Chapter 194: Kill out of the siege (5)

At this time, the Yangtze River has become the life and death line for the Nanjing defenders. The families of officials in charge of evacuation of the municipal government and police department who had not yet been removed, and the officers and soldiers of various troops who had been evacuated in advance. Thousands of unordered people flocked to Xiaguan Wharf. As soon as the few ferries were docked, countless people immediately rushed to the death, ignoring the guns and warnings of the soldiers who were trying to seize the road. For a moment, shouts, cries, screams and screams of the people who fell into the water were heard.

There was only a small steamer parked at the Naval Pier of Coal Harbor. No one dared to get on. The soldiers wearing steel helmets were carrying machine guns. Anyone who dared to move forward boldly immediately and unceremoniously. The ship was specially prepared for the commander-in-chief's office.

At that time, in order to show his determination to live and die with Nanjing, Tang Shengzhi ordered all the big ones to be put into practice

All small boats were handed over to the 78th Army to strictly guard them, and no ship was allowed to be left. Those who violated the orders were judged by military law. However, Tang Shengzhi's confidant transport commander Zhou Aoshan had already arranged small steamer for retreat for the chief's headquarters. Of course, these were limited to a few chiefs. The staff officers and assistants of the chief's headquarters who retreated to the river in a hurry, saw this small steamer guarding heavily, and they all shouted thanks to God. Thanks to this boat, everyone could survive.

From Zhongshan Road, Yijiangmen all the way to Xiaguan Wharf, it was crowded with people and cars were unable to pass. Everyone was running for their lives, and who cares about what commander you are. You can't take a car forward. Tang Shengzhi, Luo Zhuoying, Liu Xing, Zhou Lan and others could only squeeze towards the wharf with the crowd under the protection of the guards.

It was not easy to board the boat. After counting the number of people, I found that only Deputy Chief of Staff Yu Nianci was not seen. At this time, it was already dark, but the left waited and still could not see Yu Nianci's figure. Tang Shengzhi, who could not wait, ordered the ship to start. At 7 pm on August 13, the commander-in-chief of Nanjing garrison Tang Shengzhi, with his subordinates from the chief's department, sailed away from Nanjing City where the flames were soaring into the sky, and headed towards the dark Jiangbei.

Standing at the bow of the boat, Tang Shengzhi looked back and looked at Nanjing City for the last time, but saw the fires soaring into the sky. The explosion of plane bombs and guns could be clearly heard from afar. Purple Mountain trembled in pain like a wounded giant in the flames of the sky. Although Nanjing was still in midsummer at this time, Tang Shengzhi still felt cold all over. He didn't know what would be waiting for him for Nanjing's miserable defeat?

The commanders of the troops who had private ships at Xiaguan Wharf left their troops and ran to Xiaguan. The commanders ran away, and the soldiers with low morale also ran. Everyone thought that it was still Shenglu to escape to Jiangbei. They ignored the orders and rushed to the east and fled. From Zhongshan North Road to Yijiangmen, the road was filled with soldiers, vehicles, equipment and people scrambling to trample on each other. "If each unit cannot break through, you can retreat to Xiaguan Wharf when there is a ferry." This retreat order issued by Tang Shengzhi made tens of thousands of troops blow like a gust of wind and scattered.

The crowd rushed to Yijiangmen leading to Xiaguan, which was the only passage from the city. Suddenly, the crowd was in a stir. It turned out that there were dozens of machine guns in front of them, and the soldiers carrying live ammunition were holding bright bayonets. The officers and soldiers of the 36th Division who had not received this verbal order were still carrying Tang Shengzhi's original order to prevent the troops from retreating to the riverside. The crowd was stunned for a moment, and then rushed forward like crazy.

"Dadadada..." The machine gun fired, and bullets flew over the top of the crowd's heads.

"Bangbangbang..." The rifle and pistol sounded. However, this time, they shot towards the city gate. Some of the officers and soldiers in the crowd shot against each other with the officers and soldiers of the 36th Division on the city.

As soon as the gun fired, the crowd rushed towards the city gate like a flood that broke through the embankment. Only one door was opened. There were many people and narrow doors. The crowd stepped over the people who were squeezed to the ground and rushed towards the riverside desperately. A wounded soldier who was squeezed by the door was red in his eyes and pulled the grenade he carried with him. With a "boom", blood and flesh flew everywhere in the city gate. Thick smoke dissipated, and countless feet ruthlessly stepped over the broken limbs and arms, swarming by.

The wounded soldiers beside the abandoned road cursed at the back of their companions who had run away without looking back: "You all ran away, throw us here and ask the Neon Army to kill them. It's so sad! If I had known this, who would have been willing to fight!"

The 259th Brigade of the 87th Division broke off contact with the division headquarters in the afternoon. The Neon Army position on the front of Zhongshan Gate was silent. Only Yuhuatai was heard, and the fire in the area of ​​Zhonghua Gate was fierce. The fire in Zijin Mountain burned the mountain red, but the gunshots gradually became sparse. Yi Anhua felt something was wrong. Because the left wing of Zijin Mountain was lost, the 259th Brigade was transferred by Wang Jingjiu to the vicinity of Zhongshan Gate to block the 9th Division of the Neon Army that bypassed the left wing of Zijin Mountain and attacked the city wall.

"We don't know the situation outside, and we can't contact the division headquarters. We immediately send someone to the division headquarters to inquire about the situation, and then go to the nearby teaching corps Ma Weilong Brigade." Yi Anhua and deputy brigade commander Liu Mantian discussed for a while and said.

Liu Mantian quickly sent several staff members to the division headquarters and the Ma Weilong Department, the teaching corps closest to them, to inquire about the situation. Soon after, the staff members who went to the Ma Weilong Department to inquire about the situation came back first.

"How is the situation?" Yi Anhua, anxious and anxious, asked anxiously.

"Report to the brigade, the third brigade of the teaching corps was retreating. Brigade Commander Ma said they were preparing to break through from Yuhuatai and Zhonghuamen to the General Mountain line. In addition, on the road, I also encountered the troops of the 83rd Army of the Guangdong Army, and they were also retreating to the northeast."

"Damn it, why are you going to run away? What kind of battle is going to fight?" Yi Anhua cursed when he heard this.

"The brigade seat is not good!" At this time, a staff officer who went to the division headquarters to inquire about the situation hurried back on a bicycle.

"Run, all ran away."

"What happened? Make it clear!" Liu Mantian, the deputy brigade commander, quickly grabbed the staff member and shouted.

"I ran away, there was no one in the division headquarters. I heard from the brothers from the guard camp that the military officer and Chief Shen had already gone to Xiaguan Wharf in the afternoon. I just came back all the way, and there was no one of our brothers on the walls from Guanghua Gate to Zhongshan Gate..."

Yi Anhua and Liu Mantian looked at each other and fell into the fog of five miles. After a long time, Yi Anhua said to Liu Mantian in disbelief: "Mantian, please take people nearby to observe the situation. After confirming the situation, we can make up our minds."

It was not until dark that Liu Mantian came back. He looked panicked and sad, pressing a heart that was about to jump to his throat: "The chief officer has already retreated, the Neon Army has attacked the city, and Nanjing has been lost!"

The sound was like a bolt from the blue to hit Yi Anhua from head to toe. It was over, it was all over. The troops were unable to advance and retreat now. The Japanese from the 16th Division on the right were blocking the way to Guanghua Gate, confronting part of the 9th Division on the front, with a moat behind it. The only way to retreat was to retreat to Xiaguan. However, they did not receive any orders for retreat.

"Brig Commander, we have been thrown down. Retreat quickly. If we don't retreat, we will have no way out when the 9th Division comes up." Liu Mantian cried when he saw Yi Anhua's insane look.

"Wang Jingjiu, the two bastards of Chenfazao." Yi Anhua never expected that he and the two old officials who had been for many years would leave him and thousands of brothers and run away at this critical moment.

"Retreat!" With Yi Anhua's order, more than 3,000 remaining members of the 259th Brigade entered Xi'an Gate and retreated along Xuanwu Lake to Xiaguan Wharf.

"Who? Stop!" When he retreated to the near Drum Tower on Zhongshan Road, a team of more than 1,000 people suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking the way of the 259th Brigade. There was a sound of pulling guns in the dark.

When Liu Mantian, the deputy brigade commander who was responsible for opening the road in front, heard that the voice was his own, he quickly shouted: "We are the 259th Brigade of the 87th Division, what part are you from?"

"We are from Rongyi Division." The troops opposite also shouted loudly.

Yi Anhua caught up from behind when he heard the sound. At this time, the troops on the opposite side also drove over. A lieutenant colonel in his early thirties ran up and saw Yi Anhua quickly saluted: "Brave Commander Yi, I am Sun Wenhua, director of the Political Training Department of Rongyi Regiment. May I ask you this?"

Although Yi Anhua didn't know Sun Wenhua, the troops in front of him were well-equipped, all of which were made of American Thomson submachine guns and semi-automatic rifles that Yi Anhua could not be called famous and could be fired continuously. Yi Anhua knew that among all the troops in Nanjing, no other troops except Rongyi Division could have such equipment.

After taking the whole thing handed over by Sun Wenhua and carefully confirming his identity, Yi Anhua breathed a sigh of relief and said, "We are retreating to Xiaguan."

Sun Wenhua looked at the crowd behind Yi Anhua and frowned and said, "Brave Commander Yi, many troops are running towards Xiaguan now. You may not be able to pass so many of you. Why not retreat from Zhonghua Gate with us. The 88th Division and our Rongyi Division still control the Zhonghua Gate, Yuhuatai, General Mountain, and Niushou Mountain in the south of the city."

"This?" Yi Anhua knew that the only place on the outside position was the General Mountain and Niu Shou Mountain defended by Rongyi Division, which were not lost, and the two brigades of the teaching corps were also retreating in this direction. But now there is only the south direction of the city and the sound of gunfire is still shocking. If you break through the front, can you break out?

"Brave Commander Yi, don't hesitate. With so many of you, when you arrive at Xiaguan Wharf, the Japanese are afraid that they will catch up. How can you cross the river? Do you have any boats?" Seeing that Yi Anhua was still hesitating, Sun Wenhua said quickly.

Yi Anhua and Liu Mantian were shocked when they heard this. Yes! Just thinking about retreating to Xiaguan, he thought it would be safe to retreat to Jiangbei, but they did not expect that there were enough ships to Xiaguan and whether they could cross the river before the Neon Army chased him. Perhaps breaking through from the front was the only way out. After all, the two brigades of the teaching corps also chose this way. The two looked at each other, and Yi Anhua finally gritted his teeth and nodded, "Okay! Let's follow you."

The two teams gathered together, with more than 3,000 people from the 259th Brigade, the guard battalion of Rongyi Brigade and the defeated soldiers who were accommodated along the way, a total of 5,000 people broke through to the direction of Zhonghua Gate. As the number of people increased, the confidence of the defeated soldiers to follow and break through. People continued to join along the way. When they arrived at Zhonghua Gate, the entire team had expanded to nearly 8,000.

The battle at the Zhonghua Gate continued. Gao Zhisong, the commander of the 264th Brigade of the 88th Division who was responsible for the protection of the palace, did not expect that Sun Wenhua would bring so many troops out of the city and would be about to take over a division.

"I'm waiting for you, retreat quickly." While Gao Zhisong shouted to the troops out of the city, he unexpectedly discovered his old Huangpu classmate Yi Anhua. He was surprised and said: "Jichen, you are here too."

The 88th Division and the 87th Division are brothers. Originally, Yi Anhua and other generals of the 87th Division did not look down on Sun Yuanliang, the commander of the 88th Division, who is rich in business and has a bad reputation. However, at this moment of life and death, they did not expect that Wang Jingjiu, their old commander who has always claimed to be a model of soldiers, left the troops and ran away. The 88th Division was still persisting, which made Yi Anhua feel ashamed and angry: "Zijin, we have been abandoned. It's really hard to describe."

Gao Zhisong sighed when he heard this, and then immediately said, "Stop talking, retreat quickly. The teaching corps has retreated to General Mountain."

First, the main force of the 88th Division was retreating to General Mountain, followed by two brigades of the teaching corps. At Shen Xiuwen's command center, Qiu Qingquan, who finally arrived, took the commander of the 3rd Brigade Ma Weilong, holding Shen Xiuwen's hand and said with gratitude: "Teacher Shen, thanks to your Rongyi Division this time, I will never thank you for your kindness. As long as I can use Qiu Qingquan's place in the future, I will just speak."

It was the first time that Shen Xiuwen saw this Qiu Fengzi who was criticized as a reactionary man like Zhang Lingfu, and hurriedly said, "Senior is over-reputable. We are all brothers fighting side by side." At this time, Shen Xiuwen had nothing to hide. At the same time, in order to reassure these newly withdrawn troops, he continued: "Our Rongyi Division set a regiment in Gaochun in advance, and is moving towards Lishui. As long as we stick out from here and leave Moling Pass, there will be troops to support us. Our Rongyi Division is responsible for covering the brigade of troops to break through..."

Qiu Qingquan and Ma Weilong were immediately overjoyed when they heard this. Qiu Fengzi was loyal and said immediately. Before Shen Xiuwen could continue to say anything, he hurriedly said: "Brothers, you have all achieved this, I didn't say it. We teach the corps to take the lead, and in addition, we will leave another regiment to assist you in the palace."

To be honest, the 88th Division of these three troops have the greatest casualties. After these three days of blocking, the Rongyi Division suffered a lot of casualties. The strongest combat effectiveness is the two brigades that had just withdrawn from the Zijin Mountain to the teaching corps. Qiu Qingquan was able to take the initiative to take on the breakthrough mission, and left a regiment to assist the palace rear. Shen Xiuwen was desperate to ask for it. At the same time, he suddenly felt more and more affectionate about the senior who was known as "Crazy Qiu". He immediately thanked him repeatedly.
Chapter completed!