Zhu Tian: Beginning to Cross the Changjin Lake

"Bagaya Deer!"

Takano Jiro yelled angrily and said, "Second echelon, take a few ladders, rush to the trench, divide into several teams, and climb the cliff at the same time."

"Hayi~!"

A Japanese officer nearby responded respectfully and turned to convey the order.

Takano Jiro raised the telescope again, carefully observing the situation on the battlefield, and suddenly shouted loudly: "Use machine guns and mortars to suppress the enemy's firepower. Hit them hard, and don't save ammunition."

"Hayi~!"

Under the command of Jiro Takano, the Japanese quickly sent another team of soldiers to the battlefield. This time they sent two squads and rushed forward with several ladders.

Li Guotao was also observing the situation on the battlefield. When he saw the Japanese soldiers rushing up with ladders, he shouted, "First, shoot down the Japanese soldiers with ladders."

Li Guotao raised his gun and fired decisively, killing a Japanese soldier carrying a ladder with one shot.

The ladder was very long, and basically three Japanese soldiers were carrying a ladder and running forward.

Li Guotao shot and killed the Japanese soldier in front with one shot. The Japanese soldier fell to the ground and the ladder lost balance. The two Japanese soldiers behind him quickly adjusted themselves and continued to run forward with the ladder carrying the load.

At this time, Li Guotao killed another Japanese soldier with his second shot. Another Japanese soldier immediately rushed over to assist the remaining Japanese soldier and continued to run with the ladder.

At the same time, the sharpshooters responsible for long-range sniping of the Japanese also aimed at the Japanese carrying the ladder and opened fire.

Crisp gunshots rang out, and Japanese soldiers were shot and fell to the ground one after another.

Under the order of the Japanese officer, when one of them was killed, a Japanese soldier immediately took his place, carrying the ladder and running forward desperately.

In the end, after sacrificing about sixty people, the Japanese successfully sent several ladders into the trench.

At this time, about fifty Japanese soldiers gathered in the trench. They were divided into several groups. They set up ladders. Some of them climbed up the ladders, and some climbed up through the gap.

Although the defenders could not see the Japanese soldiers below, once they climbed up, they were exposed to the defenders' guns.

Under Li Guotao's command, about twenty rifle soldiers were already on full alert.

As soon as we saw the Japanese soldiers climbing up, we would shoot them decisively.

It's really like it's revealed in seconds.

And once we find the position where the Japanese climbed up, we can basically determine the position of the ladder below.

Then a soldier immediately threw the cluster grenade that had been prepared long ago at that location.

"Boom~! Boom~!"

To ensure safety, three cluster grenades were thrown at each location. The violent explosion not only killed most of the Japanese soldiers hiding below, but also destroyed several ladders.

In this way, Li Guotao successfully killed a squadron of Japanese devils at the cost of more than 200 rifle bullets and dozens of grenades.

Li Guotao observed for a while and saw that there was no movement. He concluded that the Japanese soldiers below had basically been killed in the explosion. Even if a few of them survived by chance, they posed no threat.

Li Guotao sneered and said, "Just fight the Japs like this."

"They have few men on the field, so we should only use a small part of our forces to deal with them and try to save ammunition. The other brothers can also take this opportunity to rest and maintain strong physical strength."

Chen Jianghe said excitedly: "Yes, they want to slowly consume us, so we will consume them to the end."

Li Guotao turned around and glanced at the enemy's position, sneering and saying, "I want to see what other tricks these damn devils have up their sleeves."

……

Jiro Takano observed carefully and found that the ladders had been blown up and there was no movement in the trench. He was so angry that he threw the telescope in his hand to the ground.

A Japanese officer nearby quickly tried to comfort him: "Captain, please calm down. These damn enemies are just too cunning."

Takano Jiro gritted his teeth and said, "It seems that I still underestimated these guys."

Jiro Kono was extremely anxious, but he had no better solution for the time being.

Is it possible to launch a group charge?

He couldn't think of any good solution at the moment, but Jiro Takano didn't intend to waste time.

The old devil helplessly ordered: "Mobilize all the flat-fire artillery and tanks, aim at the cliff and bombard it, and blast a few more gaps for me."

"Also, immediately request that Commander Iwanaga dispatch more artillery and concentrate firepower on the cliff."

"Hayi~!"

A Japanese staff officer responded respectfully and turned to send a telegram.

Takano Jiro thought for a moment, then said, "Also, ask General Iwanaga to use special bullets on Mount Tenma."

A Japanese officer reminded: "The Locust Army has used special bullets before, but the effect was almost ineffective."

"The enemy has gas masks."

Takano Jiro said coldly: "Let's try it out!"

"Even if the special bullets cannot destroy these enemies, they will at least have some impact on them."

"If the locust army launches an attack at the right time, it will be more or less effective."

"Hayi~!"

Not long after, Yan Yongwang called.

Takano Jiro took the phone and said respectfully, "General."

Yan Yongwang said: "I heard that the attack encountered some trouble."

Takano Jiro replied: "Tenma Mountain is in a strategic location, easy to defend but difficult to attack, and the enemy was well prepared and built strong fortifications."

"The wide and deep trenches, coupled with the steep and difficult-to-climb cliffs, became an insurmountable obstacle for the locust army."

"Besides, they have strong fortifications on the mountain. It is difficult for the Locust Army's artillery fire to cause a large number of casualties on them. Therefore, it is not easy to capture Tianma Mountain."

Yan Yongwang pondered for a moment and couldn't help cursing, "This bunch of damn enemies is really too difficult to deal with. So it's like the Zhangjiashan before, and it's hard to fight?"

"Hayi~!"

Takano Jiro answered honestly: "And now the enemy has become more cunning, and has even learned to use fire attacks, so Tianma Mountain has become more difficult."

Yan Yongwang said helplessly: "I know your difficulties, and I have no way to deal with it."

"I believe you know how important it is for the empire to capture Hengyang. The commander has urged us more than once."

"Not only Commander Yokoyama, but also Commander Hata and the headquarters are very concerned about the situation in Hengyang, and have instructed us more than once to capture Hengyang as soon as possible."

"This battle is related to the survival of the empire. We must not be careless."

Takano Jiro said helplessly: "I dare not be careless. We have been studying countermeasures and trying to find ways to deal with these hateful enemies."

Yan Yongwang said: "The higher-ups are pushing us too hard, so we have to speed up and take Hengyang as soon as possible at all costs."

"I originally thought that if we broke through their outer defenses, we could take the opportunity to completely defeat them."

"But now it seems that we still underestimated the 10th Army. We didn't expect them to reorganize their defense and resist even more resolutely."

"Attacks in other directions were also stubbornly blocked by the enemy, and progress was also not smooth."

"In this case, Tianma Mountain becomes even more crucial."

"If you can successfully capture Tianma Mountain, the locust army can directly enter Hengyang City. Their defense force is already limited. It is estimated that the 10th Army has already invested all its forces in the suburban defense line to prevent the locust army from entering the city."

"If you can take the city first, the enemy will be attacked from both sides, and Hengyang will be within our grasp."

Jiro Takano couldn't help but fall silent. He also knew these principles, but there was really no better solution at the moment.

Yan Yongwang continued, "Don't feel too stressed. Just fight as you should. I will fully cooperate with you."

"If you run out of people, I'll replenish you. If you're short of guns or artillery, I'll give you priority."

"As long as I can do it, I will give you whatever you want."

"The empire is now at a critical juncture of life and death. This is not the time to worry about personal gains and losses. We must unite and go all out to capture Hengyang."

"The key lies in Tianma Mountain. We must seize this position and open the door to Hengyang."

"No one else can be trusted, only you, Takano-kun, can complete this difficult task, so I place all my hopes on you."

"I also believe that you will never let me down."

Takano Jiro said: "I understand. Please rest assured, General, we will do our best to capture Tianma Mountain."

"Yoshi~!"

Iwanaga Wang nodded with satisfaction and said, "Then I'll wait for good news from Takano-kun." After hanging up the phone, Takano Jiro sighed helplessly. They were all old foxes, so he naturally would not believe everything Iwanaga Wang said.

But in the current situation, he seems to have no other choice.

If he still couldn't take over Tianma Mountain, he would have a hard time explaining to his superiors.

Takano Jiro took a deep breath and said, "Continue to bombard the cliffs, and the attacking forces should prepare for battle."

"In the evening, launch a general attack, first prepare with artillery fire, then use special bullets, and then the infantry will launch a group charge."

"Capture Tianma Mountain for me at all costs."

"Hai!"

The Japanese officers present responded in unison.

……

The Japanese brought in a large number of anti-tank guns, a batch of Type 92 infantry guns, and even tanks, and fired continuously at the cliff.

Chen Jianghe couldn't help it, "We can't just wait like this! It feels like waiting to die."

Li Guotao smiled slightly and said, "Be patient and wait a little longer."

Chen Jianghe asked in confusion: "What are you waiting for?"

Li Guotao explained: "We should wait until more Japanese gather and they are less defensive. Then it won't be too late for us to take action."

Chen Jianghe frowned and said, "How can we start? We can't launch a counterattack with our limited military strength."

"Do you want to launch a surprise attack in the dark?"

"Night attack?"

Li Guotao rolled his eyes at Chen Jianghe and said, "How could you have thought of that? How could the Japanese not be prepared? With just our few men, if we leave Tianma Mountain, we won't even be able to fill the gaps in the Japanese's teeth. Wouldn't a night attack be like throwing meat buns at a dog?"

Chen Jianghe was even more puzzled and asked, "What else can we do?"

Li Guotao said: "Have you forgotten? We also have artillery."

"When the Japs use direct-fire artillery and infantry guns, we have to get close to them. This way, these guns are completely within our artillery range."

"But we have limited shells. Every time we fire one, we have one less. So of course we have to use them sparingly."

"So when the Japanese gather more, don't you see that they are constantly sending more troops? There are more and more artillery, probably transferred from other places, so there will definitely be more artillery."

"The area ahead is so small. The more guns they have, the denser the gun positions will be. We can achieve the greatest results if we fire at them one by one."

Chen Jianghe said, "I understand. But if we keep bombing like this, it will soon be like Zhangjiashan, where the cliffs are blown down. Then it will be difficult to defend because it will be much easier for the Japanese to climb up."

Li Guotao said nonchalantly: "Don't worry, it's not so easy for the Japanese to destroy such a large cliff and such a solid mountain."

By around three o'clock in the afternoon, the Japanese artillery positions below had become very dense, with dozens of artillery pieces of various types continuously firing.

Some gun barrels were even broken, so they were replaced with spare ones.

Li Guotao couldn't help but curse, "These losers are such a damn waste of ammunition. If I had so many shells, I would have beaten the shit out of the Japanese long ago."

"Notify Zheng Mingyuan and have the mortars concentrate their firepower and tell them to shoot accurately for me."

"Yes!"

The order was quickly passed down.

Zheng Mingyuan's several mortars were all set up on the reverse slope and had already aimed at the target.

After receiving the order, Zheng Mingyuan immediately ordered the artillery to fire.

"Chirp chirp chirp~!"

A shrill whistling sound was heard, and one shell after another whistled down towards the Japanese artillery positions.

"Boom~! Boom~!"

Violent explosions rang out one after another, broken shrapnel flew everywhere, and a large number of Japanese soldiers were blown to pieces.

The power of the mortar is limited. It may not be easy to directly blow up these artillery pieces, but it can easily kill a large number of Japanese artillerymen.

After a fierce bombardment, the Japanese suffered heavy losses.

Some of the shells hit the Japanese ammunition boxes, causing explosions and destroying several guns.

Because the mortar position was on the reverse slope and was firing from a high position, the Japanese were not only unable to determine the specific location, but their direct fire could not reach the back of the mountain at all.

The Japanese artillery suffered heavy losses, and the surviving Japanese were so scared that they hid everywhere and didn't even bother to fire.

After receiving the news, Takano Jiro was so angry that he yelled, "Bagayaka, these bastards."

"Notify the artillery regiment to bombard the Tianma Mountain position for 20 minutes first, and teach these hateful enemies a lesson."

In fact, Jiro Takano also understood that their artillery fire was not very effective, as previous battles had already proved.

But now this old Japanese has been forced into a panic, and this kind of shelling is completely a way to vent his anger.

Of course, shelling will still play a certain role.

A Japanese officer asked, "Sir, commander, do you want to continue shelling the cliff?"

Takano Jiro said: "Keep going, keep bombarding, create as many gaps as possible, so that the locust army can attack more easily."

"Hayi~!"

The Japanese officer responded respectfully and then passed the order on.

After a while, the Japanese started shelling again.

At this time, the Japanese artillery regiment had completed its artillery preparation for the Tianma Mountain position.

Li Guotao hid in a safe fortification and observed the situation outside.

Then he ordered: "Notify Zheng Mingyuan to fire another round. I want to see how many artillery they have."

"Yes!"

Another round of artillery fire came down, killing a group of Japanese artillerymen, and the Japanese were frightened and fled again.

Takano Jiro said angrily: "Once their artillery fire stops, continue to fire."

"I want to see how many mortar shells they have left."

"Hayi~!"

Jiro Takano guessed that after fighting for so long, the defenders must have few artillery shells left.

In fact, Li Guotao and his men did not have many mortar shells left.

Fortunately, these two rounds of artillery fire not only killed a lot of Japanese artillerymen, but also delayed the time.

It was almost four o'clock and Jiro Takano knew he couldn't wait any longer.

"Request the artillery regiment to continue to provide artillery support. First, fire ordinary shells for 20 minutes, and then fire special shells."

"The attacking forces are ready to fight and are prepared to launch an attack at any time."

"Hayi~!"

Soon, the Japanese artillery fire once again covered the Tianma Mountain position, and the bombardment lasted for another twenty minutes.

After a few minutes, the Japanese opened fire again. Poison gas bombs fell on the Tianma Mountain position one after another. The poisonous gas soon enveloped the entire Tianma Mountain position.

Fortunately, Li Guotao and his troops all had gas masks and were always prepared. The brothers put on gas masks and protective clothing at the first opportunity to minimize the losses.

At 5:15, the poisonous gas on the mountain had dissipated a little, but there was still a faint layer of poisonous gas.

Jiro Kono knew that he couldn't wait any longer, as it would be dark if he continued to wait.

It has been a day since they took over the position yesterday afternoon, but they have not made any progress at all. It would be difficult to explain if their superiors blame them.

Even though Yan Yongwang is still speaking politely now, if he really fails to take over Tianma Mountain, this old dog will go crazy and eat people.

Takano Jiro then ordered: "The infantry will immediately launch a group charge and attack the Tianma Mountain position with all their strength."

"Hayi~!"

The order was quickly passed down, and hundreds of Japanese soldiers wearing protective clothing, gas masks and holding shining bayonets rushed towards Tianma Mountain in wave after wave.

At the same time, the Japanese also mobilized machine gun fire and mortars to provide fire cover. (End of this chapter)