The Iron-Blooded Army of Beacon Fire

Chapter 397 Bloody Battle 2
On the high ground of the Big and Small Bear Mountains, 75mm and 150mm shells fell with powerful force and exploded. Stones of all sizes, compacted clods of earth, and branches as thick as bowls were constantly blown into the sky, then crushed into pieces by the flying shrapnel and then fell like rain.

It has to be said that the bombardment of Hata Shigekazu's artillery group was extremely powerful. He Wei's artillery group had 44 artillery pieces, and Hata Shigekazu's artillery group also had 44 artillery pieces. However, in terms of the quality of the artillery pieces in the artillery group, Hata Shigekazu's artillery group was much better than He Wei's.

After all, among He Wei's artillery group, 24 were 81mm and 82mm mortars, while Hata Shigekazu's artillery group was composed entirely of barreled artillery.

Therefore, although the number of artillery pieces is the same, the power and shock of the group shooting of the Hata Detachment's artillery group is actually slightly higher than that of He Wei's artillery group.

On the high ground of Big Bear Mountain and Small Bear Mountain, raging air waves mixed with shrapnel flew everywhere. Stones and sand carrying moisture mixed together and were quickly swept into the air by the air waves. Densely packed shells fell, but one could not hear the explosion of a single shell, but a series of huge roars like rolling thunder.

Most of the officers and soldiers of the 385th Infantry Regiment of the 1125th Brigade who were hiding in the covert area were experiencing such high-intensity artillery bombardment for the first time. These officers and soldiers, whose morale was boosted by the first battle yesterday, inevitably panicked at this time.

Many recruits had blood oozing from their ears and noses, and their faces were shaking uncontrollably, while the veterans and officers who had experienced war stood with their mouths wide open, enduring the torment of the blast from the shells and the vibrations from the explosions.

Of course, although the Japanese artillery bombardment was fierce, it did not cause huge casualties to the 1125th Regiment. Thanks to Ma Ji's painstaking management, the fortifications of the 1125th Regiment on the Big and Small Bear Mountain Heights had become quite solid. The entire ridge of the heights was covered with shelters reinforced with logs and sandbags.

Although the Japanese army's most numerous 75mm mountain artillery had a large firepower projection capacity, mountain artillery shells of this caliber could only hit unobstructed or semi-exposed bunkers at best.

As for the large shelters of the 1125th Regiment with reinforced roofs, the 75mm mountain artillery shells were powerless. Even if the Japanese army fired 75mm shells with delayed fuses, they would not explode immediately after hitting the shelters of the 1125th Regiment, but would only explode after drilling into the soil. However, the weak destructive power of the 75mm grenades still could not cause structural damage to the sturdy fortifications of the 1125th Regiment.

However, the Japanese bombardment was not completely ineffective. The 150mm howitzers of the heavy artillery battalion fired explosive grenades with delayed fuses, which were extremely powerful and often directly hit the scattered poorly constructed and poorly defended hidden fortifications of the 1125th Regiment.

Once these relatively weaker concealed fortifications were directly hit by the 150mm delayed-action grenade, they would collapse immediately, and the flesh and blood of the officers and soldiers of the 1125th Regiment hidden in them would quickly merge into the soil under the impact of shrapnel and explosions, or be torn into pieces, with broken limbs and internal organs thrown into the air.

Boom
Boom
The rumbling sound of explosions continued, and the Big and Small Bear Mountain Plateau had become a hell of smoke and fire.

However, in general, although the Japanese artillery bombardment was fierce, it did not cause much casualties to the officers and soldiers of the 1125th Regiment in the well-fortified positions on the Big and Small Bear Mountains. The only thing was that the sound of a complete mountain artillery regiment and a heavy artillery battalion firing at the same time was truly terrifying.

In the command post of the Japanese heavy artillery battalion, the battalion commander, Major Akamatsu Tomoichiro, looked at the smoke and bullet clouds rising from the Big and Small Bear Mountains. He kept turning the artillery scope, carefully searching for the Chinese army artillery near the heights.

On the artillery position, eight Type 8 96mm howitzers under the Heavy Artillery Battalion were continuously firing, and the large calibration balloons equipped by the balloon team under the Heavy Artillery Battalion were also rising slowly, starting shooting observation operations near the Big and Small Bear Mountain heights.

Attached to the mooring rope of the calibration balloon is a telephone line that goes directly to the 150mm heavy artillery battalion command post, which can transmit the shooting target parameters observed in the air to the heavy artillery battalion command post anytime and anywhere.

Shigekazu Hata had given a strict order to the Japanese artillery under his command, not only to carry out uninterrupted bombardment of the Chinese troops on the Big and Small Bear Mountain heights for at least twenty minutes, but also to kill the Chinese artillery before the infantry attack was launched.

This task naturally fell on the shoulders of the 150mm heavy artillery battalion under the Hata Detachment. After all, the heavy artillery battalion not only had the Japanese army's latest ground observation equipment, but also had calibration balloons for aerial observation, and possessed extremely good artillery shooting observation capabilities.

Because of this, Hata Shigekazu even gave the heavy artillery battalion commander Akamatsu Tomoichiro the power to command the Taiwan Island Mountain Artillery Regiment in counterattack fire against the Chinese army's artillery.

After repeated searches with the artillery telescope failed, Akamatsu Yuichiro frowned and asked, "Ask the forward artillery observation post and the calibration balloon if they have found any artillery positions of the Chinese army."

The sergeant in the heavy artillery battalion command post immediately made an inquiry by phone, and quickly reported back to Akamatsu Yuichiro in a loud voice, "Report to the battalion commander, the front artillery squadron and the calibration balloon did not find any Chinese artillery. The calibration balloon observer believed that the Chinese army was very likely to set up the artillery position on the reverse slope on the back side of the high ground."

As an elite artillery officer of the Japanese army with rich combat experience, after seeing the Big and Small Bear Mountain Heights, Akamatsu Tomoichiro had actually guessed that the Chinese army was very likely to deploy artillery positions on the reverse slope of the heights. If he were the artillery commander of the Chinese army, he would certainly do the same if the positions of both sides were swapped.

The report on the balloon launch further confirmed Akamatsu Tomoichiro's speculation.

Akamatsu Yuichiro frowned and said, "This is troublesome. We must attract the Chinese artillery to open fire. Come, report to Captain Hata immediately. The Chinese artillery is hiding on the reverse slope. Request the infantry to launch a feint attack to attract the enemy artillery to open fire so that our artillery can observe the enemy artillery position!"

Shigeichi Hata hated the Chinese artillery near the Big and Small Bear Mountain Heights. After receiving the report from Touichiro Akamatsu, he immediately agreed to his request.

Immediately, amid the rumbling of artillery fire, the Hata Detachment launched a feint attack by its infantry to attract artillery fire from the Chinese army.

An infantry company of the 1st Infantry Regiment of Taiwan Island jumped out of the trenches, with bayonets flashing coldly, and jumped out of the infantry attack starting position two kilometers away from the Big and Small Bear Mountain Heights, shouting and rushing towards the Big and Small Bear Mountain Heights that were shrouded in flames and smoke.

At the same time, all kinds of heavy weapons of the 1st Infantry Regiment of Taiwan Island also opened fire at full power and joined in the shooting at the Big and Small Bear Mountain Heights. The four Type 4 41mm mountain guns of the regiment's direct artillery company and the four Type 75 4mm rapid-fire guns of the direct rapid-fire artillery company also opened fire fiercely, bombarding the ridges of the heights.

Amid the chattering shouts of killing, nearly two hundred Japanese infantrymen rushed forward like crazy under the cover of heavy artillery fire.

"Captain Chen, Captain Hu, the Japanese army has begun to charge!"

In the command post of the 1125th Infantry Regiment on the Big and Small Bear Mountain Heights, the regiment commander, Colonel Xu Kunyuan, said anxiously.

Compared with the various hiding places on the high ground, the command post of the 1125th Infantry Regiment is more solid. The roof of the command post is not only reinforced with multiple layers of sandbags, logs and loose soil, but also has several valuable steel plates.

Therefore, neither the Japanese army's 75mm mountain artillery shells nor the 150mm grenades could cause fatal damage to the command post of the 1125th Regiment. The officers and soldiers in the command post were therefore able to calmly observe the movements of the Japanese army on the high ground covered by dense artillery shells.

At this time, the fierce bombardment of the Japanese artillery and the shouting of the charging infantry mixed together, which was an astonishing sound. Such a formation of the Japanese army also made Xu Kunyuan, the commander of the 1125th Regiment, who was witnessing the fierce artillery fire and fierce offensive of the Japanese army for the first time, a little panicked.

The infantrymen of the 1125th Regiment were now all hiding in cover to avoid the bombardment. Facing the Japanese infantry charge, Xu Kunyuan could only seek help from Chen Xinsheng, the artillery battalion commander of the assault corps, and Hu Rizhen, the commander of the 150mm heavy artillery battalion, who were in charge of the artillery group.

Chen Xinsheng gave Xu Kunyuan a calming look and said to Hu Rizhen: "Captain Hu, it looks like a Japanese squadron. Don't waste your German howitzers. Let the mortar group come." Hu Rizhen said calmly: "Okay."

Chen Xinsheng immediately picked up the phone to the reverse slope mortar group position and shouted loudly: "Target, enemy infantry group, firing area B, rapid fire!"

As the dense artillery fire like frying beans rang out, the mortar group deployed on the reverse slope of the Big and Small Bear Mountain Heights opened fire instantly. 12 Brandt 81mm mortars and 12 20 Type 82 mortars fired explosive grenades one after another, flying towards the rushing Japanese infantry with a high trajectory.

Whizzing
Whizzing
Amid the whistling sound of artillery shells breaking through the air, mortar shells fell like hail, explosions rang out one after another in the Japanese infantry's charging column, and columns of smoke rose from the ground.

The scorching air waves and flying shrapnel instantly enveloped the charging Japanese infantry squadron. Suddenly, dozens of Japanese infantrymen were torn apart by the exploding mortar shells amid screams, and fell in pools of blood in groups.

After being hit by two rounds of mortar shells, the Japanese infantry squadron lost its usual tenacity. Instead, it quickly changed its formation like a mouse seeing a cat, and retreated madly after leaving behind dozens of corpses.

At the same time, in the command post of the Japanese heavy artillery battalion, a non-commissioned officer answered a call from the air calibration balloon, and then reported loudly to the battalion commander Akamatsu Yuichiro: "Captain, the calibration balloon reported that they have found Chinese artillery on the reverse slope heights."

Akamatsu Tomoichiro was immediately delighted and said anxiously, "Tell them to quickly report the shooting information to the squadrons and shoot them down!"

"Yes!"

The mortar group on the reverse slope of Big Bear Mountain and Small Bear Mountain dealt a heavy blow to the charging Japanese infantry squadron with fierce bombardment, but while killing dozens of Japanese infantrymen, the rapid firing of 24 mortars also exposed their own position.

The Japanese heavy artillery battalion's 150mm howitzers also reacted extremely quickly. Less than half a minute after the Japanese infantry squadron that had feinted had withdrawn, the two squadrons' eight Type 8 96mm howitzers, in accordance with the instructions of the calibration balloon, opened fire rapidly after adjusting the firing parameters and began counter-artillery shooting at the mortar group on the reverse slope of the Big and Small Bear Mountains.

Whizzing
Whizzing
In the command post of the 1125th Regiment, Chen Xinsheng and Hu Rizheng, who were closely observing the retreating Japanese infantry, suddenly felt their ears ache from the sound of shells piercing their eardrums. Then, violent explosions and vibrations were heard on the reverse slope on the back side of the Big and Small Bear Mountain Heights.

Chen Xinsheng and Hu Rizheng's heads were buzzing due to the violent vibration and the whistling sound of the shells breaking through the air. Then, they looked at each other, their faces changed, and they soon realized that it was the Japanese artillery conducting anti-artillery fire against the mortar group on the reverse slope.

Boom
Boom
The shooting skills of the Japanese heavy artillery battalion were indeed impressive. Almost all the shells fired by the eight Type 8 howitzers crossed the ridges of the Big and Small Bear Mountain heights and hit the reverse slope of the heights.

However, because the Japanese heavy artillery battalion's positions were too far away from the Big and Small Bear Mountain Heights, and because the reverse slope heights had natural blind spots for shooting, almost all of the Japanese artillery shells hit the foot of the mountain on the back side of the Big and Small Bear Mountain Heights, with only one 150mm grenade falling on the reverse slope.

However, this 150mm shell was fired very accurately. It not only hit the reverse slope, but also landed quite accurately in the mortar position on the reverse slope, hitting a gun position of the artillery battalion directly under the 18th Division, and blew away a 20th-type 82mm mortar and a dozen gunners.

The blast from the 150mm heavy grenade raged everywhere in an instant, mixing the wet sand, bloody bones and mortar parts together. The fierce blast and the blue-black smoke column that went straight into the sky quickly swept them into the air, completely destroying the gun crew.

The flying shrapnel also affected the nearby gunners of the 18th Division, injuring two or three gunners at other gun positions.

The violent explosion on the reverse slope heights immediately alarmed He Wei, who was in charge of the reverse slope command post. When He Wei walked out of the command post and saw the broken limbs and huge charred craters of the 18th Division's mortar battalion that had been bombarded, he quickly connected the phone to the 1125th Regiment's command post and shouted urgently, "Hey, go get Chen Xinsheng!"

"Captain, it's me."

He Wei shouted, "The Japanese have targeted our artillery positions on the reverse slope. They must have been firing back at us just now. There were about a dozen shells, most of which hit the foot of the mountain and exploded. Only one shell hit the reverse slope, destroying one of the 18th Division's guns. Judging from the depth and power of the crater, it must be a large-caliber gun of more than 100 mm. Find a way to knock out the Japanese's heavy artillery!"

On the other end of the phone, Chen Xinsheng also answered, "Yes! Captain, I will definitely destroy the enemy's heavy artillery. If I fail, I will bring my head to you!"

In the command post of the 1125th Regiment, Chen Xinsheng put down the phone, ran to Hu Rizhen, pointed at the training balloon that was looming in the sky, appearing and disappearing, and said, "Captain Hu, we were careless. The Japanese infantry charge just now was fishing to attract our artillery to open fire, and then carried out anti-artillery fire under the guidance of the training balloon. Captain He said that most of the falling shells flew away and did not hit the reverse slope. Only one hit the mortar position of the 18th Division, which were all heavy artillery with a range of more than 100 mm."

Hu Rizhen stared at the artillery telescope intently and said, "The enemy's artillery skills are very good, but their artillery positions are too far away from us. There are blind spots on the reverse slope. We are very lucky to have a shell hit our mortar position on the reverse slope."

Chen Xinsheng nodded and said, "Captain He wants us to find a way to kill the Japanese artillery, otherwise the threat to us will be too great."

Hu Rizheng did not reply immediately, but kept adjusting the direction of the German Zeiss artillery scope in his hand, constantly searching for traces of the Japanese heavy artillery.

At this time, Hu Rizhen could clearly observe the dust and thick smoke from the firing of a Japanese artillery position. However, based on the firing frequency and the explosion intensity of the falling shells, Hu Rizhen concluded that this position was definitely not a heavy artillery position of the Japanese army.

Based on the distance between the Japanese artillery position and the heights of Big Bear Mountain, Hu Rizhen believed that the Japanese artillery position that could be observed visually should be a mountain artillery position with a shorter range, rather than the Japanese heavy artillery position that had just hit the reverse slope.

In fact, what Hu Rizhen observed was the artillery position where 36 Type 94 75mm mountain guns of the Taiwan Island Mountain Artillery Regiment under the Hata Detachment were located.

The maximum range of this mountain artillery reaches 8 kilometers. Although it is one of the best among the Japanese mountain artillery, it is still far behind the 96-kilometer range of the Type 150 11mm howitzer equipped by the Japanese heavy artillery battalion.

Both the commander of the Toishima Mountain Artillery Regiment and the commander of the 150mm heavy artillery battalion, Akamatsu Tomoichiro, were extremely cautious. After learning that the Chinese army's artillery fire near the Big and Small Bear Mountains was very fierce, both of them used the maximum effective range of the artillery equipped by their troops as the shooting range (the distance between the position and the target) to prevent being attacked by the Chinese army's counter-artillery fire.

Because of this, Hu Rizhen could barely see the Japanese mountain artillery positions with a shorter range, but could not visually see the Japanese 150mm heavy artillery positions with a longer range.

After repeated searches without success, Hu Rizhen said, "Captain Chen, the maximum range of our battalion's German-made SFH18 150mm howitzers is 13325 meters. As long as we can get the Japanese artillery within our battalion's effective range of 12 kilometers, I will be able to destroy them! But now I can only see one artillery position of the Japanese army, and this artillery position is definitely not a heavy artillery position."

Chen Xinsheng paced a few steps, his eyes suddenly warmed up, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Captain Hu, why don't we use a fishing tactic? Use my two mountain artillery companies to fire to attract the Japanese heavy artillery, so that they can move their positions forward and lure them into the effective range of your heavy artillery battalion, and then your heavy artillery battalion can shoot them down!"

(End of this chapter)