The Japanese have seen this style of play before and know that the Eighth Route Army wants to dig an offensive position outside the coal mine and use the offensive position as.asxs. to attack the coal mine and shorten the attack distance.
The Japanese army would not wait foolishly for their opponents to repair their offensive positions. Within a minute, the dull sound of artillery could be heard from the coal mine.
Eight mortar shells hit the middle of the attacking troops. Several soldiers were blown over with splashes of fire, and the mounds of dirt in front of them were also flattened in the explosion.
The soldier hiding behind was immediately exposed.
The Japs in the artillery tower kept a close eye on the battlefield, and when they saw a figure emerging, they would shoot at them...
"Our artillery will counterattack immediately and kill the Japanese artillery troops." Li Hao ordered while staring at the battlefield.
Half a minute later, all the mortars equipped by the Hunyuan Independent Battalion fired.
Their numerical advantage allowed them to destroy half of the Japanese mortars in one attack. The remaining mortars did not dare to be carried hard, so they could only roam around in the coal mine, firing out a few shells from time to time to threaten and harass the attacking troops.
At the Japanese garrison headquarters, the major commander was awakened as soon as the gunfire rang out.
As soon as we walked into the command room, the messenger followed us in: "Sir, the enemy's offensive is very fierce, and they are equipped with more mortars than us."
"The artillery team was suddenly attacked by enemy artillery fire just now, and more than half of it was lost. It can no longer continue to support the infantry operations."
The major didn't expect that the Eighth Route Army attacking the coal mine was so strong. It took him a moment to react and quickly gave orders.
"Go back and tell your captain that the artillery is temporarily withdrawing from the battle and on standby."
"Since we are no match for the enemy, the few remaining artillery pieces must be reserved for critical moments."
After saying that, he waved his hand to signal the messenger to leave.
Then he looked at the captain of the mine protection team who arrived first and asked: "Kimura-kun, have you figured out how many Eighth Route Army soldiers are attacking us? Can we withstand their attack? Do we need to ask Datong City for tactical guidance?
"
Before retiring, Nakamura was an infantry battalion captain with the rank of major, and had rich command experience.
Because most of the mine protection team is composed of retired veterans and samurai, in order to suppress this group of unruly team members, the Japanese invited retired officers like Nakamura back to use their remaining energy.
They have indeed lived up to their high expectations. The mine protection team, composed of a group of retired veterans and samurai, has been trained to become an elite whose combat effectiveness is no less than that of the regular army. The only problem is that there are too few heavy weapons.
Seeing that the major asked him for advice in a tone that was not condescending because he was an active-duty officer, Kimura was very satisfied with his attitude and thought about his answer.
"Judging from the sound of gunfire: the opponent's force is a reinforced battalion equipped with a squadron of mortars."
"But now the battle has just begun, and I don't know if they are hiding their strength."
"Now the enemy is digging trenches and building offensive positions outside the coal mine."
"Judging from this posture, they should want to take over the coal mine tonight."
"Boom..." Two explosions more violent than mortar shells were heard in the command room.
Kimura's face was obviously more solemn than before. He looked at the major and continued his analysis: "It's a mountain cannon. The enemy who attacked us is equipped with a mountain cannon."
"If they have enough ammunition and give them enough time, they will name the gun towers and bunkers around the coal mine one by one."
"I still underestimated the opponent's determination. They not only wanted to capture the coal mine, but also wanted to end the battle quickly."
The Major was also frightened by the sudden sound of artillery, and nodded in agreement: "Kimura-kun, you are right, the enemy must have thought that I had too few troops stationed here, so he planned to use mountain artillery to quickly end the battle."
"But they also underestimated the combat effectiveness of the imperial army and the mine protection team."
"Without the turrets, we still have a bunker. After the bunker is destroyed, we still have hidden firepower points."
"Even if there are no hundreds of imperial troops and mine protection teams, we can still use the favorable terrain to hold them back, slow down their attack speed, and hold on until the reinforcements come over."
"Kimura-kun, the mine protection team is our main force in defending the coal mine, and you have more combat experience than I do. I hope you can command all the troops in the mine to stay on the front line and wait for reinforcements."
"I will send a telegram to Datong City now to ask for support."
On the battlefield, a turret or bunker was destroyed by mountain artillery every ten minutes or so.
The attacking troops took advantage of the situation and occupied the gun towers and bunkers that had been blown to rubble.
The Japs are not vegetarians either, and they are particularly desperate in fighting.
As long as they can still move, they are all hidden in the ruins. Some are holding rifles, while others are holding grenades, waiting for the Eighth Route Army to rush nearby and fight for their lives...
As the enemy and we fought fiercely around the coal mine, the Japanese headquarters in Datong gradually became lively.
The brigade commander had a bad temper. When he walked in, he stared at the chief of staff and asked: "Do you have the latest news about Dongshan Coal Mine?"
"Hi!" the chief of staff replied quickly.
"The communication between the headquarters and Dongshan Coal Mine has not been interrupted."
"The coal mine garrison reported: The enemy attacking them has a reinforced battalion. It is initially judged that it is the Eighth Route Army operating in Datong, equipped with a large number of mortars and mountain artillery."
"Now the enemy is using mountain artillery to name the gun towers and bunkers around the coal mine. The coal mine garrison has suffered heavy casualties, especially the artillery. They lost more than half of them as soon as the war started. They have now withdrawn from the battle."
"The biggest problem now is that they have no countermeasures against the enemy's artillery attacks and can only be passively bombed."
The brigade commander's face was very ugly. He suppressed the rising anger in his heart, clenched his fists and snorted an analysis: "The enemy is well prepared and wants to destroy this coal mine quickly."
"But they overestimate themselves and underestimate us."
"The coal mine is so close to Datong. If we allow them to capture the coal mine under our noses, the Datong garrison will be embarrassed to see anyone."
After saying this, the brigade commander looked at the chief of staff and asked: "Which unit is closest to the east gate?"
How many troops are there in Datong City, where they are stationed, and what their equipment is like... these things have long been reflected in the mind of the chief of staff.
After listening to the brigade commander's question, the chief of staff felt as if a movie was playing in his mind, and the situation of the garrison in the east of the city instantly appeared in front of his eyes.
Without any hesitation, he met the brigade commander's gaze and blurted out: "Third Infantry Brigade, Third Mountain Artillery Squadron."
The brigade commander responded quickly and immediately ordered: "The third brigade leaves an infantry squadron, and the others are all ready to send troops."
"The third squadron of mountain artillery is dispatched together."
"The Automobile Squadron dispatched all its vehicles to the headquarters of the Third Battalion and the Mountain Artillery Squadron, and sent the reinforcements to the battlefield as quickly as possible."
Three kilometers from Dongshan Coal Mine to Datong City is the plain.
In order to prevent the Eighth Route Army from using the sorghum and corn fields next to the highway to sneak attack the Imperial Army and engage in guerrilla warfare, the Japanese specifically stipulated that the land within 500 meters on both sides of the highway could not grow food.
Over the past two years, these fertile fields have been covered by half-meter-high grass and shrubs.
The third battalion of the garrison, the troops brought by Wang Xin from Yixian, the reinforcements of the Huaiyuan Independent Regiment, and the reinforcements of the Laishui Independent Regiment, a total of more than 3,000 people were ambushed here, covered with thatch, lying motionless on the ground.
The light and heavy machine guns and mortars were all covered tightly with thatch.
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