Chapter 13: The Bloody Battle of Nanjing (3)

  On December 22, 1937, Liu Zhenfeng ordered the 109th Division to organize refugees for evacuation. A large number of refugees were excited when they heard that government troops were organizing everyone to leave Nanjing, this city in turmoil.

  "Attention, everyone! Attention!" The chief of staff of the 109th Division temporarily took on the role of organizer and loudly shouted at the entrance of the safe zone: "Women, children, the elderly, and the wounded evacuate first, others follow afterwards!"

  "What the hell! Why are we waiting?! This godforsaken place, Nanjing, I don't want to stay here for another moment!" a middle-aged man with a thick beard bellowed.

  "Hum, are you even a man? Leaving the elderly, women and children behind, do you think you can just leave? If you're a real man, join the army and fight against the devils! Looking at your sturdy build, not joining the army but only knowing how to escape, do you still have the face to show up here?" The chief of staff scornfully reprimanded this middle-aged man.

  "He, he, he..." The man wanted to say something else, but seeing the armed soldiers with live ammunition, he swallowed back the curses he was about to utter.

  Seeing that the seemingly trouble-making guy had no sound, the chief staff officer continued to maintain order at the scene, and some women and elderly people began to evacuate first.

  Liu Zhenfeng's guard, Little Zhang, arrived at the safe zone and found his cousin Yunxuan and Xu Meiting. He saluted them and said: "I have been ordered by General Liu to take you two away from Nanjing!"

  "What about my brother?" Yun Xuan asked anxiously.

  "Of course we'll stay and fight the Japanese devils to the death." Little Zhang said.

  "Then I'll stay, I want to stay with my brother!" Yun Xuan said stubbornly.

  "Me too! I'm a war correspondent, I want to stay and interview!" Xu Meiting also said hastily.

  "We've been ordered by the commander to take you to a safe place, otherwise I'll have no choice but to take my own life to apologize to the commander!" Little Zhang's words cut off their lingering hopes.

  "But, however ~~" Xu Meiting wanted to say something else, at this time, she saw several soldiers setting up stalls at the entrance of the safe zone and starting to recruit new soldiers inside the safe zone.

  "I can join the army!" Xu Meiting said after a moment's thought.

  "Please don't make it difficult for me, Miss Xu. I dare not disobey General's orders. If you don't cooperate, we can only force you to leave!" Little Zhang said seriously.

  Xu Meiting wanted to say something, but Little Zhang gave a wink to the two soldiers behind him. The two soldiers didn't let Xu Meiting finish speaking and lifted her up, pushing her onto the military vehicle. At the same time, they also pushed Yun Xuan onto the car.

  Helpless Xu Meiting had no choice but to leave Nanjing with the car.

  "Fellow countrymen, our recruitment center is now urgently recruiting new soldiers here. We hope everyone will enthusiastically join the army for the sake of the country!" A soldier from the recruitment center beat a gong and loudly shouted to the people inside the safe zone.

  Unfortunately, there were many onlookers, but few actually joined the army.

  At 3 pm, Liu Zhenfeng arrived at the new recruit recruitment office and inquired about the conscription situation. When he heard that not many people had signed up, he also furrowed his brow. Now the front line was tight, and the reserve troops that had been assembled were already being used. If they couldn't recruit new soldiers now, he would almost have no reserves to put into battle.

  Seeing the onlookers, mostly middle-aged men, Liu Zhenfeng cleared his throat and said: "Fellow countrymen, I am Liu Zhenfeng, commander of the 77th Army. The situation in Nanjing is not optimistic. The enemy has planes above and tanks and heavy artillery below. Our soldiers are fighting to the death against the Japanese army. We are organizing a retreat, but have you thought about it? The lifeline that our army has opened will eventually be blocked by the Japanese army. The old, weak, women, and children will be evacuated first, what about you? What will you do? Will you wait until it's your turn to evacuate? There are still tens of thousands of people in Nanjing, and when it's your turn, that lifeline may be blocked again. How will you leave Nanjing? Haven't you thought about joining the army to fight against Japan? Haven't you thought about breaking through with our troops and opening a bloody path? War is cruel, but aren't we Chinese people human beings too? If Nanjing falls, will the Japanese treat us as humans? Will they really implement their so-called Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere? Let's not talk about the past, let's talk about recent events. The Japanese army has killed its way from Shanghai to Nanjing, leaving a trail of blood and fire wherever they go. Isn't this beastly behavior enough to make gods and humans angry? Fellow countrymen, without a country, there is no home. If our country is destroyed, how can we have peace at home? We are all hot-blooded men, in this time of national crisis, will you still stand by and do nothing? One inch of land, one inch of blood; ten thousand young people, ten thousand soldiers. Fellow brave men, the Japanese have committed heinous crimes against our great China, shouldn't we make them pay for their crimes with their own blood?"

  After listening to Liu Zhenfeng's words, the young people below were suddenly enthusiastic, and many people rushed forward to sign up, but there were still many who hesitated.

  "There's one more thing I want to tell everyone, joining the army has food to eat, won't go hungry, getting sick is treated for free, and if you die in battle, there's even compensation money given to your family. What are you all waiting for? Such good conditions, in this chaotic world, not joining the army, what else do you want to do?"

  As soon as Liu Zhenfeng finished speaking, those who were hesitant rushed to sign up, with an enthusiasm similar to buying World Cup final tickets, for fear of missing out.

  "Hey, for those who aren't very cultured, those grand patriotic phrases might not be that obvious, but as soon as you mention getting fed and full, hey, the effect is..."

  Liu Zhenfeng shook his head and said to the reserve commander-in-chief who was following him: "Training must be strict, recruitment will end after tomorrow, then intensive training for a week. Those who fail to meet the requirements will be asked to withdraw, and those who are qualified will continue to train, ready to go into battle at any time!"

  "Yes! Attention!" The chief instructor gave Liu Zhenfeng a military salute.

  The battle became increasingly brutal, and the positions outside the city fell one by one. By December 25th, only the Rain Flower Terrace position remained, except for the lifeline to the west. The commander of the 3rd Regiment of the 101st Division still held his ground with his soldiers, but the regiment suffered heavy casualties. Although two rounds of reinforcements were carried out, at this time, there was only one battalion left.

  "Report to the Regiment Commander, the enemy is coming again!" a company commander ran up to the regiment commander and reported.

  "Alright! Now I order, all bayonets on, when the enemy arrives, screw his grandma!" The regiment commander ordered.

  "Fix bayonets!" The order of the division commander was passed down by each regimental commander.

  The enemy's 114th Division, 102nd Regiment, frantically charged towards the Rain Flower Platform position. With a single order from the Third Battalion Commander, all the soldiers of the battalion burst out of their positions like leopards, shouting as they charged towards the Japanese soldiers. The two sides quickly clashed, and the Third Battalion Commander cut down three Japanese soldiers before being stabbed in the left shoulder. He gritted his teeth, bearing the pain, and grabbed the throat of a Japanese soldier with both hands. The Japanese soldier was almost suffocated, and he brutally pulled out another bayonet from his waist and stabbed it into the abdomen of the Third Battalion Commander. By this time, the Third Battalion Commander had lost all feeling of pain, and with a tragic fury, he grasped the Japanese soldier's throat with all his might. Gradually, the Japanese soldier stopped struggling, and soon lost consciousness. The Third Battalion Commander, wounded in two places, sat on the ground panting, clutching his abdomen. At this moment, a Japanese officer raised his command sword and brutally slashed at the head of the Third Battalion Commander.

  "Charge!" Three battalion deputy commander Qi Wanqing shouted and rushed over, trying to save his battalion commander, but it was too late. The Japanese officer's sword had already chopped onto the shoulder of the third battalion commander. The third battalion commander let out a loud cry, pulled out a hand grenade, removed the safety pin, and suddenly pounced on the Japanese officer, stuffing the grenade into his crotch and tightly embracing him. The Japanese officer was frightened and shouted loudly, using the command knife in his hand to fiercely stab the back of the third battalion commander multiple times. Along with a loud explosion, the third battalion commander and the Japanese officer perished together.

  "Avengers of Traveler!!" Wan Qing cried out loudly, "Brothers, let's avenge our Traveler!!"

  The entire army of the 3rd Brigade, filled with anger, also increased their combat value by n times due to their rage. Everyone launched attack after attack against the enemy with a tragic and desperate determination. The commander of the 102nd Regiment of the 114th Division, Colonel Chiyoda Kōtarō, was also killed by the soldiers of the 3rd Brigade during the attack, going to meet his Amaterasu ōmikami.

  At night, both sides retreated to their own camps. Qi Wanqing held the remains of San Travel's commander and wept silently. All the soldiers in the division were immersed in the sorrow of losing their commander.

  "Brothers! The Japanese army's offensive is getting fiercer and fiercer, the Rain Flower Terrace position is the last barrier of Nanjing City. Unless we all die in battle, we will not retreat half a step!" Qi Wanqing said indignantly.

  On the morning of December 26, the Japanese army launched another attack on the Yuhuatai position. The entire brigade, under the command of Deputy Brigade Commander Tan Wanqing, withstood the enemy's repeated attacks one after another. Enraged, the commander of the 114th Division, Matsushita Mōji, ordered the artillery to bombard the Yuhuatai position fiercely. The unyielding soldiers of the three brigades still held their ground with their flesh and blood, without any intention of retreating. During a brief lull in the fighting, the sound of Chinese soldiers singing echoed from the Yuhuatai position: "The sword has been drawn, thunder rumbles and lightning flashes! Brave warriors have always emerged victorious on narrow paths. Advance forward, advance forward, the soul of the Chinese army!"

  "What's this? What are these Chinese singing?" Matsushita Shigeru asked his interpreter.

  The interpreter said with a humble expression: "Commander, they are all words that should not be spoken."

  "Hachi-gatsu! Tell me quickly, what are they all singing?" Matsuji Matsumoto asked discontentedly.

  "Yes, yes, this group of Chinese are singing...". The interpreter recited the lyrics of "Chinese Military Soul" to Matsushita Mōji.

  "Hmm, what a great song! These Chinese soldiers are really admirable. Facing our army's fierce attack, they managed to hold their ground for two weeks. I have to admire them! However, anyone who dares to block the advance of my Imperial Army will be annihilated!" Matsushita Mōji said proudly.

  "That's right, these Chinese people don't know what's good for them, they don't know how powerful our Imperial Army is!" The interpreter waited on Matsushita like a dog.

  "Give the order, before noon, we must take down the Rain Flower Platform position, make those Chinese devils surrender, and kill anyone who refuses to surrender without exception!" Matsushita Mōji shouted.

  The Japanese army launched another attack.

  Looking at the sparse soldiers around him, Shi Wanqing said to the communication soldier: "Send a telegram to the Military Department, my 101 Division's third brigade from the brigade commander down, all prepare to die for the country, not one person will surrender to the Japanese army."

  After finishing the dispatch, Shi Wanqing led the remaining generals and soldiers, shouting loudly as they charged down from their position and into the enemy's formation...

  "In the military department, a communication soldier reported to Liu Zhenfeng: 'Report to the commander, just received news that the Rain Flower Platform position has been lost!'"

  "Damn it, what has he been eating for the past three days that he lost the position? Let him go find a deserted place and kill himself!" Liu Zhenfeng cursed angrily.

  "Report to the commander, the last telegram we received from the front line said: The 3rd Brigade of our 101st Division, from the brigade commander down, is prepared to fight to the death and sacrifice for the country, not a single person will surrender to the Japanese army. According to our intelligence department, the brigade commander was killed in action yesterday, and Deputy Commander Xi Wanqing led all officers and men to fight to the death at noon today, not a single person surrendered to the devils, not a single person left the battlefield alive!" The communications soldier said with a choked voice.

  "Good, all good! Not a single coward in the 3rd Battalion of the 101st Division!" Liu Zhenfeng held back tears and said: "Order the defenders at Zhonghua Gate to defend to the death, and must block the enemy's attack for more than three days."

  After the loss of Yuhuatai, the lifeline in the west suddenly increased pressure. The 109th Division, which guarded the lifeline, fought bravely with their lives to resist the Japanese army's wave after wave of attacks and managed to hold on.

  The loss of the entire line outside the city wall made the Nanjing city wall face the enemy's artillery fire again. The soldiers defending Zhongshan Gate, Guanghua Gate and Zhonghua Gate fought bravely with the enemy with a fearless spirit of sacrifice. Guanghua Gate changed hands several times and was recaptured by our army after fierce fighting, both sides suffered heavy casualties.

  "Hagane, order the troops to launch a fierce attack on Zhonghuamen and break through it first!" The loud voice of Prince Kishōtarō from Chōshōden echoed.

  On the morning of December 28, Zhonghua Gate, which had concentrated the main forces of the enemy's 114th Division, 6th Division and 9th Division for a fierce attack, was finally unable to withstand such great pressure and was breached by the arrogant Japanese army.

  "Order the entire garrison to enter into street fighting, the Japanese want to completely control Nanjing, no way! If worst comes to worst, I'll fight them to the death. Even if my 77th Army is destroyed, we'll take down several of your elite divisions with us!" Liu Zhenfeng gave the order for street fighting with red eyes, and tens of thousands of soldiers in the city, except for those who had not lost their positions at the gates, all entered into the intense street fighting. The brutal street fighting first broke out in the southern part of the city, and the Japanese army that had entered the city was completely trapped in the 77th Army's frenzied street fighting. Every building, every piece of rubble, would shoot out bullets filled with hatred. Whenever the Japanese discovered a Chinese soldier, they would face a Chinese soldier with eyes full of hatred, who would shout loudly and pull the pin on a grenade, charging into the Japanese squad like a madman, even if it meant dying to take down several enemies."

  The first to enter Nanjing, the 6th Division suffered extremely heavy losses. The soldiers of the 77th Army were like bloodthirsty demons, crazily stabbing Japanese soldiers with bayonets. Chinese soldiers who had been shot would directly kick the Japanese soldiers' groin area with their feet and bite the Japanese soldiers' throats with their mouths. Any exposed piece of flesh became an object for the Chinese soldiers to tear apart. The soldiers of the 6th Division were finally frightened, fleeing in all directions without a care, only to have lone Japanese soldiers picked off by Chinese soldiers hiding behind tiles.

  The fierce battle is going on mercilessly...