Chapter 191: Kill out of the siege (3)

"What, the Second Corps has retreated to Jiangbei? The left wing position of Zijin Mountain has been captured?" Chen Xiuwen was shocked after hearing the intoxicated report of the Deputy Chief of Staff.

According to the order of the garrison headquarters, the Second Corps was responsible for defending the Wulong Mountain Fortress to cover the retreat and breakout of other troops, and should retreat in the end. However, in the early morning of the 13th, when other troops were fighting to the death, Xu Yuanquan took advantage of the opportunity of the Ninth Division in front of him to attack Zijin Mountain, and led the 41st and 48th Divisions to the Second Corps to take the civilian boats they had pre-controlled there to cross to Jiangbei.

"Xu Yuanquan, this old king egg." Chen Xiuwen threw the pencil in his hand heavily on the map spread on the table and cursed with gritted teeth. Now the various Fukuo positions in Nanjing are interdependent. Xu Yuanquan's retreat not only lost cover for the Wulong Mountain Fortress, but also completely exposed the left wing of Zijin Mountain.

"Dingling" another rapid phone ringing rang. Chen Zui quickly answered the phone.

"The teacher's seat is the phone number of Chief Sun."

"Resurrection, the old guy Xu Yuanquan retreated to Jiangbei without authorization, and the left wing of Zijin Mountain was broken through by the 9th Division of the Neon Army. The teaching team was attacked from both sides, Gui Shuzhen and Wang Youping were both ready to retreat to Xiaguan Wharf. What should we do?" Sun Yuanliang also got the news as soon as possible and quickly called to discuss with Shen Xiuping.

"Didn't the order say that the teaching corps and the 71st Army must break through to the periphery? How to retreat to Xiaguan?" Chen Xiuwen asked in surprise.

"They all have boats. Damn, although they all speak better than they sing, they all have one hand and don't hand them all over the Transportation Command. They have boats in private. We just handed them all out." Sun Yuanliang cursed gritted his teeth on the phone.

Chen Xiuwen thought of Gui Yongqing's generous speech at yesterday's meeting, but secretly arranged a way out. Isn't this guy who is like Tang Shengzhi and others in his bones?

"What about the Seventy-Fourth Army?" Chen Xiuwen then asked hurriedly. The Seventy-Fourth Army had the greatest casualties among all the troops, and Chen Xiuwen couldn't help but worry about this future anti-Japanese iron army.

"Don't worry about them. Don't forget that Liangzhen's uncle is the Minister of Transportation. Even if others can't cross the river without a ship, they will never be able to cross the river. Think about what we should do? The first and second-tier positions in Yuhuatai are now lost, and Zhu Chi and Gao Zhisong have retreated to the core positions. If we don't retreat, when the Japanese on the North and East Lines attack the city, we will be surrounded." Sun Yuanliang said anxiously.

"Military, don't worry, wait for me to contact Sun Wenhua in the city. If the evacuation is almost done, we are also preparing to retreat." Chen Xiuwen said with a frown.

"Then you must be quick! Oh, by the way, you don't know yet? The garrison headquarters just issued an order: Orders 71, 74, the teaching corps and my 72nd Army cannot break through all, and you can cross the river when there is a ferry and gather in Chuzhou through Pukou. You offended Tang Mengxiao yesterday. Look at all the Central Army troops, the only one who missed your honorary First Division. You..."

Before Sun Yuanliang finished speaking, Chen Xiuwen quickly interrupted him and said anxiously: "Military, you must not retreat to Xiaguan. In addition, you are notifying Captain Gui, Commander Wang and Commander Yu. If you can break through as much as possible, I, Rong First Division, will be responsible for covering it."

If the three armies, one teaching team, plus the 78th Army on the Northern Line, if nearly 50,000 or 60,000 people squeezed into the small land of Xiaguan together, the result would be imagined.

"Receive Director Sun's phone call immediately and ask about the situation in the city quickly." After putting down the phone, Chen Xiuwen ordered loudly.

The civilians were evacuated after a day of fighting for it. It is estimated that there will be no big problem. The key now is the retreat of the troops. The order from the garrison headquarters that Sun Yuanliang told him just now greatly reduced the seriousness of the original retreat order and created an excuse for other troops not to execute the original order. Now the Neon Army is attacking fiercely, and everyone knows that retreating from Xiaguan to Jiangbei is the safest route. If you do not break through the encirclement, retreat will be in chaos. As long as the morale of the army is in chaos, the retreat will evolve into a retreat.

"Report, Director Sun's phone number has been connected." The communications consultant's report interrupted Chen Xiuwen's thoughts.

"The civilians have been evacuated almost. Mayor Xiao led the military police to organize the last group of ordinary people to retreat to the southwest."

Sun Wenhua's report relieved Chen Xiuwen's hanged heart and said quickly: "Okay. Director Sun, you lead the guard battalion to retreat to the Zhonghua Gate immediately. If you encounter retreating troops along the way, try to gather them together to retreat to the Zhonghua."

After the 9th Division of the Neon Army broke through the left wing of Zijin Mountain, a fire ignited on Zijin Mountain. The fire that soared into the sky can be seen throughout Nanjing. The bombers of the Neon Army over Nanjing were bombing wildly. The garrison headquarters was in chaos. Just received a report from the front that the walls of Guanghuamen and Zhongshanmen on the east side of Nanjing had been blown up with multiple gaps. Part of the 9th Division that broke through the left wing of Zijin Mountain and part of the 16th Division attacking Guanghuamen did not break into Nanjing from these gaps, and exchanged fire with the 103rd Division and the 112th Division arranged in the city. But the worse news is that the Neon Army's gunboats have reached the surface of the Yangtze River near Wulong Mountain, and the Guoqi Detachment that crossed the Yangtze River from Dangtu is approaching Pukou. If they do not retreat, the retreat route in Jiangbei will be cut off by the Neon Army.

"Meng Gong, go quickly. If you don't leave, you really can't leave."

Under the continuous urging of Chief of Staff Zhou Lan and Transportation Commander Zhou Aoshan, Tang Shengzhi took a last look at the office of the commander commander's own office for only 22 days, silently took out 500 yuan and 20 bottles of gasoline and handed it to the guards, and turned around and got on the car without looking back. Behind him were the raging flames rising from the office of the guards' burning documents. This fire completely burned Tang Shengzhi's sonorous oath and strong determination to live and die together with Nanjing.

"Now the left wing position has been broken through by the Neon Army, and the 9th Division and the 16th Division have gone around the rear wing of our army. Now we must retreat. Second Corps! Damn it! None of these warlords and miscellaneous troops are reliable." Gui Yongqing convened an emergency meeting in the command center of the basement of Fuguishan.

"Captain, the Second Brigade and the Third Brigade are now fighting against the Neon Army on the mountain, and they will not be able to retreat for a while. The First Brigade reinforces the 87th Division at Guanghuamen. It is not easy to retreat." Chief of Staff Qiu Qingquan said with a worried look on his face.

"The 87th Division is also preparing to retreat. The First Brigade and the 87th Division retreat to Xiaguan Pier. The Second Brigade and the Third Brigade find ways to alternate cover to retreat as soon as possible."

Qiu Qingquan lowered his head and said nothing. He knew that Gui Yongqing had already arranged the retreating ships in advance, but so many troops rushed to Xiaguan Wharf together. How to retreat or whether it could be a problem. The commander of the corps were not trying to break through from the front, but to withdraw all the troops to the riverside, Qiu Qingquan couldn't help but worry.

"Captain, I think this is still the case. You will take the headquarters of the corps and the first brigade to retreat first. I will stay and take charge and then discuss with the second brigade and the third brigade to see how to retreat. If it really doesn't work, we will evacuate from the Zhonghua Gate as Chief Sun just notified. General Mountain and Niushou Mountain defended by Rongyi Division have not yet been lost. They can cover our retreat." Qiu Qingquan thought for a while and said.

"Rongyi Division? Can Chen Xiuwen be reliable?" Zhou Zhenqiang, deputy commander and commander of the First Brigade, said worriedly. During the exercise, he was defeated by Chen Xiuwen and was still worried.

"This kid is good at guarding and plays well in Luodian and Songjiang. He dared to challenge Lao Tang at the meeting yesterday. I think it's OK. That's it. But Yu'an, you can retreat with Jianfu and the others, and I'll stay and command." Gui Yongqing said.

"No. Captain of the General, you must withdraw first. In the future, the troops will need you to take charge of the overall situation, so I will stay." Qiu Qingquan said with a firm look on his face.

Qiu Qingquan is nicknamed "Qiu Crazy", but he is righteous and loyal. Although he is only the chief of staff, his prestige in the teaching corps has surpassed Zhou Zhenqiang, the deputy commander of the first phase of Huangpu and the commander of the First Brigade, as well as the commander of the commander Gui Yongqing, and he is the second person in the teaching corps.

"Yes, straightforward, you must withdraw first. I believe Yu'an will definitely withdraw all the troops." Zhou Zhenqiang also said hurriedly.

Now it is time to die. Gui Yongqing knows that Qiu Qingquan has strong command ability, even no less than himself. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Okay." As he said that, he held Qiu Qingquan's hand and said, "Yu'an, the Second Brigade and the Third Brigade will ask you."

"Please rest assured, the commander of the corps. I will withdraw both the Second Brigade and the Third Brigade." Qiu Qingquan saluted Gui Yongqing and said with a serious look on his face.

Gui Yongqing led the General Corps, the direct troops and the First Brigade to retreat to Xiaguan Wharf. Qiu Qingquan sat alone in the conference room smoking a cigar. The entire command center looked deserted except for a few guards and staff officers who stayed to assist Qiu Qingquan.

Outside, there were gunfire sounds rumbling on Zijin Mountain. The officers and soldiers of the Second Brigade and the Third Brigade, who were responsible for guarding the First and Second Peaks of Zijin Mountain, were still fighting bloody battles with the Neon Army, but the troops behind them had retreated. Qiu Qingquan felt relieved when he thought about it, threw away half of the cigar in his hand and shouted: "Come."

"Arrival." A lieutenant colonel officer in his thirties ran over at the door.

Qiu Qingquan looked up and couldn't help but say in surprise: "Chengcai, why haven't you retreated with the captain?"

The lieutenant colonel officer who appeared at the door was Zhao Shujiu, the new chief of staff.

"She is the one who is here, and I am here too. Let's fight for a bloody path together." Zhao Shujiu said loudly.

Although Zhao Shujiu is similar to Qiu Qingquan, Qiu Qingquan, who is arrogant by nature, usually doesn't like this staff member who graduated from the Ninth Class of the Central Military Academy and is from the Northeast Army very much. If Gui Yongqing had not appreciated him, Qiu Qingquan would never have agreed to let Zhao Shujiu replace Wan Chengqu, who was injured in the Battle of Shanghai, as his deputy. Unexpectedly, at this critical moment of life and death, Zhao Shujiu chose to stay bravely.

Qiu Qingquan suddenly turned 180 degrees to Zhao Shujiu's opinion, said three good words in succession, and then ordered: "Chengcai, you can call the brigade department of the Second Brigade and the Third Brigade immediately. I want to talk to Brigade Commander Hu and Brigade Commander Ma to discuss the retreat."

"Yes." However, Zhao Shujiu did not leave immediately, but looked at Qiu Qingquan and hesitated: "Stand up, I..."

Now Qiu Qingquan has a great impression of Zhao Shujiu, who can take the initiative to stay and share hardships with him, and waved his hand and said, "Chengcai, just say anything you have."

"Since, Chen Xiuwen, the commander of Rongyi Division, and I have always had a good relationship. I know him, and he is definitely the one who can say it. If we retreat now, it is best to stick out from the Zhonghua Gate from the General Mountain and Niushou Mountain area. Rongyi Division promises to cover it, and it will definitely cover us to break through." Zhao Shujiu said hurriedly.

"Oh?" Qiu Qingquan didn't know much about Chen Xiuwen. Like Huang Wei, he returned to China to participate in the war after the Battle of Songhu. His understanding of Chen Xiuwen was also based on newspaper reports. He actually wanted to break through according to the route on the order. If there was no way, he would choose Sun Yuanliang to notify the route by phone that he had just left the General Mountain of the Chinese Gate and the General Mountain of Niu Shou Mountain, and broke through from the right side of Lishui to Gaochun. After all, there were the sixth and the first and fourth divisions of the Neon Army. If he was not careful, more than 10,000 brothers from the two brigades would be surrounded by the Neon Army.

"In this way, you go and contact me first, I'll think about it." Qiu Qingquan thought for a while and said.

"Yes." Zhao Shujiu looked at Qiu Qingquan's face, swallowed back what he wanted to say, saluted, and ran out to contact the two brigade departments on the mountain.

"Rong Yi Division, Chen Xiuwen." Qiu Qingquan muttered, while standing in front of the map and studying it carefully. If the troops of the Rong Yi Division retreated in the General Mountain and Niu Shou Mountain guarding the city and Fukuo position as Sun Yuanliang said, they would inevitably be attacked by the 6th Division and the 114th Division. Can they stop it?

However, if you retreat according to the route on the order, then the task of covering is the 66th and 83rd Army of the Guangdong Army. The left wing must hold on until the end. The Second Corps has retreated. If these two armies are covered and taught to retreat first, they will not be able to protect themselves without cover. Will they still do their best to cover?

"Retreat from Yuhuatai." Qiu Qingquan's fist hit the map hard. Based on the Second Legion's arbitrary retreat and distrust of local miscellaneous cards, Qiu Qingquan finally chose to follow the route notified by Sun Yuanliang, follow the 88th Division and break through the line of Zhonghuamen and Yuhuatai.
Chapter completed!