Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Chapter 283 Artillery Battle! A Hasty Escape

After the first round of probing attacks.

The Sakata Army suffered heavy losses, but it did not come away empty-handed.

At least three lines of defense outside Songjiang Prefecture have been destroyed.

Simultaneously,

The minefields have all been cleared.

In the following period, the Kwantung Army launched a second wave of attacks, and the outermost three lines of defense would be unimpeded.

in addition,

Sakata Takeo had also realized that in order to capture Matsue Prefecture, he had to suppress the artillery and heavy machine guns of the Ximen Hall.

Otherwise, there's no way you could even get close to the city walls of Songjiang Prefecture.

Although the Kwantung Army did not have 120mm caliber mortars.

but,

For this attack on Matsue Prefecture, Takeo Sakata specially brought twenty modified 330mm caliber ship-mounted guns!
These huge-caliber cannons were all salvaged from warships and modified into heavy firepower.

Ironically, these twenty modified shipborne cannons were actually captured from the Beiyang Fleet of the Great Qian Dynasty.

A fierce battle at sea between the Eastern Fleet and the Beiyang Fleet of the Daqian Dynasty.

The entire Beiyang Fleet was almost completely wiped out.

The Japanese captured all the gunboats and cruisers and towed them back to Japan.

Finally, all of these shipborne guns were removed and modified.

The naval gun was fitted with wheels at the bottom, allowing it to be transported on land.

The 330mm caliber heavy artillery has a range of up to 14 kilometers.

Simultaneously.

These heavy artillery pieces were incredibly powerful, with each shell weighing over 200 kilograms.

In the early stages of the Meiji Restoration, the Eastern Empire competed with Westerners for the islands, including the Penghu Islands.

The Japanese army fought many battles with the French and the Dutch.

They suffered greatly at the hands of Westerners.

Therefore,
The Japanese sent many people to study in the West and also ordered a lot of Western weapons.

The Japanese spent decades improving their basic industries and technologies, such as steel, gunpowder, cannons, and firearms.

With the strong support of Emperor Meiji, the weapons of the Japanese underwent a dramatic transformation.

Their industrial base improved significantly, and after purchasing advanced weapons from the West, they quickly began to imitate them.

Therefore,
The weapons of the Japanese were not significantly different from those of the Westerners.

Many Western weapons, after being modified by the Japanese, became even more powerful and lethal.

Sakata Takeo was determined to win this attack on Matsue Prefecture.

Therefore,
Even though each of these 330mm caliber modified shipborne guns weighs more than ten tons.

Sakata Takeo also brought twenty heavy cannons to Matsue Prefecture, intending to use them during the siege.

in fact,

The Kwantung Army also equipped itself with modified shipborne guns with larger calibers.

However, the diameter is too large, and the weight has exceeded the scope of transportation.

The most suitable use for large-scale modified shipborne guns is for defending cities.

in addition,

The Sakata Army also equipped itself with two thousand Japanese field guns.

This batch of Japanese field guns was no less powerful than Krupp infantry guns.

therefore.

Sakata Takeo was very confident that he would take Matsue Prefecture this time.

He had always heard that Simon's artillery was very powerful, and that it had not only defeated the Matsusaka Army, but also the Western Allied Forces.

The full-scale firepower just now gave Sakata Takeo a deeper understanding of the artillery of the Ximen Hall.

right now,

He wanted to see just how big the difference was between the artillery of the Sakata Army and that of the Ximentang Army in a head-on clash.

Suddenly, a super-giant cannon appeared in the Kwantung Army's camp.

hiss--!
All the commanders of the West Gate guarding the city couldn't help but take a deep breath after seeing this scene through their binoculars.

Damn it——!
How did the Japanese manage to carry such large-caliber heavy artillery?
Because large-caliber heavy artillery not only has a long range, but more importantly, it has terrifying power.

A single artillery shell, with its 200-plus kilograms of explosives, can completely overturn an area within a radius of tens of meters.

in fact,

Chen Jie was equally surprised when he saw the Sakata Allied Forces suddenly deploy large-caliber heavy artillery.

This time, Ximentang made many preparations to guard Songjiang Prefecture.

The supply troops also transported several batches of ammunition from Shandong.

Both weapons and supplies are enough for Ximentang to fight a brilliant battle.

Chen Jie had considered almost everything that needed to be considered.

but,

He never expected that the Kwantung Army would actually equip itself with modified shipborne guns.

Intelligence failure!

Although Ximentang's "undercover unit" has established a branch in Northeast China, a large number of intelligence personnel have already infiltrated the Northeast.

Despite having so many intelligence personnel, they failed to discover that the Kwantung Army had equipped itself with modified shipborne guns.

"We must destroy these large-caliber heavy artillery pieces! We have no choice but to use armor-piercing shells!"

Chen Jie thought to himself.

but,

The number of armor-piercing shells was small, and they were all used in conjunction with extended-range artillery.

Therefore,
The most urgent task is to engage in a battle of artillery fire between the two sides to prevent the other side from getting close, while simultaneously locking onto the other side's position.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
Chen Jie ordered the artillery of Ximentang to fire fiercely at the Kwantung Army's positions.

For Chen Jie, the scene of artillery battle was not unfamiliar!
When both sides possess a large number of artillery pieces, a fierce artillery battle will ensue.

Whoever wins will have more firepower and whoever can suppress the opponent and destroy their artillery positions!
That's right,

There is only one outcome to artillery battles: either you are wiped out, or you wipe out the enemy and destroy their artillery positions.

The only advantage the Westminster had was that it possessed fixed-point aiming and extended-range artillery.

However, destroying the artillery positions of the Sakata Allied Forces would be quite difficult.

Although Chen Jie was very confident about this, he wasn't entirely sure whether he could maintain a zero-casualty record.

Ordinary mortars are not very effective in this kind of long-range artillery battle!
At this time, the artillery positions of the Sakata Army were eight kilometers away from the gate of Matsue Prefecture.

Therefore,
The decisive factor in victory or defeat will still be heavy artillery and extended-range artillery!
call--!
Chen Jie couldn't help but take a deep breath to calm himself down.

Next,
He ordered the artillery to begin preparing shells.

The others in Ximentang, however, were not panicked at all; on the contrary, they were quite excited.

Everyone had almost blind faith in Ximentang's cannons.

There were so many artillery pieces, and hundreds of 120mm caliber guns were in service.

Everyone believed that Simon would definitely win.

Since the establishment of the artillery regiments of the various departments of Ximentang, they have never lost.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
The artillery battle began.

The artillery of both sides opened fire almost simultaneously.

The 60mm mortar and the Japanese light infantry gun had insufficient effective range.

Therefore,
At this point, the artillery battle between the two sides involved heavy artillery.

In this round of artillery duels, Ximentang did not use extended-range artillery, but instead first conducted a test firing with 10 240mm heavy mortars.

This batch of 240mm heavy mortars was the first time that the Ximentang 'Bear' Legion had used them.

Twenty modified 330mm caliber shipborne guns from the Sakata Army were deployed.

Therefore,
Judging from the scale of the artillery fire, the Kwantung Army's momentum was enormous.

at this time,

The difference in the accuracy of the artillery on both sides is evident from the vast disparity in their capabilities.

Of the twenty 330mm heavy cannons fired by the Sakata Army, only five shells landed within fifty meters of the city wall.

The powerful shockwave destroyed some of the defensive works near the city wall.

The other shells, like those from anti-aircraft guns, flew to who-knows-where and exploded a hundred meters away from the city wall.

A single artillery barrage posed no threat to the city walls of Songjiang Prefecture.

Only three cannonballs hit the city wall, blasting a gap in it.

Shrapnel from the explosion injured several soldiers from the Ximentang garrison on the city wall.

but,

The accuracy of Ximentang's ten shells was terrifying. Almost every shell had an error of within ten meters, and all of them landed on the artillery positions of the Sakata Allied Forces.

In artillery battles, accuracy is the key to victory or defeat.

Especially in long-range artillery battles, the first step to suppressing the other side is to hit them.

Each 330mm heavy artillery piece of the Kwantung Army was equipped with four gunners, eight loaders, and four general laborers.

Therefore,
Each cannon was equipped with sixteen soldiers.

Twenty heavy artillery pieces, with a total of three hundred and twenty soldiers.

This round of artillery bombardment by Ximentang destroyed one-third of the artillery positions of the Sakata Army, resulting in more than 100 casualties!

Wow——!
After a round of artillery fire, the artillery of the Sakata Army was thrown into chaos.

All the soldiers were thrown into a panic by the artillery bombardment and retreated quickly.

Such accuracy from such a distance!?
When Takeo Sakata saw this scene, he felt his head buzzing.

It is clear,
After this round of artillery battle, Ximentang gained an absolute advantage.

Although the Japanese modified these large-caliber shipborne guns, their accuracy did not improve.

not to mention,
These giant cannons were too cumbersome to aim, and it was also difficult to adjust their angle.

Each time the cannon is fired, the direction can only be adjusted based on experience.

Whether you hit the target or not depends entirely on luck.

In addition, these were all ship-mounted guns, and many Kwantung Army gunners were not used to operating them and had not received live-fire training.

no way,
Each shell is very heavy and very expensive; where can we conduct live-fire training so casually?
If the cannon can be fired, then it can be considered a success!
As long as it hits the target, that's all that matters. As for how powerful it is, that depends entirely on luck.

The 240mm caliber mortars of Ximentang are all equipped with sights.

Not only is it very easy to operate, but it also allows for angle adjustment.

With this.

Its accuracy was on a completely different level compared to the large-caliber heavy artillery of the Kwantung Army.

therefore,

After the first round of artillery battle, Ximentang achieved a complete victory!
The commander of the artillery regiment couldn't help but cheer with joy when he saw the Kwantung Army's artillery positions being bombed and manned.

Chen Jie breathed a sigh of relief at that moment.

It seems I overestimated the large-caliber heavy artillery of the Sakata Army.

Larger caliber artillery is not necessarily better.

In the later stages of warfare using firearms, it all comes down to who can hit the other first.

Artillery warfare is not a simple matter; it is a very complex undertaking.

Having artillery does not guarantee invincibility.

In terms of the use and sophistication of artillery, the 240mm heavy mortar of the Ximentang Army was far more powerful than the modified shipborne guns of the Sakata Army.

this moment,
Chen Jie observed the distance through his binoculars, and his heart calmed down.

It seems that the Kwantung Army's large-caliber heavy artillery is not a concern, and under the suppression of Ximentang's heavy mortars, it poses little threat.

Sakata Takeo saw that the previous artillery barrage had not caused any damage to Matsue Prefecture, and the artillery positions had almost been overturned by the enemy.

For a while,
He frowned deeply, a bad feeling creeping into his heart.

He had fought in artillery battles and had extensive experience in them.

In the Northeast, the Sakata Army engaged in fierce artillery battles with the Northern Russians.

Although large-caliber shipborne guns had not yet been deployed or modified at that time, the Kwantung Army had the upper hand and was suppressing the North Russians in artillery battles.

but,

In the previous artillery duel, the Kwantung Army was completely overwhelmed by the enemy's artillery fire and had no chance to retaliate.

Although he didn't want to admit it, he had to say that the firepower of the two sides' artillery was simply not in the same league.

The gap is huge!
Unfortunately, Songjiang Prefecture is far from the coastline, making it impossible to fire all the heavy ship-mounted guns of the fleet simultaneously.

If the hundreds of cannons of the Third and Fourth Fleets of the Eastern Ocean were to fire directly at the shore without requiring high accuracy, they might be able to put up a good fight against Ximen Tang in terms of artillery power.

In terms of the firepower of the army's artillery, the Kwantung Army was completely defeated!

but,

Takeo Sakata did not give up.

He ordered other artillery units to reinforce the positions and re-enter the artillery positions to continue the artillery battle.

Those who retreat without authorization shall be executed on the spot!
Simultaneously,

He sent a group of Daqian "puppet troops" to act as logistics soldiers to move artillery into the artillery positions.

The purpose of this was to reduce the mortality rate of the Kwantung Army's elite troops.

Anyway, the Daqian "puppet army" can do the same things as the artillery shells.

Even if he were killed by Ximentang's cannons, he wouldn't feel sorry for him.

He now only hopes that the upcoming shelling will yield some results and destroy the enemy's artillery positions.

Wow——!
Upon hearing the order, some of the Daqian "puppet troops" were so frightened that they fled immediately.

With such heavy firepower, letting them into the artillery positions would be like sending ourselves into artillery fire.

Therefore,
At this moment, someone finally mustered up the courage to turn around and try to run away.

Da da—da da—!
These puppet troops of the Daqian regime, who were trying to escape, had barely run twenty meters before they were mowed down by heavy machine gun fire.

This immediately shocked all the other puppet troops of the Daqian regime.

hiss--!
They couldn't help but gasp, finally realizing that from the moment they surrendered to the Japanese, their lives were no longer their own.

These Japanese were not the army of the Great Qian Dynasty; they were the ruthless and bloodthirsty Kwantung Army.

The old tricks used by these puppet troops of the Great Qian Dynasty—their cowardice, their ability to please everyone, and their attempts to fool others—are no longer working!
The Kwantung Army clearly intended to use them as cannon fodder!

If anyone disobeys orders, they will be met with heavy machine gun fire without any conditions!

In the eyes of the Kwantung Army, the puppet army of the Daqian Dynasty was nothing more than ants.

this moment,
The puppet troops of the Daqian Army had no choice but to follow orders and enter the artillery positions to begin assisting the Kwantung Army artillery.

They were heartbroken and filled with despair!
But in this world, there's no going back.

Their fate was sealed the moment they defected to the Japanese.

Just as the Sakata Army's artillery was ready and the second round of artillery battle was about to begin...

The cannons of Ximentang fired first, launching a second round of artillery fire!

Due to the first round of artillery fire, Simon's Hall gained an absolute advantage.

Through the telescope, one could see the artillery positions of the Sakata Army, which were being blasted to pieces by shells.

then,

Ximentang opened fire first in their second round of artillery barrage!
These puppet troops of the Daqian regime and artillerymen of the Kwantung Army were just about to fire.

Upon hearing the 'whooshing' sound from the sky, they immediately dropped to the ground.

With the end of the second round of artillery bombardment by Ximentang, the artillery positions of the Sakata Army were destroyed once again.

"idiot--!"

Sakata Takeo stomped his foot in anger.

He could only reinforce his troops at the artillery positions, quickly reload shells, and prepare to launch a counterattack while the second round of bombardment by Ximentang ended.

but,

Once you're a step behind, every step will be a step behind.

By the time the third batch of artillerymen from the Sakata Army and the transport troops from the Daqian puppet army entered the position, they had not yet had time to open fire.

The third round of artillery bombardment from Ximentang has arrived once again.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of violent explosions erupted on the artillery positions of the Sakata Army.

next moment,
All the artillerymen and support personnel who had just been replenished fell in large numbers.

Two heavy cannons were destroyed by artillery fire, and the modified shipborne cannons were blown up.

Armor-piercing rounds!
That's right, in the third round of artillery fire, Simon Tang used armor-piercing shells.

Therefore, this round of artillery bombardment was much more lethal than the previous two rounds.

The scale of the attack was more than double.

Just when the Sakata Army was in chaos and its soldiers were filled with fear.

Unexpectedly, the fourth round of artillery fire from Ximentang has begun.

After this round of shelling ended, most of the surrounding 330mm heavy artillery pieces were destroyed.

"idiot--!"

When Takeo Sakata saw this scene from inside the fortifications, he was so anxious that he jumped up and down in frustration.

After seeing this, he knew that the heavy artillery position was finished!
The twenty modified shipborne guns were blown to scrap metal before they could even unleash their full power.

How is this fight going?
at this time,

He felt a chill run down his spine!
If you can't win from a distance, charging in close combat is just suicide!

They're no match for that idiot!
If this battle continues, the Sakata Army will suffer heavy losses, and there is even a possibility that the entire army will be wiped out!
Therefore, Takeo Sakata decisively ordered a retreat!

Taking advantage of the end of the fourth round of artillery bombardment by Ximentang, Sakata Takeo ordered a full retreat.

He was decisive, with almost no hesitation.

This artillery battle completely shattered Sakata Takeo's confidence!
(End of this chapter)