Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 136 Operation Night

3 month 2 day.

The First Red Flag Corps.

Taking advantage of the cover of night and Chu Yunfei's troops, Zhang Hu led his troops across the Yishui River again and attacked the Japanese army from the flank.

Rustling——

croak——

The evening breeze blew across the ground, making a rustling sound.

Zhang Hu touched the pistol pouch on his waist and pondered in his heart.

"Guards! Give me the map!"

Two guards stepped forward swiftly and worked together to unfold a detailed map.

Zhang Hu held up a lantern and squinted his eyes to barely make out the sign on it.

Wu Guangsheng squatted aside and said: "14 kilometers is a bit far!"

"How should we fight this battle?"

Zhang Hu looked solemn and nodded.

Judging from the map information provided by Wang Feng, the Japanese set up an iron formation. If they wanted to reach the heavy artillery position, they had to pass through several areas where the Japanese troops were densely active.

Zhang Hu looked back at the soldiers and said in a deep voice, "Old Wu, you lead the fourth and fifth battalions to wait here to deal with any unexpected events."

Wu Guangsheng nodded.

The operation is extremely dangerous, and we definitely cannot send the entire corps forward.

Zhang Hu turned his head and looked at the officers beside him: "The first team will lead the attack, and the second and third teams will provide cover on both sides."

"Once the Japanese army attacks, the covering troops will hold them back while the main force continues to move forward!"

Officers: “Understood!”

Zhang Hu clenched his fists and breathed a sigh of relief: "Alright, everyone take your positions, and we'll start the action in fifteen minutes!"

Everyone said in unison: "Yes!"

Although the task was arduous, there was no fear in the officers' eyes.

Even some are ready to make some moves.

Penetrating deep behind enemy lines is the specialty of the First Red Flag Corps.

Rear corps command post.

Wang Feng observed every move of his subordinate troops from a bird's-eye view.

I was also sweating in my heart.

The paper data that Zhang Hu saw from the map was not accurate enough, but he saw it clearly.

Okamura Yasuji deployed about three battalions of troops around the heavy artillery position. Two kilometers to the east was a regiment command post.

It is no exaggeration to say that as soon as the gunshots rang out, at least five thousand Japanese troops would swarm in within half an hour.

The 1st Red Flag Corps had only 5,000 people in total.

Fighting in the enemy's hinterland, asymmetric combat
Take advantage of the negative effects!

Wang Feng paced in the command post.

In order to ensure the normal implementation of subsequent plans, the super-large-caliber heavy artillery position must be destroyed, but he was also reluctant to give up this force that he had trained himself.

Wang Feng walked to the table and picked up the phone: "Hello! Linyi City Defense Force!"

After a busy tone.

A voice came from the other end of the phone: "Commander Wang! This is Pang Bingxun!"

Wang Feng had no time for polite conversation and went straight to the point: "General Pang, I would like to ask you for a favor. Immediately send troops to launch a feint attack on the Japanese troops in the north of Linyi City!"

On the phone, Pang Bingxun smiled and said, "Commander Wang, you are too polite. I will give the order right away, but this feint attack must have a limit."

Wang Feng said fiercely: "When will I call you again? Then you can withdraw your troops!"

On the other side, Pang Bingxun hesitated for a moment, then immediately responded, "No problem! In our Third Corps, not a single soldier is a cowardly bastard!"

After hanging up the phone, Wang Feng frowned.

The best way to ensure the success of the operation is to lure away the Japanese troops and reduce the pressure on the 1st Red Flag Corps.

It is indeed unfair to the Third Legion to do this, but there is no other way.

The 59th and 51st Armies were in a concealed state. Once their targets were exposed, all their previous efforts would be wasted.

It was already very difficult for the First Reserve Corps to maintain its position under the Japanese artillery attack, and if it wanted to launch a counterattack, it would probably have little effect.

Moreover, the location of the position was very close to the crossing point of the 1st Red Flag Corps. If we were not careful, we might end up making things worse and miss out on important matters.

After all the calculations, the only one that can be used is the Third Legion.

But I didn’t expect that Pang Bingxun would give me so much face.

The two legions were of the same level, and theoretically he had no real command power. However, since the army arrived in Linyi, Pang Bingxun almost became his subordinate.

Just follow his lead.

Xu Zuyi also let it go.

Perhaps this is what is called - a person's reputation is like the shadow of a tree!
The Huaibei victory was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and his personal prestige almost reached its peak. No matter where he went, local military and political leaders would give him some face.

After giving the deployment order, Wang Feng felt uneasy and a little guilty. He picked up the microphone again and said, "We need heavy artillery!"

"Hello! Is this Zheng Zhenzhong?"

On the other end of the phone, a strong voice said, "Sir, it's me!"

Wang Feng: "I now order your troops to launch a long-range fire attack on the enemy forces north of Linyi City. Fire quickly!"

"You'll keep hitting me until I tell you to stop! Do you hear me?"

Zheng Zhenzhong responded: "Yes! I understand!"

Wang Feng nodded: "Okay, let's show the Japanese tonight that our Chinese army is not incapable of firing artillery shells!"

Snapped!
After giving the order, he hung up the phone.

Changzhi No. 105 Ammunition Factory is already mass-producing mm artillery shells, although the production capacity is limited.

About fifteen are produced per day.

But this is a good sign. The First Machine Tool Factory is working overtime, and a new artillery shell production line is shipped out of the warehouse almost every week.

It's just the current situation.

In a few days, the national policy of "introducing foreign production technology" will officially take effect, and large quantities of European equipment will arrive in Changzhi.

I'm afraid the speed of increasing production capacity will be as fast as riding a rocket.

It won’t be a problem at all to reach a daily production of 100 pieces within three months.

With the support of the army behind him, Wang Feng became much more generous.

If it were any other domestic military, they probably wouldn’t be able to be so generous.

Feeling that something was still not right, Wang Feng called the supply station near Linyi and asked it to allocate some guns and ammunition to the Third Corps.

It can be considered as doing my best.

After half an hour.

23:21
Second Division Command Post.

Okamura Neiji's sweet dream was disturbed when Asai Goro hurried in and said, "Sir, the enemy suddenly launched an attack in the direction of Linyi City."

"The combat intention is still unclear. Should we order the troops to resist?"

Okamura Neiji frowned: "How many enemy troops are involved in the attack?"

Asai Goro bowed and said, "About 3,000 people, but with a large number of heavy artillery to cover them, the offensive is extremely fierce."

Okamura Neiji was undecided.

Three thousand people. Why is it so few?
Is it a feint to attract fire?

Okamura Neiji: "Are there any unusual movements in other directions?"

Asai Goro shook his head: "No troops have reported any abnormal situation yet."

Okamura Neiji frowned even more tightly, feeling that something was wrong.

There were more than 50,000 Chinese troops stationed in Linyi.

What was the purpose of launching an offensive with 3,000 men?

Is it just to resolve the threat outside Linyi City?
Okamura Neiji: "The 29th Regiment arrived yesterday. Send them to defend. Also, order the 30th Regiment to search the flank battlefield!"

An attack by 3,000 men could probably be dealt with by dispatching a regiment.

The position outside Linyi City is the bridgehead for the attack to the south, and he doesn't want to give it up so easily.

Asai Goro nodded: "Ha!"

Okamura Neiji asked, "Where is the 10th Division?"

Asai Goro straightened up: "As reported half an hour ago, the 39th Regiment is less than kilometers away from Teng County and is expected to arrive at the battlefield tomorrow afternoon."

Finally hearing some good news, Okamura Neiji's brows relaxed: "Yoshi!"

"Notify all troops to make preparations for war in advance!"

The 39th Regiment's supply district is in Himeji, and like the 4th Regiment, they are the most elite troops in their respective divisions.

Okamura Yasuji: "The 22nd Chinese Army, from Sichuan, is the weakest of all armies and cannot withstand a single blow!"

"When friendly forces arrive tomorrow, our troops will launch an attack simultaneously with them!" As early as the period of warlords' infighting, he had come to China as a military adviser and was well aware of the strength of each faction.

He never even looked at the 22nd Army Group.

An army that is not even equipped with the most basic rifles still wants to resist the attack of the imperial army.

Simply ridiculous!
Asai Goro also smiled.

The newly formed First Corps before us is an extreme case in the Chinese army. The gap between advanced industrial countries and backward agricultural countries cannot be bridged by a single victory.

After leaving the command post, Goro Asai quickly passed on the order.

At this time, the staff officer in charge of intelligence sent an investigation report.

It was sent by a spy lurking around Linyi.

Asai Goro took it with great interest. He also wanted to know what the enemy was doing.

His eyes moved, scanning the text above.

Asai Goro's originally frowned brows gradually relaxed.

"well!"

"Well done, here you go!" Asai Goro took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and handed it over.

The staff officer was overjoyed and took it with both hands, bending over.

Although the Japanese army's supply system was very complete, the soldiers on the front line had no shortage of cigarettes.

But can the cigarettes given by the Chief of Staff personally be the same as ordinary cigarettes?
After getting the information, he turned around and walked back to the command post.

Looking at Asai Goro who had left less than two minutes ago, Okamura Neiji was a little surprised: "What?"

"Have you discovered the movement of the enemy's main force?"

Asai Goro smiled and shook his head, then handed over the report in his hand: "Sir, I just received news that the enemy's command post is deployed on the west side of Linyi. According to my speculation, they are likely to launch a large-scale raid on the west side!"

Okamura Neiji frowned, took the report and glanced at it, then hurried to the map and held his eyes: "I see!"

"I have been wondering why the enemy army would deploy another troop to the west of Yishui when the main force had already arrived."

"Tonight's attack is nothing more than a sleight of hand by the Chinese army, attempting to mislead us into setting up defenses in Linyi."

"Tomorrow morning, immediately adjust the focus of defense!"

With the accurate information in hand, Okamura Neiji became much bolder.

If the command post that was discovered was fake, then the large-scale purchase of fodder and the large number of barracks must be real.

Asai Goro smiled and said, "Ha!"

"If the attack goes well, we can have breakfast in Linyi City the day after tomorrow!"

Okamura Neiji was relieved, with his hands behind his back: "No point in talking any more, go get ready!"

3 month 3 day.

2:21
Behind the hillside.

Zhang Hu poked his head out slightly, turned around and looked around, muttering, "This is really strange. How come we haven't seen a single Japanese soldier in sight even after walking all this way?"

He muttered to himself as he looked down at the map.

“Isn’t this the wrong way?”

Captain E Yi adjusted the brim of his hat and said, "Sir, we didn't run into the devils. Isn't that a good thing?"

Zhang Hu glanced at him and said unhappily, "What do you know?"

"Although the route we took didn't pass through the enemy camp, we would definitely encounter patrols. It's impossible for us to get here so easily."

E Yi scratched his head and said, "Maybe the commander has given us some support."

Zhang Hu frowned and lowered his voice: "Signalman! Turn on the radio!"

Seeing that the target heavy artillery position was less than two kilometers away, at such a close distance, he could even hear the obvious sound of artillery fire.

boom--

After a while, the signalman came running over: "Sir, the headquarters sent a telegram, the Third Army launched an attack on the front, covering our actions."

"Our superiors want us to move quickly and withdraw from the battlefield before daybreak!"

I asked the signalman to turn on the radio just now just because I was hoping for a lucky break, but I didn't expect that he actually received clear instructions.

After the telegraph wave is sent, it stays in the air for a very short time.

Zhang Hu dispelled his worries, took out his pistol, and waved his hand: "Move forward in secret!"

Rustling——

The further we went, the clearer the rumbling of the artillery became.

"Who is it!" A Japanese soldier standing guard on the periphery noticed the unusual movement and immediately raised his gun, aiming at the lush grass ahead.

The wild environment is complex, with grass almost as tall as the Japanese soldiers. There are all kinds of small animals in it, and they like to move around at night, often making strange noises.

But this time the sound was indeed unusually loud.

After realizing that something was wrong, the Japanese soldier made a gesture to the sentry and symbolically fired two shots into the bushes.

Da da da--

Suddenly, dense bullets flew out, shooting the only Japanese soldier in sight into a sieve.

Zhang Hu was the first to stand up straight: "Second Battalion, Third Battalion, provide cover from the outside, First Battalion, grab the explosive packs and follow me!"

"quick!"

Countless figures emerged from the bushes, instantly alarming all the surrounding Japanese guard posts.

The First Tactical Battalion (battalion-level organization) rushed forward in a skirmish formation, and with dense rapid-fire firepower, it instantly suppressed the scattered Japanese troops who wanted to resist.

As an elite force, the First Battalion was equipped with all domestically produced Type 24 rifles.

Zhang Hu mixed in the charge formation and calmly observed the surrounding situation.

He looked down at his watch.

2:56
At this moment, it is about one kilometer away from the target heavy artillery position.

Zhang Hu: "Quickly eliminate the remaining enemies and charge forward!"

The dense gunfire, like popping beans, instantly suppressed the roar of Japanese artillery.

The Japanese troops on guard in the surrounding area quickly gathered towards the place where the gunshots were heard.

"Hurry! Stop wasting time!"

"Don't clean up the battlefield yet, keep moving forward!"

They had just walked less than 300 meters when they were intercepted by the Japanese defense line.

E Yi held a rifle and walked in the hail of bullets.

"Grenade launcher! Grenade launcher!"

"Blow up that firing point for me!"

Rustling——

There were shadows swaying around the bushes, and looking around, the Japanese soldiers were gathering more and more.

The second and third brigades on the two wings responded immediately and created a "corridor" like an iron wall.

Under concentrated firepower, the Japanese defense line collapsed completely in an instant.

A large team continues to move forward!

Eight hundred meters.
Six hundred meters.
Four hundred meters.
Zhang Hu squinted his eyes and looked up into the distance.

Under the moonlight, the dark and thick gun barrel pointed obliquely to the sky.

You don't even need to look at the caliber, just by looking at the size, you can tell that this cannon is definitely not ordinary.

The Japanese artillerymen picked up their guns and hid behind bunkers in an attempt to resist.

But with just a dozen people, they could not withstand the attack of thousands of people.

Zhang Hu walked to the artillery, and without taking a closer look, he immediately turned around and shouted, "Everyone retreat! Bring the explosives! Bring them here!"

Although they successfully advanced to the target position, the gunfire on both sides became more and more frequent.

Large numbers of Japanese troops are gathering here.

After everyone retreated to a safe distance.

The explosive packs placed next to the gun barrel and breech block were ignited.

Green smoke rose up again and again.

boom--

Zhang Hu placed more than ten explosive packs on the two cannons.

The moment the explosion sounded, a heat wave hit me in the face.

More than a dozen explosive packs, along with artillery shells, exploded with such force that the area within a radius of 300 meters was completely reduced to scorched earth.

The two ferocious cannons were engulfed in flames in an instant.

After the smoke cleared, there was no trace of the artillery positions around.

A pungent smell rushed straight into the nose.

Zhang Hu coughed and said, "Damn it, how much gunpowder is needed to make it smell so pungent!"

(End of this chapter)