The Flames of Resistance Against Japan in Jiangnan

The political instructor and company commander of the Sixth Company walked back and forth in the trenches, constantly shouting encouraging words to the soldiers:

"Don't be nervous, don't be afraid, stay calm and fight back. Perseverance will lead to victory! We still have the 3rd Battalion and the 55th Regiment as our reserves."

"The more dangerous the place, the safer it is!"

When Xu Wenqing led his team to withdraw from the position, he turned around and found that Lao Dao, the company commander of the Fifth Company, was missing. He hurriedly arranged for the political instructor of the Fifth Company to lead his men to retreat, while he and his guards returned to the position.

Instead of lying prone in the trench, Lao Dao and Ma Xiaoer put on handmade camouflage uniforms they hadn't worn in a while and hid in a large bomb crater left by the enemy. The two prepared to work together to kill the enemy. Lao Dao had personally dyed these uniforms during previous training, and they blended in almost perfectly with the smoke-filled environment around them.

After killing yet another enemy, watching the man fall backward, blood gushing from his chest, he gave Ma Xiaoer a thumbs-up, praising his competence. Just as he was about to bask in a sense of inexplicable pride, a bullet whizzed past his ear, startling him so much that he quickly lay down in a shell crater to find another hiding place.

Bullets flew erratically through the air. Lao Dao fired two shots and moved to a different spot. With Ma Xiao Er's observation and assistance, he killed four Zhejiang Army officers who led the charge and three machine gunners. Pulling the trigger, aiming, and firing, Lao Dao kept repeating this routine.

Suddenly, a series of "rat-a-tat-tat" sounds rang out. The words "heavy machine gun" flashed through his mind. He looked up and searched, and Ma Xiaoer, who was hiding in a shell crater nearby as an observer, quickly pointed him in the direction.

Old Dao immediately aimed his gun at that spot and spotted a heavy machine gun spitting fire 300 meters ahead. He quietly chose his firing position, then had Ma Xiaoer lie at the bottom of a shell crater and use the gun to lift his military cap and shake it repeatedly. The enemy fell for it, and a burst of heavy machine gun bullets flew in, instantly tearing the cap apart.

Old Dao, already loaded with bullets, immediately aimed at the enemy machine gunner and fired. Every shot hit its mark, killing him instantly. Ma Xiao'er, not to be outdone, took advantage of the weakened enemy fire, rolled over from the bottom of the pit, and fired at the enemy who hadn't had time to take cover, continuing until Old Dao crawled nearby and signaled for a change of position. By the time the enemy realized what was happening and tried to retaliate, the two had already swiftly moved to a new location, preparing to fire at new targets.

Just as Lao Dao spotted a new target, the target was hit first by a bullet fired from behind. Dissatisfied, Ma Xiaoer turned around to see who was being unfair, only to find the division commander lying there with a gun, gesturing for them to go back. With no other option, the two, still somewhat unsatisfied, had to sneak back to their position.

As the sun set, Xu Wenqing knew it was time to prepare for the evacuation. He grabbed the phone and immediately ordered the 56th Regiment to evacuate. Shuicun would be guarded by the Special Service Battalion Guard Company of the Special Service Regiment. The 56th Regiment would then evacuate at 7 p.m. to rejoin the Special Service Regiment. The 56th Regiment would withdraw to the vicinity of Mengshan to await orders.

After establishing contact with Fengshan, the 2nd Battalion of the 57th Regiment was ordered to withdraw to the vicinity of Ma'anling at 6:00 AM to stand guard and await rendezvous with the main force of the regiment.

Through observation, Xu Wenqing discovered that the Zhejiang army's attacks were becoming increasingly fierce and the intervals between them were getting shorter. This indicated that the enemy's next attack would be even more frenzied, with more assault troops, stronger firepower, and more aggressive charges.

In order to ensure a smooth withdrawal, he planned that if the enemy dared to attack Mengshan again before dark, he would use the weapons that the machine gun battalion had prepared the day before to give the invading Zhejiang army a heavy blow, making them suffer heavy losses and deterring them from making any rash moves.

At the headquarters of the Zhejiang East Garrison Division at the foot of the mountain, Division Commander Wang Bin found it unbelievable. The Red Army on the mountain seemed indestructible. The attack lasted for a whole day, but Mengshan was still firmly in the hands of the enemy, and he had already paid the price of six or seven hundred Zhejiang East soldiers' lives.

How many Red Army soldiers were there exactly?

Wang Bin was unsure:

"Judging from the gunfire, there aren't many people, so why are they being killed so relentlessly?"

"Concentrate our main attack here and break through the Red Army's first line of defense."

Wang Bin pointed to a point on the map and said to the chief of staff in a somber voice:

"In the next attack, our division's 1st Garrison Regiment and the attached 1st Security Regiment will serve as the first echelon, responsible for the main assault and breaking through side by side. The attached Independent Regiment of the Command Headquarters will follow as the second echelon, and the remaining troops will serve as reserves. Success or failure hinges on this!"

The chief of staff looked at the location Wang Bin pointed out and felt it was quite suitable. Judging from the results of today's attack, the resistance in this area was relatively weak.

"Yes, Commander, I will notify all regiments immediately!"

The air raid sirens sounded again, and everyone on the position crouched low and retreated along the trenches to the outside. Less than a minute after they had taken cover or air raid shelters, enemy planes began dropping bombs from the sky. Simultaneously, the Zhejiang army's artillery bombardment began again, this time far more intense than before. Cannons roared like a storm, shells of various calibers rained down, and the dust kicked up by the explosions obscured the sky. Clods of earth fell from the air.

In a desperate gamble, Wang Bin, the commander-in-chief of the Zhejiang Army's frontline forces, reorganized the air raids and artillery bombardments, even using incendiary bombs. The exploding gasoline bombs splattered all over the mountains, and the shattered trees burst into flames, turning the white mist into a frenzied, shimmering red sea. Shrapnel, gravel, broken branches, and withered leaves, carrying various tones of deathly silence—some faint, some violent, some shrill, some deep—splashed through the air.

Ma Xiaoer huddled tightly in a corner of the air-raid shelter. Amidst the dense explosions, he felt the ground beneath him tremble and throb like a giant, vibrating drum. The deafening explosions seemed to emanate from underground, foreshadowing the imminent collapse of the position. Soil and pebbles were sent flying high into the air, covering his back. He felt as if the entire world was shattering into pieces amidst the heart-wrenching roar, plummeting into an endless abyss…

The trenches, fortifications, and bunkers that the Zhejiang army had painstakingly built finally completed their mission and collapsed layer by layer.

Ma Xiaoer struggled to crawl out from under the heavy weight of the rocks and weeds covering him. The violent explosion had already made his head buzz, and he could only see stars and everything was blurry.

His mouth was full of sand and grit, which crunched between his teeth. After spitting out several mouthfuls of saliva, he rubbed his eyes and looked around, trying to see the company's position and the situation of his comrades. But all he saw was flying dust and blinding smoke. Even the setting sun, which had been lingering in the sky, lost its luster and hid behind a gray cloud after witnessing the tragic scene of the war.