Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 158 Shouts and Cries

In a deafening explosion, the pillbox meticulously built by the Japanese collapsed, sending countless bricks and tiles flying into the air, along with the Japanese and puppet troops inside.

One shot... Four tanks only needed one shot to wipe out the stronghold that had been entrenched in Tiger Hill for nearly half a year, making countless people grit their teeth and wish they could get rid of it as soon as possible. This scene also stunned two figures hiding in the shadows.

“My goodness… these iron turtles are too powerful.” A slightly younger man said to his companion, “Brother Ma, look… one shot… just one shot and they were blown away, just like a father beating his son.”

Brother Ma flicked him on the forehead and scolded, "What nonsense are you spouting? Hurry up and go back to report, and call the county brigade over. There are plenty of good stuff in the pillbox."

"Oh...right, right..." The man suddenly realized that Tiger Hill Fortress was a well-known stronghold of the Japanese army in this area, and it was usually garrisoned by hundreds of Japanese and puppet troops. There were hundreds of rifles alone, plus light and heavy machine guns and supplies such as food.

These things are probably beneath the notice of this wealthy team, but to these poor folks, they are all treasures. If they all belonged to them, the county brigade would be rolling in money.

As the commander in charge of the attack, Li Gaoyuan was naturally unaware that two militiamen from the county brigade were secretly eyeing the weapons in the Tiger Hill stronghold.

However, even if he knew, he probably wouldn't care. At this moment, he called John over, unfolded the map, and said to him.

"John...do you know why I called you here?"

“Li…you really think I’m a newbie,” John said, disgruntled. “When I was fighting the Germans on the French front, you were still playing in the mud at home.”

"Hey..." Li Gaoyuan was furious. These foreigners really didn't respect their superiors at all.

However, no matter how annoyed he was, he could only roll his eyes. This foreigner really wasn't exaggerating; he was a veteran who had participated in World War I and the only officer in the militia who was proficient in armored warfare.

Soldiers respect the strong, but they also respect their seniors, and this guy embodies both of those qualities.

"Ok."

Li Gaoyuan pointed to the map and said to John, "This is Xinxian County. According to intelligence, a Japanese division's worth of munitions is stored here. If we bomb this place, the Japanese 20th Division will have no choice but to fight us with bayonets."

Your mission, and that of your tank battalion, is to reach Xinxian as quickly as possible, before the 20th Division arrives, and then destroy the munitions stored there. Can you do that?

John frowned and looked for a long time before asking, "Li... how many troops are stationed in Xin County? How many checkpoints and outposts are there along the way? What if we alert these checkpoints and troops along the way?"
You have to understand, we're driving Sherman tanks that weigh 30 tons, not bicycles that weigh a dozen kilograms. There's no way we can cover our tracks while marching.

And there's another major issue: what to do if we encounter Japanese aircraft? These are all things that need to be considered.

"You don't need to march in stealth, and that's not realistic either."

Li Gaoyuan said bluntly, "Moreover, I will allocate the air defense battalion to you and have them form a mixed formation with you. That way, you will not be helpless if you encounter Japanese aircraft."

John frowned, still feeling it was a bit too risky, but he also understood that war is never without risk, and that if they succeeded, their gains would be enormous.

That's how war is; no one can guarantee victory, and no one knows whether danger or victory will come first.

"What about Xiangding? Should we continue fighting?"

"Why not fight...aren't we still here?"

Li Gaoyuan laughed and said, "The Japanese and puppet troops garrisoning Xiangding only number about a thousand. I still have two battalions and an artillery regiment at my disposal. Taking Xiangding should not be a problem. If all else fails, there is still the Second Regiment that will arrive later, isn't there?"

"Ok."

After the two discussed it, Li Gaoyuan immediately ordered the troops to advance towards Xiangding. The equipment of the Shanxi militia was much better than during the Battle of Xuzhou.

After several months of rapid expansion, the army trained a large number of drivers, each regiment had its own motor transport company, and the army had achieved mechanization; infantry marches no longer needed to rely on the "No. 11 bus" (a type of public transport). ...

Wang Fugui sat in the back of the truck, holding a Thompson M1928A1 submachine gun, his eyes half-closed as if he were about to fall asleep. Several veterans were also holding their guns and resting with their eyes closed, but many of the new recruits who had just joined the army were different, appearing particularly excited.

Although they dared not speak loudly due to discipline, some of them still huddled together and whispered among themselves.

Frustrated by the constant chatter, Wang Fugui opened his eyes slightly and looked at the new recruits who were talking, their excitement tinged with nervousness. He shook his head helplessly to himself.

These greenhorns are really full of energy. After they get a few beatings, they probably won't think so much anymore.

"Squad leader... Squad leader..." came the monkey's voice.

"What is it?" Wang Fugui asked casually without even lifting his eyelids.

"These bastards are too noisy, I can't sleep. Want a cigarette?"

"If you want to smoke, then smoke. Why are you asking me?"

"Hehe... I've run out of cigarettes."

When Wang Fugui opened his eyes, he saw the monkey's thin, smiling face.

"I've really had enough of you." Wang Fugui said irritably, pulling a pack of Camel cigarettes from his pocket and tossing one to him.

Before he could even put the cigarette away, several hands reached out from all around him.

"You bastards, you're always thinking about taking my cigarettes, don't you have any yourself or what?" Wang Fugui cursed as he handed out cigarettes to the bastards with a pained expression.

"Squad leader, look at what you're saying. We ordinary soldiers only get five packs of cigarettes a month, which isn't enough. You're a sergeant, you get a whole carton a month. If we don't lend you some, who else can we borrow from?"

The monkey's self-righteous attitude made Wang Fugui laugh in anger. "The regimental commander doesn't limit the quantity, so why don't you ask him for some?"

"I'd like to, but we need to be able to run into the regimental commander first."

"Fine... I can't argue with you guys."

Wang Fugui shook his head helplessly, lit a cigarette, and began to smoke in the truck.

Almost every soldier is a smoker; even those who didn't smoke before will quickly become addicted after joining the army.

This is because the battlefield environment is extremely stressful, and soldiers are constantly on the verge of life and death. Nicotine in tobacco can quickly relieve anxiety, refresh the mind, and even temporarily suppress hunger.

In enclosed environments such as trenches and bunkers, smoking was one of the few recreational activities that soldiers could engage in, helping them endure long waits.

Therefore, countries around the world have tacitly approved of or even encouraged soldiers' smoking behavior.

"Squeak..."

Before they could finish a cigarette, the truck they were riding in came to an abrupt stop, and the soldiers in the truck bed were thrown about.

"Get off the bus...get off the bus quickly..." Soon, the officers' shouts rang out from outside.

(End of this chapter)