The Iron-Blooded Army of Beacon Fire

Chapter 183 Bloody Competition

Tao Heiwa, who was squatting in the foxhole, took out a flare gun, loaded it into the flare skillfully, and waited for He Wei's order, while He Wei carefully estimated the distance between the enemy and ourselves and the impact of each company on the Japanese army. shooting angle.

He was waiting for the best opportunity to fire. He Wei wanted to kill the Japanese troops in front of him as quickly as possible and with the highest efficiency.

On the road, the high-spirited songs mixed with madness continued. Although the officers and soldiers of the [-]th Infantry Squadron of the [-]rd Infantry Regiment of the [-]th Infantry Regiment under the [-]th Brigade of the [-]th Division of the Japanese Army were covered in mud, they could compete with them. Like the officers and soldiers of the special agent battalion hidden on both sides of the road, the hearts of these Japanese officers and soldiers in a foreign country were also full of passion.

It's just that this heat is different from that of the officers and soldiers of the special agent battalion. This heat comes from the desire to conquer and rape and kill, from the pleasure of looting and killing, even though these Japanese soldiers have been fighting fiercely in the mud for more than a month, even though some of them are Many people were already seriously ill, but the temptation to receive militaristic education and wanton looting, burning and killing since childhood made them forget all of this.

He Wei still doesn't know the number of the Japanese soldier he encountered. It seems that he has conflict with the number sixteen, or it can be said that he is destined. He was beaten violently by him at Xinkou and the regiment flag was seized by him. It was the [-]th Infantry Regiment of the Japanese Army. The Japanese division he bumped into today was actually also the [-]th Infantry Regiment.

Of course, what He Wei didn't know was that just a few days ago, because the regiment flag was seized, the [-]th Infantry Regiment of the Japanese Army, which had existed for decades, had been canceled and disappeared forever in Japan. in the history of the Army.

This incident is regarded by the Japanese Army as the biggest Army scandal since the Meiji Restoration. After all, this is the first time that a regiment flag has been seized. In order to dilute the impact of this scandal, the Japanese Army Ministry has taken many measures to reduce the impact of this matter. He did not criticize Juro Goto, the last captain of the [-]th Infantry Regiment, who committed suicide on the battlefield.

All the remaining officers and soldiers of the [-]th Regiment also left the Chinese battlefield and returned to China after recovery. However, the news that the regiment flag was seized was still unblockable. Among them, the flag presentation ceremony held by He Wei with Minister He at the Central Military Academy Indispensable contribution.

However, the subsequent impact of the seizure of the alliance flag in Japan is unknown to He Wei now.

Now He Wei's new opponent, the Sixteenth Division of the Japanese Army was established in 1905. The soldiers mainly came from Kyoto, Mie Prefecture and Nara Prefecture, so it was called the "Kyoto Division". The Sixteenth Division was established on September 9 The Japanese landed in Tanggu, Tianjin, and were incorporated into the combat sequence of the Second Army of the North China Front. At that time, the division commander was Lieutenant General Nakajima Jingo, and the chief of staff was Colonel Nakazawa Mitsuo.

该师团下辖草场辰巳少将的步兵第19旅团和佐佐木到一少将的步兵第30旅团，其中第19旅团下辖片桐护郎大佐的步兵第9联队、大野宣明大佐的步兵第20联队；第30旅团下辖野田谦吾大佐的步兵第33联队、助川静二大佐的步兵第38联队。

The 20th Cavalry Regiment under the direct jurisdiction of the Division Headquarters, captained by Lieutenant Colonel Toshimatsu Kasai; the 22nd Field Artillery Regiment, captained by Colonel Naofuku Mikuni; the 16th Engineer Regiment, captained by Colonel Takeyoshi Imaka; the baggage train The 16th Infantry Regiment, captained by Lieutenant Colonel Uizawa Panfu, is a division with relatively small losses and strong combat effectiveness among the Songhu Expeditionary Army.

After the [-]th Division landed in Tanggu, Tianjin, it fought on the west section of the northern section of Jinpu Road. It participated in the battles of Ziyahe and Shijiazhuang, and defeated the [-]th Army and the [-]rd Army of the Chinese Army. In Baoding During the battle, the Chinese army was defeated by flanking tactics.

After the battle, he was stationed in Ningpu and was soon transferred to Dalian. He was affiliated with the Kwantung Army's combat order. Due to the stalemate in the Songhu Expeditionary Army's battle in the Songhu area, he was transferred to the Songhu Expeditionary Army's combat order on October 10.

At the end of October of that year, the 10th Division took a transport ship from Dalian Port and was transferred to the lower reaches of the Yangtze River to land at Baimaokou, Changshu. It intercepted the Chinese troops retreating from the Songhu battlefield and successively captured Changshu, Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, and Danyang. In places such as Songhu, they experienced bloody battles that were several times more brutal than the North China battlefield, and the casualties they paid were also several times more severe than the North China battlefield.

In order to suppress the will of resistance of the Chinese military and civilians, and to reward these soldiers who endured severe mental torture on the battlefield all day long, the Japanese officers completely lifted military discipline.

Therefore, whenever they encountered Chinese refugees or Chinese villages, these Japanese soldiers would pounce on them like wild beasts that saw their prey. They would burn and kill a village as they passed by, and massacre a group of refugees when they bumped into them. Many Japanese soldiers even During the pursuit and looting, the most basic combat regulations were ignored. When the tiger was still napping, let alone the Japanese troops who were used to fighting downwind battles and had a habit of looting and massacre. The first idea in the minds of many Japanese soldiers in pursuit was no longer combat. But when can I encounter the next Chinese village or Chinese refugee?

There is no doubt that the Japanese officers and soldiers of the [-]th Squadron of the [-]rd Battalion of the [-]th Infantry Regiment walking on the road have already fallen into this state.

On the road, the high-spirited military songs continued. Lieutenant Taro Kamimoto, captain of the [-]th Infantry Squadron, stepped on a corpse. The belly of the corpse had been blown to pieces. As Taro Kamimoto stepped forward, the bloody internal organs were buried together. It broke out instantly, and black blood burst out everywhere.

However, Taro Kamimoto turned a blind eye and walked forward with his head held high with determination. When he landed at the Battle of Songhu, Kamigen once witnessed the corpses of thousands of soldiers piled up on the coast like tuna piled in the market. The stench was pungent and disgusting, and he had experienced various hell-like scenes since then. Compared with that, the few corpses and internal organs he saw now were nothing.

Behind him were all the officers and soldiers of the [-]th Infantry Squadron and a Type [-] heavy machine gun squad from the Heavy Machine Gun Squadron of the [-]rd Infantry Battalion. At the same time, there was also a group of baggage from the small baggage team at the brigade headquarters, who were responsible for carrying the infantry. The ammunition and grain supplies required by the [-]th Squadron for daily operations, of course, are now more livestock, grain and property plundered from Chinese villages on the baggage trucks.

"Shangyuanjun, when the pursuit reaches Nanjing, you will be promoted to captain. I want to congratulate you in advance."

Beside Gentaro Kamimoto, a Japanese second lieutenant with a big beard said loudly.

"Thank you Noda-kun, you are not bad either. I can't believe that in Nanjing, you will beat Mukai-kun."

Taro Kamimoto laughed loudly and patted the bearded Japanese second lieutenant on the shoulder. This bearded second lieutenant was the adjutant of the [-]rd Infantry Battalion Group Headquarters Noda Takeshi who led the small baggage team to advance with the [-]th Infantry Squadron. Graduates of the [-]th class.

"Haha, these defeated Chinese troops are just like paper. Killing these people is really dirtying my family heirloom sword. Speaking of which, it must be thanks to Lord Shangyuan, otherwise the bet between me and Lord Mukai will really win. Unexpectedly, my position is the adjutant of the brigade, and Mukai Toshiaki-kun's position is the brigade artillery squad leader. He can visit the front line in person, but it is difficult for me to see the enemy. If it weren't for Kamien-kun asking me to come over, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to do it. Noriko killed a hundred Chinese before Toshiaki Mukai."

"How many have you cut down now?"

"Shang Yuanjun, we have killed ninety-nine people now. If we kill one more, we will reach the record of killing one hundred people."

As Noda Takeshi spoke, he touched the sword at his waist. This was not a machine-made saber mass-produced by the Japanese army, but a treasured sword passed down by the Noda family ancestors.

More than a month ago, Noda Takeshi, the second lieutenant of the 100rd Battalion, suddenly had a whim and proposed a "cut" to Toshiaki Mukai, the captain of the [-]nd Infantry Artillery Squadron who also served in the [-]rd Battalion of the [-]th Regiment of the [-]th Division of the Japanese Army. The "Hundred Killing Contest", whoever kills "[-] Chinese" first is the winner, and the prize is a bottle of wine.

This competition is also called the Hundred-Man Killing Competition.

Although the two are both second lieutenants, they have different positions. Takeshi Noda is the second lieutenant adjutant of the brigade headquarters, responsible for various general affairs, while Toshiaki Mukai is the captain of the infantry artillery squad directly under the brigade. He belongs to the front-line combat unit and has contact with the enemy. Naturally, he had more opportunities than Noda Takeshi. In order to win, Noda Takeshi, who was not willing to lag behind, took the initiative to move forward with the [-]th Squadron, which served as the forward of the alliance. As a result, Noda Takeshi's record exceeded Mukai Toshiaki. The killing contest between the two is now more than just a small competition between soldiers on the battlefield. When the Tokyo Daily reporter learned about the incident, he actually wrote a special report, and then the Tokyo Daily and other major Japanese newspapers They also launched follow-up reports on this matter, interviewing the two contestants almost every two or three days, and publishing their results in newspapers.

These newspapers are now in Noda Takeshi's briefcase. Now the entire Ninth Division and even other divisions know about the competition between these two second lieutenant officers. The soldiers are aggressive, and both of them use family heirlooms. As for the swords, Mukai Toshiaki uses a family heirloom sword called "Seki no Magoroku", while Noda Takeshi uses an unknown family heirloom sword, which adds a touch of samurai color to this game.

On the road, Noda Takeshi became more and more complacent as he walked. Thinking that he was about to kill the [-]th person, he felt very happy and couldn't help but speed up his pace. Behind him, the singing of the officers and soldiers of the [-]th Squadron continued, but Little did these two hundred people know that they had entered a realm of death.

He Wei put down his telescope and saw that the front half of the Japanese army's column had been framed by the spy camps on both sides. This was the best time to open fire. The fields on both sides of the road were mostly open land with only a few small hills. If all the Japanese troops were released, Come in, the cross fire on both sides of the road may cause accidental damage, He Wei put down the telescope and whispered.

"Hei Wa, start."

Tao Hewa raised the signal gun and pulled the trigger. A red signal flew into the air with a whoosh, and then slowly slid down from the air as if being pulled down heavily.

"Call me!"

He Wei pushed away the branches covering his body, picked up the speed machine and shot into the sky. After a few seconds of silence, suddenly, a torrent of firepower like a stormy sea erupted on both sides of the road.

The first company to fire was Fu Chen's first company, followed by Fang Jing's second company and Yang Biao's special agent platoon. Czech rifles, Belgian light machine guns, and Sulotong general-purpose machine guns all opened fire, forming a dense column. The fire net enveloped the front half of the Japanese marching column.

“Da da da da”

Hu Zhaowu's third company on the left side of the road also opened fire. The ten Sulotong general-purpose machine guns and twenty-seven Belgian light machine guns of the special agent battalion were fully opened, forming a crossfire on the left and right.

Then the gunshots of the Guangdong-made [-]st-type [-] rifles and the Czech-style light machine guns rang out. The Cantonese infantry company following the secret agent battalion also joined the ensemble of steel firepower and the steady firepower of the secret agent battalion. Compared with the rhythm, the fire rhythm of the Cantonese army was a little panicky at first, but they quickly adapted to the shooting rhythm of the secret service battalion.

The crackling gunfire exploded on the highway. A dense firepower network composed of thirty-six light machine guns, ten general-purpose machine guns and hundreds of rifles mercilessly devoured the [-]th Squadron of the [-]th Regiment.

On the road, people neighed and horses roared. An infantry team at the front was wiped out in half the moment the officers and soldiers of the special agent battalion opened fire.

"Expand, expand."

"There's an enemy attack, deploy quickly."

There was bright red blood everywhere, and the entire road was stained red with blood. There were scattered rifles, helmets, backpacks,

The Japanese troops of the [-]th Infantry Squadron were briefly confused. They finally paid the price for their arrogance and arrogance. Some Japanese troops fell to the ground and ran around, some hid under the baggage trains, and some shouted A shrill wail.

Lieutenant Joe Gen, the captain of the [-]th Infantry Squadron, was unfortunately hit in the abdomen by a string of light machine gun bullets less than half a minute into the battle and died on the spot. However, Noda Takeshi, who was also walking in front of the team with Lieutenant Joe Gen, was lucky enough to survive. Come down.

After the initial panic, Noda Takeshi quickly displayed the qualities expected of a graduate of the Army Academy and took the initiative to assume command responsibilities.

Noda Takeshi lay on the body of Lieutenant Shangyuan, raised his telescope and looked around, and soon discovered the weaknesses of the Chinese troops on both sides. The Chinese troops ambushing on the left side of the road had intensive firepower, a stable shooting rhythm and high shooting accuracy. It could be seen The machine guns all use stable short bursts of fire and constantly change shooting positions. This is the first-class elite in the Chinese army.

The Chinese army on the right side of the road is very strange. Some of them have the same high combat quality and tactical literacy as the Chinese army on the left, but some are much worse. Many machine guns do not fire in short bursts, but fire all the time. The guns kept firing. Indeed, it was the infantry company of the Cantonese Army that kept firing. The Cantonese Army had many recruits, and it was natural that they did not have enough firepower to master and use machine gun firepower.

"Each team deployed on the spot. The first team suppressed the left side of the road. The second and third teams and the heavy machine gun team concentrated their firepower and attacked the right side of the road."

Noda Takeshi squatted down, waved the family heirloom sword in his hand, and issued a battle order.

"Commander, where is the messenger? Quickly set off the signal flare, set off the signal flare."

Noda Takeshi shouted.

"Second Lieutenant Noda, the entire command squad of the squadron were killed!"

A blood-covered sergeant crawled up to Noda Takeshi in embarrassment with a Type [-] rifle. Noda Takeshi opened his eyes angrily and shouted: "Go find the flare quickly, run to the back, run to the back to fire the flare , send a signal to the brigade."

"Yes."

The sergeant responded, fired a shot with the [-] cap in his hand, then slung the rifle behind his back and crawled toward the corpses of the squadron command squad scattered about.

(End of this chapter)