By this time, in a small highland attack by the Four Lines Regiment, an infantry squadron of the 62nd Infantry Regiment had suffered more than 50% battle losses!
In any battle, this is considered an extremely tragic failure.
But this is not the end.
Compared with the desperate squad that was just wandering around the edge of the artillery fire, the main force of the Japanese infantry squadron, which was about 150 meters away from the position, was already lying on the ground and was still praying for Amaterasu to appear and let the artillery fire.
You have to be more accurate and don't fall on them.
But obviously, the divine light of Amaterasu, which had been calling for a long time, did not take care of these poor little people.
Artillery in this era did not have laser guidance and did not have the ability to accurately target artillery shells to meters.
Of the 150 shells fired by the four mountain guns that had been shelling continuously for ten minutes, no less than 6 landed on the Japanese position more than 150 meters away. At least 20 people were blown up by our own shells.
The infantry squadron's casualty rate reached an astonishing 60%. If it had been on the Western battlefield, it would have collapsed two or three times.
Is the Japanese commander crazy? Li Jiujin, commander of the 7th company, had a dark cloud on his face after receiving a call from the sharp knife platoon to report!
This is certainly not the most terrifying bombardment this veteran has ever encountered. There are things ten times crazier than this. On the Songhu battlefield last year, the Japanese army used a 203-caliber naval gun. With that shot, even if they were hiding in the trenches,
Here, an infantry platoon was instantly wiped out. The fear of annihilation would have made the always optimistic Li Jiujin unable to hold on if he didn't want to go home and see his mother-in-law and her children.
However, this was definitely the first time he had seen the Japanese commander attack in the first battle, before both sides showed their final cards and before the decisive battle began, using this desperate gambling method of perishing together with the enemy.
Li Jijin's eyes narrowed!
It was this kind of madness that made him smell a hint of crisis!
First of all, those who dare to issue such military orders must have high official positions, otherwise they may not be able to withstand the criticism they receive after the war;
A small highland with no more than an infantry squad stationed there is actually under the personal command of a senior officer at least the rank of Shaozuo or above. This in itself explains some problems.
Secondly, what is hidden under this crazy military order is sophistication, because the Japanese army has an absolute advantage in military strength. If they exchange people, even if it is two for one or three for one, the defenders will definitely suffer in the end!
Because Tang Tuanzuo once said that in the eyes of Japanese aristocratic officers, there is no concept of loving soldiers as sons. Just like the famous so-called Japanese military god Nogi Nogi Nogi, but he used the lives of 60,000 Japanese troops to pave the way for himself.
A bloody staircase leading up to the blue clouds!
Moreover, when the Japanese troops were suppressed at the front of the position and could be beaten by the mortars hidden by the Four Lines Group at any time, the fate of these Japanese troops was already destined to be sacrificed. This unknown Japanese commander
The direct choice of "If you don't let me die well, then I won't let you live well either" is actually a seven-injury punch that is extremely vicious and can hurt others and yourself.
With this move alone, the opponent will be an extremely difficult opponent to deal with.
However, the ambition of this ruthless Japanese commander was too deep.
At this moment, he was still thinking about attacking the position. When he heard the report from his sharp knife platoon leader that the Japanese troops in front of the position were lying motionless, even though his own artillery shells lifted him high but still refused to retreat, a cold flash flashed in Li Jijin's eyes.
Terrible!
The Japanese take themselves too seriously. If they have mountain cannons, is that great? The Four Lines Regiment also has mountain cannons.
"I requested the Artillery Battalion Mountain Artillery Company to launch a retaliatory artillery attack on the Japanese troops from 300 meters to 1200 meters in front of our 209.1 Highland. Tell Deputy Battalion Commander Pang for me that the three drinks he owes me will be waived. He wants to stay with me."
I also agreed to the Li family's marriage to the baby, and I guarantee that the betrothal gift will be from his old Pang family!
In addition, I have sent my order to the company headquarters security squad to reinforce 209.1 Highland and ask them to bring an MG34 heavy machine gun fire team. The mortar squads of the other platoons will support me at all costs if they receive a request for fire support flares from 209.1 Highland.
, the artillery shells were all fired, I personally went to find the battalion commander, Director Zhuang, and the regiment for approval.
Damn it, since the little devils want to play the exchange game so much, let them do it! I, Li Jiujin, don’t believe in this evil today!” Li Jiujin threw down his helmet and ordered resolutely.
Li Jiujin, who was experienced in the battlefield, keenly sensed through the crazy shelling of Hengshan Ze that the Japanese army on the opposite side planned to use the 209.1 Highland as a breakthrough point and then form a point-breaking battle pattern, so he immediately dispatched his company with the strongest combat effectiveness.
The directly affiliated security squad can be considered as indirectly showing their strongest trump card.
There is an infantry squad of sharp knife platoon, a guard squad, a valuable MG34 heavy machine gun firepower group and a whole company of 9 60mm mortars for artillery support at no cost, and it is supported by relatively solid fortifications.
In addition, there are 12 Bofors from the mountain artillery battery that have never been used to support the fire barrier formed in the 500-meter area in front of the site.
Even if the Japanese army sent two infantry squadrons to attack, Li Jijin, the company commander, was not very guilty. He planned to turn this place into a flesh and blood mill, grinding the flesh of the Japanese army and bleeding the blood of the Japanese army.
Even after the war, no one criticized Li Jijin's tactical plan. This was Li Jijin's best tactic based on the current battlefield situation.
What's more, at that time, the highlands where his infantry company belonged were attacked by nearly 1,500 Japanese troops, up to one and a half infantry brigades, with a strength ratio of almost 5 to 1!
But everyone underestimated how crazy Yokoyama Sawa would be!
When Pang Panghai received Li Jijin's request for artillery support from beyond the regiment headquarters, he first laughed and cursed: "Old Li is a bitch, this is a blatant bribery of me." Then he immediately sent a message to the regiment headquarters and Tang Dao respectively for instructions.
Li Jijin was jealous, and the officers would not blame him. But if he fired without asking for instructions and exposed the strength of the regiment's artillery, not to mention that Director Ye, who was in charge of the regiment at this time, would take a note of him. I'm afraid the regiment would
No superior could spare him.
Normally, you can work in small circles and small hills in private, but in a war, the whole army is in a game of chess, and everything must follow actions and orders. As the deputy commander of the artillery battalion and the commander of the mountain artillery company, no matter how hard he wants to join the war, he can't.
Never because of personal relationships.
Of course, the reason why veteran Youzi dared to "bribe" so openly in the telegram was that he must have asked for instructions from his superiors. This "bribery" was just to hope that his old brother would quickly help him contact the regimental commander.
Report the emergency situation on the flanking high ground.
As for why he didn't directly ask Leng Feng for instructions and then contact the regiment headquarters, it was naturally because the war situation was urgent and there were fewer intermediate links. Leng Feng would definitely report it before the artillery support arrived!
With the strong comradeship between him and battalion commander Leng Feng, he believed that Leng Feng would understand!
This is Li Jiujin. If it were any other company commander, I am afraid he would not choose to bypass his two immediate superiors. That is an absolute taboo in the military!
This is the wisdom of battlefield survival belonging to veteran Youzi. It is a bit of a personal relationship, but it is definitely the best way to obtain the support of one's own large-caliber artillery fire in the shortest time.
At least it makes the arrival of artillery support five minutes earlier!
The battlefield situation changes rapidly. Let alone 5 minutes, even 50 seconds may change the battlefield situation.
"What kind of Japanese army would let Li Jijin take such a risk?" Ye Chenghuan was slightly stunned after receiving the call from the artillery battalion.
Although Li Jijin was usually a bit tired, but through his contact with Lao Li in the past few months, especially the battle that annihilated the second mixed brigade, Ye Chenghuan knew that Li Jijin had a tired appearance.
Underneath, he hides tenacity and wisdom that ordinary people do not have.
The nine infantry company commanders selected by Tang Tuanzuo all have their own personalities and characteristics, including the taciturn Zhao Daqiang, the young and energetic Qian Dazhu, and the bandit-like Cai Yongguan who is full of bravery...
Among the nine infantry company commanders, only the veteran Youzi was known throughout the regiment for his lazy temperament. But miraculously, no one among the regiment's school-level officers thought he was incompetent!
What is this? This is great wisdom, this is ability!
"Order eight mountain guns from the mountain artillery company to provide fire support to the front line, and the other four are on standby!" Ye Chenghuan gave the order without hesitation.
Although Ye Chenghuan is the director of the Political Department, his battlefield experience can even be traced back to 8 years ago. From a small soldier to a commander commanding thousands of soldiers, his rich combat experience is not even as good as that of Tang Dao.
Although the information reported by Li Jijin was not very clear, he was keenly aware of the Japanese army's expectations for a breakthrough on the high ground on the flanks.
If his guess is correct, in a few minutes, the rate of fire of the Japanese artillery fire will gradually decrease, and the Japanese army still lying on the forward position will charge to the high ground under the suppression of artillery fire.
Li Jijin requested a concentrated artillery bombardment against the Japanese troops in front of and behind the positions. It was very likely that the Japanese troops who were ready to move would be dealt a heavy blow!
The purpose of hiding the Bofors Mountain Cannon was to wait for the Japanese troops to concentrate enough and beat them with blood on their faces in one fell swoop!
This means that 12 150-weight mortars are placed on the main battlefield, and their range is only 3,000 meters, otherwise they will definitely look good to these little devils.
In the artillery cave, Tu Yunsheng, who had finished smoking two cigarettes leisurely, listened to the noise outside, dusted off the ashes on his head and shoulders, "Brothers, check the guns and prepare to enter the position."
"But, squad leader, the enemy's artillery fire hasn't stopped yet!" A new recruit who had just joined the army less than three months ago said in a worried voice.
Only those who have truly experienced shelling will understand that, let alone staying in a position with only trenches, even staying in a shell-proof hole with logs as a roof and logs as bones is very wobbly and frightening.
"You idiot! When the artillery stops, the Japs will be here too. You want to fight them with bayonets, right? The few of us now are not enough for the Japs to swallow us up." The young squad leader rolled his eyes and cursed.
The recruit was left speechless.
"Brothers, you have all made a note of it for me. As soon as the whistle blows, you will be on the battlefield for me. Remember, empty the bullets in the gun at the Japanese. No matter how accurate it is, you must hide from me. I only need to say run.
I will return to the bomb shelter immediately." The young sergeant squad leader threw the cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it out with his foot.
"Squad leader, I heard from the company commander that killing a Japanese soldier costs two oceans! You have to record it for me! This is how my son will get a wife." A veteran laughed cheekily.
"Brother Tao, your wife is still living in your mother-in-law's house! Why did you think about the baby in advance? Isn't it a bit too early?" A soldier in his early 20s heard this and made fun of him for being two years older.
A veteran who is actually still a bachelor at the age of 10 gets up.
"Rolling ball, when I was in my hometown, the fortune teller told me that I was destined to have a child. Why did I prepare in advance? Ma, don't be too busy laughing at me. I think we blocked it a while ago.
The pretty girl from my landlord’s house seems to like you, so you better worry about your bride price!” the veteran responded.
"Brother Tao, don't talk nonsense. Sister Yun is very thin-skinned. If word spreads, people will stop being human." The young soldier's originally dark face instantly turned red, and he hurriedly explained.
Seeing this, the soldiers who had lived in the landlord's house for more than ten days all smiled.
That was when the Four Troops first arrived in Dakouzidong. Because there were not enough field tents, many companies rented houses in fellow villagers and paid them rent.
Although they later had their own barracks, during holidays, the soldiers who had developed a deep relationship with their landlords would go to their landlords' homes to help with farm work. This was also advocated by the regiment headquarters.
The landlord's wife, Yun Nier, is eighteen years old this year. She is very young but is also extremely shy. The soldiers are basically older than her and they always treat her as their little sister. Moreover, the four-line regiment also has discipline, so you can fall in love and get married if you want.
You must have at least two years of military service and the rank of sergeant or above!
The young soldier with the surname Ma and nickname Ma'er is now a private, still two ranks short of a sergeant. This was made fun of by his comrades. He was busy explaining to the girl, but he didn't even think about defending himself. He didn't even try to hide it.
Already.
"Okay, don't talk nonsense. If you want the bonus, you have to save your life to get it first. Don't you know why Lao Zhou is gone?
You all should be smart, don't stay in one fighting position for too long, and save your lives. If my guess is correct, since the little devil commander doesn't take their lives seriously,
There will definitely be a next time." The young sergeant frowned and reminded the soldiers beside him.
As soon as I mentioned the machine gun shooter Lao Zhou who died due to a grenade, the shell-proof cave became quiet.
On the battlefield, no matter how careful you are, you may be able to dodge bullets, but when it comes to grenades and artillery shells, you can only leave it to fate.
"Don't worry, just don't get in trouble and follow me to finish this battle properly. I'll treat everyone to a mutton-boiled hotpot." Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit dull, the young sergeant grinned and tried to lighten the atmosphere.
At this moment, a sharp iron whistle sounded amidst the dull roar of artillery shells.
That was blown by Boss Cao, who took the initiative to stay in the frontline trenches, indicating that the Japanese infantry was really coming up.
"Let's go!" The young sergeant quickly picked up his gun and was the first to get out of the shell-proof hole and into the choking smoke.
Several soldiers behind him followed closely.
Soldiers in another artillery hole also entered the traffic trench at almost the same time.
Then, a shrill, bone-chilling howl came from the distance behind him.
Both Chinese soldiers and Japanese infantrymen instinctively looked up at the sky, their legs involuntarily trembling slightly.
Such intensive howling can only have one result, a swarm of artillery!
No matter how tenacious a soldier is, he can't help but tremble when faced with artillery shells that can blow a solid fortification into a piece of white ground.
Tu Yunsheng will be no exception!
"Avoid the artillery!" the young sergeant roared and jumped into the trench first. Holding the gun in both hands, he huddled up against the trench wall and tried his best to protect his most vulnerable chest and abdomen.
Perhaps this is the unified posture of all Chinese and Japanese soldiers on the battlefield. The only difference is that some are faster and some are slower. In addition, the Chinese soldiers have trench protection, but the Japanese do not!
Then, the earth trembled!
Balls of fire bloomed on the hillside!
Although some artillery shells also landed in an area less than 50 meters away from Boss Cao who was hiding in the observation post, making the old man's old face pale with fright, this basically frightened the Chinese soldiers on the position.
They concluded that this was the power of their own mountain cannon.
"My dear, our old company commander Li is so proud! He actually mobilized the artillery battalion and mountain artillery battery!" A minute later, the soldier surnamed Ma quietly poked his head out from the edge of the trench and took a look at the scenery below, the scorching heat wave
Let him quickly retreat into the trench and say with excitement.
However, no one responded to him this time. The only response was the stern look from the young sergeant.
The bombs that were still exploding like thunder were hundreds of meters away. All the soldiers' ears were buzzing. Who could hear what he said? Moreover, his unprotected prying eyes were blasted by artillery fire.
Air waves and shrapnel splashing across the battlefield would not be allowed under normal circumstances.
But, who doesn’t want to see the enemy’s corpses scattered across the field under our own artillery fire?
"Baga! Order the whole army to avoid the artillery quickly!" Hengshanze was quite smart. When he saw that the roaring artillery shells hundreds of meters away were blown up into a sea of fire, he had no time to consider the hundreds of infantrymen who were still on the position.
fate, but immediately thought of the 400 main force still staying 800 meters away.
The Chinese have hidden their mountain artillery group for so long. Once they open fire, they will never stop easily.
Yokoyamazawa's decision at least helped him save nearly a hundred Japanese troops, including himself.
The eight Bofors Mountain Cannons that were allowed to fire, with their ultra-long range of up to 9,300 meters and sufficiently accurate impact points, exploded more than 200 meters in front of the 209.1 Highland into a sea of fire, and then quickly extended outwards.
He vented for half an hour and fired more than 500 shells, allowing Yokoyama Sawa to see what it means to be ruthless!
Come on! Change! This hurricane of artillery fire, if you are not afraid of death, just charge forward!
An infantry squadron of the 1st Infantry Group of the 62nd Infantry Regiment, in the madness of the artillery fire from both sides, no more than 10% survived.
In addition, they also took away the lives of nearly a hundred Japanese soldiers including the 62nd Infantry Regiment Wing Headquarters, artillery squad, and heavy machine gun squad.
Covered in ashes and being protected by two Japanese guards, Yokoyama Sawa Ozuo's heart was filled with mud!
But the fierceness in his red eyes has not diminished at all!
