Zhu Tian: Beginning to Cross the Changjin Lake

After repelling two rounds of attacks from the Japanese, they soon launched a third round of attacks. A large number of Japanese swarmed in, and each one of them rushed towards the Zhangjiashan position like a mad dog, screaming and yelling.

Li Guotao continued to move around the positions, helping Zhao Hu and others to continue to resist the Japanese attacks.

When the fierce battle was in full swing, Zhao Hu ran to Li Guotao and said, "Battalion Commander, the Japs are like crazy, they keep attacking."

"The situation is not good. It's too dangerous here. You should retreat to the main position to command."

While listening to Zhao Hu's words, Li Guotao took the time to fire another shot. A Japanese soldier in the distance fell to the ground and died on the spot.

Li Guotao said casually: "You don't have to worry about me. When it's time to retreat, I will retreat naturally."

"Hold on. No matter what, you have to hold on for a little longer."

"We need to repel their attack first."

"There are more and more Japs. Keep throwing grenades to kill them."

"Yes!"

Seeing that Li Guotao had no intention of leaving, Zhao Hu could only respond helplessly. The situation was urgent and the Japanese offensive was getting more and more fierce.

Zhao Hu was not a fussy person, so he didn't say anything more and continued to engage in the fierce battle.

In fact, with Li Guotao here, constantly shooting and killing the extremely threatening Japanese machine gunners and grenade throwers in the distance, it relieved a lot of pressure on them.

Li Guotao came here in person this time, mainly with the intention of killing more Japanese devils and getting more prizes.

This kind of positional defensive battle is actually quite boring and also quite dangerous.

Li Guotao also had his head tied to his belt at this moment. There was no other way. If he wanted to defeat the Japanese completely, he had to try to accumulate more wealth now, so that when the counterattack came, he would have stronger strength.

The Japs' offensive was continuous, and these damn Japs were really rushing forward without caring about their lives.

Under the tenacious resistance of the defenders, another layer of corpses appeared at the foot of the mountain.

Most of the skeletons piled up in the trenches had been crushed by the Japanese or blown up by grenades.

Now the trench was once again covered with a layer of Japanese corpses, and a large number of shattered limbs and arms were flying everywhere.

However, the attacking Japanese soldiers seemed to be blind to this and continued to charge forward desperately.

……

Commander Fang came to the Zhangjiashan front again. The fighting in Zhangjiashan had been very fierce in the past few days. Commander Fang would come to the Zhangjiashan position every day to learn about the specific situation.

This time, Commander Fang came directly to the headquarters of the 568th Regiment. When Yang Jihe saw Commander Fang, he was also very surprised and asked, "Commander, why are you here?"

Commander Fang smiled bitterly and said, "Why, it seems that Commander Yang doesn't welcome us at all."

Yang Jihe said quickly: "Don't misunderstand me, Commander. I mean, this is too close to the front line. It's really unsafe."

Commander Fang waved his hand and said, "Okay, stop talking nonsense. If this place wasn't close to the front line, I wouldn't have come here!"

"Tell me the details."

Yang Jihe replied: "After daybreak, the Japanese launched a series of fierce attacks on our frontier positions at Zhangjiashan, wave after wave."

"We think the Japanese are desperate this time. They want to take Zhangjiashan at all costs. They want to gradually consume us through continuous fighting and take Zhangjiashan."

Commander Fang's face instantly darkened. In fact, he had noticed this before. The situation was similar not only in Zhangjiashan but also in other battlefields. It was just that the attacks in other directions were not so fierce.

This is also what Commander Fang is most worried about, because the 10th Army is trapped in an isolated city, and the defending force is originally insufficient, and now it is one less person after another, while the Japanese can continue to receive reinforcements, and there is even the possibility that their forces will increase.

They can't afford to continue wasting time like this, but there is no better way at the moment.

Commander Fang sighed and said, "How are the brothers on the battlefield?"

Yang Jihe replied: "The brothers fought bravely and used their positions to repel the enemy's attacks several times. The enemy suffered heavy losses."

"According to the original battle plan, we will do our best to hold on to these two small high grounds in front of Zhangjiashan and try to delay the time a little longer."

"Hmm~!"

Commander Fang nodded without comment, and then said, "What about the main peak position?"

Yang Jihe went on to say: "The main peak position is our defense focus. Judging from the current trend, I can't say how many more we can take, but we will definitely have no problem holding on for a few days."

Commander Fang said: "We must ensure the safety of the main peak position at all costs. We just need to defend the main peak."

"Report your casualties to the military at any time. If you really can't hold on, I will dispatch troops to take over the defense."

"Yes!"

Yang Jihe responded but didn't say much.

Commander Fang suddenly said, "By the way, I've seen your idea of ​​tunnel warfare. I think it's good and can be promoted in appropriate positions throughout the army."

"I have asked the chief of staff to gather all the brothers who used to be miners and prepare to dig such tunnels in several major positions just in case."

Yang Jihe quickly said: "The idea of ​​this tunnel was all thought up by Li Guotao."

Commander Fang said with admiration: "This kid is indeed a talent. Where is he now?"

Yang Jihe said: "He is commanding the battle at Zhangjiashan. I just got the news that he has gone to Hill 227.7 to command the battle. We can't contact him for the time being."

Hearing this, Commander Fang could not help but frown and said, "Isn't this just nonsense? After all, it's just youth and vigor, and you want to win."

"Find a way to inform Li Guotao that he is now a commander and his position is in the headquarters, not in the front line."

"Tell him to ensure his safety. I am counting on him to defend the Zhangjiashan position for me."

"Yes!"

Yang Jihe quickly responded: "Please rest assured, Commander, I will inform Li Guotao as soon as possible."

Commander Fang nodded slightly, and then said: "You can ask for anything you want. As long as we can hold our position and as long as I can do it, you can ask for anything."

Yang Jihe said quickly: "Thank you, Commander. The battle on the front line is fierce and the ammunition consumption is high. Apart from this, we have no other requests."

Commander Fang nodded and said, "I expected this. I have already instructed the logistics department to give you priority in replenishing your ammunition."

"Just guard your position with peace of mind. I promise you won't have any worries."

Yang Jihe said: "With the words of the commander, we feel relieved."

Then the group came to an observation post, watching the situation on Zhangjia Mountain in front of them and listening to the faint sounds of gunfire and explosions coming from the distance.

Commander Fang frowned and said, "It seems that the battle is getting more and more brutal, and the offensive of the little devils is getting more and more fierce."

At this moment, the focus of both sides was involuntarily concentrated on the battle of Zhangjiashan.

Because the gains and losses of Zhangjiashan are directly related to the victory or defeat of this battle.

In order to save the situation, Yan Yongwang personally went to the front line to command the battle, hoping to capture Zhangjiashan as soon as possible.

But this development now made Yan Yongwang very angry.

The fierce battle lasted until the afternoon. Despite repeated fierce attacks, the Japanese were still unable to capture these two inconspicuous hills. Instead, they lost hundreds of troops in vain.

Iwanaga Wang called Kurose Heiichi back and said angrily, "Kurose-kun, you promised me before, but up to now, you haven't even been able to take down the two small hills ahead."

"This is really unreasonable."

Kurose Heiichi blushed with shame, lowered his head and said, "Your Excellency, we underestimated the enemy this time. We didn't expect that the new enemy troops were so capable."

"But this is just the beginning. I believe we still have a chance to beat them."

Yan Yongwang shouted angrily: "Don't tell me this. Is what you said useful?"

"I only want Zhangjiashan? Do you understand?"

"Hayi~!"

Kurose Heiichi gritted his teeth and said, "Please rest assured, Your Excellency the Division Commander, I will personally lead the attack this time."

"If I can't take Zhangjiashan, I would rather die on the battlefield."

Yan Yongwang had no other choice at the moment, so he said helplessly: "I will order the artillery unit to provide you with fire support with all its strength. You must take down Zhangjiashan as soon as possible." "Hai~!"

Kurose Heiichi responded respectfully and turned to leave.

At this time, Iwanaga Wang said: "Kuroze-kun, you are a loyal and brave warrior of the empire. I still hope that you can continue to serve the empire and His Majesty Tianhuang, so...be careful."

"Hai! Thank you, Commander."

Kurose Heiichi responded and quickly left the command center. At this moment, the old Japanese was determined to die.

Forced into a desperate situation, Kurose Heiichi had no choice but to fight to the death.

Soon the old Japanese soldier came to the front line again, and at this time the Japanese soldiers were preparing for a new round of attack.

Kurose Heiichi was also full of anger, with nowhere to vent, so he slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Tell the warriors to prepare for battle. When the artillery fire ends, launch the attack immediately without any mistakes."

"Hayi~!"

The Japanese officers present responded in unison.

Soon, a new round of artillery preparation began.

Shells hit the Zhangjiashan position one after another like hail. The violent explosions were continuous and the entire Zhangjiashan began to tremble slightly.

In order to capture Zhangjiashan, the Japanese devils spared no expense.

The shelling lasted for a full hour before gradually stopping.

At this moment, Kurose Heiichi had already arrived at the attacking team. The old devil drew out his saber and shouted loudly: "Warriors of the Empire, a small mountain called Zhangjia Mountain has blocked the locust army for so long and buried thousands of locust warriors."

"We have made the Locust Army lose all its face. If we fail to take Zhangjiashan, we will all be sinners of the empire and will never be able to wash away the shame on us."

"For the victory of the holy war, for the glory of the Locust Army, and for His Majesty the Sky Locust, please charge with me."

"Use the bayonets in your hands to pierce the enemy's heart, and use the enemy's blood to wash away the shame on us!"

"Warriors! Attack~!"

"Onboard..."

The hundreds of Japanese soldiers present immediately let out ghostly howls, rushed out of their positions with bayonets pointed, and quickly rushed towards the battlefield.

Kurose Heiichi shouted loudly: "Charge! Charge straight to Zhangjiashan."

Afterwards, this old Japanese soldier also rushed out with the team. As the commander of the regiment, he personally led the charge, which was rare even for the young Japanese soldiers.

After all, the Japanese had a very strict promotion system. If a Japanese soldier wanted to be promoted to the rank of colonel, he had to be at least in his forties. Most of them would never be able to be promoted to the rank of colonel in their entire lives.

And Kurose Heiichi did not have a very good background, and his ability was average among the Japanese officers. If the war had not broken out, the Japanese would have massively expanded their military forces from hundreds of thousands to millions, and he would have had the opportunity to make meritorious service on the battlefield. Otherwise, this old Japanese would probably never have been able to become a colonel regiment commander in his life.

As for the Japanese colonels who were generally in their forties or fifties, their physical fitness was no longer good at this age, and leading the charge personally was tantamount to committing suicide.

Moreover, the most important thing for an officer is to take command, so even among the Japanese, it is very rare for a colonel regiment commander to personally lead the charge.

This time, Kurose Heiichi was determined to die and wanted to give it a try.

When these Japanese soldiers saw the colonel regiment commander rushing onto the battlefield with a saber in his hand, their morale was immediately boosted and they rushed forward one after another.

At this moment, there were only a few brothers left guarding Hill 227.7 and Hill 221.

Moreover, the large number of grenades that had been stored had almost been used up.

Zhao Hu, with bandages wrapped around his body, came to Li Guotao and said, "Battalion Commander, the Japanese are coming again, and there seem to be more of them this time. These bastards are going to fight to the death."

"The position can no longer be defended. Please withdraw immediately."

Li Guotao glanced at Zhao Hu and asked, "Is your injury okay?"

Zhao Hu said: "They are just superficial injuries, nothing serious."

Li Guotao saw that the bandage wrapped around Huahe's head was still bleeding, but this iron man was completely unaware of it.

Li Guotao reached out and patted his shoulder, smiling and said, "Good job."

"We have taken all the advantages we can from fighting so far. If we continue to fight, there is no other possibility except that we will all die here."

"However, in the current situation, we still need to stay alive, and we need to continue killing the devils."

"Since we can't defend it anymore, then we won't defend it."

"Anyway, we are ready. Send a signal flare to inform the brothers on Hill 221. Let's retreat together."

"Retreat to the main peak position and continue to kill the devils."

Zhao Hu was reluctant to retreat after hearing this, and said, "Captain, please go. We will stay behind to cover your retreat and try to kill as many of his little devils as possible."

Li Guotao said sternly, "We cannot fight recklessly. Follow the order immediately."

"Let the brothers give all the remaining grenades to the Japanese, then retreat immediately and retreat to the main peak position."

"Yes~!"

Zhao Hu responded helplessly and then passed the order on.

A bright flare soared into the sky, which was the retreat signal set in advance.

Following Li Guotao's order, the brothers threw all the remaining grenades while the Japanese were rushing forward.

There were loud explosions one after another, and a large number of Japanese soldiers who rushed up were blown to pieces.

However, under the command of Kurose Heiichi, the Japanese soldiers behind continued to rush up the mountain desperately.

This old Japanese guy also knows that he is old and no longer capable. After all, he is already fifty years old.

After all, he was the commander, so he didn't rush to the front. He just mixed in the crowd, in a relatively safe place, and continued to shout, urging the Japanese soldiers to keep rushing forward.

Under the leadership of Li Guotao, the defenders on the mountain quickly evacuated the high ground and retreated towards the main peak position as quickly as possible.

Without the defenders' resistance, a large number of Japanese soldiers rushed up the mountain like a group of mad dogs.

Hill 227.7 and Hill 221 were successively occupied by the Japanese.

The Japanese rushed to the top of the mountain, ready to continue pursuing the retreating Li Guotao and others.

However, as soon as the Japanese appeared on the mountain, the defenders on the main peak position opened fire.

The mortars and grenade launchers opened fire at full power, bombarding Hill 227.7 and Hill 221.

The machine guns also began to fire at full speed, and the Japanese soldiers who had just emerged from the top of the mountain suffered heavy casualties.

This was also arranged in advance. The main peak position covered the retreat of the troops in front. Li Guotao and his men took the opportunity to successfully retreat to the main peak position.

However, the Japanese soldiers who rushed over the top of the mountain suffered casualties. When Kurose Heiichi saw this scene, he was extremely excited. This meant that they had occupied the two high grounds and the defenders on the mountain had withdrawn.

Kurose Heiichi brandished his saber and shouted, "Don't stop, keep charging, get over the top of the mountain and continue to attack the main peak position."

"Order the mortars to concentrate all their firepower to bombard the enemy on the main peak position, suppress the enemy's firepower, and cover the troops to continue the attack."

"Hayi~!"

Kurose Heiichi's order was quickly conveyed.

Heiichi Kurose knew that the mountain was safe, and as long as he did not reach the top of the mountain, he would be absolutely safe, so he jumped into the trench and followed a large number of Japanese soldiers to continue rushing up the mountain.

Li Guotao quickly rushed to the command center, and Chen Jianghe breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Li Guotao retreat safely.

"Battalion Commander, you're finally back. The regiment commander just called and told you to withdraw."

"The regiment commander said that the military commander has inquired about the matter and asked you to pay attention to safety."

Li Guotao ignored Chen Jianghe's nagging and couldn't help cursing, "Damn it, these damn devils, they will definitely take advantage of the situation and attack the main peak position. The real test has just begun."

"Inform the brothers to follow the established plan and beat them to death. I want to see if they are really not afraid of death."

Chen Jianghe quickly responded, "Yes! Battalion Commander, don't worry! If I don't beat the shit out of these little devils this time, I won't be named Chen." (End of this chapter)