The Iron-Blooded Army of Beacon Fire

Chapter 408: Large Caliber Anti-aircraft Guns Hitting Tanks

Seventeen Type 94 ultra-light armored vehicles were divided into two horizontal rows and advanced rapidly towards the open area on the right side of the Big and Small Bear Mountain Highlands. Although the encounter between the Japanese light armored forces and the special forces company directly under the assault corps was extremely sudden.

However, when the Japanese tank soldiers saw that the Chinese army they encountered was just a group of light infantry, and the nearby terrain was an open area that was more suitable for the tanks to exert their mobility, the morale of the Japanese tank soldiers suddenly became strong. Seventeen armored vehicles rushed straight towards the special forces company. The Type 91 6.5mm machine guns on the turrets of the seventeen armored vehicles spit out tongues of fire and fired fiercely.

However, the Japanese tank troops that attacked clearly underestimated the combat effectiveness and firepower of the special forces company directly under the assault corps.

After a sudden encounter with Japanese tanks, the special forces company was caught off guard in the initial encounter and was strafed by machine gun fire from the Japanese tanks. After suffering more than a dozen casualties, they quickly entered combat status.

They did not disperse or collapse, but instead they lay prone on the spot and opened fire in resistance, launching fierce counterattacks at the Japanese tanks.

After receiving He Wei's order to delay the Japanese tank troops for at least five minutes, the special forces company commander Yang Biao quickly ordered the platoons of the special forces company to shrink their defenses, reduce the width of the entire company's defense front, and concentrate firepower on attacking the Japanese tanks.

As a result, the dense firepower centered on three MG34 general-purpose machine guns equipped with steel-core armor-piercing bullets, nine Czech ZB26 light machine guns, and six 60mm mortars also fired at the Japanese tank formation without giving in.

One after another, the 60mm mortar shells whizzed and landed accurately in the assault column of the Japanese tanks according to the precisely calibrated firing parameters, bursting out sparks. Dense mortar fragments flew everywhere, leaving scratches on the body of the Japanese Type light tank.

Even a mortar shell somehow hit the top of the turret of a Type 91 ultra-light armored vehicle. Although the mortar shell that exploded on the top of the turret did not directly destroy the turret of the tank, it instantly silenced the Type 6.5 mm machine gun in the turret.

The cross-barrage consisting of steel-core armor-piercing bullets fired from general-purpose machine guns and light machine guns and ordinary bullets fired from rifles also poured into the Japanese tank assault formation like a rainstorm. The shrapnel and bullets hit the Japanese tank body and made a very harsh steel friction and twisting sound. Some steel-core armor-piercing bullets also penetrated the Japanese tank body.

Under the fierce attack of various firearms of the special forces company, although none of the 17 Japanese light armored vehicles were destroyed or stopped, their moving speed was greatly reduced. During the impact, the tank assault formation that had been relatively neat was also in chaos.

The dense gunfire and fierce mortar explosions brought about a severe deterrent effect, which made the Japanese light tank group feel tremendous pressure. Many Japanese tank soldiers who wanted to pick on the weak and use tanks to attack the Chinese army's infantry were even stunned. They did not expect that the Chinese infantry they encountered would have such fierce firepower.

Yang Biao, the commander of the special forces company, crawled on the ground, raised his binoculars, and looked at the Japanese tanks that suddenly slowed down under the intensive fire of the special forces company. He estimated the battle time and said to the messenger beside him: "Notify each platoon to take turns to cover the retreat, with 60mm mortars as cover, retreat quickly!"

The melee between infantry and tanks lasted for nearly five minutes. The special forces company, which had completed the task assigned by He Wei, immediately began to retreat under the order of the company commander Yang Biao.

Boom
Boom
Boom
The six 60mm mortars under the three infantry platoons of the special forces company suddenly fired rounds of explosive grenades at the Japanese tank group in a rapid manner, causing dense columns of smoke to explode in the Japanese tank formation. Amid the rumbling sound of the explosion, the continuously falling 60mm mortar shells formed a barrage like a barrier between the special forces company and the Japanese tank group, isolating the special forces company from the Japanese tank group.

The Japanese tanks' assault speed slowed down again and a small-scale chaos occurred. In the chaos, another unlucky Type 94 light armored vehicle was directly hit by two mortar shells in succession.

Although the less powerful 60mm mortar shells still failed to destroy the Type ultra-light armored vehicle, the shock waves generated by the simultaneous explosion of two mortar shells still caused the fragile "bean tank" to shake slightly, and dense and mottled bullet marks suddenly appeared on the body of the vehicle, which gave the Japanese tank soldiers on other tanks a considerable shock.

Boom
Bang Bang
The sound of mortar shells exploding came one after another, and the sound of shrapnel rubbing against the armored vehicle's body and twisting continued to be heard.

Under a barrage of mortar bombardment, the light tank group consisting of 17 Japanese Type 94 ultra-light armored vehicles was like being punched, and the overall forward speed suddenly dropped.

The officers and soldiers of the special forces company also retreated wildly under the cover of mortar fire, gradually retreating in the dense but lingering barrage of bullets and dust, and breaking away from the firefight with the Japanese tanks.

Within five minutes of the battle between the special forces company and 17 Japanese tanks, the anti-aircraft artillery company behind the special forces company was ready for combat shooting.

The four huge Bofors M1929 75mm anti-aircraft guns have completed the unloading and deployment operations. The four anti-aircraft guns were removed from the towing hook of the tracked tractor by the officers and soldiers of the anti-aircraft gun company. The mobile tires of the anti-aircraft guns during the marching state were removed and replaced with a cross-shaped heavy-base gun mount for deployment and shooting. The barrels of the four guns were also laid flat, and the anti-aircraft guns entered the flat-firing combat state.

The four guns were deployed at intervals of 100 meters each. After loading armor-piercing shells that had both anti-aircraft and anti-tank shooting capabilities into the gun barrels, they quickly completed the construction of the positions.

Four 60-caliber Bofors 75mm anti-aircraft guns with long barrels, clamped by huge hydraulic recoil devices, had their black muzzles pointed directly in the direction of the special forces company's retreat, which was also the direction of the Japanese tank group's attack.

"Commander He, they are withdrawing!"

In the anti-aircraft artillery position, Huang Diaoqi, the company commander of the 75mm anti-aircraft artillery company, stood behind an anti-aircraft gun, looking through the telescope at the officers and soldiers of the special forces company who were taking turns to cover their retreat, and said to He Wei.

He Wei turned his head and shouted to Zhao Zhanhai, "Send flags to have the special forces company retreat to both sides and make way for the anti-aircraft guns."

"Yes!"

Soon, two staff officers from the assault corps stood on the truck of the anti-aircraft artillery company and turned He Wei's brief order into simple flag signals.

The two staff officers raised green and red flags and waved them to the retreating officers and soldiers of the special forces company. After seeing the flag signals, the retreating officers and soldiers of the special forces company also retreated to the two wings of the anti-aircraft artillery company's positions under the command of the officers.

The officers and soldiers of the special forces company quickly retreated, clearing the frontal firing range of the anti-aircraft artillery company.

At this time, the 17 Japanese light armored vehicles also recovered from the fierce bombardment of the special forces company's mortars and began to accelerate and rush. The 17 Japanese tanks readjusted their formation, and the engines roared, and began to accelerate and chase, chasing the retreating special forces company. The Japanese light armored vehicles in the galloping group soon entered the frontal firing range of the anti-aircraft artillery company and collided with the anti-tank firepower network composed of four anti-aircraft guns that had been pointing straight at the sky and used for air defense operations and were changed to a flat firing state.

"Sir, enemy tanks spotted, one kilometer away from our company's position."

An observation sergeant of the anti-aircraft artillery company took his eyes off the high-magnification telescope and reported loudly to the anti-aircraft artillery company commander Huang Diaoqi with some nervousness and excitement.

Huang Diaoqi turned to look at He Wei, who said calmly, "Captain Huang, I leave it to you. Use your anti-aircraft gun to knock down these bastards."

Huang Diaoqi nodded, then picked up the phone to the four anti-aircraft artillery positions and gave the order, "Attention, all guns! Open fire immediately if the enemy tanks come within 800 meters of our formation!"

Seventeen Japanese Type 94 light armored vehicles that attempted to pursue the special forces company drove at full speed and rushed all the way, soon rushing into the range of 800 meters of the anti-aircraft artillery company's firing position.

The huge gun bodies and barrels of the four anti-aircraft guns on the anti-aircraft artillery position were constantly turning under the control of the gunners who controlled the height and elevation of the guns, tracking the approaching Japanese tanks.

"open!"

Following the command to open from the gunner of the 75mm anti-aircraft gun closest to He Wei and Huang Diaoqi, the main gunner of the anti-aircraft gun slammed the firing pedal of the anti-aircraft gun.

With a loud bang, a cloud of white smoke came out of the muzzle of the anti-aircraft gun. The barrel recoiled violently, and the air wave generated when the shell flew out of the barrel raised a billowing dust. The shell flying out of the muzzle drew a straight and narrow trajectory in the aiming direction of the optical sight of the anti-aircraft gun aimer, and whizzed towards the target.

Immediately afterwards, an even more violent explosion was heard from a group of Japanese tanks 800 meters away.

The armor-piercing shells fired by this anti-aircraft gun accurately hit a Japanese Type 94 ultra-light armored vehicle, easily tearing open the almost thin armor of the Type 94 light armored vehicle.

Immediately afterwards, the Type 94 light armored vehicle that was torn apart by the armor-piercing shell exploded violently again. In the violent explosion, the turret and the body of the armored vehicle were separated. The fragile turret was blown into the air under the powerful kinetic energy of the large-caliber armor-piercing shell, and the body of the vehicle was also blown over to the ground.

Starting with the successful start of this anti-aircraft gun, four 75mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns began to launch direct fire attacks on Japanese tanks one after another. The sonic boom of the 75mm anti-aircraft guns with extremely fast firing rate continued to be heard.

The entire battlefield was filled with the sound of armor-piercing anti-aircraft shells whizzing out of the barrel and the loud noise of brass shell casings hitting the ground as the gunners retracted the shells. Shell after shell was fired, hitting the Japanese ultra-light armored vehicles one after another.

The flat-fire power brought by the 75-times-caliber barrel length of the Bofors 60mm anti-aircraft gun is unattainable by ordinary anti-tank guns. The Japanese light armored vehicles that were hit were either destroyed or blown into fireballs.

This kind of anti-aircraft gun's flat-fire bombardment was completely overpowering for the rubbish Type 94 light armored vehicles equipped by the Japanese army, and the shooting effect produced after hitting the target was even more touching.

Therefore, amid the continuous explosions, the battlefield was filled with rain of fire and meteors.

boom

boom

He Wei felt the hot air waves produced by the anti-aircraft guns firing horizontally not far away, and raised his binoculars to admire this massacre-like anti-tank battle.

Through the telescope, He Wei watched as a Type 94 light armored vehicle was hit by an armor-piercing shell fired from an anti-aircraft gun. The vehicle body was pierced with the sound of steel twisting and explosions. A huge gap was torn in the connection between the turret and the vehicle body, and black smoke came out.

However, due to the close distance and the powerful kinetic energy and armor-piercing ability brought by the large-caliber anti-aircraft gun, the anti-aircraft gun armor-piercing shell that hit the light armored vehicle did not stop. Instead, after passing through the body of the light armored vehicle, it hit another Type 94 light armored vehicle behind it and hit the cockpit of the armored vehicle directly.

After a small explosion, the second armored vehicle that was hit caught fire. A Japanese tank soldier who was covered in blood but was not killed climbed out of the armored vehicle's turret in fear, trying to jump out of the vehicle to escape.

But before the tank soldier could climb out, he came under machine gun fire from the special forces company officers and soldiers who were hiding on both sides of the anti-aircraft artillery company's firing position. His body was riddled with holes from a row of dense bullets, and he collapsed upside down on the burning turret, gradually being engulfed by the burning flames.

He Wei put down the telescope, looked at the shooting results of the anti-aircraft artillery company and nodded with satisfaction. The large-caliber and large-caliber anti-aircraft artillery's flat-fire anti-tank shooting effect was indeed extraordinary. At the same time, he was also glad that he brought the anti-aircraft artillery company with him. If he didn't bring this anti-aircraft artillery company, it would be really difficult to deal with the dozen or so tanks of the Japanese army.

Sometimes, fighting a war really does rely on a certain amount of luck. Fortunately, my luck was quite good. When I encountered the Japanese tanks, I happened to have a large-caliber anti-aircraft artillery company that was enough to deal a fatal blow to the Japanese light armored vehicles.

Boom
Bang Bang
Seventeen Japanese light armored vehicles were quickly beaten to a pulp in the "roll call" anti-tank bombardment by the anti-aircraft artillery company. The officers and soldiers of the special forces company who were secretly deployed on both sides of the anti-aircraft artillery company's firing position also joined the battle one after another. They once again attacked the Japanese light armored vehicles with MG34 general-purpose machine guns and Czech-style ZB26 light machine guns equipped with steel-core armor-piercing bullets, which together with the fierce flat-fire fire of the anti-aircraft artillery company formed a "gun and artillery salvo" anti-tank firepower.

The dense sound of machine gun explosions, the rumbling sound of anti-aircraft guns firing, the sound of steel twisting when tanks were hit, and the violent explosions intertwined with the flames of the explosions, the dust from the shooting, the raging fire, the smoke, and the afterimages of machine gun tracer bullets passing through the air, together played a death elegy for the Japanese light tank squadron.

Less than twenty minutes later, as the once extremely fierce gunfire came to an abrupt end, the light armored vehicle squadron that Hata Shigekazu had high hopes for and that served as the vanguard of the assault was completely wiped out by the anti-tank firepower centered on anti-aircraft guns.

(End of this chapter)