"Ah, how many dead people?!" Entering Zhangzhuang, where the smoke of gunfire had not cleared, Xiao Meng, a recruit from the 16th Brigade Military Hospital, was shocked by the layers of dead bodies in Zhangzhuang Village.

"Don't talk nonsense! Let's see if any of our people are alive. Dean Luo Xinhua scolded, "That's the courtyard, plant the flag, let them see us coming in at a glance." ”

In order to rescue the wounded nearby, Luo Xinhua took a carefully selected first-aid company, and as soon as the battle was over, he entered Zhangzhuang, chose a courtyard that looked complete, and set up a field hospital.

The men dragged the bodies of the Japanese soldiers out of the courtyard, and the bodies of the fallen comrades were placed in the courtyard, and then at the first dawn, the first aid company began to register the badges of the fallen comrades. Each officer and soldier was sewn a standard badge with their name, position, rank, unit number, and blood type.

"It's all ...... from the 1st Battalion," the little lieutenant medic said to Dean Luo.

"Check carefully......" Luo Xinhua said loudly. Her gaze fell on two bodies in the corner of the courtyard that were hugging each other, one was her comrade-in-arms and the other was a Japanese soldier. A grenade exploded between the two men, but both faces were intact.

The first recruit began to vomit, followed by another. Luo Xinhua didn't blame, she couldn't control the scene of the first time she saw the flesh and blood flying and the severed limbs and stumps were broken.

Luo Xinhua is Luo Erya, who once worked as Wang Yueciao's maid. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, an old chief personally changed her name, "It's called Xinhua, our new China has appeared." ”

The wounded began to be delivered, and the emergency company had already set up four operating tables and started to get busy.

Over there is the operating room. This is the blood donation station, and more and more soldiers are coming to donate blood for their comrades with guns covered in gunsmoke.

"Major, up to 400, that's the rule." Luo Xinhua told a major officer sitting in a chair that the major asked for a 600mm blood donation.

"What bullshit rules! The battle of our camp is over, go back and drink some broth, sleep for a day and a night, and there will be nothing. ”

"Is that you? Chen Hao! Luo Xinhua recognized the other party, it was Chen Hao from Chen Jiaya, and she stood up in surprise. Oh. Promoted to Major! ”

The last time he had a gathering in Zhengjiazhuang, Chen Hao still wore a captain's epaulettes.

"Ah, it's you, Lieutenant Colonel Luo." Chen Hao also recognized Luo Erya, "Interesting." I came to rescue the wounded in person. ”

"The closer you get to the front. The greater the significance of the rescue. You've beaten hard enough. Luo Xinhua personally drew Chen Hao's blood.

"It's a pity that my 1st battalion is ......" Chen Hao gave up his place to the soldiers who donated blood behind.

Last year's Spring Festival. The serving officers who returned to their hometowns to visit relatives had a meeting in Zhengjiazhuang. At the beginning, almost all the children who joined the army in the old base area of the Mengshan Army survived as officers, and Chen Hao was the lowest-ranking among them. He accompanied his mother back, inadvertently. Got acquainted with a group of dignitaries in the army.

"Don't save them!" Chen Hao suddenly saw the two wounded Japanese soldiers brought in, and immediately screamed angrily.

"Calm down, the battle is over, the devils have been annihilated by you, and they have the right to be rescued. Don't forget the military specs! ”

"What bullshit! I see who would dare to save them?! Chen Hao subconsciously touched the pistol on his waist.

"Can't I say that?" Brigadier General Qu Zhiyong walked into the courtyard.

The light of day has already brightened.

"Brigade Commander......" Chen Hao saw the brigade commander who cared about him like a brother, tears filled his eyes, and he desperately tried to prevent tears from flowing out.

"Good boy, good job." Qu Zhiyong stepped forward and hugged Chen Hao, "You're not injured, are you?" ”

"Nope. But my 1 battalion is finished......"

"! The 1 Battalion will never end. I'll give you a supplement! A month, a month at most, and give you a full 1 battalion. ”

But those comrades-in-arms who shared life and death could never come back. Their bodies will be buried in the soil of their homeland to rot into dirt, and their names will be forgotten, including their comrades who were born and died together in the face of the invaders. Who will remember them except their parents and family?

"Don't be discouraged! The 18th Division is finished! It will be followed by the 3rd and 6th Divisions! You know? Just now, the final assault on the 6th Division has been launched! Qu Zhiyong patted Chen Hao's shoulder vigorously, "We have received an order, our brigade will be reorganized on the spot, and a large number of reinforcements will soon arrive." Brigadier General Qu Zhiyong looked at the busy officers and soldiers in the courtyard, "There is also good news, the president is coming to inspect our brigade!" ”

Chen Hao didn't say anything. Wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with his disabled right hand. But the courtyard was already cheering, and Luo Xinhua grabbed the brigade commander's sleeve, "Brigade commander, what you said is true?" The commander wants to inspect our brigade? ”

"That's right! I personally answered the phone. After hearing the good news of our brigade's annihilation of the 18th Division, he personally called us to congratulate us and greet all the officers and men who participated in the battle. ”

"What else did the Commander say?" In terms of qualifications, Luo Xinhua is also a first-class veteran qualification of the National Defense Force, she officially joined the army in the early days of Zhengjiazhuang, so she is commensurate with Long Qian as a commander.

"The commander said that the 16th Brigade is worthy of being the starting unit of the Mengshan Army! Fight for his face! Qu Zhiyong said to Luo Xinhua, "Immediately arrange for the treatment of these two devils, and I will take out useful information from their mouths." ”

The 16th Brigade of the 6th Division, which fought bloody battles, finally ended the course of their Shandong Battle. In the area of Zhangzhuang, it was transferred to rest. Because of the huge casualties of the 16th Brigade, the forward command post canceled the plan to transfer the 16th Brigade south to participate in the Battle of Gaomi, let alone go to Qingdao to return to the building. If there were no accidents, the battle of Shandong for this unit, which had been fighting for two months, was over.

As the battalion commander, Chen Hao's information is of course better than half of the soldiers. He learned from the regiment commander that the 6th Brigade of the 2nd Division, which had fought side by side, had moved south to Gaomi, and thought that the unit to which he belonged would also be put into a new battlefield, and kept asking his superiors when they would come to replenish the troops. But the regiment received clear instructions that the combat mission of the 16th Brigade was lifted, and they had no part in the battle of Gaomi. This news is still top secret, which makes Chen Hao both happy and unhappy.

The 46th regiment was stationed in Zhangzhuang, resting and helping the villagers to renovate their houses. The people of Zhangzhuang have not yet returned. Only a few dozen young men who had been relieved of their pre-support tasks returned to the village. The first battle of Zhangzhuang destroyed the huge village to a complete mess, and 30% of the houses in the village were completely destroyed by the war, and about half of the houses were damaged by different Cheng dù, and less than 20% were intact. Before the government's special aftermath funds arrived, the 46th regiment received an order to do its best to help the villagers recover their livelihoods. The 46th Regiment and the 2nd Company of the Brigade Engineer Battalion repaired and strengthened the slightly damaged houses on the one hand, and transported garbage on the other hand, sorting out the bricks, tiles and timber that could be used. Prepare for next spring's big construction. Rebuild your home.

Condolence groups from all over the country arrived one after another and sent a large number of condolences to them. The food of the troops has suddenly risen to several grades, and meat is available almost every day at noon, and the cooking soldiers have changed their tricks to improve the lives of the officers and men when the raw materials are sufficient.

The art troupe directly under the Propaganda Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense came to the 16th Brigade to give a condolence performance. The officers and men who were extremely poor in spiritual life were excited. The art troupe performed four consecutive performances on the basically intact Zhangzhuang stage. They were warmly welcomed by the officers and men. The bloody battle seems to have moved away from these young officers and soldiers. The pain of losing their comrades is fading, and they are trying their best to enjoy the joy of victory.

A press corps dispatched by the Propaganda Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense and the General Administration of Press and Publication also arrived in Zhangzhuang. The Propaganda Bureau is preparing to compile a long newsletter based on the 16 Brigade, which has made many great achievements since the beginning of the war, in order to boost morale. Since it is a literary creation, there must always be an object. Chen Hao was identified as the prototype by the brigade and regimental levels, and every day he was pestered by the reporter with the same surname in the "National Defense Daily" to talk about his combat experience since the Battle of Qingdao. At first, Chen Hao was disgusted, but Brigade Commander Qu gave a death order, telling him that this was not to promote him, but to publicize the 16th Brigade, and publicize the countless heroic martyrs of the Wehrmacht who fought bravely against the invasion of foreign enemies. Only then did Chen Hao cooperate with Reporter Chen, telling the process of several bloody battles in the 1st Battalion, and talking about those comrades-in-arms who bravely sacrificed their lives, Chen Hao choked up several times, which moved Reporter Chen.

Reporter Chen wrote quickly, stayed up for two all-nighters, and the framework of the article was basically there. In the process, reporter Chen interviewed the officers and soldiers of the 1st Battalion who survived several battles in Qingdao, Gaomi and Qicheng, and perfected the heroic image of the protagonist from the perspective of a bystander. In the process of creation, reporter Chen found that the original idea centered on Chen Hao was inappropriate, and the article was much smoother with the 1st battalion as the protagonist. The key is that the heroic deeds of the heroic martyrs who died in battle narrated by Chen Hao are really touching. Reporter Chen is an active-duty soldier, with the rank of major like Chen Hao, and understands that it is not appropriate to hype up the 16th Brigade, which has certainly made great achievements, but in this great battle that mobilized more than 300,000 troops, there are still countless heroic units. But using a main battalion as a model is not much of a problem. Reporter Chen then overturned the outline that had been formed, and after obtaining Chen Hao's consent, he resumed his intense creation. Chen Hao was naturally very happy to publicize his battalion, and accompanied reporter Chen for several days, providing him with some vivid materials that he had not talked about before, so that the image of those martyrs was more plump and moving.

"Lao Chen, you must write clearly what those sacrificed comrades-in-arms for." Chen Hao repeatedly mentioned this crucial issue.

This is indeed an important question.

He interviewed dozens of officers and soldiers, from colonels to privates, and also mentioned why they were fighting, and the answers were mixed, and some of them said that Chen Jian thought that they could not be put on the stage at all.

"Don't think the soldiers are stupid, the reason why they are brave in the face of bullets and bullets is not for fame, let alone for awards, but for our country." Chen Hao emphasized, "How much do you say a life is worth? Thousand? Two thousand? Not to mention that the pension is not so high. But we understand why the war is fought! Soldiers, they have to defend the country and the people! The republic was established, and it will no longer be like the first year of the Wu Dynasty and Gengzi! Don't think that the soldiers don't understand this, they don't know how to speak. Chen Hao repeatedly emphasized this point.

Before the article was written, Zhangzhuang ushered in a big man, and President Long Qian came from Qingzhou to inspect the 16th Brigade.

Long Qian arrived in Zhangzhuang in the afternoon, and was accompanied by military generals such as the director of the Political Department of the Central Military Region, the director of the Propaganda Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense, and the deputy director of the Military Intelligence Bureau of the General Staff Department, as well as some officials from the central ministries and commissions and Shandong Province.

Since the beginning of the war, the Ministry of Communications has undertaken the heavy transportation tasks in the theater, cooperated with the Military Communications Bureau of the General Staff Headquarters to brilliantly complete the military transportation tasks, and ensured the extremely astonishing number of material transfer tasks on the Shandong battlefield, basically not causing a shortage of food and ammunition on the front line. It has been fully affirmed by the Central Military Region. The supreme commander of the battlefield, Admiral Feng Guozhu, shook Duan Fang's hand after seeing Duan Fang at the Qingzhou Advance Command Post and said, "When the president nominated you to be the Minister of Communications, I privately disapproved of it. Now it seems that I was wrong, you can do it, your Ministry of Transportation can do it! In particular, several automobile teams organized by you made a great contribution to the victory of the campaign. Now I apologize to my brother in front of the president, or the president is right, whether it is Han or Manchu, we are all family. There are Manchu soldiers in the troops participating in the war, no ambiguity! ”

"Commander Feng has won the award. This is a national war! How can you not do your best?! To say thanks. Those of us who have come from the past should be grateful. Thanks to the wise leadership of the President and the bloody struggle of the National Defense Forces. Duan Fang said excitedly.

The end side is very excited about the results that have been achieved. He came from the Manchu Qing Dynasty. In his bones, he had a deep fear of the Eastern and Western powers, including the Japanese. At the beginning of the war. Duan Fang once went to the president's official residence to speak to Long Qian, and he was very worried about how the battle would end if he lost. What I never expected was that since the Wehrmacht regained Qingdao. Another Shandong victory that shocked the whole country! The four divisions of the Japanese army in Shandong were divided and encircled in several disconnected areas, and the enemy in the first encirclement had been completely annihilated, although they did not receive the military flag of the Japanese army above the unit, but even the saber of the commander of the Japanese lieutenant general division was captured. How could such a result not excite this former dynasty leader?

"Commander Feng said well, as long as the Chinese people of all ethnic groups are united, not to mention small Japan, no matter how fierce the enemy is, it will not be the opponent of our dignified China!" Long Qian said with a smile.

At 6 p.m. on 20 October, Long Qian, accompanied by a large number of senior military and political officials, inspected the 46th Regiment.

All the officers and men of the 46th Regiment and other units stationed in Zhangzhuang lined up at the entrance of the village to be inspected by the president. The pennant of "Attacking Like a Tiger" awarded by the Ministry of National Defense fluttered fiercely in the wind.

The vast majority of officers and soldiers met the "living" president for the first time. For these simple soldiers, the president is an unattainable man, and he is the founder of the Wehrmacht, and their supreme commander!

Long Qian recognized Lieutenant Colonel Luo Xinhua in the queue of medical soldiers, and the former Luo Erya had already worn the rank of lieutenant colonel with two golden plum blossoms, "Isn't this Erya?" Haha, already a lieutenant colonel! You're the veteran of our Mengshan Army. Long Qian smiled and shook Dean Luo's hand, "How old is the child?" When you come to Beijing, you must come to my house as a guest. ”

Luo Xinhua was speechless excitedly, just smiled and nodded. Some of her officers and soldiers knew some of the Dean's history, while others did not. There are many female officers in charge of the Defence Force, and the number of people in the health care system is the same. Unexpectedly, his unscrupulous leader was known to the president, and he was called the veteran of the Mengshan Army by the president, and the image of the dean immediately became several times taller.

Long Qian walked to the front of the 1st Battalion queue and stood in front of Chen Hao. Chen Hao didn't expect the president to recognize him.

"When I first arrived at Chenjiaya, you were still a child, and now you have become a heroic battalion commander who is famous in the whole army! That's a good job! Li Chun attacked the base area, your father was unfortunately killed, if he knows it, he should be proud of you! Long Qian held Chen Hao's hand, but then held his right hand, "Is it Qingdao's injury?" ”

"Report to the President! It's all right. Chen Hao was very excited, "I heard that other battlefields are fighting fiercely, please ask the president to order, we can enter a new battle at any time." ”

"That's what I want!" Long Qian said with satisfaction, "With this heroic spirit, there is no enemy that cannot be defeated!" However, for the time being, there is no need for you to go to the battlefield, take a good rest, sum up experience, especially lessons. Do you understand? Long Qian looked at the black oppressive phalanx, "Comrades-in-arms, I want to report you some good news, on the northern front, the most prestigious 6th Division of the Japanese army was surrounded by us in a narrow area east of Weixian and north of Changyi, and the encirclement has been strictly reduced, no more than six miles from east to west, and five miles from north to south. We could kill three or four of him with a single cannonball! The 6th Division is already hard to fly! The brigade that had tried to rescue the 18th Division was defeated and retreated to Longkou under the severe counterattack of our army, and our army was already approaching Longkou, and the artillery had hit their landing ground! And on the southern front, the continuous breakthrough of the 3rd Division, which was encircled in Gaomi, failed, and their fate will be exactly the same as that of the 6th Division! Someone advised me to order a general attack to annihilate these two big chunks of enemies, but I did not give such an order, because there was no need, the siege was a good tactic, they had no food, and they solved their stomach problems by killing war horses and pack horses, and when the horses were eaten up, see what they ate? The enemy in the encirclement is getting weaker and weaker, and our troops are constantly being strengthened, so why fight? You annihilated the 18th Division in a bloody battle, just to tell the Japanese that we are not unable to fight, but that we are unwilling to sacrifice more lives of officers and soldiers! If they continue to resist, what awaits them is the fate of the 18th Division!

The situation in the direction of Jiaozhou Bay is a little more complicated, and the newly mobilized reinforcements of Little Japan will land in about a day or two, but it has nothing to do with the overall situation, and it will not solve any problems when they come. The 1st and 6th Divisions have already joined forces, the county town of Jiaonan has been conquered by our army, and the remnants of the enemy have been compressed in a small area east of Jiaonan. And at sea, our heroic navy continues to perform miracles, and just yesterday a transport ship loaded with ammunition and grain was sunk by our submarine. You say, 'What's the use of them bringing in reinforcements?' We will destroy him as much as we come, until he obediently admits defeat! ”

Under the demonstration of the applause of the senior officers, the troops burst into enthusiastic cheers.

"Comrades-in-arms, we have basically won the Shandong Campaign, and the battle situation has developed to the present, and even our enemies do not doubt it." Long Qian climbed onto a platform made of shell boxes set up by the guards, and raised his voice, "This is the first great victory of the Chinese nation against foreign invasion in the past century, and it is of great significance and will be remembered in the annals of history. The victory of the Shandong Campaign tells the people of the whole country, and also tells the people of the whole country, and also tells those enemies who will not die in the heart of China, and the tragedy of Jiawu and Gengzi will not be repeated! With our great national defense forces and the unity of hundreds of millions of our compatriots, any enemy who dares to challenge China will have only one result, and that is a shameful defeat!

The victory was achieved by the heroic struggle of the participating units of the Wehrmacht and also on the strong support of the masses of the people, and was the result of the joint efforts of all the people of the Republic! On behalf of the country, I would like to thank you and all those who contributed to the Shandong Campaign, and it was your sacrifice and hard work that made this great victory possible. We must remember those martyrs who bravely gave their lives! The Shandong Provincial Government has decided that after the war, it will build monuments to the martyrs of the Shandong Campaign in several major battlefields, so that future generations will forever remember the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country's independence and freedom in this war. I command you to always remain glorious and always plunge into a new struggle to defend the Motherland! (To be continued......)