under fire

They heard the Type 94 mountain guns firing on the east bank.

The sound of cannons I've never heard before!
The gunboat was approaching the edge of the smoke, planning to attack the enemy artillery positions.

Li Xiang was terrified. He quickly shut off the gunboat's engine and then rapidly turned the rudder, causing the gunboat to quickly turn sideways.

"Lower anchor!"

"Thicken the front sandbags!"

He did not immediately order the gunboat to accelerate and evade to the west bank where the smoke was thicker.

Instead, the gunboat was turned sideways with its bow facing the east bank, and it continued to glide slowly southward using its momentum.

Li Xiang may not have been a particularly brilliant commander, but by turning the ship to face the enemy's artillery positions, he could reduce the area exposed to enemy fire.

Liu Yuanqing once casually mentioned the tactical essentials of mechanized infantry-tank coordinated attacks, specifically how infantry should follow behind tanks to launch attacks against the enemy.

The current situation is similar to the tactics of infantry-vehicle coordination.

The Japanese artillery observers on the east bank were indeed straining their ears, trying their best to pinpoint the exact location of the gunboat.

Upon hearing the sound of the gunboat engines in the river disappear, a look of astonishment crossed his face, followed by a cold laugh.

Did they think that shutting down the engine and remaining silent would allow them to escape the Imperial Army's artillery fire?

Would the invincible Imperial Army lose accurate artillery parameters because of this?
Squatting on the ground, constantly drawing diagrams and calculating speeds on the small plank, the experienced observation elites quickly determined the approximate speed based on the gunboat sounds they had heard earlier, and the gunboat's inertia as it moved upstream. They also quickly calculated the approximate location based on the river's current speed.

Soon, with a sinister grin, he reported the approximate location and orientation parameters of the target.

In his view, the next shell would definitely hit that damned gunboat!
嘣.
The shell was fired.

boom.
The shell exploded.

rumble
The clouds echoed continuously in the sky.

Unfortunately, this time, the shells still hit the west bank of the river.

No sound, characteristic of hitting a gunboat, was heard.

...

The mountain guns continued to fire rhythmically.

The two shells landed no more than ten meters apart on the west bank of the river.

Similar to machine gun fan-shaped sweeping fire!

However, no metallic clanging sound of shells hitting the gunboat was heard.

The ghost ship seemed to have vanished without a trace.

It's illogical to see an artillery observer kneeling on the riverbank, covered in sweat, holding binoculars!

The gunboat is about fifteen meters long; there's no way it could have avoided it!

He can't understand!
Based on the river's current speed, the gunboat will be swept out of the smoke by the river from the north...

The enemy obviously couldn't allow this situation to continue, so they only had two options: 1. Drop anchor! 2. Use manpower to row and keep the boat from being swept away!
The Type 94 mountain gun trembled rhythmically and repeatedly, shell after shell hurtling into the smoke to the west, with deafening explosions echoing through the sky.

Still no results!

The observational elite had a flash of inspiration and quickly dispatched a light machine gun team. They used the metallic echoes of the machine gun fire hitting the stern of the boat to confirm the enemy's position!
Clang... Clang...

The observer was moved to tears, for they had finally found their target!
Wan Baxi lay prone in the thick fog, while the explosion of artillery shells on the riverbank not far away was awe-inspiring.

The Japanese soldiers were strictly disciplined on the battlefield and resolutely carried out their missions.

Influenced by Hu Yi, the commander of the Ninth Battalion believed that the Japanese combat tactics were rigid.

Behind him, four mortars and twenty-four grenade launchers were lined up in a row.

Before the smoke rose, the target landmarks on the opposite bank had already been marked with the shelling parameters. Setting the firing parameters in advance can be considered a form of ambush.

He firmly believes that the parameters set in advance will not have a large error.

Therefore, he planned to fire four rounds of artillery shells and grenades to provide fire support to Block 12.

He once participated in such a "large-scale" artillery bombardment in the Nationalist Army.

As a commander, I constantly recall how previous commanders arranged every detail.

After four rounds of firing, a swift evacuation is required.

Otherwise, if the Japanese scattered grenade launchers and mortars blindly returned fire into our current position, the Ninth Battalion, with its small arms and legs, would be no match for the Japanese.

Four 90mm mortar shells slid into the gun barrel.

With a distinctive metallic screech as it struck the air, the shell hurtled toward the designated area number twelve.

The riverbank, stretching for more than two miles on the east side, was divided into twelve sections, each roughly 100 meters long and wide.

Four shells emerged from the smoke, flew into the air, and landed steadily in area twelve.

The Japanese soldiers, who were prying open the anchor pins, were somewhat bewildered by the whistling sound of artillery shells.

Boom boom boom boom
Then came a sky full of tiny black dots.
The ground where the artillery position was located trembled repeatedly.

The dust kicked up from the ground flew everywhere, then cascaded down like a waterfall of mud.

Amidst the deafening explosions and smoke, painful screams could be heard.

The medic on standby rushed into the smoke without hesitation. Before he even reached the artillery position, a black dot suddenly appeared in front of him. The shockwave from the grenade explosion sent him flying, and then a cloud of dust rose from the ground and enveloped him.

The explosion was imminent, shrapnel pierced into one cannon after another, and the dust filled the air, making it impossible to open one's eyes. All one could feel was the endless pain from the shrapnel cutting into one's body.

As one grenade after another rained down, the small artillery position quickly became a cloud of dust and smoke.

The explosions were rapid and frequent, then quickly disappeared!
A buzzing sound filled my ears, along with the groans and screams of the wounded soldiers who had miraculously survived.

As he watched helplessly as the artillery positions were shelled, Kujo Masao suddenly had a strange feeling.

This is not a sweep operation in a lawful or quasi-lawful area at all.

The Eighth Route Army really knew how to pick a spot, delaying the Imperial Army's precious time by a full two hours at this ferry crossing!
The elite Imperial Army always crushed the Eighth Route Army when they encountered them.

The warriors who swam across the river from both flanks and set up defenses on the riverbank have not yet launched an attack on the Eighth Route Army hiding in the smoke!
Fighting in the smoke is entirely a matter of luck; how could the elite Imperial Army possibly risk their lives against rats?

It's like a dog biting the Imperial Army; the Imperial Army can't possibly bite the dog back, can it?

These local guerrillas must all be killed like dogs.

The Imperial Army's artillery was being bombarded by the Eighth Route Army's artillery fire.

He is angry!

very angry!

A top student from the Imperial Army Academy, he has never been defeated since entering this land!
Although his main job was to clear out resistance fighters in the occupied territories.

This time, we're facing those mad dogs hiding in the smoke.

Even after the smoke clears, we will grind them to dust!

But even after racking my brains, I can't think of any better solution for the time being.
"Your Excellency... the Eighth Route Army is using the terrain to their advantage in an ambush!" the assistant whispered, reminding him, "Their objective is to tie down the Imperial army here..."

"Yes!" Kujo muttered, almost ruining everything because of his anger.

An unfortunate ambush.

That hateful canal.

A messenger suddenly reported that the vanguard of the large contingent following behind was about to arrive.

"We can't waste any more time!" He weakly raised his hand, signaling his assistant to quickly stop the machine gun and mortar teams from continuing to fire into the smoke.

He planned to have the convoy loaded with supplies and detour through the Imperial Army security zone downstream, where there was a bridge.

The infantrymen found suitable positions nearby and swam across the river!

Although it may take more time.

But at least it guarantees that it can complete the mission of supporting the Autonomous Alliance Army.

They had no desire to rejoin the large influx of troops that was about to arrive.

They had no interest in having those useless puppet troops in the pillboxes assist in the river-crossing battle.

They had no interest in calling in the air force.

He considers himself the elite of the elite, and any of his actions would only be ridiculed by his colleagues.

Imperial warriors who have crossed the river and set up positions outside the smoke to cooperate with the Northern Special Police in combat.

They were ordered to abandon their attack on the Eighth Route Army soldiers who were desperately trying to hold them back in the smoke, and instead advance westward as the vanguard.

As for the remains of the Imperial Army warriors who died on the west bank of the river, the troops that followed will handle them.

Those Eighth Route Army soldiers hiding in the smoke will be wiped out by the main force that follows!

The Eighth Route Army's idea of ​​using the canal to slow down the Imperial Army's advance? Dream on!

The smoke on the bombed east coast seemed to have thinned out.

Following Kujo Masao's order, the Japanese soldiers on the east coast began to assemble.

Practical experience… Kujo Masao seems to lack some. (End of Chapter)