afterglow

Chapter 482: The night of execution; the situation suddenly changed!

"The enemy is attacking!"

"What are you doing?! Soldier, pick up your gun and shoot!"

As the heavy artillery fire extended to the rear to block fire, the battered soldiers, urged by their noncommissioned officers, rearmed their guns.

The U.S. military's defense line was full of firepower. Garand semi-automatic rifles, Thompson submachine guns, Browning automatic rifles, Browning air-cooled heavy machine guns... all available weapons were spitting bullets.

"boom!"

The 37mm anti-tank gun cannot penetrate the frontal armor of the Type A medium tank that has additional steel plates welded and tracks or sandbags stacked on it.

The armor-piercing bullet hit the tank head-on, bursting out countless sparks like a blooming golden flower.

From the beginning to now, five of the fourteen medium tanks of the brigade combat convoy have been damaged or destroyed and have withdrawn from the battle, but the remaining tanks are still fighting.

The Marine infantry followed closely behind them. The tanks lined up in a straight line finally stopped almost a hundred meters away from the US position and continued to fire at any enemy who dared to resist.

Machine gun bunkers, observation posts, command posts... even exposed individual soldiers will inevitably be bombarded and strafed!

The Marine infantry who coordinated the attack took advantage of the situation and launched an attack, rushing towards the enemy's defense line with an overwhelming force.

Radio communications are obscured by external noise and full of sizzling noise.

In the frontline headquarters, a staff colonel who had just been transferred to the 1st Marine Brigade shouted in surprise.

This young quasi-college has a very strong spatial imagination ability and good insight. Overall, he is a good prospect.

Looking at it from another perspective, there is a sense of accomplishment in cultivating a playboy into a talented person.

Facing the powerful offensive of the Second Marine Regiment, the positions of the Second Battalion of the 39th Regimental Combat Team collapsed one after another.

Since we can't avoid the worldly customs, let's dig for gold in the shit.

"Iron Hammer, the enemy is only three hundred yards away from the main position! We need artillery support, now! Repeat, sections F to H need help!"

"We can't hold on..." At this time, a 144mm rocket shrieked and landed next to the command post. The violent concussion caused the dust above the command post to fall down.

"The defense line has collapsed, sir, we can no longer hold on!"

Supported by our own strong mainland naval and air firepower, the Second Marine Regiment's offensive was fierce and ruthless.

This is undoubtedly beneficial to the actions of the armored forces. Chen Min asked Zhou Changfeng whether he wanted to pursue the victory, and the latter immediately agreed.

Resisting U.S. officers and soldiers were shot to death by random shots or bombed with grenades.

Broken wood chips flew at high speed, piercing the khaki military uniforms and piercing deeply into the flesh; the bent and twisted I-beams were lifted dozens of meters high by the air waves...

"No! We can't take that risk, they are waiting in the sky!"

Rifle grenades and hand grenades continued to fall into the trenches and exploded. Immediately afterwards, Ming army soldiers with submachine guns or automatic guns rushed in front of them and fired, killing the American soldiers who were indecisive and unresponsive in the trenches...

There was a heavy sigh from the other end, and he shouted reluctantly: "Section F to H! Enemy infantry, high-explosive bombs, instant fire, effective fire, five rounds, fire when ready!"

"Jin Zuo! Jun Zuo! Look! I've got it!"

"Please, please! Just one round, just one round! For God's sake!"

The American troops here were fighting with their backs to the water, and behind them was the Longa River, which flowed into the sea.

From the small slope, you can look eastward to the US military defense line on the east bank of the Longa River and the Guadalcanal Airport runway full of bomb craters.

After breaking through the two lines of defense and advancing about two miles east, the front suddenly became clear.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The people who retreated in embarrassment were not much better. They were knocked down one by one under the fire of the tank's directional machine gun and parallel machine gun...

If you fail to hold on, you will have no choice but to throw away your weapons and equipment and jump into the river to swim back to the east bank.

The second and third lines of defense held by the U.S. 39th Regimental Combat Team were in tatters, so the Sixth Battalion of the Second Marine Regiment took the opportunity to detour from the right wing, and then advanced in depth to the last line of defense on the west bank of the Longa River.

The chaotic and disorderly American officers and soldiers were fighting in groups of twos and threes. The seemingly sharp Garand semi-automatic rifle was of little use in this situation.

The bullets hit the tank with a clanking sound, sparks flew everywhere, the in-line engine roared, and the black-gray exhaust gas and gunpowder smoke were mixed together.

Different from the previous undulating terrain, what came into view was a large triangular flat field, almost three miles away.

Therefore, the "\" shaped formation can better utilize its own firepower and reduce shooting dead spots.

The front main gun of the battlecruiser Yuanxing fired a salvo at Highland 65, which was a solid support point. Six rounds of 320mm anti-explosive bombs slammed down like hammers.

Major Lambert, the deputy commander, grabbed the microphone, but the phone line had been blown out, and he could only use the radio to contact the 26th Field Artillery Battalion.

High-explosive bombs flew across the Longa River and bloomed in front of the last line of defense.

A minute later, the remaining dozen M26 2mm howitzers of the 105th Field Artillery Battalion tore off the camouflage net and opened fire violently toward the west.

Any formation must be adapted to local conditions. Now that the Ming army's attacking troops have the sea to their left, there is naturally no threat. Potential enemy firepower is directly in front or to the right.

Since the Malayan War, nobles have been looking for connections to entrust their descendants to come here to increase their seniority. Zhou Changfeng was reluctant at first, but Zhu Lingjing convinced him.

Zhou Changfeng, who was leaning behind the artillery mirror, said calmly: "The front and back are a bit out of touch, too loose. Pay attention to gathering the troops, and then continue to apply pressure."

So the remaining eight medium tanks and thirty-three amphibious tanks that were still able to fight were arranged in a right echelon formation in the shape of "\", and together with more than 700 officers and soldiers of the Second Marine Regiment, they launched an attack.

When the 48kg Gu's explosive loaded inside exploded, a large ball of fire rose up, and the smoke and dust mixed with the flames turned into a rolling mushroom cloud.

The disgraced Major Lambert shouted "please" several times into the microphone, almost crying in pleading.

A crimson flag was planted on Highland 65, but it was soon punched with several holes by stray bullets flying by.

The officers and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty walked on the soft soil and shuttled between the wisps of gunpowder smoke, lying down, crawling, shooting, dropping bombs, and charging!

"Sa Ruan De'er! Oh, take it!"

Two teams from the Sixth Battalion of the Second Marine Regiment had just launched an attack. In an instant, at least thirty people were killed and injured by shock waves and high-speed fragments.

The inevitable action was disrupted by the sudden U.S. artillery fire. The attacking team was in disarray. One of the captains was killed on the spot, and the offensive stalled.

The four Type 37 carrier-based bombers hovering over the battlefield have been paying attention to the situation. The muzzle flash and gunpowder smoke when the artillery fire is not too eye-catching.

The Ming army pilots immediately flew their planes to attack, diving - strafing - dropping bombs - pulling up, and repeatedly attacked in a cycle. The successive falling aerial bombs detonated the ready-to-fire shells placed on one of the artillery bunkers. The earth-shaking series of explosions panicked the nearby US soldiers.

This scene was like a volcano erupting, which amazed the Ming army sailors on the sea.

The position of the 26th Field Artillery Battalion was submerged in the thick smoke and dust of the explosion. Broken limbs and various parts fell one after another, scattered unevenly within a radius of several kilometers.

After this catastrophe, the U.S. military on Guadalcanal basically lost its ability to support body-barreled artillery, leaving only a small number of 5mm howitzers in the 75th Marine Regiment.

The U.S. artillery did not hesitate to expose its own support and indeed delayed the Ming army's offensive. From their perspective, this gave the U.S. troops on the west bank of the Longa River a chance to breathe.

Reorganize the defense line, gather the retreating officers and soldiers, and cross the river in an organized manner.

At midnight that day, the last batch of wounded people was evacuated to the east coast. Subsequently, the only remaining 37mm anti-tank gun was safely transported across the Longa River.

At this time, the D-42 Squadron gradually suspended its bombardment of the shore, with only sporadic firing from a few destroyers and submarine hunting ships.

"Brother Zhou, according to the rules, at least 40% of the shells must be reserved. We have to rest for the time being."

Xiong Zhuguo specifically explained the reason to Zhou Changfeng, who knew that this was the minimum required by the doctrine.

It's not impossible to break the rules - either it can ensure the complete safety of this sea area, or the ground troops are extremely critical.

Three ammunition supply ships began to replenish the fleet. This kind of maritime replenishment operation was cumbersome and inefficient.

Both ships would rock and rise with the waves, and it would be extremely difficult to pass the heavy shells one after another under such circumstances, let alone at night.

However, even without the fleet to help, the panic-stricken US military still could not withstand the overwhelming Ming army.

Because the U.S. field artillery group has been blown into the sky by aircraft carrier-based aircraft, the officers and soldiers of the Second Marine Regiment can be said to be full of confidence.

At 2:30 in the middle of the night that day, the highly motivated Second Marine Regiment asked the brigade headquarters for instructions to continue the attack. They attacked the enemy in front of them at night and drove the US troops to the east of the Longa River in one fell swoop. Otherwise, they would have been able to retreat in one night. Crossed the river.

Zhou Changfeng didn't like to let the troops go into battle in a tired state when the wind was flowing, but he couldn't stand the excitement of the front-line officers and soldiers, so he approved the plan.

It is human nature for the officers and soldiers of the two regiments to want to compete with each other. For an army that needs collective spirit and enterprising spirit, this is exactly what the general is happy to see.

The Second Marine Regiment was determined to kill the American troops in one go, and some even shouted the slogan "Destroy this imperial food".

The night sky in the Solomon Islands is particularly bright, but the stars tonight are a bit dimmer against the backdrop of the sky full of artillery fire.

The heavy rockets fired by the 192mm triple rocket launcher are particularly terrifying. The shrill squeaking sound is like a saw pulling at the heart. The power of the explosion when it hits the ground is even more terrifying. The rising rolling flames are clearly visible.

The Second Marine Regiment deployed five teams at once and launched a strong attack from the west, south and east at the same time.

The surrounding night has been torn into pieces by the flying tracer bullets, and the scene of countless tracer bullets flying back and forth is dazzling.

"kill--"

"Don't let them escape! If you don't surrender? Then you will die here!"

Under the pale light from the flares, countless figures seemed to be swarming in. The shouts of death seemed louder at night than during the day. The shouts of hundreds of people were as deafening as the surging waves.

The American soldiers who witnessed this scene were horrified. Many of them were shot to death in a hurry, or were stabbed into the chest by cold bayonets...

Today is Good Friday for the U.S. Army's 39th Regimental Combat Team - two of the three infantry battalions suffered annihilating blows. Only more than a hundred people in one fled back to the east bank of the Longa River; the other was even worse, with only Two digits remain.

For the Ming army on Guadalcanal, today is the day when the enemy will attack them.

After smashing the U.S. military's last line of defense on the west bank, extremely excited individual units even spontaneously began to forcefully cross the Longa River.

About two to three platoons used small sampans or rafts abandoned by the US military and took advantage of the chaos to reach the other side.

Some officers were relatively cautious and just built bunkers in situ, intending to fix them like nails on the east bank as a fulcrum for future large force attacks.

Of course, there are also people who are eager to achieve meritorious service or are so bold that they lead their subordinates to continue to penetrate deeper.

More than two dozen Marine infantrymen even reached a mere three hundred meters away from the US military headquarters on Guadalcanal. They were not discovered until they accidentally broke into a supply depot.

Was there a fierce exchange of fire so close? The entire U.S. military was in panic for a moment.

A frightened intelligence staff officer blurted out: "Oh God, it could be paratroopers!"

As soon as these words came out, the officers' expressions changed.

Someone immediately analyzed in a serious manner: "Maybe the Chinese elite paratroopers have airborne, and they want to attack our headquarters!"

The commander, Colonel Wadsworth, hastily put on his steel helmet, drew his pistol, and ordered any available troops nearby to clear out these Ming troops.

More than a dozen machine guns fired randomly, and flares were fired one after another. Even the 120th Tank Battalion as a reserve team rushed over.

Several Ming soldiers who had exposed themselves were knocked to the ground by a series of 7.62mm machine gun bullets. The frightened US military seemed to think that holding on to the trigger would embolden them, so they fired wildly at the corpses.

The rest of the soldiers were completely suppressed here and did not dare to show up.

"Boom!"

A few anxious US tanks even fired at their own supply depots. The 2mm tank gun of the M37 medium tank was weak, but tanks are still tanks after all, and their ability to suppress light infantry should not be underestimated.

Only then did the Ming army realize that they were in trouble. The rocket launcher fired three rounds in a row to eliminate the ammunition, set a tank on fire, and then ran away quickly, but under the layers of fire nets, only A small number of people retreated to the West Bank.

Zhou Changfeng was confident about the current battle situation, so he went to bed in the middle of the night to recuperate just in case.

At the headquarters of the 1st Marine Brigade, the staff kept pulling out the blue flags on the sand table and replacing them with red ones.

Zhao Hanfeng, who was on duty, was quite excited. He put his hands on the sand table and his eyes jumped back and forth, thinking about how to hit the enemy as much as possible next.

What no one expected was that at this moment, the rumble of cannons and flashes of light suddenly came from the distant sea.

The officers and soldiers who didn't know why looked over there, and saw the beam of the searchlight piercing the dark and deep night, followed by the flickering firelight.

【Picture】

(End of this chapter)