Rise From Eight Hundred

Compared to the killing field that had already unfolded on the Tang Dao side, the blocking force composed of two guard battalions and a fire support company led by Major Scar was not relaxed either.

They were also fighting hard.

Digging trenches desperately.

It was about 6 kilometers away from the Japanese Sixth Heavy Artillery Brigade. At about 8 o'clock, the few cavalrymen who stayed behind discovered that the 36th Infantry Brigade that was chasing the advance regiment stopped advancing and set up camp. Major Scar could lead the entire army to turn to the direction of the 6th Heavy Artillery Brigade.

The first company of the two battalions stopped on the bank of a small river with a width of five meters.

This was the best defense place selected by the cavalry battalion after reconnaissance during the day.

Although the five-meter-wide river was only more than one meter deep, it could also hinder the speed of the Japanese infantry charge.

The first-line position of the blocking force was just fifty meters away from the river.

There was almost no shelter in the entire wilderness, except for a pitifully low hill.

There are not many trees on the hill, which is no more than ten meters high and has an area of ​​only three thousand square meters at most. There are only countless shrubs, but it is the only commanding height nearby.

Major Scar placed his most elite company there, and also placed three of the five machine guns and four heavy machine guns assigned to him on both sides of the hill.

If the Japanese army launched a fierce attack on the front battlefield, the commanding height of ten meters would launch the most fierce attack on the Japanese infantry. Even because of this high point, these heavy firepower can also provide fire support for the two flank battlefields

But obviously, this hill with a small area will become an important area for the Japanese artillery attack. The thirty artillery attacks of an infantry brigade may be concentrated on this hill of less than five thousand square meters. The outcome is chilling just to think about it.

Therefore, among the troops of more than a thousand people, almost five hundred people were digging trenches on the hill. There was no time to build any anti-artillery holes. The only thing they could do was to dig the trenches deeper and deeper.

The time left for them may be only three hours.

Although Tang Dao had left all the individual engineer shovels to them, it was still not enough. Many soldiers even picked up their bayonets that they usually carefully protected and stabbed them into the soil without hesitation.

Perhaps, not only the soldiers, but also the medical team who were ordered to stay at the back were engaged in the work. The three female nurses did not have enough strength to dig, so they helped to carry sandbags. The thin and small "youngest sister" even took her beloved nurse uniform to carry the soil outside the gradually formed trenches without enough tools. Under the crisis of life and death, everyone was forced to exert their greatest potential.

Fortunately, the soil in Jiangnan is soft and not as hard as the gravel in the north. On the hills, trenches as deep as two meters were dug. On the river bank, temporary field trenches that were not deep but 80 to 90 centimeters deep were also formed. Heavy machine gun fortifications made of sand and soil filled with sandbags were also formed.

Although it is known that such fortifications will become the focus of bombing by Japanese infantry artillery and mountain artillery because of their conspicuousness, that is the limit of the protection that can be given to the heavy machine gun firepower point in such a short time.

You know, the medical team located 500 meters behind the main position has no fortifications, not even the most basic trenches.

The place where they will rescue the wounded is a depression. If the Japanese army bombards there with artillery, all the medical staff and wounded will be blown to pieces, and they even have only one infantry squad to protect them.

This would never be possible in the past. Any commander who makes such an arrangement will definitely scold him like a dog from top to bottom.

But at this moment, no one said it.

All the soldiers who can be used are on the front line. If they can't stop the 8,000 Japanese invaders of the 36th Infantry Brigade who are about to go crazy, they will all die!

It is true.

His Excellency Major General Ushijima Mitsuru is in a very good mood today. This is the happiest day since he led his troops to pursue the Chinese.

Although he had not yet completely wiped out the Chinese who were right in front of him, according to the marching traces left by the enemy, the cunning Chinese who were circling in the wilderness were less than five kilometers ahead of him, and less than three kilometers away from the friendly positions that had been deployed.

The reason why they slowed down and stopped moving forward was probably because they discovered the blockade ahead, but what was the use of discovering it in this deep dark night?

Whether forward or backward, there were strong armies that they could not defeat.

Left or right? To the left was the defense line of the 18th Division, and to the right, the crisscrossing terrain would undoubtedly accelerate their demise. Even if they marched overnight, they could not run far, and this was when they abandoned all their baggage.

Do the Chinese have that kind of courage? Absolutely not, otherwise they would not have chosen to carry baggage and wounded and flee in the wilderness for six days.

Judging from the cunning and tenacity that Ushijima Mitsuru had shown to his commander in the past six days, their best choice should be to wait until dawn and fight back desperately!

From a purely military perspective, Ushijima Mitsuru actually admired the Chinese commander whom he had never met and even had no idea of ​​his name. He was definitely the most difficult commander he had ever seen.

In the past six days, he was exhausted and his dark circles were almost spreading to his entire face.

But tomorrow, he might be able to meet the Chinese soldier who gave him a headache.

Because of his admiration, Ushijima Mitsuru decided to chop off his head, use chemicals to remove his flesh and skin, leaving only bones, and carve the words "tough enemy" on it. It must be a pleasing work of art.

For this sudden inspiration in his mind, the Japanese Army Major General, who ordered the entire army to camp and rest for tomorrow's decisive battle, drank half a bottle of sake to celebrate.

Of course, before happily going to sleep, Ushijima Mitsuru, who had been harassed, ordered his two infantry regiments to send out 60 patrol teams, and the alert range was expanded to 1,000 meters outside the camp.

At all times, there were nearly a thousand patrol teams outside the 36th Infantry Brigade's camp, accounting for one-eighth of the total force, which also meant that the entire infantry brigade would not sleep well.

This intensity of alert was unprecedented in the military history of the 36th Infantry Brigade.

You must not capsize in the ditch. The closer you are to victory, the more cautious you must be. This is what Ushijima Mitsuru reminded himself when he happily drank sake.

But the Japanese Army Major General's sweet dream was still disturbed.

At about 11:30, Ushijima Mitsuru, who was hiding in the trench wrapped in a blanket and sleeping in his clothes like the other soldiers, was awakened by the shout of "Brigade Commander, enemy attack!"

"Enemy attack? What?" The half-asleep Japanese Army Major General suddenly jumped out of the trench and looked around in the darkness in a daze.

It was quiet. Except for the low hum of autumn insects, he did not hear the terrifying sound of gunfire.

"Brigade Commander, it's the 6th Heavy Artillery Brigade!" The pale face of the lieutenant colonel chief of staff looked like a ghost under the dim lantern.

"The 6th Heavy Artillery Brigade?" Ushijima Mitsuru was stunned.

He almost subconsciously wanted to ask back: What does it have to do with me if the idiots of the 6th Heavy Artillery Brigade are attacked?

But then, he was stunned.

After being stunned for a few seconds, he snatched the telegram from his lieutenant colonel chief of staff: "Thousands of enemies are attacking the outer positions of our heavy artillery brigade! Please ask the 18th Division and the 36th Infantry Brigade to come to help! Sumita Raishiro!"

"This is impossible. The main force of the Chinese has already retreated, and the Chinese who are still resisting are still hiding in their so-called national defense line, and there is no reinforcement.

"Thousands of Chinese, where did they get out?" Ushijima Mitsuru asked in a nearly neurotic roar.

The pale face of the lieutenant colonel chief of staff has already told him the answer.

At that moment, the little face of the Japanese Army Major General was also white.

The big dark circles that had been hanging for several days also seemed to be covered with a thick layer of powder.

What the charming black eyes of a panda look like when covered with white powder, Ushijima Mitsuru looks like at this moment.

The Japanese panda being teased is angry to the point of being funny.