Comrade, your ingredients are too complicated.

The sky over Chahar is more fickle than the dog's stance.

When the 3rd Regiment of the 55th Division and the light tank battalion of the 2nd Armored Division had just captured Dushikou, there was only a little bit of fine snow falling from the sky, which would melt into water shortly after landing on the gun barrels.

Although their breath turned to frost, the soldiers could still exert their full fighting power by rubbing their hands and stomping their feet.

But after the troops crossed the Lightning River, the weather suddenly turned hostile. The wind on the Duolun Grassland whipped up snow, cutting into the comrades like a dull knife, and even carried some sand.

The snow wasn't falling; it was being swept sideways by a gale-force wind, stinging people's faces.

Fortunately, most of the soldiers in the Third Regiment and the light tank battalion were veterans from Suiyuan and Chahar, and they were already used to the unpredictable weather in the border region.

If it were new recruits from the south, they might suffer non-combat casualties before even seeing the Japanese.

"Damn it, this awful weather! It really changes its mind so quickly! We were walking along just fine, and suddenly we ran into a blizzard!"

"Correspondent! Have you made contact with the 2nd Air Division?"

"What is the current situation of the close air support aircraft unit responsible for bombing the Japanese forces in Duolun? Can they still provide damage reports as originally planned?"

In temperatures below -20 degrees Celsius, all the radio antennas of the BT-7 were covered with icicles.

The icicles, as thick as fingers, made the antennas tremble violently, rendering the radios of the 3rd Regiment and the Light Tank Battalion completely useless.

To keep communications running, the soldiers had to shout at the top of their lungs as they ran back and forth in the wind and snow. The scene was just like back in 1940: fighting relied entirely on shouting, and relaying orders relied entirely on walking.

Seemingly having received no response for too long, Battalion Commander Liu used a crowbar to pry open the driver's hatch and leaned half his body out of the turret to check the situation.

The moment he poked his head out, his neck was filled with snow. Even his nose hairs froze into tiny ice needles, pricking his nasal cavity painfully.

"Pah! Pah! Pah! This is outrageous! What's the difference between this and fighting with your eyes closed?!"

Just as Battalion Commander Liu was cursing, a sidecar motorcycle sped through the snow. The battalion communications officer's fur hat was covered in ice, and Yan Changzhi, his face pale, sat in the sidecar behind him.

After the two commanders met, neither of them spoke, but instead, with perfect understanding, they climbed into the nearest Jiefang truck.

Inside the cab, they talked under the flickering lights and amidst the roar of the engine.

"Old Yan, how are the soldiers doing? Will continuing the march affect their combat effectiveness? Sigh, we're really unlucky; we've run into the first blizzard of the year."

"If all else fails, let everyone set up a circular defensive perimeter on the spot and rest immediately."

"Anyway, the movements of the Japanese and puppet cavalry will be restricted in this kind of blizzard. Unless the enemy is crazy, they will definitely not take any action in the blizzard."

Upon hearing this, Yan Changzhi, the commander of the Third Regiment, silently stroked the edge of the battle map, lost in thought.

To be honest, their group is in much better shape than expected.

Thanks to the special equipment prepared in advance, such as thickened cotton military uniforms, individual snow blindness protection goggles, and frostbite protection masks, the soldiers have not suffered any non-combat casualties so far.

But continuing forward is uncertain, since the area where the troops are currently located is still more than 50 kilometers away from Duolun, and no one can guarantee that no unexpected events will occur along the way.

Moreover, with visibility of less than 500 meters, it's really not suitable for combat.

Such severe weather will only narrow the equipment gap between the two sides.

Thinking about this, he sighed and finally made a difficult decision.

"Alright, let's do it your way and implement the ring defense plan. Our regiment will set up frozen soil minefields on the perimeter in case the Japanese launch any surprise attacks."

"We can also be entrusted with tasks of reconnaissance and intelligence gathering."

"In preparation for our operation outside the pass, our regiment even set up a special ski unit. After training for so long, it's time to use the Japanese soldiers." Before Yan Changzhi could finish speaking, a strange vibration suddenly came from the wheels.

"parking!"

The Jiefang truck braked suddenly, and the two commanders nearly crashed into the windshield due to inertia.

To find out what was going on, Battalion Commander Liu, who was on the outermost side, immediately picked up his submachine gun and pushed open the car door. The blizzard immediately rushed in, making it impossible for him to open his eyes.

After putting on his goggles, he was finally able to see the situation clearly.

Several frozen horse carcasses lay scattered under the wheels and in the snow ahead, with Japanese army flags still hanging on their saddles.

"cavalry?"

"Damn it, those Japanese devils have gone mad! They actually launched an attack despite the blizzard!"

"All personnel, all crews, prepare for battle!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a sharp whistle suddenly rang out in the wind and snow.

"What a black card! Onboard!"

With the classic Showa-era opening gesture, the white snow curtain was torn apart, and more than twenty Japanese cavalry and infantrymen rushed out of the blizzard.

The warhorse, its rump pierced, neighed, and the saber gleamed coldly in the wind.

The white camouflage made the Japanese soldiers appear like ghosts, rushing in from all directions, and the snow waves kicked up by their horses' hooves almost drowned out the light tank battalion's vision.

"Fire! Fire!"

Almost at the same time the company and platoon leaders gave the orders, the machine guns mounted on the BT-7 and half-track armored vehicles spat out streaks of fire.

Machine gun bullets swept across the charging cavalry, their warhorses neighing and collapsing, while Japanese soldiers tumbled and fell into snowdrifts.

But more cavalrymen were still closing in, charging close to the blind spots of the tanks, their sabers, explosive charges, and Molotov cocktails aimed directly at the lead and tail vehicles.

The distance of less than 500 meters is a fleeting moment for a warhorse in a charging posture.

A Japanese cavalryman used his mount for leverage, leaping directly onto the tank's gun barrel. He smashed a Molotov cocktail into the observation window, and flames instantly spread.

The crew was forced to close the hatch, plunging the interior into darkness and scorching heat.

"Reverse! Shake them off!"

If it were a medium tank like the T-3485, the Japanese surprise attack might actually have succeeded. However, the BT-7's mobility was among the best of all the major participating countries in the world, and the Japanese cavalry was quickly outmaneuvered.

A few minutes later, as the smoke and flames from the explosion dissipated, the storm once again enveloped the battlefield.

On the snow-covered plain, only a few warhorses lingered. The corpses of the Japanese soldiers were mixed with the wreckage of two half-track armored vehicles, and were soon buried by the new snow.

Looking at the chaotic battlefield, Battalion Commander Liu panted heavily and cursed under his breath.

"What a bunch of lunatics! Looks like the Japanese cavalry are trying to emulate the Finns. Using sabers to cut down tanks, do they really think they're the Ninth Cavalry Regiment of Mannerheim?"

"Pass on my order to immediately deploy a circular defensive position!"

The wind and snow continue, and the battle between steel and flesh continues. (End of Chapter)