December 13, 1937, 9:40 AM:

　　Captain Fujii Yota calmly ordered, "The squadron has reached the target airspace. All aircraft, prepare to open the hatches."

　　All pilots in the entire squadron began to notify: "Prepare! Prepare! Everyone prepare. Arriving at the destination. Arriving at the destination, prepare to parachute."

　　Captain Fujii Yota was the leader of the flight transport team responsible for rescuing Commander Prince Asaka Yasuhiko.

　　It was his first time undertaking a mission like this, deploying fifteen hundred soldiers to the battlefield at once.

　　Such a tactic was unheard of.

　　The thought that his name might be recorded in history because of this operation filled him with excitement.

　　Captain Fujii Yota was so thrilled that he could hardly contain himself. He tried his best to steady the aircraft.

　　He worked hard to calm his excited mood and issued the order: "All aircraft, ten-second countdown."

　　As the countdown began, his mood started to settle.

　　Once these soldiers jumped out of the planes, his transport team's mission would be complete.

　　Currently, there were no Nationalist fighter planes in this airspace, so their transport planes were very safe.

　　As long as he didn't actively crash into a mountain, there would be no danger.

　　Captain Fujii Yota felt very proud. The power of the Empire was fully demonstrated at this moment.

　　The countdown ended, and the hatches opened.

　　His squadron had fifteen transport planes, each filled with one hundred Imperial soldiers.

　　The mission had been ordered in too much of a hurry, and the soldiers were just quickly assembled from the naval landing force at the airport.

　　Because it was an airborne operation, the team was only carrying light weapons. They didn't even bring grenade launchers.

　　They only carried rifles and light machine guns, which were already the largest weapons they could take.

　　This was the first time. No one knew how effective it would be.

　　Fifteen Japanese transport planes gathered over Tangshan. Soldiers from both sides fighting on the ground saw the planes' tails open wide.

　　Many white parachute flowers spewed out from this large opening.

　　Paratroopers began to jump down.

　　Lin Fan was somewhat surprised by this scene. Had the Japanese already trained paratroopers at this time?

　　The four 88mm anti-aircraft guns of the direct detachment opened fire simultaneously.

　　The transport planes in the sky that hadn't yet released all their troops were blown up one after another.

　　Looking at the Japanese paratroopers still floating in the sky, they were landing behind the Japanese lines.

　　It was a position he couldn't reach.

　　He could only stop here.

　　Nakaoka Sota was originally the captain of the special rescue detachment sent by the Third Fleet, commanding this temporarily formed team.

　　When the countdown ended, he jumped out first.

　　He wanted to use the time in the air to find the landing site and guide this team of fifteen hundred men to land.

　　This was a difficult task, but also a very glorious one.

　　Captain Nakaoka Sota was confident. Although he was a captain in the naval landing force, parachuting was something these soldiers had done countless times.

　　There was nothing new about it. It was just that the landing site today was unfamiliar, which increased the difficulty.

　　Just then, Captain Nakaoka Sota saw flashes of fire rising from the ground out of the corner of his eye, heading straight for him.

　　He was so frightened that he cried out, but the turbulent airflow in the air didn't carry his voice far.

　　Captain Nakaoka Sota looked back and was shocked to see the plane he had just jumped out of explode into a firework.

　　It was exploding in the air.

　　Thinking that most of the soldiers on the plane had not yet jumped out and had died in the plane like this.

　　This was not good news!

　　Sergeant Major Kitahara Hyoe was originally patiently waiting in line to jump out of the plane.

　　He also saw the flames rising from the ground. He was afraid and didn't care about the order, rushing out of the cabin.

　　He pushed the aircraft mechanic, who was standing at the hatch guiding everyone to line up to parachute, into the air.

　　He also rushed out.

　　Taro Tojo, who didn't have a parachute, screamed loudly in the air. He had been pushed out of the plane by a crazed soldier.

　　He was falling rapidly to the ground.

　　As he tumbled downwards, Taro Tojo saw the plane he had been riding in explode.

　　Like slow motion, the entire plane slowly fell apart, bit by bit, very clearly.

　　The astonished Taro Tojo finally stopped shouting, falling rapidly, the air blocking his mouth and making it difficult to breathe.

　　Seeing the increasingly close mountain peaks and the soldiers still fighting on the ground.

　　Taro Tojo finally stopped struggling. He took one last look at the earth rushing towards him.

　　Finally, he fell to the ground and was smashed into a pile of mud.

　　Captain Nakaoka Sota looked around the entire sky. One by one, the fifteen transport planes that had come together were blown up by artillery shells from the ground.

　　When he saw that the team of fifteen hundred men now only had about two hundred left in the air, he only felt anger and sorrow.

　　So many excellent soldiers had died before they even landed.

　　It seemed that this tactic was not suitable for actual combat!

　　The two Guangdong armies that had just rushed out of Taiping Gate today were taking small paths, not daring to take the main road.

　　Army Commander Ye Zhao couldn't help but wonder when he saw Japanese planes constantly being shot down in the sky, "Which unit is fighting the Japanese here?

　　Thirty planes have already been shot down."

　　Seeing that the paratroopers in the sky were landing not far from his team, he ordered, "Go to the Japanese paratrooper assembly point and wipe them out."

　　It wasn't that he wanted to stir up trouble, but if those Japanese weren't eliminated, they would be in front of his team, occupying favorable terrain.

　　Unless his team turned around again.

　　Just today, after daybreak, his team had already become dizzy in the Tangshan area.

　　There were small hills and ponds everywhere, which all looked the same to these people from Guangdong.

　　Tangshan was not friendly to the Guangdong army at all.

　　His team was not familiar with the terrain of Tangshan at all and could only wander around in this area.

　　Lieutenant Colonel Kasai Toshimatsu led the 20th Cavalry Regiment of the 16th Division, charging along the highway from Nanjing to Tangshan.

　　His cavalry regiment had been resting and doing nothing for the past few days since the beginning of the attack on the Nanjing city walls.

　　Siege warfare was indeed not a cavalry strength, and Lieutenant Colonel Kasai Toshimatsu regiment leader's days had been somewhat depressing.

　　This was a situation where heroes had no use for their strength, and they had nowhere to use their full power.

　　Today was different. Commander Prince Asaka Yasuhiko of the Shanghai Expeditionary Army was in danger. This was the time to deploy cavalry.

　　The cavalry charging along this road now was not just his unit.

　　The cavalry of the 9th Division and the 13th Division were also rushing along this road.

　　Behind them, cars sent by each division were urgently bringing infantry.

　　Lieutenant Colonel Tonogaki Kohta, the current cavalry battalion commander of the 13th Division, was urging his team to go faster, faster.

　　Although he knew that after running thirty kilometers at such a rapid pace, these horses would not have much combat power left when they reached Tangshan.

　　But this was not important. What was important was that once his battalion arrived, they would be able to eliminate the Nationalist army team that had fled from Nanjing.

　　Colonel Mori Ago Rokusuke of the 9th Division led his 9th Cavalry Regiment with the same idea as the 13th Division Cavalry Regiment.

　　This time, for the sake of speed, the two divisions had abandoned mortars and infantry guns, only carrying machine guns and rifles.

　　When it came to speed, the 16th Division's cavalry regiment, of course, had the advantage of being closer to the water.

　　Lieutenant Colonel Kasai Toshimatsu had more than 1,600 cavalry under his command. When he saw the infantry convoy that had departed half an hour earlier than them all lying on the ground.

　　He also became vigilant.

　　However, thinking that Commander Prince Asaka Yasuhiko was still waiting for his team to rescue him.

　　This was a task that could not be delayed. No matter how great the price the cavalry regiment was going to pay, he could only pay it.

　　So, Lieutenant Colonel Kasai Toshimatsu, the cavalry regiment leader, had no choice but to order: "Charge!"

　　In this place where they were now, the highway was built on a hillside, with a cliff on one side and a small hillside on the other. Even they, the cavalry, wanted to avoid this position.

　　There was no way to go.

　　So, Regiment Leader Kasai Toshimatsu could only lead his team to charge forward.

　　The road was not wide, only allowing five horses to run side by side, but this was enough.

　　More than 1,600 cavalry were charging forward in a neat and uniform formation.

　　It wasn't the first time that Yang Daren's Seventh Platoon had encountered such a cavalry charge. On the contrary.

　　They loved it when cavalry came like this.

　　More than 1,600 cavalry formed a long line of nearly a kilometer on the road.

　　When the Japanese at the front were still a hundred meters away from Yang Daren's heavy machine guns and artillery.

　　The heavy machine guns opened fire. When the soldiers of the Kasai Toshimatsu Cavalry Regiment at the front had charged to less than three hundred meters from the Seventh Platoon's heavy machine gun position.

　　Yang Daren had already ordered the heavy machine guns to fire. At the same time, the Type 92 infantry guns and mortars were also firing.

　　This time, the cavalry at the very end of the Japanese line had not yet entered the Seventh Platoon's preset directional mine ambush circle.

　　The directional mines on the entire road had not yet been detonated.

　　This made the cavalry of the Kasai Toshimatsu Regiment very excited. They didn't know how the team in front of them had died.

　　But they were going to crush this team that was blocking their way, even if there were heavy machine guns on the other side.

　　No, there were also infantry guns!

　　Even so, they were not afraid. They were cavalry with speed, and they would definitely be able to charge through.

　　When the ten heavy machine guns and five light machine guns behind Yang Daren also joined the sweeping fire, the spearhead of the Japanese cavalry charge not only didn't get closer to Yang Daren, but the distance was actually getting farther.

　　Regiment Leader Kasai Toshimatsu looked sadly at the heavy machine gun position in front of him that he couldn't charge through. Reason was frantically telling him: Retreat! Retreat!

　　But today's rescue mission was a mission that could not be retreated from.

　　This was a true mission where they would rather the entire regiment be destroyed here than not charge forward.

　　So, Regiment Leader Kasai Toshimatsu ordered again: "Charge!"

　　He wanted to use human wave tactics to crush the position of the team opposite him.

　　Yang Daren was enjoying this very much at this time. In fact, letting the Japanese die like this was a good idea.

　　There was no need to use those big killers that were lying in ambush.

　　While Yang Daren was thinking this, the familiar sound of explosions rang out again on the road ahead.

　　This was because the soldiers lying in ambush saw that all the Japanese cavalry had entered the ambush circle.

　　Now they could blow up the Japanese.

　　Lu Ziping, Qiu Yushan, and the others who were specifically responsible for pulling the wires and detonating the mines immediately couldn't wait to act.

　　The soldiers of the Seventh Platoon had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and more than a hundred people all began to charge again.

　　When the smoke cleared, the thousand-meter-long highway was full of fallen cavalry from the Kasai Toshimatsu Regiment.

　　These people and horses were all lying on the ground, and there were few horses and people who could even groan.

　　The soldiers of the Seventh Platoon skillfully gave the Japanese who were lying on the ground a finishing blow.

　　Lu Ziping, Qiu Yushan, and the others also skillfully reloaded their ammunition.

　　They added directional mines to the places that had already been blown up twice.

　　Today, Lu Ziping, Qiu Yushan, and the others had improved the arrangement density, placing one mine every thirty meters, so that there were no dead spots on the entire road, and every place would be repeatedly covered by directional mines.

　　Yang Daren looked at the layers of Japanese corpses and horse corpses on the road. "This place is not good for setting up an ambush circle anymore.

　　The Japanese may not be fooled again."

　　So, Yang Daren ordered the signal soldier: "Notify Lu Ziping and Qiu Yushan to move the position forward five hundred meters.

　　We can't let the charging Japanese see the situation here."

　　He also ordered the ten heavy machine guns and two infantry guns: "Move the position forward one thousand meters."

　　He also called a signal soldier: "Send a letter to the company commander, we have intercepted a Japanese convoy and a cavalry regiment.

　　Should we chop off the horses' legs or not?"

　　The Special Operations Company was in battle!

　　The Nationalist soldiers who were watching from a distance without advancing were part of the 66th Army and the 83rd Army.

　　They were all Guangdong troops. The 66th Army was led by Ye Zhao, and the 83rd Army was led by Deng Longguang.

　　The retreat order they received was to break through Taiping Gate north of Fugui Mountain.

　　When the two armies arrived at Taiping Gate, they found that it was not peaceful in front of Taiping Gate. The entire city gate was blocked by sandbags, layer upon layer.

　　More than 20,000 people were all crowded here, and everyone was at a loss.

　　On the night of December 12, 1937, it was drizzling, the cold wind was blowing, and the entire area in front of Taiping Gate was wet, with no place to sit down and rest.

　　More than 20,000 soldiers who were eager to escape were crowding here, bumping into each other, not knowing what to do.

　　Among these people, there were soldiers from various teams, and no one obeyed anyone.

　　Just then, a commander with the rank of major general rode a war horse and shouted in Cantonese: "Brothers, I am Luo Ce-qun, the deputy commander of the 159th Division. Commander Tan has crossed the river to Pukou due to illness, and I am now acting as commander in his place.

　　Everyone is crowding together in chaos, and the sandbags are blocking the gate, making it impossible for everyone to get out quickly.

　　Now I will direct everyone. Everyone, be quiet first."

　　Luo Ce-qun's rank and speech quieted down the chaotic scene here.

　　Then he said, "Brothers, the situation is critical, and everyone wants to get out as soon as possible. Now the 159th Division will come forward to remove the sandbags.

　　The other troops make way so it will be easier to remove the sandbags and leave the city."

　　More than 20,000 soldiers crowded in front of Taiping Gate were organized, and the labor efficiency was quite fast, taking less than half an hour.

　　This pile of sandbags, as high as a two-story building, was all removed. All three city gate openings were opened.

　　The soldiers filed out.

　　This team on the hilltop was a group of soldiers who followed the 66th Army out of the city.

　　When they left the city, they were scattered and could only run randomly in one direction.

　　They were lucky enough not to encounter the Japanese.

　　Now they had been observing the soldiers of the Special Operations Company on the road below for an hour.

　　Seeing them fight the Japanese, shoot down planes, and attack hilltops.

　　They finally determined that this was a Nationalist army team disguised as Japanese.

　　Li Zhi-ze, the company commander of the 8th Company of the 5th Regiment of the Central Training Corps, ordered, "Lyu Ye-wei! You go down and ask which unit they are from.

　　Be careful, if they are Japanese, come back quickly, if they are Nationalist army, wave your hand. We will go over from the hilltop and clear out the Japanese on the hillside."

　　Lyu Ye-wei took the order and ran down the mountain alone.

　　The rugged and winding mountain road blocked his figure from time to time, until Lyu Ye-wei ran to a place two hundred meters away from the highway before he was discovered by the soldiers of the Special Operations Company.

　　Lin Fan saw that there was only one Nationalist soldier and immediately looked up at the mountain, but found nothing.

　　Lyu Ye-wei saw that the soldiers thirty meters away were not pointing their guns at him and shouted from thirty meters away: "Which unit are you from?"

　　"Special Operations Company of the 542nd Regiment of the 88th Division!"

　　This answer was consistent with the company commander's guess, and Lyu Ye-wei was relieved.

　　He walked towards the Special Operations Company. "I want to see your company commander."

　　Lin Fan asked, "What do you want to see me for?"

　　"I am Lyu Ye-wei, a sergeant in the 8th Company of the 2nd Regiment of the Central Training Corps. I am here to contact your company on the order of my company commander.

　　If needed, my company will launch an attack on the Japanese from the hilltop."

　　Lin Fan was overjoyed. "Of course, we need it!"

　　Lyu Ye-wei waved to the hilltop, and many heads quickly appeared on the hilltop.

　　These soldiers were stealthily approaching the hillside.

　　Seeing this situation, thinking that his team was too obvious, even if they were wearing Japanese uniforms, it was useless.

　　Lin Fan ordered, "The whole company, change clothes, change into Nationalist army uniforms!"

　　Seeing the signal soldier running up from the rear, after listening to the battle report brought by the signal soldier, Lin Fan was very satisfied.

　　He considered Yang Daren's request for a while.

　　Then he ordered: "Chop off the horses' legs. There has been progress in the front-line attack. I will send the Fifth Platoon to assist in cleaning up the battlefield."

　　He said to Zhen Dan-xiao, the leader of the Fifth Platoon: "Give half of the explosives and iron pellets of your platoon to the Seventh Platoon.

　　Take the car back, and send a batch of chopped horse legs back immediately. We will need them at noon."

　　It was already ten o'clock, and the First Platoon had advanced four hundred meters.

　　Commander Prince Asaka Yasuhiko was withdrawing the command post to the rear. The two battalions that had been holding their ground finally began to withdraw after suffering heavy casualties.

　　Chen Si-chuan and Liu Lao-pao's advancing speed began to increase rapidly.

　　Feng Jun-ya's heavy artillery began to be stowed away again, changing from firing state to marching state.

　　Lin Fan did not expect Chen Si-chuan and his team to advance so quickly.

　　When he came to the front line, he actually found that there was fierce fighting in the place where the Japanese had landed.

　　A large group of Nationalist soldiers were surrounding the Japanese paratroopers and charging.

　　Those Japanese who had just jumped out of the sky were gathered on a small mountain, relying on the favorable terrain on the mountain to resist stubbornly.

　　Captain Nakaoka Sota had never imagined that today's mission would be so unsuccessful.

　　Thinking that just an hour ago, he was still sitting quietly in the barracks, sipping tea, eating snacks, and listening to songs.

　　An hour later, he was trapped here.

　　Life's circumstances were so changeable.

　　He looked at the more than three hundred Nationalist soldiers who were attacking him and the Nationalist army team of at least three thousand people in the distance.

　　"No wonder Prince Asaka Yasuhiko was in danger. It is very dangerous to be surrounded by so many Nationalist troops."

　　Captain Nakaoka Sota was not worried about himself. He was only concerned about Commander Prince Asaka Yasuhiko.

　　For the safety of Commander Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, he was truly willing to be destroyed.

　　There were only a little over two hundred officers and soldiers who had jumped out of the plane, and less than two hundred had gathered here.

　　Captain Nakaoka Sota was having a very difficult time.

　　Army Commander Ye Zhao saw that there were not many people in this Japanese team, but their combat power was very strong!

　　The battalion he had sent out was still unable to attack the hilltop.

　　These Japanese relied on the favorable terrain to establish machine gun emplacements, suppressing the attacking team to the point where they could not move.

　　Lin Fan ordered, "Wu Xiao-bao! Go ask which unit they are and tell them to send someone over.

　　Ask them if they are willing to follow us on the main road."

　　After speaking, he personally took up the mortar and started firing.

　　Battalion Commander Liu Quan did not expect these Japanese to be so powerful. His three-hundred-plus soldiers had surrounded these two-hundred-odd Japanese on the hilltop. After fighting for more than ten minutes, these Japanese relied on the favorable terrain on the mountain, not only were they not defeated, but they had made it difficult for his soldiers to move.

　　Just then, Army Commander Ye Zhao discovered the team that was active in the distance, chasing a Japanese team.

　　It seemed that this team had been fighting the Japanese just now.

　　He also wanted to contact them.

　　Just then, shells fell on the Japanese position.

　　There were not many shells, and they were not very fierce.

　　There was only one shell, and it had just hit the Japanese machine gun emplacement.

　　The machine gun was immediately silenced.

　　Battalion Commander Liu Quan immediately ordered, "Charge!"

　　One shell after another fell down.

　　What surprised Army Commander Ye was that the shells seemed to have eyes. The Japanese fire emplacements that occupied the best positions on the hilltop were being destroyed one by one.

　　Battalion Commander Liu Quan was now fighting very smoothly. The infantry at the front were following the path cleared by the shells and had already advanced fifty meters. If they advanced another hundred meters, they would be able to occupy this hilltop.

　　Then his team would be in a commanding position, cleaning up the remaining Japanese.

　　Army Commander Ye was happy. At this time, a staff officer came to report: "The army on the opposite side has sent a signal soldier to see our commander."

　　"Bring him up!" Army Commander Ye was genuinely interested in learning about which team the other side was.

　　When Wu Xiao-bao stood in front of Army Commander Ye, Army Commander Ye smiled: "Little kid, how old are you?"

　　"Don't call me a little kid. If people hear it, and you add 'zi' after it, I will become a Japanese devil." Wu Xiao-bao was unhappy.

　　"Oh! Little brother, how old are you!"

　　"Fifteen years old! I am Wu Xiao-bao, a signal soldier of the Special Operations Company of the 542nd Regiment of the 88th Division. I am here to contact you on the order of our company commander.

　　The company commander asks you, are you willing to follow us on the main road!"

　　Hearing that the other side was a Special Operations Company, Army Commander Ye became interested: "Are you the Special Operations Company with heavy artillery?"

　　"The company commander said that other than us, no other company in the Nationalist army has its own artillery." Wu Xiao-bao was very proud.

　　Army Commander Ye Zhao, who had understood, was interested: "How do you go on the main road?"

　　Wu Xiao-bao's contemptuous gaze could be understood by everyone present: "Just follow the main road!"

　　"Didn't you encounter any Japanese on the road?" Army Commander Ye was even more interested.

　　"Those Japanese last night were driven away by Squad Leader Chen and the others. There are more Japanese here.

　　Now they are also running away."

　　Wu Xiao-bao pointed to the Japanese who were retreating in the distance.

　　"I'm going to see your company commander." Ye Zhao finally decided to personally meet this legendary Special Operations Company commander.

　　When he saw Lin Fan, he noticed that only Lin Fan was holding the mortar barrel with his left hand and grabbing shells with his right hand and throwing them into the barrel.

　　Wu Xiao-bao looked at the position occupied by the Japanese and explained: "There are three more shells left, and it will be fine."

　　Sure enough, after three shells were fired.

　　Liu Quan had already led his team to the top of the small mountain.

　　Captain Nakaoka Sota had been afraid since the first shell fell.

　　One shell blew up one of his machine gun emplacements, and the second blew up another one.

　　If this continued, he was afraid that these people would not be able to hold out until reinforcements arrived.

　　Then Captain Nakaoka Sota watched the Nationalist troops below the mountain, rushing up like a broken bamboo.

　　They were firing down on his remaining dozens of people from a high position.

　　Now Captain Nakaoka Sota had nowhere to escape.

　　Most of the establishment of Army Commander Ye, who had come out of the city of Nanjing, was still there.

　　There were still more than 10,000 people.

　　Now Army Commander Ye was no longer concerned about this Japanese team that had been decided on its fate.

　　Lin Fan put down the mortar and said with a smile, "Brother, which unit are you from?"

　　"Ye Zhao, the commander of the 66th Army! Company Commander Lin, I have long admired your name!" Zhong Zhao reached out his hand enthusiastically.

　　Lin Fan also reached out his hand, and two big hands were tightly clasped together.

　　Lin Fan knew about the 66th Army.

　　It was a team that could strictly follow the retreat plan when the city of Nanjing was broken.

　　They were worthy of respect.

　　Lin Fan earnestly said to Ye Zhao, "Army Commander Ye, how many of you have come out now?"

　　"More than 10,000 people. The 83rd Army is also nearby, adding up to about 20,000 people."

　　Army Commander Ye Zhao did not hide anything.

　　Lin Fan laughed happily. "Army Commander Ye! Are you interested in following us from here all the way to Guangde?"

　　Of course, Ye Zhao knew that as long as he reached Guangde, he and these people would be truly out of trouble.

　　Before he could answer, Lin Fan's familiar sound of airplane engines rang out again.

　　It was a Japanese air squadron flying over from