Chapter 786: That’s it for tunnel warfare (second update)
Author: 574981
"Tunnels...there are tunnels on the battlefield..."
This was the first thing the attacking force squadron leader said after retreating to Lieutenant General Sakuragi.
"Baga, let's be clear...how is it inappropriate to panic..." the brigade leader was particularly dissatisfied with the panic response of his subordinates and reprimanded loudly.
"Ha Yi..." The squadron leader was instantly woken up by the scolding, and then he remembered that he was standing in front of the division commander.
Take a deep breath, try to stay calm, and then speak again.
"Reporting to the head of the division..."
"The Eighth Route Army dug a large number of tunnels on the battlefield, and there were camouflaged tunnel entrances and exits everywhere on the battlefield."
"Even the forward positions we just captured are there."
"After the troops launched the attack, they returned to the forward position through the tunnel and launched the attack from behind the attacking troops."
"There are also tunnel entrances and exits where the Eighth Route Army lurks on the battlefield. When the attacking troops approach, they attack the tanks with Molotov cocktails and use machine guns to surprise the attacking troops."
"By the time we concentrated our troops and firepower to kill them, they had already moved from the tunnel to underground."
"Many soldiers followed the Eighth Route Army into the tunnels, trying to follow the clues and catch them all."
"But the tunnel is like a bottomless pit. As many troops enter as they enter, they will be wiped out."
"The two squadrons that participated in the battle only returned less than one squadron, and all the other soldiers died in the battle."
"The tank force lost three tanks."
"Please division commander, please avenge us and eliminate those Eighth Route Army soldiers hiding in the tunnels."
The division commander, Lieutenant General Sakuragi, said nothing. He waved his hand to signal the squadron leader to leave before opening his mouth.
"I heard that artillery attacks can destroy tunnel entrances and exits."
"Order the first brigade of the artillery regiment, each brigade is directly under the infantry artillery squad, and the regiment is directly under the mountain artillery squadron, to immediately set up artillery positions. I will use artillery shells to bury all the enemies underground."
"Since they want to move underground, don't come out and just cover them up."
The brigade commander suddenly shouted: This is the method written in the tunnel warfare manual.
There are several other methods, some simple, some complicated, and some completely destroying the tunnel and killing all the Eighth Route Army in Yizhong...
The brigade commander's favorite method is to kill all the Eighth Route Army soldiers in the tunnels. This will be enough.
He immediately suggested: "Division commander, should you send engineers to dig trenches around the village and find one or two tunnel entrances and exits?"
"Blast a little bit more, follow the clues, destroy all the tunnels in front of us, and kill all the Eighth Route Army inside."
Lieutenant General Sakuragi shook his head: "Too slow..."
Although we are not short of time, if we are stuck here for a day or two for a small Zhangjiachong, no matter how much time we have for the sweep, it will not be enough."
"The bombardment is more direct and faster."
"Blow up all the entrances and exits of the tunnels and suffocate the enemies to death on the ground of the tunnels. The troops will naturally capture Zhangjiachong."
"Excuting an order."
"Start covering the entire battlefield with artillery fire in five minutes."
"Twenty minutes of artillery preparation, the infantry and tank troops finally launched the attack. When they found the target, they first blew it up with grenades, then used machine guns to sweep it, and finally the infantry assault."
"We must capture Zhangjiachong at the minimum cost."
…………
"Woooooooooooo...boom..."
The screaming mountain artillery shells quickly hit the blocking position, filling the air with gunpowder smoke and flying dust...
Soon the blocking position at the entrance of the village was covered by artillery fire.
Huang Yu and Li Zhi were hiding in the village, looking at the blocking position with artillery fire raging in front of them, and they were in a very good mood.
Those who were holding the position just now were soldiers from the 1st Battalion and 1st Company of the 26th Regiment.
The results of the battle have been reported in their hands, wiping out more than 200 Japs, destroying three tanks, and suffering less than two squads of casualties.
Faced with the huge disparity in casualty ratio, Li Zhi didn't believe it at first. He asked a battalion commander to confirm it repeatedly before he approved the battle report, and then he became yearning for tunnel warfare.
Rubbing my hands together, I really want to try it myself.
But when he thought of the planned battle plan, he hesitated and stared at Huang Yu for a while to consider before he decided to propose.
"Captain Huang..."
"Since tunnel warfare is so useful, why don't we withdraw for the time being?"
"While the soldiers have just won the battle and their morale is high, fight another battle and then retreat?"
"This time, I personally go to the battlefield and make sure that the Japanese attacking troops are beaten to the point of peeing in the butts and not holding back the troops."
Huang Yu shook his head: "It's not that I don't want you to fight, it's just that I can't fight anymore."
"Our tunnels are indeed powerful, but the Japanese artillery fire is not a vegetarian."
"The artillery attacking us has at least twelve field guns, eight mountain guns, and more than ten infantry guns."
"It only takes ten minutes to level our surface positions and destroy most of the tunnel entrances and exits."
"Instead of using the few remaining tunnel entrances and exits to fight against the Japanese, it is better to abandon the position and let the Japanese mistakenly think that this is what our tunnel warfare is all about."
"The tunnels here are too close to enemy-occupied areas and can easily leak secrets. They have not been well repaired."
"When we get to the next tunnel and defend the tunnel network with upper and lower floors, we can take advantage of the Japanese bombardment and mistakenly think that everything has been destroyed. We can give them a hard blow and try to kill one of their infantry brigade in one counterattack.
"
"That's what a pleasure is."
Huang Yu understands tunnel fighting better than he does, and understands his opponents better. Li Zhi couldn't find a reason to refute.
Then he asked Zhan: "I will listen to you..."
"But let's talk it over first..."
"In the next tunnel battle, I must go to the battlefield in person and experience firsthand how powerful tunnel battles are. Otherwise, Yi Zhong's trip will be in vain."
Huang Yu did not refuse: "As long as we don't leave the tunnel, you can fight however you want."
…………
"Rumble..."
The Japanese bombardment continued. Seeing the sandbags and logs on the blockade position being blown away, Lieutenant General Sakuragi's expression returned to calm.
In his military career, he had never seen any troops that could withstand such heavy artillery fire.
Although the Eighth Route Army in Yizhong had tunnels to hide in, as long as the shells hit the tunnel entrances and exits, they would still not be able to survive.
It was like raining artillery shells that plowed the blocking position back and forth twice before stopping.
With so many artillery shells hitting it, all the tunnel entrances and exits on the position can be destroyed even if a blind cat hits a mouse.
That's what Lieutenant General Sakuragi thought.
As soon as the artillery fire stopped and the smoke had not cleared, the attacking troops followed the tanks and rushed straight into the blocking position.
"The offensive troops were not attacked and everything went well..." the observation post introduced while watching.
"The attacking force is only fifty meters away from the village entrance...no enemies have appeared on the battlefield yet..." the observation post reported again.
"Division commander, the offensive troops have taken the blocking position at the entrance of the village..." The observation post shouted the last words with a smile, feeling very excited.
Not to be outdone, the brigade commander said: "Shelling is useful..."
"The Eighth Route Army hiding in the tunnel must have been buried, otherwise the attacking troops would not be able to touch a single enemy."
"Division Commander, your method works."
"Next, when we encounter the Eighth Route Army tunnels, we will use artillery fire. We will definitely annihilate the Eighth Route Army."
The second update is delivered today, please order it all!
