As Xu Rui expected, the Japs on Yematan soon fell into a desperate situation. △,
According to Kawaguchi Heiji, two parallel canals running from north to south should be dug to bring in the water from the Mei River, and use the river water to block the fire spreading from the east and west sides, so as to save the last small piece of shelter for the Kawaguchi detachment.
By saving this small piece of shelter, the Kawaguchi detachment was also saved.
Then, after the river water puts out the coalfield fire, the Kawaguchi detachment can get out of trouble.
In order to speed up the progress as much as possible, the Kawaguchi detachment ordered the Japanese troops to dig from the north and south at the same time. After digging to the middle, the two canals were connected. Unfortunately, before the Japanese could completely dig the two canals,
The ground fires in the east and west directions have already spread, especially the fires on the west side, which spread particularly quickly.
Then, the ground fire spread to the half-dug ditch. Then, the river water encountered the fire and vaporized instantly, forming a large amount of water vapor. However, the scene that Kawaguchi Heiji expected did not appear. The ground was on fire.
After encountering the river water, not only did the fire not go out, it actually became more intense, and there was even a violent explosion in one place!
Seeing such a scene, Kawaguchi Heiji was immediately stunned: This is impossible, what the hell is going on?
Poor Heiji Kawaguchi did not systematically study advanced chemistry. He did not know that coal will crack when fully heated, forming flammable and explosive compounds. Gas can even be refined through the cracking of coal, and
Under the seemingly flat surface, there are actually not many gaps. There are actually many large and small cavities in the middle. When these cavities are filled with gas produced by cracking and then ignited, how can there not be an explosion?
At this time, the coalfield has completely caught fire. In addition to the fire itself, the high temperature has cracked the coal into a large amount of flammable and explosive oil and gas. How can the burning of these flammable and explosive oil and gas be extinguished by water? In fact, Mei
The introduction of river water not only failed to extinguish the fire, but instead fueled the fire and produced a large amount of water vapor.
With the introduction of river water, the fire on Yematan suddenly became more intense. The more intense fire in turn evaporated more river water, forming more steam, more high-temperature and high-humidity steam,
Soon, the entire Yeyitan was completely covered by high and humid water vapor.
Kawaguchi Heiji opened his eyes wide, but he could no longer see five feet ahead.
"Baga, Bagagaru! Hurry, block the canal, don't let the river water flow in!" Kawaguchi Heiji was soon fumigated by the water vapor and was sweating profusely. He quickly ordered his Japanese soldiers to block the canal and don't let the water flow in!
More river water flows in.
Although Kawaguchi Heiji had not studied chemistry systematically, he finally realized that he could not let more river water come in and come into contact with the ground fire, otherwise he would burn them to death before the ground fire spread. These high-temperature and high-humidity water vapor
They were already smoked to death, because in just a moment, Kawaguchi Heiji felt that he was almost out of breath. Staying in such a steamy environment for half an hour was definitely a matter of life and death.
However, at this moment, almost all the Japanese were in chaos, and no one obeyed Kawaguchi Heiji's orders.
In desperation, Kawaguchi Heiji took the only few orderlies who could still obey his command to the ditch, preparing to personally lead people to cut off the ditch. However, just after taking a few steps forward, there was a sudden jump not far to his right.
A flame lit up, even in the thick steam, the flame was so dazzling.
Kawaguchi Heiji looked back quickly and saw that one of his orderlies had fallen into the flames. It turned out that the ground fire had already burned from beneath the surface and burned out a cavity. The orderly stepped on the cavity.
, the cavity immediately collapsed, and the flames buried on the ground surface and a large amount of flammable gas spurted out instantly, forming the explosive flames just now.
In this ball of violent flames, the poor devil was instantly burned to the point where he was reduced to a skeleton, and he didn't even have time to utter a scream.
Seeing this scene, the orderlies behind Kawaguchi Heiji instinctively retreated. As a result, they stepped into a cavity when they retreated. In an instant, the orderlies also fell into the blazing flames and saw that they were being killed.
The orderly soldier was swallowed up by the flames. Kawaguchi Heiji felt miserable in his heart, but he did not dare to take another step forward.
I looked around, but it was still completely white and I couldn't see anything.
However, the white vapor was filled with the howls of the Japanese troops.
Kawaguchi Heiji could completely imagine how desperate the Japanese officers and soldiers trapped in the steam would be at this moment, because even he was already desperate.
The Kawaguchi detachment is probably doomed.
In desperation, Kawaguchi Heiji wanted to find his communications staff, at least to report the news that most of the Kawaguchi detachment was destroyed in Yematan to Feicheng and to the Nanjing headquarters. However, in the chaos just now, Nagajin Tatsuya and his communications
The staff officer didn't know where he had gone, and he didn't know if he was alive, so he could only give up.
(Dividing line)
Set the time back half an hour ago.
Wang Husheng hurried to the 1st Battalion position under the escort of Li Dagou and a dozen militiamen.
After igniting the gasoline to burn the isolation zone, Wang Husheng began to lead the county brigade and eight district teams to wade across the river. Although the water in the Meihe River was turbulent, it was not difficult to cross as long as preparations were made in advance. The county brigade and eight district teams
The team from each district adopted the simplest method, using ropes to cross the river.
The specific steps will not be discussed here. With more than a hundred long ropes prepared in advance, more than a hundred militiamen can be sent to the west bank of the Mei River at one time. More than a thousand militiamen can all be ferried to the west bank in ten round trips.
It took less than half an hour. Therefore, when the gasoline burning zone ignited the Tanwei coalfield, more than 1,200 militiamen from the county brigade and eight district squads had already boarded the west bank of the Mei River before the fire spread.
.
Due to the flame barrier of the gasoline burning zone, the Japs on Yema Beach did not know until this moment that the militiamen they had forced into the end of Yema Beach had successfully broken out. Of course, even if the Japs discovered all this, they would be helpless.
It was even more impossible to cross the gasoline burning zone and follow the example of the county brigade and the eight district teams to cross the river to escape, because after the last batch of militiamen crossed the river, Wang Husheng ordered the ropes to be put away. Without the ropes, the Japanese could not cross the river at all.
"Old Wang, how is the situation there?" Xu Rui greeted Wang Husheng and asked.
"Fortunately, the county brigade lost six comrades, the Zhangjiazhuang squad also lost two comrades, and sixteen more comrades were injured. In addition, two comrades were washed away while crossing the river, and we don't know whether they are alive or dead.
"Wang Husheng gasped and replied, "However, we finally fulfilled our mission and lured the little Japanese into Yematan."
"Not only did you live up to your mission, Lao Wang, you have made a great contribution!" After Xu Rui finished speaking, he patted Wang Husheng's shoulder hard.
"This is not my credit." Wang Husheng did not dare to take credit and shook his head repeatedly, "This is all earned by the comrades of the county brigade and various district teams with their lives and blood. I just did what I could according to your order.
It’s just work.”
"Okay, Lao Wang, hurry up and take the comrades from the county brigade and the district teams back to the tunnel to rest. Leave the rest to me." Xu Rui patted Wang Husheng on the shoulder and said.
"Okay, then I'll take the first step." Wang Husheng was busy for half a night and was really tired. He led the militiamen from the county brigade and various district squads to withdraw first.
At this time, He Guangming suddenly shouted: "Commander, look, there is heavy fog on Yema Beach."
When Xu Rui heard the sound, he turned around and saw that a large cloud of white fog had risen on Yema Beach. However, Xu Rui knew that this was not a heavy fog, but steam, high-temperature and high-temperature water vapor! The stupid Japanese introduced river water to put out the fire.
, but it was a big mistake. Now the entire Yema Beach is shrouded in steam, and as more river water pours in from the dug channels, more high-temperature and high-humidity water vapor will continue to be generated, but the little devil is
It's doomed!
At this point, there is no longer any suspense in the Battle of Yematan!
The five or six thousand Japanese infantry trapped on Yema Beach are definitely doomed!
Now, the only thing Xu Rui is worried about is the cavalry of the Kawaguchi detachment. Previously, the reconnaissance cavalry reported that the Japanese cavalry unit had crossed the Mei River from Zhaozhuang upstream, but now, the Japanese cavalry unit should have returned to the west bank of the Mei River.
And he must be rushing towards Ye Yetan in a hurry.
As long as the Japanese cavalry regiment is eliminated, and then the enemy can counterattack and recapture Meizhen, the battle will be considered complete.
However, compared to the main infantry of the Kawaguchi detachment, the remaining cavalry regiment is really nothing. The cavalry regiment sounds very scary, but in fact it is only two cavalry squadrons with more than 300 cavalry. In terms of the number of cavalry alone, it is not even comparable.
The independent regiment has more cavalry battalions. The cavalry battalion now has four cavalry companies and more than 300 cavalry.
Xu Rui then turned around and asked: "Old Mo, have you sent the order to the cavalry battalion?"
Mo Zichen stood up and said: "Report to the commander, the order to the cavalry battalion has been sent out long ago."
"Why hasn't the cavalry battalion arrived yet?" Xu Rui frowned, "What kind of plane is Xiaogang doing?"
Before he finished speaking, the sound of horse hooves suddenly sounded from the north. He could not see clearly in the dark night. Xu Rui thought it was the Japanese cavalry regiment that had arrived, and immediately ordered the 1st and 3rd battalions to deploy on the spot and prepare for battle.
However, not long after, the cavalry rushing from the north appeared. The leading rider was holding a military flag, but it was not the rising sun flag of the Japanese cavalry, but the blue sky and white sun flag of the New Fourth Army.
"Captain, it's our cavalry!" Mo Zichen immediately shouted excitedly, "The cavalry battalion has arrived."
Indeed, the cavalry battalion arrived. Within a moment, the commander of the cavalry battalion, Tiegang, appeared in front of Xu Rui. Then he dismounted and reported: "Report to the commander, the cavalry battalion has been ordered to report. Please give me your instructions."
