Chapter 64: Occupation of Xiagang Town

  In the departure position of the 2nd Battalion, 6th Division of the Army, Zhang Xinghai was chatting with the battalion commander in a trench. When Zhang Xinghai was the battalion commander of the 1st Battalion, Hu Bo was one of his deputy commanders, and this time Zhang Xinghai was assigned to the 1st Battalion for training.

  Listening to the shells whizzing overhead and heavily pounding the Zhejiang army's position in front, the huge explosion sounds kept coming. Zhang Xinghai was smoking with a calm face and said to Hu Bo beside him, "I'm telling you, old Hu, how come our first battalion has so many cowards now? Look at them..." Zhang Xinghai pointed at the new recruits who were squatting in the trenches with their hands on their heads, and continued, "This is still us attacking others, if we were the ones being shelled, these cowards would have pissed their pants!"

  "Hu Bo took a deep breath, smiled and said, "Old Zhang, don't you know what's going on in our regiment? New troops are being set up one after another, and most of the old soldiers in our regiment have been transferred away! The new recruits who just finished their 90-day training are all that's left, I'm also helpless. And most of the platoon leaders in our regiment have been sent to Anqing Military Academy, this order was given so urgently, by the time they rush back from Anqing by boat, we'll already be done here!"

  After complaining for a while, Hu Bo continued to say "But it's okay, our old foundation is still there. You know that new recruits are afraid of cannons and old soldiers are afraid of machine guns, as long as we get through this battle, all the surviving new recruits will become old soldiers." He took a deep breath, smoking and laughing, saying "By the way, Old Zhang, how was your time at the Military Academy? Were you the oldest one?"

  Zhang Xinghai extinguished his cigarette and laughed, saying "You little kid, what's wrong with me being the oldest? Let me tell you, in the academy, I was......" Zhang Xinghai's words were interrupted by a sudden urgent shout "Battalion Commander! Battalion Commander!" Zhang Zhonglin ran along the edge of the trench, shouting.

  Zhang Zhonglin ran to Hu Bo's side, panting heavily, and said "Battalion Commander..." "Don't rush, speak slowly, take a breath first." Hu Bo handed Zhang Zhonglin a canteen of water. After drinking the water, Zhang Zhonglin wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and loudly reported: "Reporting to Battalion Commander, I found that all the enemies on the opposite side have run away!" "Huh? Really?" Hu Bo and Zhang Xinghai hastily stood up and asked in unison. "Really!"

  Zhang Xinghai and others rushed to the observation post to observe the enemy situation with binoculars. Indeed, as Zhang Zhonglin said, the Zhejiang army on the position were desperately running backwards. No, it should be said that they were fleeing! "Old Zhang, what to do now?" Hu Bo asked urgently.

  Zhang Xinghai looked at his Casio watch and said, "The artillery fire just started ten minutes ago and the Zhejiang army has already retreated. This is a good opportunity." Zhang Xinghai looked at Hu Bo in a low voice and said, "Now we must immediately report to the headquarters and propose an early attack. What do you think?" Hu Bo nodded.

  The news quickly spread to the troop department, and after verification with the front-line troops, it was quickly reported to the division headquarters, and then transferred to the Hai Rong number again.

  "Really?" Gao Yang asked with a surprised face, holding the telegram. "The frontline troops have verified it, and the intelligence is true. It was my plan that went wrong, I didn't expect the enemy to collapse so quickly. Now please give the order to start the attack, sir!" Wekes said seriously from the side.

  "Well, let's get started then. The sooner we finish, the better. I have a lot of things to attend to." "Yes, sir."

  A few minutes later, several signal shells rose from the position of the Sixth Division, and the dense artillery fire began to extend its shooting towards the rear of the Zhejiang Army's line. On the departure positions of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, the loud bugle sounded, and thousands of officers and soldiers shouted and jumped out of the trenches, charging forward towards the enemy position. At the same time, the remaining battalions also began to move forward into their respective positions.

  Hu Bo and Zhang Xinghai were fiercely kicking the new recruits who were hiding on the ground, not daring to move. "Charge, charge, charge! If you stay here, you'll be waiting for death! You will be treated as deserters! Are you all stupid? Get up quickly!" After a round of kicking and pulling, most of the new recruits who had been scared stiff finally charged out, but there were still a few who stuck to the ground, refusing to budge no matter how they were beaten or scolded. Some were crying loudly, shouting that they wanted to go home. Just a few months ago, these new recruits were just ordinary farmers who had put down their hoes, and most of them had never left their villages before. Coming to this battlefield where cannons roared day and night, many people were scared out of their wits.

  No matter how well you train in peacetime, the huge psychological pressure on the battlefield can easily make people collapse! Why do troops like old soldiers? It's because old soldiers have experienced war and can suppress their inner fears to achieve more than half of their usual training performance! And new recruits who can exert two levels of training are good seedlings.

  Hu Bo was about to rush forward when Zhang Xinghai pulled him back. "Forget it." Zhang Xinghai gestured for Hu Bo to look behind, the military police had arrived. "Everyone's path is their own, don't get involved." After saying that, he grabbed his MP18 and rushed out of the trench. Hu Bo looked at the fleeing soldiers on the ground, then turned his head to see the expressionless military police getting closer and closer, and cursed loudly. He picked up his MP18 and rushed out, if he didn't rush out now, he would be caught by the military police as a deserter, they wouldn't care who you were!

  The Sixth Division's starting position was less than a kilometer away from the Zhejiang Army's position, and before the artillery fire began, they had already taken out several scouting parties under the cover of morning fog. As the artillery fire started, the fog gradually dissipated. Zhang Xinghai, who was running forward at that moment, thought to himself, "This is heaven itself helping the commander!"

  A kilometer's distance is just a few minutes' journey for soldiers. After charging into the Zhejiang Army's position, what they saw was a scene of utter devastation. Everywhere were bodies and severed limbs strewn about haphazardly, fragments of firearms and supplies scattered all over the place, while the wounded soldiers who had miraculously survived were still wailing in agony. Innumerable huge shell craters pockmarked the entire position. Under the officers' stern orders, the new recruits, their eyes wide with shock and on the verge of vomiting, ran through the position, continuing to advance towards Xiagang Town. The new recruits began their first lesson in actual combat.

  On the way to Xiagang Town, the officers and men of the Sixth Division, who were on the offensive, were subjected to intense shelling by the artillery of the Tenth Division. The artillery of the Tenth Division, deployed in a small forest behind the town, finally completed their deployment and began to provide fire support.

  Shells fell into the attacking troops, bringing up large tracts of mud and many lives of officers and soldiers. The officers shouted loudly "Faster, faster, don't stop! Keep advancing!" The artillery regiment of the 10th Division had no heavy artillery, only using 75mm field guns. However, its power was already enough to bring huge casualties to the attacking officers and soldiers.

  The artillerymen of the Sixth Division quickly calculated the exact coordinates of the Tenth Division's artillery based on reports from balloon observation posts and the direction of rising smoke, and a counter-battery fire came immediately.

  The shells of the heavy artillery came in an instant, covering the 10th Division's artillery position. In the massive explosion, soldiers and artillery parts were blown into the sky together, while the exploding shells turned the artillery position into a purgatory on earth. The 10th Division Artillery was quickly crippled and withdrew from combat. Without artillery support, the fate of the 10th Division was sealed.

  Xia Gang town and the front line are not far apart, the officers and men of the Sixth Division quickly rushed into the town and opened fierce fire with the garrison. Xia Gang town is not big, and the west gate of Jiangyin fortress is just across a canal. Taking down this place can cut off the Tenth Division and surround it on the banks of the Yangtze River!

  The Tenth Division is also an elite unit, with many old soldiers in the team, following General Lu from Beiping to Zhejiang. They have also fought for a long time, and today is the most critical moment since the establishment of the Tenth Division!

  The Sixth Division's supporting artillery fire eliminated the Zhejiang Army's artillery, and then began to blockade the Zhejiang Army's support road to Xiagang Town. The task of occupying Xiagang Town now relied solely on the infantry. Thousands of soldiers from both sides engaged in a bloody melee in the town!

  In the middle of the town's main road, the Zhejiang army had set up several machine guns in a courtyard, sealing off the advance route with intense firepower. When Zhang Xinghai arrived, he saw a classmate from the academy leading a row of soldiers trying to sneak past the side of the house, but they were all shot down by a machine gun placed on high ground, their blood flowing out and forming a pool. He recognized that classmate, who wore glasses and was refined in manner, and had even played ball with him before. Who would have thought he'd die here today?

  Zhang Xinghai gritted his teeth and hid at the corner of the street, carefully observing the position of the Maxim guns. He was thinking about how to take them out. Zhang Zhonglin came up to him and said in a low voice, "Brother Xinghai, I've taken a look. Those machine guns are set up very well, with no blind spots. The only way to take them out is to charge forward. You cover me, and I'll lead the men!" Zhang Xinghai didn't hesitate, looking at him seriously and saying, "Alright, be careful." At this time, the soldiers from the fire support platoon brought up two Maxim guns, and Zhang Xinghai went forward to direct the firepower, drawing the attention of the enemy machine guns.

  Zhang Zhonglin led more than 30 soldiers rushing out from the street corner, throwing hand grenades while charging. The dust raised by the explosion of the hand grenades covered their figures, but the Maxim gun placed in a high position still discovered them and turned its muzzle to fire wildly. Nearly half of the soldiers beside Zhang Zhonglin were knocked down instantly!

  Zhang Xinghai personally shot and covered Zhang Zhonglin with a nearby Maxim gun. The Maxim guns in the high position were suppressed, and Zhang Zhonglin took the opportunity to quickly lead his men to rush through the firepower blockade area and arrive at the Zhejiang Army's Maxim gun position. A burst of hand grenades was thrown over, and after the loud noise, several Maxim guns fell silent!

  "Charge!" Without the suppression of Markov's men, the officers and soldiers of the Sixth Division who were blocked on the road surged forward like a tide, flooding the streets. The end of the road was just the headquarters of the Tenth Division!

  The Tenth Division Headquarters is now presided over by Chief of Staff Liu Xiangnan. At this time, Liu Xiangnan was quietly sitting in front of the map, slightly lowering his head and thinking about something.

  The door was pushed open with a "bang". The captain of the guard company rushed in and shouted loudly, "Chief of Staff! Our brothers can't hold on any longer! You'd better leave quickly!" As the door opened, huge shouts, killing sounds, and explosion sounds all came in.

  Liu Xiangnan raised his eyes and looked at the captain of the guard company, saying in a low voice, "Leave? Where to go? The whole town is surrounded now, and the Jiangyin fortress on that side is also ablaze! Not a single reinforcement has arrived!" He sighed softly and slowly stood up, saying, "Tell the brothers, stop fighting, don't throw away your lives in vain anymore, we've lost."

  Hai Rong stood on the upper deck of the Yangtze, holding a telescope to observe the situation at Jiangyin Fortress. At this time, the counterattack of Jiangyin Fortress had been defeated, and now it was being unilaterally bombarded.

  "Wei Ke walked up to Gao Yang with the telegram and said, 'Commander, I just received a telegram. The enemy forces in Xia Gang Town have surrendered! Our plan is going smoothly.' He paused for a moment and smiled, saying, 'The enemy's will to fight is really weak.'"

  "Look, this isn't a national war! The soldiers don't have to die in vain for the struggle between warlords! They chose to surrender after falling into desperation, and that should be understood. Do you understand?" "Yes, sir!"