Chapter 35: The Third Battle of East Henan (IV)
At 10:27, more than a dozen speeding military vehicles stopped at the gate of the heavily guarded Provincial No. 1 Model Prison in the eastern suburbs of Kaifeng.
After receiving the documents handed over by the first vehicle, several guards who had been notified long ago immediately removed the barricades at the gate, opened the tightly closed door, and then led the military vehicle directly to the loess drill ground where the prison conducted morning exercises.
At this time, more than 400 criminals and political prisoners had been driven to the parade ground by their respective guards. These prisoners, awakened by the sound of artillery fire throughout the night, were anxiously facing the Czech machine guns mounted on the sentry towers around the parade ground. The sudden appearance of military vehicles made their suspicions reach a peak, and the clamor became louder and louder.
Soon, a lieutenant colonel got out of the car, briefly exchanged a few words with the warden, then climbed onto the front of the car with a large loud speaker and yelled at the vicious prisoners, "Be quiet, all of you."
Following his roar, the soldiers escorting the vehicles all stepped forward and pointed their MP-28s at the prisoners. The machine gunners on the guard posts also put their fingers on the triggers. Under the threat of naked force, the people in the center of the parade ground finally stopped talking and an extremely oppressive silence appeared on the field.
"We heard the gunfire last night."
Seeing that he had intimidated the unruly prisoner, the lieutenant colonel continued to yell.
"That's right, the Japanese are coming from the north and are almost reaching Daliangmen."
The suppressed voices suddenly burst out , and the prisoners yelled and shouted meaninglessly, so much so that people around them might not be able to understand what they were saying.
"Everyone calm down."
The officer yelled again, but this time it had little effect, so he had to draw his pistol from his waist and fire three shots into the air. The gunshots finally calmed the prisoners' excitement.
"There is a shortage of troops on the front line now, so according to the request of the city defense headquarters, the Provincial High Court has issued an amnesty order. From now on, you are a Chinese soldier."
Looking at the noisy prisoners, the lieutenant colonel showed a ferocious smile.
"I know you guys don't want to go to the battlefield, but if it wasn't an emergency, do you think we would want a bunch of scum like you?"
The officer succeeded in stirring up the hostility of the prisoners, but he showed no sign of restraint.
"Now I'll give you some time to feel your own balls and see if you are all men. If you are, stand up and get in the car."
After the lieutenant colonel's voice fell, there was silence for a moment, and then someone responded: "I was supposed to be executed in three days. It's just a death sentence. Instead of being shot as a murderer, it's better to fight the Japanese. Maybe I can make some money." Looking at someone in heavy shackles, the officer asked the warden beside the car: "Who is this person?"
"Hu Sankui, a famous thief from western Henan, has killed more than a dozen people."
"Unchain him."
The officer gave the order, and the prison guard looked at the warden hesitantly. The warden nodded slightly, and then the handcuffs and shackles on Hu Sankui were removed one by one. Before Hu Sankui could move his hands and feet, the officer jumped off the military vehicle and came to his side.
"You've killed someone, can you shoot a gun?"
Hu Sankui nodded.
"Okay, give him a set of clothes and a gun."
Seeing Hu Sankui putting on a military uniform and standing on the military vehicle as if nothing had happened, several prisoners with the same serious crimes also stood up one by one. The officers accepted everyone, but after the twenty or so people stood up, the scene became cold. The remaining hundreds of prisoners stood in the crowd either timidly or indifferently, with no desire to step out at all.
Seeing this, the warden suddenly spoke to a group of people in the procession: "Ma Decai, you guys in the Kaifeng station of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics are good at internal fighting, but why are you so nervous when you fight the Japanese? And you, Yu Guyi, are you also a coward in the Military Bureau of Investigation and Statistics?"
As the warden yelled, the two prisoners who were named looked at each other and suddenly laughed. Yu Guyi said, "He Dapao is right. Instead of dealing with your own people all day, why not fight the devils with real guns and knives? Okay, count me in."
"Deputy Stationmaster Yu is absolutely right. I think Minister Zhu in Guiyang will agree with my decision if he knows the current situation."
Ma Decai shook his head and shouted to the group behind him.
"All the people from the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics should come out. We are also Chinese."
Under the leadership of Ma and Yu, dozens of prisoners boarded the vehicles one after another. However, some of them walked slowly towards the military vehicles while looking at other prisoners in the line with provocative eyes: "Brothers of the Communist Party, what can you say? You always talk in a high tone, but when it comes to the real battlefield, you become cowardly."
Several of the Communist prisoners who were gathered in a group also wanted to rush out, but were blocked by others. However, it was this action that caused the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Military Bureau of Investigation to laugh, and also made the lieutenant colonel frown, but he did not say anything, just winked at the soldiers and police: "Get everyone on the bus."
Since most of the serious criminals took the initiative to get on the military vehicles, the remaining prisoners had lost their backbone, so despite their fear, they were eventually driven onto the vehicles like sheep. Even some of the Communists took the initiative to accept the command of the military police and get on the military vehicles, but the seven or eight figures who stood still like stones in the surging crowd were still particularly eye-catching.
After being hit by police batons several times, several Communists still did not budge. The lieutenant colonel suppressed his anger and asked, "Why don't you get on the bus like your comrades? Aren't you Chinese?"
"You are persecuting patriots and are on the verge of failure, but you want us to serve as your artillery fire. Don't even think about it!"
"Treason!"
The lieutenant colonel suddenly pulled out his pistol and shot the person who was answering the question in the forehead. Then, without even looking at the person who had fallen to the ground, the lieutenant colonel asked some people who still insisted that they must get the party's order.
"What are your choices?"
"Butcher!"
The cursing had not yet ended when another gunshot was heard and a headshot scene appeared again.
"Butcher, I killed 20 or 30 Japanese soldiers on the front lines with my own hands. How dare you, a guy who only holds his own people back, scold me?"
The lieutenant colonel cursed viciously at the two men who had fallen to the ground, then looked up at the pale-faced Communist prisoners.
"What about you? Will you choose to die at the hands of the Chinese like these two guys, or will you die like a hero on the battlefield defending your country? Tell me, what will you choose?" Seeing that all the prisoners had boarded the bus voluntarily or involuntarily, the lieutenant colonel said to the warden, "The military situation on the front line is urgent. The work has been done. I will not stay any longer, brother. I will leave first. I will treat you to a drink when I return later."
"No need to drink, we have also received orders to go to the front line."
The warden responded solemnly.
"If we are assigned together, please take good care of us."
"As it should be. Goodbye."
After a few brief words, the two men who had only met once parted ways, and the warden was hit by a large-caliber artillery shell from the Japanese army in the subsequent battle and was killed.
As for the lieutenant colonel, he was shot and wounded and sent to the rear for treatment. He later died in battle on the Hubei front in 1943.
“Since it has been confirmed that the Second and Third Infantry Regiments of the Chinese Garrison appeared in the Japanese Army’s battle sequence in Kaifeng, it means that the Japanese Army was empty along the Daoqing Railway.
Since Honma Masaharu's troops are insufficient, Pang Bingxun's 40th Army should attack immediately."
"Besiege Wei to save Zhao? We can think of this, and the Japanese army can think of this too. Since Honma Masaharu dared to push the two main infantry regiments under his command to the south of the Yellow River, I think he has already made preparations to deal with the attack of Pang's troops. Maybe he is waiting for Pang Bingxun to fall into his trap?"
"Based solely on the confessions of two Japanese sergeant-level prisoners, we cannot determine whether the two infantry regiments of the 27th Division followed the 110th Division southward or only some battalions and squadrons, so I advocate that we temporarily remain unchanged in the face of all changes and maintain the original rescue efforts."
"Stay the same in the face of ever-changing situations? Isn't this too passive? We should move the remaining three divisions of the Seventh Army to the north."
The theater staff in the hall were constantly debating how to deal with the sudden crisis.
Ma Kang sat alone in the room, thinking about something, until Chief of Staff Zhou Guangyou came in with the results of the staff's discussion: "Commander Ma, the opinion of the General Staff is that, first, it is recommended to immediately transfer the 249th Division in the Tongguan Fortress Area to Luoyang to take over the defense of Yang Sen and Sun Xuantong. At the same time, order the entire 12th Army to go east to support the Kaifeng line, and the remaining two divisions of the 20th Army to cross the Yellow River and attack the Qin River line to test the strength of the Japanese 27th Division."
"Second, it is suggested that Pang Bingxun's troops be mobilized to cut off the Pinghan Road."
Looking at Ma Kang who remained calm, Zhou Guangyou continued.
"To cooperate with the 11th Corps' operations on the Qinshui front; third, apply to Lanzhou to mobilize the remaining three divisions of the 7th Army to the north for rescue, and at the same time shrink the defense line and withdraw the troops on the Ningling and Minquan fronts."
"I just called Lanzhou."
Ma Kang suddenly interrupted Zhou Guangyou's words.
"The Chief of Staff has arranged for the Military Intelligence Bureau and the Liaison Office to verify the recent movements of the Japanese troops in Hebei. Confirmed news will probably be available within a day or two."
Ma Kang's words had a very clear meaning. There was no need for Pang and Yang to use flesh and blood to measure the strength of the 27th Division.
"The key now is to hold Kaifeng, so."
Ma Kang paused.
"Send a telegram to Lanzhou immediately, requesting that at least 100 bombers and corresponding escort fighters and ammunition be provided to Lankao and Ningling to cover the withdrawal of the eastern front."
Ma Kang had only said half of his last sentence when Zhou Guangyou was shocked. One hundred bombers and corresponding escort fighters, what does this mean? This is the organization of an entire air force. But before he could recover from his surprise, Ma Kang's second half of the sentence made him even more shocked.
"Captain Ma, retreat? Where to?"
"We can't fight the Japanese army head-on in the wilderness."
Ma Kang's eyes wandered.
"Your Excellency has said that fighting a war should be like Tian Ji's horse racing. Now the external environment is very unfavorable to us, so we must persist in the long-term battle."
Zhou Guangyou tentatively asked anxiously, "Is this what the Lord intends?"
"Stop guessing."
Ma Kang waved his hand.
"Hurry up and ask the General Staff to make a plan for retreating and holding on to Kaifeng."
