Following Xu Wen's order, three air defense battalions with 300 anti-aircraft guns and 300 anti-aircraft machine guns were quickly deployed on the spot and launched an air strike.

There was a fierce exchange of fire with the Japanese air raid troops, and Zhou Weiguo and Chen Zhenglun led the reserve regiment to take advantage of the situation to recapture all the positions at the foot of Zijin Mountain that had been captured by the Japanese army before.

Xu Wen led the main force of the independent brigade and relied on the speed advantage of the armored forces to catch up with the 26th Brigade of the 13th Division.

At that time, the 26th Brigade was about to evacuate to the vicinity of Taizhuo Town. In order to protect the safety of the division headquarters, Takeshita Shun immediately suggested that Ogi State troops abandon their vehicles and protect their commanders.

In the end, the Ogi State Army decided to abandon an infantry regiment and ordered the 26th Brigade to leave its 116th Infantry Regiment in the rear to block the independent brigade's pursuit.

Other troops withdrew into Taizhuo Town and held on.

At the same time, Yoshika Ryosuke also led the 9th Division, 11th Division, 18th Division, and the 5th Independent Heavy Artillery Brigade, and was rushing in at full speed for reinforcements.

It was about the time that Xu Wen commanded the armored torrent of the Independent Brigade to kill the 116th Infantry Regiment.

Japanese reinforcements arrived in Taizhuo Town one after another, and quickly joined forces with the 13th Division to prepare for defense.

At the same time, a group of Japanese fighter planes heard the news and came to help in the sky, continuously conducting air strikes and strafing the armored units of the Independence Brigade.

Although the vehicle-mounted machine guns of armored battalions and tank battalions can also carry out low-altitude defense, without the anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns of anti-aircraft battalions, they cannot pose a threat to Japanese aircraft flying at medium and high altitudes.

And seeing that Japanese reinforcements had arrived, it was not advisable to attack by force! Xu Wen ordered his troops to withdraw to the Purple Mountain area, intending to regroup and fight again.

Although this proactive assault failed to defeat the 13th Division, more than 3,000 of them were wiped out.

The most important thing is to help the national army regain all the defensive positions lost in the previous few days.

At this time, the battle between the three remaining air defense battalions and the Japanese air raid troops also had a winner.

The Independence Brigade had lost fifteen anti-aircraft guns and eighteen anti-aircraft machine guns, and achieved a record of shooting down eight Japanese fighter jets and six bombers.

Moreover, the Japanese air raid troops were able to flee, which effectively protected the safety of the independent brigade reserve group and other national army ground troops.

In order to avoid unnecessary losses from the Japanese bombing, Xu Wen ordered all tanks and armored vehicles to withdraw into the forest behind Zijin Mountain to hide.

At the same time, a batch of anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns were exchanged from the system and replenished to the air defense forces.

During dinner, Zhao Shoutian sent a message saying that they had moved along the Yangtze River to the Zhenjiang area, found Japanese warships moving, and asked for instructions whether to launch an attack.

Although Jiangyin Fortress was lost at that time, the national army's blockade and obstruction of the Yangtze River did not stop.

While the battle to defend Nanjing was going on fiercely, the blocking battle on the river was also going on tenaciously.

After the fall of Jiangyin Fortress, Wulongshan Fortress has become the last line of defense for the national army to block the Yangtze River.

Originally, the Japanese army could continue their attack along the Yangtze River, and under the cover of the navy and air force, they could break through the national army's Wulongshan Fortress defense line in one fell swoop, thus opening up the river for their naval fleet, allowing them to go straight to the Guanguan Pier. By then, the Nanjing defenders would have to

You will be attacked from both sides.

However, because Xu Wen led the independent brigade to contain all the Japanese army divisions except the 13th Division back to the Hangzhou area, the 13th Division was insufficient in strength at that time, so that the Japanese army has not yet been able to break through Wulong Mountain.

Line of defense.

In addition, the national army sank many merchant ships and warships to block the Yangtze River waterway, so the Japanese naval ships have not been able to break through the river defenses and invade the Nanjing waters of the Yangtze River.

Xu Wen hated the Japanese navy and air force deeply, especially the Japanese naval warships. Once they advanced to the river near Nanjing, their large-caliber naval gun firepower group could directly attack the urban area of ​​Nanjing and the national army's Qixia Mountain and other peripheral areas.

The position launched a fierce attack.

By then, Nanjing's military and civilians will suffer heavy casualties.

Therefore, he ordered Sun Fugui without hesitation: "Call Zhao Shoutian back immediately and tell him to launch an attack immediately! Kill all the Japanese warships they see!"

"Yes!" Sun Fugui promised loudly, saluted, and immediately took the order and left.

…

There were a total of six Japanese warships in the Zhenjiang area at that time, including two cruisers and four gunboats, with a total tonnage of over 10,000.

After receiving Xu Wen's order, Zhao Shoutian immediately commanded two U-shaped submarines and took the lead in launching torpedoes at the two Japanese cruisers, sinking them.

Then they began to attack the four gunboats. Under the cover of night and the submarine's own concealment advantage, in less than ten minutes, all six Japanese warships were hit by Zhao Shoutian and the others, burst into flames, exploded, and were all destroyed. It didn't take long for them to

It sank into the rolling Yangtze River.

A bigger crisis emerged at this time. At about nine o'clock in the evening, news came from Jiangbei that the Guoqi detachment and the Chongteng detachment were attacking Pukou in Jiangbei from the east and west directions respectively.

Among them, the Chongteng detachment has already defeated Liuhe, Yizheng, and the forwards of the Guoqi detachment are less than 20 kilometers away from Pukou Town.

The 1st Army in Jiangbei was unable to resist and asked Tang Shengzhi to quickly send reinforcements across the river for reinforcements.

At the critical moment, Tang Shengzhi and the others thought of Xu Wen's independent brigade again. Unfortunately, this unit had become the most capable unit in the entire theater, so they could only be used as a fire brigade.

Therefore, a telegram was sent to the headquarters of the Independent Brigade.

At that time, Xu Wen was looking at the loot in the warehouse that the system exploded during the afternoon battle. In this assault battle, the independent brigade killed more than 3,000 Japanese troops.

In addition to contributing more than one million redemption points to Xu Wen, he also released thousands of various weapons, ammunition and daily necessities.

What surprised Xu Wen the most was that a large amount of Maotai liquor was released.

When Xu Wenzheng was about to take out this batch of Maotai wine to reward his subordinates, Sun Fugui hurried over, stood at attention and saluted him, Zhou Weiguo and others: "The headquarters sent an urgent call. The two Japanese detachment units, Guozaki Detachment and Chongteng Detachment, have already arrived."

They advanced towards Pukou with the intention of encircling Nanjing and cutting off our army's connection with Jiangbei and its final retreat.

Commander Tang ordered us to immediately mobilize effective troops and rush to Pukou to establish a defense line to stop the Japanese army!"

Xu Wen was shocked when he heard this and said to himself: Damn it, I forgot that these two Japs are on separate sides!

Zhou Weiguo also said to Xu Wen with a serious expression: "Brother, once Pukou is captured by the Japanese army, the morale of the entire Nanjing defense area will be shaken and the morale of the military will be unstable, so we must mobilize troops to defend Pukou as soon as possible!"

"Yes!" Zhou Weiguo nodded happily and immediately said to Sun Fugui: "Fugui, please call back to the headquarters immediately and say that I will immediately lead my troops to Jiangbei and will definitely block the Guoqi detachment and Chongteng detachment. With our independent brigade here,

Jiangbei is absolutely safe!

Please ask Chief Tang to organize the evacuation of the people immediately, because I am worried that once Nanjing is lost, the angry Japanese army will be detrimental to the people!

Tell Chief Tang that our independent brigade will build two steel pontoons on the Yangtze River as quickly as possible, and he will just organize people to evacuate the people across the river as soon as possible!"

"Yes!" Sun Fugui accepted the order happily, saluted again, turned around and left quickly.

Xu Wen said to Zhou Weiguo again: "Weiguo, the frontal defense line of Purple Mountain, is Nanjing's last barrier. This place must not be lost!"

I will leave you an armored infantry regiment and three anti-aircraft battalions, so you must defend this place!"

"Don't worry! We are here!" Zhou Weiguo accepted the order solemnly.

"Yes!" Xu Wen said to Chen Zhenglun again: "Brother Chen, the reserve regiment and the four tank armor battalions, follow me to rush to Jiangbei overnight!"
Chapter completed!