Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

"Attention! The infantry will come up after the artillery fire extends!" Zhao Dahu's voice came from the gap between the explosions.

The bombardment lasted for a full forty minutes.

"Count the number of people, rescue the wounded, and reinforce the fortifications!" His voice was so hoarse that it was almost inaudible.

On this day, the Japanese army launched seven large-scale offensives. . . .

On the second day, there were seven or eight more attacks...

Day 3...

Despite the tenacious resistance of the Kuomintang soldiers, the defense line was breached in many places.

In the evening, news came from the division headquarters that the Fushantang position on the right wing was lost, the 21st Army of the Gui Army was forced to retreat, and the Xiejiaqiao position was surrounded by enemies on three sides.

As night fell, Division Commander Wang Jingjiu personally arrived at the front line.

In the moonlight, the face of this third-term student of Whampoa Military Academy was full of fatigue, but his eyes were still firm.

"Brothers, you have already exceeded your mission." Wang Jingjiu looked at his remaining troops and said, "Headquarters has ordered us to retreat to the Xicheng defense line tonight.

There, stronger fortifications await us."

"Commander, we can still fight!" Yi Anhua said, straightening his body.

"I know you can still fight." Wang Jingjiu patted his shoulder. "But war is not a matter of a day or a night. We must conserve our strength and fight a protracted war."

The retreat took place quietly in the middle of the night, with the wounded being evacuated first, followed by the surviving soldiers.

Li Xiaodou was arranged in the first wave of retreat, but he insisted on waiting until the end.

"Captain, I am familiar with the terrain and can help scout the enemy situation." The boy said stubbornly.

Zhao Dahu wanted to refuse, but seeing the determination in the boy's eyes, he finally nodded and stayed.

By midnight, most of the troops had been safely evacuated.

Only Zhao Dahu, Li Xiaodou and more than ten others were left to cover their retreat.

At this moment, the scouts in front came back breathlessly to report that a Japanese detachment was circling from the flank in an attempt to cut off the retreat route.

"We must stop them!" Zhao Dahu made a quick decision: "Xiao Douzi, take three people and occupy the small hill on the left. Provide cover fire, and the rest of you follow me!"

In the darkness, Li Xiaodou and three comrades quickly occupied the commanding heights.

A few minutes later, the dark shadows of the Japanese army appeared in the moonlight.

Li Xiaodou took a deep breath and pulled the trigger.

The sound of gunfire broke the silence of the night.

The Japanese army obviously did not expect that there would be a blocking force here, and their formation was in chaos for a while, but soon they began to organize a counterattack.

"We're running low on ammunition!" a soldier shouted.

Li Xiaodou touched his bullet belt and found only two magazines left.

He looked in the direction of Zhao Dahu, where the sounds of gunfire were becoming increasingly sparse.

"Use grenades and then put on bayonets!" Li Xiaodou shouted loudly, his voice calm beyond his age.

Four grenades exploded among the Japanese army. Taking advantage of the chaos, Li Xiaodou and others launched a counterattack.

This was completely unexpected by the Japanese army. They did not expect that the Chinese army would dare to take the initiative to attack under such a disadvantage.

During the hand-to-hand combat, Li Xiaodou's rifle was knocked away, and he took the opportunity to pull out the big knife behind him, which was given to him by Zhao Dahu.

The knife flashed, carrying hatred and anger.

When the sky in the east began to turn pale, only Li Xiaodou and an injured comrade were left on the battlefield.

Zhao Dahu and other rearguard soldiers were all killed in the battle, but they successfully delayed the Japanese pursuit and won precious time for the transfer of the main force.

"The company commander's body..." said the wounded soldier weakly.

Li Xiaodou shook his head, tears in his eyes: "We can't take it with us. We have to leave."

Before the morning sun rose completely, two blood-covered figures staggered westward and merged into the swirling morning mist.

At the same time, in the core fortifications of the Xicheng Defense Line, in the army headquarters.

Staff officers came in and out, and telephones rang one after another.

"How many people are left in Wang Jingjiu's 87th Division?" asked the deputy commander-in-chief of the theater without raising his head.

"Less than 2,000, and most of them are wounded." A staff officer replied in a low voice, "The situation of other divisions is similar.

We lost nearly 50,000 men in the five days of defending the Wufu Line."

Another staff officer added: "The Japs weren't much better! They paid the price of at least 10,000 or 20,000 men!"

"The problem is that the Japanese army can continuously replenish its troops, but we..." someone whispered, but did not continue.

"Report!" The signalman rushed into the headquarters. "The main force of the Japanese 9th Division has been spotted in the direction of Wuxi! The 13th Division has also been spotted making a detour on the Jiangyin flank!"

“It’s here as expected!

"Order the 112th Division to defend Nanzha Town to the death. Never let them cut off the Xicheng Highway! The 62nd Division will strengthen the defenses on both sides of the Xicheng Highway. Even if it means bleeding dry, we must hold this line!"

On November 25, the Xicheng Defense Line faced its most brutal test.

Outside Nanzha Town, officers and soldiers of the 112th Division were fighting fiercely with the vanguard of the Japanese 9th Division.

The Japanese tanks were like steel behemoths, attacking the national army's defense line again and again.

The morning fog on both sides of the Xicheng Highway was torn apart by artillery fire.

Major General Tao Liu, commander of the 62nd Division of the Hunan Army, stood in front of the lookout of the command post. The scene in the telescope made this veteran, who had been on many battles, feel nervous.

The Rising Sun Flag of the 9th Division of the Japanese Army fluttered in the morning breeze. Dozens of heavy artillery were deployed at the front line. The tank tracks rolled over the rice fields after the autumn harvest, leaving deep ruts.

"Commander, the main force of the Japanese army has completed its assembly and is expected to launch a general offensive soon." The chief of staff reported softly.

Tao Liu put down the binoculars, his eyes determined: "Tell the brothers, today is the day when our 62nd Division will go down in history. Sons of the Hunan Army only die in battle, not in fear!"

At 8:00 a.m. sharp, the Japanese artillery preparation began.

The shells fell on the positions of the 62nd Division like hail, especially the reinforced concrete bunkers on both sides of the road, which received special attention.

The earth was shaking, huge explosions continued, and the sky above the position was covered with black and yellow smoke.

"Defend against artillery! Everyone defend against artillery!" Officers on various positions shouted at the top of their lungs.

The soldiers huddled in the sturdy fortifications, feeling the breath of death.

The recruits' faces turned pale and they covered their ears tightly with their hands.

The veterans were relatively calm, and some even used this short time to take a nap.

In bunker No. 3, Company Commander Yang Dashan was checking the soldiers' equipment.

"Tiezhu, is your sword sharpened?"

"Don't worry, squad leader. I guarantee that with one strike, the Japs' heads will be cut like watermelons!"

A burst of suppressed laughter rang out on the battlefield, easing the tense atmosphere.

The bombardment lasted for a full hour.

When the artillery fire extended backwards, the position was completely unrecognizable.

The originally neat trenches collapsed in many places and the barbed wire was blown to pieces, but it was gratifying that most of the core bunker groups were intact.