On May 8, the second day of the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain, at this time Zhongtiao Mountain was like a lonely boat in the storm.

By noon, the Japanese on the eastern front had completely occupied the Jiyuan and Mengxian areas and continued to attack westward along the north bank of the Yellow River.

On the northeast front, the Japanese attack force was only more than 10,000 people, which was the weakest way in the pincer offensive, and the defenders in this direction had the headquarters of the 14th Army and the 15th Army, the 93rd Army and the 98th Army.

The northern front is the main direction of attack for the Japanese invaders to carry out the central breakthrough, Hengling Pass has been lost, the defenders have retreated one after another, and the Japanese invaders divide their troops to pursue, Liankesangchi, Jiajiashan, Ducunhe, Gaoluo...... By noon on May 8, the defenders finally contained the forward troops of the Japanese invaders on the front line of Wang Mao, but with the follow-up troops of the Japanese invaders in a steady stream, Wang Mao was also in danger.

Behind Wang Mao is Yuanqu County, once Yuanqu County is lost, the tactical purpose of the Japanese Central Breakthrough will be achieved.

In the 13 large-scale encirclement and suppression of Zhongtiao Mountain, the Japanese invaders launched 13 large-scale encirclement and suppression of Zhongtiao Mountain, the bloody battles of Yongji, the 66 Campaign, and the Battle of Wangyuan all took place on the western section of the defensive line, and it was precisely because of the cruelty of the fighting on the Western Front that the Fourth Army played the prestige of "the iron pillar of Zhongtiao Mountain".

Of course, in the "No. 1 Operational Plan of the Year" of the Japanese North China Dispatch Army, the defense line in the western section of Zhongtiao Mountain was still the key attack direction of the Japanese invaders, and the battle on the Western Front was also the most tragic since the battle began.

Of course, this has a great deal to do with the terrain of the western section of the mountain.

The western section of Zhongtiao Mountain is located at the great bend of the Yellow River, the mountain is narrow, the depth of defense is shallow, and it is also a barrier to the two ancient crossings of the Yellow River in Fengling and Maojin, and the military role is very important.

As Master Wang Jun said, "Our department has retreated and there is no way to retreat"!

There is no way to retreat, only to fight against the water.

The sun is shining, sprinkling boundless brilliant sunshine, but the sunlight can't penetrate the thick gunpowder smoke above Taizhai at all.

"Bang ......"

The mountain artillery of the little devil roared again, and the last attack had just been repulsed by the defenders, and the little devil immediately organized a new round of charge.

"Bang bang bang...... Boom Boom Boom Boom ......"

Shells rained down, causing fireworks to ripple from the defenders' positions and stumps and severed arms flying all over the sky.

In the face of such a fierce artillery bombardment by the Japanese invaders, although the surviving officers and men of the newly formed 27th Division were full of grief and indignation, they could only hide in the fortifications and wait for the shelling to end.

Lei Gongmiao, Temporary Division Headquarters, Division Commander Wang Jun had just finished sending the last telegram to the military headquarters, when he raised his spear and shouted, "Brothers, get on the bayonet...... Kill the enemy with me! ”

"Yes!" All the officers and men of the division headquarters stood up one after another and made promises, and the clerks and miscellaneous personnel also picked up their spears one after another.

Heavy casualties, ammunition will be ...... Only be prepared for hand-to-hand combat.

The officers and men of the 80th Army, which was blocked west of Zhangmao Avenue, had no way to retreat, but the officers and men of the Third Army west of Zhangmao Avenue still had a way out, but no one in the Third Army retreated!

If they retreat, there will be no room for recovery in the war.

The commander of the inch division and the officers and men of the 12th Division have been fighting on the first line of defense, and the 227th Wing of the Japanese invaders has repeatedly attacked, but they have been beaten back again and again, and the slogan of Anda Dazuo before the battle was shouted, but the officers and soldiers of the 12th Division were helpless.

"Da Da Da ......"

"Bang ......"

The battle was raging in front of the battle, and in the temporary headquarters of the Japanese invaders, Lieutenant General Anda was also roaring angrily, "Katsu Ueda, you coward...... A small position, how long have you fought and still haven't beaten down? ”

"Hey!" Ueda Dasa hung his head, his face full of shame, and his eyes were red.

As angry as Lieutenant General Anda was Lieutenant General Jingguan, who led his troops to capture Surabaya Village in one fell swoop, and then continued to advance in three ways, all the way to the northwest of Tanghui was stubbornly blocked, and all the way to Wangjiahe was dragged to death.

Tanghui is located at the headquarters of the Fifth Army and the headquarters of the Third Army.

Wangjiahe is the headquarters of the Seventh Division, once captured by the Japanese invaders, the Tang army commander heard the news, personally led the military headquarters guard battalion to dare to come to reinforcements, the officers and men of the Seventh Division were deeply encouraged, in one fell swoop to recover the lost ground, blocking the pace of the Japanese attack.

The battle lasted until dusk, the Wangjiahe defense line was slightly consolidated, and the Tang army commander led the guard battalion to prepare to return to the military headquarters.

At this point, although the battle situation of Zhongtiao Mountain is difficult, it is like a lonely boat in the wind and rain, and it will not turn over for a while when it is bumpy with the waves.

However, at dusk, the long-brewing raid of the Japanese invaders began, just like the last vicious wave that overturned the lonely boat.

In the northwest of Tanghui Village, the sound of guns and cannons shook the sky, the smoke of gunpowder was billowing, the little devils were constantly attacking, and the defenders were fighting to the death.

When Tang returned to the village, the headquarters of the Fifth Army was noisy and busy.

Dog's day, finally stabilized his position!

Commander Zeng put down the telegram in his hand and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The Japanese invaders came fiercely, and the defenders repeatedly contracted the defensive line, and finally restrained the pace of the little devil's attack on the front line of Tanghui Village......

Commander Zeng calmed down for a moment, and walked towards the wall, his eyes already falling on the huge military map.

"Bang ......"

As soon as Commander Zeng took two steps, he heard a gunshot from the east, which was close at hand, and he was immediately shocked.

The headquarters is located on the top of a hill in the east of the village, in front of which is a dangerous valley, known as "Hades Gorge", the other three sides are more than ten high cliffs, and on the top of a wide open space of three or five zhang wide.

Holy shit, little devil smacked up?

The staff clerks were also shocked, and when they were stunned, two guards stumbled in and rushed straight to Commander Zeng, looking anxious, "Commander, go quickly!" ”

With that, the two guards set up Commander Zeng and rushed out of the door, and there were already gunshots and screams outside.

"What's going on?" Commander Zeng yelled, filled with anger, "How did the little devil come up? ”

Because of the terrain here, the firepower points are set at the valley mouth, and I once thought that the little devil would go directly to the top of the mountain......

"Coming down from the sky," the two guards rushed out with Commander Zeng in their arms, but their words set off a monstrous wave in the hearts of all the soldiers.

Is the little devil enlightened? Divine Soldiers from the Sky?

The same scene is playing out in Yuanqu County.

Yuanqu County is located on the south side of Zhongtiao Mountain, guarding Hengyuan Avenue and guarding the coastal ferry in the middle of Zhongtian Mountain, which can be described as the logistics lifeline of the garrison on the north side of Zhongtiao Mountain and even the anti-Japanese soldiers of Taihang Mountain, and it is also one of the important reasons why the Japanese invaders chose to implement the central breakthrough tactics.

After Hengling Pass was broken by the Japanese invaders, the defenders of all departments were immediately defeated, and finally regrouped in the north of Yuanqu County, blocking the pace of the Japanese attack.

The battle lasted until dusk, and the Japanese were never able to break through the defenders' defensive lines, giving the defenders a glimmer of hope.

At this moment, a group of Japanese troops suddenly came out of the jungle in the east and captured the county town of Yuanqu in one fell swoop.

Could it be that it is really a god from heaven?

Since the beginning of war, mankind has been looking for a mobile advantage over the enemy, and the birth of the Airborne Forces has brought the mobile advantage to the extreme, overshadowing the swiftness of cavalry and the galloping of mechanized troops.

There is no doubt that the application of the principle of parachute first appeared in China, and there is no doubt that in the "Historical Records of the Five Emperors", there is a well-known story of the Chinese people: "...... He still wanted to kill him, so that Shun was smeared on the ground, and he set fire to the house from below. Shun Nai went down with two hats, and went, so that he would not die. ”

In the ensuing long history, the record of acrobatic artists using giant umbrellas to perform high-altitude leaps is not uncommon in ancient books in China.

Of course, the giant umbrella was used for emergency self-rescue, and the deeds of "Panyu Sea Fang" are also recorded.

But eventually, parachutes were introduced to Europe in the form of acrobatics.

There is no doubt that the ancestors of the Chinese nation had a group of creative people in the world, but the things they created that amazed the world were eventually carried forward by other nations, such as the compass and the gunpowder...... The same goes for parachutes!

When the oriental parachuting acrobatics were transmitted to Europe, Cui gave birth to a magical class of troops - the airborne troops.

During World War I, two soldiers jumped off the wing of a biplane and carried some explosives to blow up enemy warehouses, and the military value of parachutes began to be valued by Westerners.

In 1927, the Soviet army used transport planes to airdrop troops in Central Asia and annihilated the rebels such as the Batuma Massachusetts in one fell swoop, which was the first airborne operation in human history.

In 1930, the Soviet Union formed the world's first paratrooper unit.

However, in the far east, in the birthplace of parachutes, when the Japanese invaders used airborne troops for the first time, the vast majority of anti-Japanese officers and men were unheard of of airborne troops.

The Japanese airborne troops may have just started, and it may be the first time that they have been used in actual combat, but the results are undoubtedly huge.

The headquarters of the Fifth Army was attacked, and although Commander Zeng narrowly escaped death, he lost his unified command, and all units of the front line were defeated one after another.

When the commander of the Tang army led his troops to hurry back to Tanghui Village, Tanghui Village had become a mess of porridge, and the commander of the Tang army was unable to return to the sky, so he had to lead his troops to retreat in the direction of the Wufuzhang Yellow River crossing.

For a time, the middle section of the communication of each ministry was divided and surrounded by the Japanese invaders one by one, and fell into the dilemma of fighting their own wars.

The Fifth Army collapsed on all fronts, and the defeat of the Zhongtiao Shanxi Front was decided.

At the same time, the county town of Yuanqu fell, the peripheral departments were defeated one after another, and the Japanese Central Route Army moved south, and the troops pointed directly at the most important ferry on the bank of the Yellow River - Yuanqu Ferry.

The war started only for one day and one night, and the battle situation in Zhongtiao Mountain had been completely eroded, and there was no room for recovery.

"Tanghui Village was attacked ......"

"The Fall of the Wall" ......

"The Fifth Army lost contact ......"

The First Theater Command had already exploded, and the officers and staff officers were shocked and anxious.

"Reinforcements, reinforcements...... Be sure to hold on to the existing crossings! ”

The roar of the Wei Commander resounded in the conference room, "What about the Fourteenth Army?" Is the Battle of Wangcun over? ”

As night fell, on the northeast line of Zhongtiao Mountain, the Battle of Wangcun had just ended, and the officers and men of the 98th Army defeated the Japanese invaders and annihilated more than 700 enemies, which was the only bright spot since the start of the war.

After receiving the battle report, Chief Wei did not have the slightest joy.

The Japanese troops on the northeast line are the weakest, which is like the "Tianji horse race", and it is the inferior horses of the Japanese invaders on the northeast line!

What's more, most of the positions of the rest of the 14th Army have fallen, and the food supply has been lost, while the county town of Hengyuan has been lost, and the supplies cannot be transported to the northeast line at all, and the 14th Group is already a lone army.

At present, the only way to stabilize the position is to send more reinforcements, but the river defense is also a matter of great importance, and the troops are not sufficient, and the troops that can be sent over are also very limited.

The sunset was already dusk, and on the river fortifications of the 66th Regiment, all the officers and men were waiting for the battle, listening to the continuous sound of artillery on the east and west sides, and their hearts gradually sank.

To the east, the cannon at the Baipo Ferry was fired, and so was the cannon at the Baihe Ferry......

To the west, the cannon at the Tamura ferry rang out, and so did the cannon at the Yangcun ferry......

Krupp's cannon was majestic and powerful, but the cannon on the south bank announced that the ferry port on the north bank had been attacked by the Japanese invaders.

Although the huge Krupp defense guns could provide fire cover for the defenders of the ferry on the north bank, how long could these fire covers last as night fell?

The headquarters of the 66th Regiment, Li Siwei looked at the map on the table, his whole body was cold, the Japanese invaders on the east road had advanced to the Baihe Ferry, and the Japanese invaders on the west road had advanced to the Yangcun ferry, and there were only five ferries left in the middle!

"Jingle Bell ......"

The phone rang suddenly, Li Siwei hurriedly grabbed the phone, and the anxious voice of Senior Commander Chen came from the other end of the phone, "Siwei, the reinforcement order has just been issued from above, and your department will quickly cross the river...... If something is not good, you should defend the ferry to ensure the retreat of friendly troops! ”

Here it comes!

Li Siwei's heart sank, but he had to promise hard, "Teacher, please rest assured!" ”

"Okay," Division Commander Chen hurriedly added, "I will draw troops as soon as possible, and then cross the river ......."

Who called the 66th Regiment the closest to the ferry?

Hanging up the phone, Li Siwei took a deep breath, turned around and swept the generals, "All departments will board the ship immediately...... Reinforcements to the North Shore! ”

"Yes!" The generals agreed and hurried away.

"Regiment leader," Zheng Sanyang hurriedly got up and looked at Li Siwei deeply, "...... going"

"Sanyang," Li Siwei smiled reluctantly, interrupted Zheng Sanyang, and took out a letter in his arms and handed it over, "The affairs of the regiment are entrusted to you, and this letter ......"

Saying that, Li Siwei's voice trembled, "What if...... I didn't come back, so you just handed the letter to Rou'er......"

"Regiment Commander......" Zheng Sanyang trembled and opened his mouth with difficulty, "Please rest assured, Regiment Leader!" ”

Along the way, Zheng Sanyang knew how many vicious battles Li Siwei had experienced, but it was the first time that he left a letter before the war!

Could it be that this battle is really so sinister?

Seeing Zheng Sanyang accept the letter with a solemn expression, Li Siwei smiled and patted him on the shoulder, "Don't worry, as long as Lao Tzu still has a breath, he will climb back!" ”

After that, Li Siwei grabbed the spear on the table, turned around and left, his steps sonorous and decisive!

He was afraid to cross the river, not because he was afraid of death, but because he was afraid of dying in vain!