Devil's Army

After the first regiment of Xinjing's air force occupied the east bank of the Ash River, it did not return immediately, but continued to patrol in the air, looking for targets to bomb.

The regiment of soldiers that crossed the river did not advance rashly, but immediately consolidated their beachhead positions and waited for follow-up troops to cross the river.

In the afternoon, the pontoon bridge was completed and the tanks and follow-up troops of the regiment crossed the river one after another.

After a while, a regiment of artillery also crossed the river.

The first battalion, responsible for the vanguard, left the beachhead and continued to attack the east gate of Harbin.

The first battalion encountered resistance from small groups of Japanese and puppet troops along the way, but quickly defeated them.

The first battalion soon arrived at the Chenggaozi to Feiketu railway line.

Chenggaozi is an important railway hub in the eastern suburbs. The railway extending to the southeast passes through hills and farmland, with many cuttings, culverts and abandoned stations along the way.

The Japanese troops ambushed in the abandoned stations on the high ground on both sides of the road cutting to block the advance of the first battalion.

The soldiers of the first battalion, with the support of the aviation force, quickly occupied the high ground on both sides of the road cutting. However, the Japanese soldiers in the abandoned station hid in the houses and behind the walls, stubbornly blocking the advance of the first battalion.

Two tanks from the First Army then drove over and fiercely bombarded the area behind the wall where the shooting was taking place and the station houses.

Many Japanese and puppet troops were buried by the bricks and stones of collapsed houses.

The soldiers of the first battalion then rushed to the abandoned station and continued shooting at the Japanese and puppet soldiers and wounded soldiers who had no time to retreat behind the bricks and stones.

After successfully clearing out the Japanese and puppet troops in the Chenggaozi railway hub area, the first battalion continued to advance towards Harbin.

The troops soon arrived around Tianheng Mountain.

Tianheng Mountain is the only natural mountain in the suburbs of Harbin. It has a rugged terrain, dense forests, and many gullies and abandoned quarries.

Furthermore, this area controlled the highway from the eastern suburbs to the city, and the Japanese army deployed artillery in the mountains and forests. They also deployed heavy troops along gullies, abandoned quarries, and mountains and forests, laying out multiple lines of defense.

A Japanese major once declared that he wanted to turn Tianheng Mountain into a cemetery for the soldiers of the devil's army.

Moreover, Tianheng Mountain is covered with dense trees, which blocked the view of the air force and effectively protected the Japanese artillery and their positions.

This made it very difficult for the regiment to break through the defense line.

After receiving a telegram requesting help from a regimental commander, the Xinjing Air Force launched a fierce bombing on the Japanese positions and artillery positions in Tianheng Mountain, but with little success.

The regimental commander looked at the time and decided to attack the Japanese Tianhengshan position at night.

At 9: in the evening, two companies of the Second Battalion, led by Deputy Battalion Commander Wang, quietly approached the Japanese Tianhengshan position.

In front of the position, Japanese patrols were patrolling back and forth in a crisscross pattern.

After Deputy Battalion Commander Wang and his two companies of soldiers evaded the Japanese patrols and infiltrated Tianheng Mountain, one of the soldiers accidentally rang a bell set by the Japanese in the bushes.

The clear sound of bells immediately spread throughout the quiet woods.

The Japanese army immediately launched flares at low altitude.

The soldiers of the second battalion were dimly illuminated by the flares.

Fierce gunfire and explosions were then heard in the woods.

The gunshots and explosions also made the figures of the soldiers of the Second Battalion clearer.

At this time, the Japanese patrol also surrounded the soldiers of the Second Battalion from the outside.

The soldiers of the second battalion were in danger of being attacked from both sides.

The second battalion commander acted decisively and concentrated his forces to attack the Japanese patrol behind him.

The Japanese patrol was defeated by the fierce firepower of the Second Battalion.

The second battalion commander immediately led his soldiers to evacuate Tianheng Mountain.