Zhu Tian: Beginning to Cross the Changjin Lake

Chapter 327 The Japs are seeking their own death!
They were really captured as able-bodied men!
However, judging from Chen Jianghe's reaction just now, it seems that things are not that simple.

After all, in this era, there were quite a few men who were conscripted into the army. This was nothing strange. And Chen Jianghe was obviously unwilling to say it just now, which obviously meant that there was another hidden story.

Li Guotao did not say anything either, but waited patiently for Chen Jianghe to continue.

Chen Jianghe sighed slightly and continued, "The policy back then was to draw one out of every three men and two out of every five men."

"There were two males in our family at the time, and one of them had to be sent to the army. My eldest brother was an apprentice in another place and could not be contacted at all. The people at the township government said that since the eldest brother could not be contacted, they had to send you to the army."

"If you don't want to go, you can also pay to buy someone to serve in the army for you."

"At that time, it took 30 dan of grain to buy a young man. Our family was very poor. If there was a disaster, we would starve. How could we afford to buy a man?"

"I had no choice but to join the army. But when I got there, I realized that being a soldier was not a life for human beings. There were wars everywhere. The country was not rich, and the military pay was never enough. The superiors often deducted the military pay, which resulted in us soldiers not even having enough food to eat and were often bullied. So after three months, I found an opportunity to escape."

Li Guotao smiled slightly. It turned out that he had become a deserter. No wonder he was reluctant to say it just now.

"Then why are you back again?"

Chen Jianghe went on to say: "After escaping, I didn't dare to go home, for fear of being caught as a deserter. Even if I wasn't shot, I would probably end up in a miserable state. So I made a living outside, but I didn't have any skills, and it was a luxury to fill my stomach in the chaos of war."

"During that time, I met a few people and found out that selling men was a business. In order to survive, I sold myself. People paid me and I served in the army for them. I could earn some money each time."

"I joined the army, but I couldn't stay there for long. I found an opportunity to escape and then sold my services. I stayed in the army for a year or two, sold my services five times, and became a veteran soldier."

"Until the last time, I came to our Tenth Army to serve as a soldier. I originally wanted to escape, but this time it was different. I didn't stay in the recruit camp for long before I was directly dragged to the battlefield."

"I served in the army several times before, and I spent most of my time in the boot camp. Even after leaving the boot camp, I never went to the battlefield."

"That was my first time on the battlefield. I wanted to escape, but unfortunately I didn't get the chance."

"After I saw the brutality of the Japanese invaders and the cruelty of the war on the battlefield, especially when I saw a good brother fall beside me, I didn't want to leave and decided to stay and fight the Japanese invaders."

"As the superiors often say, if we don't join the army to fight the Japanese, the country will be destroyed and all of us will become slaves of the Japanese and be slaughtered by them."

"Since then, I have stayed in the 10th Army to fight the Japanese. I have followed the troops to various places and fought dozens of battles, big and small! I am lucky enough that I am still alive now."

"Even if you ask me to run now, I won't run. I want to kill the devils. Even if I die, I will kill a few more of them. This will be considered as doing my part for the country."

Li Guotao patted Chen Jianghe on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Good job! The Japanese are already a rabbit with a tail that can't grow long. As long as we continue to persevere, victory is just around the corner."

Chen Jianghe smiled and said, "I hope I can still see that day."

Li Guotao smiled and said, "Don't worry, we will all see that day."

Chen Jianghe smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying, "That's hard to say. It's a tough battle right now. I don't know how many good brothers will fall. Who can guarantee that they can walk off the battlefield alive?"

Li Guotao said: "On the battlefield, it's a life-and-death struggle. If you want to survive and keep your brothers alive, the only way is to kill the Japanese. Killing one more Japanese can save the lives of one or even more brothers."

"Try your best! We can't die until all the devils are killed."

Soon the troops arrived at the rear position of Zhangjiashan. Li Guotao arranged for the troops to hide and wait on the spot, and then he and Yang Jihe rushed to the headquarters of the 10th Reserve Division.

A large group of officers gathered in the simple meeting room.

Division Commander Ge said with a serious face: "The Japanese have continuously launched attacks on the Zhangjiashan position. Hill 227.7 and Hill 221 have been lost."

"According to the instructions of the military headquarters, the 568th Regiment will take over the Zhangjiashan position tonight."

"But I cannot hand over an incomplete position to you, so tonight, we will organize our forces to launch a counterattack on these two heights and try to recapture them."

"Then your 568th Regiment will take over the defense."

Yang Ji and Li Guotao next to him looked at each other, and then said: "Captain Ge, our 568th Regiment can also participate in this counterattack. After we recapture the position, our 568th Regiment will defend it, which will save us trouble."

Commander Ge frowned slightly and said, "Are you worried that we won't be able to retake the position?"

Yang Jihe quickly explained: "Master Ge has misunderstood. I have absolutely no such intention."

"Our 190th Division and the 10th Reserve Division are both brother units under the 10th Army. We are all brothers and should work together to fight the enemy. We hope to participate in this battle only to recover the lost territory faster."

In fact, if the 568th Regiment could participate in this attack, Division Commander Ge would be more than happy to do so.

Because the 10th Reserve Division suffered heavy losses and the various units had been fighting fiercely for several days and had no time to rest, it was already an exhausted division.

Now he had mobilized all the troops that could be mobilized, including the search battalion and engineering battalion directly under the division, and had barely gathered enough troops for the counterattack.

Moreover, the Japanese had taken these two heights with great difficulty, so how could they give up easily? This was destined to be a fierce battle. Even Commander Ge was not sure whether they could take these two small heights.

But there is no other way. If you want to hold Zhangjiashan for a long time, you must take these two high grounds.

Master Ge hesitated for a moment and said, "If that's the case, then I won't be polite with you."

Yang Jihe said quickly: "Commander Ge, just give the order, we promise to obey it unconditionally."

"it is good!"

Division Commander Ge was no longer polite and said, "Your 568th Regiment will serve as the second echelon and assist us in launching a counterattack and strive to recapture these two high grounds in one fell swoop."

"As for the specific time of the counterattack, it has not yet been determined. You must always be prepared for battle."

Yang Jihe assured with a solemn oath: "Please rest assured, Commander Ge, our troops have entered the designated position and are ready for battle at any time. We will launch a counterattack together with our brother troops as soon as you give the order."

"it is good!"

Commander Ge then pointed to the sand table and briefly introduced the terrain of Zhangjiashan.

"The main position is still in our hands. Although the Japanese attack is intermittent, they have never given up attacking the main position."

"Tonight, we will choose a suitable opportunity to launch a counterattack and cooperate with the defenders on the main position of Zhangjiashan to capture Hill 227.7 and Hill 221."

"After the battle begins, the mortars and heavy machine guns of your 568th Regiment must be deployed to the main position of Zhangjiashan as soon as possible, from a high position to provide fire cover for the counterattack troops."

"Yes!"

Yang Jihe responded quickly.

Afterwards, Commander Ge and others explained some details.

After the meeting, Li Guotao left the division headquarters with Yang Jihe.

On the way, Li Guotao said thoughtfully: "It seems that after such a long and fierce battle, the position on Zhangjiashan has been severely damaged."

"The previous defense system is no longer very effective."

"This will make the battle even more difficult."

Yang Jihe nodded slightly and said, "There is nothing we can do about it. The cliffs we dug before have all been blown down by the Japanese. This makes it much easier for the Japanese to attack."

"But as long as we hold our position, we still have the terrain advantage."

"And the main bunker on the main peak of Zhangjiashan is still there. This bunker is built against the mountain and is extremely strong. With this bunker, it will not be easy for the Japanese to capture the main peak of Zhangjiashan."

"As long as the main peak is not lost, there is still room for maneuver. If the main peak position is lost, then the entire Zhangjiashan will be lost, and then it may affect the safety of the entire defense line."

Li Guotao smiled and said, "I can't guarantee anything else, but Zhangjiashan will definitely not be lost in our hands."

"Tonight, we must strive to capture the Zhangjiashan position as quickly as possible, and then take the opportunity to repair some positions, so that we can deal with the Japanese's fierce attack in the future."

Yang Jihe nodded and said, "Yes! But we are the second echelon."

Li Guotao said nonchalantly: "It doesn't matter. If their attack goes smoothly, they won't need us."

"If the attack doesn't go smoothly, we can go up and help. We should be able to take these two small hills smoothly."

"After all, it's such a small place, the Japanese can't put too many troops there to be bombed."

Hill 227.7 and Hill 221 are just two small hills. The troops that can be deployed on them are very limited. These two hills are not even as big as the two hills in Shangganling. How many troops can be deployed on them?
The 10th Army also has artillery. If the Japanese leave too many troops there, they will all be killed in one round of artillery fire. There is no need for that at all.

Of course, the most important thing is to stop the subsequent reinforcements of the Japanese. As long as we can stop the subsequent reinforcements of the Japanese, and then take down these two small hills at lightning speed, the subsequent battles will be easier to fight.

Soon the two returned to the position and informed the brothers to prepare for battle.

Li Guotao and several soldiers were hiding in a trench smoking when they suddenly smelled an unpleasant burnt odor coming from the south.

Li Guotao stood up. In front of him was the main peak of Zhangjia Mountain. With this mountain blocking his view, the situation to the south could not be seen at all. However, he could still vaguely see flashes of fire on Zhangjia Mountain.

"What does it smell like?"

"What do you think?"

"The stench of burning corpses!"

"It's the Japs who are burning the bodies!"

At this time, Song Weiguo ran over and said, "The 10th Division just received news that the Japanese are burning corpses."

Li Guotao asked: "Where is it? Why do I feel like it's near Zhangjiashan?"

Logically speaking, when the Japanese burned the bodies, they would first take the bodies to a safe place, then burn them and transport the ashes back to the country.

Zhangjiashan was a frontline position. The Japanese only occupied the two small hills in front, and the main peak position was still in the hands of the 10th Army. Under normal circumstances, it was impossible for the Japanese to burn the corpses here.

Song Weiguo nodded and said, "It's in Zhangjiashan."

Yang Jihe couldn't help but curse: "Damn it, do these bastards think Zhangjiashan is their rear base?"

Song Weiguo said: "According to the brothers of the 10th Reserve Division, the Japanese have lost a large number of troops in order to attack Zhangjiashan these days."

"Especially in the trenches in front of Hill 227.7 and Hill 221, there were piles of Japanese corpses, at least , or even more."

"The fighting at Zhangjiashan was fierce, and the Japanese never had a chance to bring back the bodies."

"It's hot now, and many bodies have already decayed badly. Zhangjiashan is filled with a foul odor all day long, flies are everywhere, and maggots are rolling around in the rotten flesh. It's disgusting just thinking about it."

"It's probably because there are too many corpses. The Japanese can't transport them all away in a short period of time. Some of them are already rotten and full of maggots. We find it disgusting, but don't the Japanese find it disgusting too?"

"Since we can't collect the body, we can only burn it on the spot and then pack up the ashes and transport them back."

After a battle, if the Japanese suffered too many casualties, it was impossible to burn the bodies one by one. They were put into urns and burned together. Names were then labeled on each urn, so each urn had the name of a Japanese soldier on it, but it was not certain whose ashes were contained in it.

Just as Song Weiguo said, the Japanese were really at their wits' end this time. There were so many corpses, and most of them were rotten and stinking. It was impossible to carry them all away and cremate them.

But we can't just ignore all these corpses! Just let them continue to stink and rot here?

So they could only pour gasoline and diesel on the spot and burn it directly.

With corpses being burned on such a large scale, the stench naturally drifted over.

Li Guotao was not in the mood to think about whether it was disgusting or not. After hearing what Song Weiguo said, his eyes lit up.

Li Guotao asked quickly, "You mean, the Japanese burned all the bodies in the trenches in front of Hill 227 and Hill 221?"

"Correct!"

Song Weiguo nodded and said, "The defense line we built was a cliff in front, and there was a deep trench below. Most of the bodies of the Japanese soldiers were piled up in it, and they were burned directly there."

Li Guotao said excitedly: "Good opportunity! Pass the order immediately and prepare for battle."

"What good opportunity?"

Yang Jihe didn't react for a moment.

Li Guotao explained: "Think about it! The Japanese set all the bodies in the trenches on fire. The fire can block the Japanese reinforcements behind. Isn't this the best time to counterattack Hill 227.7 and Hill 221?"

"I think Commander Ge and his men will definitely think of this, so the counterattack will begin soon."

As soon as he finished speaking, a communications soldier ran over quickly.

"Reporting to Commander Yang, the division commander orders all of your 568th Regiment's mortars and heavy machine guns to move to the main peak of Zhangjiashan. The infantry should prepare for battle and prepare to launch a counterattack as the second echelon."

"Yes!"

Yang Jihe quickly responded: "Please tell Commander Ge that we will complete the mission."

"I really kept you guessing."

Li Guotao didn't waste any words and gave the order immediately.

"Zheng Mingyuan!"

"To!"

"Immediately take the mortars and heavy machine guns to the main peak of Zhangjiashan."

"The rest of the companies are ready to go up the mountain at any time. The first company will lead the charge, and the second company will be responsible for the rear guard. Together with the brother units, we will capture Hill 227.7 and Hill 221 in one fell swoop."

"Yes!"

The officers present responded in unison.

At this moment, a sharp whistling sound suddenly sounded in the air.

One shell after another streaked across the night sky and landed on Hill 227.7 and Hill 221.

For this counterattack, the 10th Army also mobilized mountain artillery units and began bombarding the two heights in front of Zhangjiashan.

The search battalion and engineering battalion of the 10th Reserve Division, as well as a group of officers and soldiers drawn from various units, all began to move towards the main peak of Zhangjiashan under the command of the commander of the 30th Regiment.

At the same time, the defenders on the mountain were ready for a counterattack.

Under the bombardment of the 10th Army's Mountain Artillery Battalion, the two heights were soon engulfed in artillery fire.

The counterattack troops took the opportunity to go up Zhangjiashan and prepared for battle.

Li Guotao and his men also received orders and moved to the foot of the mountain, ready to launch an attack as the second echelon at any time.

The artillery fire gradually stopped, and the counterattack troops launched an attack as ordered.

For a while, the shouts of killing were deafening. The mortars on the Zhangjiashan Heights continued to bombard the two heights. The heavy machine guns also began to fire, suppressing the Japanese on the mountain from a high position.

After the Japanese occupied these two heights, they also built some defensive fortifications on the mountain to prevent the 10th Army from launching a counterattack.

However, many of these makeshift defensive fortifications had been destroyed by artillery fire, and the Japanese on the mountain also suffered heavy losses.

Hundreds of officers and soldiers who launched the counterattack were in high spirits and rushed forward directly to the two heights.

The remaining Japanese soldiers on the mountain, seeing the enemy rushing up, also rushed out with bayonets in hand and engaged in a fierce battle with the soldiers of the 10th Army.

Li Guotao listened to the noise coming from afar and said with a smile: "It seems that it is not our turn to take action this time."

Yang Jihe said: "You mean the counterattack went smoothly."

Li Guotao nodded and said, "From the noise, they should have already rushed up. The Japanese have limited manpower on the mountain."

"Due to the obstruction of the fire, the Japanese reinforcements can't come up at all. In this way, these Japanese on the mountain should be killed quickly."

"But it will be our turn soon, let's prepare to take over the position."

"The real battle hasn't started yet."

Yang Jihe nodded. He also understood that the Japanese would not give up and would definitely continue to attack the Zhangjiashan position. Their 568th Regiment would need to defend here for a few days. This would be a real fierce battle.

(End of this chapter)