Li Zongren frowned, looked at the map, then looked at the telegram in his hand, and said, "The defense on the east bank of the Xianghe River is a bit weak. It used to be about the same strength as the Japanese troops, but now the Japanese troops are much more powerful. Zhang Zizhong is afraid that he will be very weak."
It’s so difficult.”
"I heard that Lao Zhang has sent a suicide note!" Bai Chongxi sighed, "Just take a look."
Li Zongren took it, swept it down quickly, and sighed, "If everyone is like Xin Chen, why worry about not being able to defeat the Japanese!"
"Commander, do you think we should ask the 31st Army to send some troops there?" Bai Chongxi asked.
Li Zongren nodded, "With the current situation, we can't do anything without adjustment. Let's send a report to the United Front Work Department and say that we are applying to transfer part of the 31st Group Army to support the Xianghe Defense Area."
"Okay." Bai Chongxi nodded and said, "Also, Zhou Weiguo's headquarters sent a telegram asking for help. At the Xujiadian position in Sui County, the regiment originally stationed there has almost been defeated, and even the regiment leader is gone. Now it all depends on
Zhou Weiguo led hundreds of people to hold on there."
"Tell Tang Enbo immediately and ask him to send troops to support!" Li Zongren said immediately, "Sui County is his defense area. Zhou Weiguo brought people to support there to protect his family and country. How could he not express it?"
"Um."
…
Xujiadian
"Teacher, the planes have all left." A soldier said to Zhou Weiguo, "The Japanese have started attacking again."
Zhou Weiguo nodded and said, "Let brothers be careful."
"yes!"
"Divisional seat, telegram from pre-war headquarters."
Zhou Weiguo took it and took a look with a complicated expression. Zhang Zizhong, the man he met in Linyi, was now fighting in the same battle, but in a different defensive zone. This letter, which was like a farewell, reminded Zhou Weiguo of this man again.
, the highest-ranking general who died in China in the history of the Anti-Japanese War.
"Victory, send a report to the Air Force. When supporting the positions on the east bank of the Xiang River, send one more team." Zhou Weiguo said immediately. This was the maximum level of support he could give.
"Okay." Fang Shengli nodded. He naturally saw the telegram and knew that Zhang Zizhong had an old relationship with Zhou Weiguo during the battle in Linyi. In addition to admiration, he also expressed his understanding of Zhou Weiguo's decision.
…
Xianghe
Zhang Zizhong pressed the trigger, fired the bullet, and then quickly lay down on the position, with several bullets hitting the bunker in front of him.
"Commander, the enemy's defense is too fierce, brothers can't withstand it!" A lieutenant general said to Zhang Zizhong, "The casualties are too great!"
"We have to bear it even if we can't. I've already said that in this battle, we can only have a chance of survival if we fight to the end!" Zhang Zizhong looked at the person in front of him and said angrily, "Liu Zhensan (Commander of the 180th Division), go back quickly.
Hold the position for me. If the position is lost, I will blame you!"
"Commander!" Liu Zhensan stamped his feet. Although he was also an old member of the 59th Army and was an old subordinate of Zhang Zizhong, Zhang Zizhong's behavior could very well ruin the entire 59th Army.
"Go back!" Zhang Zizhong said angrily.
"Yes!" Liu Zhensan had no choice but to go back and continue to hold his position.
On both sides of the Xianghe River, artillery fire was flying.
The 22nd Army held its position with flesh and blood.
"Commander! It can't be done!"
"What can't you do? Stay on the battlefield for me, even if you die!" Zhang Zizhong said angrily again, "The people standing behind us are the common people! They are the country!"
"Commander!" Liu Zhensan looked at Zhang Zizhong and sighed helplessly, "The enemy's firepower is so fierce that we cannot resist it. In just one morning, more than half of our brothers have been killed or injured!"
Zhang Zizhong turned back at this time, looked at Liu Zhensan, and said, "You have been following me for more than a day or two. You should know what kind of person I am. Things that have been decided will not change."
"But Commander, this is the fate of tens of thousands of brothers in our army!" Liu Zhensan shouted.
"But behind us are the lives of tens of millions of people across the country!" Zhang Zizhong immediately retorted.
Liu Zhensan choked for a moment, then sighed, "Commander, in this case, please quickly request reinforcements!"
"The Air Force of the Independent Division has come for reinforcements twice." Zhang Zizhong immediately said, "Send a report to Commander Li, saying that the Japanese army is powerful and has more troops than ours. Our troops will hold on until the last man.
I hope the commander will learn from this and quickly mobilize reinforcements!"
"Yes!" Liu Zhensan accepted the order and left. What he didn't know was that Zhang Zizhong had already sent a report asking for support.
Zhang Zizhong, on the other hand, continued to return to the position and began to defend.
The Japanese pontoon bridge has crossed most of the Xiang River, and the Xiang River is not wide to begin with.
"Come here, the artillery is here!" Zhang Zizhong shouted loudly, "Blow up the Japanese pontoon bridge for me!"
"Yes!" A soldier took the order and left. At this time, the equipment supported by Zhou Weiguo had just been transported to the Xianghe River.
About ten minutes later, the sound of cannon firing also sounded from behind the national army position.
"boom!"
"boom!"
"boom!"
Some of the shells fell in the river, and some landed on the Japanese pontoon bridge, and even injured the Japanese engineers who were building the pontoon bridge.
"Okay!" Zhang Zizhong's eyes lit up, and then he said, "What kind of cannon is this?"
"Commander Zhang, this is a 120mm howitzer. General Zhou supported our troops in the fifth theater yesterday." At this time, a major general of the national army also came to the position and said to Zhang Zizhong, "Commander Zhang, this is the receipt.
, please take it."
"Haha, it's the equipment supported by brother Wei Guo. When did we have such a large-caliber cannon?" Zhang Zizhong laughed and took the receipt, "Thank you very much."
"It's just to defend the country and protect the family, that's where the responsibility lies."
"Thank you very much. Your shells came in time."
After a while, the buzz of airplanes sounded in the air again.
Zhang Zizhong raised his head. This was the third time today. He was very grateful to Zhou Weiguo's air force. Otherwise, his 33rd Army would have suffered more than just the losses in the morning.
…
"Brother Fei, the master said we need to add an extra team to support us here."
"I know, so why didn't I join?" Gao Fei nodded, "However, the battle situation down there is indeed not optimistic. There are too many Japanese."
"Brother Fei, let's go down and give the Japanese some good looks?"
"Okay." Then, Gao Fei controlled the fighter plane to dive downward.
…
"Nani? Chinese fighter plane? Yalu, take cover!" A Japanese lieutenant general put down his telescope and said loudly, "Order that troops with anti-aircraft guns immediately conduct air defense."
"Hi!"
"Your Excellency, Division Commander, Chinese fighter planes have arrived three times in one morning." A Japanese major general said next to him.
"I know." The Japanese Lieutenant General nodded, "According to the current offensive situation, by the afternoon, we will be able to reach the east coast and capture the Chinese positions."
"Hi!"
"However, the Chinese fighter planes are really troublesome. Please ask the air force for assistance again. Tell the command headquarters that the Chinese air force has caused a lot of casualties to our warriors."
