PFC Chapter 254 Unilateral Massacre, Hunting Down the 6th Division
Chapter 254 Unilateral Massacre, Hunting Down the 6th Division
Locking in the twilight years of dark clouds, locking in, locking in every update of "I put you in charge of the Sihang Warehouse, and you brought out a German-equipped division."
Although some of the people of Nanjing followed them in their fight, many others were unable to leave the fallen city for various reasons.
The elderly, women, children, and unarmed men.
They became the targets of the Japanese invaders' vengeance. Under their butcher's knife, 300,000 souls could not find peace; their wronged spirits wept on the banks of the Yangtze River, year after year.
It's time to settle this score today.
On the front lines, the smoke of battle had not yet dissipated, and the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and scorched earth.
Bai Chengshan stood on the roof of an armored vehicle, the metal scorching hot from the sun, but he didn't care at all.
He shouted the new combat orders to the soldiers around him, his voice echoing across the empty plains.
His voice was already loud, and now he was using every ounce of strength he had, with veins bulging on his neck and muscles taut on his face.
"Brothers! The Japanese devils are trying to escape! The corps commander has given the order—our Third Column doesn't need prisoners! Kill every single Japanese soldier!"
"Kill!!! Kill!!! Kill!!!"
The soldiers raised their arms and shouted, their voices so powerful that even the surrounding air vibrated and buzzed.
The voice contained anger, hatred, and a long-suppressed release.
Some people held their guns above their heads, some pounded on the metal hull of the armored vehicle, and others had red eyes and trembling lips.
They had waited for this day for far too long.
Qiu Qingquan's tank convoy and the various units of the Northwest Army participating in the attack also received orders to pursue.
Qiu Qingquan sat in the command vehicle, holding a telegram in his hand, a slight smile playing on his lips.
He had been waiting for this order for a long time.
They had actually been fighting the Japanese army for a day and a night, and were so exhausted that they were like a fully drawn bowstring that could snap at any moment.
Some soldiers had bloodshot eyes, some had cracked lips, and some could even fall asleep standing up.
At this moment, it seemed that no one felt tired anymore.
The mere thought of killing more Japanese soldiers revitalized every cell and muscle in their bodies, as if ignited by a fire.
The fire burned from my chest to my limbs, and from my limbs to my fingertips, making my whole body feel hot.
The flames of revenge burned in everyone's chest, making them forget hunger, fatigue, and the unhealed wounds on their bodies.
All the soldiers involved had only one belief in their hearts—kill! Kill all these beasts!
This belief is simple and direct, yet more effective than any mobilization.
Even in such dire circumstances, the 6th and 10th Divisions maintained basic combat formations and organization during their breakout.
Some units were responsible for covering the main force's retreat, some for protecting the flanks, and others served as the vanguard, responsible for clearing all obstacles on the road south.
The Japanese army was indeed quite well-trained; even when they were at their wits' end, they did not descend into chaos.
The officers were still shouting commands at the top of their lungs, and the soldiers were still mechanically carrying out orders, like machines controlled by a program.
However, once the breakout actually began, the situation did not develop as Ogisu Rippei and Tani Hisao had anticipated.
They thought they could at least create an opening, and at least retain most of their main force.
But reality gave them a resounding slap in the face.
The first thing Li Jianghe's Third Column did was to directly tear apart the Japanese army's rear blocking positions.
He directly mobilized more than 200 artillery pieces, more than 200 armored vehicles of various types, and nearly 10,000 infantrymen to launch a fierce attack from the rear.
When those cannons fired at the same time, the ground trembled as if an earthquake had occurred.
At the same time, Qiu Qingquan's tank convoy and Bai Chengshan's main tank detachment also flanked from the flank.
The two forces, like two red-hot irons, simultaneously pressed down on the Japanese army's weak spot.
In less than an hour, under the fierce attack, the Japanese army's flanks and rear positions were breached.
Those openings started as cracks, then quickly widened, eventually becoming wounds that could not be healed.
The surging tanks, like a flood bursting its banks, swept towards the Japanese troops.
The torrent of steel swept across the fields, the ditches, and the still-burning bomb craters, advancing relentlessly.
As for the Japanese advance troops, their progress was equally unsuccessful.
Blocking their path was Wang Dayong's Third Motorized Infantry Detachment.
Although the unit suffered some casualties after the continuous fierce fighting, Li Jianghe has replenished all the losses in the past two days, and the overall size has even increased.
The number of tanks, personnel, and artillery has increased by nearly a third.
The newly recruited soldiers, though lacking in experience, were young and full of enthusiasm.
The extra third of the organization cost Li Jianghe over 100,000 merit points.
But in his view, it was all worth it.
To block the Japanese army's retreat in the southern plains, a significant investment of resources was necessary.
On the plains, there are no natural defenses, so the battle comes down to firepower and mobility. Whoever has more tanks and more powerful artillery will win.
On the blocking positions, Japanese fighter planes and bombers had already plowed through the positions like iron plows.
When the plane flew overhead, the buzzing sound was like thousands of bees flapping their wings at the same time, making people's eardrums hurt.
The bombs fell, kicking up large amounts of mud and dust, leaving craters one after another, like scars on the earth.
Some of the craters are up to two meters deep and wide enough for several people to lie down side by side.
The Japanese advance troops originally thought that under such fierce bombing, the enemy on the other side would suffer heavy losses and might even abandon the position.
They even started celebrating before they set off. Some hummed folk songs from their hometown, while others patted their comrades on the shoulder and said, "Now we can relax."
But when they actually got close to those defensive positions, the familiar, chilling voice rang out again.
That was the roar of the MG machine gun, the fury of the MP submachine gun, and the dull firing sound of the Mauser rifle.
The three sounds blended together, like a symphony from hell.
The dense rain of bullets wove a massive net of fire, engulfing all living beings that came near.
The Japanese soldiers at the front fell like wheat being harvested, without even having time to scream.
Some were hit in the head and fell backward; some were hit in the chest and blood sprayed into the air; others were hit in the leg and fell to the ground, writhing in pain while clutching their wounds.
Those Japanese soldiers who were not hit instinctively lay down on the ground, burying their faces in the soil, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
In addition, on the flanks of the Japanese breakout force, the tanks of the 3rd Motorized Infantry Detachment were constantly harassing and killing enemy troops while on the move.
The cannons and machine guns mounted on top of M3 armored vehicles, 251 half-track vehicles, and Puma armored vehicles relentlessly poured bullets and shells at the Japanese troops.
The flames spewing from those cannons were particularly dazzling in the twilight light, like angry eyes.
Even on those modified anti-aircraft vehicles, twin-barreled machine guns were firing long-range shots at Japanese troops running across the fields.
The machine gun was louder than the machine gun, making a "thump thump thump thump" sound, like a giant beating a drum.
The shells exploded in the crowd, scattering fragments everywhere and creating clouds of blood mist.