Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

Xie Jinyuan immediately called a meeting of officers and said, "This is just a tentative attack. The Japanese are trying to figure out our firepower and defenses. At dawn tomorrow, they will launch a real attack."

He turned to Yang Ruifu and said, "Immediately adjust the deployment. Increase the number of machine gun positions on the second floor on the west side to three to form a staggered firepower. Use sandbags to build the inner wall on the ground floor. Even if the outer wall is breached, we can still block the attack layer by layer."

He then told the engineer company commander, "Place tripwire grenades and improvised mines outside the warehouse to slow down the enemy's approach."

The medical captain reported: "Two soldiers have been injured. One was hit in the shoulder by a stray bullet, and the other was scratched in the face by shrapnel. Both have been treated."

Xie Jinyuan nodded: "Be prepared for a large number of casualties tomorrow. All bandages and medicines should be centrally managed, and the seriously injured should be given priority."

After the meeting, Xie Jinyuan inspected various positions.

He saw soldiers reinforcing the fortifications, some were sharpening their bayonets, some were cleaning their guns, and some were praying silently.

Suddenly, there was a faint noise coming from the direction of the South Bank Concession. Many lights were seen swaying by the river, and it seemed that a lot of people were gathered.

"What are they doing?" Yang Ruifu asked in confusion.

Xie Jinyuan raised his binoculars for a long moment, then suddenly chuckled, "Our compatriots are praying for us. Look, some are holding national flags, and some are holding banners."

Indeed, despite the late hour, many citizens had gathered on the south bank, carrying lanterns and flashlights and waving in the direction of the warehouse.

. . . . . . . . .

The darkness before dawn is thickest, and the Sihang Warehouse lies like a sleeping giant on the north bank of the Suzhou River.

Inside the warehouse, 420 officers and soldiers held their breath, the silence broken only by the occasional sound of metal clashing and suppressed coughs.

Xie Jinyuan stood in front of the firing hole on the east side of the third floor, with the telescope close to his eye socket.

In the hazy morning mist, the figures of the Japanese army were looming.

He could make out at least two squadrons of infantry massing up, and four tanks adjusting their guns at the corner of the street.

"Send the message to all positions," Xie Jinyuan said in a low voice, "Enemy tanks should be dealt with first with cluster grenades. Open fire only when infantry are within fifty meters. Use bursts of machine gun fire to conserve ammunition."

Yang Ruifu added: "Tell the brothers that the first wave of attack is the most critical. If we fight well, we can break the enemy's spirit. If we fight poorly, the Japanese army will come like a tide."

Orders were quickly delivered to every position by word of mouth.

The soldiers checked their weapons and ammunition for the last time, loosened the grenade caps, and polished their bayonets.

The medical team set up a makeshift operating table on the east side of the ground floor using door panels. Boiling water was steaming, and bandages and medicines were neatly laid out.

At 5:30, the sky was getting light.

Suddenly, a sharp whistle pierced the sky.

"Bombard! Take cover!"

The explosion of the shells shook the warehouse violently, and dust and debris fell from the ceiling. The Japanese field artillery began to bombard the warehouse fiercely, focusing on the doors, windows and ground floor walls.

"Admiral! There's a crack in the west wall!" the observation post reported loudly.

Xie Jinyuan responded calmly: "The engineering squad immediately reinforces the area! Use food bags and sandbags to block it! Inform the mortar platoon to calculate the position of the Japanese artillery and prepare for a counterattack!"

The shelling lasted for about twenty minutes and then suddenly stopped, which was a prelude to the Japanese infantry attack.

Through the thick smoke, one could see the Japanese army advancing towards the warehouse in a skirmish line, with tanks covering the infantry's slow advance.

"Hold steady...Hold steady..." The officers at each position whispered to the soldiers: "Wait until they get closer..."

When the Japanese troops entered the range of 100 meters, the soldiers could clearly see the enemy's ferocious faces and shining bayonets.

The air seemed to freeze, and only the sound of Japanese leather boots stepping on gravel was getting closer and closer.

Eighty meters... Seventy meters... Sixty meters...

"Fight!" Xie Jinyuan gave the order.

In an instant, the Sihang Warehouse was like a beast awakening, and all firepower erupted at the same time.

Heavy machine guns spewed out tongues of fire, bullets poured down like raindrops, rifles fired in volleys, accurately killing exposed Japanese soldiers, and grenades fell like hail, exploding flowers of death among the enemy group.

The Japanese army was caught off guard and the front-line soldiers fell like wheat being cut.

But the well-trained Japanese army immediately crawled back and fired back, and the tank guns began to directly bombard the warehouse firepower point.

"Watch out for the tanks!" Xie Jinyuan yelled, "Anti-tank team, move up!"

The soldiers who had been prepared took action immediately.

Two soldiers, holding cluster grenades, quietly sneaked out from the side door and approached the leading tank with the help of the rubble.

The Japanese army discovered their intention and immediately opened fire with machine guns. One soldier was shot and fell to the ground, and another was pinned behind a broken wall and unable to move forward.

"cover!!"

Open fire in the warehouse at full power to suppress the Japanese firepower as much as possible.

The soldiers behind the broken wall got a chance to catch their breath. Without hesitation, they crawled forward, suddenly jumped up when they were only ten meters away from the tank, and stuffed the smoking grenade bundle into the gap between the tracks.

With a loud bang, the tank tracks broke and it came to a standstill.

"Well done!" Yang Ruifu punched the wall. "All positions concentrate their firepower and eliminate the enemy infantry!"

The Japanese army did not expect the firepower of the Sihang Warehouse to be so fierce. The first wave of attack was quickly repelled, and the Japanese army retreated in panic, leaving behind dozens of corpses.

A brief cheer erupted in the warehouse, but it quickly died down - everyone knew that this was just the beginning.

Xie Jinyuan immediately inspected all the positions.

When he went to the west side, he saw soldiers reinforcing the wall damaged by artillery fire. Young soldier Wang Xiaohu was mixing cement with a shovel, and he was unaware of the blisters on his hands.

"Deputy Regimental Officer." Upon seeing Xie Jinyuan, Wang Xiaohu immediately stood at attention: "The crack in the west wall has been blocked!"

Xie Jinyuan nodded in approval and noticed the red bellyband showing through Wang Xiaohu's uniform: "What is this?"

Wang Xiaohu smiled sheepishly: "My mother went to the temple to get a lucky charm, she said it can block bullets."

Xie Jinyuan patted his shoulder and said, "Go back alive and see your mother."

At around 8 a.m., the Japanese army changed its tactics and launched a simultaneous exploratory attack from multiple directions with small units, looking for weak points in the defenders' firepower.

The Japanese snipers in the Bank of Communications Building also became more active, constantly shooting at the warehouse windows.

"Regimental Admiral! Third Company Commander Shi Meihao was shot!" The signalman hurried over to report.

Xie Jinyuan hurried to the east side of the third floor and saw blood oozing from Shi Meihao's chest. The military doctor was bandaging him urgently.

"How is it?" Xie Jinyuan asked anxiously.

The military doctor's face was serious: "The bullet was stopped by the ribs. Fortunately, it did not penetrate deeper, but the blood loss was too great. Immediate surgery is necessary."

Xie Jinyuan shook Shi Meihao's hand and said, "Get good treatment. We'll take care of the situation."

Shi Meihao nodded weakly and was carried on a stretcher to the medical clinic on the ground floor.

The Japanese army soon discovered that the firepower on the east side was temporarily a bit chaotic due to the injury of the commander, and immediately strengthened the attack in that direction.

Dozens of Japanese soldiers approached under the cover of machine guns, and some had already begun setting up ladders to climb the wall.

"Deputy regiment commander! The east wall is in danger!" urgent report from the observation post.

Xie Jinyuan made a prompt decision: "Dispatch the Second Company's reserve troops to reinforce the east flank! The machine gun company will increase firepower suppression! Notify the mortar platoon to bombard the enemy's follow-up troops!"

The battle became intense.

The Japanese army charged desperately, and the defenders fought back tenaciously.

The outer wall of the warehouse was riddled with bullet holes and several firing holes were destroyed, forcing the soldiers to risk leaning over to fire.

Near noon, the Japanese army suddenly stopped their attack. The unusual silence was unsettling.

"What are the Japanese doing?" Yang Ruifu asked in confusion.

Xie Jinyuan frowned and thought: "Notify all positions to be on high alert against enemy fire attacks or explosions."

Before he finished speaking, the observation post suddenly exclaimed: "The Japanese are pushing oil drums!"