The Iron-Blooded Army of Beacon Fire

Chapter 41 The Battle of Xinkou
October 26, [-]th year of the Republic of China, morning, Yanzhuang
The silence of the night was finally broken by the roar of fighter planes in the sky. First, the circling and guided reconnaissance planes roared past following the red smoke bombs used by the artillery to indicate the target. Then, one after another, bombers painted with the rising sun emblem came in three directions. A formation of four aircraft flew arrogantly over the [-]th Division's defense line under the early sun. The metal fuselage gave off a strange light. The aircraft fleet skipped the clouds and appeared above the position. The following aircraft groups were like Crow-like black spots flew in groups one by one, and the roaring engines disturbed the air and shook the peaceful earth.

Biplane fighter jets were surrounding the bomber formation, sometimes pulling up to search for enemies, and sometimes circling at low altitudes to monitor possible Chinese fighter planes.

It is a pity that the main force of the Chinese Air Force is concentrated in Songhu. There is only one squadron of Chinese fighter jets capable of threatening Japanese aircraft on the entire Xinkou battlefield, and these Japanese aircraft can only be allowed to wreak havoc.

The roar was getting louder and louder, and it was getting closer. It was the Japanese planes lowering their altitude. All experienced veterans of the Chinese army knew that they were about to drop bombs.

"Damn that bastard, the old crow is going to lay eggs again!"

"Blow it up! Kill Shu Tan! It's better to throw it all at the damn heads of the Japanese!"

"His grandma is a bitch, buzzing around like a fly. If there hadn't been an order from above that our heavy machine guns are not allowed to use anti-aircraft tripods to shoot in the air, I would have fought one to satisfy my hatred!"

The veterans of the Sixth Company jokingly called the Japanese aircraft "crows" at the top of their voices, causing a burst of yelling. The soldiers of the heavy machine gun platoon used curses to vent their depression and depression hiding in the cat's ear holes. It was torture for the infantrymen in the dark, narrow cat-ear holes.

He Wei received a call from Chen Zhen in the middle of the night yesterday, conveying the battle instructions issued by the [-]th Division. One of them stated that in the event of a bombing by Japanese aircraft, the infantry of the forward troops were prohibited from shooting into the air with any firearms. Each heavy machine gun company was equipped with anti-aircraft guns. The same goes for heavy machine guns on tripods. Shooting into the air is strictly prohibited.

Because a few Type [-] heavy machine guns with a caliber of [-] may not be able to shoot down Japanese aircraft in the air. Instead, they will expose their firepower and invite attacks from Japanese aircraft. They will lose precious heavy machine guns in vain. Therefore, the soldiers in the heavy machine gun platoon can only talk. Come up and vent your anger.

Now all the soldiers in a row have entered the cat's ear hole in the trench cliff. No one can be seen on the surface of the position, including the entire sixth company. The [-]nd mortars and tank defense guns have all entered the heavy weapon concealment built in advance. Each cat-ear hole and the hole in the hidden part was blocked with sandbags to prevent fragmentation, leaving only a small gap for the communication trench. He Wei covered the trenches, communication trenches, including the excavated anti-tank trenches with door panels on top. Sprinkled with loose soil and covered with sandbags, it blends into the surrounding earth. If you don't observe carefully from the air, it is unlikely that you will find this defensive position.

He Wei squatted in the cat's ear hole. After the trench was covered with door panels, the surroundings were dark and gloomy. He nervously waited for the arrival of the bombers. Tao Heiwa, the messenger, hid beside He Wei, and his breathing gradually became heavier.

Holding the handle of the Jike-style light machine gun covered with a canvas jacket tightly, He Wei also cursed in a low voice: "Damn, it's not over!"

The Japanese plane had not yet dropped its bombs. He Wei heard a dull explosion from the Xinkou central position to the east. This was the central area of ​​the Xinkou position defended by Hao Mengling's Ninth Army. The Japanese army had already begun attacking the Xinkou central area in advance. Shelling and bombing.

"Boom boom boom...boom boom boom"

Fifty kilograms, eight hundred kilograms and two hundred kilograms of heavy aerial bombs were rained out from the bomber's magazine and fell to the ground. The tail fuse ignited the explosive charge in the bomb. It exploded on the ground, with a deafening explosion, shrapnel scattered and smoke rising.

He Wei felt the ground tremble violently and there was a loud noise. A piece of dirt on the top of the Mao'er Hole was shaken off. The Mao'er Hole was filled with dust, which made He Wei cough.

"Boy, close your eyes!" He Wei closed his eyes and pulled Tao Heiwa, preparing to face the heat wave caused by the bomb explosion.

Soon, the cat's ear hole will be filled with dust blown by the shell blast, and the hot floating soil will even bury and block the cat's ear hole. Then, the soft soil will make it impossible to see any fingers in the cat's ear hole. There might be shrapnel flying in. He Wei curled up, grabbed Tao Heiwa, fastened his helmet, closed his eyes, lowered his head and curled up, waiting for the moment when the bomb dropped and exploded.

However, there was no sultry air wave after the explosion of the aerial bomb, nor was there a trembling sensation like rolling waves. There was no dust swept in by the air wave in the gap left by the cat's ear hole. He Wei found that there seemed to be no dust on the Sixth Company's position. A large number of falling bombs, dense explosions and explosions of aircraft bombs all came from the direction behind.

He Wei opened his eyes and looked outside the cave. Judging from the situation on the position, most of the aerial bombs were deployed on the main position of the [-]th Division - Dabaishui.

He Wei expected that the Japanese army's fierce artillery bombardment and firepower preparations would not fall on the position of the Sixth Company, let alone inside Yanzhuang. Almost all the firepower fell on the main position of the Tenth Division on the line of Dabaishui and Xiaobaishui. superior.

"shhhhhh"

"Da da da"

Following the heavy aerial bombs dropped by the bombers, the [-]-caliber field artillery shells, and the sound of the mountain artillery shells piercing the sky, tearing the sky, the hot floating soil on the ground was blown up again, two field artillery brigades and a The mountain artillery brigade began a fierce shelling, and the air where the bullets fell from the main position of Dabaishui was filled with mud, shrapnel and ash.

After the bombers flew away, at the same moment as the bombardment, the shining Japanese fighter jets hovering at low altitude spit out tongues of fire. Strings of aviation machine gun bullets were fired along the visible trenches of the Chinese army on the ground. The impact point of the Japanese mountain field artillery shells was almost at Dabaishui. The foxholes of the [-]th Division on the periphery of the front line were consistent with the outline of the trenches. Dozens of houses in Dabaishui Village were blown down. The explosion of the shells caused thick black smoke to rise straight into the sky.

Just when the main position of Dabaishui of the [-]th Division was ravaged by fierce Japanese artillery fire, except for the low-altitude strafing by fighter jets, there were only a few fallen bombs near Yanzhuang. There were only a few rolling clouds of yellow and black smoke in Zhuangzi. A dozen [-]-caliber artillery shells hit Zhuangzi, destroying several houses, and a few small aerial bombs hit He Wei's position. Obviously Yanzhuang was not the focus of Japanese firepower.

"Call me!"

Feeling the moderate shelling around him, the surroundings were dark. He had no idea what was going on in front of the position. What was certain was that the Japanese shelling of his position was very weak.

He Wei immediately asked Tao Heiwa to bring the phone, picked up the receiver and receiver, and rang the bell several times in a hurry.

The call was connected quickly.

(End of this chapter)