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

Chapter 43 Fire Coverage
The Japanese soldiers were well-trained and reacted very quickly. After being attacked, they immediately used the trucks to set up emergency shelters and began to fight back.

However, Chen Ming had no intention of exchanging fire with the opponent.

We've captured so many artillery pieces and grenade launchers; it would be a waste not to use them.

Chen Ming directly ordered the artillery positions 2.5 kilometers away to bombard the Japanese convoy.

The grenade launchers in the column were also firing grenades at the Japanese convoy.

The Second Battalion brought more than twenty grenade launchers, four mortars, and plenty of ammunition.

If something can be solved with artillery shells, we should never use our soldiers to compete with the Japanese in a shooting contest!

The Independent 2nd Regiment's artillery fire was extremely fierce. They hid in their positions and kept firing grenades from blind spots in the Japanese gunfire.

The Japanese soldiers were completely stunned!
Is this still the Eighth Route Army?
Why are there so many cannons all of a sudden? It's like they're free!
The Japanese, who had been dominating the battlefield with their superior firepower, were completely at a loss as to how to fight.

They wanted to retreat, but their escape route was blocked by the destroyed trucks. They wanted to fight back, but they couldn't even see the enemy. They didn't know where to aim the powerful machine gun fire. It was extremely frustrating.

Even if they wanted to retaliate with grenade launchers, they couldn't aim effectively in this convoy where they could be blown up at any moment.

They could only rely on the general direction and blindly launch missiles in all directions.

Their only hope now is that the Eighth Route Army's artillery ammunition reserves are insufficient and they will have to stop soon.

At that time, they will be able to hold out in the bunkers until reinforcements arrive in the county town and launch a counterattack.

However, as the artillery fire continued, more than half of the remaining Japanese soldiers were lost.

Hidden in their bunkers, the Japanese soldiers watched in despair as the enemy's artillery bombardment showed no signs of abating. Realizing that they could not continue to passively endure the attacks, the Japanese decided to launch an assault on the Independent 2nd Regiment's position.

"The time has come to serve His Majesty the Heavenly Locust. Charge into the enemy lines immediately."

The Japanese company commander gave the order.

That old Japanese soldier was lucky; the explosives he planted, along with several waves of artillery shells, failed to kill him.

"Hay."

A group of Japanese soldiers, poisoned by the Bushido spirit, began a frenzied charge towards the Independent 2nd Regiment's position.

They also knew that if they kept hiding in the truck shelters, they would only be slowly wiped out by enemy fire.

Even if they retreated, without cover, they would be completely exposed to artillery fire, making it extremely difficult to escape this open area.

The only chance was to charge into the enemy's ambush position and defeat them by relying on the superior quality of our troops.

"Those Japanese devils are desperate after being bombed; they've actually come out of their den."

Chen Ming laughed when he saw that the Japanese not only refused to surrender but also dared to launch a counterattack against the Independent Second Regiment.

Hiding in their bunkers, they were outmatched by machine gun fire and could only be bombarded by grenade launchers and mortars.

But once they come out, the eight light machine guns and two heavy machine guns deployed by the 2nd Battalion of the 2nd Independent Regiment will unleash their firepower.

"Hit me!"

At Chen Ming's command, the hidden machine guns unleashed their firepower, bullets snapping at the Japanese soldiers.

Bullets flew across the battlefield, and each bullet could potentially send a Japanese soldier to meet his maker.

Under the intense machine gun fire, the Japanese soldiers fell like wheat being harvested, and before they had even reached halfway, they had to retreat.

The enemy's firepower was too intense; they didn't seem like local guerrillas at all.

During the charge, seeing the soldiers in front fall one by one, the soldiers behind knew that they were likely to be the next to die.

Death itself is not scary; what is scary is knowing that death is truly approaching you step by step.

They're terrified now; they've lost all sense of Bushido.

"Bagaya road!"

The Japanese company commander, seeing his charging troops retreat, could only feel powerless rage.

Seeing that the Japanese soldiers were almost wiped out, Chen Ming immediately ordered: "Have the artillery positions cease fire and save us some ammunition."

"Yes, sir." A messenger used a mirror to signal the artillery position, ordering it to cease fire.

The mortars are one of the few long-range firepower units in the Independent 2nd Regiment. The ammunition is limited and there is nowhere to replenish it once it is used up. We need to save some for future battles.

He can't be like Li Yunlong at Cangyun Ridge, only caring about having fun while bombing, only to find that he only had a few shells left when he needed them.

If it weren't for Zhu Zi's superior skill, who destroyed the Sakata Regiment's command post with just two shells, the New First Regiment would have been wiped out there.

After the artillery positions ceased fire, Chen Ming ordered his troops to continue firing grenade launchers at the Japanese soldiers hiding in their bunkers.

There were still more than thirty Japanese soldiers left, and Chen Ming did not plan to order his soldiers to charge.

He wanted to let the Japanese devils experience what it was like to be bombed repeatedly.

In the past, the enemy relied on its powerful firepower, aircraft, and artillery to bully our army because it lacked heavy firepower. Sometimes, artillery positions were even openly placed at the front line.

They're taking advantage of the fact that our army can see them, but can't hit them.

Now that time has passed, at least in this battle, Chen Ming's Independent Second Regiment has gained a firepower advantage.

The grenade launcher continued firing for another fifteen minutes, and only seven or eight of the remaining thirty-odd Japanese soldiers were left.

The Japanese company commander was still alive, though his arm had been blown off.

After nearly forty minutes of waiting to die, the remaining Japanese soldiers desperately raised the white flag.

"Commander, the Japanese have surrendered."

The soldiers observing from their hiding places saw the Japanese soldiers raise a white flag and immediately reported to Chen Ming.

"There's no white flag. Are you seeing things?"

Chen Ming said casually.

Did the Japanese want to surrender? No, they wanted to lure the soldiers of the 2nd Independent Regiment out of their bunkers and then wipe them all out.

Chen Ming was convinced that the Japanese were up to some kind of conspiracy.

If the Japanese soldiers, who were still clinging to life, knew what Chen Ming was thinking, they would definitely cry foul.

They only had a few men left. How could they possibly wipe out a force of over two hundred? They're not superhuman.

"Commander, I really saw a white flag."

The young soldier rubbed his eyes, glanced at the white flag raised inside the Japanese bunker, and said stubbornly.

"You little brat, the commander said you're seeing things, so you are seeing things."

Beside him, the company commander of the second battalion slapped the soldier on the back of the head.

Their Independent Regiment has never captured a living Japanese soldier!
"Li Xiaochuan, you are not allowed to beat or physically punish soldiers," Chen Ming said sternly.

"Yes, Commander," the company commander replied.

Chen Ming looked at the straightforward soldier, reached out and touched the back of his head, and asked gently, "Does it hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt."

Does your company commander usually beat you?

The soldier glanced at the company commander, then at Chen Ming, and shook his head, saying, "No fighting."

"Did it hurt when he hit you this time?"

"No," the young soldier replied honestly.

Meanwhile, the company commander standing to the side had a sour look on his face.

"I'll deal with you when we get back. I've told you so many times, you're not allowed to hit or scold soldiers," Chen Ming said very seriously.

In the Second Battalion, a considerable number of soldiers were recruited from prisoners of war in the puppet army, and the practice of beating and abusing soldiers had always existed in the puppet army.

Chen Ming repeatedly emphasized that it was forbidden to punish soldiers privately, because they were the Eighth Route Army under the leadership of the Party, not the old warlords.

(End of this chapter)