Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 47 Type Howitzer
The smoke on the high ground dissipated, and each unit only left some lightly wounded soldiers to clean up the battlefield, while the rest of the soldiers all moved to other positions.

A force of several thousand people can extend its position to a depth of at least ten kilometers in a war.

Segmented garrison is the most basic requirement; it is impossible for all to be crowded together.

The 686th Regiment went to support the 685th Regiment.

Chu Yunfei's troops temporarily withdrew from the battlefield due to heavy casualties.

The 358th Regiment was originally an elite reinforced regiment of more than people. After the three parties met on the high ground, only more than a thousand people were left.

The loss rate is as high as four-fifths.

Inside the command post.

Zhao Fangyuan stood beside Wang Feng and said, "Sir, the 8th Independent Brigade and the 3rd Brigade have already joined the battle."

"We are now clearing out the remaining Japanese invaders!"

Wang Feng nodded slightly after hearing this.

The 8th Independent Brigade and the 3rd Independent Brigade arrived late.

The main position of the Japanese army had been captured. The flag of the 1st Brigade was planted at the highest point, fluttering in the wind, as if declaring sovereignty.

The spoils were divided up.

Not to mention eating meat, even drinking soup is difficult.

As soon as the 686th and 358th Regiments left, almost all the extra spoils fell into the pockets of the Temporary st Brigade.

Despite having the upper hand, the two independent brigades were no match for Wang Feng.

"How is Kong Zhiyong's operation going?"

Until now, he is still thinking about those large-caliber howitzers.

Kong Zhiyong has already arrived with the reserve forces, and Liu Zhijian's Second Regiment will also quickly provide support after capturing other high-value strongholds.

The two forces together had more than a thousand people.

Right now the Japanese army is leaderless and fighting on their own, so it shouldn't be a problem to capture this artillery position.

Large-caliber howitzer!
In the Asian battlefield where weapons and equipment were extremely backward, the 75mm caliber artillery was already considered the main force of conventional artillery.

Not to mention larger caliber howitzers.

Wang Feng turned his head and said, "Fang Yuan, lead a company of soldiers and rush to Kong Zhiyong's troops."

"Be sure to bring the cannon back to me!"

Previously, the 1st Temporary Brigade had captured several Japanese trucks, which could be used as tractors.

If that doesn't work, requisition a group of mules and horses.

Regardless of whether it can be used or not, the right thing to do is to do your best to get all the valuable materials into your hands as soon as possible.

Zhao Fangyuan realized the seriousness of the matter and immediately agreed: "Yes!"

It's approaching dusk.

Many wars have come to an end, and Wang Feng's tense nerves that had been tense for many days have finally relaxed. Switching back and forth between two perspectives for a long time is also a great test for his spirit.

After handing over a series of complicated and tedious tasks to Song Wenjie, he fell asleep alone on the wooden table.

When I opened my eyes again, it was dark outside.

In order to prevent retaliatory bombing by the Japanese army, the command post was set up in a hidden place.

The guard on duty at the door learned that his superior was resting inside, so he became extremely alert and glanced around sharply.

Be alert to any disturbance that may occur at any time.

Guard: "Sir!"

As soon as Wang Feng walked outside, he saw Zhang Hu coming towards him in a hurry.

"Sir, we've got the cannon back for you!"

Zhang Hu did not rest for the whole day. His hair was messy, large stains of solidified blood were stuck to his scalp, and his military uniform was torn and tattered.

His face was even more horrible to look at, with dust and dried blood mixed together, covering most of his cheeks.

He looks just like a devil.

This is a battlefield, and no one is in a good condition. But Zhang Hu is a little too embarrassed.

Under the guidance of everyone, Wang Feng came to an open space.

Four dark green cannons were lined up in a row, with their thick barrels pointing obliquely towards the sky.

The soldier on duty nearby almost put his eyes close to the cannon and kept stealing glances in the direction of the cannon.

This is a rare item.

Many soldiers only knew that cannons were powerful and could kill a large number of people with one shot.

But until he died on the battlefield, he never saw what a cannon looked like.

Wang Feng walked around and looked it up and down several times.

Zhang Hu was very excited: "Sir, how is it?"

"Four cannons, intact!"

"Speaking of which, why is this cannon so big?"

Wang Feng was in a rare good mood, and patiently explained: "If I'm not mistaken, this should be the Japanese Type 91 howitzer."

"The caliber is 105mm, and it is mainly equipped in elite combat units at the brigade level and above, serving as suppressive firepower."

"We really got a bargain this time."

He glanced at the ammunition boxes piled up nearby and roughly estimated that there should be about a hundred shells left.

It’s not a lot, but it’s enough.

Although the Japanese Army's combat system was derived from Europe, it also underwent certain modifications based on its own national conditions.

Due to the scarcity of domestic resources, the number of large-caliber artillery was drastically reduced.

In the Army's combat system, artillery is only responsible for suppressing a single weak point on the enemy's position.

The real core is still individual weapons.

For example, grenade launchers, Type 38 rifles, etc.

Zhao Fangyuan frowned and asked, "Sir, what should we do with these four cannons?"

Before Wang Feng could say anything, Zhang Hu shouted, "Of course we keep it for ourselves!"

"How many of our brothers died in this battle? I went to inquire about it. Commander Yan gave the 358th Regiment several times more logistical supplies than we did!"

"The battle is over, so what's wrong with keeping a few cannons?"

Zhao Fangyuan nodded secretly. The entire brigade was united as one, and there were no cronies sent by Old Man Yan to Xi'an.

"These four cannons are spoils of war won with the blood of our brothers. They must not be stolen by others!"

The generals around him raised their arms and shouted: "Yes, absolutely not!"

"Don't mess with this officer or that officer! No one else can do anything except our brigade commander!"

The loud shouts infected many people, and the soldiers on duty with guns not far away also joined in, raising their rifles and shouting a few times.

It was dark and visibility was low.

In order to see the surrounding environment clearly, the soldiers lit a large fire in the open space.

The shell box was far away and within safe range.

Everyone gathered around Wang Feng, the faint reddish light of the fire shone on everyone's faces. They all looked at Wang Feng with determined eyes and shouted slogans loudly.

The cannon must never be handed over!
After a moment, Wang Feng made a gesture for silence.

"We'll keep these four cannons for ourselves!"

"When you return to your respective units, collect statistics and the brigade will form an artillery squad of 200 men, selecting the best ones."

Of course this cannon cannot be surrendered.

As the saying goes, in troubled times, the barrel of the gun is the hard truth.

Only when you become strong can you get others to sit down and talk with you calmly.

The truth is only within the range of the cannon!

(End of this chapter)