Chapter 1 The Battle is About to End

Ye Tianshi led the Sixth Company, Ji Yangxia led the Seventh Company, and behind them followed the Sixth and Seventh Companies of the Feixian Security Regiment, all four companies charging towards the Japanese.

This battle, devoid of suspense, was nearing its end. The Yamada Yusuke Infantry Battalion of Japanese soldiers, since the start of the bayonet fight, had suffered another halving of its numbers.

The entire battalion now had only one company of Japanese soldiers still putting up a desperate resistance, while the Sixth and Seventh Companies had already begun to clear the battlefield.

Ye Tianshi, Ji Yangxia, and the other regulars who had been at the forefront of the charge could now teach the militiamen of the Security Regiment hand-to-hand combat while clearing the battlefield.

Liu Hua, the Sixth Company Commander of the Security First Regiment, watched Ye Tianshi demonstrate how to give the Japanese soldier on the ground a final stab in a fatal spot. Ye Tianshi explained, "This stab is to prevent any Japanese soldiers from feigning death, so it must be done well.

Generally, this stab is aimed at the Japanese soldier's throat, so even if he has nine lives, he won't survive.

The benefit of doing this is that after giving each fallen Japanese soldier a final stab, the soldiers who come up to clear the battlefield later won't encounter any Japanese soldiers suddenly sitting up in their death throes, like cornered beasts fighting back and hurting people."

The militiamen of the Security Regiment initially thought that Ye Tianshi and the others were being overly cautious.

But when they actually started doing this on the battlefield, they really did encounter two Japanese soldiers who weren't feigning death, but were actually unconscious.

After being stabbed in the throat, they suddenly began to struggle for life: their mouths making gurgling sounds, their bodies sitting up abruptly, their hands clutching tightly at their throats, their eyes wide open, as if unable to believe the fact that their throats had been stabbed.

The Japanese soldier's death throes frightened the militiaman who had just stabbed him. Company Commander Liu Hua, seeing this, quickly walked over and looked at the Japanese soldier, whose blood was still gushing from his throat no matter how hard he tried to cover it.

He said to all the militiamen in the company, "Everyone be careful and make sure to give every Japanese soldier a final stab.

They are too cunning! This Japanese soldier doesn't even have any wounds on his body. He must have taken some blood from the Japanese soldiers next to him and smeared it on his face and body to disguise himself as a corpse."

"Understood, Company Commander!" the militiamen around him all replied loudly.

While the Sixth and Seventh Companies of the Security First Regiment began to clear the battlefield, Ye Tianshi and the others began to redeploy in the area where they had just used directional mines.

The Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Companies behind them were still fighting the Japanese, and they could see from a distance that the Japanese had been completely surrounded and were only putting up a final desperate struggle.

Just then, First Company Commander Feng Ruili reported: "A Japanese tank force of twelve tanks is crossing the river, requesting instructions!"

Gu Xiuming immediately asked, "Sixth Company Commander! Has the battlefield been cleared?"

Ye Tianshi looked at the road covered in corpses and immediately reported, "The Japanese soldiers in the ambush area of the Sixth and Seventh Companies have been completely annihilated, but the corpses have not yet been removed."

Gu Xiuming immediately ordered the First Company Commander: "Company Commander Feng! Company Commander Hou! Open fire as soon as the Japanese enter the encirclement!

Don't let them enter the positions of the Sixth and Seventh Companies."

"Yes! Open fire as soon as the Japanese enter the encirclement!" Feng Ruili replied loudly.

"Yes! Open fire as soon as the Japanese enter the encirclement!" Hou Junnan also replied.

The two company commanders, having received their orders, immediately relayed them to the two company commanders of the Security Regiment who were fighting alongside their companies: "All companies prepare, attack on command after the Japanese enter the encirclement."

Feng Ruili said over the radio, "Our company will target the first and second tanks in the first round, and Company Commander Hou, you will target the last two tanks. Company Commander Zhao Shu, you will target the third tank, and Company Commander Qian, you will target the fourth tank."

Hou Junnan's Second Company and the Security Regiment's Second Company were on the other side of the road, so they needed to communicate via radio.

"Okay! You take the first six, and we'll take the last six!" Hou Junnan added.

Each company in the regular regiment of the Lunan Detachment had two infantry guns and three rocket launchers, which were the best weapons for taking out tanks.

Company Commander Feng Ruili, for safety's sake, ordered that only the tanks at the front and rear be targeted in the first strike.

By taking out the front and rear, it would take more time for the tanks in the middle to turn around or break through.

This would give them more time and opportunities to strike the other tanks.

The militiamen of the Security Regiment had just watched so many Japanese vehicles pass by, and after carefully counting, they estimated that at least a thousand Japanese soldiers had passed.

The men of the First and Second Companies of the Security Regiment listened to the sounds of explosions and machine gun fire coming from behind, and looked at the rising smoke in that direction.

They were uneasy, not knowing what the situation was like behind them. Now, seeing the Japanese tanks coming, they became even more nervous.

A regiment of the Security Regiment only had five infantry guns, and a company only had two rocket launchers.

Company Commander Feng Ruili had seen their equipment, and Company Commander Zhao Shu's Security First Company and Company Commander Qian Jia's Security Second Company each had one gun.

It seemed that these two companies were the main force of the Sishui Security First Regiment, which was why they were given the task of taking out a tank.

Company Commander Zhao Shu became nervous after receiving the task. Although he was a company commander, this was the first time he had actually participated in combat against the Japanese.

In the past, they had fought bandits, but everyone said that the Japanese were much more formidable than bandits.

Company Commander Zhao said to the gunner in the company, "Brother Hao! Company Commander Feng ordered us to take out the third Japanese tank.

The reputation of our Security Regiment rests on your shoulders today. Aim carefully and fire well.

Don't panic. You always hit the target during practice, and this time will be the same.

Strive for a one-shot kill and blow the Japanese into the sky. If you blow up the Japanese tank, I'll slaughter my old hen and treat you to a drink when we get back!"

Hao Shou smiled and said, "Okay! Company Commander, you just slaughter the chicken, and I'm definitely having that drink! Today, it's only seven hundred meters from here to the road, which is not as far as our usual training distance.

Don't worry, Company Commander! This is like catching a turtle in a jar—a sure thing."

There were also two men in the First Company who were armed with rocket launchers. Zhao Shu said, "The two of you are the same, fire well. Whoever hits the target, we'll all have a drink and eat chicken together."

The other militiamen, hearing that there was nothing for them to do, gradually calmed down their agitated hearts.

Company Commander Zhao Shu said to the others, "The rest of us, everyone prepare. If the Japanese soldiers run out of the tanks, open fire immediately.

Also, as you can see, the turrets of those Japanese tanks are all open, and there are Japanese soldiers sticking their heads out to observe.

When they fire the cannons later, we'll all aim at those Japanese soldiers with half their bodies exposed.

We'll send half their bodies into the ground."

His words immediately made all the militiamen in the company laugh. Pan Zhong asked, "Company Commander! Which tank do we shoot at?"

Zhao Shu thought for a moment and then said, "The first three tanks all have cannons firing at them, so we don't need to worry about them.

We have three platoons in our company. Everyone in the first platoon will shoot at the Japanese soldier sticking his body out of the fourth tank, everyone in the second platoon will shoot at the fifth tank, and everyone in the third platoon will shoot at the sixth tank."

With this arrangement, everyone in the company had a task, and everyone became excited, looking eagerly at the tanks still on the pontoon bridge, hoping that the Japanese tanks would come over quickly.

Zhao Shu positioned himself correctly, and after making the arrangements, he specifically sent a messenger to report his arrangements to Company Commander Feng Ruili.

Company Commander Feng Ruili was full of praise when he heard his arrangement and immediately ordered, "The three platoons of the First Company will also aim and fire at the Japanese soldiers sticking their bodies out of the tanks on the first three tanks."

This was to supplement the cannon bombardment. Accidents were everywhere on the battlefield. Except for the brigade commander, who could guarantee never missing, no one dared to guarantee that they could really hit the target with one shot.

Company Commander Feng Ruili also informed Company Commander Hou Junnan of his arrangements via radio.

"This is a good idea!" Like hitting a child on a rainy day, it's better than being idle.

The soldiers of the Second Company, except for a few gunners and rocket launchers, were originally idle and could only watch others attack the tanks.

Now, giving everyone a target allowed everyone to participate. His arrangements were similar to Zhao Shu's: the three platoons of the Second Company would each aim at a Japanese soldier on a tank.

The Second Company of the Security Regiment was the same, with each platoon aiming at a Japanese soldier on a tank, with each platoon assigned a target.

This task was a must-complete task for each platoon. The task was simple and clear: if only the Japanese soldier on the tank that their platoon was responsible for was still alive after the first round of gunfire, the platoon leader would be too ashamed to show his face.

The platoon leaders of each platoon gave orders to the fifty-plus men in their platoons: "Aim carefully and fire well! All fifty people in the platoon, fifty guns, look in the same direction, think in the same direction, and work together.

We must kill the Japanese soldier in the first round of gunfire. If the brother platoons have all killed the Japanese soldiers, and our target is still alive, it would be too embarrassing."

Each platoon leader had the same idea, and although the words they said to the soldiers in their platoons were different, the meaning was similar.

No one wanted to lose face or be a drag at this time.

Sergeant Major Yan You Yizhen was the commander of the number one tank in the entire tank squadron. The weather was hot, and the inside of the tank was completely an oven.

Ever since it left Xuzhou, it had been sitting at the entrance of the tank, enjoying the wind and the cool, which was much better than the days of the driver, loader, and gunner inside the tank.

Those three Japanese soldiers also wanted to come up to catch some wind, but Yan You Yizhen was the commander, and it had more power. The other three Japanese soldiers couldn't compete.

They had no choice but to continue suffering in the oven-like tank.

Sergeant Major Yan You Yizhen had seen a lot of smoke rising in this direction from afar on the other side of the Yi River.

It thought that this might be the smoke produced by the people burning straw after harvesting rice, and it didn't think that the Yamada Yusuke Infantry Battalion in front had been attacked.

In the eyes of these Japanese soldiers, an infantry battalion would never be attacked.

Squadron Leader Ruimu Cangqiong of the tank squadron was also sitting on the top of a tank. It was sitting in the fifth tank, watching the first tank in front had landed, and the tanks behind it had not yet reached the pontoon bridge.

A trace of worry appeared in its heart: it was afraid of being attacked at this time.

Ruimu Cangqiong gestured to the tank in front, and Commander Yan You Yizhen understood.

After its tank landed, it found a slightly higher place to stop, and it also looked around, preparing to be on guard.

After the second tank landed, it also stopped in another direction, and the turret slowly moved, as if patrolling the area, which was very impressive.

The first two tanks occupied the high ground and established a defense, which made Squadron Leader Ruimu Cangqiong feel much relieved.

The several companies of the Lunan Detachment, ambushed five hundred meters away, saw the Japanese tanks suddenly stop after landing and no longer move forward.

The hearts of hundreds of soldiers all tensed up, and even commanders like Company Commander Feng Ruili couldn't figure it out: could it be that their ambush had been exposed?

All the Japanese tanks had crossed the river and stopped on the bank, and behind them were twelve oil trucks, which were also slowly approaching the pontoon bridge.

Squadron Leader Ruimu Cangqiong ordered: "Tanks one and two, be on guard. All other tanks, get out of the cars and rest, and refuel the tanks."

The Japanese soldiers who received the order were all happy. They had been suffocating in the tanks for a long time, and they were already dizzy from the heat. Now the captain was considerate and let them get out of the cars and rest.

How could these Japanese soldiers not be happy? They immediately turned off the engines of the tanks, and climbed out, one by one running to the Yi River to cool off.

They did not forget to bring buckets and basins when they went. When they came back, they filled a bucket of water and a basin of water to add water to the tank engines, and they splashed water on the outside of the tanks.

They also gathered some branches from the surrounding area and inserted them into the tanks. This could always block the light and reduce the temperature inside the tanks.

Company Commander Feng Ruili and the others in the distance finally understood: the Japanese soldiers stopped moving to rest for a while.

Company Commander Feng immediately regretted it. If the Japanese soldiers were in the ambush circle, wouldn't they have been able to completely capture the remaining tanks by taking out the two tanks on guard?

Unfortunately, it was too late now, and the soldiers of the four companies all watched helplessly as the Japanese soldiers frolicked a few hundred meters outside the ambush circle.

It was like having meat in their mouths, but never being able to put it in, which was heartbreaking.

Company Commander Feng Ruili immediately ordered the two companies of the Security First Regiment: "Tell everyone to stay where they are and strictly prohibit random movements.

Don't attract the attention of the Japanese soldiers. Exposing your target at this time is extremely detrimental to us."

The two sides were now eight hundred meters apart. If the target was exposed at this time, it would be the best distance for the Japanese tanks to show their power, and the several companies here would not be able to deal with the Japanese soldiers.

There really was someone in the Security First Company who wanted to sneak over and attack the Japanese soldiers in advance.

Company Commander Zhao Shu stopped him loudly: "Company Commander Feng just relayed the order that everyone's battle positions should remain unchanged.

Patiently wait for the Japanese soldiers to walk into the trap. Now is not the time for us to take the initiative to attack.

Everyone, take a look at the people around you, and make sure that nothing happens to anyone at this time. Anyone who runs out to fight alone at this time, although not a traitor, is doing the same thing as a traitor.

They are all sending messages to the Japanese soldiers, reminding them to prepare early!"

Company Commander Zhao said sternly, and those in the company who had other ideas heard that what he said was serious, putting disobeying orders in the same serious position as traitors.

They didn't dare to have any other thoughts anymore. Besides, the whole company was watching each other now, and no one dared to move rashly.

This Security Regiment of theirs was not as strict as the regular army during training, and the requirements for discipline were not high. Many people relied on the fact that they were young, but their seniority in the village was high, and they always liked to show off their qualifications as elders.

Today, this is not the place to show off seniority.

Regimental Commander Gu Xiuming had been waiting in the rear for so long, and he hadn't heard the sound of fighting from the front.

He immediately inquired about the situation via radio and learned that the Japanese tank force was resting and refueling on the bank after crossing the Yi River.

He was relieved and ordered Company Commander Feng Ruili: "Be calm and wait for the Japanese soldiers to enter the encirclement before attacking.

Don't panic! The Japanese soldiers' destination is Huangtuling, and they have already traveled most of the way. They will always enter the encirclement after refueling and resting.

Tell the people in each company to hide well. At this time, they must not be exposed!"

If the Japanese soldiers drove straight in, advancing like the infantry battalion just now, even if there were some flaws in the ambush, the Japanese soldiers would ignore them during the rapid advance.

Only in this situation, where the Japanese soldiers actually stopped in one place, could they always find clues if they looked carefully.

Now, Company Commander Feng Ruili had to be grateful that Commander Gu had set the ambush positions for the First and Second Companies so far away when deciding on the ambush location.

At a distance of eight hundred meters, even if the Japanese soldiers were paying attention, they would only be able to see a rough outline, making it difficult to spot any flaws.

In fact, after soaking in the Yi River and cooling off, Squadron Leader Ruimu Cangqiong really stood on top of the tank and used binoculars to carefully observe the direction of the First and Second Companies for a long time.

It was just looking in this direction, mainly to see how much further it was to reach the destination.

In addition, it was looking at the smoke and dust that it had seen in the distance, which had now dissipated a lot, trying to find the origin of the smoke and dust.

Under the scorching sun, everything in its eyes had a distorted appearance due to the steaming moisture, and Squadron Leader Ruimu Cangqiong didn't actually see anything.

However, it still ordered that two tanks be replaced to serve as sentries, and tanks number one and two were turned off, and the Japanese soldiers inside the tanks went to the river to cool off.

The oil trucks following behind the tank squadron also drove up to refuel each tank. They had traveled nearly fifty kilometers and should refuel, and these tanks were very cooperative today, and none of them broke down on the road.

Squadron Leader Ruimu Cangqiong felt very gratified.

Its Japanese soldiers ran back and forth to the river to fetch water, pouring bucket after bucket onto the iron shells of the tanks.

When the first bucket of water was poured on, they could hear the scorching iron shell making a "chi!" sound, followed by a burst of heat.

Only after pouring several buckets of water would these iron shells cool down, and the inside of the tanks would not be as hot as before.

Unfortunately, good days always pass very quickly. After half an hour, Squadron Leader Ruimu Cangqiong ordered: "Depart!"

Its Japanese soldiers in the squadron immediately proceeded in the same order as when they departed. Those trucks loaded with oil drums fell behind the tanks again.

Sergeant Major Yan You Yizhen was still sitting on the entrance of the tank cover as before, swaying forward with the shaking of the tank.

All twelve tanks in the entire tank squadron were the same, with qualified Japanese soldiers sticking out most of their bodies, sitting outside the tanks, enjoying the wind, and hurrying on their way to Huangtuling.

Company Commander Feng Ruili and the others had been staring at these Japanese soldiers, watching them finally start to get on the tanks, start them, and set off.

The hearts of nearly seven hundred people in the four companies all relaxed: the Japanese soldiers were finally coming.

Company Commander Feng Ruili issued an order: "Each company identify your target, and the first Japanese tank will advance to the jujube tree tied with a red scarf and open fire."

The Japanese soldiers were still four hundred meters away from where he said, and Company Commander Feng was giving the gunners a preliminary preparation time.

Yan You Yizhen, who had just enjoyed the coolness in the Yi River, suddenly began to sing a little tune from his hometown.

The scenery here was similar to his hometown, with plains and rice fields, and it was just after the rice had been harvested, and the air had the smell of harvest.

One Japanese soldier started, and the Japanese soldiers behind him began to join in, and the sound of wailing sometimes drowned out the roar of the tank engines.

"This is very good! Very good!" Squadron Leader Ruimu Cangqiong was very satisfied with these Japanese soldiers under his command.

Before going down to the river, the entire tank squadron was lifeless, and the Japanese soldiers sitting outside were all drowsy. Where were they like now, with each Japanese soldier tearing open his throat and shouting, looking very energetic.

Hao Shou asked, "Company Commander! What are they doing?"

Zhao Shu couldn't understand Japanese, but he was a company commander, and he had to answer questions from his soldiers.

So he said, "The Japanese soldiers are wailing! They feel like they are going to die, and they are summoning their souls in advance!"

Hao Shou listened to the company commander while nervously adjusting the direction of the muzzle.

Zhao Shu was really unsure in his heart, and he asked, "Hao Shou! Do you have confidence!"

Hao Shou smiled and said, "Company Commander! Don't worry, just slaughter the chicken! Company Commander Feng said just now that they will fire when the first Japanese tank reaches the jujube tree tied with a red scarf.

I am estimating the position of the third Japanese tank at that time and adjusting it in advance, so that when the time comes, I only need to adjust it slightly to fire."

"Why don't I feel at ease in my heart?" Zhao Shu asked himself in his heart.

Qian Jia, the Second Company Commander, was also unsure in his heart. Although there were actually three people in their two companies who attacked the tanks, they just couldn't feel at ease.

Company Commander Feng Ruili didn't have much to worry about. To be safe, he had assigned all five 92 infantry guns and three rocket launchers in the entire company.

Three infantry guns and one rocket launcher attacked the first tank, and two infantry guns and two rocket launchers attacked the second tank. Calculated in this way, there were four people attacking each tank, and even if one or two missed, the Japanese tanks would not be able to escape.

Not to mention, they still had a backup plan: directional mines were also in this area. However, it would depend on the situation whether to order them to be used or not.

If the Japanese tanks were really missed, of course they would have to be used.

The Japanese soldiers were only one hundred meters away from the target position!

The hundreds of soldiers in the four companies all held their breath, each soldier looked out from the sight, aiming at his target, just waiting for Company Commander Feng's order.