Anti-Japanese War: I have unlimited assistance

Chapter 489 Heavy casualties!

Then Iida Sadatsugu looked at the commander of the 26th Division, Kuroda Shigenori.

"Kuroda-kun, the first mission will be handed over to your 26th Division!"

"The Commander wants to gauge the strength of the Eighth Route Army!"

"Do you know what to do?"

"Hey!" Kuroda Shigenori suddenly lowered his head, his tone full of confidence, "Use me in the first battle, I will definitely win!"

"Yoshi!"

Seeing the officers' high morale, Iida Sadatsugu nodded with satisfaction:

"A batch of combat supplies will arrive this afternoon, and the offensive will officially begin tomorrow morning. Let the Chinese experience the power of the locust army!"

"Hey!" The Japanese officers shouted in unison.

At eight o'clock the next morning, at Jiangjunling, the border between Heyuan County and Ping'an County, the weather was gentle, sunny and breezy.

Two mountain artillery regiments of the Japanese temporary artillery division opened fire in the direction of Yunshan and Jiangjunling.

Intensive explosions occurred on the front slope position of the new regiment, raising dust and flying shrapnel. The deafening sound of the explosions was like thunder and could be heard from far away.

At the same time, the artillery observer of the New 1st Regiment stationed on Yunshan Mountain quickly transmitted the firing information of the Japanese artillery positions to the artillery positions in the rear.

In less than five minutes, the New 105st Regiment's 152mm howitzers and mm howitzers fired at the two Japanese mountain artillery positions, and the Japanese artillery had to quickly move their positions!

As soon as the Japanese artillery fire stopped, the infantry drove the puppet troops and launched an attack on the position of the New 1st Regiment.

"Boom boom boom!!"

More intense explosions rose in the formations of the Japanese and puppet troops, reaping their lives.

The Japanese and puppet troops finally reached a position one hundred meters away from the front line of the New 1st Regiment.

They were attacked by intensive rifle fire again. In the first attack, more than 400 Japanese soldiers were killed and retreated in embarrassment.

"Report to the division commander!"

"The 108th and 110th Mountain Artillery Regiments have moved into position, losing 12 mountain guns and 220 artillery casualties."

Inside the Japanese Army's temporary field artillery division headquarters, an artillery staff officer reported the mountain artillery losses and casualties to Sangmu Chongming.

'sharp!'

Within five minutes of fighting, he lost the artillery of an entire mountain artillery battalion.

Although the Eighth Route Army was an irreconcilable enemy, Sangmu Chongming had to admire the quality of the Eighth Route Army's artillery.

Calibration was completed and artillery fire counter-suppression was implemented within three minutes.

Even the most elite field artillery brigade would find it difficult to achieve this reaction speed.

"Your Excellency, the Eighth Route Army reacted so quickly because they set up an artillery observation post in Yunshan. From here, they can observe an area within a radius of ten kilometers."

Major General Fumizo Iwata, commander of the 4th Field Heavy Artillery Brigade, pointed at the sand table and said to Chongming Kuwagi.

Sang Mu Chongming nodded expressionlessly: "As long as the 28th Brigade captures Yunshan, the Eighth Route Army's artillery will be blinded. However, the range of the Eighth Route Army's artillery is only twelve kilometers at most!"

"Order the 4th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment to fire at Yunshan at maximum range to provide artillery support to the 28th Brigade!"

"Order the 8th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment to fire at the Eighth Route Army positions at Jiangjunling at maximum range to provide artillery support for the 26th Division!"

The Type 4 150mm howitzers of the 12th Field Heavy Artillery Brigade had a range of 152 kilometers, similar to the mm howitzers of the Eighth Route Army. Judging from the situation during the Eighth Route Army's recent artillery attack, the Eighth Route Army's artillery positions were at least three kilometers away from Jiangjunling.

As long as the field heavy artillery regiment was moved backward, the Eighth Route Army's howitzer artillery positions would not be able to hit the Japanese field heavy artillery positions.

The reason why the mountain artillery regiment was suppressed was because its range was too short. Even the best-performing Type 8.3 mountain artillery had a maximum range of only kilometers.

Iwata Fumizo worried, "What if the Eighth Route Army's howitzers move to Jiangjunling and bombard our field artillery positions?"

Kuwagi Takaaki remained calm: "We have the bombing genius, Major General Takeda Isamu."

Iwata Bunzo's eyes lit up slightly, and Kuwagi Takaaki continued, "Iwata-kun, report to the headquarters immediately. The Eighth Route Army's howitzer positions are likely to move forward. Please ask Major General Takeda Isamu to lead the aviation unit to harvest them."

Iwata Bunzo suddenly lowered his head: "Hi!"

Three hours later, two field heavy artillery regiments opened fire from different directions. They first conducted a preliminary test firing, and then a series of explosive fireballs several times larger than those more than three hours ago rose up from the positions of the New 1st Regiment in Yunshan and Jiangjunling.

Even though the soldiers were hiding in tunnels and concrete bunkers, some were shocked and some even felt dizzy, their ears were buzzing, and their eardrums were bleeding.

"What a stupid little devil!"

The soldiers secretly made up their minds that they would give the Japanese a hard time soon!
At the same time, on the reverse slope of Jiangjunling, the headquarters of the New 1st Regiment.

"Damn it, the Japs are serious!"

Feeling the Japanese artillery fire, Li Yunlong's face became more solemn than ever.

"Look at the artillery firepower, it's about two field heavy artillery regiments!"

Zhang Dabiao spoke to Li Yunlong, his eyes as sharp as ever, rarely looking serious.

At this time, a staff officer came over and reported to Li Yunlong:

"Reporting to the regiment commander, the Yunshan artillery observation post reports that the Japanese have set up artillery positions 12 kilometers away from Jiangjunling. This is beyond the maximum range of our 105mm howitzers and 152mm howitzers!"

"A brigade of Japanese soldiers is heading towards Yunshan and is expected to arrive in two hours."

The artillery observation post in Yunshan could see the situation within a radius of 10 kilometers and had already seen the attacking Japanese.

Since the end of the last war, Li Yunlong has paid more attention to the defense of Yunshan. He not only built a road there, but also built tunnels, concrete bunkers and other defensive fortifications, and sent a main infantry battalion to defend there.

Li Yunlong asked, "What is the range of our 152mm howitzer?"

Zhang Dabiao said, "12.7 kilometers. Positioned on the reverse slope of Jiangjunling, we should be able to hit the enemy's heavy artillery regiment positions. Should we order the 152mm howitzer battalion to move forward?"

At present, the number of 152 howitzer battalions equipped by the new regiment has reached 152, with very strong firepower.

The range of the 105mm howitzer is slightly insufficient, with a maximum range of only 11.2 kilometers. Even if the 105mm howitzer position is placed on the Jiangjunling position, it cannot hit the Japanese heavy artillery regiment.

Li Yunlong's eyes flashed. "Don't move the 105mm Howitzer Battalion and the 152mm Howitzer Battalion yet. Order the 105mm Howitzer Battalion, the 152mm Howitzer Battalion, and the Mountain Artillery Battalion to fire at the Japanese attacking Yunshan. Then order the Warfare Battalion to place an inflatable cannon from the 152mm Howitzer Battalion on the road, and the Third Anti-Aircraft Battalion to deploy around it."

"Yes!"

Zhang Dabiao raised the corner of his mouth, instantly understood Li Yunlong's tactical intention, and quickly conveyed the order.

Both sides could only counter each other's moves. Now that the Japanese had finished their moves, it was the turn of the New 1st Regiment.

The Japanese did not have enough artillery shells. After ten minutes of bombardment by two heavy artillery regiments, the Japanese and puppet army infantry rushed up, but they were bombarded by the 82mm mortars and 120 heavy mortars set up on the reverse slope by the New st Regiment. The enemy attacking forces soon suffered heavy casualties.

Seeing this, Sangmu Chongming also became angry. While the infantry was charging, he ordered the two heavy artillery regiments to fire at the same time.

In an instant, huge fireballs exploded and the casualties among the infantry on the new regiment's position increased.

(End of this chapter)