In a dilapidated house in the Shuangmiao, the horse lanterns hanging on the walls swayed with the rumbling of artillery in the distance, and in the dim light, Wang Zanbin, the commander of the 174th Division with a haggard face, was attached to the unrolled map and frowned. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info

The successive fall of the positions of Yunzaohama and Oba Town put the defenders in a very passive situation, and now all the divisions have suffered heavy losses and have become exhausted divisions.

Although the Third Theater had already issued an order to block the attack step by step, and all units would withdraw to the Wufu defense fortifications in the rear in turn to continue to resist, in the face of the fierce Japanese army, the difficulty of blocking was beyond imagination, and it was very likely to turn into a major rout.

Their 174th Division and the Gui Army were responsible for blocking the Japanese army on the Jiangqiao-Shuangmiao line on the north bank of the Suzhou Creek and covering the withdrawal of the main force to the Wufu defense fortifications, but the rapid deterioration of the battlefield situation made Wang Zanbin not confident that he could hold this defensive line.

"Master, you haven't closed your eyes for two days and two nights, you better go and rest for a while, it's not good to drag your body down." The chief of staff dragged his tired body back to the division headquarters from the front line, and when he saw that it was late at night and Wang Zanbin had not yet fallen asleep, he opened his mouth to persuade him.

Wang Zanbin raised his bloodshot eyes, saw the dusty chief of staff walk in, and sighed: "The brothers on the front line are still fighting bloodily, how can I, the division commander, sleep soundly......

The attack of the Japanese troops continued day and night, the casualties of the defenders increased sharply, batches of seriously wounded were sent down, the front troops lacked, even the men went up with guns, the defense line was crumbling, how could he, as a division commander, sleep.

"How's the situation at the front?" Wang Zanbin couldn't wait for the chief of staff to sit down and take a sip of water, so he couldn't wait to ask.

The chief of staff shook his head solemnly: "The casualties of each regiment are very large, many regiments have less than three or four hundred soldiers capable of fighting, and there is a shortage of food and ammunition, many brothers have not eaten for a day, and there are only five or six bullets left in their hands......

After Wang Zanbin heard the words of the chief of staff, there was a long silence, and he walked to the window, looking at the cold light that flashed from time to time, and his heart was complicated and heavy.

It is a dereliction of duty for him as a teacher to fight bloody battles on the front line, defending this land and defending the dignity of the nation with their lives, while they have to starve until they die.

"You will go to the military headquarters in person and ask if the food and ammunition have come down, and at the same time, we, the non-combatants, will gather all the rations and send them to the front line, we can't let the brothers go hungry to fight." After being silent for a long time, Wang Zanbin turned his head and ordered.

"Yes." The chief of staff replied helplessly, and was ready to go to the military headquarters in person to ask for food and ammunition.

He didn't have much hope that he would be able to get food and ammunition support from the military headquarters, because the 700,000 troops were gathered on this battlefield, and even if their military headquarters received some supplies, and there were still friendly units such as the 170th Division and the 172nd Division waiting, it would still be a drop in the bucket to their 174th Division, and the problem of lack of ammunition and food could not be fundamentally resolved.

The chief of staff took a few steps out and turned around again: "Division, Liu Ming's supplementary regiment just now sent someone to ask for reinforcements, do you see?"

Wang Zanbin sighed helplessly: "Where are there any reinforcements now, the division guard company was pulled up yesterday, and I have no soldiers to send now, send someone to tell Liu Ming, let them grit their teeth and hold on, no matter what, they must defend the river bridge to the death, if the Japanese army breaks through the river bridge, he will not have to come back."

The chief of staff nodded, did not speak, turned and disappeared into the darkness.

……

The sky was dark and gloomy, and the bamboo forest outside the town gradually became clear in sight, the gunfire had stopped, and Jiangqiao Town was quiet again.

In the anxiety of Liu Ming, the deputy of the supplementary regiment, Yang Ling and the soldiers who took the initiative to attack returned to the town with a triumphant smile and a large number of captured weapons and equipment.

Liu Ming didn't have much hope for Yang Ling and them to take the initiative to attack, and even felt that they were going to die, because the strength of only thirty people was too weak, and the devil could reimburse them all in one infantry squad, but Liu Ming agreed that Yang Ling would take the initiative to attack in order to fight.

After Yang Ling and them attacked, although the people in the town knew that they might not be able to return, they still stretched their necks, hoping for a miracle, and the fight outside the town was fierce, they thought that Yang Ling and they were finished, and the old king was even more crying.

But what they didn't expect was that Yang Ling and they came back alive, although they were covered in blood and looked embarrassed with black faces, but they came back alive, and each of them still had countless captured weapons, ammunition and food hanging on their bodies.

The people in the town, who were originally in a low mood, were shocked at first, and their faces were full of disbelief, and then they broke out into huge cheers.

Lao Wang's eyes were a little red and swollen, seeing that Yang Ling and they really came back alive, he cried with joy, and his tears couldn't help falling again, and he hurriedly stretched out his sleeve to wipe it, which was happy.

Yang Ling and the others had originally taken a great risk to go out, but now they had returned with a full load, and everyone had a long-lost smile on their faces, looking at those who rushed over with cheers, they felt like generals who had won a battle.

"Company Commander Yang, where are the devils outside the town?" Liu Ming, the deputy of the regiment, squeezed away the cheering soldiers, strode up to Yang Ling, and couldn't wait to ask.

Yang Ling smiled: "All of them have been reimbursed by us, and there is no one left."

Hearing Yang Ling say this with his own ears, Liu Ming, the deputy of the regiment who had been under great pressure, suddenly laughed loudly, as if he was crazy, Yang Ling knew that he was happy.

A detachment of devils faced Yang Ling's ambush and all of them were destroyed, which was a huge victory for the Jiangqiao defenders, which boosted the morale and morale of the army, and Yang Ling also stood out and became the most admired person by the defenders.

The soldier's straightforward temperament does not have those twists and turns, Yang Ling can lead them to win the battle, and naturally easily win their trust and support, everyone is willing to follow a commander who leads them to victory, through this battle, Yang Ling has established a prestige second only to Liu Ming, the deputy of the regiment, in the hearts of the defenders.

The devil advance detachment outside the town was wiped out by Yang Ling and his people, and although five soldiers were sacrificed, the threat of the defenders was temporarily relieved, allowing them to gain time to breathe.

The annihilation of the advance detachment of the devils not only boosted and boosted the low morale, but also gave the soldiers who had been defeated the hope of victory, let them know that the devils were not invincible, and eliminated the fear of the devils in their hearts.

At the same time, they captured a large amount of weapons, ammunition and food, which was tantamount to a charcoal in the snow for the defenders who were short of food and ammunition, so that their combat effectiveness could be improved in a short period of time.

The hungry defenders began to eat the food they had pulled from the ghost soldiers, each of them smiling for the first time in a long time, and those who followed Yang Ling out puffed up their chests one by one, enjoying the adoring gaze of the rest.

"What are devils! I killed them by myself, and I chopped off my head because I tried too hard, and I ......"

Liu Yidao chewed the biscuits, while spitting and boasting about his achievements, and dangling his bloody knife from time to time, very proud and proud.

"And then?" Someone asked, stretching his neck.

"Later, a howling devil ......"

Yang Ling did not stop the boasting of these soldiers, this is a good way to publicize, it can infect other soldiers, and build their confidence in the despair of consecutive defeats.