Zhu Tian: Beginning to Cross the Changjin Lake

Chapter 329: Be there on the front line!
Kurose Heiichi's attack order was quickly transmitted to the Japanese front line.

The Japanese artillery showed their power again. Amid the rumbling sound of the artillery, one shell after another flew quickly towards the Zhangjiashan position with a sharp whistling sound.

"Boom~! Boom~!"

Violent explosions rang out one after another, and flames rose into the sky. In a blink of an eye, Zhangjiashan, especially the two small hills in front, were engulfed in artillery fire.

Fortunately, under Li Guotao's instructions, the defenders had been prepared and hid in the anti-artillery fortifications on the reverse slope position in advance. Although the Japanese artillery fire was fierce, it did not pose much threat to them.

At this time, under the personal guidance of Li Guotao, the brothers worked non-stop and finally dug out two caves on the cliffs on the reverse slope of two high grounds.

Li Guotao is quite satisfied with this progress.

Now the project is more than half completed, and the most difficult part has been done, so the rest will be easy.

All you need to do is send ammunition, supplies and personnel into the cave and block the entrance with sandbags prepared in advance.

At this moment, Li Guotao has returned to the main peak position and is hiding in a safe anti-artillery fortification. This is his current temporary command post.

Since only one reinforced company of troops was left on the Zhangjiashan position, Li Guotao was in charge of the command, while Yang Jihe had already retreated with other brothers to the position north of Zhangjiashan, ready to support Zhangjiashan at any time.

At the same time, Yang Jihe was in command in the rear to facilitate communication with his superiors and to coordinate the work.

Li Guotao listened to the rumbling of artillery outside and couldn't help cursing, "These damn Japanese devils really don't let us rest for a moment and launch an attack so impatiently."

Chen Jianghe next to him said, "Captain, we have repaired some of the fortifications during this period of time. We should be able to hold off the Japanese for a while. It shouldn't be a problem."

"Some of the fortifications on Hill 227.7 and Hill 221 have also been repaired. They can hold out for a while."

"It's just that the two bunkers haven't been completely built yet."

Li Guotao said casually: "The main work has been completed, and the rest will be easy."

"The two small hills ahead can hold out for a while. As long as we can repair these two bunkers before the Japanese capture the two hills, it will be fine."

Chen Jianghe assured confidently: "That should be no problem."

Li Guotao sneered and said, "The Japanese only have those three tricks, and they can't come up with any new tricks. As long as we fight according to my arrangement, hold our positions, and kill a large number of Japanese, there will be no problem at all."

Facing the Japanese attack, Li Guotao was not afraid at all.

For Li Guotao, who was used to strong winds and cold weather, the current situation was just a small scene for him.

The combat effectiveness of the Japanese now is far inferior to that of the American troops on the Korean battlefield. Although they have a strong will to fight, their weapons and equipment are not good enough. In modern warfare, it is definitely not possible to rely solely on strong willpower and brute force.

Of course, the combat effectiveness of the troops under Li Guotao's command is far behind that of the Volunteer Army.

However, Li Guotao still had enough confidence to hold his position and repel the Japanese's repeated attacks.

After a fierce artillery bombardment, the Japanese infantry finally launched an attack.

"Onboard~!"

Hundreds of Japanese soldiers shouted loudly and rushed towards the Zhangjiashan position with great momentum.

At this time, the defenders on Hill 227.7 and Hill 221, according to the original plan, entered the blocking positions one after another.

Looking at the Japanese invaders coming like a tide, the soldiers were not afraid at all. They hid obediently in their positions, waiting for the Japanese invaders to get closer before blocking them.

These dozens of soldiers at the front are naturally all selected elites. They are all veterans who have survived hundreds of battles and each of them is able to keep their composure.

The Japanese charged forward very quickly, obviously fighting to the death.

Soon these Japanese soldiers rushed down the mountain and jumped into the trenches one after another.

At this moment, most of the corpses originally piled up in the trenches were burned into white bones. A large number of bones piled up in the trenches, which was horrifying. Some were even burned directly into ashes.

The Japanese soldiers jumped into the ditch and crushed the burnt skeletons in an instant. There was a layer of ashes at the bottom of the ditch, which was soft to step on.

The trenches were trampled by the Japanese and pieces of ashes were raised. Many Japanese soldiers were shocked by the scene before them.

Because they know very well what they are stepping on.

However, under the urging of the Japanese officers, these Japanese soldiers who had been brainwashed into crazy people continued to rush forward with bayonets in hand, and began to scramble to climb up the mountain along the collapsed hillside.

"The little devils are coming up, beat them up hard."

The officers on the mountain seized the opportunity and decisively issued an order to counterattack.

Following the officer's order, dozens of soldiers picked up grenades, pulled the fuse, and threw them down the mountain.

Hand grenades, emitting black smoke, fell one after another into the crowd of Japanese devils.

"Boom~! Boom~!"

Violent explosions continued to ring out, and the attacking Japanese were blown to pieces, with heavy casualties.

At the Japanese position behind, Kurose Heiichi was hiding in an observation post. Seeing this scene on the battlefield, he couldn't help but feel heartbroken. After all, if the fighting continued like this, the casualties would be too great.

But now he has no way to retreat, he can only grit his teeth and continue fighting, hoping to take Zhangjiashan as soon as possible.

Kurose Heiichi gritted his teeth and shouted loudly: "Keep attacking, don't stop, we must take down Zhangjiashan no matter what."

"Hayi~!"

The Japanese officer next to him responded respectfully and then passed on Kurose Heiichi's order.

By this point in the battle, the Japanese had already run out of tricks and could only rely on human wave tactics, rushing forward desperately, wanting to capture Zhangjiashan at all costs.

The brothers guarding Hill 227.7 and Hill 221 responded calmly and, according to the strategy that had been formulated long ago, tenaciously resisted the Japanese attack.

Relying on a large number of grenades, the Japanese inflicted heavy casualties.

But there were too many Japanese soldiers, and the previous cliff had been blown down, so it was much easier for the Japanese soldiers to rush up now.

After paying a heavy price in casualties, a group of Japanese soldiers still rushed up the hillside.

But what greeted them was a barrage of machine gun and submachine gun fire. After a intensive rain of bullets, the Japanese soldiers who rushed forward fell one by one on the battlefield, never to get up again.

In the first attack, the Japanese suffered more than 200 casualties, but failed to capture these two inconspicuous hills.

Under the tenacious resistance of the defenders, the Japanese finally retreated.

When Kurose Heiichi saw that his attack failed, he was so angry that he cursed, but he had no better solution.

"Keep attacking!"

"The facts have proven that they can't hold out for long. No matter what, take these two high grounds in front of Zhangjiashan first."

"Hayi~!"

A Japanese major next to him responded respectfully and turned to convey the order.

Although this attack failed, it gave Kurose Heiichi hope. According to the current situation, as long as they continue to attack, they will definitely be able to capture these two heights.

Li Guotao also learned about the specific battle situation on the front line at the first time.

Chen Jianghe said helplessly: "I didn't expect these damn Japanese devils to fight so hard. If this trend continues, it will be difficult to defend the two high ground ahead."

Li Guotao frowned slightly and said, "We have expected this before, so we still have to prepare for the worst."

"Repair those two bunkers as soon as possible according to the previous plan. There must not be any mistakes."

"Yes!"

Chen Jianghe responded quickly and then passed on Li Guotao's order.

Li Guotao pondered for a moment. Facing the current situation, he had no better solution. He could only grit his teeth and persevere, trying to hold out the two front positions for a while longer.

Li Guotao then picked up the helmet on the table. Seeing this, Chen Jianghe quickly asked, "Captain, what do you want?"

"I'll go to Hill 227.7 to take a look!" Li Guotao said casually.

Chen Jianghe quickly grabbed Li Guotao and persuaded him, "Captain, it's too dangerous over there. You'd better not go. Your position is here, and the whole battalion is counting on you."

Li Guotao said: "Okay, no need to persuade me, I know what I should do!"

"The Japs are fighting so hard, I just want to see how powerful these bastards are."

"I'll leave this to you for now. If there's any emergency, please notify me immediately."

Li Guotao pushed Chen Jianghe away and left without looking back. Looking at Li Guotao's departing back, Chen Jianghe was helpless and shouted loudly: "Captain, you must come back soon, we can't do without you here."

Li Guotao carefully descended from the main peak of Zhangjiashan, then quickly passed through the middle area of ​​the three peaks, and then climbed to the 227.7 high ground.

Just as we reached halfway up the mountain, a sharp whistling sound was heard in the air, and shells fell on the mountain one after another.

"Boom~! Boom~!"

Violent explosions continued to sound. Fortunately, Li Guotao and his men were on the reverse slope, so these shells basically could not fall here.

Li Guotao quickened his pace and entered an anti-artillery cave with ease.

The platoon leader responsible for guarding Hill 227.7 was Zhao Hu, and everyone was surprised to see Li Guotao coming in.

Zhao Hu's eyes widened and he asked, "Captain, why are you here? It's too dangerous here."

Li Guotao said casually: "Let me find out the situation."

Zhao Hu replied: "Didn't we just report everything to the battalion headquarters?"

Li Guotao said: "It's only been a short while, and the Japanese have launched another artillery attack. It seems that they intend to attack continuously."

Zhao Hu said confidently: "Please rest assured, Captain, we will do our best to hold our position."

"Based on the current situation and the terrain here, we can hold out for a while longer."

Li Guotao nodded in satisfaction and said, "Good job. As I said before, we should try to hold on for a while longer."

"But we must also try to reduce the casualties among our brothers. We don't have any reinforcements, and we only have so few people. One death is one less."

"The war of resistance has not yet been won, and the danger in Hengyang has not yet been eliminated. We cannot die. No one is allowed to die unless everyone kills dozens of Japanese devils."

Zhao Hu said, "Don't worry, Captain. All of us brothers are real men, none of us are cowards. We will kill as many Japanese as possible."

"Well done!"

Li Guotao said with admiration: "It has a lot of momentum."

Zhao Hu chuckled and said, "Battalion Commander, you should command from the back. You stay here..."

Li Guotao said: "Don't worry about this. I won't affect your command, and I will never become a burden to you."

"When it's time to go, I will go naturally."

After another round of fierce artillery bombardment, the Japanese attack began again.

There were several hundred Japanese soldiers, with bare chests and samurai scarves wrapped around their heads. From a distance, one would have thought they were wearing mourning clothes.

At this time, the brothers on the position rushed to the blocking position one after another. Under the Japanese artillery fire, the blocking position had been blown into a mess.

Li Guotao also came to a position holding a submachine gun.

"Da da da~!"

Intensive gunfire rang out, and the Japanese's heavy machine guns began to fire fiercely, providing fire cover for the attacking Japanese.

Dense bullets fell on the mountain like raindrops, splashing up clouds of dust.

"Damn it~!"

Li Guotao cursed inwardly, then crouched down and shuttled through the trenches, and came to a soldier. The soldier was covered with grenades, with a Type 38 rifle placed next to him. He was holding a grenade in his hand, ready for battle.

Li Guotao put the submachine gun aside, picked up the Type 38 rifle and the bullet bag, and said, "Can I borrow your Type 38 rifle?"

After saying that, he quickly left with the gun.

Relying on his rich combat experience, Li Guotao quickly came to an excellent position with a good view and was relatively safe, making it difficult for enemy bullets to hit here.

Li Guotao quickly raised his gun, aimed at the Japanese machine gunner in the distance, and decisively pulled the trigger.

“Snap! Snap!”

As two crisp gunshots rang out, two Japanese machine gunners were shot in the head one after another and died on the spot.

After firing two shots, Li Guotao quickly moved his position. The other Japanese machine gunners immediately turned their guns around and aimed at the place where Li Guotao had just hidden, and started shooting fiercely.

The two destroyed machine guns were quickly replaced by the assistant gunners, who continued firing.

"Damn it~!"

Li Guotao couldn't help but curse: "These bastards reacted pretty quickly."

At this time, Li Guotao had already arrived at another position. The Japanese firepower was attracted, and this side was safe.

Li Guotao raised his gun and fired again. A crisp gunshot was heard and the bullet hit a Japanese grenade thrower.

The Japanese soldier groaned and fell to the ground. Li Guotao grasped the timing very accurately. At this time, the grenade in the grenade launcher was also fired out. However, because the Japanese soldier fell to the ground, the angle of the grenade launcher changed, and the grenade was fired, flying right into the crowd of Japanese soldiers in front.

"Boom~!"

A loud explosion was heard, and several Japanese soldiers were blown to the ground.

At the same time, the Japanese infantry who rushed up also entered the trench.

At this time, Zhao Hu shouted loudly: "Brothers, beat me hard."

Grenade after grenade was thrown down, and loud explosions sounded.

Some soldiers deliberately delayed for three seconds before throwing the grenade. The grenade exploded above the Japanese's head before it even hit the ground. The power of the air explosion was quite strong.

This group of Japanese soldiers who were seeking death were not only shirtless, but also without helmets. They only had a samurai scarf that looked like mourning cloth tied on their heads. The flying fragments immediately caused a large number of them to fall down.

Li Guotao kept changing his position, looking for opportunities to shoot. Any Japanese soldier he targeted would surely die.

The other brothers also fought very tenaciously until the battalion commander arrived at the position. Everyone's morale was high and they were ready to show their best skills. So, according to the original plan, they fiercely greeted the Japs with grenades.

In order to capture the position, the ferocious Japanese soldiers rushed up desperately, but most of them were blown to death in the trenches. At this time, the trenches were already covered with a layer of Japanese corpses.

Many of the burnt black stones and the black and white ashes were dyed bloody.

Faced with the tenacious resistance of the defenders, the attacking Japanese soldiers could not gain any advantage.

However, the Japanese were really anxious at this moment and still rushed forward regardless of everything. These guys who had been brainwashed into idiots were not afraid of death at all.

At the Japanese's forward observation post, Heiichi Kurose was talking on the phone with the division commander, Lieutenant General Wang Iwanaga.

Kurose Heiichi said: "Your Excellency, our troops are attacking with all their might. The enemy is resisting tenaciously by relying on the terrain advantage, but we are still confident that we can capture the opposing position."

Iwanaga Wang said, "Kuroze-kun, I know the opposing position is difficult to fight. You fought bravely and suffered heavy casualties, but now is not the time to worry about casualties."

"You must capture Zhangjiashan for me at all costs."

"I just observed it, and I predict that these hateful enemies will not be able to hold out for much longer."

"Continue the continuous fierce attack and make sure to capture Zhangjiashan for me."

"Hayi~!"

Kurose Heiichi responded respectfully: "I still say the same thing. If I can't take Zhangjiashan within one day, I would rather die as an apology."

After hanging up the phone, Kurose Heiichi sighed slightly and turned his head to look in the direction of Zhangjiashan.

"They can't hold out much longer?"

"Why do I feel that these defenders now seem to be more cunning and more capable of fighting?"

A Japanese officer nearby heard this and said, "Colonel, the enemy should have changed their defense. The new troops are indeed more powerful."

"Bagaya Deer~!"

Kurose Heiichi gritted his teeth and cursed: "These damn enemies, they actually have extra troops to send to the battlefield."

"Hmph! I want to see how long they can hold on."

"Keep attacking, charge and strike hard round after round. I don't believe we can't take down a small Zhangjiashan."

(End of this chapter)