Chapter 6: Defend Nanjing, Promoted!

  "Hurry up and send a telegram to the 36th Division at Wuchang Gate! Tell them to stop our brothers who are coming out of the city first!" Zhang Mingyu ordered Tang Shengzhi.

  "Right, Zhang Biao, take Tang Shuai to the radio station!"

  "Alright," Zhang Biao and two soldiers lifted Tang Shengzhi and left! A large group of National Army soldiers at the Yijiang Gate rushed out of the city! However, the 36th Division stationed at the Yijiang Gate received an order from the command center that no one was allowed to retreat privately! The commander of the 36th Division, Chen Ruihe, ordered the interception of the troops leaving the city! The troops in the city saw someone blocking them and shouted loudly "We are all brothers, hurry up and let us through, or we will open fire!"

  "Without orders from the commander-in-chief, no one is allowed to retreat privately! Otherwise, they will be shot on the spot!"

  "Damn it, Commander-in-Chief, he's abandoned us and run away with all his men!"

  At this time, Nanjing City broadcast came on! "Brothers! I am Zhang Mingyu! Commander Tang has not retreated! He is right beside me!"

  "Gentlemen! I am Tang Shengzhi! Now I order, all original units, to immediately return to their original positions! Recapture the original positions!" Tang Shengzhi symbolically said a few words. The National Army at Yijiangmen was in an uproar, but no one was seen returning along the original route!

  At this time, the broadcast sounded again: "Brothers, you can leave now, but who will protect the people of Nanjing after you leave? The little devils have vowed to take down Nanjing and slaughter the city for seven days! As soldiers, we should be brave and fight the enemy, defend our homes and country at this critical moment of national crisis and disaster! Even if we die on the battlefield wrapped in horsehide, we will have no regrets! Can you bear to see tens of thousands of people in Nanjing being slaughtered by Japanese devils? Brothers, if you are still men, if that thing in your pants is still there, take up your weapons and fight back! Swear to defend Nanjing City to the death! Fight to the end! Zhang Mingyu shouted excitedly on the radio.

  "Brothers, charge back! Fight it out with those little devils!"

  "Fight back! Swear to defend Nanjing City to the death!"

  "Defend Nanjing to the death! ……", a large number of National Army soldiers at Yijiangmen Gate shouted in unison! Charging towards Zhongshan Mausoleum, Rain Flower Terrace, and Zhonghua Gate!

  Zhang Mingyu left behind a continuous look at Tang Shengzhi! He led the brothers of the independent regiment to Guanghua Gate, and under the intense artillery fire of the Japanese army, the teaching team defending Guanghua Gate suffered heavy casualties! Just as the situation was critical, the sound of Czech-style light machine guns came from behind, and the attacking devils fell like cut scallions! The devil's attack was repelled again.

  Watching the reinforcements arrive, Captain Gui Yongqing, who led by example, said to Zhang Mingyu: "The words you spoke on the radio just now made me feel delighted. The party and country are fortunate to have a young talent like you, Captain Zhang! It's a blessing for the nation! Thank you for saving us today!"

  "General Gui is being too kind, we're all making contributions for the party and country! No need to be polite!" Zhang Mingyu replied.

  "How is our army's casualty situation?" Zhang Mingyu asked.

  "There are over 3,000 of us left, the little devils' firepower is too strong, brothers have suffered heavy casualties!" said Gui Yongqing.

  "Oh! If we hold out in the city walls, we'll be attacked by the enemy's artillery fire! We need to evacuate the civilians inside the city! Then fight a street battle with the enemy! That way, we can avoid the devils' planes and heavy artillery attacks, reduce unnecessary sacrifices, and make the devils pay a heavy price for every step forward!"

  "But now Nanjing still has more than 300,000 citizens, how can they be relocated so easily?" said Gui Yongqing.

  "It's up to us! If we can just hold on for a few more days, we'll be able to transfer even more people out!" Zhang Mingyu said.

  "Little Li, you rush back to the headquarters immediately and ask Commander Tang to order the evacuation of civilians in the city. Tell the 36th Division to cover the evacuation!" Zhang Mingyu said to guard Li Gang.

  "Commander Zhang, I have something unclear," asked Gui Yongqing.

  "What can I do for you?"

  "How can Commander Tang listen to your orders? I really can't figure it out!"

  "It's like this, Commander Tang wanted to retreat on his own today and was intercepted by me," Zhang Mingyu replied.

  "What did you stop Commander Tang for? He'll probably report you to the principal after that day! However, as the commander-in-chief who bears the heavy responsibility of defending the city, it's indeed not right to retreat arbitrarily." said Gui Yongqing.

  "Never mind all that! As long as we can kill a few more little devils and cover the evacuation of Nanjing's citizens, even if I'm shot by the Chairman afterwards, it'll be worth it!" Zhang Mingyu said firmly.

  "Zhang's patriotic heart truly makes Guan admire him! Guan has always valued heroes the most in this life. Why don't you and I become sworn brothers?" asked Gui Yongqing.

  "I'm deeply honored!"

  "Alright! After we win this battle, you brothers will have a good drink!"

  "Hmm" The citizens of Nanjing, upon hearing Zhang Mingyu's stirring words on the radio, rushed out of their homes to help transport the wounded and guns and ammunition.

  6th Division of the Imperial Japanese Army

  "Bah! Our army was about to capture Nanjing, but somehow those fleeing Chinese soldiers all came back! And their combat strength is even higher than before!" The commander of the 6th Division, Tani Hisao, said angrily.

  Wuhan Battle Command Center.

  "Principal Chiang asked: 'How is the Battle of Nanjing going?'"

  Report to Your Excellency: "According to a telegram from the Intelligence Bureau, Zhang Mingyu has kidnapped Tang Shengzhi!"

  "What's going on?" Principal Jiang asked.

  "It was like this, Commander Tang withdrew on his own accord and was intercepted by Zhang Mingyu's men. Moreover, he made a broadcast speech to boost the morale of the soldiers from various units. The soldiers from various units learned that their commander-in-chief was still there and fought back in indignation. Otherwise, Nanjing would have probably fallen by now!" said the attendant.

  "Daughter, he Tang Shengzhi dared to withdraw arbitrarily! I ordered him to retreat with the troops, but he abandoned his unit and withdrew alone. I want to shoot him!" Chiang Kai-shek scolded angrily.

  "This Zhang Mingyu, brave and resourceful, I was right not to underestimate him! Send a telegram to Nanjing, promote Zhang Mingyu to Major General and commander of the Independent Division, expand the Independent Regiment into an Independent Division. Transfer the Central Training Corps to the command of the Independent Division, and abolish Tang Shengzhi's position as Commander of the Nanjing City Defense Command, with Gui Yongqing acting as interim commander! Zhang Mingyu will be the deputy commander!" Chiang Kai-shek ordered.

  Nanjing City Garrison Headquarters! Signal soldiers received a telegram from Wuhan! They informed Gui Yongqing and Zhang Mingyu at Guanghua Gate through the radio station, and also notified various troops defending the city!

  The fierce battle at Guanghua Gate is in full swing! Tani Hisao concentrated the strength of two brigades to attack Guanghua Gate! ~ Zhang Mingyu's independent regiment was at the forefront of the position, responsible for attacking the 11th Brigade's Matsumoto Detachment. The Matsumoto Detachment first covered the independent regiment's position with artillery fire, but did not cause too many casualties to the independent regiment. Zhang Mingyu saw from his binoculars that this time the devils launched an attack with about two companies of troops, under the cover and leadership of four Type 95 light tanks in front, attacking the independent regiment's position!

  "Artillery, take out those few enemy tanks!" Get it done and change positions immediately! Zhang Mingyu shouted.

  The artillerymen of the artillery company quickly set up their anti-tank guns. "Boom!" Only a few sharp whistling sounds were heard flying over their heads, and the shells accurately hit the Japanese light tanks. Three out of four tanks caught fire, and the devils inside ran out with flames all over their bodies until they were burned to death. The remaining tank's turret was blown askew and quickly retreated backwards.

  The artillerymen who succeeded in one shot quickly withdrew! At this time, the devil's retaliatory artillery fire fell accurately on the artillery position just now.

  The devils who lost the tank's cover immediately dispersed and launched a fierce attack on the independent regiment's position. The three heavy machine guns and ten light machine guns in front of the position opened fire simultaneously, and the devils who charged forward were shot down one after another! The grenade throwers quickly threw out hand grenades! Boom! Boom! The hand grenades fell among the devils, blowing them to pieces! Limbs flew into the sky, but the devils behind continued to charge forward desperately. At this time, the riflemen opened fire, firing at individual targets to counter the devils' dispersed formation! The devils' machine guns also began to fire at the independent regiment, but they found that they could not suppress the Chinese machine guns at all. The firepower network composed of more than 20 light and heavy machine guns was a nightmare for the Imperial warriors, and the cunning Chinese snipers specifically targeted their machine gunners and grenade throwers.

  This tactic was invented by Zhang Mingyu, with one heavy machine gun, two light machine guns and three skilled riflemen forming a small group. The machine guns would inflict massive casualties on the enemy, while the sharpshooters would take out the enemy's machine gunners and grenade launchers! A large cross-fire network is formed by several such groups, and no matter which direction the little devils attack from, they will receive the strongest firepower strike!

  This tactic made the Japanese, who had always been victorious against the National Army, scold the National Army generals for being too cunning. In the past, the Japanese army's tactics were to first send a small team to conduct firepower reconnaissance and then cover with artillery fire. When the Japanese artillery fire came down, the National Army's firepower support points were basically all destroyed! The devils would then launch a charge, and generally, the National Army could not withstand it!

  However, Zhang Mingyu set up more than a dozen machine guns in the front line during the enemy's firepower reconnaissance. The enemy mistakenly thought that the National Army had put all its firepower on the front line, so when the artillery fire covered, it paid special attention to the front-line position! But after the enemy's small firepower team retreated, Zhang Mingyu withdrew all the machine guns from the front line to the cat ear holes dug in the back! So the enemy's artillery fire did not bring much loss to the Independent Regiment!

  PS: The Battle of Nanjing Defense is coming! Begging for recommendation votes, click! Collect! Autumn wind promises that the next one will be more exciting! Everyone, please support with your votes!