Chapter Eighty-Three: Bloody Nanjing (2)

Senior General Matsui Ishine nodded, very satisfied with the performance of the Japanese troops, and he believed that the combat effectiveness of the Imperial Japanese Army and the heroic spirit of the army were first-class, and it should be effortless to attack China.

The Shanghai operation was somewhat unexpected, and the losses were very large, and China could afford to consume people, but Japan could not afford to consume them. An attack on Nanking was necessary, as well as a quick occupation in order to completely defeat China mentally and end the war against China. Based on this idea, there was no restraint on the behavior of the Japanese troops.

Looking at the two people, Matsui Ishine said, "Muto-kun, have you given orders to the troops?" ”

Muto Akira was a little worried: "Your Excellency, it is better not to give such an order clearly, after all, there are many commercial institutions in Western countries still in Nanjing, which will be very disadvantageous to Your Excellency." ”

Tsukada said: "This order does not need to be given explicitly, all divisions and regiments understand that the imperial army has been fighting continuously and urgently needs to release its emotions, and the headquarters can achieve its goal as long as it does not care." ”

"No, Chief of Staff Tsukada, this is not possible, Nanjing's millions of people, according to the reconnaissance plane report, in the direction of the Yangtze River, they are planning to evacuate the people, there are two possibilities, one is to stick to the end, and the other is to abandon Nanjing" Matsui Shigen said confidently and wisely: "So, order all troops, attack resolutely and quickly." Once in the city, the Chinese must be deterred with death. ”

"Hi" Tsukada Tsukashi and Muto Akira immediately stood upright.

Matsui Ishine said: "Order the navy to intensify the offensive, attack along the Yangtze River, occupy the fortresses on the river bank, block the Yangtze River, and not let all the people of China flee, and start the attack at dawn tomorrow." ”

The two of them agreed again and gave orders to each division. Matsui Ishine looked at Nanjing in the twilight in the distance, as if he saw the Rising Sun Flag fluttering on the city wall. Tang Shengzhi, an old warlord in China, wanted to fight against the Imperial Japanese Army, and was ignorant and unable to measure his own strength.

Xue Ru was still perfecting her defense system, everyone was busy, and the phone calls never stopped as the line was erected. The whole army did not understand how their chief captain knew so many tactics. Knowing Xue Ru's age, he didn't understand it even more, even if he learned it in his mother's womb, could he learn these tactics?

Xiang Wenbin and Ji Min are not young, and Yan Fukai and Zhao Tongxian are both military-educated officers, so they don't understand why.

At first, he was very unconvinced when he received Xiao Shanling's order, and he actually accepted the command of the Snow Fox Corps. But with the tactical order of the command headquarters, the two people could not be unconvinced, this was a prepared defensive operation, and its purpose was no longer a problem of blocking the Japanese army. As the two commanders of the military police regiment, they are considered senior commanders, and it is easy to judge that this is the combat method of annihilating the Japanese army.

Whether you understand it or not, the battlefield is the battlefield, and the army is not allowed to be ambiguous, but can only carry out orders and prepare.

Xue Ru was the busiest, and although she didn't have to do anything herself, she managed the details, that is, the tactical use of each location. In order to achieve the effect and make up for the fact that the troops were not trained and their combat effectiveness was not strong, Xue Ru had a headache when he thought about it, and in the end, even the tactics on movies, television, and novels he had read were all issued to the troops. The use of tactics almost involves the company and platoon level.

In fact, it's a little bit of "put it in and fight"

The city wall is a dividing line, and no matter what method the Japanese army uses, it is impossible for the city wall to collapse in an instant, so it is impossible for them to pour in at once. Just spread it out, and that's easy. After entering the city, the streets were crisscrossed, full of houses and buildings, and the streets were so narrow that even chariots could not pass through.

Nanjing is a gourd-shaped city, influenced by Xuanwu Lake on one side and mountains and water conservancy on the other, forming a shape that is long from north to south and narrow from east to west.

The line of defense taken by Xue Ru was from the Taiping Gate in the east to the Shicheng Gate in the west, which was the narrowest place, and the most consumed materials were sacks and straw bales. The streets were filled with sand and soil to form street fortifications, and the wider streets were almost completely blocked.

A lot of debris was piled up on the streets, forming barricades, which could effectively block the passage of Japanese heavy weapons. The houses on both sides of the street, whether they like it or not, must be removed and become street sniping sites. Each platoon, or squad, is a combat unit responsible for an area.

Xue Ru was concentrating on arranging his defensive position, and the remaining reconstructive positions and walled positions outside the city were already in full swing, and they were extremely tragic.

Beginning on the morning of the 10th, Japanese planes and heavy artillery began to bombard the positions of the defenders of Nanjing, and a few hours later a full-scale attack began.

According to the order of the Front Army Headquarters, the 6th Division occupied Yuhuatai in only one morning and approached Zhonghua Gate. By mid-afternoon, the Purple Mountain position had also been lost, and the Japanese 16th Division occupied the high ground outside the Taiping Gate, forming a condescending posture and threatening the Guanghua Gate and Zhongshan Gate.

There was a crisis in the battle at Nanjing, and the situation was extremely unfavorable to the Chinese army. The Japanese army has formed five offensive groups. The 74th Army, the Teaching Corps, suffered heavy casualties, and more than half of the troops suffered casualties in one day's blocking time. Officers below the battalion commander suffered casualties and had to retreat to the city to rest and replenish ammunition.

In the headquarters, Tang Shengzhi was also a little confused, the Japanese attack was too fierce. Five directions have approached the walled positions, and tomorrow, the Japanese will attack the walls.

There was a deathly silence in the headquarters, and in just one day, almost all the positions on the outskirts of Nanjing were lost, and the troops were concentrated in the city. At this time, Tang Shengzhi realized that what Xue Ru said was correct, Nanjing really couldn't hold on for even a week. This aroused his arrogance: "The order was issued to teach the corps to recapture the Purple Mountain position and cover the direction of Guanghuamen, the 83rd Army reinforced Guanghuamen Tongjimen, and the 74th Army reinforced Zhongshanmen and Taipingmen, and instructed the corps to hold the Shogunate Mountain and Shence Gate." Those who dare not advance are not allowed to retreat, and those who dare not advance are to rectify the Fa on the spot. ”

This is a decision that intends to fight to the death. Luo Zhuoying said: "Commander Tang, since this is the case, the gendarmerie has withdrawn most of the people, and the 74th Army should be left in the city to prepare for street fighting, Commander Xiao's troops are too small, and they are still defending Shuixi Gate and Taiping Gate." ”

Luo Zhuoying suggested this because he knew Wang Yaowu, who had always fought night battles and sneak attacks, and his combat effectiveness was also very tenacious. In the battle from Niushou Mountain to Yuhuatai, in one day, although the position was lost, the main position of the frontal defense line fell into the hands of the Japanese four times and was recaptured four times.

As for Xue Ru's layout, Tang Shengzhi and Luo Zhuoying didn't know. Liu Xing said: "The combat effectiveness of the military police regiment is too weak, and I am worried that they will not be able to hold the two positions, so it is better to let the 74th Army enter these two positions and let the military police prepare for street fighting." They are familiar with the topography and streets of Nanjing. ”

Luo Zhuoying didn't speak, and Zhou Wei said: "What Deputy Commander Liu said makes sense, Commander Xiao may not be able to command the 74th Army. "No one can object to this, and it is a bit difficult for Xiao Shanling to command the 74th Army of the Central Army. Luo Zhuoying did not object.

The order was given immediately, and adjustments were made. The 66th Army, which was transferred to the Dashuiguan position, entered the city, arranged preparations for street battles at Xuanwu Gate, and gave Xiaoshan an order that the two regiments of the Military Police Corps handed over their positions to the 74th Army and withdrew to the city to prepare for street battles.

When Tang Shengzhi made a series of adjustments and prepared to defend Nanjing, the Japanese troops outside the city were also holding meetings to study, and in only one day, the five offensive directions achieved the operational goal, and the next step was to capture Nanjing.

Deputy Chief of Staff Akiosa Muto said: "Your Excellency, Your Excellency, the Third Aviation Reconnaissance Team lost two planes today, and finally figured out the situation in the city. ”

Matsui Ishine was stunned; "It's not the Air Force report, there are no more Chinese Air Force units around Nanjing, all the airfields have been destroyed, where are the planes?"

Akira Muto hurriedly said: "It's a plane of the Soviet Aviation Volunteer Corps, they still have a squad at the Nanjing Colonel Airport, but they have been evacuated to Wuhan today." ”

A trace of anger flashed in Matsui Shigen's eyes, the Russians are really hateful, and what kind of aid to China is to come here to train troops. It seems that the Soviet Union is thinking about revenge all the time, hmph, after settling China, Japan will not get used to the Soviet Union, and it must be taught a hard lesson. Matsui Ishone, as a general, knew very well that there would be a war between Japan and the Soviet Union.

If there was a war with the Soviet Union, it would be supported by the United States, Britain, and Germany, that is, in the name of defending against the Soviet Union, so that Western countries would not interfere in attacking China.

Now that the Soviet planes have flown away, then don't study it. He said coldly: "Rest all night tonight, increase the offensive tomorrow, and capture Nanjing in one fell swoop without giving the Chinese army time to breathe." ”

Tsukada said: "Your Excellency Commander, Nanjing has not stopped evacuating the people to Jiangbei in the past two days, but no troops have withdrawn, it seems that Tang Shengzhi intends to fight a decisive battle with the imperial army to the end." I suggest that the 16th Division should attack on Wulong Mountain, cover the naval attack on Xiaguan, and block the retreat of the Chinese army, otherwise we will occupy an empty city. ”

Matsui Shigen nodded: "Order the Kunisaki detachment to quickly cross the river in Dangtu, attack Pukou, and block the north bank of the Yangtze River, and order the 16th Division to divide troops to increase the attack on the Wulong Mountain fortress, and at the same time attack the Shogunate Mountain position, and assist the navy in attacking Xiaguan." ”

On the 11th, at dawn, not long after dawn, the Japanese troops began to attack with artillery. Vice Admiral Nakajima of the 16th Division ordered the 19th Brigade to attack the area around Taipingmen, the 30th Brigade to attack the Shogunate Mountain position, and at the same time to attack Oolong Mountain with one part to assist the 3rd Navy Fleet to go up the river and attack Shimonoseki.

At the same time, the 6th Division, the 114th Division, the 9th Division, and the 3rd Division launched a fierce attack on all the walled positions of Zhonghua Gate, Guanghua Gate, Tongji Gate, and Shuixi Gate.

However, with a tenacious spirit, the Chinese army stubbornly held its position, resolutely did not retreat, and went forward to fight one after another. The attacking Japanese wing, they found that it was the same as Shanghai. However, they did not have the assistance of naval heavy artillery here, so they could only bomb with the army's heavy artillery wing. Cannonballs rained down on the walls, but they didn't do much.

Nanjing was the capital of the Ming Dynasty, with high and thick walls, very strong, and a wide moat. If you can't break through the city walls, the chariot will have no effect, and can only be used to cover the soldiers to get into the city, and you can't get too close.

As a last resort, the infantry began to attack before the shelling stopped, and heavy machine guns and grenadiers were fired at close range, increasing the casualties of the Chinese army.

Seeing that the attacking troops were blocked, the Japanese side was very angry, and they did not understand that according to the law of the battlefield, the troops with casualties of 40 percent would collapse, and according to observation, the casualties of the Chinese army were definitely more than half, but they neither collapsed nor retreated, and they were still stubbornly resisting.

How do the devils know that the entire army defending the city, on the front-line position, is no longer the company platoon commander in command, nor the battalion commander commands, Guanghuamen, Zhonghua Gate, Tongji Gate several Japanese main attack positions, is already the brigade commander and division commander personally commanded, and even raised guns to shoot, such a battle has made the morale of the soldiers of the national army undiminished, even if they die, they must finish shooting and run out of bullets.

The south side of the city of Nanking could no longer distinguish between the main and secondary positions, and the Japanese army also went crazy and scattered the attack in squadrons. All heavy machine gun carts, as well as all available heavy firepower, are used. The attack, which began at dawn in the morning, lasted until the sunset in the afternoon, and there were corpses on and under the city.

In the twilight, both sides fell silent. The commander of the Japanese wing and the brigade commander who commanded the attack no longer had contempt in their eyes, and they began to admire the Chinese army in the mouths of these imperial troops, they were the Chinese army, the real army.

Yi Anhua's body was covered with a white cloth, and rows of corpses lined the street, barely visible at a glance. There was no distinction between the numbers of their troops, and there was no time to bury them, and even the white cloth of the corpses was enjoyed only by the officers. There are countless wounded soldiers, no one cares about the lightly wounded, and the screams of the seriously wounded make people's hearts sour. The living soldier has an indifferent expression, and no one knows what tomorrow will bring?

Xue Ru looked at the retreating wounded soldiers silently, her face could not be seen in the night, but the guards around her could feel the thick murderous aura emanating from her thin body.

The herald from a distance ran over: "Report to the chief of staff, Chief of Staff Wu is looking for you, there is a new situation." ”