Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

The Japanese army stormed the land and engaged in a fierce battle with the defenders.

The surface of Taihu Lake was illuminated by the flashes of gunfire, and ships were constantly being hit and sunk, with the screams of soldiers falling into the water coming one after another.

"Don't retreat! Charge forward!" The Japanese officer waved his sword and drove the soldiers ashore.

At dawn, the main force of the 13th Division successfully broke through the lake defense and tore a hole in the Chinese army's defense line.

"Advance at full speed towards Yixing and Liyang!" Ogisu Rikihei gave the order as soon as he got ashore.

The appearance of this surprise force was completely unexpected by the Chinese command and disrupted the overall defense plan outside Nanjing.

The Japanese army's pursuit was not just about military operations, but also about countless atrocities and destruction.

Due to the "on-the-spot deployment" policy tacitly approved by Matsui Iwane, the Japanese troops systematically looted villages and towns along the way during the pursuit.

In a small village between Wuxi and Changzhou, part of the Japanese 16th Division retaliated for an attack by militia.

The entire village was burned down and dozens of villagers were killed.

Similar scenes were repeated along the Japanese advance route.

"After days of non-stop fighting, the soldiers are on edge and have become bloodthirsty."

A staff officer of the 16th Division wrote in his diary: "Seeing the discarded uniforms and weapons of the Chinese army, they concluded that the entire village was the enemy."

During the pursuit, the Japanese divisions also began to compete for credit.

In order to gain the first merit, the Sixth Division of the Tenth Army marched day and night regardless of fatigue, and even had friction with other divisions.

"That madman Tani Hisao, his division has already crossed the designated front line!" In the 16th Division headquarters, Nakajima Imao slammed the table angrily.

Competition between divisions made the pursuit more frantic and disorderly.

Matsui Iwane received reports on the progress of each division at the Suzhou headquarters and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.

Chief of Staff Mamoru Iinuma was worried: "Commander, the supply lines of each division have been stretched to a dangerous level. The soldiers are extremely tired, and military discipline is beginning to break down."

Matsui Iwane was unconcerned: “Iinuma-kun, war is about seizing opportunities.

Once we take Nanjing, all problems will be solved, all problems... Everything!!!"

On December 24, multiple Japanese troops arrived at the outskirts of Nanjing.

The 16th Division captured Jurong, the 6th Division reached Chunhua Town, and the 13th Regiment broke through Lishui, forming a three-sided encirclement of Nanjing.

The last natural barrier outside Nanjing is trembling.

Standing before the massive sand table at the Wuxi Forward Command, Matsui Iwane drew three arcs with his baton: "The 9th Division will capture Qixia Mountain, the 6th Division will break through Chunhua Town, and the 114th Division will bypass Moling Pass. Within three days, I want to celebrate in Nanjing!"

At this time, on the plains of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, many Japanese troops were like poisoned samurai swords piercing Nanjing's throat.

The vanguard of the 16th Division on the right has appeared at the northern foot of Qixia Mountain. Their Type 95 field howitzer group is being deployed, with the muzzles aimed at the thousand-year-old Qixia Temple.

The tank regiment of the 9th Division in the center advanced along the Beijing-Hangzhou National Highway, and the tracks left ruts half a meter deep on the road.

On the most dangerous left wing, the cavalry units of the 114th Division were rapidly advancing to the rear of Moling Pass, like a deadly sharp knife, heading straight for the soft belly of Nanjing City.

. . . . . . . . . .

At 12 a.m. on December 25, water vapor in the observatory on the main peak of Qixia Mountain condensed into frost on the telescope lens.

Mou Tingfang, commander of the 151st Division of the 66th Army of the Guangdong Army, put down his brass telescope and blew a puff of white mist into his frozen hands.

This general from the Guangxi clique is now standing on the first line of defense that determines the fate of Nanjing.

At his feet, there are thousands of acres of maple forest dyed white by frost. The "Autumn Scenery of Qixia" that was once sung by literati and poets is about to become a battlefield of blood and fire.

"Commander, the Japs have lit signal torches in Jiangbei." The Chief of Staff pointed to the continuous flames on the other side of the Yangtze River.

Through the morning mist, you can see the boat troops of the Japanese 16th Division gathering.

Mou Tingfang suddenly recalled the poem by Qi Jiguang, a famous general who fought against Japanese invaders in the Ming Dynasty: "Three hundred and sixty days a year, most of the time I am on horseback with a sword in hand."

He turned to the messenger and said, "Notify all regiments to block the attack according to the plan."

Qixia Mountain, a hill with an altitude of 286 meters, is actually a natural fortress of Nanjing.

At dawn, the 20th Regiment of the Japanese 16th Division began a tentative attack.

A squadron of Japanese troops attacked upwards along the Sheshan Ancient Road. What they didn't know was that the entire mountain had been transformed into a death maze.

Mou Tingfang arranged a three-layer three-dimensional defense system. The front line was a booby trap area set up in a maple forest, and grenades connected with silk threads were hidden under the fallen leaves.

The middle layer is a machine gun nest rebuilt on the ruins of the Ming Dynasty city wall, and the firing range has been carefully calculated.

At the rear is the artillery observation post hidden in Qixia Temple, which can command the heavy artillery group in the rear.

"Come closer to two hundred meters!" Situ Luo, the commander of the 902nd Regiment, whispered the order over the phone.

When the Japanese vanguard stepped on the first mine, the whole mountain suddenly came alive.

Tongues of fire shot out from the shrine...

A grenade flew out of the ancient tomb...

The explosive packs dropped from the treetops instantly caught the Japanese army in a web of fire...

The battle continued until nine o'clock in the morning, when the Japanese army used tanks.

The defenders then rolled out a disguised "wooden donkey cart," a suicide weapon loaded with explosives. . . .

In the afternoon, the situation on the battlefield suddenly changed.

The 38th Regiment of the Japanese Army adopted the "fire attack tactic" and fired incendiary bombs at the maple forest with mortars.

It was winter, and the dry maple leaves instantly became the best fuel, and the entire mountain was surrounded by flames.

"Fight fire with fire!" Mou Tingfang ordered the firebreak in the opposite direction to be ignited.

The knowledge learned from the military academy saved the defenders of the main peak.

But the Third Battalion of the 902nd Regiment was surrounded by a sea of ​​fire. The commander of the Third Battalion, a brave general who later became famous in the Huaihai Campaign, showed amazing courage at this moment.

He ordered his soldiers to soak their quilts in mountain spring water, wrap their bodies in them and charge in the opposite direction.

Soldiers like firemen rushed out from the flames and rushed towards the Japanese positions with flames all over their bodies.

"Brothers, today is the day to serve our country!" The third battalion commander rushed to the front with a big knife in his hand.

This left-handed general had unpredictable swordsmanship and he knocked down three Japanese officers in succession.

When the breakout was successful, there were only 47 people left in the Third Battalion, but they left behind more than 200 Japanese corpses in the sea of ​​fire.

In the evening, a cold front suddenly moved south.

The temperature plummeted to minus five degrees Celsius, and the pools of blood left over from yesterday's battle began to freeze.

Mou Tingfang immediately realized that this was a godsend opportunity, and he ordered the engineers to divert water to irrigate the main passage overnight.

The soldiers dug ditches to divert the mountain springs down the steep slopes.

At dawn, the entire Dongpo slope turns into a huge ice rink.

When the Japanese 33rd Regiment launched a charge, the soldiers at the front fell to the ground on the ice.

The troops behind had to crawl forward, but they became sitting ducks for the defenders' machine guns.