The Iron-Blooded Army of Beacon Fire

Chapter 277 Battle of Annihilation 10
Boom
Clouds seemed to explode one after another above the heads of the Japanese troops' charging formation. After the shotgun blasts exploded above the heads of the Japanese troops, the flying shotgun shells "hissed" and flew down from mid-air, hitting them heavily. On top of the heads of the Japanese infantry.

After three rounds of artillery fire, more than forty 75mm shrapnel shells were fired. More than forty Japanese troops from the four attacking squadrons were hit by shrapnel bullets.

As the bullets hit one after another, clouds of blood mist rose in the air as the Japanese troops attacked the formation. Some of the downed Japanese infantrymen were shot through the torso, and died on the spot in a bloody mess, while others were bruised. Then he held his wound in place and wailed in pain.

However, the Japanese troops who were suddenly bombarded and suffered a round of shelling were not affected. There was not even a brief pause. The crazy Japanese troops were still shouting and charging with red eyes, even to this round. The bombardment of shrapnel was almost completely ignored.

Judging from the Japanese army's fighting will and ability to withstand losses, the loss of more than 40 casualties in the four strengthened infantry squadrons will indeed not cause any hindrance to their offensive operations.

After all, the Japanese army did such a crazy thing that a squadron dared to organize a counterattack when only a few people were left in the fight. Needless to say, their fighting will is beyond words.

What's more, the Japanese army that is attacking Fu Chen's 1st Infantry Company is the 38th Infantry Regiment under the 16th Japanese Division. Its level of strength is also rare among the Japanese standing field divisions.

While the Japanese troops were being bombed and charging, Chen Xinsheng, the commander of the artillery company of the secret service battalion who was directing the firing, shook his head in disappointment after seeing the firing effect of this round of shrapnel through the artillery team mirror in the firing command post.

Chen Xinsheng was obviously very dissatisfied with the attack effect of shrapnel. After seizing these mountain cannons and artillery shells, Chen Xinsheng saw that the latest Type 94 mountain cannon of the Japanese army was equipped with shrapnel shells for killing personnel, so he planned to try it first Try the attack effect of shrapnel.

The Type 94 mountain cannon is indeed an excellent mountain cannon, but the shrapnel shells used in this mountain cannon are really unsatisfactory. It took more than thirty rounds of shells to cause dozens of casualties to the Japanese army. This killing effect really doubled Chen Xinsheng Feeling disappointed. If it were replaced by the 75 Bofors Mountain Cannon equipped by the Chinese army, not to mention thirty rounds, but as long as it fired four rounds, the Japanese troops in the impact would be knocked down by at least a hundred.

Although the Japanese Army's Type 94 Mountain Cannon is well designed, its ammunition technology is still a bit inferior after all. The shrapnel used in the mountain cannon is still the traditional lead shot shrapnel. The killing power of this kind of shrapnel specifically designed to attack personnel is actually far inferior to that of high-speed shrapnel. The steel shell of the grenade exploded with explosives. Chen Xinsheng, who figured out the link, immediately ordered all mountain artillery to replace the grenade.

"All of them are available. Change to instant fuze grenade attack. No. A shooting area, free fire."

The fourteen 94-type 75 mountain artillery batteries on the artillery position quickly changed the types of ammunition and replaced the mountain artillery with 75-mm caliber prompt-fire grenades.

Then, another round of artillery shells roared towards the Japanese infantry shock column. Dozens of 75mm instant fuze grenades loaded with high explosives exploded when they hit the ground, exploding into a burst of white mixed with red. After the strong light flower and the steel-cased grenade exploded, countless tiny shrapnel burst out.

The moment the shell exploded, these shrapnel rebounded to the same height as the impacting Japanese infantry helmets, scattered evenly in all directions, and swept the Japanese soldiers to the ground.

Sparks flashed, and 75mm grenades with instant fuses fell to the ground and exploded. The soil was mixed with the broken limbs and arms of the Japanese soldiers, and pillars of soil rose high and scattered in all directions.

It was not until this moment that the attacking Japanese troops realized the seriousness of the matter. In this rapid round of 75mm grenade fire, the attacking Japanese troops suffered more than 70 casualties.

A Type 94 37mm rapid-fire gun, pulled by artillery manpower and advancing with the attacking infantry, was also hit by a 75mm grenade. After being distorted and deformed by the bomb, it was lifted into the air by the shock wave. Then it fell heavily, killing several Japanese artillerymen who could not escape.

The power of grenades is indeed much greater than that of shrapnel. The rapid fire of fourteen 75mm mountain cannons formed a powerful fragmentation circle composed of dense shrapnel in the No. A shooting zone planned by Chen Xinsheng. This powerful circle across the path of the Japanese army's attack not only caused heavy casualties to the Japanese army, but also stagnated the Japanese army's attack formation and was forced to stop advancing.

The gunners on the artillery position continued to deliver 75mm grenades towards the predetermined No. A shooting zone at almost the maximum rate of fire. After rounds of rapid fire, the gunners operating the artillery He also gradually became familiar with the use of Type 94 mountain cannon.

Soon, the artillery position was filled with smoking golden cartridges.

The Type 94 mountain cannon was originally produced in France. The hydraulic retraction mechanism carefully improved by Japanese engineers repeatedly operated. As the 75mm cannons were ejected from the chamber, the fourteen mountain cannons were placed on the position due to the time of the artillery firing. The interaction of the airflows produced visible gray whirlwinds that swept across the entire artillery position.

The ground under the gunners' feet also trembled from the firing of the artillery. Their mouths were filled with the smell of gunpowder smoke, and the nerves in their whole bodies were tensed and then tightened with the "boom".

The artillery position that was hit rapidly was not friendly to the gunners, but the gunners of the fourteen mountain cannons opened their mouths wide and carried out the process of loading and shooting with increasingly rapid movements.

Because they knew that as long as they blocked the Japanese for one more moment in the blocking position, the main position behind them would have one more moment to annihilate the enemy.

Under the intensive rain of bullets, after the attacking Japanese troops stopped advancing, they began to hide on the spot and build fortifications to avoid the artillery fire.

The four aggressive infantry squadrons lost their temper immediately after being blasted by fourteen mountain cannons. They didn't even get close to the infantry position where Fu Chen was located, and were successfully blocked by Chen Xinsheng's artillery fire.

The officers and soldiers who were waiting in line on the infantry defensive position saw that the Japanese troops were being hit by artillery fire before they could even raise their heads. They cheered on the position and rushed towards what was almost a reinforced field artillery battalion. The spectacular scene of the shooting shouted that the artillery fired well.

There were even some veterans who screamed and laughed wantonly at the Japanese soldiers who were turned upside down by bombs in front of them.

The artillery officers and soldiers of the tank defense guns and 81mm mortars who were also deployed in the infantry positions were jealous and eager to try.

The excitement of the officers and soldiers on the infantry defensive position not only came from the tragic situation of the Japanese army being bombed, but what made them even more happy was that this group of infantrymen who had just assisted the artillery to clean up the abandoned artillery equipment of the Japanese artillery knew that they were facing the Japanese infantry. The artillery that was bombing indiscriminately was originally the equipment of the Japanese army!
In the artillery command post, Chen Xinsheng looked at the pot of steel broth he had given to the Japanese. A satisfied smile finally appeared on his face. He nodded in front of the artillery mirror and said to himself: "This Japanese-made The Type 94 mountain artillery is really good. Although the power of the shells is not as good as the Bofors, it is still pretty good. "

"Okay!" Chen Xinsheng roared cheerfully and shouted to the sergeant beside him:

"Tell the artillerymen that the Japanese left us with a lot of shells, so let me hit them hard!"

Boom boom-
Boom boom-
In the assault queue of the Japanese infantry, there were bursts of gunpowder smoke and flashes of fire. The four Japanese infantry squadrons and two 37mm rapid-fire artillery squadrons that attacked suffered heavy casualties from round after round, wave after wave of shelling. Hundreds of Japanese soldiers have been killed or injured in the shelling. The destructive effect of the explosion of the 75mm steel-cased grenade was far greater than that of the initial shrapnel. The Japanese ranks were already filled with accumulated corpses and broken limbs.

Although the fierce-willed Japanese infantry had already built positions on the spot under the command of officers and non-commissioned officers, carrying out emergency fortification operations, pushing rapid-fire cannons, and the Japanese artillery set up artillery in spite of the fierce bombardment of the Chinese army, the Japanese troops were advancing at a pace that impacted the formation. But they could not continue to advance, and the falling Chinese army artillery shells were constantly killing the Japanese troops.

"Hurry up, push the cannon up and build concealment fortifications!"

In the Japanese attack formation, Captain Furuta, the captain of the Type 94 37mm rapid-fire artillery squadron directly under the 38th Regiment of the Infantry, waved his command knife and shouted at the sound of the shells piercing the air and the booming explosion. He commanded his artillery squadron to carry out artillery installation operations.

In the distance, the rapid-fire artillery squadron of the 41st Infantry Regiment was doing the same thing.

Despite the fierce artillery fire from the Chinese army and despite being far away from the Chinese army's infantry positions, the two rapid-fire artillery squadrons originally used to defend the Chinese army's tanks had to prepare to fire at the Chinese army's infantry positions despite the rain of bullets. Preparation for shooting. At such a long distance, rapid-fire artillery is the only effective means of attacking the infantry positions of the Chinese army.

"Hurry up and build an artillery firing position."

Captain Gutian roared an order with a ferocious face. As soon as he finished speaking, several more artillery shells fell to the ground and exploded not far away. The violent vibrations were transmitted to Captain Gutian's brain through his bones and skin.

Immediately afterwards, an extremely hot, seemingly burning shock wave and storm generated by the explosion of the shell hit his face.

Captain Furuta managed to steady himself in the shock wave that was like a pair of invisible hands. He lowered his head to avoid it. When he raised his head again, he saw that the flat ground where the shells had landed had become nearly two meters deep. A large pit with a radius of about 7 meters was filled with bombed-out fuzzy flesh and blood, as well as weapons and human body parts.

"Damn it, set up the gun quickly, set up the gun quickly!"

Captain Furuta looked at the tragic scene after the artillery shells hit the infantry. He was not only surprised by the fierce artillery fire of the Chinese army, but also shocked that the Chinese artillery could maneuver to the current battlefield in a short period of time.

And just as he was astonished and commanding his officers and soldiers to set up artillery, the whistling sound representing death came from mid-air.

"Get down! Take cover!"

Captain Furuta immediately judged that the fired shells were about to land at his location, shouted and lie down, and at the same time spotted a nearby pit, rushed forward, turned over and lay down in the pit, and at the same time He covered his ears, opened his mouth wide, and took a deep breath.

Rumble

Captain Furuta's judgment was very accurate. A 75mm mountain artillery shell landed exactly where he was. The fire-like shock wave once again covered Captain Furuta's body. Captain Furuta relied on his own experience to successfully attack here. Survived rounds of shelling.

But the dozen or so rapid-fire artillerymen near him were not so lucky. They all fell into the dense shrapnel. A Type 94 37mm tank defense gun was also blown into scrap by the shells.

When Captain Furuta stood up from the pit and saw the tragic scene in front of him, his eyes almost burst out with fire.

At the beginning of the Chinese army's artillery bombardment, one artillery piece of his squadron was blown up. Now another artillery piece and more than a dozen officers and soldiers were annihilated in the Chinese army's artillery fire. How could Captain Gutian not be angry?
Seeing the 37 rapid-fire cannon with its gun shield blown to pieces, its barrel also twisted and deformed, and the mutilated bodies of nearby artillerymen, Captain Furuta was furious and punched the edge of the pit with a heavy punch.

After the punch hit, Captain Gutian suddenly felt severe pain in his hand. A huge shrapnel buried in the soil on the edge of the pit cut Captain Gutian's finger open, and blood flowed out gurglingly.

"idiot!"

Captain Gutian shouted angrily and threw away the shrapnel. However, when the shrapnel rolled a few times and came into Captain Gutian's eyes, Captain Gutian was immediately attracted by the surprisingly large and hot shrapnel. Shocked.

The production inscription on this black shrapnel shows that it is a 75mm blasting grenade produced by the Osaka Arsenal just this year for use with the Type 94 75mm mountain gun.

How could the Chinese army use the latest 75mm mountain artillery shells produced by Japan?
This question suddenly came to Captain Furuta's mind.

Ignoring the pain in his hands and clutching the huge shrapnel tightly, Captain Furuta looked at the artillery shells raining down all around him and thought of his question about the maneuvering speed of the Chinese army's artillery.

I also remembered the fact that the two mountain artillery brigades rescued by this dispatch had lost almost all their artillery equipment not long ago.

Moreover, it seems that these two mountain artillery brigades are equipped with the latest Type 94 75mm mountain cannon of the Imperial Japanese Army!
In an instant, Captain Gutian understood everything.

The Chinese army on the opposite side is using the artillery abandoned by the two mountain artillery brigades it rescued to attack its own side!

Suddenly, Captain Furuta became so angry that he resisted the urge to vomit three liters of blood. He shouted and called the squadron's messenger, asking him to report the fact he had just discovered to the reinforcement headquarters in the rear.

(End of this chapter)