Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 117: No Coward Under an Iron Helmet

The Japanese soldiers were struggling to run in the mud, and the only calm officers left were caught up in the crowd and could only charge forward blindly.

"Kill him!"

"For His Majesty the Emperor!"

The Japanese soldiers who rushed up saw the light and heavy machine guns and sporadic rifles scattered on the ground, and their hearts became more excited as if they had been injected with hormones.

The Chinese army is very poor!

They are reluctant to discard their weapons until the critical moment!
rear.

25th Brigade Command Post.

There were frequent telegram exchanges between subordinate departments, and the radio stations of the brigade headquarters were extremely busy.

L!

Signal soldiers travel between the tents.

The entire brigade staff gathered together for a military meeting.

The fact that his troops launched an all-out attack without receiving orders did not cause any disturbance in the rear.

Even everyone thinks it should be so.

Brigade Commander Kawasaki Taiga stood in front of the observation hole, his eyes never leaving the telescope, observing the battlefield situation at all times, his heart ready to fight. The emotions that had been pent up in the entire army for many days were finally released at this moment.

"Sir, do you want to report the situation to the division headquarters?" A staff officer asked weakly, unsure.

After all, this was not a trivial matter. Before crossing the river, Ogisu Rippei repeatedly ordered that one must be cautious when launching an attack and that everything must be reported. Only after the division staff had made a decision could the next step be taken.

Kawasaki Taiga hesitated slightly: "No, the general will see it!"

The division headquarters was located no more than 500 meters to the rear, and its level of observation of the battlefield was no less than that of the front-line brigade command post.

Moreover, the situation is very good now. The Chinese army has been defeated. It is time to win the victory in one fell swoop.

If a bucket of cold water is poured on them at this moment, it will be a huge loss to the morale of the army.

When the matter was done, the division commander was forced to accept the "glory" of the victory.

Kawasaki Taiga's words made many staff officers slowly put their minds at ease. If they did not report in the face of battle, it would be a violation of military discipline at the most serious level, and they might even be brought to a military court.

Now that the brigade commander is leading the way, there are tall people to hold up the sky if it falls. Even if they are held accountable later, they will not be the first to be held responsible.

So, several staff officers behind Kawasaki Taiga began to murmur.

"The Chinese army voluntarily discarded so many weapons, so there must have been heavy casualties!"

"well!"

"Report to Your Excellency, I suggest speeding up the pursuit of the troops on both sides to expand the results of the battle!"

"Sir, I think we should be more cautious. The Chinese army retreated here a day ago. Why did they only build such a simple defensive position?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the command post fell silent.

The staff officers who had been shouting the loudest reacted and retorted with red faces:

"We pursued them all the way, and the Chinese army was forced to retreat here. How could they have planned to build an excellent and ingenious position?"

"Besides, the ground here is muddy and slippery."

Several strong voices came over.

Kawasaki Taiga frowned and was silent for a moment. He said, "Order all troops to continue the attack. The 116th Regiment will withdraw half of its troops and keep them on guard!"

At the critical moment, the staff officer's words woke him up in time.

It does make some sense.

Such crude fortifications, relying only on natural vegetation for cover, may seem smart, but in fact they are extremely stupid.

If it were any other time, he would have sneered.

But after several days of pursuit, Kawasaki Daiya was able to keenly observe that the enemy's commander was indeed not a good-for-nothing.

I wouldn’t say it’s very smart, but at least it’s around the average level.

When I was in military school, my instructor once said this.

"If the enemy you are facing suddenly shows a decline in command level, do not underestimate the enemy, this may be a trap!"

Seeing the brigade commander's final verdict, several staff officers stopped arguing and bowed slightly in unison: "Ha!"

31st Army.

The army chief of staff put down his binoculars, turned his head sharply, and said in a hurried tone: "Sir, the Japanese troops have stopped attacking in two places!"

Liu Shiyi walked to the observation hole without any hurry and took the telescope: "Where is it?"

Following the direction of the military chief of staff's finger, Liu Shiyi gently moved his fingers to adjust the magnification.

Because the distance is too far, even if the magnification is adjusted to the maximum, it is still a bit blurry.

But he was not watching just one person, but the movement of thousands of people.

If you look carefully, it is very obvious whether it is moving or stopped.

Moreover, although it was night, in order to gain a better view, the Japanese army withdrew some artillery and frequently fired flares towards the north bank of Wohe River.

The dazzling light streaked across the night sky, as bright as day.

Liu Shiyi frowned and made a prompt decision: "Extend the encirclement on both sides to include these two Japanese troops!"

"Execute immediately, without any mistakes!"

The Japanese troops in other places were still approaching and were about to enter the predetermined ambush circle.

The Chief of Staff saluted: "Yes!"

The orders were passed down level by level.

Although there were some minor incidents, the situation is still under control.

With thirty thousand men surrounding a few thousand men, no matter how you look at it, the battle has developed to this point, even if the Japanese commander on the opposite side has opened his eyes, he will be powerless to turn the tide.

front.

Su Zuxin led the soldiers who pretended to be defeated, jumped into the trench, and immediately dispersed in all directions.

The specific location of the minefield has been delegated to platoon-level officers, which can avoid accidental injuries to the greatest extent possible.

Thousands of landmines were prepared as midnight snacks for the Japanese. If our own people ate them, wouldn't that be against the "code of hospitality"?
Su Zuxin turned her head and heard a burst of chattering sounds behind her, which made her feel disgusted.

"Kill him!"

"Onboard!"

"Sir, what should we do?" someone asked.

Everyone kept moving, talking as they went along, deeper into the position.

A flare exploded in the night sky, with a sudden burst of light that was blinding.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Su Zuxin staggered up to a high ground. His military boots were covered with a lot of wet and soft mud, and the shape of the shoes could no longer be seen.

"telescope!"

The adjutant at the side immediately handed it over.

Inside the lens barrel.

Under the bright white light, Japanese soldiers in shit-yellow uniforms surged up in droves under the cover of artillery fire.

All the Japanese soldiers within sight have entered their designated positions.

It’s only a hundred steps away from the minefield.

it's time!

Su Zuxin took out the signal gun from his waist, counted the time in his mind, squatted down, hid in the grass, and looked around the battlefield calmly.

The gun cannot be fired too early, the battle line is long, and even with the help of a telescope, it is impossible to observe everything with the naked eye.

Even in the rear command post, many observation points have been set up in different places. Only after the information is gathered together can the overall picture of the battlefield be seen.

But in this case, there is often a certain lag in information.

In order not to delay the opportunity, the important task of issuing the order for the general attack fell on Su Zuxin's shoulders.

According to the news received from the rear command post ten minutes ago, the Japanese troops in various locations are advancing at full speed, and the advancement of the front line is basically synchronized, with not much difference between different units.

Even the Japanese troops on the edges of the two wings advanced even faster.

The riflemen were seriously out of touch with the machine gunners behind them.

Feeling that the time was almost up, Su Zuxin pulled the trigger suddenly.

Whoosh!
A scarlet flare shot straight into the sky.

The soldiers lying in ambush on both wings were on high alert, waiting for the clear order to encircle the enemy.

The flare rose higher and higher in the air, and almost the moment it was fired, the soldiers on both sides responded immediately and rushed out from the reeds.

"Brothers! Charge! Kill the Japs!" "Damn it, kill all the Japs!"

"We will win!"

The first to be attacked were the Japanese troops on both sides.

The deafening shouts of killing startled the Japanese soldiers who were charging at full speed. They stopped and looked around.

boom!
A Japanese soldier had no time to stop and due to inertia he trotted forward two steps, accidentally triggering a landmine that had been buried long ago.

There was a sudden explosion, and in the sky-high flames and smoke, the Japanese soldiers standing on it were instantly turned into a pool of rotten meat.

Most of the mines used by the 31st Army were purchased from Europe and the United States, with a small number produced domestically, and a mixture of fragmentation and impact types.

But no matter which one it is, it is a fatal blow to the infantry.

Once you step on it, there is basically no way to survive.

"Retreat! Counterattack!"

"idiot!"

The panicked Japanese army quickly gathered their troops and jumped into the temporary positions they had built, intending to fight to the last.

boom!
next second.

The explosions, like those of popping beans, came one after another. The frightened Japanese soldiers stood there in a daze, unable to move forward or backward.

In order to cope with this battle, the 31st Army emptied out all its resources.

Thousands of mines were gathered and evenly buried deep in the trenches.

The ambush troops were not idle while waiting for the Japanese army. They had a clear understanding of the situation in the nearby minefield, and the troops advanced in platoons and dispersed.

Although in terms of infantry tactics, the 31st Army was far behind the Japanese Army.

Only before the Anti-Japanese War, due to frequent fighting among warlords, officers at all levels had extremely rich combat experience.

Not to mention how profound his tactical attainments are.

But he can command dozens or hundreds of his men and know where there are mines and where there are not.

That's enough.

Under the leadership of the company and platoon leaders, accidental injuries rarely occur in various units.

Da da da!
Light and heavy machine guns fired bullets crazily, and a dense rain of bullets fell on the Japanese army.

"Defense!"

"Counterattack! Counterattack quickly!"

Because they entered an unknown minefield, the Japanese army did not know the exact location of the mines and did not dare to jump into the trenches rashly.

They could only lie still and fight desperately.

Due to the lack of effective cover, there were heavy casualties in a short period of time.

"Machine Heavy! Machine Heavy!"

"Signalman! Signalman!"

The Japanese officer, who was blinded by victory, reacted and shouted loudly.

But apart from the sound of gunfire, there was no response at all.

The riflemen advanced too quickly and were far away from the main force, so they received no support at all.

"idiot!"

"Dead Chinese soldiers!"

The Japanese officer looked around and kept cursing.

I am surrounded!

There were countless Chinese soldiers within sight.

"Breakout!"

"Quick! Break out quickly!" the Japanese officer shouted hastily.

But things didn't go as he wished.

According to Liu Shiyi's pre-war deployment.

One division lures the enemy in the front, one division ambushes on both sides, and the other division is ready to provide cover.

Once the Japanese army entered the encirclement, the signal flare sounded.

With the strength of a division, they advanced on both sides and split the Japanese army into two.

He knows very well how to play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses.

In terms of the strength of both sides, the 31st Army probably only has an advantage in numbers.

In that case, let’s take it to the extreme!

Such a large force was deployed in such a small area of only a dozen square kilometers.

The effect is very obvious.

It is enough to create an overwhelming advantage in military strength.

The shooting distance between the two sides was only a few dozen meters.

If a charge was launched, the two armies would be in close combat in less than half a minute.

The high-density battlefield forced the Japanese artillery to become completely ineffective.

On the battlefield where the gap in troop strength was large enough, the elite advantage of the Japanese soldiers was completely wiped out.

The first Japanese troops to be attacked.

It was necessary to use a battalion of no more than a thousand soldiers to resist the attack of half a full-strength division without any air or artillery support.

It’s nothing short of a fantasy!
As more troops got involved, the intensity of the battle gradually escalated.

"Platoon leader! Look over there!" A soldier held up the Czech helmet on his head and pointed at the Japanese position opposite.

"Are the Japanese reinforcements coming?"

The platoon leader narrowed his eyes, leaned his head out slightly, and looked in the direction the soldier pointed.

The two sides were very close to each other, and the Japanese reinforcements could be clearly seen through the gaps between the figures.

"Damn you bastard! You're here so fast!"

"Platoon leader, what should we do now?"

The platoon leader spat, "Brothers! Put on your bayonets!"

"Go ahead and chop the son of a bitch off!"

"Everyone, be careful. The trench behind the Japanese is full of mines we buried!"

"If anyone jumps in and gets killed in the explosion, don't come looking for me down there!"

"Did you hear that?"

As the soldiers attached their bayonets, they shouted in unison: "Fuck him!"

"Don't worry, platoon leader, you won't die!"

"Come on!"

"kill!"

Seeing that his soldiers were ready, the platoon leader took the lead and was the first to jump out of the trench.

There were very few Japanese soldiers on the opposite side, only two squads of more than twenty people.

Facing a platoon's charge, he moved calmly and without any fear in his eyes.

Hand-to-hand combat, like night raids, was the Japanese army's forte.

In this regard, even when facing an enemy force that is two or three times their number, they have the courage to fight to the death.

"Onboard!"

Type A divisions are not only well-equipped, but also have extremely strict training requirements for their soldiers.

The first thing that comes to mind is willpower.

Under the bright light of flares, the battlefield atmosphere was rendered to the extreme. Explosions occurred from time to time in the positions, and dense bullets flew past their ears, but the Japanese soldiers showed no fear at all.

Like a war machine brainwashed by Bushido.

Soon they came into close combat.

It wasn't just this platoon, the entire battlefield was like this, as if they had suddenly entered the era of cold weapons, and both sides wanted to rely on bloody hand-to-hand combat to narrow the gap with the enemy.

The battle became increasingly chaotic, with white knives coming in and red knives coming out, blood splattering on the ground and mixing with the accumulated rain water.

(End of this chapter)