Chapter 165

Inoue Saemon, the battalion commander, walked along Shengmi Street. Both sides of the street were lined with two-story buildings, all the doors facing the street tightly shut.

Although he couldn't see what was inside those closed houses, the signs outside the doors made it clear: the people here were very wealthy!

If his troops hadn't been entirely deployed to the fortifications in preparation for battle, Inoue Saemon would have loved to send a squad to plunder this street.

Once the attacking Nationalist troops were repelled, he was determined to be the first to send a company to ransack the place. Inoue Saemon had secretly made up his mind.

He had been temporarily reassigned to reinforce the 45th Infantry Regiment. The Kanda Regiment had lost all the territory from Gao'an to Dacheng yesterday.

With heavy losses, they lacked the strength to defend Shengmi Street. Division Commander Inaba Shiro ordered a battalion to be drawn from the 23rd Regiment to assist them.

Inoue Saemon's battalion had only arrived at Shengmi Street yesterday, entering the defensive line just yesterday. After only one night, the entire line came under attack.

Although the front line was in fierce battle, Inoue Saemon was not flustered. He had confidence in his soldiers.

Commander Okamura Neiji had led the 11th Army to capture Wuhan, and was now directing his troops to attack and occupy Nanchang.

However, he lacked confidence that the 6th Infantry Division could hold Nanchang under the full-scale attack of the Nationalist 9th War Area. Therefore, he had urgently mobilized the 101st Division and part of the 116th Division to reinforce them, and also requested the navy to send naval landing forces to Nanchang for assistance.

These forces were still being deployed, and this was the weakest moment for the Japanese.

Although it was the weakest moment for the Japanese, the 9th War Area's offensive yesterday was not smooth, except for capturing the Gao'an, Xiangfuguan, and Dacheng line.

The 184th Division and the New 10th Division, attacking Fengxin, were still fighting with the Japanese for the outer defensive positions, and the New 11th Division, attacking Jing'an, was still engaged in fierce battles.

In fact, in the first day of the 9th War Area's counteroffensive on the entire Nanchang front, only the Gao'an line made significant progress.

Yesterday, when the two regiments of the Special Operations Brigade cooperated with a regiment of the 50th Division to attack Gao'an, Fengxin was also attacked by the 184th Division and the New 10th Division.

The Japanese guarding Fengxin were unable to send reinforcements, but their reinforcements arrived last night. Regiment Commander Ishiguya Shinsaburo led an infantry regiment to Fengxin.

That night, they formulated a plan for the entire regiment to depart from Fengxin and attack Gao'an, preparing to cut off the rear of the Nationalist troops on the Xiangfuguan to Dacheng line and encircle them for annihilation.

At six o'clock in the morning, the 136th Infantry Regiment led by Ishiguya Shinsaburo set out from Fengxin. This force of six thousand Japanese soldiers rushed out of Fengxin, heading directly towards Gao'an.

Ji Wudi, who was attacking Shengmi Street, suddenly received a report from Regiment Leader Li, stationed in Gao'an: "A large force of Japanese troops is attacking Gao'an."

At this time, Ji Wudi's 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Regiments had been fighting with the Japanese 45th Regiment and 23rd Regiment for nearly two hours.

The Japanese today were particularly tenacious. Inoue Saemon had originally been sightseeing in the rear, but upon hearing the report that the Nationalist offensive was very fierce,

he hurriedly returned to the command post to oversee the battle. Company Commander Mizui Kazuma had just entered the position with his troops last night, and after a good night's sleep,

he was awakened in the morning by the booming sound of artillery explosions. When he looked at the front-line positions, he could only see smoke and nothing else.

The squad leader of the forefront, Aso Taiichi, reported by telephone: the squad's fortifications had been devastated by the bombing, and the entire squad had suffered seven or eight casualties.

On Mizui Kazuma's defense line, he arranged for two squads to defend and left one squad as a reserve. Aso's squad's phone was working, and although seven or eight Japanese soldiers had been killed or wounded, it was still within acceptable limits.

Battles cause death. It didn't matter if a few Japanese soldiers died, as long as the position remained. Takahashi Takuma's squad's phone was not working; the communication line had been cut off by artillery fire.

He immediately sent someone to repair it. Six Hundred Mu Yusuke, the communications soldier, was sent out to repair the line.

Before the attack, it was customary to bombard the area with artillery. Ji Wudi had four regiments here in Shengmi Street, and the three regiments positioned below were all bombing the Japanese positions at this time.

Regiment Leader Pei Xueyi's 5th Regiment received orders to continue to lie in ambush and await orders. The battle had just begun, and if the 5th Regiment rushed out at this time, it would not have the maximum impact on the Japanese.

Ji Wudi wanted the 5th Regiment to be the last straw that broke the camel's back for the Japanese defending Shengmi Street. They were to rush out at the most critical moment.

The shelling lasted for half an hour, and the three regiments charged towards the Japanese defense line from three different positions.

As the last remaining seedling of the 23rd Infantry Regiment, Utsunomiya Hideki's battalion was under a bit of pressure today.

Of the four infantry battalions of the Kanda Masatane Regiment, only his remained. The other three infantry battalions were defeated by the Nationalist army yesterday, and not a single Japanese soldier had returned so far.

If the three infantry battalions were completely annihilated, with no survivors, Regiment Commander Kanda Masatane would not believe it no matter what. He didn't believe that in such a mountainous terrain, every soldier of a unit could be killed.

His thinking was very reasonable: since the Battle of Xuzhou, the Japanese had always been able to surround large units of the Nationalist army, but the surrounded Nationalist units were always able to escape.

Today, Regiment Commander Kanda Masatane held the same expectations for his three defeated battalions, hoping that those three infantry battalions had only been scattered, and that the various units were gathering in the mountains, preparing to give him a surprise.

Waiting for surprises were not only Regiment Commander Kanda Masatane, but also Commander Okamura Neiji. Yesterday, he had urgently dispatched reinforcements to the Nanchang front, benefiting from the opening of the Nanxun Railway and the transportation capacity of the Navy's Third Fleet.

Last night, many reinforcements had arrived at the front line. This morning, these Japanese troops would surely give him a surprise.

The surprise did not arrive this morning, but a fright came first. Okamura Neiji, whose headquarters had been moved to Wuhan, suddenly heard a shrill air raid siren.

At first, he couldn't quite react: shouldn't air raid sirens only sound in Nationalist territory?

Recently, he had been sending bombers to Chang Kaishek's provisional capital, Chongqing, in large numbers, to bomb away their will to resist.

To retaliate against the Special Operations Brigade's overseas expedition and bombing of the Imperial homeland. But how could planes be bombing his own head today?

Commander Okamura Neiji could think, but his guards could not. They immediately dragged him into the air raid shelter.

Having just entered the air raid shelter, Commander Okamura Neiji had already stood up. He walked into the command post set up inside the air raid shelter himself.

He soon received a report: "Wuhan Airport, Jiujiang Airport, and Nanchang Airport have all been bombed by the Special Operations Brigade." The Japanese airports were now too familiar with the Special Operations Brigade's aircraft markings.

The aircraft with a painted Fat Tiger on the belly were the Special Operations Brigade's air groups. This news made Okamura Neiji very angry, and he loudly questioned, "What is the extent of the damage to the airports?"

Before he asked this question, he already knew in his heart: the three airports were finished!

The Central China Expeditionary Force had established a special department to study the Special Operations Brigade's air force and infantry combat habits since the end of 1937.

The evaluation of their air force attacks was: devastating strikes, with a particular fondness for destroying airport facilities.

Every time they attacked, they would destroy all of the airport's oil depots and terminal buildings.

They tried to keep the planes on the runway intact, but they would send people to fly the planes away, and if they couldn't fly them away, they would damage the planes to the point where not a single part could be used.

Knowing this clearly, Okamura Neiji still wondered if there might be an exception?

Soon, his wishful thinking was shattered: the Special Operations Brigade's air force still carried out Lin Fan's orders as always: not leaving the Japanese a single usable part.

Having not received a surprise but instead a fright, Okamura Neiji angrily issued a death order to the three division commanders on the Nanchang defense line: "Counterattack! Counterattack! The Nationalist army in the 9th War Area must be taught a lesson!"

Inoue Saemon, the battalion commander on the Shengmi Street defense line, received the counterattack order conveyed by the division, but he no longer had the leisure he had in the morning.

On the contrary, he was requesting support from Regiment Commander Okamoto Shintomi, who was conveying the order: "Regiment Commander! The firepower of the attacking troops is too fierce, request reinforcements!"

"Request reinforcements!" Utsunomiya Hideki, the battalion commander, embodied the last glory of the 45th Infantry Regiment, but at this time, he had no choice but to call Regiment Commander Kanda Masatane for help.

Yesterday, when he heard the news of the defeat of the other three battalions, he laughed at those three battalions, calling them idiots and fools. Today, when his troops actually fought the attacking troops, he realized: it wasn't that the Japanese were too weak, but that the attacking troops were too strong.

Although Battalion Commander Utsunomiya Hideki did not personally go to the front line to face the attacking Nationalist troops, he heard Company Commander Mikawaya Daichi report that there were as many as twenty or thirty Nationalist heavy machine guns firing on his defense line.

At the same time, there were more than twenty mortars constantly bombing. When the phone was connected, Battalion Commander Utsunomiya Hideki could hear the sound of at least a dozen shells exploding.

It was precisely because the various company commanders were constantly reporting the situation at the front that he could no longer care about face and had to shamelessly ask Regiment Commander Kanda Masatane for reinforcements.

However, the regiment commander did not have any infantry battalions to send out, but Regiment Commander Kanda still sent up the last reserve force he had on hand.

He organized the regiment headquarters' guard company, plus the regiment headquarters' communications soldiers, engineers, and supply soldiers, into a force of more than seven hundred Japanese soldiers.

Led by Guard Company Commander Kuki Shota, they urgently reinforced the Shengmi Street defense line.

The other battalion commander on this defense line, Inoue Saemon of the 23rd Infantry Regiment, also had his request for help answered. Regiment Commander Okamoto Shintomi sent a battalion to reinforce him and requested the division commander to send air support.

All the Japanese had seen the power of the aerial bombers in these days, and these Japanese had come to worship those bombers as a faith.

They believed that as long as bombers came, they would be invincible.

However, to Regiment Commander Okamoto Shintomi's disappointment, his request was rejected ruthlessly. Division Commander Shimizu Kiju did not tell him the truth, only saying that the air force had more important tasks to perform.

In reality, at this time, the entire air force of the Japanese 11th Army had suffered a devastating blow, and there were no bombers that could be sent out.

Their several airports around Wuhan had all been bombed, and the planes on these airports had been lost. However, such unfortunate news was not suitable to be conveyed, for fear of affecting the morale of the Japanese soldiers.

Although there was no air support to help, Battalion Commander Inoue Saemon was satisfied to be able to add a battalion of troops to come.

He immediately sent all the troops of the Hasegawa Ryunosuke company, who had been left in the battalion as a reserve, and the Japanese troops of the battalion headquarters to the battlefield.

His battalion only needed to hold out for one hour, and reinforcements would arrive.

Ji Wudi was following the 2nd Regiment along Xiucai Ridge to attack the Japanese defense line today, which worried Regiment Leader Shi Junxia.

It would be more accurate to say that she was leading the 1st Company of the 2nd Regiment in the attack. Shi Junxia had also been promoted from company commander.

He himself had led his company in charging the enemy's defense line countless times, but never once had he been so worried as he was today.

He was only a regiment leader, but Ji Wudi had ordered him to command from the rear, saying that all twelve companies of the regiment needed a chief officer to coordinate command.

She herself, as the commander of ten regiments, ran to the front line to charge. Only now did Regiment Leader Shi Junxia understand the annoyance of Regiment Leader Gui Wen yesterday.

He couldn't use force against this Captain Ji, and reasoning was useless.

The division commander could only order 1st Company Commander Jing Liquan to protect her well, pushing the conflict down to the company level.

Now, Jing Liquan was next to Ji Wudi, charging towards the Japanese positions in front. The Japanese had chosen their defensive position very well; their defense line was built on the riverbank.

Troops wanting to charge past had to cross a river more than twenty meters wide. Although the river was not deep, carts could not cross it at all.

After crossing the river, there were ten meters of river beach. These were open areas with no place to hide, making it very difficult to pass through.

The six heavy machine guns of the 1st Company stopped on the west bank of the river at this time, firing at the Japanese positions on the east bank.

The charging soldiers were suppressed by the Japanese on the opposite bank and could not charge up at all. At least four or five soldiers were shot and fell when they charged to the middle of the river.

Ji Wudi's eyes turned red, and she moved her body, wanting to rush out. This time, Company Commander Jing Liquan dared not let her rush up like this.

He quickly grabbed her: "Captain, wait! It's too dangerous to rush up like this."

Ji Wudi turned her head: "Let go!"

"Captain! I've already ordered people to fetch planks; we can pave a road to cross over immediately."

"Isn't it still the same, needing someone to go ahead and blaze a trail? If the soldiers can go, why can't I?" Ji Wudi's big eyes glared at Company Commander Jing.

"But you're not an ordinary soldier!" Company Commander Jing had to point out this fact.

"First, I'm a soldier, and only then am I your captain! When did commanders in our army stop going to the battlefield because of their high position and authority? When that happens, our army will start to decline.

Now I order you: let go!"

"I'll charge up with you!"

"You stay here and command the machine guns, cover my charge, and let Squad One follow me!" Ji Wudi ordered.

"Squad Leader Fu, Captain Ji is in your hands; you must protect her." Company Commander Jing could only entrust the task of protecting the captain to the squad leader.

Squad Leader Fu's name had a very good meaning: Fu Dequan (fully responsible)!

Company Commander Jing thought to himself: Fu Dequan, Fu Dequan, this time we really have to rely on your name; you must protect Captain Ji completely.

Ji Wudi looked at the dozen or so soldiers around her and said loudly, "Spread out a little when charging. You guys watch out for the individual Japanese soldiers' rifles, and I'll deal with their machine gunners."

"Charge!" With an order, she charged out first.

Ji Wudi was petite and agile, and she moved like a civet cat when charging out. Her route of advance was not a straight line, but a curve.

Before she charged, Company Commander Jing had already ordered the company's mortars to fire rapidly at the Japanese positions on the opposite bank, without saving shells.

At the same time, he ordered the two infantry guns to fire at the Japanese in turn, ensuring the continuity of firepower. All the company's machine guns and submachine guns were firing at the Japanese in a suppressive manner.

The whole company opened fire on the Japanese, effectively suppressing the enemy. When Ji Wudi led a squad into the river, the Japanese counterattack had not yet begun.

However, when the 1st Company's machine guns and submachine guns fired together, the moment they changed magazines would be when the Japanese counterattacked. When there was a gap in the 1st Company's firepower,

Mizui Kazuma's company had chosen this defense line well, and they had stopped the attacking troops here for an hour.

Despite the strong firepower on the opposite side, this terrain was too suitable for defense. In this hour, the attacking troops had suffered more than a dozen casualties and had not been able to charge up.

Just now, the opposite side suddenly erupted. All the weapons fired at the same time, and then they organized a third attack. The person charging at the front of this attack was a petite woman.

Although this soldier was not wearing anything special, the woman's shapely figure could be discerned at a glance.

Company Commander Mizui Kazuma ordered the troops to avoid the dense firepower suppression on the opposite bank. When the enemy's firepower weakened slightly, he loudly ordered: "Shoot! Shoot!

The Japanese soldiers of the Aso Taiichi and Takahashi Takuma squads immediately raised their heads and fired at the dozen or so people completely exposed on the river surface.

These Japanese soldiers intentionally or unintentionally fired at the most special petite figure in the charging troops. When Ji Wudi heard the sound of gunfire behind her starting to become sparse, she crouched her body as low as possible.

The submachine gun in her hand was pointed at the Japanese machine gun firepower point that she had identified before departure. When the Japanese machine gunner peeked out, she fired a burst.

Then, following this position, she began to sweep horizontally. Her submachine gun no longer controlled its bursts this time, but swept horizontally in a line.

Osaka Ichiro, the Japanese machine gunner who had just raised his head to prepare to shoot, was shot in the head.

The other Japanese soldiers who had just received the order to counterattack also fired, the sound of gunfire incessant:

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"