gnovel Chapter 276 A Surprise from the 105mm Howitzer
Chapter 276 A Surprise from the 105mm Howitzer
Zhu Chi felt his blood boil and couldn't help but clench his fists:
"Great! This increases the chances of a successful counterattack tonight." He said, his gaze falling on the map, his eyes gleaming.
At this moment, the situation on the battlefield seemed completely reversed—the Japanese army was advancing triumphantly, while the 11th Army was repeatedly "losing" positions.
They were like a flock of sheep being driven by wolves, collapsing at the slightest touch and abandoning their armor and weapons.
This illusion made the Japanese army increasingly arrogant. Later on, because the artillery could not keep up with the infantry's advance, the infantry even dared to launch a fierce attack on the 11th Army without artillery support.
The Japanese infantry regiment's battle line was stretched out longer and longer, and within just one day, the two ends were more than ten miles apart.
The relationship between the forwards and the defenders is like a rubber band that has been stretched too long, and it could snap at any moment.
However, what Jamomoto didn't know was that the rapid advance was nothing more than a carefully orchestrated charade.
The Eleventh Army's true counterattack will unfold in the darkness, like a gleaming dagger piercing their backs.
The atmosphere was quite different in the joint command post of the 7th and 106th Divisions.
Matsuura Junroku put down the blue-and-white porcelain he was playing with and pinched his nose. A strong smell of body odor wafted from outside the door—without looking, he knew it was Watanabe Tsuna.
"Watanabe, I sincerely suggest you take a bath."
Junroku Matsuura frowned and said, "There's a natural stream behind the command post with clear water that should be able to wash away the stench on you."
Watanabe Tsuna ignored his teasing, picked up a newly arrived telegram, and went straight to the map:
"Before it even got dark, the Jiamu Brigade had already advanced more than ten miles. That rabble of the 11th Army is even worse than the security regiment—but their skill at running away is first-rate."
Junroku Matsuura didn't seem too surprised upon hearing this. He simply stared at the map for a moment and then slowly said:
"It seems that the Nationalist army on the other side really has no soldiers left. Using such a useless army to defend such an important position—even if some soldiers were drawn from Li Jianghe's Third Column, it would be much better than this so-called Eleventh Army."
Watanabe Tsuna changed the subject:
"By the way, the commander sent a telegram, ordering us to break through the Wutailing defense line and then coordinate with the main force in the Jiujiang direction to attack the main force of the Third Column in the Mahuiling Town and Minshan Township area. If we can quickly take Wutailing, this encirclement will be initially formed."
He paused, then added, "I think no matter how strong Li Jianghe's Third Column is, it is destined to be unable to win against the combined attack of our four divisions and a large number of air troops."
Junroku Matsuura nodded heavily, tracing the route of the encirclement on the map with his finger:
"In that case, we should concentrate our forces in the Wutailing and Mahuiling Town area. As for Xue Yue's army on the front, we should adopt a defensive posture."
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"That's true," Watanabe Tsuna agreed. "Xue Yue's army is currently launching a counterattack, but compared to them, the Third Column is clearly a greater threat."
After he finished speaking, he turned and looked out the window at the night.
It was completely dark, and the distant mountains looked like crouching giant beasts, silent and dangerous.
No one knew that in that darkness, a bloody storm was quietly brewing.
At the foot of Wutai Ridge, campfires flickered in the Japanese army camp, where soldiers sat together, some cleaning their guns, others chatting and laughing, completely unaware that death had already spread its wings and was silently flying toward them.
For these Japanese soldiers, the battle was much easier than they had expected.
It was practically a low-intensity military exercise; apart from the occasional firing of a few shots and shouts of charge, there was almost no decent resistance.
Some people even started to miss the cherry blossoms and sake of their hometown, thinking that after this war was over, they might be able to return home.
In comparison, Xue Yue's First Army Corps, which they had faced head-on a few days earlier, was a much tougher nut to crack.
After that battle, the regiment lost more than 300 brothers, and even the battalion commander's ashes had to be carried back.
This so-called 11th Army is like a paper lantern—it looks like a shape, but it breaks easily.
Jamimoto was also in a very good mood.
He sat in the makeshift command post, a glass of sake in his hand, unable to suppress the smile on his lips.
The advance of the troops went much more smoothly than expected. Just as the intelligence had said, the 11th Army was nothing more than a rabble cobbled together from defeated soldiers and able-bodied men.
At this moment, the regimental staff officer lifted the curtain and came in, holding a telegram in his hand, which he handed to Jambensen:
The division commander ordered us to accelerate our advance after dawn tomorrow and quickly open a passage to Ma Huiling Town. The main force will reach the Wutai Ridge area before nightfall tomorrow.
The division commander ordered us to accelerate our advance after dawn tomorrow and quickly open a passage to Ma Huiling Town. The main force will reach the Wutai Ridge area before nightfall tomorrow.
Jamimoto took the telegram, glanced at it, and frowned slightly: "Are we retreating?"
When he asked that question, there was a hint of resentment in his voice.
They've finally gotten into a winning streak, and if they let him retreat now, it's like having a half-eaten meal stolen away.
The regimental staff officer shook his head and lowered his voice:
"If this is my speculation, it is more likely that they intend to encircle and annihilate the Third Column."
As he spoke, he pointed to the location of Ma Huiling Town on the map.
Jamimoto paused for a moment, then his eyes lit up, as if a lamp had suddenly been lit in the darkness.
"I see, that explains it."
He chuckled and downed the tea in his cup in one gulp. "Compared to annihilating Xue Yue's First Army Corps, the Third Column is clearly a much easier target."
He thought to himself that if he could participate in the battle to annihilate the Third Column, the merit would be much greater than opening up a passage.
But at that very moment, the gears of fate had already quietly begun to turn.
On the distant mountain ridge, the howitzers of the Third Column and the artillery regiment of the Eleventh Army had all aimed their dark muzzles at the area where the Jiamu Regiment was located.
The gunners held their breath, their fingers on the firing ropes, waiting for the command.
Xiao Shanling stood on the high ground outside the command post, the night wind blowing the hem of his clothes.
He glanced down at his watch; it was time.
He took a deep breath, swung his hand sharply, and said in a low voice, like a hammer striking a steel plate: "Fire!"
Before the words were even finished, twenty 105mm howitzers roared simultaneously. The sound wasn't isolated, but rather a continuous roar, as if the entire earth had cracked open, spewing out long-suppressed fury.
Immediately afterwards, the mountain guns, infantry guns, and field guns equipped by the 11th Army Artillery Regiment also opened fire. Dozens of shells with a considerable caliber pierced the night sky, trailing long whistles, and fell into the Japanese camp like a meteor shower.
"Boom—!!"
The moment the first volley of shells landed, the earth trembled violently, as if it were being shaken by an invisible giant hand.
The flames from the explosions burst forth in the darkness, one after another, crimson, both alluring and terrifying.
The Japanese camp was instantly engulfed in flames. Tents were torn to shreds by the blast wave, military supplies were scattered everywhere, and dirt and gravel were thrown into the air and then fell down like hail.
Before Jamobensen could react, a huge shockwave threw him off his chair and onto the ground.
He was sent flying sideways, his back slamming into a pillar in the command post, causing him to grimace in pain. The blast wave ripped half of the command post's roof off, letting in smoke and dust that made him cough violently.
The sake bottle on the table was smashed to pieces, the sake mixed with dirt, emitting a sour smell.
"Enemy artillery fire!!!" Jamimoto scrambled to his feet, covered in dust and dirt, his throat hoarse and his voice distorted. His eyes widened, reflecting the towering flames outside.
How is this possible? During the day, those fleeing soldiers didn't offer any decent resistance, so where did this intense artillery fire come from?