Chapter 125: Gas Masks

Chapter 125: Gas Masks

The first thing I did when I returned to the garrison was to ask the soldiers to concentrate the gas masks in the battalion, and as I expected, the more than 300 people in the battalion were able to collect only 30 gas masks, and all of them were damaged.

"Battalion commander! What do you want a gas mask for? Some of the soldiers came up and asked, "Are you going to use poison gas?" ”

"Battalion commander!" Li Zhifu also said suspiciously: "We are all on the second line, aren't we?" Even if the devil uses poison gas...... Can you hit us? ”

"Why do you ask so much? Execute the command! "For questions I don't want to answer, I always say this sentence. And this phrase is always useful, and as soon as the fighters hear it, they answer "yes" and stop asking.

What the warriors did not expect was that the place of Lang Son was actually a basin, a basin surrounded by mountains on all sides. If the Vietnamese army used poison gas, the entire Lang Son would be affected to a greater or lesser extent. It is precisely for this reason that the troops of our army attacking Lang Son suffered so many casualties, so it is absolutely necessary to make anti-poison preparations in advance.

"Battalion Commander Cui, here you are......" At this time, Battalion Commander Wu hurriedly ran into the battalion headquarters from outside the house, wiped the sweat on his head and said: "As soon as Senior Commander Wang heard that your battalion asked for gas masks, he didn't say anything, so he immediately transferred a few truckloads from the supplies transported from the rear, and there were more than 400 of them, which is enough for your battalion!" ”

"Hmm!" Hearing this, I couldn't help but feel a trace of shame in my heart, and said to Battalion Commander Wu: "Then how embarrassing, the comrades who fought on the front line didn't come to distribute it in a hurry, so they gave it to us first?" ”

Camp Commander Wu raised his head and said, "What can this be?" You are all famous in this battle, and now there is no one in our army who doesn't know the second battalion of your 639th regiment! Master Wang said, it is not easy for you to come down from the battlefield alive, and you are all heroes. So whatever you want, whatever we can do, we will give you priority! ”

"I said Battalion Commander Wu......" Li Zhifu said next to him: "Hello, you also participated in this battle, didn't you?" Aren't you praising yourself when you praise us? ”

"You're right!" Battalion Commander Wu replied, "That's why I'm so excited!" ”

"Coax!" , the soldiers were all amused by Battalion Commander Wu's words.

"Camp Commander Cui!" After a while, Battalion Commander Wu said to me again: "Don't worry, this gas mask is indispensable for the front-line troops." As soon as the higher authorities ordered, our transport team is now no longer transporting bullets, shells and food, and all of them are transporting gas masks, saying that what is it to strive to achieve a pair of soldiers in Lang Son for each of them! Although we have been fighting this battle for a long time, it is only a few tens of kilometers away from the motherland, and it will not take a few hours to be all in place, so you can use it with confidence! ”

"Good! Then I'll take it! I nodded and shook Camp Commander Wu's hand and said, "Thank you for me, Senior Commander Wang!" ”

"Thank you for what? We thank you that it's too late! Battalion Commander Wu said with a smile: "Master Wang said, if it weren't for your way to open a 'hole' in a private house!" Our troops don't know how many more people will be sacrificed! ”

He patted me on the shoulder, turned around and went back to life.

"All of them!" I immediately turned on the walkie-talkie and ordered: "Each company will go to the car as a platoon unit to receive gas masks, one for each person, and organize all soldiers to learn how to use them!" ”

"Yes!" The warriors answered, and soon a command sounded outside the house.

"Battalion commander! It's yours! "The guards brought me a pair.

I took it and looked at it, and it was no different from the one I had returned, it was still the same filter-type gas mask, so I threw it aside.

When he sat down on the 'bed' and lay down slowly, he heard the company commanders and instructors outside shouting to the soldiers: "The use of gas masks should pay attention to the rules of opening one, looking at the other, and wearing three times." As soon as it is opened, it is necessary to open the rubber stopper at the bottom of the filter poison 'medicine' tank. Second, it is necessary to check whether the tank and face of the poison filter are not damaged and defective, and thirdly, we must pay attention to whether the breathing is smooth......"

I don't really know how to wear a gas mask, but I do know that even if you wear this filtered gas mask, it is not safe, and it must be used at a concentration of no more than 2% to be effective, otherwise the gas from the filtered canister can still poison the user.

In other words, the soldiers of our army who are directly facing the poison gas in the front-line combat will fall in large numbers even if they wear it......

When I thought of this, my heart panicked as if I had stuffed a rock. I knew what awaited them, but I couldn't do anything.

Don't you fight? It seems impossible, we started to retreat before the Vietnamese army began to use chemical weapons, which would only make others think that we were afraid of the Vietnamese devils. Politically, this will bring great passivity to our army.

So we have to continue to fight, even if we know that we are dead......

The sky gradually darkened, and the gunfire and artillery fire in the south slowly intensified again after a rare interlude.

Our army generally does not fight night battles with the Vietnamese army, especially when the terrain is unfamiliar. But now there is only one corner left in Lang Son, and the Vietnamese army has also lost a large number of tanks and artillery, so the soldiers are anxious to take Lang Son down in one go.

On the other hand, the goal set by the top level of our army is also to announce the withdrawal of troops after taking Lang Son, and the rainy season in Vietnam is coming soon, so the commander also wants to achieve the strategic goal as soon as possible and bring the troops back to China as soon as possible, so the attack on the Vietnamese army was in full swing at night.

So I thought that if our battalion hadn't withdrawn because of heavy casualties, it was very likely that we would have to face the poisonous gas of the Vietnamese army on the battlefield at this time.

Gas masks can only protect against two percent of the concentration of poison gases...... I don't know what that is, I only know that if the Vietnamese army only needs to hit our camp with a poison gas bomb, maybe all the soldiers within a radius of 1,000 meters will die because of it. If the Vietnamese army fights a few more, I am afraid that the soldiers in Lang Son South District will not be able to come back alive!

How many warriors would have to be sacrificed! A regiment? A division? I'm afraid it's not all. The rumor in modern sources is that these chemical weapons crushed two of our armies in one piece...... Although these data have yet to be verified, they can also show how many casualties were caused to our army in this battle.

No way! Don't let that happen!

Thinking of this, I sat up from the 'bed' as soon as I took a moment's time, walked out of the 'door' in three or two steps, and looked at the intermittent artillery fire in the southern area, and I couldn't help but feel anxious. The tighter our army fights, the faster the Vietnamese army will collapse and use chemical weapons, so I don't have much time left.

Thinking of this, I hurriedly shouted to my side: "Correspondent! Pick me up Camp Commander Wu immediately! ”

"Yes!" The communications soldier answered, and immediately turned on the radio and began to call.

Our battalion was assigned to the 128th Division for combat, and our contact with the 128th Division was conveyed through Battalion Commander Wu, so the first person I wanted to find was him.

After a while, the communications soldier handed me the microphone and said, "Battalion commander, it's connected!" ”

"Camp Commander Wu?" I grabbed the microphone and said impatiently: "I want to see Master Wang as soon as possible, I don't know if you have a way?" ”

"See the teacher?" Battalion Commander Wu couldn't help but be stunned, and then replied: "If it were someone else, maybe not, the division commander is now commanding the operation, but you ...... It should be ok! Are there any requirements? Why don't I relay it for you? ”

"No!" I replied, "I want to see Master Wang, the sooner the better!" ”

"No problem! I'll contact the division commander immediately......" Battalion Commander Wu listened to my tone as if he was in a hurry, so he didn't say anything more and immediately hung up the phone.

After putting down the phone, I walked back and forth in front of the 'door' for a few steps, and after thinking about it, I immediately ordered the guards: "Immediately let the soldiers of the fifth company and the members of the 'shooting' strike team prepare for battle!" ”

"Yes!" The guard answered, turned around and walked out of the 'door' to give orders.

"Battalion commander!" After a while, Li Zhifu came to me fully armed and asked suspiciously: "There is another task?" Didn't you let us rest here? The fighters had just rested for a while......"

"Less nonsense, carry out the order!" I replied impatiently.

"Yes!" Li Zhifu didn't dare to say anything after answering.

"Wait!" When Li Zhifu turned around and was about to leave, I brought him back again, and then slowed down his tone and said, "Let the soldiers hurry up and rest and eat something!" ”

"Yes!" Li Zhifu nodded and said, "Battalion commander, don't worry!" The soldiers of our fifth company are all good, and they will not disgrace you! ”

"Hmm!" I nodded, and the guilt in my heart for the soldiers of the Fifth Company was even more.

"Squeak!" At this time, there was a sharp brake outside the 'door', and then Battalion Commander Wu ran to me like a gust of wind and said, "Battalion Commander Cui, Senior Commander Wang asked me to pick you up and take you to the division headquarters!" He also said that next time you don't ask for instructions, if you want to see him, just take you directly to the division headquarters. ”

"Hmm!" Hearing this, I couldn't help but feel 'excited' for Commander Wang, in this era, I don't think there are many divisional commanders like him who don't put on a show, maybe only under Commander Chu will have such a leader.

Thinking about it, his feet were not slow, and he stepped into the jeep after following Camp Commander Wu in a few steps, and as soon as the driver stepped on the gas 'door', the jeep galloped away with a gust of wind without a roar.

The jeep circled the streets and alleys for a while, and after ten minutes it stopped in front of a courtyard, which was very crowded with people coming and going, and every room was full of walkie-talkies and telephones, and there were signal soldiers calling everywhere. Division Commander Wang was discussing something with several staff officers in front of the map in a large room in the middle......

"Report!" Battalion Commander Wu took me to Master Wang and saluted.

"Hmm!" Master Wang raised his head and saw that it was me, so he asked directly: "I won't say kind words, what's the important thing to find me in a hurry?" ”

"Report to the Divisional Commander!" I replied, "In order to prevent the Vietnamese army from using poison gas, I think we should send a unit to 'insert' into the enemy's interior!" ”

"'Inserted' into the enemy?" Division Commander Wang frowned, pointed to the map and shook his head and said: "This possibility is not 'very 'sexual', the strength of about four regiments of the Vietnamese army was compressed by us near the power plant, the troops are very concentrated, and the defense in all directions is very tight, and our tank troops have failed to break through several times, not to mention the small troops 'inserted' into the interior!" ”

"What if we disguise ourselves as the Viet Cong?" I continued: "There are many stragglers of the Vietnamese army in Lang Son, and the streets of Lang Son South District are also complicated, plus it is dark, it should be normal for the Vietnamese army to be routed and scattered to gather into the main force, if we pretend to be one of the troops......"

"Makes sense!" Senior Commander Wang looked at me in surprise, nodded and said, "It is indeed possible to 'blend' into the Vietnamese army, but the language is ......."

"We can have a few more Vietnamese-speaking translators in the troops." I said: "The task of this unit is to find out the location of the Vietnamese army's gas bombs and report them to their superiors, and if possible, to delay or prevent the Vietnamese army from firing gas bombs as much as possible!" Once the storage location of the Vietnamese army's poison gas bombs was detected, the peripheral troops of our army concentrated their forces on breaking through the Vietnamese army's defense line and controlling the gas bombs as quickly as possible! ”

"It's a plan!" Division Commander Wang nodded and said, "It's just that the chance of success is too small, and it is difficult for the troops who 'inserted' it to retreat, it's too dangerous!" ”

"But for the whole army, it's worth the risk!" I said, "If you succeed, you will save the soldiers of a division or even an army, and if you fail, you will save a small detachment!" ”

"Makes sense!" When Division Commander Wang heard me say this, he decided: "I will immediately pick an 'elite' elite unit ......."

"No need!" I said, "Let me go!" ”

"Let you go?" Master Wang refused without thinking about it: "You have just fought for a whole day, and you have not rested for a while before you ......."

"It is precisely because we are very tired and the injuries on our bodies are real, that we are more like stragglers of the Vietnamese army!"

Hearing this, Commander Wang couldn't help but be stunned, what I said was really right, all the Vietnamese soldiers in Lang Son had been surrounded and fought for a few days and nights, and none of them were so tired that they fell apart. If we send a group of 'spirited' soldiers up, we are afraid that the Vietnamese army will recognize them in two and a half years.

So what is needed now is a well-formed army, strong combat effectiveness, and all of them are wounded and tired. Where can you find such a team of soldiers at this time? And my troops are just right......

"Comrade Cui Wei!" Master Wang held my hand tightly, and I didn't know what to say for a long time.

"I understand!" I replied, "What can we count as a small army of a few dozen people?" It is possible that we are saving a division or even an army, and for this reason, we should also let it go! ”

Senior Commander Wang nodded his head a few times, and kept saying in his mouth: "Good comrade! I'm ashamed of you......"

"But Master Wang!" I continued: "It takes time for us to 'insert' into the enemy's troops, so I think our army should reduce the intensity of the strike, so as not to 'force' the devils to use chemical weapons prematurely!" ”

"That's right!" Senior Commander Wang nodded heavily and replied, "I will report this matter to the commander immediately, convey your plan and cooperate with your actions." Without further ado, you immediately go back and organize the troops to prepare for battle, and I will send a car to pick you up and tell you the specific battle plan! ”

"Yes!" I answered, saluted Commander Wang, turned around, and returned to the jeep with Camp Commander Wu in a hurry.

"You're crazy!" In the jeep, Camp Commander Wu's face was very ugly: "I knew that you were looking for Senior Commander Wang for this matter, I shouldn't have taken you to see him!" ”

I replied lightly: "What if I can save the troops of an army?" ”

"That's ......" Battalion Commander Wu was speechless for a while, and after thinking about it, he replied: "Then what if you can't save it?" Didn't you die in vain? ”

"Gotta try!" I said, "It's worth betting on an army with dozens of us!" ”

After a while, I let out a long sigh: "I'm sorry for the brothers who followed me into death......"

Hearing me say this, Camp Commander Wu didn't say anything more, just choked and swallowed a few saliva before turning his face away and not daring to look at me.

"Squeak!" It didn't take long for the jeep to stop in front of the station's 'gate'. Li Zhifu quickly ran to the car and opened the car 'door' for me.

"What about the warriors?" As soon as I got out of the car, I casually asked.

"Still resting!" Li Zhifu said: "I'm going to wake them up!" ”

"No!" I stopped, "Let them rest a little longer!" ”

"Yes!" Li Zhifu answered and stood silently next to me.

"How?" I don't know when someone from my hometown has come to my side, and I asked in a low voice, "Is this time a solo mission?" ”

"Hmm!" I nodded, and then faced the north wind for a while, clearing up my somewhat 'chaotic' mind due to fatigue, and then said to my hometown: "When I am not there, the affairs of the camp will be 'handed over' to you, and those two girls ......."

"I'm not going to let them have anything to do!" The hometown people replied: "They are already asleep, do you want to wake them up......?"

"No!" I shook my head firmly.

"Hmm!" The hometown nodded in understanding, then shook my hand heavily and said, "I'm waiting for you to come back, they're waiting for you to come back, and the warriors are waiting for you to come back!" ”

"Squeak ......" With a few brakes, the two military vehicles stopped next to the station, so we knew it was time to go.

I bowed my head to Li Zhifu, and Li Zhifu immediately ran back to the house, woke up the soldiers, and reported the number of the whole team outside the house, a total of 45 people in the 5th Company, and 12 members of the 'shooting' team, a total of 57 people. After the roll call, a team of two cars took a ride. Finally, when I stepped into the back compartment, the car "rumbled" into the unknown darkness ahead.

At this time, most of our comrades-in-arms were still asleep because they were too tired, and we didn't say goodbye to them because of time, so we could only look at the station behind us farther and farther through the opening of the carriage, and could only wave our hands to say goodbye to our hometown and a few soldiers who came to see them off......