The more than 500 remaining Japanese and puppet troops were all divided up by mountain artillery squadrons, mortar squadrons, and heavy machine gun squadrons, and they were given equipment and ammunition to carry, freeing up more Japanese soldiers to serve as gunners and machine gunners.
As a result, there were only more than 1,500 Japanese soldiers left in the entire offensive force, and there was not a single puppet soldier left.
Three minutes after the commander of the regiment gave the order, more than forty Japanese soldiers rushed out of the team one after another, formed a skirmish line while running, and quickly rushed towards the checkpoint with guns in hand.
In their eyes, the Eighth Route Army must have been scared away by the gas bombs, and the attack was just a show.
The battle situation seemed to be exactly as they predicted.
Everyone rushed all the way to the front of the level fifty meters without being attacked.
More than forty Japanese troops ran faster and faster, all trying to be the first to rush to the "empty" level and win the first victory in occupying the level.
"Da da da... bah bah..."
The piercing sound of gunfire broke the tranquility of the battlefield. Before the dozen or so fastest runners could react, their chests had already been drilled with several bloody holes by the bullets flying towards them.
The Japs behind were confused and quickly lay down, trying to avoid the hail of bullets flying towards them.
But the bullets flying towards us were too dense, and a large part of them were powerful heavy machine gun bullets.
The penetrating ability is extremely strong. After killing the soldiers in front, its power will not be reduced. It will continue to fly forward along the original flight path and shoot the soldiers behind...
By the time all the living Japanese soldiers lay down, at least twenty corpses had fallen in front of the level...
The gunfire did not stop, and the battle did not end when the Japanese fell down.
The terrain here is too unfavorable for them.
Both sides of the checkpoint were either high ground or cliffs, with light and heavy machine guns mounted on them and shooting at them from a high position. The Japanese soldiers lying on the ground were like living targets, and were called out one by one by the checkpoint garrison.
More than forty Japanese troops participated in the attack, but none came back. They all died outside the checkpoint.
"Captain, it's surprising that the Eighth Route Army in the checkpoint didn't run away. Aren't they afraid of being killed by our gas bombs?" After the chief of staff witnessed the murder of his subordinates, his face was full of shock and confusion, and he was dumbfounded.
shouted.
The commander of the regiment held the command knife tightly and ordered with a murderous look on his face: "Since these Eighth Route Army soldiers want to die, then I will help them."
"Murata-kun, immediately fire thirty poison gas bombs at the checkpoint and wipe out all the Eighth Route Army above."
"Hi!" the major commanding the poison gas unit shouted.
One minute later, a group of four poison gas bombs began to hit the level. After another two minutes, the level was enveloped in poison gas.
The commander of the regiment drew out his command knife and slashed forward, commanding: "The first squadron of the second brigade put on gas masks and rushed forward. No one of the Eighth Route Army in the checkpoint was spared. Kill them all."
More than a hundred Japanese soldiers, wearing gas masks like pig noses and holding guns, swaggered towards the checkpoint.
The movement was clumsy, but because there was no blockage, the attack speed was very fast, and he rushed outside the level in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this, the captain couldn't help but smile. He put the command knife back into its sheath and ordered very confidently: "The others will assemble immediately. After the checkpoint is taken, we will continue to move forward."
Five minutes later, a second lieutenant came back from the attacking force and stood in front of the commander, breathing heavily and with a very complicated expression.
"Sir, we have captured the front checkpoint, but there is not a single Eighth Route Army soldier on it!"
"Nothing was found except bullet casings."
"idiot!"
The captain felt that he had been fooled and was so angry that he cursed.
He drew out his command knife again and struck a pine tree next to him with fury. The tree trunk, which was as thick as his wrist, was instantly cut into two pieces.
"Sir, calm down!" the chief of staff quickly consoled him.
"The Eighth Route Army above must have retreated when we fired the poison gas bombs. Although they were not killed, their retreat also proved that the poison gas bombs were effective against them."
"Ahead is the arsenal of the garrison we are looking for. As long as we get there, they will have no way to hide and they will be killed sooner or later."
The commander's face looked much better. He put the command knife back into its sheath and ordered: "The troops continue to move forward."
"We must find the garrison arsenal before dark and destroy it."
At the second checkpoint ten kilometers away, the commander of the Eighth Company immediately found Li Hao after retreating here and reported: "Captain, we killed more than forty little Japs at the first checkpoint. Three of us died and we were injured."
Five."
"The Japanese were too cautious. As soon as the probing troops were killed, they gave up their regular attacks and fired poison gas bombs at the checkpoints."
"I followed the order and led the team to evacuate the position as soon as possible without letting the Japanese discover that we were also equipped with gas masks."
Li Hao answered with satisfaction: "It's good that we didn't notice it. When the Japanese attack us later, we will definitely be able to use these gas masks to catch them off guard."
The Eighth Company Commander was not satisfied with the first level and immediately asked for a battle: "What is the mission of our Eighth Company?"
"Don't worry, commander. Although the troops have traveled two hours, the morale of the comrades is very high."
"As long as we rest for half an hour, we will be able to fully recover our combat effectiveness, and then the Japanese will come and kill us."
Li Hao nodded and replied: "Don't worry, I won't miss you!"
After taking him to the commanding heights of the level, he pointed to a high ground in the northeast and ordered: "Take your people and lurk on that high ground and have a good rest."
"After the Japanese and puppet troops come over, you don't have to participate in the battle at the beginning. When the troops start to counterattack, you will see three red flares, and then you will kill the little Japanese at all costs and fight them decisively."
With the gas mask in hand, the eighth company commander's fear of Japanese soldiers and gas bombs had been wiped away, and he responded with confidence: "Don't worry, captain, we will definitely complete the mission."
Half an hour later, the Japanese and puppet army forwards entered Li Hao's field of vision.
"Captain, the Japs forward stopped moving when they reached the front of the checkpoint. What are they waiting for?" Hong Linfeng asked, looking at the more than a hundred Japs parked in front of the checkpoint.
"Wait for the gas bomb!" Li Hao replied with a stern face.
"They lost more than 40 people in the first level. Now that they have gained experience, no matter whether we have deployed troops at the level or not, we will bombard them with poison gas bombs when they come up and win the level at the minimum cost."
As soon as Li Hao finished speaking, the main force of the Japs appeared.
Dozens of gunners rushed out of the team carrying mortars and shells.
Find a relatively flat piece of ground and start setting up your guns...
Li Hao knew that his judgment was correct and immediately ordered: "Leave a platoon of the Ninth Company to hide in several permanent firepower points and put on gas masks. Unless the little Japs break into the checkpoint, they must not be exposed."
"Others evacuated the level, and the artillery deployed an artillery position 500 meters behind the level. All artillery was aimed at the area between 20 meters and 50 meters in front of the level."
Hong Linfeng understood Li Hao's thoughts as soon as he heard it, and quickly went to arrange it.
As soon as Li Hao and the rest of the Ninth Company evacuated their position, four poison gas bombs fell from the sky and hit behind them.
Four thick plumes of smoke emerged from the shells and quickly filled the surrounding area.
The more than a hundred Japanese vanguards parked in front of the checkpoint also moved.
Wearing gas masks and holding guns, they formed a line of skirmishers and quickly approached the level.
The first update is delivered today! Please subscribe! Please vote monthly! Please collect!