Chapter 12 8. Bloody Battle in Teng County

The Japanese soldiers outside the city were eating lunch. They sat under the willow trees on the banks of the Shahe River, holding iron rice boxes in their hands.Wang Mingzhang could see clearly through the telescope.He told Commander Zhang that the soldiers in the city should take the time to fill their stomachs when the enemy is not attacking, so that they will not know when their next meal will be in their mouths. The soldiers were busy repairing the fortifications of the position. They carried out all the salt bags and grain bags from several salt shops and grain stores in Dongguan City. One or two thousand sacks of buns were blocked in front of the gap in the wall.When the soldiers heard the order to eat, they wiped off their blood and sweat, took out the buns and cakes sent by the villagers, and took a few bites.The stretcher team carried the wounded soldiers to the temporary field hospital, and moved the remains of the dead to an open field in Dongguan village.

Before they could bury the bodies of the soldiers, the Japanese planes began another round of bombing. Eighteen planes dropped bombs on Teng County again and again, and the sound of the explosions was so heart-shattering that anyone who was really timid would have been frightened to death by the sound of bombing planes.The soldiers defending the city were most afraid of the bombing by Japanese planes. Although it destroyed houses, it was far inferior to the Japanese cannons and machine guns in terms of lethality.However, its ferocious posture caused tremendous psychological and spiritual pressure on the soldiers defending the city.

After a round of aircraft bombing, it was followed by enemy artillery.They still aimed at Dongguan, and hundreds of shells fell around the gap in Dongguan.As soon as the artillery fire stopped, the Japanese army still marched towards the gap according to the method in the morning.Battalion Commander Yan of the Special Service Battalion still followed the previous style of play and ordered the 2nd company to throw grenades at the enemy group.The Japanese army's five consecutive attacks were defeated by the defenders' grenades, and more than 100 Japanese soldiers' bodies were left behind the gap.

The Japanese army launched the sixth offensive. They concentrated artillery fire and sent 10 planes to bomb and straf around the gap in an attempt to drive away or kill the defenders on both sides of the gap.At the same time, enemy artillery blasted open the east gate.After the east gate of the city was blown up, the artillery fired in depth to prevent the defenders from increasing their troops to the east gate. The Japanese infantry adopted wave tactics, pushing forward in three rows in one row, overlapping the front and back to form a trapezoid.They used Bushido's housekeeping skills, the first row fell, and the second row was still advancing, as if there was no one else around, just attacking and charging.When the leather shoes stepped on the dry soil, a cloud of thick yellow dust was rolled up.The first row was blown up by the defenders' grenade, and more than 30 people fell down.However, the small steel artillery of the Japanese army fired very intensively, and almost all the guards on both sides of the Dongguan gap died.Battalion Commander Yan hurriedly transferred another company up, and just when they were unable to gain a firm foothold, the second echelon of the Japanese army rushed in through the gap.

Thirty or forty Japanese soldiers fought hand-to-hand with the defenders of a company.The Japanese soldiers are well-trained, bayonet fighting is their strong point.Sometimes three or four Chinese soldiers can't deal with one Japanese soldier.On the ruins of Dongguan, 3 guards surrounded 1 Japanese soldier, 1 guard rushed to hug the waist of the Japanese soldier, and the guard next to him hacked the Japanese soldier with a bayonet or a broadsword. Beside a pile of rotten bricks, a short Japanese soldier stabbed three guarding soldiers in a row. The soldier who was pierced in the stomach tightly held the 38 rifle on his stomach with his hands, and would not let go.The Japanese soldier tried his best to draw the gun, but he couldn't draw it out, so he screamed in anxiety.The injured Chinese soldier gritted his teeth and got up from the ground. His intestines fell out. He grabbed a big knife and slashed at the Japanese soldier's head.The enemy's head was like a watermelon, with a bang, the red flesh exploded.The two wounded Chinese soldiers looked at each other, a smile appeared on the corners of their mouths, and then threw themselves to the ground.

Two city guards were cornered under the wall by two gleaming bayonets, and the large blades in their hands broke off.They threw away the hilts, and the moment the bayonets pierced their chests, they slammed the grenades on their bodies. The thirty or forty Japanese soldiers who rushed past were all wiped out on the ruins. Almost all the heroic 41st Army Special Service Battalion died heroically. At the most critical time in Dongguan, regiment commander Zhang Xuanwu transferred the regiment reserve team up, and company commander He Jingwei led 3 platoons to Dongguan.It was God who helped the defenders. When the third echelon of the Japanese army rushed into Dongguan, it was already dark.The Japanese soldiers were unable to expand the results of the battle, so they had to seize the fortification positions and try to rely on the fortifications to hold on.

This enemy must be wiped out.Zhang Xuanwu believed that if the Japanese army entrenched in the Dongguan fortifications were not destroyed, once the Japanese army attacked outside the city the next day, the situation would be difficult to control if they were allowed to cooperate internally and externally. So he ordered the company commander Zhang Jinru of the 11th company on the north side of the city wall, and asked him to work with company commander He Jingwei to wipe out that group of enemies. If dozens of Japanese soldiers are not wiped out, don't go back to see him! Zhang Jinru mobilized the battlefield, and the morale of the whole company was high.But the gun in his hand didn't work. Like a gunpowder shotgun, the sound of the shot was booming, with no lethality.Soldiers don't use guns to fight, throw grenades.After a burst of grenades, they raised their swords and rushed towards the Japanese army.

The 11th company suffered more than 70 casualties, and two platoon leaders were also killed in battle, but they completed their mission. None of the more than 40 Japanese soldiers were alive, and they were all wiped out.The Dongguan position returned to the hands of the Chinese army. It was dark, and the offensive and defensive battles ceased.The Japanese troops surrounding Teng County fired several flares into the sky in a short while.The flares were blindingly bright, and the strong light cut through the darkness, illuminating the inside and outside of the city like daytime. After a whole day of fierce fighting, Teng County was bombed by tens of thousands of shells. Most of the houses had collapsed. There were flames everywhere, black smoke billowing, charred bodies, and a very pungent smell.The soldiers guarding the city didn't care so much, some of them were holding big knives, some were next to the grenade box, some were leaning on the wall, some were leaning on the sack, and fell asleep tiredly.

The guarding soldiers who were still resting were awakened by the sound of footsteps and shouts. The heavy machine guns of the Chinese army only heard someone shouting excitedly, reinforcements are coming, our reinforcements are coming. Wang Mingzhang put on his belt in a hurry, and led his platoon of guards out.Could it be that Tang Enbo's 20th Legion has arrived?He asked Zhang Xuanwu to be notified, and the orderly said that the head of the regiment Zhang had passed.Master Wang didn't know until he arrived at the north gate that the reinforcements entering the city were not the 20th Army Corps, but the 370th and 372nd Brigades of the 124th Division.

When the peripheral battle in Teng County started, the 370th Brigade stopped the enemy in Shenjing.Due to the fierce firepower and strong troops of the Japanese Army Alliance, the 370th Brigade was severely damaged and it was difficult to hold on. Master Wang Mingzhang transferred the 372nd Brigade to support.Later, the Japanese army who attacked Shenjing continued to increase its troops, causing serious casualties to the two brigades, so they retreated to the area from Shenjing to Dawu and Xiaowu in Teng County.After resisting for a day, they turned to the edge of Teng County in the middle of the night and quietly passed through the gaps of the Japanese troops surrounding the city.

The strength of the two brigades entering Teng County was no more than 3 regiments, and their combat troops were only 740 regiments and 743 regiments. Brigadier Lu and Zeng, who came into the city, saluted Master Wang Mingzhang and briefly reported to him the battle situation in Shenjing, Dawu and Xiaowu.Lieutenant General Wang Mingzhang shook hands with them and praised them for their bravery in fighting. They actually blocked the enemy for two days, which is amazing.Then Master Wang also introduced the situation in Teng County to the two brigade commanders. While the officers were talking, the head of the regiment, Zhang Xuanwu, reported loudly that the two battalions of his 727 regiment had also returned from the Beishahe defense line.After the 1st and 2nd Battalions entered Teng County, they hugged a hundred comrades from the 3rd Battalion. They were so excited that they shed tears and encouraged each other.I heard that you fought well, you really deserve to be soldiers of the Heroes Corps! The 1st Battalion Commander saw the 3rd Battalion Commander, and they hugged a few times. The 1st Battalion Commander punched the 3rd Battalion Commander on the shoulder. He said, man, are you still alive?On the way here, I was still thinking, don’t serve the country in advance, you have to wait for me, right? The commander of the 3rd Battalion laughed heartily. He said that he had to find a few more Japanese soldiers to back him up before reporting his service, otherwise it would not be enough. Seeing that they were so optimistic, Wang Mingzhang was very happy from the bottom of his heart. All the soldiers I brought out were good.He stepped over to the fortification of the sack in front of him, and shouted to the surrounding officers and soldiers: Brothers, fathers and villagers of Teng County!Our officers and soldiers guarding the city are all good, and they are all hard-working men.With such a small force of ours, with the broken guns in our hands, we just blocked the 10th Division of the Japanese Army under the city of Teng County.Now there are the 730th and 732nd Brigades of the 124th Division, and the 727th Regiment of the 122nd Division.Another 3,000 officers and soldiers were added to the city.As long as we survive tomorrow, reinforcements from the Tang Legion will arrive.At that time, we will attack from both inside and outside, and we will definitely send the Isoya Division back home.Brothers, do you have faith? All the officers and soldiers in Teng County shouted in unison: Yes!Have!Have!He also shouted for the downfall of Japanese imperialism.The slogans of the soldiers shook the mountains.The Japanese army outside the city didn't know what happened in the city, so they fired seven or eight flares in a row. The commander of the Japanese army who attacked Teng County did not sleep. Several groups of the Kuomintang army suddenly slipped into Teng County and were noticed by them.The head of the Isoya division was very dissatisfied with this, and he severely reprimanded the Japanese captain in charge of security.None of the Chinese troops required to enter the city can be released, let alone break out of the siege.The captain on the left stands at attention, hey, the one on the right stands at attention, hey.Then go out to organize patrol missions. What made Jigu dissatisfied was not this matter, but that after several days of fighting, the city of Teng County was not broken. Instead, hundreds of Japanese soldiers were killed by the Chinese defenders, and the casualties of the entire division made him furious.When sending troops to China, his division encountered such tenacious resistance for the first time.The base camp kept calling him to urge him, which made him feel very shameless.Nanjing is a huge city with hundreds of thousands of Kuomintang troops, and it took others less than three or four days.What is Teng County?The territory with a big butt made him, the 10th Division, known as the Iron Army, spend so much effort.If this is said, it won't make others laugh out loud. Therefore, Isoya blocked the news from the outside world and did not report the battle situation to the base camp. He only asked his troops to take Teng County tomorrow, march northward on the 18th, join forces with Seishiro Itagaki at Taierzhuang, and destroy the Xuzhou defense line in one fell swoop and open up the Jinpu Road.If he failed to achieve his goal, he had to have a caesarean section to show his allegiance to the emperor.