The dawn illuminated the earth, and the late autumn morning was cold and slightly chilly. The gunfire from Dingjiaqiao gradually subsided and finally returned to silence.
Gray bricks and black smoke outline a monotonous background with sharp edges. Bodies are stacked in the dilapidated ruins, guns are scattered, and the winding smoke tells people about the cruelty of war.
The 174th Division did not stop at Dingjiaqiao, which was conquered at great sacrifice, but only left a platoon of troops to clean the battlefield. The main force went straight to Taoyuan Bang, the designated combat target, overnight.
The sound of gunfire in the direction of Taoyuan Bang was still fierce, but for the soldiers who stayed at Dingjiaqiao to clean up the battlefield, they had become spectators.
Not everyone wants to be a spectator. Gui Army platoon leader Li Tiezhu, who has a bandage on his head and stands upright, is very reluctant. He went all the way to the battlefield to fight the Japanese ghosts, not to stay behind to clean up.
Such a small thing.
His gaze swept over the criss-crossing ditches and fields, drifting towards Taoyuan Beach where the cannons were roaring, hoping that the communications troops in front would bring back orders and transfer him up to attack the fortress, but his eyes were forgotten and he did not see a single figure coming back.
, couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated.
"Platoon leader, several of our brothers are dying." A middle-aged soldier hurried to Li Tiezhu, his voice choked with sobs.
Li Tiezhu reluctantly withdrew his gaze from the direction of Taoyuan Beach, covered his messy hair with his helmet, turned around and went straight to the dilapidated house where the wounded were placed.
Stepping on the gravel and rubble on the ground and crossing the messy streets, Li Tiezhu strode into a temporary settlement site for wounded soldiers.
"Platoon leader." When the surrounding soldiers saw Li Tiezhu coming in, they all greeted him.
Li Tiezhu was in a deep mood and did not speak. He walked straight towards several seriously injured people lying on the wooden boards and squatted down. Looking at these comrades who were covered in blood and flesh and had weak breaths, he felt very unhappy.
They lack medical treatment and medicine, and they can grit their teeth and push through simple injuries, but most of the seriously injured can only die in pain...
These are all old brothers who came from Guangxi and were seriously injured in last night's attack. Their medical conditions are poor and they were so seriously injured that they have no choice but to wait for death. At this moment, they have reached the final moment of life and death.
"Platoon... Platoon leader, am I going to die..." Seeing Li Tiezhu's arrival, a seriously injured man shouted with squirming lips. Before the words could be spoken, tears were already flowing down his cheeks.
Li Tiezhu held his old brother's hand tightly and squeezed out a smile that was uglier than crying to comfort him: "Don't talk nonsense, I'm just a little injured, I won't die."
"Platoon leader, but I feel a pain in my stomach..." The seriously injured man was lying on the wooden board, his face full of pain.
Li Tiezhu looked at the seriously injured man's exploded stomach and turned away, tears flashing in his eyes. He tried hard to hold back the tears, turned his head and said in a choked voice: "Sleep, the pain will not be gone after a nap.
"
"Platoon... Platoon Commander, don't lie to me."
"I'm not going to lie to you, go to sleep, have a good sleep, close your eyes and everything will be fine after a good sleep."
The seriously injured man's lips wriggled, wanting to say something more, but he felt increasingly weak. The hand that was holding Li Tiezhu slowly fell down, and soon died of life.
"Cough cough cough -" the seriously injured man lying on the wooden board next to him coughed, blood gurgling from his mouth. He struggled, his face full of pain: "Platoon leader... give me a good time... please... please...
…”
Li Tiezhu shook his head in pain, he couldn't bear to shoot his brother.
…
Under the wall full of bullet holes, Yang Ling was raising his head and holding a kettle, pouring cold water into his stomach.
As the cool and cold water poured down her throat and into her stomach, Yang Ling felt much better and her thinking became clear again.
Although Dingjiaqiao was captured and more than 400 Japanese were killed, their own losses were also heavy, and more than ten brothers who followed Yang Ling were lost.
Although Yang Ling has seen countless named and unnamed people die in front of him in the past few days, and has become a little numb, but people are not ruthless, and deep down in his heart is still heavy and sorrowful.
But what can sadness do? Facing the enemy's aircraft and artillery, as long as this war is not over, sacrifices will continue.
Lao Wangtou carried several large bulging canvas bags, walked through the rubble and returned to the wall full of bullet holes, and sat down next to Yang Ling, breathing heavily.
The canvas bag was used by the Japs to load ammunition, but at this moment, Lao Wangtou had filled it with dry food plundered from the bodies of the Japs.
Yang Ling asked Lao Wangtou to collect the dry food specially, because he knew that they would not be able to replenish it for a long time, so in order not to starve, they had to prepare it in advance.
Because Yang Ling knew that the battlefield situation would soon take a turn for the worse. Although the counterattack troops were advancing steadily and regaining many positions that had fallen a few days ago, without strong firepower support, they would still be defeated after all their flesh and blood were exhausted.
Come.
…
The troops of the 174th Division that attacked Taoyuan Bang were withdrawn at noon. Along the muddy trails and fields, there were everywhere Gui Army soldiers evacuating towards Dingjiaqiao, densely packed all over the mountains and plains.
From Dingjiaqiao to Taoyuan Bang is an unobstructed and open area. The Chinese army could sustain an charge at night. However, as soon as day broke, the Chinese army in the open area was immediately covered by Japanese artillery fire.
The Japanese aviation force also immediately took off dozens of aircraft to bomb and strafe. The yellow uniforms of the Gui Army soldiers became the best living targets. The fierce fighting continued until noon. The Gui Army troops were finally exhausted, and the commanders at all levels had to order the retreat to Dingjiaqiao.
Hold your position and prepare to counterattack after dark.
The ruined Dingjiaqiao position became noisy again. The retreating troops suffered heavy casualties. The streets were filled with injured soldiers moaning in pain, but no one could care about them at this moment.
Because the main force of the Japanese Third Division had already chased the retreating troops and pounced on them, all those who could move had already picked up their guns and entered the outer trenches.
"Why were they defeated?" Lao Wangtou looked at the blood-stained Gui soldiers and couldn't figure it out.
Equally aggrieved were the soldiers of the Gui Army. Their heroic and fearless charge did not bring victory, but only increased casualties. In just one morning, many battalion and company commanders were almost all killed.
, they were equally unwilling.
"If the Japanese ghosts didn't have artillery and planes, we would have won long ago!" A veteran sat in the trench and sighed unwillingly.
They were about to regain the Taoyuan Bang position, but the Japanese Third Division also launched a fierce attack on them at this moment, with continuous artillery fire.
The officers of the attacking Gui army were really unwilling to give up and launched a forced charge in an attempt to break through the Japanese defense line. However, after two hours of bloody fighting, instead of breaking through the Japanese artillery blockade, they suffered heavy casualties and had to retreat to Dingjiaqiao to defend their position.
Looking at the dilapidated Dingjiaqiao position and the scarred Gui Army soldiers, Yang Ling shook his head helplessly. What should come will always come. There is no way to escape or hide.