Chapter 7: Rivers and Mountains (12)

According to the plan, Huang Tianhua spent half a day taking the troops to Tianjiawei at the southern foot of Dabie Mountain, setting up camp, and Shi Zhong continued to grope south with a platoon of reconnaissance companies, striving to learn some news about Anqing and Gaohebu. As soon as Shi Chong's people walked to Qipan Town, they encountered a large number of civilians who had escaped from Gaohebu, and they were preparing to enter the Dabie Mountains to avoid being captured, and in their mouths, Shi Chong had a clearer understanding of the situation.

After the Sakai detachment entered Gaohebu, there was not too much disturbance to the people, but a large number of men were recruited to go to Lujiang to carry military supplies, some people rumored that this was not to Lujiang, but to Huaibei to dig coal, to Huaibei to dig coal is a hard job, digging coal for the Japanese is even more terrible, not digging to die can not get out of the coal pit, rumors frightened the people of Gaohebu out of their homes overnight. It turned out that the Japanese army did not expect that Anqing could be defeated so smoothly, and they were already mentally prepared to sacrifice the Botian detachment and the Third Fleet in Anqing, because the logistics materials were not planned to be transported from the Yangtze River, but early to enter Chaohu Lake along the Misu River with civilian boats, and go ashore on the Lujiang River to use land transportation. Shi Zhong thought that it was a good trick to deceive the people out of Gaohebu on the pretext of digging coal in Huaibei, after all, it was not too glorious to be a slave to the country under the hands of the Japanese.

In the mouth of the refugees, Shi Zhong knew that there were two ways to go to Qianshan from Gaohebu, one was from the chessboard ridge at the foot to Yujing to the Qianshan, and the other was from Gongling to the small city to enter the Qianshan.

When I was chatting, I saw a group of soldiers of the national army, waving a bright rifle running over, shouting all the way, full of Hunan accent: "Hurry up and get out of here, this will be the battlefield tomorrow, and the old men will still have to repair the fortifications." "Those who want to go go quickly, and those who don't leave stay to repair the fortifications for Lao Tzu."

Shi Zhong also greeted him in a Hunan accent: "The boss has worked hard!" Nodding his head, he handed over a cigarette.

The Hunan soldiers glanced at Shi Chong and said, "Hunan people, what do you do if you don't serve as a soldier in Anhui?" ”

"Do some business and make some money." Shi Zhong lowered his voice and said: "I am from the other side of the passage, and we have few iron tools over there, so I mainly collect some iron tools here and sell them for a lot of money when I go back." If the boss has cheap iron in his hand, just sell it to me, and I won't lose you. ”

"Dog, you really know how to do business, there is a war here, no matter if the people over there die, there will be guns, knives, steel helmets, all iron weapons, you have business to do." Hunan Bing said with a smile: "It's strange that you can do business like this, and you don't get rich." ”

In the mouth of the Hunan soldiers, Shi Zhong knew that they were soldiers of the 87th Army, and the one in front of them belonged to the 198th Division, the division commander was Wang Yuying, the 571st Brigade, the brigade commander Han Liangyu, they were the 1120th Regiment, and the regiment commander was called Li Dacai. They were responsible for guarding the road from the chessboard to Yujing, and Luo Shujia's 199th Division was responsible for guarding the road from Gongling Town. Shi Zhong asked him when the Japanese army would come, and the Hunan soldiers said that it would be these two days, and if they didn't come tomorrow, they would definitely come the day after tomorrow, and they would fight with them if they came, and the location was here, Qipanling.

"Since you're a fellow countryman, I'll help you repair the fortifications!" Shi Zhong said.

The Hunan soldiers were overjoyed and went to get a few sappers to shovel over, and Shi Zhong asked a platoon commander to take most of the people back and report the situation here to Huang Tianhua and Chen Zhengxin, who wanted to stay and understand the strategic layout of the 87th Army before going back. The platoon leader nodded and led the people away.

Han Liangyu set up a long snake formation in the area of Qipanling, opened a 15-mile battle line from Gaowangkou to Huanghetang, urgently evacuated local residents, dug deep trenches, and waited for the battle. Shi Zhong couldn't understand it, and asked the Hunan soldiers why they were digging such a long trench, and the Hunan soldiers said that the regiment commander Li Dacai told them that the Japanese planes and artillery were powerful, and our troops should be dispersed and not too concentrated, otherwise a large area would be blown up and a lot of people would die. Shi Zhong thought so.

Digging until the sun went down, the fortifications were basically formed, and the Hunan soldiers gave Shi Zhong some food, saying: "You are in business, richer than us, we will not give you the money, these Hunan old bacon is brought from the hometown, and the rice is also transported from Hunan, you take it yourself, find a place to cook and eat, even if it is a thank you." ”

Shi Zhong took the bacon, a heavy piece, knowing that this was a good thing, he took a few people to do a small half a day's work, and the people did not treat him badly, and after saying a few polite words, he walked towards Tianjiawei.

Back in Tianjiawei, Chen Zhengxin was already an ant on a hot pot, restless, the long line of people who had already returned home was scolded to the blister, and he couldn't put on his wings and fly to Qipanling to change back to the company elder, Huang Tianhua let people fry two small dishes casually, and got back a jar of Anhui wine at the landlord's house in Tianjiawei, while drinking slowly, while watching Chen Zhengxin's liveliness. Chen Zhengxin was completely in a hurry, but in fact, his platoon commander was not wrong, he completely carried out the order of the company commander Shi Chong, and it was the correct order.

"Zhengxin, have you finished scolding?" Huang Tianhua asked.

"I'm done scolding." Chen Zhengxin said angrily.

"Come and drink with me after scolding." After Huang Tianhua finished speaking, he turned to the platoon commander: "After your battalion commander finished scolding, come over and drink this glass of wine and go back to eat." ”

"Why are you asking him for a drink?" Chen Zhengxin was not happy.

"He didn't do anything wrong, and he also asked you to scold with a gun and a stick, and you said that you should drink a glass of wine to suppress the shock." After drinking a long sip, he grimaced at Huang Tianhua and left. Huang Tianhua said: "Zhengxin, if you are not directly under the brigade and are under the jurisdiction of our 1056 Regiment, I will definitely not let you scold people like this." ”

Chen Zhengxin was anxious: "When will I not think of myself as a member of the 1056 regiment!" You have something to say. ”

"Okay, you drink this cup first." Huang Tianhua pointed to the wine in front of him.

Chen Zhengxin drank it all.

Huang Tianhua pointed to the door again and said, "Look at who is standing at the door, drink the second cup by yourself." ”

Chen Zhengxin looked up and saw Shi Zhong standing at the door, smiling. Scooped up the wine on the table and drank it in one gulp.

Shi Chong's report made Huang Tianhua suddenly have an idea, and said to Chen Zhengxin, the so-called praying mantis catches cicadas and yellow finches are behind, and we will also learn to be the yellow finch behind the praying mantis this time, Chen Zhengxin asked if he wanted to wait for the 571 Brigade to fight almost with the Japanese, and then we will dispatch and strike the last blow to clean up the Japanese in Qipanling. Huang Tianhua nodded, exactly what he meant. Shi Zhong sat on the side, feeling a little inappropriate, but he couldn't tell what was wrong.

Shi Zhong brought back the old bacon from Hunan that made Chen Zhengxin more than happy, but made Huang Tianhua scoff, as a person from Mingjiang Mansion in the Zuojiang River Basin, he was not too interested in this kind of stale aged old meat, seeing the fried oily and translucent fat, Huang Tianhua reluctantly sandwiched a piece, the fragrance is good, but there is a smell of fire smoke, which is up to people's throats. Seeing a piece of bacon and a glass of wine drunk happily Chen Zhengxin and Shi Zhong and other people from northern Guangxi, Huang Tianhua shook his head more than once, there is such a big difference in the lives of people in southern and northern Guangxi!

After exchanging telegrams with Mo Di and exchanging opinions, Mo Di completely agreed with Huang Tianhua's battle plan, but repeatedly emphasized that when the Nationalist Army was at a great advantage, it must not attack, because once it was swept into the battle group, it would be difficult to get out, after all, the battle of Qipanling was the business of the 87th Army, not the task and work of the 48th Army.

Huang Tianhua's thinking was already very clear, without any burden of thought, and he slept well until dawn broke in the east.

When the peasants in Tianjiawei got up, Huang Tianhua had already finished breakfast, put the borrowed items back in place, converted the burned firewood and grass into price, and bought all the eggs of the common people in Tianjiawei, cooked them in boiling water, and a soldier got two and put them in his pocket, if there was a war at noon, this would be considered dry food. The soldiers clutched the hot eggs in their pockets and joked that the northerners call this kind of eggs to get out, and we are also going to get out.

Under the leadership of Shi Chong, he walked to the woods about a kilometer away from the defense line of the 571st Brigade and stayed, Huang Tianhua walked to the top of the slope next to him, climbed a big tree, took out his binoculars, and just wanted to take a good look at the situation in the distance, only to see a plane flying from the east in the sky. This kind of plane, which he knew, was the Type 93 light critique plane of the Japanese Army Air Force, and this kind of aircraft had a small bomb capacity and weak combat capability, and was mostly used as a reconnaissance plane, and the Japanese army's large-scale operations should follow.

Less than an hour after the small plane flew away, three Mitsubishi G3Ms flew over from the southeast, and Huang Tianhua knew that these planes did not fly from Nanjing, but took off from Anqing Airport, and the Japanese army moved the air force to Anqing, which was not a good thing. This kind of aircraft is also called the Type 96 land attack aircraft, with three 7.7 mm machine guns, and can also carry 800 kg *, which is not small.

Just as Huang Tianhua was watching the excitement, the three planes began to dive, first throwing the * they carried on the position of the 571st Brigade, and then the three machine guns were strafing along the trench like a plow.

The soldiers of the 571st Brigade were obviously not prepared for the attack from the air, they had trenches, but they did not dig air-raid shelters, and they could not withstand the blows from the air, but fortunately, the planes did not hit very accurately during the flight, causing some casualties to the 571st Brigade in the trenches, but they were still within the range of bearing.

At this time, the Japanese troops also walked along the road from Gaohebu, but they did not rush to attack, but arranged artillery arrays. Perhaps in their eyes, the opponent's trenches are the natural targets of artillery, and it is better to make the steel majestic than to fight with the lives of soldiers.

"I'm just afraid that these Hunan people will be in trouble!" Chen Zhengxin's voice came from beside him.

"Yes! The Japanese are much more powerful than they think. Huang Tianhua said: "We have seen in the battle of Songhu that there are planes in the sky, artillery in the distance, and tanks in front of us. ”

A full two hours passed, watching the Japanese artillery fire bomb a section and advance a section, and every section of the advance was burned with *, so that no remnants could be left, and the infantry just held their guns and watched the excitement on the side. This way of fighting made the 571 Brigade completely powerless to fight back, except for a little retreat or retreat. Seeing the weakness of the Chinese army, Chen Zhengxin had nothing to do, so he could only cry out in distress: "Then let them be eaten by the Japanese in one bite?" ”

"Don't get bored! There is a turning point" Huang Tianhua obviously found something, pressed Chen Zhengxin's shoulder with his hand, and pointed to the rear of the Japanese army. There, there is clearly an ambush of a force, like a hunting tiger, looking for the best time to strike.

Wang Yuying is really from Baoding, not a mediocre hand! Huang Tianhua exclaimed.

When Huang Tianhua sighed, the tiger was launched, and the troops of about 700 people, after firing a row of guns, jumped out of the bunker, holding a bright bayonet, and rushed towards the rear of the Japanese.