Chapter 1483 Worker Bee
Hengyang suddenly had 50,000 new troops, so naturally this huge human resource could not be wasted.
At Tang Dao's suggestion, a new Civil Engineering Department was established under the headquarters. Zhao Junmai personally served as the director, and Bai Sheng, the battalion commander of the Four Lines Regiment's Engineer Battalion recommended by Tang Dao, served as the deputy director, responsible for the entire urban area. Fortification planning and construction.
Zhao Junmaike is not only the mayor, but also a top student in civil engineering. A few days ago, he had actually made a city defense plan for the entire Hengyang City based on the changes in the war. However, he was suffering from a lack of personnel and materials. There is no time to implement it.
At this time, he already had enough manpower in his hands, and he had obtained the permission from the top in terms of materials. Regardless of whether it was public or private, all the resources in the Hengyang area were requisitioned as military supplies. Naturally, the government supplies could be used at will, and private supplies would be waiting for the Hengyang War. The government will then provide compensation at one-third of the current price.
After the order to requisition materials was issued, 1.2 million pieces of wood were donated by lumber dealers across the city. The workers left behind in the lime factory worked at full capacity and could produce 20 tons of lime per day based on the existing materials.
Not to mention, under the leadership of Zhao Junmai, more than 10,000 people came to the Changheng Railway and directly dug up the railway from Tanzhou to Hengyang for nearly 30 miles. Not to mention the rails and sleepers, they were used as roadbed. All the pebbles were cleared away.
It is said that the US military reconnaissance planes that were conducting reconnaissance in the sky at that time were confused.
After all, the Japanese forwards who were scouting yesterday were still near Tanzhou. How come an army of tens of thousands arrived in Hengyang today?
When I lowered my height and took a closer look, I discovered that it was actually the Chinese digging up the railway.
The American pilots were amazed. This kind of efficiency and speed of mobilizing tens of thousands of civilians to participate in work in one day is probably only possible in Eastern countries. In the United States, it is impossible to even think about it.
The railway was so clean that it would have taken nearly a month to repair it even after the war, not to mention repairing it and opening it to traffic during the war.
And these huge supplies were moved into Hengyang City by 50,000 young men like ants. Under the guidance of Zhao Junmai's "military first" principle, all civilian houses with combat value were opened and tunnels were dug. For future street fighting.
The streets and alleys in the city are all built with overlapping fortifications. If you want to pass through these roads, unless you run over the fortifications one after another, you can only use the wall penetration technique.
Although Bai Sheng, the deputy, was also an experienced expert, he also learned a lot of new things from Zhao Junmai, a top civil engineering student who was familiar with military matters. That was one of the reasons why Tang Dao asked him to be his deputy.
Tang Dao knew that the Battle of Hengyang in time and space could hold out for 47 days under the violent attack of 100,000 Japanese troops. In addition to the tenacious fighting will of Fang Xianjue and the 10th Army, the perfect fortifications inside and outside Hengyang City were also indispensable. That Mayor Zhao is a master of fortification.
The Four Lines Regiment mostly fights in the mountains, and no one dares to say that mountain combat fortifications are second, but this kind of city defense warfare is very rare. Bai Sheng and the Four Lines Regiment need to learn from others.
Of course, Bai Sheng's years on the battlefield were not in vain. He also put forward some practical opinions on the various fortification plans set by Zhao Junmai.
One of the most ruthless suggestions is to install permanent bunkers on the rear flanks of some fortifications.
These bunkers were hidden in residential buildings before the Japanese army attacked. Without entering the residential buildings for careful inspection, they are as harmless as ordinary houses. They will only blow up the residential buildings when the Japanese army breaks through some fortifications on the streets and begins to invest troops to continue advancing. They pushed open the shooting port blocked by blue bricks and fired at the Japanese infantry exposed in front of them with light machine guns and submachine guns.
This kind of bunker is made of green bricks mixed with concrete. The outer layer is as thick as 0.8 meters, and the inner layer is supported by steel rails and sleepers. It can not only withstand the explosion of grenades and other explosives, but even direct fire from 70mm infantry guns.
In order to prevent the Japanese army from using infantry to blast the bunker, there are traffic concealment trenches on both sides of the bunker. Soldiers can come out of the bunker at any time to use these trenches to block the approach of the Japanese infantry, and mines are planted around the bunker.
It would take a lot of effort and effort for the Japanese army to remove such a bunker that was almost made of steel.
Of course, the biggest shortcoming of such a bunker is that it will always be isolated outside one's own positions. It will face the Japanese aggressors' crazy retaliatory attacks and will basically not receive support from its own infantry. Moreover, it is almost impossible to have any support. Any escape route.
With the current manpower in Hengyang, it is impossible to dig an underground escape passage of several hundred meters for every bunker.
Once the infantry squad stationed in such a bunker begins to perform their mission, it means that their lives are about to come to an end.
"Such a bunker is a disposable disposable product for suicide!" Zhao Junmai was shocked by the completely crazy suggestion of the engineer major of the Si Xing Regiment, and it took him a long time to give such an evaluation.
He somewhat knew why the Four Lines Regiment was sure to win every battle, and even the engineers had to die for death. You can tell how terrifying such an army is.
The Japanese are good at martial arts, but they are not good at death!
However, such a fortress requires too high a standard of will and quality from the defenders. How many of the more than 20,000 officers and soldiers stationed in Hengyang would be willing to enter such a fortress?
It's one thing to not be afraid of life and death on the battlefield. After all, rabbits bite people when they are anxious. Once a person gets angry, there are many Chinese soldiers who kill themselves with the enemy with grenade and explosive packs. But before the war begins, they have already told Officers and soldiers, you will die, this feeling is different again.
After all, the officers and soldiers all fought the devils to survive and lived to the death!
Including the HY mayor who stayed behind, Zhao Junmai also thought so. He didn't want to die, at least he didn't want to die now. He also wanted to wait for the victory of the Anti-Japanese War to realize his life ambitions. He hoped that under his leadership, more Chinese people could live and work in peace and get rid of poverty.
In a sense, he is both an idealist and a pragmatist. Otherwise, he would not choose to follow General Xue and ignore the plight of his friend Fang Xianjue, nor would he choose to follow Zhao Zili to open the city wartime regulations when the Battle of Hengyang came.
Only those who survived the war have the opportunity to continue their ideals. This is Zhao Junmai. There is no absolute good or bad, only the interweaving of ideals and practicality.
"I will name this kind of fortress the worker bee." Bai Sheng said in a light but very firm voice.
"There is a kind of bee called worker bee. Its stinger is usually not exposed. It will only be exposed when it senses danger. A stinger is equivalent to the life of a worker bee. It is connected to the internal organs of the worker bee. If the stinger comes out, the worker bee will die," Zhao Junmai murmured to himself. "This is indeed heroic, but how many people are willing to be such a dying bee group?"
"Our commander said when the whole army of our Four Lines Regiment was mobilized yesterday: Living towards death may be possible in the past battlefields, but this time in the Battle of Hengyang, it is far from enough. This time when our regiment arrives in Hengyang, we must hold the determination to die, only then will there be a 20% to 30% chance of keeping the important place in the southwest." Bai Sheng lowered his eyelids and responded in a low voice.
"Even if we fight to the death, there is only a 20% to 30% chance of victory? Does your Captain Tang really think so?" Zhao Junmai's eyes showed a deep bitterness.
He didn't expect that the famous Tang Dao would be so pessimistic, which was different from the confident and determined Tang Da Tuanzu he saw.
"Yes, my commander said that only if the whole army is fearless and brave enough to die can there be a possibility of victory, but if I hold on to the idea of my life, it is very likely that there will be no possibility of even 2 or 3 percent." Bai Sheng continued.
"Commander Zhao, do you know? The commander did not leave any suicide note or letter to his wife this time. Dean Tan Tai did not leave. She took the initiative to stay and resume her old job as the secretary of the commander and war correspondent."
"What? Tan Tai Mingyue did not leave? Then what about the son of your commander Tang?" Zhao Junmai couldn't help but widen his eyes.
Before Fang Xianjue came back, the 10th Army, including these Hengyang officials, big and small, had made preparations in advance. Those with families had already taken the train to Guangxi Province or Kunming Province in early May. Not to mention wives and children, even concubines and lovers are estimated to have long left the war zone of Hunan Province.
Like Tang Dao, leaving his wife and children on the battlefield is really a rare story in the ages.
"Shanhe and Director Tan Tai left. Director Tan Tai was unwilling to leave. Dean Tan Tai and his younger brother Tan Tai Mingjing were both in the army. How could he, as a father, bear to let them go? But he couldn't resist the regiment commander and his wife kneeling down and begging." Bai Sheng's eyes were full of tears.
"According to Erya, the company commander who was present at the time, Dean Tan Tai asked her father: If my son Shanhe loses his parents, how can you bear to see him lose his father-in-law? If my mother loses her children and husband, how can she live? I hope Dad will take care of Shanhe's future education.
Director Tan Tai asked her with tears in her eyes: Have you ever thought about how your mother and I can live alone in the world if my children are all lost?
Dean Tan Tai said: I remember my father once taught me that life is only a short eighty years, and he hopes that I can live my life according to my own wishes, and Mingyue accompanied my husband to die on the battlefield, which is what I want in my heart! I am selfish as a daughter, please forgive me, Dad!"
"Ah!" Zhao Junmai sighed and gave Bai Sheng a thumbs up: "You, Captain Tang and his wife, are really role models for the entire Chinese army. I, Zhao, am convinced. Only Yes, I am afraid that I will never be as good as him in my whole life. "
"Our superiors also said that everyone has their own personality traits and their own circumstances. If there are only people like him in the world, it would be too boring. It is better to be yourself. But I can only apologize to everyone for the Battle of Hengyang this time. China cannot lose Hengyang, just as the West cannot lose Jerusalem.
Let alone the 5,000 people of the Four-Line Regiment, plus the 20,000 people of the 10th Army, that is 300,000 people in Hengyang. If it is for Hengyang, you can also leave your life here. Of course, it depends on how many lives the Japanese intend to exchange. With these 20,000 people, if Yokoyama Yong wants to break into the city, he can't do it without the lives of hundreds of thousands of Japanese. "Bai Sheng put away his tears, replaced by confidence.
That kind of confidence comes from the calculation of the Tang Dao, and even more from the experience of several years on the battlefield.
The total number of Japanese soldiers killed by the Four-Line Regiment has exceeded 100,000 so far. This time, relying on the strong city and equally tenacious friendly forces, it is no harm to kill another 100,000 of them.
"Okay! I believe in you, Captain Tang! This bunker is built." Zhao Junmai also felt heroic.
If he really had to die here, and could kill 100,000 or 80,000 Japanese soldiers, it would be the first time in the Chinese battlefield in the more than ten years since the Anti-Japanese War. Perhaps the names of most officers and soldiers would not be known to the world, but as the third person in the Hengyang garrison, he was destined to go down in history, and it was worth it.
"Sir, the people in this bunker may not necessarily die." Bai Sheng smiled and took out a pen and paper to draw a simple structural diagram.
"We don't have time to dig escape tunnels for more than a hundred bunkers like this, but we can dig shelters for them."
It turns out that the "suicide bunker" designed by Bai Sheng himself has a 15-square-meter basement 15 meters deep into the ground and about 20 meters across under each bunker. The basement has two extremely hidden ventilation pipes leading to the ground, and also stores food and clean water for about 10 people for 30 days.
Once the Japanese army destroys the bunker by artillery or infantry blasting, the bunker will no longer be able to effectively shoot at the Japanese army on the ground. The surviving soldiers can enter this shelter room, and then use the explosives hidden inside the bunker to blast the inside of the bunker for the second time, completely destroying the bunker into rubble.
During the war, even if the Japanese army knew that there was such a shelter, they would not spend a lot of effort to dig it, and they would definitely choose to wait until after the war.
Similarly, the remnants of the army who entered the shelter had to wait until their colleagues dug them out of the ground after the war.
Of course, their endings are nothing more than two kinds. If the Japanese win, they will die, and if the Chinese win, they can live! But there is always a choice, which is much better than being blown to death by the Japanese army without anything.
"As long as there is a way to survive, it's fine. Anyway, as long as we stay in Hengyang, we have to fight the damn devils. I've approved this bunker. After it's built, it will be handed over to the commander of the 3rd Division, Zhou. He has a main force regiment to deploy in the city." Zhao Junmai made the decision.
At this time, the two of them didn't expect that it was this kind of "suicide bunker" that almost never came back that caused unimaginable damage to the Japanese army.
This kind of bunker, named "Worker Bee No. 2" before the war, has an infantry squad stationed in each bunker, equipped with an M1919A4 medium machine gun and 4 M3 submachine guns as well as 4 rifles and 2 pistols.
Originally, given the 10th Army's position in the 9th War Zone, it was not their turn to equip this newly imported American medium machine gun firing 7.62mm caliber bullets. However, Fang Xianjue's lion's mouth gave him confidence this time, and he simply allocated 400 of the 1,000 M1919A4 machine guns that had just been transported from Yunnan and Burma to Guangxi Province to the Hengyang defenders.
Fang Xianjue, who suddenly became rich in light machine guns, naturally would not be stingy, and directly gave this latest machine gun to these infantry squads who entered the desperate situation.
The bunker with fierce firepower not only killed the Japanese soldiers from behind, but also did not suffer any loss in the confrontation with the Japanese.
With 6 shooting holes, their field of vision is wide enough, and the 14-kilogram gun body of the M1919 machine gun is enough to ensure a certain degree of mobility. The 4 M4 submachine guns provide stable auxiliary firepower, which can fully ensure the continuity of firepower.
Moreover, there is a walkie-talkie in the bunker. No matter how fierce the artillery fire is, the bunker can request artillery support from the rear mortar position.
With radio equipment that can report at any time, the tactical nature of the "Worker Bee No. 2" fortress is even stronger.
When the Japanese army mobilized a large number of troops to besiege, the bunker immediately launched a request for artillery support. The mortar shells as big as raindrops could make the Japanese infantry who had few shelters cry.
Some commanders even saw that it was so cool! They simply dispatched five or six mortars to do nothing, just waiting for the artillery support request from the "Worker Bee No. 2" fortress.
Bai Shengben only launched a "suicidal" attack on the flanks of the Japanese infantry. During the battle in the city, commanders at all levels made it a weapon of "counter-siege and attacking reinforcements" according to local conditions.
Although most of the "shit-stirring" Worker Bee No. 2 forts were eventually destroyed or blown up by the Japanese infantry artillery, there were still two Worker Bee No. 2 forts that held on until after the Battle of Hengyang.
The infantry squads in these two forts, without exception, emptied all their machine gun bullets, submachine gun bullets, and even rifle bullets. In the last two days, they even used all Japanese equipment, which were the guns and bullets they picked up from the bodies that the Japanese had not dragged away in the dark.
You know, in order to ensure sufficient firepower output, each fortress stored 10,000 machine gun bullets and 3,000 submachine gun bullets.
With so many ammunitions, each fortress was like a porcupine covered with thorns. Even if a lion wanted to eat them, it would have to pay a sufficient price.
According to the 11th Army's war report that was later declassified, in the worst battle of the attack on these strong fortresses, the infantry alone lost 470 people, which was half an infantry battalion, not to mention the engineers, armored soldiers, and artillery killed by shells.
Bai Sheng, who proposed this fortification proposal, was awarded a fifth-level Baoding Medal, and Mayor Zhao also took advantage of the opportunity to get a Qingtian Medal, which almost made Mayor Zhao, who was lying in the hospital, smile crookedly.
The third in command in Hengyang City was wounded fifteen times. If it weren't for the doctors and nurses in the underground field hospital, and the complete set of penicillin and other drugs, he would have died if he had been in any other place.