Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Chapter 353 The Kwantung Army Appears! Kill These Bastards!

Li Ben, the Prince of Han, obtained a large number of Japanese weapons.

The rebels were mostly equipped with Japanese firearms, giving them a clear firepower advantage over the Daqian army.

These are all brand new guns.

In order to severely damage Ximentang, the Kwantung Army spared no expense in targeting Prince Li Ben of Han.

Many weapons were given away for free; even the Japanese cannons and heavy machine guns were given to Prince Li Ben of Han on credit.

but,

The rebels had only recently acquired Japanese weapons and had not undergone systematic training, which greatly reduced their combat effectiveness.

Ximentang's usual training is a comprehensive intensive training program.

Not only is the theoretical training very extensive, but practical training is also required.

All firearms and ammunition must be mastered before they can be deployed to combat units.

not to mention,
The special operations regiment stationed in Wangjiang Town is the Ximentang Special Operations Regiment, which is almost the elite of the elite, and is proficient in all kinds of weapons.

Furthermore, the firearms and ammunition delivered from Qingzhou, Shandong, have all undergone strict quality control.

Almost every cannon must undergo several rigorous inspections before it can leave the factory.

Most importantly, the ammunition used by Simon Tang was made with high-explosive gunpowder, which was much more powerful than the black powder used by the rebels.

therefore,

With the same weapons, Simon's bullets were a level more lethal than those of the rebels.

The difference between bullets and artillery shells is most evident in actual combat.

The artillery of Ximentang almost completely overwhelmed the artillery battalion under the command of Prince Li Ben of Han.

Furthermore, they formed a super-powerful firepower strike along the defensive line between three and five kilometers, killing countless enemies.

As Simon continued to destroy the rebels' artillery.

The number of artillery pieces in the entire rebel artillery battalion was decreasing.

Therefore, the threat to Ximentang is getting weaker and weaker.

for the rest of the time,

The artillery and heavy machine guns of Ximentang formed a crossfire, launching wave after wave of attacks, constantly striking the main rebel force approaching the defensive line.

For a while,
All the rebel generals were extremely frustrated.

Why is it that Ximentang's weapon has such a long range and such a strong explosive force, even though they are the same weapon?
The most frightening thing is, how can the accuracy be maintained at such a high distance?

From beginning to end,

None of the rebels' shells hit their targets on the first try.

The rebel artillery battalion was unable to advance any further at a distance of 4.5 kilometers, as it was completely suppressed by the artillery of Ximentang.

Despite their frustration, Ximentang's crossfire remained relentless.

The closer you get to the last 500 meters of Wangjiang Town's defenses, the fiercer the firepower becomes.

Because the number of people in Ximen Hall was small, only three thousand five hundred.

Therefore,
After the battle lines were contracted, their offensive power actually became stronger.

Once the rebels get close to Wangjiang Town, their formation will become even denser than before.

Most importantly, without the cover of terrain, the firepower of heavy machine guns and sniper rifles can be maximized.

Five hundred meters is the most brutal line of defense.

For Ximentang, this line of defense was far more important than any previous one.

because,

Once the rebels break through the 500-meter defense line and enter within 300 meters, they can inflict serious damage on Ximentang.

Therefore,
Once the rebels reached their final defensive line of 500 meters, even advancing one more step became extremely difficult.

As the corpses piled up like mountains.

All the rebel soldiers who charged forward fell within the 500-meter defensive line.

Blood stained the ground, and the dug trenches were piled high with corpses.

The overwhelming firepower of the heavy machine guns forced the rebels to halt, and their casualties continued to mount.

Of the more than 5,000 people who had gathered, more than half were killed or injured in just a few minutes.

The remaining rebels were also driven out of their sight.

Until this point, the rebels were constantly under attack, and their counterattacks were ineffective; they couldn't even reach the positions held by Ximentang.

Such a one-sided battle would be unbearable even for the bravest army.

not to mention,
The rebel army was originally a motley crew of local government soldiers,江湖人士 (jianghu figures), bandits, and other rabble.

They were a bunch of seasoned veterans; while they were incredibly brave in battle, they lacked any real discipline.

What has enabled them to persevere until now without collapsing is that...

It wasn't actually because of the leadership of Prince Li Ben of Han, nor because of the discipline of the rebel army.

The reason for all of this was the warlord's heavy machine gun.

King Li Ben of Han was well aware of the character of his troops, and before the battle began, he had already arranged for a commander to intimidate all the troops that launched an attack.

at this time,

The battle along the 500-meter defensive line became extremely fierce.

Simultaneously,

The artillery barrage never stopped.

Although the two sides were several kilometers apart, the rebel artillery was constantly covering the charges of light infantry and heavy infantry.

In order to close the distance and pose a threat to Ximentang's position.

Liang Yuanxing wanted to push forward, but each time he was forced to retreat.

at last,

The rebel artillery battalion advanced another 500 meters, entering a 4-kilometer-long defensive position.

but,

At this time, the rebels had lost 80% of their 500 Japanese field guns, with only 100 remaining.

At this point, even if only one hundred Japanese field guns remained, they had to continue fighting.

It’s hard to get off the tiger!

At this point, retreat was no longer permitted.

Therefore, Liang Yuanxing ordered the artillery battalion to stop again, hide behind the obstacles in the defensive positions, and fire wildly at the defensive fortifications of Wangjiang Town.

Despite the prolonged bombardment, the rebel artillery has consistently been suppressed.
but,

As time went on, the rebel artillerymen became increasingly skilled in using Japanese field guns.

They took advantage of entering the four-kilometer defensive line.

Although the rebels only had one-fifth of their artillery left, they managed to turn the tide somewhat.

at this time,

Suddenly, an army appeared from the flank of the rebels.

Their assault was incredibly fast, far exceeding the speed of the rebels' main assault force.

Kwantung Army!
At this moment, the Kwantung Army finally appeared!

Originally, after 30,000 Kwantung Army soldiers infiltrated the Hanzhong area, they remained hidden in the rebel-occupied area and did not move.

After Aman led Ximentang's 20,000-strong army to garrison Tongshan County.

The Kwantung Army was trying to contain Aman's large army around Tongshan County.

but,

Even Chen Jie did not expect that the Kwantung Army would send 5,000 men to support the 50,000-strong army of Prince Li Ben of Han, in an attempt to take down the Ximentang Special Operations Regiment in one fell swoop.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
As the two sides engaged in artillery combat, shells from the Kwantung Army landed on Ximentang's position.

Although the elite members of the Ximentang Special Forces were all wearing bulletproof vests and steel helmets.

but,

It would be difficult to completely withstand the field artillery attacks of the Kwantung Army.

In an instant, dozens of elite members of the Ximentang Special Operations Regiment fell under the artillery fire.

In addition, over a hundred people were injured, and more than thirty mortars were destroyed. This was the heaviest loss suffered by Simondon since the start of the war.

No one expected that the Kwantung Army would wait until this moment to send troops.

but,

Just as the 5,000 troops of the Kwantung Army launched their charge and finally broke through the 300-meter defense line of Ximentang.

Although both sides' heavy machine guns and muskets were at their optimal firing range.

but,

From its elevated position, the West Gate had most of its machine gunners lying prone in the trenches, with sandbags acting as obstacles to ensure the heavy machine guns could fire continuously.

It looked like the rebels were about to charge into Ximentang's last line of defense.

Unexpectedly, tragedy struck at the most crucial moment!
The field artillery of the rebels and the Kwantung Army, under the cover of fire, had shells that landed right in the path of their charge.

Boom—boom—!
As the shells rained down, the ground shook violently.

Although the rebels only had one hundred artillery pieces left, the Kwantung Army carried three hundred Japanese field guns.

The destructive power of four hundred field guns firing in a frenzy is unimaginable.

At the beginning, the rebel army and the Kwantung Army that launched the attack did not find any problems.

but,

As they continued their charge, they soon discovered that they were attacked from both sides and were under double firepower.

They not only had to endure the relentless suppression of Simon's heavy machine guns, but also had to withstand their own artillery attacks.

Who could stand being attacked from both sides like this?
not to mention,
The rebels suffered heavy casualties and were already on the verge of mental collapse.

This sudden bombardment by their own artillery extinguished their last shred of fighting spirit.

The morale of all the rebels completely collapsed.

Just when they were about to break through Ximentang's defenses, they were unexpectedly bombarded by their own troops' artillery at the last moment, and most of them were killed.

retreat--!
All the charging rebels no longer cared about the commander.

Everyone turned and ran!
The speed of escaping is naturally much faster than the speed of charging.

Charging forward meant facing fierce firepower from Ximentang, making every ten meters of advance extremely difficult.

Now that we can escape without facing Ximentang's heavy machine guns, our speed will be very fast.

In less than a minute,
The rebels, who had already advanced to within 500 meters of the defensive line, retreated across the board.

They joined forces with the rebel army that had broken through the siege and were now in a state of panic.

Just then, the rebels and the Kwantung Army's field artillery launched another round of attacks.

The accuracy of Japanese field artillery was really poor.

Unexpectedly, this artillery attack was actually targeting the fleeing rebels.

One round of artillery fire killed more than a thousand people.

They barely managed to escape the effective range of Ximentang's heavy machine gun.

Unexpectedly, they were bombarded by their own artillery again.

The rebels suffered a sudden increase in casualties, and those who died were all brave and skilled elites.

In the following time, everyone's fighting spirit collapsed, and they ran faster than anyone else.

The feeling of collapse quickly spread to everyone.

The Kwantung Army and others were completely dumbfounded at this moment.

"Run-!"

Someone shouted, and all the charging soldiers turned and fled.

this moment,
The rebel commander in charge of the charge was forced to retreat along with the main force.

Less than ten minutes.

Within a four-kilometer radius of Wangjiang Town, only corpses remained; no living people were to be seen.

Many seriously wounded rebel soldiers did not die from gunfire and artillery fire, but were instead trampled to death by the fleeing army.

All the soldiers of the Ximentang Special Forces Regiment were completely dumbfounded when they saw this scene.

Just when it seemed like they were about to lose control, the artillery of the rebels and the Kwantung Army came in handy at the last moment.

Xu Xiaodao couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He quickly used the command flag to direct the elite troops in the defensive position to set up a defensive line in preparation for the next wave of attacks.

Although the rebels have temporarily retreated.

but,

When Xu Xiaodao saw the Kwantung Army appear, he acted very cautiously and prudently.

He ordered the wounded to retreat and had medics bandage their wounds.

in addition,

The grenades were all ready, and the heavy machine gun ammunition was replenished.

The artillery battalion was switched to a diamond-shaped artillery formation. The rebel artillery battalion must not be allowed to advance any further, otherwise it would pose a great threat to Ximentang.

At this time,

After the rebels fled, they finally arrived before the governor.

Da da—da da—!
The warlord showed no mercy and opened fire with heavy machine guns.

Dozens of the routed rebels were wiped out by heavy machine guns in an instant.

at the same time,

The supervising general shouted at the routed soldiers, ordering them to launch another charge or face certain death.

but,

This time, the warlord's words not only failed to frighten the fleeing soldiers, but instead provoked their anger.

These routed soldiers had already rushed into the 300-meter zone of Ximentang's last line of defense, but unexpectedly, they were blown up by their own artillery, resulting in countless deaths and injuries.

They were being relentlessly bombarded by Ximentang's heavy machine guns, enduring immense pressure and facing a life-or-death situation.

Unexpectedly, their own people have started firing heavy machine guns at them.

How the hell can we tolerate this?
Are you trying to kill me?

Since charging means death and not charging means death too, then let's all die together!

The firepower of Ximentang was too fierce; without the cover of artillery, it was impossible to break through.

The warlords were different; these men were used to swaggering around and wouldn't charge into battle themselves. Instead, they would threaten everyone with guns from behind.

Previously, everyone was always wary of the warlord and dared not go to war with him because the warlord held a very high position in the rebel army.

But now, at a time of life and death, who cares about your status?
A rebel general leading his troops into battle witnessed his soldiers being shot dead on the spot by the superintendent.

all of a sudden,

His eyes were red.

He raised his Japanese musket, turned to the warlord, and shouted:

"Brothers! Kill these bastards!"

throat!
With a gunshot, the bullet pierced the warlord's chest instantly.

Next,
A fierce melee unfolded between the fleeing rebel soldiers and the military governor.

The Japanese Kwantung Army, caught in the middle, was completely dumbfounded.

They instinctively raised their guns and opened fire on the warlord.

no way,
The warlord's heavy machine gunners actually tried to open fire.

Is this still available?

Once the two sides engage in fierce fighting, everyone will suffer heavy losses.

Therefore,
Defeated soldiers, Kwantung Army, and the military governor!
A fierce melee erupted at this moment.

At close range, the power of Japanese muskets was very strong.

Gunfire rang out continuously, and the warlord's soldiers were quickly stunned.

Although the rebels' routed troops had left Ximentang's front lines, their numbers were still considerable.

With superior numbers and the assistance of the Kwantung Army, the warlord was caught off guard.

What's wrong with these guys?

Is this a rebellion?
How dare you fire at the warlord?
this moment,
The warlord's machine gunners quickly returned fire, and a fierce close-quarters battle ensued!
(End of this chapter)