Spy Shadow: Command & Conquer

Chapter 1951, Artillery Fire Clears the Way, Preparing for the Attack!

"This way!"

"This way!"

Zhang Yong personally directed the firing of the howitzers.

It mainly relied on more than 30 artillery backbone personnel sent by the Fifth War Zone.

Happiness comes too suddenly.

The 22nd Army Group was like a doll hit by a mountain of gold. They were fully prepared.

They thought they had been drawn up to launch a strong attack on Luzhou and were being prepared to be cannon fodder.

Unexpectedly, a mountain of gold fell from the sky.

Those 75mm Italian guns could still be operated with some difficulty.

However, firing a 155mm howitzer was truly challenging. This was unprecedented in the history of the Sichuan Army.

In the history of the Sichuan Army, there has never been a heavy artillery piece with a diameter of more than 100 millimeters.

Even 75mm mountain guns were extremely rare. If one existed, it would undoubtedly be an elite weapon within the Sichuan Army—the elite of elites.

Previously, even Wang Kuiyuan's 66th Division, which was Liu Xiang's main force, did not have a single mountain gun.

If Liu Xiang knew this from beyond the grave, she would jump out and touch it herself.

To this end, Sun Zhen, the commander-in-chief of the army group, personally selected more than 500 Sichuan soldiers with some education to form a professional artillery training team.

However, it was still very difficult. There were still too few educated people in the Sichuan Army.

The educated recruits were mostly picked up by the Whampoa Military Academy faction.

This is one of the reasons why the Sichuan Army's presence gradually weakened and became almost insignificant.

No military unit can last long without talented personnel.

Technical branches of the military must be supported by a strong cultural foundation.

"Commander-in-Chief Sun."

"exist."

"You should go to Yue Fei Temple."

"there……"

"I predict the Japanese will launch a counterattack from Yue Fei Temple. Go there to observe the battle. I will support you with heavy artillery."

"it is good!"

Sun Zhen roused himself.

Summon most of the senior officers immediately.

To be honest, they had never witnessed the power of heavy artillery up close.

Even the Japanese artillery fire was 105mm.

There was no need for the Japanese to use heavy artillery of 150mm or more to deal with the Sichuan Army.

That was specifically designed to deal with the Whampoa Military Academy's core members.

"go!"

"go!"

The group quickly rode away.

The Sichuan army generals were all highly skilled horsemen. No one drove a car.

Before Zhang Yong arrived, the entire 22nd Group Army of the Sichuan Army had no vehicles, whether trucks or cars.

All the officers were on horseback, including Commander-in-Chief Sun Zhen.

Zhang Yong's monitoring radar map.

This place is very close to the front line.

The radar map shows a radius of 10 kilometers, which covers the area near Yue Fei Temple.

The surrounding terrain is relatively flat, with Yue Fei Temple being the only high point, at a relative height of about fifty meters. It is currently under the control of the Nationalist army.

The map from the Air Force Command shows that the Japanese had 75mm mountain guns not far from Yue Wang Temple.

There must be infantry in front of the artillery.

Perfectly, the range of the howitzer completely covered the Japanese mountain guns.

Once the Japanese launch an attack, immediately destroy their mountain guns, and then cover the infantry in front.

Quiet.

Dead silence.

Only the blazing sun.

Experienced veterans of the Sichuan Army began to perform the rituals quietly.

Zhang Yong had no idea what they were chanting. He guessed it was some kind of superstitious belief.

In short, when others saw them like this, they knew a major battle was about to begin.

There is always a calm before the storm.

really……

"boom……"

"boom……"

The sound of cannon fire could be heard.

This is the Japanese invaders preparing for artillery fire.

As was customary, the Japanese infantry were about to launch an attack.

"preparation!"

"put!"

Zhang Yong decisively ordered the howitzers to open fire.

The target of the bombardment was the Japanese 75mm mountain gun position.

"Oh!"

"Oh!"

One shell after another burst from the barrel.

A full sixty 155mm howitzers, firing a single salvo of 60 heavy shells.

The system's auxiliary dotted line indicates that the shells landed in the middle of the Japanese mountain guns. A flash indicator then appears. However, there are no battle results yet.

Regardless of.

carry on.

"Eight rapid shots!"

"put!"

A wave of his hand.

All howitzers continued firing.

Each cannon fired eight more shells. Then they awaited orders.

The Japanese had eighteen mountain guns. They should have been very satisfied with a barrage of several hundred heavy artillery rounds.

In fact...

"boom……"

"boom……"

The Japanese mountain guns were indeed stunned by the bombing.

They never expected to suddenly be subjected to such a fierce shelling.

Not only were there a large number of shells falling, but their caliber was also very large, larger than 105 mm. They were judged to be heavy artillery pieces of 150 mm or more.

One shell hit, and a mountain gun was shattered to pieces. The wreckage of the gun carriage flew dozens of meters into the air.

After the explosion, a huge crater appeared on the ground.

"boom……"

"boom……"

The shells continued to fall.

Each explosion causes enormous destruction.

People and objects within a 50-meter radius will be severely affected.

It was all open field.

There were no defensive fortifications.

All targets are exposed.

then……

Either the Japanese invaders were killed or wounded in the bombing.

Or perhaps the Japanese cannons were blown up or damaged.

"idiot……"

"It's a heavy artillery piece from the Chinese people!"

"quick!"

"Requesting urgent tactical guidance!"

"quick!"

The Japanese mountain artillery regiment commander was filled with both fear and despair.

I originally thought that with my mountain artillery regiment covering an infantry regiment's attack on Yue Fei Temple, victory was a sure thing.

Unexpectedly, the Nationalist army had large-caliber heavy artillery!

It's still over 150 millimeters.

Damn intelligence!
What are they doing? Are they just gluttons?
They actually told me that the Nationalist army on the other side only had some mountain guns.

result……

They were immediately taught a lesson by the opponent's heavy artillery fire right from the start!
This is a 150mm heavy artillery piece!
Are you telling me the other side consists only of hillbillies? Or just a minority?
idiot……

"boom……"

Suddenly I felt something was wrong.

He saw a shell land right in front of him with his naked eye.

At that moment, the Japanese artillery regimental commander was very clear-headed and his eyes were very sharp.

They watched helplessly as the shells fell and hit the ground.

Then, with a click...

It appears to be activated by a fuse.

"idiot……"

"Amaterasu..."

"I am coming……"

The last thoughts flashed through the mind of the Japanese regimental commander.

After the violent explosion, only a deep crater remained. Nothing else.

They also took away the Japanese invaders who had gathered nearby.

"boom……"

"boom……"

The shells continued to fall.

The number of Japanese mountain gun markings displayed on the air force command post is decreasing.

Ten gates...

Five gates...

Sure enough, everything is trash in the face of heavy artillery.

If it were a 107mm rocket launcher, its destructive power might not be very strong. Some mountain guns might survive by chance.

However, in the face of a 155mm howitzer, mountain guns are easily destroyed.

This French-made 155mm howitzer uses a separate propellant charge. Therefore, the propellant charge in the projectile is larger than that of a one-piece projectile.

In other words, the explosive power will be much more terrifying, more than 30% stronger.

"boom……"

"boom……"

It's so satisfying to keep frying!

Finally, all the Japanese mountain gun markings were reset to zero.

well.

Completely destroyed.

There's no need for system statistics anymore.

[Targets destroyed: 18]

As a result, a system message arrived.

Okay, let's verify each other's claims.

That's right, all eighteen of the Japanese mountain guns were destroyed.

It was a great start.

Now, it's the turn of the Japanese infantry.

Just then, a large number of red dots began to appear at the edge of the radar map.

Yue Wang Temple is approximately 8 kilometers from the howitzer position. Radar maps show a radius of 10 kilometers.

From the edge of the radar map to the Yue Wang Temple position, thousands of red dots quickly appeared.

And the numbers keep increasing.

What were the Japanese invaders planning to do?
A pig-like charge?

Is it going to be this crazy right from the start?
Launching an attack with an entire combined force? Trying to wipe them out in one fell swoop?
indeed.

The Japanese invaders were aggressive and menacing.

They did indeed intend to flatten Yue Fei Temple in one fell swoop.

It's called Yue Fei Temple, but it's actually just a small hill. There's no temple on it.

The origin of the name is now lost to history.

The Japanese invaders felt they had to give the National Revolutionary Army a taste of their own medicine and strike first.

Since the opposing force is Sichuan Army troops, there's no problem. Just send in an infantry regiment.

A charge.

It can crush them.

then……

"The Japanese invaders are coming up!"

"The Japanese invaders are coming up!"

Sun Zhen and the others saw it through their binoculars.

The enemy infantry was densely packed together. Their numbers were estimated to be over a thousand, or even more.

Don't think that a thousand people is a small number.

In fact, on the battlefield, a line of more than a thousand people is quite a spectacular sight.

The simultaneous charge of two or three thousand men created a tremendous psychological deterrent for the defenders, making it seem as if the entire mountainside was filled with enemies.

If the defending side lacks firepower, it will be difficult to cope.

The reason why the Japanese invaders' pig-like charges were so effective on the Chinese battlefield was that they took advantage of the fact that the National Revolutionary Army did not have enough firepower density.

once……

twice……

three times.

Almost every time, they succeed.

As a result, the Japanese invaders developed a fixed mindset.

Later, when this tactic was used against the American army, it was simply suicide.

"idiot!"

"Kill Jiji!"

"Kill Jiji!"

The Japanese invaders charged forward without restraint.

Their intelligence was accurate. They were indeed facing the Sichuan Army.

but……

The Japanese invaders didn't know...

Zhang Yong has arrived.

Furthermore, sixty 155mm howitzers have been prepared and are waiting for them.

then……

Quickly adjust firing parameters.

Within the radar map range, all parameters are accurate.

In other words, there was no need for test firing; the shells could be fired directly and accurately land among the Japanese troops.

and so……

"preparation!"

"Thirty rapid shots!"

"put!"

Zhang Yong gave the order.

Thirty shots were not his limit.

That's the limit for howitzers.

The howitzer will overheat.

"Oh!"

"Oh!"

The howitzers began firing.

No salvo. It's unnecessary. Each gun fires freely.

They were dealing with Japanese infantry. There was no real threat.

It is a real-world exercise.

It's also a training exercise.

Those without experience should accumulate experience through practical experience.

If your educational level is insufficient, summarize various shooting parameters in actual combat. Then compare and work backwards.

what?
Completely clueless?

Okay, go and move the shells!

"boom……"

"boom……"

The shells landed among the Japanese troops.

Fireballs erupted one after another, completely engulfing the nearby Japanese troops.

In an instant, the densely packed Japanese assault force was swept away and scattered. After a series of explosions, they were completely routed.

"Amazing..." "So amazing..."

The trenches at Yue Wang Temple were quiet.

Everyone watched silently as the Japanese invaders were bombed. No one made a sound.

watch carefully.

They stared intently.

We can't miss a single beautiful frame.

"boom……"

"boom……"

A dull, loud thud echoed across the plains.

In the flames, one by one, the Japanese invaders were blown to smithereens. Completely vanished.

More severed limbs and remains of Japanese invaders were blasted dozens of meters into the air, then fell far down. It looked like a rain of flesh was falling from the sky.

"idiot!"

"Kill Jiji!"

"Kill Jiji!"

The remaining Japanese troops immediately realized something was wrong.

Damn!

How could we have been shelled?
Moreover, it was such a terrifying heavy artillery?

This is a large-caliber heavy artillery piece! One shot can sweep across an area of ​​tens of meters!

Every shell that landed caused immense damage to the Japanese invaders. People and property were utterly destroyed.

but!

They cannot back down!
In this situation, retreating means death!
Only move forward!

The only way was to charge up to the Nationalist army's position and engage them in close combat.

It must be acknowledged that the Japanese invaders were highly skilled in basic tactics and immediately adopted the correct countermeasures.

Indeed, at this moment, only by rushing forward and engaging the Nationalist army can they avoid the dense artillery fire.

but!

Zhang Yong will not give them a chance.

With so many howitzers, do you think I'd let you charge up?

joke!

What did Captain Jia say again?

Without howitzers, I'm being overwhelmed by you.

Even with howitzers, you still managed to overwhelm us.

Then my grenade launcher is useless, isn't it?
How can it be?

The firing parameters were adjusted immediately.

"boom……"

"boom……"

Close-range interception.

Not a single Japanese soldier could even get to the Yue Fei Temple.

"boom……"

"boom……"

The violent explosion created a blockade.

At the same time, small-caliber Italian artillery began to be mixed in with the bombardment of large-caliber heavy artillery.

The maximum range of the Italian cannon is about 8600 meters. Just enough to reach it.

Since we can reach it, let's not stand idly by. Let's bomb it together.

This is a good opportunity for novice artillerymen to get some experience and accumulate expertise in actual combat.

then……

"Rumble..."

"boom……"

"boom……"

Small cannons were sandwiched among the large cannons.

The shells really did fall like raindrops.

The Italian cannon isn't particularly special. Its only notable feature is its high rate of fire. A skilled operator can fire over 20 rounds per minute.

It is said that under certain extreme conditions, it can even fire 30 rounds per minute.

As a complete beginner, it's impossible to reach that speed. However, around 15 shots per minute is achievable. The difference won't be significant.

Moreover, the Italians had a lot of cannons!

Since they haven't been assigned to the various brigades yet, the total number gathered together is over a hundred.

In addition, there are many Italian cannons that simply have nowhere to be placed. They can only be left to dry on one side.

Even so, the relentless bombardment from over a hundred Italian cannons produced an astonishing number of shells.

"idiot……"

"How can it be……"

"Isn't it said that only hillbillies exist among the Chinese?"

"Or just a very small minority?"

The Japanese infantry regimental commander was incredibly lucky. He wasn't hit by the bomb. But he was already questioning the meaning of life.

Such terrifying artillery fire couldn't have come from just a few scattered mountain guns; it must have come from at least a hundred. And there were also many large-caliber heavy artillery pieces.

This is practically suicide!
His own infantry regiment had been completely tricked.

Someone must want me dead.

Absolutely not...

"Somebody come!"

"Order the retreat..."

"Order the retreat..."

The Japanese infantry regimental commander issued his final orders.

Continuing the attack will only result in total annihilation. No matter how valiant it is, it knows that a dead end lies ahead.

They didn't care about saving face.

The only option is to retreat.

Perhaps one or two hundred people can escape. Preserve a little bit of manpower.

It's unlikely that the entire regiment would be wiped out and its designation would be revoked.

This is still a lucky situation.

If you're unlucky...

It's entirely possible that they'll all die. Then all that'll be left is an empty number.

"No need to fight anymore..."

"This Japanese regiment is finished..."

"Firepower is king..."

Sun Zhen slowly lowered the telescope.

There's no need to observe any further. We've already come to a deep understanding.

A Japanese infantry regiment, full of arrogance and overconfidence, actually launched a pig-like charge.

As a result, they were heavily damaged by Zhang Yong's artillery fire.

This Japanese regiment is absolutely doomed.

I don't know if at least three hundred people survived.

The other two thousand or so people were probably blown to pieces. Then they became fertilizer to nourish the land.

It was initially thought that the Yue Wang Temple Fair had suffered a fierce attack by the Japanese invaders.

Therefore, the 22nd Group Army deployed one of its most elite battalions here.

There is another main force regiment behind them, ready to reinforce at any time.

The lighting in front is done, and the lighting in the back is added later.

This is the usual practice.

But when Zhang Yong arrived, everything changed.

The Japanese invaders' massive human wave charge turned into a suicide mission. They were annihilated.

The Nationalist troops stationed at Yue Fei Temple didn't even have a chance to fire a shot. They simply watched silently as the Japanese invaders were annihilated.

With such intense artillery fire, the Japanese invaders simply couldn't get through.

"Stop shooting!"

"Stop shooting!"

Zhang Yong raised his hand. Thirty rapid shots had been fired.

No order was given to continue.

He needs to observe the battlefield.

The radar map shows only a few scattered red dots.

All in all, there are probably less than a hundred.

If we hadn't intervened from the very beginning, it would be almost unbelievable that there were so many red dots.

It's all thanks to the large-caliber howitzers!

Heavy artillery barrage!

That's incredibly powerful.

but!

It is not without its flaws.

The rate of fire is too slow. Only five shots per minute.

No, that's not right. They might only get four rounds per minute. Because they're all beginners, their reloading is very slow.

Compared to the 107mm rocket launcher, it's practically a snail!

In terms of artillery types, the 107mm rocket launcher was more effective against the lightly armed Japanese infantry.

If the 107mm rocket launcher had sufficient range, a few salvos would have wiped out an entire Japanese infantry regiment. Why would it have taken so long?

Indeed, there is no perfect weapon.

There is no magic weapon.

The battlefield is always a combination of multiple weapons.

Mutual promotion and mutual restraint.

Complement each other.

and so……

Artillery fire clears the way!
Prepare for attack!

……

"Nani?"

"Has the Wild Fox Brigade collapsed?"

"how is this possible?"

Upon receiving the report, Shiro Kuwahara, the commander of the Japanese 25th Division, was stunned.

I once suspected that the information was wrong.

How can it be?

How could a regiment possibly fail in attacking a small position like Yue Wang Temple?

Even if we fail once or twice, it's not like we've truly lost. At most, we can reorganize our attack until we capture the enemy's position.

You must understand, that was a regiment! A full-strength unit. A total of 3500 men!
There was also a mountain artillery regiment providing cover.

The mountain artillery regiment is currently understrength, with only eighteen mountain guns.

Even so, Kuwabara Shiro was full of confidence and hope for his division.

It and its divisions were all transferred from the Kwantung Army.

As one of the newly established divisions, it had not yet fought against the Nationalist army.

However, the comprehensive intelligence provided to the division by higher command indicated that the combat effectiveness of the Chinese army was clearly not strong.

Therefore, after arriving in Luzhou, Kuwahara Shiro did not obtain any more useful information. He felt victory was assured.

"idiot!"

"Chief of Staff, you're responsible!"

Kuwabara Shiro vented his anger on his chief of staff, Colonel Ohara Shigetaka.

Shigetaka Ohara kept his head down. He did not answer.

The division commander is throwing a tantrum. If you talk back, you'll get slapped.

Only after Kuwabara Shiro finished venting did Ohara Shigetaka slowly say, "Commander, may I speak frankly?"

"Speak," Kuwabara Shiro said, his anger still simmering, "your intelligence was completely wrong!"

"Division Commander, I've already reported this to you. The intelligence from above must be handled with caution."

"Baka! Can you explain yourself more clearly? What do you mean by 'cautious'? Are you telling me not to believe you?"

silence.

Shigetaka Ohara did not answer.

That's exactly what I meant! But I can't say it directly!
If I told you so bluntly that the intelligence passed down from my superiors was unreliable, would I even want to live?

I repeatedly emphasized to you that we should be cautious, but you just didn't take it seriously.

Now look what happened, I've run into a snag.

It's my fault.

This battle plan was not devised by me.

It was sent from the Ninth Army Headquarters. Those idiots up there had no idea what was going on.

The newly formed Ninth Army was mostly composed of people close to Korechika Anami, transferred from the Korean Peninsula. They had very little understanding of the actual combat situation in China.

They all thought that, following the instructions from headquarters, they only needed to launch an attack while on the march to defeat the enemy.

"How about the 34th Division next door?"

"There is no war."

"idiot……"

Kuwabara Shiro gritted his teeth in frustration.

I never expected that my first appearance would result in such a big mistake.

An infantry regiment was decimated. The regimental commander was also killed in action.

This is enough to warrant a military court.

"report!"

"what's up?"

"The mountain artillery regiment has lost contact."

"Nani?"

Shigetaka Ohara and Shiro Kuwabara looked at each other in bewilderment.

The artillery regiment has lost contact?
They haven't received this message yet.

Shocked.

panic.

How could an artillery regiment possibly be...?

In fact, the mountain artillery regiment's radio station was destroyed in the first place.

The subsequent continuous shelling nearly wiped out the Japanese troops in the mountain artillery regiment. They had no way to send a message.

Thus, the bad news for the mountain artillery regiment came after that for the infantry regiment.

Damn...

An infantry regiment was decimated.

Another mountain artillery regiment was completely wiped out. They couldn't even send a message.

This is no longer a matter of going to a military court.

This is seppuku...

However, the two were still in shock.

Another staff officer rushed over.

"Report! The Chinese have launched a fierce attack on the neighboring 34th Division. The 34th Division's forward positions have collapsed."

"Nani?"

The two looked at each other again.

For a moment, I felt my thoughts were in disarray.

Guojun?

Counterattack?

Have they already broken through the 34th Division's forward positions?

No.

and many more.

Shouldn't we be the ones attacking?
Why is it the Nationalist army attacking?
What's wrong?
Damn!

What kind of battle is this?

Something just doesn't feel right.
But amidst the fear, there was also a secret sense of relief.

Perhaps seppuku won't be necessary.

The neighboring 34th Division fared just as badly. And perhaps even worse.

The opposing Nationalist army was able to inflict such heavy losses on the 25th Division in a very short time.

They are now launching a fierce attack on the neighboring 34th Division. It's estimated that the 34th Division won't be able to hold out. They may have to pay an even greater price, or even be completely annihilated.

Such precedents are not uncommon.

The 5th and 10th Divisions were so strong, yet they were still almost wiped out.

Then,

right now,

What the 25th Division needs to do is...
Just

"chief of staff!"

"exist!"

"Quickly, consolidate your forces and hold your ground while awaiting reinforcements!"

"Yes!"

[To be continued]

(End of this chapter)