Of course, despite the sudden arrival of the guard company and the sudden burst of firepower, the Ishii regiment was caught off guard.
However, the Japanese still have a huge advantage - superiority in military strength.
This is an irreversible deficit at this moment.
Even since the launch of the big sweep, the Ishii regiment has continued to suffer setbacks on the way to attack Zhangjiazhuang. The team has suffered many casualties, but the skinny camel is bigger than the horse. After all, this is a Japanese regiment. Until now, the Japanese
There are still more than a thousand people, and even if we don’t include the seriously wounded who have lost their combat effectiveness, there are at least eight or nine hundred Japanese.
The guard company launching the raid at this moment only has more than a hundred soldiers.
The number of combatable personnel of the Japs is six to seven times that of the guard company.
At the beginning of the raid in front of us, the soldiers of the guard company relied on the sudden raid, fierce firepower, and tacit cooperation of the tactical team to defeat the Japanese with almost no power to fight back.
But after more than a minute passed in the blink of an eye, the Japanese gradually gained a foothold by virtue of their superior strength, and gradually gained the ability to counterattack.
In the dark night, in the gaps between the third-line trench fortifications and the semi-underground machine gun fortification area dug by the Japanese, the enemy's light and heavy machine gun fire suddenly rang out, and the flying bullets mopped up many soldiers in the guard company.
The Japanese began to fight back, although the Japanese in the trenches were still being massacred by the tactical team.
When a battle breaks out at this time, there is no need to remain silent.
Seeing the enemy's machine gun fire erupting, the monk shouted, "Fire team, shoot down the enemy's machine gun for me!"
"Yes!"
Next to the monk, the two grenademen from the nearest fire team responded, and immediately raised the grenade launcher modified and produced by the repair shop, aiming the impact point at the machine gun fire point of the Japanese spitting flames in the dark night.
Boom——
The rifle grenade hung on the grenade launcher flew out and accurately hit the Japanese machine gun fortifications that were blazing in the dark night. Amidst the violent explosions that followed, the Japanese machine gun fire suddenly stopped.
This rifle grenade is a treasure that Kong Jie has long wanted to tinker with.
The first batch of rifle grenades at the Independent Regiment Repair Institute were not homemade, but a batch of 28-year-old Republic of China rifle grenade launchers that Kong Jie obtained from the National Army through the 57th Regiment of the Shanxi-Sui Army.
Yes, the equipment of the national army is not bad. Their arsenal has already made homemade weapons like rifle grenades.
It's just that this 28-year-old grenade launcher still has too many disadvantages. It's a bit like a small Japanese grenade launcher. The difference is that this small-caliber launcher is installed on a rifle.
The performance displayed did not meet Kong Jie's requirements.
When firing, the operating soldier even has to place the end of the grenade-throwing monotube on the ground, making it impossible to shoot directly at various angles.
However, he finally had samples. After Kong Jie handed these samples to the repair shop, he put forward his final request, hoping that it would be a modified weapon that could be as light as a rifle.
You don't need a long range, just within two hundred meters. This rifle grenade can be used as a direct-firing small-caliber artillery, which can more easily hit important firepower points of the Japanese army at close range.
Later, following the ideas suggested by Kong Jie, the armory repair shop modified the Nationalist Army's 28-year-old Republic of China rifle grenade launcher.
There are also the grenade launchers currently used by the soldiers of the independent regiment.
In a close-range firefight, this rifle grenade is very sharp. Within a range of twenty to two hundred meters, a direct rifle grenade can accurately strike the target at any time.
In previous fire attacks by the Eighth Route Army, grenades could be used as a means of fire attack at a distance between zero and forty meters.
Excellent grenade throwers who have been trained can even throw grenades nearly fifty meters away.
As for the firepower attack method after one hundred meters, you can use the 50 small artillery to make up for it. If the range is further, you can also use infantry artillery, mountain artillery or mortars.
But this still cannot make up for the firepower gap between 40 meters and 100 meters.
The emergence of rifle grenades can completely make up for this last firepower gap.
Especially in the close-range firefight in front of us, and under the cover of night, rifle grenades are far better than the Japanese grenades in terms of ease of operation, accuracy and speed.
At this moment, as soon as the rifle grenades of several fire teams appeared, many of the Japanese machine gun fortifications went out directly under the firepower of the rifle grenades.
"Well done!"
Even in the fierce confrontation, seeing the grenade shooters of the fire team succeed frequently and the enemy's machine gun fire points being quickly knocked out, the monk couldn't help but praise him.
Realizing that the Japanese had an absolute advantage in strength, the guard company launched a sudden surprise attack. The initial advantage gained was gradually equalized by the Japanese based on their numbers.
The monk who responded immediately made a decision and shouted: "The first and third platoons will take down the first line of fortifications first. The second platoon immediately retreats from the right wing to cover the first platoon and fight with the third platoon!"
There are three combat groups. The monk leads the third platoon, which is responsible for the Japanese's front-line fortifications. The first platoon leader and the second platoon leader lead the second and third largest groups respectively, and are responsible for the Japanese's second and third trench fortifications. p>
At this moment, the monk thought very clearly that the Japanese troops were much larger than the guard company, and it was impossible to directly capture the Japanese's three trench fortifications before the main force caught up.
Casualties are unavoidable.
At this time, the third platoon was on the back side of the Japanese third trench fortification, the first platoon was on the front of the second trench fortification, and the third platoon was fighting on the front of the first trench fortification.
The monk's idea is that the Japanese troops deployed in the first trench fortifications are only about one-third. If the troops of the first and third platoons are concentrated, plus the cover of the second platoon, they can only target the first Japanese army.
If we use line trench fortifications, it will be much less difficult to defeat them.
Then rely on the Japanese front-line fortifications to confront the Japanese on the second and third lines to cover the main force's attack.
The Japanese fortifications were in internal turmoil, so they naturally could not spare any effort to block the main offensive force of the independent regiment.
"Yes!"
When the monk's roar came out, the three platoon commanders immediately understood their company commander's thoughts and immediately executed the order.
"Withdraw, cover fire! Throw out all the remaining grenades and incendiary bombs."
On the lower side of the Japanese army's third line of trench fortifications, the second platoon commander gave the order to retreat. The soldiers tore off the remaining grenades and incendiary bombs, pulled off the fuses, and threw them into the Japanese trenches.
Taking advantage of the flames burning, grenades exploding, and the Japs taking cover, the soldiers of the second platoon quickly evacuated to the right wing. At the same time, they suppressed the Japanese second-line trench fortifications with firepower and covered the actions of the first and third platoons to seize the first-line trench fortifications.
On the other side, as soon as the gunfire from the artillery battery stopped, gunfire started in the direction of Ishii Regiment's position, and the gunfire started.
The three battalion commanders Shen Quan, Wang Leihu, and Wang Huaibao suddenly looked overjoyed.
"Great, that monk monk succeeded! First Battalion Commander, Third Battalion Commander, we have to hurry up and support the guard company."
Chen Quan spoke loudly, his words mixed with excitement.
Wang Leihu's voice was like thunder, "Give me the order, the first battalion will launch an attack immediately, and ask the bugler to blow the charge horn for me, so that it will sound throughout the entire mountain forest!"
"Yes!"
Chen Quan and Wang Leihu also issued charge orders to the second and third battalions at the same time.
Dududududududu——
The loud and clear Eighth Route Army Charge completely cut through the dead silence of the night, circling in the mountains and forests for a long time.
On the third line of fortifications of the Ishii Alliance, the final confrontation between the two sides turned out better than the monk expected.
Under the adroit command of the monk, the first and second platoons of the guard company successfully captured the Japanese's first-line defenses and eliminated the remaining Japanese in the first-line trench fortifications.
While covering the retreat, the third platoon also captured the right half of the Japanese second-line trench fortifications.
With the help of the first-line trench fortifications and the right half of the second-line trench fortifications, the soldiers of the guard company continued to exchange fire with the remaining Japanese in the third-line trench fortifications and the left half of the second-line trench fortifications.
When the loud sound of the Charge broke through the dead silence around them, the soldiers of the guard company were even more morale-boosted.
On the other hand, the faces of the Japs in the Ishii Regiment changed drastically.
The temporary headquarters of Japanese commander Ishii Haraichi was built in the left half of the third line of trench fortifications.
Previously, the guard company made a surprise attack, and the soldiers of the second platoon were responsible for attacking the third-line trench fortifications. This temporary headquarters also suffered some damage.
The sudden attack, illuminated by burning flames, was mixed with intensive gunshots and constant explosions.
In order to protect the safety of the headquarters, the Japanese guards at the temporary headquarters worked hard and took the initiative to fight, resulting in heavy casualties.
Inside the temporary headquarters, officers such as Ishii Haraichi and the Japanese chief of staff hid in the Maoerdong fortification where the temporary headquarters was located in a hurry, not daring to show their faces at all.
This means that the soldiers in the second platoon don't know where the Japanese headquarters is hiding, otherwise Ishii Haraichi's headquarters may have been taken away in the previous raid.
Outside the Maoerdong artillery defense fortifications, the sound of fighting intensified.
Bad news comes one after another.
The sudden Eighth Route Army troops, although small in number, were like divine soldiers descended from heaven. Their firepower was even more rapid and their striking methods were astonishing. Three trench fortifications were attacked at the same time, including incendiary bombs, hand grenades, shotguns, shell guns, machine guns, and rifle grenades.<
/p>
There are simply endless methods of firepower attack.
This raid left the Ishii regiment in a state of embarrassment. The Japanese gradually turned the tide of the battle, relying on the on-the-spot command of lower-level officers, who actually had nothing to do with the brigade commander Ishii Haraichi.
"I report to the brigade commander that we have successfully repulsed the Eighth Route Army outside the third line of trench fortifications. The Eighth Route Army has now retreated to the right section of the first line of trench fortifications and the second line of trench fortifications."
The situation calmed down a bit, and Ishii Haraichi had a chance to breathe.
"Instruct all ministries to counterattack immediately, and destroy this small group of Eighth Route Army before the main force of the Eighth Route Army attacks!"
"Hi!"
After the order was issued, Ishiihara then looked at the radio operator and asked: "How is the situation? Have you received a reply?"
The communications soldier quickly replied: "Sir, the situation is not very good. Several brigades on the outskirts of the Zhangjiazhuang mountainous area launched attacks one after another after receiving our emergency request for help. However, they were blocked by the Eighth Route Army troops lurking in the mountains and forests and were unable to support them." Hearing this, Ishii Haraichi staggered two steps with a depressed expression.
He was aware of the crisis at hand. The surprise attack by a small group of Eighth Route Army troops must be to coordinate the attack of the main force.
The evil wolf of the Independent Regiment never gave up on his Ishii Regiment. Even though it was about to be forced to evacuate after dawn, it still chose to launch the final fierce attack in this late night.
However, the reinforcements have not yet arrived, and nearly half of the trench fortifications have been captured by the raiding Eighth Route Army troops.
Looking at the time, it will take at least five or six hours until dawn. Can these precarious defenses be able to withstand the attack of the Eighth Route Army Independent Regiment?
Under the worry, Ishii Haraichi was also a little confused.
The only thing he can hope for now is that the combat troops will successfully eliminate the small group of Eighth Route Army troops that invaded the fortifications.
Then quickly built fortifications to repel the attack of the main force of the independent regiment.
All military qualities and transcendent command can now only be pinned on the final battle situation of the most basic soldiers.
Not long after, the loud and familiar sound of the Eighth Route Army's charge horn reached the temporary headquarters.
This voice actually made Ishii Yuanichi's heart tremble.
The time of life and death has arrived...
The battle around the third-line fortification area where Ishii Regiment is located is in full swing.
The Japanese occupied the left end of the third-line trench fortifications and the second-line trench fortifications.
The guard company occupied the right end of the first-line trench fortifications and the second-line trench fortifications.
With the help of the cover of the trenches, it is difficult for the Japs in the third-line trenches and the soldiers of the guard company in the first-line trenches to harm each other.
Therefore, both sides focused on the second-line trench fortifications.
Whoever can completely control the second-line trench fortifications will be able to take the next initiative.
At this moment, in the trenches on the second line, the confrontation between the second platoon soldiers of the guard company and the remaining Japanese soldiers was the most intense.
A circular trench of more than 200 meters, with the Japanese occupying the left half and the second row of soldiers occupying the right half.
What is the situation like in combat?
In addition to close encounters, the distance was more than 30 meters, the circular corners, and the intermittent cat-ear hole anti-artillery fortifications made it impossible for the infantry to engage in rifle fire exchanges.
The Japanese side relied more on grenades to bombard the right half of the second-line trench fortifications.
There is some trouble here in the second row.
"Platoon leader, when we were providing fire cover for the evacuation, our comrades had used up all their grenades and incendiary bombs, and only some rifle grenades were left!"
"Damn it, we didn't bring the 50 cannon in this battle."
Several monitors were very anxious.
However, the second platoon leader remained calm in the face of danger and shouted: "Why are you panicking? We are hiding in the trenches now. We can't hit the Japanese, and the Japanese can't easily hit us."
"Our main force is about to attack, and it is the little devils who should be anxious now."
"In this way, pass on the order, let the soldiers be smart and avoid taking risks. Have you seen the cat-ear hole anti-artillery fortifications everywhere in the trenches? Hide in here, and beware of the Japanese in the third-line fortifications.
Rush down from above."
"As for the Japs in the left half of the trench, they moved forward with the cooperation of multiple tactical groups, grenadiers, and machine gunners. In this narrow trench, the two sides met and directly used firepower to put away the Japs."
"Yes!"
The squad leaders' eyes lit up when they heard this. This tactic was absolutely feasible, and they quickly responded.
As the battle continued, the charge signal from the Eighth Route Army coming from the bottom of the mountain was getting closer and closer, like a life-threatening suona, making the Japanese soldiers even more depressed.
At the moment, the soldiers of the guard company can afford it, but the little devils can't afford it.
In the second-line trench fortifications, the Japs on the left half used grenade bombardment for a while towards the area where the second row of soldiers on the right half were. After that, the Japs' infantry advanced to the right half.
The circular trench fortifications were only more than 200 meters long, but soldiers from both sides soon encountered each other near the middle.
The battle at this moment is naturally the reaction and firepower of the soldiers on both sides.
The Japs' reaction is not slow. As for firepower, they mainly rely on the machine guns at hand.
The soldiers in the second row are all elite, and their responses are not inferior. They also have machine guns and rifle grenades on hand.
At the first moment when the two sides suddenly encountered each other, the rifle grenade man directly pulled the trigger. The rifle grenade fired was not too powerful. It was almost the same as an ordinary hand grenade, but the important thing was that the range was longer and the firing speed was faster.
It flew out at a nearly straight angle, in this narrow trench, and directly into the Maoerdong defense fortifications where the Japanese were hiding.
There was a loud bang, and the three Japanese soldiers in the Maoerdong fortification were blown into a puddle of flesh.
The superiority and inferiority of the firepower of both sides will be judged.
The soldiers of the second row who succeeded in the attack continued to advance, and then hid inside the next Maoerdong artillery defense fortification, quietly waiting for the Japanese to show up at the corner.
As long as the enemy shows up, just shoot a grenade to greet him, which is more direct and effective than any other attack method.
The battle situation of the second-line fortifications was reported to the temporary headquarters.
Ishiihara was stunned. If this continues, the war situation will become even more unfavorable.
He gritted his teeth and issued an order, asking the Japanese from the third-line fortifications to launch a direct charge, quickly rush to the right half of the second-line trench fortifications, and eliminate the Eighth Route Army hiding in it.
But the soldiers of the first and third platoons of the guard company hiding in the third-line trench fortifications are not vegetarians. They have long been prepared to cover the second platoon with fire at any time.
As soon as the Japanese climbed out of the third-line trenches, the soldiers' machine guns that had been set up long ago opened fire.
Listening to the approaching HMS, the Japanese braved the firepower of the soldiers and quickly rushed thirty meters to the back of the second-line trench fortifications, trying to sneak attack the second-row soldiers in the trenches.
Some Japanese soldiers even jumped directly into the trenches, trying to start a close fight with the second row of soldiers.
But what’s the difference between this and committing suicide?
What the Japanese are facing now is the elite of the pistol company.
In a close combat situation, can the Japs' Sanba Gaier compare to the shell guns fired left and right by the soldiers?
The soldiers in the second row hid in the Maoerdong defense fortifications in advance. The Japanese jumped into the trench and fired a direct salvo of fire from both sides.
A little Japanese who jumped into the trench fell down while trembling all over, as if he had suddenly suffered from epilepsy.
Being beaten directly into a sieve by a machine gun is a tragedy.
The battle lasted until the fifth minute, and the sound of the Charge was almost in the ears of the Japanese. The soldiers of the independent regiment who launched the attack advanced to a distance of less than fifty meters from the Japanese frontline fortifications.
The Japanese's fire counterattack was quite sparse, which made Shen Quan and other three battalion commanders happy. It seemed that the comrades of the guard company had perfectly restrained the Japanese.
"Kill——"
The shouts of killing rang out from three sides, shrouding the Japanese fortifications.
Then the main force arrived, and the monk directly gave the order to charge. The soldiers in the first and third platoons spoke in advance to identify themselves, and then rushed out of the trenches one after another.
"First battalion commander!"
"Monk, you are really good this time." Wang Leihu praised, and then asked: "Where is that old devil from Shijing? Where is he?"
The monk pointed to the third line of trench fortifications and said, "It's probably in the third line of trenches. I don't know the exact location."
"Hehe, let's go find him. The captain of the Japanese Army is also a captain. This is a big fish. If he can catch it alive, the captain will definitely smile crookedly!"
Wang Leihu laughed and said.
The several pieces of news from the temporary headquarters and the communications corps have already made Ishiihara despair.
"Your Excellency, Wing Commander, we failed to capture the second line of defenses, and our offensive troops suffered heavy casualties."
"Sir, according to the report from the forward observation post, the main offensive force of the Eighth Route Army is less than 100 meters away from the fortifications!"
"Sir, the main force of the Eighth Route Army has broken through the first-line fortifications and is advancing towards the second- and third-line trench fortifications!"
"Sir, the reinforcements have been blocked by the Eighth Route Army and cannot support them!"
"Sir..."
"Your Excellency, Captain!" the Japanese Chief of Staff said with enthusiasm, "Now there is no escape, and the time has come for us, the soldiers of the Empire of Japan, to serve the Emperor. Please allow me, Your Excellency, Captain, to personally lead the troops into battle!"
Ishiihara glanced at the chief of staff, and seeing the Japanese chief of staff's firm gaze, he nodded dejectedly.
"Go!"
"Hi, Mr. Captain, take care of yourself!"
After that, the Japanese Chief of Staff led a group of Japanese soldiers to rush out, and then Ishiihara heard the sound of gunshots, which seemed to be mixed with the screams of the Japanese Chief of Staff before he was killed.
"It's over, everything is over, the Independent Regiment...Kong Jie!"
Ishii Haraichi, who was desperate and mixed with anger, gritted his teeth and said: "If there is an afterlife, I will not be a human being unless I take revenge for this!"