Various units of the First Corps have been fighting on the Wanjialing battlefield for nearly a week, and the consumption of supplies and ammunition is astronomical.
If you pick up a handful of soil on the battlefield, you will find several bullet casings, and of course rotting flesh and bones mixed into the soil.
Although the 106th Division is not an elite division of the Japanese, its combat effectiveness is still frighteningly powerful compared to that of the Chinese Army.
Even the Japs' supplementary soldiers have undergone strict military training. The bullets consumed by each of them during training may not be that many Chinese officers and soldiers until they are killed in battle.
Compared with the well-trained Japanese soldiers, the training of the officers and soldiers of the Chinese *** team is insignificant. Most of them just put down their hoes from the fields, put on their military uniforms and become soldiers.
The war was so intense that there was no time to train. Most of them were directly dragged to the battlefield and joined the battle directly. Besides, there was a shortage of bullets on the front lines. Bullets were very expensive, let alone taking out bullets for recruits to waste.
Of course, it's not that Chinese officials don't care about the training of officers and soldiers. First, the country is poor and weak and cannot afford to purchase a large amount of bullets for them to train. Second, since the war began, wars have been fought almost every day.
Countless officers and soldiers were killed on the front line every day. Facing the aggressive Japanese troops, there was no time to train new recruits. They had to fight first, otherwise the country would be destroyed.
It is precisely because of many reasons that many new recruits who were added to the army were killed before they even touched a gun or fired a bullet. This was also the main reason for the high casualties.
Fortunately, there are thousands of hot-blooded men in China. Although their weapons and equipment are backward, they still use their flesh and blood to make the little devils pay a heavy price.
This time, nearly seven fresh troops and more than 100,000 troops surrounded the Japanese 106th Division in Wanjialing. They were about to be completely annihilated.
For this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to annihilate the enemy, the Ninth War Zone also emptied its wealth and mobilized artillery, grenades, and bullets of all calibers and sent them to the frontline participating troops.
"If you don't succeed this time, you will be punished. If you don't win this battle and cannot deter the Japanese, our First Corps will not have a single bullet to stop the Japanese's next attack..."
General Xue Yue, commander of the First Corps, said this at the mobilization meeting before the war.
The Chinese army's supplies and ammunition are scarce, often only enough for one battle. This is why after a battle, regardless of victory or defeat, they have to evacuate the battlefield quickly because they are out of ammunition.
"Each officer and soldier is issued fifty rounds of bullets, five grenades, and each light machine gun is issued one thousand rounds of bullets. Victory or failure must be achieved before the bullets run out..."
Yang Ling and the others also received the last batch of ammunition from the division quartermaster, and this batch of ammunition will be the last ammunition they can receive in this battle.
Ammunition is being distributed to each company and squad, and the staff officers and orderly soldiers from the regiment are also coming in and out, busy packing things.
This general attack will be a desperate battle, and if it wins, it will achieve an unprecedented victory.
If it fails, the Chinese team that has run out of ammunition will be chased and fiercely attacked by several elite Japanese divisions on the periphery, and they will be defeated thousands of miles away like before.
Precisely because this is a gambling-style attack, the division headquarters and brigade headquarters have moved forward and are commanding from the front.
In a regiment-level headquarters like Yang Ling's, all the handymen who can hold a gun will be incorporated into combat companies to participate in the attack. Therefore, the regiment headquarters also temporarily stopped operations, and the regiment headquarters personnel were mixed and transferred to the battalion and company level to directly participate in the battle.
"At present, each company and platoon of our regiment has suffered heavy losses in the early battles. Some platoons even have only one squad left. In order not to affect the general offensive operation, except for the death squads, the companies and platoons with greater losses have temporarily
Mixed and unified action..."
Yang Ling and the others were a strengthened group with nearly 3,000 people, but they fought head-on with the Japs in Changling for a week and suffered heavy losses.
For example, Chen Ming's Second Battalion has less than half of its nearly 1,000 officers and soldiers left. Although the numbers of each company and platoon are still there, there is a serious shortage of soldiers.
In order to enhance combat effectiveness and facilitate command, Yang Ling deliberately gathered the officers and soldiers in the regiment who could still fight before the general attack and reorganized them into mixed groups.
Regarding Yang Ling's decision, neither the staff officers in the regiment nor the battalion and company commanders had any objections. After all, although the mixed formation seemed to have reduced the establishment, the combat effectiveness was actually enhanced.
"Shunzi, until the official appointment is made, you will act as the commander of the first battalion."
Yang Ling looked at Shunzi, the deputy battalion commander of the first battalion who was sitting silently on the ammunition, cleaning his pistol, and ordered.
Lu Xing killed a Japanese regiment captain and transferred him to the 306th regiment as deputy commander, so the battalion commander became vacant.
"Yes!" Shunzi stood up quickly and saluted, officially taking office.
Shunzi has worked hard all the way from the leader of the reconnaissance platoon until now. He has fought bloody battles with Japanese soldiers several times, relying on his real abilities, so he acted as the commander of the first battalion and everyone was convinced.
Yang Ling continued: "I will split the special agent company, heavy machine gun company and grenade company directly under the regiment into your battalion, and mix them with the remaining brothers in your battalion to form two reinforced companies."
In this way, although the battalion has changed from three companies to two, these two companies have been strengthened. Not only do they have two more heavy machine guns, but there are also several grenades, and the firepower will be huge.
Enhance.
"The same goes for the second battalion commander. A platoon of regimental service personnel and a special agent company will be added to your battalion. You will be mixed into two reinforced companies. I will transfer five more light machine guns to you."
"The brothers who can still fight in the third battalion and the rest of the regiment were mixed into three reinforced companies..."
Yang Ling split the special agent company, heavy machine gun company and grenade company directly under the regiment and added them to the battalion to enhance their strength and facilitate command.
After Yang Ling's temporary mixing, the entire regiment no longer had any direct troops. The officers and soldiers who could still fight in the regiment's original twelve companies and some of the orderly soldiers at the regiment headquarters were directly mixed into seven strengthened combat companies.
In addition, nearly 400 elite men drawn from each company and platoon will form a separate death squad, led by the third battalion commander Liu Yidao, and cooperate with the death squads from friendly regiments to attack the Japanese core positions and be responsible for offensive and defensive breakthroughs.
Yang Ling and his regiment now have only seven strengthened combat companies left. Acting First Battalion Commander Shunzi commands two, Second Battalion Commander Chen Ming commands two, and Yang Ling himself commands three.
"Does anyone have any questions?"
After Yang Ling announced the mixed plan, he asked the battalion and company commanders who gathered in a circle.
"No." Everyone answered in unison.
"Then go down and get ready." Yang Ling didn't say too much nonsense and asked them to quickly get familiar with the army.
After all the battalion and company commanders turned around and left, Yang Ling went to mobilize the suicide squad members without stopping.
Yang Ling walked into the rear trench where the death squads had gathered. There was silence in the trench, and the ragged brothers were leaning against the trench wall, some sharpening their knives and some cleaning their guns.
These suicide squads were all elites drawn from each company and platoon. Although they were 80% sure of encircling and annihilating the Matsuura Division this time, as the suicide squads who charged forward, they still faced huge dangers.
"Team seats!"
"Group seat..."
Seeing Yang Ling coming, the officers and soldiers of the death squad all stood up and saluted Yang Ling, the old officer.
"Sit down, everyone, sit down."
As Yang Ling walked forward, he patted his brothers on the shoulders, seriously trying to remember their smoke-blackened faces.