Two Hundred and Seventy-Nine Deaths and Funerals
Pure character online reading, please visit
In the furnace on the wall, warm and enthusiastic flames danced, and the room was as warm as spring. It's still cold outside the castle, but the temperature is rising. The snow had begun to melt and the ends of the male were muddy.
Akado sent his wife Mercedes away in the morning. The first lady of Germany rushed back to Berlin because of the latest plan of the Bailanhua Group to mass-produce helicopters. Now he is accompanied by only Anna, so the whole house It seemed a little lonely.
Listening to the crackling sound of the fire burning the firewood in the fireplace, Akado sat there silently, weakly holding a telegram from the Far East in his hand. It was the content of this telegram that made Akado sit from this morning to now.
In the telegram this morning, because Germany changed its strategy of aiding China and becoming stronger, Japan also changed its strategy accordingly. At 7:15 this morning, the late Songhu battle officially started.
The situation in the Far East looked dire, and the Japanese forces met Chiang Kai-shek's toughest resistance in Shanghai. Four German equipment divisions fought fiercely with the Japanese army near Shanghai, and the Japanese army suffered heavy losses. The 20 Messerschmitt fighter jets that Chiang Kai-shek worked so hard to smuggle from Italy as trousers actually achieved a brilliant record of shooting down 27 Japanese fighter jets in the morning of this day.
And that weak Far East China actually gave birth to two air combat aces within an hour. Even Accardo himself did not expect that under the command of the Kuomintang general Zhang Zhizhong, the 9th Army of the National Revolutionary Army, which Sickert had repeatedly boasted to Accardo in telegrams, would be so powerful.
Just two hours ago, that is, at 9:00 am, less than two hours after the war started, the 150mm caliber Krupp heavy artillery produced by Chiang Kai-shek's secretly built arsenal on the outskirts of Wuhan made a remarkable achievement, hitting the Japanese landing troops with one shot. The command post reimbursed 2 major generals of the Japanese Army.
Leaving aside this kind of record with a little bit of luck, just say that as soon as the battle started, the squadron pulled out 50 75mm caliber field guns and 25 150mm heavy guns, which made the Japanese Army completely unexpected. As soon as these Krupp hardcover artillery units appeared, the Japanese army learned what German fire suppression is.
In addition, the Mauser 98k bolt-type rifles in the hands of the Chinese infantry have better overall performance than the eight rifles used by the Japanese army. The Maxim machine gun of the Chinese army is also more practical than the Japanese Type 92 heavy machine gun. The Japanese army is the creator of extremely tangled casualties, so apart from Japan's partial advantages in tanks and ships, the rest of the weapons and equipment seem to be inferior to the Chinese defenders.
The Chinese army, which has gained multiple advantages, has become more and more courageous in the war. Long guns and short artillery have caused a large number of casualties to the Japanese army. Judging from the content of Sickert's last call, the Japanese army must leave at least 100,000 people in Shanghai this time before they can win That was the result of that year.
But Akado also knew in his heart that it was impossible for China to win this war. Within a few hours, the stamina of the Chinese defenders will be insufficient. The Chinese armed forces lacking the support of a complete industrial system cannot withstand a war of attrition. In the end, they will collapse and lose Shanghai just like in history. .
The performance of China in the distance this time is remarkable, and it is enough to make me feel better. At least in this time and space, the Chinese are more confident in defending their homeland and have higher combat capabilities. At least in this decisive battle in Shanghai, the overall equipment level of China's main force, the 9th Army, was almost on par with similar forces in Germany, and it also gave the arrogant Japanese Army a glimpse of the true level of the European Army.
But Akado is still not happy now, because he is holding the last telegram sent by Sickert in his hand-it is indeed the last telegram, this old general who has been in poor health, Aka Duo's old boss, Akado's teacher in many details of military knowledge, just half an hour ago, because of overwork and mood swings, he closed his eyes forever.
This old man who voluntarily went to China to help the poor and weak Chinese people to regain their strength is gone. This old man who was hailed by President Chiang Kai-shek as a model of international friends and the cornerstone of China's national defense is gone—although under the careful care of Akado, He died two years later than in history, but he still left when the Chinese people needed him most.
A secret agency of the German intelligence agency stationed in Nanjing has just sent a telegram, and the 9th Army of the Chinese National Revolutionary Army has just sent a message of condolence. Part of the Japanese landing force drove off to sea.
Sickert was mourning in China. At the end of the telegram, he mentioned a lamentable thing. Although the national flag could not be lowered at half-staff according to the national ceremony, the blue sky and white sun flag of the Nanjing Presidential Palace did not rise to the top today, but it was far behind. one foot.
Akado just sat so quietly, he knew that the suffering nation has always adhered to this old saying - "The kindness of a drop of water is reciprocated by the spring". He knew that Sickert, who left the stage sadly in Germany, found the most memorable years of his life in China. With the support of Akado, the old man has done more, more. So the Chinese people remembered this friend, and what they gave back to him was 400,000,000 fiery hearts of gratitude.
Akado even felt that he could feel that in the military factory in Wuhan, the machine tools for producing cannons were turning faster; The stalled cattle and horse porters were sent to the front line.
Akado even felt that he could feel that on the battlefield in Shanghai, those resolute and silent Chinese soldiers were holding their engraved rifles in the cold wind, proving with their flesh and blood that this nation had never fallen Down.
The nation with thousands of years of history, the ancient, rigid, stubborn, stubborn nation, the weak, tolerant, inferior, and timid nation, they have a straight spine, a spine that cannot be bent by a tank; They have a kindness from the bottom of their bones, so kind that because an old man Sickert was buried in Nanjing, he forgot the unpleasantness of Jiaozhou Bay.
Why did you leave like this? Akado thought silently in his heart, he remembered the encounter he had had, the first time Sickert met him on the train, the night and night in the Wehrmacht, and the expressionless look at him. Sickert left sadly. What wet the collar? Akado stretched out his hand to touch it, but when he held it in front of his eyes, he found that he couldn't see clearly.
Time is really ruthless, how many familiar people just left? That stubborn diplomatic God of War Streisemann, that wise industrial pride Karl Benz, that stubborn and powerful Field Marshal Hindenburg... Now, another old man has left this world, silent but not unknown.
"I'm sure you won't be lonely." Akado sighed. How grand will the funeral be? Will it be full of Chinese customs? Will there also be the evocative white sail and the familiar paper money with square holes? Will there be tears and prayers for an old fellow like you?
Anna walked in quietly without knocking on the door, and stopped behind Akado. She knew that her lover was in a bad mood, and she knew that the respectable old man was an elder whom Akado cared about a lot.
"Yuan!" Anna didn't call her the usual address, but solemnly called Akado's position. She reminded Akado in a disguised form, he is now Yuan, the Yuan who is admired by thousands of people in Germany, and the German Yuan who must cheer up.
"Heh..." Akado took a long breath, calmed down his mood, and said softly, "What's the matter?"
"General Lundstedt is calling! Army Group A has captured Sedan, and the French Ninth Army has retreated across the board." Anna replied.
"I see." Akado stood up slowly, shook the SS uniform on his body, and restored his old straight back: "Give him a telegram! Continue to attack according to the original plan... I will wait for his good news."
...
"Stand at attention!" A German police officer gave an order loudly.
"Wow." There was a neat sound of standing at attention, and Ren stood at the front of the line, silently looking at the five crosses nailed with wooden sticks, still expressionless.
These five graves lie quietly among a group of graves. These new graves are all German soldiers who died in the Battle of Crossing the River. There are so many people around here. There were soldiers crying silently around, but Ren just pursed his lips and looked at the grave in the center without moving. There was a garland made of straw on the grave, which was hung by the commander of the No. 125 tank.
"I can't cry. That doesn't mean I'm not sad. I know you're a good company commander." Marcus stood beside Ren and said softly, "I'll take your share and live a good life. "
"You're lying here, it means that desperateness is not enough, killing is not enough, brutality is not enough, blood is not enough." Ren muttered softly: "I don't know what to tell you, I will come back after beating the French." Here to see you."
"I know you are all very sad, but do you still remember the words sung in our battle song?" The battalion commander stood on the side, looked at his men, and said with a trace of sadness on his face.
Someone took the lead in singing, the voice was a little tragic, but it was extremely firm. Soon everyone sang along, and the familiar melody became more and more majestic. They are singing to see off their comrades-in-arms, so they are extremely dignified:
"If we are cast aside by Fortune,
If we can never go back to our hometown,
If bombs end our lives,
If we are doomed,
That at least our faithful tank,
Will give us a metal grave. "
"Ren!" The battalion commander glanced at Ren and shouted loudly: "You will command the first row temporarily until you die in battle or I find a better candidate."
"Of order!" Ren stood at attention and replied loudly.
"The company commander is temporarily represented by the platoon leader of the second platoon." After finishing speaking, the battalion commander turned and walked to the distance: "Take a rest for two hours, and then set off west along the road."
...
...