Volume 1 Chapter 063 Don't Run
After a round of test firing, the gunners at each artillery position gave commands to adjust the data based on the landing points of the shells.
The first gunner quickly and accurately set all the parameters, and the second gunner took the shell and put it into the barrel.
Fire three quick salvos, then quickly dismantle the mortar.
Theoretically, a mortar can fire twenty, thirty, or even hundreds of rounds in one minute.
But this is only in theory.
If your opponent has artillery, and it is more powerful than yours, then if you continue to fire from the spot, you will be waiting to be hit.
At the same time, in order to extend the shelling coverage, the mortar also needs to be moved forward.
Moreover, if the gun is fired too much, the barrel will turn red. If the gun is fired to the limit, the barrel will be easily destroyed.
Especially for artillery manufactured by the Huaxia Arsenal, which has backward basic material technology, the barrel is even less durable.
After three or five rounds, the gun needs to be cooled to extend the life of the barrel.
So after firing a few rounds, the artillery formation must be moved.
This is a routine operation for artillery.
Each round of shelling takes about 7 minutes.
It depends on the overall level of the artillery.
A gunner was dismantling the gun, and the gunner was jumping up and down and shouting, "Hurry up! Hurry up! We are using this for a surprise attack! If you don't hurry up and get discovered by the enemy, you won't be able to escape!"
Once it was disassembled, a gunner carried the barrel and ran quickly to the designated firing point.
The second gunner, carrying a wooden box of shells, also ran after them.
The third gunner took a shovel, pried the seat plate stuck in the mud out, and ran with it on his back.
The fourth and fifth gunners followed, leading the packhorses loaded with shells.
Running to the firing point, the third gunner used a shovel to level the ground and pat it firmly so that the base could be placed stably.
After placing the base plate, a gunner quickly set up the gun barrel, assembled it, and adjusted the muzzle.
The fifth gunner unloaded the wooden box containing the shells from the packhorse, and the fourth gunner was responsible for delivering it.
The second gunner took the shells handed over by the fourth gunner, removed the safety device, and started another round of shelling.
…
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The artillery fire from 8 Jin-made 82mm mortars and 8 Jin-made 75mm mortars fell on the puppet army's formation.
The explosions continued one after another, forming a death requiem!
The blast and flying shrapnel created by the explosion indiscriminately took lives.
Human life seemed so cheap at this time. Every loud noise took away seven or eight lives.
Especially just now, in order to resist the attack of the Eighth Route Army, most of the troops from the First and Second Regiments of the puppet army gathered in front of the brigade headquarters.
In this relatively dense battlefield, the artillery bombardment showed its immense power!
Chu Yunfei led the guard company and the command center stood behind the first and second battalions and in front of the mortar company.
He watched the shelling through a telescope.
Cannon is indeed the god of war!
If we didn’t have cannons, we would be bullied on the battlefield.
If I had a heavy artillery regiment, I would dare to fight a Japanese division head-on!
Chu Yunfei was very satisfied with the effect of the bombardment.
Colonel Li Zijian, the puppet army brigade commander, felt heartbroken at this time.
Looking at the heavy casualties and the almost disbanded troops, he almost gritted his teeth.
Finished!
It's over now!
Even if you don't die, you will be skinned alive.
Li Zijian knew that he had reached a critical moment of life and death, and he had to concentrate the remaining troops and fight to break out.
Perhaps we can still retain some of the troops.
After five rounds of shelling, seeing that it was almost enough, Chu Yunfei ordered to stop the shelling.
At this time, the puppet troops on the battlefield had completely collapsed under the artillery bombardment.
The 358th Regiment launched a charge.
When the New Second Regiment attacked, the Sixth Mixed Brigade of the Imperial Army sent a telegram for rescue.
The 22nd Regiment of the 4th Brigade of the Japanese Army has gathered and is ready to set off.
But before leaving the city gate, Captain Kasahara Koizumi received a new telegram.
"Fought back the Eighth Route Army's attack?"
"Based on the strength of the Imperial Army, can it repel the attack of the main force of the Eighth Route Army?"
"Baka! They must have encountered a small unit of the Eighth Route Army. The Chinese just love to report military intelligence in a panic!"
The small force was not worth the Imperial Army's deployment.
The Japanese troops, which had just gathered, disbanded again.
The Japanese soldiers have returned to the camp to prepare dinner.
After about twenty minutes, the communicator came running over again.
"Colonel, hold it. Colonel Li Zijian sent a telegram. He claimed that he was attacked by the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army and requested urgent tactical guidance!"
Captain Kasahara Koizumi was furious.
Sometimes they said the main force of the Eighth Route Army was present, and sometimes they said the enemy had been repelled.
Now they come out and say they were attacked by the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army.
It's confusing and contradictory.
Are they making fun of the Imperial Army?
Captain Kasahara Koizumi shouted angrily: "Send a telegram and ask them to confirm the enemy before making a request. Those who lie about military intelligence will be severely punished!"
"yes!"
After about 10 minutes, the communicator ran back again.
"Your Excellency, Colonel Li Zijian of the 6th Mixed Brigade of the Imperial Army sent a telegram. He swore that there really was a division commander of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army attacking them. He requested urgent tactical guidance. He threatened that if the Imperial Army was too late, their brigade would be shattered!"
Only then did Colonel Kasahara Koizumi realize that the situation was really serious.
These Imperial Army are a bunch of garbage.
We shouldn't have counted on them in the first place.
It serves no purpose other than wasting precious resources .
Although he really disliked these imperial troops.
But these soldiers were trained by the imperial army, and you have to look at the owner before you beat the dog.
Whether it is the Eighth Route Army or the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, if they want to destroy the Imperial Army, they must first ask whether our Imperial Army agrees.
Colonel Kasahara Koizumi shouted: "Gather quickly!"
The whistle sounded.
When the Japanese soldiers of the 22nd Regiment heard the assembly whistle, they quickly put on their clothes and got their guns.
The artillery squadron had to mount the mortars and Type 92 infantry guns on pack horses, and the transport squadron had to move the ammunition onto the vehicles.
It took them half an hour to get ready. They hurried out of the city and rushed to support the Sixth Mixed Brigade of the Imperial Army.
In fact, they don't need to go.
Because the puppet troops couldn't wait for them to arrive.
After the shelling stopped, the cavalry battalion directly under the regiment was the first to rush to the front.
The cavalry battalion commander, Lü Dahai, rode on horseback and shouted, "Quick! Speed up! We are the spearhead of the regiment, and we must pierce the heart of the enemy!"
Finally, the shelling stopped. Wang Ming, the newly promoted commander of the 3rd Regiment, shouted in fear: "Brigade, the enemy is coming!"
Li Zijian raised his head and took a look.
Oh my God!
The enemies were right in front of him, only three or four hundred meters away.
"Shoot, kill them all!"
Under the machine gun fire, the leading cavalryman fell to the ground with a thud.
Even if he didn't fall to death, he would be trampled to death by the horses behind him.
If it were normal times, Chu Yunfei would never let the cavalry battalion do this.
The cavalry battalion is mainly responsible for interception, as well as flank attacks and harassment.
Since the advent of machine guns, a frontal charge by cavalry would be courting death.
However, these are not ordinary times.
Chu Yunfei needed to use the mobility of the cavalry battalion to paralyze the Imperial Army's command center.
The artillery fire just now has caused the puppet army's defense line to collapse, and the puppet army's machine gun company suffered heavy losses.
At this time, few puppet soldiers were able to react and set up machine guns in time.
Dozens of cavalrymen were ruthlessly killed.
But their deaths brought precious opportunities.
A distance of two or three hundred meters is just a matter of seconds for the cavalry.
As they approached, the cavalry removed the firing line of the grenade and threw it with all their might at the machine gun position.
Boom boom boom…
Those hastily built fortifications could not provide adequate protection for the puppet army machine gunners.
As long as the grenade landed near the machine gunner, the puppet soldiers would be met with death.
At most, they threw two grenades and the cavalry drew their sabers.
Lu Dahai shouted, "Cavalry Battalion, advance and never retreat! Kill!"
"kill!"
The cavalry battalion formed a simple cone in company units and lined up in three columns, charging towards the puppet army's brigade headquarters.
Following Lu Dahai, the cavalry battalion was like a tiger among a flock of sheep.
The swords flashed and the puppet soldiers wailed.
No need to use much force.
As long as the knife passes through the enemy's body, the knife will use the momentum of the horse to cut a deep wound on the enemy's body that can be seen to the bone, and it is even possible to separate the enemy's head and body.
A group of cavalrymen cut Wherever they passed, there were dead and wounded everywhere, and screams echoed on the battlefield.
The puppet army, which was originally unorganized, became even more disorganized under the charge of the cavalry battalion.
The soldiers cannot find their general, and the general cannot find his soldiers.
There were shouts, cannon fire, and gunfire everywhere. It was so noisy that it was impossible to hear what those confused officers were saying.
The company commander ordered a quick retreat, while the battalion commander shouted for immediate shooting. No one knew who to listen to.
Those ordinary soldiers didn't know who to follow. There was no organization and chaos. Many soldiers saw others running and followed them.
For a moment, the entire battlefield was scattered and everyone fled, each caring about their own lives.
This is really a defeat.
It is not something that can be recovered by human power.
The battlefield was truly one-sided. The cavalry battalion easily broke up the machine gun company of the puppet army brigade and randomly killed the brigade headquarters.
He saw the enemy's cavalry battalion charging straight at him like a killer.
Li Zijian was so frightened that his soul was about to fly out of his body. He trembled and shouted, "Quick! Escort me away!"
Fortunately, the puppet army's guard company was still very responsible. They lifted Li Zijian up, pushed him onto the horse's back, and escorted him to escape quickly.
Oh shit!
The regiment commander specifically asked me to destroy the puppet army's headquarters. If I let the puppet army brigade commander escape, it would not be considered a destruction.
Lu Dahai shouted, "Cavalry Battalion, follow me and chase them!"
The cavalry battalion followed Lu Dahai and continued to hunt down Li Zijian.
Seeing Li Zijian desperately trying to escape, Lu Dahai yelled angrily: "Don't run. Otherwise, I will chop you into pieces!"
