The Iron-Blooded Army of Beacon Fire

Chapter 209 The Crisis of the Seventy-Fourth Army

"Hurry up and bombard, hurry up and bombard. What do you artillerymen do for food?"

"Retreat, retreat."

The Japanese army's forward artillery command post was in a state of chaos. The moods of Captain Katagiri Gurō of the 9th Infantry Regiment and Captain Ohno Nobuaki of the 20th Infantry Regiment were like riding a roller coaster, and their blood pressure was rising even more.

I thought that the fire attack tactics developed by the Chinese army were already the most powerful means to eat up our own troops in the blind spots below the high ground. Unexpectedly, after eating the remnants of the two squadrons, the Chinese army actually used machine guns to directly shoot at our own troops. Forward strike force.

Regarding the sudden machine cannon attack, the two captains were both surprised and shocked. They were even more furious and frightened when they saw their soldiers being beaten to pieces by the machine cannon.

The Japanese infantry combat equipment does not have the same type of weapons, and even the Japanese anti-aircraft artillery troops do not have similar small-caliber rapid-fire machine guns. They are not familiar with Wanjinyou's advanced machine gun equipment, let alone the effects of using such weapons.

Although the Chinese army also invested in many 20mm caliber machine guns during the Songhu Battle, most of them were used as anti-aircraft weapons in important areas. Like today, they first fired the gasoline barrels, then the artillery, or even directly fired the machine guns. The tactic of laying flat and firing directly at the infantry and using it as a machine gun is even more unheard of.

To a certain extent, although the overall equipment of the Chinese army is backward, the Suluotong machine gun, which is not in large numbers and is bought from abroad with real money and silver, coupled with He Wei's wild fighting style, In fact, it was a wave of dimensionality reduction blows to the Japanese army.

As a result, the Japanese troops in the open ground in front were still burning, and they were firing machine guns like crazy on the high ground. They had just wiped out two infantry squadrons, and then the forward artillery units directly under the regiment and the artillery units directly under the brigade suffered another disaster. Then the infantry was also unlucky and suffered intensive fire from machine guns.

These three axes played by the Chinese army in a short period of time really made them feel overwhelmed. When the artillery shells hit the front-line Japanese artillery support position, the two captains were dumbfounded. Of course, they had no time to take any decent remedial measures. By the time the two decided to stop the attack and give the order to retreat, the front was already occupied. The beating was horrific.

At this time, Captain Katagiri Gorō of the 9th Infantry Regiment, with his eyes wide open, used the phone of the artillery command post to curse at the 22nd Field Artillery Regiment in the rear, calling for artillery bombardment, and asked the field artillery and howitzers in the rear to provide support. Artillery support, Nobuaki Ohno, captain of the 20th Infantry Regiment on the other side, issued a retreat order to the two infantry regiments at the same time.

With the fight like this, the attacks of the 9th Infantry Regiment and the 20th Infantry Regiment were sharp and frustrated. Everyone knew that this attack could no longer continue. This also meant that the two infantry regiments The 19th Infantry Brigade of the 16th Infantry Division failed in its first battle in the Nanjing Attack Battle, and it was a complete failure.

"Hurry, let them retreat."

"Fire immediately, fire immediately, let the artillery hit the Chinese army's positions and kill them."

After a period of chaotic command and rebuke, the retreat order jointly issued by Katagiri Gorō and Ohno Nobuaki was finally conveyed to the ten infantry squadrons at the front.

What happened next was a matter of course. After being ravaged by machine guns, the Japanese infantry no longer had any ambitions to conquer the Chinese army's positions. Everyone just wanted to withdraw as soon as possible.

Although the six Suratung machine guns on the high ground had ceased fire after each shot fired forty explosive grenades, and silence had returned to the high ground, with no other firepower projected downwards, it only lasted a few minutes. The machine gun firepower already made the attacking Japanese troops feel chills in their backs.

Many Japanese soldiers just held on at the front because they had no order to retreat and no sense of discipline. Some recruits who had recently joined the army began to curl up and tremble when they saw the broken limbs and corpses of their comrades killed by machine guns. What was clear was that the Japanese soldiers who had been ignited by napalm bombs in the open ground in front were not completely dead. There were still more than 20 people left shouting and wailing in pain in the open ground.

Among the more than twenty people, some Japanese soldiers who were still conscious were even looking at their own infantry outside the obstacle area with pleading eyes, and kept shouting things like "Help me," "Here, I'll be happy," and other words begging for a quick death.

The terrifying atmosphere created by the superposition of various horrific scenes on the battlefield was enough to scare many Japanese recruits who had just joined the army. Even those Japanese veterans who had experienced hundreds of battles bowed their heads and sighed. The burning of napalm, two The ten-millimeter machine guns directly fired at the infantry, coupled with the bombardment of the minefields during the attack, even veterans felt chills down their spines at such a terrifying and brutal method of warfare.

After a long period of suffering, the main artillery force in the rear finally began to concentrate all its firepower and began to cover the retreating artillery bombardment. A field artillery brigade and a howitzer brigade concentrated all their artillery fire on the high ground of the Chinese army.

It was only then that the Japanese officers who received the order to retreat were able to direct their troops to retreat like a tide as if they were granted amnesty. What was left behind were only damaged artillery pieces and scattered equipment. and ammunition, the torn corpses and broken limbs, the scattered weapons and backpacks, and the "Chinese Highlands" that although shrouded in artillery fire seemed unattainable at this time.

In this battle, the 9th Infantry Regiment and the 20th Infantry Regiment of the 19th Infantry Brigade of the 16th Division of the Japanese Army were covered by a field artillery brigade and a howitzer brigade of the 22nd Field Artillery Regiment. A fierce attack was launched on the high ground guarded by the 956th Regiment and the Special Agent Battalion. The battle raged from early morning to afternoon. The 9th Infantry Regiment and the 20th Infantry Regiment paid the price of more than 530 casualties.

Two infantry squadrons, including the 6th Squadron of the 9th Infantry Regiment and the 1st Squadron of the 20th Infantry Regiment, were wiped out from the captain down to the captain. In addition, the dead also included two captains and a lieutenant captain. There were one second lieutenant group adjutant, three second lieutenants, and the first lieutenant group leader, and more than 70 people were injured. After an attack, the two infantry regiments suffered a total of nearly 600 casualties.

The artillery squadrons of the two wings directly under the wing lost all eight Type 41 mountain guns, and the eight Type 94 37mm rapid-fire guns of the rapid-fire artillery squadron directly under the wing also lost all, and the brigade guns directly under each brigade were also lost. The team also lost three Type 92 70mm infantry guns, and even more light and heavy machine guns, rifles and various equipment and ammunition were lost.

It can be said that the 16th Division received a blow in the initial stage of the Nanjing attack.

On the high ground, after seeing the Japanese army retreating like a tide, Cai Rubai and He Wei also breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the corpses and mess everywhere, they were temporarily relieved, because according to the extent of the Japanese army's losses, There is a high probability that no new round of attacks will be organized today.

For He Wei, Cai Rubai now has a hundred admirations, and his words are even more affectionate. After all, without He Wei's various temporary command decisions during the battle, this battle may not have been so smooth. His attitude towards He Wei is so natural It goes without saying that after the two of them deployed the post-war security of the position, they immediately began to count the battle damage and deal with the aftermath after the battle.

"Attached to the regiment, hurry up and count the casualties and ammunition loss, and ask the battalions below to report battle losses as soon as possible. The health team will begin to treat the injured, and those who are seriously injured will be sent to the military division field hospital as soon as possible."

Cai Rubai commanded the Major Regiment of the 956th Regiment to attach statistics to the headquarters, and He Wei also sent a call to his special agent battalion to count the casualties and losses. Not long after, the losses of the 956th Regiment and the special agent battalion were known. got the result.

During the battle, a total of 44 officers and soldiers of the 956th Regiment were killed and 38 injured. Most of these casualties were caused by the fierce shelling of the Japanese army. Although the permanent and semi-permanent defense fortifications on the highlands were strong enough, The Japanese army's continuous artillery raids and intensive rifle and machine gun bullets inevitably caused considerable casualties to the 956th Regiment.

The loss of weapons and ammunition was relatively small. It only consumed a large number of heavy-pointed bullets and tracer bullets for the 7.92-caliber light and heavy machine guns. Several other light and heavy machine guns were blown up. The losses of the secret service battalion were minimal. They were just temporary bombs commanded by Chen Xinsheng. Several soldiers in the artillery group were injured, and the wheel spokes of a mountain cannon were damaged. However, the shells of the mountain cannon consumed a lot. Almost half of the shells carried before the war were consumed in the battle.

The special agent platoon and the two mortar platoons directly under the command of Fu Chen had no casualties. Like the temporary artillery group, the main losses were in the artillery shells. Four 81mm mortars fired when blocking the retreat of the remaining Japanese troops. Nearly one hundred and twenty 81mm mortar shells were dropped, and the retreat was successfully blocked, but a lot of ammunition was consumed.

However, compared with the Japanese troops who abandoned their armor, the losses of the 956th Regiment and the Special Agent Battalion were simply not worth mentioning. The exchange ratio between the two sides also showed an overwhelming advantage. Overall, it was an extremely beautiful event. high ground defense battle.

While the officers and soldiers of the 956th Regiment and the Special Agent Battalion were counting their losses, celebrating their victory, and reorganizing their troops, a bloodier and more brutal battle was taking place in Chunhua, not far from Tangshan.

Chunhua Town is located about 30 kilometers southeast of Nanjing. It is surrounded by ponds and has many small bridges. It is a typical ancient town in the south of the Yangtze River. Before the clouds of war did not cover this place, Chunhua Town was picturesque, quiet and peaceful, and could not be invaded by invaders. The arrival of the Japanese army destroyed everything. The air attacks in the past few days razed almost half of the town to the ground. Outside the town, there were artillery fire and beacon smoke everywhere. The periphery of this small town has become a battle between China and Japan. The focus area where armies compete with each other.

Outside Chunhua, on the position of the 301st Regiment of the 151st Brigade of the 51st Division of the 74th Army of the Army, there was a sea of ​​fire and thick smoke. There were craters exploded by artillery shells and raging fire caused by incendiary bombs and aerial bombs. Fire and smoke shot into the sky.

In a cement command post that could hardly be called usable, Lieutenant Colonel Ji Hongru, attached to the 301st Regiment and the current acting leader of the 301st Regiment, slowly raised his head and spat out a mouthful of mud. . "Bah, damn it, there are so many artillery shells in the dog days. Tell each battalion to hold on. You can bring reinforcements from the regiment headquarters."

Ji Hongru raised his telescope and looked forward through the huge opening of the bunker. The command post was an endless open space. In front of the 301st Regiment's position, guided by six tanks, a large number of Japanese infantry attacked frantically. Artillery shells of various calibers fell like raindrops on the 301st Regiment's position.

"Yes."

The regimental captain's adjutant next to Ji Hongru saluted Ji Hongru, then picked up a speed machine and led a dozen people composed of regiment cooks, clerical assistants and orderlies to rush out of the regiment command post.

But not long after he walked out, a 75mm artillery shell was shot in through the observation port of the command post bunker, then passed directly through the back door of the bunker, flew out of the bunker and exploded, instantly killing the captain and adjutant of the 301st Regiment. He was swallowed up by more than a dozen officers and soldiers. No one survived, and they all fell into a pool of blood.

"Who the hell built the fortification? If I survive, I will definitely destroy him."

Ji Hongru cursed with red eyes. The luck of the officers and soldiers of the 74th Army was much worse than that of the 160th Division and the Special Agent Battalion. The terrain outside Chunhua they were guarding was flat, and the quality of the defense fortifications they were equipped with was extremely poor.

When the officers and soldiers of the 74th Army entered the position, some machine gun positions had their doors locked, and they didn't know who to ask for the keys. Some machine gun bunkers were too large, making it easy for the enemy to find their targets. In addition, there are no tunnels, no trenches, and no depth between the fortifications and bunkers.

The tragic scene that just happened is the best interpretation of the quality of this batch of defense fortifications. A 75-caliber artillery shell was able to be fired majestically through the observation port of the bunker, but it was a pity for more than a dozen brave soldiers. Therefore he died unjustly.

At the front of the 301st Regiment's position, six Type 89 tanks advanced hand in hand. As they moved forward, the 57mm artillery and vehicle-mounted machine guns on the turret kept firing at the 301st Regiment's position to suppress it. From the 9th The infantry of the division took the opportunity to cross the chariot in small groups and attempted to launch an assault on the 301st Regiment's position.

The Seventy-Fourth Army, the elite national army formed during the Battle of Songhu, faced off against the Japanese Army's Ninth Division. The Ninth Division is also known as an elite force. Its combat style and combat spirit are in the Japanese army's battle sequence. The middle is also the best choice.

In yesterday's battle, the 36th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Division launched an attack on the 301st Regiment's position with a strengthened brigade, but in the end they did not gain any advantage. Today, they directly Two infantry brigades with a large number of tanks and artillery launched another fierce attack.

As the distance between the Japanese attack formations narrowed, thunderous gunfire erupted from the position of the 301st Regiment. The officers and soldiers of the 301st Regiment launched an attack on the advancing Japanese infantry in the simple fortifications. On the position of the 01st Regiment, the veterans and officers who had fought all the way from Songhu opened fire at the Japanese troops with light and heavy machine guns, while the newly recruited recruits picked up grenades and threw them in front of the position for free, crackling. The sound of rifle machine gunfire and explosions hit the charging Japanese infantry overwhelmingly.

The Japanese infantry who were attacking were immediately swept away by the very sharp and sharp light and heavy machine gun fire. Yellow sparks also appeared on the body of the Japanese tank accompanied by a clanging sound. They were the heavy weapons of the 51st Division. The result of a machine gun firing steel-core bullets directly at a tank.

Boom - After the rifle fire and grenade fire, several 82 mortar shells also exploded in the attacking Japanese column, and several 20-year-old Jinling 82 mortars from the 301st Regiment also fired. The fire knocked down many Japanese infantry, and the attack momentum of the 36th Infantry Regiment was suddenly dampened.

The 51st Division suffered heavy casualties in the Battle of Songhu. It was replenished many times. There were very few veterans left who enlisted before the Battle of Songhu. It underwent many replenishments in Songhu. After the troops arrived in Nanjing, a large number of rear troops were replenished. The quality of the young recruits captured from the divisional area was already uneven. In order to maximize the power of the weapons in their hands, veterans of the 301st Regiment and even squad platoon leaders and company commanders personally went to the front line to operate light and heavy machine guns. Automatic firearms and medium- and medium-sized rifles brought down from the Songhu front line were all given to veterans for use. All strong recruits who enlisted in Nanjing could only be issued with the newly replenished Hanyang-made rifles and grenades.

Because these farmers who have just put down their hoes will not be able to learn any enemy-killing techniques or complex weapon operating skills within a month. They even have this time to practice the most basic enlistment education, the most basic playground coaching and basic enlistment education. None of them can be completed. These recruits can only be regarded as farmers and common people wearing military uniforms and holding guns.

The only weapons they can use to kill the enemy are their own flesh and blood and simple and easy-to-use equipment such as grenades. Many recruits even threw grenades without even pulling the match cord. However, the officers and veterans who were shooting There is no psychological understanding, because they must control the automatic firearms in their hands. Only officers and soldiers with rich combat experience who can operate automatic firearms such as light and heavy machine guns can effectively kill the Japanese army.

They are the real pillars of the 301st Regiment's position.

Under the firepower of the 301st Regiment, dozens more corpses of Japanese infantry appeared in front of the position. The attacking 36th Infantry Regiment also quickly adjusted after being hit. The attacking Japanese infantry no longer attacked Instead, they set up machine guns on the spot to fire at the 301st Regiment's position, while the six Type 89 Chinese tanks serving as cover slowly passed over the Japanese infantry and finally stopped. The turrets on the vehicles began to Turning, the fifty-seven millimeter cannons were aimed at the defenders' bunkers that were tilting their firepower.

轰-

The tank in the center opened fire, and the other tanks followed closely behind, firing at the defender's bunker. After the tank opened fire, several Type 92 infantry guns at the rear of the attack column also opened fire. The 36th Regiment, which was as red-eyed as the defenders, even pulled up the Type 94 37mm rapid-fire cannon of the rapid-fire artillery squadron. With the cover of the front tank, it directly used the three-dimensional alloy steel armor-piercing warhead. Seven armor-piercing rounds were fired at the defenders' bunkers.

In an instant, the artillery shells of the 92nd Infantry fell on the open trench fortifications. The 37 armor-piercing shells and the 57mm tank shells fired from the tanks hit the bunker fortifications on the 301st Regiment's position. Suddenly there were calls for help and screams.

Many 37 armor-piercing shells and 57mm tank shells were fired directly into the huge bunker's firing port. The violent explosion shattered the light and heavy machine guns of the Chinese officers and soldiers in the bunker. Many Type 24 heavy machine guns and The thirty-section heavy machine gun was immediately blown into scrap metal.

What was even more bloody was that some officers and soldiers were directly hit by 37 armor-piercing bullets and 57mm artillery shells. Blood and flesh flew everywhere in the bunker, brains splattered everywhere, and their helmets were exploded.

Some officers and soldiers were burned by the hot water from the leakage of the heavy machine gun cooling water tank, some had their arms broken, and some even had their internal organs punched out. After the light and heavy machine gun fire in the bunker was severely damaged, the 301st Regiment The firepower suddenly collapsed.

The Japanese army took advantage of the victory and advanced, and the mixed attack queue composed of tanks and infantry began to move again, fiercely attacking the 301st Regiment's position. However, the officers and soldiers of the 301st Regiment on the position could no longer hold on. After several days of bloody battles, the three infantry battalions of the already dilapidated 301st Regiment only had more than a thousand troops left. They were said to be an infantry regiment, but in fact, their actual strength was less than half an infantry regiment.

The few remaining troops were being consumed at an extremely fast rate in the face of the Japanese army's absolute firepower advantage.

The ability to carry it up to now is the result of the officers and soldiers fighting with their lives. If they don't get support, let alone compete with the Japanese army's firepower, even if they compete with the Japanese army, they will not be able to defeat them even if they sacrifice their lives. Sooner or later, they will be thrown into the position.

Acting commander Ji Hongru, who was in the regiment command post, saw the tragic situation of the regiment's officers and soldiers. He angrily dropped the telescope in his hand, picked up his speed machine and sword, and walked around the command post where there were only a few people left. , shouted loudly: "Brothers, the brothers in front have tried their best, it's our turn, follow me."

Ji Hongru waved his sword, and the orderlies, cooks, communications soldiers, ordnance officers, lightly wounded soldiers, health soldiers, baggage soldiers and even the porters in the command post all followed and picked up various weapons and guns, even the radio operator He also left his post, picked up a Hanyang-made rifle with a bayonet, raised his rifle and smashed it at the radio station.

"do not move."

Ji Hongru stopped him, and said to the operator with red eyes: "Don't go in. Send a telegram to Commander Wang Yaowu quickly, saying that our 301st Regiment and the Japanese invaders are sworn to live together and die together with the position, but the troops The casualties are about to be exhausted. Please ask the division commander to send troops to restore the position quickly, otherwise our regiment's position outside Chunhua will be in crisis and may endanger the overall situation."

"Brothers, go, go up, the time has come to die for your country!"

Without looking back, Ji Hongru brought the last reinforcements from the regiment up. After the young telegraph operator with tears in his eyes typed out the tearful telegram word by word, he finally picked up the Hanyang-made telegram and ran out. command post and joined this final reserve team.

(End of this chapter)