Chapter 61: Slaughtering the Japanese Bandits

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  Locust-like Japanese troops, without the command of frontline officers, dared not to retreat. They risked their lives to capture even a small position from Chinese defenders. Both sides engaged in a brutal battle of firepower and physical strength on the main position of Tangchi.

  Yu and Cheng led the troops to fight bravely under the cover of the anti-Japanese army's howitzer, and the troops pursued south for 30 miles, shooting down three Japanese fighter planes, capturing five large cannons, eight heavy machine guns, and countless other spoils, killing nearly 5,000 enemy soldiers.

  But after this battle, the two divisions of Yuan and Cheng also suffered heavy losses. To replenish the reserve forces, Zhao Xiaofeng again transferred two regiments from the Guards Division to reinforce the defenses of Cheng Zhiyuan's division and Wu Songlin's division in the direction of Mógū Xī (Mushroom Creek).

  At this time, both sides were fighting fiercely and were hard to distinguish, the enemy's forces had increased to more than 20,000 people, six planes, one cavalry regiment and one infantry regiment, attacking strongly from both wings. The commander of the Otagawa unit stood at the head of the array and commanded personally.

  The fierce battle on the 14th lasted until 11:40 at midnight, and the night of Heilongjiang returned to its due coldness and silence.

  The Japanese army did not dare to launch a large-scale attack again. The Japanese army suffered heavy casualties, and the commander of the Kwantung Army ordered the 8th Mixed Brigade in Korea to depart on the 5th to reinforce the Jiangqiao front line. On the same day, the Hirose Mixed Brigade also departed from Tokyo, Japan to rush to the Jiangqiao front line in northern Manchuria. The air force added two squadrons of bombers and one squadron of fighter planes, and the artillery added two heavy artillery regiments.

  At this time, the Japanese army, in order to win the support of world public opinion, played another trick - "ultimatum":

  Japanese Commander-General Honjō Shigeru, acting on the orders of Japanese War Minister Minami Jirō, notified Heilongjiang Province Chairman Ma Zhanshan and Commander Zhao Xiofeng:

  The KMT army retreated north to Qiqihar, and all the troops that concentrated on attacking Qiqihar and Angangxi must return to their original garrison.

  (2) The Black Army shall not be stationed south of the Zhongdong Road.

  (3) The Taohuang Road Bureau is in charge of management, and the Hei Jun (Black Army) shall not interfere; otherwise, the Japanese army will take necessary and effective measures at any time.

  The secretary received a telegram and delivered it to Ma Zanshan's mansion. After reading it, Ma Zanshan immediately handed the telegram to the secretary: "Immediately reply to Ben Zhuangfan this old turtle!"

  The secretary hastily took out paper and pen.

  "Restore electricity, Commander of the Japanese Kwantung Army, Honjō Shigeru." Ma Zhanshan said word by word;

  (1) Qiqihar and Nenjiang are completely Chinese territory, the Ma Zanshan army is a Chinese army, it is stationed in its own territory, on what grounds does the Japanese government interfere?

  (2) The Middle East Road is entirely within Chinese territory, and the Japanese government has no right to interfere.

  (3) Although the Taonan Railway was built with borrowed funds, sovereignty completely belongs to China and cannot be monopolized by the military side of the creditor country. This is recognized by all countries in the world and it is an unreasonable request that cannot be accepted.

  That night, Ma Zhan Shan hardly closed his eyes. The battle was getting more and more brutal every day, the Japanese army's strength kept increasing, while the defending troops were dwindling, and the Nanjing government and Beiping garrison remained idle, not sending a single soldier or general. Now, except for Zhao Xiaofeng, he had no hope at all. If it weren't for Zhao Xiaofeng's Northeast Anti-Japanese Army sending so many shells and guns to Heilongjiang in time, Heilongjiang would have fallen long ago.

  At 3 o'clock in the morning, Ma Zanshan took a heavy vehicle with his staff and guards to the front line to find Zhao Xiaofeng. Face to face, he made a formal request to Zhao Xiaofeng, wanting to lead the entire Heilongjiang army to surrender to Zhao Xiaofeng's Northeast Anti-Japanese Army.

  Zhao Xiaofeng was overjoyed upon hearing the news and immediately appointed Ma Zhanshan as the commander of the Third Army, Jin Guihua as deputy commander, Tang Fengjia as chief of staff. He also appointed Xie Ke as the chief of general staff of the three armies.

  This battle really let the German advisory team's elite see what it means to be elite! Also saw the strength of the Northeast Army, they faced more than their own number of enemies and did not retreat at all, stubbornly defending every inch of land.

  That night at the military meeting, they all listened to Zhao Xiaofeng's counterattack plan and admired Zhao Xiaofeng's military talent even more. In fact, most of Zhao Xiaofeng's battle plans were drafted by Xie Ke.

  Zhao Xiaofeng estimated that Ma Zhan Shan's reply to Ben Zhuang Fan on the 14th would definitely stimulate Ben Zhuang Fan greatly, and in turn, he would launch an even more frantic attack.

  As expected by Zhao Xiaofeng, on the 16th of this month, the Japanese army launched a fierce attack with more than 10,000 cavalrymen, infantrymen and artillerymen towards Sanjianfang, Xinlitun, Sanjiazi and other places. The two sides fought fiercely, extremely intense. Due to the poor equipment of the Heilongjiang Army, casualties were heavy.

  Suddenly, the weather changed drastically, strong winds rose, and dust blocked the sky. The two armies immediately fell into a state of chaos. Enemy planes also became ineffective. Under intense artillery cover, Japanese cavalry infantry charged into the defensive trenches, and the defenders engaged in bloody hand-to-hand combat with bayonets until the defenders' mortars and machine guns arrived from both flanks to attack the enemy, who were then repelled.

  Taking advantage of the Japanese retreat, 5,000 soldiers of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army's First Army, hiding in the mountains, launched a swift counterattack under the leadership of Zhong Baitian and Shi Rui, decisively pursuing the enemy's remnants.

  Due to the lack of reinforcements from the Japanese army, the frontline troops of 10,000 people are now reduced to only over 5,000 and start fleeing towards Jiangqiao.

  Feng Zhanhai's Second Division, with the assistance of Zhao Xiaofeng's Guard Regiment, also began to attack the two cavalry brigades of the Japanese Light and Heavy Mixed Brigade that had come from Tongchi and Lao Yefen in the right wing.

  The 3,000-strong North Ping Dare-to-Die Corps students and the Heilongjiang cavalry also began to attack the Japanese Tianye Brigade from the left wing of Jicai Gou Defense Zone and Xinlitun Defense Line.

  The three routes troops have determined to launch an attack at 0:00 on the 17th simultaneously.

  The main force of the subsequent attack also included the Guard Regiment, Wu Songlin's Brigade and Cheng Zhiyuan's Brigade, but due to several days of fighting, there were only a few thousand troops left, and the nearly 10,000 new recruits could not be sent to the battlefield for the time being.

  At this time, the Japanese army had more than 40,000 troops on the main battlefield, twice as many as all the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army forces. The disparity in strength between the two sides was so great, but Zhao Xiaofeng already had a plan! Members of the German military observation team had been requesting to participate in this battle personally, and Zhao Xiaofeng reluctantly assigned them to his own guard regiment.

  At 0:00 on the 17th, the three sides opened fire simultaneously. The formation of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army, which had been shrinking, suddenly opened up, and nearly 20,000 soldiers began a large-scale counterattack under the cover of all artillery, tanks, and machine guns. The battle was extremely fierce, and the Japanese army resisted with all its might, but the trend was already set. Those Japanese who stayed behind to try to block the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army were soon overwhelmed by the sea of people.

  The Northeast Anti-Japanese Army's mortars, artillery, tanks and machine guns have lost all sense of frugality! Frenzied firing, venting a month's worth of anger in one go! But the Japanese aren't pushovers either! After nearly three hours of fierce battle, the cavalry's daring charge finally blew up the Jiang Bridge again! Blocking all the Japanese and puppet troops who hadn't crossed the river at the Jiang Bridge line.

  At this time, the tanks and armored vehicles of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army had entered the heart of the enemy under the cover of mortars and machine guns, dividing the entire battlefield into two segments. The remaining 10,000 or so Japanese invaders were still fiercely resisting, knowing that falling into the hands of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army meant certain death. The Japanese were on the verge of madness! Their troops had become disorganized, their ammunition was depleted, and their gun barrels had overheated and could no longer be used.

  Several Japanese planes took to the air again under the roar of Ben Zhuangfan, but soon they were shot down by the anti-aircraft guns of Heilongjiang. The tens of thousands of shells of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army had been pouring into the enemy's trenches in waves, and not a single Japanese soldier was left unscathed. The remaining few thousand defeated soldiers were slaughtered in no time.

  The massacre began at dawn, under the gaze of Japanese onlookers from across the river. In that instant when thousands of heads were chopped off, the Japanese soldiers on the other side all knelt down! They had already become frightened, thinking that the Northeastern soldiers opposite them were not human, but devils! But they never thought that the true culprits behind this disaster should be themselves!

  In this battle, the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army sacrificed nearly 5,000 people! The Japanese left behind more than 20,000 corpses! The battlefield was stained red with blood, here is the blood of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army officers and soldiers, the blood of the Japanese invading army.

  In front of the Jiangqiao line, many people now understand that if they continue to fight, they will be completely defeated. He discovered through binoculars that the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army was launching a massive attack on the Japanese army's position under the cover of tanks, machine guns and howitzers, and some positions had already been occupied by them. Unable to hold on any longer, he decisively ordered the retreating soldiers to sound the retreat and reported the situation here to Commander Honjō Shigeru.

  Honzō Shigenori was thoroughly demoralized by the situation, knowing that Japan was now in a state of turmoil at home, with its economy on the verge of collapse. The war launched by the Kwantung Army would only add insult to injury for the Japanese economy. Although the Japanese had gained some benefits from the war in Manchuria, it was merely a drop in the bucket for the entire Japanese Empire. Just as he finished sending a telegram back home, news arrived that Lieutenant General Tōchinari of the 2nd Division had committed seppuku. With no other choice, Honzō ordered Itagaki Seishirō to take over as acting division commander and arrange defensive positions, ordering his troops to begin withdrawing southward into southern Manchuria.

  The soldiers of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army, led by Zhao Xiaofeng, have thoroughly driven out the Japanese invaders from Heilongjiang. Under the brutal rule of the Japanese army, they fought a lonely and bitter battle. The red blood on the banks of the Nen River is the treasure of the brave men of Northeast China. The bodies are scattered all over the bridge, and they sing a dirge for their country. The Northeast Anti-Japanese Army can be said to be the true heroes who defended their homeland.

  "How many troops does China have, how many troops are in the three eastern provinces? Liaoning and Jilin have fallen one after another, the southern territory of the three eastern provinces has been overrun by the Japanese flag, Chinese soldiers are all armed with guns to kill the enemy, enjoying the nourishment of the people's fat and oil, the map of the three eastern provinces has changed color. The shame that China's army has suffered is enormous. However, Heilongjiang has achieved a victory in the war of resistance under the leadership of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army, under the command of Zhao Xiaofeng and Ma Zhanshan." This is a report from Life Magazine.

  "We can't help but suspect that the Chinese military is not living up to its name, how many of them are truly capable of fighting against the enemy. In our extreme disappointment, we saw the 40-day fierce battle in Heilongjiang, and we found that Zhao Xiaofeng and Ma Zhanshan from the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army are worthy of being called Chinese soldiers without shame. As for the others, we dare not say whether they are qualified to be called Chinese soldiers, nor do we dare to flatter them, because the final proof is still pending. How many in the Chinese army are like Zhang Haipeng, and how many can compare with Zhao Xiaofeng and Ma Zhanshan? We wait with tears in our eyes, we eagerly anticipate with hot blood, we absolutely do not hope that China's military will neither be like Zhang Haipeng nor become like Ma Zhanshan, because at this time, it is no longer allowed for Chinese soldiers to hesitate or look on." - Report from the Daily Mail.

  "Commander Zhao, you have inspired the courage of your soldiers and shed blood for the country. In this land between white mountains and black waters, you have fought a lonely battle. Your bravery is worthy of admiration from 400 million Chinese people and peace-loving people around the world! Although you do not hold the rank of general, and previously were just a small squad leader, we can only admire you for your efforts to maintain national dignity under the oppression of powerful enemies. People from all over the world, China, Northeast China, Heilongjiang Province will respond to your call! Peace-loving foreigners and overseas Chinese are also inspired by this. The heroic actions of Commander Zhao Xiaofeng of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army have dispelled the gloom and darkness on everyone's face and in their hearts. The name of Commander Zhao Xiaofeng, who has shocked the world with his bravery, is now known globally! You set an example for the Chinese nation to fight for its dignity and for the world to fight for justice. Friendly countries admire you, Japanese bandits are terrified, please continue to lead your troops to victory, eliminate the enemy, recover our territory, and conquer Tokyo! We are willing to fully support your righteous actions!" This is an article publicly expressed by a member of the German observation team after receiving domestic support.

  Zhao Xiaofeng racked his brains to "adapt" Songhua River into a military song of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army!

  My home is on the Songhua River in Northeast China.

  There is a forest coal mine

  And there's also the soybeans and sorghum all over the mountains and fields.

  My home is on the Songhua River in Northeast China.

  There are my compatriots

  And those aging parents.

  "Nine One Eight", "Nine One Eight"

  From that miserable time.

  We wandered all over the place

  Abandon those endless treasures

  Vagabond! Vagabond!

  Wandering around all day!

  What year, what month

  When can I return to my lovely hometown?

  What year, what month

  Only then can we retrieve those endless treasures?

  Dad and mom, dad and mom,

  When?

  Can we all get together?!