Chapter 241

Oshima Kaimura, the company commander, peered into the backyard: a pitch-black night, so dark that nothing could be seen.

His vision, accustomed to the bright front yard, hadn't yet adjusted to the dim light of the backyard.

Their current position was shielded by the houses in the front yard, making the flares' light much fainter here.

The poison gas was also less concentrated in this area.

He couldn't see what was happening in the backyard, but his every move was being watched by all the soldiers of the Sixth and Seventh Platoons, who were lying in ambush there.

Oshima Kaimura knew that he only needed to take a few more steps to be able to remove the towel from his mouth and nose and breathe freely.

He was extremely excited.

No longer crawling, he struggled to stand up and took a step forward.

This was a small step for him tonight, but a giant leap for his life!

Just as Oshima Kaimura took this step, the soldiers of the Sixth and Seventh Platoons, who had been waiting impatiently, opened fire.

As the first to stand up, Oshima Kaimura became the first target.

He was the first Japanese soldier to fall at the entrance to the backyard.

But he wasn't the last.

Oshima Kaimura fell at the doorway connecting the front and back yards, blocking the path of all the Japanese soldiers behind him.

For those Japanese soldiers behind him, in this situation, it didn't matter if there were cliffs or abysses ahead.

They had no choice but to continue forward because there was no turning back.

Even if they didn't retreat, they couldn't stay where they were.

The poison gas was everywhere in the yard, and if they continued to stay there, they would only become corpses struggling in agony.

So, the Japanese soldiers released their hands from their mouths and noses and shakily gripped their guns.

Some of the Japanese soldiers, who had already thrown their guns in the yard, charged straight toward the backyard.

Only in the backyard could they find air to breathe freely.

Officer Yang fired a flare, making the backyard as bright as the front yard, but even clearer.

The poison gas from the gas bombs was much less concentrated here.

The flare's light clearly illuminated the Japanese soldiers crawling into the backyard.

They were exposed in broad daylight.

This meant that these Japanese soldiers could no longer escape.

The two platoons of soldiers who had been waiting for them had sealed off this narrow round door.

Not even a mosquito could fly through, let alone a Japanese soldier.

These Japanese soldiers weren't confused; they were as clear-headed as if they were experiencing a final moment of clarity.

They knew that if they couldn't die quickly under the guns of these attackers,

they would only die in agony in the gas-filled yard.

Since death was inevitable, they might as well make it quick and reduce their suffering.

Officer Yang, of course, didn't refuse these Japanese soldiers' request.

While Oshima Kaimura was quietly crawling toward the backyard, other Japanese soldiers were quietly crawling toward the front gate.

But their luck was clearly not as good as Oshima Kaimura's.

The Special Company soldiers on the left and right walls had always considered the front gate a key defensive area.

These Japanese soldiers who went against the odds happened to encounter the fiercest attack.

Even in the gas-filled front yard, these Japanese soldiers were pinned to the ground by the four combat platoons on the left and right sides.

Although the vision of the four platoons on the left and right walls was affected by the colored gas from the gas bombs,

most of the machine guns of the four platoons still firmly blocked the road to the front yard.

So, these Japanese soldiers were pinned down until they died!

These Japanese soldiers either died in front of the back door or on the way to the front door.

They either died in the hail of bullets from the Special Company or in the gas-filled yard.

Wu Xiaobao, Zhao Long, Ji Wudi, and Ji Jiahen fought from beginning to end.

After a full fifteen minutes of bombing, these young soldiers finally got addicted when Lin Fan ordered them to stop.

When the sound of gunfire stopped, a few minutes later, the sporadic gunshots also stopped.

Lin Fan ordered the front door to be opened, and only after the gas in the yard had noticeably dissipated did he agree to let the soldiers of the Direct Line Company rush in to clean up the battlefield.

He personally inspected the gas masks worn by each soldier preparing to enter the yard to clean up the battlefield.

Then, he was the first to walk into the yard.

Lin Fan had undergone training in many scenarios, but he had never been trained in such a real gas environment.

Now that he thought about it, if he could, he would definitely write it down: everything should start from actual combat, and there should be no falsehood!

The unknown was the scariest thing, and it was also the reason why Lin Fan was so careful tonight.

Under the snow-white light of the flares, the Japanese soldiers in the entire yard died in strange and grotesque ways.

The lucky ones were either directly killed by the falling shells or directly shot by the Special Company soldiers.

These Japanese soldiers died straight on the ground, without suffering much torture from the gas bombs, and died quickly, perhaps without even tasting the pain.

So, these Japanese soldiers were the luckiest.

Those Japanese soldiers who died from inhaling the gas had distorted faces, and their expressions were as hideous as ghosts.

Their bodies were curled up like gnarled old pines.

Even with the addition of the gas, the Direct Line Company soldiers still followed the Special Company's battlefield discipline: giving each Japanese soldier lying on the ground a finishing blow.

This time, the finishing blow was very different from the past. None of the more than one hundred Japanese soldiers struggled or groaned.

In the past, when the Special Company soldiers were cleaning up the battlefield, they gave the Japanese soldiers lying on the ground a finishing blow.

They could always stir up some Japanese soldiers who were intentionally or unintentionally pretending to be unconscious when the bayonet was ruthlessly inserted.

But no matter what the reason for their unconsciousness, the final result was to make them never wake up!

The Sixth and Seventh Platoons quickly rushed in from the backyard, giving finishing blows and searching all the way.

After giving finishing blows to these Japanese soldiers who had just died at the door, they stripped off all the clothes and bags on these Japanese soldiers.

All the weapons were also collected.

The doors of the houses in the front yard were all open. After Lin Fan rushed in, all he saw was broken bricks and tiles.

The entire roof of the house had been blown down by the bombing just now.

Lin Fan went to check every room to see if there were any Japanese soldiers crushed under the collapsed roof.

The Special Company wasn't prepared to open the roof to check carefully now, and they were busy cleaning up the battlefield inside and out.

Another team of soldiers had already gone to fetch the mule and horse team left outside the town.

The shells, gas masks, and supplies transported by these Japanese soldiers tonight couldn't be abandoned.

All these supplies were loaded and taken away.

Lin Fan even considered the possibility of directly using these three cars to go to Jiangwan Airport.

The intelligence was too limited, and he didn't know where this team was going.

Otherwise, if he could just do a switcheroo, he could give the Japanese soldiers receiving these munitions a big surprise.

Lin Fan felt it was wonderful just thinking about such a good thing.

The Special Company soldiers acted quickly and emptied the things on these three cars.

Lin Fan took two soldiers and drove these three cars more than a kilometer away.

These two soldiers originally couldn't drive, but they were trained by Lin Fan to drive tanks.

Learning these things was easy.

The three cars were driven a thousand meters out of the town and stopped at the location where the mule and horse team had just stayed. A torch was thrown into the fuel tank.

Only then did Lin Fan lead his men to quickly catch up with the main force that had already left Zhenru.

The Special Team advanced again, and they were going back to the Four-Line Warehouse again.

This time, Lin Fan didn't continue to have the idea of going back. That place was too eye-catching.

He wanted to find a place that wouldn't attract attention to hide.

Fortunately, this area had just been baptized by war, and there wasn't a single living person.

There were many ruins, empty houses, dangerous houses, and collapsed houses.

Lin Fan and the others walked into a large yard. There were gaps everywhere in the courtyard walls.

It was obvious that they had been destroyed by various methods.

Lin Fan only glanced at it vaguely and saw at least three kinds of gaps: blasted open, rammed open by tanks, and rammed open by manpower.

The Special Company soldiers walked in from the gaps.

They walked all the way to the backyard of this house.

Here, there were still some houses that were relatively complete.

The mules and horses were locked up. In this kind of place, sentries couldn't be stationed too far away.

Lin Fan arranged six sentry posts outside the gate of this courtyard and around the courtyard walls.

The soldiers of the entire Special Company began to lurk down again.

The Special Company soldiers quieted down.

When the soldiers had rested, Li Xian found Lin Fan: "I want to enter the concession once?"

Faced with Lin Fan's questioning gaze, Li Xian said very frankly: "I want to go back and report on the work of these days.

The things that the Special Company has done shouldn't be forgotten.

Even if we can't make these things public for the time being,

someone should record them and wait for the right opportunity to let future generations know:

there was such a group of people who did these things in this era."

Lin Fan smiled: "Go if you want! We'll leave at two o'clock in the afternoon.

Also, take two people with you, so you'll have someone to take care of things if you encounter them.

Also, take some money and buy one hundred and twenty-nine watches back from the concession.

Also, find out if there are handheld walkie-talkies for sale on the Shanghai market.

If there are, order ten of them."

Li Xian was obviously very unfamiliar with the term handheld walkie-talkie: "What is that?"

Lin Fan explained succinctly: "A telephone that you can hold in your hand without wires."

Li Xian said he understood.

As for taking two people with him, he thought that Lin Fan wanted to send someone to follow him to feel more at ease.

He immediately chose Wu Xiaobao and Ji Wudi.

These two people were Lin Fan's favorite and trusted people.

Lin Fan smiled and refused: "You need to choose bodyguards. You're no longer a reporter.

You're the deputy company commander of the Special Company. There's a position that hasn't been announced, but you're going to do its work.

That's ideological guidance.

You're indispensable for the future of the Special Company.

Let Chen Sichuan and Feng Junya go with you.

They're both bold and careful.

Change into plain clothes, bring good short guns, and let's go!

By the way, how are you planning to enter the concession?"

Li Xian said with a smile: "Go in from the sewer?"

"Can our whole company go in too?" Lin Fan was excited.

"There's no problem going in! The problem is with the placement. So many people can't be placed without attracting attention."

Li Xian had obviously also considered this issue.

Lin Fan smiled: "Today, you go in, find the organization, and ask the organization to help rent a set of locations with warehouses in each of the four directions of the concession, at the sewer exits.

Claim to be cargo warehouses, as our next base.

Also, set up four foreign firms, each independent of the other.

Use the names of these foreign firms to rent houses."

Lin Fan pointed to the weapons and gas masks on the mules and horses: "These are all good things that can be sold for a good price."

Li Xian received the task and quietly sneaked out with Chen Sichuan and Feng Junya.

The entire city of Shanghai, this largest metropolis in the East, the paradise of adventurers, had just begun to awaken.

The citizens of Shanghai, who had just woken up, were listening to the familiar cries of the vendors.

They were hesitating whether to have breakfast at home or buy it outside?

Just as they were hesitating, they suddenly heard a newspaper boy shouting in a surprised and ecstatic voice:

"Extra! Extra! Our troops attacked Hongqiao Airport, killing more than two thousand Japanese soldiers and destroying more than one hundred enemy aircraft.

There are pictures and the truth.

One newspaper costs one jiao!" (jiao = 1/10 yuan)

The newspaper boy's shouts powerfully helped them make up their minds.

"Give me a newspaper!"

With a "slap!" sound,

Matsui Iwane threw a thick stack of newspapers on the table.

Yesterday, he was fortunately thought that the attack on Hongqiao Airport had been covered up without anyone knowing.

The outside world didn't know anything at all, so it could be treated as if it hadn't happened.

It didn't matter if his own people knew, as long as outsiders didn't know.

This way, he could completely avoid affecting the image of the invincible Empire.

It could also allow all the citizens in the country who were already unable to survive to more enthusiastically support the war psychologically.

Ever since that open telegram issued by "Our Troops" was announced to the world,

Matsui Iwane's thinking had changed again:

Even if the Chinese know about this battle, as long as there is no evidence, it's fine.

Anyway, as long as there is no evidence and we don't admit it, we can treat it as if it was a fabricated fake news and let it pass.

Today, all the newspapers in Shanghai published several photos.

Two of these photos were of Hongqiao Airport in its intact state in the past.

Two photos were of Hongqiao Airport after the bombing. The runways and aprons were full of aircraft wreckage.

The airport buildings were also all ruins. With such a clear contrast, even a fool could see:

The Japanese army suffered heavy losses at Hongqiao Airport.

"How did these photos leak out?" Matsui Iwane was furious.

A staff officer mustered up the courage to remind him: "Judging from this angle, it was taken from the sky.

Yesterday at noon, a U.S. military seaplane circled over Hongqiao Airport many times.

At that time, we requested whether to shoot it down."

The following things didn't need to be reported anymore: shoot it down? How was that possible!

How dare they?

They had to know that on the Huangpu River, the warships of all countries were watching.

When they were fighting Chiang Kai-shek, they didn't speak, didn't make a sound, and didn't object!

But that didn't mean that when they were fighting the United States, those countries would still adhere to the "three nos" policy.

The United States was a powerful country!

If the United States joined this battle, the warships of those great powers would immediately join in without thinking.

Because this was a war that the United States was bound to win, and all the countries that stood with the United States would benefit.

Matsui Iwane stopped his powerless venting in frustration.

He signaled to take away these newspapers on the table.

He didn't want to see these newspapers anymore.

On Chiang Kai-shek's desk, there was also a thick stack of newspapers: "So, the first piece of information sent out in that open telegram was true?"

He considered whether to analyze the intelligence about the Japanese army landing in Hangzhou Bay.

The entire Battle of Songhu, as it had progressed to the present, was completely different from what he had originally planned.

Chiang Kai-shek's initial idea was that, under the nationwide call for resistance against Japan, his elite troops trained by the entire German army would have to fight a battle with the Japanese.

He couldn't quell the anger and calls of the people across the country.

In Chiang Kai-shek's view, if the war broke out elsewhere, it would not attract the world's attention, and the risk would be too great.

If he really fought hard with the Japanese, how much of his German-equipped division would be left?

Chiang Kai-shek had no confidence at all.

In the depths of Chiang Kai-shek's heart, he was still fantasizing about appeasing the people's anger and reaping a wave of popular support.

As for completely relying on the Japanese, he no longer had the opportunity.

Because in his government, his deputy, the Vice President of the Republic of China, was a staunch pro-Japanese faction, a capitulationist.

That person had never concealed his tendencies anywhere, but Chiang Kai-shek had no way to deal with this person.

The idea of capitulation was also supported by many people in Chiang Kai-shek's government.

Therefore, Chiang Kai-shek had to fight a big battle with the Japanese, but he could choose where to fight this battle.

Fight in Shanghai!

Fighting in Shanghai could take advantage of international forces, as long as he didn't hurt the Japanese too much.

Everything could still be negotiated. Although he couldn't negotiate a national peace, at least Shanghai could be peaceful, and central China could be peaceful. That would be enough.

At least he would have practical actions to support the resistance against Japan!

And fighting in Shanghai: Shanghai was a modern metropolis in China, and the world powers had their own interests here.

They would not sit idly by and watch a real big battle break out in Shanghai.

Based on this idea: From the very beginning of this battle, Chiang Kai-shek intentionally wanted to control the scale.

He wanted to fight the Japanese a little bit. If he could let the Japanese know his attitude and then abolish the 1932 "Shanghai Ceasefire Agreement," that would be great.

Even if he couldn't abolish that treaty, it didn't matter, as long as he made a name for himself as the president of the resistance.

Based on the guiding ideology of lifting it high and dropping it gently,

Chiang Kai-shek was very worried about this battle.

None of his generals had guessed his intentions.

Therefore, in this Battle of Songhu, the prepared surprise attack and preemptive strike appeared.

The general who was commanding the battle on the front line had already conveyed the order and was about to implement it, but was forcibly suppressed by Chiang Kai-shek's order to wait for two days.

This allowed the completely unprepared Japanese Shanghai Marine Corps to seize the time to prepare defenses and also receive reinforcements from Qingdao.

From the received intelligence, they learned that the strength of the Japanese Marine Corps in Shanghai had increased a lot, and when they felt that they could persist for a few days,

Chiang Kai-shek allowed the troops to start attacking.

Chiang Kai-shek's intention was to let the two sides fight evenly.

Next, they discovered that the Japanese were still showing signs of defeat quickly.

The international community didn't stand up to mediate at all.

Chiang Kai-shek had to order a suspension of the offensive, giving the Japanese time to transfer troops and generals.

After the third such suspension, the situation on the battlefield was no longer under Chiang Kai-shek's control.

What angered him the most was that, at this time, the entire Shanghai, except for the concession, had been turned into ruins everywhere.

Those powers with interests in Shanghai still didn't come forward to mediate.

This made Chiang Kai-shek very embarrassed.

He was in a dilemma!

Now, the international conference of the Nine-Power Treaty that he had been eagerly awaiting was actually postponed?

This blow was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Now, the situation on the entire Songhu battlefield was one in which we were weakening and the enemy was growing stronger.

The Japanese army was completely on the offensive side, and the National Army was completely at a disadvantage and could only adopt a defensive posture.

Some generals had already suggested that the entire National Army retreat from Luxi to the Wufu Line, which had been built long ago.

The Wufu Line was a defense line that Chiang Kai-shek had built with a lot of effort and money after the first Battle of Songhu. It was known as the "Eastern Maginot Line."

According to the general who made the suggestion: Luxi had no natural defenses, and the National Army had not planned to defend Luxi in advance.

Rather than doing so, it was better to retreat to the Wufu Line, which had been planned and prepared long ago.

They could fight a protracted defensive war with the Japanese.

Any general with normal thinking could see the benefits of this suggestion.

Chiang Kai-shek, who felt that he had been abandoned by the international community, had been in trouble both internally and externally these days.

At the same time, he felt very wronged: It was clear that I could have driven all you Japanese devils into the sea from the beginning.

I let you off, and you turned around and trapped me!

That's too unvirtuous!

Now, Chiang Kai-shek, who was ashamed and angry, refused to agree to let the hundreds of thousands of troops on the battlefield retreat.

As for the generals under him, this time they were able to guess his thoughts.

None of them agreed to retreat to the Wufu Defense Line for long-term defense.

Chiang Kai-shek's mind was thinking about that open telegram: The Japanese Second Army plans to land in Hangzhou Bay on November 5th.

This was clearly a smokescreen released to watch his troops confront the Japanese in Luxi.

I can't be fooled!

Chiang Kai-shek, who had reaffirmed his determination, asked about the battles on the Songhu front as usual.

Since entering November, the Japanese army's offensive had stopped in the past two days. It seemed that they were at the end of their rope.

Chiang Kai-shek smiled.

Petty tricks, you want to deceive me?