Zhu Tian: Beginning to Cross the Changjin Lake

Li Guotao nodded slightly and said, "That makes sense. This is also very important."

Everyone was chatting excitedly when suddenly a loud roar of a motor was heard in the sky.

"It's a plane!"

I don't know who shouted, but everyone stood up, looked up at the sky involuntarily, and were ready to hide at any time.

During this period, there were often planes over Hengyang. Not only were there planes sent by the Japanese, but there were also planes from the Flying Tigers. As it was difficult to determine who was the enemy and who was ours, everyone was very nervous.

Li Guotao observed carefully and soon found a group of planes roaring in the sky.

"Don't worry, it's our plane."

Li Guotao was the first to recognize that these planes belonged to the Flying Tigers, including fighter planes, followed by a fleet of transport planes. They were coming to Hengyang to drop supplies to the defenders.

Now Hengyang has been surrounded by the Japanese invaders and can no longer receive support by land, so it can only rely on airdrops for supplies.

However, at this time, most of the Flying Tigers' aircraft were transferred to northern Burma and other battlefields, and the number of aircraft that could be used on the Hengyang battlefield was quite limited, so it was impossible to completely control the air supremacy.

However, the Flying Tigers still tried their best to dispatch planes to airdrop supplies to the Hengyang defenders as much as possible, and sent fighters and bombers to bomb the Japanese. The bombing of the Flying Tigers also relieved a lot of pressure on the Hengyang defenders.

This time, the plane was mainly used to drop supplies, and it was escorted by fighter jets.

More than a dozen P40 fighter planes circled over Hengyang, but found no trace of the Japanese planes, and then all of them rushed towards the south of the city.

Although these fighter jets are only here for escort, since they are here, they cannot come for nothing.

In a pond in the south of the city, due to the hot weather, many Japanese soldiers who did not participate in the attack were taking a bath in the pond to escape the heat.

"Buzz~!"

There was a loud roar of motors in the air, and planes were flying towards this side quickly.

The Japanese soldiers raised their heads in panic, and when they saw the planes in the sky, their faces suddenly changed color with fear.

"Enemy plane~!"

"Air raid~!"

The Japanese soldiers shouted in panic. Some of them who were closer to the shore rushed ashore and fled in all directions with their bare butts.

However, at this time a plane had dived down and fired at the fleeing Japanese soldiers. Sharp screams continued to ring out, and more than a dozen Japanese soldiers were unable to dodge and were beaten into pieces.

The most unfortunate thing was that some of the Japanese soldiers in the pond had no time to climb ashore before the plane flew over. These Japanese soldiers were very smart and were so scared that they held their breath and dived into the pond, thinking that this way they could escape disaster.

The fighter plane of the Flying Tigers chased the fleeing Japanese and fired two rounds of shots. By then, all the Japanese had already hidden themselves.

But the pilot had discovered that a group of Japanese soldiers had not had time to go ashore and were now hiding in the pond.

"Damn it, do you think I'm blind?"

So the pilot flew the plane and circled over the pond twice, refusing to move away, to see how long you could hold on.

The Japanese soldiers hid in the water and secretly observed the plane in the sky. Seeing that the plane never flew away, they were so angry that they cursed.

However, these Japanese soldiers were very patient and just hid in the water and refused to come out.

When he couldn't hold it any longer, he lifted his mouth and nose out of the water to breathe.

"He's pretty damn good at holding it in!"

The pilot had lost his patience and didn't want to waste any more time, so he dived the plane into the pond.

Although the P40 is a fighter jet, it can also carry bombs.

A bomb fell directly from the wing, with a sharp whistling sound, and landed accurately in the pond.

"Boom~!"

A violent explosion sounded, and a large splash of water appeared on the water surface, with the waves being several dozen meters high.

After dropping the bomb, the pilot flew away without even a second glance.

Because the result was already doomed. After such a bomb was dropped, there would be no Japanese soldiers left alive in the pond, and even the fish and shrimp in it would be killed.

After all, this bomb is extremely powerful, and the density of water is eight hundred times that of air. The shock wave pressure generated is also eight hundred times that of air. Even if you are not killed directly by the explosion, you will be shocked to death by this terrifying shock wave.

Sure enough, the result was just like frying fish. After the water surface gradually returned to calm, the pond was filled with large groups of fish and shrimps, and of course, a large number of white corpses of the Japanese devils.

None of the Japanese soldiers hiding in the water were spared and were all killed in the explosion.

At the same time, other planes were looking for targets and launched attacks on the Japanese.

The transport aircraft formation had already flown over the 10th Army's position and began to airdrop supplies.

Parachutes blossomed in the sky, and a large amount of airdropped supplies were dropped onto the defenders' positions.

Commander Fang was inspecting a frontline position. Seeing this, he couldn't help but say, "I hope we can drop more useful things this time."

At this moment, a staff officer suddenly pointed to the distance and shouted, "General, look over there."

Upon hearing this, Commander Fang quickly turned his head and saw a plane flying directly over the Japanese position and starting to drop supplies.

Commander Fang was stunned by the situation and couldn't help cursing, "Damn it! Isn't this pilot a traitor? Or is he blind? He actually dropped all the supplies to the enemy's position."

It was no wonder that Commander Fang was so furious. After all, they could only rely on airdrops to obtain supplies, and the fighting was so intense that the front line was in urgent need of all kinds of supplies, especially weapons, ammunition, medicines and the like.

The Flying Tigers were able to dispatch only a limited number of aircraft and had limited airdrop capabilities. For the defenders, every parachute was extremely precious.

In previous airdrops, it was inevitable that a small number of parachutes would be blown to the Japanese positions by the wind.

Every time this happened, the Japanese soldiers would rush up to snatch the supplies. After all, for the Japanese soldiers, these supplies picked up for free were all good things and they would not miss them.

Whenever the defenders saw this situation, they were furious, but there was nothing they could do.

And now, it is obvious that the plane deliberately dropped supplies onto the Japanese position. How could Commander Fang not be angry?
And judging from the distance, these airdropped supplies are estimated to have fallen into the enemy's rear positions.

Sure enough, these dozen or so parachutes all fell on the Japanese's rear positions.

When the Japanese saw the falling parachutes, they immediately rushed over to pick up supplies.

These Japanese soldiers naively thought that they could pick up some spoils this time, but when they ran to open the airdropped supplies, an accident happened.

"Boom~! Boom~!"

Violent explosions sounded one after another from the Japanese positions, and the Japanese soldiers who were picking up air-dropped supplies were blown to pieces one by one.

It turns out that our pilots had discovered this situation during the previous airdrop.

Some parachutes that floated over the Japanese positions would attract a scramble for them, so this time I deliberately prepared a gift for them.

These packages do not contain any supplies at all, but mines. Once the packages are opened, the fuse will be ignited, causing an explosion.

The Japanese were unaware of the situation and were caught completely unprepared, and many of them were killed in the bombing.

And because the parachutes were scattered all over the place, when the one on this side exploded, the Japanese soldiers over there didn't know what was going on, so they opened the package and it exploded too.

An angry Japanese officer couldn't help but curse: "Baga Yalu, the enemy is very cunning."

At this time, Commander Fang also received the report and said with a smile: "Good job, blow up these bastards and let them rob my supplies."

The chief of staff beside him said with a smile: "I guess the Japanese suffered a loss this time. Even if there are airdrops landing on their positions, they dare not loot them."

Commander Fang continued, "But we still have to try our best to prevent the airdropped supplies from falling on the Japanese positions. After all, these supplies are too precious to us."

"This is the current situation. The higher-ups are trying their best to provide us with support, but the most important thing is to rely on ourselves. We must defend Hengyang no matter what."

The chief of staff said, "Please rest assured, Commander. We have already communicated with the Flying Tigers. After these two airdrops, we have accumulated some experience. In the future, we will try to choose a safer airdrop location to prevent the supplies from falling into the hands of the devils."

Commander Fang nodded in satisfaction, and then asked, "What's the situation at Zhangjiashan?"

The chief of staff replied: "The fighting is still very fierce. The Japanese are like crazy and continue to attack the Zhangjiashan position fiercely."

"Earlier, Division Commander Ge took the opportunity to organize his troops to launch a counterattack and successfully recaptured the two lost high ground."

"But unfortunately, the Japanese continued to launch a fierce attack, and the two high grounds in front were lost again." "Now the troops that the 10th Reserve Division can deploy have basically been put into the battle. The casualties of the troops are increasing, and the brothers' physical strength is also greatly consumed. I am afraid it will be difficult to organize enough troops to launch a counterattack in a short period of time."

"The Japanese attacked us so recklessly and repeatedly. I guess they saw this and wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to exhaust us until we are dead."

Commander Fang sighed helplessly and said, "Although the casualties of the Japanese are several times ours, they can get reinforcements continuously, while our troops are getting fewer and fewer. It is really not a solution to continue fighting like this."

The chief of staff said helplessly: "But we can't get reinforcements in the short term."

"The Zhangjiashan position is extremely important and must not be lost. We must find a way to defend Zhangjiashan."

Commander Fang frowned, pondered for a moment, and said, "We have been fighting for several days, and the brothers on the front line are probably about to be unable to hold on!"

The Chief of Staff sighed helplessly and said, "That's right. No matter how strong the brothers are, they are not made of steel after all. If we continue to fight like this, no one can withstand it."

"But now the 10th Reserve Division has almost no soldiers to send, and is unable to replace the troops in front. We can only grit our teeth and continue to hold on."

"Hey~!"

Commander Fang sighed helplessly and said, "Yang Ji and the others have rested for a day and a night. Let them go to Zhangjiashan!"

"Replace a group of brothers and give them a break."

"This should temporarily relieve the pressure on the 10th Division."

The Chief of Staff asked, "Shall we let them go up now?"

Commander Fang said, "Not now, let's wait until the second half of the night. Then let them find a suitable opportunity to replace the defenders of Zhangjiashan."

"They have a battalion of soldiers, and if they take turns to fight, they should be able to hold out for two or three days without any problem."

“Notify them so they can prepare in advance.”

"Yes!"

The chief of staff responded quickly and then ordered someone to convey the order.

"Emergency military order, the commander orders the 568th Regiment to go to the Zhangjiashan position tonight, and find a suitable opportunity to take over the Zhangjiashan position after midnight tonight. There must be no mistakes."

The military's order was quickly passed on to the 568th Regiment. After receiving the order, Yang Jihe vowed, "Please tell the commander that we will complete the mission."

Then Yang Jihe called Li Guotao over.

Li Guotao asked: "Has the military's order come down?"

Yang Jihe nodded and said, "Yes, the commander ordered us to take over the defense of Zhangjiashan tonight."

"Zhangjiashan?"

Li Guotao nodded thoughtfully and said, "It seems that the situation on the front line is not very good."

Yang Jihe nodded and said, "That's for sure. The Japanese kept attacking like crazy. The fighting at Zhangjiashan was particularly fierce. Almost two battalions of soldiers were wiped out at Zhangjiashan."

"If it weren't for the last resort, I don't think the commander would mobilize our reserve troops so quickly."

Li Guotao said helplessly: "Zhangjiashan is now a meat grinder. If you want to go up, you must be prepared to fight the devils to the death."

Yang Jihe said helplessly: "There is nothing we can do about it. If we don't go up, it will be the same for other troops."

"If all the other troops are wiped out, we will be finished."

Li Guotao smiled bitterly and said, "Do you think I'm scared?"

Yang Jihe waved his hand and said, "That's not what I meant. But speaking of it, no one is not afraid of this kind of battle. It's a pure fight of attrition. Any strategy or tactics will not play a big role."

"But we have no choice but to fight the Japanese to the end."

Li Guotao smiled and said, "That may not be the case. As long as the tactics are used properly, we can reduce casualties as much as possible and hold out for a longer period of time."

"The longer we hold the front line, the less pressure our brother troops will face. When a unit is able to take over, we can come down and rest. By taking turns like this, we should be able to hold out for a long time. We must be prepared to hold out for another month."

Yang Jihe said thoughtfully: "One month?"

"I remember when we first started fighting, they said if we held out for ten days, we would get reinforcements."

"But we have been fighting for more than ten days, and there is still no sign of reinforcements."

"We don't know the exact situation outside. Our superiors just keep saying that reinforcements will arrive soon to stabilize the morale of the troops, but I'm afraid no one knows when the reinforcements will arrive."

"Maybe it will be just like you said. We will have to hold on for another month, or even longer."

“I just don’t know if I can live to see that time.”

As a veteran who has experienced many battles, he has actually already become indifferent to life and death, especially since the Hengyang Defense Battle was so brutal. Even though Yang Jihe has always been relatively optimistic, he dare not guarantee that he can survive this battle.

Li Guotao smiled and said, "Captain, you don't have to be so pessimistic. I believe you can survive."

Yang Jihe smiled and said, "Life and death are not something we can decide. I have let it go long ago."

"But I still hope you can survive. You are a very capable kid, and what the country needs most right now is talents like you."

"If it really comes to the last moment and nothing can be done, if there is a chance, just escape."

"I believe that with your skills, there is still hope for you to break out during the chaos. Only by staying useful can you continue to fight for the country."

"Haha~!"

Li Guotao couldn't help laughing and said, "I didn't expect you to instigate your own men to desert."

Yang Jihe said seriously: "I'm not kidding you."

"Now we have to do our best to defend Hengyang, but if it really comes to the last moment, if Hengyang can't be defended, there is no need for you to make unnecessary sacrifices."

"If there is really a chance to break out, then break out. If you kill a few more devils in the future, you will have everything."

Li Guotao smiled and said, "Okay! But I still believe that we can defend Hengyang."

"We can definitely win this battle."

"By the way, when are we going to Zhangjiashan?"

Yang Jihe said: "The commander wants us to find an opportunity to take over the defense in the second half of the night. Let the brothers prepare first. When it's night, we will go to the vicinity of Zhangjiashan and discuss with the brother troops before making a specific plan."

"Now let's make sure the brothers have enough food and drink and have enough rest. The next step will be the real tough battle."

Li Guotao smiled and said, "Don't worry. I heard that Zhangjiashan has buried thousands of Japanese soldiers. Let's try to bury thousands more."

"it is good!"

……

After dark, Yang Jihe and his brothers headed to the Zhangjiashan position.

On the way, Li Guotao turned his head to look at Chen Jianghe next to him and asked casually: "Old Chen, how did you become a soldier?"

"I?"

Chen Jianghe was stunned for a moment, and seemed reluctant to mention the matter.

Li Guotao seemed to have thought of something and asked with a smile, "Could it be that he was conscripted?"

"Hehe~!"

Chen Jianghe just chuckled, and from his expression it was clear that it wasn't that simple.

Li Guotao smiled and said, "Just talk. There are no outsiders here. We are all brothers. Who would laugh at whom?"

Chen Jianghe hesitated for a moment, then said, "Forget it, just tell me, there's nothing to hide."

"That was several years ago. I was still working in the fields carrying a bucket of manure to fertilize the crops!"

"A few fierce-looking village guards suddenly jumped out from the roadside. Before I could react, I was pinned to the ground and tied up and taken to the township office." (End of this chapter)