Chapter 189: Kill out of the siege (1)

The lights in the conference room in the basement of the Ministry of Railways were dim. As Japanese planes continued to raid on their heads, each bomb exploded, and the lights on the top of the conference room would shake, and the dust on the roof would fall, falling on the heads of the military commanders of various Nanjing defenders who were sitting in a circle.

The battle situation is very urgent now. The chief officials of the various departments recruited did not know why the garrison headquarters held an emergency meeting at this time. What important matters should be announced or what important orders should be issued. Everyone looked at each other in a glance, and the air was so cold that it made people shudder.

Chen Xiuwen sat in a corner of the conference table with a frown. At this time, he had gone from doubt at the beginning to worry now, because he still vaguely remembered from the memories of later generations that Nanjing was not finally captured by the Neon Army, but at the last moment the defenders chose to retreat, but the retreat evolved into a great retreat, resulting in the end tens of thousands of soldiers being captured and killed together with hundreds of thousands of civilians in Nanjing.

Is it the meeting today to announce the retreat? When Chen Xiuwen met Xiao Shanling at the door just now, Xiao Shanling expressed his gratitude to Chen Xiuwen for the first division to assist the evacuation of civilians, and at the same time, he also told Chen Xiuwen with concern that there were still tens of thousands of civilians in the city that had not had time to evacuate. What should we do if these civilians are evacuated? How can a hundred thousand troops retreat smoothly in an orderly manner? These questions are all placed in front of Chen Xiuwen, who understands this historical process.

"Luan Restore." Before the commander-in-chief Tang Shengzhi arrived, Sun Yuanliang, who was sitting next to him, handed over a cigarette. Although the pressure on Yuhuatai and Zhonghua Gate of the 88th Division was very high, Sun Yuanliang was still very grateful to his old subordinate. If Rongyi Division had not been on the top of General Mountain and Niushou Mountain, he would not have retreated from the outside position like other troops. The defensive pressure on the 88th Division would have been greater. Once the 114th Division and the 6th Division were united, Yuhuatai and Zhonghua would have been lost long ago.

"What is it that you said you were so anxious to call us all over? Could it be that you really survived and died with Nanjing, right?" Sun Yuanliang said in a low voice. With the improvement of Chen Xiuwen's record and prestige, as well as his performance in the defense of Nanjing, Sun Yuanliang had already treated this former battalion commander equally.

Chen Xiuwen took the cigarette from Sun Yuanliang's hand, and a smile was barely squeezed out on his face. He looked at the expressions of everyone's frowning, and hesitated for a moment and whispered: "I'm afraid I'm going to retreat."

"Retreat?" Sun Yuanliang was surprised, but immediately shook his head: "Impossible, right?" He said, "It's impossible to go to the door and whispered: "Didn't that person repeatedly express his opinion to the principal that he wants to live and die with Nanjing? Isn't he just going to let go of his words by ordering retreat at this time?"

Chen Xiuwen didn't explain anything and looked at the door worriedly. At this time, a sound of footsteps came from the door. Nanjing garrison commander Tang Shengzhi, deputy commander Luo Zhuoying, Liu Xing and Chief of Staff Zhou Lan entered from outside one after another.

Everyone stood up. Tang Shengzhi walked to his position in the middle and did not signal everyone to sit down. Instead, he took out a telegram from his pocket, cleared his throat, and announced in his heavy Hunan accent: "Chairman Jiang called: If the situation cannot last for a long time, the camera can retreat and use the intention to organize and counterattack."

After the announcement, Tang Shengzhi placed the telegram on the conference table. Everyone stretched their necks and clearly saw that the signature below the telegram was indeed Jiang Zhongzheng, Chairman of the Military Commission.

Chen Xiuwen's heart suddenly skipped a beat. History had not changed, and the retreat order was finally announced. Sun Yuanliang also turned to look at Chen Xiuwen with shock, and even suspected that Chen Xiuwen had obtained news from his elder brother Chen Xiude in advance.

Just as everyone was shocked, Tang Shengzhi waved his hand and signaled everyone to sit down. At this time, the staff officer silently sent everyone a retreat order and a breakout plan. Everyone eagerly launched the order, but saw that it read:

The commander of the capital garrison commander--Tezi No. 1 at 2:00 pm on August 12: At the garrison command of the capital Ministry of Railways.

1. The enemy situation is as known to the noble officials.

2. The capital garrison troops decided to break through the enemy in front of the face and move towards the Zhejiang-Anhui border area today. The troops in our 7th War Zone were engraved to guard the lines of Anji, Baidian (northeast of Ningguo), Sunjiabu (southeast of Xuancheng), Yangliupu (southwest of Xuancheng), to restrain the enemy in front of the face and prepare to respond to the advance of the troops in our capital. In Wuhu, there was my 76th Division, and in the southshi Town, our 6th Division occupied the position, and was fighting against the enemy.

3. The start time of the operation of each army today, the area passing through and the area assembled as specified in the separate sheet.

4. Fortress artillery and various artillery and ammunition that are difficult to move should be completely destroyed by themselves and not used by the enemy.

5. Except for those assigned to each unit, the Communication Corps should act with the assigned troops, and other fixed and bulky communication equipment and all existing communication networks inside and outside the city should be completely destroyed by local communication agencies.

6. After breaking through the siege, all troops must avoid highways and send troops to destroy important highway bridges and prevent the enemy from moving.

7. Officers and soldiers of all troops should carry fried rice and salt for four days.

Eight, I was engraved in the garrison headquarters and then went to Pu Town.

Right Order

Commander Tang Shengzhi

The attached table is "Nanjing Garrison Breakthrough Plan", and its contents are:

(1) The 74th Army broke through the right area from Tiexin Bridge, Guli Village, and Lulang Bridge, and gathered near Qimen.

(2) The 71st Army and the 72nd Army, and the Honorary First Division were from Gaoqiaomen, Chunhua Town, and Lishui to break out of the enemy in the right area and gathered near Yi County.

(III) The teaching unit, the 66th Army, the 103th Division, and the 112th Division broke through to the enemy from the northern foot of Zijin Mountain, Qilinmen, Tuqiao Town, and the areas south of Tianwang Temple. The teaching troops gathered near Changhua, the 66th Army gathered near Xiuning, the 103th Division, and the 112th Division gathered near Yuqin.

(IV) The 83rd Army broke through in the northeast of Zijin Mountain, Qilinmen and Tuqiao Town, and assembled near She County.

The assault timing of the above troops will start after 11:00 on the 12th, but the 83rd Army will be six:00 on the 13th.

(V) The Second Legion should try its best to defend the Wulong Mountain Fortress and cover the blockade line. Whenever he had no choice, he would cross the river and gather at Liuhe.

(VI) The 78th Army, the military police forces and their direct troops cross the river in turn (there is another crossing plan) and first gather at the Citi Camp and near Wuyi, but the 78th Army should cover the troops to cross the river (later), and then cross the river.

The generals who attended the meeting silently read the orders and breakthrough plans, and the indescribable silence stimulated everyone's nerves.

At this time, Tang Shengzhi's hoarse voice broke the silence, as if floating in the air from a faraway place: "The war does not end today, but continue tomorrow; the war does not end in the Nanjing garrison war, but extends infinitely in areas outside Nanjing. Please remember today's shame and revenge for today's hatred! In addition, the commission's order is that if the situation cannot last for a long time, the camera can retreat. Everyone is very clear about the current situation. I hope everyone can make this decision together."

Everyone understood the meaning of the second half of Tang Shengzhi. Not only did Tang Shengzhi show the orders of the commissioner, but he also asked everyone to confirm the retreat orders of the garrison headquarters. The intention was obvious, if there was anything in the future, everyone would bear it together.

He was about to retreat at 11 o'clock in the evening, and there was no time to evacuate the remaining tens of thousands of civilians. Chen Xiuwen was anxious and was about to express his objection, but he did not expect that a voice would jump in front of him: "I don't agree to retreat now."

Everyone's eyes were focused on the person who made this sound, and Gui Yongqing, the captain of the teaching corps, stood up from his seat and said, "My position has not been lost yet, and I still have more than 20,000 soldiers. Although the Neon Army has bypassed the right wing of the Zijin Mountain position and sneaked into the Guangfu Gate. However, the reserve team I arranged in the back mountain of Zijin Mountain has not moved yet. In case the Guangfu Gate is in a hurry, our troops can reinforce at any time. The Wulong Mountain Fort and the Chengnan area are still under the control of our army. I do not agree to such a cowardly retreat."

In fact, everyone was in a conflict, either giving up from the beginning, or giving up halfway now, which means a shame to all the troops participating in the battle of capital defense. Gui Yongqing was the first to stand up to oppose it because he was arrogant and arrogant, who held the most elite troops of the Chinese Army, did not want to suffer such shame. However, this battle was destined to be unwinding from the beginning, and it was not wrong to choose to retreat and preserve its strength. Therefore, Xu Yuanquan, Ye Zhao, Deng Longguang, Yu Jishi, Song Xilian, Wang Jingjiu and others were silent.

"I also disagree to retreat now. At present, the civilians in Nanjing have not completely evacuated. In order to prevent the Neon Army from massacring the city when it retreats, even if we want to retreat, we must stick to it until the civilians have completely evacuated before retreating." At this time, Chen Xiuwen also stood up and said.

"Yes, Chief Tang, there are still tens of thousands of civilians in Nanjing urban area that have not been evacuated. As long as you hold on for another one to two days, these civilians can be saved from the Japanese invaders." Xiao Shanling, who was haggard, looked at Chen Xiuwen with gratitude and said hurriedly. In just over a dozen days, Xiao Shanling will be under no less pressure than the generals on the front line. Moreover, as the mayor of Nanjing, he has the responsibility of protecting the people. Since Nanjing cannot defend, he must ensure the safety of civilians no matter what.

Except for Xiao Shanling, no one in the senior generals who were sitting there would care about the tens of thousands of unevacuated civilians in the city. After all, most of the civilians have been evacuated. Once retreating, street fighting will no longer exist, and there is no need to cause unnecessary casualties to civilians. What’s more important is whether the Japanese will massacre the city? They do not believe it. Most of them understand that Chen Xiuwen and Gui Yongqing, these two troops that performed the best in the defense of Nanjing wanted to defend their honor.

But Tang Shengzhi had already made up his mind to retreat at this time. Once he made up his mind, Tang Shengzhi had no ambitions before the war. Even before the meeting, the transportation commander Zhou Aoshan had arranged a small steamer for him, the commander-in-chief at Xiaguan Wharf, and could retreat to Jiangbei at any time. Moreover, Chiang Kai-shek had personally ordered the retreat. If these direct troops could no longer be saved and he fought for the light in Nanjing, he would be difficult for him to explain to Jiangjiang.

"The commission's command is here, and the troops must retreat according to the plan of the garrison headquarters." Tang Shengzhi immediately said with a deep face.

Chen Xiuwen, who didn't really look down on this commander Tang, was immediately polite and sneered: "General Tang, we all heard the principal's orders clearly just now. The principal's orders were like the situation could not last. I would like to ask if it is really time for the situation to last? General Gui said just now, the Wulong Mountain Fort is still in the hands of our army, and the teaching corps stands on Zijin Mountain and remains unmoved. The 74th Army and the 71st Army guarded Shuiximen and Guanghuamen respectively. The positions in the south of our division and the 72nd Army were not damaged at all. More importantly, there are still tens of thousands of civilians in the city that have not withdrawn. What's more, there are still tens of thousands of civilians in the city that have not withdrawn. .Is this a time when the situation cannot last? I believe that if the principal knew that the people in Nanjing had not withdrawn, he would never order the troops to evacuate. The honor of our soldiers is to protect the country and the people. We must stick to the evacuation of all civilians and defend our honor as soldiers to the death. Chief Tang, if you ask us to sign and confirm the retreat order, I will never sign this word. Even if all the troops are withdrawn, even if there is the last person left in my first division, as long as there is still a civilian in the city that has not evacuated safely, we will never retreat."

"You..." Tang Shengzhi never expected that Chen Xiuwen, the youngest-class student with the least qualifications, would dare to publicly attack him. He was so angry that his face turned pale and pointed at Chen Xiuwen tremblingly for a moment that he couldn't speak.

Seeing this, Deputy Commander Luo Zhuoying quickly scolded: "Liberation, there is a difference between superiority and inferiority. Is there anyone who talks to Commander Tang like this? Why don't you sit down for me?"

Although many of the generals of the direct line did not take Tang Shengzhi seriously, he was the commander-in-chief of the Nanjing garrison commander who was appointed by the commissioner. No one expected that Chen Xiuwen, a low-key young man, would attack Commander-in-Chief. At the same time, everyone could hear that Luo Zhuo was wisely scolding Chen Xiuwen and secretly favoring him.

Chen Xiuwen is not a fool, how could he not hear Luo Zhuoying's meaning? At that moment, Tang Shengzhi, whose face turned pale and turned pale, saluted and said, "Sir Tang, Bei Zhi only wants to defend the honor of being a soldier, and has no intention of offending the power of the tiger. If you offend, after this battle, Bei Zhi is willing to be dealt with by military law." As he finished speaking, he looked in Gui Yongqing's direction. Because he knew that it would be difficult to deny this order with his own strength. Since Gui Yongqing also jumped out, he would hold him back and firmly oppose it, so the honor of the soldier has been emphasized in his words.
Chapter completed!