Chapter 163: First Battle of the Armored Brigade

"Counterattack Huainan?" Chu Jingming was extremely surprised and couldn't believe it, "Anbang, I heard it right?"

"Brother, you heard it right." Qiao Anbang said and advised again: "Okay, you can retreat quickly and retreat to the north bank and have a good rest."

"Sir, let's go." The first battalion commander stepped forward and signaled with a stern hand.

Chu Jingming ignored the first battalion commander and said to Qiao Anbang: "Brother, since ancient times, brothers have fought with tigers and fathers and sons, and you don't retreat. As the eldest brother, I retreated, what did I say? I'll stay to fight side by side with you."

Qiao Anbang looked at Chu Jingming and then at the wounded soldiers behind him, and said, "Brother, you and your brothers are injured. Please listen to me, brother, and retreat to the back and rest, and recover well, so that you can fight against the Japanese invaders in the future."

Seeing that Qiao Anbang was concerned about his injuries and his subordinates, Chu Jingming quickly patted his chest and said, "This small injury is nothing. If it really doesn't work, let them retreat. I'll stay. Give me a submachine gun, and I can still charge into battle." As he said that, Chu Jingming's eyes turned to the two hundred surviving security team soldiers behind him.

Everyone has a love for protecting the calf, and Chu Jingming is no exception. He also wants to leave a few seeds for his security team. In the battle of Fengyang Gorge, his security team was almost wiped out. It is precisely because of this that when Qiao Anbang proposed to counterattack Huainan and never retreated, Chu Jingming wanted to stay firmly. He wanted to stay and avenge more than a thousand soldiers from his hometown who died in his country.

Unexpectedly, when Chu Jingming finished speaking, more than 200 surviving security guards officers and soldiers said excitedly: "We don't leave, the ranks don't leave, we don't go anywhere, we share honor and disgrace, and life and death."

Qiao Anbang was slightly moved when he heard this. It seemed that Chu Jingming had a high status in the minds of the officers and soldiers of this group of security regiments, but this was not without reason. Chu Jingming was an honest official, respected benevolence and righteous person, and took good care of his subordinates, and never deducted military pay. Over time, his status in the minds of the officers and soldiers was also improved.

It was Chu Jingming who was deeply loved by his subordinates that he could have been trapped and persevered for a day and a night with his troops. If his subordinates had not fought to the death, and the security regiment had previously received a batch of weapons and equipment donated by Qiao Anbang, his combat power would be slightly stronger than other regiments, and I'm afraid he would not be able to hold on for even a day.

Chu Jingming was even more tearful and nodded repeatedly, "Okay, share honor and disgrace, and swear to live and die together." As he said that, he turned around and said to Qiao Anbang, "Anbang, you have seen it too. The brothers are unwilling to leave... Don't say anything. As the saying goes, brothers work together to stop the Jin Dynasty and end the crisis. You and my brothers should join forces to fight against the enemy and resist the Japanese invaders."

"But, you are all hurt." Qiao Anbang said with some concern.

"This is not a problem. It's all minor injuries. You can continue fighting after bandaging it." Chu Jingming turned around and looked at his subordinates, turning his head and said, "But there is one thing that is really troublesome. We don't have ammunition anymore."

"This is easy to deal with." Seeing that he had made up his mind, Qiao Anbang stopped persuading him. He turned around and pointed to the battlefield where he had fought fiercely, saying, "We just wiped out two thousand Japanese devils. Weapons and ammunition are everywhere in the mountains and fields. Brother, please take people to clean the battlefield briefly. When the large unit of my National Rescue Army arrives, I will equip you with German equipment, which is much better than the Japanese devils' equipment."

"Have" Chu Jingming responded readily, and then led his subordinates to start cleaning the battlefield.

Qiao Anbang took out a cigarette from his pocket, lighted the cigarette facing northwest and said to himself: "Why haven't the Second Battalion come yet?"

Suddenly, a shrill shout came from behind: "Maintain seat"

Qiao Anbang took a sip of cigarette, turned his head when he heard the sound, and Liang Jiahan, who was standing behind her, also turned around. The person who came was a soldier of the guard regiment, and seemed to be the lieutenant of the guard regiment commander Wang Gensheng. He was a distant relative of Wang Gensheng, named Erdan.

"What's the matter?" Erdan just arrived in front of him, and Qiao Anbang took the lead in asking.

Erdan was breathing like a cow, and quickly stood up and saluted Qiao Anbang and said, "Master, we encountered the main force of the Japanese army not far from the ferry. After fierce battles, the Japanese retreated to the foot of the mountain. In order to ensure the safety of the ferry, the regiment commander led the first and second battalions to attack the Japanese positions. They were unable to meet for the time being, so I specially sent me to report."

Anbang couldn't help but nodded with satisfaction when he heard this, "Go back and tell your regiment commander that he did a good job. Remember, before my main force crosses the river, you must take the grandma at the ferry in our hands. In addition, generate electricity for the armored brigade on the other side and urge them to cross the river as soon as possible to meet us."

"Yes" Erdan stood up with a bang, then took the order and turned away.

Watching Erdan leave, Qiao Anbang secretly praised himself. Wang Gensheng had followed him for a long time and had learned some strategies and tactics. At least he handled this matter well. Regardless of the purpose of the Japanese army he encountered with the Second and Third Battalions of the Guards, he belonged to the Japanese army.

But if Wang Gensheng leads his troops to rush back to the turn with him, he will undoubtedly give the ferry to the Japanese army. Not only will the rear of the guard regiment be intercepted, but the subsequent troops such as the armored brigade will be unable to cross the river because they are blocked by the Japanese army.

Once the connection between the guard regiment and the subsequent main force is cut off, the consequences will be unimaginable. After all, what they have to face is not a Japanese division, but an army of more than 100,000. No matter how strong the guard regiment is, it will inevitably be difficult to last.

…………………………

At the Pingxu Ferry on the north bank of the Huai River, Zhang Xudong, who was already the commander of the armored brigade, was patrolling the construction of the ferry bridge with several regiment commanders. In addition to the soldiers of the armored brigade, there were also people coming from nearby people who heard the news. The people here were shocked by the Japanese when they heard that the Japanese were coming, and they dared to help the National Army carry stretchers to transport the wounded.

They were so scared that they stayed at home and did not dare to show their heads. Some people had even moved to the Ching and Ji, because Qiao Anbang's National Salvation Army was stationed there.

When Qiao Anbang's National Salvation Army arrived at the north bank of the Huai River, many soldiers went to nearby villages to borrow boats and other items to prepare to cross the river. When they learned that the National Salvation Army was coming, the local people showed amazing enthusiasm. Not only did they lend the boats to the National Army, but those who had no boats even demolished the door panels of their own houses.

Many people spontaneously came to help the national army build a floating bridge. At this moment, the status of Qiao Anbang and the Huben Brigade in the minds of the military and civilians across the country was obvious.

Especially the Lianghuai area, which is not far from the chees and the Ji.

While Zhang Xudong and others were inspecting, a communication soldier ran over with a hurried look on his face and reported to Zhang Xudong: "The brigade, the chief officer ordered our department to cross the river as soon as possible to meet with the guard group."

"I understand." Zhang Xudong waved his hand when he heard this, turned around and said to the commanders behind him: "The floating bridge is about to be completed, so go and prepare quickly. Today's battle is the first battle since the establishment of my armored brigade. I will definitely give me a brilliant shot and let the Japanese see the power of our China steel torrent."

"Yes," the commanders saluted and responded in unison, and then turned around and ordered them to leave.

The one used to build a pontoon bridge was a batch of 100-ton heavy ships that Qiao Anbang instructed Yali to secretly get from the aircraft before crossing the river. He used steel plate and iron chains to connect the ships into one, which can be passed by tanks and armored combat vehicles.

Looking at the steel floating bridge gradually completed on the river, Zhang Xudong was a little excited. He had never fought since the establishment of the Armored Brigade. Zhang Xudong was not sure about the power of those huge and mighty large tanks, so he was looking forward to the next battle.

As the last ship arrived at the predetermined location, a steel road leading to the south bank had been formed. Before Zhang Xudong could order the Armored Brigade to start the operation.

Dozens of huge No. 4 tanks rumbled towards the pontoon bridge one by one with blue smoke. One, two, three, and soon dozens of No. 4 tanks quickly passed through the pontoon bridge and arrived at the other shore.

Zhang Xudong took a No. 4 tank and began to cross the river with the Second Regiment. When dozens of No. 4 tanks of the Second Regiment all crossed the river, before waiting for the Third Regiment, Zhang Xudong ordered the troops to advance forward in an attempt to meet with the Guard Regiment.

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"Hurry, hurry up, speed up the marching, hurry up." On the earthen road leading to Tianma Peak from Fengyang, Major General Sawada Tokushige, the commander of the 26th Infantry Brigade of the Japanese Army, was urging more than a thousand cavalrymen from the 17th Cavalry Brigade to speed up their advance.

The rescue telegram of the 116th Infantry Regiment has been coming several times, saying that they are being attacked by the Chinese army. The heavy losses of the 58th Infantry Regiment have made Tokuge Sawada very angry. If the 116th Regiment is also severely damaged or annihilated by the Chinese army, then he, the brigade commander, will become the commander of the barely.

This was a situation that Tokugeki Sawada would never want to see, so he left the slower field artillery corps and personally led the fastest cavalry brigade to advance first and rush to assist the 116th Infantry corps.

On two high grounds at the foot of Tianma Peak, the Japanese in the 116th Infantry Regiment were fighting to the death to resist the attack of the 23rd Battalion of the Guards by relying on the high ground.

In the previous encounter, the 116th Regiment suffered a great loss. Fortunately, the 116th Regiment captain was smart. Seeing that the situation was not good, he quickly ordered to retreat. Otherwise, the 116th Regiment would have been eaten by the guard regiment full of German equipment.

However, although the 16th Regiment took the initiative to retreat, the guard regiment did not let go. Instead, he clenched the butt of the 116th Regiment and chased after it. After a melee, the 116th Regiment lost hundreds more people.

Now there are less than two brigades left, being trapped by the guard regiment on these two high grounds at the foot of Tianma Peak.

On the high ground, Colonel Tiantianfu, the captain of the 116th Regiment, was holding a saber and supervising the battle back and forth in the trenches. Suddenly, a sharp-eyed guard pointed at the distance and shouted in horror: "Union, Regiment, Captain, hurry up, look, China, China's chariot."

Captain Tiantian Fu changed color when he heard the sound and looked in the direction pointed by the guards. Wherever he looked, a large group of huge black chariots were rumbling towards him. The thick cannon barrels were raised high and the dazzling blue sky and white sun flag in the front of the chariot. Seeing all this, Colonel Tiantian Fu's face turned pale and sat in the trenches like a deflated ball.

Chapter 163: First Battle of the Armored Brigade
Chapter completed!