Chapter 113 Who Are We Fighting For?
"Sir, according to your request, the depth is four meters, supported by sleepers, and the brothers take turns digging. Now it has extended about twenty meters outside the warehouse." The new squad leader Wang Changhe stood out of the queue to report to Tang Dao.
"Only twenty meters?" Tang Dao frowned, walked out of the room to listen to the sparse gunfire outside, and said coldly: "While the Japanese army has not attacked yet, let the brothers on the battlefield replace the tired brothers first to speed up the digging progress."
"Yes!" Although Wang Changhe responded firmly, there was a hint of hesitation on his face.
"Sir, there is too much underground water in Songhu. The water in the tunnel is waist-deep now. It is too difficult to dig, and people can't stay in it for a long time!"
Speaking of Tang Dao's hobby of digging tunnels, it is indeed a bit puzzling. It is easy to introduce water from Suzhou River into the warehouse. It is hoped that people from the concession can sneak in directly through the tunnel, and water can also be transported to the warehouse. As long as the sentry is arranged at night, even if the Japanese know that there is this tunnel, they will die one by one and two by two.
But since the Japanese army started shelling in the morning, Tang Dao organized several infantry companies to take turns to dig tunnels outside the warehouse. What the hell? Did they want to dig tunnels all the way to the Japanese position hundreds of meters away and set a huge landmine for them?
Not to mention that all 400 people in the first battalion could not dig through even if they took turns to dig with shovels and pickaxes, and even if they dug through, what would happen?
Not to mention that the Japanese position was wide, the key was to think that they were stupid? How can they not be alert when they are digging right under their feet?
If the tunnel collapses due to the vibration of the artillery shell explosion, it is more likely to bury the brothers who are still digging hard, and even gods cannot save them.
Squad leader Wang’s military service is not very long, only five years in the army, but he has enough combat experience. In his opinion, it is harmful to spend a lot of manpower and material resources to dig such a tunnel.
Tang Dao paused slightly without turning his head: "Too much water? That will save us trouble. Pass on my order, as long as the Japanese attack continues, continue to dig forward, and then dig horizontally to about 25 meters."
Then he strode out.
Command post on the fourth floor.
The lieutenant colonel of the army stood with his hands behind his back and looked out the window.
It was not a battlefield, but a concession.
During the day, the people who gathered on the south bank of Suzhou River to watch the battle were almost going crazy!
From morning to dusk, watching the fierce attacks of the Japanese pirates one after another, and their own army's more resolute and fierce counterattacks, the people's emotions gradually rose to the extreme.
I don't know when, and I don't know who shouted first in the crowd. In an instant, thousands of people consciously or unconsciously followed the shouting. It only took a cigarette to gather a huge wave of voices that made people's scalps numb.
"Down with Japanese imperialism!"
"Long live the Chinese nation!"
"Rise up, people who don't want to be slaves!"
"Big knife, chop the heads of the devils!"
......
All kinds of slogans and songs made it like the Guangxi people's favorite folk songs, singing here and there.
How long the gunfire and artillery sounded on the battlefield of Sihang Warehouse, how long the shouts of the people resounded throughout the sky, even if the Japanese army suffered a serious setback on the battlefield and the offensive slowed down and the gunfire gradually became sparse, the huge waves of shouting by the Chinese people still did not stop, and the indignation of the people even exceeded the first day.
Because, the number of people gathered in the streets on the south bank of Suzhou River was as high as tens of thousands, several times more than yesterday.
The concession coalition forces set up barricades and cordons in the streets more than 30 meters away from the river bank to prevent people from appearing on the river bank again, so as to avoid the Japanese from interfering with their battle.
But you can't stop the Chinese from shouting on the street! What, do you really think that Japan is the best in the world!
At least one infantry battalion set up field fortifications or barbed wire 2,000 meters along the coast, but the blue eyes with live ammunition did not point their guns at the Chinese in front of them, who were either dressed in suits or ragged clothes or in blue robes, whom they looked down on on weekdays.
They were afraid, afraid of stimulating tens of thousands of Chinese people whose emotions were excited and adrenaline was about to explode, and afraid that they would go crazy.
But they also have respect, because they can see that these ordinary Chinese civilians who usually live in a daze under batons and rifles have light, hope, and excitement in their eyes...
And the lone Chinese army fighting bloody battles a hundred meters away tells these blue-eyed people who think they are from a higher-dimensional civilization with facts that the Chinese are afraid of their own lives when they are desperate.
The Japanese have been beaten to tears.
As soldiers, they can understand the feelings of the Japanese army who are close to the cruel battlefield.
Even, they not only admire the victors, but also admire the Japanese who were beaten to tears. If it were them, they would have stopped fighting and found another way. They are not like the Japanese who were beaten unconscious and are still fighting hard.
Really, so... stupid!
After receiving all the casualties statistics from the warehouse at dusk, the lieutenant colonel of the army stood at the window of the command center, quietly watching the people who were still shouting outside the window.
No one knows what the supreme commander is thinking.
Perhaps, he is trying to find reasons for his soldiers to sacrifice!
Because of those people, everything is worth it.
"Report!" Tang Dao stood at the door.
"Come, smoke with me!" The lieutenant colonel said softly without turning his head.
The two of them lit a cigarette each, and stood quietly, looking at the prosperous city and the boiling crowd opposite, and no one spoke.
"Have you arranged for the brothers who sacrificed?" The lieutenant colonel's eyes were covered by blue smoke, with indescribable sadness.
Although they have decided to sacrifice, when sacrifice comes, it will still be a sad topic.
"Wash your body and wrap it in white cloth. Everyone will carry their home address with them. I hope that the one who will be transported out in the evening will keep his promise." Tang Dao replied.
"Okay, you can tell this to the brothers, and you can rest assured!" The lieutenant colonel nodded.
"Also, tell the brothers, I just received an order. After the theater command learned that they had won another victory over the Japanese invaders today, they decided to report to the Ministry of Military Affairs and promote the ranks of the entire warehouse army by one level."
"Haha, what's the point of the commanders playing this nonsense? Can he eat the rank?" Tang Dao curled his lips slightly. He was not excited about his upcoming promotion to captain, but rather a little contemptuous.
This so-called commendation came earlier than in the past, but in Tang Dao's view, it was still the same, just a blank check issued by those bigwigs to these soldiers who were destined to be abandoned.
In the past, these abandoned soldiers were forced to surrender their weapons and be confined in a small barracks when they entered the concession. Not to mention military pay, they even had to rely on donations from charitable organizations or sell some personal belongings by the barracks in exchange for food.
How cruel is that to these iron-blooded soldiers who have survived hundreds of battles?
What is more unacceptable than death is the loss of dignity.
Now, almost the same scene is happening again. It's good that Tang Dao didn't curse those guys.
"Be careful with your words!" The strict lieutenant colonel glanced at Tang Dao, but for the first time, he didn't scold him.
"The brothers who died in the war will be compensated by the charity organizations in the concession with donations from the public. The resettlement fee for each person is 150 oceans. There will be a special person to deliver the remains. Please tell each company for me." The lieutenant colonel looked into the distance again to hide the deep sorrow in his eyes.
As a middle and senior military officer, how could the lieutenant colonel of the army not understand the tactics of those senior figures playing power and intrigue?
The so-called promotion of military rank, as Tang Dao said, is just a superficial attitude to the outside world. For them at this time, it is the most useless thing. It is better to get some benefits.
And these material rewards that can make officers and soldiers feel at ease are not made by the government that they risk their lives to protect and can represent the country, but by the people.
This has to be said to be a strong irony, and even more sorrow.
But, how about irony, and how about sorrow?
If not for anything else, just for the people on the other side, there is a reason to continue fighting.
The two looked at each other, and both smiled.
Between comrades who live and die together, some words can be understood without being explained clearly.