Chapter Fourteen: Breaking Out of the Encirclement

  Du Yuejia was two miles away from Guanghua Gate, fortunately this area was still in the hands of Chinese defending troops. Zhang Mingyu brought a guard platoon to Du Yuejia's house and found an entrance to underground pipes in her courtyard. Zhang Mingyu immediately ordered: "Zhang Biao! You lead three hundred soldiers to transport explosives from the warehouse to the tunnel overnight, be careful not to disturb the devils above when approaching their command center. Act immediately!"

  At this time, Zhang Mingyu's army annihilated the 28th Brigade of the Japanese Army in Nanjing, and the news was known to major newspapers. Reporters from the United States and other Western countries sent back the news, causing a sensation in the Western world! Zhang Mingyu was hailed as the Eastern God of War! Yes, it is unbelievable that under the heavy siege of the enemy army, using street fighting to annihilate an entire mechanized brigade of the enemy.

  To know that the 17 regular divisions of the Japanese army at that time were not bragging, casually taking out the world's combat power is second to none! Especially the Japanese soldiers deeply influenced by the Bushido spirit, with unparalleled fighting consciousness. So much so that in the first two years of the war of resistance, there was basically no surrender of Japanese soldiers.

  In the North China battlefield, the Japanese army's fierce general Itagaki Seishiro led half a division and almost swept across all of North China, with 10,000 to 20,000 men successively defeating tens of thousands of National Army and Shanxi-Suiyuan troops! This is a ratio of one to ten or twenty!

  But Zhang Mingyu, with the help of several thousand defeated soldiers in Nanjing, annihilated an entire Japanese regiment, which was unprecedented in the War of Resistance Against Japan!

  Back at headquarters, Communications soldier Fang Jun held up a telegram: "Report! A message from Wuhan!" Zhang Mingyu furrowed his brow and said: "Read it out loud!"

  "Now, General, with several thousand remaining troops, has been firmly defending Nanjing for several days, and has greatly shaken the arrogant atmosphere of the Japanese enemy, and greatly encouraged the national anti-Japanese sentiment! However, the fall of Nanjing is inevitable! I hope that you will preserve your useful self and choose an opportunity to break through. I have already ordered the various units of the Third War Zone to do their utmost to cooperate with your unit in breaking through. Remember! Remember! 26th year of the Republic." Chiang Kai-shek

  "Send a telegram! At this time of national crisis and the survival of our nation, the Japanese enemy is invading Nanjing and disturbing the tomb of our founding father. I, Ming Yu, am willing to lead my officers and men to defend Nanjing to the death! We will fight until the last moment and absolutely not retreat! From now on, I have made up my mind to die for my country! My parents have long since passed away, and I have no other attachments. My death is not worth regretting! I will dye the blue sky with my blood and vow to eliminate the Japanese invaders completely!"

  Wuhan.

  Chiang Kai-shek saw Zhang Mingyu's telegram, although Zhang Mingyu's telegram disobeyed his order again. However, Chiang Kai-shek read it over and over, and two lines of clear tears had already fallen from the corners of his eyes. Chiang Kai-shek didn't know how many years he hadn't shed tears, and in his heart, he was silently shouting: "If all National Army generals were like Zhang Mingyu, what would we have to fear from those Japanese clowns?" At this moment, Chairman Chiang's heart was filled with nothing but sighs and regret.

  The distant CCP leaders in Yan'an also sent a telegram of condolence, which roughly translates to: "General, you bravely killed the enemy and fought valiantly, dealing a heavy blow to the Japanese invaders! The Japanese invaders tremble with fear at the mention of your name! However, General, please do not clash head-on with the enemy, preserve your useful self. If we save people but lose land, both can be regained; if we save land but lose people, both will be lost!"

  Students from all over the country, one after another, put down their pens and took up arms, pouring onto the streets to support Zhang Mingyu in resisting Japanese devils in Nanjing! The recruitment centers set up by the Nationalist Party in various places were packed every day!

  Kokuryūkō saw the newspaper! Enraged, he jumped up and down: "Hah! A small Zhang Mingyu can have such a big impact on the Imperial Army? Now I order an attack on Nanjing, capture Zhang Mingyu alive! Kill all the Chinese!"

  As the Japanese artillery commander, Kohei Shoji, gave the order: "Fire!", various cannons spewed out balls of fire towards Nanjing City, and shells whizzed through the air in the direction of Nanjing City.

  The mortar crew loaded the shells into the barrel, one after another 120mm and 70mm shells soared into the air, rising high before heavily pounding down on the city.

  Shells whistled down and exploded inside the city, with scarlet orange fireballs rising from the ground. The soldiers guarding the fortifications felt the earth shaking! Some shells whistled down and exploded on top of buildings! In an instant, the building collapsed with a loud crash, burying two soldiers hiding in the low-lying area alive!

  Just as the Japanese began to heavily bombard Nanjing, a dull roar of engines echoed through the sky, and more than 30 planes with the red sun flag appeared on the horizon. It seemed that the devils were really angry and would not calm down until they had annihilated all the defenders led by Zhang Mingyu! However, the devil planes did not bomb indiscriminately, but instead dropped bombs at positions where there were defenders.

  All kinds of bombers and fighter planes flew over the sky above Nanjing, countless bombs falling to the ground like hailstones. One by one, black dots fell from the sky, bombs landed in various locations within the city, causing intense explosions, the ground rising with black and red flames, rolling smoke columns rushing into the clouds, the entire earth shaking like a sieve.

  After about ten minutes or more of shelling and bombing, the Japanese gradually stopped this futile shelling and bombing. After all, Japan's resources were scarce, and they didn't have many shells and bombs.

  After the bombardment ceased, Kōsuke Okada ordered the Japanese army to launch an attack on Nanjing.

  "The devils are coming! The warriors who observed the devils' movements under cannon fire said."

  "The devils are coming!" The loud shout echoed through every corner, this sentence was the battle command.

  The warriors shot a bullet of guilt at the devils from the ruins! From time to time, the devils fell down! But soon the devils fired guilty shells or intense machine gun fire towards the place where they were shot. However, after the warriors finished shooting cold guns, they quickly transferred to another ambush point. The devil's retaliatory artillery was ineffective!

  Because Zhang Mingyu ordered all warriors to delay as much as possible, block the enemy and keep blocking! Faced with the Japanese hitting method, Major Obayashi burst out: "Baka! Crafty Chinese!"

  While the defenders were desperately blocking the enemy, Zhang Biao led his soldiers to move 7,000 kilograms of high explosives under Gao Shoufu's command post and pulled out the detonation line.

  Tani Hisao asked Shōta Hori, "Shōta, I have an uneasy feeling. What is it?" Hori replied, "Commander, you are worrying too much. The Chinese in the city are completely surrounded by us and cannot escape."

  "Commander, all the explosives have been buried. This time it's enough for those little devils to drink a whole pot of!" Zhang Biao reported to Zhang Mingyu.

  "Yes! Now lead the men to Guanghua Gate to intercept the enemy, we must hold on until nightfall! At that time, we can take advantage of the opportunity to break through!" Zhang Mingyu ordered.

  Obata's major general led the combined brigade to advance towards the city center, and this Obata knew that many officers had been shot dead by Chinese snipers, so he cunningly mixed himself among the artillery troops in the back, letting his two lieutenant colonels lead the way in front. Finally, they arrived at a street where the Chinese army's fortifications were laid across the middle of the road, blocking the enemy's retreat!

  Two heavy machine guns and four Czech-style light machine guns in the enemy's fortifications suddenly roared together, and six tongues of flame instantly engulfed dozens of devils who were charging at the front.

  "Kill them all! Open fire! Blast those damned Chinese to death!"

  The devils' mortar troops and grenade launchers loaded shells into the barrels, several scarlet fireballs whizzed towards the Chinese army's fortifications and slammed down fiercely. Boom! Several loud explosions, the light and heavy machine guns and gunners who were firing intensely just now were blown into the sky!

  "Charge! Kill!" Major Kobayashi yelled, waving his command sword.

  Everyone brothers give me more power! Tears seeking recommendation collection!