"Let the 87th Division..."
In the lobby of a factory building near St. John's University in Shanghai, more than a dozen radio stations were making beep calls. The staff officers were walking with wind in their eyes. In front of a large-scale map of Songhu, Chief Zhang issued combat orders.
Now that the war has reached this point, the intentions of those "strategists" have been half accomplished, that is, the main force of the Japanese army has been attracted to East China, the international community has begun to condemn the Japanese army, and important factories in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River have begun to relocate.
But as a price, under the Japanese giant ships and heavy artillery, the Fruit Army troops were rapidly disappearing at the rate of one company or even one battalion per hour, and the young lives were turned into blood and mud.
Literati were dismissive of this. In their eyes, some human lives were only necessary to achieve the freedom of the country and nation. Of course, if they were allowed to go to the battlefield, that would be absolutely unacceptable.
Looking at the deployment of troops on the map, Chief Zhang frowned. For more than ten days after the war began, the government's advantage became smaller and smaller, while the enemy's advantage became larger and larger. The battle in the urban area fell into a stalemate.
China and Japan began to compete for every house, every workshop, every road intersection, every wall, and even every pile of ruins. Fierce fighting broke out everywhere.
In some places where the battle lines are too close, soldiers from the two armies can even hear each other's breathing. In this harsh situation, the military quality of the soldiers determines the outcome of the war.
Fortunately, the 36th Division, 87th Division, and 88th Division under the Ninth Army were developed from the original capital guard troops. They are the most elite troops in the national army and have received strict training from German consultants.
Otherwise, there is no need to fight this battle. You must know that the Japanese Marine Special Marines are a highly professional force. Every ordinary soldier has many years of service experience and has high technical and tactical levels.
At the same time, the Ninth Army's strength advantage was not great. After dispersing the limited forces into a complex city, how to plan every battle was the first thing the commander had to consider. Chief Zhang was exhausted mentally and physically.
"Buzz buzz~~"
Just when he was having a headache over the attack and defense of a key position, there was a faint roar of airplanes outside. The security guard who had been standing at the window looked over, his expression suddenly serious.
The next second, a second lieutenant quickly ran to Commander Zhang and pulled him outside. The other guards rolled up maps, binoculars and other items and followed behind. Commander Zhang was furious when his thinking was interrupted.
"What are you doing?"
"Sir, the Japanese plane is coming."
"If they don't come one day, let me go."
"This time is different. Sir, please come with us to the air raid shelter."
"Go evacuate the staff."
"We are only responsible for your safety, sir."
The second lieutenant ignored Commander Zhang's order and used all his strength to lead him out of the community house gate and towards the park not far away. Others in the community house seemed not to see this scene and continued to do the work at hand.
It wasn't until the roar of Japanese planes got closer and closer, and at the urging of the security forces, these staff members, who were highly skilled in the Republic of China, put down their headphones and phones, and lined up to evacuate outside.
They had just left the building when four heavy aerial bombs roared down from the sky. The turbine windmill fuses on the tail of the bombs spun wildly. Soon the safety was released and the fuses were ready to fire.
Ten seconds later, the aerial bomb with the plaster flag painted on it hit the concrete floor in the community house. The firing pin hit the flash cap, causing the detonator to detonate instantly, and then detonated the main charge of the missile.
At almost the same time, three other aerial bombs also fell in the surrounding area, one of which hit the building. After a period of suffocating silence, several deafening explosions suddenly sounded.
Zuo Chong, who was far away in the public concession, was adjusting the sleeves of his shirt in front of the mirror. The coffee cup placed on the bedside suddenly made a clanging sound, and the chandelier above his head began to swing.
Did the Japanese naval guns fire?
Zuo Zhong was shocked. This situation had happened several times in the past few days, so he quickly went to the window and looked outside, and found several smoke pillars rising from the northwest, and several black spots hovering in the sky.
After roughly calculating the direction, he immediately broke out in a cold sweat. That was the direction of the Chinese border, which was now in the hands of the government. If the army did not need to bomb their own people, it must be Japanese planes conducting air strikes.
Currently, there is only one place where the enemy can use such a powerful bomb, and that is Commander Zhang's Ninth Army Headquarters.
But why would the Japanese know the specific location of the headquarters? During wartime, this was top secret information.
Not to mention the ordinary officers and soldiers who participated in the war, even he, the deputy director of the Secret Service in charge of intelligence work, had no grasp of it. All reported intelligence was forwarded through the Jinling headquarters.
Moreover, as the war progresses, the location of the headquarters will be adjusted from time to time to better command the frontline troops. Is there a Japanese spy around Commander Zhang?
After sitting down and thinking for a long time, Zuo Zhong looked at his watch and quickly put on his clothes, adjusted his expression and walked out of the villa, driving a semi-old Ford car onto the road.
There was still a bustling scene on the street. Many people were discussing the previous explosion. Some said it was a Japanese warship that exploded, and some said it was because the military arsenal was gone. Various gossips spread among the citizens. .
Not long after, a shocking news spread. The headquarters of the Ninth Army of the Guo Army was attacked by Japanese air raids. Commander Zhang was killed on the spot. Public opinion was in an uproar for a while.
The Guo army at the forefront of the battle also knew about this, and their morale inevitably dropped. The Japanese took the opportunity to recapture many key points, and the balance of victory slowly tilted towards the Japanese.
Fortunately, Commander Zhang soon spoke to the outside world through the battlefield radio, asking the officers and soldiers not to believe the rumors, stating that he had retreated before the air raid and was not injured or killed.
In the ruins of a factory in Hongkou, dozens of soldiers with faces full of gunfire squatted behind a bunker. Under the leadership of their commander, they listened carefully to the sound coming from a small speaker.
"Brothers, I am Zhang Wenbai. The Japanese are at their wits' end and want to defeat us in this way. We must not be fooled by them. I order to continue the attack and completely eliminate the Japanese.
If I unfortunately die for my country, the command of the Ninth Group Army will be handed over to Commander Sun of the 88th Division. I will not fight until the last soldier is killed, and will never take a step back. Anyone who dares to disturb the morale of the army will be dealt with according to military law. "
Upon hearing this, the soldiers immediately cheered and threw themselves into a new round of fighting with high ambition. The triumphant Japanese army was caught off guard, and the battle situation in Shanghai returned to its previous situation.
Commander Zhang, who put down the microphone, was silent for a while and asked the adjutant beside him: "What are the casualties of the military personnel? Immediately send people to the concession to find the best doctors. We must save the wounded."
"There were heavy casualties. The staff held on until the last minute. Half of them were killed, and most of the remaining half were seriously injured. 23 communication and guard personnel died, 42 were seriously injured, and more than ten were slightly injured." The adjutant lowered his head.
Commander Zhang, who had not had a good rest for several days and nights, opened his mouth and slammed the table: "What do the surrounding security troops do? The enemy must need ground guides to carry out precision bombing.
Is this how they protect the headquarters? Come here, kill the company commander who is responsible for security work. This kind of dereliction of duty is not a pity. Report to Jinling immediately and ask the Secret Service to send people to support.
We must find the leader of the Japs, otherwise this battle cannot be fought. By the way, it is best to send the man named Zuo Zhong. They say that no Japanese spy can escape from him. I want to see if it is true. real. "
"Yes, Commander."
Following the adjutant's reply, a telegram flew to the Communications Office of the Military Commission in Jinling, followed by a series of internal phone calls to Qilu and the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics.
The originally obsolete state machinery exploded with astonishing response speed during the war. In just a few dozen minutes, orders that took days or more than ten days to finalize before the war were quickly issued to the Secret Service.
Besides, Zuo Zhong left his residence and went to the electrical company where he had disguised his identity. He went out again before getting off work at noon, drove around Shanghai several times, and finally stopped outside a French restaurant.
"Sir, please come in."
Wu Chunyang, wearing a vest, stood at the door and greeted him warmly. He pushed open the restaurant door with his hand, welcomed him in with a smile, and handed him a note as the two passed by.
Zuo Zhong calmly sat down on the table facing the door, flattened the note under the cover of the menu, and glanced at it.
I saw it clearly written on it: The headquarters of the Ninth Army was hit by an air attack. Find the Japanese ground guidance personnel. Urgent!
As expected, Commander Zhang's headquarters was attacked. Zuo Zhong casually ordered a steak. After the waiter left, he took out the cigarette case and took out a cigarette. With his right hand, he rolled the note into a roll and quietly wrapped it around the cigarette, then lit it with a lighter. Take a deep breath.
The smell was really unpleasant, but he still pretended to enjoy it and blew out the smoke, gently flicked the ash into the ashtray, and glanced at the fully armed concession patrol team outside the store.
Since the beginning of the war between China and Japan, the concession has been frightened three times a day, and the few troops have been dispatched to maintain law and order, prevent spies and traitors, and there are far fewer gangsters going around extorting money than usual.
The problem lies here, even in Taiping concessions. It is obvious that the security surrounding Commander Zhang's headquarters is on guard, and ground guidance must be carried out in an open area. As for the guards, it seems that this mission will not be easy.
After eating something casually, Zuo Zhong exchanged silent glances with Wu Chunyang, put the banknotes on the table and walked out. He decided to go to the air raid site first, maybe he could find some clues.
It would be very difficult for ordinary people to go from the Chinese community to the concession, but it would be relatively easy for concession personnel to go to the Chinese community as long as they have an official identity certificate.
Zuo Zhong was driving and saw many people sitting on both sides of the road along the way. He couldn't help but sigh deeply. At this time, the population of Shanghai was about three million, and the number of people who originally lived in the concession was 2.3 million.
As soon as the war started, nearly one million refugees fled to the concession from Nanshi, Zhabei and the surrounding suburbs. Only a small part of these one million refugees could temporarily stay in hotels and relatives' homes, while the other more than 700,000 people were sheltered. In the open space.
In the early days of the war, the infant care center run by the church received more than 200 abandoned babies in half a day, which shows how difficult the life of the refugees was.
It is better to be a peace dog than to be a troublemaker. This sentence is extremely suitable at this moment.
The Indian patrolman on duty in the distance saw the car approaching. He picked up his stick and drove away the beggars who were trying to beg from the car window. He bowed politely to Zuo Zhong in the car.
Zuo Zhong nodded slightly and stepped on the accelerator and left the road. As for getting out of the car to reprimand the other party, that was not what an intelligence officer should do. Kindness was a fatal weakness for intelligence officers.
It took him dozens of minutes to successfully approach the checkpoint. When he saw his American passport, the American officer leading the team solemnly stated that the Chinese border was very dangerous and it was best not to go there unless necessary.
In addition to sending regular troops to engage in head-on combat with the Korean army, the Japanese also found many local soldiers (retired soldiers) and expatriates to form so-called volunteer teams, which went deep into the Chinese border to sabotage in disguise.
In name, these people cooperated in fighting, but in fact they committed all kinds of crimes, including killing and stealing goods. When they met a wealthy family, they rushed in, burned, killed and looted, causing several bloody cases.
Therefore, no place in the Chinese border is safe. When they see a car passing by, they are likely to rob it, regardless of which country the driver is a citizen of.
However, after Zuo Zhong repeatedly stated that he needed to repair the equipment, the officer still chose to let him go and gave him an American flag.
Although the current United States is not as powerful as the most powerful country after World War II, it is not something that anyone dares to offend, as long as they are not seeking death.
Zuo Zhong did not refuse the other party's kindness. He smiled and hung the flag on the side of the car, and without hesitation drove into the Huajie where gunfire continued.
The car was driving on the desolate streets, with broken walls and ruins everywhere. Some people who were reluctant to leave stood in the ruins, numbly looking for the remaining property or the bodies of their relatives.
The depressing atmosphere made people feel breathless. Zuo Zhong speeded up expressionlessly until he was stopped by a group of soldiers calling themselves the 88th Division near the bombing site.
"What are you doing, documents?"
An officer without a collar badge, his uniform covered with gun oil, blood and holes, pointed his pistol at the car, held the crooked M35 helmet on his head and asked loudly.
This is not because the army is in disgrace. Due to the rampant Japs sharpshooters, the troops entering the war zone have all removed obvious military rank markings and only rely on the badges on their chests to identify their rank, branch, affiliation, and position.
If we were like those protagonists in later movies and TV dramas who wore colonel and lieutenant colonel collar badges and wandered around the front line openly, we would have to eat in less than half a day.
The battlefield is the cruelest and most efficient school of survival, because everyone who can't learn it will die.
Zuo Zhong glanced at the other party's badge, slowly took out his ID and handed it over: "I am an engineer for a US-funded company. There is a machine in the factory on the outskirts of the city that needs repair. I would like to ask Mr. Officer to let me go."
"Factory? The factory has stopped working. There are no machines to be repaired. I think you are clearly a Japanese spy. Brothers, arrest them." The officer rolled up his sleeves and gave the order fiercely.
Several soldiers rushed forward without saying a word, pulled open the car door, and raised their bayonets shining with cold light. One of the soldiers moved too much, causing the 88th Division's unique Y-shaped cowhide strap to slip from his shoulder.
The short soldier nervously pulled back his strap and raised his feet to jump slightly. The German 1924 standard Mauser rifle in his hand was trembling slightly. He looked like a new recruit with little experience.
"Don't shoot, I'm coming down."
Zuo Zhong, who was kicked out of the car, frowned, took out all the US dollars in his wallet, pointed to the certificate he handed over and explained: "I am an American citizen, not a spy. If you don't believe me, look at it.
This money is used as a treat for you to drink. Although I have a foreign nationality, my heart is Chinese. I have never lagged behind others in donations from the labor force. I am returning to China this time to build the country. "
Without any explanation, he handed the money in his hand to the leading officer, then raised his hands and stepped aside to indicate that he was not a threat.
The officer looked at the banknotes, his stern face slowly relaxed. He walked to the car and checked the interior and trunk. He found that there were no suspicious items except some tools.
So the man calmly put the money into his pocket, handed back his ID, and spoke in an official tone: "So it turns out you are a patriotic overseas Chinese, so that's okay. You can follow this road to the factory area."
If someone checks again, just say that the 88th Division's Military Law Office has already checked, so they don't need to search. After repairing the machine, hurry back to the concession. The Japs' offensive is getting more and more powerful, and you don't know when they will get here. "
"Okay, thank you."
Zuo Zhong took the certificate and thanked him, then turned around and got into the car, started the engine and left the checkpoint. After driving a few hundred meters, he looked in the rearview mirror with a solemn look in his eyes.
After driving for a while, more and more Guojun troops were withdrawn from the front line to rest. He went around a few times and was stopped again. This time the other party was not so easy to talk to and almost shot him.
The headquarters was attacked by Japanese air raids and so many comrades were killed. Many Guo army soldiers were holding back an evil fire in their hearts. Naturally, they would not let go easily if they found someone acting suspiciously.
Fortunately, Zuo Zhong reported the name of the lieutenant he had met in Nanxiang Town. The soldiers blocking the road believed that he was one of his own, and after making a few field calls, they escorted him to the headquarters.
Perhaps stimulated by the air raid, Commander Zhang was quite imaginative in choosing the location of his new headquarters. Looking up at the four characters "Xinmin Bathing Pool", Zuo Zhong didn't know what to say. He was really afraid of well ropes after being bitten by a snake for ten years.
However, the bathroom has solid walls, few windows, and a large space. It is indeed suitable for use as a headquarters and is more conducive to concealment. Few people would think that the center of the Ninth Army would be located in such a place.
After a rigorous search, he soon met Chief Zhang again through his old acquaintance Lieutenant General. As soon as he saw the Lieutenant General of the Guo Army, Zuo Zhong immediately made a request.
"Sir Zhang, please immediately send someone to search around the original headquarters. There are Japanese spies pretending to be members of the 88th Division. This matter may be related to the bombing. This is the information and location of the other party's badge.
Try to capture them alive when they are captured. If they can enter and exit our military defense zone as if there is no one around, they must have mastered the password and basic information about the Ninth Army. This source of information deserves in-depth investigation.
After catching the person, I checked the belongings. The one with a stack of US dollars was the target. I left a mark on the corner of one of them. You see, as long as the fragments and gaps match, it means I caught it correctly. "
Zuo Zhong said as he carefully held the corner of the dollar bill and placed it on the table, then took out a pen and paper and started writing. Instant memory is the basic skill of a professional spy.
Chief Zhang was so angry that his face was livid. The Japanese bombed his headquarters and then sent people to pretend to be the Guo army. It was simply too much of a deception.
But how did Zuo Zhong know that the other party was a Japanese spy? He frowned and asked this question. There was nothing embarrassing about it. After all, counter-espionage was not his specialty.
Zuo Zhong put down his pen, stood at attention and replied: "Sir Zhang, the other party's disguise is perfect. There are no problems with the clothing, weapons, language, and accent. There is just one flaw."
The Japs' carrying equipment was a Zhaowu-style backpack, which was very hard and easy to slip off. After long-term use, the Japanese army would develop a habit of gently jumping the backpack to restore its position.
When the other party was checking me, someone inadvertently made this action. Although the Y-shaped harness issued by our army has the same shortcomings, since there is no load-bearing equipment behind me, it is neither possible nor necessary to do this.
What's more, the 88th Division is a model army with generous military pay and benefits. In addition, you run the army very strictly. In your humble position, I have never heard of anyone robbing people's property, especially the property of American friends, so I determined that these people must not be real Guojun. "
Zuo Zhong flattered him a little, which was also true. This was the Huangpu education director, a standard professional soldier, with integrity and impeccable moral conduct.
"Somebody come!"
Commander Zhang didn't seem to hear his compliments, so he summoned the most elite spy company at hand and issued two orders.
One is to capture Japanese spies, and the other is to inspect all stragglers.
It is impossible for the Japanese to send only one team to the Guojun defense zone. Whether it is to collect intelligence or carry out sabotage, the number of operators must reach a certain number, otherwise the success rate will be low.
After receiving the commander's order, more than a hundred tall soldiers like wolves and tigers jumped on the truck and rushed to the predetermined position with murderous intent.
Zuo Zhong was also relieved. All the members of the special agent company were veterans who had experienced actual combat. In other units, they were at least squad leaders and platoon leaders. Their combat effectiveness was only higher than that of the Japanese.
There will definitely be no problem if they catch Japanese spies. No matter how powerful the spies are, facing large-scale arrests by the regular army will only lead to death. Spies like 007 only exist in picture books and stories.
On the other side, Chief Zhang sat down with a sword amidst the rumbling sound of cannons. He took a few documents and started reading them. He had the spirit of an ancient famous general who remained calm even after Mount Tai collapsed in front of him.
He didn't speak, and Zuo Zhong naturally couldn't move. He had to raise his head and look at the map on the wall, thinking about how to find the Japanese ground guides.
Bombing is not an ordinary battle. It has very high requirements for target positioning. Guides usually use light, special buildings, natural landscapes, and bright objects to guide bombers.
A few years ago, when the Secret Service tracked Japanese spies, they used colorful flags to direct pilots. Considering the alert situation of the headquarters, this can be ruled out. No Japanese spy is stupid enough to stand in front of the headquarters waving flags.
Buildings and natural landscapes are equally unlikely. There are no mountains or lakes around the headquarters, and the shapes and number of floors of the buildings are similar. It is easy to get the target wrong, and the Japanese will not do this.
Then there is only light guidance. Light can be divided into fire, reflection, smoke and other visible light sources. But again, you have to be stupid to light a fire in a heavily guarded headquarters.
Therefore, the safest and most concealed way is to use reflections to place the lenses in specific positions. Even if the person is not present, the bomber can still be guided in the direction.
After confirming the Japanese guidance method, Zuo Zhong glanced at the map. Just as he was about to suggest to Commander Zhang that he send someone to comprehensively inspect the buildings around the original headquarters, a shout came from outside the door.
"Get in!"
He turned around and saw that the soldiers of the "88th Division" were tied up and pushed in. The officer who collected the money was beaten until his nose was bruised and his face was swollen. When he saw him, his eyes turned red and he looked like he was gnashing his teeth.
"Haha, hello, we meet again. Let me introduce myself. I am Zuo Chong, deputy director of the Secret Service. Welcome you."
Zuo Zhong smiled slightly, showing his white teeth.
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