Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

The night was peaceful!
Neither the Japanese, nor the Hongmen, nor other forces in the underworld dared to make any rash moves.

Sanlipo and Guishan military camp in Hanyang Prefecture.

Xi Mentang led tens of thousands of troops and the Grand Eunuch to guard the area.

Only those who are at the pinnacle of martial arts and possess the "indestructible spirit" level can approach the Ximen Hall military camp.

But after a major battle in the evening.

Any powerful individual who is "unharmed by gods" would have to think twice before approaching Ximen Tang's military camp.

That night.

A message spread throughout the martial arts world of the Great Qian Dynasty.

—King Qian, Chen Jie, on the Yangtze River, killed the thirty-six Heavenly Generals of the Hidden Sect and slew Chiba Teru of the Eastern Ninja Sect with his sword!
The other ninjas of the Chiba clan of the Eastern Ninja Sect fled in panic!

For a while,
The entire martial arts world was in an uproar!
Countless people thought they had misheard the news.

Many more powerful individuals were astonished, deeply shocked, and unable to believe what they were seeing.

Many leaders of martial arts factions were so shocked upon hearing the news that they crushed their teacups in their hands.

The news that Qian Wang Chen Jie killed the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals of the Hidden Sect was extremely shocking.

Then,

When Qian Wang Chen Jie killed Chiba Teru, the leader of the Eastern Ninja Sect, with his sword, it was like a magnitude 12 earthquake shaking the martial arts world.

hiss--!
Many powerful figures in the martial arts world couldn't help but gasp.

On the Yangtze River, he slew Chiba Teru, the leader of the Eastern Ninja Clan!
Even if you see a god, you won't be corrupted!

That's a martial arts master at the peak!

Chiba Teru, one of the three strongest martial artists in the East who are "indestructible even when facing gods," stands at the pinnacle of martial arts.

To ordinary martial artists, he was a god!
In another sense, he was one of the mainstays of Japanese martial arts.

He represents the Chiba clan, the ninja sect of the Eastern Seas!

But now, he's dead!

He was killed with a single sword strike!

Chiba Teru became one of the icons of Japanese martial arts by surviving countless life-or-death battles.

During the Meiji Restoration, the infighting among the major families in Japan was incredibly fierce.

His ability to stand at the pinnacle of Japanese martial arts and ensure the enduring prosperity of the Chiba clan of Japanese ninja sects is naturally due to his peak combat strength.

The key is--

The person who killed him with a single sword strike was actually a young man who was only twenty-five years old.

crazy!

This world has gone completely mad!

Upon hearing this news, every powerful figure from the major forces of the martial arts world was speechless for a long time, unable to recover their senses.

Many people even thought it was fake news.

After the news was confirmed, Chen Jie, the Prince of Qian, became famous throughout the martial arts world.

That's right, not famous throughout the martial arts world, but 'town'!
—The town that protects the country!
The martial arts world of the Great Qian Dynasty is destined to face a massive storm!

-

the next day.

The main force of Ximentang continued to cross the river.

Only 20,000 troops were left to garrison Wuchang Prefecture, while the rest of the heavy weapons and elite troops crossed the river to the Sanlipo and Guishan camps in Hanyang Prefecture.

A total of 90,000 troops successfully crossed the river.

in addition,

Thirty thousand soldiers were recruited in Wuchang Prefecture to serve as laborers, helping to cross the river and transport goods.

Seeing the main force of Ximentang cross the Yangtze River.

Both Kishibe Fumihiro and Sakata Takeo were under immense pressure.

Instead of continuing their argument, the two men discussed and decided to launch separate attacks on the two Ximentang camps at Sanlipo and Guishan.

They wanted to take advantage of the fact that the Ximentang garrison was not yet settled and see if they could break through Ximentang's defenses.

The geographical location of Sanlipo limited large-scale attacks.

Therefore,
The two Kwantung Army major generals launched their attacks primarily in the Kameyama district.

but,

Chen Jie had made preparations for the attack on the Kwantung Army well in advance.

Before Sakata Takeo and his army could arrive, Huang Yaoguang of the Ninth Army of the Ximentang Army led 20,000 troops to attack Hanyang Prefecture directly.

Surround Wei and rescue Zhao!

Ximentang has just set up camp in Guishan and must expand its battle lines.

When Kishibe Fumikane and Sakata Takeo learned of the news, they were greatly surprised.

They could no longer afford to continue their attack on Guishan District and had to return to reinforce Hanyang Prefecture.

If Hanyang Prefecture falls, Dashanyan will probably skin them alive.

However, just as they changed direction and rushed to Hanyang Prefecture to provide reinforcements.

Unexpectedly, they were ambushed by Ximentang on the way.

Yan Chenghao, commander of the Ninth Army of the Ximengtang Army, led an army of 20,000 men to launch a flanking attack from the Sakata Takeo Army.

Attack from both sides!

Boom! Boom! Boom!
Full firepower coverage!
This is Simon's most efficient tactical approach: simple and brutal!

In less than half an hour, the army under Takeo Sakata and Fumihiro Kishibe was decimated by the bombing, suffering heavy casualties.

The brief exchange left Takeo Sakata completely bewildered.

Next,
Sakata Takeo and Kishibe Fumikane could only lead their remaining troops to retreat via a detour towards Hanyang Prefecture.

At the same time, they appealed to Dashanyan, who was stationed in Caidian District of Hanyang Prefecture, for help, hoping that Dashanyan could send troops to block Ximentang's army.

but,

Before Sakata Takeo and Kishibe Fumihiro could even regain their footing...

Early the next morning,

Ximentang launched a fierce attack on Hanyang Prefecture.

The heavily armed brigade was deployed, and the tank legion was invincible.

Since the rise of Ximentang, it has been active in various places, including the Dagukou Fortress in Tianjin, the canal wharves in Hebei, Shandong, Nanjing, Songjiang Prefecture, and Hangzhou Prefecture in eastern Zhejiang.

Ximentang is invincible in every battle, overwhelming all opponents and unstoppable!
However, before this, Ximentang relied on powerful artillery to launch long-range attacks.

Whether it's field artillery, mortars, Vulcan cannons, or even armor-piercing and incendiary shells.

The most terrifying thing about Ximentang is its overwhelming firepower.

Combining close-range offensive tactics with long-range strikes is a tactic that Simon Tang has only recently adopted.

Hanyang Prefecture will be the second city attacked by Ximen Tang using heavy troops.

At this time, the Allied Forces of the East still had more than 160,000 troops left, which was much larger than that of Ximentang.

but,

After two days of fierce fighting, the Japanese Allied Forces were terrified and utterly terrified by Ximen Tang's attacks.

Therefore,
After retreating to Hanyang Prefecture, the Kwantung Army held the city and dared not come out to fight Ximentang.

Even the strategist Kishibe Bunkan had no good solutions when faced with Ximen Tang's overwhelming firepower.

not to mention,
After the failed positional attack at Sanlipo, Anbian Wenkuan became very wary of Ximentang and even lost confidence in confronting Ximentang head-on.

therefore,

When Ximen Tang's elite troops arrived outside Hanyang City, the Japanese Allied Forces refused to come out and adopted a defensive strategy.

The turtling tactic is a highly effective strategy when facing a strong offensive.

Hanyang Prefecture is located between the Yangtze River and the Han River, surrounded by water on three sides.

The entire city was designed to divert water from the Yangtze River into its moat, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Therefore,
The city of Hanyang was surrounded by water on all sides, forming a natural defense.

The heavily armed brigade could only break through from the front to the outside of the moat, and could not form a pincer attack.

The real primary means of attack still needs to rely on lightly armed mortars.

Ximentang's attack direction was the east gate of Hanyang Prefecture.

1,500 meters away.

The artillery battalion began to form ranks, with over three thousand cannons from the West Gate aimed at the east gate of Hanyang Prefecture. Chen Jie sat on his chariot, observing the defensive fortifications within Hanyang Prefecture through binoculars.

The Japanese built many fortifications around Hanyang Prefecture.

Breaching these bunkers is easy; just destroy them with tanks.

However, breaching the walls of Hanyang Prefecture was not an easy task.

The city walls of Hanyang Prefecture were specially reinforced, and the walls were five zhang high, enclosing the entire Hanyang Prefecture like an iron barrel.

At the location of the city wall at the east gate, there are four gun turrets and bunkers.

The bunkers on both sides of the city gate are topped with watchtowers, and each level in the middle has a heavy machine gun port.

Next to it are turrets, each equipped with eight cannons.

More than thirty bunkers were built outside the city, arranged in a staggered pattern, and connected by underground tunnels.

Such a defensive configuration would require at least five times the number of troops to break through if it weren't for Ximentang attacking.

Even if we manage to capture it, we will certainly suffer heavy losses.

After observing for a moment, Chen Jie said to Major General Huang Yaoguang of the Ninth Army of Ximentang:
"Focus the attack on the east gate and destroy all the bunkers!"

"Fire all the artillery in one go, clear a passage, and blow open the east gate completely."

"Once the city gates are blown open, let the heavy-armored brigade lead the charge and storm into the city!"

Having a tank legion makes it ideal for fighting tough battles.

With the overwhelming firepower of the artillery battalion, the tank corps will advance unstoppably.

This steel crushing action can minimize the casualty rate.

Huang Yaoguang stood at attention and said, "Yes, sir!"

Next,
He turned and began ordering his main attacking soldiers to aim the artillery.

Meanwhile, the heavy-armored brigade stood by, ready to launch a main attack on the bunker.

In less than half an hour, all one hundred tanks, artillery battalions, heavy machine gun battalions, and other equipment of the heavy brigade were deployed.

Apart from the light infantry providing support from the rear, the rest of the heavy firepower had already adjusted their distance and direction and were fully loaded with ammunition.

"fire--!"

At a command, the tank corps launched an attack, while the artillery battalion's mortars opened fire fiercely on the east gate of Hanyang Prefecture.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
A violent explosion rang out, the ground shook violently, and people's heads were buzzing.

When Kanbe Fumikane and Sakata Takeo, who were inside the fortifications of Hanyang Prefecture, saw this scene, their faces turned ashen.

The city wall looked like it was about to collapse!
With three thousand mortars and heavy tanks in command, the bunkers outside the east gate of Hanyang Prefecture were instantly destroyed.

With lightning speed!
On average, two shells from a heavy tank's main gun can destroy a bunker.

The thickened bunkers and the reinforced city walls of Hanyang Prefecture were bombarded beyond recognition and continued to collapse.

Especially the main battle tanks at the very front, which fired at the enemy's artillery and heavy machine guns as they approached the moat.

The continuous artillery fire blew open the city gate.

Dust flew around and fell in a flurry.

Although thick iron plates were added to the wooden planks of the city gate, they still could not stop the main battle tank's cannons.

Especially when tanks attack a city, they use armor-piercing shells.

The continuous bombardment completely destroyed the city gate, shattering it into pieces and setting the wood chips ablaze.

The elite Kwantung Army soldiers responsible for guarding the city gates were killed on the spot.

The Japanese Allied soldiers inside the fortifications on the city wall were so frightened that they quickly hid behind sandbags and dared not show their faces.

Both Kishibe Fumikane and Sakata Takeo couldn't help but gasp.

Both of them were taken aback by Simon's 'blitzkrieg'.

According to Anbian Wenkuan, the first step in attacking a city is to get close to the city walls.

Before attacking the city gate, the city wall must be completely taken down.

Otherwise, even if the city gates were opened, it would be impossible to withstand the fierce counterattacks from the city walls.

Therefore,
Before attacking a city, the first step is to take down the city walls' fortifications.

Ladders, wooden frames, and other similar tools were all effective weapons for siege warfare.

Capturing the city walls is no easy task; it requires a large force to charge.

Therefore, sieges are considered the toughest challenges.

It not only requires far more troops than the defenders of the city, but also consumes a large amount of weapons and ammunition.

In general,

The most common tactic in siege warfare is to besiege the city, deplete the enemy's morale and food supplies, etc.

If the siege lasts for three months, the enemy's fighting strength inside the city will drop sharply.

Attacking the city at this point would be much more efficient and would make it much easier to capture.

but,

Ximentang's tactics completely overturned this offensive approach.

The bombardment was conducted from a distance, and the troops didn't even get close to the city walls.

A barrage of bombardments, using artillery and tank main guns, was launched across the moat, forcefully blasting a breach in the defenses.

That is,

This aggressive tactic rendered the moat useless.

hiss--!
Sakata Takeo and Kishibe Fumikane were both utterly horrified.

Is this how siege warfare is fought?
How could the field guns and tank main guns of Ximentang be so terrifyingly powerful?
Since Ximentang achieved a great victory at the Dagu Fortress, he has always relied on artillery as the main force for his attacks.

Whether attacking or defending a city, the first priority is to use artillery to create firepower suppression.

In fact,
Ximentang's victories in the two major battles in Ningbo and Songjiang were largely due to the use of mortars.

According to Simon's military academy curriculum in Shandong, "artillery first" became the most basic tactical approach.

The use of artillery by Ximentang is the primary principle in tactical planning.

Even the new army of the Ministry of War of the Great Qian Dynasty began to adopt this tactical characteristic.

This tactic of using long-range artillery to besiege cities was actually first used in Europe.

This has led to Europe's long-standing pursuit of large-caliber heavy artillery.

From 88mm caliber to 150mm caliber, then to 240mm caliber, all the way to 330mm caliber!
As a result, Europe pursued firepower at the expense of artillery mobility.

Therefore, the development of mortars and field artillery was delayed for quite some time.

In fact,
The most powerful weapon in a siege is not heavy artillery, but rather highly mobile firepower.

Heavy artillery like the Weiyuan Cannon, with its large caliber and powerful firepower, was well-suited for defending cities.

However, it was too bulky to be transported.

More importantly, adjusting the distance and direction of the artillery is extremely difficult, with a very large blind spot.

This means that heavy artillery is more suitable for ships, and when used to defend cities, it can only defend a small area, so its effectiveness is limited.

If the enemy enters the blind spot based on the characteristics of heavy artillery.

Then any heavy artillery used for defending the city would be useless.

This problem does not exist for highly mobile light artillery.

Field artillery, mortars, and the like can create a powerful saturation attack, whether for siege or defense.

When used in conjunction with Vulcan cannons and heavy machine guns, there are virtually no blind spots.

With its long range and devastating firepower, it can block sieges and even directly destroy city walls and gates.

Especially with tanks equipped with heavy armor brigades, they don't even need to get close to the city walls; a burst of long-range fire is enough to easily breach the city gates.

Chen Jie was naturally very familiar with the modern warfare tactics and applications of firearms.

In order to better understand the characteristics of various artillery tactics, he studied all kinds of wars during World War II.

Whether attacking or defending, it is necessary to take control of the battlefield.

When Ximentang was established, its goal was to focus on light artillery such as mortars, but it never gave up on the production and use of heavy artillery.

He spent a fortune building a heavily armed brigade, intending to use it for offensive operations!
The tank's main gun is a powerful 125mm smoothbore cannon that can rotate 360 ​​degrees.

Once the tank is stationary, it can fire in any direction for a short period of time.

Ironclad behemoths – the common name for this tank legion.

During a siege, the tank's armor plates, which are more than ten centimeters thick, can easily withstand attacks from ordinary artillery.

This time, they set off from Jinling to conquer Jiujiang Prefecture and seize the Hanzhong region.

Chen Jie wanted to test the practical application of tanks in the siege battle, in preparation for the capture of Northeast China soon. (End of Chapter)