under fire

After putting on the gas mask, Battalion Commander Li's voice immediately became muffled: "Thank you."

I followed behind Xiao Hongying, walking quickly through the smoke, occasionally spotting figures wearing gas masks and running hurriedly like myself.

Unable to see the other person's face, Battalion Commander Li always felt awkward, and his hand on the pistol at his waist would tighten and loosen from time to time.

Based on my intuition, we should be getting close to the riverbank now.

A courier wearing a gas mask appeared through the lingering smoke: "Reporting to Platoon Leader Wan, this is a map drawn by the battalion commander showing the enemy's light and heavy machine gun and artillery positions, as well as the approximate location of the Japanese crossing the river."

Wearing a gas mask as well, Wan Baxi took it, looked at it in the dim light of the smoke, and quickly made markings on the homemade grid paper spread out on the ammunition box in front of him.

Xiao Hongying stopped and came to Wan Baxi's side. Li Ying also stopped and stood on the other side of Wan Baxi.

Wan Baxi drew two lines on a self-made grid graph paper, then drew circles on the outside, marking different numbers outside the different circles.

Soon, a muffled voice came from inside the gas mask: "Proceed according to plan. After one round, retreat westward."

Judging from what he was saying, it seemed to be the artillery platoon's last shot before they fled at night.

The squad leaders, scattered across the nearby positions, immediately began shouting upon receiving the firing parameters.

The soldiers crouching behind the two mortars quickly raised their hands to adjust the mortar's elevation mechanism, while the ammunition handlers hurriedly took out the few remaining mortar shells from the boxes.

The target is very close, so no additional medication is needed.

The scattered grenade launcher positions were filled with soldiers who held grenade launchers and shook them, mentally imagining the landing point of the grenades.

There was an underlying sense of order and composure amidst the tension.

Battalion Commander Li's expression was obscured by his gas mask.

Watching the soldiers operating the mortars, he couldn't suppress his envy and forgot to urge Xiao Hongying to take him to Battalion Commander Hu.

After whispering a few words to the girl who hadn't left either, Wan seemed to realize that the person standing on his other side was Battalion Commander Li from a brother unit.

He shook hands through his gas mask as a greeting, then smugly shouted to the soldiers beside him, "Order: all units prepare to fire according to the firing parameters."

Battalion Commander Li shook his head.
There were only two mortars and a dozen or so grenade launchers, and each unit was showing off its lights.

The main force's equipment used to be even better than this.
After muttering to himself for a while, he thought about the heavy responsibility he bore.
He quickly stepped forward, grabbed the arm of the girl who was chatting and laughing with Wan Baxi next to the mortar, and together they went through the smoke and fog to find Battalion Commander Hu.

The edge of the smoke to the north.

Hu Yi, who was lying on the river embankment, was observing the situation of the Japanese and puppet troops on the east bank of the river through binoculars.

On the canal surface, about 300 meters from the edge of the smoke,
A large group of Japanese soldiers were splashing around in the water, slowly pushing a wooden cart loaded with neatly stacked guns, ammunition, and equipment westward.

Further north on the eastern river embankment, a group of puppet troops also appeared to be preparing to cross the river.

Behind the Japanese soldiers crossing the river, the light and heavy machine guns on the bank, as well as the dense array of rifles, some crouching and some lying down, were all pointing towards the west bank. With such dense fire support, the Japanese soldiers who were swimming across the river in armed formation were not too worried.

The observer lying next to Hu Yi muttered in a low voice, "The Japanese light and heavy machine guns and infantry positions are arranged in a line. If we attack the Japanese infantry swimming across now, we will immediately be met with enemy light and heavy machine gun and artillery fire."

Hu Yi turned around when he heard footsteps and saw Xiao Hongying leading a man who looked like a soldier from a brother unit crouching down as they approached.

When Battalion Commander Li saw Hu Yi turn around, he quickly pulled off his gas mask and greeted Hu Yi, "Battalion Commander Hu, cough."

He darted over to Hu Yi in a few strides, coughing as he leaned over the riverbank to peer and observe the situation.

After quickly and quietly explaining his intentions to Hu Yi, he asked, "The Japanese are powerful. If we attack those Japanese soldiers crossing the river, we will definitely be met with fierce attacks from the enemy on the other side, both light and heavy."

Hu Yi looked at the river and his tone turned sinister: "The Japanese in the river are indeed difficult to fight. It will soon be dark, and the Japanese infantry that are about to cross the river are not carrying heavy machine guns. After they get ashore, they will definitely set up light machine gun and infantry positions on the riverbank first. As long as we take advantage of the darkness to entangle with the vanguard of the Japanese, the main force of the Japanese on the east bank and their light and heavy firepower will be useless."

Getting mixed up with the enemy? Li Ying was taken aback: "When I came over just now, I saw that Platoon Leader Wan and the others seemed to be preparing to attack the Japanese strongpoints?"

Hu Yi shook his head: "Our firepower is insufficient, so we won't be of much use."

Li Ying thought for a moment and said, "Um, can you estimate how many casualties we might suffer if we get tangled up with the enemy?"

Hu Yi understood the implication in Battalion Commander Li's words: he wanted to lead the county brigade to get involved with the enemy.
Hu Yi shook his head and reminded him: "Although there is only one small Japanese unit crossing the river from the north side of the ferry, how many troops do you think are needed to completely wipe out this small Japanese unit?"

"Uh," Battalion Commander Li thought for a moment, "One company might not be enough, but two companies should be fine, right?"

"Even if they succeed, what if the Japanese cross the river at a more distant location later? Wouldn't we have to send in another company?"

"I'd trade three lives for one of those Japanese devils' lives, I can afford it!"

"What if the Japanese send their puppet troops to lead the attack?"

As the two were talking, further away, a large group of puppet troops were taking off their uniforms on the opposite bank. It seemed that the Japanese commander did not intend to let the puppet troops get away with it.

The Japanese major looked at the smoke on the opposite bank, his expression slowly becoming calm.

Without boats, the warriors crossing the river could not carry heavy mortars and machine guns across.

The wooden frames that were temporarily used as ferry crossings carried quite a few grenade launchers.

The fastest swimmer has already reached the shore with his rifle.

Soon, more warriors began to come ashore.

On the riverbank, the warriors, wearing only loincloths, wielded entrenching tools and quickly established makeshift positions in the direction of the smoke.

Unexpectedly, the Eighth Route Army on the other side of the river did not launch an attack until this point.

Not a single shot was fired. Not even a sniper.

The major couldn't help but suspect that the Eighth Route Army had secretly left the smoke on the west bank and fled.

He was a veteran of many battles and rose to the rank of major, possessing extensive combat experience.

Since arriving here, the observation posts have not detected any signs of the Eighth Route Army leaving, meaning that the Eighth Route Army is still hiding in the smoke.

Since that's the case, let the Eighth Route Army face the wrath of the Imperial Army.

Looking up at the sky, did the Eighth Route Army really think the Imperial Army was not good at night fighting?
If the light and heavy machine guns and rifles on the east bank were to unleash their full firepower, it would be more than enough to cover the entire smoke area.

He immediately ordered his men to signal with flags, instructing the squad leaders who had crossed the river from the north and south sides of the smoke to each send out a three-person reconnaissance team to approach and scout the smoke to the south.

At the same time, he ordered the puppet troops who had crossed the river from a greater distance to bypass the positions recently established by the vanguard of the Imperial Army and launch a flanking attack from the open ground on the west side of the river.

Although the puppet army was not very strong, its presence in the west could at least distract the Eighth Route Army when they were fleeing under the full force of the Imperial Army's attack.

As the sun set, the sky gradually darkened.

The thin mist on the canal surface seemed to have thickened.

The second batch of Imperial Army soldiers who crossed the river began loading equipment onto rafts made from wooden cart frames that had just been pulled back to the east bank with ropes.

The three-person team moved very quickly, reducing the distance from 300 meters to 200 meters, and soon closing to just over 100 meters.

A probing attack is about to begin.

Two heavy machine guns on the east bank immediately opened fire on the edge of the smoke to the north to conduct fire reconnaissance and suppression.

For the Eighth Route Army soldiers hiding within the smoke, it provided a safe haven.

However, the smoke would also obscure the vision of the Eighth Route Army.

Even if the Eighth Route Army soldiers hiding at the edge of the smoke opened fire, the Imperial Army didn't need to worry too much.

It's impossible for a local guerrilla to hide in the smoke and still hit the target.

The fewer people left in the smoke, and the closer they are to the riverbank, the fewer casualties the Japanese artillery fire will cause.

Hu Yi believed that as long as he didn't fire while in the smoke, the Japanese wouldn't be able to determine how many people were inside.

Hu Yi was certain that even the former Japanese company commander had no idea how many Eighth Route Army soldiers were in the smoke.

As expected, the intelligence the Japanese troops on the other side received was provided by the Japanese company that had previously provided it.

Perhaps because of the smoke, the Japanese commander felt that the artillery fire would not be very effective, which is why he did not open fire to provide artillery coverage.

Conceal or exaggerate troop strength to the greatest extent possible.

Never revealing your actual troop strength to the enemy is a fundamental habit that every commander must possess.

The Japanese believed that the Eighth Route Army soldiers, who were penniless and outnumbered, were not many in the smoke.

Hu Yi intended to ensure that the Japanese only saw or detected that much.

As for why we didn't choose to attack when the enemy was crossing the river halfway, it's because the enemy was too strong at the moment, and timing was more important than location.

By the time the first wave of Japanese infantry landed, Hu Yi and his group had already left the edge of the northern smoke.

As the Japanese infantry established their positions, a platoon of new recruits, who had only been replenished from the district a few days earlier, hurriedly carried firewood from outside the western smoke to the northern edge of the smoke.

The fighting has been intense since noon, but most of the new recruits have hardly fired a single shot.

And so, the task I've received right now is to join the attacking force in setting fires and creating smoke.

Through the smoke, the soldiers could see the blurry figures of Japanese infantrymen probing and approaching from the north.

The soldiers turned their heads from time to time, watching with longing as the Ninth Battalion soldiers slowly raised their guns to face the Japanese soldiers not far to the side.

"Listen up, everyone. Once the battle starts, the enemy on the east bank will begin shelling. Everyone, quickly dig your trenches deeper."

"The enemy on the other side is firing light and heavy machine guns, but the river embankment, which is higher than the ground, is protecting us from bullets."

"Listen up, everyone! Once the battle begins, no one is allowed to make a sound, look up, stand up, or crawl forward.

The arsonist's gaze was fixed on the spot with hope.

"Company commander, what... how should we fight later?" It sounded like he was asking about tactics, but Li Xiang, who had just been transferred from a sailor to an infantryman, knew that his soldiers weren't asking about that.

He pulled off the damp towel covering his mouth and nose, looked at the figures of the Japanese soldiers and puppet troops outside the smoke, and exhaled a breath of stale air: "Sharpshooter, open fire, take down those three Japanese soldiers, then fight with all your might until the puppet troops retreat."

"I understand, Company Commander. Then... can I be the first to shoot those three little devils?" The soldier's sights did not move away from the chest of the Japanese soldier who was crouching down and probing for an attack more than 80 meters away.

"Each person is only allowed to fire one shot." Li Xiang knew that this guy, relying on his excellent marksmanship learned from Liu Yuanqing, often snatched the target from his comrades during battle.

If he weren't strictly disciplined, his Type 38 rifle would have definitely riddled three Japanese soldiers sixty meters away with three shots, each leaving six holes in their chests.

"After killing the Japanese scouts, can I go and support the second platoon in fighting the puppet troops?" The soldier was still unwilling to give up.

"Shut up." Li Xiang's eyes turned stern. (End of Chapter)