Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

The intensity of the shelling set a new record since the Japanese invasion of China.

Post-war statistics showed that on December 8 alone, the Japanese army poured about 50,000 artillery shells of various types on the Xicheng defense line, with an average of more than 800 artillery shells per kilometer of the defense line.

Under the fierce artillery fire, the permanent fortifications of the Xicheng Defense Line faced a severe test.

Most of the German standard reinforced concrete fortifications withstood the test, but some were damaged by direct hits.

On Duanshan Mountain defended by the 36th Division, a heavy machine gun position was directly hit by a Japanese 150mm howitzer.

A large hole was blown in the thick concrete roof, and all the defenders inside were killed.

But surprisingly, another fortification only 30 meters away was intact. Although the defenders inside were bleeding from the mouth and nose due to the shock, they were still able to continue fighting.

"Reporting to the division commander, about 30% of the permanent fortifications have been damaged, but most are still usable," the engineer commander reported to the division commander, Song Xilian. "The problem is that the communication trenches have been severely damaged, making communication between positions very difficult."

Song Xilian looked solemn.

Through the observation hole, he saw that the entire position was shrouded in smoke and the flames of explosions were heard one after another.

Telephone lines were constantly being blown down, and signalmen were rushing to repair them under fire, suffering heavy casualties. Most worryingly, the Japanese were apparently conducting a slow-moving barrage, with the artillery fire gradually extending deeper into the defense line, a precursor to an infantry attack.

At 8:20 a.m., Japanese artillery fire began to extend behind the defense line.

The forward observation post immediately reported: "The Japanese infantry began to attack under the cover of tanks!"

Through the gradually dissipating smoke, the defenders saw a suffocating scene. The Type 89 medium tanks and Type 95 light tanks of the Japanese 9th Division advanced forward in a dispersed formation, followed by the soldiers of the 36th Regiment who followed forward with skirmish line tactics.

The tank tracks rolled over the soft ground, and the turret spewed out flames from time to time, firing 37mm tank guns at the defenders' firepower points.

"Fight close! Wait until the enemy is within 200 meters before opening fire!" Officers at all levels issued similar orders.

The soldiers silently gripped their rifles tightly, the machine gunner put his finger on the trigger, and the mortar gunner had adjusted the shooting angle.

When the Japanese vanguard approached within 200 meters, countless tongues of fire suddenly erupted from the defenders' positions.

The unique "cluck" sound of the Czech light machine gun, the dull continuous sound of the Maxim heavy machine gun, and the crisp single-shot sound of the Zhongzheng rifle merged into a symphony of death.

The Japanese soldiers at the front fell like wheat being cut.

But the Japanese army's well-trained troops were revealed at this moment.

The survivors immediately lay down, and the light and heavy machine gun and grenade launcher teams quickly launched a counterattack.

Even more terrifying were the Japanese tanks, which rushed directly towards the defenders' positions and crushed the trenches with their tracks.

At the position defended by the 18th Division, a Type 89 medium tank broke through the front line and rampaged in the trenches.

The 57mm short-barreled gun on the tank fired horizontally, blowing up a machine gun position.

The defending soldiers fought back with cluster grenades, using human lives to close in on the explosions...

This scene was repeated throughout the entire defense line.

Although the Chinese defenders lacked effective anti-tank weapons, the officers and soldiers used their flesh and blood to block the torrent of steel.

Around 9 a.m., the Chinese Air Force appeared in the sky.

Due to the huge losses in the Battle of Shanghai, the Chinese Air Force had few aircraft available, but the pilots still bravely took off to fight.

Six Hawk III fighters and three Northrop-2EC bombers attempted to attack Japanese artillery positions.

But as soon as they arrived at the war zone, they were intercepted by 10 Japanese fighter planes.

A fierce air battle broke out over the Xicheng defense line.

Relying on their excellent skills, Chinese pilots dealt with the enemy aircraft that outnumbered them.

Every time a Hawk III fighter successfully shot down an enemy plane, shouts of "Long live the Air Force" would erupt from the defensive positions.

Although the air battle was not large in scale, the heroic actions of the Chinese Air Force greatly boosted the morale of the ground forces.

By noon, the battle entered a white-hot stage.

Relying on its firepower advantage, the Japanese army broke through the front-line positions in many areas.

The two sides engaged in a fierce tug-of-war at the breakthrough point.

In the direction of Houshan, the 38th Regiment of the 16th Division of the Japanese Army finally captured a forward position after paying a heavy price.

But the Chinese defenders immediately organized a counterattack.

Zhu Hongxun, commander of the 13th Division, personally supervised the battle and ordered the reserve troops to launch a counterattack.

"Brothers, beat the Japanese back!" The battalion commander shouted and jumped out of the trench first.

The defending soldiers, with bayonets in hand, launched a counterattack under the intensive firepower of the Japanese army.

A brutal hand-to-hand combat broke out on the battlefield, with the sound of bayonets clashing, the screams of the wounded, and the explosions of grenades intertwined together.

Similar scenes played out along the entire defense line.

Although the Chinese defenders were poorly equipped, they inflicted heavy casualties on the attacking Japanese army with their strong fortifications and tenacious fighting spirit.

The Japanese army's expected quick victory did not materialize. The Xicheng Defense Line was like an iron wall, firmly blocking the Japanese army's offensive path.

At 5 p.m., the sky gradually darkened and the intensity of the Japanese attack began to weaken.

After a whole day of fierce fighting, both sides were exhausted.

The battlefield was littered with the bodies of fallen soldiers, broken weapons were everywhere, and the bombed land was soaked in blood.

On that day alone, the Japanese army poured more than 5 artillery shells on the Xicheng defense line and dispatched more than 200 aircraft.

The Chinese defenders suffered approximately 5000 casualties, while the Japanese claimed more than 2000 casualties.

After nightfall, the battlefield temporarily returned to calm, with only sporadic gunshots and the groans of the wounded being heard from time to time.

The defenders used the cover of night to repair fortifications, replenish ammunition, and evacuate the wounded.

The Japanese army was also adjusting its deployment and preparing for the attack the next day.

The first day of fighting on the Xicheng Defense Line ended in such a tragic way.

But this is just the beginning, and more brutal battles are yet to come.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Dongting Town is a small town located about ten kilometers east of Wuxi.

The town is backed by the turbulent Beixingtang River to the north and faces the winding Bodu River to the south, forming a natural water barrier.

More importantly, this is the eastern gate leading to Wuxi city and one of the areas with the densest permanent fortifications on the Xicheng defense line.

At dawn on December 9, when the morning mist still covered the river, the vanguard of the Japanese 16th Division had advanced to the outskirts of Dongting Town.

The division commander, Lieutenant General Nakajima Imao, went to the front line to observe in person, and carefully looked at this seemingly calm but murderous line of defense through a telescope.

"Order the 20th Regiment to lead the attack, the 33rd Regiment to serve as the reserve, and the 38th Regiment to maneuver to the flanks." Nakajima Imao issued the battle order: "We must break through the Dongting Town defenses before dark."

At the same time, Wang Tiehan, commander of the 105th Division of the Chinese garrison, was checking the defense deployment.

"One regiment defends the front, the second regiment takes charge of the left flank, and the third regiment serves as the reserve." Wang Tiehan pointed to the map and made the deployment. "Pay special attention to the stone bridge over the Podu River. Explosives must be laid and destroyed immediately if necessary."