The next day, the Japanese 116th Regiment, which had been replaced overnight, launched an attack impatiently, hoping to get ahead of the 3rd and 39th Divisions and invade Yichang.
"Boom!"
The Japanese's 14th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment took the lead in launching an artillery strike. The roaring shells pierced the sky and slammed into the defenders' positions.
"Anti-gun, anti-gun!"
The harsh whistle of incoming artillery shells made the observation sentries on the Chinese garrison position lose all sleep. While blowing the air defense whistle, they roared loudly in warning.
Soon, along with the deafening roar, the shouts of the air defense sentries were drowned out by the explosion. The entire position was shaken, like a small boat in the turbulent sea, which could capsize at any time.
Artillery shells fell on the position one after another, and the position that was already a piece of scorched earth was turned over again, and there was spewing and splashing mud everywhere.
Many officers and soldiers who did not have time to hide in the air raid shelters were blown into the air and torn to pieces in mid-air.
The explosion swallowed up everything, and the air was filled with hot flames and choking smoke, as if the air was burning.
Thick gunpowder smoke poured into the air-raid shelter and flowed low. The officers and soldiers hiding inside were choked with tears and kept coughing.
Fortunately, the officers and soldiers of the 18th Division had received strict training, and the trenches they built were repaired according to standards. Otherwise, such a burst of artillery bombardment would have completely destroyed the position.
After the Japanese artillery bombardment, a large number of incendiary bombs followed, and soon the position was replaced by raging flames. Everything that could be ignited was burned. The scorching high temperature made the brothers want to find a hole to drill into.
Go underground.
The infantrymen of the Japanese 116th Regiment took advantage of the moment when the defenders' position was in a sea of flames to advance to the front. They set up their light and heavy machine guns and set up a formation.
"Kill Gai Gai!"
When the fire became smaller, following the roar of the Japs commander, the Japs infantrymen who had already approached the defenders' position quickly rushed forward like a tide.
"Da da da--"
The light and heavy machine guns deployed by the Japanese at the rear also opened fire to cover the infantry's charge. They vowed to capture the defenders' position in front of them in one fell swoop.
The gunshots of the Japanese finally woke up the brothers who were hiding in the air raid shelter and were almost buried in the mud thrown up by the Japanese artillery fire.
"The devils are coming, prepare to fight!"
Officers at all levels roared and blasted the confused brothers out of the air-raid shelter.
When the brothers grabbed their guns and walked out of the air-raid shelter, they were dumbfounded when they saw the completely changed position.
The trenches they had worked so hard to repair had now been razed to the ground, and looking through the smoke, they could see a large number of little Japanese swarming towards them.
"Look for the crater, quickly!"
Looking at the bombed trench, an officer reacted, grabbed his gun and jumped into the huge crater next to it.
The Japanese bullets flew over, and the brothers did not dare to stand there as torches. Some retreated into the air-raid shelter and tried to rely on the air-raid shelter to shoot, while some brothers jumped into the bomb crater and hurriedly pulled the bolt of the gun.
"Order the artillery to fire!"
The commander of the 54th Regiment, Pi Xuanyou, saw that the Japs had entered and pounced on them. He immediately gave an order in a cold voice, and the staff hurriedly called the artillery position behind them.
Soon the roaring artillery shells smashed into the Japanese attacking infantry. Although the Japanese held back the skirmishers, all the Japanese covered by the artillery fire were blown to ashes.
"Teng Teng Teng——"
As the artillery fired, the heavy machine guns on the position also roared, and the overwhelming bullets swept towards the Japanese.
"Puff!"
Those little Japanese who rushed through the area covered by artillery fire were immediately pierced by heavy machine gun bullets, blood spattered, and they fell to the ground before they even had time to scream.
The Japanese thought that the heavy artillery and incendiary bombs would kill the defenders' positions, but who knew there was still resistance.
"Charge up and kill them all!"
The Japs commander was also angry, roaring and commanding the subsequent attacking echelons to charge upwards.
The Japanese grenades and mortars were not idle either. They whizzed past the heads of the Japanese infantry who were surging forward, and smashed into the Chinese defenders' positions.
The officers and soldiers of the defenders fired with all their might, knocking the little Japanese who rushed up one by one to the ground.
"Boom! Boom!"
The Japanese's grenade grenades and mortar shells also fell one after another, causing many officers and soldiers to fly bloody and bloody, and the entire battlefield was shrouded in smoke.
Although the defenders' firepower was very strong, the Japanese's was not weak either. Both sides went back and forth, and the battle became intense from the beginning.
When the Japanese launched a large-scale offensive against the 54th Regiment's position, they also sent troops to launch a fierce attack on the nearby 53rd Regiment's position.
For a time, the entire defense line was filled with noisy artillery fire and heavy gunfire. The shirtless little Japs with grenades on their bodies rushed up desperately.
The Fengyong team formed by the defenders was not to be outdone and fought back. The two sides kept running into each other's crowd, and the blood mist filled the air.
The Japanese 13th Division is a Category A division of the Japanese and has strong combat effectiveness. Guarding the outskirts of Yichang are the troops of the 18th Division of the 18th Army, a direct line of the Chinese Central Army, and they also have high morale.
Both sides are elite troops. Now that they collide, the battle is destined to be fierce, because everyone is arrogant and neither one is willing to give in.
Taking advantage of artillery fire, the Japanese quickly broke through the defenders' positions in a small area, and then expanded in depth.
"Everyone, fix your bayonets and push the little devil down!"
Seeing the little Japs who had already rushed in, Peng Jisheng, the commander of the first battalion, jumped out of the trench with a ghost-head knife and launched a counterattack on his own initiative.
"kill!"
The officers and soldiers who fought bloody battles made the sound of roaring mountains and tsunami, jumped out of the trenches one by one, started to attack the Japanese, and soon strangled them together.
When the infantry of both sides were strangled together, the artillery of both sides continued to fire at each other not to be outdone. For a moment, the cannons roared, the shouts of killing shook the sky, and the entire battlefield was filled with blood.
"Tuanzuo, the first battalion is fighting with the Japanese!"
Seeing that Peng Jisheng's first battalion and the Japanese were already fighting together, someone hurriedly reported to the regiment leader Pi Xuanyou.
"Let the guard platoon flank the Japanese and support the first battalion!"
"yes!"
Soon, the guard platoon affiliated with the regiment also rushed into the smoke-filled battlefield and launched an attack on the Japanese flank.
"Reporting to the regiment, the third battalion's position has been breached twice, requesting reinforcements!"
Facing the urgent defense lines everywhere, regiment leader Pi Xuanyou has sent out all the troops he can, and now there are no troops available.
"Tell the third battalion commander! Even if you die, you will block the gap for me. If the position is lost, I will shoot him!"
"yes!"
"Report, the Japanese tank troops have broken through the 53rd Regiment's position, and Japanese tanks are rushing towards our flank."
"Fuck, everyone who can hold a gun follow me!"
Pi Xuanyou, commander of the 54th Regiment, knew that once their position collapsed again, the outer defense line would be destroyed, so he rushed out of the command post with his gun in hand.
Seeing the regiment leader Pi Xuanyou rushing out, the staff and guards also risked their lives and jumped into the battle with their guns in hand.