The heavens start from Changjin Lake

The next day.

Matsui Iwane held a combat meeting for the attack on Jinling, and all participants in the meeting were senior officers above the division level.

Sitting to the left of Matsui Iwane is the emperor's uncle, Asaka Palace Hatohiko, who succeeded the commander-in-chief of the Shanghai Expeditionary Force. This year, he is 50 years old and has the rank of lieutenant general. Like Matsui Iwane, he is a dry and thin old man. He graduated from the Military Academy in his early years and served as an instructor at the Army University, brigade commander, and division commander.

A year ago, he was demoted by the emperor due to his involvement in the army mutiny incident. However, he was famous in the Japanese military circles for his outstanding military talents, especially his practical strategic and tactical theory.After Japan occupied Shanghai, it wanted to attack Jinling and lacked military-level commanders. The emperor suddenly thought of him, so he was reactivated.

Asaka Palace Prince Kohiko was withdrawn and taciturn. He also had a leg injured in a car accident and was obviously lame when he walked.Asaka Palace was ordered to attack Jinling this time, commanding an army composed of 6 divisions and 13 brigades, including the 3rd Division commanded by Susumu Fujita, the 9th Division commanded by Yoshizumi Ryosuke, and the 11th Division commanded by Yamamuro Munetake. division, the 13th Division commanded by Ogisu Tatehei, the 16th Division commanded by Nakajima Jingo, and the 101st Division commanded by Ito Masaki.

6个师团中，其中第3、第9、第11、第12、第16均是甲级师团。

Chaoxiang Palace had just taken office and was not familiar with the commanders of these troops. Moreover, these troops suffered considerable losses in the attack on Shanghai.Therefore, when he received the task, he was worried.

Sitting to the right of Matsui Iwane is Lieutenant General Yanagawa Heisuke, commander of the 10th Army.

Yanagawa Heisuke is in his early 60s and only 1.39 meters tall. He is a native of Saga Prefecture. He attended the Military Academy and then furthered his studies at the Army University.Yanagawa Heisuke was proficient in cavalry command. He had served as a brigade commander and division commander in the field force, and had also served as the president of the Army University. He was good at studying military theory and offensive strategy, and was called an offensive strategist by the Japanese military circles.

This time, in order to attack Jinling, Yanagawa Heisuke was sent, which was even more powerful.

Yanagawa Heisuke's official career was very bumpy. In 1936, he participated in the activities against Emperor Hirohito and was demoted to the reserve force by the president of Army University. During this attack on Shanghai, he was reactivated due to the lack of commanders.

He had suffered enough of being demoted, so when he was awarded the command of the 10th Army, he almost shed tears of excitement.

Before leaving, he said to his wife Hideko: "How about it, I will have my day. I said that gold will shine sooner or later. You see, my piece of gold buried in the ground shines again overnight." , I can swing my sword and kill people again."

Hideko said worriedly: "I heard that there are many Chinese people, and they often enter the waves of the sea. Don't become a mud cow and enter the sea. Once you go, you will never come back."

Yanagawa Heisuke comforted his wife and straightened his low chest, "I am gold, not a clay cow. Don't say any depressing words. You wait for me at home. This time when I go to China, I will make great achievements. In honor of the day when I will shine again.”

Although Yanagawa Heisuke's troops were small in number and far less numerous than the Shanghai dispatched troops led by Asaka Palace, their combat effectiveness was very strong. These troops were transferred from North China and had experienced the fierce battles to capture Baoding and Zhengding.The 9th Brigade originally belonged to Sakagaki's 5th Division. Although they fought against the Eighth Route Army in the battles of Pingxingguan and Laiyuan, the losses were not too great. Especially Hisao Tani's 6th Division, all of them were very vicious.

Matsui Iwane, Asaka Miya, Yanagawa Heisuke, etc. are all reactivated soldiers. They cherish this opportunity extremely, have greater ambitions, and more cruel methods.

They suspected that they wanted to recreate glory and meritorious deeds from the dead bones, and become late-blooming Japanese military strategists.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Matsui Iwane announced the meeting, "The Imperial Japanese Army has captured Shanghai and has made great achievements. The next target is Jinling. According to multiple aviation reconnaissances of various aspects, the Chinese army was fighting in Shanghai. Its elite troops were basically lost, their combat power was consumed hugely, and their defensive arrangements on the second and third lines were not actually completed. Most of the troops that retreated from Songhu were defeated. Some were on foot, and some were by boat. Due to the narrow roads and the limited ferry capacity, most of the troops that retreated from Songhu were defeated. Too small to form an orderly retreat, their retreat has become chaotic.”

His unique cold eyes scanned the generals in the conference room: "It is difficult for a chaotic army to form effective combat effectiveness. We must take advantage of the chaos of the Chinese army to attack Jinling."

When the Japanese officers who participated in the combat meeting heard that they were going to attack Jinling, China, they were all in high spirits and listened carefully to Matsui Iwane's detailed deployment.

Matsui Iwane stood up, picked up a wooden stick, clicked on the huge combat map, and arranged the combat deployment.

The Japanese army's attack on Jinling was divided into three routes, attacking Jinling from different directions.

Just as the meeting was being held, the Japanese army's pursuit force quietly approached Jinling. The Japanese army had no plan to attack Jinling. However, after the meeting ended, the Japanese army in Shanghai began to gather and approach Jinling.

The first unit was on the south bank of the Yangtze River and traveled westward. They landed at Baimaokou in the northwest of Shanghai, swarmed into the Yangtze River Delta, and then advanced along the Shanghai-Nanjing Railway. At this time, the Japanese Air Force blew up most of the bridges along the railway. The fleeing national army in Shanghai had no way to escape, and the pursuing troops became even more ferocious, charging forward and massacring the fleeing national soldiers along the way.

This force was led by Nakajima Kongo, a former member of the Japanese Army's intelligence service in France who later became the head of the Showa Emperor's secret police.

This guy is a classic pervert, an expert in intimidation and torture.On the way to Jinling, he even carried gasoline for burning corpses and burned corpses along the way for fun.

The second force prepared to cross Taihu Lake between Shanghai and Jinling for a daring waterway amphibious assault. This force set off from Shanghai and headed west, its march route was on the wrong south side of Zhongdao.The person who commanded this force was Matsui Iwane. He was physically weak, short in stature, had a mustache, and suffered from tuberculosis. Unlike Nakajima, Matsui Iwane came from a scholarly family and was a devout Buddhist.

After the Jinling Massacre, Matsui Iwane took away some soil stained red with blood and later made it into a statue of Guanyin.

The third force marched towards Jinling from the south of Matsui, and then turned to attack Jinling from the northwest.

It was Lieutenant General Yanagawa Heisuke who led this force.

On the way to Jinling, the Japanese army encountered many villages. People in some villages fled, leaving some elderly people behind, and others in some villages did not leave.

This is the Japanese army marching from Songhu to the mainland of China. Facing the unarmed villagers, these Japanese devils will use wooden sticks or bayonets to kill the people in the village. They are definitely not what the national army thought. This time, The Japanese army invaded China with an extremely cruel and perverted mentality.

Many of the newly added troops are recruits. These villagers are good targets. Every time they pass through a village, they will take control of the village, tie the villagers who have not fled in the village to wooden stakes with ropes, and then let them go. He had never seen blood and had just returned from Japan to participate in the jihad. He held a bayonet and practiced bayonet fighting.

Only soldiers who have seen blood will not be afraid on the battlefield.

It's not just villages and towns that are suffering.

Pingjiang is located on the east bank of Taihu Lake. As one of the cities with a long history in China, Pingjiang is famous for its exquisite silk embroidery and elegant gardens and temples. The ancient canal bridges in the city have earned it the reputation of 'Venice of China'.

But in the early morning of November 11th.

Heavy rain.

A Japanese vanguard troop entered Suzhou City. They wore turbans to prevent them from being recognized by the Chinese defenders. After entering the city, the Japanese soldiers burned, killed, and looted for days. They committed all kinds of crimes. They burned cultural relics and historic sites and captured thousands of Chinese. Women served as sex slaves. According to the Miller Review, the Japanese invasion caused Pingjiang's population to plummet from 35 to less than 500.

Along the way from Songhu to Jinling, the Japanese army encountered corpses everywhere they passed.

It can be said that since the beginning of the Songhu Battle, the Japanese army has shown a cruel and bloody state. Such an army that burns, kills, loots, and commits all kinds of evil will really abide by the rules when entering Jinling?
12 month.

Xia Yuan heard more and more news.

The Japanese army is already at war with the Chinese army.

Sometimes, Japanese planes kept flying over the sky. They did not drop bombs on Jinling City, but went to bomb the Chinese defenders.

Ever since the battle broke out, a lingering haze has enveloped Jinling City.

At noon, there was gunpowder smoke drifting from other directions. It was gray and smelled quite pungent.

"It's not peaceful these days, so don't go out to work and stay at home." Wu Youhua went out and bought a lot of food and put it in the cellar. Then he took Xia Yuan and Wang Sangou to explain. Wang Cui didn't go out either. Just stay home with the kids all day.

"Brother-in-law, how is the situation outside? Will the Japanese invade?"

Wang Sangou was very concerned about this matter.

He had just returned from Songhu and knew how terrifying the Japanese were, and he agreed with Xia Yuan's view from the bottom of his heart.

It's just a matter of time before the Japanese invade.

So many troops in Songhu were defeated by the Japanese. How many defenders were there in Jinling?

"It's not clear yet, but the current situation is favorable to us." Wu Youhua worked in the government department and was quite busy during this period. After buying some food, he left in a hurry.

"You two, don't worry. Even if the Japanese invaders come in, we will hide in the cellar. There is a lot of food in the cellar, enough for us to eat for a while. We can just wait for the storm to pass and then we can come out."

Wang Cui opened his mouth to comfort Wang Sangou.

"Sister, I think we should listen to Brother Yuan." Wang Sangou muttered for a while before speaking.

"Don't talk dirty. Where can we go after we leave Jinling?" Wang Cui glared at Wang Sangou. She found that since her brother came, he didn't listen to her words very much, but he was quite interested in what Xia Yuan said. Take heart.Even if the opponent is the fiery God of War some time ago, there is no need to be so concerned.

Whether it is soldiers or gods of war, everything has become a thing of the past. The Battle of Songhu failed, and the troops were routed like a sea current. Even the God of War, who was all-powerful in Songhu, fled to Jinling for refuge. From now on, more and more soldiers will flee. .

Xia Yuan listened to the conversation in the room, leaned against a ginkgo tree planted in the yard, and looked up at the smoke floating in the sky.

Counting the time, it has only been a few days since the Japanese army broke through Jinling City.

The envelope he wrote to the newspaper seemed to sink into the sea without even a wave rising. He could vaguely guess something.

"It can't be avoided, it can't be changed. This is what I have to go through again, and it will be unforgettable."

The smart Xia Yuan basically guessed why Jinling was lost and what method the national army took.

Baldhead will not surrender to Japan. If he really surrenders to Japan, he will lose the morale of the people and the military, and the end will not be as miserable as usual. Therefore, Jinling must be defended, but how to defend it? Looking at the smoke drifting over, combined with this understanding of history.

Fake resistance, real retreat.

Mobilize the hearts of the people and defend Jinling to the death.

When the Japanese troops gather and fight, they can easily find a reason to fool people and retreat to the rear.

In this way, we not only held on to Jinling without losing popular support, but also reduced troop casualties.

"Brother Yuan."

Wang Sangou came from behind and interrupted Xia Yuan's thoughts.

"What's wrong?" Xia Yuan turned around and asked, holding his hands.

"Come in, it's too cold outside." Wang Sangou looked up at the smoke in the sky and waved to Xia Yuan.

After entering the room, Wang Cui heated tea for the two of them and put it on the table.

"It's cold outside, but it's warm inside. Don't catch a cold and drink tea." Wang Cui smiled, remembering what her husband said.

After escaping from the front line, Xia Yuan, as the God of War, could not see such a thing.

The God of War, who was once worshiped by others, fled back in disgrace. This must be the case. Otherwise, according to his performance on the battlefield, the government will definitely reward him in the future. But this guy followed the three dogs and escaped together. their homes.

Apparently a deserter.

The Red Party is in need of talents right now. This man's performance on the battlefield is outstanding, and his escape from the front line is nothing to mention. If he can join the Red Party, it will be even more powerful for the Red Party. This is what the Red Party currently lacks most. Recruit talents who are good at fighting.

Wu Youhua had already reported this matter to the organization and received high recognition from the organization.

Winning over Xia Yuan became the task of Wu Youhua and his wife.

Wang Cui tried to persuade Wang Sangou, but never tried to persuade Xia Yuan. Public is public, private is private, and public and private should naturally be distinguished.

Xia Yuan was still unclear about Wang Cui's motives, so he sat on a stool, poured a cup of hot water to warm his body, and then said, "Sister-in-law Wang, stop being busy and have a rest."

"It's okay. I'm going to cook first. Your elder brother will be back later." Wang Cui wiped his hands and ran to the kitchen to work again.

"Is your sister looking for us for something?" Xia Yuan looked at Wang Cui's back, pondered for a moment, and turned to look at Wang Sangou.

"Maybe it's about the war." Wang Sangou said, "Brother Yuan, if my sister said something unpleasant, don't take it to heart."

"Yes." Xia Yuan expressed his understanding, thinking back on what he had done during this period, he had not done anything extraordinary and spent most of his time wandering outside.

I want to come to Wang Cui to chat with me, not for the Kuomintang matters.

He thought about it carefully, and the only possibility was that Wang Cui and Wu Youhua had known his identity for a long time.

As a member of the underground party, he was always cautious. He and Wang Sangou visited Wang Cui's house without any warning. How could they not check the details of him and Wang Sangou.

It's not surprising that his identity was exposed, but he just didn't know whether they would drive him away.

Xia Yuan thought about it for a moment and thought, maybe he wants to join the underground party.

If not, why he and Wang Sangou were allowed to stay at home for so long was unreasonable.

"Brother Yuan, Jiangyin won a great victory. Do you know that maybe Jinling City can be defended?"

Wang Sangou was very interested in the Battle of Jinling. During this period of time, he would go to the streets to listen to the battle situation on the front line, or buy a newspaper.

A few days ago, Jiangyin won a great victory, which boosted the morale of the defenders of Jinling.

I think it was the beginning of the Battle of Jinling.

The victory in the Jiangyin battle was not fought by the army, but by the Chinese navy, and the battle was quite beautiful.

The Navy Minister of the National Army is named Chen Shaokuan. He graduated from the Nanyang Naval Academy. He is an idealistic and ambitious man, proficient in business and capable of doing things. He served as Administrator of the Navy in 1928, Commander of the Second Fleet in 1932, and Secretary of the Navy the following year.

Not only can he operate and command various warships in combat, he can also formulate our country's plan for the development of the navy based on the characteristics of the latest warships in developed countries.

On the basis of planning, Chen Shaokuan pays close attention to training and must conduct two exercises every year. He once repeatedly emphasized a sentence in the training of naval officers and soldiers: "The most important thing for soldiers to win is their skills."

Personal skills are the key and are the magic weapon for soldiers to win.

For this reason, Chen Shaokuan won the trust of the bald man, and he praised Chen Shaokuan at many meetings: Our navy has taken on a new look every year since Chen Shaokuan became the Minister of Navy.Our navy is also a land of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. In the future, more military geniuses will surely come from the navy.

The government's navy also began to take shape under Chen Shaokuan's painstaking management.The 1st Fleet, 2nd Fleet, Practice Fleet, Torpedo Fleet, Xiamen Port Command, Mawei Port Command, 1st Independent Brigade and 2nd Independent Brigade of the Marine Corps were successively established, with a total strength of [-].

Under the leadership of Chen Shaokuan, the navy was flourishing. With the outbreak of the Songhu Battle, in mid-August, Baldhead ordered Chen Shaokuan to block the water surface of Jiangyin. The Japanese army had only two ways to attack Jinling.

Attack from land and attack by water.

Blockade of Jiangyin City is inevitable.

On November 11, five enemy ships approached Liuzhu Port in Jiangyin. Chen Bingqing, the Navy's Jiangyin artillery team, ordered to fire. Four naval guns dismantled from the sunken warships located on Wushan fired at the same time. One hit A puff of smoke rose from the enemy ship.

The enemy ship's artillery fire was also quite fierce. Wushan's No. [-] gun position was damaged and No. [-] gun position was destroyed.

At 11 o'clock in the battle, the two enemy ships retreated first. The naval artillery team concentrated fire and attacked again. One of the shells hit an enemy ship. The enemy ship ignited flames. Many Japanese sailors jumped into the water to escape. Two Japanese sailors jumped into the water to escape. An enemy ship quickly came over to rescue him, and fled downstream with the injured ship.

Then in early December, the Japanese army attacked from the shore and approached Jiangyin. There were also enemy reconnaissance activities under Wushan Mountain. The naval artillery team used two guns to cover the retreat of the ground troops.

The Japanese believed that there were no obstacles in Jiangyin, and immediately ordered five warships to attempt to rush through the Jiangyin area. (End of chapter)