The Iron-Blooded Army of Beacon Fire

Chapter 245 The naval gun shows off its power in the decisive battle

The sound of gunfire, the sound of bugles and the signal flares that pierced the sky made the three infantry regiments of the teaching corps in the first line position quickly enter combat status. The sound of bugles and whistles came one after another.

At the joint between the teaching corps and the defense areas of other troops, some military three-wheeled motorcycles were running wildly in all directions. On the sidecars of the vehicles, soldiers from the teaching corps holding hand-cranked buzzer alarms kept pulling the alarms. The sound of alarms spread in the air, with the teaching corps as the center, and the Japanese army's combat situation and combat preparations continued to spread to both sides.

When the battle alarm spread throughout the Xiaguan defense circle, the frontline warning battle was still going on fiercely.

A platoon attached to the fifth infantry regiment of the third brigade of the teaching corps led a combat outpost consisting of a bugler and an infantry squad and started a fierce battle with a cavalry squad under the Japanese Kunisaki detachment.

Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang

The machine gun shooters of the outpost infantry squad of the Teaching Corps poured machine gun bullets at the oncoming Japanese cavalry like water. Heavy-pointed bullets imported from the Czech and German original factories flew out, and a large number of smoking golden bullet casings were fired from the Czech machine guns. The side ejection window was thrown out of the gun body.

As the shooters continued to turn their machine guns and fire, several screams came from the oncoming Japanese cavalry. Several more Japanese cavalry were knocked off their horses by the dense machine gun bullets, and several hit horses also neighed and rolled. On the ground.

"Okay, good fight, throw his mother away, keep fighting."

The sergeant with a Cantonese accent shouted "Hello" and continued to issue shooting orders to the machine gun shooters around him. Amidst the sound of shooting, some Japanese cavalry on their horses also bravely raised their arms. The Type 44 cavalry rifle in his hand opened fire on the forward sentry of the teaching corps.

A scream came from not far away from the Czech light machine gun position. The sergeant platoon looked over and saw that a rifleman in the rifle group of the infantry squad he commanded was hit by a bullet from a Japanese rifle. His head was shot through the helmet and he fell in a pool of blood. Several newly recruited riflemen panicked when they saw someone being killed.

Pai Fu cursed loudly.

"Fight there, fight there, brothers. I have been fighting for almost ten years. I fought the Japanese twice in Songhu. There must be no chaos. The carrots are cavalry. We use firepower to suppress them. They will definitely retreat. Yes, running back now and being chased by the cavalry will mean death."

The sergeant platoon waved his German-made speed machine and shouted. This Guangdong platoon is a veteran of the original 19th Route Army. A division of the 19th Route Army was absorbed and annexed by the Teaching Corps after the Fujian Incident. Therefore, the troops There are a large number of former officers and soldiers of the 19th Route Army.

Many of them had participated in the 128 Songhu Battle in 1932 and had rich combat experience. This platoon attached obviously had full prestige in the army, and the slightly flustered rifle group quickly stabilized.

A second-class ammunition soldier of the Czech light machine gun stepped forward and unloaded the 20-round empty magazine of the Czech light machine gun of the main shooter and replaced it with a new magazine filled with bullets. Immediately, the main shooter Under the guidance of the platoon attached, they turned their guns and fired at the Japanese cavalry who had just fired.

A string of bullets was fired, and several more Japanese soldiers were knocked off their horses. The rifle team soldiers on the other side also used Mauser rifles to fire volleys under the command of the corporal deputy squad leader. Under the volley fire of the rifle machine gun, dozens of rushers were fired. The casualties of the incoming Japanese cavalry gradually increased.

Although the distance between the two sides was only a few hundred meters and the cavalry moved very fast, the shorter distance also increased the shooting accuracy of the teaching team's sentry.

The sergeant gritted his teeth and kept directing machine guns to fire. He knew that facing the cavalry, the infantry would be doomed if they retreated. The only way for him and his dozen or so people to survive was to stick to the spot, hold on, and wait. Main position support.

Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang

The firing sound of the Czech light machine guns was still ringing, but the sergeant's platoon quickly discovered that something was wrong. The Japanese cavalry were not afraid of the machine gun firepower of their own, and they all launched an attack like crazy. This is indeed the case. The Japanese cavalry that is exchanging fire with this outpost of the teaching corps is, after all, from the fifth division of the Japanese Army known as the Steel Army, and it is absolutely impossible to be easily repelled.

bang bang

bang bang

The Czech light machine gun shooter finished another magazine. Suddenly, a deputy shooter pointed in the direction of the flank and shouted: "The enemy is coming up from behind."

The platoon sergeant raised his binoculars and saw more than a dozen Japanese cavalrymen waving sabers on the side, howling and rushing over. What was even more chilling was that behind the cavalrymen, he also saw some Japanese infantrymen. , if the Japanese army only attacked from the front, they could still withstand the fierce battle with firepower, but at the same time they were outflanked from the flanks, and with the Japanese infantry behind them, it was obvious that these dozen sentries could not withstand the Japanese army's comprehensive encirclement attack.

bang bang

啊-

The Japanese cavalry outflanking also began to shoot with lances. Another rifleman in the sentry was hit and fell to the ground with a scream.

"Pai Fu, what should I do?"

A sentry soldier asked anxiously.

Sergeant Platoon threw down the telescope viciously and shouted: "Damn it, he is dead anyway, brothers, try your best to kill a few of them before you die."

As he said that, the platoonman crawled over to the dead rifleman, picked up the Mauser rifle from the body, and shot the Japanese army outflanking him with his backhand. A Japanese cavalryman responded. fall.

Facing the Japanese cavalry and the following Japanese infantry that were outflanking them from the front and flanks, these dozen sentry brothers from the teaching corps, with the determination to die, fired wildly at the Japanese troops with their rifle machine guns.

Some soldiers were already half-kneeling, holding Mauser standard rifles with bayonets fixed, ready to fight to the death with the oncoming Japanese troops. Others had already taken out long-handled grenades, preparing to detonate them when the Japanese cavalry came. Take one with you on your back.

As the outflanking Japanese cavalry rushed closer and closer, just as these dozen sentries were preparing to fight to the death with the Japanese cavalry, several artillery shells fell in the ranks of the Japanese cavalry.

Boom-boom-boom

Three artillery shells exploded in the outflanking Japanese cavalry team. In the loud explosion after the shells landed, more than a dozen Japanese cavalrymen were turned upside down, their flesh and blood flying everywhere. Several horses were torn into pieces by the shells, and a The blood mist filled the sky, and a cannonball directly hit the body of a war horse. The tall Japanese horse and the cavalry on the horse were blown to pieces by shrapnel.

"Attached to the platoon, it's the howitzer company, they opened fire!"

A soldier pointed at the main position behind him and shouted excitedly. When the sergeant platoon saw the artillery smoke from the main position behind him, he also shouted, picked up his rifle and shouted: "Brothers, the artillery is firing, give it to you!" I’ll fight!”

Immediately, with no worries left, a dozen teaching corps sentries, who had escaped from danger with the help of artillery cover, opened fire crazily at the Japanese troops who were attacking frontally with even more intense firepower. A Czech light machine gun and more than a dozen Japanese troops were in the hands of the sentries. The Mauser rifle concentrated all its firepower and launched a concentrated firepower at the Japanese troops who were attacking from the front.

Boom - On the position of the fifth regiment of the teaching corps, the infantry howitzer company directly under the fifth regiment opened fire at the outflanking Japanese cavalry at the critical moment.

White smoke erupted from the muzzles of the four leiG18 75mm infantry guns produced by the German company Rheinmetall, and mm high-explosive grenades weighing kilograms flew out of the barrel. Under the attack of the Japanese cavalry, There was an explosion in the queue, and almost a detachment of Japanese cavalry was wiped out in this round of shelling.

Each of the three old German-style infantry regiments of the Teaching Corps before the war was equipped with an infantry howitzer company equipped with six 75mm infantry cannons.

This short, strange-looking artillery is also the current main infantry artillery of the German army, and the predecessor of the fifth regiment of the third brigade is one of the three old infantry regiments. Although there were losses in the Battle of Songhu, this company Only four of the six infantry howitzers were shot, but in the face of the outflanking Japanese cavalry, these four artillery still exerted great power.

"Well done, keep shooting, keep shooting!"

Major General Ma Weilong, the commander of the third brigade of the teaching corps and the commander of the fifth infantry regiment, who personally directed the artillery firing in the artillery position, shouted hello and ordered the commander of the infantry howitzer company beside him: "Continue to fire and concentrate the firepower on The Japanese fired at them to drive them away, covering the retreat of the forward outposts."

"Captain, the Japanese are coming up again, and there are also infantry. We only have four guns. I'm afraid we can't cover their retreat." The artillery company commander reported to Ma Weilong. Ma Weilong raised his binoculars again and saw the Japanese cavalry unit. Although they were no longer outflanking, they still faced the impact of the sentries of the Fifth Regiment of the Teaching Corps from the front, and the infantry behind them also began to advance, obviously determined to eat the sentries of the Fifth Regiment of the Teaching Corps.

The forward search team of the Japanese Kunisaki Detachment had no idea that behind this outpost was a defensive circle that concentrated all the main forces of the Jinling Garrison.

Therefore, after being bombarded, this forward search team composed of a cavalry squad and an infantry squadron still persisted, trying to eat up this combat-effective Chinese army outpost in one go. The Fifth Division's name as the Steel Army was also reflected in its resilience during this attack.

More than a hundred Japanese infantry and dozens of beaten-up Japanese cavalry continued to aggressively surround and attack more than a dozen frontline outposts of the fifth regiment of the teaching corps.

Through the telescope, Ma Weilong, the leader of the fifth regiment, saw more and more Japanese infantry and lingering Japanese cavalry, and gradually realized that this Japanese army could not be driven away with his existing firepower. Even if the battalions were allowed to The mortars, machine guns and tank defense guns directly under the regiment opened fire. Facing this mixed infantry and cavalry team of the Japanese army, they may not be able to expel them all, let alone cover the safe retreat of the dozen or so combat outposts they sent.

However, if the infantry's heavy machine guns are used to provide fire support, the effect will be very little, and once it turns into a full-scale melee with rifle and machine gun fire, the situation of this outpost will be even more dangerous. The only way is to use intensive artillery firepower to give the Japanese a thunderous blow. .

There was a reason why Ma Weilong was so concerned about a combat outpost with only a dozen people, and even used regimental-level artillery to cover them. Ma Weilong was from the fourth phase of Huangpu, and he always loved his soldiers like his own son.

More importantly, although he has been promoted to brigade commander, he still serves as the commander of the fifth infantry regiment. This regiment is an infantry regiment trained in German style before the war. Many soldiers were trained in the pre-war regiment. Veterans, every soldier in this group is an extremely precious asset. Ma Weilong knows that these talents are the backbone of the teaching team. Even one soldier must not be lost in vain!

"Fuck, go back to the regimental command post!"

After running back to the command post of the Fifth Regiment, Ma Weilong directly dialed the phone number leading to the command post of the teaching corps and reported the current combat situation to Qiu Qingquan, the chief of staff of the teaching corps who was responsible for the command.

"Hey, is this Qiu Shenzuo? I'm Ma Weilong."

"It's me, I'm Qiu Qingquan. I saw your position was in contact with the Japanese army."

"Senate, my combat outpost is being besieged by the Japanese army. The Japanese army is a mixed team of infantry and cavalry. We cannot solve it with our own artillery fire. I hope the artillery battalion of the corps can provide support. I am leading the fifth regiment, many of whom are from the corps. Brother veteran."

"I understand. I will definitely support you with artillery fire. You must withstand it."

In the command post of the teaching corps, Qiu Qingquan hung up the call to the fifth regiment, and then ordered the staff around him: "Call the artillery battalion and ask them to use artillery to support the position of the fifth regiment."

"Yes!"

After the staff officer went down to convey the order, Qiu Qingquan felt quite uneasy when he looked at the intensive sound of gunfire in front of the fifth regiment's position.

Like Ma Weilong, Qiu Qingquan is well aware that the current situation of the teaching corps is that it is strong on the outside but weak on the inside. Every soldier is very valuable, especially those veterans before the war. However, considering that the current equipment situation of the corps is not as good as before, the corps's The directly affiliated artillery battalions were also poorly organized after the Battle of Songhu.

Only eight of the original twelve Bofors Mountain guns were left, and the firepower was very insufficient. As a result, the commander of the regiment below called him for help. To be on the safe side, he called the Military Police Headquarters. The thought of calling for help.

So, Qiu Qingquan said to the adjutant of the General Headquarters next to him with a solemn expression: "Get me to the command post of the Military Police Headquarters."

The adjutant quickly opened the phone to the Gendarmerie Headquarters. At the same time, in the command post of the Gendarmerie Headquarters, He Wei was also observing the battle at the forward position behind the artillery mirror. After settling the spy camp, , He Wei entered the command post and assisted General Xiao in overall command, acting as a staff officer. At the same time, he also sat on the Diaoyutai and watched the battle. Of course, if it was time for him to take action, he would definitely lead his troops Top it up.

Ding-a-ling-a special telephone leading to the teaching corps suddenly rang.

"Hey, this is the Military Police Headquarters. What's going on?"

"Understood, okay, okay, I'll report to the commander right now."

A military police officer answered the phone that suddenly rang, answered a few words and then hung up. The officer then ran to General Xiao and reported: "Sir, Chief of Staff Qiu of the Training Corps called. The position was suddenly attacked by Japanese troops, a combat outpost was surrounded, and artillery support was requested."

He Wei also walked over and asked the military police officer: "Has Chief of Staff Qiu reported the number of enemy troops?"

The military police officer thought for a while and patted his head: "Chief Qiu said that there are dozens of Japanese cavalry and about a squadron of infantry."

General Xiao looked at He Wei and asked, "What do you think?"

He Wei thought for a while and then said: "The mixed cavalry and infantry team, I guess, is the forward search force of the Japanese army, because their attack has neither artillery cover nor a flank attack. It is estimated that they suddenly encountered the outpost of the teaching corps." , want to eat them without knowing the enemy’s situation, I didn’t say anything, just use artillery fire support to attack them, it’s best to destroy them.”

General Xiao has been working in the military police for a long time and is relatively new to commanding field troops. Therefore, He Wei has become a good assistant for him in issuing orders and commanding the overall situation. Seeing that He Wei had no objection, General Xiao nodded and said, "Then get ready. For artillery support, call the artillery position and ask the artillery to support the teaching corps."

Just as the military police officer was about to issue combat orders to the artillery position, a naval officer in a white military uniform said: "Sir Xiao, I have seen the artillery on the army artillery position. They use Bofors Mountain Cannon and imitations made in Shenyang. I'm afraid the Japanese howitzers don't have enough range, so let's use our navy's naval guns, which are powerful and have sufficient range."

"I think it's okay. The position of the teaching corps is the farthest from here. It's really difficult for the army's artillery to fight."

He Wei said.

"Okay, then let the naval guns fire! Kill those Japanese troops."

General Xiao readily changed the battle order.

Then, the battle order to open fire and support the teaching corps was quickly transmitted to the naval gun positions in the defense circle. In the fixed firing positions of the naval guns in the defense circle, the navy gunners quickly took action.

In the pre-war construction plan, He Wei negotiated with the Navy and asked the Navy to transfer a batch of naval guns removed from the self-sinking warships and deploy them in the Xiaguan defense circle.

The artillery position in the Xiaguan defense circle was originally equipped with three 150 mm 40-caliber Krupp rapid-fire cannons and eight 105-mm 40-caliber Krupp rapid-fire cannons.

Later, because the various forts along the river also needed artillery, they were changed several times, and finally replaced with two British-made Armstrong 203 mm 8-inch large-caliber naval rapid-fire guns, and four British-made Armstrong 150-inch large-caliber rapid-fire guns. The two-millimeter rapid-fire cannon and four 105-millimeter rapid-fire cannons made by German Krupp came from the naval forces that were scuttled in Jiangyin and inherited from the old warships of the former Qing Dynasty.

These naval guns are all equipped in a reinforced concrete structure in the center of the Xiaguan defense circle and a 360-degree omnidirectional artillery firing fortification with a top cover.

Now, the outpost of the Japanese Army's Kunisaki detachment, which is besieging the outpost of the teaching corps, is about to face the fury of several old Chinese naval guns that are 40 years old, and these old naval guns will also Show off your glory on land and fulfill your duty to protect your home and country.

　There were some errors in the previous chapter about the formation of the infantry squad of the Teaching Corps, which have been revised. What I wrote yesterday was that the infantry squad of the Teaching Corps is a twelve-man system. Today I checked the establishment table and found that it is actually a fourteen-man system, including the light machine gun group. There are four machine gun shooters and ammunition soldiers, eight riflemen in the rifle group, and one squad leader and deputy squad leader, a total of fourteen people.

　　

　

(End of this chapter)