The Iron-Blooded Army of Beacon Fire

Chapter 190 Collision

In less than half an hour, the Third Infantry Battalion had completed all combat preparations. The infantry squadron, machine gun squadron, and artillery unit were all ready for combat. After temporary arming, the baggage agents and artillery had no guns. There are more than a hundred officers and soldiers, which greatly increases the infantry combat strength of the Third Infantry Brigade.

After all preparations were made, following the order from Toyama Nosuke, captain of the Third Infantry Battalion, more than a thousand Japanese troops accelerated and started to set off. They launched a combat formation aggressively and moved forward to search and assault in a combat-ready marching posture.

He Wei's special agent battalion and the 956th Infantry Regiment of the Guangdong Army were already well prepared, and a head-to-head bloody collision was about to take place soon.

At the same time, the road more than 20 kilometers behind the Third Battalion was also crowded and chaotic. The Third Battalion was a powerful reinforced infantry brigade, but compared with the team behind it, it was The little witch saw the big witch.

What was on the road was the main force of the Ninth Infantry Regiment of the Third Brigade, more than 2,000 men. Army operations are divided into vanguards and rearguards. Divisions have vanguard battalions, battalions have vanguard companies, companies have vanguard squads, and squads have vanguards. The 7th Infantry Squadron of the 9th Regiment, which was collectively sent to meet Amaterasu, is the avant-garde squadron of the 9th Regiment, and the 3rd Infantry Battalion is the avant-garde battalion of the 16th Division.

On the road, the two infantry brigades of the 9th Infantry Regiment and the rapid-fire artillery squadron directly under the regiment, the regiment artillery squadron, the baggage team, the communications team, etc. were arranged in sequence. The mighty marching team was far more than that. In the 9th Infantry Regiment, Behind the regiment was a marching column consisting of more than 2,800 officers and soldiers and more than 2,200 horses stretching for more than ten kilometers.

The modified Type 38 field guns and Type 91 howitzers were neighing and shouting on the road, pulled by a large number of well-bred Japanese horses. Behind the field guns were matching ammunition trucks, and the marching column of this artillery was full of There are thirty-six modified Type 38 75mm field guns and twelve Type 91 105mm howitzers.

These field artillery and howitzers all belong to the 22nd Field Artillery Regiment under the 16th Division. The current twenty standing field divisions of the Japanese army are divided into standing field artillery divisions and standing mountain artillery divisions.

The 16th Division is a permanent field artillery division also known as the A-type draft horse division. Its artillery wing has three field artillery brigades equipped with twelve 75mm modified 38-type field guns. and a howitzer battalion equipped with twelve Type 91 105mm howitzers. Behind the 22nd Field Artillery Regiment, there was still a team that blocked the sky and a dense crowd of people.

The 20th Infantry Regiment, the 33rd Infantry Regiment, the 38th Infantry Regiment, the 20th Cavalry Regiment, the 16th Engineer Regiment, the 16th Baggage Regiment, the Division Ordnance Service Team, The division's communications team, field hospital, and a marching column of more than 20,000 people in total were advancing on the highway like black clouds looming over them, blocking out the sun.

At the very center of the marching column, Lieutenant General Nakajima Kongo, the commander of the 16th Division, was sitting in a slowly moving limousine, stroking the telegram transmitted by the captain of the 9th Infantry Regiment, Katagiri Gorō. The content of this telegram is exactly the battle situation reported by the 3rd Infantry Battalion of the 9th Regiment.

There are two main contents. The first is that an infantry squadron may be trapped in a tight siege, and the brigade is rushing forward to rescue it. The second is that the scouts of the brigade have encountered a well-prepared blockade by the Chinese army, and it is hoped that the division can provide air support. .

"Humph."

Nakajima Kyongo didn't pay much attention to the telegram in his hand. At this time, his heart was filled with the desire to capture the enemy's capital. Nakajima Kyongo wanted not only to conquer the capital of China, but also to become the first. As a division commander who entered the Chinese capital, Nakajima Jinchao's blood boiled when he thought of the great honor and the pleasure of conquering an enemy country.

He was full of confidence in this and did not think it was very difficult. In the Battle of North China, the 16th Division completely defeated several Chinese armies on the Baoding front line. Although the battle in Songhu was tragic, in the end it was still possible. It ended with the defeat of hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops.

After Songhu, the 16th Division was quickly replenished and fully equipped. It was the time when the troops were strong and the horses were strong. Attacking Nanjing City, which was guarded by a group of defeated soldiers, was of course like the autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves!

In fact, in the original timeline of the Battle of Nanjing, Nakajima Kongo and the 16th Division under his command played a major role in the tragic massacre in Jinling, and were even considered responsible for the murder. The largest number of Japanese troops killed more people than the rest of the Japanese troops combined.

Among them, the most brutal massacres of more than 3000 people, including the Yanziji, Caoshan Gorge, Torpedo Camp, Jiangdongmen massacres, and the burying of prisoners of war alive in Zijin Mountain, were all committed by the th Division.

It can be said that Nakajima Kongo and his 16th Division were the chief culprits of that massacre. They committed unforgivable crimes against the people of Nanjing and were an out-and-out "beast army."

I was immersed in this kind of heroic ambition, but I received a telegram from the first-line infantry brigade asking for help. Nakajima was quite unhappy at the moment. Of course, I didn't care at all. After all, the person who sent the telegram asking for help was a reinforced infantryman. Brigade, a strengthened infantry brigade dare not say that it is invincible in the face of the Chinese army, but it can still protect itself more than enough, but even if you are unhappy, after all, it is your own army, and you should not be stingy with the support it deserves.

After scanning the telegram for a few times, Nakajima Konsoga immediately ordered the car to stop and called his adjutant to contact the naval aviation aircraft for support. Then, he looked at the endless marching column outside the car window with satisfaction and murmured: : "The ambition to conquer the enemy's capital will be realized soon!"

. . . . .

Chestnut, ambush position

He Wei squatted in the battalion field command post, raised his telescope, and looked at the road in the distance through the gap between the two hills. After emergency preparations, his spy battalion and Cai Rubai's 956th Regiment were fully prepared. Battle preparation.

A few minutes ago, He Wei had just had a phone call with Cai Rubai, and all the ministries were ready. On He Wei's side, the 956th Regiment had deployed two infantry companies and two heavy machine gun platoons, and each infantry company was reinforcing. A heavy machine gun platoon then occupied the commanding heights of a mountain and built basic field fortifications on the mountain to control the road from a high position.

The main force of He Wei's secret agent battalion and the tank company were hidden in the gap between the two hills. The troops hidden here included the entire secret agent battalion, as well as the tank company and tank defense artillery platoon of the armored corps.

Bursts of cold wind passed by, making He Wei feel a little chill. Behind him were rows of officers and soldiers of the secret service battalion squatting half-crouched and hidden in simple fortifications. People were next to each other, and people were crowded together. The officers and soldiers Their tactical vests were covered with various branches and dead leaves collected on the spot. Everyone was squatting in the fortifications in almost the same posture, holding a gun in one hand, waiting for the final attack order.

Just like the battle that killed the 7th Infantry Squadron of the 3rd Battalion not long ago, He Wei firmly believed that the key to this battle was to defeat them quickly and attack quickly. Only with lightning-fast fierce firepower and rapid impact would the enemy be defeated. The advancing Japanese army was quickly defeated, and this battle was unique.

Therefore, solid fortifications are only meaningful to the troops guarding the highlands on the hills. For the main force of the spy battalion, simple concealed fortifications are enough.

However, the artillery company and the attached tank company of the secret service battalion built strong field fortifications. After many inspections, the artillery company commander Chen Xinsheng arranged the two mortar platoons at the foot of two hills, using the slopes at the foot of the mountain. Strong mortar firing fortifications and ammunition stations were built as cover. The two Austrian-made 47mm tank defense guns of the special agent battalion artillery company's tank defense gun platoon were also arranged according to this plan.

The combat defense artillerymen removed the wheels of the 47mm tank defense cannon and hid them in foxholes. They almost lowered the firing line height of the combat defense artillery to the same level as the light machine gun. The two black muzzles reached into the endless horizon. highway. Time passed by, and He Wei was not sure whether the Japanese army had fallen into his trap. Not to mention that he was a time traveler. Even if the King of Heaven came, he could not guarantee that the Japanese had fallen into his trap. He could not see it with a telescope. He Wei simply dropped the telescope and sat in the trench, leaning against the cliff of the trench. He closed his eyes and said silently in his heart: "You must take the bait, you must take the bait, you must rush over, for the brothers who died in battle, for the people who died in the battle." People, God bless you, God bless you.”

Jingle bell, jingle bell

Suddenly, a phone call came. Tao Heiwa was holding a microphone, followed by two communications platoon soldiers holding telephones and telephone lines. He came to He Wei. He Wei opened his eyes suddenly and took the call. He picked up the phone and heard the trembling and excited voice of Cai Rubai, leader of the 956th Regiment.

"Brother, according to our report from Highland No. 1, an enemy brigade was spotted two kilometers away!"

"Understood, please see our signal, Brother Cai."

He Wei dropped the phone and shouted in a low voice: "Send the order, the enemy army has arrived, all units are ready to fight!"

The 956th Regiment on the other side of the road first discovered the Japanese troops on the road. Immediately, the order to prepare for battle was conveyed to all departments. He Wei advanced along the traffic trench to the artillery position between the two hills.

Here, four French-made Brand 81mm mortars and two Austrian-made 47mm tank defense guns have been aimed at the center of the road. The tank defense guns have completed loading the first round of ammunition, and the mortars The gunners also placed 81mm mortar shells at the muzzle.

"battalion commander."

Chen Xinsheng nodded to He Wei, who crawled all the way to the front of the artillery position. When he raised his binoculars again, he could clearly see the rising dust on the road and the rapidly advancing Japanese infantry on both sides.

． ． ． ． ． ． ．

"Come on, come on, move forward."

There was a lot of noise on the road, with the urging commands of the officers of the Third Infantry Battalion everywhere. Two infantry squadrons launched a battle formation on both sides of the road to search and attack. On the road were artillery, baggage troops and the brigade headquarters, full of heads. Khan's artillerymen and baggage agents carried rifles captured from the Chinese army on their backs and pulled their horses to run fast. They were all tired and panting. Not to mention people, they were those pulling the Type 41 mountain cannon and the Type 92 infantry. The well-bred Japanese horse also whined tiredly.

Of course, the headquarters and captain of the Third Battalion, Toyamanosuke, did not advance on the wide and flat road. For combat readiness considerations, Toyamanosuke took his command post off the road and advanced with the infantry squadron.

And after attacking all the way to this point, not only did they not find the besieged 7th Squadron, they didn't even see the shadow of half of the Chinese army. Where is the 7th Squadron? Why can't we find any trace of the Chinese army? Why did the Chinese army not implement blocking resistance?

Full of doubts, Toyama Nosuke led the third brigade to attack for two kilometers. Then, what came into view were the five hills ahead. According to basic military common sense, this would be an excellent commanding height. Looking at the emerald green hills, Suke felt alert.

For some reason, Toyama Nosuke felt that there was a vague smell of blood in the air. Little did he know that just a few hours ago, the officers and soldiers of the 7th Infantry Squadron he was eager to find were killed here, and the smell of blood was even more intense. It was not a psychological effect, because at his feet were the corpses of more than 200 Japanese soldiers.

When the Secret Service Battalion and the 956th Regiment were preparing for battle, the bodies of all the Japanese soldiers were buried on both sides of the road. Even the blood stains on the road were washed with water to make it look like nothing had happened. But after all, more than two hundred people had actually died, and the bloody smell of the broken limbs and corpses could not be concealed by the hastily buried soil.

After ordering the command squad to notify all units to increase alert, Toyamanosuke cautiously led the third infantry brigade to move forward, getting closer and closer to the commanding heights of the five hills. At the forefront was the chaotic artillery on the road. Heavy machine gunners and heavy baggage troops.

The impact and speed of the war horses are inherently faster than the infantry. The artillery, baggage troops, and machine gunners were afraid of being left behind by the infantry on both sides, so they kept waving their whips and driving the horses forward, charging all the way, and actually surpassed the troops advancing hand in hand on both sides of the road. The infantry squadron has become the leading force in the formation of the third infantry brigade.

In He Wei's telescope, the Japanese troops on the road became clearer and clearer. He shouted in a deep voice: "Prepare artillery, prepare signal flares."

Chen Xinsheng nodded and whispered into the phone transmitter in his hand: "Force the first platoon, force the second platoon, the tanks defend the artillery platoon, and fire quickly when ordered."

The Japanese soldiers on the road had no idea that the 7th Infantry Squadron they were looking for was right at their feet, nor did they know that the grave where the 7th Infantry Squadron was buried would soon become their burial place.

"preparation."

He Wei looked at the sudden advance of the Japanese army, sneered and gave Chen Xinsheng the final preparatory attack order. Chen Xinsheng also repeated the preparatory command into the microphone, and Tao Heiwa also raised the flare gun. , this time, what he sent out was no longer a signal for help from the Japanese army to lure the enemy deeper, but a general attack signal from the secret service battalion and the 956th Regiment.

"Fire!"

(End of this chapter)