Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 114 Red Eyes
The chief of staff pondered silently in his heart.

The plan is highly feasible. The 31st Army will build a deep defense position covering an extremely wide area, at least more than square kilometers.

With such a large battlefield area, it is no problem to encircle and annihilate several thousand Japanese troops, which is more than enough.

It depends on whether the Japanese will take the bait!
Liu Shiyi straightened up and paced back and forth in the room.

"Have the batch of bullets that Commander Wang sent last time been distributed?"

The chief of staff thought to himself, "I instructed the logistics station to distribute them together with the bullets supplied from the war zone."

"The caliber is the same anyway."

Liu Shiyi nodded.

Afterwards, he personally inspected the batch of guns and bullets and found the situation to be very special.

The nameplate on the base of the bullet looks unfamiliar, and it doesn't look like it was produced by a large domestic arsenal.

I thought it was a defective product made in a small workshop, but after testing it, I found that the quality was surprisingly good.

As the commander of the Guangxi clique in the Fifth War Zone, he had heard some things that could be considered "secrets".

It is said that before the Japanese army occupied Taiyuan, Wang Fengzeng personally led his troops to loot the Taiyuan Arsenal.

Rumor has it that this incident angered the chairman, but in the end it was left unresolved.

It's very strange!

The chief of staff leaned in and, for the first time, started gossiping: "Sir, who is this Wang Feng?"

This suddenly rising star attracted the curiosity of countless people.

Liu Shiyi frowned and waved his hand: "Go away, stop talking about others behind their backs. It's getting late. Notify all troops to prepare for battle!"

At dusk, the sky turned red.

The main force of the 13th Division pursued to the south bank of Wohe River.

Ogisu Rippei rode his horse to the river bank and picked up a telescope to observe the situation on the other side.

The breeze blows gently, and the towering reeds make a rustling sound.
The terrain was flat, without even a slope. In addition, the Japanese were short in stature, which limited their vision. Even when riding on horses, they could only observe a few things.

Nothing but reeds.

Nakano Takusuke stood aside and said: "General, the Chinese army is on the other side of the river. Should we launch an attack immediately?"

Although the enemy cannot be seen with the naked eye, the traces of the 131st Division crossing the river are very obvious, and there will be no problem in following the footprints.

The horse under Ogisu Tachibe's crotch was a little agitated. He tightened the reins and steadied himself: "Order the artillery unit to conduct a tentative artillery attack on the other side!"

"If the Chinese army wants to use the terrain to stop us, they won't get far!"

Nakano Takusuke remained silent and turned around to convey the order.

Play it safe, play it safe.

Since arriving in southern Anhui, all combat orders have been aimed at ensuring stability.

This was very different from their previous fighting style, and the soldiers and officers below were about to be unable to suppress themselves.

During the chase, he saw many opportunities to inflict heavy damage on the Chinese army.

However, they missed the opportunity because of Ogisu Rikihei's cautious tactics.

However, a higher-ranking official can crush a person to death. No matter how powerful the chief of staff is, he can only play an advisory role in the combat command of the entire army and has no decision-making power at all.

News of the bombardment reached the artillery unit.

Although the main force only consists of a brigade of infantry, it is ultimately a Type A division-level organization.

It was also equipped with a field artillery regiment.

The large-caliber howitzer troops failed to keep up with the high-speed pace of the main force and fell far behind.

However, the 75mm field artillery and 75mm mountain artillery units still followed closely behind the main force.

Especially the 16 Type mountain cannons.

Its detachable and transportable feature enables it to provide support to infantry combat at the first possible moment.

In addition to 16 Type 36 mountain guns, 75 mm field guns were also assembled together.

According to the Japanese army's combat habits, artillery is generally not used in a concentrated manner.

In light of the previous painful lessons, Ogisu Rikiei was also careful in the deployment of artillery this time.

The 52 artillery pieces were divided into 8 positions.

They were dispersedly deployed three kilometers away from the south bank of Wohe River, with a great distance between each position.

Although doing so would affect command and logistical supplies, in the view of Ogisu Rikihei, these could be tolerated as long as the safety of the artillery positions could be guaranteed.

By the time the artillery units had built their positions and were ready to fire, it was already getting dark and visibility was getting lower and lower.

The north bank of Wohe River.

Inside the 31st Army Command Post.

Liu Shiyi had received the news long ago. He stood in front of the observation hole, raised his telescope, and stared coldly at the Japanese troops on the banks of the Wo River.

It seems that they are ready to cross the river and are just waiting to receive orders.

The delay in taking action is likely a sign of planning a bombardment.

For unknown terrain, using artillery to clear a path is indeed a method.

The soldier crouched low, said nothing, and hid in the reeds.

The more critical the moment, the more important it is for soldiers and officers to keep a clear head.

boom!
Suddenly, muffled noises came from the sky.

Liu Shiyi was experienced in combat and knew it was Japanese artillery as soon as he heard it.

Immediately put down the telescope and crouch as low as possible.

Artillery has no eyes, and no one can guarantee 100% that the shells will not accidentally hit this makeshift shack.

As soon as I got into position, I heard a series of explosions.

Although the reeds were more than one person tall, they were extremely fragile in the violent impact caused by the gunpowder explosion.

As soon as the shells landed, there was a burst of dazzling flames and billowing smoke.

Many soldiers hiding in the reeds were affected by the violent explosion and suffered heavy casualties.

The raised sand and mud fell down, and broken limbs could be seen everywhere in the muddy and soft soil.

But even so, the surviving soldiers did not lose morale or panic and fled out of the reed marsh in one go.

Instead, he clenched the rifle in his hand, continued to lie low and endured it silently.

There is only one belief in my heart.

"We will win!"

After a brief artillery bombardment, the Japanese infantry, who had been prepared, began to slowly cross the river.

Almost all of the brigade rushed forward at once.

A total of eight river crossing points were prepared along the long battle line, with a battalion of troops deployed at each.

At the same time, pressure was exerted on the west bank of Wohe River.

Rear command post.

Liu Shiyi put down the telescope and turned to look at the chief of staff: "Notify all troops immediately and prepare for battle!"

"Show up in echelons to stop the Japanese troops. No mistakes!"

The Chief of Staff nodded: "Understood!"

Liu Shiyi turned his head, picked up the telescope, and continued to focus his attention on the front line of the battlefield.

Inside the telescope, the Japanese soldiers moved swiftly and at an incredibly fast speed.

The first group of soldiers crossing the river have already boarded the boat.

In the Fifth War Zone, Li Zongren had always advocated a scorched earth policy. Influenced by him, Liu Shiyi plundered and destroyed civilian ships as much as possible during the transfer.

As a result, the 13th Division was able to collect very few civilian ships, and it was simply unrealistic to expect an entire brigade of troops to cross the river at the same time.

Only one squadron of troops can be transported to one crossing point at a time.

In the reed marsh, the soldiers who had been ambushed in advance and survived the attack slowly squatted down and gently pulled the bolts of their guns.

Bang!

Sparse sounds of metal collisions rang out among the reeds.

The Wo River is not wide and the water flow is relatively gentle.

The Japanese troops on board the ship successfully reached the north shore in just ten minutes.

After getting off the boat, the Japanese soldiers went on guard and searched the surrounding ruined reed marshes.

It is difficult for a squadron of soldiers to play a big role.

The first batch of soldiers were mostly used to clear the way and check for hidden dangers.

A Gui army soldier couldn't help it, raised his rifle and wanted to pull the trigger, but was stopped by an officer next to him.

"Wait a minute, the big fish hasn't taken the bait yet!"

The main force of the Japanese enemy has not yet crossed the river, and counterattacking at this time will only alert the enemy.

The brook gurgles.

The Japanese troops crossed the river in batches, and by the time the main force arrived, it had already become completely dark.

Looking at the Japanese army so close, the Gui army soldiers swallowed their saliva, and the atmosphere was extremely tense.

Snapped!
A Japanese soldier fired into the impenetrable reed marsh.

The next second, the tense atmosphere was instantly ignited, and dense gunshots like popping beans were heard from the originally peaceful reed marsh.

Light and heavy machine guns spewed flames and fired bullets crazily.

For a moment, the entire north bank of the Wohe River, along the battle line stretching for several kilometers, became lively.

The defenseless Japanese troops fell in large numbers under the dense hail of bullets, and the entire formation retreated rapidly like a frightened bird.

"Hit them hard! Don't let the devils get away!"

The Japanese soldiers reacted quickly. The infantry battalions quickly organized counterattacks and the artillery re-entered the battle.

Amid the billowing smoke, the Japanese attack advanced steadily.

The troops ambushed in the reed marsh consisted of only two brigades.

Faced with a Japanese brigade and under artillery bombardment, they could no longer hold on after a while.

The commander of the 135th Division, Su Zuxin, handed over the rear to the chief of staff and personally went to the front line to supervise the battle.

The command post was very close to the line of fire, only two or three hundred meters away.

"Artillery support! Where is our artillery!" Su Zuxin put down the telescope, turned around and shouted loudly.

The signalman nodded and quickly sent a telegram to the rear.

Drop drop drop!

The dense rain of gunfire completely drowned out the ticking sound of the telegraph. Only when you got very close could you barely hear someone sending a message.

One bad thing about the reed marshes is that they block the view of the commanders on both sides.

The battlefield was filled with smoke, and the Japanese artillery bombardment kicked up large amounts of dirt, making the already poor command visibility even worse.

In desperation, he could only command the battle through telegrams sent by various units.

"Sir! Some troops can't hold on!" A staff officer came running over.

Su Zuxin frowned, rolled up his sleeves subconsciously and glanced at the time.

The two sides have been fighting for twenty minutes.

Su Zuxin took the telegram and glanced it up and down.

My heart skipped a beat.

The above information is very simple, the situation is urgent, and the battle report is not the place to gossip about your wife.

[Our unit was attacked from the side by the Japanese army and suppressed by artillery fire. We are unable to put up an effective resistance. Please move to the rear of our position! ]

In fact, the strength of the two brigades was not enough to fill the several kilometers long battle line.

The battlefield is full of "gaps", and the so-called defense is nothing more than relying on a few support points to put up tenacious resistance.

"Report, urgent message from the front-line troops!" While Su Zuxin was hesitating, another staff officer came running over.

Three telegrams were delivered directly.

Four groups can no longer hold on.
Considering the current situation, the Japanese army's command is indeed brilliant.

By surrounding the support points without attacking them, follow-up troops can quickly penetrate deep into the enemy's territory through the "gaps".

Destroy the enemy's interior and supply lines in one fell swoop.

Since the Japanese army began to adopt infiltration tactics and wanted to win in one fell swoop, it means that they have taken the bait.

Now that the mission was completed, Su Zuxin had no intention of wasting time any more.

The front line is not the main battlefield, so there is no need to waste manpower here and fight to the death with the Japanese army.

"Notify all troops to pretend to be defeated and quickly move back along the predetermined route!"

Two staff officers: “Yes!”

The order is issued by the headquarters and passed down step by step.

The troops who received the order quickly withdrew from the main battlefield.

"Brothers! Retreat!"

"Quick! Throw away the heavy machine gun!"

Shouts were heard from the reed marsh, and the machine gunner stopped operating. The heavy machine gun, which had been spewing flames, immediately went silent.

"Retreat quickly and follow the order, it will be too late soon!" The loader grabbed a few bullets from the ammunition box and stuffed them into his pocket.

Every pocket of his shirt, pants and pants was stuffed full.

The machine gunner stroked the gun, feeling a little reluctant.

These weapons were bought with the hard-earned money of the people of Guangxi, and are still about 70% to 80% new. It is a bit of a pity to just leave them here.

The loader straightened his clothes and said hurriedly: "The troops are withdrawing, hurry up!"

The machine gunner followed immediately.

If you can't let go of your children, you can't trap the wolf.

Heavy machine guns are large and inconvenient to carry. Since we want to pretend to be fleeing soldiers, we have to pretend to be more realistic.

Who has ever seen a defeated soldier carrying a heavy machine gun and ammunition boxes while fleeing?
In the rear, the Japanese soldiers were already blood-thirsty.

Ever since the 25th Brigade received the order, it has been feeling frustrated.

While marching together with the 26th Division, they were constantly ridiculed by friendly forces because their brother unit, the th Brigade, suffered a defeat, the brigade commander was killed, and the entire unit was almost destroyed.

Although the 13th Division is a rebuilt division, its main force is based on the Sendai Division, and the soldiers are very proud.

How could they tolerate the "little noobs" like the 18th Division coming here to point fingers at them?

But the defeat was real, and the officers and soldiers of the 13th Division had no choice but to swallow their anger.

In my heart, I silently transferred my anger to the Chinese.

Unexpectedly, after arriving at the designated combat location, the division commander did not give the order to attack, and the entire army's anger urgently needed to be released.

After waiting for so long, I finally found the opportunity.

"Kill him!"

"The Chinese army is running away, chase them!"

"kill!"

The Japanese soldiers were like crazy. When they saw the "fleeing" Chinese soldiers, they shouted slogans as if they saw prey and rushed forward to divide the "trophies".

Some rational captains tried to stop the soldiers who were on the verge of losing control, but found that it was useless.

Not only that, he turned his head and looked behind him.

Even the military police in charge of supervising the battle had "red eyes" at this moment. They mixed in with the ordinary infantry and shouted "Long live!"

(End of this chapter)