"Tuanzao, the city defense headquarters called, asking about the situation here in Guanghuamen" The telephone ringing in the headquarters of the Second Regiment, which seemed to be extremely busy, rang one after another, and received a call from the Nanjing City Defense Headquarters to inquire about the battle situation, and the staff officer who answered the phone turned his head and asked Xie Chengrui, who was nesting in a chair and closing his eyes to recuperate.

"Tell the command that we have repelled several Japanese attacks, and the troops are highly motivated and confident to hold their positions." After Xie Chengrui finished speaking, he immediately waved to the staff officer who answered the phone and signaled not to hang up the phone yet, "The Japanese army used artillery and tanks to launch a fierce attack on the peripheral positions of our second regiment, and it is not clear for the time being the number and number of the Japanese attacking troops, but the second regiment judged that the attacking Japanese army should come from the defense line of Chunhua Town, and asked whether Chunhua Town was still under the control of the 51st Division." ”

Questioning the Urban Defense Command and the 51st Division as a regimental level, such a thing can only be done by Xie Chengrui, a small regiment commander. However, after two days of fighting, most of the first battalion of the second regiment stationed in the outer positions had already been disabled, and if it had not been for the return of one of the infantry companies from which they had been transferred, the position of the first battalion would have been lost. Xie Chengrui is not afraid of fighting or dying, but he has to be responsible for his soldiers, the second regiment cannot fight unclear battles, if the Chunhua town garrisoned by the 51st Division has been lost, the second regiment will have to make corresponding tactical adjustments, and leaving the first battalion outside the city to fight with the Japanese army can only add meaningless sacrifices.

"Fucking devil artilleryman, wait for Lao Tzu to find a chance to clean you up." Xu Zhiqing, the commander of the artillery company under Xie Chengrui, scolded and walked into the regiment headquarters. Seeing Xie Chengrui nestled in a chair, he stepped forward and asked, "Tuanzao, you are looking for me." Xu Zhiqing and Xie Chengrui are both from Huangpu, but Xu Zhiqing is one year lower than Xie Chengrui, but the relationship between the two in private is very good, and Xu Zhiqing's artillery company is stationed in Guanghuamen.

Xie Chengrui nodded and looked at Xu Zhiqing, who had a dark face, and said, "What's the matter, how did the Japanese artillery provoke you" He knew that Xu Zhiqing was a fiery temper, but it was the first time to complain all the way to the regiment headquarters like today, Xie Chengrui couldn't help but be a little curious.

Taking a pack of cigarettes thrown by Xie Chengrui, Xu Zhiqing replied a little stupidly, "One of my 92 infantry guns was blown up by a shell from a little devil, not to mention that the 92 infantry gun is gone, and one of my squad artillery is gone." ”

Xie Chengrui said in surprise, "What's the matter?" Didn't you say that your artillery battery should not open fire until it was absolutely necessary? Why did you expose the position to the Japanese army? Hearing Xu Zhiqing say that the artillery shells from the Japanese army were indiscriminately bombarded, Xie Chengrui retracted his anger that was about to explode. The artillery company was the last means of the Second Regiment, and he did not intend to use the artillery company until the moment of crisis. Xie Chengrui immediately thought about it and said, "I think you will scatter the artillery in the future." Don't all be together, if the Japanese bomb indiscriminately again, the losses of your artillery batteries will not be very large. ”

Waiting for Xu Zhiqing to light the cigarette in his mouth, Xie Chengrui said, "The first battalion has blocked another attack by the Japanese army, and the sky is about to dawn, I estimate that the Japanese army will still attack, and there are not many troops left in the position of the first battalion, I am afraid that they will not be able to hold the position outside the city." I estimate that the Japanese may have to fight on both flanks next time, and your artillery company will cooperate with a battalion to fight the Japanese army's flank detour troops. Judging from the scale of previous operations, the number of Japanese troops in a roundabout way should not be too much. I'm going to eat the Japanese roundabout troops, and your artillery fire will be fiercer, which will help us quickly destroy the Japanese troops. ”

"Damn, isn't this our battalion a little fool? We only have more than 100 people left, and we need to chase down the enemy in a while, which is a fucking bad idea. Ma Han, who had gauze wrapped around his neck, was babbling in the trenches, and Liu Goat, who was sitting on the ammunition box, was also angry. In the battle at dawn, although the first battalion repelled the Japanese attack and killed and wounded more than 40 Japanese soldiers, they themselves also suffered more than 20 casualties, and the strength of the first battalion with a full strength of 400 people was now less than 120 people.

Fortunately, the ammunition of the first battalion was quite sufficient, otherwise Liu Goat would really force these people in the first battalion to carry bayonets and play hand-to-hand combat with the Japanese army. "You go back and tell Regiment Commander Xie that the first battalion can hold the position, but it is unable to pursue and annihilate the next wave of attacking Japanese troops, please ask the regiment commander to give us additional troops, otherwise we can only hold the position, and the rest will be difficult to obey." The herald from the regiment headquarters stared at the exhausted Liu Goat with round eyes, the army pays attention to military orders, and Liu Goat's words just now are equivalent to disobedience on the battlefield, if the regiment commander turns his face, the battalion commander in front of him will be shot by military law and lose his life.

A veteran ruffian like Liu Goat does not have the courage and pride to kill himself, and in Liu Goat's view, his more than ten years of military career is nothing more than to make a living, and he himself did not expect that it would be so difficult just to fulfill his promise to Xie Bo. Not only was the second company not rebuilt, but there was also the possibility that the whole army would be wiped out outside Guanghua Gate, and his military rank was promoted to major, but now it seems that it is just a little compensation made by Xie Chengrui for his cannon fodder in advance.

Fools are willing to be cannon fodder, why should they have a mouth, they will go up to die in vain if they fight for life and death on these positions, Liu Goat, who is full of resentment, has made up his mind that he will not do what Xie Chengrui said, the big deal is that he is the acting battalion commander and does not do it, the current Nanjing City is in a tight situation, and Liu Goat does not believe that Xie Chengrui can really cut off his head. Of course, Xie Chengrui would not cut off Liu Goat's head, and after the herald repeated Liu Goat's original words, Xie Chengrui sent the herald to the position of the first battalion again.

"The regiment commander said that as long as the first battalion can hold its position for three days, the second company can be transferred back to the city to rest, and the next time the Japanese attack, the artillery company in the regiment will provide you with artillery support." The herald who tossed back and forth twice dropped a few words and turned around to meet the city, but Liu Goat heard the meaning of what he said just now. Xie Chengrui is using the remaining people of the second company as a bargaining chip, if Liu Goat does not act according to his orders, Xie Chengrui will definitely leave the second company here to fend for himself, he has already found Liu Goat's weakness.

Kobayashi Yuta had already drawn up a battle plan, a squad of troops under the cover of artillery fire to attract the frontal defenders, and four squads of infantry respectively carried out a roundabout battle on the left and right flank positions of the opposing defenders, waiting for the left and right flank troops to capture the position, and then flanking their fronts on both sides, and swallowing the Chinese defenders in one fell swoop. The battle on Chunhua's side had reached its most critical moment, and if his brigade could not take this position and hold it, the Chinese troops who had withdrawn from Chunhua Town might safely withdraw to Nanjing through here, and Kobayashi Yuta had to use all his strength to make this last blow.

Xie Chengrui was already putting pressure on Liu Goat with the second company, and Liu Goat, who had no way out, could only do what Xie Chengrui said, but he was still the acting battalion commander of the first battalion, and when everyone didn't know the inside story, Liu Goat transferred the second company defending the flank to the front main position of the first battalion, and defended here with Mahan's platoon. "In any case, you must withstand the Japanese charge and provide time for the annihilation of the Japanese flank detour troops." After muttering a few words to Zhou Fu in a low voice, Liu Goat called Tang Cheng aside.

"You are a smart boy, Company Commander Xie often said that you were born to be a material for war, I thought it would be a good thing to get you into the army, but now it seems that it has harmed you, it is better to let you go to Sichuan in the first place." Liu Goat was filling the magazine of his barge gun with bullets, and at the same time turned his head to look at Tang Cheng, who was silent. Liu Goat didn't know if it was good or bad for him to say these words now, but the matter had come to this point, what could he do if he regretted it, Xie Chengrui would not let Tang Cheng leave here.

"I have transferred you to the main position because the regiment wants us to annihilate the next wave of attacking Japanese troops, and their target is likely to be our flank position. There are not many people left in the second company, and I am afraid that you will not be able to hold the flank, so I will transfer you to the main position, as long as you can withstand the attack of the Japanese army, the second company may be transferred back to the city to assist in the defense. Stretching out his hand and patting Tang Cheng's shoulder, Liu Goat whispered, "The gun is not long-sighted, don't be brutal when fighting, if you look at the situation is not right, you will retreat, and when the regiment headquarters asks, you will say that I sent back to move the rescue troops." ”

Tang Cheng was shocked by Liu Goat's words and broke out in a cold sweat, Liu Goat was going to be a deserter himself, if the deserter was caught, he would be shot, on the first day of entering the second company, Tang Cheng heard Niu Wazi say these things. "Are we really going to be able to hold it? Aren't there so many troops in the city, can't you send more reinforcements? Looking at Liu Goat's haggard face, Tang Cheng said dryly.

Tang Cheng has seen the Japanese attack in the past few days, the scale of dozens or more than 100 people, only this time at dawn there are about 200 people, he does not believe that the Japanese army on the opposite side of the position will be crowded. There are so many defensive troops in Nanjing, even if one life is exchanged for one life, the Japanese army can't afford to pay for it, why did the second regiment watch the first battalion fight to the death with the Japanese army here, and there were no reinforcements to help, the young Tang Cheng really couldn't figure it out.

"You are stupid, the Japanese army is both artillery and tanks, what do we have in our hands? If you hadn't found these 20 rings in that dilapidated building in Shanghai, our second company would have been wiped out a long time ago. Xu saw the unwillingness in Tang Cheng's eyes, and Liu Goat smiled and knocked Tang Cheng with a chestnut. Remember, you have to live well, people have a chance to live, if we all run out of dead balls, the second company will really be gone. ”