Devil's Army

The next morning, just as dawn broke, the Japanese army launched another fierce attack on the Ma'anshan Fortress complex. They also used artillery fire to block the roads leading into the fortress complex, attempting to starve and thirst the devilish troops inside.

Since the Japanese army had breached both city gates of Hunchun, the civilians who had not evacuated stayed in the small space surrounded by the Shileizi Mountain, Changlingzi, Ma'anshan Fortress Complex, and Wujiashan Fortress Complex, continuing to transport ammunition and supplies for the 7th Brigade and paratroopers.

If the defense line is breached, it will be a disaster for the people inside.

The restless brigade commander still called the battalion commander of the third battalion of the fourth regiment:

"How is the battle situation on your end?"

"The Japanese army has completely blockaded our Ma'anshan Fortress, and no people or supplies from outside can reach us."

"Are there enough food and water? Can the defenses hold?"

"The food and water here are enough for us to last more than a month; holding the line shouldn't be a problem."

"You don't need to hold out for a month. If you hold out for a week to ten days, our reinforcements will arrive. Behind you are the people of Hunchun. You must hold out until the reinforcements arrive!"

"Yes, mission accomplished!"

The First Battalion Commander, his face blackened by gunpowder smoke, already knew that the Japanese army had breached the west gate of Hunchun County. Seeing the Seventh Brigade Commander hang up the phone, he quickly asked:

"So? Do you need me to take the Third Squadron to reinforce them?"

The 7th Brigade Commander shook his head and replied:

"Not for now. Besides, the Ma'anshan fortress complex is also under Japanese fire; you can't get in with your men anyway."

Although the Ma'anshan Fortress Complex was successfully defended, the Japanese troops that broke through the south gate advanced to Shileizi Mountain and Changlingzi.

The Second Battalion and the newly formed First Regiment stationed there were forced to retreat to the Shileizi Mountain Fortress and the Changlingzi Fortress.

The Shileizi Mountain (Yanshan) Fortress Complex is located in northern Hunchun on the Sino-Soviet border, south of Madida and north of Ma'anshan. It belongs to the low mountains and hills of the Laoye Ridge, and the highest point can overlook the border passage and river valley.

The fortress complex is a permanent defensive position built of reinforced concrete, including bunkers, underground command posts, observation posts, shelters, ammunition depots, artillery positions, and machine gun emplacements; it is equipped with trenches, communication trenches, anti-tank trenches, and barbed wire; underground tunnels connect the various firing points and have independent ventilation, power generation, and water storage.

The Shileizishan Fortress Complex was responsible for the frontal defense of the northern border, blocking mountain passes, and forming a deep echelon with the Madida and Ma'anshan positions.

The Changlingzi Fortress Complex is located about 20 kilometers southeast of Hunchun City, south of Ma'anshan and north of Wujiashan. It is a traditional route from Hunchun to Eyanchuhe (the area around the present-day Changlingzi Port). The terrain is flat and long, with highways and railways running parallel through the mountains.

The fortress was constructed with multiple fire support points along the watershed and both sides of the road, including heavy artillery positions, anti-aircraft machine gun positions, and infantry bunkers.

The underground area housed a command center, communications hub, and military depots; it also provided crossfire to blockade highways, railways, and mountain passes. During the late Qing Dynasty, Wu Dacheng erected a boundary marker with the character "土" (earth) and a bronze pillar here (which were looted by Russian troops in 1900).

The Changlingzi Fortress Complex was responsible for controlling the main Sino-Russian transportation route, protecting the core position of Wujiashan in the rear, and preventing the Japanese army from launching an attack on Hunchun City along the highway.

These two fortress clusters belong to the central defensive chain of the Hunchun Fortress: Wangchaoshan → Tumenzi → Madida → Shileizishan → Ma'anshan → Changlingzi → Wujiashan → Shuiliufeng; with a frontal width of 90 kilometers and a depth of 8–10 kilometers. They protected the people of Hunchun County who had not yet evacuated.