Chapter 8 fist to bone

When the Japanese army crossed the river, they were fiercely blocked by the defenders, and machine gun bullets rattled like popping beans. Some iron boats crossing the river were all killed before they reached the opposite bank.Japan's "Yomiuri Shimbun" conducted a follow-up report on the battle of crossing the river. The reporter once photographed a corporal leader who was shot in the chest 5 meters away from the shore. The corporal leader was still holding the oar when he died.After this type of film was included in the news documentary, it was screened in Tokyo movie theaters, and the results aroused great repercussions.

In Japan, people's mantra is usually "the Chinese are idiots and will surrender soon." Many young people joined the army happily because they believed this kind of flicker.Now that everyone has watched the movie, they know that this is not the case. The Japanese army suffered great losses on the Songhu battlefield, and the Chinese people were shocked by their strong anti-Japanese awareness and heroic spirit of resistance. After paying a considerable price, the Japanese army finally captured some positions on the south bank of Yunzaobang.A few days later, another fierce attack was launched on Dachang Town, and the Dachang Battle began.

Behind the big field is Zhabei.The Chinese army had little leeway and space to retreat, and various corps and units competed to participate in the battle. Some units entered the combat position as soon as they arrived in Shanghai, even before they even had a clear understanding of the terrain and the enemy's situation. In the battle for the commanding height of a hill, the Chinese side dispatched more than a dozen regiments, and the Wu Yafu Battalion of the 58th Division was also urgently dispatched to serve as cover for the main charge.It was a real large-scale battle, not fist to flesh, but fist to bone.The shouts of killing resounded everywhere, and the soldiers on both sides who were close at hand were all fighting with their lives, and countless fresh lives disappeared in an instant.

The battle lasted until around three o'clock in the afternoon, and Wu Yafu and his subordinates were already so red-eyed that they forgot that their mission was just to cover, and rushed up the hill recklessly. Neither side could fully take the hill, and at night each dug foxholes in the mud beneath the hill to rest before fighting again the next day. After more than a week of bitter fighting, the Chinese army occupied this hill, but this did not change the passive situation of the entire battlefield.In addition to the sharp increase in the number of soldiers and the strengthening of firepower, the Japanese army also improved in tactics.The previous "one bombing, two bombing and three attacks" often failed to form a gradually advancing covering artillery fire. The shelling was used to bomb fixed fortifications. As for whether it can really play a role in the attack of the infantry behind, the artillery basically doesn't care.

In Dachang, Carlson saw the only covering artillery fire that could be called "gradual advance". The artillery shells always fell six or seven hundred meters away from the front of his infantry, which provided enough time for the infantry to occupy the Chinese position. In late October, Matsui Iwane issued an official statement that the Chinese army was in full retreat.At this time, the British and American diplomats stationed in Shanghai paid close attention to the progress of the war. They set up observation posts in multiple locations, and observers standing on the observation posts could clearly see the situation on the Chinese front.After learning of Matsui's statement, Carlson hurriedly contacted the observers, and the report he got was that everything was normal and the Chinese army did not retreat.

Having said that, the stone in Carlson's heart has not been able to land safely.As the saying goes, where there is no wind, there are no waves, and there is no trouble. How could someone of Matsui's level make an official statement without reason? The situation on the front line must have changed.Carlson made up his mind and decided to drive to the Chinese reserve position on the south bank of the Suzhou River to take a look. When we arrived at our destination, we heard the rumble of artillery on the north bank of the Suzhou River, indicating that the artillery battle was still in progress.The local situation seems to be exactly as the observers said, and even the mood of the common people is very stable. Along the way, Carlson can see women standing in knee-deep water rubbing their clothes from time to time.

However, this is only the appearance.All of a sudden, one after another Japanese bombers rushed over screaming, the bombs falling from the fuselage glistened in the sunlight, and the sky, which seemed peaceful just now, was immediately shrouded in bursts of murderous aura. Carlson froze.He immediately understood that Matsui's statement was by no means groundless. This kind of air strike was targeted, and its purpose was to destroy the Chinese reserve position and accelerate the retreat of the Chinese army.In this way, there is no doubt about the retreat of the Chinese army. In fact, on October 25, when most of the Chinese positions were destroyed by Japanese artillery fire, the Japanese army had broken through Dachang.Once the field was lost, the Chinese side was threatened with their backs and had to retreat to the south bank of the Suzhou River the next day.

The Chinese army fought in Dachang with the same tenacity and persistence as in Luodian, but their spirit, body and blood could not be used indefinitely. They lacked sufficient weapons for positional warfare and air power to provide cover. On October 30, the Japanese army seized several key points on the south bank by forcefully crossing the Suzhou Creek. However, the Chinese front remained intact, and even if the Suzhou Creek could not withstand it, there was still a pre-built "defense line" that could be used.Based on this, Carlson judged that the Battle of Songhu would continue for several more months.

Of course, the Japanese cannot tolerate this situation going on, and their high command once again sent four divisions and one brigade to Shanghai. On November 5, with the cooperation of the navy, reinforcement troops landed from the north shore of Hangzhou Bay, forming a double-team attack on the Chinese army.