Chapter 1 The Fall of Tianjia'an

Uehara Takuto was the artillery company commander under the garrison commander, who had just covered Kaminoe Yūsuke's escape to the station.

Uehara Takuto's artillery company had abandoned all its cannons and rushed over with some light weapons.

The Japanese devils under him were scattered in the bunkers around the station. Kaminoe Yūsuke had sent more than thirty Japanese devils to organize a group of workers to repair the railway, hoping to escape from here as soon as the railway was repaired.

He ordered Company Commander Uehara Takuto, "You! Immediately order all the warriors to carefully guard every bunker.

The Empire is watching them, and I am watching them. Their every move is related to the future of the Empire."

"Hai!" Company Commander Uehara Takuto answered at attention. He didn't run far, just went next door to make a phone call.

At this time, he didn't dare to be too far away from the commander, fearing that the commander would abandon him when he left.

The brigade commander, Kukitani Shunsuke, was really too bad. When he escaped, he actually ordered himself to hold on.

After he escaped, in order to prevent the Special Operations Brigade from chasing him, he even had to destroy the railway, which made it impossible for Commander Kaminoe Yūsuke to leave.

Squad Leader Tanaka Zaemon, who received the call, expressed very excitedly: "This humble subordinate will definitely lead the team to hold the position and be shattered together with the bunker, without retreating a single step."

Hearing the squad leader's statement, Company Commander Uehara Takuto was very pleased and asked, "What is the situation at the front?"

"Reporting to the company commander! The front is calm. We repelled an attack by the National Army ten minutes ago.

They didn't dare to organize another team to attack."

This was good news!

Just then, Company Commander Uehara Takuto heard a loud "bang!" from the microphone.

It sounded like a door being kicked open violently.

Immediately afterward, there was a "hissing" sound like a snake spitting out its tongue.

Accompanying it were the horrified shouts of many Japanese devils: "Demolition charge!"

Tanaka Zaemon stared blankly at the iron door that was suddenly kicked open, looking at the demolition charge whose fuse had burned to the end.

For a moment, he couldn't say anything, couldn't give any orders, his whole body was completely occupied by fear, unable to move.

"Boom!"

…

After the last explosion, there was only the "crackling" sound of electricity in the microphone.

Another bunker was blown up by the National Army.

The hand holding the microphone trembled. His mind was racing: the front was calm, so where did this demolition charge come from?

He couldn't figure it out. Soon, Company Commander Uehara Takuto calmed down and continued to call the other bunkers.

Some bunkers could no longer be reached by phone, and when some bunkers were connected, Company Commander Uehara Takuto only ordered them to hold on.

He didn't dare to ask any more about the situation at the front, he was afraid of hearing another explosion.

Chen Sichuan saw that seven bunkers in the southwest of the station had been blown up, and immediately ordered: "Company Commander Wu! Charge up!"

Company Commander Wu Long of the Second Company received the order and immediately led his team to charge up. When they charged for the first time,

They were suppressed by the crossfire from the Japanese devils in the bunkers and had to retreat.

This time, the firing holes of the seven bunkers in front were all emitting gunpowder smoke. When his company charged, they didn't encounter any firepower interception at all.

Charging up from here, Wu Long immediately led his team to continue the charge towards the inside of the station.

His target was the station platform and the office building.

Company Commander Uehara Takuto, who had not finished making the calls, heard the sound of gunfire outside the building.

He was so frightened that he quickly glanced outside: on both sides of the square outside the window, two teams of the National Army were charging towards the building he was in, close to the wall.

He couldn't bother to continue calling to order the Japanese devils to hold on, threw down the phone and rushed to the dispatch room where Commander Kaminoe Yūsuke was.

He hadn't even shouted the words "Report" when Commander Kaminoe Yūsuke waved his hand to signal him not to speak.

Commander Kaminoe Yūsuke was reporting to Commander Terauchi Hisaichi of the North China Front Army: "Tianjia'an has fallen! The Independent Mixed Tenth Brigade retreated before the battle, abandoned friendly forces, and destroyed the railway, leading the National Army's main force to follow closely, and the entire defense line was breached.

This humble subordinate is reporting to the commander at Tianjia'an Railway Station. The gunfire outside the window is fierce, and Tianjia'an is about to fall!"

Terauchi Hisaichi never expected that Tianjia'an, which he had specially sent an independent mixed brigade to defend, would be lost so quickly.

The coal mines in this place were marked by the Imperial General Headquarters, and the Empire had put a lot of effort into this place.

Even ordinary overseas Chinese had sent tens of thousands there. Tianjia'an was lost in just a few days. What would happen to those ordinary overseas Chinese?

He asked loudly: "What about the coal and overseas Chinese in Tianjia'an?"

"All the overseas Chinese voluntarily joined the Mining Protection Team and have all been shattered in the battle with the National Army.

The coal here…"

Commander Kaminoe Yūsuke looked at the mountains of coal and said with a bitter tone: "The coal here is piled up like mountains, at least 100,000 tons."

Unfortunately, all of this had nothing to do with him, or with the Empire!

When Terauchi Hisaichi heard that there were still 100,000 tons of coal that had been dug out and not transported out, he roared: "Hold on! Hold on, no matter what, you must transport that coal out!"

Tens of thousands of overseas Chinese voluntarily joined the Mining Protection Team and all died, but he didn't express any condolences. When he heard that there were still 100,000 tons of coal that hadn't been transported out, he was really anxious.

Just then, there was a burst of intensive gunfire from the microphone: "Pa! Pa! Pa!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Terauchi Hisaichi's roar went unanswered. Terauchi Hisaichi, unwilling to give up, continued to roar into the microphone: "Kaminoe Yūsuke! You must transport that coal out.

The Empire's industry needs it, the Empire's people need it, and the Empire's army needs it."

"We also need coal! The Special Operations Brigade has taken this batch of coal!" A clear voice came from the microphone.

"Who are you?" Terauchi Hisaichi was shocked.

"I am the one who will kill you!" the person on the other side replied.

"Where is Kaminoe Yūsuke? Let him answer the phone!" Terauchi Hisaichi roared.

"He is dead, and you can go to hell with him to talk!" The voice on the other side was very calm.

"Idiot!" Terauchi Hisaichi roared and threw the microphone heavily on the ground.

The microphone shattered into pieces, scattered all over the floor. His guards trembled outside the door, not daring to peek in.

Even though the Second Company had occupied the Tianjia'an Railway Station building and killed the Japanese devil commander Kaminoe Yūsuke,

The Japanese devils guarding in the bunkers were still stubbornly resisting. The Special Operations Brigade did not take prisoners, so it would not issue any surrender orders.

What the Special Operations Brigade did was to use force to send these Japanese devils to hell.

At this time, Chen Sichuan was completely able to trust these new soldiers who had just joined.

He ordered: "First and Third Companies, each platoon, attack through the back doors of the bunkers according to the roads pointed out by the new soldiers.

Second Company, search the station office building!"

While the three companies of the First Regiment of the Special Operations Brigade were clearing out the last of the Japanese devils at the railway station,

The remaining companies were also searching in various places in Tianjia'an Town, looking for fleeing Japanese devils and traitors.

The Sixteenth Regiment of the Special Operations Brigade, led by Regiment Commander Tang Youwei, had already entered the various mine entrances of the Tianjia'an Coal Mine with the help of the villagers.

The task of the Sixteenth Regiment was to protect the coal mine. In such a chaotic time, it was necessary to protect the mine shafts of the various coal mines to prevent them from being destroyed by Japanese devils and traitors.

Feng Junya's Eighth Regiment also slowly drove into Tianjia'an. According to Lin Fan's order, after his regiment entered Tianjia'an, they were to immediately establish artillery positions and conduct various parameter tests facing the Xuzhou direction.

Preparing to bomb the Japanese devils who might come to attack from the Xuzhou direction.

The battle in the Tianjia'an direction had temporarily come to an end.

In another direction: the Lunnan Detachment's encirclement and aid-fighting was in tense preparation.

The Second Regiment of the Lunnan Detachment had arrived at Huangtuling, and the task of surrounding Huangtuling could finally be taken over by Regiment Commander Hua Deze's Second Regiment.

This also made Gu Xiuming breathe a sigh of relief. In just one day, if the Fukagawa Hiroshi Brigade, which was surrounded on Huangtuling, desperately broke through, Gu Xiuming really wasn't sure whether the First Regiment of the Feixian Security Forces could withstand it.

Regiment Commander Song Guoan, who had completed the task, did not leave Huangtuling even though his regiment had handed over the defense line.

According to Regiment Commander Gu Xiuming's order, the First Regiment of the Feixian Security Forces was to assist in the battle here as a reserve team for Hua Deze's regiment.

At Gu Xiuming's First Regiment, the Second Regiment of the Feixian Security Forces and the Second Regiment of the Sishui Security Forces had arrived last night.

Regiment Commander Zhang Xiuru of the Second Regiment of the Feixian Security Forces and Regiment Commander Zhao Zheng of the Second Regiment of the Sishui Security Forces were now enviously looking at Regiment Commander Tian Huacai, envying his regiment's infantry guns and heavy machine guns, machine guns that had just been equipped today.

The number of heavy machine guns and machine guns in the First Regiment of the Sishui Security Forces was already the same as that of Gu Xiuming's First Regiment.

Such equipment made Regiment Commander Zhang and Regiment Commander Zhao salivate.

Their eager eyes turned to Gu Xiuming. Regiment Commander Zhang stared at him and said, "Old Regiment Commander! You can't be biased!

Old Tian used to be a soldier under you, and so are we!

If you give him meat, you have to let us drink some soup!"

Zhao Zheng was also fighting for it: "Regiment Commander! Everyone should be treated equally! Old Tian has added so many machine guns and heavy machine guns at once, the soldiers will definitely not be able to operate them well.

Our Second Regiment can help share three of them. Our Second Regiment of the Sishui Security Forces only needs three heavy machine guns!

Besides! Regiment Commander! My regiment and Old Tian's First Regiment are both in Sishui. Giving them to us makes no difference. The meat is still in the pot.

Don't you think so?"

Regiment Commander Tian Huacai couldn't hold back any longer. The face that had been about to crack with laughter when he was showing off in front of his comrades suddenly turned serious.

He said loudly: "This is what we snatched from the Japanese devils on the battlefield.

If you have the ability, ask the regiment commander for it. Don't you dare go and rob the Japanese devils?"

Zhao Zheng sneered: "Old Tian! I don't like hearing what you said! You were lucky to run into Japanese devils!

We just got here. If we want to fight Japanese devils, there have to be Japanese devils coming!

When you were fighting the Japanese devils, you only cared about your own pleasure and didn't leave a single Japanese devil for us.

Now where are we going to find Japanese devils to fight?

Land scraping!"

Gu Xiuming laughed: "If you want to fight Japanese devils, scrape the land first!"

The two newly arrived regiment commanders didn't understand what he meant, and looked at Gu Xiuming with puzzled eyes: "We'll do whatever the old regiment commander tells us to do! As long as we can lure the Japanese devils over."

Gu Xiuming said with a smile: "You two, don't try to provoke me! After the last battle, this is the only existing pontoon bridge within dozens of miles up and down the Yi River.

If the Japanese devils want to go to Huangtuling, they have to go from here.

Today we killed so many Japanese devils, and their blood has polluted this road.

If we don't scrape away this polluted soil, the subsequent Japanese devil troops will immediately notice something wrong tomorrow.

What if they don't enter our encirclement?

Our two regiments have been scraping soil for quite some time. The soldiers have also fought three battles in a row. Although you two regiments have worked hard to get here, can you hold on a little longer?"

"Hehe! Not hard! Not hard! Regiment Commander! We're not working hard.

Are there really Japanese devils behind us?" The faces of the two regiment commanders broke into smiles.

"The plane has scouted: there is another battalion of Japanese devils and two regiments of puppet troops behind us," Gu Xiuming said with a smile.

"Regiment Commander! My regiment and Old Zhao's regiment will take care of these Japanese devils and puppet troops behind us. You've worked hard fighting today, so don't participate.

Let our two regiments do the scraping. Old Tian, you've worked hard, so take the First Regiment and go rest!"

Regiment Commander Tian Huacai said with a smile: "You two are like rats. You stop making trouble as soon as you hear that Japanese devils are coming.

Be careful! The First Regiment won't rob you of tomorrow's spoils. Regiment Commander Gu said that an infantry regiment can't all be machine guns and heavy machine guns.

It's not good to just be 'tututu' all the time."

No matter what the two second regiment commanders said, the four regiments finished scraping the land together.

In the morning, the four regiment commanders specially inspected the cleaned area carefully twice, and only after confirming that there was no trace of a battle could be seen did they feel relieved.

This time, even though the two newly arrived second regiments strongly requested to fire the first shot, Gu Xiuming still did not agree.

The main fighting force today was still the two first regiments. His main consideration was that the two newly arrived second regiments had not participated in a battle against a Japanese devil infantry battalion.

They still needed to adapt. As for the First Regiment of the Sishui Security Forces, it was different. Yesterday, they fought alongside his own First Regiment and could be considered to have been emboldened on the battlefield.

The soldiers of the First Regiment of the Security Forces had personally participated in and won the victory, so they were already considered veteran soldiers, which was completely different from the two second regiments.

Although they felt a little aggrieved, Regiment Commander Zhao Zheng of the Second Regiment of the Sishui Security Forces and Regiment Commander Zhang Xiuru of the Second Regiment of the Feixian Security Forces could only obey Regiment Commander Gu's arrangements.

The twelve companies of the Second Regiment of the Sishui Security Forces, in coordination with the twelve companies of the First Regiment of the Sishui Security Forces, guarded the right bank of the Yi River.

After the battle on the left bank of the Yi River began, what they needed to do was to stop the puppet troops who fell behind so that they could not escape.

The militiamen of the First and Second Regiments of the Sishui Security Forces all knew each other. Some were even brothers or fathers and sons. Brothers fight best in a family, and fathers and sons fight best in battle!

The twelve companies of the Second Regiment of the Feixian Security Forces, paired with Gu Xiuming's First Regiment, ambushed on the left bank of the Yi River. They would not begin to attack until the Japanese devils and puppet troops coming from Xuzhou had all entered the encirclement.

Their task was to annihilate the Japanese devil infantry battalion that was charging at the front. They had to treat the Japanese devils like the autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, without showing any mercy.

On the other hand, the two puppet army infantry regiments behind could still be salvaged. Those who were willing to follow the Lunnan Detachment to resist Japan would stay, and those who were incorrigible would be sent away!

Captain Yamada Kinonosuke of the Independent Mixed Seventeenth Mixed Brigade received a telegram from Brigade Commander Kukitani Shunsuke asking him where he had arrived.

He quickly responded! Then he did not receive any further telegrams from Brigade Commander Kukitani Shunsuke.

He felt a little uneasy, fearing that Brigade Commander Kukitani Shunsuke was dissatisfied with the speed of his team's advance.

Therefore, he made the entire team continue to march for two hours after the sun went down.

Only then did he agree to the entire army setting up camp to rest. Captain Yamada Kinonosuke gathered his company commanders and the two puppet army regiment commanders in his temporary headquarters for a meeting.

Pointing to Huangtuling on the map, he said: "Gentlemen! We are now eighty miles away from Huangtuling.

We must arrive by tomorrow afternoon! Does anyone have any good ideas?"

As soon as he finished speaking, puppet army regiment commander Huan Anran stood up and said: "Sir! It is really too hot now, and the brothers under my command are fainting as they walk.

If we walk like this for another day tomorrow, I am afraid that the brothers will mutiny."

With such a trailblazer, company commander Miki Juro of the Japanese devils also stood up and said: "Captain! It is not that the warriors are unwilling to speed up, but the weather here is too uncomfortable.

It is so stuffy and hot, especially at noon, marching under the sun, even the warriors cannot bear it!

Today, five of my company fainted. If we continue like this tomorrow, even more warriors will faint."

The Japanese devils present all echoed, expressing their agreement with company commander Miki Juro's speech.

Looking at this group of subordinates who were in an uproar, Captain Yamada Kinonosuke already felt: "These thoughts are chaotic, this team is difficult to lead!"

"Um~um~" He cleared his throat, and all the Japanese devils and puppet troops present knew that the captain was about to speak.

They all quieted down at once, and all eyes were focused on Captain Yamada Kinonosuke.

Captain Yamada Kinonosuke was satisfied when he saw that the whole place was quiet: these subordinates still gave him face.

He said loudly: "I understand the difficulties that everyone has mentioned! I also walked with everyone today.

The weather is hot, and there is no shade or wind on the road.

The warriors have suffered!

But think about the Fukagawa Hiroshi Brigade that is surrounded on Huangtuling. They are in the encirclement of the National Army.

They are constantly being bombarded by the National Army's artillery fire, and they are constantly fighting.

They are fighting under the same sun, and they have to pay with blood and life.

Gentlemen! We cannot slack off!

The brigade commander has fully considered the difficulties we are encountering, so he has extended the time of arrival at Huangtuling by half a day.

We are not here to complain, but to discuss how to arrive at Huangtuling before six o'clock tomorrow afternoon."

Company commander Miki Juro looked at the map and said: "Eighty miles, it will take at least sixteen hours to walk.

In this weather, the sun comes out like a steamer, and the marching speed will be greatly reduced.

If we want to speed up, we can only march overnight!"

Another puppet army regiment commander, Song Cai, immediately opposed: "We have already walked in the sun all day, and we have walked for so long after dark.

The brothers fall asleep as soon as they lie down. At this time, even if you kill them, you can't wake them up."

What he said was the truth! The Japanese devils present all knew how difficult it was for the Japanese devils under their command to walk during the day.

Their clothes were soaked with sweat, and they could have been wrung out to drink long ago.

The Japanese devils present all knew that the best way was to set off early, rest at noon, and then travel again after the sun went down.

When company commander Kobayashi Takeo saw that no one was speaking anymore, he stood up and said:

"The weather is hot, and we really can't rush on the road like this tomorrow.

I propose that we get up at four o'clock tomorrow morning and start marching, and rest at eleven o'clock in the morning.

Continue marching at five o'clock in the afternoon, and rush to Huangtuling overnight tomorrow."

"In this case, it is impossible to arrive at Huangtuling before six o'clock in the afternoon." Captain Yamada Kinonosuke had a strong opinion of this proposal.

"There is already a mechanized infantry battalion, a cavalry battalion, and a tank company ahead of us.

Even if our infantry team arrives a few hours late, it will not damage the overall situation.

It will not have any impact on the overall situation!" Company commander Ninomiya Uemon stood up.

His analysis was very reasonable, and Captain Yamada Kinonosuke could not refute it.

The company commanders of these Japanese devils present, plus the two puppet army regiment commanders, all agreed to this marching plan.

Looking at these subordinates present, who seemed to be completely taking over his power,

Captain Yamada Kinonosuke had no choice but to compromise. If he did not give in again, he was afraid that he would not be able to lead this team.

He stood up, leaned his body slightly forward in a domineering manner, showing his momentum, and swept his gaze over the company commanders present one by one.

Until the entire headquarters was silent, he paused for a while before speaking:

"Since everyone has this opinion, tomorrow we will call up all the soldiers at three thirty, and eat dry food for half an hour.

Set off on time at four o'clock, and take advantage of the cool night to speed up the march. Find a place to rest from eleven o'clock to four o'clock in the afternoon, and continue marching after four o'clock!

When marching in the early morning, we must be stricter with the soldiers, and we must be brave in punishing disobedient soldiers.

Tomorrow morning I will send out a supervision team. Anyone who is slow in marching will be dealt with according to military law. If anyone deliberately faints, they will be shot on the spot!"

The officers present heard that the captain agreed to rest at noon, and they would finally not have to march under the scorching sun.

They had just breathed a sigh of relief, but then they heard that the captain was going to send out a supervision team to maintain the marching speed.

At first, they were a little nervous, but then they thought: it is cooler in the morning, so it is right to march a little faster.

As for those old scalawags in the team, they are like donkeys pulling a mill. If you don't whip them hard, their speed will not increase.

Understanding this, the Japanese devil officers and the two puppet army regiment commanders in the entire headquarters finally reached a consensus.

Although these officers had warhorses to ride during the day, the sweat they shed was not less than that of ordinary soldiers. It was almost nine o'clock now.

They had to get up at three thirty, so they had to seize the time to rest for a while.