Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Chapter 282 Large-caliber Heavy Artillery! King of Firepower

Boom! Boom! Boom!
These landmines were recently produced by the Ximentang Arsenal.

The supply train was just delivered a couple of days ago.

The use of landmines must be approached with extreme caution.

Especially when using it on one's own turf, extra care and caution are required.

After the war, all the landmines need to be removed, otherwise they could easily injure civilians.

Therefore,
The Ximentang Special Operations Regiment, which was targeting elite Kwantung Army troops, did not install landmines after entering the jungle.

Installing it is easy, but disassembling it is a real hassle.

Once large-scale mine laying begins in the jungle.

Therefore, removing all these landmines will definitely be a huge undertaking.

At this time, there was only a minefield in front of the defensive fortifications in Songjiang Prefecture.

Laying mines in open areas can not only slow down the enemy's march.

Simultaneously,

Destroying landmines is easy; just follow the minefield markings on the map and remove them one by one.

at this time,

The landmines, which had just been laid, finally unleashed their terrifying power, bombarding the Daqian "puppet army" with a barrage of attacks.

The violent shockwave from the explosion overturned all the 'cannon fodder' at the forefront.

Several hundred meters away, the elite Kwantung Army troops were hiding in their defensive fortifications.

They could all feel the powerful shockwave from the explosion; the ground shook violently, making them tremble with fear.

Two battalions of Daqian "puppet troops" were hit by the first wave of landmines.

More than 500 people were killed in an instant.

Everyone was terrified and dared not go any further. Many of the Daqian "puppet army" soldiers only had their legs blown off, but did not die.

They lay on the ground, screaming in agony.

One of the commanders of the Daqian "puppet army" was standing on a "landmine" the size of a watermelon!
The enormous explosive force overturned everything within a ten-meter radius.

Some of these are 'mother-daughter mines'; if one is stepped on, the others will automatically explode, creating a chain reaction.

Although this commander of the Daqian "puppet army" was cowardly and wore a steel helmet and even thick armor, he was still afraid of death.

but,

The explosive force of a landmine is from bottom to top, and even the thickest armor cannot withstand the damage caused by a landmine.

The commander's legs were instantly blown off, and he lay on the ground, his flesh and blood splattered everywhere.

Several Daqian "puppet army" soldiers following not far behind him were covered in blood and flesh.

At this point, the remaining parts of his feet touched the ground. His shoes were blown away, leaving only bits of flesh, sizzling with heat.

The air was thick with the stench of blood and gunpowder, making it hard to breathe.

Wow——!
The Daqian "puppet army" was frightened by the landmines and began to retreat, not daring to continue advancing.

but,

Just then, the sound of heavy machine guns rang out behind them.

Da da—da da—!
Behind these 'cannon fodder' soldiers, five heavy machine guns were suddenly set up.

Anyone who retreats will be executed on the spot!
The Daqian "puppet army" could only suppress their fear and continue charging forward.

They simply started bombarding with artillery, pushing the gun carriages forward and crushing them.

quickly,

After losing some of their men, the Daqian puppet troops crossed the minefield and arrived at the first trench and low wall.

Three hundred meters behind them, the main force of the Kwantung Army followed closely.

They pushed forward, carrying Japanese cannons, heavy machine guns, and huge shields.

These are armored shield-bearers of the Japanese. Ximen Tang had already encountered them in Qingdao, Shandong.

The Sakata Army was very well prepared this time. The heavily armored soldiers in front pushed shield carts, which not only protected the safety of the soldiers, but also protected the deterrent effect of the heavy machine guns and Japanese cannons.

Behind the huge shield were the orderly.

They arrived at the first trench and immediately began laying the ground to fill it in, while simultaneously destroying the low wall.

Once everything was in place, the shield vehicle continued forward toward the second trench.

Although the march was slow, the troops fought steadily and suffered very few casualties.

After entering the area within six kilometers of Songjiang Prefecture.

The 120mm mortars on the Songjiang Prefecture city wall spat out scorching flames at the Daqian "puppet army" and the elite Kwantung Army.

The shells rained down like a dense meteor shower, crashing down on the front lines of the 'cannon fodder'.

The fierce artillery barrage inflicted heavy casualties on the Daqian "puppet army" and the elite Kwantung Army.

Although the elite troops of the Kwantung Army had shields to defend themselves, they were also widely dispersed.

However, the defensive fortifications at the front were deliberately designed to place the marching area within the range of artillery fire.

therefore,

This fierce artillery barrage caused at least two thousand casualties to the Daqian "puppet army" and the elite Kwantung Army.

After passing through the area covered by the first artillery barrage.

The elite troops of the Kwantung Army began to speed up and rush towards the second trench.

They wanted to take advantage of the lull between the first artillery barrages to reach the second line of defense and enter the blind spots covered by the artillery.

and,

The shields formed countless steel fortresses, which could reduce the impact of artillery fire.

What they didn't know was that once they crossed the first line of defense, they would enter an even more terrifying second line.

There was no safe zone or blind spot for artillery outside the city walls of Songjiang Prefecture.

This place is nothing but purgatory!

After the Daqian puppet army and the elite of the Kwantung Army entered the second line of defense.

The 60mm mortars began firing fiercely.

This distance is exactly the coverage range of a 60mm mortar.

Although in terms of shell power, a 60mm mortar is far inferior to a 120mm mortar.

However, the quantity is much greater.

Shields and the armor of heavily armored soldiers could not withstand the fierce attack of mortars.

At this moment, the shells rained down like hail.

Even with thicker shields, the shockwave from artillery shells can only be reduced by 60%.

Moreover, the density of the shells was several times greater than before.

therefore.

With the artillery covering the entire area, the casualties of the Daqian "puppet army" and the Kwantung Army skyrocketed.

Although previous intelligence from the Black Dragon Society indicated that Songjiang Prefecture possessed more than 5,000 cannons.

but,

Takeo Sakata never really believed it.

How could they possibly possess five thousand cannons?
Do you know what five thousand cannons means?

Even if all the Japanese artillery in the Sakata Army were combined, it wouldn't amount to five thousand cannons.

Ximentang only had 50,000 troops stationed in Songjiang Prefecture, how could they possibly be equipped with so many cannons?
but,

Seeing the current artillery barrage, Takeo Sakata finally believed it!
The intelligence was correct!

this moment,
Sakata Takeo's heart was like a raging storm, unable to calm down for a long time.

How exactly does Ximentang's arsenal produce its weapons?
The artillery itself isn't the key; the shells are!
How could the Great Qian Dynasty possibly have so many cannonballs to consume?
With 5,000 artillery pieces providing full firepower, more than 30,000 shells would be consumed in just one minute.

A three-minute artillery barrage will consume 100,000 shells!
hiss--!
Thinking about this, Takeo Sakata felt a chill run down his spine.

but,

He didn't have time to think about it carefully.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Takeo Sakata quickly ordered the assault team to flatten the second line of defense.

Just then, the Daqian puppet troops at the forefront had filled in the second trench and began to blow up the second low wall.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
The cannons on the city wall of Songjiang Prefecture have now been reloaded with new shells.

Another artillery barrage descends – incendiary bombs!

That's right,

This artillery arsenal included one thousand mortars, which used incendiary shells.

One thousand mortars, arranged in ten rows, with one hundred mortars forming one artillery unit.

Apart from the elite heavy infantry of the Kwantung Army behind their armored shields, all other enemy troops were within range of the incendiary bombs.

At this time, the puppet army of the Daqian regime and the elite troops of the Kwantung Army were only about four kilometers away from the city wall of Songjiang Prefecture. Moreover, the surrounding terrain was just right for a strategic pass.

therefore,

The barrage of incendiary bombs and conventional artillery fire once again inflicted devastating damage on the elite forces of the Kwantung Army.

After a round of incendiary bombardment.

Large numbers of elite Kwantung Army troops and puppet soldiers fell, letting out pitiful howls.

Once incendiary bombs get on your body, they cannot be extinguished in a short time, and many people are burned alive, a truly tragic sight.

Because incendiary bombs were very expensive, the Simenton Arsenal did not produce them on a large scale.

After one round of artillery fire, incendiary bombs were no longer used.

at this time,

Ordinary shells began to fire fiercely.

The Kwantung Army's heavily armored shield infantry will face their most terrifying attack in the coming days.

Ximentang's ultimate weapon—armor-piercing shells!

That's right,

When the heavily armored shield soldiers at the forefront approached the third line of defense, they entered the optimal attack range of the armor-piercing shells.

The sound of cannons echoed throughout the outskirts of Songjiang Prefecture.

Countless shells rained down on the heads of the Kwantung Army and the puppet troops like a storm.

Many heavily armored soldiers at the forefront pushed their shields forward.

but,

They were quickly routed under the fierce attack of armor-piercing shells.

The intense firepower rendered the Sakata Army's elite troops and cannon fodder units unable to advance an inch.

Just a few hundred meters away was the moat outside Songjiang Prefecture.

Those are the last two lines of defense for Songjiang Prefecture. If we can break through them, we will have a chance to enter Songjiang Prefecture.

unfortunately,

As the armor-piercing shells unleashed their power, countless corpses were left piled up within a radius of several hundred meters.

this moment,
Neither the puppet troops of the Daqian regime, who were used as cannon fodder, nor the elite troops of the Sakata Army dared to stand up.

Almost everyone lay prone in the trenches to avoid the bombardment.

therefore,

The constant artillery bombardment nearly leveled the entire third line of defense area.

Under the threat of heavy machine guns from behind, the Daqian puppet troops had no choice but to launch wave after wave of attacks.

but,

Each charge was like moths drawn to a flame, resulting in their complete annihilation.

The second line of defense, located three kilometers outside Songjiang Prefecture, was like a chasm, blocking the Kwantung Army from crossing it.

Beep beep—beep beep—!
The bugle sounds!

Retreat! Withdraw!
Finally, the Kwantung Army began to order a retreat.

There was no other way; the casualties were too high!
Sakata Takeo, from his distant defensive position, watched the scene through his binoculars, his heart breaking.

How could the defenses of Songjiang Prefecture be so strong?

The continuous and intense bombardment just now has resulted in at least 100,000 shells being fired at the defensive positions surrounding Songjiang Prefecture.

They have already inflicted heavy losses on the Kwantung Army by simply breaking through three lines of defense.

At this rate, let alone storming into Songjiang Prefecture, it would be difficult to even break through the last two lines of defense.

If they do not retreat, this wave of attacking elite Kwantung Army troops and Daqian puppet troops will be completely annihilated.

Seven thousand puppet troops of the Daqian regime and ten thousand elite Kwantung Army soldiers!

Of the original 17,000 people, less than 3,000 have been bombed.

All the cannon fodder are dead, leaving less than three hundred people!

call--!
Upon hearing the bugle call to retreat, the remaining Daqian "puppet army" breathed a sigh of relief.

They turned and retreated without the slightest hesitation.

On the defensive positions outside Songjiang Prefecture, there were scattered shield carts, Japanese cannons, and smashed heavy machine guns everywhere.

this moment,
The elite troops of the Ximen Hall in Songjiang Prefecture did not shout or cheer when they saw the Sakata Allied Forces retreating.

It seems that everyone had anticipated all of this.

Yesterday, at the border between Songjiang Prefecture and Nantong Prefecture, the elite detachment of the Ximentang Special Operations Regiment of the Kwantung Army dealt a heavy blow to the Kwantung Army.

After the news was spread within the Ximen Hall, morale soared.

Therefore,
Today, after the main force of the Sakata Allied Forces launched a general offensive, no one was worried at all.

Even if the Sakata coalition only had a force of a few hundred thousand, or even two hundred thousand, Ximen Tang's elite Xiong tribe would be confident in holding Songjiang Prefecture.

The recent barrage of artillery fire repelled the first wave of the Sakata coalition's attack.

More than 14,000 enemy soldiers were annihilated!

Most importantly, this was a long-range bombing, and no one in Ximentang was injured or killed.

This powerful firepower is exhilarating.

but,

Through his binoculars, Chen Jie could see that the Sakata Alliance's attack in this round was mainly a probing attack.

The ones who suffered the most casualties were the Daqian 'puppet army'!
In addition, there were some elite troops of the Kwantung Army, but not the ace units of the Sakata Army.

Although Ximentang inflicted a heavy blow on the enemy during this probing attack,

However, the Sakata Allied Forces' elite troops were still intact, and their combat effectiveness was not greatly affected.

Therefore,
Ximentang absolutely cannot let his guard down in the second round of attacks.

of course,

Chen Jie had full confidence in Ximentang's fighting ability.

there is always a solution to a problem!

Ximentang was very well prepared for this attack by the Sakata Alliance.

Not only were there plenty of ammunition, but the number of people was also ten times greater than in Qingdao.

If 50,000 troops are stationed in Songjiang Prefecture and they still can't hold them off, then they might as well find a block of tofu and smash their heads against it.

The entire Songjiang Prefecture was armed to the teeth.

The first three lines of defense are just an appetizer.

The core of true defense lies in the last two lines of defense.

The Krupp infantry guns captured by Ximentang were modified and repaired at the arsenal.

The thousands of modified cannons were the final weapon for defending the city.

Once the elite troops of the Kwantung Army approached the city gates, it truly became a living hell.

Wow——!
Just then, the battle flags of the Sakata Army's position were seen fluttering.

Then,

Suddenly, the Kwantung Army's positions split apart.

Chen Jie frowned slightly after seeing this scene through his binoculars.

Strong walls and clear fields!

Has the Kwantung Army started using hostage tactics?
Although Simon Tang doesn't care about hostages at all, he would never be merciful.

but,

Chen Jie still did not want the Kwantung Army to send a large number of refugees to the front lines as hostages.

quickly,

Chen Jie discovered that it was not a hostage tactic and that there were no large numbers of refugees.

call--!
At this moment, Chen Jie breathed a slight sigh of relief.

If a large number of refugees from the Great Qian Dynasty were blocking the way, Chen Jie would really have a hard time ordering an artillery attack.

Next,
Suddenly, rows of giant cannons were placed in front of the Kwantung Army's position.

The garrison commander on the Songjiang Prefecture city wall saw the giant cannon in the distance through his binoculars.

hiss--!
Many people couldn't help but gasp.

330mm caliber shipborne gun!

Damn it——!
Unexpectedly, the Sakata Army modified naval guns and placed them on carts to serve as a powerful source of firepower for the army.

Twenty modified 330mm caliber shipborne guns were lined up in a row.

The cannon barrels, all over four meters long, were aimed at the direction of the Songjiang Prefecture city gate!
(End of this chapter)