Quartermasters can also fight the devils

Chapter 125: Blood and Fire Collision (5)

Inside the headquarters of the 102nd Division, ever since the front line began the formal exchange of fire with the Japanese army, all the officers in the division headquarters have been both excited and nervous. The entire operations hall is filled with busy staff officers, some of whom are marking the latest situation on the map based on the latest battle reports, while others are communicating with the troops in front on the phone about the situation.

There was nothing important to do in Zhang Wenwu's quartermaster department at the moment. If he needed to collect supplies and ammunition, Lei Dong could handle it. So when he heard the sound of the Japanese naval gun attack, he ran to the combat hall so that he could understand the specific situation on the front line at the first time.

Looking at the enemy and our situation map of the entire Shanghai, Zhang Wenwu knew that the Chinese troops had basically changed from an offensive situation to a defensive situation. Now only the 11th Division of the Japanese army has completely landed. This unit is attacking Luodian Town and the Lion Grove. The attack on the left wing is handed over to the 3rd Division. Fortunately, due to the dense network of waterways and lakes in Shanghai, the front width of the Chinese defenders' positions is not that large, and the Japanese army cannot deploy too many offensive troops in front of the positions at one time.

Just like the Third Division troops that were attacking, they could only send out one or two squadrons of officers and soldiers to attack each time. This was because the Chinese army had the advantage of geographical location and had selected their positions in advance, preventing the Japanese army from taking advantage of group combat. Of course, the Chinese troops had to adopt the tactic of adding fuel to the fire, fighting a desperate battle with the Japanese army to consume their strength. There was nothing they could do about it.

At this time, a staff officer held the phone and said to Division Commander Huang Jinxian: "Division Commander, Brigade Commander Cai of the 210th Brigade wants to see you."

Huang Jinxian lay on the map on the table, took the phone from the staff officer and said, "I am Huang Jinxian. Well, we must hold on and send reinforcements as soon as possible. We must not lose the position. Do you understand?"

Zhang Wenwu listened to Huang Jinxian's call. Although he didn't know the specific situation at the front, it was not difficult to understand from Huang Jinxian's words that the situation on the front line should not be optimistic. The 656th Regiment, which was on the front line, should have suffered too many casualties and had already asked for help from the 210th Brigade. It was less than a day, and a main force regiment could not hold on. The speed of consumption was too fast. At this rate, the four regiments of the 102nd Division would have to be exhausted in three days at most.

After studying the map for a while, Commander Huang ordered his staff officer, "Tell the 211th Brigade to transfer a battalion to the command of Commander Cai of the 210th Brigade, and have them send the troops there as soon as possible."

When Chief of Staff Zhao Dong heard the order from Commander Huang, he asked in a low voice: "Commander, isn't it too early to transfer troops to the 210th Brigade now? The 210th Brigade still has the 655th Regiment ready to reinforce it at any time." He felt that it was a bit too early to dispatch troops to the 210th Brigade. With such a small number of troops, who knew how long the higher-ups would let the 102nd Division stay here? They had to be careful with their calculations.

Division Commander Huang shook his head, stared at the map and said, "Send them over as soon as possible. Although Brigade Commander Cai didn't ask for reinforcements just now, I heard from him that he was going to send all the 655th Regiment to reinforce them immediately. The situation of the 656th Regiment is very bad. Guo Ruixin has already led everyone to the front line to reinforce them despite the Japanese blockade and artillery fire."

When Zhao Dong heard that the situation ahead was so dangerous, he stopped talking. In military matters, Division Commander Huang Jinxian had absolute authority, and he only needed to do his supporting work.

The battle situation on the front line was even more dangerous than Huang Jinxian and Zhao Dong had imagined. After engaging in a battle with the Japanese attacking forces on the front line, Guo Ruixin felt very anxious, but the blockade of Japanese artillery fire in front of him left him helpless. If he led his men to rush forward, who knows how many people would be left by the time they reached the front-line trenches.

He still had the basically intact Second Battalion. After counting the personnel of the withdrawn First Battalion, there were only 112 people left. But even so, he did not let the First Battalion's troops withdraw to the rear.

After waiting for fifteen minutes, Guo Ruixin heard that the gunfire on the front line seemed to be getting weaker and weaker. He couldn't help but get anxious. He called the second battalion commander over and asked him to rush through the front artillery blockade area in batches according to the company. He would lead the remaining more than 100 people of the first battalion to reinforce the front-line trenches after the second battalion had all rushed over. He couldn't care less. He had to reinforce the third battalion in the front-line trenches as soon as possible.

The Second Battalion took advantage of a small gap in the middle of the Japanese artillery fire and rushed through the artillery blockade area in batches, but still lost the lives of more than 40 officers and soldiers in the Japanese artillery fire.

When Guo Ruixin led the remnants of the first battalion through the artillery blockade, he was frightened when he looked at the position in front of him. The power of the Japanese naval guns was too great. Walking forward from the second-line trenches, the ground was full of large pits. The ordinary field artillery craters seemed so insignificant compared to the naval gun craters.

In the front-line positions, Japanese troops had already rushed up to some positions of the Third Battalion and started hand-to-hand combat with the defenders. The reinforcements of the Second Battalion arrived in time, and after paying the price of more than 40 casualties, they finally drove out the Japanese troops that had rushed into the positions. However, the Japanese troops continued to attack the positions, and the crisis had not been completely resolved.

Guo Ruixin instructed the officers and soldiers of the first battalion to quickly find cover and shoot at the Japanese army. As for the front-line trenches, they could no longer see their original appearance, and basically all the people were lying in the bomb craters and shooting.

"Commander, Commander, the Japanese are attacking too fiercely and their firepower is too strong. Our brothers have suffered heavy casualties. Let's get reinforcements quickly, otherwise our position will be in danger." The second battalion commander ran to Guo Ruixin and lay down, shouting loudly.

Guo Ruixin pulled over the signalman who was firing and shouted, "Take two people to find Brigade Commander Cai and tell them that we need reinforcements as soon as possible. Go quickly."

After hearing the commander's words, the communications soldier immediately called the other two communications soldiers, and the three of them separated and rushed towards the artillery blockade area together.

Colonel Hachiro Tagami watched as the attacking troops of the First Battalion rushed to a section of the Chinese army's position, but were driven out again a moment later. He could not help but say to the chief of staff of the regiment, Yamagami Akira, "Yamagami-kun, go inform the field artillery regiment and ask them to concentrate their artillery fire on the Chinese army's position. The artillery blockade area behind is unnecessary. That blockade area will not have much effect on the Chinese army."

He had just clearly seen that the attacking soldiers were driven back, and the firepower of the Chinese army's positions was much more intense than at the beginning. This showed that the Chinese army's reinforcements had arrived, and that the artillery blockade area had not scared the Chinese army. In that case, it would be better to use the artillery fire to deal with the Chinese army's positions, as long as they occupied the positions before the next wave of Chinese army reinforcements arrived.

After a while, the blockade area behind the front-line position became quiet. Except for the bomb crater that continued to emit blue smoke, everything returned to its previous state.

Less than five minutes later, Japanese artillery shells began to hit the front-line positions, causing heavy casualties to the officers and men of the 656th Regiment. Guo Ruixin knew that the Japanese were forcing him to make a choice: either bring the Japanese up close for hand-to-hand combat, or be wiped out bit by bit by the Japanese artillery fire.

Now Guo Ruixin is in a difficult situation. If he lets the Japanese army engage in close combat, unless his reinforcements arrive soon, he will be able to drive the Japanese army back within a certain period of time. Otherwise, if his reinforcements fail to arrive in time, he will not be able to hold out for long.

However, it is not a good idea to just fire at the Japanese army and be hit by such heavy artillery fire. The morale of the officers and soldiers will be destroyed bit by bit by the Japanese artillery fire.

Wait. Only when the communications soldier comes back and tells you for sure that reinforcements will arrive soon, can you let the Japanese troops closer. Only then can you hold your position.

But the Japanese army did not give Guo Ruixin too much time to wait. After a fierce artillery fire, the Japanese army once again rushed into part of the position of the 656th Regiment. Guo Ruixin could only take more than a dozen people around him to reinforce the breached position. As for when the reinforcements would arrive, he could not think too much.

After receiving the request for help from the communications soldier sent by Guo Ruixin, Brigade Commander Cai of the 210th Brigade immediately led two battalions of the 655th Regiment to the front-line positions. He knew that Guo Ruixin would not ask for help so early unless it was absolutely necessary, and he estimated that the situation at the front was even worse than what Guo Ruixin reported.

When Brigade Commander Cai arrived at the front-line position with two battalions of reinforcements, he was greatly shocked. The officers and soldiers of the 656th Regiment had already started hand-to-hand combat with the Japanese army on the position. On every position, soldiers from both sides were bayoneting or wrestling with each other. However, as the Japanese army continued to rush up to the positions, their numbers were obviously greater than that of the defenders of the 656th Regiment.

Brigade Commander Cai immediately led the officers and soldiers of the two battalions into the brutal hand-to-hand combat.

At the 102nd Division Headquarters, everyone seemed a little nervous after learning that Brigade Commander Cai of the 210th Brigade was personally leading his troops to reinforce the front line. This was only the first day of fighting the Japanese, and a main regiment could not hold on and needed reinforcements. This dampened everyone's previous excitement, and they also realized that the Japanese had huge advantages in firepower and individual soldier quality.

After receiving the news, Division Commander Huang Jinxian immediately asked Chief of Staff Zhao Dong to take charge of the division headquarters, while he himself took the first company of the special service battalion to the brigade headquarters of the 210th Brigade. He needed to command from the front and must not lose the position on the first day. He needed to go to the front to stabilize the situation.

Pingyuan Liu Zhengchuan is now sending his last reserve force to reinforce the 4th and 3rd squadrons that have already penetrated into the Chinese defenders' positions. He is also sending all the troops he can use. He can clearly see from the telescope that the Chinese troops are getting reinforcements. He must now make a full effort. He knows that his troops are only a little bit away from occupying the opposite Chinese army's position. He believes that sending the last and crippled 2nd squadron will be the last straw that breaks the camel's back.