Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Chapter 287 A Thousand Cannons Fired Simultaneously! The Kwantung Army Suffers a Massive Defeat

Boom! Boom! Boom!
Just after the Sakata Army set up their impenetrable defenses.

The cannons of Ximentang opened fire fiercely from the hillside five kilometers away.

Calm and collected, fire the cannon, reload, fire again!
Thousands of cannons fired!

The sound of cannons was like an earthquake, tearing the heavens and the earth apart.

Looking up at the sky, it was like a meteor shower, covering everything and making people tremble with fear.

The Sakata Army was like weeds, relentlessly harvested by artillery fire, falling in droves.

Whether it was artillery, heavy infantry, or light infantry, they were all blown to bits.

In less than a minute, tens of thousands of shells were dropped on the entire Sakata Army's position.

To know,
The situation now is completely different from that in Songjiang Prefecture.

The main force of the Sakata Army, consisting of 60,000 troops, was no longer so scattered, but rather very concentrated.

Therefore,
In less than three minutes, a barrage of bombs was launched, dropping 30,000 bombs on the entire Sakata Army's position.

Heavy infantry, artillery, and light infantry were all blown up.

The most elite heavy infantry were almost entirely wiped out in the shortest time, with nearly all of them dying from mortar fire.

Moreover, there will be a round of incendiary bombs every minute.

After a round of artillery fire, the surrounding area was engulfed in flames.

Almost no Kwantung Army soldiers were able to launch a counterattack; they couldn't even see the enemy.

Precise positioning!

Indeed, at this moment, Ximentang's mortar [precise positioning] played a crucial role.

The first round of shelling ended in three minutes.

On the battlefield of the Sakata Army, only armor, corpses, and wrecked cannons remained!
The casualties were too high, exceeding half!
hiss--!
When Takeo Sakata saw this scene from inside the fortifications, he felt a chill run down his spine.

These are the cannons of Ximentang!?

so horrible!

They were able to pinpoint and fire artillery positions precisely from behind a hillside five kilometers away, in a place that was out of sight.

The cannons of Ximentang were completely different from the Japanese field guns of the Kwantung Army.

No wonder Takahashi Hisayoshi's army was defeated in just over ten minutes.

Their combat power is terrifying!

Immediately afterward, Takeo Sakata's head started buzzing.

He felt most terrified of Ximentang's chief commander—Chen Jie, the governor of Shandong.

In less than half a year, this person rose from an unknown nobody to a high-ranking official, and built such a terrifying army in the Great Qian Dynasty.

The Kwantung Army's attack on Songjiang Prefecture this time was very unsuccessful.

It even gave Sakata Takeo a strange feeling; many things overturned his understanding.

at this time,

He finally understood why Waldersee's 130,000-strong army ultimately lost to Simon.

If it were any other army of the Great Qian Dynasty, with the fighting power of the 100,000-strong Sakata Army, they would have easily taken Songjiang Prefecture long ago.

But now, the Sakata Army has suffered heavy casualties, yet it hasn't even gotten close to the walls of Matsue Prefecture.

In less than five minutes,

The Sakata Army's heavy infantry, machine gunners, artillery, and other units were completely routed by the bombs.

The light infantry were also under the fire of Ximentang's artillery.

After the first round of artillery fire, Ximentang did not stop.

After a minute of adjusting the angle, the second round of shelling continued.

Boom boom——!
The remaining light infantry of the Kwantung Army fell one after another in pools of blood.

The frenzied artillery barrage stunned everyone in the Kwantung Army.

Everyone knew perfectly well that if they stood up now, they would become sitting ducks.

at last,

Some Kwantung Army soldiers, unable to withstand the artillery bombardment, fled towards Nantongzhou.

The elite Kwantung Army soldiers in charge of overseeing the battle set up heavy machine guns, intending to fire wildly at the routed soldiers as a warning.

but,

He was quickly stopped by Takeo Sakata.

He ordered the Kwantung Army officers in charge of overseeing the battle to cease fire.

The army's morale had been broken, and if the Kwantung Army supervising the battle opened fire with heavy machine guns...

Then,

A mutiny will soon break out within the Kwantung Army's positions.

That's right, fighting will break out within the Kwantung Army itself.

These Kwantung Army soldiers came to the Great Qian Dynasty from the Japanese Empire, far away from their families.

They originally joined the army because they wanted to make a name for themselves and achieve fame and success.

Nobody wants to die on the battlefield like this.

If it's a fierce battle between two sides, and someone dies at the hands of the other, no one will have any other thoughts.

However, this was an unequal battle; the Kwantung Army hadn't even seen a shadow of the enemy before being completely bombarded by artillery fire.

how to spell?
This kind of unequal battle is no different from suicide.

this moment,
The commanders following Sakata Takeo also wore bewildered expressions.

When they saw Sakata Takeo's gaze, they all seemed to subconsciously avoid it, not daring to meet his eyes, for fear that he would see their inner panic and fear.

It is clear,
All the soldiers of the Sakata Army were completely terrified by the continuous bombing.

"Damn it—that damned Simon Tang!"

Takeo Sakata sighed helplessly.

The Kwantung Army was known as the world's strongest army, so how could it be so panicked?
at this time,

A colonel in the Kwantung Army suddenly exclaimed in horror:

"General! The army of Daqian has appeared—look!"

Everyone looked up.

Sure enough, the army of the Western Gate of the Great Qian Dynasty moved from the bend in the hillside.

During the march, the first platoon of soldiers would rush forward and quickly set up the cannons.

After a round of bombardment, the men behind charged forward 500 meters under the suppression of artillery fire.

then,

Another rank of soldiers began setting up artillery and launching a bombardment to suppress enemy fire.

Advancing layer by layer.

After advancing 500 meters, the artillery forcefully suppressed the Kwantung Army, allowing them to continue their advance.

This process repeats itself continuously, creating a cycle of alternating advancements.

That is,

No matter the time, the cannons of Ximentang never stopped firing.

Although the advance of Ximentang's army was not fast.

However, this advance ensured the safety of Ximentang and allowed it to maintain a strong and effective artillery barrage.

The key is,
Every time the cannons are set up, the angle is precisely adjusted.

The Kwantung Army's heavy firepower, including artillery and heavy machine guns, became the primary targets of their attacks.

As Ximentang continued his charge, the distance between them grew ever closer.

at the same time,

The Kwantung Army was completely defeated and lost all fighting spirit.

The army of 60,000 was bombed repeatedly, leaving less than 30,000 survivors.

Takeo Sakata knew that the most crucial moment had arrived.

Alternatively, a complete retreat could be implemented, abandoning all heavy weapons and retreating lightly equipped, while Dongmen Wulang would provide backup.

Or they could fight to the death and engage in a final, bloody battle with Ximentang.

Although the Kwantung Army was already at a disadvantage in terms of numbers on both sides.

but,

Once both sides engage in final hand-to-hand combat, they can limit the opponent's muskets and cannons.

As a result,
The Kwantung Army might not necessarily lose!
Two options kept swirling in Takeo Sakata's mind.

After a moment, he finally made up his mind to fight to the death!
Even if the entire Sakata Army is completely crushed in the end, we must fight to the death with Simondo. This is not for the sake of the Sakata Army, but for the future of the Kwantung Army, and even more so for the Eastern Empire.

If we can severely damage Ximentang in this bloody battle.

This was very favorable to the situation of the Kwantung Army.

If he were to flee in such a sorry state, he would surely be severely punished upon returning to Lushun.

Moreover, Takeo Sakata believed that in close combat, the Kwantung Army's bayonet fighting ability was definitely stronger than any other army.

The strength of the Nishido Army mainly lay in its weaponry and equipment, but in terms of individual soldier quality, Takeo Sakata always believed that the Kwantung Army was the strongest army.

Just as Sakata Takeo was about to give the order, preparing for the entire Sakata Army to fight to the death.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
Suddenly, a huge artillery barrage came from the flank of the Kwantung Army's garrison.

The Kwantung Army was already in a state of collapse, and now, with its flank attacked again, soldiers fell in droves, suffering heavy losses.

The entire encampment was in complete chaos, with groups of righteous men fighting.

hiss--!
When Takeo Sakata saw this, he was taken aback.

The sound of cannons!

Damn it, how come there's a sudden burst of gunfire on the flank?

He took out his binoculars and looked up.

Suddenly, a force of about a thousand people appeared out of the jungle on the flank.

Boom boom——!
These people were also equipped with mortars!
They're surrounded!
They were surrounded by Ximentang's cannons from three directions!

Wow——!
The Kwantung Army was in complete panic, and the entire garrison was in chaos.

Om-!
Sakata Takeo's head was buzzing!
In an instant, he realized that the Ximen Hall army of the Great Qian Dynasty had broken through the cliffs on both sides of the valley and reached the flank of the Guandong Army's garrison, forming a pincer attack.

The most terrifying thing was that these Ximentang troops, who were flanking and outflanking the enemy, were actually carrying artillery.

How did they manage to carry artillery and shells when they used flanking maneuvers to scale cliffs and steep slopes?

With the artillery positioned on higher ground, its power was maximized.

this moment,
Sakata Takeo felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

With the enemy forces caught in a pincer movement, the entire Sakata Army was like being ambushed.

Even if they wanted to engage in close combat, there was no chance now.

Maintaining a distance from the front of Ximen Hall would prevent the Kwantung Army from getting close.

With their flanks perched atop cliffs, the Kwantung Army had no way to hit the enemy.

It turns out that Chen Jie had already studied the map before Ximentang sent out his troops.

He ordered the elite special forces of the Ximentang Special Operations Regiment to flank the Kwantung Army by crossing the cliffs of the valley from the side.

Although the number of people was small, only about a thousand, they were all equipped with mortars and a certain number of shells.

Meanwhile, the special operations regiment carried heavy machine guns.

Although carrying this heavy firepower affected the marching speed of the elite special operations regiment, flanking from the flank at this moment was just what the tactical plan aimed to achieve.

Chen Jie ordered the elite special operations troops to launch artillery attacks from both sides, aiming to gain a superior position and prevent the enemy from engaging in close combat.

When the Kwantung Army was stationed there, it did not consider the defense of the flanks at all.

Because the two sides are cliffs in the valley, it is not suitable for marching at all.

To climb to the top of the cliff, you need to take a very large detour.

Therefore,
Sakata Takeo paid no attention to the flanks, focusing instead on the pursuing Nishido troops behind him.

The artillery barrage from the flanks stunned Takeo Sakata.

in fact,

The elite special forces of the Ximentang Special Operations Regiment were positioned on the flank, but they did not carry many artillery pieces.

From a high vantage point, the mortar's power can deliver precise strikes.

The Kwantung Army was already in disarray from the bombings, and the attack only exacerbated the chaos.

Taking advantage of the Kwantung Army's state of panic and unease, Chen Jie ordered Xiong Chao to lead elite troops to speed up their march, while artillery bombarded them continuously.

At the same time, once they were within firing range, heavy machine guns were set up to prevent a counterattack by the Kwantung Army.

Da da—da da—!
When the sound of heavy machine guns rang out, it meant that Ximentang's army had advanced to within 500 meters.

The Kwantung Army could no longer hold them off and, in a panic, retreated towards Nantongzhou.

Under the relentless barrage of heavy machine gun fire, the Kwantung Army suffered heavy casualties once again.

They lost the will to fight and fled in a frenzy.

Even though Sakata Takeo was a major general in the Kwantung Army, he had experienced the baptism of bloody battles and possessed extremely strong combat experience.

In this situation, he was at a loss and powerless.

The morale of the troops is low, and they have no fighting spirit whatsoever!
Although it was only just after the Qingming Festival, the weather was not hot.

However, Takeo Sakata's back was already soaked with sweat, and his face had turned deathly pale.

Boom boom——!
At the top of the valleys on both sides, the elite special forces of Ximentang began bombarding with mortars.

Precise targeting of the attack!

Although they were unable to charge into battle, their threat to the Kwantung Army was even more terrifying than that of a frontal assault.

A commanding view allows for more precise positioning.

Moreover, each of them carried a considerable number of grenades during the artillery attack.

A grenade is thrown from a high place and explodes suddenly when it is close to the ground.

The impact of the mid-air explosion and the lead pellet filling created a terrifyingly destructive force.

Next,
Explosions could be heard continuously coming from the Kwantung Army's positions.

Countless Kwantung Army soldiers let out mournful howls once again.

The grenade attack seemed to be the final straw that broke the camel's back for the Kwantung Army.

My mentality is broken!
From the attack on Songjiang Prefecture until their escape to Nantong Prefecture, the Kwantung Army seemed to be constantly on the defensive.

They were completely unable to mount an effective attack, and everyone was terrified of the bombardment from Simon.

With the Kwantung Army surrounded from three sides, morale had collapsed.

They dared not continue fighting and fled in panic, retreating towards Nantongzhou.

Even Dongmen Wulang, who had just retreated to provide support, panicked completely upon seeing this scene.

Panic spread among the remaining troops of the Kwantung Army.

next moment,
The 20,000 troops of Dongmen Wulang and the 10,000 remnants of the Sakata Army joined forces and staged a great defeat!

Sakata Takeo wanted to organize his army to fight back, hoping to use the remaining artillery to stop the pursuit of the Nishido army.

but,

The complete rout had occurred, and no soldiers obeyed his commands anymore!
Everyone began to retreat spontaneously.

Under the protection of several guards, Sakata Takeo followed Higashimon Goro and retreated towards Nantongzhou.

All the supplies, artillery, heavy machine guns, food, wounded soldiers—everything was thrown away!

When fleeing, who would think of carrying these things?

Many heavily armored soldiers even threw away their heavy armor and helmets, only thinking about running faster, not caring about anything else.
The elite troops of Ximentang, led by Xiong Chao, launched a frenzied pursuit of the fleeing Kwantung Army.

Muskets, automatic rifles, sniper rifles—!
Once they got close, all the light infantry weapons opened fire on the Kwantung Army troops who were lagging behind.

Although Dongmen Wulang's 20,000 troops successfully came to his aid, they were ultimately unable to stop Ximen Tang's fierce attack.

for the rest of the time,

Ximentang relentlessly pursued the remnants of the Kwantung Army, fighting his way from the border of Nantong Prefecture all the way to the seaside garrison of Nantong Prefecture.

After Sakata Takeo and Higashimon Goro, along with other commanders of the Kwantung Army, entered their coastal encampment in Nantong Prefecture, they finally stabilized their position.

Watching the Kwantung Army soldiers being killed one after another on their escape route.

The two highest commanders of the Sakata Army were utterly despondent and filled with despair.

at last,

Upon reaching the coastline of Nantong Prefecture, the artillery of the Third and Fourth Fleets of the Eastern Ocean began to unleash its power.

The remnants of the Kwantung Army finally managed to stabilize their position.

Under the threat of the Eastern Fleet's ship-mounted guns, Ximen Tang's troops stopped and did not continue the pursuit.

pity--!
Unexpectedly, those two bastards, Takeo Sakata and Goro Higashimon, managed to escape.

Looking through his binoculars at Sakata Takeo and Higashimon Goro fleeing in a disheveled state, Chen Jie felt a pang of regret.

Although they completely crushed the Sakata Army, they failed to capture Sakata Takeo.

Damn it—

What a pity!

(End of this chapter)