The Iron-Blooded Army of Beacon Fire

Chapter 426: Great Victory! We Must Have a Great Victory! (Part )
Early in the morning, in a dormitory located in the permanent fortifications on Banbi Mountain, Pan Yuzhi, head of the Military Commission's battlefield inspection team, sat blankly on the bed with dark circles under his eyes. His bloodshot eyes looked at the ceiling thoughtfully.

It was really uncomfortable to toss and turn and be unable to sleep at night. Last night's experience really made Pan Yuzhi unable to sleep peacefully.

Last night's experience was not complicated. It was already late at night after being led by the people from the assault corps to Banbi Mountain by car. Therefore, Pan Yuzhi only took the officers of the inspection team and the accompanying reporters to have a brief meeting and greeting with He Wei, the commander of the assault corps. They were then arranged to have a full meal and then went into the dormitory in the permanent fortifications in Banbi Mountain to rest.

The hospitality provided by the Commando Corps was very comprehensive, with delicious midnight snacks and very good accommodation. At least, in a battlefield or a war zone, it was good to be able to live in a dormitory with electric lights, beds, tables and chairs, and located in a sturdy fortification. Whether it was Pan Yuzhi, the officers of the inspection team or the accompanying reporters, they were all very satisfied with the hospitality provided by the Commando Corps, and as a result, they had a very good impression of this unit.

But what surprised Pan Yuzhi even more was last night's experience, the elite and powerful combat effectiveness and condition of the assault corps troops, not to mention those inexplicable Japanese cars.

Even the drivers of the jeeps he rode last night were all Japanese. When Pan Yuzhi asked Zhao Zhanhai, the chief of the staff department of the assault corps who was accompanying the car, he was shocked to learn that all the Japanese cars he had seen were spoils of war captured by the assault corps from the Japanese army in battle, and those Japanese drivers were actually drivers of surrendered Japanese soldiers!
Later, Pan Yuzhi learned that there were more than 50 Japanese drivers who had surrendered after being captured and were serving as drivers for the assault corps. Pan Yuzhi suddenly felt as if he had come to a new world.

More than fifty Japanese soldiers surrendered, which means that these people were all prisoners before. Pan Yuzhi was very clear about the number of enemies captured by the various units of the National Army on the battlefield. Even in a large battle, the number of Japanese prisoners that could be captured was very small. The assault corps had more than fifty surrendered Japanese driver soldiers. Wouldn't the total number of prisoners captured by the assault corps be even greater?
In short, Pan Yuzhi was severely shocked last night. He did not sleep last night. After thinking all night, he came to a conclusion, that is, the battle record and results reported by the assault corps were probably true.

Battle records can be faked, battle reports can be faked even more, but those Japanese trucks, Japanese jeeps, and the Japanese drivers who drive them cannot be faked.

Although the results may not be as horrific as the record of annihilating 14,000 Japanese troops reported by the Assault Corps, the number of enemy troops annihilated should not be small. With this speculation, Pan Yuzhi, who had been exhausted from the long journey, not only did not feel tired, but was quite energetic while lying in bed last night.

Moreover, on the way to Banbi Mountain, Zhao Zhanhai, who was accompanying Pan Yuzhi, informed Pan Yuzhi of tomorrow's schedule, saying that the inspection team would be invited to start the inspection early tomorrow morning, and that he would take the inspection team and reporters to visit the battlefield where the assault corps was located.

Thinking about the inspection that would begin tomorrow, Pan Yuzhi became even more excited. He was immersed in anticipation and speculation the whole night. His resistance and anxiety about this job also disappeared a lot. Although it was painful to not be able to sleep, he was also happy with this anticipation.

There was a sudden knock on the door, and an officer from the inspection team said softly outside the door: "Sir, someone from the assault corps has come and brought us breakfast. They said they will start the inspection and visit right after breakfast."

Pan Yuzhi immediately stood up and said, "Okay, tell everyone to get up and eat, hurry up."

Soon, a dozen officers and reporters from the battlefield inspection team headed by Pan Yuzhi got up, washed and had their meals. The breakfast provided by the assault corps was also very rich, with a full range of meat and vegetables in sufficient quantity, and all kinds of fried, steamed, deep-fried and boiled foods. It was not like an ordinary breakfast at all, and it was also paired with a lot of novel Japanese military canned food, milk candy, yokan, biscuits and other foods, which was really varied.

This breakfast was so filling that the officers of the inspection team and the reporters who had been working in the Military Commission in the rear for a long time ate till their mouths were drooling.

Some officers were so attracted by the generous meals in the Assault Corps that they even considered transferring from the rear offices of the Military Commission to work in the front field troops.

Why? Of course, the rich food in the assault corps made these officers working in the rear agencies think that the front field troops had more money and the food was better than that in the military commission and other agencies. So some of them thought about whether they could use their connections to get a job in the field troops. After all, the assault corps had a big meal in the morning. If they worked in the field troops, would they also be able to live such a rich life?

Many people in the inspection team had their own thoughts about breakfast. The team leader Pan Yuzhi also had his own thoughts, but his thoughts were naturally much deeper than others. Those Japanese canned food and milk candies in breakfast were all standard military food of the Japanese army. The reason why they appeared on the table was undoubtedly that they were things seized by the assault corps.

Tsk tsk, when I came here yesterday, I took a Japanese truck that was captured by the assault corps, and for breakfast today I had captured Japanese food. These things can't be bought or cheated. Of course, you have to fight the Japanese to the death, snatch them from the Japanese, and exchange them with blood or even life.

All these details reflect the combat achievements of the assault corps.

Pan Yuzhi felt that this inspection trip, as well as the Assault Corps and its chief officer He Wei, were indeed quite interesting.

After having a good meal and a drink, Pan Yuzhi and his group rested for about half an hour. Then they were taken by Zhao Zhanhai and several staff officers from the assault corps' staff office to leave the slightly dark and damp permanent fortifications on the mountain and head towards the foot of Banbi Mountain.

At this time, the Japanese army had begun its day-to-day attacks on Tianjia Town on the other side of Banbi Mountain. The attack rhythm remained unchanged every day, and the highland warfare combat mode remained unchanged every day.

The rumbling of artillery, the dense sound of light and heavy machine gun explosions, and the extremely unpleasant, chattering and weird shouting of the Japanese army came one after another across the narrow river surface and reached Banbi Mountain. The officers of the inspection team were fine, as they were all soldiers and were not afraid of the sound of gunfire or artillery.

But the accompanying reporters were somewhat horrified. These people had no military experience and had never been to the battlefield. They were naturally at a loss when faced with the roar of gunfire and the shouts of killing.

Then, another round of gunfire sounded in Tianjia Town on the other side of the river. Facing the attack of the Japanese army, the Chinese army defenders on the high ground near Tianjia Town began to fight back. The muffled 7.92mm rifles, light machine guns, heavy machine guns and 82mm mortars made different sounds from the various firearms of the Japanese army. Amid the gunfire and shouts of killing from various firearms of the two armies, a fierce offensive and defensive battle around the high ground began.

Seeing the reporters' panic, Zhao Zhanhai and the staff officers of the assault corps tried to comfort them. After calming the reporters down, they walked down the mountain slowly without any panic, while introducing the situation of Banbi Mountain and the current battle situation.

When they reached halfway up the mountain, a series of deafening noises suddenly erupted, followed by whizzing sounds and intensive explosions. This time, not to mention the reporters who were scared, even the officers of the inspection team were frightened by the sudden explosions and the violent artillery fire that made the trees on the mountain tremble.

Everyone stopped and looked in the direction of the sound of the explosion, they saw dust rising up from the top of Banbi Mountain. The 150mm heavy artillery battalion and the two mountain artillery companies of the assault corps artillery battalion stationed on the top of Banbi Mountain also started their daily routine cross-river fire support shooting at Tianjia Town.

The blast from the shells leaving the barrel raised high clouds of dust, and the continuously and densely fired shells made whizzing sounds as they broke through the air. The artillery of this era had a low initial velocity, and all the artillery on the top of the mountain were firing at the fastest possible rate of fire.

Therefore, everyone could even see the shadows of artillery shells of various calibers being fired, heavy artillery grenades, mountain artillery shells, whistling along high-throw trajectories. The scene of the Japanese army on the top of the mountain firing fiercely at the high ground near the Tianjia Town Fortress on the opposite bank immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Soon after the artillery on the top of the mountain opened fire, it suppressed the sound of Japanese gunfire on the opposite bank. All people could hear was the sound of Chinese artillery firing on half of the top of the mountain, the sound of shells breaking through the air, the loud bang of the spent brass cartridges being ejected from the barrel and hitting the ground, and the occasional commands of the Chinese artillery officers.

If reporters had come to Banbi Mountain a few days ago, they might have seen the Japanese army on the other side of the river firing artillery shells at Banbi Mountain, which were useless but served as a demonstration.

But after this period of artillery battles, the Japanese artillery on the other side of the mountain realized that they could not hit the Chinese artillery on Banbi Mountain, and it was not good to waste too many shells to vent their anger. They could only swallow their anger and pretend to be dead, and no longer organized counter-artillery fire against the Chinese artillery on Banbi Mountain.

The reporters had never seen such a sight of large-caliber artillery firing in salvos. Similarly, the officers of the inspection team had never seen the Chinese army bombard the Japanese army with such fierce artillery fire.

The air around them seemed to be scorching due to such fierce artillery bombardment, and the ground seemed to be shaking due to the fierce artillery bombardment. This time, there was no need for Zhao Zhanhai and his staff to step forward to calm them down. A few minutes after the artillery group on Banbi Mountain opened fire, the officers and reporters of the inspection team automatically stabilized.

Because even reporters who have never been to the battlefield can tell from the suppressed artillery sounds of the Japanese army on the other side that the artillery of the devils on the other side cannot beat the Chinese artillery on the hill! They are naturally safe!

The artillery fire on Banbi Mountain became more and more intense, and the sound of artillery became louder and louder. The naval artillery team that was also stationed on the top of Banbi Mountain also opened fire. After the large-caliber 120mm naval guns joined the shooting, the roar of the artillery group on Banbi Mountain reached a higher level. However, the reporters and some officers of the inspection team who were still panicking just now did not become agitated by this, but felt extremely relieved.

Pan Yuzhi looked at the towering top of Banbi Mountain and the roaring artillery fire for a long time, his eyes fixed on it, his heart filled with mixed feelings. After more than ten years in the army, this was the first time he saw the Chinese army suppressing the enemy with artillery fire. Thinking of the artillery shells that came with him on the same boat yesterday and were now hitting the Japanese troops on the opposite bank, Pan Yuzhi felt encouraged and a warm current surged in his chest.

Zhao Zhanhai walked over slowly, looking at Pan Yuzhi who was still immersed in the special emotions brought by the artillery battle, and said, "Sir, let's go down. Captain He is waiting at the foot of the mountain. The spoils of war captured by our corps in previous battles have also been laid out at the foot of the mountain. Please review them, Sir."

Pan Yuzhi came back to his senses, nodded with a smile, and said, "Okay! Haha, I lost my composure. Since we are going to check your unit's results, we should naturally check how many enemy weapons we have seized."

Everyone quickly walked towards the foot of the mountain. However, just as they were about to go down the mountain, Pan Yuzhi "lost his composure" again, before he had completely gone down the mountain and even before he saw He Wei, because he saw a scene that was even more shocking than the artillery battle just now.

I saw a large number of weapons and equipment neatly arranged on an open space at the foot of Banbi Mountain. More than 2,000 Type 38 rifles with bayonets were neatly stacked on the ground one after another with the bayonet hooks facing right. The bipods of thirty Taisho 11-type light machine guns were all opened and lined up one after another, placed at the same level as the rifles.

Next to the rifles and light machine guns, there were more than 20 Type 92 heavy machine guns and an indistinct number of Type 89 50mm grenade launchers. The placement of these two weapons on the open ground was also unique. The muzzles of the Type 92 heavy machine guns mounted on tripods were all raised high, pointing to the sky.

The base plates of the Type 89 50mm grenade launchers were all inserted into the soil. The densely packed grenade launchers were placed upright, forming a horizontal line, making it impossible to see the exact number. Looking from a high place, one could only see a row of straight black lines composed of grenade launchers.

Of course, the most majestic ones are the artillery pieces displayed next to the heavy machine guns, including sixteen Japanese Type 94 75mm mountain cannons that have been wiped and maintained by the Assault Corps, two Type 41 75mm mountain cannons, two Type 94 37mm rapid-fire cannons, two Type 92 infantry cannons, and more than twenty mountain cannons and rapid-fire cannons and the corresponding artillery and ammunition auxiliary vehicles. They are neatly displayed in a one-to-one correspondence between artillery and ammunition auxiliary vehicles. At the same time, displayed near the artillery are ammunition boxes and supply boxes of various colors.

These rifles, light machine guns, heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, mountain cannons, infantry cannons, and rapid-fire cannons displayed on the open ground are not only arranged in the most powerful and orderly manner, but all the weapons have been maintained by the assault corps, with shiny bayonets, neatly arranged guns, and all the artillery have been cleaned and oiled.

Pan Yuzhi, the officers of the inspection team, and the reporters looked down at the trophies of the assault corps that were gleaming in the sun, and were so stunned that they were speechless for a long time.

(End of this chapter)