gnovel Chapter 140: The Aftermath of Kei Seya's 3rd Squad
Chapter 140: The Aftermath of Kei Seya's 3rd Squad
In terms of defense, a single grenade thrown into the vehicle compartment would destroy an enemy tank.
However, these enemies had almost completely abandoned any form of defense; the armor plates were only used to protect against rifles and machine guns.
However, the cannon mounted on it was enough to pose a deadly threat to any tank equipped by the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade.
The armor plates of several major tanks equipped by the Japanese army, such as the Type 95 light tank and the Type 97 medium tank, were actually quite thin.
They were also unable to withstand the various anti-tank guns used by the Independent Third Detachment.
What drove the Japanese army to despair the most was their absolute numerical inferiority.
In the darkness, illuminated by flares, the enemy's armored tracked vehicles seemed endless, roaring as they charged toward them.
Behind these vehicles, even more armored vehicles could be seen, like a surging tide, engulfing them.
When Yasuoka Masaomi saw this, he knew that they couldn't hold out for long in a direct confrontation.
Even though the enemy suffered considerable losses, the sheer number of enemy troops made Yasuoka Masaomi realize that if they continued fighting, they would be completely annihilated.
His only hope now rests on the Setani Detachment.
This unit, which he had previously despised, was now becoming his lifeline.
Inside the headquarters of the Seya Kei Detachment, looking at the telegram from the 10th Division headquarters, he looked up at Kitano Suzuki and said:
"Chief of Staff, they're here."
"Them? Li Jianghe's main force?"
Kitano Suzuki hurriedly stood up and asked.
In fact, the shelling from the outside had already alerted him.
The sound of the cannons sounded quite familiar, just like the artillery fire heard during the battle outside Teng County that night.
The reason I remember that sound so vividly is that he almost died there that night. If he hadn't run away quickly, he would probably be like Akashiba Yaezo, dying far from home.
Later, the sound of cannons would sometimes wake him up from his sleep.
"Yes, it's them."
Keiji Seya nodded emphatically, placing his hand on the katana at his waist.
"Whoosh!!!"
He drew his samurai sword, on which were engraved the four characters "Imperial Gift".
This is the sword that Keigo Seya considers his life's glory, and now he will use this sword to command his troops to reclaim the lost glory, right against Li Jianghe's Third Detachment.
"Order troops to assemble!!! Prepare to reinforce the 1st Mixed Brigade!!!"
Kei Seya said without the slightest hesitation.
Although he was dissatisfied with Yasuoka Masaomi, these personal grudges were insignificant in the face of the bigger picture.
What's more, this time it's Seya Kei's nemesis—Li Jianghe.
He finally had the chance to avenge the previous attack.
After receiving the order, the main force of the Seya Detachment immediately began to assemble.
Just then, a loud roar suddenly came.
"Boom!!!"
The location of the Seya Detachment's camp was instantly covered by a dense barrage of artillery fire.
Some of the shells landed around the camp, some landed inside the camp, and some even hit the troops who had just finished assembling.
The Japanese soldiers killed or wounded fell in droves. Some searched for their severed limbs amidst the mangled flesh, while others lay on the ground groaning in pain, until another shell struck.
These Japanese troops were once again submerged.
"Enemy artillery fire!!!!"
Kitano Suzuki shouted, his long face drawn out.
Those were the artillerymen of the Third Detachment, bombarding several camps of the Seya Detachment.
Meanwhile, outside the Setani Detachment, Wang Dayong, commander of the Third Motorized Infantry Battalion, was shouting into the communications channel.
"Brothers, once the cannon fire stops, launch the attack immediately."
There's only one principle: even if we don't kill the Japanese soldiers, we have to scare them to death. Make it quick and efficient!
This was the mission Wang Dayong received: to launch a surprise attack on the Seya Detachment after the main force attacked the Independent 1st Mixed Brigade.
Of course, they were just bluffing to make Seya Kei hesitate to act.
The best outcome, of course, would be that Kei Seya would be so frightened that, out of caution, he would not dare to take the initiative.
If Seya Kei recovers, then Wang Dayong and his men will continue to harass Seya's team, delaying their rescue time and speed.
As long as they can inflict heavy damage on the main force of the Japanese 1st Mixed Brigade, or destroy enough tanks and armored vehicles, Li Jianghe and his men will consider this operation a success.
Finally, the bombardment ended, and the surrounding darkness seemed to return to calm.
Kei Seya crawled out of the trench. All around him were the corpses of Japanese soldiers who had been killed by bombs, as well as many wounded soldiers groaning in pain.
Painful memories began to surface, and Seiya Kei couldn't help but recall that night outside Tengxian County.
After the enemy artillery bombardment ended, a large number of tanks followed, charging at them recklessly.
No, the shelling is probably just slowing down their rescue efforts. No tanks are coming. The enemy's main force is engaged in fierce fighting with the 1st Mixed Brigade.
Kei Seya shook his head, dismissing the idea.
But at that moment, gunshots and explosions suddenly rang out from ahead.
He quickly picked up his binoculars and saw that flares were being launched into the sky from the distant front lines.
Under the light of the flares, the silhouettes of charging tanks could be vaguely seen.
"What... what's going on? Aren't the enemy forces engaged in fierce fighting with the 1st Mixed Brigade?"
Kei Seya tensed up, and scenes flashed through his mind again.
That was the scene outside Tengxian City, where their defensive line was torn apart by enemy tanks.
"Brigade Commander, tanks!!! It's enemy tank units!! They're breaking through our lines!!!"
Kitano Suzuki's shouts jolted him out of his painful memories.
Kei Seya hurriedly said:
"Organize a defense!!!! We must not allow the enemy to break through our lines!!"
The Setani Detachment, which was originally scheduled to set off for rescue, was ordered to hold its ground and deploy anti-tank guns at the front.
If they encounter an enemy tank charge, they should open fire decisively.
Kei Seya has developed PTSD. Whenever he sees the Third Division's tanks charging, he can't help but recall the scene from that night.
Now he must take the safest approach, which is to hold the line and hold off the enemy's offensive.
As for the First Mixed Brigade.
To hell with it, Kei Seya's first priority is to protect his own troops.
Wang Dayong's troops, under the coordination of battlefield communications, split into multiple groups and attacked several camps of the Seya Detachment simultaneously.
A motorized infantry company, with six or seven armored tracked vehicles, can cover a fairly wide area of battlefield.
With dozens of motorized infantry companies spread out, the width of the battlefield they covered was considerable, and the sense of oppression they exerted on the Setani Detachment was also considerable.