Devil's Army

The 131th Garrison of the 6st Independent Mixed Brigade of the Japanese Army was stationed at Harbin Railway Station at that time.

After they retreated from Harbin Railway Station, the major arranged for them to build fortifications on the south bank of Jihong Bridge to prevent the devil troops from moving north.

In order to deal with the tanks of the devil troops, the major also dispatched four tanks to assist in the defense.

The vanguard of the 7th Brigade quickly reached the south bank of Jihong Bridge. The Japanese army was already waiting in formation.

The Japanese army apparently also discovered the vanguard of the 7th Brigade, and the artillery immediately bombarded the soldiers of the 7th Brigade.

Four tanks formed two columns and attacked the vanguard of the 7th Brigade.

The rocket soldiers of the 7th Brigade tried to move forward to destroy the Japanese tanks. However, the Japanese tanks were heavily guarded and kept firing at the soldiers of the 7th Brigade who tried to get close to them.

The soldiers next to the tanks also continued to shoot at the soldiers of the 7th Brigade who were approaching their tanks.

The vanguard of the 7th Brigade had to retreat temporarily under the fierce strafing and bombing of Japanese tanks.

Then two tanks of the Seventh Brigade came in a row from behind, their tracks rolling over the rubble of collapsed bricks and tiles, and they drove over with a "boom..." sound. The heavy armor shone coldly and hard in the sunlight.

On the front, four Japanese Type 97 medium tanks changed their formation and advanced in a wedge shape. The riveted armored body made a metal collision sound during the bumps, and the 75mm short gun barrel fired first.

The tanks of the 7th Brigade saw that the Japanese tanks had stopped, turned their turrets, and immediately performed a serpentine maneuver.

Several consecutive Japanese artillery shells landed around the two tanks of the 7th Brigade.

"300 meters to the left, the Japanese lead vehicle!" the commander roared and typed out the order.

The tank on the left opened fire first, and the 100mm shell slammed into the side of the turret of the first Type 97 tank with a whistling sound.

Amidst flying sparks, the tank suddenly stopped, its tracks instantly derailed, and its gun barrel hung down limply.

Another shell from the 7th Brigade was avoided by the remaining Japanese tanks and landed behind the leading vehicle, raising a cloud of dust.

The remaining three Type 97 tanks of the Japanese army continued to fight back. Three 75mm shells whizzed in and hit the thickened front armor and turret of the tank on the left side of the th Brigade.

Shallow bullet marks were left on the front armor of the tanks on the left side of the 7th Brigade, making the eardrums of the crew inside the vehicle buzz.

The artillery was also bent and lost its combat capability.

The tanks on the right side of the 97th Brigade turned under the cover of smoke and dust, and fired at the side and rear of a Type tank at close range - that was the weak point of the Japanese tank's armor.

With the loud bang of the shell firing, the engine compartment of the Type 97 instantly exploded into flames, and thick smoke wrapped in debris rose into the air.

But the remaining two Type 97 tanks of the Japanese army had already surrounded them, and a shell from one of them grazed the turret of the tank on the right side of the th Brigade, blowing the commander's periscope to pieces.

The gunner observer's face was also covered in blood from the glass fragments.

"Retreat!" The tank commander on the right shouted and pulled the joystick.

Two tanks of the 7th Brigade used civilian houses to retreat in a serpentine pattern.

When two tanks of the 7th Brigade were being chased by Japanese tanks, the Xinjing Air Force arrived in time and fiercely strafed and bombed the pursuing Japanese tanks.

The Japanese infantry next to the tanks were also strafed and bombed by the Xinjing Air Force, suffering heavy casualties.

A fighter plane of the Xinjing Air Force fired a series of machine gun shots, penetrating the turret of a Japanese tank.

The gunner and captain in the Japanese tank were shot dead instantly.

A bomber from the First Army dropped two bombs in succession, blowing up another Japanese tank. It then crashed heavily to the ground, turning into a pile of scrap metal.

The smoke slowly dissipated, and the two tanks of the 7th Brigade stopped retreating with the support of the aviation force.

Their armor was riddled with bullet holes, but they still remained steadily parked on the south bank of Jihong Bridge.

In front, the wreckage of four destroyed Japanese Type 97 tanks were emitting black smoke.