: "I said the tossing is still to be finished. I haven't even taken a breath yet, and I have to work again."
Lao Yanqiang also felt physically and mentally exhausted. After marching continuously and then digging trenches for several hours, he felt that his bones were about to fall apart.
"Okay, let's all get up. It's better to get some reed stalks and put them in the trench than wading in the mud." Lao Yanqiang interrupted Luo Dayong who was mumbling, stood up and called for the remaining soldiers to chop.
Reed stalks.
There were many reeds growing along the Zaobang River, and it didn't take much effort. Soon Lao Yanqiang and the others cut down a lot of reeds and laid them in the trenches. With the reed stalks lying on the mud, there was still water.
It's better to seep out than to step back and forth in the mud with your feet.
"Hey, don't mention it, with this reed straw mat, it's much better than before." Luo Dayong stepped in the trench, grinning like a child who discovered some secret.
"You don't even know who is paying attention. The company officer is so smart." Some of the remaining soldiers began to admire Yang Ling. Although this was just a small change, it made them feel much more comfortable in the trenches.
Luo Dayong waved his hand and interrupted the remaining soldier: "Okay, okay, you know how to flatter me."
"Hey, what are our company officers doing?" Luo Dayong looked around and didn't see Yang Ling, so he turned to ask the remaining soldiers.
The remnant soldiers also looked around, and soon they saw a busy figure in the dusk in front of the position. They climbed out of the trench and took a closer look, and found that it was not their company deputy Yang.
"Company officer, what are you busy with?" Luo Dayong approached and asked.
"Don't move, there is a bomb under your feet." Yang Ling's reminder frightened Luo Dayong, and he suddenly stopped. Only then did he realize that there was a thin wire only half a meter away from him, with both ends tied and the bottom cover already unscrewed.
Where's the grenade?
Luo Dayong carefully put his feet back and broke into a cold sweat. Damn it, I almost lost it.
The surrounding remnant soldiers also stopped and did not dare to move forward. They looked at Yang Ling busy in front of their position. They held their breath and looked at the thin figure. Then they felt lucky that Yang Ling was their company commander.
, if it was the Japanese, they don’t know how they died, and they couldn’t see through Yang Ling even more.
Yang Ling used to be the king of soldiers. It was a piece of cake to lay some booby traps in front of the position. Anyway, they now have a lot of grenades, so he prepared a big meal for the Japanese.
Seeing Yang Ling unscrewing the caps of each grenade and tying the ends with ropes, straightening them and placing them in front of the position, Luo Dayong and others took a deep breath. If the Japanese infantry hit the thin wire, the grenade would definitely detonate.
"If the Japanese come, a lot of them will die, right?" Li Mazi swallowed his saliva and said as he saw so many grenades placed in front of the position.
"A large number of the Japs will definitely be blown up, haha." The remaining soldiers suddenly felt that it was quite pitiful for the little Japs to meet their Lieutenant Commander Yang.
"Give me two more grenades." Just as the remaining soldiers were pointing excitedly at the ambush grenades, Yang Ling's voice came.
Luo Dayong hurriedly took off the two grenades hanging from his waist, and carefully reached forward and handed them to Yang Ling, fearing that he would hit the thin wire and be blown up into the sky.
Yang Ling arranged more than forty grenades in the open space in front of the position. They did not pull the strings randomly, but mostly on both sides. A channel was left in the center for the Japanese to attack, and at the other end of the channel was
Replenish the company's machine gun bunker. As long as the Japanese enter this passage, Yang Ling will ensure that the Japanese will never come back.
After arranging everything, Yang Ling estimated that it was already seven or eight o'clock in the evening, and the sky had completely darkened. He didn't have a watch and didn't know the specific time now, but the sound of cannons on the other side of the river was getting closer and closer, and he estimated that it would be late at the latest
Tomorrow morning the Japanese will arrive on the other side of the river.
"Go to the back and rest to replenish your strength." Yang Ling waved his hand and took the lead towards the hiding cave in the back. The remaining soldiers knew that there were mines in front of the position, so they all safely retreated to the back of the position to sleep and replenish their strength.
Now on the battlefield in Songhu, the Chinese army and the Japanese troops have become a mess. Facing the stubborn resistance of the Chinese army, although the Japanese army has an overwhelming equipment advantage, their progress is slow. The Japanese army originally wanted to win a quick victory.
, but it turned out to be a bad war. Their domestic resources were limited, and the two months of fighting had already made their senior management very dissatisfied.
In order to end the entanglement with the Chinese army in the Shanghai area as soon as possible, the commander of the Shanghai Expeditionary Force, Matsui Iwane, concentrated the powerful forces of the 3rd, 9th, 13th, and 101st Divisions at the end of October to prepare for the forced crossing of Ezaobang and the implementation of the Central Committee's
Using breakthrough tactics, we attacked Dachang Town and Nanxiang Station today, completely defeating the Chinese army.
Facing the fierce attack of the Japanese army, the Chinese army had lost positions on the left bank one after another, and could only temporarily deploy the newly replenished 61st Division to the right bank of Ezao Bang to try to prevent the Japanese army from crossing the river.
In order to avoid exposing the target, the bonfire has been extinguished, but the remaining temperature still makes the remaining soldiers feel warm. They gather in twos and threes and whisper from all over the world. Yang Ling rests his head on the reed pole and looks at the scene that is illuminated by the stream of light from time to time.
The night sky was full of thoughts. He knew that a cruel battle was coming, and the remaining soldiers here didn't know how long they could survive.