Volume 1 Deserter's Bloodbath Chapter 27: Comradeship!
The officers of the 62nd Regiment, from platoon leaders and above, were reminding their brothers to prepare for artillery defense. The Japanese invaded Northeast China in 1931, and their offensive strategy was very clear. The artillery bombarded and the infantry charged, and the infantry charged and the artillery bombarded again, bullying the Chinese army for not having artillery to bombard them, and bullying the Chinese air force for not being able to gain air superiority.
“Chirp, chirp…”
The Japanese artillery bombardment arrived as expected. The whistling sound of the shells was like a violent explosion, which burst into pieces on the positions in Xinzhen.
“Boom, boom, boom…”
The Japanese mountain artillery began test firing, and the shells landed in front of the Xinzhen defense line, raising countless dust, gravel and shrapnel, swirling and releasing their power in the smoke of the explosion.
"Fuck, why are they coming this way? My luck can't be that bad!"
Feng E, who was hiding in front of the front line, was a little confused. Just now, a shell exploded less than fifty meters away from him. Fortunately, he was hiding in a bomb crater, otherwise he would have been killed!
"Fuck, where are the Japs shooting at? They're not allowed to do that!"
The brothers in the trenches laughed at the Japanese artillery. What they didn't know was that this was just a test firing by the Japanese and only three shells exploded on the ground.
"Stop looking around, hide here, this is just a test fire from the devils!"
The officer roared loudly and kicked the soldiers who were leaning over to watch the fun, telling them to hide quickly!
"Boom, boom, boom, boom..."
The Japanese artillerymen adjusted the firing scale and began their performance. They fired 75mm mountain cannons and 105mm howitzers one after another. This time, the whistling shells found their target.
At the Xinzhen position, earth-shaking explosions were heard, and the trenches that had just been repaired last night were under the Japanese artillery fire.
The position was engulfed in flames and smoke, the earth was shaking, and your sandbags above the trenches were swept into the air and scattered in the shock wave of the explosion. Pieces of sand fell down, and hot shrapnel rushed out of the sand.
"Puff puff……"
The shrapnel carries huge kinetic energy, impacting anything that blocks them!
"ah!"
Along with screams, countless body parts were blasted into the air and then fell heavily, and a blood rain fell on the trench. The trench was hit directly, and the brothers hiding in the trench were killed in the shelling.
The hastily built fortifications were flattened to the ground in such a violent explosion. The entire position looked like it had been plowed, and the earth and rocks raised by the explosion flew everywhere.
The brothers who were laughing at the Japanese artillery just now could not laugh anymore. They lay dead in the trenches, the roar of the explosion made their ears buzz, and the splattered fragments and soil hit their bodies, causing them excruciating pain . They could no longer hear the screams of their brothers beside them because the screams were drowned out by the explosion.
“Cough cough cough…”
The huge smoke and dust caused by the explosion enveloped the position, and the choking smoke rushed into the brothers' lungs. The surviving brothers began to cough violently!
“Boom, boom, boom…”
The Japanese artillery bombardment was still going on. Taking advantage of the bombardment, the Japanese began to deploy offensive forces around Xinzhen. They moved around the fields wantonly, and Xinzhen was wrapped in the middle like dumpling filling. This time, it was definitely not just one battalion that launched the attack.
“Boom, boom, boom…”
After an unknown amount of time, the explosions finally stopped, and the position outside the new town had become a ruin.
"Pooh!"
Feng E, who was squatting in the crater, shook his head. Dirt and mud fell off his helmet. He spat out the sand that splashed into his mouth, and slowly stood up with his face covered in dust. He raised his head over the edge of the crater and looked out.
The entire Xinzhen position had become a mess. In Feng E's eyes, it was dotted with bullet craters of all sizes, the broken bodies of his brothers were everywhere on the position, and screams .
Feng E didn't dare to look anymore, for he was afraid that he would vomit again. He turned around and looked outside the town. The Japanese's steel helmets were visible in his eyes, and the Japanese infantry had begun to prepare for the attack!
"The devils are coming!"
Feng E roared loudly, climbed out of the bomb crater, bent down and ran towards the position. The Japanese's large-scale attack began. If he still stayed alone in the trench outside the position, the Japanese would probably attack him first. And there would be no trouble. A grenade fired from a grenade launcher could kill him. Who made him so obvious?
“Plop!”
Feng E still remembered his position, and several households crawled back to the trenches.
"I……"
When Feng E jumped into the trench, he saw several broken bodies lying on the edge of the trench. They were covered in blood and he had no idea who they belonged to. The scene in front of him inexplicably made Feng E's stomach cramp and he almost vomited.
“Gurgle, gurgle…”
Taking out the water bottle from behind and taking a few big gulps, Feng E knew that he had to hold it in now, otherwise he would never be able to adapt to the battlefield where blood and flesh were flying everywhere. He was not always so lucky.
"ah !"
"ah!"
There were constant howls of pain coming from the broken trenches of the position. The seriously wounded who were not dead yet were howling desperately. There were basically no lightly wounded soldiers among the brothers injured in this kind of artillery fire. For the brothers hit by shrapnel, losing arms and legs was considered a minor injury. Most of them were killed directly by the explosion!
"Get to the trenches, the Japs are coming!"
Lin Yuan's head was covered in smoke and dust, and his original face could no longer be seen. He climbed out of the trench covered in dirt and shouted loudly, asking the brothers in the Death Squad to quickly return to their positions.
"Fuck, you little devil, I'm going to kill you!"
Li Chenglin's distinctive northeastern accent rang out. In Feng E's eyes, the brothers of the Death Squad climbed out of the trenches with disheveled hair and dirty faces, shaking off the mud on their bodies, cursing constantly, and then hurriedly pulling the bolts of their guns.
"Where did you go last night? You're not dead!"
Li Chenglin lay down beside Feng E, looked at Feng E and said this. He was expressing his concern with his special greeting.
"I fell asleep outside. Are you okay?" Feng E asked, staring at Li Chenglin's arm.
After all, in the Death Squad, he was the only person he was relatively familiar with. The two of them had formed a certain comradeship through just a few words, and they would continue to fight side by side in the future. Feng E looked at the only brother he was familiar with who was injured and showed the concern he should have.
"It's okay, I was scratched by a stone!" The military uniform on Li Chenglin had completely turned into mud color. The original color was gone, and it was all covered with sand. Pointing to the bloodstain on his arm, Li Chenglin responded to Feng E's concern with a smile.
"Third Platoon, carry the wounded away. The rest of you, check your weapons and ammunition and prepare for battle!"
Lin Yuan's order came and the third platoon was pulled out. In addition to transporting the wounded, they also served as the reserve team for the entire Death Squad. The battle line that the Death Squad was responsible for was a bit long, a full two hundred meters. With only two platoons left, each person needed more care.
"How many brothers died?" Feng E asked.
"I don't know. Those who are alive are all here. Don't worry about how many people died. We'll know after this battle is over and see how many people are still there to receive the grain cakes!"
Li Chenglin shook his head and lay on the trench, with the muzzle of his rifle pointed in the direction of the Japanese attack, waiting for the order to fire.
