【Whampoa Anthology-3】Blood Fertile Zhongshan, drinking and hating the Yangtze River - Memoirs of the Nanjing Defense War (Shi Huaiyu, Whampoa Issue 9)

On December 12, 1937, the fourth regiment of the teaching corps guarding Zijin Mountain fought fiercely with the enemy for a whole day. Our regiment also suffered heavy casualties and had no reinforcements, so we had to defend to the death, unable to counterattack, and the enemy and ourselves formed a confrontation. Before sunset, the main peak of Zijin Mountain was still guarded by our army.

The officers and soldiers of our brigade, who were sticking to the positions of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and the bereaved family school, were still fighting tenaciously without retreating an inch after three days and three nights of bloody battles, with almost no casualties. As the sun set to the west, the violent artillery fire gradually ceased, and the sound of rifle gunfire also gradually faded away. During a break in the battle, I was about to go back to the North Slope Company Headquarters of Tianbao City to arrange logistics, and I happened to meet Brigadier Ma Weilong at the first peak. His face was covered in ashes, his body was covered in mud, his expression was a little nervous, but he was full of energy, and he did not show the fatigue of the fierce battle for several days. I saluted as I am used to, and before I could speak, he ordered me: "Your company is assigned to each battalion. From now on, the communication platoon will be directly under the command of the battalion commander. You lead the officers and soldiers of the company to the Taiping Gate, and stop at the east of Gangzijiao Road near Xufen. After that, I will send an orderer to notify you." I asked the brigade commander : Is there any troops taking defense? He said: "Don't ask too much now, just go and follow my order." "After that, I walked to the east of the first peak. Although I didn't understand the brigade commander's order very well, I didn't guess about the retreat. After returning to the company headquarters, I called the 4 platoons attached to each battalion Long press the brigade commander to order.

My position is temporarily at the brigade headquarters. After the order was issued, he led the cooking squad and more than 20 miscellaneous soldiers to the designated place to stand by. At this time, the golden crow is falling in the west, and the twilight is hazy. It is past dusk, and the distant mountains and near waters are all shrouded in night. The foreground was blurry. In order to easily communicate with the people from the brigade headquarters at night, I placed the team on the side of the road with a wide view and no shade. Sentries were dispatched for strict vigilance. At the same time, two messengers and sergeants were sent to watch and inspect the road, waiting for the arrival of the brigade.

But as time passed by, not only did the brigade headquarters not send people, but there were also no troops on the road leading to Yaohuamen and Xiaguan. Although the surroundings were quiet and no gunshots could be heard, the twenty-odd odd soldiers I brought had no weapons except a few pistols. If something happens, there is no power to defend yourself. If you don't join the army soon, the consequences will be disastrous. But the brigade commander ordered us to wait here, how dare we act without authorization. Everyone was fidgeting and anxious. Some people judged that it might be withdrawn, but I don't think so; if it was withdrawn, whether it was crossing the river from Xiaguan or breaking through the enemy's rear through Yaohua Gate, Taiping Gate was the only way to go. However, no troops have left the city yet, and there is no sign of withdrawal. Now there is no other option but to try to find the troops. But I think that in such a situation of losing contact, one should adapt to the situation and make a decisive decision instead of waiting. He decided to contact the headquarters directly. The command post of the corps is located in the basement of the Fuguishan Fortress, and it only takes about an hour to walk back and forth. I wrote a brief report and sent it to the messenger sergeant.

Not a moment later, he hurried back and said, "The troops outside the Taiping Gate were crowded and disorderly. The city gate has been blocked by the troops entering and leaving the city. It is impossible to enter and exit." I asked which troops entered the city? He said that we taught the corps, and he heard that he was ordered to gather and tidy up in the large playground of the military academy. After hearing the news, I felt at ease in my heart, and immediately led the team to the fire gate. Before they approached the city gate, they heard the noise of people, and from afar they saw a black crowd gathered outside the Taiping Gate, standing still. I placed the troops in a relatively remote place, and slowly squeezed through the crowd to the city gate. The situation I could see under the light of the friendly flashlight was the same as the report of the sergeant. The troops in and out refused to give in to each other, and they all threatened to shoot each other. I immediately felt the seriousness of the situation, and once violence was used, it would inevitably cause a tragic tragedy. Then he said loudly: "We are ordered to enter the city to clean up, please let us in before you come in." Before the words fell, someone said: "We are ordered to attack tonight, and the task is urgent. If we delay the time, we will delay the big event. You Go to the city to tidy up, it doesn't matter if you are late." Hearing the accent of Liangguang, I knew that Deng Longguang and Ye Zhao's troops had also been transferred to participate in the defense of Nanjing, so I believed it was true, and explained the situation loudly to the troops entering the city. Please take care of the overall situation and let Friendly troops go out of the city first to carry out missions, so as not to delay the military plane.

After some mediation, the officers and soldiers of the teaching corps withdrew from the city gate, and those outside the city gate also separated to both sides of the road, allowing the troops out of the city to pass through smoothly. An armed conflict was averted in an instant. At this time, the troops going out of the city swarmed out like a tide, the order was chaotic, and they were out of formation. Wave after wave, galloping out. I don't know the number or the number of people. It lasted for about two hours before the follow-up troops came out. At this time, the gate of the city was opened, and there was no one there. The strange thing is that the troops that were supposed to go into the city to sort out are also missing at this moment. Looking back at me, more than 20 people are still assembled in the same place and have not been separated. Only then did I realize that the so-called "ordered to attack and carry out urgent tasks" is just an excuse, and retreat is the truth. I judged that the Guangdong army probably took the lead, and the other troops followed in turn. Of course, it cannot be ruled out that there was no teaching team among them. No wonder it took so long to withdraw.

At this time, I wanted to break out of the siege with my allies, but it was too late (Note: 1. At around 5 pm on December 12, Brigadier Ma Weilong must have received an order to abandon Nanjing, and contacted Deng Longguang and Ye Zhao to break out of the siege together. But when he gave me the order, he was vague and did not tell me the truth. 2. After several days and nights of hard fighting on Zijin Mountain, the officers and soldiers were exhausted, exhausted and unable to break through. He only led dozens of people to break through. 3. From the beginning of the Battle of Zijin Mountain, the brigade commander Ma Weilong personally commanded them, and the regiment commander Sui Youlin stayed in the shelter all day long. When he learned of the withdrawal order before sunset on the 12th, he went down the mountain with his adjutant Zong to the refugee area. 4. In May 1939, Ma Weilong served as the commander of the 138th Brigade of the 46th Division of the Army. We encountered the Doihara Division of the Japanese invaders in Lanfeng, Henan Province, and were killed at Luowang Station.), suddenly felt that the situation was serious, and I didn’t know what to do for a while. But things have come to this point, and nothing can be done. After calm thinking, I feel that life and death don't matter anymore, what else is there to be afraid of? Why not go into the city to see if there are any troops of your own in the city. Really unwilling to see the Yellow River, he resolutely led more than 20 people into the Taiping Gate. Looking back over the past eight years, in order to train outstanding cadres of the National Army and to establish a demonstration unit of the National Defense Forces, I don’t know how many times I have entered and exited the Fire Gate, and how many times I have left footprints. Tonight may be the last time. I hope that one day, millions of Pixiu will defeat the powerful enemy and go down to Jiangdong with triumphant flags; if they don't die, they will return to this place to pay tribute to the old battlefield and mourn the martyrs.

When we entered the fire gate, we saw the clock in the auditorium of the military academy head-on, and it was already past midnight. Along the east and west sides of Fugui Mountain and around the Whampoa compound, not only were there no military activities, there were no human figures to be seen. An empty space, dead silent. It can be seen at a glance that Nanjing has been withdrawn, leaving only an empty city. Our hope of entering the city and returning to the team has been completely shattered so far, so why hesitate at this moment?

I said: "Brothers, let's go!" I went straight to Xiaguan. If you are lucky, you may be able to cross the river with the troops. He ordered to smash the marching pot and stove, throw away everything, and pack lightly. Run to Yijiangmen at the speed of a forced march. Passing by the north end of Chengxian Street, I remembered that there was still a soldier staying behind in the company headquarters, so I was worried, so I stopped by to have a look. Never expected that this son of a farmer in northern Anhui, like a lone goose lost in the flock, still did not leave the company. As soon as I saw me, I asked: "Company commander, what's the matter?" I said that the troops had withdrawn, so follow them! He was stunned for a moment, picked up his 20-gun self-propelled pistol, picked up the only German switchboard in his arms, threw it to the ground violently, and joined the army. How strong and brave this soldier's actions are in an instant, showing the heroic qualities of a soldier, revealing love for the country, loyalty to his position, and hatred for the enemy. He is worthy of being a descendant of Yan and Huang, a hero in northern Anhui. I thought to myself: "The Japanese devils are so crazy, so arrogant, and so cruel. Sooner or later, they will end in complete failure! The Chinese people will not submit. Our army has fought bravely on the North and South battlefields for three months, and it is a surprise to him." The insurmountable heavy blow has laid an unshakable foundation for the protracted war of resistance and the inevitable victory of the war of resistance. Although the enemy has occupied Nanjing today, it seems to have achieved a small partial victory on the surface, but in fact it has fallen into an insurmountable quagmire. He couldn't extricate himself, and was finally buried in the deep pool. As long as we don't hesitate to sacrifice a lot and resolutely fight to the end, if we don't die, we will see his shameful end."

When we walked near the Drum Tower, we saw sporadic stragglers still armed with guns and live ammunition, walking north from Xinjiekou under the faint and dim street lights. With a heavy heart and silent speech, they all retreated from the front line of fire, lost their team and had nowhere to go, hoping to cross the river at Xiaguan. The streets and alleys we passed were all closed, the lights were turned off, and there was darkness. The whole city was shrouded in the horror atmosphere of war, and the pain of subjugation made people cry.

At this time, the situation in Zhonghuamen was unknown, and no gunshots could be heard around Mochou Lake and Shuiximen. Passing the third archway, I saw the palace-style Ministry of Railways and Communications built in those years, which had been burned down, and the aftermelt was not extinguished. Most of the houses facing the street were bombed by enemy planes, leaving them in rubble. When approaching Yijiang Gate, I saw the retreating officers and soldiers gathered in Yijiang Gate from a distance, which was more than a mile long. We also joined the ranks of going out of the city sequentially. After waiting for a long time, we did not see any activities. According to the news from the front, Yijiang Gate has been blocked, the front can't get out, the back is pushing forward, the voices of people are loud and chaotic. Many people were trampled to death and injured, and they cried out. I saw the situation in front of me. It was impossible to get out of the city, and it was even hopeless to cross the river. If they are densely packed like this, and they are discovered by the enemy at dawn, not to mention bombing by planes, even a volley of artillery will destroy them all. This is not a place to stay, so I took the team to a remote place east of Yijiang Gate and sat down to discuss with everyone. The comrades all asked the company commander to come up with ideas, God knows, the company commander is just like everyone else! Can you think of a way out. I said: "We are all the turtles in the urn now. We have no other choice but to die and serve the country. Zijin Mountain was originally the place where we sacrificed with honor, but now we are asked to withdraw for no apparent reason, without clear instructions. Now, we have to serve the country." If you are determined, you are powerless to kill the enemy. Since you are in a desperate situation, why not be afraid of death. I personally will not be willing to be a prisoner. If you have any other means, please find your own way out. Otherwise, you will have to fight the enemy one last time and serve the country with death." Comrades in arms Resolutely stated that if we live together, fight together, and die together, we will not leave to find our own way out (actually there is no way out). I was very excited when I saw this situation, and suddenly I remembered Tian Heng in history. Eight hundred heroes were martyred; How capable and virtuous is my little company commander? Today, there are more than 20 comrades in arms who have lived and died together, and shared weal and woe. It is really too honorable! In fact, when you die at the right time, you should die well, and die without regrets! We analyzed the situation that night and concluded that the enemy had fought fiercely with us all day, suffered heavy losses, and made no progress. Take a breather after sunset too. Even if an attack is launched, it will usually be at dawn. Our troops withdrew from the battlefield at night, operating in secret, and the enemy may not know it. Even if it is judged that we withdraw our defense, entering the city at night will risk ambush, sniping, and street fighting. It is unlikely that the Japanese devils who are afraid of death will enter the city before dawn, so the current time and space belong to us. Now that we are fighting the enemy for the last time, we must make full preparations. If you don't have a weapon, pick up the abandoned guns and grenades nearby, choose an appropriate location, and fight with the enemy when he approaches. After getting ready, sit down and rest on the spot. As the saying goes: "If one man works hard, everything will be irresistible." After putting life and death aside, he feels bold and fearless; hunger and fatigue are even easier.

Circumstances often change unexpectedly. Not long after, Yijiangmen caught fire. In an instant, the flames shot up into the sky, and it was all red. From a distance, under the firelight, the troops who wanted to go out of the city were still gathered in Yijiang Gate. The fire burned for a while and then gradually died down. We were eager to learn some new information, and came to the vicinity of Yijiang Gate aimlessly. How this fire was caused, I listened to people's discussions. Some people said: Up to now, no gunshots have been heard in the Xiaguan area, which means that the enemy's troops, even a small group of reconnaissance troops, have not yet arrived and have not contacted us. It is concluded that it was not caused by artillery fire, and the possibility of the enemy's arson and killing has been ruled out. sex. Some people seemed to know the real situation and directly pointed out the 36th Division guarding the Xiaguan area. In order to cross the river first, they blocked the gate of the city to prevent the defenders from leaving the city, and set fire to it when they finally retreated. You speak to me, transfer the anger in your heart to General Song Xilian. I think at this time, such arguments are meaningless, let alone accusing others without evidence. When I was about to lead the team to leave, I don’t know which of my comrades-in-arms said, why don’t we go down from the top of the city. Then several comrades in arms made this suggestion to me. What a shame! Why didn't I think of the way to get rid of the city. He said: "Everyone thinks that the city is feasible, so you might as well try it." So he climbed to the top of the city more than 200 meters east of Yijiangmen, and looked down, it was not very high. I asked the warrant officer platoon attached Dong Yulin to go down to contain them first, and then the comrades in arms went down one by one. In the end, Li Jinjiu, the warrant officer and special agent chief, and I also went down. The team gathered at the root of the city wall and did not get separated. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, they didn't expect to get out of the city in despair after a whole night of tossing. However, it is even more difficult to predict whether they can cross the Yangtze River under such a chaotic retreat. It just depends on luck.

(Note: Commander Tang Shengzhi ordered the troops of Song Xilian and Hu Zongnan not to allow the Nanjing defenders to leave the city and cross the river. Violators can be shot to stop them. When the 36th Division retreated, many officers and soldiers of the Teaching Corps saw them block the city gate.)