Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

The use of smoke grenades on the battlefield took Ozawa Kaiki by surprise.

Who would have thought that Simon Hall would possess such a terrifying weapon?

have to say,

Using smoke bombs to disrupt the Japanese army, followed by an assault by the elite Ximentang Special Operations Regiment under artillery cover, was indeed the most efficient tactic.

However, siege warfare is completely different from defense warfare.

Xu Xiaodao's tactical arrangements were reasonable and did indeed reduce Ximentang's losses.

but,

The special operations regiment launched the assault with the aim of breaking through the defenses of the Japanese Allied Forces.

The trench defenses of the Allied Forces, as well as the crossfire outside the city gates, remained as solid as a rock.

Ximentang only had 20,000 men, while the Japanese Allied Forces defending the city numbered 80,000.

Therefore,
Despite Ximen Tang's continuous attacks, it was difficult to completely break through the defenses of the Japanese Allied Forces.

The S-shaped attack formation has both advantages and disadvantages.

Dispersing the formation can reduce casualties and decrease the battle loss rate.

but,

After the elite troops of the Ximentang Special Operations Regiment were dispersed, it was particularly difficult to concentrate firepower when launching an attack.

The smoke bombs obscured the vision of the Allied Forces of the East and also the vision of the soldiers of Ximentang.

Because the Japanese soldiers were all lying prone in the trenches, the shrapnel from the artillery shells was blocked by sandbags after they landed, and even the shock wave could not penetrate downwards to create an impact.

Therefore,
The Japanese soldiers lying in ambush in the trenches opened fire immediately upon hearing footsteps ahead.

Meanwhile, at the south gate of Ezhou City, the Japanese Allied Forces began firing blindly at the area with thick smoke.

For a while,
Ximentang's charge entered the final assault phase of the trenches, but he was unable to break through.

The two sides' firepower reached a stalemate, unable to launch an overwhelming attack.

Although the muskets and field artillery used by the Allied Forces were far inferior to those of Ximentang in terms of ammunition power and rate of fire.

Moreover, the crossfire system is not systematic and cannot achieve dense suppression with full fire coverage.

but,

The Japanese army had a numerical advantage, and their volley fire compensated for the weakness of crossfire.

Simultaneously,

The soldiers of the Eastern Allied Forces defended the city and could hide in fortifications, which could minimize the damage.

therefore,

When Ximen Tang launched his attack, he also had to endure the counterattack of the Japanese Allied Forces.

Especially near the trenches and other fortifications, Ximentang suffered further losses.

Because the special operations soldiers were wearing thick bulletproof vests and helmets, most of them were injured.

Open the bow without turning back the arrow!

In this stalemate, Ximentang cannot stop its attack, otherwise all its previous efforts will be in vain.

Therefore,
Under Xu Xiaodao's command, the elite Ximentang Special Forces Regiment launched a fierce attack.

Some special operations regiments, heavily armored, even began charging forward with shields, braving the crossfire of the Japanese Allied Forces, and throwing grenades into the trenches once they got close.

When smoke grenades surround the area, hand grenades, a close-range weapon, can actually demonstrate their powerful combat effectiveness.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions continued to be heard.

Hand grenades are indeed the most efficient weapons available at the time, finally letting the Allied Forces of the East experience the taste of being bombarded relentlessly.

Because the vast majority of grenades were thrown into the trenches.

But at that moment, the soldiers of the Japanese Allied Forces sensed the danger and rushed out of the trenches.

Hand-to-hand combat!
Under the cover of smoke, neither side could use heavy machine guns and artillery for fear of accidentally injuring their own troops.

Therefore, after the initial close combat, they entered into hand-to-hand fighting.

Chen Jie's Ximentang team has always placed particular emphasis on individual soldier quality.

Although they do not advocate close combat, they are always prepared for it.

Each replica AK47 assault rifle has a Mitsubishi bayonet mounted on its muzzle.

The two sides engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand combat in front of the trenches amidst thick smoke.

It must be said that once the close-quarters combat began, the weaknesses of the Ximentang Special Forces Regiment's S-shaped battle formation were exposed.

Because the distance between each soldier was too great.

Therefore,
When outnumbered, soldiers of the Allied Forces of the East could only fight one-on-one in close combat.

One person has to face several enemies, making it impossible to coordinate.

in addition,

Subsequent troops have not yet arrived in time.

The two thousand elite special operations troops who launched the initial attack were immediately surrounded.

The Allied Forces of the East had ambushed tens of thousands of troops within the trench defenses.

Despite artillery suppression and smoke bombardment, the Allied Forces suffered some casualties.

However, at this time, the two sides were vastly different in strength, and the individual combat capabilities of the Japanese Allied Forces were in no way inferior to those of Ximentang.

therefore,

Once the fight turned to hand-to-hand combat, Ximen Tang's disadvantages became glaringly obvious.

The only advantage was that the elite special forces of the Ximentang, who were in charge of the charge, wore bulletproof vests with titanium alloy chainmail underneath.

The samurai swords of the Eastern Allied Forces were completely unable to pierce the defenses of the elite special forces soldiers of Ximentang.

Therefore,
Despite the obvious advantage held by the Allied Forces of the East, they were utterly routed by the elite special forces of Ximentang.

However, this was followed by continuous hand-to-hand combat between the two sides.

The soldiers of Ximentang were brave in battle, and their bayonets demonstrated amazing combat effectiveness in close combat.

but,

Simon's advantage was limited; he could not use automatic rifles or grenades.

This close-quarters combat style is the fighting style that Ximen Tang dislikes the most.

Many of the members of the Eastern Allied Forces were remnants of the former Imperial Guards of the Great Qian Dynasty, and were former subordinates of Hong Chaoge. They were all people of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Many of them were elites in the Imperial Guard, highly skilled in martial arts.

The Japanese commander, Ozawa Kaiki, gave the Allied Forces a death order: they must defend Ezhou City to the death and were absolutely not allowed to retreat.

At this moment, from the direction of the city wall, the gun barrels of the supervising team were pointed at the backs of the defending troops.

Anyone who dares to escape at this moment will be shot dead on the spot by the warlord.

Therefore,
The Japanese Allied soldiers in the trenches had no choice but to fight desperately.

Both sides engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand battle, putting Ximen Tang in a very passive position.

After launching two consecutive charges, although the first trench defense line had been breached by Ximentang, they directly advanced to the second trench.

However, more and more Japanese troops launched bayonet charges against the elite special forces of Ximentang.

In the end, to avoid further casualties, Xu Xiaodao had no choice but to order the elite Ximentang Special Forces Regiment responsible for the charge to retreat.

If close-quarters combat continues like this, the two thousand men of the Ximentang Special Operations Regiment responsible for the assault will suffer heavy losses.

Xu Xiaodao didn't want his elite troops to be lost in close combat.

The core combat capability of the elite special operations regiment is by no means individual combat.

Seeing that it would be difficult to break through the defenses of the Japanese Allied Forces, Xu Xiaodao ordered his troops to retreat to a camp ten kilometers away.

Sound the retreat!

Today's charge is over!
The elite Ximentang Special Operations Regiment suffered 46 dead and 320 wounded.

After taking stock of the battle damage, Xu Xiaodao was consumed by rage, his eyes turning red.

then,

That evening, Xu Xiaodao convened a meeting of all key commanders and sent a telegram to Chen Jie, who was far away in Nanjing, to report.

The daytime assault was thwarted, resulting in heavy losses for the elite Ximentang Special Operations Regiment.

However, the morale of Ximentang was not greatly affected.

After all, this is a siege, which is much more difficult than defending a city.

not to mention,
The Ximentang forces are outnumbered, making it very difficult for them to attack Ezhou Prefecture.

The elite troops of Ximen Hall stationed in Xianning Prefecture had all been tempered by bloody battles. Temporary setbacks would not easily shake the morale of the Ximen Hall soldiers.

So after the meeting, all the commanders made a solemn vow to attack the next day and take Ezhou City.

in addition,

Since the supply train from Nanjing is about to arrive, we can increase our firepower in the coming days.

After today's battlefield experience, everyone offered their opinions on the upcoming offensive.

First, it is necessary to strengthen the coordination between mortars and special operations regiment assault formations.

Although the firepower of artillery is greatly reduced when facing trench defenses, it can still cover the special operations regiment's charge and is not entirely useless.

Secondly,

When the elite special forces launched their charge, their vision was obstructed by smoke grenades, making them vulnerable to counterattacks from the Japanese Allied Forces.

Therefore, Ximentang's attack must make full use of the advantages of long-range attacks.

It is imperative to suppress the crossfire of the Allied Forces of the East, using a combination of incendiary bombs and smoke bombs.

At last,
Once a breach has been created in the trench defenses, follow-up troops must arrive.

In particular, heavy armored units and artillery battalions must keep up in time, increase firepower suppression, and improve the offensive efficiency of the elite special operations regiments.

the next day,
Ximentang launched another attack on Ezhou City.

This time, Xu Xiaodao dispatched 3,000 elite special operations troops to lead the charge, with the artillery battalion providing fire support.

The Special Operations Regiment is the most powerful unit under Xu Xiaodao's command, and it is also the regimental headquarters where he used to serve.

The elite special operations regiment stationed in Xianning Prefecture has a total of 5,000 men. Although the regiment commander, Lin Song, is somewhat arrogant and usually taciturn.

but,

He was a truly fierce general when it came to fighting.

During the last suppression of the rebellion in the Hanzhong region and the attack on Xianning Prefecture, Lin Song made outstanding contributions and gained the attention of Chen Jie.

Therefore, when Xu Xiaodao was appointed as the commander of Ximentang in Xianning Prefecture, Lin Song became the deputy commander of the special operations regiment.

Xu Xiaodao originally wanted to promote him to his deputy.

However, Lin Song disagreed. He did not want to leave the special operations regiment and preferred to remain a soldier in the regiment rather than be promoted.

After Xu Xiaodao learned of his thoughts, he did not force him any further and allowed him to continue serving as the commander of the special operations regiment.

When attacking the trench defense positions, Xu Xiaodao did not intend to send Lin Song's elite troops into battle.

but,

Judging from the results of yesterday's attack, the Japanese have learned Ximen Tang's defensive tactics.

therefore,

Only by sending out 3,000 of the most elite special operations troops can we have a chance to break through the trenches and positions of the Japanese Allied Forces in one fell swoop.

Just as Simon was preparing to launch his attack the next day.

The Allied Forces of the East were equally determined and on high alert.

In yesterday's battle, the casualties of the Japanese Allied Forces were ten times that of Ximentang.

In the South Gate area alone, there were more than two thousand corpses and more than a thousand wounded.

To Ozawa Kaiki's surprise, after the battle yesterday, he found several replica AK47 assault rifles and the bodies of two elite Ximentang soldiers on the battlefield.

Thick bulletproof vests, steel helmets, combat boots, grenades, titanium alloy chainmail, replica AK47 assault rifles, alloy Miao swords—and more!
Although the Japanese army suffered heavy casualties, it was a relief for Ozawa Kaiki.

Yesterday was a great victory, and we gained a lot!
Ximentang's aggressive tactics have always relied on overwhelming firepower.

Artillery technology!
This is the core of Simon's overwhelming tactics.

In addition to the Japanese military's vigorous development of artillery technology, other Western powers also regarded artillery as the core of the battlefield.

Every major military power in Europe has its own artillery units.

Even a dozen or so field guns can form a 'gun battalion' on their own!
Simon's mortar technology is unparalleled in the world!

The grenade technology is sophisticated and has a high rate of fire. As long as there is a cannon barrel, it can be launched and exploded, which is convenient and quick.

Before this, the Allied Forces of the East had suffered heavy losses when facing the artillery array of Ximentang.

The Japanese Black Dragon Society has been infiltrating and collecting information about Ximentang's artillery technology and individual soldier equipment.

Whether it's bulletproof vests, artillery, rifles, heavy machine guns, etc., these are all military technologies that the Japanese desire most.

It is a great pity that

Although the Japanese had obtained the model, they were never able to replicate it.

This time,
They obtained the bodies of two Ximentang Special Forces soldiers and several complete sets of individual equipment.

in addition,

They also received a 60mm caliber mortar.

If these weapons and equipment are sent to military industrial plants in Northeast China for reverse engineering, they should be able to be manufactured very quickly.

Once the Japanese army possesses Ximentang's military technology, it will surely dominate the world.

Thinking about all this, Ozawa Kaiki felt extremely excited.

It is unexpected that the Black Dragon Society paid such a high price but still could not obtain Simon's individual equipment and artillery.

I have already captured it on the battlefield.

He is now increasingly confident that the Allied Forces of the East will sweep across Daqian.

Once we reverse engineer Ximentang's weapons, conquering the Great Qian Dynasty will be just around the corner.

Ozawa Kaiki ordered his allied forces to defend Ezhou to the death, promising a hefty reward.

but,

Judging from the weapons and equipment after the troops were equipped, only Japanese soldiers were qualified to be equipped with rifles, Japanese field artillery, heavy machine guns and other equipment.

The other soldiers and cannon fodder, as well as the troops under Hong Chaoge's command, could only use outdated firearms.

Learning from yesterday's battle.

The attack launched by Simon today was tactically very different.

First, the artillery battalion's position began to advance.

The 120mm and 60mm mortars form a crossfire coverage, providing a three-dimensional attack.

Firepower is being concentrated!
Suppress the Allied Forces' positions on the city wall with heavy firepower.

Incendiary and smoke bombs were launched simultaneously to isolate the city walls and trenches of Ezhou.

Although artillery fire was much less effective against the Allied Forces soldiers in the trenches, the casualties were not significant.

but,

The shockwave, smoke, and mud flying from the explosion, along with the incendiary bomb igniting the surrounding area and consuming large amounts of oxygen, caused suffocation.

A fierce artillery barrage severely impacted the defenses of the Allied Forces of the East.

Meanwhile, the 3,000 elite special operations troops under Lin Song's command, under the cover of mortars and heavy machine guns, once again charged towards the trench fortifications of the Japanese Allied Forces.

This charge was completely different from a relentless assault.

Lin Song was a regimental commander skilled in fighting tough battles. When he was 300 meters away from the trenches and positions of the Japanese Allied Forces, he ordered his troops to stop their charge.

Then,

They used 60mm mortars to bombard the trench positions.

Artillery barrage!

The smoke screen made it impossible for the enemy to judge the distance.

However, Ximentang was also unable to aim accurately, and could only position himself at about 300 meters before launching a round of blind firing.

After a round of blind firing ends, advance ten meters and continue with the next round of blind firing.

At the same time, more than 300 mortars opened fire blindly, advancing slowly and rhythmically.

If precise aiming is impossible, then blind firing is used, firing one round after another.

Despite the cover of trenches, the artillery and heavy machine guns positioned near the city walls were suppressed by the firepower of Ximentang.

Smoke bombs and incendiary bombs isolated the city walls from the moat.

The Japanese Allied soldiers in the trenches were stunned and unable to peek out to fight back.

at this time,

Lin Song dispatched over a thousand men, who crawled forward at full speed towards the first trench of the Western Allied Forces.

Boom, boom, boom—!
Hand grenades rained down like meteors across the smoke-filled battlefield, falling into the trenches—! (End of Chapter)