Xu Rui nodded and said, "Okay, let's attack the north of the city."
Just as Xu Rui finished speaking, Yang Banan suddenly said: "Captain, for this counterattack, I want to join the commando team."
Xu Rui turned his head and glanced at Yang Banan deliberately. Yang Banan dodged back a little unnaturally, trying to hide his injured left arm hanging around his neck behind He Guangming. During the day of the Japanese bombardment, During the explosion, Yang Bayan was hit by a falling beam while trying to rescue the wounded and injured his left forearm.
To be honest, Xu Rui was quite satisfied with Yang Banan's performance today.
So Xu Rui shook his head and said, "Let's forget you are just a wounded person."
"What's wrong with the wounded?" Yang Banan said inexorably, "How can there be anyone in the regiment who is not injured now? Even the regiment leader, aren't you also injured?"
Xu Rui was speechless. He was indeed injured.
During a counter-assault battle in the evening, Xu Rui was hit in the neck by a stray bullet that bounced off the wall. Fortunately, it only made a hole and did not hurt his vitals. If it had hurt the common carotid artery, it would have been over. But it still scared Xiao Taohong and Sai Hongfu enough, and now Xiao Taohong started to follow Xu Rui step by step.
This is also the task assigned by Sai Hongfu to Xiao Taohong, to protect Xu Rui's safety no matter what.
Of course Xu Rui doesn't need Xiao Taohong's protection, but he can't brush off Sai Hongfu's kindness.
Yang Banan added: "Commander, although my left hand is injured, I still have my right hand, which can still shoot, and it is not necessarily worse than others. No matter what, I am an officer cadet from the Central Military Academy!"
Yang Banan's implication is that the military cadets of the Central Military Academy may not be good at military theory, but their tactical literacy is not necessarily worse than those of the big-headed soldiers. In any case, during their year at the Central Military Academy, they received the most rigorous and rigorous training. Cruel, highest-standard military training, that's all there is to it.
Xu Rui stared at Yang Balan for a full ten seconds, and finally nodded: "Okay, since you insist on participating in the battle, and you are still the chief of staff of our independent regiment after all, then I will not find another person, just go directly I appoint you as the commando captain. It depends on your performance tonight, Chief of Staff Yang!"
Yang Banan stood at attention and said: "Captain, don't worry, I will never disgrace my humble position!"
Xu Rui nodded, raised his wrist and said: "Now let's check the watch. The time is now 8:10. At 8:20, the commando team will attack from the intersection of Yangzi Street and Jingjia Lane to attract the Japs from the north of the city. Pay attention, then the soldiers of the 3rd Battalion and the 2nd Battalion will divide into two groups, detour from the left and right wings, and complete the encirclement of the Japs in the north of the city. Remember, you must move quickly, and you must end the battle before the Japs bring reinforcements from outside the city!"
"Yes!" Wan Zhongshan and Xu Dekun stood up suddenly and responded loudly.
(Dividing line)
However, before the Independent Regiment's night counterattack could officially start, the bandits from Feixi Shiba Village outside the west gate launched the attack first. One hundred bandits selected from Qipan Village and Niangniang Village each had a twenty-gun gun. The firepower of the box artillery was definitely not exaggerated. It broke through the Japanese defense line and broke into the western area of the city.
Feicheng originally had a city wall, but two consecutive days of indiscriminate bombing by the Japanese air force and artillery completely destroyed the old city wall and turned it into ruins. Moreover, the focus of the Japanese defense in the west of the city was the independent regiment in the city. The defensive deployment outside the city is much laxer.
Therefore, the bandits in Feixi Shiba Village quickly broke through the Japanese defense line.
Hearing the gunshots coming from the west of the city, Xu Rui decisively changed his plan. He originally planned to attack the Japs in the north of the city, but now he changed his plan to attack the Japs in the west of the city.
Although Xu Rui has not yet figured out the enemy situation in the west of the city, judging from the sound of gunshots, Xu Rui knows that this is definitely not a fake. The little devil probably does not have such a high IQ, but he actually knows how to create such a realistic "enemy attack" in the west of the city. ", to lure their Dameishan Independent Group into this trap.
The infantry brigade of the Kikuchi Brigade was responsible for guarding the western area of the city.
The Kikuchi Brigade is affiliated with the 18th Division. The 18th Division was established two years after the end of the Russo-Japanese War. In the 14th year of Taisho (1925), due to financial constraints, it was separated from the 13th, 15th, and 17th Divisions. The regiment was abolished together, and only the basic establishment was retained. The so-called basic establishment meant that only the backbone of officers was retained.
After the Sino-Japanese War broke out, the 18th Division quickly restored its organization and participated in the Hangzhou Bay Assault 6.
However, since the soldiers who were added to the 18th Division were not active soldiers after all, but were reserve or even local soldiers in reserve, so the combat effectiveness was still far behind that of the 17 permanent divisions. After 6 and advancing to Nanjing, the performance was not ideal.
Especially in Guangde, the 18th Division was unable to make any progress for several days in the face of the poorly equipped Sichuan Army.
During the Battle of Nanjing, the 18th Division was only responsible for flank protection and did not participate in the frontal attack.
In other words, although the Japs in the 18th Division were well equipped, they actually did not have much actual combat experience.
Therefore, after the battle started, under the two-sided attack by the Feixi Shiba Village bandits and the Dameishan Independent Regiment, the infantry brigade of the Kikuchi Brigade was quickly defeated. Most of them were wiped out, and a small number fled from the two wings of the battlefield to the north of the city and In the south of the city, the independent regiment restored almost the entire west area of the city in one fell swoop.
The counterattack at night was so fast that the Japanese who were approaching the east and south of the city had no time to react. By the time Shiro Inaba and Mi Kikuchi got the news, the west of the city had already been lost, and most of the infantry brigade stationed in the west were wiped out. Inaba Shiro and Kikuchi Mi also gave up the idea of counterattack.
(Dividing line)
As usual, Xu Rui broadcast the good news to the rear again after the battle.
At this time, the press conference at Nanjing Fanghua Garden had not yet ended, and the process had just reached the break.
After receiving the notice from her assistant, Helena, the Associated Press war correspondent in China, immediately became excited. Americans are always unorganized and undisciplined, and act extremely casually. Helena actually barged into the lounge.
The guard guard was stunned and let Helena break into the lounge.
"Your Excellency General!" Helena walked up to Shunroku Hata and asked urgently, "We just listened to the broadcast from Dameishan Radio Station and learned that the Dameishan Independent Regiment launched a night counterattack half an hour ago and annihilated it in one fell swoop. We defeated a Japanese brigade and restored the western area of the city. General, is this true?"
Shunroku Hata's face suddenly became very embarrassed. He had just received the news.
Gritting his teeth, Shunroku Hata said with a gloomy face: "Yes, that is indeed the case."
"Wow." Helena shrugged and said with a smile, "General, if I remember correctly, half an hour ago, you told us that your army would soon capture the entire city of Feicheng and capture everyone alive. Xu Rui, leader of the Meishan Independent Regiment, but the current situation seems to be a little different from what you said before?"
Hata Shunroku was speechless, his face turned black.
He was brazenly saying just now that he would soon wipe out the Dameishan Independent Regiment and capture Xu Rui alive. But in the blink of an eye, the Dameishan Radio Station announced that the Dameishan Independent Regiment had just wiped out an infantry brigade of the Japanese army and restored its strength. In the entire west area of the city, even if you just slap Bage Yalu in the face, you won't be able to lead them so quickly, right
At least, give me a little time difference and allow me to attend the press conference, which is not pleasant
Helena refused to let Shunroku Hata go, and continued to ask: "General, do you still firmly believe that your army can quickly occupy Feicheng and capture Xu Rui alive?"
"Yes, I have no doubt about it." Shunroku Hata said solemnly.
Helena smiled and asked again: "General, you seem to be too optimistic."
Shunroku Hata said with a dark face: "The defeat of a local battle does not explain the problem."
Helena retorted: "But Colonel Sovsky, the Russian military attache in China, just told me that your army seems to be at a disadvantage in the entire campaign? Feicheng has been unable to be defeated, but the northward clusters in Fuyang and Mengcheng have already Being divided and surrounded, although the various divisions of the North China Front are rushing to their aid, are they afraid that it is already too late?"
Shunroku Hata was speechless. What he said before could only deceive media reporters who did not understand military matters. Facing a soldier like Sovsky, it was simply trying to cover up the truth.
When Helena wanted to continue asking, Shunroku Hata was completely impatient.
Although Shunroku Hata liked the young and beautiful American reporter in front of him very much. Her youthful vitality allowed him to inadvertently recall the good times of his youth. However, the American reporter's questions made him a little tired. I didn't want to answer her aggressive questions anymore.
At that moment, Shunroku Hata called Shozo Kawabe over, then stood up and walked straight away.
Helena also wanted to ask Hata Shunroku, but Kawabe Shozo politely stopped her.
At this time, the relationship between Japan and the United States was generally in a period of cooperation. Japan imported large quantities of scrap steel, crude oil, and chemical raw materials from the United States. The United States regarded Japan as its financial backer, and Japan regarded the United States as a reliable partner. Therefore, Japanese military personnel were very concerned about the American media. Journalists are generally quite tolerant.
"Miss Helena, you can ask me if you have any questions." Kawabe Shozo said politely.
Unfortunately, Helena has no interest in Kawabe Shozo, she is only interested in Hata Shunroku.
Or, to be more precise, Helena is not actually interested in Shunroku Hata. The reason why she took the trouble to ask Shunroku Hata is entirely because of another person. That person is younger and more handsome than Shunroku Hata. He is Dameishan Helena asked Shunroku Hata about Xu Rui, the leader of the independent group. She just wanted to know how to interpret Xu Rui from the perspective of Shunroku Hata, the enemy
"I don't think so." Helena closed the notebook and said, "I've already asked all the questions that need to be asked."
Seeing Helena swaying her plump buttocks away, Hebian Zhengsan swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and then thought viciously in his heart, what's so great about Americans? One day, the Empire of Japan will trample you, the United States, under its feet just like it trampled on China. The world belongs to the human race! (To be continued.)