The Flames of Resistance Against Japan in Jiangnan

Chief of Staff Hu Jiu, who had been leading his troops in ambush outside the city for some time, immediately ordered the four combat companies—the First, Second, and Third Companies, and the Special Service Company—to enter the city in an orderly and quiet manner. Once all five hundred-plus armed soldiers from the four companies had entered the city...

The remaining newly formed companies, under the command of Chief of Staff Hu Jiu, remained outside the city to be responsible for security equipment and to snipe any possible enemy reinforcements.

Xu Wenqing quickly convened a meeting with Company Commander Luo Daqiang (First Company), Li Dayong (Second Company), Liu Yuanhang (Third Company), and Yu Aimin (Special Service Company), to discuss the important military locations in the city that they had scouted during the day. These included the city defense camp of Fuliang County, the city defense command post, the weapons depot, and the prison where prisoners were held. The operational arrangements for the four companies were then made, and the battle plan was swiftly implemented.

The reconnaissance platoon, whose route they had already discovered, was assigned to act as guides for each company. They would lead the attack on these strategic locations within the city; capturing these places would mean that Fuliang County would be completely under their control.

Apart from the special operations company leaving behind a platoon, namely an engineer platoon, to guard the city gate and ensure it wouldn't be captured before their withdrawal, thus leaving a safe passage.

Xu Wenqing led the remaining soldiers of the special operations company to rescue the prisoners. Outside the prison, a company of guards was stationed.

To avoid casualties and problems with the soldiers imprisoned inside, Xu Wenqing decided to take a risk and try to see if he could take over the prison, which was defended by a company, with relatively low costs and in a safe manner.

The first battle was led by Li Dayong, the company commander of the Second Company, whose mission for the night was to capture the command post of the Fuliang County Security Regiment. Once they launched their attack...

The first company, led by Company Commander Luo Daqiang, set up an ambush on the street outside the camp, intending to catch the Daoxian city defense troops, who would surely rush to the rescue of the command post after hearing the gunfire, off guard.

As for the Third Company, under the leadership of Company Commander Liu Yuanhang, they would need to use some skill to capture the heavily guarded armory. To increase the Third Company's chances of success, He Zhengdao also assigned a combat platoon from the guard platoon to them.

Meanwhile, the mortar squads that have already learned how to use mortars will be split into two to support the battle of the 2nd and 3rd companies.

According to Xu Wenqing's orders, to avoid alerting the main force of the Jiangxi Army, tonight's operation must be swift and decisive. The goal is to withdraw from Fuliang County before dawn tomorrow and advance under cover of darkness towards Qimen County in southern Anhui. This will create an opportunity for a covert raid to capture the entire county and rescue the Red Army soldiers imprisoned there.

The first shot was fired by Li Dayong, the company commander of the 2nd Company. When the patrol team on the street in front of the command post saw a unit rushing towards the command post, they felt something was wrong. Before they could question them, the machine gunner of the 2nd Company fired his machine gun.

The rapid rattling of machine guns startled the garrison at the command post, who were standing nearby. When they looked in their direction, they saw the Red Army soldiers, clad in uniforms that struck fear into their hearts, had unknowingly infiltrated the city. And judging from their menacing manner, they were clearly heading for the command post.

Some soldiers, still half-asleep, were jolted awake by the White Army soldiers beside them. With a shout that the Red Army had entered the city, no one in the command post dared to sleep anymore. They scrambled to their posts in a panic. Watching the Red Army charging towards them, before they even entered firing range, the heavy machine gun positions in front of the command post launched a fierce counterattack.

Seeing the machine guns spitting fire in the night, Li Dayong knew that charging straight in would result in heavy casualties, prompting the accompanying artillery to quickly set up their cannons. As the four mortars were set up and began raining mortar shells upon their command post and machine gun positions, the defenders at the command post were utterly disheartened.

When did those Red Army soldiers, who couldn't even provide one rifle per soldier, suddenly acquire mortars? Could it be the main force of the Red Army attacking the city tonight? But I heard from my superiors that the Red Army has all fled to the Fujian-Jiangxi border region. Where did these Red Army soldiers come from?

These city defense battalion soldiers were confident they could handle ordinary guerrillas and small groups of Red Army troops. But against a Red Army force with artillery, they were no match. Looking at the endless barrage of shells falling from the heavy machine gun positions, the soldiers knew that if they didn't run, a shell would soon be landing on their heads.

Little did they know that watching every shot miss its mark left the Red Army artillerymen feeling truly bitter. Fortunately, Li Dayong understood that these hastily trained artillerymen only knew how to set up the cannon, how to fire, and how to aim. They wouldn't accidentally hit their own men, but achieving perfect accuracy like their regimental commander was out of the question.

As a result, seemingly aimless artillery fire, with one or two shots occasionally hitting the crowd, placed unspeakable pressure on the defending troops in the command post. Seeing that the machine gunners at the front positions had already fled without a fight, Li Dayong, seizing the opportunity, immediately shouted:

"Comrades, charge!"

At his command, the light machine gunners behind him charged forward fearlessly, suppressing the rifle fire from the command post and creating an opportunity for the infantry behind to close in and eliminate the enemy.

Although some Red Army soldiers still fell on the way of the charge, the security regiment soldiers, seeing the Red Army soldiers getting closer and closer, and knowing that if they didn't escape, they would be skinned alive by the Red Army, completely collapsed. They were chased and killed by the Red Army soldiers like ducks being herded.

It wasn't until a soldier from the security regiment, unable to run any further, threw down his gun, lay prone on the ground, raised his hands, and shouted "I surrender!" that he was spared by the charging Red Army. The other, equally untrained soldiers of the security regiment naturally followed suit, lying prone on the ground, waiting for the charging Red Army to kick them up one by one and drag them back to the already breached command post.

As the Second Company, under the command of Company Commander Li Dayong, began rapidly clearing the battlefield and interrogating prisoners, the security regiment soldiers stationed in the barracks, who had just heard the gunfire, were caught off guard by the First Company soldiers who had been lying in ambush. Following the security regiment soldiers who were frantically fleeing the barracks in terror, the soldiers charged into the camp in one fell swoop.

As for the Third Company attacking the Fuliang County arsenal, they faced the same situation at the command post. After their assigned artillery platoon fired several shells, one of which nearly hit the arsenal, the security regiment commander, fearing the inaccurate shell might strike the arsenal storing the weapons, questioned whether he had the courage to perish with it.