A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

The mountain artillery company of the 19th Regiment and the mountain artillery company of the 157th Regiment bombarded our army's Xinkaihe blocking position. Subsequently, two battalions of the 9th Division Artillery Regiment also joined the bombardment.

At this moment, the position of the 3rd Battalion of the 3rd Training Regiment, which was covering the rear, was turned into a sea of ​​fire by the fierce artillery fire of the Japanese army.

In reality, the Third Battalion had already abandoned its position and retreated to the second line of defense; the Japanese bombed only an empty area.

After occupying the position, the Japanese army continued their pursuit.

The Third Battalion had set up an ambush near a highway bridge on the enemy's only route through Xinkaihe, and concealed machine gun positions all around.

Shortly afterward, the pursuing Japanese troops arrived.

Just as the Japanese troops were crossing the highway bridge in formation, "Fire!" Battalion Commander Zhou Huaijin gave the order, and the entire battalion concentrated fire, with multiple heavy machine guns forming an impenetrable crossfire network towards the highway bridge.

Caught completely off guard, the Japanese troops were subjected to a hail of bullets on the bare bridge and riverbank, resulting in numerous casualties. Many soldiers were shot and fell into the river, turning the water red.

Starting from Xinkaihe, Song Hongfei ordered each battalion to set up two defensive lines, combining them with the minefields laid in front of the positions to defend step by step, making a full-fledged defensive posture.

In reality, our army always launched a fierce and rapid attack, disrupting the enemy's formation and forcing them into a minefield in a panic. The enemy was unable to pursue and was instead attacked. After a period of fierce fighting, our army immediately withdrew.

After the Japanese troops were repelled in front of our positions, they immediately organized artillery to bombard the area. While the Japanese artillery was bombarding the area, our blocking troops had already moved to the next defensive line and were watching with glee as the enemy bombarded the empty positions.

After the Japanese engineers cleared the landmines, the infantry charged onto our position again, only to find that the position was deserted and our troops had already fled.

The most brilliant instance was when Wang Jingxiong's battalion perfectly exploited a time difference.

Unable to break through, the Japanese called in artillery and air support for bombing. Subsequently, the 1st Battalion abandoned the position and retreated. The Japanese occupied the position, but before they could set up air communication barriers, the Japanese aircraft that came to support them began to bombard the Japanese troops on the ground. The Japanese troops were bombed by their own men and cried out in pain.

Lacking any means of ground-to-air communication, by the time they finally managed to contact the air force through the division headquarters, the Japanese troops on the position had already been bombed to pieces, with limbs, broken arms, and intestines scattered everywhere. The unfortunate infantrymen of the 19th Regiment angrily cursed as they bombed the planes that roared away.

The pursuit was so fast that they were bombed by their own planes instead?

"Baka! You blind air force pilot!" Hitoshi was so angry he was practically spitting fire.

This serious friendly fire incident severely damaged the morale of the 19th Regiment, and the 36th Regiment caught up from behind to take over the pursuit.

Commander Jiro Wakisaka of the 36th Regiment sent out a cavalry scout squad to follow and harass from a distance, launching attacks whenever possible. After being countered by our army, they would quickly retreat on horseback until the main force caught up. They were like a leech, impossible to shake off.

"Damn it! It's so annoying that it bites you out of the blue every now and then!"

Song Hongfei put down his binoculars and called over a messenger: "Tell the battalion commander in charge of the rearguard to organize a spearhead squad equipped with automatic weapons and set up an ambush in the woods on both sides of the road. Give these Japanese scouts a good lesson and raise their awareness of combat."

A sudden burst of intense machine gun and submachine gun fire came from all around, bullets raining down.

"Baka! There's an ambush!"

The Japanese cavalry squad was immediately swept away, with men and horses falling to the ground. The cries of wounded soldiers and the neighing of horses filled the air. The remaining Japanese soldiers, no longer caring for the wounded, fled in panic.

After a while, the fleeing Japanese scouts thought the attackers had left and spurred their horses to catch up from behind. They could no longer find any wounded soldiers; the ground was littered with the corpses of Japanese soldiers riddled with bullet holes. Only the wounded but not yet dead horses continued to struggle and wail.

A banner was stuck in the ground, with large, scarlet characters that read: "An eye for an eye! Blood debts must be repaid in blood!"

"Damn it! Those damned Chinese soldiers!" the Japanese cavalry squad leader cursed angrily.

Another burst of intense machine gun and submachine gun fire, along with the sound of grenades exploding in mid-air! Men and horses fell! Another group of Japanese cavalrymen were instantly knocked down.

"Sodis, they ambushed us twice at the same location..." This was the last thought in the Japanese platoon leader's mind after he realized what had happened.

The figures of our soldiers emerged from the nearby bushes. The leader was a lieutenant, and the muzzle of his MP28 submachine gun was still emitting blue smoke.

"Those little devils should learn their lesson this time." The lieutenant looked around. "Hurry up and clean up the battlefield, take anything useful with you!"

"Don't move!" a soldier suddenly shouted, kicking a Type 44 rifle away.

"Lianfu, there's one alive!"

"Seriously injured or lightly injured?" The lieutenant ran over quickly; there was no need to ask any further.

The Japanese soldier was seen violently swinging his arms and struggling, shouting something. He was wounded in the waist and legs, and blood was flowing freely.

"Damn it, behave yourself!" One of our soldiers smashed the other with the butt of his rifle.

The Japanese soldier was panting heavily and had stopped shouting and struggling, but the fierce glint in his eyes still flashed from time to time.

"Hey, Li Dazui caught a prisoner! We can bring him over for a reward, 50 yuan!" someone joked.

"A sergeant is worthless!" Li Dazui chuckled.

"The wound is in the leg," the lieutenant said coldly, "Do you want it to be carried on your back, or do you want it to shoot you in the back?"

"Yes! Got it!"

The lieutenant turned and left, leaving behind the words, "Hurry up, everyone!"

Subsequently, under the guidance of engineers, the elite squad used the corpses of Japanese soldiers to set up various booby traps. Pulsation mines were placed under the bodies, tripwires were attached to their belts, and cluster grenades were buried among several piles of rubble beside the road.

The audacious Song Hongfei managed to keep the pursuing Japanese troops trailing behind him for two hours, with three battalions taking turns providing cover and ambushing them one after another. This infuriated the Japanese, who were utterly helpless against him.

After suffering repeated blows, the once arrogant and domineering 9th Division's pursuing forces became as cautious as the 101st Division, which had been terrified, and dared not pursue them aggressively anymore.

After all, first came the hateful minefield, then the fierce ambush, and then the frequent attacks by the elite squads. Who knows what tricks the Chinese army will pull next?

Song Hongfei's 3rd Training Regiment fought its way back under Japanese aircraft and artillery fire, and also took in many stragglers and wounded soldiers, which was in stark contrast to the chaotic retreat of other units.

The officers and soldiers of the 3rd Training Regiment were already in awe of them. Among all the National Revolutionary Army, only their regimental commander dared to keep such a large group of Japanese troops at bay! Anyone else would have already "deployed" far away somewhere.

In reality, Song Hongfei was well aware of his predicament. The Japanese army was still pursuing him closely, and he was constantly on edge, never daring to let his guard down for a moment.

The army is now in retreat, and without intelligence from higher command, they are completely in the dark about the enemy situation and cannot judge the relative positions of the enemy and themselves. Although their own troops are responsible for covering the rear, it is clear that there are still many scattered soldiers who have fallen behind.

The companies deployed on the left and right flanks reported to him that they could hear intense gunfire from the flanks from time to time. According to soldiers who had fled from other units, these were Japanese plainclothes teams and advance teams, which indicated that the Japanese were rapidly flanking and encircling the enemy from both flanks.

"The Japanese army came with great force. The lives of more than 3 people, and even the lives of countless people in front of me, were in my hands. This responsibility and pressure were as heavy as a mountain."

One wrong move and the consequences could be unimaginable!

Only after a fierce battle at the Huangdu Highway Bridge, where they repelled the pursuit of the Japanese 19th Regiment, 36th Regiment, and 9th Cavalry and Infantry Regiment, did the 3rd Training Regiment finally escape the Japanese encirclement and attack. At this moment, Song Hongfei's tense heart could finally relax a little, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

However, one thing greatly displeased Song Hongfei: since the start of the Battle of Shanghai, the troops he commanded had been constantly surrounded and beaten by the superior Japanese forces. Especially in the last two days, they had been repeatedly ganged up on by three infantry regiments and two cavalry regiments of Japanese troops, who relentlessly pursued the 3rd Training Regiment, giving him no chance to relax for even a moment.

Song Hongfei's anger inexplicably grew stronger and stronger. Compared to winning with fewer troops, he preferred to crush his opponents with overwhelming superiority in manpower and firepower. He thought, "I'll use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, and a big knife to chop up ants. Are you scared?"

The overcast sky and continuous rain made the officers and soldiers feel even more depressed. After several days of continuous combat and marching, their physical strength was severely depleted, and their morale was naturally difficult to boost.

"Set up a perimeter! Have a meal and rest for an hour!" Song Hongfei ordered a break as noon approached.

Many people were so tired that they found a tree by the roadside, wrapped themselves in raincoats, lay down on the ground, and fell asleep immediately.

"Pass down the order: the ground is wet and cold, so lay down a rainproof tarpaulin before sleeping to prevent catching a cold from dampness."

At this moment, Song Hongfei frowned, his eyes fixed on the arrow on the map pointing towards Qingpu, indicating the attack momentum of the Japanese 6th Division.

It was this 6th Division that tore through our army's defenses on the southern front at Songjiang, and then drove straight in to penetrate our army's flank and rear at Wusongjiang, with the intention of cutting off our army's retreat route in one fell swoop! This caused the Wusongjiang defense line, which was originally in a stalemate, to waver, and our army had no choice but to retreat along the entire line.

"It's the fourth day, and we've already exceeded our original rearguard mission. Judging by the current situation and the timeline, I'm afraid both the left flank, Nanxiang, and the right flank, Qingpu, have already fallen," Song Hongfei thought to himself.

He was already considering leading the entire regiment to speed up their advance and completely shake off the Japanese pursuit.

Song Hongfei's battlefield insight and judgment can be described as sharp and astonishing.

That noon, a telegram arrived from Commander-in-Chief Gui Shuaizhen: "The brigade has been ordered to return to Nanjing for reorganization and replenishment. Your regiment's mission to cover the main force's retreat has been completed. The brigade has set up a reception and shelter station in Suzhou. Where is your regiment now? Immediately march to shake off the Japanese army and retreat! Retreat immediately!"

Song Hongfei told the communications staff officer, "Reply to the brigade: Our regiment has passed Anting and is rushing to Suzhou tonight, expected to arrive tomorrow morning."

Upon returning to Nanjing, Commander Gui was able to obtain the latest battle information from the Military Commission. He informed Song Hongfei of several pieces of intelligence:

"Qingpu and Nanxiang have fallen into enemy hands yesterday and today respectively. The enemy's 6th Division is launching a fierce attack on Baihegang, intending to rush straight to Kunshan. The main force of the 10th Army is advancing towards Jiaxing, Nanxun, and Wuxing. In addition, the 16th Division landed at Baimaokou on the Yangtze River this morning, outflanking and encircling the left flank of the army."

The 10th Army and the 16th Division launched a large-scale flanking maneuver on the north and south flanks, threatening the rear and deep rear of the enemy. This situation was exactly the same as the battle situation analysis made by Song Hongfei before heading to Shanghai.

However, the Japanese army's large-scale flanking strategy and mobility completely exceeded the expectations of all the high-ranking officers of the National Revolutionary Army.

This battle exposed too many weaknesses of our army: poor equipment, weak firepower, and failure to comprehensively consider and flexibly apply strategy and tactics. The two sides were vastly different in strength, and it was only a matter of time before we were defeated. However, the price we paid was too heavy.

"The Japanese army will come around to attack you, and both lines of defense fortifications will become useless." Song Hongfei sighed helplessly.

"War is a confrontation between systems, a contest of national power, and the highest level of strategic game. The role I can play is still too small. Even a transmigrator like me with special experiences has no special privileges..."

"On the contrary, it is even more saddening and unacceptable to be clearly aware of the tragedy of history but powerless to change it." A hint of desolation and helplessness was revealed in Song Hongfei's eyes.