Rise From Eight Hundred

"Okay! With your words 'fight to the death', I feel relieved!" As Tang Dao shouted 'fight to the death', Liu Dijun showed his joy and roared softly.

Obviously, this is what he wants, but he needs Tang Dao, the most combat-capable infantry regiment, to show his attitude. If Tang Dao is not willing to fight and prefers to preserve his strength, then even if he is the commander-in-chief of the front line and forces the Four-Line Regiment to fight to the death, the final outcome of this battle is imminent!

What he needs is the concerted efforts of the whole army!

Fortunately, Tang Dao has never disappointed anyone, and his tenacity is even stronger than that of his veterans.

Otherwise, why didn't the chief of staff, who is at the same level as him, come to such an important occasion? That's because before this, he and his partner and the chief of staff had reached an agreement that no matter how difficult and hard this battle is, even if the whole army is defeated, this battle must be fought.

They may die, but if this battle can hurt the Japanese North China Front Army, it will not only provide sufficient support for the overall strategic situation, but also tell the whole country's military and civilians with blood that the Japanese invaders are not that strong!

You see, even if the Japanese devils gather heavy troops, not only have airplanes and artillery, but also have the possibility of surpassing the Japanese in terms of manpower, they still suffer heavy losses.

This battle may completely get rid of the idea that to fight the Japanese, you must have twice or even three times the number of troops!

War is not only about the quality and equipment of soldiers, but also about confidence! If you are afraid before the battle, your momentum will be a little weaker, not to mention that you will definitely lose! It is also extremely difficult to win.

This concept of the future famous general will be thoroughly confirmed in the Battle of the Icefield. The generation gap in equipment of the 16-nation coalition led by the United States is even stronger than that of the Chinese army and the Japanese army at this time, but the Chinese army after the Patriotic War is full of confidence and firmly believes that they will not be afraid of any enemy. An infantry platoon dares to penetrate the rear of the American cowboy army armed to the teeth.

It was based on this belief that he was the strongest infantryman that he was able to fight the American cowboys with the best equipment in the world.

The strategic vision of this famous general even surpassed this era. Even if he would sacrifice his life in this battle, he still made this decision.

In another farmyard less than a mile away from the front-line command post, the second-in-command of the 921st Division and the chief of staff were holding a pre-war mobilization meeting for the chief officers above the battalion level of the 921st Division.

The theme was also: Fight to the death!

At this time, the communications staff of the 921st Division sent a telegram with a solemn face.

It was a top-secret telegram sent by the Four-Line Regiment.

"Report No. 4 from our regiment's reconnaissance company: Japanese armored trains are shuttling back and forth in the HD Pinghan Line area for inspections, and a large number of Japanese engineers are repairing damaged railway sections, indicating that a Japanese troop transport train will soon pass;

Report No. 8 from our regiment's reconnaissance company: A large number of Japanese cavalry are seen in the Yangquan to Jindong section, the number is no less than a regiment, if it is a scout, the Japanese army has no less than an infantry brigade!"

The faces of several people in the room are solemn. They are all people with extremely rich combat experience. They can instantly see the seriousness of the situation from these two scout scout reports.

Who else can be the Japanese special train passing through the HD area except the 18th Division that had previously gone to the north bank of the Yellow River and was crossing the river?

Obviously, the Japanese killed a surprise attack, an extremely deadly surprise attack!

That was a fully staffed Japanese Type A division. In the past, at least an infantry army was needed to confront it.

Now, with railways and special trains, they only need two days at most to penetrate the flank of Jindong, like a big gun that can reach the heart.

The Japanese troops dispatched from Yangquan were only the vanguards, which was as large as a cavalry regiment. This indicated that the scale of the troops that would follow up was huge. An infantry brigade might just be the estimate that the scouts used to comfort themselves.

What's more terrible is that although the number of this Japanese army is unknown, it can come from the direction of Yuancheng. Considering that the Japanese North China Front Command had been planning for a long time, perhaps its number is about to be revealed.

The Fifth Division is not an old rival of the people present, but its mere baggage brigade can compete with the elite 511th Division for nearly a day. Just thinking about it can make people's scalps numb.

At this point, the Japanese tactical deployment has basically been put on the surface.

On the front of eastern Shanxi, part of the 20th Division will join at least one division across the plain; on the entire flank, there will be the 18th Division and part of the 20th Division that have made a comeback; on the rear wing of eastern Shanxi, part of the Fifth Division or even more will approach.

If they fight, the 5th Division and the 1st Regiment, which are already in the Taihang Mountains in eastern Shanxi, will face enemies from three sides, and each of them will be extremely difficult.

And as long as one line of defense is broken, it means the collapse of the entire line!

If the "fight to the death" that Tang Dao said before was just to show his resolute attitude, now it has almost become inevitable.

Faced with this situation, even a tough man like Tang Dao couldn't help but frown.

This situation is much more difficult than the battle to defend eastern Shanxi a year ago.

After all, in the battle to defend eastern Shanxi a year ago, the Chinese defenders of Niangzi Pass had to face only the impact of the 20th Division and two mixed brigades, and the back was not occupied by the Japanese army, so they only needed to defend a line of defense.

But now, the entire army of 75,000 people has to face enemies from three sides, and the Japanese invaders are no less powerful than themselves.

"I didn't expect it! This time I come to eastern Shanxi again, and my 17th Division will encounter the same situation as a year ago!" The white-haired general who had been sitting next to him without saying a word sighed slightly.

Faced with such a crisis, the usually taciturn white-haired general sighed and laughed. "Moreover, the opponent may be the 20th Division. Everyone, do you think this is the legendary cause and effect?"

"Brother Shoushan! You want to..." Commander Liu cast his eyes on the old friend in front of him who he had met several years ago.

Of course, he could feel the surging fighting spirit hidden under the calmness of his old friend!

"Brother Bojian, all the intelligence has shown that the Japanese army has been prepared for a long time, or has laid a trap to wait for our army to fall into the trap, but now we have already noticed it, and naturally will not set foot on the plains again. The Japanese army will definitely not give up, and will definitely chase our entire army." The white-haired general poked his finger fiercely at a certain place on the map.

"That place must be where they are marching! I would like to ask Brother Bojian for an order to let my 17th Division defend this place. On behalf of my 17th Division, I will make a guarantee to the front-line command: In this battle, our division's position may be lost, but no one from the 17th Division, including me, Lao Zhao, will leave the position again!"

The white-haired general did not speak as passionately as the young Tang Dao. When he said "no one will leave again!" such a resolute guarantee, his face was even calm without any ripples!

Only the mountain breeze from the window of the main hall slightly touched the white hair between his ears!

The moment he saw this scene, Tang Dao actually felt a chill in his back, which was extremely rare!

The extremely strong killing intent and deep hatred, even Tang Dao, a veteran who had seen countless deaths, rarely experienced it.

Looking at the white-haired general's finger never leaving the place on the map, Tang Dao instantly understood why the man in front of him was like this.

Perhaps, only those who know this person's experience well can understand the heart-wrenching pain contained in his word "again"!

Because he had left there before, but this time, he would never leave again.

The location pointed by the white-haired general was unfamiliar to many people, but it was unforgettable to him.

‘Falu Ridge’, a name that is destined to resound throughout northern China in the future.

At the highest altitude of that mountain, in the past time and space, there also stood a monument, which recorded the names of the Lengwa from Shaanxi Province who died in this towering mountain, densely packed!

Because, as many as 8,000 people!

The 17th Division of the Northwest Army, which swore to fight against the Japanese, crossed the Yellow River to the north with 12,000 people. After the battle of Falu Ridge in the defense of Niangzi Pass a year ago, only 4,000 were left, and the remaining 8,000 were all lying in the lush green.

The division commander, who was only about 40 years old, wrote the famous poem ‘The demon is everywhere, why do you refuse to be a national martyr after a hundred battles? The soldiers rushed to kill the enemy, and the blood outside Niangzi Pass was like frost! ’ in that battle, and then his hair turned white overnight.

Perhaps, except for himself, no one else knew how he felt when he stood on the top of the mountain and looked at the position where he had just finished fighting during the day.

The moon was bright in late autumn, but the night was as cold as winter!

Not only was his heart suddenly silent, but his eyebrows were also cold!

In two days, he received the unbearable casualties from the front line at the division headquarters, but how could all that compare to seeing it with his own eyes?

Under the moonlight!

The autumn frost was like snow all over the mountains and plains, covering not only the land of China, but more of the bodies of the officers and soldiers of the 17th Division.

There was no time to restrain, because the battle never stopped.

For two consecutive days, the Japanese attack never really stopped.

There was no reserve, and even the new recruits rushed to the battlefield. There was no stretcher team, and even the guard battalion of the division headquarters was on the front line.

When the war was most critical, even the stiff bodies of comrades and the remains of the Japanese invaders were piled up into fortifications as shelters.

The white-haired general who was saying in a calm tone that he would "never leave the battlefield again" had never thought that a blocking battle would be so tragic, so tragic that he, an army division commander who had seen life and death and served in the army for more than 20 years and had never thought of returning alive since entering the battlefield, did not dare to look at his own position again.

As far as the eye can see, there are red, black, yellow, and more dark blue all over the mountains and plains.

Red is not blood, but maple leaves and dujuan in late autumn; because blood will evaporate by the blazing artillery fire before it has time to dry;

Black is rock; the weathered rock surface has long been swept clean by the air wave, revealing the true hardness of the rock.

Yellow is soil...

Dark blue is his soldiers.

The soldiers he brought up in his hometown!

Those cold kids from Shaanxi Province who had once enthusiastically joined the army, raised their arms high in front of his horse and sword, and crossed the Yellow River shouting the slogan "Defend the Homeland", just lay there, lying on the battlefield that was once full of smoke, in various postures.

They are all dead, dying on this land that belongs to them.

They all fell before the position, and no one fell behind the position.

The deep blue that filled the entire eyelids made the veteran who had experienced the battlefield for twenty years feel heartbroken and grief-stricken.

At that moment, he also doubted whether he had done something wrong, and he should not have brought these children here.

Falulu Ridge is the flank of Niangzi Pass, and there is a post road leading to Niangzi Pass. "If you want to take Niangzi Pass, you must attack Falulu Ridge!"

The 17th Division was ordered to garrison the most important mountain on the side of Niangzi Pass, and then encountered the 80th Infantry Regiment under the 20th Division.

The Japanese army did not have many troops, but there were many artillery!

Twelve mountain guns and twelve field guns bombarded in turns, without any rotation.

Since the beginning of the war, the bombardment has never really stopped.

From early morning to early morning. From late night to late night.

The Japanese bombers were not twenty or so, but more than fifty. For two consecutive days, the sky above Falu Ridge was filled with the terrible roar of planes.

The large patches of black exposed on the hillside were the masterpieces of bombs and artillery shells. The huge air waves swept away the soil and dust that originally covered it, thus exposing the rocks that should have been more than ten centimeters below the soil layer.

Such a fierce bombing was the first time that the white-haired general had seen it in more than 20 years of military service. How did the officers and soldiers of the 17th Division, who spent only two days building fortifications on Falu Ridge, resist this terrible artillery fire?

The answer is simple, with their lives.

Yes, when the trenches dug on the shallow surface, only half a meter deep, could not withstand the Japanese artillery fire, the soldiers who survived the artillery fire would rush down the mountain under the leadership of their platoon leaders, company commanders, and battalion commanders, and fight with the Japanese army hand-to-hand, and mix with the Japanese army. Even if they died, they would stab their bayonets into the Japanese invaders.

So, those young kids all died, along with their squad leaders, platoon leaders, company commanders, battalion commanders, and even regiment commanders!

But he, as the division commander, couldn't take them away during the final retreat, and couldn't even bury them all!

His finger poked at the unforgettable place name on the map, and his mind turned quickly to look back on the past. The white hair of the white-haired general trembled slightly, showing his excitement.

Tang Dao looked at the general who suddenly fell silent, and wanted to tell him that after the war, local villagers risked their lives to dig a total of 11 large tombs and buried more than 4,000 Chinese officers and soldiers.

One of the big tombs is right under the old persimmon tree on Wuguang Ridge.

Because there was once a young soldier sitting there. He died, with his rifle tightly in his arms and a red persimmon next to him, but he didn't have time to eat it.

Since then, no one has picked the persimmons produced by that persimmon tree. They were left to turn red, fall, and roll to the martyrs' tomb.

'One persimmon tree, three thousand martyrs' blood! ' is the epitaph of that big tomb!

China has not forgotten the soldiers of his 17th Division, it really has not forgotten.

"Laozi, we have to fight again at Falu Ridge!" The white-haired general calmed down his emotions and said in a firm tone.

This time, he has made up his mind. He will not retreat again before the Japanese army withdraws.

He no longer wants to suffer the torture that only he knows. As soon as he closes his eyes, the young people who followed him across the Yellow River appear vividly in his mind, but he, as a division commander, can no longer take them home!

Why not, bury them with them!

Comrades together, is also a home!

"Okay!" Commander Liu took a deep look at his old friend and nodded in agreement.

"Who will guard the front position of Niangzi Pass?"

"My Four-line Regiment!"

"My 104th Division!"

Although Tang Dao and Commander Li of the 104th Division, who stepped into the main hall from the outside, shouted one after the other, the time interval was very short, showing that Commander Li did not hesitate at all.

"Ahem! Commander Li, you don't even know what's going on! Come with me to grab this job." Tang Dao said with a wry smile.

"No matter, anyway, the battlefield that you, Commander Tang, want is definitely not a simple job. In the past, my 22nd Army had no guns or cannons, and I didn't have the confidence to speak hard, but now, thanks to your brother, we have guns and cannons, so we have to compete with you, Commander Tang, for credit!" Commander Li spoke with a thick Sichuan accent and said bluntly.

"Brother Tang, is this considered raising a tiger to cause trouble?" Brigade Commander Cheng interrupted.

After saying this, the atmosphere in the front-line command, which was originally a bit solemn, suddenly relaxed a lot.

This is not just for the amusement of Brigade Commander Cheng, but more importantly, the attitude of this Sichuan Army Division Commander.

Commander Li's statement just now is actually very clear. My 22nd Army Group could not prove itself on the battlefield before, that was because my equipment was not good. Now my equipment is good, and Sichuan kids can fight hard battles and dare to fight hard battles.

The hard battles that your Four-line Regiment wants to fight, my 104th Division can also fight.

This temporary group belonging to each army has added another important but firm voice. How can several officers not be relaxed? Especially at the moment when they have decided to fight to the death.

"Haha! Commander Li, you have come from afar, don't worry, sit down and drink some tea first and let Deputy Director Tang tell you about the current situation, and then you decide." Commander Liu said with a smile.

"Commander Li, the current situation between the enemy and us is like this..." Tang Dao did not refuse, and immediately stood in front of the map to introduce.

"I thought it was a big deal? It's just about 100,000 Japanese soldiers surrounding us!" Commander Li, who has the unique optimism of Sichuan people, curled his lips.

"Before I went to the frontline command, I had already promised the front-line command that my 104th Division would advance and retreat with all the attacking troops. I also told Commander Li that this battle would never bring shame to our Sichuan Army. Commander Wang of the 122nd Division in Teng County died in the front. I, Li, am proud of him and take him as my role model!"

The most outstanding battle of the Sichuan Army was the 26th Division in the Battle of Songhu, but what really made the Sichuan Army famous was the 122nd Division of the 22nd Army Group. In the Battle of Teng County, the entire division was defeated!

Taking Commander Wang, who was famous for his sacrifice, as an example, the thoughts of the highest commander of the 104th Division can be imagined.

In fact, in the defense of southeastern Shanxi more than half a year ago, his 104th Division lost several cities in a row, including Lucheng, Changzhi, and Licheng. The Sichuan Army Infantry Division, which was poorly equipped, also fought desperately, but the final outcome was that the cities were lost and the people died.

In Changzhi alone, the 104th Division's infantry regiment suffered 70% casualties, including a colonel commander, and more than 1,000 people died for their country!

But both the war zone and the Chinese people saw failure, but few people knew the sacrifices made by the poorly equipped Sichuan Army.

My soldiers are not cowards!

This fire has been burning in the heart of this army division commander and has never been extinguished!

Until this time, under the huge pressure of nearly 100,000 Japanese troops, it was completely released!

Not to mention 100,000 Japanese troops, even if it was a million, when a Chinese soldier wanted to use his life to win back the face and honor for his subordinates who had already died in battle, how terrible do you think it would be?

The faces of the Sichuan Army generals were actually filled with excitement!

Who made him have not only heavy machine guns and mortars this time, but also anti-tank guns, infantry guns and mountain guns!

Even if the Japanese are made of iron, he has 4 infantry regiments and an artillery battalion, which can chew this piece of iron in his mouth!