Zhu Tian: Beginning to Cross the Changjin Lake

Yang Jihe was always worried about the situation on the mountain and called the main position of Zhangjiashan again.

Li Guotao took the call and said with a smile: "Captain, do you have any instructions?"

Yang Jihe was relieved when he heard Li Guotao's loud voice and asked, "What's the situation over there?"

Li Guotao smiled and said, "Everything is fine, don't worry!"

"I plan to let the first company guard for another day, and then let the second company take over."

Yang Jihe nodded slightly and said, "You guys fought on and off all night last night, and I was worried about you."

Li Guotao said with a smile: "These damn Japanese devils wanted to attack us at night, but fortunately we were prepared, and the Japanese devils tossed around all night but didn't get any advantage."

"But this night was also full of dangers. The two bunkers we set up earlier were almost blown up by them."

Yang Jihe frowned and said, "The Japanese are not fools, so don't underestimate them."

"Based on this trend, I'm afraid those two bunkers won't be able to hold out for much longer."

Li Guotao frowned when he heard this. He didn't have any better solution. He could only try his best to protect their safety. But who knew if the Japanese would come up with any more tricks.

Yang Jihe continued, "Do you think the Japs will attack again after daybreak?"

Li Guotao sighed helplessly and said, "The Japanese are determined to take Hengyang and will never give up easily."

"They have always taken Zhangjiashan as their main attack direction. Unless something unexpected happens, they will not change their attack direction for the time being."

Yang Jihe reminded: "If that's the case, then you have to be more careful."

"Be sure to pay attention to safety and don't try to be brave. If you really can't hold on, notify me immediately. I will bring the 2nd Company to support you at any time."

Li Guotao smiled and said, "Don't worry. Judging from the current situation, if we hold on for a while, there will be no problem at all."

"The Japs only have two tricks!"

Yang Jihe nodded slightly and said, "How is the construction of the tunnel going?"

Li Guotao said: "The tunnels on the main peak are being excavated at an accelerated pace."

"But it's not easy for us to dig a tunnel that we can hold for a long time. This is not a small project. We can't rush it. We can only take our time."

Yang Jihe nodded and said, "That's right. The higher-ups still mean the same thing. Zhangjiashan is of vital importance. We should try to hold on for a while longer if we can."

"You must be more careful and try to reduce casualties. As for weapons and ammunition, if you need anything, I will try my best to apply to the military."

"Especially you, please stay safe and conserve your energy."

According to the previous agreement, even if the 2nd Company replaced the st Company in defense, Li Guotao would continue to stay at the Zhangjiashan position to command.

So the other brothers can take turns to rest, but Li Guotao has to stay on the front line all the time.

Although it is a bit harder and more dangerous, Li Guotao would not feel at ease if he handed it over to someone else.

Yang Jihe also knew Li Guotao's abilities, and he believed that no one could do better than Li Guotao.

Although they were also worried about Li Guotao's safety, they had no choice but to agree to this plan under Li Guotao's insistence.

Li Guotao has an excellent physique, so he has no problem holding on for the next few days.

But after all, they were on the battlefield, guns were blind, and no one could guarantee absolute safety. Li Guotao could only try to be as careful as possible.

After getting used to the battlefield, Li Guotao is now adept at it. Generally speaking, there won't be too many problems. What's more, Li Guotao also has some props that can save his life at critical moments, so there is no need to worry too much.

The two chatted for a few more words before hanging up the phone.

Sure enough, not long after, the Japanese artillery showed its power again.

Amid the rumbling of artillery fire, shells whizzed down towards the main peak position of Zhangjiashan, and violent explosions sounded one after another.

Yan Yongwang looked at the battlefield in the distance, gritting his teeth and saying, "I just don't believe that the imperial locust army can't take this small hill."

"I want to see how long these hateful enemies can hold out."

The battle had gotten to this point, and Yan Yongwang had already gotten really angry. Moreover, his superiors had been urging him on, so the old Japanese had no choice but to give it a try.

Yan Yongwang said angrily: "Send a message to the frontline troops. After the artillery preparation is completed, immediately launch a new round of attack. No matter what, we must take down Zhangjiashan for me."

"Hayi~!"

A Japanese officer nearby responded respectfully and then passed the order on.

Under the command of Yan Yongwang, hundreds of Japanese soldiers quietly climbed up Hill 227.7 and Hill 221 and prepared for the attack.

After the artillery preparation was completed, following the order from the front-line commander, the Japanese launched another frenzied attack.

A large number of Japanese soldiers rushed down the heights with great momentum and headed straight for the main peak position of Zhangjiashan.

At the same time, the Japanese also sent out demolition experts, ready to take the opportunity to blow up the two bunkers.

Fierce fighting broke out again. Li Guotao commanded his brothers and relied on their positions to tenaciously block the Japanese attack.

Li Guotao shuttled between battlefields, using a Type 38 rifle to continuously shoot and kill extremely threatening targets on the battlefield.

At the same time, Li Guotao was also paying attention to the overall situation on the battlefield and commanding his brothers to resist the Japanese attack.

Under the crossfire of the defenders, the Japanese soldiers who rushed up were killed or wounded.

However, the Japanese's reckless charge still put great pressure on the defenders.

A large number of Japanese soldiers gradually broke through the fire blockade and began to climb towards the main peak of Zhangjiashan.

Li Guotao shot and killed a Japanese machine gunner on the opposite side, and ordered loudly: "Hand grenades, fire hard."

Following Li Guotao's order, the soldiers on the position took out grenades, pulled the fuse and threw them out.

Hand grenades hissed, emitting black smoke and flew towards the Japanese.

"Boom~! Boom~!"

Violent explosions sounded one after another, and pieces of fire shot into the sky.

The Japanese soldiers who were climbing up the hillside were blown to the ground in large numbers.

In this kind of defensive operation, hand grenades undoubtedly became the best defensive weapon, killing a large number of Japanese soldiers.

The hillside was soon covered with a layer of Japanese corpses, but the Japanese did not give up and continued to rush and attack like crazy.

After receiving the report from the front line, Yan Yongwang angrily cursed: "Baga Yalu, a bunch of rubbish, all good-for-nothings."

A Japanese officer explained: "Your Excellency the Division Commander, please calm down. It is because the enemy's firepower is too strong. The locust army really cannot rush forward."

Yan Yongwang said angrily: "I don't want to hear these excuses. Keep attacking. Follow-up troops should go forward in batches and launch attacks in waves. Even if we have to wear them down bit by bit, we must wear them down to death."

"Hayi~!"

The Japanese officer responded helplessly and could only follow the order obediently.

In fact, the Japanese officers were somewhat resistant to this kind of attack that was clearly a suicidal act.

But they had no better option but to follow orders.

The 133rd Regiment had been wiped out again before, and one regiment commander and three battalion commanders all died on the battlefield.

The troops have been replenished several times but have suffered heavy losses and no longer have much combat effectiveness.

In desperation, Yan Yongwang once again replaced the 120th Regiment and continued to launch a desperate attack.

However, the performance of the 120th Regiment was not much better than that of the 133rd Regiment in the face of the tenacious resistance of Li Guotao's st Battalion.

The Japanese soldiers rushed forward in batches and fell down in waves.

At this moment, Zhangjiashan was like a black hole, constantly devouring the lives of the Japanese devils.

No one could have predicted how many Japanese lives would be taken by this inconspicuous hill.

The Japanese's frenzied attack on the main peak of Zhangjiashan lasted for two full days. The 120th Regiment suffered heavy losses and ultimately failed to capture the main peak of Zhangjiashan.

Iwanaga Wang was disheartened and reported the situation truthfully to Yokoyama Isamu.

"Commander, I have tried my best, but I cannot take Zhangjiashan." "The troops have suffered heavy casualties and their morale is low. If we continue to fight, I am afraid it will only result in greater casualties."

"We are already running low on troops on the front lines, so we need to continue to replenish them."

When Yokoyama Isamu heard this, he felt helpless because he had mobilized all the reserve troops to Hengyang and supplemented them with the 68th Division and the 116th Division.

But the result was that they lost a large number of troops and still failed to capture Hengyang.

Now he cannot withdraw more troops in a short period of time.

Yokoyama Isamu said helplessly: "I have already submitted an application to Commander Hata Shunroku, hoping that they can dispatch more support troops, but it will take some time."

"But I will draw a group of elite troops from the 13th Division and the 11th Army's direct forces to support the Hengyang battlefield."

"You can temporarily stop the attack. The troops also need to rest and reorganize."

"Wait until the reinforcements arrive before launching a new round of general offensive."

The 13th Division had previously been responsible for monitoring the main force of the Ninth War Zone to prevent them from reinforcing Hengyang.

However, the Battle of Hengyang lasted for so long, and the support from the 9th War Zone was not very strong.

So after careful consideration, Yokoyama Isamu decided to withdraw part of the troops from the 13th Division and deploy them to the Hengyang battlefield.

Among his 11 directly affiliated units, there is still one regiment that has not been put into combat, and it is prepared to be used at a critical moment.

Hengyang had been unable to be captured for a long time and was in a stalemate. Yokoyama Isamu had no choice but to send all the regiments to Hengyang for support and assign them to the 116th Division.

Yan Yongwang was very excited when he heard this, and said quickly: "In this way, we can definitely take Hengyang City."

"After fighting for so long, although the locust army suffered heavy casualties, the enemy also suffered heavy casualties. I believe that they will not be able to hold out for much longer."

"Once the reinforcements arrive, we should be able to easily defeat them completely."

Yokoyama Yong said helplessly: "Yoshi, then I will wait for the good news of your victory."

In fact, the previous disastrous defeat had already made Yokoyama Isamu extremely dissatisfied, but there was no other way. Now he could only continue to hope that Iwanaga Wang could take Hengyang.

Could it be possible to change the generals at the last minute? Even if he were to replace him, he might not be able to do better than Yan Yongwang.

Moreover, Yokoyama Isamu also believed that the defenders of Hengyang had only a pitiful number of troops and their supplies were dwindling. If they continued fighting, they would not be able to hold out for long.

It is only a matter of time to capture Hengyang, at least that is what Yokoyama Isamu thinks.

Yan Yongwang said quickly: "Please rest assured, Commander, there will definitely not be any accidents this time."

After hanging up the phone, Yan Yongwang turned to his adjutant and instructed: "Inform all troops on the front line to temporarily stop the attack, rest on the spot, hold the current position, and wait for reinforcements to arrive."

"Hai!"

The adjutant responded respectfully and hurried to convey the order.

……

On the main peak of Zhangjiashan, Li Guotao held up a telescope and observed the situation on the opposite side.

I saw that the Japanese on the opposite side were just taking the time to build fortifications and seemed to have no intention of continuing the attack.

Li Guotao put down the telescope and said, "The Japs haven't launched an attack for a long time!"

Song Weiguo next to him said, "I guess these beasts can't stand it anymore."

"After fighting for so long and suffering so many casualties, they still haven't taken Zhangjiashan. They can't keep going crazy like this."

Li Guotao nodded slightly and said, "That makes sense."

"But we can't be careless. We must monitor the Japs' every move at all times to prevent them from launching sneak attacks."

Song Weiguo quickly assured: "Don't worry, Captain. Even when we are sleeping, the brothers will turn a blind eye. It won't be easy for the Japanese to launch a sneak attack."

Li Guotao nodded with satisfaction, then went back to the command post and answered the call from the regiment headquarters.

After the call was connected, Yang Jihe's voice came from the other end.

"Guo Tao, what's the situation now?"

Li Guotao smiled and said, "You should have heard it too. There has been no movement on the mountain. The Japanese haven't launched a new round of attacks."

"I guess these bastards are scared and have temporarily stopped attacking."

Yang Jihe was obviously relieved and said, "These bastards have finally stopped for a while. If they continue to fight like this, we won't be able to hold on."

"We need time now. We really hope they can stop for a few more days so we can take the opportunity to rest and adjust our deployment."

Li Guotao nodded and said, "The commander is right. We need time now. The longer they stop attacking, the better it will be for us."

"We can take this opportunity to catch our breath and be able to hold out longer in the future."

Yang Jihe frowned and said, "But we can't be careless. These devils are not fools. I doubt they are up to no good."

Li Guotao said helplessly: "We can't predict what tricks the Japanese are going to play."

"But the Japs only have so much ability. As long as we hold our ground, there won't be any major problems."

Yang Jihe nodded and said, "That's right. You continue to hold your ground. If there is any situation, remember to inform me in time."

"We have been holding the Zhangjiashan position for several days. Even if the Japanese don't launch an attack in the next two days, the superiors will probably withdraw us. After all, we also need to rest and recuperate. It is also a set plan for each unit to take turns to fight."

"So we must do our last duty well and there must not be any mistakes."

Li Guotao smiled and said, "Don't worry, Commander. With me in Zhangjiashan, there won't be any problems."

Yang Jihe smiled and said, "I'm still confident in you, but you still have to be careful."

Li Guotao said: "I'm calling you for another more important matter."

"What's the matter?" Yang Jihe asked curiously.

Li Guotao said: "If the Japanese really stop attacking temporarily, I am thinking whether we can take this opportunity to recapture Hill 227.7 and Hill 221."

"If we can recapture these two high grounds, the Zhangjiashan position will be complete, which will be more advantageous for the next battle."

When Yang Jihe heard this, he couldn't help but frown. Although the Japanese had suffered heavy casualties in the fighting during this period, that was because they were on the defensive, had the advantage of terrain, and had a proper strategy. It did not mean that the Japanese were really invincible.

In fact, the combat effectiveness of this group of Japanese devils is still very strong. It is still quite difficult to launch a counterattack at this time and recapture these two heights.

Li Guotao heard Yang Jihe's silence, then continued: "I also know that it is difficult to recapture these two high grounds, but we have to try."

Yang Jihe said helplessly: "From a long-term perspective, we should find a way to capture these two heights, but with the strength of our 568th Regiment, I'm afraid it will be difficult to do so."

"Well, I will report this situation to the higher-ups. I hope the military can provide us with some reinforcements, and then we will make the final decision."

Li Guotao nodded and said, "Okay! Then I'll wait for your good news."

"I will try my best to find out the situation of the Japanese on the opposite mountain, make some preparations in advance, and strive to be foolproof."

"it is good!"

After hanging up the phone, Li Guotao sat on an ammunition box and lit a cigarette.

Song Weiguo came up and asked, "Are we really going to counterattack the two hills ahead?"

Li Guotao asked with a smile: "Why? Are you scared?"

"Who is afraid!"

Song Weiguo said righteously, "Aren't they just two small hills?"

"I've observed that the Japanese don't usually have too many troops on the mountain, so we still have some confidence in counterattacking."

Li Guotao said: "But the devils are not so easy to deal with. But in order to better defend Zhangjiashan and try to hold on for a longer period of time, it is still necessary to capture these two small hills."

"Let's see~! If we have a chance, we will take these two hills back."

"We lost this position. We should find a way to get it back." (End of this chapter)