Shigeto Chiaki said: "Immediately organize all units into order and prepare to cross the river."
"Hai." Kikuchimi paused heavily and asked, "Your Excellency, Commander, do you want to cross the river in accordance with the standard Huai order?"
Chiaki Shigeto pondered for a moment and then said: "Considering the need for pursuit, the cavalry and chariot detachments should cross the river first, followed by the first and second infantry regiments, artillery team, engineering team, communications team and headquarters. We will cross the river last, and I will cross the river first with the cavalry, leaving the headquarters to you, Kikuchi-san."
"Hai." Kikuchi Mi nodded seriously, having no objection to Chiaki Shigeto's arrangement.
According to common sense, when a large force crosses the river, a considerable force should be left behind to prevent the enemy from attacking them halfway across the river. However, Nantong has now become the rear area of the Japanese army, and there is no large force from Yangzhou to the front line. There are traces of the troop's activities, so there is no need to make any unnecessary moves.
Half an hour later, six gunboats and more than a dozen armed merchant ships from the Jiang Defense Division of the Japanese Navy's Fourth Fleet slowly sailed into the Nantong Pier. Among them, the armed merchant ships were temporarily refitted by Japanese merchant ships borrowed from Japan due to the fact that the Japanese Navy was limited by the insufficient number of ships. , in fact, it was just equipped with armor and machine guns, but it did not become the most ideal transport ship.
Shigeto Chiaki followed the direct cavalry team and was the first to board the armed merchant ship.
This situation was somewhat different from Xu Rui's expectation, but Xu Rui didn't know.
Dividing line
Two thousand meters away, Xu Rui was standing on the top of a mud hill, quietly watching the Japanese crossing the river.
The more than 100 remaining soldiers who were withdrawn from the blocking position were divided into two parts. One part took a boat across the river to confuse the Japanese. This part will turn around when the boat reaches the center of the river and return to the north bank. The other part will follow Xu Rui. Climb the mud mountain.
There were still a few hours before dawn, but the Japs set up a large number of torches, illuminating the entire dock as bright as day. By the light of the torches, Xu Rui, the veteran, could clearly see groups of Japs. The cavalry were queuing up to board the ship, and then one transport ship after another left the shore and sailed towards the center of the river.
The Japanese cavalry were the first to cross the river, which Xu Rui expected.
After all, cavalry is more mobile than infantry and is the first choice for pursuit.
After the cavalry has crossed the river, the infantry can be completed, but the infantry's crossing of the river cannot be completed in a short while.
Xu Rui tightened his woolen coat tightly, sat down against a stone, and said to the veteran: "I have to take a nap. Veteran, please help me keep an eye on it. Call me if anything happens."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Rui fell asleep.
Veterans are like this. They say they are asleep, but they can fall asleep during the march. Even if you shoot firecrackers in their ears, they will not wake up. Even if they say they are not sleeping, they will not sleep for seven days and seven nights in a row.
The veteran didn't sleep. He was more concerned about the Japanese's crossing sequence than Xu Rui.
Because the sequence of the Japanese crossing the river directly determines whether the subsequent plan can be implemented smoothly.
If the Japs leave enough troops to cut off the rear, then all their previous arrangements will be in vain. But if the Japs do as Xu Rui expected and only leave a small number of infantry to cut off the rear, then the Japs will be in dire straits.
The veteran held up his binoculars and focused on the pier, watching the Japanese crossing the river.
I don't know how long it took, but the veteran suddenly became tense and said in a deep voice: "Old Xu, there's something going on."
Xu Rui, who was sleeping soundly, was immediately awakened. He sat up and asked, "What's going on?"
The veteran said: "The order of the kid's crossing the river is different from your estimate. Come and take a look. Logically speaking, an infantry regiment should cross the river first, then the artillery, engineers and headquarters should cross the river, and then another
Infantry regiment, even if the Japanese are not worried about being attacked, at least one infantry brigade should be left behind, but "
At this point, the veteran suddenly paused. Xu Rui adjusted the focus of the telescope and asked, "What's wrong?"
The veteran added: "But now, all the infantry of the Japs have crossed the river, and not even a squadron is left behind."
While the two were talking, Xu Rui had already adjusted the focus of the telescope and could clearly see the situation on the dock. Looking closely, Xu Rui saw that the Nantong dock was already crowded with Japanese artillery, engineers, communications troops, and staff officers from the headquarters.
, as well as a large number of technical equipment such as artillery and radio stations, but there are not many Japanese infantry left carrying the 38-meter cap.
It's easy to tell whether they are infantry or not. All the Japanese infantrymen carry the 38-year-old Gai.
However, almost all the Japs crowded on the dock now have empty hands, and they are obviously all technical soldiers.
"Haha, God help me." Xu Rui immediately laughed ferociously, "Old man Chongteng is looking for death."
The veteran shook his head. He really couldn't find any adjectives to describe Shigeto Chiaki. This old Japanese was really out of his mind, or he was so arrogant that he actually let all the infantry cross the river first, but left the artillery, engineers, communications and so on.
A large amount of technical equipment was left at the end. Wouldn't this be sending the sheep into the tiger's mouth?
Of course, having said that, the old devil didn't know that Ying was still in Jiangbei and was hiding near the dock. The old devil didn't even know that Ying had already opened his bloody mouth, waiting for a feast.
"Hehe." Xu Rui's lips curled up with cold murderous intent, and he said with a ferocious smile, "Now, even Daluo Jinxian can't save the old Japs like Chongteng, and there are still thousands of Japs who have not yet crossed the river."
The veteran licked his chapped lips due to nervousness and said: "Old Xu, it's almost done, let's do it."
Xu Rui squinted his eyes and looked up at the sky. It was the darkest time before dawn. The sky and the earth were like a ball of ink that couldn't be dissolved. You couldn't even see your fingers when you stretched out your hand. He shook his head and said calmly.
Said: "Don't rush now, it's not too late to wait for the little devils to transport this batch of technical equipment to the center of the river before taking action."
The veteran shut his mouth and remained silent, because the Japanese were carrying technical equipment across the river at this time, and the dozen or so armed merchant ships moored at the dock were all empty. If an attack was launched at this time, Chiaki Shigeto would become extremely angry when he saw that something was wrong.
It is possible to leave behind these technical equipment and technical arms and run alone.
If Chiaki Shigeto was allowed to run away, the results of the battle would undoubtedly be greatly compromised.
However, the veteran thought differently. Xu Rui was not worried that the old Japanese Chongteng would escape. He was calculating the time of the tide. The Nantong section of the Yangtze River was not far from Wusongkou, so it would also be affected by the tide. What Xu Rui was worried about was that if
If you activate it too early, when the enemy from the south bank returns for reinforcements, you can go directly to the north bank.
Only when the tide goes out and a large swath of the river beach is exposed, the Japanese gunboats and armed merchant ships cannot dock. When the Japanese soldiers return to the south bank, they have to walk across nearly a kilometer of muddy river beach. At this time, the Japanese soldiers returning to the rescue will become a living target.
, the Yangtze River beach in Nantong will also become a meat grinder for the Chongteng detachment.
Another half hour passed, and the sky gradually became brighter.
A dozen armed merchant ships and gunboats loaded with technical equipment also sailed close to the center of the river.
The next moment, Xu Rui's narrowed eyes suddenly opened and he told He Shuya standing behind him: "Bookworm, send the signal."
"Yes." He Shuya responded, and immediately stood on the big rock next to him. He held up the two small red and blue triangular flags in his palms and punched out a group of symbols.
Dividing line
Li Hai was hiding under the ruins beside the well, looking like a piece of rotten wood.
Li Hai's disguise was made by Xu Rui himself. If you didn't look closely, you wouldn't be able to spot it.
In fact, the little devil's sentry was located less than five meters away from Li Hai, but his presence was never discovered.
However, Li Hai didn't care about the Japanese sentries. He kept his gaze on Nishan. He didn't move his posture throughout the night, and he rarely even blinked. Because the matter was so important, he was worried that someone who wasn't paying attention would...
Missing the signal on the mud mountain, Li Hai knew better than anyone what this battle meant to the battalion.
If they win this battle, their battalion will become a legend
There are only less than 300 remnant soldiers. Even if the defeated troops of the 67th Army and the guerrillas are included, the total is only more than 600 people. With only more than 600 people, they can severely damage a full Japanese army.
With so many troops in the detachment, that is, the brigade, I'm afraid they are the only one in the camp.
At a certain moment, two small red and blue flags finally appeared in Li Hai's field of vision.
The signal flag Li Hai's pupils shrank suddenly, the camp command gave the order, take action
Li Hai gently put down the telescope and moved his almost frozen limbs.
Although the Japanese sentry was less than five meters away from Li Hai, due to the noise on the dock, the Japanese sentry did not hear the sounds coming from the ruins behind him.
When his limbs regained consciousness, Li Hai took off the canvas disguise on his body and stood up suddenly.
At this time, the Japanese sentry finally heard the strange noise coming from behind and turned around to take a look.
As soon as he turned around, the Japanese sentry saw a black shadow quickly enlarged in front of him, and then he saw a cold light wiping towards his throat. There were Chinese soldiers. The Japanese sentry immediately became alert and wanted to shout, and then he
I felt a sharp chill in my throat, and the shout that had just reached my throat was stuck in my throat.
The next moment, the Japanese sentry felt that his strength was flowing away like a tide, and his hands and feet became as limp as dough. He could no longer stand and fell down. In a daze, the Japanese sentry heard the sounds of "chuff" and "chuck".
, as if some liquid was splashing, and then, everything went dark, and I couldn't recognize anything anymore.
Li Hai wiped out the Japanese sentry with a bayonet, and then dragged the sentry's body behind the ruins.
Due to the obstruction of the ruins and the excessive noise on the pier, no one discovered him.
Li Hai licked his lips, picked up three fist-sized stones from the ruins, and first threw one in at the wellhead two meters away. After about three seconds, he threw in another one, and then quickly threw the third one in.
A stone was also thrown into the well. This was the agreed signal, meaning it was safe outside and the attack was about to begin.
