Shigeto Chiaki said: "Immediately organize the units in order and prepare to cross the river." [Reading Network]"

"Hello." Kikuchi Mei paused and asked, "Your Excellency Commander, do you want to cross the river in accordance with the standard order?"

Shigeto Chiaki pondered for a moment and then said: "Considering the needs of pursuit, when the cavalry team and the chariot detachment cross the river first, then the first and second infantry wings, the artillery team, the engineer team, the communication team and the headquarters finally cross the river, in addition, I will cross the river first with the cavalry team, and the headquarters will be handed over to Kikuchi-san to take charge." ”

"Hello." Kikuchi Mei paused heavily, and had no objection to Shigedo Chiaki's arrangement.

According to common sense, when a large army crosses the river, it should leave a considerable number of troops to break the rear in case the enemy attacks them half-crossing, but now Nantong has become the rear of the Japanese army, and there is no trace of the activities of the first large army from Yangzhou to the front line, so there is no need to do more.

Half an hour later, six gunboats and more than 10 armed merchant ships of the Japanese Navy's Fourth Fleet River Defense Detachment slowly sailed into the Nantong wharf.

Chiaki Shigeto followed the cavalry team directly under him, and was the first to board the armed merchant ships.

This situation was a little different from Xu Rui's expectations, but Xu Rui didn't know.

Dividing line

Two thousand meters away, Xu Rui was standing on the top of the mud mountain and quietly watching the devil cross the river.

The more than 100 remnants of the soldiers who withdrew from the blocking position were divided into two parts, one part crossed the river by boat to confuse the devils, this part would turn around and go down when the boat reached the center of the river and return to the north bank, and the other part followed Xu Rui up the mud mountain.

At this time, there were still a few hours before dawn, but the devils lit up a large number of torches, illuminating the entire dock as bright as day, with the light of the torches, Xu Rui and the veterans could clearly see that a group of devil cavalry was lining up to get on the ship, and then one after another transport ships were off the shore and sailed towards the center of the river.

The devil cavalry was the first to cross the river, which was expected by Xu Rui.

After all, cavalry is more mobile than infantry and is the first choice for pursuit.

The cavalry crossed the river before the infantry, but the infantry crossing the river did not end in a moment.

Xu Rui tightened the tweed coat on his body, sat down against a stone, and said to the veteran: "I have to sleep, veteran, you help me keep an eye on it, what is the situation to call me." ”

As soon as the words fell, Xu Rui had already fallen asleep.

The veteran is like this, he can fall asleep when he says he is asleep, he can fall asleep when he is marching, and you can't wake up even if you fire artillery in his ear, and if you say you can't sleep, there are also people who don't fit your eyes for seven days and seven nights in a row.

The veteran didn't sleep, he was more concerned about the devil's crossing sequence than Xu Rui.

Because the sequence of the devil's crossing of the river directly determines whether the subsequent plan can be implemented smoothly.

If the devil left enough troops to break the rear, then all their previous arrangements were for the blind man to light the lamp and waste wax, but if the devil was as Xu Rui expected, leaving only a small number of infantry to break the rear, then the devil would be miserable

The veteran held a telescope and looked at the dock intently, paying attention to the devil's crossing of the river.

I don't know how long it took, but the veteran suddenly looked nervous, and said in a deep voice: "Lao Xu, there is a situation." ”

Xu Rui, who was sleeping soundly, was immediately woken up, sat up with a bone, and asked, "What's the situation?"

The veteran said: "The order of the little devil's crossing the river is different from your estimate, you come and see, it stands to reason, it should be crossed by an infantry wing first, then by artillery, engineers and the headquarters, and then by another infantry wing, even if the devil is not worried about being attacked, at least an infantry brigade should be left, but"

Speaking of this, the veteran suddenly paused, and Xu Rui asked while adjusting the focus of the telescope, "What's wrong?"

The veteran said: "But now, the little devil's infantry has all crossed the river, and not even a squadron is left. ”

While the two were talking, Xu Rui had already adjusted the focus of the telescope, and he also saw the situation on the dock clearly, and looked closely, Xu Rui really saw that the Nantong dock was already crowded with devil artillery, engineers, communication troops, staff officers of the headquarters, as well as artillery, radio and other large amounts of technical equipment, but there were few devil infantry left on their backs.

Whether it is infantry or not, it is easy to identify, the devil's infantry are all carrying 38 big covers.

And now the devils crowded on the dock are almost empty-handed, obviously all of them are technical arms.

"Haha, God helps." Xu Rui immediately laughed, "Shigeto old devil is looking for death"

The veteran shook his head, and he really couldn't find any adjectives to describe Shigeto Chiaki, this old devil was really dizzy, or really arrogant to the extreme, he actually let all the infantry cross the river first, but left the artillery, engineers, communication troops and a large number of technical equipment at the end, this is not to send the sheep to the tiger's mouth

Of course, having said that, the old devil didn't know that the ** battalion was still in Jiangbei, and he was hiding near the dock, and the old devil didn't know that the ** battalion had opened its bloody mouth and was waiting to feast

"Hey, hey." The corners of Xu Rui's mouth hooked up with a cold murderous intent, and said with a cruel smile, "Now, even Da Luo Jinxian can't save the old devil Chongdo, and there are thousands of devils who haven't crossed the river yet." ”

The veteran licked his lips, which were a little chapped because of nervousness, and said, "Lao Xu, it's almost over, let's do it"

Xu Rui squinted his eyes and looked up at the sky, at this time it was the darkest time before dawn, and the sky and earth were like a cloud of ink that could not be dissolved, you couldn't see the five fingers when you stretched out your hand, he shook his head at the moment, and said indifferently: "Don't be in a hurry first, it's not too late to wait for the little devil to transport this batch of technical equipment to Jiangxin before starting it." ”

The veteran closed his mouth and remained silent, because the devil was carrying technical equipment across the river at this time, and more than a dozen armed merchant ships moored on the dock were empty.

If Chiaki Shigedo is allowed to run away, the results will undoubtedly be greatly reduced.

However, the veteran thought about it, but Xu Rui was not worried that the old devil would escape, he was calculating the time of the tide, the Nantong section of the Yangtze River is not far from Wusongkou, so it will also be affected by the tide, Xu Rui is worried that if it is launched too early, when the devils on the south bank return to help, they can go directly to the north bank.

Only when the tide recedes, a large area of the river beach is exposed, and the devil's gunboats and armed merchant ships cannot dock, and when the devils on the south bank return to help, they must cross the muddy river beach of nearly 1,000 meters on foot.

Another half hour passed, and the sky gradually brightened.

More than 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 slightly narrowed eyes suddenly opened, and he Shuya, who was standing behind him, commanded: "Nerd, send a signal"

"Yes" He Shuya responded, and immediately stood on the big stone beside him, and held up two small red and blue triangular flags in his palms, playing a group of symbols.

Dividing line

Lehi was hiding under the ruins by the well, and his whole body looked like a rotten log.

Li Hai's disguise was made for him by Xu Rui himself, and if he didn't take a closer look, he wouldn't have found it at all.

In fact, the little devil's sentry was set up less than five meters away from Lehi, but his existence was never discovered.

However, Lehi didn't care about the devil's sentry, his eyes were always focused on the mud mountain, and his posture didn't move all night, and he rarely even blinked his eyes, because the stakes were so high, he was worried that if he didn't pay attention, he would miss the signal on the mud mountain, and Lehi knew better than anyone what this battle meant for the ** battalion.

If this battle is won, their ** battalion will become a legend

With less than 300 remnants, even if you add the rout of the 67th Army and the **guerrillas, there are only more than 600 people in total, and only more than 600 people can inflict heavy losses on a fully equipped detachment, that is, a brigade and regiment, so many troops in **, I am afraid that it is only their ** battalion.

At one point, two small red and blue flags finally appeared in Lehi's field of vision.

The pupils of the signal flag Lehi shrank suddenly, and the camp gave the order and made a move

Lehi gently lowered his binoculars and moved his frozen limbs again.

Although the devil sentry was only less than five meters away from Lehi, because the dock was too noisy, the devil sentry did not hear the sound coming from the ruins behind him.

After his limbs regained consciousness, Li Hai lifted the canvas camouflage on his body and got up.

At this time, the devil sentry finally heard the strange noise coming from behind him and turned to investigate.

As soon as he turned around, the devil sentry saw a black shadow quickly enlarged in front of him, and then he saw a cold light smearing towards his throat, and the Chinese soldier had a Chinese soldier The devil sentry immediately became alert and wanted to shout, and then he felt a sharp chill in his throat, and the shout that had just reached his throat was stuck in his throat.

The next moment, the devil sentry felt the power flow like a tide, his hands and feet became as paralyzed as dough, he couldn't stand anymore and fell down, in a trance, the devil sentry heard the sound of "poof" and "poof", as if something liquid was splashing, and then, as soon as his eyes were dark, he didn't know anything.

Lehi wiped the devil's sentry with a bayonet, and then dragged the sentry's body behind the ruins.

Due to the obscurity of the ruins and the fact that the dock was too noisy, no one noticed it.

Lehi licked his lips, picked up three fist-sized stones from the ruins, first threw one into the well two meters away, after about three seconds, and then threw another stone into the well, which was the promised signal that it was safe outside and that the attack was about to begin