War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1625 Death Charge

Chapter 1625 Death Charge

Amid the rumbling of the cannon, the biting horse carrying Wei Ran galloped for its life. From time to time, around them, cavalrymen were hit by shrapnel or bullets, rolling and falling into a ball, and no more movement was made.

  Not only the regiment led by Ma Jintao was retreating, but also those who came from the surrounding areas to reinforce and those who had been fighting desperately here were all retreating, withdrawing from the shelling area!

In the desperate rush, the cavalry finally returned to their own position after riding over a mound.

A lot of soldiers had been temporarily transferred here to hastily form a defense line, and among them there were even some civilian laborers who were found from nowhere to help dig trenches.

"Gather the Team"

Ma Jintao gave an order to Wei Ran, threw the word "Shao" to him, and rode his horse towards a signalman who was signaling with flags at an abandoned farmhouse not far away.

"Everyone gather here!" Wei Ran blew the whistle, calling on the remaining cavalry to gather together.

After an inventory, there were only about 150 cavalrymen left in this cavalry regiment, and less than 20 pistol soldiers still alive.

Fortunately, there were no seriously injured soldiers among the more than 150 cavalrymen. Not far behind them, there was no sound of gunfire coming from the position guarded by Zhao Jinyu and his men.

On the other hand, most of the rest of the cavalry regiments were in better condition than them, but not much better. Especially a small number of them were still crying, obviously having been attacked by poison gas bombs.

But what worried him was that most of the cavalrymen who had survived, whether in their regiment or in other regiments, had more or less fear on their faces.

Wei Ran did not laugh at them for this. It was very commendable that they had not been defeated even though the enemy had suffered such heavy casualties in this battle where the strength disparity between them was huge.

"Captain, please take a picture for us."

In the cavalry, a young soldier who looked to be in his early twenties said, "We probably won't survive. Please take a picture of us."

"Yes, Captain, take a picture for us." More cavalry soldiers requested. They all knew that Wei Ran had a camera in his hand.

"it is good"

Wei Ran nodded slightly, reached into his saddle bag as a cover to take out Robert's camera, and at the same time saw the joy on the faces of the cavalrymen around him.

Sighing silently, Wei Ran took advantage of this brief period of time to take a few photos of the more than one hundred surviving cavalrymen.

Before he could take a few photos of other cavalry regiments, Ma Jintao also rode over on horseback.

"Captain, what is our mission?"

One of the cavalrymen asked impatiently, "The captain took a picture of us. Now we don't have to worry about death."

After a brief silence, Ma Jintao sighed and said, "Let's retreat."

“Retreat?!”

Everyone was stunned. Some showed a look of relief on their faces, while others held their blood-stained sabers tightly with reluctance.

"That's right, retreat." Ma Jintao said, "There is a bridge 5 miles to the west, let's deploy our defense there."

After a short pause, Ma Jintao added, "Call Zhao Jinyu and have him take the people at the position with him."

"We don't want our position anymore?" one of the cavalrymen asked unwillingly.

"We can't defend here. We can only abandon our position and retreat."

Ma Jinta shook his head and stopped explaining, "Go and inform Jin Yu, we'll set off now."

"you go"

Wei Ran said to the young soldier who suggested taking a photo.

The latter gritted his teeth, slapped the warhorse's butt with the saber in his hand, and ran towards the position guarded by Zhao Jinyu and his men not far away.

"lets go"

After Ma Jintao finished speaking, he rode his horse and was the first to run away.

"Go, go."

Wei Ran also muttered something and rode his horse to catch up. He put away his camera and reloaded his two box guns with bullets.

Halfway through the journey, Zhao Jinyu also caught up on horseback, shouting in dissatisfaction about what was going on.

"How many poison gas bombs are left?" Ma Jitao did not answer Zhao Jinyu's question, but instead asked about what he was concerned about.

“All 10 rounds are here.”

Zhao Jinyu said with increasing dissatisfaction, "The Japanese on the other side are as obedient as if they were dead. Why are we losing our formation?"

"The Japanese troops landing over there are about to attack us."

Wei Ran helped explain, "We can only retreat now, otherwise we will be trapped."

"Then let's just run away like this."

"Let's guard that bridge."

Ma Jintao finally explained, "The engineering company has already gone over there. They will place bombs on the bridge. We only have a chance if we retreat to the other side of the Shaying River."

"Is it just our group?" Wei Ran asked the question he had been wanting to ask.

"There are several other cavalry regiments that were crippled."

Ma Jintao explained very bluntly, "Our regiments can no longer charge into the battle line, otherwise..."

"What else?" Zhao Jinyu asked urgently.

“Fear of mutiny”

Ma Jintao sighed worriedly. The casualty rate of this cavalry regiment had already exceeded 60%. Even he, the regiment commander, and the two company commanders, Zhao Jinyu and Wei Ran, were all acting.

The reason they were dispatched to charge and kill just now was because there were really no more troops available at that time.

Now that the momentum of the Japanese attack has been temporarily curbed, their regiments that are about to be wiped out will naturally have to withdraw.

Zhao Jinyu was also shocked by this four-word explanation, and finally she didn't ask any further questions.

"How many machine guns do we have?" Ma Jintao continued to ask.

"There are quite a few, about 20, but there aren't many bullets."

Zhao Jinyu immediately replied that this number was indeed luxurious for their team, which only had more than 150 cavalrymen plus about 100 wounded soldiers and logistics soldiers, but don’t forget that before the rounds of fighting, this was a cavalry regiment, a cavalry regiment with a special forces company!

"Where are the grenades?" Ma Jintao continued to ask.

"There are quite a few. It's no problem for each person to get five or six."

Zhao Jinyu paused and continued to explain, "And the fire attack jars, we just made another forty or fifty of them."

"You brought them all?"

"I've brought it, I definitely have." Zhao Jinyu said quickly.

"Speed ​​up, we don't have much time." Ma Jintao said, urging his horse to speed up.

Although the order was to guard the bridge over the Shaying River, they actually stopped when they were still one kilometer away from the bridge. At this time, there were already civilians digging trenches, and the trenches had already taken shape.

After Ma Jintao and other cavalry troops who withdrew from the front line had a discussion, they barely put together a remnant cavalry regiment of five or six hundred people and hastily allocated the defensive positions of this trench.

Led by one of the messengers, the war horses were hidden behind a mound more than a hundred meters behind the trench. Many cavalrymen, logistical support soldiers and even the wounded immediately entered the trenches they were responsible for with their weapons.

Fortunately, in addition to the grenade launcher and ten precious poison gas bombs brought by Zhao Jinyu himself, Wei Ran's regiment's cavalry artillery company also survived with two mortars and three artillery shells.

Before the regimental commanders and acting regimental commanders could discuss how to fight the battle, wounded soldiers were already being withdrawn from the front line in a steady stream, hurrying along the edge of their trenches towards the vague bridge behind them.

Although the bridge was not clear, Wei Ran could clearly see the condition of the wounded man on the horse.

Blisters on the hands, face and neck, painful hoarse wails and bloodshot eyes - those are the typical symptoms of exposure to corrosive agents!

Looking at the cavalrymen around him who were busy deepening the trenches, Wei Ran hesitated for a moment and finally suppressed his speculation about the battle situation ahead, and worked hard to dig up the wet yellow sand with the captured Japanese engineering shovel.

This almost one-sided battle did not give them much time to prepare. As more and more wounded soldiers and even the main force began to retreat, the messenger also brought a new order - to cover the rear.

"Yes!"

Several regiment commanders or acting regiment commanders, including Ma Jintao, accepted this desperate order, which was tantamount to suicide, without a second thought. They led their soldiers to watch the wounded and large troops hurriedly run past the position and ran towards the bridge that was so close to them.

Gradually, the sounds of artillery, gunfire and even the roar of the Japanese tanks came closer and closer, and people could gradually see the enemies approaching from a distance with their naked eyes.

"pony!"

In the trench, a strong man with a beard and bare chest shouted with full energy.

"Here!" Ma Jintao subconsciously stood at attention and straightened his chest.

"My wounded soldiers are in your care!"

The shirtless sturdy man had already drawn his saber as he spoke, "Gar boys! We cavalrymen must die the way cavalrymen do! Four grenades per person! Charge with me!"

"Charge! Charge! Charge!" The less than one hundred remaining cavalrymen under the regiment commander shouted, waving their sabers.

"Come with me!"

After the shirtless leader finished speaking, he walked towards the sand dunes where the horses were hidden not far away, holding a saber in one hand and a box gun in the other!

"Xiao Ma! I'm also leaving my wounded soldiers to you, damn it, hold the position!"

Another regiment commander pulled out the saber stuck in the sand while speaking, "Boys! Take the grenades! Go fuck the Japanese's mother!"

"Fuck its mother!"

The cavalrymen under the commander also shouted in unison, drew their sabers, picked up grenades, and followed them to the sand dunes where their regiment had hidden its horses.

In the trenches, the wounded soldiers and even Ma Jintao's men could only watch helplessly as their compatriots voluntarily went to die.

"Brother-in-law! Let's..."

"Shut up! Hold your ground!"

  Ma Jintao glared at Zhao Jinyu before he finished speaking, then he explained loudly, "I, Ma Jintao, am not afraid of death. Now someone must charge into the battle formation to stop the Japanese and buy time for the retreating main force. But someone must also guard here to prevent the Japanese from passing through! Guys! Brothers and uncles! None of us cavalrymen are afraid of death!

The only difference today is whether you die early or late. If someone charges, someone else must hold the position! Listen to my orders! Load the bullets! Listen to my whistle and prepare to fire! "

"Yes!"

In the long trench line, the remaining cavalry and the remaining wounded roared in response to the orders.

"Jin Yu! Get the fire attack jar ready!"

"ignition!"

Following Zhao Jinyu's order, the wounded soldiers and orderly soldiers under his command immediately lit the torches prepared in advance and poked them on the trench line, and then placed wine jars filled with fuel and yellow sand at their side.

Almost at the same time, the two regiment commanders rushed out with their few remaining cavalrymen when Wei Ran pressed the shutter, rushing towards the pursuing Japanese and tanks against the retreating troops, and rushing towards the deadly poisonous fog.

"I'm not leaving!"

At this moment, a wounded soldier with blisters on his body roared hoarsely, rolled over and fell off the stretcher. He ignored Wei Ran who subconsciously pressed the shutter at him, stumbled a few steps towards the trench, and saluted with difficulty, "Captain Ma, give me a gun, or give me a saber."

"Puff! Puff!"

Before Ma Jintao agreed, several more wounded soldiers fell off the stretchers on their own initiative. Some of them had scary translucent blisters all over their bodies, some were wrapped in bandages, and some had broken legs or arms. They only survived by the ropes tightly around their wounds.

Under Ma Jintao's panicked gaze and as Wei Ran pressed the shutter again and again, the wounded supported each other and walked into the trenches, spontaneously filling the positions vacated by the cavalry who had just left, picked up the carbines left behind by the cavalry who had charged to their deaths, and loaded the weapons in their hands with bullets amid the sound of mechanical collisions.

"This is the backbone of the Chinese people!"

  Ma Jintao clenched his saber and murmured, his blood-red eyes fixed on the cavalry team that had already engaged the enemy in the distance, watching them charge, fall, explode, detour, charge again, and fall again.

until

Until the number of cavalrymen became fewer and fewer, until the ownerless war horses ran wildly because of the severe pain caused by the cuts made on their buttocks by their masters in their lifetime, and finally exploded one after another on the Japanese charge path with the four grenades in their saddle bags.

Thanks to the desperate cover of this cavalry, the main force was able to keep some distance and quickly retreat to the other side of the Shaying River while avoiding the Japanese artillery fire.

During this process, more and more wounded people decided to stay - this was completely different from the historical records that Wei Ran had learned.

  Finally, the Japanese were getting closer and closer, and their tanks were getting closer and closer, so close that they were within the range of rifles and even box guns, but Ma Jintao never blew the whistle!

During the anxious wait, the nearest tank was less than 20 meters away from the trench line!

"Beep!" Ma Jintao finally blew the whistle!

"Ta-ta-ta-ta!"

For a moment, all the machine guns deployed on this trench line opened fire at the same time, covering the enemies that were close at hand!

At the same moment, another part of the cavalry who had been prepared swung their arms and threw out the grenades and fire pots that had been prepared long ago!

Amid the rumbling sounds of explosions, the fastest tanks were set on fire and stopped one after another, and the Japanese soldiers following behind the tanks fell to the ground under the double blow of grenades and machine guns.

"Poison gas bomb!" Ma Jintao gave a new order, Zhao Jinyu immediately set up the grenade launcher, and Wei Ran immediately took a poison gas bomb in one hand and prepared himself.

"Tom!"

Four seconds after the order was given, the first poison gas bomb was fired at the minimum range. At this time, there was no need to aim at all.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

  Amid the intensive sound of firing, Zhao Jinyu desperately pulled the trigger again and again, while also slightly changing the throwing direction of the grenade launcher laterally. Wei Ran sent the remaining poison gas bombs into the grenade launcher one by one. With tacit cooperation, the two of them fired at a speed of nearly one shot per second!

After all ten grenades were fired, panicked screams were heard from the Japanese charging formation, and even the momentum of the attack slowed down.

However, at this moment, a breeze blew from behind Wei Ran and the others, pushing the poisonous fog to a farther direction.

  This unexpected surprise made the rest of the cavalry more enthusiastic in throwing grenades and firing!

"If you can still ride a horse, throw the grenade and follow me!"

Ma Jintao called out and was the first to run along the communication trench towards the sand dunes behind the trench, crouching down.

After receiving the order, both Wei Ran and Zhao Jinyu did not hesitate at all, picked up their sabers and ran towards the sand dunes where the horse was hidden.

"Let's charge from the side and kill as many people as we can."

Ma Jintao said as he had already climbed onto his horse. "Brothers, let's sacrifice our lives! Get on the horses!"

Following the order, more than 150 cavalrymen who were still able to fight mounted their horses without hesitation.

"Special Forces Company! Charge!" Ma Jintao shouted his most familiar slogan at this critical moment of life and death.

"Qiang! Qiang! Qiang!"

Those cavalrymen also responded in the most familiar way - including Wei Ran.

"Open the gate of heaven!"

Following Ma Jintao's roar, everyone subconsciously leaned sideways and forward, while lowering their shoulders and elbows to clench their sabers!

  With the impact of the stirrups, the warhorse, having sensed something, ran at a speed never before achieved!

"puff!"

Wei Ran’s first knife easily slashed across the neck of a Japanese soldier.

Without even lifting it up, the saber was gently placed on the shoulders of the second and third Japanese soldiers.

Thanks to the bonus brought by the poisonous fog, their losses in the first round of attack were not that great, and they gained quite a lot.

Moreover, the machine guns in their own positions also cooperated with them extremely tacitly, almost sticking to the heads and tails of the horses of the charging team to suppress them!

However, when they started the second round of attack, the machine guns in the Japanese tanks had already reacted, and those infantrymen who were lucky enough not to be affected by the poisonous fog had also begun to raise their guns to fight back.

"puff!"

Wei Ran once again chopped off the arm of a Japanese soldier, and his leg was also stabbed by a Japanese soldier's bayonet.

"clang!"

During the chopping, which was slightly deformed due to the thigh injury and difficulty in exerting force, the saber in Wei Ran's hand collided with the rifle that the Japanese soldier subconsciously held horizontally.

  The high speed brought by the horse's running easily knocked over the Japanese soldier, but the opponent's subconscious blocking caused the saber in Wei Ran's hand, which was already full of gaps, to break into two pieces!

Throwing away the remaining half of the saber, Wei Ran directly pulled out the box gun and fired a series of fan-shaped bullets while running wildly.

After emptying the bullets in two box guns, they rushed to the other side again - at this time, there were less than a hundred people left, especially the acting regiment commander Ma Jintao who did not survive!

  Just like the cavalrymen they had seen before, these people who did not survive also pulled the firing cords of the grenades in their sacks before they died, cut a knife on the horses' buttocks, and let the war horses help them in the final round of death charge!

"I am the acting leader Wei Ran! Follow me and continue charging!"

While Wei Ran was speaking, he had already taken out the anti-Japanese sword from the metal book under the cover of his saddle bag!

"rush!"

The remaining seventy or eighty cavalrymen roared at the top of their lungs and without hesitation followed Wei Ran in a new round of roundabout charges!

  Compared with the previous saber, the anti-Japanese broadsword provided by the metal book has a shorter blade, but it has a longer handle and is sharper!

But even so, after this round of hacking, Wei Ran and the biting black horse were both injured again, and a bullet even went through the lower edge of Wei Ran's left collarbone.

What’s worse is that there are less than 30 of them left.

“It’s the last round”

Zhao Jinyu said as he trembled as he loaded the box gun with bullets, "I can't chop anymore. I don't have the strength anymore."

"Then let's have the last round."

Wei Ran also trembled as he took out a magazine and loaded bullets into the box gun. Then he pulled the reins, turned the direction with the few remaining cavalrymen, and started charging again.

In this round, Wei Ran ran out of bullets again and killed or wounded two or three more Japanese soldiers.

However, when they were blocked by the river by more and more Japanese soldiers holding Type 38 rifles with bayonets and even two tanks, there were only a dozen people left.

He stopped and looked at the position not far away. The position guarded by the wounded was about to be occupied - they actually didn't have many bullets, and there was no way to continue suppressing the machine gun.

He reached out and touched the horse's ear which was pierced by a bullet. The horse snorted in dissatisfaction, but judging from its appearance, it didn't seem to be afraid.

Taking his hand back and looking at the blood that flowed out from his abdomen after being hit by a bullet, Wei Ran smiled and suddenly switched to Japanese and asked loudly, "Send your commander over here, I want to surrender."

"Put down your weapons!" one of the devils shouted.

"This bastard asked us to lay down our weapons," Wei Ran said sarcastically in the Hebei dialect.

"Captain, we have a unique skill!"

The young cavalryman who had begged Wei Ran to take a photo not long ago said, "You and Brother Jin Yu should stand further away."

"What's your name?" Wei Ran asked, "How are you going to play?"

"My name is Ma Yingchun, brothers! Throw away your guns!"

The young soldier shouted, and the remaining dozen or so cavalrymen happily took off their rifles from their shoulders, and under the gaze of the surrounding Japanese soldiers, they grabbed the barrels and threw them into the Shaying River behind them.

"Let's surrender too."

As Zhao Jinyu spoke, he also took off his cavalry rifle and the box gun on his chest and threw them into the river behind him.

"And yours"

The Japanese soldier said that at this time, behind him, a man holding a command knife was already walking towards here.

“easy to talk about”

Wei Ran pulled out the carbine from his bag and threw it at his feet. Then he took out the box gun from his waist, opened the magazine and hooked it with his fingers. He used his last bit of strength to say, "Send your commander over. I am the commander of this cavalry regiment."

Until this time, the Japanese soldiers around finally stopped holding their Type 38 rifles with bayonets and made way for them.

"Open the gate of heaven!"

At a certain moment, the young soldier named Ma Yingchun shouted softly.

  At this moment, the remaining dozen or so cavalrymen suddenly moved. They waved their sabers and rushed towards the Japanese who had let down their guard, while also pulling hard on a hemp rope extending from their saddle bags!

At the same moment, Wei Ran also took out an object from his bag.

It was a Japanese poison gas bomb. Not only was the safety pin pulled out, but there was also a smoking wooden-handled grenade tied to it with a leg band!

  Before the Japanese could react, he threw the grenade and poison gas bomb at the Japanese commander who was riding a Japanese horse. At the same time, a box gun loaded with bullets appeared in his left hand, and he fired a fan-shaped pattern for the last time!

At this moment of life and death, the fierce black horse he was riding was hit hard on the nose by the hilt of a sword from a cavalryman passing by!

Under the stimulation of severe pain, the biting horse subconsciously raised its front hooves and threw Wei Ran into the Shaying River behind it!

"Pfft!"

  At the moment of falling into the water, Wei Ran clearly saw that Zhao Jinyu, who had just pulled out a box gun from his waist, was knocked into the Shaying River by a seriously injured cavalryman from his horse's back!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Amid the chaotic gunfire, the cavalrymen who had suddenly launched a charge fell to the ground one after another, and the last few grenades hidden in their saddle bags exploded one after another.

In contrast, the black horse that bit the man survived, and jumped up without hesitation and jumped into the Shaying River!


Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like