The Iron-Blooded Army of Beacon Fire

Chapter 380 The most tragic day for the Japanese Marines 3
"All positions and firing points should concentrate their firepower and attack immediately!"

Kitaro Tsuchiji kept shouting into the transmitter, urging the Japanese troops in various positions to open fire and fight back. Looking at the Chinese soldiers surging in front of the positions, the chill and fear he felt when he killed the Chinese prisoner not long ago once again surged into his heart.

Because the Chinese troops rushing towards the position in skilled battle formations were exactly the same in terms of combat uniforms and weapons and equipment as the prisoner who had just been killed and the bodies of the Chinese Army's Assault Corps soldiers who were pulled back from the outer trench position.

Kitaro Tsuchi could clearly see the Chinese army officers and soldiers rushing towards him. Each of them wore a German M35-style steel helmet and very strange vest-style combat gear. The rifles they held were all Czech-made VZ24 rifles, and they were also equipped with a large number of German-made MP28 (flower machine guns).

This also shows that the Chinese army that is now attacking their positions is the assault corps that has never been heard of before.

Although he had already been prepared for the attack of this elite Chinese force, whom he had never fought before, the current battlefield situation was far beyond Kitaro Tsuchi's prediction. This Chinese army was able to complete a series of tactical processes such as ambushing in front of the enemy, artillery cover and infantry assault in such a short period of time, and captured the outer trench in front of the main position of the Japanese army at lightning speed without the Japanese firing a single shot.

The organization of the attack, the close coordination between the main attack force and the covering force, and the high accuracy of the artillery fire were unprecedented in the Chinese troops he had fought against, and were not inferior to the attack combat exercises of the elite Japanese Army units he had observed.

"Fire! Fire now!"

Under the urgent urging of Kitaro Tsuchi, the bunkers, machine gun nests and other firing points in the Japanese front-line positions and the Marine infantry in the communication trenches began to attack the rushing main attack force of the First Battalion with a hasty shooting rhythm under the suppression of fierce mortar and mountain artillery fire.

The Type 92 heavy machine guns in the bunkers and machine gun nests and the Taisho 11-year light machine guns spewed out tongues of fire with a "boom boom" sound. Amid the flashing flames, streams of fire shot out one after another. The 7.7mm Type 92 heavy machine gun bullets and 6.5mm light machine gun bullets flew across the sky and swept towards the sudden main attack force of the First Battalion. The Japanese Marine Corps infantry in the communication trenches also opened fire fiercely with Type 38 rifles and Type 89 50mm grenade launchers.

Whizzing
Boom
Hmm.
The firepower network composed of the Japanese army's machine guns and the 50mm grenades thrown by the grenade launchers soon collided with the main attack force of the First Battalion. The tracer bullets fired by the Type 92 heavy machine guns and the Taisho Type 11 light machine guns drew fire snakes in the air and flew everywhere. The grenades were fired from the trenches with a whizzing sound and smashed down obliquely towards the main attack force of the First Battalion.

The flying light and heavy machine gun and rifle firepower network and the dense shrapnel produced by the 50mm grenade explosion on the ground instantly knocked down dozens of officers and soldiers of the First Battalion who were charging. Suddenly, there were cries of pain and blood mist in the attack formation of the First Battalion.

However, the firepower of the Japanese machine guns and grenade launchers did not slow down the pace of the officers and soldiers of the First Battalion, nor did it defeat the assault of the main attack force.

Although the Japanese army had densely built bunkers and machine gun nests in the first-line positions, the shells fired by the mortar group and mountain artillery company that covered the assault of the First Battalion's officers and soldiers also hit the Japanese army's bunkers, machine gun nests and other firepower points and communication trenches continuously and accurately, especially the 75mm mountain artillery shells and 81mm mortar shells, which were completely aimed at the Japanese army's bunkers and machine gun nests.

Although the 75mm mountain artillery shells and 81mm mortar shells were unable to directly destroy the Japanese bunkers and machine gun nests that were built with multiple layers of reinforcement such as logs, covering soil, and sandbags, the continuous bombardment of falling shells also caused great interference to the Japanese light and heavy machine gun shooters hidden in them. Dense shrapnel, accompanied by continuous artillery fire, continued to penetrate into the bunkers and machine gun nests through the firing ports, killing the Japanese machine gunners one after another.

Therefore, although the machine gun firepower ejected from the Japanese army's bunker machine gun nests was not weak, it was unable to fully bring out the advantage of machine gun firepower continuity.

The Japanese Type 92 heavy machine gun shooters in the bunkers and machine gun nests often could not even fire a complete ammunition feed plate before being knocked down by shrapnel that penetrated through the firing holes. And few of the Taisho Type 11 light machine gun shooters could fire all 30 rounds in a magazine in one breath. They would often be killed and replaced after firing only 15 or 20 rounds.

The 60mm mortars, which had almost no destructive effect on bunkers and machine gun nests, after briefly bombarding the Japanese bunkers, machine gun nests and other firepower points, changed their targets to the Japanese communication trenches, launching a large number of 60mm mortar shells into the Japanese communication trenches with a series of high-throw trajectories.

Although the 60mm artillery shells have almost zero destructive power against civil fortifications, they are extremely effective in killing infantry.

The Japanese Marine riflemen who were firing at the main attack force of the 60st battalion with rifles in the communication trench and the Japanese grenade launcher team who were squatting in the trench operating the Type 60 mm grenade launcher were almost firing while being bombarded by mm mortars. One after another, mm mortar grenades exploded in the communication trench of the Japanese main position, causing heavy casualties to the Japanese troops fighting in the trench.

Under the rapid fire of 18 60mm mortars, the communication trenches of the Japanese main position had no blind spots at all. They were filled with dense shrapnel produced by the explosion of 60mm mortar shells. In addition, the fragments of 75mm mountain artillery shells and 81mm mortar shells exploded on bunkers and machine gun nests. The Japanese Marines fighting in the communication trenches had almost no safe place to stay.

A shell exploded in the communication trench, followed by flying mud, dust, screams of pain, and flying flesh and blood of the knocked-down Japanese Marines.

However, although the Japanese troops in the front-line positions were suppressed by fierce artillery fire, suffered heavy casualties, and could not fully exert the firepower of various firearms, the three infantry companies and heavy machine gun company of the Fifth Special Marine Corps, which were the most powerful under his command, were placed on the front line by Kitaro Tsuchi. More than half of the officers and soldiers were veterans of the Japanese Marine Corps who had participated in the Zhabei Defense Battle of the Battle of Shanghai and the attack on the Sihang Warehouse.

These Japanese Marines who participated in the Battle of Shanghai boasted that they were the elite force that defeated the Chinese Army's elite German-equipped division in the Zhabei urban area and forced back 800 Chinese soldiers at the Sihang Warehouse. They billed themselves as "having combat effectiveness superior to that of the Japanese Army," and were a group of arrogant and brave generals.

Therefore, although he was beaten badly, his fighting will was still quite strong, and he also had a fighting spirit of fighting to the death.

Although the Japanese machine gunners hidden in the bunkers and machine gun nests suffered casualties and were constantly killed, as soon as one shooter was killed, the next shooter would soon come up to continue the shooting. The Japanese Marine Corps riflemen and grenade launcher soldiers in the communication trenches also withstood the bombardment of 60mm mortars, risking being blown into a bloody sieve, and insisted on firing, fighting to the death.

The main attacking force of the first battalion also refused to give in during the charge.

Although the main attacking force of the first battalion was constantly knocked down by the firepower of the Japanese army, and the casualties were gradually increasing, the officers and soldiers of the first battalion became more and more courageous and charged more and more fiercely. The buglers of the main attacking force blew the military bugle fiercely, and the officers and cadres such as the platoon leaders also led the troops to charge forward. From officers at all levels to sergeants and ordinary soldiers, no one dared to play cowards. They all rushed forward in a standard scattered group attack formation. The commander of the first battalion, Fu Chen, was also in the center of the attack formation, holding a machine gun, bravely charging forward in the rain of bullets fired from the Japanese position.

"Brothers, follow me."

"Carry forward the Whampoa spirit, charge forward, charge forward!"

"Kill!"

In the dim morning light, the main attack force of the 1st Battalion, with a fearless spirit and the excitement of killing for the country, used a battle formation of skirmisher tactics, and charged 300 meters under the fierce firepower of the Japanese army, attacking to a place less than 200 meters away from the Japanese front-line main position, amid the exciting bugle calls and shouts of killing.

According to the charging speed of the main attack force of the First Battalion, in another half minute, the infantry of the First Battalion will rush into the Japanese army's first-line trenches.

In the central command post of the Japanese position, Kitaro Tsuchi saw that the front-line positions were full of artillery shells fired by the Chinese army. Although the Japanese firepower was quite fierce, it could not stop the Chinese army's scattered attack formations and the frenzy of assault.

Seeing that the Chinese army was about to break into the trenches and break through the front-line defenses, the anxious Tsuchi Kitaro immediately ordered: "Artillery, artillery, use artillery fire to stop the damn Chinese army!"

Tsuchi Kitaro's battle order was immediately transmitted to the Japanese artillery position along the telephone line, and a small artillery group consisting of seven Type 8 mountain guns from the th and th Special Marine Corps artillery squadrons immediately began firing. (The original structure consisted of two squadrons with eight guns, one of which was damaged during the river crossing battle)
In the center of the Japanese position, muzzle flames flashed, and the dull sound of shells being fired continued to ring out. Rounds of 75mm mountain artillery grenades, with sharp whistling sounds, hit the main attack force of the first battalion in front of the front line of the Japanese main position.

Boom
Boom
The fierce and rapid firing of seven Japanese Type 41 75mm mountain guns formed a blocking fire and exploded in the attack formation of the main attack force of the First Battalion. 75mm caliber grenades and 75mm shotgun shells containing a large number of prefabricated steel balls exploded one after another. The flying shrapnel and steel balls as well as the powerful shock wave knocked down, killed, and blown away dozens of officers and soldiers of the First Battalion who were charging.

The fierce fire of the Japanese artillery finally regained some ground for the Japanese army, which had been badly beaten and in a declining situation. The offensive momentum of the first battalion also suddenly weakened as the Japanese artillery blocked the attack.

Battalion Commander Fu Chen watched as several of his men fell under the Japanese artillery fire a few dozen meters away. There were dense falling shells everywhere, and the scorching air and thick smell of gunpowder almost made Fu Chen unable to breathe. Fu Chen had to quickly reduce the speed of the attack, opened his mouth and turned his head to the side to avoid the shock waves and heat waves generated by the explosion of the shells around him. He fell forward and crawled on the ground, and began to crawl towards the main position of the Japanese army, and at the same time shouted: "Lie down, crawl forward!"

After being suddenly and fiercely bombarded by the Japanese artillery, the casualties of the officers and soldiers of the main attack force of the First Battalion increased sharply, and the attack formation that had been charging rapidly also stagnated. Facing the rapid grenade and shotgun bombardment of the Japanese Seven-Gate Mountain Artillery, the officers and soldiers of the main attack force of the First Battalion stopped the charge without Fu Chen's order, and instead crawled on the ground.

In the rear, He Wei, who had been watching the battle in the command post, saw that the main attack force of the first battalion was bombarded and the assault was blocked. He immediately grabbed the phone to the first mountain artillery company, raised his fist and shouted: "The Japanese artillery has moved. The artillery company should stop bombarding the Japanese bunkers. Destroy the Japanese artillery positions for me!"

Throwing away the telephone transmitter leading to the first mountain artillery company, He Wei called Tao Heiwa, a serviceman and messenger, to fetch the telephone transmitter leading to the first battalion's main attack force's departure position. After the call was connected, he continued to shout: "Let the anti-tank artillery company push forward. The first mountain artillery company will attack the enemy's artillery positions. The anti-tank artillery should quickly move forward and assist the infantry of the first battalion to knock out the enemy's bunkers and machine gun nests on the front line with direct firepower!"

Now the First Battalion was under artillery attack from the Japanese Army and its assault was blocked. The only weapons that could counter the Japanese artillery were the six Type 6 mountain guns of the First Mountain Artillery Company. The 94mm tank defense guns of the tank defense gun company were capable of eliminating Japanese bunkers and machine gun nests when using direct fire attacks.

Under the current circumstances, the mountain artillery company must switch to attacking the Japanese artillery, and the tank defense artillery company must also step up to attack the Japanese front-line bunkers and machine gun nests and cover the assault of the main attack force of the first battalion!

Under He Wei's quick command, the first mountain artillery company of the assault corps' artillery battalion, which was pouring bullets on the Japanese front-line bunkers and machine gun nests at the artillery positions, took action first.

Upon receiving the order, the commander of the First Mountain Artillery Company immediately adjusted the company's firing targets and began to change the company's suppression fire on the front-line bunkers and firing points of the Japanese main positions to anti-artillery fire.

Thanks to the feint attack by the special forces company, the mountain artillery company had already learned the location of the Japanese artillery positions in advance and had preliminarily calculated the corresponding firing parameters. Now that they had received the order to counter artillery firing, the first company commander of the mountain artillery immediately ordered the observation officer in the company to observe the Japanese artillery positions again.

Although the sky was gradually brightening, the muzzle flames and dust produced by the rapid firing of the Japanese seven-gun mountain cannon were still discovered by the observer of the first mountain cannon company. Although the position of the Japanese seven-gun mountain cannon was different from the position scouted by the special forces company during the feint attack, they were not far apart.

In order to destroy the Japanese artillery positions as quickly as possible, the observation officer of the 1st Mountain Artillery Company quickly derived the firing parameters of the current Japanese artillery positions after making rough modifications to the original firing parameters.

After the new firing parameters were transmitted to the positions of the six mountain guns of the Mountain Artillery Company, the commander of the Mountain Artillery Company shouted in a heroic voice into the telephone leading to each platoon: "Prepare all guns! Target the Japanese artillery positions, and immediately fire at the firing parameters. Each gun will fire twenty rounds rapidly. Fire!"

"Boom bang bang..."

6门94式山炮的炮口频频绽放出白烟，一发发射程高达8200米的90式75毫米尖锐爆破榴弹呼啸着飞出了炮膛，砸向了日军的炮兵阵地
(End of this chapter)