The rear blocking force of the 6th Brigade was broken through countless openings under the desperate attack of the 74th Army. The two sides engaged in a crisscross melee. The gunfire became denser and tighter, and they were approaching the brigade headquarters.
News that Morishige's brigade was in emergency were sent one after another to the brigade headquarters of brigade commander Maruyama Masao. Even without Morishige's report, just judging from the sound of gunshots, Maruyama Masao knew that the rearguard troops could no longer hold on.
The Sen Brigade is a powerful unit under his command. They once chased several times the number of Chinese troops for hundreds of miles and made countless gains.
However, even such a fierce and powerful brigade could not hold on under the overwhelming artillery fire and the desperate impact of Chinese officers and soldiers. The brutality of this battle had exceeded Masao Maruyama's imagination.
"If you want to eat us in one bite, you have a huge appetite!"
Masao Maruyama had already determined the intention of the Chinese army, which was to take the opportunity to eliminate them in the mountainous area. Masao Maruyama stared at the map with gloomy eyes and gritted his teeth.
"Tell Mori Shige-san to hold on for another hour." Maruyama Masao recovered his thoughts, raised his head and gave instructions to the combat staff.
The battle staff officer with a haggard face stood up and bowed his head, then turned around to deliver the order. The atmosphere in the brigade headquarters was a bit solemn.
"Has the evacuation road been opened?" Masao Maruyama asked again.
A major officer replied: "General, Captain Ono is commanding the troops to attack with all their strength, but there is no artillery support..."
"Pass me an order to tell Ono-san to clear the retreat path within half an hour!" Masao Maruyama's eyes were blazing: "If the retreat road cannot be cleared, our brigade may be wiped out. Please tell Ono-san, please."
."
"Hey Yi!" Major bowed his head heavily: "I will bring all the remaining ammunition there, and I will definitely open up the escape channel!"
"This is a life-and-death moment for our brigade! Please stand firm and stabilize your military morale!"
"Hey Yi!" The senior officers of the brigade and regiment headquarters strengthened their confidence and shouted in unison: "Our army will win!"
At this moment, the Japanese were facing a violent attack by the 74th Army from behind, and they were faced with a life-and-death blockade from Yang Ling and others in front. They had reached a life-or-death moment, and if they were not careful, the entire army would be wiped out.
Faced with life and death, the Japanese became impatient and took out the remaining ammunition without hesitation, pouring it towards Yang Ling and his three-beam blocking position.
The 70mm high-explosive bomb hit Yang Ling's position with a sharp whistling sound. The loud boom was like a flat land mine, almost deafening people's ears.
The billowing smoke and dust from the explosion swept up the mountain ridge. The debris and sand were blown up to an altitude of more than ten meters by the air waves. The dead branches and leaves also burned. In the tremor, the mountain ridge almost turned into a volcanic crater.
The Japanese Major smashed the two remaining boxes of artillery shells from the brigade's direct-affiliated troops into Yang Ling's blocking position, as if they were going to be blown to pieces.
The vegetation growing on the mountain ridge was swept away, and the scorching air waves swept across. Even the air seemed to be burning. The brothers on the mountain ridge were choked by the thick smoke that was poured into their lungs, and they gasped for breath.
"Kill and change..."
Looking at the mountain ridge shrouded in thick smoke, Japanese Lieutenant Commander Ono Ichiro waved his command sword again, but his tone became weak. This was the third time he called for attack.
The first two attacks were repelled, leaving countless corpses on the mountain ridge. The tenacity of the defenders was beyond his expectation.
Hundreds of exhausted Japanese soldiers crouched and launched an attack again. Their legs were weak now that they hadn't slept all night, their heads were groggy, and they were making tactical moves like a machine.
"The Japanese are coming!" an observation post shouted feebly in the thick smoke, and then laboriously pulled the bolt of the gun.
The physical condition of Yang Ling and his brothers is no better than that of the little Japanese. They are so exhausted that they can even fall asleep lying on the ground. They are now supported entirely by perseverance.
In the battle just now, many brothers on various positions were injured, but the brothers who were still alive all climbed to their positions, pulled the bolts of their guns, and waited quietly for the little Japs to come over.
Yang Ling, who was a little dizzy, was also lying in a foxhole. The gunpowder smoke was blown away by the mountain wind, and he could already clearly see the fierce figure of the Japanese in the distance.
The Japs were as wretched as ever, hunching over and trotting towards us. At first, the Japs were howling and shouting, but now they no longer had the energy to shout, so they just kept their heads down and charged.
The weeds and shrubs near the position were all blown away by the artillery shells, and the swaying trees turned into bare wooden piles. There were still many brothers alive, and the sound of pulling the gun bolt was reassuring.
Yang Ling knew very well that his decision to block the attack might cause heavy casualties to his brothers, or even annihilate the entire army, but he was not willing to just let the Japanese run back, then replenished the ammunition and came back majestically to kill their brothers. How could there be anything in the world?
Such a cheap thing.
He, Yang Ling, didn't want to get promoted and get rich. His life was bought by countless brothers who sacrificed their lives on battlefields filled with bullets. The meaning of his life was to kill more Japanese for those brothers who died.
This time the Maruyama Brigade has run out of ammunition and food. As long as they hold off the Japanese, it is possible to wipe them all out in the mountainous area. This is an opportunity for him to repay the debt of his sacrificed brothers. He is not prepared.
Go back alive.
Those brothers who were willing to follow him to block the attack were all people who had been through hell once. They did not want to go back alive. They felt that as long as they blocked the Japanese this time, they would make a profit, and they would not hesitate to die.
People who have survived countless bloody battles not only have a bloody feud with the Japanese, but also do not simply kill the enemy and serve the country. More often than not, they just live to fulfill the long-cherished wishes of those who sacrificed their brothers and live mechanically.
"Puff!" The whizzing bullet flew through the thick smoke, and a piece of soil puffed up in front of Yang Ling. He had to close his eyes and lower his head to prevent the splashing mud from getting into his eyes.
Life on the battlefield is very fragile, so fragile that flying gravel and sand can kill someone, so it is not easy for anyone who can survive on the battlefield.
Yang Ling is no longer the deputy commander, and all positions have been handed over to the brothers. All they need is to hold on to this fragile line of defense.
He lay on the ground like an ordinary soldier, pushed the bullet into the barrel of the gun with a click, and set the sight on a Japanese soldier who was staggering.
"boom!"
The bullet penetrated the prisoner's neck, and a large stream of bright red blood flew up, brilliant and dazzling.
Yang Ling did not check the results of his battle. He turned over and left his position, rolled into a shallow pit, ejected the hot cartridge case, and mechanically loaded the cartridge again.