Wakitajiro valued this ceremony in which he personally reported to the division headquarters and was approved to raise the military flag on the roof of the Sihang Warehouse.
Because, in his opinion, this victory even surpassed the landing battle, which required greater sacrifices. The Chinese regard battlefield battles as a battle of their national spirit, so it is up to him to personally destroy the Chinese people's national spirit.
Not only on the battlefield, but also in their hearts, the seeds of the empire's invincibility must be planted.
The 200-person flag guard team all arrived on the roof of the warehouse. This 200-person infantry squadron is the wing headquarters guard squadron of the 36th Infantry Regiment and is also the final reserve team of the 36th Infantry Regiment. Although they do not
Participating in this battle, the troops were well-organized and guarded the glory of the 36th Infantry Regiment - the regiment flag. It was only appropriate for them to show the style of the Imperial Japanese Army to tens of thousands of poor Chinese civilians.
Except for Lieutenant Colonel Kitajima Takeo, who was deliberately suppressed as the deputy commander, the remaining two major captains of the 36th Infantry Regiment and several lieutenants he admired all appeared on stage.
The army captain who brought it up originally asked him to share his happiness in accordance with Wakiitajiro's wishes, but Kiichi Yamaki had to accompany him because the army reporter wanted to interview his subordinates.
As the infantry brigade that suffered the heaviest losses in the Battle of Sihang Warehouse, reporters accompanying the army gave them this honor, and this is right.
Colonel Bangchui was an added bonus. As a representative of the Bangchui Regiment, he was also invited to attend the ceremony of raising the military flag on the occupied position.
The only thing that Wakitajiro regretted was that the Chinese took away their national flag before leaving. Otherwise, Wakitajiro could have burned the Chinese flag that had been torn into strips in the artillery fire.
Raising your own united flag amidst the fierce flames of the national flag, that is the supreme glory!
Of course, the current scene is not bad. There is no Chinese national flag as the background, but there are tens of thousands of Chinese who have not left yet, and it is still very exciting to raise the coalition flag in front of them.
Wakitajiro really wanted to see the helpless and humiliated faces of the Chinese people. The sadder they were, the happier he was.
Not long after, the military band of the 9th Division arrived. The military band, composed of more than 30 people, carried trombones, trumpets, and drums hanging on their bodies. It was very Western, except for one or two bamboo pieces similar to recorders.
The flute is a bit like a native Japanese instrument, and the rest is copied from the Western military model.
In fact, to be precise, the military band in the Japanese army copied the model of the French Imperial Army military band. This is because the Japanese army has been learning from European countries from the beginning, and the navy has followed the path of the imperial navy on which the sun never sets. When the army looks at it,
, I also want to learn. In fact, what they are learning is not the Third Reich, but more about France. After all, the Third Reich was defeated in World War I, right? The Imperial Japanese Army wants to learn from the victors. So,
The French Empire became a good target for imitation.
The Japanese like to learn and imitate the most, so they copied everything, including the military band and the pattern of the instruments and belts. As for why a few bamboo flutes were added, that is the so-called self-esteem of the Japanese. How can I say that there must be some additions?
It’s a product of my own country! Unfortunately, the vertical bamboo flute called Shakuhachi, which is thicker at one end and thinner at the other, is not actually a native product of Japan. It was spread from China’s Song Dynasty a thousand years ago.
It’s Japanese, but the Chinese people themselves have forgotten this stuff. The Japanese just follow the trend and say that this is their own tradition, but in fact it is also the result of learning.
When the Japanese military band, which mixed Western instruments and bamboo flutes that barely made any sound, walked up to the roof, the Chinese who were still reluctant to leave at least half of them, as many as 20,000, gradually came to their senses.
coming.
"You bastard little devil is here to celebrate! Brother Zhou, let's go! We won't tolerate this devil's arrogance." The rickshaw driver angrily greeted the middle-aged man in a robe and wanted to leave.
"Why are you so anxious! We have been winning for several days in a row, why don't we allow this kid to be temporarily proud?" Lao Yiyi, whose eyelids were swollen to a line, glared. "Brother, your mentality is not good, our ancestors are all
As I said, don’t be arrogant in victory and don’t be discouraged in defeat. We are here today to see how good the little devil can be. Listen to me, once the little devil really starts to play music later, we will yell loudly together to yell at him, let’s let him
Even if his scoundrel grandson takes over the territory, he will not be happy."
"Zhong, just listen to my brother, scolding will not kill you." When the rickshaw driver heard this, he didn't insist on leaving.
However, having said that, the Chinese people who were preparing for war still felt uncomfortable when they saw the Japanese military band lining up on the roof of the Sihang Warehouse to play music.
The saddest thing among them was probably the three soldiers wearing Chinese military uniforms who stood at the front of the people's queue. From the moment the Japanese military band went up to the roof, they already knew what the Japanese army wanted to do.
They wanted to raise the regiment's flag on the roof of the Sihang Warehouse. This was an act to boost morale after they occupied an important strategic target. The Japanese army obviously had a deep resentment towards the Sihang Warehouse that they had to fight for several days to capture.
It was not a large-scale battle. Not only did they raise the regimental flag, they even used a military band.
For the Japanese invaders, this was an honor, but for all Chinese soldiers, it was naturally a shame.
"Let's go! Xianghao, the two brothers of Zhongmin will only feel the humiliation if they continue to stay here. I only hate that our country is too weak. Otherwise, hundreds of thousands of troops will gather with Songhu to fight hard for three months, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers will shed their blood.
How come we are so defeated on the Ran battlefield!" Army Lieutenant General looked at the Sixing Warehouse in the distance with tears in his eyes and murmured to himself.
For this army general who has been both criticized and praised throughout his life, at this time, he should love the country and the nation as much as most people! Even before this, he had already been corrupted by glory and wealth.
It should be the heart of a warrior, but the battle at Si Xing Warehouse may have also illuminated his consciousness as a Chinese.
He was not the only Chinese who was affected by the Battle of Sihang Warehouse. The Chinese present were all from high-ranking officials to traffickers and pawns. Even if he had been corrupted and numb, his identity as a Chinese could not be changed.
.
"It's time to go! The Japanese invaders did this deliberately. They wanted to raise their regiment flag in front of tens of thousands of people to undermine the determination of our soldiers and civilians to resist Japan. This humiliation will be made by all the officers and soldiers of our 88th Division in the future.
Jiro Wakibata asked for it back. One day, the flag of our 88th Division will be raised on the position of the 36th Infantry Regiment." The Army Major General's back molars also gritted loudly.
"I'm sorry, sirs, I can't leave. A true warrior dares to face failure. This time, our army was forced to abandon its position due to certain political pressures, so I, Xie, must dare to bear this failure.
You must also have the courage to bear the humiliation. Next time, no one can make me give up my position." Xie Jinyuan answered decisively.
The two generals were a little ashamed of what the Army Lieutenant Colonel said. Although they were not the initiators of persuading the 542nd Regiment to abandon the Sihang Warehouse and withdraw to the concession, they were the executors. In addition to expressing his feelings, Xie Jinyuan's words were not
Are you expressing your resentment?
If there were still the main force of the 542nd regiment in the garrison in the warehouse, it would be difficult for the extremely arrogant Wakiitajiro on the opposite side to gather his flag guard, let alone be in the mood to raise the alliance flag.
"Okay! Then listen to my brother Zhongmin, we should learn from this humiliation." After all, the Army Lieutenant General has been in the officialdom for many years, and his words were very tactful. "By the way, let's see what the little devil can do.
Come on, if they can sing the "Hymn to Heroes" sung by our country's military and civilians two days ago, then I will really admire them."
When the sound of the Japanese military band on the roof began to sound, the Japanese flag guard marched neatly towards the bare flagpole, escorting the regiment flag held in the chest by a Japanese lieutenant.
"You little son of a bitch!"
"What a bastard!"
"Turtle son!"
The Chinese people from Tiannanhai and Beishan screamed for a tsunami.
However, Jiro Wakibata was not annoyed at all. He gently pulled out his command sword and pointed it at the excited Chinese people two hundred meters away, and ordered expressionlessly: "All troops, aim!"
The Japanese army is undoubtedly a highly disciplined soldier. After hearing the commander's order, the Japanese army immediately pointed their guns at the Chinese people who were scolding them.
The Chinese people were in panic.
They are all ordinary people. Although they had the passionate behavior of going into the river to rescue the body of the hero two days ago, it does not mean that they have become fearless warriors who can face the gun. Not to mention them.
For a veteran who has fought bloody battles for several years, who can dare to say that he can remain calm when faced with more than a hundred rifles and machine guns when he is unarmed?
"Brother Zhou, run quickly, run quickly, the little devil is about to shoot."
Feeling the panicked exclamations and avoidance around him, the middle-aged man in robes with his head wrapped like a rice dumpling showed a rare calmness at this moment, "Why are you panicking? The little devils are deliberately trying to scare people. If they dare to open fire,
Gun, is it possible that their gun was out of bullets a few days ago?"
"But what if they shoot? I still have three children at home waiting to eat!" Feeling the panic of the crowd around him, the rickshaw driver found it difficult to calm down and his teeth were trembling with fear.
"If the Japanese really shoot us and kill us, it will be a good thing for us in China! Westerners will not bear this tone." But the middle-aged man in a long robe held on to the rickshaw driver.
Let him leave. "Stand still, don't let the little devil laugh at us. I will double the fare for you later."
...
"Money is more important, or life is more important!" The rickshaw driver's face was pale, and he said that life was the most important, but his body was very honest and he stood firmly on his feet.
Maybe, in addition to money, there is also an indescribable trust formed by two people who are both at the bottom of Chinese society over several days!
Seeing the panic of the crowd, the curses were interrupted. A trace of contempt flashed on the Japanese colonel's face, and he said to Colonel Bangchui, who had been expressionless for a long time: "Gao Jun, have you seen this? These are the Chinese. They are poor and cowardly.
All the seemingly tenacious courage is vulnerable to the Empire's military front."
"Look at our military band, how loud the sound is, look at our regiment flag, flying high, the flower of the empire is blooming above the strongest fortress of the Chinese people!" The Japanese colonel holding the command knife high said quite poetically.
Singing loudly, and then roaring loudly: "Warriors of the Japanese Empire, cheer! For the empire, for His Majesty the Emperor, for victory!"
"Onboard! Onboard!" The Japanese soldiers raised their guns and shouted wildly.
The military music played by the Japanese military band was even louder, and the flag of the 36th Infantry Regiment was flying high in the sky above the Sihang Warehouse.
All the Chinese people present could not help but shed tears of humiliation.
For the intimidation that the Japanese army had just succeeded in, for the proud celebration of the Japanese army, for the collapse of the totem in my heart...
The tears of Chinese soldiers and civilians are very complicated at this moment.