Bright Sword: I have a system for exchanging points for killing enemies

Chapter 391: Bombardment of Zhangzhuang Stronghold (I)

"boom!"

Thunder struck again, and the dazzling lightning pierced the darkness in Ping'an County below, bringing brief illumination to Ping'an County.

"Damn, what kind of weather is this? It's thundering but no rain. It's been thundering for almost two hours, right? And it hasn't started raining yet. What's going on?"

In the trenches outside the Zhangzhuang stronghold, a bald puppet soldier took off his hat and kept fanning himself, trying to blow away the stuffy air around him.

"Come on, stop complaining. Isn't it better if it doesn't rain? If it rains heavily, the place where we live might be flooded again."

As the bald puppet soldier finished speaking, a puppet soldier next to him who had only one ear left said in dissatisfaction.

"Why can the Japanese live upstairs? Why do we have to live downstairs? When it rains, we are soaked by water every day, and when it is sunny, it is all sand."

"Who told us that we are the Imperial Army and they are the Japanese Locust Army? Come on, having food to eat is already pretty good these days, stop complaining about this and that.

There's nothing wrong with raining. At least if it rains, we don't have to squat in this trench and continue standing guard.

I don’t know what the Japanese were thinking. Their artillery tower was so high that they could spot at a glance whether there was anyone coming from below. So they had to arrange for us to stand guard in the trench below.

If the Eighth Route Army really came to attack the Zhangzhuang stronghold, we, the people at the front, would probably be the first to be killed by the Eighth Route Army."

The bald puppet soldier looked at the artillery tower built at the highest point of the Zhangzhuang stronghold, which was also the most solid fortification in the stronghold, and said to the one-eared puppet soldier next to him.

The one-eared puppet soldier listened to the bald puppet soldier's words, shrugged his shoulders, and took out a pipe as long as his arm from behind.

"Who says it's not true? I think those Japanese are just bored. Apart from anything else, given the solidity of our Zhangzhuang stronghold, it would be impossible for the Eighth Route Army to capture our stronghold even if they had mountain artillery.

Our stronghold was so solid that even a 75mm mountain cannon couldn't knock it down.

Moreover, the range is so large. Even if the Eighth Route Army has mountain artillery, do they have so many shells? "

The one-eared puppet soldier glanced at the anti-artillery holes and bunkers behind the trench with a look of disdain on his face.

“That’s true. Besides, with so many of us guarding this stronghold, even if the Eighth Route Army wanted to poison everyone in the stronghold, it would be impossible for them to be poisoned at the same time.

As long as any problems arise at the stronghold, Ping'an County will immediately send troops to provide support.

The Japanese troops over there, together with other Imperial Army troops, are almost equivalent to a brigade.

Although there are four regiments of the Eighth Route Army's main force in Fu'an County, do they dare to move those four regiments at will?"

The bald puppet soldier agreed with the one-eared puppet soldier's words and added what the other party said.

"Tom!"

Just as the two puppet soldiers were smoking grass and enjoying the feeling, a unique whistling sound suddenly sounded in the air.

"Hmm? What's that noise?"

The two puppet soldiers listened to the whistling sound in the sky, which was completely different from the sound of thunder, and looked up at the sky with some confusion.

"That……"

"boom!"

The bald puppet soldier seemed to have figured out what the whistling sound was, but he didn't have the chance to say anything.

A mortar shell landed directly next to the two puppet soldiers and then exploded.

The two puppet soldiers didn't hold on for even a second and were blown to pieces by the explosion.

The sudden explosion broke the silence in the stronghold. All of a sudden, all the searchlights in the stronghold were lit up, and several Japanese soldiers operated mortars at the fastest speed and fired flares into the sky.

A large number of flares were fired into the sky, illuminating the entire stronghold.

In the artillery tower at the highest point of the stronghold, the Japanese arranged the person in charge of the stronghold, Kameda Heizo, to be alarmed by the explosion. He rushed to the top of the artillery tower as quickly as possible and began to observe with a telescope.

"This, how is this possible?!"

Kameda Kurozo held up a telescope and first checked the vicinity of the stronghold. After seeing that there was nothing unusual near the stronghold, he looked into the distance.

As Kameda Kurozo looked into the distance, about three miles away from the stronghold, a group of soldiers wearing blue-gray Eighth Route Army uniforms were lined up in an open area.

In front of these soldiers were completed mortars!

At a farther distance, Kameda Kurozo even saw a mortar with a larger caliber!

Seeing the situation outside, Kameda Kurozo exclaimed that it was impossible.

How could such a large number of Eighth Route Army troops, carrying a large number of mortars, suddenly appear outside their Zhangzhuang stronghold? !

It is obvious that the Eighth Route Army troops that can carry so many mortars cannot be the Eighth Route Army from Ping'an County.

"This is definitely the main force of the Eighth Route Army. Isn't the main force of the Eighth Route Army in Fu'an County? When did they come here? Why didn't the Dongzhanghe stronghold report anything?"

Looking at the densely packed Eighth Route Army troops standing on the distant mountains under the illumination of flares, Kameda Heizo was not in the mood to guess how those Eighth Route Army troops had quietly arrived outside his Zhangzhuang stronghold.

"Hurry up and call Ping'an County. Send a telegram to tell Ping'an County that the main force of the Eighth Route Army in Fu'an County has been dispatched. There are at least two regiments of troops, carrying a large number of heavy weapons. Tell the commander of Ping'an County to be prepared for the response!
It is impossible for the Eighth Route Army to send out so many troops simply to attack our Zhangzhuang stronghold.

The Eighth Route Army's goal must be Ping'an County! At the same time, send a telegram to Shuiquan to tell him about the situation here.

Let Shuiquan send reinforcements quickly!"

Although Kameda Kurozo is only a captain, he is very knowledgeable.

After seeing the number of Eighth Route Army troops outside and the mortars, he instantly realized that the enemy's main target was definitely not his Zhangzhuang stronghold.

But it is the county seat of Ping'an County behind.

Kameda Heizo immediately sent someone to call Ping'an County and ask the garrison there to be prepared.

Kameda Heizo had never seen the Eighth Route Army's mountain artillery or other artillery. In addition, Kameda Heizo knew the strength of his own stronghold. As long as he held on to the stronghold, the Eighth Route Army would have to cover the entire stronghold with corpses and use up all the ammunition in the stronghold.

Otherwise, don't even think about taking over this stronghold of yours.

Therefore, Kameda Kurozo did not ask Ping An County to support the stronghold, but asked Ping An County to be prepared.

Intelligence reports say that the Eighth Route Army in Fu'an County is equipped with direct-fire artillery such as mountain artillery. The bunkers and blockhouses in Zhangzhuang can block the direct fire of mountain artillery, but the city walls of Ping'an County may not be able to block it.

Kameda Heizo did not see the Eighth Route Army's mountain artillery.

It is speculated that the Eighth Route Army must have known the strength of the Zhangzhuang stronghold, so they did not want to waste artillery shells and energy there, and directly took the mountain artillery to attack the county town.

And those Eighth Route Army troops and mortars outside were most likely used to defend their stronghold.

Ensure that the troops in the stronghold will not leave the stronghold to interfere with the Eighth Route Army's attack on Ping'an County.

"Humph, these Eighth Route Army soldiers are simply courting death. They dare to attack my stronghold without heavy artillery?
Once the reinforcements arrive, you will be dead! Give the order to all troops to retreat to the bunkers. No one is allowed to leave the bunkers without my order!"

Kameda Heizo had made up his mind that no matter how the Eighth Route Army outside clamored or what actions they took, he would order his troops to defend their strongholds and would never go out.

In Kameda Kurozo's opinion, as long as he defended his stronghold to the death, the firepower of the Eighth Route Army would not pose any threat to his stronghold at all.

By then, both sides will slowly consume their energy like this. When their reinforcements in Shuiquan arrive in Ping'an County, that will be the death of those Eighth Route Army soldiers outside!

"Hi!"

Under the order of Kameda Kurozo, the puppet soldiers in the trenches went to the bunkers and blockhouses in the stronghold to avoid the artillery fire of the Eighth Route Army.

Not long after Kameda Kurozo gave the order, as soon as the puppet soldiers made some moves, a large number of whistling sounds were heard in the sky.

Hearing the whistling sound of artillery shells in the sky, Kameda Kurozo did not dare to be careless. He quickly left the roof and entered the artillery tower.

At the same time, the whistling sound of mortar shells also made Kameda Heizo determine that the purpose of the Eighth Route Army troops outside was to trap him and others in the stronghold and prevent them from going out.

"Go ahead, go ahead, I want to see how many shells you have!"

Kameda Kurozo listened to the explosion in the stronghold without any worry on his face.

The various fortifications in the stronghold have been continuously strengthened and rebuilt, and even a 75mm mountain cannon may not be able to blow a hole in the fortifications.

Not to mention the mortar shells that can only be fired in a curve.

……

"Captain, most of the Japanese and the idiots have been driven into blockhouses and bunkers? Do you want to stop the shelling?"

Wang Chengzhu, the commander of the independent regiment's artillery battalion, held up a telescope and saw that under the intensive mortar bombardment, most of the Japanese soldiers and puppet troops in the Zhangzhuang stronghold had retreated into the blockhouses and bunkers inside the stronghold.

Those who didn't get in basically died outside.

So he asked Li Yunlong beside him whether he should stop the shelling.

After all, in just a short period of time, the independent regiment's artillery battalion fired more than a hundred mortar shells, which was really heartbreaking.

"Well, stop the shelling. The next step is the Vanguard Regiment's artillery battalion's job. It's their turn to take the stage!"

Listening to Wang Chengzhu's words, Li Yunlong held up a telescope and observed the Zhangzhuang stronghold. After seeing that the Japanese devils and puppet soldiers in the stronghold had been driven into the group of fortresses above the stronghold, he agreed to Wang Chengzhu's request for a ceasefire.

Then he put down the telescope and walked towards the vanguard regiment's artillery position on the reverse slope of the mountain, which was surrounded by soldiers.

Seeing Li Yunlong turn around and leave and go to the artillery position of the vanguard regiment, Wang Chengzhu was full of confusion.

As far as he knew, the Vanguard Regiment's artillery did not have any heavy artillery, only some 75mm mountain cannons.

Their independent regiment's artillery battalion also has 75mm mountain cannons, which are no different in power from those of the vanguard regiment.

But he just didn't understand.

Why did Li Yunlong say that when attacking the Zhangzhuang stronghold later, they would only need to use the artillery of the vanguard regiment, and that the artillery battalion of the vanguard regiment had a way to capture the Zhangzhuang stronghold?

In Wang Chengzhu's opinion, the fortifications at Zhangzhuang were really strong, and the 75mm mountain cannon might not be able to destroy the fortifications built by the Japanese devils.

But Li Yunlong said that the artillery battalion of the vanguard regiment had a solution.

Could it be possible that the artillery battalion of the vanguard regiment could fire shells into the Japanese fortifications through the firing holes?
Wang Chengzhu felt very confused, but it was impossible for Li Yunlong to answer Wang Chengzhu's questions here.

After asking his guard Hu Zi to wait for him outside, Li Yunlong went directly into the heavily defended position of the artillery battalion of the Vanguard Regiment.

……

"Li Erhu, it's your turn to perform next. Perform this scene well!"

After Li Yunlong entered the position of the Vanguard Regiment's artillery battalion, he looked at the twelve mountain cannons and more than a dozen large-caliber mortars erected on the Vanguard Regiment's artillery position, and spoke to Li Erhu.

"Captain Li, you are done. Give me twenty minutes. After twenty minutes, I promise to cover the entire Zhangzhuang stronghold!
It will take at most forty minutes. Once the smoke clears, you can send your troops to clean up the battlefield!"

Listening to Li Yunlong's words, Li Erhu patted his chest and promised Li Yunlong confidently.

"it is good!"

Listening to Li Erhu's words, Li Yunlong nodded.

"Captain Li, um, do you plan to stay here or leave first?"

Seeing that Li Yunlong was not ready to leave, Li Erhu asked Li Yunlong directly.

The shells they were going to use later were quite dangerous, and Li Erhu was also worried that something might go wrong when the shells were fired, causing a leak or something.

In order to avoid this situation, the main gunners in the Pioneer Regiment's artillery battalion are now wearing gas masks and sealed suits made of waterproof cloth, or simply wearing real white sealed suits.

Li Yunlong was still wearing ordinary military uniform. If Li Yunlong chose to stay, a set of clothes would definitely be prepared for him.

Otherwise, if an unexpected situation occurred and caused Li Yunlong to have problems, then Li Erhu would be in big trouble.

The battle had just begun, and one of their commanders fell down, and it was because of his own people that he fell down.

"Hmm? Do you think it's inappropriate for me to be here? Don't worry, I will never interfere with your command."

Li Yunlong listened to Li Erhu's words and thought that Li Erhu felt that his presence as the regiment commander would interfere with his command, so he immediately spoke and made a promise to Li Erhu.

(End of this chapter)