August 13, 1937.
The Chinese intelligence agency's attack on the Japanese defense fortifications the day before completely angered the Japanese troops stationed in Shanghai. Scouts of the Marine Special Marine Corps even entered Nanxiang openly.
The Chinese and Japanese armies no longer concealed themselves, but seized advantageous terrain and continued to advance the front, resulting in dispersed and staggered positions and close distance between the two armies. As a result, local skirmishes occasionally occurred.
Near noon, all employees at the Shanghai Special City Waterworks Plant located on the outskirts of the city have been evacuated. Armed personnel wearing work clothes can be seen patrolling the factory area from time to time.
After completing Chief Zhang's raid plan, the Shanghai Secret Service personnel gathered here in batches. After all, at this time, so many mature men appearing in the urban area were too conspicuous and difficult to hide.
Zuo Zhong stood on the iron shelf of the purification pool, frowning as he listened to the gunshots that kept ringing in the distance. This time there was really going to be a fight, and he didn't know if he could successfully capture Shanghai.
In the history of the previous life, the Guo army's operation fell short in the end, turning a war of annihilation into a protracted war. After the Japanese landed at Hangcheng Bay, the entire Songhu was immediately lost.
Now that their secret service has done so much advance preparations, the government has the upper hand in terms of military strength, equipment, and intelligence, so it should not make the same mistake again.
However, this is not certain. Guodang is like a big-name Xu Enzeng. He never disappoints when it comes to making mistakes and always makes low-level mistakes in unexpected places.
"Deputy Director, news coming from the city."
At this time, He Yijun came over and reported the latest information: "Currently, the Guo army and the Japanese have entered a de facto state of war. The Military Commission requires us to verify which side fired the first shot.
It is reported that at 9:15 a.m., a section of the Japanese Marine Corps disguised themselves as ronin and broke into the defense line of Tiantong'an Security Corps to cause trouble. The defender fired a shot in the air, and the Japanese soldiers fired at our troops.
At the same time, the leader of the 523rd Regiment led his next battalion to search for the Bazi Bridge. When the leading troops arrived at the west of the bridge, the enemy's outpost troops arrived just in time, and a conflict broke out between the two sides.
Since we were unable to get close to investigate, neither the East China District nor our people could determine which gunshot was fired first. District Chief Yu Xingle asked for instructions whether to destroy the combat records of the 523rd Regiment and issue a gag order to the participants to prevent the information from leaking out. "
"No need."
Zuo Zhong smiled coldly: "Is it wrong for us to shoot first? The Japanese occupied so much territory in Xiaoliuqiu, Northeast China, Peking, and Tianjin. The Guo army just chose to launch an active counterattack in Shanghai.
It doesn't matter who fired first. Whether it was at Hongqiao Airport, Tiantong'an, or Baziqiao, it could not change the major premise of Japanese aggression, and it would not undermine our justice in resisting aggression in the slightest.
Besides, the Japanese are not blind. How could there be no record of such a big event like a firefight? Just destroying the records of the 523rd Regiment is of no use. Such an act of not having 300 taels of silver in this place makes us feel guilty.
Reported directly to Jinling, it was indeed the Japanese army who took the lead in provoking our army and provoking this dispute. The military had to compile the evidence themselves. This matter has nothing to do with the Secret Service. I don't have time to make such an official article. "
Zuo Zhong didn't understand. It was a matter of life and death. Why did these insects still care about the so-called political influence and international outlook? Don't they know that if they don't fight back, their country will be destroyed? And what about the promised first strike?
Originally, according to Commander Zhang's plan, the besieging troops would launch an attack at dawn on the 13th. In a sweeping manner, when the enemy was caught off guard, they would defeat the enemy's main force in one fell swoop and capture Shanghai in one fell swoop.
But last night, not long after he came back from Nanxiang, the micro-operation master suddenly called and asked all departments to suspend operations, ordering the military to wait for orders and avoid small-scale conflicts from triggering large-scale battles.
It turned out that after the Japanese strongholds were swept away, in order to avoid a war in Shanghai, the consuls of various countries formally stepped forward to mediate the conflicts between China and Japan. The national government, which had claimed to take the initiative to attack a second ago, said at that time that as long as the Japanese did not move, the Guo army would not move.
The formulated strategy changes again and again, and military and national affairs are like playing house. How can we not make people worry, but what can a colonel worry about? There is a saying that if you are determined to kill a thief, you will be unable to save the day. This is true. Such situations.
Zuo Zhong waved his hand helplessly: "Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore. Just send the report as I told you. I'll go to the interrogation room to see if those spies are beaten to death by that guy Gui Youguang."
After saying that, he left the purification pool and walked towards a tall cement building, which used to be the warehouse of the water plant and was now transformed into a temporary detention center by the Secret Service.
Stepping into the dark doorway, he walked slowly into the small room, and happened to see the bald head "massaging" a spy who was the least injured - hitting the opponent's knee with a hammer.
There was only a kacha sound, and the thigh was broken. The target who was tied to the tiger bench was shaking all over, tears, saliva, and snot gushing out, but he still shouted with an unconvinced look on his face.
"I am a member of the Cao Gang in Shanghai. I went to Nanxiang just to watch the excitement. Why should you arrest me? You soldiers have no ability to fight the Japanese, so you take it out on us civilians. How can you be considered a hero?"
Hearing that the other party was still dissatisfied, several spies were about to get the tongs. When they turned around and saw the deputy director coming, they quickly bowed their heads and said hello. Zuo Zhong said nothing and looked at the injured target of the interrogation with a thoughtful look on his face.
This person does not have a southern accent, but speaks with the flavor of the Pingjin area. He is not afraid of torture. He is much tougher than ordinary traitors, but he does not look like he has received intelligence training.
Professional spies wouldn't be so amateur, they could even make mistakes in dialects. If not, the Military Justice Department wouldn't be able to catch these people. Those losers are eating, drinking, gambling, and each one is better than the other. When it comes to counter-espionage, haha.
To put it bluntly, even if the real spy stood in front of him holding a sign, they might not be able to catch him. So just as he was thinking about his background, the torture began again.
"Bah, you speak Northern Mandarin and tell me that you are from the Cao Gang in Shanghai?"
Gui Youguang didn't listen to the explanation at all. He raised his hand and smashed it with an expressionless face. Soon one of the man's legs turned into meat, and the huge pain made him faint.
Before it was over, a pot of pepper water was poured on his head and wounds. The man who called himself Caobang let out an inhuman roar, and the two-finger-wide cowhide rope was almost broken free.
Suddenly, the spy thought that the young man who came in seemed to have a certain status. He felt that this kind of second-generation ancestor must be a young man who was ignorant of the world. He immediately spit out sweet scents in an attempt to anger him and wanted to die.
"Baby face, look at you..."
"Hey, I told you a long time ago that interrogation requires skillful force, beating alone won't do it."
Zuo Zhong was not angry, and pointed at the half-dead interrogation subject: "Find a mad dog, and if he doesn't tell the truth, let him watch his leg being swallowed by the dog with his own eyes. I would like to see how hard his mouth is.
If you can't find out, just feed the dog to find the next one. I don't have time to grind my teeth with a few minor characters. Remember, I must ask who is behind it before dawn tomorrow. Chief Zhang is not a good-tempered boss. "
Hearing that the target was going to be fed to the dogs, Gui Youguang licked his lips excitedly and signaled the little agent to prepare according to the deputy director's order. After working in interrogations for so long, he had never tried this trick.
Only then did the spy on the side realize what a fool the other party was. He was clearly a smiling tiger who would eat people without spitting out their bones. If he didn't tell the truth, he would definitely not be able to survive. He was not afraid of death. What he was afraid of was that life would be worse than death.
Thinking of this, the man no longer hesitated and shouted: "Sir, I'm recruiting. I am Chang Yuqing's subordinate. I wanted to make a living, but who knew that this old boy had defected to the Japanese.
He ordered the younger one to go to Nanxiang to find out the movements of the imperial army. As a result, not long after we entered the town, we were caught by the military men before we had time to report the news. "
It's Chang Yuqing again.
This traitor.
Zuo Zhong frowned, thought for a while and then suddenly asked the spy: "Your accent sounds like you're from the north, from Jinmen? No wonder you have such a tough mouth. Why do you think I'm the county government asking for a fight?"
Let me tell you, this is the Secret Service, and I won't accept your brutality. Besides, if you were really angry, you wouldn't have asked for death just now. Why are you pretending to be a tough guy here?
If you want to get out alive, tell me honestly how you followed Chang Yuqing, when you came to Shanghai, and where the old guy is now. You only have one chance. "
The so-called "please fight" in his mouth refers to the fact that when the county magistrate was replaced in the previous dynasty, all the Jinmen gangsters would come out and rush to the county office, shouting cruel words such as "please fight voluntarily" and hope that the county master will fulfill his wish.
If the county magistrate refuses to fight, then they will not disperse. But it is unrealistic to fight hundreds of gangsters all at once. They can only decide who can get a beating by drawing black and red lots.
The rule is that you will not be beaten if you get a red draw, but on the contrary if you get a black draw, the gangsters all hope that they will get a black draw. Those who get a red draw will even spend all their money to buy a black draw, just for the sake of face.
Moreover, this thing can be passed down from father to son. The more black cards a family has, the higher their status in the world. This is the origin of the fierce fighting between gangs in Jinmen. The two gangs negotiate regardless of which one has more people.
It depends on who treats you more harshly. It's commonplace to stab yourself a few times, to dig out the meat from your body and weigh it. The most cruel one is to put your head upside down - into the frying pan.
Based on the target's accent and lack of fear of torture, Zuo Zhong guessed that the target was from the Cao Gang in Jinmen, not the Cao Gang in Shanghai. The gangsters in Shanghai were not so tough.
"Master, you are right."
The spy was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head and replied honestly: "The younger one is indeed from the Jinmen Cao Gang. A few years ago, he and his brothers made a big mistake and escaped, and met Chang Yuqing in the Northeast.
That old bastard said that the Japanese came to help us and asked us to do things for him. I knew he was lying to me. The Eight-Nation Allied Forces did a lot of harm to Tianjin back then, but we had no food and clothing, so we could only listen to him. .
At the end of July, Chang Yuqing said he wanted to go back to the customs. It didn't take long for the Japanese to transport the big guy to Shanghai on a cargo ship. After arriving, everyone ate, drank and had sex at the dock and were not allowed to come out. I saw him again a few nights ago.
I really don’t know where he is. This old boy doesn’t believe anyone. He never tells where he lives, and he doesn’t allow anyone to discuss the matter. Sir, I’m willing to make meritorious deeds and don’t feed this man to dogs, okay? "
"Are the other people your companions?" Zuo Zhong did not answer directly, but gave the other party a cold look for the first time: "Don't say I won't give you a chance, convince them to surrender, and spare your life."
"I didn't say anything, don't worry."
Once he surrendered, the generous spirit in this person came back, and he felt that after enduring for so long, he was worthy of the three melons and two dates given by Chang Yuqing, which was not considered unloyal.
Zuo Zhong was too lazy to speak. He waved his hand and asked people to take the spy who had lost one leg down. He stared at the tiger bench that was dripping blood and fell into deep thought.
The Japanese are pressing forward step by step, the traitors are helping the tigers, the government is as timid as a mouse, and someone is hesitant. If this continues, the government may be doomed.
As a loyal minister of the party and state, it seemed that he had done something. After making up his mind, he gave Gui Youguang a few words of advice and left the water plant.
That night, Shenbao, a newspaper with many readers in Shanghai, published an anonymous article, pointing out that peace was now in despair, sacrifices had come to the last moment, and we could no longer retreat lightly.
Although the Chinese do not want to provoke provocations, since the enemy is oppressing them everywhere, they can no longer stick to the words defense and resistance in strategy, so as to avoid repeating the mistakes of the Northeast Campaign and the Great Wall Battle.
We must not be passively defensive forever. We must understand that the location of this battle is on our own territory. The further we advance, the less losses will be suffered by the people and the less losses suffered by the patriotic businessmen.
So who is a patriotic businessman? Anyway, the four families think they are, especially when the Japanese are eyeing their assets. I heard that several calls came into Qilu that day.
I also heard that someone immediately cursed Niang Xipi after answering the phone, broke several tea cups, and ordered the Secret Service to monitor the news media in Shanghai to find out the bad elements with ulterior motives.
There is a saying that only magic can defeat magic, Zuo Zhong finally realized it.
On August 14, the Chinese Air Force, which had been fighting for a long time, was ordered to attack and carry out repeated bombings on the enemy's land strongholds. On the same day, Jinling issued the "Statement of Self-Defense and Anti-Japanese War", announcing the implementation of the natural right of self-defense to fight against the invaders.
At 5 o'clock in the afternoon, the besieging troops officially launched an offensive after the air force bombing. The bloody curtain of the war had begun. After discussion, the headquarters decided to concentrate the main force of the entire army in East China.
At 7 o'clock in the evening, the Military Commission ordered the 36th Division, which was deployed to Chang'an, to rush to Shanghai to join the battle, and all vehicles along the way were cleared to give way; it also ordered the 11th, 14th, and 67th Divisions of the 18th Army, which were coming from Jiangcheng to reinforce North China, to turn to the Soviet Union. City transportation.
The purpose is to devote the 87th Division, 88th Division, 95th Division, 56th Division, the 20th Independent Brigade and the above-mentioned troops to the battle for Shanghai as soon as possible and completely drive the Japanese garrison to the sea.
The Central Daily News, the main media outlet of the Kuomintang Party, finally shyly issued a statement on the second day after the war started: Since the leader decided to start the war in Songhu and take the initiative, he must have a strategic intention.
In this regard, the literati in the government jumped out to praise. Shanghai was the center of the economy, and China and the outside world depended on it. Therefore, they fought tenaciously at any sacrifice, and the achievements they achieved were particularly great.
Secondly, it was a clever plan to use the Battle of Songhu to attract the Japanese army, reduce the pressure on our army in North China, disrupt the Japanese army's combat plan, and gain the initiative.
Furthermore, strategy promotes political strategy, and the Songhu Battle implicates the interests of various countries in Shanghai, prompting the United States, Britain and other major powers or international organizations to intervene and mediate, so as to achieve the peaceful purpose of resolving Sino-Japanese disputes and safeguarding existing sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Finally, instead of fighting the Japanese army in the North China Plain, it would be more advantageous to use the rugged terrain of lakes, swamps and mountains in the Yangtze River Basin to offset the enemy's mechanized force advantage.
Even if the war cannot be completed as scheduled, the stalemate can still be used to transport materials from factories in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River inland, retreat to established defense positions, and prepare for long-term defensive operations.
These words sound very nice, and the soldiers on the front line are also working hard, but the actual battle situation is not ideal. Although the siege situation is formed, the progress is very slow.
Within a few hours of the war, the Guo army seized the favorable opportunity to attack the enemy before the main force of the Japanese army arrived in Shanghai, relying on air force cover to besiege the Japanese strongholds entrenched in Hongkou and Yangshupu.
The Ninth Group Army formed by the 36th Division, the 87th Division, and the 88th Division, under the leadership of Chief Zhang, went through many fierce battles and used the detailed information passed by the Secret Service to basically clear out the Japanese army's peripheral strongholds and suppress the remaining Japanese troops in Within the Marine Special Marine Corps Headquarters and other positions.
The Japanese army was at a numerical disadvantage and lacked heavy weapons. They could only rely on solid obstacles to block passages and use tanks as movable fortresses. As a result, the Japanese army was never able to carry out forceful attacks on various targets.
Artillery fire failed to achieve the expected results due to the solid target. On the afternoon of the 14th, the commander of the 264th Brigade of the 88th Division was hit by a Japanese artillery shell while commanding operations at Jiangwan Girls' School, and died heroically on the spot.
The army fought hard, and the navy was even worse. Even with the intelligence mobilized by the Japanese navy provided by Ryosuke Hase, the national navy was almost completely wiped out in the face of an enemy with huge sea and air superiority.
The only bright spot on the battlefield is the air force;
On August 14, the Chinese Air Force, which had long been informed that the Japanese naval air force was coming to attack Mihashi Airport, led the Fourth Battalion, high school colonel, an old acquaintance of Zuo Zhong, into the air to attack. They faced 16 enemy planes and achieved a 6-0 victory. .
Still on the 14th, the deputy commander of the 2nd Air Force Group bombed the cruiser Izumo. Unfortunately, the Izumo was not sunk. The Air Force continued to attack on the 15th and 16th, and finally severely damaged the Izumo.
However, local advantages cannot change the overall situation of the war.
On August 18, because someone was dissatisfied with the progress of the Songhu battlefield, he appointed Chief Chen, the deputy minister of the Civil Engineering Department, as the commander-in-chief of the former enemy in the third theater, hoping to unify the command, open up the situation, expand the results, and quickly defeat the enemy and win.
On the 21st, the 36th Division once attacked Huishan Pier, an important stronghold of the Japanese army. The battles became more and more fierce. The Guo army paid a heavy price and annihilated a large number of Japanese troops. Finally, they were forced to retreat under the fierce Japanese artillery fire.
At dawn on August 23, Japanese Army General Matsui Iwane led all the 3rd and 11th Divisions, and one brigade each of the 1st and 8th Divisions to land in Wusong, Shizilin, and Chuanshakou areas under the cover of sea and air fire.
Without waiting for rest, they attacked Baoshan, Luodian, and Liuhe on the left flank of the Guo Army. At the same time, they attacked Chuansha and Pudong on the right flank of the Guo Army. Another unit landed between Banhang and Zhanghuabang to lay siege to Songhu. pose a threat to the army's flanks.
The headquarters hurriedly formed the 15th Group Army, and strictly ordered the 98th Division, the 11th Division, and the 67th Division and the 14th Division that had just arrived in Jiading to rush to various places to fight against the enemy's landing, but unexpected results occurred again.
As none of the units of the 15th Group Army reached their designated positions, the Japanese army captured Luodian. After learning of the situation, Commander-in-Chief Zhang of the 9th Group Army ordered the 36th Division, 87th Division, and 88th Division in the urban area to hold their positions.
The 2nd Regiment of the Teaching Corps was urgently ordered to intercept Zhanghuabang's enemies. The 78th Division deployed a brigade to support Wusong, and most of the 98th Division was sent to advance towards Baoshan, Yanghang, and Luodian. The troops directly under the 98th Division and the 11th Division blocked the landing. of enemies.
The brutal bloody battle of Luodian began. The frontline officers and soldiers fought bravely and were not afraid of artillery fire. They delayed the powerful Japanese offensive with their flesh and blood, greatly curbed the enemy's rapid advance into the inland, and even recaptured Luodian.
However, after most of the troops arrived at the Songhu battlefield, they rushed into battle without taking a full rest. They did not even complete the construction of basic defenses and lacked basic logistical support. Many officers and soldiers did not even have enough to eat.
Seeing this situation, the citizens of Shanghai burst out with strong patriotic enthusiasm. Whether it was the Chinese community or the concession, countless people prepared meals and handed them over to the logistics team organized by Boss Du, risking their lives and sending them to the front line.
Fundraisers, speeches, marches.
Workers, students, farmers, small craftsmen, and capitalists all took action to do their part for the survival of the nation.
In the early morning of August 27, Zuo Zhong was on the second floor of a villa at No. 23 Hurd Road in the public concession, holding a coffee cup and looking into the distance. The gloomy skyline flashed with light from time to time, illuminating the dark clouds.
That was not thunder, but large-caliber artillery fire from both China and Japan. This situation has been going on for several days, and depending on the current situation, it may last longer.
Since the 13th, gunfire, gunfire, and death have become part of the lives of Shanghai citizens. Many people have gone from fear to indifference, and then from indifference to numbness.
In addition to donating money and materials, people go to work when they should go to work, and go to class when they should go to school. Business in the world is better than usual, but countless people are hesitant and helpless amid the chaos.
The intelligence officers of the Secret Service in Shanghai have also begun the second phase of the mission, which is to use forged identities to create as many traces of activities as possible to confuse possible future investigations.
Japanese intelligence agencies are not vegetarians. It will be too late for them to lurk once Shanghai falls. If they want to take root in this world's espionage capital, they must make preparations in advance.
For example, Zuo Zhong's current identity is as an engineer for an American electrical company. He has a high salary, flexible working hours, a certain social status, and frequent business trips, so he is suitable as a cover identity.
This villa is rented. It covers an area of more than 3,000 square feet and is luxuriously decorated. The best thing is that it has a wine cellar that has not been approved by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Bureau. It can be used as a secret room with a little modification.
The landlord is a British businessman who has been doing business in Australia all year round. As long as you have enough money and don't burn the house down, the other party doesn't care who you are or what you do in Shanghai.
"Jingle Bell……"
Suddenly the phone on the bedside rang. Zuo Zhong put down his coffee and picked up the phone. He listened quietly for a while, then said with a smile that he would attend on time tomorrow, exchanged a few words and hung up the phone.
Just at this time, the red sun was rising and visibility was gradually improving. Several Japanese naval bombers flew over Shanghai with swagger. The pilots wearing goggles kept looking towards the ground through the hatch covers.
Not long after, three dazzling reflections flashed past a certain area in the northwest of the city. The nose of the lead aircraft flying at the front sank slightly, and the body veered to the right and dived quickly downwards.
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