Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 18 The enemy has already escaped

At 11 o'clock in the morning, it was raining heavily. The rain was flowing down the hillside and the ground had become muddy.

The soldiers of the New Second Regiment waited silently on both sides of the ridge.

Just when the New Second Regiment was getting anxious, a Japanese troop finally slowly emerged from the rain in the distance.

"Here they come! The devils are coming! Everyone get ready to fight!"

As the communicator whispered the order, the soldiers who were hiding from the rain stood up and lay directly in the mud.

"Captain, the Japanese have reinforced their troops this time!" Xu Wu whispered as he looked at the Japanese baggage train appearing in the distance.

Although the Japanese baggage train was still divided into vanguard, baggage and rear guard as last time, the number of their guards had obviously increased.

According to the investigators' report, the Japs' front and rear guards numbered more than 400 people, and there was also a cavalry team.

The cavalry team was a mixture of the Japanese and Chahar puppet troops, with about 100 people, forming the vanguard force with another infantrymen.

The baggage train in the middle was similar to the last time, but the number of pack horses had increased.

The reason for increasing the number of pack horses is simple. It is raining now and the roads are muddy. The loads on the Japanese's baggage trucks must be much lighter than last time, so the Japanese increase the number of pack horses to ensure the transportation volume.

The Japanese rear guard consisted of 200 infantrymen, also a mixture of Japanese and puppet troops.

Although the Japanese increased the number of guards this time, Chen Chengxing did not show much emotion. After receiving the last supply of supplies, the firepower of the new second regiment was greatly enhanced.

The 200 additional Japanese troops were insignificant to the New Second Regiment.

Moreover, due to the huge increase in numbers, the Japanese troops were stretched out longer, which was good news for the New Second Regiment.

The longer the Japanese troops are stretched out, the more opportunities they will create for the New Second Regiment to split and destroy them.

Outside Erlipu, the Japanese vanguard stopped advancing.

The leader of the vanguard force, Yuzo Yasui, raised his telescope and carefully observed the specific conditions of Erlipu and the surrounding highlands.

"Light machine gun team, move forward for fire reconnaissance!" ordered Yuzo Yasui.

Although everyone believed that the Eighth Route Army had escaped, Yasui Yuzo believed that it was still necessary to conduct some investigation.

After receiving the order, the light machine gun squad at the front immediately moved forward and continuously fired at the high slope on the side of the road.

Seeing that the light machine gun had advanced three or four hundred meters and still had no abnormalities, the leader of the Japanese cavalry squad said, "Major Yasui, should we continue to move forward?"

"No hurry." Yasui Yuzo did not order the troops to continue marching, but turned around and ordered:
"Order the grenade launcher squad to bombard all suspicious heights."

"Hai!"

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!".
As the grenade launchers' grenades fell, all the places where the New Second Regiment had hidden before were hit by a few shells to a greater or lesser extent.

Looking at the mud and water splashed everywhere by the grenade, the Japanese cavalry squad leader curled his lips in disdain.

This is too cautious, and there is none of the bravery of an imperial warrior.

Yasui Yuzo pretended not to notice the expression on the Japanese cavalry squad leader's face.

His mission was to scout the enemy and escort the baggage. As long as the supplies could arrive safely, consuming some ammunition didn't matter.

You have to know that war is all about logistics. As long as you can deliver the supplies to the front line smoothly, it will be a great achievement.

Looking at the high ground that had been bombed by artillery shells but showed no signs of abnormality, Yuzo Yasui nodded with satisfaction.

"Yoshi, the enemy has already fled. Order the troops to continue advancing!" Looking at the high ground that was repeatedly bombarded, Xu Wu said with some fear: "Captain, it's a good thing that the New Second Regiment didn't leave the ambush position where it was, otherwise we would have been exposed."

The fact that the soldiers can withstand machine gun bullets without making any noise does not mean that they can withstand artillery shells. For example, even if their hats are blown off, they may be discovered by the Japanese.

"Although the Japanese didn't expect that we would set up overlapping ambushes, they will not underestimate the enemy and advance rashly as they did before. They can't help but be vigilant about Erlipu, a Feng Shui location that is suitable for ambush." Chen Chengxing said as he watched the Japanese continue their march.

Chen Chengxing had anticipated this scene, otherwise he would not have placed the New Second Regiment south of Erlang Temple.

This place is not even a little bit different from Erlipu.

"Xu Wu, tell the comrades to lie in ambush and keep silent!" Chen Chengxing ordered.

Judging from the current situation, the Japanese will not stop their firepower reconnaissance after they pass through Erlipu.

At this time, the troops must keep calm. If someone is shot and screams, all their efforts will be wasted.

For the New Second Regiment, ambushing a vanguard unit would have no effect. What Chen Chengxing needed was to tear off a piece of fat meat from the Japanese baggage train.

"Yes!"

Xu Wu retreated cautiously while constantly giving orders in a low voice:

"Everyone, get in ambush, don't make any noise!"

"All of you are in ambush, and don't make any noise!"

The Japanese vanguard troops did not notice anything unusual and were getting closer and closer to the New Second Regiment.

Moreover, after leaving the most dangerous area around Erlipu, the Japanese obviously relaxed a little.

The grenade launchers that had been firing continuously also stopped, leaving only two machine gun groups in the front to continuously conduct strafing and fire reconnaissance.

However, although the Japs were somewhat relaxed, they still formed a tight battle formation to ensure that they could counterattack at any time.

Chen Chengxing was not in a hurry about this, because the New Second Regiment was not targeting them, and no matter how tight their battle formation was, it had nothing to do with the New Second Regiment.

After the Japanese vanguard troops passed through, Chen Chengxing ordered: "Communicator, let the first company and the guard platoon be ready, and immediately block the gap after the Japanese vanguard troops leave the ambush circle."

"Yes!"

The guard platoon is now equipped with rifles, but they have not given up their previous submachine guns. If the Japanese choose to launch a forced attack, these submachine guns will teach them a lesson.

Less than 10 minutes after the Japanese vanguard troops passed through the ambush circle, the Japanese baggage train rushed into the ambush circle.

The Japanese baggage train obviously did not learn from the last ambush. After the vanguard troops' reconnaissance, they were no longer vigilant and just swaggered themselves into the muzzle of the gun.

Chen Chengxing took out his pistol, loaded it gently, and pointed the gun at a Japanese soldier sitting on a cart in the baggage team.

In the entire baggage convoy, except for a few Japanese soldiers who were riding on horses to give orders, most people were pushing the carts behind. After all, it was difficult for the wheels to move on the dirt road when it rained.

But there is an exception.

A Japanese soldier wearing a raincoat was leaning against a supply cart, and he could be vaguely heard cursing.

With such an obvious target, who else should we hit if not you?
Chen Chengxing took aim and pulled the trigger.

"boom!"

(End of this chapter)