Rise from eight hundred.

Although the Chinese side won a great victory in the aerial bombing initiated by the Japanese army, there were losses both inside and outside Hengyang City!

There were traces of bombing on all the positions in the south of the city. Although more than a month of arduous tunnel digging had been carried out and the air defense alarm had been sounded five minutes in advance, and the officers and soldiers had all taken shelter in the air-raid shelters, there were still losses due to the powerful power of the Japanese army's heavy bombs.

For example, the entrance of an air-raid shelter at the foot of Yueping Mountain was collapsed by a 500-pound bomb, and the entire air-raid shelter was completely sealed with mud. There were a total of 10 staff members and soldiers from the observation post directly under the 70th Army Headquarters inside.

When the 4th Regiment Anti-Aircraft Battalion began to fight back, the officers and soldiers in the surrounding area who discovered this phenomenon began to excavate and rescue the air-raid shelter, but it was still too late.

After spending more than an hour digging up the soil, most of the people in the cave died due to exhaustion of oxygen, including a lieutenant colonel staff officer and an army captain company commander, leaving only 18 people alive.

Also suffering losses was the lookout observation post of the 10th Reserve Division, which was hidden in a forest behind the main heights of Zhangjiashan. It could overlook the entire southwest of the city and avoid artillery attacks.

But the heavy bombs dropped by Japanese planes had no such thing as a reverse slope. One bomb fell right on top of the observation post bunker. The 2-meter-thick soil layer, steel plates on top and logs as support were enough to withstand the bombardment of 150 heavy artillery, but in front of such a heavy bomb, it was as fragile as an eggshell, and the entire bunker was destroyed.

A communications squad member of the 10th Reserve Division who was on duty inside and Lieutenant Colonel Liu Dengcai, deputy chief of the Operations Section of the 10th Reserve Division's staff, died on the spot.

According to the final statistics of the entire southern position of the city, 232 officers and soldiers were killed and 358 were injured in the bombing, almost an entire infantry battalion was wiped out.

But the most serious situation is still in Hengyang City!

Before the Battle of Hengyang started, the Hengyang Command, under the leadership of Zhao Dengmai, had formulated a fire-fighting plan, planning to demolish every other house, so that even if a fire broke out, it would not burn the entire camp. Unexpectedly, there was still a loophole in the end.

All the fire brigades were evacuated with the city government, and most of the 5 young and strong people who stayed behind were residents of the city. That was their home, so how could they bear to tear down their own homes? The demolition progress was extremely slow, and with the Japanese army approaching step by step, digging various fortifications was the top priority. In the end, the original "demolishing houses to prevent fires" plan was not fully implemented.

As a result, the incendiary bombs dropped by the Japanese bomber groups were very effective and turned the entire Hengyang city into a sea of ​​fire.

The soldiers were all at the front lines and could not take care of these things, so they could only leave it all to the tens of thousands of young and strong men hiding in the city. Without any handy tools, tens of thousands of people could only shuttle through the sea of ​​fire and put out the fire with extremely crude manual methods such as buckets of water. You can imagine how inefficient this was.

Fortunately, Tang Dao had previously ordered the placement of critical supplies such as ammunition and food in underground tunnels or air-raid shelters 10 meters deep, thus avoiding greater accidents and preserving the ability to sustain long-term combat in the entire city of Hengyang.

Otherwise, this raging fire that ignited nearly half of the city would have prevented 7 soldiers and civilians from holding out for more than three days.

Fang Xianjue was also extremely grateful that he had listened to Tang Dao's advice and gave the basement of the Central Bank where his headquarters was located to the field hospital, otherwise the losses would have been unimaginable.

It turned out that during the nearly one month-long battle, the field hospital received more than 1800 seriously wounded soldiers, which obviously could not be accommodated in just one basement.

The several air-raid shelters dug around the field hospital were unable to accommodate all the wounded. Zhao Junmai, who was in charge of logistics, had no choice but to temporarily use a factory building as a ward in an area 300 meters away from the field hospital to accommodate 300 wounded soldiers. He originally planned to transfer these 300 wounded soldiers after one air-raid shelter was completed.

As a result, the Japanese bombing came.

In fact, even if it is temporary, this wounded soldier resettlement site has hoisted the "Red Cross flag" in accordance with international practice.

When the air raid alarm sounded, the medical staff were unable to evacuate all 300 wounded soldiers by carrying, supporting and lifting them, and more than 100 wounded soldiers were still stranded.

As a result, Japanese fighter planes dropped bombs specifically on the temporary base of the field hospital with a "Red Cross flag" flying, killing and burning more than 80 wounded soldiers on the spot, including medical staff who did not have time to evacuate, and only about 30 people survived.

In addition to sadness and anger, Fang Xianjue was more grateful. If the field hospital was on the ground, it would have been destroyed in this round of bombing.

How much does Fang Xianjue value the wounded? In the past, if there were not 8000 seriously wounded soldiers in Hengyang City, Fang Xianjue would never negotiate with the Japanese 11th Army, which had already run out of tricks. Fighting to the end was his only choice.

He didn't want the wounded soldiers who had fulfilled their military duties to die in vain, even if it meant risking their own reputation and military honor.

The major achievement of shooting down more than a dozen Japanese fighter planes of various types and the heavy losses in Hengyang City must be reported to the higher-ups. If things go well, they can also strive for some medicines and other supplies to be airdropped. Fang Xianjue now fully understands the truth that "crying children get candy".

Sure enough, the Military Commission’s commendation telegram came, and it stated that the medal would arrive soon.

This is also the new trick that person has come up with in recent days. Medals are not valuable, so he can just order the factory to work overtime to make them. Supplies will be airdropped anyway, so medals can also be airdropped?

  Therefore, starting from the fourth day, there would be a medal package in every round of airdrops. No matter whether you are from the 10th Army, the Four-Bank Regiment, or the Hengyang Garrison Regiment, as long as it is included in the report of military exploits, the Military Commission would issue it with a stroke of the pen!

On average, there are 1000 medals in each bag, which means more than 4000 medals in four days. Based on the number of soldiers in Hengyang City, that means an average of one medal for every six people!

That's a really great thing. Each infantry squad has at least one, and at most two or three. At this rate, it's only a matter of time before every soldier has one of those hanging on his chest.

No matter how good something is, it will become worthless once there are too many of them. Many soldiers would put these things that they rarely see in normal times to the company commander and ask if they could exchange them for ten or twenty dollars to give to their families.

In times like this where you have to risk your life all the time, not to mention that the medals are worthless and can't arouse people's interest, even a big yellow croaker wouldn't be that exciting, right?

Fang Xianjue was helpless about this and wanted to say to him: "Please be quiet. Even if you use this parachute to send more bullets to your son, it is better than that thing." But he knew his temper and knew that if he said this, he would lose everything.

But he did a lot more. When he heard that the temporary station of the field hospital was bombed by the Japanese, he sent another telegram after issuing the commendation order: "Use the blown-up wooden planks to build sheds, use broken door panels as the top cover, and use broken bricks as walls. It can not only protect against wind, rain and sunlight, but also protect against bomb fragments. And don't let my officers and soldiers sleep outdoors."

The officers and soldiers at the Hengyang Command could only be speechless at the caring and detailed micro-guidance.

As a commander, aren't you tired of paying attention to these details every day? If you have this time, wouldn't it be better for you to quickly mobilize the army to relieve the siege of Hengyang?

This speechless "losing the forest for the trees" is actually his daily routine. The Chinese generals have to get used to it even if they are not used to it. However, Stilwell, who was already the Chief of Staff of the China Theater, expressed his incomprehension and was greatly shocked for quite a long time!

For example, in 1942, when Stilwell just took over the Chinese Expeditionary Force, he demanded complete control of the army, but he soon discovered that the Chinese were far more talkative than practical.

The two deputy commanders-in-chief would listen to him 60% of the time, but they would obey the military orders from the person thousands of kilometers away 100%.

That would have been fine, after all, he was at least the commander of the Chinese theater. But the breadth of responsibilities this commander had was beyond Stilwell's comprehension.

For example, when the war in Burma was at its most critical, Stilwell, who was exhausted on the front line, received a telegram from the man in the mountain city, saying: "I know there are watermelons in Burma. I hope you can give one watermelon to every four Chinese soldiers!"

It is said that after receiving the telegram, Stilwell did not utter a word for half an hour, demonstrating with his actions what it means to be truly speechless.

Stilwell was a pure soldier. He sent a telegram to his American superiors to comment on his superiors in China: "Slight changes in the situation may cause major changes, but the orders of the commander 3000 kilometers away guide various actions and preparations. Many orders that cannot be made based on reality appear extremely stupid when they arrive!"

Obviously, a commander who wanted to implement his idea of ​​"loving soldiers like sons" when his soldiers had hardly seen him on the front line was doomed to be contradictory and fail. However, Stilwell dared to say so, but Fang Xian would never dare to do so. He could only hold his nose and pass on the order to the whole army, and then reply to the commander, saying that the concern of the supreme commander greatly boosted the morale of the army.

"Oh my god! I can sleep in an air-raid shelter where it's cool and I'm not afraid of being bombed by shells. Why should I live in a shack made of broken wood and bricks?" Luo Dahu stared with his eyes wide open to express his confusion.

He, an uneducated man, knew it, but he didn't believe that the other person didn't know it.

The army second lieutenant who led the team could only smile bitterly and had no way of answering the bewildered faces of his reserve soldiers.

Perhaps in that person's imagination, the tens of thousands of people in Hengyang City were a bunch of idiots, just standing on the ground waiting for the Japanese to drop bombs!

However, those who could stay in Hengyang City and hold their guns tightly when knowing that hundreds of thousands of Japanese troops were attacking fiercely were a bit stupid!

After this wave of ground-to-air warfare, there was a rare quiet inside and outside of Hengyang City. Japanese fighter planes almost stopped coming, and the sound of gunfire was less intense.

But the officers and soldiers of the Hengyang Command, led by Fang Xianjue, all knew that although the Japanese army had not taken any major military actions at present, this was just the calm before the storm, and a more fierce and brutal decisive battle might happen at any time.

The Hengyang Command issued a telegram ordering all units to take advantage of the rare gap to promptly reorganize and adjust troops, strengthen fortifications, and prepare for the upcoming new round of all-out offensive by the Japanese army.

After a month of fighting, all units had suffered casualties. The 10th Division, as the main force defending the south of the city, had lost a thousand officers and soldiers, and thousands were also seriously injured. The battle loss exceeded a quarter, and they had been in urgent need of reinforcements.

The 50,000 reserve troops in the city are the best supplement for the troops, but in order to express his respect for the people of Hengyang who voluntarily stayed in Hengyang City and made their own efforts, Fang Xianjue specifically emphasized in the military order that it can only be voluntary and not forced.

At the same time, propaganda personnel were sent to each reserve regiment to spread the message: "When the city is broken, no one will be safe!", and the reserve soldiers were told in detail how heavy the casualties of the Japanese army were.

  The Chinese people who have experienced seven years of war have long known what kind of people the Japanese are. Wasn't the Nanjing Massacre a retaliatory massacre of the people of Nanjing carried out by the Japanese army after they suffered 20,000 to 30,000 casualties?

Not to mention that the Battle of Hengyang has to continue. Just look at the current casualties. Once Hengyang city is broken, won’t everyone be killed to vent their anger?

What to do? Isn't it just a matter of doing it? Maybe you have a better chance of surviving if you take up the gun?

It is precisely driven by this mentality that many people in the reserve regiment are eager to try.

Each department then selected personnel from the reserve forces to supplement their ranks, and offered conditions to attract young and strong civilians to join.

For example, Commander Zeng Jing of the 10th Regiment of the 28th Reserve Division personally sat in charge of the recruitment office of the 28th Regiment. There were a total of 400 places available, and the first 20 applicants would each be rewarded with 4 boxes of Japanese canned meat and a big red flower. Anyone who passed the shooting test in the trenches would be directly awarded the rank of private.

At dusk, the 28th Regiment's recruitment office was packed with people. All 400 vacancies were snapped up, and Captain Zeng was so happy that he almost smiled from ear to ear.

The 190th Division directly dispatched its heroic battalion commander Yang Jihe to sit in the conscription office. They did not offer any rewards, but instead sent someone with a loud speaker to tell about Yang Jihe's military exploits and achievements, including the exploit of killing hundreds of Japanese soldiers while they were halfway across the river some time ago.

At first Yang Jihe felt a little uncomfortable, but after a while he got numb and sat quietly at the registration office as the mascot of the 190th Division.

  However, this trick is also very useful. The civilians are not stupid. With such a heroic battalion commander as their leader, the probability of surviving by following him is obviously greater. So when is the best time to sign up?

It only took 4 hours to recruit all 190 vacancies for the 586th Regiment of the 400th Division.

The Four-Line Group is of course also recruiting people, but their quota is obviously smaller, only 300 people.

Firstly, the casualties of the 4th Rank Regiment were not that heavy. Secondly, the 4th Rank Regiment was different from other infantry regiments. While others used rewards, the 4th Rank Regiment had strict requirements. There were no restrictions on registration, but whether or not one could be selected depended on physical condition.

四行团的征兵处由山地步兵连英雄排长龙岩亲自坐镇，他对报名者就提出两个条件：一、抱起那个100斤废炮管走20米；二、围着周长大约6公里的衡阳城跑一圈，时间28分钟之内；三、能计算100以内算术题。

Everyone can understand that strength and endurance are the basis for becoming an elite soldier, but this third condition is a bit weird.

In this era, probably less than one in ten people could afford to go to school, including the soldiers of the Four Line Regiment. Before joining the Four Line Regiment, no more than one in five could write their own names. And now, when they come to recruit soldiers, they require you to be able to do arithmetic. You're not going to get admitted to the Whampoa Military Academy.

Many young and strong men who came here because of the reputation of the Four-Line Group suddenly started to make a commotion.

"Who said that you only need a healthy body to be a soldier?" Platoon Leader Long was not afraid of this, and rolled his eyes and pointed at his head. "You still need brains to fight. Without brains, you don't know when to advance and when to retreat. If you go to the front line, you will die. So I advise you not to go."

There was nothing wrong with what he said, and it sounded reasonable, so the noisy voices immediately died down.

"Of course, I understand your situation. Brains don't necessarily rely on arithmetic to perform. So, I'll make a decision. Anyone who can run for 25 minutes can be exempted from the third item. I'll teach you how to use your brains when you get to the army.

In addition, I have one more thing to announce. As long as you pass our Four Lines Corps assessment and become a soldier of the Four Lines Corps, the military pay for the first three months will be distributed to your reported home by the designated Chamber of Commerce. If your family members have fled to Guilin or Liuzhou, the Chamber of Commerce will also send people to find them and distribute them. "Long Yan smiled like a fox who had just stolen a fat chicken.

When you join the army, you will receive three months' salary! And they will also try their best to send it home. This is undoubtedly what the young and strong people care about the most.

The young and strong people who had come here originally with the ambition to join the Four Lines Group suddenly became quiet. They were all ready to fight to the death, ready to pass this test.

"Platoon leader, you are too harsh. 25 meters in 6000 minutes. We couldn't even do that in the training when we first joined the army!" a soldier muttered.

"Stupid, there are 40,000 to 50,000 young and strong people in this city. Why not select the best of them? You couldn't do it then, and now the enemy is heavily armed. The commander of the regiment said that the human body has great potential. If you don't push it, who knows what will happen?" Long Yan said.

"Then platoon leader, what do you think 28 plus 83 equals? I just looked at the problem and tried to figure it out for a long time. Can you teach me?" The soldier scratched his head.

"Get out! The fact that you ask me about this broken thing proves that you don't have much brains." Long Yan kicked the brainless man away.

I'm just bringing up something that's not relevant. Can I run around the city for 20 minutes to show you?

Luo Dahu: I will run in 25 minutes even if I die! For three months of military pay, so that my wife and children can have food to eat in the future.

"The Chinese in the city are frantically deploying troops!" The rumbling sound of running scared the 6th Infantry Regiment on the east bank of the Xiangjiang River.

All Japanese troops immediately took up their positions to prevent a Chinese counterattack.

Little did they know that there were only a few thousand people running in the city. (End of this chapter)