plumnovel Chapter 76: A Tank Company for Free, 8 German Panzer I Tanks
Chapter 76: A Tank Company for Free, 8 German Panzer I Tanks
After the two shook hands, Song Xilian said:
"This time, we have gathered more than a thousand soldiers. I mobilized them all at Xiaguan Wharf. They are willing to fight alongside you."
"That's great, Commander Song. What's the situation at Xiaguan Wharf? How many people have crossed the river?"
Li Jianghe asked.
These thousand-plus soldiers are not too many, but they are enough to replenish the troops lost during the day.
However, what he was most concerned about was the Xiaguan Wharf. If the people there continued to have difficulty crossing the river, it was unknown how long this street fighting would last.
Song Xilian smiled calmly and said:
"It's going more smoothly than I expected. If this pace continues, most of the civilians and troops should be able to cross the river by tomorrow evening."
However, when I arrived, I found that there were still many people in the city who were unwilling to leave Nanjing. I couldn't persuade them to leave, alas...
As he spoke, a hint of melancholy crept into his voice.
Li Jianghe was not surprised. The reasons were quite complicated. Some people had illusions about the Japanese devils and thought they would not be slaughtered. Others were eager to be ruled by the Japanese. Many others had probably lived in Nanjing their whole lives and were unwilling to leave. They would rather die in their homeland than leave.
"How is the situation with Chief of Staff Xiao Shen? Does he need assistance? If he does need reinforcements, I have some mobile troops that I can deploy to assist in the operation at any time."
Li Jianghe knew that Chief of Staff Xiao Shen only had one military police force, a few thousand men, and their weapons and equipment were not very good.
However, they needed to deal with the fierce attacks of the Japanese army and help the soldiers and civilians at Xiaguan Wharf to block the Japanese invaders who were attacking the wharf.
One can imagine the immense pressure they were under.
Song Xilian smiled wryly and said:
"Speaking of which, I still have to thank you for that truckload of weapons and ammunition you sent."
If it weren't for that truckload of weapons and ammunition, Chief of Staff Xiao Shen's defenses would probably have been breached by the Japanese army this afternoon.
Their military police were almost out of ammunition, and sending over these hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition was a lifesaver.
This relieved Li Jianghe; it seemed he had indeed played a role to some extent.
Regardless of whether Chief of Staff Xiao Shen dies in Nanjing or on another battlefield in the future, at least not now.
At least the batch of weapons and ammunition we sent solved their urgent problems and helped them hold off the Japanese invaders.
At this moment, Song Xilian put his hand into his pocket, took out a Zhongzheng sword, and said:
"This Zhongzheng sword was given to you by Chief of Staff Xiao Shen on my behalf as a token of my gratitude."
"this·····"
Li Jianghe hesitated, because the Zhongzheng Sword was quite precious, usually belonging to graduates of the Whampoa Military Academy and some military officer training schools.
For Chief of Staff Xiao Shen, a graduate of the third class of the Whampoa Military Academy, the Chiang Kai-shek sword was a gift from the Chairman himself, making it naturally of great significance.
Song Xilian had already placed the Zhongzheng sword in his palm.
"Don't refuse," Chief of Staff Xiao Shen said. "If you are destined to die in this battle, he hopes you can survive, continue to fight the Japanese invaders, and restore China."
Looking at the Zhongzheng sword, Li Jianghe felt an inexplicable heaviness and saluted Song Xilian:
"Jiang He will remember this! Please ask Commander Song to pass on a message to Chief of Staff Xiao Shen: if there is any need, be sure to let me know. Whether it is weapons and ammunition or artillery support, we can provide it."
Song Xilian patted his shoulder heavily and said:
"Chief of Staff Xiao Shen guessed that you would say this. What he meant was that you are under more pressure than him. After all, he only needs to lead troops to defend one direction, but you need to defend against the fierce attacks of the Japanese army from multiple directions."
Keep those troops and firepower for your own use.
After he finished speaking, he added:
"Oh, by the way, I have a gift for you, I hope you can use it."
"A gift? What gift?"
Li Jianghe asked with some surprise.
For him, the more than 1,000 reinforcements he had gathered were the best gift.
Yesterday's Japanese attack was somewhat of a probing attack, but as time goes on, their firepower will inevitably become more ferocious, and they will launch attacks from multiple directions simultaneously.
They will inevitably face a fierce battle, and the additional reinforcements will allow them to hold out for at least a longer period and kill more Japanese soldiers.
Song Xilian waved to someone behind him, and a Nationalist Army officer stepped forward; judging by his rank, he was a captain.
The man was wearing a German steel helmet, had a muscular build, and carried a Chiang Kai-shek rifle on his back; he was probably from a German-equipped division.
"This person is..."
"Bai Chengshan, Tank Company Commander of the First Armored Regiment."
Bai Chengshan introduced himself in a strong and resonant voice.
Li Jianghe sized up the man and found that he was short and stocky, only a little over 1.6 meters tall, and smelled of engine oil all over his body, so he must have just crawled out of the tank not long ago.
"Tank Company..."
Upon hearing his unit number, Li Jianghe suddenly remembered that during the Battle of Nanjing in history, the National Revolutionary Army did indeed have 15 German Panzer I tanks participating in the battle.
However, most of these tanks were destroyed by the Japanese army, and some were later captured and used for exhibition.
Although the Panzer I was a German tank, its overall performance was outdated and even inferior to the Japanese Type 95 light tank.
However, if they are dealing with infantry without anti-tank firepower, they can still run rampant and wreak havoc.
How many tanks do you have left?
Li Jianghe asked hurriedly.
With these tanks, Li Jianghe had even more confidence in the subsequent breakout operation.
The short and stocky Bai Chengshan then answered loudly:
"Sir, there are still 8 German-made Panzer I tanks, but... they're out of fuel and running low on ammunition. We can't continue fighting even if we wanted to."
Li Jianghe vaguely remembered that these tank crews fought very bravely. One of the tank crews fought alone and, despite being able to retreat, still used the tank to ambush the Japanese army, ultimately sacrificing their lives.
"Don't worry about fuel, I have some. We can also provide ammunition. Go to the supply camp now, and I'll have someone deliver fuel to you."
Li Jianghe immediately proposed a solution.
They are equipped with a number of vehicles, and fuel can be purchased directly with merit points. They also have ammunition cards, which can be used to purchase corresponding ammunition.
These words excited Bai Chengshan, and he raised his voice even louder.
"Thank you, Commander! Our First Tank Company will fight to the death, sacrificing ourselves for our country!!!"
Li Jianghe hurriedly said:
"Company Commander Bai, you're great in every way, but could you please tone down your voice a little?"
Bai Chengshan scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly and said:
"Sorry, Commander, it's just a habit of mine. When we tank crews are driving, if we don't shout to communicate, we can't be heard at all."