The heavens start from Changjin Lake

Guanghua Gate, located in the southeast of Jinling City, is an ancient tower built in the Ming Dynasty.

When it was first built, it was called Zhengyangmen, and it was on the same central axis as Yudao Street with the three main halls of Fengtian, Huagai and Jinshen of the Ming Dynasty Palace.

The Forbidden City of the Ming Dynasty was destroyed by fire and ice, but Guanghua Gate and the moat outside Guanghua Gate still maintain their former charm.

After the Japanese army occupied Chunhua, they swarmed along the road from Chunhua to Guanghuamen. The Japanese army responsible for attacking the Guanghuamen troops was the 9th Brigade under the 18th Division. The brigade commander was Ide, who was hated by all Jinling people. Announcement.

Nobuhiro Ide rode his horse and followed the troops to Guanghua Gate. He came to the gate of Guanghua Gate and pointed his riding whip at the city gate. He asked the traitor translator Wang Yuanxin beside him: "Is this city gate the Guanghua Gate marked on the map?"

Wang Xinyuan nodded and bowed, and replied repeatedly: "Yes, Taijun, this is the Guanghua Gate."

"From here, how far do you have to go to get to the city center?"

"It can't go very far." Wang Yuanxin couldn't tell the exact number of kilometers at once, so he answered vaguely.

Nobuhiro Ide didn't mind, and then asked: "Where is the most interesting place in Jinling City, and how far is it from Guanghua Gate?"

Wang Xinyuan gave him a flirtatious look, showing a treacherous look on his face, and said: "I'm telling you, Taijun, that the most interesting place is the Confucius Temple, which is very close to here."

"Confucius Temple?" Jingde Xuanshi was riding a horse, with a curious expression on his face, "Tell me about this Confucius Temple, what is interesting about it."

"This Confucius Temple is a lot of fun." Wang Xinyuan said: "Some people call the Confucius Temple the 'beautiful land in the south of the Yangtze River and the imperial state in Jinling'. There are large and small restaurants, teahouses, various special snacks, and brothels. The girls in the brothels are all peerless beauties."

"Peerless beauty? Is she a flower girl?" Nobuhiro Ide, a China expert, didn't seem to know much about the Confucius Temple in Jinling, and there was a look of curiosity on his face.

"Exactly, exactly." When mentioning the brothel in Confucius Temple, Wang Xinyuan started chatting and said with great interest: "The flower girls in Confucius Temple can be called the best in the world. They all have handsome faces and graceful figures. Her voice is so cute, I’m sure your whole body will feel soft when your Majesty sees her.”

Hearing this, Ide announced with a smile on his face, interrupted Wang Xinyuan's words, and laughed: "War is inseparable from women. A war without women is boring, don't you think?"

"Yes, yes." Wang Xinyuan said flatteringly: "When the imperial army enters Jinling City, I will take you to the Confucius Temple to have fun with the flower girls there and have fun. Taijun, what are you doing? Sample?"

"Of course, of course."

Ide Nobuhi shook his head, his expression became even more proud, and he looked up at the Guanghua Gate.

Wave the whip and drive the horse through the Guanghua Gate.

This was a small step for him, but it was a big step for the entire Japanese Empire. The vast country of China was trampled by the Japanese cavalry.

This is historic.

In the Jinling defense battle plan issued by Chiang Kai-shek, the troops defending Guanghua Gate were the 87th Division, the 88th Division, the 156th Division and the Military Police who were excited to fight.

As soon as the gunfire rang out, everyone was in panic.At this time, the government's military strength was suddenly stretched. It seemed that there were three divisions, plus a military police unit. In fact, only the 87th Brigade and the 259st Brigade of the 261th Division were in place.

Compared with the expected three divisions, plus a military police unit, it is basically impossible to hold Guanghuamen with such a force.

The commander of the 259th Brigade was Yi Hua'an, the commander of the 261st Brigade Chen Jiding, and the deputy commander of the 87th Division. When the two received news that Jiang was going to meet them at his official residence on Huangpu Road, they suddenly became nervous. Each line of the Jinling Defense Line, They had basically fought against the Japanese army, and the fighting was very fierce. They knew very well what the reason for Chiang's meeting with them was.

As soon as he stepped into the door, he saw Jiang's cold face. The muscles on his face were so tight that he couldn't help but tremble. The severe situation made Jiang feel a little uneasy.

When he saw the two people coming in, he called them over, took them to the map, pointed at the map and said: "Right now, Jinling is surrounded from all sides, and I entrust you with the important task of defending Guanghua Gate." ."

He pointed at Yi Huaan and said, "I know you. Are you from Huangpu Phase [-]?"

"Yes!" Yi Hua'an stood at attention and replied.

Jiang looked at Chen Ji Ding again and said: "You Chen Ji Ding are from the third phase of Huangpu. I also know you. You have been familiar with Sun Tzu since you were a child, and you have outsmarted the people of the country. From the Northern Expedition to the present, you have fought many victorious battles, and every battle has its own rules and regulations." , well-organized, with a high level of tactics, this time you and Yi Huaan will be temporarily responsible for defending Guanghua Gate."

Chen Jiding bowed slightly and said modestly: "There are no generals in Shu, and Liao Hua is the vanguard."

Jiang didn't like hearing this very much. He waved his hand and said: "Now is not the time to be humble. What I want to ask is whether you are sure and whether you can hold on."

Chen Jiding is quite familiar with the Japanese army. The Japanese army has mechanized troops. According to the strength of the national army, a collision with them is like an egg hitting a stone. It will be a matter of time for the Japanese army to attack Jinling City. If they attack, they will definitely not be able to hold it. It can delay the Japanese attack.

Jiang asked if he could keep it. To be honest, he couldn't.But telling the chairman that we can't hold on is absolutely impossible.Chen Jiding thought about it over and over again, and said against his will: "I, Chen Jiding, will definitely live up to my mission, try my best to defend it, defend it resolutely, and strive to be a person in the city!"

To be honest, it was not impossible for Jiang to want Chen Ji Ding to be more resolute. He could hear the reluctance in Chen Ji Ding's words, but he was relatively satisfied with it.

The situation was grim at the moment, so he squeezed out a smile and said, "You have a good attitude. Attitude determines everything. Let me tell you, this Guanghua Gate battle is very crucial. You must retreat without advancing. If you don't succeed, you will be benevolent!"

Tangshan, Niushou Mountain, and Chunhua can be regarded as the outer defense line of Jinling. They should be guarded but not guarded.

However, the location of Guanghua Gate is unusual. It is quite close to the Confucius Temple and very close to the city center. It can be said that opening Guanghua Gate is equivalent to tearing apart a wall of Jinling.

Guanghua Gate must be defended, and it must be guarded to the death, and absolutely cannot retreat. In this battle, sacrifice must be made, and a heroic sacrifice must be made to show the determination of the government to defend Jinling.

Chen Jiding, whose heart was as clear as a mirror, responded, saluted, and followed Yi Huaan out of the Huangpu Road mansion.

Outside, Chen Jiding looked at the crowds coming and going on the street and said with emotion: "You and I are going to have a difficult blocking battle at Guanghua Gate."

Yi Huaan nodded: "In this battle, we can only advance, not retreat." "Let's go."

Back at the brigade headquarters, the two men, with their troops, ran all the way to Guanghua Gate. The phone line had just been set up, and Army Commander Wang Jingjiu called from the basement of Fugui Mountain to inquire about the situation of the battle.

Chen Jiding replied: "The troops have just arrived, the positions outside the city have been occupied by the enemy, and the enemy troops are bombing the city gate!"

Wang Jingjiu said coldly: "The position must be restored and the city gate must be preserved. If you cannot restore the original position and lose the city gate, come to me with your head."

Chen Jiding's shoulders felt like there was a heavy weight on his shoulders. His brows were furrowed all the time. He put down the phone and couldn't help but muttered: "You know what else you can say if you come to see me with a human head."

He immediately found Yi Huaan and started discussing a battle plan.

Subsequently, Yi Huaan led the 259th Brigade to restore the position outside the city, while Chen Jiding led the 261st Brigade to defend the city gate.

However, things always develop in an unpredictable direction. A group of enemy planes fly over Guanghuamen, bombing and strafing Guanghuamen. The 261st Brigade braves the bombing and strafing of Japanese aircraft to repair the defenses, while the 259th Brigade tries to break out. outside the city.

They faced not only strafing and bombing from aircraft in the sky, but also the firepower points built by the Japanese army outside the city, the strict defense of Guanghua Gate, and even some Japanese veterans formed a shooting square to shoot at the soldiers of the 259th Brigade who tried to rush out of the city. .

The fighting lasted for more than two hours. The 259th Brigade failed to break out of Guanghuamen. The brigade commander Yi Huaan and the commander of the 523rd Regiment were both shot and fell in a pool of blood.

Wang Jingjiu received the news that Yi Huaan was killed in action. He remained silent for a long time. After thinking for a moment, he placed the 259th Brigade under Chen Jiding's command.

After receiving the order, Chen Jiding immediately made arrangements. He decided to use troops uniformly and rationally to defend the city and restore the position. After the Japanese bombing, they dispatched a thousand infantrymen and began to attack the city under the cover of tanks.

The soldiers who defended the city fought back bravely, using machine guns, grenades, and rifles to fiercely greet the Japanese troops.

There is a moat outside Guanghua Gate, which hinders the advance of Japanese tanks, so the Japanese infantry needs to advance forward. Without the cover of the tanks, they are exposed to the guns of the national soldiers. Most of the Japanese soldiers fell across the Guanghua Gate moat. In the ditch.

The sun was setting in the west, corpses were accumulating layer by layer, the river was dyed red with blood, and the moat and city walls were illuminated by the setting sun, making the sky and earth a blood red color.

The Japanese army's crazy attack was repulsed, and the Guanghuamen city wall was riddled with holes by Japanese tanks and heavy artillery. The smoke of gunpowder had not yet dissipated, emerging from some thatch mounds.

At night, Chen Jiding originally wanted to arrange for everyone to have a good sleep and prepare for a bigger battle tomorrow, but he also thought that when the enemy was strong and we were weak, we must actively defend, so he decided to take The strategy of using troops in turns is the so-called wheel warfare.

Let some officers and soldiers rest, while the other officers and soldiers hide in front of the enemy's formation, waiting to attack.

In the evening, Chen Jiding commanded the 521st Regiment to go out of the city gate, dig a small ditch underground between the city gate and the moat, bury trees under the ditch, spread hay in the middle, pour gasoline on the grass, and Use a thin layer of soil to camouflage it.

At the same time, people were ordered to dig a firing bunker trench half a man deep by the moat. After the trench was dug, the officers and soldiers were allowed to return to the city to rest.

It was almost dawn, and the soldiers of the 523rd Regiment were allowed to leave the city and hide in the trenches dug by the 521st Regiment in advance. In this way, all preparations were in place.

At about 8 o'clock in the morning, Japanese artillery shells began to bombard the city wall. The artillery fire lasted for half an hour. The entire Guanghuamen city wall was riddled with holes, and many places had collapsed. Chen Jiding told the soldiers to calm down, not to fight back, and wait for the opportunity. .

The observers of the Japanese army observed the condition of the Guanghuamen city wall and reported the situation to the rear. Later, among the crisscrossing deep ditches and fields, and among the ruins of low and collapsed houses, swaying figures of the Japanese army appeared. The Japanese army sent a large number of engineers and infantry.

The infantry is responsible for the attack, while the engineers build bridges on the moat. The bridges need to be strong enough to allow tanks to pass.

At this moment, the soldiers of the 523rd regiment hiding by the river received the order to counterattack and resisted bravely. Bullets and grenades were tilted towards the Japanese army. The Japanese army did not expect that the national army would build fortifications on the edge of the moat and were caught off guard. , many Japanese engineers died on the spot.

After a brief panic, the Japanese army also reacted and began to counterattack the Chinese army.

All the officers and soldiers of the 523rd Regiment pretended to resist and were defeated by the Japanese army. They quickly retreated, retreated into the city, and closed the city gate.Chen Jiding then ordered the artillery to blow up a small bridge that the enemy had just built, and then ordered the troops on the city wall to throw grenades into the small ditch with gasoline trees.

With a "whoop", the grass and trees were ignited. When the wind blew, the fire filled the sky and became more and more fierce. Some Japanese soldiers had no time to react, and the burning flames rushed up their bodies. The retreat of some Japanese soldiers was blocked and became the national army on the city wall. A living target, with loud gunshots and roaring grenades, this Japanese army could only be beaten. After a few hours, this Japanese army was completely annihilated.

The fire burned for more than a day. Enemy reinforcements could not arrive. In addition, the city wall was watched by the national army. The Japanese army could not get close to the flames and put out the flames. They could only watch the flames burn.

In this way, the Japanese attack was blocked for another day.

That night, Commander Tang called to commend Chen Jiding and hoped that he could continue his efforts and kill more enemies.

Chen Jiding didn't feel any joy at being rewarded when he hung up the phone. He was just trying to get through today. The Japanese army would not give up and would definitely find a way to deal with it tomorrow. Repeating the same old tricks would no longer work.

How to fight tomorrow?Chen Jiding didn't have the slightest clue yet. He walked around the small table in the command post, smoking and thinking.

However, he couldn't think of a good way to deal with the next battle.

How to do it?The cigarette burned to the butt of the cigarette and stung his fingers. He threw away the cigarette butt. He saw the Director of Munitions who was drinking from a wine bottle. He stared blankly at the bottle in the Director's hand for half a minute. He slapped his forehead and said, Shout: "I have it!"

Not caring about rest, Chen Jiding immediately sent officers and soldiers into the city to collect empty bottles from restaurants, hotels and glass factories. Soon, nearly [-] empty bottles were collected. He asked the officers and soldiers to fill the empty bottles with gasoline overnight, and then Carry it to a cavity in the city wall and hide it as a backup.

The officers and soldiers were busy all night and lay down undressed at dawn.

the next morning.

Around nine o'clock.

Unwilling to give up, the Japanese army began to shell Guanghua Gate again. In order to prevent what happened yesterday, an ambush was hidden between the moat and the city wall. The Japanese army bombarded the area for more than an hour, almost turning over the area. Brigade commander Nobutoki Inede took Using binoculars, he came to the front line to personally supervise the battle. After looking left and right for a while, he determined that the Chinese army had no new tactics, and then ordered the attack to begin.