Anti-Japanese War: I have unlimited assistance

Chapter 420 Fierce firepower!

"Chief of Staff, all infantry battalions' 82mm mortars are ready!"

On the slope of Jiangjunling, a staff officer came running over and reported to Zhang Dabiao:
"Should we fire immediately?"

Each infantry battalion's artillery company is equipped with 12 82mm mortars.

This time, Zhang Dabiao brought four infantry battalions, which means a total of 48 82mm mortars aimed at the Japanese positions.

Last night, when the infantry battalions moved in, they did not bring any mountain artillery.

However, the problem is not big. Except for some blind spots on the reverse slope that cannot be hit, most areas of the reverse slope positions of Jiangjunling are within the range of the artillery groups of the New 1st Regiment.

At this time, on the reverse slope, the heavy artillery of the New 1st Regiment had ceased firing, and it was obvious that the infantry and tanks were planning to attack.

According to Li Yunlong's battle plan, an attack should also be launched simultaneously on the main slope to encircle the Japanese in Jiangjunling.

However, the defensive fortifications on the main slope of Jiangjunling are much stronger than those on the reverse slope. In addition to tunnels and solid earthen trenches, there are also many concrete bunkers and hidden bunkers.

These bunkers and bunkers were built according to the standards of the Maginot Line's permanent fortifications.

It can be said that the three fortifications at Jiangjunling, Majiapo and Shaohukou have defensive capabilities comparable to those of a fortress.

When the Jiangjunling defensive fortifications were being built, in addition to the frequent harassment from Japanese planes, a small incident also occurred.

When the stone drill was digging the tunnel, it dug out a lot of bones and rotten weapons inside. It was obvious that this was an ancient battlefield.

After Li Yunlong learned about this, he asked the soldiers to properly deal with the excavated bones and rebury them.

At this time, the New 1st Regiment will attack the General Ridge defensive fortifications built by themselves.

This was something Li Yunlong had not expected, but it was not a big problem. The defensive fortifications in Jiangjunling were all built by the New 1st Regiment's own engineers, and they were very familiar with them.

But then again, if the New 1st Regiment had blown up all the tunnels and bunkers before, the Japanese would not have been entrenched in Jiangjunling and launched a central attack tactic against the Eighth Route Army.

This is a challenge for the New 1st Regiment, but also an opportunity, an opportunity to completely wipe out the 4th Brigade and the Guards Mixed Brigade.

"Not urgent……"

Zhang Dabiao looked at the watch on his hand and looked at a communications staff officer:

"Immediately call the 152mm howitzer battalion to cover the front slope of Jiangjunling with artillery fire for 10 minutes to destroy the earthworks on the front slope of Jiangjunling."

On the main slope of Jiangjunling, in addition to concrete bunkers and hidden bunkers, the soldiers of the New 1st Regiment also built many earthworks.

The standards of these civil engineering works are also very high. They can withstand the attack of 82mm mortars and barely block the attack of 75mm mountain guns, but they cannot withstand the attack of 105mm howitzers and 120mm mortars, let alone 152mm howitzers.

These earthworks are connected to the tunnels. If they are not destroyed, it will cause great trouble to the attack of the new regiment.

"Yes!"

The communications officer immediately put on his headset and called:

"Zhangzhuang calling Lizhuang, calling Lizhuang..."

"Please fire artillery fire at the front slope of Jiangjunling for 10 minutes."

Less than three minutes after the call, the sound of metal bullets tearing through the sky at high speed came from far away. The first round of 24 shells passed over the main peak of Jiangjunling and fell towards the position on the slope of Jiangjunling!
The shooting parameters were still determined using precise methods, and no preliminary test firing was conducted. Artillery fire was used directly from the start.

The shock waves and shrapnel generated by the 152mm howitzers equipped by the new regiment can cause huge damage to armored vehicles within a range of 5 meters, and can penetrate reinforced concrete fortifications of about 20 centimeters.

In addition, the 152mm howitzer shells equipped with a delayed fuse also have a certain drilling capability, which can penetrate soft soil to a depth of 10 meters.

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! …

One after another, 152mm high-explosive grenades fell on the direct slope of Jiangjunling.

Accompanied by a huge fireball, mud, fog and smoke rising, shock waves and air waves rolling, and the rumbling sound of explosions shook the sky.

Immediately afterwards, the second and third rounds of artillery shells fell on the Japanese positions and exploded!

at this time.

In the position on the main slope of Jiangjunling, Tsuda Mitake, several Japanese staff officers, and a group of Japanese soldiers listened to the continuous deafening roar coming from above their heads, all with solemn expressions.

"This is a heavy artillery regiment firing at us, at least 100 shells per minute are landing on the position."

A staff officer spoke in a serious tone with a gloomy face.

"About 120 rounds per minute, and the enemy's heavy artillery firing rate is about 5 rounds per minute, with an error of no more than 10 rounds."

Major Kurahara, commander of the 150th Brigade's mountain artillery battalion, said, "Judging from the sound of the explosion, the enemy's heavy artillery is more powerful than the British Type mm cannon."

Upon hearing this, despair suddenly appeared on the faces of the staff officer who had just spoken and a group of Japanese soldiers.

The gap is too big.

The Eighth Route Army has at least 20,000 men, but the current Guards Mixed Brigade and the 4th Brigade, with infantry and artillery combined, have only 4,000 to 5,000 men.

In terms of troop strength, the Eighth Route Army was four to five times the size of the Japanese Army.

That's not the worst.

After all, with a five-to-one ratio in strength, the battle can still be fought. The locust army of the Great Japanese brother country is not afraid of any army. The difference in strength can be made up by the Bushido spirit. In addition, the intact tunnels, concrete and earthworks abandoned by the Eighth Route Army, the defense capability is comparable to that of a fortress.

Under normal circumstances, with the support of the Bushido spirit and such strong fortifications, they could easily defend against enemy attacks for a week, let alone two days.

After all, although the 4th Brigade was known as the elite of the Japanese army in the Shanxi battlefield, it was only a younger brother in front of the top Type A division like the Imperial Guards Division. Whether in terms of understanding of the Bushido spirit or combat effectiveness, it could not be compared.

But the problem now is that the gap in artillery firepower is too big, so big that the officers and soldiers of the 4th Brigade are in despair.

Even the 20th Brigade's Mountain Artillery Battalion and the Guards Mixed Brigade's Field Artillery Battalion now only have a total of more than mountain and field artillery pieces, and only a few hundred rounds of artillery shells are left.

The Eighth Route Army had at least 75 artillery pieces with a caliber of 100mm or above, as well as howitzers that were more powerful than the Japanese 150mm cannon. According to the Eighth Route Army's fighting style, the Eighth Route Army had sufficient artillery reserves.

In addition to the Eighth Route Army's artillery firepower crushing the current 4th Brigade and the Guards Mixed Brigade, although the Japanese mountain artillery and field artillery positions were in a concealed position, once they fired, their positions would be immediately exposed, and they would inevitably be suppressed by the Eighth Route Army's long-range heavy artillery.

Such a huge gap in artillery firepower cannot be made up by courage or tactics.

The Bushido spirit of the Locust Army will be crushed to pieces by the Eighth Route Army's artillery.

However, no matter how desperate they were, at the last moment, most of the officers and soldiers of the 4th Brigade would still choose to fight to the death.

"As soon as the Eighth Route Army's artillery fire stops, the infantry will begin the attack and prepare for battle."

Major General Mitake Tsuda, commander of the 4th Brigade in charge of commanding the front slope position, sat upright, leaning on his major general's sword with both hands, allowing the dust from the explosion to fall into his body through his collar, with a blank expression on his face throughout.

He didn't want to fight this battle, but a higher-ranking official can crush a lower-ranking one.

In his opinion, the 4th Brigade and the Guards Mixed Brigade had a chance of winning this battle, but it was not great.

If the 1st and 2nd Guards Regiments had not been completely wiped out and the th Guards Brigade had not suffered heavy losses, the chances of winning the Battle of Jiangjunling would have been very high.

However, the situation has come to this point, and the only option is to fight to the death.

After 10 minutes of fierce artillery bombardment, the 152 howitzer battalion fired more than 1200 152mm shells, almost completely destroying the earthworks on the main slope of Jiangjunling. The area was in ruins. The earthworks, trenches and foxholes disappeared, replaced by huge shell craters.

After the earthworks were destroyed, some hidden concrete bunkers and bunkers were revealed.

"Gentlemen."

When the gunfire became sparse, Tsuda Mitake drew his major general's sword, his expression cold and confident:
"The enemy infantry is about to attack. It's time to serve the Emperor and his country!" "The Emperor, the Emperor of Japan, is aboard. Your Majesty, the Emperor, is aboard!"

Encouraged by Tsuda Mitake, a group of Japanese officers and soldiers in the tunnel lowered their heads, raised their hands and shouted with fanaticism in their eyes and voices:
"The Great Japanese Empire is aboard, and His Majesty the Heavenly Locust is aboard!"

Amidst the fanatical shouts, the deafening artillery fire finally stopped. A squadron leader led the soldiers into the position, and the machine gunners quickly entered the concrete bunkers and secret bunkers.

Concrete bunkers and hidden bunkers look big, but in fact the interior space is average, mainly because they are built too thick. The thickness of the concrete is generally around 3 meters, and they can only accommodate machine gunners, ammunition handlers, and assistant gunners. Each bunker can hold 2 to 3 machine guns, and there is almost no blind spot in the firing range.

In the previous shelling, the tops of some bunkers and pillboxes were hit by 152mm artillery shells and grenades, but they were not destroyed. This is enough to prove how abnormal the defensive capabilities of these concrete pillboxes and bunkers are.

By the time the Japanese entered the position, the infantry of the New 1st Regiment was less than 150 meters away from the front line.

"Don't fire, save ammunition."

The Japanese squadron leader had murderous intent in his eyes and shouted orders:

"We won't open fire until the enemy is fifty meters away. We need one bullet to kill one Eighth Route Army soldier."

In the fierce fighting of the past few days, the 4th Brigade had consumed a lot of ammunition, especially machine gun bullets.

but.

The 4th Brigade attacked Cuijiashan, but even though it used a large amount of machine gun firepower and consumed a lot of machine gun bullets, it was still suppressed by the Eighth Route Army's air defense battalion.

In addition, the medicines were used up, and there were still many wounded Japanese and puppet soldiers in the tunnel, at least more than a thousand.

We thought the attack on northwestern Shanxi would be a quick and easy battle, but we didn't expect it to be a meat grinder, so the Japanese didn't carry much medicine.

Takeshi Sakurada has called for an air support airdrop.

But no transport plane has arrived yet.

The anti-aircraft guns of the Eighth Route Army in the surrounding area were also watching closely.

"Squadron Captain!"

"The Eighth Route Army has flamethrowers!"

An observation post reported to the Japanese squadron leader.

"Nani?"

The Japanese squadron leader was startled. He slowly stuck half of his head out and looked through the telescope. Sure enough, he saw some Eighth Route Army soldiers carrying flamethrowers in the Eighth Route Army formation, and each flamethrower was protected by several soldiers.

The Japanese army also had flamethrowers, but they were generally only equipped by elite troops. Units like the 4th Brigade were rarely equipped with flamethrowers.

"Sharpshooters and snipers aim at enemies carrying flamethrowers."

The Japanese squadron leader knew that this thing posed a great threat to concrete fortifications, so he shouted orders.

"Hi……"

The Japanese soldiers lying in the pit responded quickly.

However, about eighty meters away from the front line, the infantry of the New 1st Regiment stopped attacking, crawled under cover, and put on gas masks.

"what's the situation?"

The devils looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Captain, shall we shoot?"

A soldier looked at the Japanese squadron leader and asked.

"Wait and see what happens!"

The Japanese squadron leader's hand holding the gun was slightly sweaty. Something was not right. It seemed that the Eighth Route Army was plotting something.

At this moment, Zhang Dabiao from the Eighth Route Army command post across the street gave the order to open fire: "82 mortar companies, fire!"

"fire!"

"put!"

Test firing began at each artillery company's position. Compared with mountain artillery and howitzers, mortars have lower accuracy, so even elite gunners have to conduct one or two test firings first.

"Chili bomb, impact fuse, 10 rounds rapid fire!"

"put!"

After completing the test firing, four artillery companies with a total of 4 48mm mortars launched artillery fire coverage on the target areas they were responsible for.

"Boom boom boom..."

48 82mm guns opened fire almost simultaneously, and the first round of shells loaded with RDX explosives and perverted invincible chili powder fell on the position on the direct slope of Jiangjunling.

As fireballs and soil rose up from the explosions, shrapnel made the Japanese soldiers wail, and red smoke suddenly spread out.

"idiot……"

"The Eighth Route Army is releasing poison gas, put on your gas masks!"

Seeing this, the Japanese squadron leader reacted quickly and shouted orders.

The artillery shells continued to fire, and clouds of fireballs and red smoke continued to rise on the battlefield.

Some Japanese soldiers who were slow to react inhaled some chili powder while breathing, and burst into tears on the spot. Even the Japanese soldiers wearing gas masks had a hard time.

Firing 10 shells rapidly takes only 20 seconds for a mortar.

In just 20 seconds, four artillery companies fired nearly 4 pepper bombs at the Japanese positions.

As the chili smoke spread completely, the Japanese soldiers wearing gas masks rolled over due to the spiciness, and the Japanese machine gun team in the concrete bunker also howled due to the spiciness.

Although the chili powder produced after the explosion of the chili bomb has no organic toxic side effects on the human body, its irritation when first coming into contact with the human body is no less than that of some poison gas bombs. Sneezing and coughing are no big deal, and it can directly irritate the eyes and respiratory tract, quickly making the attacked person unable to move.

Soon, the only sounds on the entire battlefield were the Japanese screams without interruption.

Two minutes later, two companies of soldiers from the New 1st Regiment of the Eighth Route Army, wearing gas masks, holding rifles and submachine guns, and carrying flamethrowers, stepped onto the direct slope position of Jiangjunling.

A massacre was launched against the Japanese soldiers who had lost their ability to move on the battlefield.

"Da da da……"

The worst off were those Japanese soldiers who were killed directly. The worst off were those who were hiding in concrete bunkers and were smoked by pepper. They were first smoked by pepper and cried out in pain, and then they were roasted by the flames from the flamethrowers, and they let out even more miserable Japanese screams.

Some red smoke came into the tunnel, choking the Japanese soldiers in the tunnel and causing them to sneeze, with runny noses and tears streaming down their faces.

"General!"

A Japanese soldier rushed in and reported to Tsuda Mitake:
"The position has been lost!"

"Nani?"

Major General Tsuda Mitake's face changed drastically.

(End of this chapter)