Chapter 12 The German Brandenburg Special Forces

Lin Fan looked at the soldiers who had just received the retreat order and immediately returned.

These soldiers had not discarded any weapons. Even the water-cooled heavy machine guns issued to them were carried back by four men.

Lin Fan nodded secretly as he watched the soldiers' movements.

They were capable of holding the Zhabei Railway Station.

However, Lin Fan did not dwell on the performance of these soldiers.

He asked the special company soldiers, "Who among you is an artilleryman?"

No one answered, no one responded.

Lin Fan had to settle for second best, "Has anyone seen an artilleryman operate artillery?"

Still no one answered.

Lin Fan had to ask Yang Ruifu for help, "Battalion Commander! We still need to use these seven tanks.

Even if the situation is critical, it would be good to drive them out and use them as turrets."

Lin Fan really had no choice.

Driving could be taught on the spot, but artillery skills could not be taught in a short time.

This was war, not just setting off firecrackers for fun!

At least seven excellent artillerymen were needed!

Yang Ruifu smiled bitterly, "Company Commander Lin, it's not that I don't want to help you, but artillerymen are technical soldiers, and a battalion like mine simply doesn't have any."

Now it was Lin Fan's turn to be dumbfounded. He had worked so hard to get these tanks back.

But no one knew how to operate them!

He had drivers, whom he had just trained.

But what about the gunners? Train them immediately?

Artillery operation was a technical skill, and illiterate people certainly couldn't do it well.

It would take a long time to learn.

Not to mention tank gunners!

It seemed that tank gunners could not be trained in a short time.

Lin Fan gave up on this idea and could only settle for second best.

He ordered, "Mount a heavy machine gun on each tank.

When the Japanese infantry rushes up, drive the tanks out and use them as mobile firing points."

Yang Ruifu smiled bitterly again, "Company Commander Lin, there aren't that many heavy machine guns to lend you.

You can only use the heavy machine guns from your own company.

My battalion also needs firepower, and every floor of this building needs strong firing points."

Lin Fan thought about it. He could only transfer two heavy machine guns from the special company.

Then, only two tanks could be sent out to charge at a time.

Two heavy machine guns were being lifted up and fixed.

He knew that the heavy machine gunners in this makeshift company had only started training yesterday.

Today was their first live-fire training on the battlefield.

Lin Fan took the soldiers he had selected and began artillery training in another tank.

He explained again and again how to use the tank guns.

When about ten soldiers had learned, he had them become instructors and continue teaching the other soldiers.

Jumping out of the tank, Lin Fan couldn't rest. He gathered the soldiers of the special company.

And began to train them on how to follow behind the tanks, cover the tanks, and charge the enemy at the same time.

The sound of artillery roared outside! Inside the warehouse, Lin Fan was still training the soldiers of his company.

This was really last-minute preparation!

He could only hope that it would be better than nothing! Xie Jinyuan and Yang Ruifu watched Lin Fan's posture as he moved behind the tank.

His back was bent, his body hunched, but his head kept looking left and right, and the gun in his hand was held in front, as if he was startled and ready to fire at any time.

They didn't laugh!

These two were only shocked!

The National Revolutionary Army also had tank units in this battle, but when the tank units launched an attack.

They would charge on their own, without infantry following.

Often, every attack was a one-way trip.

Now, seeing Lin Fan training tanks and infantry to cooperate, they realized the benefits of doing so.

The infantry relied on the armor of the tanks to resist the rain of bullets from the front, and the tanks relied on the protection of the infantry to defeat the enemies who were approaching for demolition.

Such cooperation was the true king on the battlefield!

The National Revolutionary Army's tank tactics were completely copied from the German army.

Why could the German army fight so well in this way?

Xie Jinyuan finally couldn't help but ask this question.

Lin Fan said with a smile, "An orange is an orange when grown in Huainan, but it is a trifoliate orange when grown in Huaibei.

Some things can't just be copied.

Besides, the person who copied other people's tactics didn't learn the essence of them.

The tactics used for large clusters of tanks, small teams of tanks, or even a single tank are different."

Seeing that Xie Jinyuan still didn't understand at all.

Lin Fan had to continue to explain, "Whenever the German tank units went into action, there were at least dozens, hundreds, or even hundreds of tanks moving at the same time.

At this time, they were protected by their own tanks in front, behind, left, and right.

Apart from long-range attacks, it was very difficult to send people to approach for demolition.

Success was just an accident.

The National Revolutionary Army's tanks only had a few tanks each time they attacked, and they couldn't even gather ten tanks for an attack.

Moreover, these tanks didn't cooperate with each other at all. Of course, they could only be targets when they drove out."

Some things, once said clearly, immediately had no secrets.

Xie Jinyuan silently thought about it. Hundreds of tanks sweeping across thousands of meters, or even thousands of meters, charging at the same time.

Each tank providing cover for each other left and right, the opponent really had no other way but to face them head-on.

When the National Revolutionary Army's tanks charged, their speed was uneven, and they even formed a single line.

At this time, he suddenly remembered that the Japanese tanks had also been lined up in a single line.

Lin Fan guessed his thoughts and said with a smile, "We are fighting in the city now, which is different from fighting on the plains.

Fighting in such a city is completely street fighting.

Those tanks don't have a wide space to maneuver.

So they can only attack in a column.

If the opponent doesn't have long-range strike weapons or weapons that can break through the defenses, it is very disadvantageous to attack in this way.

They can only use human lives to pile up.

Like the Japanese, with infantry following behind the tanks, it may not be possible to destroy a tank even with human lives.

Even if an entire company is wiped out, they may not be able to blow up one of their tanks."

Xie Jinyuan asked in surprise, "Your military theory is so strong, which class of Huangpu Military Academy are you from?

I am from the fourth class!"

Finally, it was time for this question.

The more than one hundred soldiers under Lin Fan, who had appointed himself as the company commander of this special company, knew that this company commander was a fake.

They were initially forced by Lin Fan to admit that he was their company commander.

Xie Jinyuan, Yang Ruifu, and their company commanders also knew that Lin Fan's position as company commander was self-proclaimed.

Because Lin Fan had never been able to say which war zone he belonged to.

That was why Xie Jinyuan was worried about Lin Fan's company staying in the Sihang Warehouse last night.

He was afraid that they would cause trouble in the middle of the night and take over his battalion.

After all, it's hard to know a person's heart just by looking at their face, let alone that they didn't even know Lin Fan.

Regarding this question, Lin Fan had thought very clearly about it last night.

He himself graduated from the Nanjing Military Academy and specialized in special operations.

He had specifically studied the history of special operations.

Germany pioneered the elevation of special operations to a strategic level.

Although armies around the world still don't know the theory and methods of special operations.

But these armies all know the name of the German Brandenburg unit.

Although this unit has not yet been officially named and is still in the exploratory training stage.

But the strength of this team is already world-renowned.

What he had to do was pretend to be someone from the German Brandenburg.

Lin Fan said with a smile, "I didn't graduate from Huangpu. I am an overseas Chinese.

My ancestors went to Iceland as laborers. Later, I went to Germany to study and joined the German Brandenburg special forces as an unsalaried trainee."

Xie Jinyuan immediately looked at Lin Fan with respect, "German Brandenburg special forces! I haven't heard of Germany having this unit?"

Lin Fan explained, "This is a brand new unit! The German army is still in the experimental stage.

This name is just what they call it internally.

We, who are not Germanic, can only be considered sparring partners for those official members.

We are not considered official members and cannot join the official team.

They have requirements for race, and only Germanic people can be in the official team.

Training those special soldiers requires opponents. We are intentionally trained by them.

To be sparring partners for those special team members."

Xie Jinyuan had already imagined all the details, "So Brother Lin returned from thousands of miles away to serve his country when his motherland was in trouble!"

Lin Fan nodded, "Yes! It's just that I was alone when I returned to China and had no relatives.

At the same time, I was being hunted down by the German military, so I couldn't enter the National Revolutionary Army through formal channels.

I had to use such means.

Those of us who have been sparring partners in Brandenburg must not leave German territory for life.

This is a guarantee that we signed when we joined.

Unfortunately, when our motherland was in trouble, overseas wanderers had to break their promise."

Lin Fan said sadly, with a helpless expression on his face.

Xie Jinyuan asked in confusion, "What is the mission of this team?"

Lin Fan thought for a while and continued to explain, "All the soldiers in this team must undergo the most rigorous training.

Every soldier must be proficient in the use of all weapons in the world.

They must be able to go to the sky and enter the earth, omnipotent.

They all need to know how to drive airplanes, tanks, various vehicles, various ships on the water, and submarines underwater.

Know how to use them!

Hand-to-hand combat, infiltration, assassination, and sneak attacks are all basic skills.

Their mission is to use small units to assassinate commanders, government leaders, or attack combat command posts on the battlefield, these important people and important targets."

Hearing Lin Fan say so much, Lei Xiong sighed, "Are there such people?"

Lin Fan said with a bitter smile, "Yes! The German army basically selects ten to twenty elites to train from their team of tens of thousands of people.

Finally, they may be able to train one or two from these elites, or even none at all.

These people are truly one in ten thousand!"

Xie Jinyuan was also stunned, "How many such soldiers do they have now?"

Lin Fan said with a bitter smile, "This is top secret. We sparring partners don't know the exact number at all.

Over the years, I have only sparred with five special forces reserve personnel."

Lei Xiong was stunned, "You have fought five heroes out of ten thousand and are still alive!"

Xie Jinyuan and Yang Ruifu thought about Lin Fan's performance on the battlefield today and completely believed what he said.

The two battles that had just occurred were completely held up by Lin Fan's strength alone.

Without such a hero out of ten thousand, he would not have been able to complete today's mission.

Xie Jinyuan said with a smile, "Brother Lin is indeed a master! Today, I was on the top of the building, watching Brother Lin let the Japanese approach to within thirty meters before firing.

To be honest, I was very worried.

I didn't expect that Brother Lin would use a machine gun to directly knock down a Japanese squad that was rushing to the front.

Don't laugh at me, but I opened my mouth wide at the time and couldn't close it for a long time.

It turns out that Brother Lin has such a big background."

Yang Ruifu and several company commanders all echoed, "Who says otherwise? We were just as worried and scared, and then we were surprised afterward.

Company Commander Lin's marksmanship is really too amazing."

Xie Jinyuan continued, "Originally, we were already surprised by Brother Lin's good machine gun skills.

I didn't expect Brother Lin's artillery skills to be even better!

Brother Lin's artillery skills have reached the level of a rifle.

If it weren't for the fear of wasting them, Brother Lin could have given each Japanese soldier a shell.

So that they wouldn't dare to set foot on our land."

Lin Fan said with a smile, "It's best not to spread the news of my return from Germany too far."

Xie Jinyuan, Yang Ruifu, and the several company commanders here all nodded solemnly.

On the roof of the Sihang Warehouse, there was still a哨位 (shàowèi, sentry post) observing the situation during the heavy artillery bombardment.

At this time, the sentry reported, "There are Japanese infantry activities one thousand meters away."

Obviously, the Japanese wanted to launch an attack immediately after the artillery bombardment ended.

Lin Fan said with a smile, "Artillery bombardment! Infantry charge!

That's the Japanese tactic.

When the artillery stops, it's when their infantry charges."

Xie Jinyuan's serious expression immediately turned into a smile, "Brother Lin summed it up well! Artillery bombardment, infantry charge!"

Although everyone was laughing, their hearts were heavy.

Everyone knew that when the artillery fire stopped, it was when the Japanese would charge.

Close combat, the test of the soldiers and the test of the commanders would begin.

This time, the Japanese heavy artillery bombardment did not stop for half an hour.

Causing significant losses to the south bank of the Suzhou Creek.

The number of American and British soldiers lying on the banks of the river who were scratched and injured by flying shrapnel and rubble had risen to thirty-six.

As for the houses of the citizens on the shore and the citizens hiding in windows and balconies peeking at the battle situation on the opposite bank, the casualties were countless.

The intense artillery fire startled the American ambassador Nelson Johnson, who was drinking coffee in the Peace Hotel, and he immediately stood up.

Soon he received the news that the Japanese had launched a fierce artillery bombardment on the north bank of the Suzhou Creek.

Countless shells rained down on the north bank of the Suzhou Creek.

Sitting in the Peace Hotel, the cold sweat immediately flowed out of the American Ambassador to China, Nelson Johnson.

Did the Japanese not know that there was something on the south bank of the Suzhou Creek that must not be touched?

Less than one hundred meters from the Sihang Warehouse, there were fifty thousand cubic meters of natural gas.

If it was hit by a stray bullet, most of the International Settlement would be blown up.

Nelson Johnson immediately summoned his car and rushed to the Japanese embassy.

Behind him followed a team of three hundred people.

Before Nelson Johnson rushed to the Japanese embassy, he received news that the British, American, and Italian soldiers stationed on the south bank of the Suzhou Creek had suffered heavy casualties, with at least thirty-six soldiers injured.

If the soldiers were injured, the chances of the gas tanks being damaged were even greater.

It was not only Ambassador Nelson Johnson who knew that the situation was critical.

He ordered someone to urgently contact American Admiral Henry Owen to prepare to launch an attack on the Japanese. Da Feng Novel Network

American Military Attaché to China Stilwell had also issued a final warning to all foreign citizens in the International Settlement.

British Minister Gilbert Osmond also sent a notice to Vice Admiral Charles to prepare for battle.

Then he rushed to the Japanese embassy in a hurry.

The two ambassadors submitted a final ultimatum to the Japanese Ambassador Shigeru Kawagoe in person: stop all military operations on the Suzhou Creek within fifteen minutes.

Otherwise, the British and American warships in Shanghai would immediately launch an attack on the Japanese fleet.

It was now 4:45 p.m. on October 27, 1937!

Kawagoe had just agreed on compensation terms with the two ambassadors this morning and was still urgently raising funds to pay the two million in compensation today.

Suddenly hearing this final ultimatum.

The sweat on his body flowed down like a stream.

In front of the two ambassadors, the suit he was wearing was soaked from the inside out.

Kawagoe knew that "If the warships of these two countries start a war against the Empire now, although the Empire may temporarily gain some advantages.

But next, the entire Japan will usher in a catastrophe."

He immediately said to the two ambassadors, "I will immediately ask the country to order the Shanghai Expeditionary Army to stop military operations. Please wait a moment."

In order to show his attitude, Kawagoe broke the diplomatic ban this time.

In front of the two ambassadors, he sent a top-level diplomatic telegram to the Imperial Headquarters.

At the same time, he called the Commander of the Japanese Expeditionary Army in Shanghai, Iwane Matsui. Kawagoe no longer cared about diplomatic etiquette.

He loudly ordered on the phone, "Immediately stop all military operations in Shanghai!"

Matsui arrogantly said to the ambassador, "I'm sorry, but I can't obey. I have already ordered the Third Division to take down the last piece of land occupied by the National Revolutionary Army in the Shanghai High District before sunset today.

Ambassador Kawagoe, just wait for the good news from the Imperial soldiers!"

At this time, Kawagoe was so nervous that he wanted to reach his hand to the other end of the telephone line and strangle Iwane Matsui.

He yelled in exasperation, "You are a sinner of the Empire, because of your military operations on the Suzhou Creek.

Now the United Kingdom and the United States have issued a final ultimatum to us: if we cannot stop military operations in the entire Shanghai area within ten minutes.

Their fleet will launch an attack on the Imperial fleet."

Matsui did not take it seriously, "The Empire has three aircraft carrier fleets around Shanghai and is not afraid of the threat of a mere aircraft carrier fleet.

If they dare to fire, I will definitely let them know the power of the Empire."

The expressions on the faces of Ambassadors Wilson Nathan and Gilbert Osmond had now become calm.

Their final ultimatum had been issued.

It was up to the Japanese to make this choice.