Songhu: Never Give Up

Chapter 78 Bloody Treasure Mountain (1)

At the Wusongkou Fort, a large number of bombers flew over the defenders' positions. Strings of aerial bombs dropped from the sky, destroying sections of fortifications. Countless Kuomintang soldiers were engulfed by the explosions. The defending 98th Division suffered heavy casualties, and the defense line was in jeopardy.

As soon as the aircraft group left, groups of naval gun shells came again, row after row, as if to wipe the Wusongkou position off the map;
Compared with the Lion Grove Fort, the Wusongkou Fort was the focus of the Japanese attack.
The open battlefield makes it easier for the Japanese to deploy their troops and firepower.

The large-caliber naval guns at sea can cover the entire position, and many of them are heavy artillery of more than 200 mm. The 98th Regiment of the 588th Division, which has held out for a day, has suffered more than half of its casualties.

If there had not been the variable of the 527th Regiment, the 588nd Battalion of the 2th Regiment would have been guarding the Lion Grove Fort, and after a day of fierce fighting, the entire army was wiped out;

Now there was one more battalion at the Wusongkou position, so they held on for half a day longer, but this did not change the overall situation.

The Third Division had obviously lost its patience. Judging from the intensity of their firepower preparation, the Japs were about to launch a general attack.

The commander of the 588th Regiment was keenly aware of this and said to several battalion commanders:
"Brothers, there is nothing to be afraid of. We will fight to the death. As long as we are alive, we will be at the battlefield!"

When the Japanese infantrymen swarmed towards the Wusongkou position, the commander of the 588th Regiment led the regiment to push forward and a desperate fight broke out between the two sides.
The 588th Regiment fought with all the bravery of the National Army, but the Japanese had too many troops and were outnumbered, and eventually their positions were breached.

The officers and soldiers of the 588th Regiment were almost completely killed or wounded and were no longer able to do anything. The regiment commander led the remaining troops to withdraw from the position. The Wusongkou Fort fell. The 68th Regiment of the rd Division of the Japanese Army was the first to complete the landing, and the first vanguard battalion headed straight for Baoshan.

Compared to the "exaggerated" 11th Division, the 3rd Division's achievements were actually achieved. This division had been fighting in China since it landed at Wusongkou in another time and space.

It was the only Class A division that fought throughout the entire battlefield in China. It was extremely fierce and was recognized as the most powerful division in the Japanese army.

The Sixth, Fifth, and Second Divisions could only contend for second place, and no one questioned their leadership of the Third Division, which had committed heinous crimes in China.

In Baoshan City, Yao Ziqing, the third battalion commander of the 98rd Regiment of the 583th Division, looked very serious. He said to several company commanders:
"The Third Division has already breached the Wusongkou Fort, and the defenders have suffered almost all casualties. The right wing gate of Baoshan City is wide open;

The Lion Grove Fort on the left wing was also under siege by the 11th Division. The 88th Regiment of the 527th Division had held its ground for two days, but the Japanese had not made any progress.

The Lion Grove Fort was strategically located and was easy to defend but difficult to attack, so the Japanese focused their efforts on breaking through Baoshan City, which was located in the middle.
If the Japanese army wants to continue advancing to Liuhe, Luodian, Yangxing, and Zhanghuabin, and then expand its control over the Shanghai area, it must occupy Baoshan. "

Following the introduction by Captain Yao, the company commanders suddenly felt the heavy burden on their shoulders and their expressions became serious. After all, they only had a battalion, while the Japanese were an A-class division.

Captain Yao graduated from the sixth class of the Whampoa Military Academy and was a classmate of Yue Qianli. They even shared the same bunk beds in the same dormitory.
Therefore, he still pays close attention to his old classmates who have already made a name for themselves, and they are also the ones he highly respects. He went on to say:
"Yue Qianli, the second battalion commander of the 527th Regiment who defended the Lion Grove, was my old classmate. They had held the Lion Grove for two days with only one battalion.
What the 527nd Battalion of the 2th Regiment can do, the 583rd Battalion of the 3rd Regiment can do as well. I don’t know how long we can hold out. If the devils want to occupy Baoshan City, they can just walk over our corpses. As long as we are there, we will be there! "

Everyone stood up to express their opinions. For a moment, the crowd was excited and murderous.

Then Captain Yao adjusted Baoshan's defense and said to the others:

"Brothers, as the Art of War says, to defend a city, one must defend the periphery. The Japanese are coming aggressively, and Jinjiagang is where they must pass. The terrain there is very suitable for ambushes.
I decided to gather all the main forces of the battalion to strike them hard at Jinjiagang first, and severely kill their fighting spirit..."

That afternoon, at Jinjia Lane, Captain Wu Kesong, the commander of the 3rd Battalion's ambush position, excitedly reported to Captain Yao:
"Captain, the Japanese are coming. There are at least several hundred of them in the vanguard. Shall we fight?"

Captain Yao said with a firm look:

"beat!

Although there are more Japs, we are prepared. The Japs are chasing us all the way and are extremely aggressive. This is a good opportunity to ambush them."

The company commander excitedly took the order and left. After staying in the battalion headquarters for a while, Battalion Commander Yao was still a little worried, so he took a few guards to the ambush position.

A few hundred meters away, Major Kumaichi Miyauchi led several hundred Japanese soldiers and came with murderous intent. Captain Miki, the squadron leader, warned him vigilantly:
"Captain, Jinjia Lane is ahead. We are very close to Baoshan City. Should we wait for the main force of the regiment to arrive before entering?"

Major Miyauchi said nonchalantly:
“Mr. Sanmu, the Chinese have been routed and defeated like a mountain, and they have not organized any decent resistance along the way;

Now is the best time for us to establish meritorious service. By the time the main force of the regiment arrives, the Chinese will have already fled. Will there be any fat meat for us to eat?"

Captain Miki thought that it was true. As long as they could capture Baoshan Castle, they would have made great achievements. Baoshan Castle might be an empty city now. He immediately flattered Major Miyauchi:
"Captain, you are still far-sighted. It is said that Baoshan City only has one battalion of soldiers guarding it. They may have been scared and fled the city. The Imperial Army will be able to pick them up if they rush over."

"Mr. Miki, I hope they can stay in Baoshan City and hold on. This will be more challenging. What's the point of having an empty city? It won't show the power of our Third Division!"

After Major Miyauchi finished speaking, the two old Japanese soldiers laughed arrogantly and continued to advance with the troops.

Soon their search team entered the ambush circle. Battalion Commander Yao did not touch them and let them go. Naturally, the third company that was lagging behind would deal with them.

Captain Yao led the 98st Company, the 2nd Company and the Machine Gun Company to ambush in the main position. The 6th Division was affiliated to the th Army of the Civil Engineering Department, which was the direct line of the Central Army, so its equipment was not bad. The Machine Gun Company was equipped with mortars and Maxim heavy machine guns. These were the "surprises" prepared by Captain Yao for the Japanese, and all were deployed on the left wing;
Battalion Commander Yao's ambush deployment was that the first company was at the front, and the machine gun company was on the left wing where the terrain was the highest. This would give full play to the advantage of side firepower and serve as the firepower provider for the entire battalion.

The Second Company ambushed on the right wing, intercepting the Japanese who were breaking out to the right wing. It was a standard three-sided ambush. Once the Japanese were defeated and fled to the north, the main force of the First Battalion could chase after them and inflict the greatest damage on them.

The Japanese search team was also eager to make a contribution, and did not fulfill their duties at all. They just symbolically fired a few rounds of bullets on both sides of the official road, and then headed straight for Baoshan City;

Shortly after they left, the Japanese devils from the Miyauchi Battalion formed two attack formations and rushed forward in a reckless manner.

"Battalion Commander, the Japanese have entered our pocket. Shall we fight?"

After Captain Yao arrived, Wu Kesong consciously handed over the command to him. Captain Yao was not polite and immediately ordered:

"Kill the devils!"

(End of this chapter)