Rise From Eight Hundred

The location of the aircraft manufacturing plant was completely selected after a week of survey and measurement.

Laura did not lie to Old Tang about this. The factory address was chosen in a ravine about 10 kilometers away from Tangjia Village.

It was only 3 miles away from the main road, and there was a mountain stream with sufficient water in the ravine, which was enough to meet the drinking water needs of thousands of people. In summer, it could also discharge floods. The mountains on both sides were all covered with dense forests, which had sufficient concealment.

According to the plan of Tang Dao and Laura, the buildings on the surface of the mountain were mainly staff dormitories, and the factory buildings and material warehouses were all inside the mountain. In this way, even if the Japanese army obtained intelligence and used bomber groups to bomb, they would not be afraid. The ravine with a width of 300 meters and a length of 5,000 meters was enough to build a 3,200-meter runway, which could not only be used for aircraft flight tests, but could even be used as a temporary airport in wartime.

Even so, the project volume was a bit huge. The initial investment in construction alone was as high as 15 million US dollars, and the time of commissioning would probably be postponed to November next year, which lasted for a year and a half.

Tang Dao roughly calculated that the time when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and launched the Pacific War was just at this point in time. The enraged war machine would definitely work at full capacity to manufacture aircraft. This largest aircraft manufacturing plant in the Far East would definitely not be abandoned by them, and a steady stream of materials and personnel would definitely arrive at the factory.

As the saying goes, "sharpening the knife does not delay the chopping of wood." A delay of one and a half years is nothing. It is still a long time before the end of the war. In the remaining four years, as long as this aircraft manufacturing plant can produce a thousand fighter planes, Japan will pay a much heavier price for it than in the past.

Tang Dao decided on this plan. All technicians and Rockefeller Company's engineering staff stayed on the spot, and the Jinxi County Government also received an order from the mountain city: "Gather the strength of the whole county to build this factory. Every household with three men will be drafted, and the only man will be drafted!"

Jinxi County is a mountainous county with a population of only more than 100,000. After several rounds of conscription in more than two years, more than 10,000 men have been drafted. This time the order is even more harsh, almost catching all the men aged 16 to 50.

In the past, there would be loud cries, but this time, every household was overjoyed. Mothers prepared bags for their sons, wives baked pancakes for their husbands, and men and women of all ages went to the village entrance to see their relatives off.

The county issued a notice to all villages and towns, and each man was paid 3 silver dollars a week plus 50 catties of refined rice. A convoy would help deliver it back every month. Each man was given 8 taels of rice, half a catty of noodles, 2 taels of meat, 1 tael of sugar, and half a catty of liquor for food every day. Corresponding clothes were distributed every quarter. Each man had two days off a month, which could be chosen freely. Each man had a week off every six months to go home to visit his family.

This way, they could eat well and wear warm clothes, and they could earn a lot of silver dollars and refined rice for their families every month. Not to mention that it was enough to feed the whole family, it was even enough to pay for the national salvation public grain. How could the people not be happy!

Although some people suspected that this was a lie spread by the county government, news came from Tangjia Village that this factory was invested and built by a good friend of Captain Tang in the United States. All funds and management were participated by Americans. The county government only sent a security group to help maintain public order and prevent the infiltration of Japanese spies. It did not involve any money and grain distribution. Moreover, Tangjia Village alone contributed 200 people, accounting for a quarter of the entire village.

Captain Tang's current name is a golden sign in Jinxi County, especially under the publicity of nearly 100 Jinxi-born Sihangtuan officers and soldiers who retired and returned home due to disability. The Captain Tang promoted in the newspaper is not even one-tenth of the real Captain Tang.

Although they are either missing arms or legs, none of them regretted following Captain Tang to the battlefield.

Not that each person brought back at least 300 oceans of serious injury subsidies, but the battles in Tongguan and Sizhoushan were all against the old Japanese divisions, but the final result was that they, the former recruits, won, and that was enough for them to brag about for the rest of their lives.

Especially a soldier who had to have his legs amputated to save his life due to serious injuries and infection. He wore his old military uniform without military rank every day, with a gold and silver medal on his chest. He appeared at the entrance of the village in high spirits, sitting on a chair and shouting loudly for the village guards to train. He was not depressed at all because he was a severely disabled person.

A troublemaker wanted to challenge the authority of this soldier with both legs disabled. The old soldier who was sitting on a chair with a Black Star pistol given by the platoon leader before leaving, casually shot down a sparrow that was resting on a tree 30 meters away, and asked the troublemaker to blow up the sparrow and bring it to him as a snack for lunch.

This is the soldier of the Four-Line Regiment. Even if only half of the people are left, the mental will that has experienced the test of war is as strong as diamond.

Tang Dao also took time to visit the soldier who followed him in the battle of Sizhou Mountain to counterattack and retake the position. Tang Dao clearly remembered that the soldier's legs were swept by the Japanese machine gun, but he still crawled into the Japanese position and killed two Japanese soldiers with a gun, and was eventually rated as a second-class military merit.

However, because of this hell-level crawl, too many bacteria were contaminated on his already bloody wounds. Even if he was given five times more antibiotics than ordinary people, he still couldn't suppress the infection of the wound, and finally had to choose to amputate his legs to save his life.

Originally, the regiment meant to let him stay in the factory at the station and wait until the war was won. After all, like him, who has completely lost his ability to work, it is difficult for him to marry and have children after returning home, and he may even be despised by others. Soldiers of the Four-Line Regiment cannot be insulted like this, no one can.

But this soldier insisted on going home, for no other reason than that he didn't want to waste the regiment's funds. The 300 yuan serious injury allowance given by the regiment and his military exploits were enough to support him for a lifetime when he returned home.

Such a soldier is naturally worthy of Tang Dao's personal visit.

It was precisely because of the hard publicity of this veteran and his comrades that Tang Tuanzuo's reputation in Jinxi County reached its peak. Even if he did not recruit him personally, as long as his name was reported, Jinxi County would respond to a hundred responses.

It was only two days after the county government issued an order to call out migrant workers. The employees of Rockefeller's Far East Branch walked out of their tents and looked in front of them in disbelief.

Groups of Chinese farmers carrying simple burdens were converging towards their valley from various trails.

On the first registration day alone, 70,000 people from 23 townships came. By the second day, the total number of arrivals had exceeded 30,000, accounting for almost one-third of the total population of a county.

It was not just men, there were even more than 4,000 women. They were mainly young couples whose children were still young. In order to prevent their father, who was nearly sixty years old, from going to work, the couple gritted their teeth and simply abandoned their children to their parents. The couple all came.

Of course, there are also older girls. In order to make more income for the family, the girls who have not yet left the court cut off their long, shiny black hair, put on men's clothes, and followed their brothers and uncles in the village.

In the exact words of Mr. Lawrence, deputy manager of Rockefeller's Far East Branch: "That early morning was the most shocking moment in my life. Chinese people carrying simple baggage and holding banners with the names of villages and towns on their backs flocked to the foot of the mountain from all over the place. , looking from a distance, it looks like leaping streams flowing in here.

I have no doubt that, given them enough tools, these streams composed of Chinese people can wash away the 400-meter-high mountain at my feet.

Oh, God! This only uses the power of one county, but there are thousands of counties like this in China!

Why are the Japanese so crazy that they are trying to devour such a country with such a huge land area and population?

God bless, I hope we will always be allies! "

. . . . . . . .

Tang Dao was not able to witness this grand event with his own eyes.

On July 28, Tang Dao received news that shocked him and made him extremely sad.

General Zhang died in battle!

The Battle of Zaoyi was originally supposed to take place in May. Perhaps because of the changes on the North China battlefield, the Japanese China Expeditionary Forces Command had no time to take care of it. It was not until Tang Dao arrived in the mountain city that it approved the half-year-long battle plan of the Japanese 11th Army. .

The operational plan of the Japanese 11th Army is as before. Its operational purpose is: "To defeat the main force of the enemy's fifth theater in the areas on both sides of the Han River, further weaken the Chinese army through victory in the operation, and promote political and strategic changes against China." contribute to progress.”

Its battle guidelines are: "Be prepared in the shortest possible time, first capture the enemy on the left bank of the Han River south of the Baihe River, and then completely eliminate the core force of the enemy on the right bank of the river near Yiling."

Just because of the unexpected delay, the Japanese army failed to launch the offensive before the arrival of the rainy season, but coincided with the rainy season. This made the Japanese mechanized troops move slower than usual, making it difficult to defend and attack.

When Tang Dao learned of the battle in Shancheng, he contacted the 67th Army Headquarters and the 33rd Group Army Headquarters. After a brief analysis of the war situation, Tang Dao repeatedly told General Zhang not to stray too far from the main force of the group army and to enhance his awareness of confidentiality. Try to report as little or no specific troop deployment locations as possible, and reduce radio communications with troops at all levels to avoid being discovered by the Japanese army about the location of the group army headquarters.

In the past time and space, the main reason why the 33rd Group Army defeated Xiangyang was because the Chinese army had a weak sense of confidentiality. The telegrams between the Military Commission and the Fifth War Zone were intercepted by the Japanese army; the Japanese army also reported the relevant leaders from General Zhang. The specific location of the 33rd Group Army was learned from the telegrams of the actions of the 5 divisions.

So Sonobe and Ichiro decided to concentrate the forces of the 13th and 39th Divisions, move south along the east bank of the Han River, counterattack the 33rd Group Army, and order the 3rd Division south of Xinye to withdraw to the vicinity of Zaoyang to cover the rear.

The Japanese intelligence department also detected the external communication situation and location of the 33rd Army Headquarters radio station based on the radio contact call sign and radio wave direction. After learning that General Zhang's headquarters was located about 10 kilometers northeast of Yicheng, the Japanese army encircled this area with the cooperation of aviation forces.

That night, the Japanese 39th Division advanced towards the Pumpkin Shop from Fangjiaji and Nanying, and completed the tactical encirclement of the 33rd Group Army Headquarters at dawn the next day.

Supported by artillery fire, they were besieged on all sides. The 74th Division of the defenders fought bravely and continued to carry out counterattacks. The fierce fighting continued until the afternoon, and the special agent battalion also participated in the battle. At this time, the Japanese offensive force had reached more than 5,000 people. They concentrated artillery fire and troops to launch a general attack on the last position of the defenders, with more than 20 aircraft assisting the battle.

General Zhang, who personally led the battle, was wounded in many places, but still commanded calmly. The 74th Division and the Special Agent Battalion were exhausted and suffered all casualties. General Zhang was seriously wounded in the chest and died heroically.

On the same day, the Japanese 13th Division also defeated the main force of our 33rd Group Army. The southern encirclement had been broken through. The Japanese army immediately adjusted its forces and concentrated on Zaoyang.

Faced with Tang Dao's personal call to persuade him, General Zhang called back: "I am a rare and brave general in our army. Please read the call carefully. Please consider the suggestions you put forward. Please don't worry too much and wait for me." News of the victory over the bandits, let’s have a drink with my brother someday!”

At this time, the Japanese army was in a rainy season and their marching speed was much slower than before. In addition, the Fifth War Zone had 350,000 troops. The special forces battalion under General Zhang's command was fully equipped because of Tang Dao. There were 200 MP28II submachine guns, 30 light machine guns, 30 grenade launchers, and 16 mortars. The firepower was not inferior to that of a Japanese infantry battalion in terms of long and short range.

When Tang Dao left Shancheng and returned home, the battle of Zaoyi was still in a stalemate. The 33rd Army was encircling the 13th Division. If nothing unexpected happened, this battle would not be won, but it would not be lost.

Who knew that in just a few days, the situation would take a sharp turn for the worse.

General Zhang was still the same as in the past time and space. He led his headquarters away from the main force of his army, the 59th Army, and fought against the enemy with only 6,000 people from the 74th Division under the 55th Army.

The Japanese army still detected the location of General Zhang's headquarters through the radio. In order to eliminate this major threat, they actually gathered three divisions to launch a fierce attack on the six divisions of the 33rd Army.

Since the Military Commission judged that the Japanese army's westward advance was not intended to occupy Yiling or Xiangjun and Fancheng, but to seek and annihilate the main force of the Fifth War Zone in Zaoyang, east of the Xiang River, the main force of the Fifth War Zone was deployed in the east of Zaoyang or south of Jing (men) and Dang (yang) to fight a decisive battle with the Japanese army.

As a result, the Japanese army was caught off guard and suddenly attacked the 33rd Army, which was looking for an opportunity to besiege the 13th Division, with the strength of two outer divisions. The Japanese army's strength suddenly expanded to more than 50,000 people, and there were aircraft to help.

The 33rd Army quickly recovered and waited for reinforcements, but most of the reinforcements were hundreds of kilometers away. The commander of the Fifth War Zone ordered Tang's troops to rush to the rescue at night, but the Military Commission was worried that the Japanese army's siege and attack on the reinforcements would destroy the previous strategic plan and was hesitant.

It was during these three days of hesitation that the 33rd Army was forced to fight a bloody battle with 60,000 to 50,000 enemies.

The Japanese army had already determined the location of the 33rd Army headquarters, and with two detachments of nearly 30,000 troops, they broke through the 33rd Army's defense gap, completely separated the 74th Division from its main force, and formed an encirclement of the 74th Division and the 33rd Army's special forces battalion with more than 10,000 troops.

General Zhang, as before, personally held a gun and led the civilian staff of the headquarters and the special forces battalion to fight the enemy, and was finally shot in the chest and died on the spot!

Fortunately, this time was not like before. The 33rd Army's special forces battalion was well-equipped. After the commander died, they immediately organized a death squad and attacked the Japanese defense line with less than 400 remnants. More than 360 of the 400 were killed on the spot, and only less than one platoon escaped from the siege.

The most elite guard force of the 33rd Army brought back the body of its commander at the cost of 95% of the deaths.

The 67th Army, which was rushing from Yiling overnight and had just arrived in Jingmen less than 50 miles away from the battlefield, received this news that made the whole country's military and civilians sad. Commander Wu cried out to the officers and soldiers of the 67th Army marching in the heavy rain: "Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The 67th Army launched a tidal attack on the Japanese invaders in the early morning of the next day, surrounding a Japanese detachment that had not yet evacuated. Under the bombing of more than 20 Japanese planes, more than 40,000 people from three infantry divisions took turns to attack the Japanese positions of less than 5,000 people.

After a day of bloody battle, at the cost of 12,000 casualties, the Japanese invaders were completely wiped out, and China won the biggest victory in the Battle of Zaoyi.

But so what? China's first group army commander died on the anti-Japanese battlefield.

When the news came out, the Fifth War Zone Command, led by the commander surnamed Li, took off their hats and saluted in silence. Minister He of the Military and Political Department, who was sitting in a quiet building, looked out the window for a long time without saying a word. All visitors were kept out of the door throughout the morning.

Tang Dao rarely shed tears. Even in the battle of Laoshu Mountain, when two Sichuan Army companies killed nearly a thousand enemies at the cost of 95% casualties, he just stood on the top of the mountain covered with the blood and flesh of soldiers with red eyes.

Because there, he was a general. In front of his soldiers, he could not cry, even if his heart was about to be pulled out of pain.

But this time, Tang Dao shed tears.

In the carriage, Laura saw this man who was as hard as a rock for the first time. He closed his eyes, but his face was full of tears, like an abandoned child.

This time, Tang Dao was not a general, but a younger brother. His elder brother had died on the battlefield!

Tang Dao thought he could change everything, but he was wrong. The ruts of history were still so stubbornly moving forward, crushing his beautiful vision.

Tang Dao raised his head slightly. He had closed his eyes from beginning to end, but at this moment, he saw the kind elder brother nodding and smiling at him in the void.

"To die on the battlefield is my lifelong wish!" General Zhang still had the heroic words after drinking the wine in the cup.

He hoped to prove his lifelong ambition with sacrifice, and he finally got his wish.

"I need a special plane. I want to bring back my brother's remains. In addition, I need 6 wildcat fighters. I want to use the lives of Japanese pilots to commemorate my brother!" Tang Dao opened his eyes and said softly.

"Okay! I'll help you!" Laura nodded without hesitation!

. . . . . . . . . . .

PS: It's the end of the month, please give me the monthly ticket today and the guaranteed monthly ticket tomorrow! ()