Twenty-eight gas masks are needed by 42 people, leaving a gap of 14.
As three consecutive poison gas bombs exploded on the position and the yellow-green smoke rose, the lieutenant knew that there was not much time left for him, or rather for the soldiers.
He must make a decision in the shortest time, the most correct decision.
"Company Commander, the injured brothers cannot ignore that! There are still..." The second lieutenant became a little anxious as he saw the smoke getting thicker and thicker.
Looking at the second lieutenant's dark face and somewhat anxious eyes, the lieutenant's hesitant eyes gradually became firm, and he quickly ordered: "Lao Zhang, ask Gouwa and the others to help the injured brothers put on gas masks.
Yes, all party members and those with the rank of squad leader or above do not wear gas masks. Give the gas masks to the brothers first. Wet the towel and cover your mouth and nose. Squat as low as possible for me and stand upwind."
"Yes!" When the second lieutenant heard that the lieutenant gave this order that was almost fatal for him, he nodded heavily without hesitation.
Because, he is not only a second lieutenant platoon leader, but also a party member.
However, the party member they are talking about is not the Kuomintang Party, but the Red Party.
Since the last time the bald principal blatantly tore up the cooperation between the two parties, not to mention the Kuomintang army, even in the Kuomintang-ruled areas, after several years of brutal persecution, almost all Red Party members have been killed.
However, in the Northeast Army and Northwest Army, especially the 17th Division, which have had good relations with the Red Party in northern Shaanxi since 1936, it is not uncommon for the Red Party to appear. Not to mention that grassroots commanders like Zhang Dengdi are members of the Red Party
, the instructors of the teaching team of the 17th Division were even dispatched by the Red Army. If it were not for the Anti-Japanese United Front, Zhao Shoushan might have led the 17th Division to northern Shaanxi.
After the development of the fifth company in the past two years, there are now sixteen Red Party members. However, in the two days and one night of fighting with the Japanese army, almost the same number of people died. Including the two of them, there are only five people left.
.So when there are as many as fourteen gas mask gaps, the lieutenant company commander can only count those with the rank of sergeant and above.
"The Japs are coming up. Order the brothers to get into combat positions for me. Let them get within 100 meters. Then I will beat them hard. I will fire both light machine guns." The lieutenant glanced down the mountain and looked at me.
The waist master covered his mouth and nose with his hands and continued to order in a sullen voice.
"But, company commander, there is no water on the battlefield. How can you use a wet towel?" When the second lieutenant received the order and turned to leave, he suddenly remembered this most fatal thing.
The entire position has been without water supply for 20 hours, and the last sip of water in the entire kettle was drunk by the seriously injured who had lost too much blood and were in urgent need of water. Where is the water coming from to wet the towels now?
"Use your urine for me, order everyone, whether they are men or not, to urinate for me." The lieutenant shouted loudly.
The sound was loud enough to be heard by the soldiers who had already drilled out of the shell-proof hole.
So, in the thickening yellow-green smoke visible to the naked eye on the battlefield, dozens of men wearing gas masks or without gas masks took off their pants, gathered around piles of towels, suppressed their blushes, and tried their best to
With all his strength, he contracted his bladder and squeezed out a small amount of urine.
"Come out here." Xigua may have never imagined that it would be so difficult to urinate when thirsty.
There were not many tears in the eyes behind the glass of the gas mask, only tears. Because tears also need water.
But he was anxious, very anxious.
He knew that this was the last hope for survival for the officers who were as close as brothers. Because of the mountain wind on the top of the mountain, the Japanese invaders had fired more than 30 rounds on the position in order to make the poisonous gas reach a lethal concentration.
Several sergeants were already squatting on the ground, covering their mouths and noses, their faces red from holding back.
A person can go without eating for several days, or even without drinking water for a day or two, but breathing cannot be stopped for a while.
However, they had not drank water for more than ten hours, and the large amount of sweat in their bodies due to several consecutive hard battles had taken away the small amount of water. The urine that could be left in the bladder was almost a luxury at this moment.
Five or six hundred meters below their position, the Japanese invaders, all wearing gas masks, were slowly advancing towards the top of the mountain. They were also waiting, waiting for the Chinese defenders on the top of the mountain to inhale the poisonous gas and lose their combat effectiveness.
Just like they did on the battlefield in Hebei.
Finally, after the hard and even arduous efforts of more than thirty men, the towels were completely wet with urine, and each one was distributed and tied tightly to the faces of the party members and the backbone officers of the infantry company.
Although his eyes were still red and swollen from the stimulation, he was able to breathe temporarily. The lieutenant waved his hand, and the cat, who was familiar to everyone, came to his fighting position.
They have been fighting for two days and one night on this small position. It has the best shooting range and can drop grenades to cause damage to the Japanese invaders who attack the position from the front. The officers and soldiers can find it even if they close their eyes.
The position has only the front, no wings, and there are cliffs on both sides and behind.
After waiting for ten minutes, the Japanese from an infantry squadron finally entered an attacking position more than 300 meters from the front of the position.
This time, they didn't even have fire power to test. Under the wave of the leader's Japanese lieutenant who was holding a command knife, a squadron of nearly 200 Japanese soldiers began to trot upwards at a faster pace with rifles with bayonets attached.
There was silence on the fifth company position.
200 meters, 170 meters, 150 meters, 120 meters, until 100 meters, the Japanese lieutenant who followed the infantry squadron showed a smile on his face. If nothing else happened, all the Chinese without gas masks would have died in the trenches.
People can survive in the poison gas developed by the Empire for more than 20 minutes.
The only regret he had was that he could not hear the cries of those stubborn opponents before they died.
"Da da da" A crisp and familiar sound of gunfire solidified the smile that had just appeared on the Japanese lieutenant's face.
Then, there was a burst of gunfire like exploding beans.
More than twenty Japanese troops who had begun to rush into the final charge fell instantly. At such a close distance, and due to the terrain, the formation of the Japanese troops was much denser than in usual field charges, and the distance between each person was the largest.
It was only over one meter, so even a new soldier might be able to cover it up, let alone these soldiers who had survived two days and one night of bloody battles and were considered veterans.
If you don't want to be killed, you have to learn to kill. This is the process of new soldiers turning into veterans.
"Baga! Speed up, charge forward, charge forward, they can't hold on for long." The Japanese lieutenant shouted angrily. Although not many people could hear his voice on such a battlefield, the command knife he waved had already been heard.
It illustrates the attitude.
The machine gunners and grenadiers who were acting together with the infantry quickly lay down and suppressed the two light machine guns on the Chinese position. However, the infantry did not lie down and shoot at the Chinese defenders. Instead, they continued to attack the position while lying down.
charge.
Just as their commander thought, they did not think that the Chinese could last long in the poison gas. This should be their last stubborn resistance! Continue to attack and crush their last vestige of will to resist.
Unfortunately, this time, the Japanese army miscalculated.
Although the number of Chinese defenders on the position was small, they did not become weaker and weaker under the raging poison gas as they imagined. As the distance got closer, their attacks became more and more accurate.
However, at a distance of only 50 to 60 meters, more than 180 Japanese infantrymen paid the price of at least 30 casualties, with a casualty rate as high as 20%. This is when the 3rd Infantry Squadron of the 2nd Infantry Group of the 80th Infantry Regiment entered China.
Unprecedented since the battlefield.
This drove Lieutenant Akira Nishikawa crazy. What kind of group of Chinese were these? How could they survive in the red agent gas and shoot so calmly?
"Kill me!" Nishikawa Akira's eyes hidden behind his gas mask were already red. Regardless of the heavy casualties suffered by his subordinates, he continued to launch a desperate charge.
He could only do this. He suffered heavy casualties but could conquer the position, and he could still perform meritorious service. However, if he suffered heavy casualties and was repelled by the Chinese at the same time, he might be killed directly by the furious Major Captain.
In fact, the Japanese lieutenant did not know that the Chinese on the battlefield were not gods. Even if they were gods, they could not shoot accurately while breathing poisonous gas while rubbing their eyes, which were irritated by the poisonous gas and were crying and red and swollen.
In addition to the twenty soldiers wearing gas masks, including the lieutenant, the fourteen sergeants, second lieutenants, and lieutenants who were the backbone of this lone force defending the mountaintop position had actually reached the last moment.
As the concentration of poison gas increases, the earthen gas mask soaked in urine has almost lost its function of filtering poison gas.
He threw out several grenades in succession, taking advantage of his commanding position to blow up several Japanese soldiers who rushed into the position more than 40 meters away. The second lieutenant cast his eyes on the lieutenant not far away who was also having trouble breathing and his face turned red.
Company Commander: "Ahem, Company Commander, I'm dying. I don't want to die in the poisonous gas. Give me your grenade. Ahem, wait until the little devil comes closer. I'll do it to you."
A few of you will accompany me on the journey."
"What a coward you are! It's all you can do." The lieutenant company commander's eyes suddenly widened and he cursed in his native dialect.
Not to mention the fifth company, even the entire 17th Division, Shaanxi soldiers accounted for more than 90%.
"Hold on a little longer, and when the wind comes, the poisonous gas will dissipate."
"It's too late, company commander, look at Squad Leader Chen." A trace of sadness flashed in the second lieutenant's eyes.
In the trench twenty-five meters away, the unmasked infantry squad leader was vomiting violently. The poisonous gas that had invaded the mucous membrane of his throat made him dig his hands into the hard ground in pain.
A soldier beside him cried bitterly and pulled off his gas mask and tried his best to cover his face, but he could not stop him from howling like a wolf.
That kind of pain is truly unbearable.
There was a flash of pain in the lieutenant's eyes, and he clenched his hands suddenly. There was also a trace of determination on his face, as if he had made a certain decision.
"Those who are not wearing masks are all armed with submachine guns. Xigua, you and the other brothers will cover us and are not allowed to leave the position without permission." The lieutenant suddenly stood up, pulled off the towel on his face, and roared loudly.