Chapter 55: The Blood-Stained Lonely City Under Siege

  Although the anti-tank machine gun made Li Wensheng skeptical, Chen Feng was very confident. The 222nd Division was about to be equipped with the Type 75 anti-aircraft machine gun, which was quite different from all other anti-aircraft machine guns of this era. Not only was it compact and lightweight, but also highly mobile, with a fast deployment speed, high rate of fire, and powerful firepower. It not only had good shooting effects on low-altitude targets but also had a good striking effect on ground targets.

  The Type 75 anti-aircraft machine gun uses armor-piercing incendiary and armor-piercing incendiary tracer ammunition, which can penetrate a 20 mm thick homogeneous steel plate. It is mounted on a stable gun mount that can be adjusted for elevation and direction. Twin or quadruple mounts are mounted on two-wheeled or four-wheeled gun carts, which can be towed to change positions at any time, or fixedly installed on naval surface ships.

  The 75-style anti-aircraft machine gun can fire at both air and ground (water) targets. It has considerable power against aircraft, helicopters, light armored targets, technical weapons, vehicles, firepower points, ships, and cavalry within a range of 1 kilometer. It is suitable for combat in various regions and natural conditions, can destroy enemy armed helicopters and other airborne targets, fire at ground and water targets, damage enemy infantry fighting vehicles, armored transport vehicles, light boats and other thin-walled armored targets, and can also block roads or mountain passes, suppress enemy firepower points and annihilate enemy cluster mobile targets.

  In addition, the 75-style anti-aircraft machine gun was also tested in actual combat, and at a distance of 1200 meters, it suppressed enemy firepower and attacks from a distance. One bullet can cut off a soldier's waist, and during the nearly eight-year Sino-Vietnamese border war, both sides used 12.7mm or larger caliber heavy machine guns to inflict heavy casualties on each other.

  Chen Feng believed that in this era, the speed of airplanes and the thickness and hardness of armored vehicles were no match for the Type 75 anti-aircraft machine gun. Once this anti-aircraft machine gun was deployed on the battlefield, it would surely make those little devils who bullied China for lacking aircraft and armored forces crash and bleed.

  "Except for one company left to garrison Fengzhen County, the remaining troops of the 222nd Brigade immediately moved towards the Ertaizi area and hid in ambush. The 223rd Brigade also left one company to garrison Jining City, while the rest of its troops moved to Daheishan in Eerduosi Township and hid in ambush. The Guard Brigade left one company in Shangdu County and the rest of its troops went up the mountain to hide in ambush, with the division's artillery regiment following suit. The special warfare team was free to act on its own." Chen Feng gave orders in an orderly manner.

  "Xu Hu, after returning to the Daqing Mountain base, you immediately raised the great banner of the bandits replacing heaven and administering justice. The factories on the mountain will temporarily stop for now during the day to avoid attracting the attention of the Japanese army. At the same time, issue an order that anyone is strictly forbidden from taking action in the open during the daytime. Everyone should hide in the air raid shelters to rest during the daytime, and production will all be carried out at night."

  "Also inform County Magistrate Feng that the county seat is about to become a battlefield, and have him immediately organize the evacuation of the townspeople from the city to remote towns such as Dakoulian, Saiwusu, and Zhanggao, and wait for the little devils to withdraw before returning."

  "Notify again, the little devils are about to enter our Xinghe, let the villagers of Gaomiao Township immediately rush to harvest their crops. Potatoes can be left alone for now, first collect wheat and corn, there are only two days left, collect as much as you can."

  As Chen Feng's orders continued to be issued, the Independent 222 Brigade, a not-so-large war machine, started to operate at high speed again. Everyone was busy with their own tasks, although they were busy, but there was no sign of chaos.

  On the morning of September 22, Chen Feng received a report from the troops left behind by the 222nd Brigade in Fengzhen, saying that the Second War Zone Headquarters had agreed to supplement the 8 new recruit battalions of the 222nd Division and had arrived in Fengzhen. At the same time, a cavalry regiment also came, saying that this cavalry regiment would be under the command of the 222nd Division from now on.

  In the past few days, in order to avoid interference from the headquarters of the Seventh Army Group and the Second War Zone, Chen Feng cut off contact with his superiors. As a result, Fu Zuoyi and Yan Xishan were unable to contact the 222nd Division for several days, so Chen Feng was completely unaware that Yan Xishan had sent him a cavalry regiment as reinforcements.

  After receiving the telegram from Fengzhen, Chen Feng was overjoyed and thought that this army had arrived at just the right time. He had originally felt that the troops in the Ertao direction were somewhat weak, compared to the main forces of the Eastern Defense Brigade, the 223rd Brigade in the west, and the 222nd Brigade in the north. The Ertao direction only had one skeleton regiment of the 222nd Brigade and four directly affiliated battalions, with a total strength of less than three thousand people, which was indeed somewhat weak.

  I didn't expect to doze off and have someone send a pillow, eight new soldiers with over 1,000 people, a cavalry regiment also has 1,500-1,600 people, now the troops in both directions have more than 6,000 people. In this way, once the encirclement of the little devils is completed, humph, even if Abe no Kiyoshi, this famous general, is powerless to turn back heaven. In history, this famous general withered on Mount Taihang, this life Chen Feng must make him wither on Mount Daqing.

  On the afternoon of September 22, Abe Yoshimasa led the main force of the Northern Route Army to occupy Gaomiao Township in Xinghe County, while Zhang Beicoming's mixed brigade quickly moved south and occupied Huangtucun Village in Taigeming Township. The two forces were less than 15 kilometers away from Xinghe County.

  However, what made Abe Kiyoshi feel depressed was that his troops neither encountered resistance from the Chinese army nor received a warm welcome from local gentry. In Gaomiao Township, they did not even see an old farmer, except for the straw left behind after the harvest, which showed signs of human habitation, everything else was in vain.

  However, the news that Taka High just received from Xinghe County was quite exciting for Abe Kikusho. The intelligence said that the despicable Shina person did not escape, but instead stayed in Xinghe City with his troops, preparing to fight a decisive battle against the Imperial Japanese Army in this small county town.

  The stupid Shina people, this is Abe Kiyoshi's evaluation of Chen Feng. In Abe Kiyoshi's original words to his first battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Takeda Kishio: "I admire his courage, he is a true military man, but I have to say that he is a foolish commander. His wisest choice would be to retreat before the Imperial Japanese Army completes its encirclement of this small Shina county town, so that he can preserve his troops."

  In fact, Chen Feng never thought that the Japanese army had any chance of winning this war. The war was imminent, and from Chen Feng, the major general commander of the 222nd Division, to the ordinary soldiers, to the doctors and nurses in the field hospital, no one was flustered or panicked. Although the city was already empty, it did not look like a dead city at all.

  Although all the troops were well-prepared, Chen Feng's mood was not good at all. This discomfort was not due to worries about future battles, but rather because of his mother. Mongenqige learned that her precious son did not plan to command outside the city, but instead intended to stay inside and attract the enemy's firepower. She was extremely unwilling, and when persuasion failed, she resolutely stayed in the city to fight alongside Chen Feng.

  Chen Feng himself couldn't persuade them, so he invited Wang Qingya and Yelena to join in the persuasion. However, the final result was that his own mother and two younger wives unexpectedly formed an alliance, deciding to stay in the city and fight side by side with Chen Feng.

  Which one is this and which one is that, isn't this just adding chaos? If it were only himself, even if the city was really broken, there would be no problem. With Chen Feng's strength, breaking through would not be a problem. However, now with these three women present, Chen Feng did not have confidence in bringing them along to break through. Yeheliana was easy to handle, basically not needing Chen Feng's care, but the old lady and Wang Qingya were different stories. The old lady was still manageable, after all she had been outside for many years and was a grassland girl, her physical strength far surpassing that of ordinary women. However, Wang Qingya was a complete lady from a wealthy family, not to mention breaking through, even walking on the road when encountering poor and evil devils would be a problem.

  "Mother, just be good and listen to your son this once, go find my dad in the mountain." Looking at the full table of dishes, Chen Feng had no appetite and persuaded again.

  "It's settled, my mind is made up. You won't leave and I won't leave either. Not only will I not leave, but your two wives also won't be able to leave. And listen carefully, before the little devils besiege the city, you must make peace with your wife and secure a future for the Chen family, even if it means dying." Monggenqige said in an unyielding tone.

  "Daughter, what are you talking about? A great war is brewing, how can my son have the heart to do that? Besides, we haven't even had the wedding ceremony yet, this doesn't conform to propriety." Chen Feng said with a furrowed brow.

  "What's the point of all these rules and regulations, you Han people are so particular! A person is alive, but etiquette is dead. You're always either in the army or on the battlefield, I'm worried sick every day. And that stupid Tana doesn't even consider my feelings as her mother-in-law, if she had agreed to marry you earlier, who knows, maybe we'd already have a grandchild by now! Oh son, this bullet has no eyes, what if something happens to you, how will your father and I cope?"

  "Daughter, my skills are far superior to your son's. That little devil wants to eat him up but still lacks a good set of teeth. Don't worry, this time your son will give that little devil another unforgettable lesson, so that in the future, whenever they mention your son, they'll be scared out of their pants." Chen Feng said with a smile.

  "Stop being so poor-mouthed, today this matter you must settle, whether it's settled or not, it must be settled." Mongenqige had made up his mind to let Chenfeng stay with the old man.

  "Mother, this...this...I still have some things to take care of in my unit, you guys eat first, I'm leaving." After saying that, Chen Feng put down his bowl and ran out.

  "Come back here, you can't escape anywhere...you..."

  As soon as Chen Feng walked away, Mungenqiqige also stopped and looked at his two daughters-in-law, all three of them couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  "Mother, you really understand him, this idea is absolutely wonderful!" Wang Qingya said with a smile.

  "I'm his mother, how could I not know what's going on in that little mind of his? But it's not me saying this to you, you should really try harder and hurry up with that kid to get a house. If you can get pregnant with the Chen family heir before Tana and Yan Cai Xi arrive, no one will dare bully you in the future." Mong Gen Qi Ge said.

  "We will work hard!" The two girls said with red faces.