Chapter 1523 What Is on the Other Side of the Mountain?
"Sergeant, I'm so cold! Is it going to snow?" A soldier lay on Tan Tai Ming Jing's legs, moaning softly.
"Yes, it's autumn, it's time to get cold, I'll add some clothes for you." Tan Tai Ming Jing's facial muscles twitched fiercely, and he took off his tattered military uniform and wrapped it around his soldiers.
'Er Niu', who was still lying there, panting and sticking out his tongue, was very smart. He ran over and lay beside the wounded soldier, hoping to use his body temperature to help him resist the 'cold'.
However, no matter how smart 'Er Niu' was, how could it know that the coldness of its seriously injured comrade did not come from the weather, but from his body.
Although it was already early September, the autumn heat in Hunan Province was amazing, especially at noon, the temperature had already exceeded 35 degrees, and even if you sat still, you would sweat profusely.
Shanzi cried out in fear, probably because
As a veteran, Tan Tai Mingjing knew very well that Shanzi was probably exhausted and had reached the moment he least wanted to face.
But now the Japanese army blocked the block with artillery and machine guns, and the only underground passage for evacuation was accidentally blown up by an aerial bomb, so he couldn't send his comrades back to the field hospital.
This was the sixth day that the 2nd platoon of the independent company had fought alone in this block of only tens of thousands of square meters.
In six days, the 2nd platoon, which still had 65 soldiers after retreating to Hengyang City, repelled more than 50 rounds of attacks by the Japanese army and endured no less than 35 rounds of various artillery bombardments.
The frenzied Japanese army must have discovered that the pit created by a heavy bomb had collapsed the underground passage of the block. Any Chinese army that wanted to support this place could only do so through the ground. In order to completely take this place and annihilate the Chinese defenders in this block, they not only brought in infantry artillery and heavy machine gun squadrons, but also mountain artillery and even engineering troops to dig around the block.
The block was semi-encircled with trenches, and the open side was blocked with firepower by mountain artillery and heavy machine guns. Even at night, when there was no trench to isolate the only way to the ruins of this block, flares were fired continuously.
Encircling and attacking reinforcements, one of the tactics that the 80th Army was best at, was actually learned by the Japanese.
In order to support the 2nd Platoon, the 4th Regiment used the only remaining 4 150 mortars to fight back against the Japanese artillery positions, and organized 50 reserve soldiers and 30 regular soldiers to enter the area to transport supplies.
Don't think that these 80 people are few. In fact, when the street fighting in Hengyang City entered the 25th day, there were only about a thousand regular troops left in the Four-Line Regiment. The mobilization of two infantry squads was the limit of the troops that Leng Feng, the then chief of staff, could mobilize.
In fact, supporting soldiers who can be used for combat is not the most important thing. The most important thing is the supply of soldiers.
The underground passage storage room of this block originally contained ammunition, food and clean water for an infantry platoon for 20 days. That was the standard for each block, just to prevent the situation where the Japanese army used heavy troops to besiege and could not be replenished in time.
But no one expected that this battle would last for nearly a month. When the 2nd platoon was responsible for replacing the 3rd platoon of the 6th company of the 2nd battalion originally stationed here, the food and clean water had been almost consumed.
For these 6 days, they relied entirely on the 3-day individual rations they brought when they came to the block.
However, eating is not a big deal. At most, they can sneak out of the battle position at night to search the bodies of the Japanese soldiers to see if there are any biscuits or rice balls.
The Japanese army must have reached the end of their rope. Many Japanese infantrymen would carry the little food they were given with them during the attack. This was not because they were rich, but because they were afraid that they would have nothing left when they returned.
Food was also an extremely precious material for them.
But there was no way to get water. It had to be transported from the outside, especially in this extremely hot summer.
Looking at the fact that Tan Tai Mingjing's lips were chapped, we knew that the 2 rows who were still in this block to continue to resist had fallen into an extreme water shortage.
The 50 reserve soldiers were responsible for transporting logistical supplies, and more than 30 of them carried a 30-jin water bag on their backs.
However, the Japanese army might have been waiting for this opportunity. There were more than 18 heavy machine guns and 10 artillery pieces to block the transportation of the Four-Line Regiment.
In that short 100-meter journey, 55 of the 80 supporting soldiers fell, and only 18 regular soldiers and 7 reserve soldiers arrived in the block.
There were only two soldiers carrying clean water, and one of them had his water bag torn open by a heavy machine gun bullet when passing through the blockade. The 70 soldiers in this block only had 30 kilograms of clean water available, which averaged out to less than half a kilogram per person.
The key point is that no one knows how long this battle will last.
For the Chinese soldiers in the block and the commanders at all levels outside, the more painful choice is that they know that this is the Japanese's "siege point and attack reinforcements" tactics, but they have to use their lives to fill it.
Otherwise, everyone in the block will die of thirst and hunger.
"Whoever can deliver 30 kilograms of water, I will give him a first-class military merit and a gold bar! If he falls halfway, there will be no military merit, but the gold bar will be paid." Ye Chenghuan's eyes were red, and he made a solemn promise in front of 500 reserve soldiers.
The current strength of the Four Lines Regiment can no longer support the consumption of regular troops, and reserve soldiers are his only choice.
There must be brave men under a big reward. Although they knew that passing through the blockade would result in death, nearly half of the 500 selected reserve soldiers still signed up.
During those two nights, the only passage leading to the block numbered 3918 was bombarded with gunfire and bullets all night long.
Blood and flesh flying everywhere is not enough to describe the tragic situation at that time.
Of the 249 reserve soldiers, no more than 8 soldiers were able to pass through the 100-meter-long "death corridor" and reach the 3918 block.
But it was these less than 200 kilograms of clean water and dozens of kilograms of fried rice that gave dozens of Chinese soldiers the motivation to continue fighting.
Among them, we have to mention "Erniu". Erniu used the cover of night to go back and forth on this "death corridor" 4 times. Although he did not bring back clean water and food, he brought back precious medicines. Otherwise, half of the more than 20 wounded in this block would never feel the smell of gunpowder again.
The Sihang Regiment paid a terrible price in the 3918 block to resist the Japanese attack. Nearly 50 regular soldiers were killed and more than 290 reserve soldiers were killed, making it one of the five blocks with the most casualties among the more than 100 blocks in the defense of Hengyang City.
But they didn't know how many people the Japanese 3rd Division had invested here.
According to the battle report of the 3rd Division, in order to take this block, Colonel Kawasaki Sadani, then commander of the 68th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Division, invested a total of 2 infantry battalions and armored troops, engineers, artillery and other arms totaling more than 2,600 people.
In 6 days, the infantry killed included 1,048 machine gunners, 53 artillerymen, 12 armored troops, and 85 engineers, with a loss of more than half.
And this does not include the wounded.
On the sixth day, the colonel commander, who was so determined and fierce that he even went to the front line to kill a second lieutenant and a captain who took the initiative to retreat to show his determination, finally silently ordered his soldiers to withdraw 150 meters from the block.
If the battle continues, the 68th Infantry Regiment, which has been replenished for two rounds, can be announced to be rebuilt. Not only are there only ten veterans left, but even more than half of the newly replenished recruits have died.
Two of the three infantry captains under the 68th Infantry Regiment died in battle, one of whom died in this block.
The Japanese army, like the Chinese army at that time, often chose to go to the front line in order to boost morale.
It’s just that the Four-Line Regiment has strict regulations that military salutes cannot be performed on the battlefield to avoid exposure. This has long been engraved in the bones of the officers and soldiers of the Four-Line Regiment, but the strict hierarchy of the Japanese army often makes them bow their heads unconsciously to show respect when facing their commanders.
Therefore, they are often exposed, especially in this kind of street fighting, when there are snipers everywhere, that is simply to send heads.
Perhaps only the Chinese soldiers who are still holding on to the ruins know that before the Japanese army completely withdraws from Hengyang City, this retreat is only temporary, and it won't take too long before they come back again.
If they stand in the perspective of the Japanese army, they will never easily give up the position at their fingertips. It's not how important it is to capture the target position, but they have shed too much blood on this position. Once they really retreat, the blood will be shed in vain.
In fact, this is also the case. Although the Japanese infantry of the 68th Infantry Regiment has completely stopped the attack, it does not mean that they have given up. They still firmly blockade this block, even if they are trapped, they will trap the Chinese soldiers still hiding in the ruins.
This may also be the only remaining answer given by Colonel Sadaji Kawasaki, who has been repeatedly frustrated in the attack, to Commander Isamu Yokoyama who came to the front line to supervise the battle!
The Japanese army stopped attacking, which finally gave the Chinese soldiers who were still alive in the ruins a chance to catch their breath.
For six days and nights, the Japanese army relied on their large number of troops to rotate attacks, but the Chinese soldiers here could not rotate. Everyone could only grit their teeth and hold on. Commanders like Tan Tai Mingjing, who was forced to be promoted to second lieutenant platoon leader during the war, had very little sleep.
As determined as he was, he had already reached his physiological limit. He fell into a deep sleep as soon as he sat down. It was the long-term battle that kept him alert. Even if he fell asleep, as long as there was a slight noise, or even just a sense of danger, he would wake up from his sleep and instinctively avoid it.
It was already the third hour after the Japanese army stopped attacking. Tan Tai Mingjing, who had slept for an hour and temporarily recovered some energy, felt extremely heavy. Shanzi's body was getting colder and colder, and his breath was getting weaker and weaker.
Tan Tai Ming Jing served in the army for four years, experienced dozens of battles, big and small, and lost countless comrades. From the initial crying and sleepless nights to the final silent farewell, he thought his heart had become numb and would not be frightened by death.
However, when his comrades fell in front of him again and gradually lost their vitality in his arms, his heart would still hurt like a knife.
He did not learn to accept death and not fear death, but was more resilient than before. He could only endure the pain in his heart and not let his tears flow.
At this moment, a communication request came from the individual walkie-talkie. Tan Tai Ming Jing pressed the call button, and the cold and low voice of the company commander Tu Yunsheng came from the walkie-talkie: "Ming Jing, how is the situation on your side?"
"Report to the company commander, the Japanese army has temporarily retreated, I request artillery support, I want to send the injured brothers to the field hospital." Tan Tai Ming Jing looked down at the already fainted soldier, his eyes full of pain. "Shanzi, I'm afraid Shanzi won't make it to the evening."
Shanzi was injured early this morning. This 3-year soldier, together with 3 reserve soldiers, used a crossfire consisting of one assault rifle, two submachine guns and one rifle to firmly lock the way of a Japanese infantry team breaking forward. The left wing killed at least 18 Japanese soldiers.
In order to deal with this small roaming firepower point, the frantic Japanese army even deployed two infantry guns to conduct direct artillery fire on it from a straight-line distance of 300 meters. Three reserve soldiers and two were killed on the spot. Shanzi, the leader of the firepower team, also He was hit several times by shell shrapnel, but the reservist soldier who luckily escaped the artillery fire desperately carried him out of the rubble, and finally managed to escape with his life.
However, Shanzi's chest, abdomen, and thighs were hit by shrapnel and flying gravel in at least five places, especially his abdomen, which was cut open with a large 10-centimeter hole, and his intestines were directly exposed, which was extremely shocking.
But the real fatal injury was in his thigh, where an artery was punctured. Tantai Mingjing put a tourniquet on him and used five tourniquet packs to stop the surge of blood, but Shanzi's blood was almost gone. , if blood cannot be transfused immediately, the probability of death will be 100%.
Although the Japanese army will inevitably launch an artillery blockade, and the probability of survival of Tantai Mingjing carrying Shanzi through the 'corridor of death' will never exceed 90%, Tantai Mingjing still wants to take a gamble. If he doesn't gamble, his The brothers even lost the few percent hope.
Tu Yunsheng on the other side of the walkie-talkie was silent for a few seconds, and his stern voice sounded again: "Okay! You will set off in 5 minutes, and I will request the regiment's artillery battalion to provide full cover."
Most of the artillery in the artillery battalion of the Fourth Line Regiment can no longer fire. It is not that they were damaged by bombs, but that they are running out of shells.
Even Chief of Staff Leng Feng Leng only has the authority to use four 150-pound guns. If the 75mm mountain cannon is to be used, Tang Dao must obtain personal approval.
Every cannonball must be used on the edge.
But Tu Yunsheng, as the company commander, still agreed.
The few seconds he hesitated, he was just worried about whether Tantai Mingjing could cross the 'corridor of death' alive, without any consideration of whether it was worthwhile or not.
Because, since the establishment of Si Xing Camp, the Four Elements Regiment has had the iron rule of ‘never abandon, don’t give up’. Not to mention the brothers who are still alive, they have already been sacrificed. As long as conditions permit, they will not be allowed to lie alone in the cold. On the dirt, let him be exposed to the sun and rain.
This is also one of the core factors why the Four Elements Regiment has a cohesiveness that far exceeds that of an ordinary army!
Even if the person responsible for this near-death mission was the commander of this position and the brother-in-law of the regiment leader Tang Dao, no one would question whether it was worth it.
On the battlefield, the only two things you can trust are your comrades and your steel gun!
Tantai Mingjing quickly stood up, and with the help of his comrades running from the other side, he tied the dying Shanzi tightly to his back with a rope, lifted a submachine gun in his hand, and handed over the command to the designated No. Second Commander.
This is also the practice of the Four Lines Regiment. In each independent battlefield, there will be as many as five commanders. The commander in front will die in battle, and the order will advance. When entering the battlefield, Tantai Mingjing will be the third commander. Officer, on the third day of the battle, he was already the number one commander.
"Boom, boom, boom!" Hundreds of meters away, smoke and rumbling explosions arose.
That was the familiar 150 heavy guns and Bofors Mountain artillery firing to test the area where the Japanese artillery might exist, and to attract their firepower. Today, the Hengyang artillery has all retreated to the vicinity of the Central Bank, and will only return to the ground when firing. Normally They are all hidden in underground tunnels, and the Japanese army will definitely retaliate with shelling, which also means that their shelling will never last more than 2 minutes.
Tantai Mingjing, who had already carried Shanzi to the edge of the block, took a deep breath and looked back at the pale Shanzi: "Shanzi, hold on, let's go!"
Shanzi no longer had the strength to answer, so he could only try his best to grin.
He also wants to live. Only by surviving can he have a chance to avenge his brothers. This is also the concept that the Four Lines Regiment instilled in the recruits during the recruit company. No matter how hard and painful it is, work hard to live. Only by living can you have success. hope.
Tantai Mirror is running wild!
Carrying hundreds of kilograms of comrades on his back, he ran wildly down the corridor of death for a full 60 meters without any machine gun bullets or blazing artillery fire as he imagined.
Because the Japanese soldiers who were responsible for observing in the distance were also shocked by this desperate Chinese. The only passage leading to the outside world was covered with the flesh and blood of many Chinese.
Even the bravest Chinese only dare to embark on this dead end and dead end at night, when the flares are falling.
No one has ever dared to pass through here in the daytime with good visibility. Not to mention that the concentrated fire from more than a dozen artillery pieces can easily tear him into pieces. Even the six heavy machine guns mounted in the dark can also shoot him. A hornet's nest.
But this crazy Chinese just did it. He ran wildly on that passage in the clear blue sky. The huge contrast caused the three Japanese observers to react only five or six seconds later: "Fire, fire, Channel 1." There’s a Chinese guy up there, kill him!”
The Japanese heavy machine gunner straightened his machine gun, pulled the trigger and started shooting!
The crazy bullets were like death's scythes, cutting towards the running Tantai Mirror.
"Dong dong dong!" Several consecutive rounds of grenades exploded in front of the Japanese fortifications. The smoke and smoke caused the Japanese heavy machine gunners to have their sight obscured. They could only rely on their senses to aim and shoot forward. The accuracy was naturally much worse. .
That was the 2nd platoon in the ruins trying their best to cover their new platoon leader. Their 60-pound artillery shells had long been empty, and they used grenade launchers seized from killing Japanese troops. Although the lethality was limited, it was still capable of harassing those few soldiers. A firepower point hidden in the fortification is still okay.
The rain of bullets emitted by six heavy machine guns was miraculously left behind by Tantai Mingjing, who was running for his life.
The Japanese artillery hidden hundreds of meters away also started firing!
"Boom, boom, boom!" Bursts of thick smoke and fire rose up from the death tunnel filled with craters.
Tantai Mingjing did not make any tactical dodges. He was still running as fast as he could.
Tantai Mingjing had never run so fast. He knew that if he didn't run faster, he and Shanzi would be torn into pieces by the subsequent artillery fire.
The Japanese will only give him 15 to 16 seconds at most. According to his observation, when the Japanese artillery fires, they will bombard according to the preset coordinates, 100 meters. They usually do not cover it with one-time artillery fire, but use Three rounds of artillery fire.
As long as their first round of artillery fire hits him behind him, it is possible for him to outrun the shells as long as he has enough speed.
Tantai Mirror's bet was right. The Japanese artillery, which was extremely capable but rigid enough, didn't care where the target was. It just carried out the established tactics and executed three rounds of rapid fire at the established bombardment coordinates.
The rising smoke and air waves chased the running Tantai Mingjing all the way forward.
"Boom!" At least four shells exploded more than 20 meters behind the running Tantai Mingjing. The air waves caused by the explosion swept Tantai Mingjing and Shanzi, who were bleeding from the corners of their mouths, into the trench ahead.
At the moment when he fell into the trench, Tantai Mingjing landed on his own without causing any harm to his comrades behind him.
"Ahem! I've run out, I've run out, Shanzi, you can get a blood transfusion right away." Tantai Mingjing ignored the lungs that were about to explode due to the rapid running and looked back at his comrades.
Shanzi grinned lightly!
"Brother, this speed is so fast. My brother-in-law is convinced when he sees it." Tantai Mingjing saw the smiles of his comrades and laughed!
Tantai Mingjing stood up and continued running along the 50-meter-long trench. At the end of the trench, he had already seen the figure of company commander Tu Yunsheng, who came to pick them up with his men.
"Smoke drifts by
The firewood used for cooking made my waist bend.
It's not just firewood that can bend her
dusk sunset
Grandpa banged the bowls and chopsticks and sang
She counts the days on her fingers every day
Waiting for people coming from afar
The bench at the door has never been moved there.
Eyes still looking forward to it
She gave birth to one child after another
All blown away by the trumpet call
What's on the other side of the mountain
It is the heroism of martyrs
It’s the motherland they fight to the death to defend
What's on the other side of the river
It’s the endless flames of war
She looked into the distance and shed tears.
Peace is coming
they are gone
The person she is waiting for will never come back."
A clear and melodious singing voice also came from the walkie-talkie strapped to my shoulder.
It was a small choir composed of several nurses in the field hospital. During the breaks in the battle, they would sing several military songs through walkie-talkies to the soldiers who were regenerating their strength. In order to prevent the sound from revealing the soldiers' location, their voices As small as possible, almost humming.
That's enough.
Gentleness from women is the best medicine to heal the tired hearts of soldiers.
In order for these beautiful and gentle comrades not to suffer the suffering of city destruction and death, they are willing to die first!
Listening to the singing in his ears, Tantai Mingjing couldn't help but think of his grandmother in the distance. He didn't notice that the heads of his comrades behind him gradually lowered and fell gently on his shoulders.
But he could feel the warm breath of his comrade on his neck suddenly disappeared.
Tantai Mingjing's tears fell drop by drop. He didn't look back, he just said: "Shanzi, hold on, I'm okay!"
Passing over his superiors and comrades who stood solemnly waiting for him, Tantai Mingjing ran stubbornly towards the field hospital.
He kept running in the underground tunnels. As long as he ran fast enough, his comrades would not die, he firmly believed.
His grandmother is waiting for him in Rongcheng, and the grandmother of his comrades is also waiting for him at the entrance of the village!
All the Chinese soldiers who met them on the way stopped and stood upright until the lonely and determined back disappeared from sight.
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PS: I didn’t update yesterday due to something else. Today I will update a 6,000-word chapter.