640 The First World War shook North China and the artillery battalion first showed its power (2)
Xiao Song, the reporter accompanying the army, looked at the rapidly constructed artillery fortifications and felt nervous for no reason.
He quickly adjusted the camera in his hand, ready to take a picture of the shocking scene of shelling the Japanese and puppet troops.
South of Taihang.
The battle at the bottom of the cliff intensified.
Company Commander Huang led the soldiers of two companies of the Second Independent Regiment, plus local comrades and militia comrades, totaling more than 3,000 troops.
Fight bravely against the rapidly increasing number of Japanese and puppet troops.
As time went by, the Japanese and puppet troops rushed in from the southwest, plus two brigades of the Japanese 47th Division from the north.
More and more Japanese and puppet troops are gathering at the bottom of the cliff.
There were originally only more than 2,000 Japanese and puppet troops, and the two sides exchanged fire.
Immediately afterwards, as follow-up reinforcements from the Japanese and puppet troops arrived, we saw that the number of troops quickly grew to more than 3,000, more than 4,000, and even more than 5,000.
Company Commander Huang, Captain Zhao and their team are under increasing pressure.
Because it is backed by a cliff and there is not enough depth, although the heavy artillery in the hands of the Japanese has not yet arrived, even the bombardment from grenades is not easy to deal with.
Captain Huang and his team also suffered a lot of casualties.
But all the soldiers, whether they were cadres, ordinary soldiers, or even a militia comrade, gritted their teeth one by one and focused solely on resisting the Japanese and puppet attacks.
No one even asked:
When did Commander Kong say the reinforcements would arrive?
The two sides had already entered into a fierce firefight. The soldiers at the forward observation post then sent the message, "Company Commander, the situation is not good. The Japanese infantry artillery has followed up! It is less than a kilometer away from us."
The Japanese Type 92 infantry gun has a caliber of 70 mm and is very powerful. It cannot be compared with a small-caliber grenade.
Both the range and power can completely suppress the 50 mortars in the hands of Captain Huang and his party.
This is also the situation that Captain Huang has been most worried about during the confrontation with the Japanese and puppet troops.
The cliff behind is a vast expanse of land, which cannot be extended in depth at all. The natural bunkers and fortifications under the cliff are not sufficient, and can barely withstand the enemy's small-caliber grenade fire.
Once the Japanese infantry artillery follows up.
With the kid's regular fighting style, he could even use artillery shells to directly plow the positions of Captain Huang and his party four or five times.
If we get to that point, the casualties suffered by Captain Huang and his party are simply unavoidable. Whether they can persist until the reinforcements sent by Kong Jie arrive may be a question.
"Company commander, the little devil is building an infantry artillery position. It looks like the bombardment will begin soon!"
"Company Commander, please make up your mind. Even if we die, we should die on the way to charge. If we continue to stay behind the fortifications, we will only be blown up alive by the little devils with cannons!"
The platoon leader couldn't help shouting, now is the time to die.
Company Commander Huang looked around him. No matter whether they were wounded or uninjured soldiers, whether they were elites of the independent regiment, or local comrades and militia comrades, everyone looked determined.
Company Commander Huang, who finally no longer hesitated, shouted: "Comrades, the platoon leader is right. Waiting for death is not the style of our independent regiment. There are no cowards in our first detachment. Everyone should obey my orders at any time. All combatants,
Prepare to launch a full-scale counterattack against the Japanese and puppet troops!"
The roar fell, and at the bottom of the cliff, the soldiers held the guns in their hands tightly, full of determination, and the whole team was filled with fighting spirit.
...On a slope one kilometer away in a straight line across the battlefield.
The artillery position on Wang Chengzhu's side was quickly constructed.
Wang Chengzhu, who personally served as an artillery observer, used his binoculars to locate the area where the Japanese and puppet fortifications were gathered at the bottom of the cliff and were fighting with Captain Huang and his party.
But in order to ensure that just in case, in order to ensure that the firepower point on the hillside can produce the greatest power once it breaks out, it can give the Japanese and puppet troops the heaviest blow.
Zhuzi ordered the correspondent to quickly contact Captain Huang's team through the shortwave radio station.
When the communication message was passed, Captain Huang was about to order an all-out counterattack.
The ecstatic communications soldier quickly shouted to Company Commander Huang:
"Company commander, our reinforcements have arrived, and the comrades from the artillery battalion have arrived!"
At this moment, it is really critical.
Captain Huang wiped the sweat from his forehead and breathed a long sigh of relief.
Before the Japanese shells hit, launching an all-out counterattack is the most helpless option.
Once a counterattack is launched, the soldiers will lose their current bunkers and fortifications.
The Japanese and puppet troops, which already had a strength advantage, relied on fortifications and established firepower to wait for work.
Captain Huang was not even sure of breaking out from the three-pointer.
Fortunately, the support troops sent by the regiment leader finally arrived.
"Quick, immediately report the enemy's situation to the comrades in the artillery battalion, especially the specific location of the infantry artillery position where the Japanese are hiding behind the bunker!"
"Yes!"
……
The joy of victory has already appeared on the old face of the Japanese forward captain Imamura Shoichi.
The Eighth Route Army troops who were forced under the cliff and whose retreat was cut off looked like trapped animals to him.
It is just a matter of time to eliminate these Tubal Road.
Imamura Shoichi is waiting for an opportunity, waiting for the artillery squadron to follow up from the Imperial Army to arrive.
Once the artillery arrives, the Eighth Route Army troops guarding the bottom of the cliff will be unable to escape.
In previous battles, in order to avoid unnecessary casualties before the artillery arrived, Imamura Shoichi's combat order was to focus on encirclement and attack as a supplement.
In the previous waves of attacks, the Japanese and puppet troops were not determined to attack.
Anyway, in the eyes of Imamura Shoichi, these Tubal Roads are like fish on the chopping board, only for him to slaughter.
The Japanese and puppet troops who gathered quickly took advantage of the steepness of the cliff to trap Captain Huang and his party at the bottom of the cliff.
At this moment, the Japanese artillery unit arrived, more than a dozen artillery pieces were lined up, and the shooting units had all been adjusted.
As long as Imamura Shang gives the order, the lives of more than 3,000 elite members of the Eighth Route Army Independent Regiment under the cliff can be ended in artillery fire.
Thinking of this, Imamura Shoichi, who was quite excited, took out his Sakan command sword, raised it high with his right hand, and just waved it to start the bombardment immediately!
This is a memorable moment.
Thousands of main members of the independent group were destroyed while talking and laughing.
Imamura Naoichi believes that this wonderful moment will be unforgettable for him in his lifetime.
"Fire gun——"
Such words were brewing in his throat and were about to burst out.
Boom boom boom——
First there was the sound of a cannon being ejected, and then the shell exploded.
Amidst the roar, all this was so familiar to Imamura Shoichi. It was the sound of the Imperial Type 92 infantry cannon coming out, the sound of grenades exploding, and the movement of the 75mm mountain cannon.
Just...
Baga, I clearly haven’t waved my command sword yet and given the order to fire.
Which of these bastards is the one who makes the decision to fire?
Until the rubble kicked up by the shock wave of the explosion scratched Imamura Shoichi's face at an alarming speed.
Only then did Imamura realize that the explosion actually occurred in his own area.
He looked up in shock.
The dozen or so shells fired from the northwest were like raindrops that had been magnified countless times and carried the aura of destruction before they fell from the sky.
The horrified expression was fixed on the old face, and Imamura Naoichi was stunned for a moment.
"Hidden——"
A Japanese officer who responded quickly exclaimed with a ghostly look on his face.
Boom——
The ensuing big explosion unleashed a shock wave, and the gunpowder smoke spreading in all directions quickly enveloped the entire fortification where the Japanese and puppet troops were located.
The shells came at me as if they were free of money, one wave after another, as if there was no end.
How could the Japanese and puppet troops have imagined that such a reversal would occur when the Eighth Route Army troops under the cliff were already surrounded by them?
The Japanese and puppet troops were even more caught off guard by the power of the Eighth Route Army's sudden artillery attack.
"Three rapid fires, three rounds of free artillery fire, covering the Japanese fortifications with firepower!"
On a hill one kilometer away, after receiving the target data from the forward artillery scouts in Captain Huang’s team.
Wang Chengzhu did not hesitate anymore. Seeing that the Japanese were about to use artillery, he immediately took the initiative and issued an order to fire 150 rounds quickly.
According to Wang Chengzhu's command, fifteen artillery pieces fired a salvo, and each artillery fire was about ten rounds in the fastest possible time, so that the total number of cannons could complete the task of rapid fire of one hundred and fifty rounds.
Among them, the Japanese's Type 92 infantry gun, under the skillful operation of the artillery soldiers, can fire one shot almost every six seconds, and can fire about ten rounds a minute.
The 75mm mountain cannon captured from the Japanese has a faster rate of fire, with a theoretical rate of fire of 20 rounds per minute.
Fifteen artillery pieces fired in unison, and a round of fifteen shells hit the Japanese and puppet troops' camp. A violent explosion was heard, echoing in the mountains and forests, frightening birds flying. The remaining power has not dissipated, and a new round of artillery shells was launched.
Fifteen shells were struck again.
At the bottom of the cliff, I looked at the Japanese and puppet troops who were about to use infantry artillery, but they were all drowned in the artillery fire.
Look at the shocking scene of collapse that almost bombarded the entire ground.
Not only local comrades and militia comrades, but even Company Commander Huang was secretly speechless.
As we all know, the artillery battalion is the first ace unit built by the regiment leader.
But no one has really seen what it would be like under a full-power artillery battalion attack.
Looking at the situation of the Japanese and puppet troops screaming and wailing not far away, Captain Huang and his soldiers even couldn't help but feel lucky. Fortunately, these shells did not fall on their heads.
The soldiers then developed a deep sense of pride.
This is the power of our artillery battalion, the first independent anti-Japanese detachment in northwestern Shanxi!
News came from the communications corps, almost shouting in the ears of Company Commander Huang: "Company Commander, the news from comrades from the artillery battalion is that these rounds of artillery are the only ones that can support us. The next step is up to us.
!"
Captain Huang laughed boldly and said: "This is the moment I have been waiting for."
"Signal Corps, pass the order, prepare the melee weapons for clearing the trenches in advance, submachine guns, shotguns, shell guns, and rifle grenade teams as the vanguard commando team!"
"As soon as the artillery fire stops, everyone launches a general attack!"