Kingsman Agent in Film and Television

Chapter 630: A Final Battle to Become the Hero (Illustration)
The Japanese officers at the Shanghai Garrison Command were all stunned.

Before the Kawasaki League attacked, according to intelligence, Zhang Shihao's troops in the concession had already started to evacuate. Although there were still a lot of Zhang Shihao's forces in the concession, many of his men had already appeared in Fengxian County and Jinshan County.

Therefore, their initial combat goal was to defeat the nearly 10,000 people in the concession who were responsible for the rear guard, cut off the Huangpu River with the naval fleet, and have the overseas Chinese escort team carry out the final cleanup. The Kawasaki Regiment crossed the Huangpu River and pursued Zhang Shihao's troops all the way, and finally, together with the Sakata Regiment from eastern Zhejiang, they chased and blocked Zhang Shihao's troops from the front and back, and eliminated Zhang Shihao's troops east of Hangzhou and west of Shanghai.

Although Zhang Shihao's force had nearly 20,000 people, in field combat, this motley crowd was destined to be crushed to death by the two regiments, and it was absolutely impossible for them to escape in the area with dense water networks - the dense water networks were also one of the key factors in choosing this area as the burial place of Zhang Shihao's troops.

The plan is very comprehensive, but the premise of this plan is that Zhang Anping is determined to withdraw.

But Zhang Anping has never been the type of person who would not fight back after being beaten. Attacking is an instinct engraved in his bones.

When the Japanese army concentrated its strength to break through the defense line of the concession and was in a dilemma, Zhang Anping finally swung out his clenched fist.

French Concession, City District!
The Japanese officers immediately fell into panic when they saw the devastated and absolutely unprofitable concession.

The economic essence of the Japanese-occupied area of ​​Shanghai was in the urban area;
After the French knelt before Germany, they automatically became allies of the Japanese, and the French Concession became the first choice for many capitals and assets.

If the French Concession and the urban area become like the International Settlement, then Shanghai will have no value at all!
"We must rescue them. We can't let the Military Control Commission wreak havoc in the French Concession and the city!"

"Rescue? How to rescue? The Expatriate Guard and the Kawasaki Unit are all stuck in the International Settlement. How to evacuate? How to rescue?!"

This rhetorical question left all the officers speechless.

The Kawasaki United was the spearhead and easily tore through the first and second lines of defense. They were now waiting to launch a new attack after a simple repair to tear through the third line of defense - the facts proved that the first and second lines of defense were deliberately abandoned by the opponent, which proved that the opponent had sufficient strength.

Retreat is not impossible, but it can only be a defensive retreat (different units take turns to cover each other), and the enemy cannot just sit there and watch. How long will it take to retreat from the front line?
Moreover, if the other party has planned it, they will stick close to you and may even enter the Hongkou area, making it almost impossible to escape easily.

If the Kawasaki Unit was directly transferred away and taken over by the Overseas Chinese Guard, it would be very likely that the Overseas Chinese Guard would be killed - in a nutshell, it would be impossible to easily withdraw the Kawasaki Unit at this time.

What they need most is time!
The longer the time goes, the more Military Control Commission forces will enter the French Concession and the urban area. By then we will have to take it back inch by inch, and by the time we take it back, it will probably be in ruins.

"Zhang Shihao, so vicious!"

A group of Japanese officers denounced Zhang Anping, but the denunciation was useless. The most critical decision at the moment was what to make.

But how to choose?

Abandon the front line and risk being counterattacked into Hongkou to quickly return to the rescue? But once Hongkou is lost, the overseas Chinese escort team will inevitably collapse, and countless family members of dignitaries will fall into the hands of the Military Control Commission. They cannot withstand the subsequent accountability!
Slowly retreat to the original confrontation line, with the overseas Chinese guards holding the front, and the Kawasaki United quickly returning to the city to support? But by wasting this time, the city and the French Concession had already fallen, and they would have to fight for them again. With Zhang Shihao's temper, he would never give up until he destroyed these two core areas!
No one wanted to take the blame, so after a brief eye contact, they all asked the commander in tacit agreement:

"Sir, what should we do?"

How to do?
The Japanese officer, who had already determined that his position as commander was no longer secure, said solemnly: "Immediately apply to General Doi-maru for tactical guidance!"

The Kawasaki team arrived in Shanghai, and Doihara "came out of retirement". Everyone knew what his intention was, but they were indeed too bad from the beginning. Although they were unwilling to let Doihara take over, there was nothing they could do.

But at this moment, it seems... pretty good.

……

"idiot!"

"They are all irresponsible bastards!"

Faced with the request for tactical guidance from the Security Command, Dobi cursed angrily.

Although he knew that these bastards would definitely choose tactical guidance at this time, he was still very angry at their blatant blame-shifting.

I was a general in the army, but I suffered a Waterloo in Shanghai. It would have been fine if you didn't want to share the burden with me, but you actually want to pass the blame to me!
Resisting the urge to kill all the bastards in the security headquarters, Dobi gritted his teeth and ordered:

"Organize all available manpower to conduct defensive operations in the city!"

"Order Kawasaki to continue attacking the last line of defense in the concession!"

Of course, Fatty can see the situation clearly and knows Zhang Anping’s sinister intentions. If that’s the case, then let’s change it!

He was betting that Zhang Shihao's men might not be able to easily break through the positions urgently arranged in the French Concession and the urban area. He was betting that the Kawasaki Regiment could quickly eliminate the enemy in the concession, and then split into two groups, pass through the refugee area, cross the Huangpu River and block Zhang Shihao's men in the urban area.

He had to gamble because he knew that Zhang Anping's layout was always one link after another. Once he followed his rhythm, he would inevitably fall into the trap deliberately woven by the other party.

In this case, we might as well fight to the death.

……

"District Commander, the Japanese are attacking!"

When the call came from the front line, Zhang Anping raised his eyebrows and thought:

The fat guy's behavior was really unexpected. He didn't even choose to retreat?

Before Zhang Anping could report, dense gunfire rang out from not far away. Comrade Li said in surprise:

"District Chief Zhang, the Japanese didn't retreat?"

"Well, I didn't retreat."

Zhang Anping's expression remained unchanged, but Comrade Li was obviously a little flustered.

There were only five regiments left in the concession, four of which were reorganized from the pseudo 9th Division. Although the other regiment was not reorganized, it was not much better - a regiment of new recruits, and all personnel received no more than seven days of training.

The enemy in front of them was an elite regiment of the Japanese devils and a guard team of at least 7,000 expatriates.

Zhang Anping did not plan to defend the first and second lines of defense with all his might, but the speed at which they were lost was beyond Zhang Anping's imagination. The four regiments that were reorganized from the puppet army faced the elite of the devils. Even though the backbone forces were from the loyal and rescued army, their performance was still extremely poor.

In this situation, if the Japanese launched a mad attack, could the four reorganized regiments hold the last line of defense?

If we cannot hold on, the Japanese army will advance and expand the breakthrough, and our forces in the concession will be completely cut off. Then the only way out is annihilation of the whole army.

retreat?

If they talk about retreat now, the dilemma faced by the Japanese will happen to their side - as long as they talk about retreat, with the style of the four reorganized regiments, they will be guaranteed to retreat cleanly after selecting the rearguard troops, and the Japanese will take advantage of the situation to pursue them, and the result will still be an avalanche.

Comrade Li thought about it and thought that the only way to go was to hold on, but the fighting spirit of the four reorganized regiments was definitely not enough to fight a brutal offensive and defensive battle, so he said: "Let the British troops stationed in Shanghai take over?"

"Even less reliable."

Zhang Anping rejected Comrade Li's proposal without hesitation. He would rather trust the new recruits than the British.

If the British were allowed to fight smoothly, they would have to be sneaky and cunning to conserve their strength. How could they possibly fight hard to withstand the attack of the Kawasaki United?
The more likely possibility is that the Kawasaki Regiment exerted a little force, and the British troops stationed in Shanghai ran to the riverside without saying a word.

Doing so would only bring disaster to one's own side.

"Since the Japanese want to fight, let's fight!"

"Pass on my order, stop crossing the river. All units are prohibited from crossing the river without my order. Send a message to the 6th Regiment defending on the other side of the river. From now on, anyone crossing the river without my order will be killed without mercy!"

"Tell the British to build the last line of defense with Broadway Road as the baseline. Tell them that the five regiments on the front line will not be allowed to fight to the death and will not let them stand on the front line!"

"Order the 14th Regiment to be ready for reinforcements at any time!"

"Tell Zoke that the Japanese will not send troops to the French Concession and the city for the time being. Just carry out the sweep according to Plan A!"

Zhang Anping, who had issued many orders in a row, stood up, straightened his clothes, and said, "Mr. Li, the command and dispatch will be handed over to you for the time being. If any position needs reinforcements, send troops from the 14th Regiment as soon as possible. I will personally lead the team to patrol each position."

Hearing that Zhang Anping was going to the front line, Sister Qian and Comrade Li spoke up at the same time: "District Chief Zhang, this is inappropriate."

Even Xu Tian stood up and tried to stop them.

"With Zhang Shihao on the front line, morale may not necessarily collapse. But without Zhang Shihao on the front line, morale will definitely collapse!"

Zhang Anping said in a serious tone: "Everyone, the outcome of this battle depends on which side can hold out to the end. If we can't hold out, the people in the concession will be wiped out."

Hearing Zhang Anping say this, the three people who opposed him fell silent. They could only watch Zhang Anping leave the command center and call for the commandos.

Now Zhang Anping can only bet on his contribution to morale - the National Army often does not show signs of defeat during combat, but the stupid officers and commanders often become cowardly at this time, or they want to preserve their strength.

Then, retreat turned into defeat and then into a complete defeat!
So Zhang Anping had to gamble with his own reputation.

I bet that as long as he is active on the front line, the four reorganized regiments will not collapse.

……

The Japanese attack was extremely brutal.

Realizing that the situation was not good, in order to break down the third line of defense as quickly as possible, Kawasaki used the same old trick again, concentrating all his artillery and making a single-point breakthrough, that is: first tear a gap in the defense line, and then continuously expand along the gap to achieve the goal of breaking through the entire defense line.

The breakthrough point Kawasaki chose was the gas plant.

This place should have been severely damaged and turned into ruins. Unlike other places, there were no buildings serving as defensive strongholds. After repeated artillery bombardments, Kawasaki concentrated his two most elite squadrons and planned to take down the gas plant in one go.

The battle broke out after the shelling ended. The shelling that lasted for nearly twenty minutes made the two companies of the 10rd Battalion of the 3th Regiment stationed at the gas plant terrified. Faced with the howling Japanese charge, these soldiers who had only been reorganized for three days instinctively wanted to run away.

"Brothers, don't be impatient. Wait until you are close to them before you fight. The Japanese are also human beings. They will die if they are shot. If they cannot defeat them, they will run away!"

The officers who came from the Zhongjiu Army to provide emergency assistance encouraged the soldiers at the critical moment.

He half-jokingly said:
"I know you are afraid of the Japanese, and you are also worried that this grandson named Hu will use you as cannon fodder. Look for yourself, I am at the front. If I am not dead, the Japanese will not be able to rush over. Isn't it a loss to run now? If you want to run, wait until I am dead first."

The officer's words eased the soldiers' nervous mood a lot. In the past, the officers they met were always at the back, either shouting "Charge" or "Go ahead!" But now Platoon Leader Hu is at the front.

"The Japs are coming--" Before Platoon Leader Hu finished his words, a gunshot rang out from his own position.

Not a single devil fell.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Platoon Leader Hu turned around and shouted to the soldiers behind him, "Adjust your breathing and shoot like you did in the past. Don't be anxious. Aim first and then shoot!"

Platoon Leader Hu tried his best not to swear. Under his command, the soldiers slowly began to fight back. The Japanese attack was thus thwarted. The devil soldiers in the front immediately entered various hiding places and started shooting at each other.

嘭

A low explosion sounded.

It's a grenade launcher.

Platoon Leader Hu cursed in his heart, are these Japanese guys bullying me because I don’t have any rocket launchers?
He turned his head and saw that the soldiers on his side were obviously panicking because of the grenade launcher. He immediately shouted:

"Change positions frequently, don't stay in one place. No matter how accurate the Japanese grenade launchers are, they will be at a loss if you change your shooting position frequently!"

"Don't shoot back. You haven't used up many bullets yet. It will be a disadvantage to shoot back at the Japs. We are not in a hurry. We will fight back when the Japs attack."

"Machine gun crew, change position, don't shoot yet, wait for my order!"

Platoon Leader Hu gave orders one after another and finally calmed the soldiers down.

After a burst of exchange of fire, the Japanese army launched a new offensive under cover. Platoon Leader Hu continued to command the soldiers. Although he did a better job than most of the National Army platoon leaders, the Japanese attack was not thwarted under the suppression of the Japanese army's grenade launchers, mortars and machine guns.

Seeing the Japanese army getting closer, the young platoon leader became anxious and began to move back and forth in the position, constantly adjusting the positions of his men.

The Japanese army noticed the frequent movements of this figure, and after several unsuccessful sniper attempts, they aimed at him with grenade launchers. When they got another chance, they fired two grenade launchers at the same time, covering the young platoon leader with dust from the explosion when he moved again.

There was no longer any sound of the young platoon leader shouting on the battlefield.

The Japanese army immediately pressed forward, and the panicked soldiers continued to resist. However, seeing the Japs getting closer and closer, and even feeling the chirping of birds right next to their ears, they began to feel the fear of being dominated by the Japanese. They didn't know who shouted "Run!", and the position that they had just held was reduced to half its men in an instant.

The others wanted to fight to the death, but when they saw their companions running away, their will to fight to the death was instantly swallowed up by fear. Faced with the approaching Japanese soldiers, some people picked up their guns and ran, while others just dropped their guns and ran.

The young platoon leader woke up in a daze at this time, and after seeing his men running away, he yelled:

"I'm not dead yet! Come back the fucking way!"

Unfortunately, such sound could not stop the rout that had already begun.

"asshole!"

Platoon Leader Hu pounded the ground with his fists in anger. Seeing the Japs getting closer and closer, he picked up the submachine gun on his back and started shooting at the enemy.

But in the end, he was alone, like a stubborn stone facing a flood. Although he vowed to never retreat, he could only watch the flood submerge him.

The fleeing soldiers were stopped.

More than twenty black gun muzzles were pointed at them. More than thirty deserters looked at these fully armed soldiers in fear and trembled.

"My name is Zhang Shihao."

Zhang Anping, who intercepted the fleeing soldiers, did not order to shoot these deserters, but said firmly:
"I won't pursue the matter of you being deserters, but I hope you will follow me and see whether the omnipotent Japs in your eyes are really indestructible!"

"If I die, it won't be too late for you to escape!"

Commander Zhang?
The defeated soldiers looked at Zhang Anping in disbelief, unable to believe that this famous figure who had risen to fame would appear here.

But Zhang Anping ignored them after he finished speaking. Instead, he walked through them and walked unwaveringly towards the position they had just abandoned. "Is it really Commander Zhang?"

"I've seen Commander Zhang's portrait. It's definitely him."

Looking at the backs of this team of more than 20 people, someone asked anxiously: "What should we do then?"

"Chief Zhang is not afraid of such a precious life, so why should we be afraid of our worthless lives? During the few days since Hu Paizu took office, he has never treated us like dogs. We... we haven't even rescued Hu Paizu's body. Are we still human beings?"

"Follow Commander Zhang!"

The first defeated soldier turned around, followed by the second, the third...

All the defeated soldiers turned around and followed the small team in front.

The gunfire on the position had not stopped yet. Several young soldiers surrounded the young platoon leader and were still fighting with the Japanese soldiers who were about to rush over.

A soldier saw that they were about to be submerged and couldn't help shouting, "Take a seat..."

The young platoon leader replied without even turning his head: "Bullshit, platoon leaders don't bring seats!"

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"Platoon leader, we'll hold here, you go call for reinforcements."

"What the hell are you yelling about?" the young platoon leader cursed. "I've been fighting the Japs for three years, and I've earned enough. You, get out and call for reinforcements."

The young warrior replied: "I'm not going either."

Seeing the Japanese approaching from the side, the young platoon leader laughed: "Haha, you didn't run away just now. There's no point asking you to run now. Brothers, let's fight the Japanese with bayonets. We can lose the battle even if we lose the lives. Go!"

As he spoke, the young platoon leader leaped up, enduring the severe pain in his leg. However, before he rushed towards the Japanese soldiers pressing towards him from the side, gunshots rang out, and several Japanese soldiers who had come around were knocked down in an instant.

The young platoon leader looked back and saw more than 20 people rushing up in different directions. The next second, someone rushed over and threw him into the pit.

"Zhang! Commander!!"

The young platoon leader couldn't help but exclaim when he recognized who had thrown him into the pit.

"Can you still fight?"

"Of course!"

Zhang Anping threw the submachine gun to the young platoon leader: "Let's do it!"

The position that was about to be swallowed up suddenly turned into a dam thousands of feet high.

The flood was blocked in an instant, and with fierce gunfire, the Japanese army's flood-like attack was bounced back after approaching the "dam".

Only a mess of corpses was left on the ground.

The defeated soldiers who returned saw the Japanese army being easily defeated and their embarrassed retreat. The image of the invincible Japanese in their minds collapsed.

Zhang Anping signaled the Rangers to go and support other friendly forces first, while he stayed here and shouted to the soldiers:
"I've been fighting the Japanese for so long, I know their character too well. After the artillery bombs, the infantry charges. After the infantry charges, the artillery bombs. They just use these three tricks - what are you doing? Prepare to defend against the artillery!"

The last shout was so loud that the soldiers could not help but obey orders and retreated to the trenches at the back and into the anti-artillery holes that had been prepared in advance.

However, Zhang Anping chose to stay at the position and observe. After Platoon Leader Hu was helped down by the soldiers, he looked back and found that Commander Zhang was still there. He immediately became anxious, but at this time, the artillery shells whistled down and he was savagely stuffed into the anti-artillery hole by the soldiers and began to be ravaged by the artillery shells again and again.

The booming explosions lasted for more than ten minutes before they dissipated. At this time, they heard the shouts from the battlefield with their ears dazed:

"Don't just stand there, come out quickly! The devil's three-pronged attack is coming again!"

When the soldiers crawled out of the anti-artillery hole and the trench, they found that Commander Zhang was actually acting as an observer in the position. However, the Japanese soldiers who were pressing on them did not give them time to be shocked, so they had to rush into their battle positions quickly.

"The Japs only have these three tricks. They think they are the boss because they have a few cannons. Bah, I will destroy their artillery later, so that they can't cry. Get ready for battle!"

Commander Zhang, who was unattainable in the eyes of the soldiers, won their most sincere recognition with his practical actions and foul language just now.

Faced with a new round of Japanese attack, the soldiers were no longer as vulnerable as before and fought back and forth with the Japanese until the Japanese were repelled once again.

"That's it? That's it? That's it!"

Zhang Anping laughed and then taught the soldiers a lesson in a contemptuous tone: "I told you long ago that the Japanese are also flesh and blood. As long as the tactics are in place, dealing with them will be as easy as crushing an ant!"

"Prepare for artillery defense—I'm going to stroll around other positions!"

"I, Zhang Shihao, will be nailed to death here today. No one else will be allowed to desert until I die!"

"When I die, remember to take my body away! If my body falls into the hands of the Japanese, who I have tortured for four years, they might take a bite of my flesh each. I will be so angry that I will even pretend to be a dead body if I become a ghost."

Zhang Anping left the battlefield, which had become a battlefield of iron and steel, cursing.

Although he did not have much communication with the soldiers in this position, everyone on the position has been transformed.

Zhang Anping, who had already left, suddenly came back. He shouted to the young platoon leader in the anti-artillery cave: "I forgot to ask - what's your name?!"

"Hu Zezhou."

"That's a good name. After the war, you and I will be the last ones to evacuate from the concession."

"Yes, sir!"

……

On this day, Zhang Anping appeared in one precarious position after another, turning the tide time and time again, and leading the defeated soldiers to recapture the lost positions time and time again.

He did not give the soldiers any great truths, but only told them:

You can retreat after I die, but be sure to take my body away before you retreat. I don’t want my flesh to be eaten by the Japanese one by one.

Although crude, his actions and these words gave the soldiers reassurance.

The battle lasted for a long time, until dark.

The Japanese army was never able to completely break through a position and never opened a gap.

Even starting from three o'clock in the afternoon, the Japanese army's attack became more and more difficult. Before, they could break through a position from time to time, but starting from three o'clock in the afternoon, the defenders on the position were like they had taken stimulants. Even if the Japanese army entered the position, they would fight to the death and would use resolute hand-to-hand combat to confront the Japanese army.

Such changes made Kawasaki more and more crazy. He even concentrated his reserve troops to make a desperate breakthrough after dark, but still failed to break through the position successfully.

The third position is made of iron and copper and is indestructible.

……

Battle reports were piled up in front of Tu Feiyuan, but Tu Feiyuan had no intention of reading them.

Or rather, he didn't dare to look.

Because every battle report was a report about the fall of the French Concession and urban areas.

But it is useless not to read the report, because the staff will still report:

"Report, the security forces organized by the Security Bureau were defeated in Temple Front Street."

"Report, a group of patrolmen mutinied and Houjia Road was lost."

"Report……"

"Report……"

The fat guy finally exploded:

"enough!"

"Now, don't tell me any reports of loss!"

"I just want news from the Kawasaki United!"

But an hour later, Fatty changed his words:

"That's enough! Stop reporting to me the news that the Kawasaki team's attack was thwarted!"

"I just want news about the Kawasaki team's breakthrough!"

After that, no news was heard from Fatty anymore.

He sat there like a clay Buddha, and kept sitting there.

Until dark, he still hadn't received any news to report to him.

Even if you don't want to face the reality, you have to face it now.

"What's the situation in the city now?"

The staff officer immediately replied:

"The city and South City have completely fallen, and the French Concession has also fallen. Currently, only West City is in our hands."

Fatty felt as if the world was spinning around him.

Once upon a time, millions of troops fought in the Battle of Songhu for three months before Shanghai fell into the hands of the Japanese.

Now, within one day, the main urban area and the French Concession changed hands.

Even though Xicheng, Hongkou and Zhabei are still in their hands.

Fighting back the dizziness, the fat man asked again:

"Kawasaki United...what's going on?"

The staff bowed their heads:

“We have not been able to break through the third line of defense.”

Fatty naturally knew that there was no breakthrough, otherwise he would have reported it long ago.

He supported himself on the ground with his hands. "What kind of army is guarding the concession? There is no way a mob can stop the fierce attack of the Kawasaki Army! Absolutely impossible!"

"The British Army?"

Tu Feiyuan murmured, "With two thousand British troops as the core, and more than ten thousand rabble-rousers as the support, we can fill the gap with human lives, right?"

"Your Mightiness……"

The staff officer answered more cautiously this time, speaking more slowly: "According to intelligence, the defense of the concession line is... four regiments."

"The Loyal Rescue Army secretly transferred by Zhang Shihao? The Loyal Rescue Army...will eventually become a serious threat!"

The staff officer said cautiously:
"No, according to accurate intelligence, these four regiments are..."

The staff officer swallowed his saliva and said:
"They are four dissatisfied regiments reorganized from the Ninth Division of the Imperial Army."

Doiyuan looked at the staff officer blankly, and the staff officer nodded cautiously.

"You...get out."

The fat man's voice was very gentle, and the staff officer ran away as if he had been pardoned.

The next second, there was a crackling sound in the house.

Doihara collapsed. He couldn't believe that it was the 9th Division of the Imperial Army that blocked the fierce attack of the Kawasaki Regiment!
After a round of beating and smashing, the fat guy staggered and pushed open the office door, and stood at the door with a calm face:
"Send a message to the Expeditionary Force Headquarters."

"Tell them that Shanghai...is in imminent danger."

"Request... support!"

At this moment, there was a loud bang, and the inside and outside of the fat man were shattered to the ground.

After all, he asked for help from the expeditionary force headquarters, which also meant that he was fat and admitted that he had suffered a complete defeat!
……

The Battle of the Concessions.

Whole picture.

(The locations of Xu Baichuan's unit and the Kanazawa area are not very accurate.)
South City, City District, and French Concession.

(End of this chapter)