Chapter 8: The Bloody Battle of Nanjing 2

  After being strafed by the enemy planes, a large number of civilians cried and ran into the city! Those who were hit by the machine guns were all bloody and mangled! Some people were cut in half at the waist by powerful bullets. Upon learning of this situation, Deputy Commander Gui Yongqing immediately requested air support from Chairman Chiang Kai-shek in Wuhan! The enemy planes bullied the Chinese garrison without anti-aircraft guns and other weapons, flying low and recklessly. In the words of the enemy, the skies above China were the domain of the Imperial Japanese Air Force! However, in the high-altitude clouds far away, a group of Chinese planes with shark heads painted on them were flying towards Nanjing, led by Squadron Leader Gao Zhihang this time.

  "Report target found!" someone said over the intercom.

  "Take him down!" Gao Zhihang commanded. This time, Gao Zhihang led 20 fighter jets to reinforce Nanjing. The Japanese had thirteen planes, and Gao Zhihang flew his plane first into the skies above Nanjing, charging towards a plane that was wildly strafing Chinese soldiers. After locking onto the enemy plane, Gao Zhihang decisively pressed the firing button "Rat-a-tat-tat... Boom-boom-boom!" The twin machine guns accurately hit the Japanese plane, which flew away with thick smoke before crashing into a large mountain in the distance! Boom! The plane was destroyed and its pilot killed.

  Such a scene has been unfolding in the skies above Nanjing, and just now the arrogant enemy planes are being shot down one by one, emitting thick smoke! The low-flying Nanjing military and civilians burst out with thunderous cheers, cheering on the brave air force soldiers. Several enemy pilots who jumped out of their parachutes to escape were beaten to death by the enraged Nanjing military and civilians.

  About half an hour of air combat, Gao Zhihang led the fighter jets to shoot down nine enemy planes and injure two. The remaining Japanese planes retreated hastily back to Shanghai Airport! The Chinese Air Force had no casualties.

  "Long live the Air Force! Long live!" The low-flying Nanjing citizens burst out loud cheers for the Air Force to drive away the devil's planes. Gao Zhihang led the Air Force to charge at the Guizi troops who were attacking the Dujiangyan River. The attacking devils looked up at the Chinese warplanes flying in the sky with shark heads and shouted in terror: "Chinese warplane! Chinese warplane!"

  Ahh! This devil was shot through the throat by a machine gun! Fresh red blood flowed out of that frightening big hole!

  Gao Zhihang led the fighter planes to launch a fierce strafing attack on the Japanese troops on the ground, and only turned back after exhausting all the ammunition. The attacking Japanese troops were instantly stunned! They retreated wildly backwards! The National Army soldiers on the ground took advantage of the situation to counterattack and recapture the lost position!

  A National Army soldier gave a thumbs up to an air force plane that was about to take off, saying "Damn it, good job!"

  At this time, Koku was really furious in the command center, "The air force is a bunch of bastards, what are they eating! Wasting so much steel and money from the Great Japanese Empire, now they're being defeated by Chinese men like a prostitute! Causing my unit to lose so many excellent imperial warriors!"

  After four days of arduous transfer, the people in Nanjing city, except for more than 100,000 who lived in concessions and safety zones, had basically crossed the Yangtze River. Gui Yongqing ordered the troops on the outskirts of Nanjing to immediately withdraw into the city, retreat north through Yijiang Gate, and cross the Yangtze River to Anhui, Jiangxi and other places! Zhang Mingyu led the independent division and part of the 88th division to be responsible for covering the rear.

  December 16th Shanghai Garrison Headquarters of Japanese Army.

  Matsui Iwane was furious that the capture of Nanjing had not yet been accomplished and sent an urgent telegram to the 6th Division, which was leading the assault, demanding that they take the city by December 20.

  "Master, shouldn't we also retreat back into the city?" Zhang Biao asked, who had just been promoted to brigade commander.

  "What's the hurry?"

  "Aren't you the one who said we should fight the devils in an alley?"

  "Street fighting is inevitable, but not now. Can't you see the devils are already desperate and preparing for their next attack? As long as we hold out against this attack by the devils and then retreat into the city, we'll have time to build fortifications inside the city tonight! Do you understand?" Zhang Mingyu said to Zhang Biao.

  "Oh! I get it now, a superior is indeed a superior! Their minds work faster than mine!" Zhang Biao said.

  "Damn it! If you were smarter than me, would I still be struggling? Get the hell out and back to your post!" Zhang Mingyu said as he kicked Zhang Biao's butt.

  "I'm telling you, Battalion Commander, can't you stop kicking me all the time? I'm a Regimental Commander now too!" Zhang Biao complained.

  "You're still talking!" Zhang Mingyu raised his foot again!

  "I'm off! I'm off! Hehe" Zhang Biao ran away with a knowing smile.

  Half an hour later, Kusunose gathered a brigade of troops to launch a fierce attack on Guanghua Gate! At this time, the defenders of Guanghua Gate included Zhang Mingyu's independent division and two regiments of the 88th Division, totaling about 4,000 people. In addition, there was also an armored regiment in the city, which actually had only more than ten tanks.

  At 5:00 pm, the assembled Japanese army was about to launch a fierce attack. Two Type 88 Japanese reconnaissance planes flew over Guanghua Gate for reconnaissance and observation, providing coordinates for artillery. Zhang Mingyu in the command center heard the roar of the Japanese aircraft and immediately picked up the phone, ordering: "All units be aware! The Japanese devil's reconnaissance plane has arrived, the devils will soon shell us, all troops must take cover!"

  After receiving the order, except for a few observation posts that remained in the trenches to observe and wait, all the other officers and soldiers entered the artillery caves, which were slightly larger than the cat ear holes invented by Zhang Mingyu, to avoid the impending intense bombardment.

  The various infantry guns, howitzers and 150mm heavy artillery of the Imperial Japanese Army's Heavy Artillery Regiment, as well as the large-caliber naval guns on warships on the Yangtze River, bombarded the defensive positions outside Guanghua Gate with intense firepower, with dense shells pouring down on the Independent Division and the 88th Division like a swarm of locusts.

  "One after another, the shells of heavy artillery fell to the ground, causing the earth to shake violently like a strong earthquake. Large and small fireballs burst out from the ground in an instant, flames and smoke spreading everywhere. Trenches were buried under the falling mud, some individual bunkers were directly hit by shells, blowing them into the sky. The air was filled with choking gunpowder smell, some unfortunate artillery positions that were directly hit collapsed, the flesh and blood of the soldiers inside mixing with the earth."

  The carefully constructed fortifications were blown to pieces by the enemy's shells, and it is unknown how many brave warriors disappeared in this land. The observation post soldiers were almost all killed, and only a small number of soldiers still stubbornly stood in the trenches, constantly paying attention to the enemy's movements.

  Hiding in the tunnels, listening to wave after wave of explosions, Zhang Biao and the soldiers couldn't help but curse in their hearts: "Damn little devils! Is that all? If only we had as many heavy artillery pieces as they do!"

  The devils' fierce bombardment lasted for more than half an hour, and finally gradually stopped. Perhaps the devils considered their own country's resources to be scarce, and all steel had to rely on imports, so they were reluctant to waste so many shells! Moreover, the devils' artillery was extremely confident that under such intense bombardment, the Chinese army would have no chance of survival.

  The first to launch the attack was the elite brigade of the Japanese Sixth Division, the Hiraguchi Brigade from Kumamoto. The Hiraguchi Brigade was one of the most elite infantry brigades in the Sixth Division and was responsible for the infantry assault mission. Major General Hiraguchi drew his command sword and shouted: "Kill!"

  Thousands of devils who had been ready for a long time suddenly shouted in unison, holding rifles and forming a scattered line to charge towards Zhang Mingyu's carefully arranged position.

  On the National Army's position, after the devils' artillery fire stopped, Zhang Mingyu was the first to walk out of the bunker and rushed into his command post. He picked up binoculars and calmly watched the Japanese army approaching the defensive position step by step. The soldiers came out of the bunker one by one, crouching down quietly and entering their respective positions. The soldiers responsible for the first line of defense all carried small stools, which they placed under them after entering the blocking position, stretching out the black muzzles of their guns to aim at the front. A small number of grenade launchers quietly entered the small trenches in front of the first trench through narrow communication ditches, waiting for orders.

  Each individual foxhole, rifle position, machine gun position, sniper position, heavy machine gun firepower support point, all combat personnel are in place and have made preparations for battle!

  The enemy's distance is getting closer and closer, when they are still 400 meters away from the first trench, Zhang Mingyu picks up the phone to give orders to each battalion: "All attention, prepare for battle, do not fire without my order."

  Distance: 350 meters, 250 meters, 150 meters. The warriors in the trenches could already see the ghostly faces and bayonets of the enemy. The distance was still 100 meters, Zhang Mingyu yelled into the phone in his hand: "Fire!"

  Orders were transmitted down telephone lines to battalion units, and company commanders immediately issued the order "Commence firing!"

  After receiving the order to open fire, Zhang Haisheng, who was hiding in the third trench, was the first to pull the trigger. A Japanese lieutenant officer he had been aiming at suddenly had a burst of blood on his head, and with a tilt of his head, he fell heavily to the ground. The Chinese army's position, which had just been silent, suddenly erupted into a fierce gunfire. All the rifles in the first trench opened fire at the same time. Although these soldiers' marksmanship was not as accurate as Zhang Haisheng's, they still knocked down dozens of Japanese soldiers who were charging forward. At the same time, machine gunners also opened fire. Those who could become machine gunners were all experienced old soldiers. They used short and long bursts to knock down one Japanese soldier after another.

  A burst of gunfire, the warriors pulled the trigger, and the second row of bullets continued to shoot towards the enemy, and dozens of devils fell to the ground. The snipers hiding behind were shooting coldly and calmly, their marksmanship was very accurate, and every time the steel gun rang out, a devil would fall down in response. However, these devils were also a group of well-trained Japanese troops, they quickly organized the snipers, grenade launchers, mortars and light artillery to counterattack.

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