Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Changjin Lake, a Hundred Battles, a Hundred Victories

Chapter 173 Long range, can aim, it's definitely a sniper rifle!

11:55 p.m.

He Jianxin glanced at the time on his watch and issued the order via walkie-talkie:

"All units, take your positions and launch the attack precisely at 12:00!"

"Attention all artillery battalions, fire one basic load of shells at the designated location at 12:00 noon!"

"Attack position four, received!"

"Attack position 5/6 received!"

"Number nine offensive position received!"

"First Artillery Corps revenue received!"

"."

Over the walkie-talkie, each unit immediately responded, reporting their own situation.

The infantrymen gripped their rifles tightly, checked the chambered bullets, and made their final preparations.

The artillery units adjusted their firing parameters, holding their shells ready and waiting for orders to fire them at the enemy's location.

"Quickly, quickly, to your positions!"

"Faster, faster, faster!"

Such a large-scale operation by the Independent Detachment also attracted the attention of the Japanese.

With so many troops, even if the soldiers are very careful, it is difficult to achieve complete concealment.

After all, the independent detachment is no longer a small unit, and it is very difficult to completely hide their whereabouts as before.

However, even if the Japanese discovered it, it wouldn't have a significant impact.

The offensive of a large force is always surprisingly skillful!

Even if the Japanese discovered it, they were powerless to find a way to deal with it.

When the Japanese soldiers inside the mining area discovered a large group of enemies outside, they immediately used searchlights to investigate the situation.

But the lights were shot down shortly after they were focused on the location where the independent detachment soldiers were moving.

At such a distance, it couldn't have been fired from a rifle or machine gun, but rather from a Type 98 20mm anti-aircraft gun that had been captured from the airport.

It has a scope, allowing you to kill targets from a distance; it's a sniper rifle, right?

The sniper squad members were not only skilled with rifles, but also adept at using the Type 98 20mm anti-aircraft gun and the Type 93 13.2mm machine gun.

These are anti-aircraft and anti-armor weapons of the Independent Detachment; the Japanese tanks with their thin armor can be penetrated in just a few shots.

Such an important weapon naturally required the sharpshooter squad members to practice using it.

It came in handy today when we raided the Japanese mining area.

Who says anti-aircraft and anti-armor weapons can't be used against infantry?

The Japanese searchlights were shot down, cutting off their view of the area outside the mine!
A Japanese lieutenant colonel, seeing that his troops had lost sight of him, could only order the artillery to fire illumination flares.

He could roughly see the situation outside through the flare.

"Which unit is this? Why are they attacking the mining area again?" The Japanese lieutenant colonel frowned, but there was not much worry in his words.

During this period, the mining area was frequently attacked by small groups of Eighth Route Army troops.

Or rather, the area surrounding Datong was harassed almost daily by small units of the Independent Detachment.

Thanks to the fortifications such as bunkers, pillboxes, trenches, and hidden bunkers within the mining area, the Eighth Route Army's attacks could not shake their impregnable defenses.

"Sir, I don't know. It should be a unit from the Independent Detachment," a Japanese officer said.

"Independent Detachment? Immediately inquire with headquarters about the situation of the main force of the Independent Detachment."

Upon hearing that it was a unit from the Independent Detachment, the Japanese lieutenant colonel became somewhat worried, fearing that the troops outside were the main force of the Independent Detachment.

If it really is an independent detachment, this seemingly impregnable defense line could indeed be breached.

After all, the Independent Detachment's ability to attack fortified positions was well-known among the Japanese.

Other Eighth Route Army units often could only look on with envy at the Japanese-occupied county towns.

The independent detachment, however, was capable of taking the county town in a single day, leaving reinforcements no chance to even come to its aid.

"Hai!"

The Japanese officer immediately called the commander of the Japanese army stationed in Mongolia, Noon Saburo, in Datong City.

Upon learning of the commotion at the mining area, Noon Saburo immediately called other military units around Datong.

"Report: At 5 PM this afternoon, our unit engaged in fierce fighting with the Eighth Route Army Independent Detachment headquarters in the direction of the Sanggan River. Our unit fought bravely and successfully repelled the Independent Detachment's attack."

"Report: Our unit engaged in battle with the Eighth Route Army at Hanjialing at 3 PM today. Our defenses remain intact."

"Report: Our unit engaged the Eighth Route Army at Shilihe at 7 p.m. and successfully repelled the Eighth Route Army's attack."

"."

As Noon Saburo listened to the reports from the various units below, he learned that all of them had engaged in battles with the Eighth Route Army's Independent Detachment that day.

In addition to Ding Wei's troops and Xu Desheng's troops operating on the Ping-Sui Railway line.

In other words, the Eighth Route Army Independent Detachment was scattered in various locations, and the troops operating near the mining area should not be the main force of the Independent Detachment.

Noon Saburo informed the Japanese soldiers in the mining area of ​​this news.

Upon receiving the news, the Japanese lieutenant colonel breathed a sigh of relief and put on a confident smile again.

"I don't know which Eighth Route Army unit dared to overestimate their strength and attack my fortified position. We must leave them all here."

Upon hearing the Japanese lieutenant colonel's ambitious words, the Japanese officer also echoed:
"That's right, those Eighth Route Army guerrillas have gone mad. They dare to come here to die. The Empire's machine guns will teach them what it means to be overconfident."

However, another cautious Japanese officer spoke up and reminded him: "Sir, I see that the Eighth Route Army soldiers outside are all dressed in uniform. They should be regular Eighth Route Army soldiers, not guerrillas."

"Don't worry, sir. Our mining area has more than sixty pillboxes, and machine gun emplacements are everywhere. As long as the Eighth Route Army dares to come, we will make sure they don't leave alive," a puppet regiment commander flattered.

"Yoshi, that's right." The Japanese lieutenant colonel laughed.

Whether it's regular troops or guerrillas, as long as they aren't the main force of the independent detachment, he's not afraid of any number of Eighth Route Army soldiers.

Numerous fortifications, bunkers, and machine gun emplacements were constructed in the mining area.

In order to suppress the large number of miners in the mining area and prevent them from rebelling, the Japanese stored a large amount of ammunition in the mining area.

At the same time, in order to supply food for the Japanese soldiers and miners in the mining area, a large amount of grain was also stored in the mining area.

With food, guns, and fortifications, the Japanese lieutenant colonel couldn't figure out how he could lose!
"However, even if the Eighth Route Army is not a major concern, we cannot let our guard down. We must keep a close watch on the miners in the mining area and prevent them from interfering with the Locust Army when the Eighth Route Army attacks," the Japanese lieutenant colonel added.

"Don't worry, sir. I'm an expert at dealing with these troublemakers. Anyone who dares to cause trouble, I'll skin them alive and use their skin as carpets," a puppet army commander said smugly.

In his eyes, the miners in these mining areas were no longer his compatriots, but livestock that could be disposed of at will, like cattle and sheep.

"Yoshi, Liu-san, you are the Empire's most loyal hound." The Japanese lieutenant colonel said with a smile.

"Thank you, sir. It is my honor to serve the Empire," the fake legion commander said immediately, as if he were a dog offering his loyalty.

These puppet troops who surrendered to the Japanese often treated their own compatriots with even greater cruelty.

Twelve o'clock sharp.

At He Jianxin's command, all four artillery battalions opened fire.

Among them were eight mountain guns from the artillery battalion directly under the detachment established by Chen Ming!

In order to rescue his compatriots, Chen Ming gritted his teeth and brought these eight cannons.

"Boom boom boom!"

"Bang bang bang!"

The scene of four artillery battalions firing their cannons simultaneously was truly magnificent!

Sparks flew in the darkness, and countless shells slid across the sky, falling on the Japanese positions.

"Bang bang bang!"

In an instant, huge bursts of fire erupted from the Japanese positions, kicking up countless clouds of dust.

"Damn it, these are definitely not ordinary Eighth Route Army soldiers. This is absolutely the main force of the Independent Detachment. Only they have so much artillery!"

"Request reinforcements! Immediately request reinforcements from the Datong Command!"

The Japanese lieutenant colonel said in fear.

He had never seen his own troops unleash such intense firepower before on the battlefield.

I never expected that the Eighth Route Army's Independent Detachment would have artillery of this caliber!
"Just how many artillery pieces did the First Army send to the Independent Detachment to give them such powerful firepower?" the Japanese lieutenant colonel wondered.

The Japanese officer received orders to immediately prepare to call for help from the Datong Command, which was 10 kilometers away.

However, the phone call could no longer be connected.

Just moments before the attack, the soldiers of the Independent Detachment cut all the telephone lines that the Japanese had buried.

During the long-term battles against the Japanese, our soldiers had figured out the Japanese tactics and knew exactly where the telephone lines would be laid.

Unable to get through by phone, the Japanese soldiers had to request help via telegram.

However, by then the second round of shelling had already arrived.

The Japanese pillboxes and machine gun emplacements were partially destroyed; only those out of reach of artillery shells or those with strong defenses remained.

The artillerymen of the independent detachment, while not necessarily veterans of countless battles, had certainly fought in dozens.

Sniping tactics require a high level of marksmanship and accuracy, and only one or two cannons are deployed at a time, firing only one or two shells.

If you miss, it's a complete waste.

For the Eighth Route Army, artillery shells were precious treasures.

With this tactical training, coupled with the added advantage of Chen Ming's badge set, it's no exaggeration to say that the artillerymen of the Independent Detachment could hit any target they aimed at.

The artillery bombardment continued until a basic load of shells was used up, at which point it was the infantry's turn to take the field.

The Japanese defensive fortifications were largely destroyed under the intense artillery fire, and they also suffered considerable casualties.

Twenty seconds after the artillery ceased fire, the infantry of the Independent Detachment charged directly into the Japanese positions, staging a textbook example of infantry-artillery coordination.

The Japanese soldiers in the position were stunned by the artillery fire of the Independent Detachment and did not react even after the shells stopped.

Only after they realized that the shelling had truly stopped did they emerge from their fortifications to prepare for a counterattack.

However, by this time, the soldiers of the Independent Detachment had already entered the position and begun close combat with them.

In close combat, the role of grenades was amplified. When soldiers saw a fortified position, they would throw several grenades in regardless of whether there were enemies inside.

With the grenade exploding, even if there were people, they became nobody.

However, the Japanese were the Japanese after all, and they still managed to organize a counterattack.

Using their concealed fortifications, the bunker began firing at the soldiers of the Independent Detachment.

"Quickly, deploy the flying thunder cannons and take out that bunker!" "Where are the grenade launchers? Blow up the Japanese machine gun positions ahead!"

"Cover me, I'll sneak in from the flank and blow up the Japanese bunker!"

The voices of the soldiers rose and fell in the fortifications, as they used the destroyed Japanese fortifications to fight back against the Japanese.

Meanwhile, the Type 98 20mm anti-aircraft gun position that had previously destroyed the Japanese searchlights was also not idle.

Whenever you spot flames coming from any of the Japanese fortifications, fire a few shots in the direction of the flames.

With the help of the tracer rounds in the machine gun shells to correct their trajectory, and with the help of the most elite soldiers in the sharpshooter squad, they were often able to fire the shells through the narrow firing ports.

Even if there are shooting points with bad angles that you can't directly hit.

The powerful armor-piercing capability of the 20mm anti-aircraft gun could also penetrate fortifications and kill the Japanese soldiers inside.

"I fucking love this thing. It's powerful, can penetrate armor, and has a long range. This is the kind of weapon a real man should play with."

The operator of the Type 98 20mm anti-aircraft gun shouted.

He had looked forward to this day when he emerged from the ranks of the sharpshooters to become a machine gun operator.

Machine guns are way more fun than rifles!
A man's dream is always to be bigger, thicker, and more powerful, and the Type 98 20mm machine gun's powerful firepower perfectly fulfilled his desire.

"Erwa, can you please be a little more careful with your beating? It hurts me to death."

The air defense company directly under the Independent Detachment was composed of eight Type 98 20mm anti-aircraft guns and twelve Type 93 13.2mm machine guns.

Seeing that the machine gun operators were all fired up, the air defense company commander shouted loudly.

The air defense company only has these weapons, and replenishing ammunition is extremely difficult; once it's all used up, there's nothing left.

Without ammunition, these weapons are just useless sticks. Wouldn't the air defense company commander be left with nothing?
"Company commander, there's no other way. The Japanese have many strongpoints, and we need to take them all out to reduce casualties among other soldiers."

Most of the various defensive fortifications built by the Japanese on the perimeter were destroyed under the fierce attack of the Independent Detachment.

Everywhere were the corpses of Japanese soldiers and puppet troops, some whole, some mutilated, on the ground, on the walls, in pits, and in puddles.

"Spectacular, truly spectacular!" He Jianxin exclaimed, looking at the scene on the battlefield.

Apart from the artillery battalion that Kong Jie left to defend the base area, all the artillery of the Independent Detachment was here.

This was the first time we'd used a cluster like this, and it was quite a sight.

Only an independent detachment could muster this level of firepower.

Otherwise, how could Chen Ming have tied down two Japanese armies with just one detachment?

"This is nothing. Once we drive out the Japanese devils and develop our capabilities, we can easily replace all these cannons with heavy artillery," Chen Ming said with a smile.

Does he still remember the Battle of Jinzhou in "The Great Battle"? Our army used thousands of artillery pieces in a cluster, directly transforming "tactical infiltration" into "firepower coverage"!
As for later generations, needless to say.

Not to mention the military, the meteorological bureau alone has more than 7,000 anti-aircraft guns and 8,000 rocket launchers.

If you told the officers of the Independent Detachment about such powerful firepower, they would all think it was a fantasy.

Within the mining area.

The Japanese outer fortifications and firing points were almost completely destroyed by the combined offensive of the Independent Detachment's mountain guns, infantry guns, mortars, grenade launchers, and hand grenades.

The soldiers began their attack into the mining area.

The Japanese defenses did not hold out for long and began to shrink.

The Japanese lieutenant colonel was terrified to see his fortifications, which he had always relied on, smiling like snowflakes under the fierce attack of the Independent Detachment.

"Immediately dispatch a tank squadron to stabilize the defensive line and prevent the Eighth Route Army from entering the mining area!"

The Japanese lieutenant colonel gave the order.

If the Eighth Route Army were to enter the mining area and engage in close combat with them, the Independent Detachment would not be able to resist for long with its limited strength.

There were actually only a little over a thousand Japanese soldiers and more than three thousand puppet troops in the entire mining area.

The combat effectiveness of the puppet troops was questionable; they were nothing more than a bunch of bullies who preyed on the weak and feared the strong.

It's not a big problem for them to suppress the miners who have little ability to resist, but it's a problem if the opponent is the main force of the independent detachment.

These puppet troops immediately revealed their true nature of bullying the weak and fearing the strong.

When the soldiers of the Independent Detachment attacked the mining area, these usually most "loyal" lackeys actually protected the "Japanese officers" in front of them!
The Japanese lieutenant colonel was furious and planned to deal with these puppet troops properly after the war was over.

The Japanese tank company in the mining area was overstaffed compared to other tank companies, possessing eleven tanks.

This was the Japanese lieutenant colonel's greatest asset.

The Eighth Route Army had limited artillery capable of threatening tanks, making it impossible to capture his tank squadron.

With tanks as cover and infantry, they could resist the attack of the independent detachment until reinforcements arrived from the Datong direction.

This place is only ten kilometers away from Datong. If we hold out for two hours, we can wait for reinforcements from the direction of Datong.

The Japanese tank squadron did indeed play a significant role after it was deployed.

With the cover of tanks, the Japanese managed to hold their line.

The soldiers of the independent detachment attacking the front lines lacked individual anti-armor weapons, making it difficult for them to pose a threat to these tanks.

Unless you risk your life to carry explosive charges or cluster grenades, you can't threaten the Japanese tanks at all.

However, the Japanese tanks were protected by Japanese infantry, making it difficult for the soldiers to get close.

However, if the Japanese thought they could stop the Independent Detachment's attack with just eleven tanks, they were mistaken.

"Order the anti-aircraft company to move their positions forward and fire the anti-aircraft guns to blast these damn Japanese tanks to smithereens!"

He Jianxin gave the order.

In addition to air defense, anti-aircraft machine guns are also excellent at anti-armor operations!
How many 20mm armor-piercing rounds could those Japanese tanks with their thin armor withstand?
Upon receiving the order, the air defense company began to move forward to its position.

In fact, you don't need to move it forward that far.

Anti-aircraft guns are used for air defense, and their range is excellent. All you need to do is move the position forward until the Japanese tanks are within firing angle.

Within the mining area.

The Japanese lieutenant colonel finally smiled when he saw his troops, under the cover of tanks, recapturing part of the position.

"Now you know how powerful they are, right? No matter how strong the independent detachment is, do you think you can just put a mountain gun on an infantryman's shoulder and shoot down my tanks?"

The Japanese lieutenant colonel was very confident; the only thing the Eighth Route Army could threaten his tanks with were those few mountain guns.

As for infantry guns, their threat is very limited; only a small probability of hitting the side or tracks can damage a tank.

However, the Eighth Route Army's mountain guns were limited in number and had low firepower density, making it difficult to pose a threat to tanks.

Seeing the Japanese tanks unleash their power, the puppet troops thought they had turned the tide and began charging forward with great fanfare, trying to make up for their earlier performance.

however.

The Japanese lieutenant colonel didn't laugh for long before he witnessed a scene that left him speechless.

The tank he relied on suddenly burst into flames one after another and broke down completely.

"What?! How could the Eighth Route Army have anti-tank weapons?" the Japanese lieutenant colonel said in disbelief.

After the attack on Daixian Airport, it was a major scandal, especially since two planes were captured by the Eighth Route Army and Noon Saburo's nephew was also captured.

To cover up the humiliation, the Japanese high command directly suppressed the news.

The Japanese lieutenant colonel was unaware that the Eighth Route Army had seized the airport's anti-aircraft weapons.

Now, the air defense company of the independent detachment directly used the captured air defense weapons to inflict devastating damage on the Japanese tanks!
The Japanese tanks were destroyed one after another, with only two escaping unscathed.

As for the puppet troops who had just been yelling and charging forward, they were being torn apart by the fire of 20mm machine guns.

"That was awesome! So awesome! I actually took down three Japanese tanks!"

An anti-aircraft gun operator shouted loudly.

"Good lad, I'll personally recommend you for credit after the war!" the air defense company commander said happily.

In this battle, their air defense company really made a name for themselves in front of the entire detachment!

After eliminating the Japanese tanks, the frontline troops, no longer threatened, launched a fierce attack on the Japanese mining area.

This attack went very smoothly. The Japanese had run out of tricks and were out of options.

With a numerical and firepower advantage several times over, the soldiers on the front lines successfully stormed into the Japanese mining area.

Meanwhile, inside the headquarters of the Mongolian garrison.

"Sir, telegram from the mining area: they have encountered a fierce attack from the main force of the Independent Detachment and request tactical guidance!"

Noon Saburo stared at the telegram, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Why? The independent detachments that were scattered in various places during the day have suddenly appeared in the mining area at midnight. Do they all know how to fly?"

Based on the information from various units, Noon Saburo judged that the main force of the Independent Detachment was dispersed around Datong.

Therefore, the defenses in those directions were strengthened.

But now the troops in the mining area are telling him that the main force of the Independent Detachment is attacking the mining area?
Who were those Eighth Route Army soldiers who engaged in fierce fighting with his troops during the day? Did they just appear out of thin air?

"I don't know, but judging from the current situation, the mining area has been subjected to fierce artillery bombardment by the Eighth Route Army. The density of the artillery fire is indeed that of the main force of the Independent Detachment," the Japanese staff officer said.

"Baka! Immediately transfer troops from other directions to rescue the mining area," Noon Saburo ordered.

"Hai!"

The daytime offensive was naturally He Jianxin's doing.

In order to slow down the Japanese reinforcements, the Japanese troops were diverted to other directions.

During the day, he ordered his troops to launch fierce feint attacks of varying degrees around Datong, making the Japanese think that their main force was scattered throughout Datong.

After the feint attack, the troops marched directly toward the mining area without rest.

The feints from different directions made it difficult for the Japanese to determine the location of the main force of the Independent Detachment, which led to their misjudgment.

This is the "luring the enemy" tactic that He Jianxin learned from Chen Ming.

To control the enemy to a certain extent means to manipulate them according to one's own will.

The effect was excellent; the Japanese troops were successfully mobilized, causing the Japanese forces in Datong to be dispersed and making it difficult for them to organize reinforcements to the mining area for a time.

However, this tactic comes at a significant cost.

To achieve surprise, the soldiers had to be fast and complete the transfer before the Japanese could react.

The distance between the various military units and the mining area ranged from a dozen kilometers to tens of kilometers.

The distance was so great, and they needed to reach the designated location before the general offensive began. This was a true test of willpower and endurance.

From day to night, it's an extremely high-intensity combat or march that lasts for more than ten hours.

In the process, seventeen soldiers have died from exhaustion and more than one hundred soldiers have been injured.

Fortunately, our soldiers once again won with their "iron feet"!

P.S.: No more PS today, I'm down!
(End of this chapter)