Anti-Japanese War: I have unlimited assistance

The 1st Company of the 1st Battalion of the New 1st Regiment bombarded the northern city wall of Xinxian County for 30 minutes.

After the shelling stopped, Toranosuke Koshino and Hideo Miki quickly walked out of their bunker and looked towards the north city wall.

Their eyes widened suddenly, and both old Japanese soldiers showed expressions of disbelief and shock.

The thick northern city wall of Xinxian County was instantly reduced to sections of ruins.

The firing point, formed by blocking the thickened crenellations with bricks and stones, along with the Japanese soldiers behind it, was blown to dust.

The Japanese artillery and mountain guns inside the city walls were mostly blown to pieces.

They did not expect that the Eighth Route Army would actually use heavy howitzers comparable to the 240mm howitzers of the Locust Army.

Seeing the mountain artillery battalion commander running over dejectedly, Koshino Toranosuke asked in a deep voice, "How many 75mm mountain guns are left?"

"Reporting to the brigade commander," the artillery battalion commander replied, bowing his head. "Only four 75mm mountain guns remain."

"Baka!" Koshiki Toranosuke grabbed the artillery battalion commander by the collar and roared, "Weren't there 16 75mm mountain guns? How come there are only 4 left?"

原本第9旅团就有12门75山炮，补充了吉野联队后，一共就拥有16门75山炮。

Yoshio Shinotsuka was not the 9th Brigade and Yoshino Regiment who were sent to their deaths in Xinxian County.

His mission for the 9th Brigade and the Yoshino Regiment was to hold out in Xinxian County for half a month.

If these two forces can hold out for half a month, the defense of Taiyuan will be more solid, and the main force of the North China Front Army will be better prepared.

Moreover, the Eighth Route Army must have suffered considerable casualties as well.

Yesterday, the Eighth Route Army suffered more than 300 casualties and lost 2 tanks. Koshino Tomonosuke reported this to the First Army Headquarters five times over.

The 9th Brigade and Yoshino Regiment reported to the First Army Headquarters that they had annihilated more than 5 Eighth Route Army soldiers.

However, Koshino Toranosuke did know that the Eighth Route Army suffered at most 500 casualties, but the Yoshino Regiment and the 9th Brigade suffered more than 3000 casualties, and the number of casualties among the puppet troops exceeded 6000.

His record can only fool Yoshio Shinotsuka and Toshi Tada, but it can't fool himself.

The 16 75mm mountain guns were the only decent heavy firepower of the 9th Brigade and the Yoshino Regiment.

On the third day of the war, they had already lost more than half of their forces, and Koshino Konosuke was trembling with heartache.

In the previous two days of fighting, because of the limited ammunition, Koshino Toranosuke did not allow the mountain artillery battalion to fire more.

Koshiki Toranosuke angrily questioned, "Why didn't the Eighth Route Army pull the mountain guns out of their positions when they were firing?"

"Your Excellency, Brigade Commander," the mountain artillery battalion commander cried, "The Eighth Route Army's artillery fire was too powerful. Before the artillerymen could react, many of them were already stunned, and some even coughed up blood. There was no chance to pull the cannons out of the city wall."

Koshino Toranosuke slapped the mountain artillery battalion commander across the face: "Useless..."

“Brigade Commander,” Miki Hideo said with a grave expression, “if the Eighth Route Army uses heavy howitzers, our concrete fortifications outside the city may not be able to withstand the bombardment of the Eighth Route Army’s heavy howitzers.”

Koshino Toranosuke nodded. The 9th Brigade and Yoshino Regiment were able to hold Xinxian County thanks to these concrete fortifications and 16 75mm mountain guns.

Now, most of the 16 75mm mountain guns have been destroyed, and most of the concrete fortifications could not withstand the artillery fire from the Eighth Route Army.

Koshino Toranosuke's face was as black as the bottom of a pot: "Report the situation truthfully to the First Army Headquarters and request tactical guidance!"

Miki Hideo asked, "Should we order the locust army in the concrete fortifications outside the city to retreat into the city?"

"It's not the right time yet," said Koshino Toranosuke with a grim face. "The Eighth Route Army's heavy artillery may not be able to destroy the Locust Army's concrete bunkers and pillboxes. Send a telegram to headquarters first."

If we retreat into the city, and the Eighth Route Army surrounds us without attacking, but instead bypasses Xinxian County and attacks Taiyuan, then we will be in serious trouble.

Even if the Eighth Route Army launched an attack and entered urban warfare mode, the Eighth Route Army was equipped with submachine guns, had ample ammunition, and used grenades and flamethrowers to clear the way, so it was the Japanese army that suffered losses.

Unless absolutely necessary, Kosei Toranosuke doesn't want to switch to urban warfare mode, as that would be a real meat grinder.

Hideo Miki suddenly lowered his head: "Hi!"...

Soon, the 9th Brigade sent a telegram requesting tactical guidance to the First Army Headquarters.

However, after Yamamoto Ichiki left the First Army, the two old Japanese soldiers, Shinotsuka Yoshio and Mutaguchi Renya, simply couldn't come up with a way to defeat the enemy.

The other staff officers stammered and couldn't offer any solutions.

Yoshio Shinotsuka then forwarded the 9th Brigade's telegram requesting tactical guidance to the North China Area Army Headquarters.

Beiping.

North China Front Army Headquarters.

"What strategies do you gentlemen have to defeat the enemy?"

After reading the telegrams from the 9th and 108th Brigades requesting tactical guidance, Tada Shun's face turned ashen.

A few days ago, the Eighth Route Army used powerful incendiary bombs, which made the 9th Brigade and the 108th Brigade difficult to deal with.

They finally came up with a tactic to evade the Eighth Route Army's incendiary bombs.

Now the Eighth Route Army has deployed weapons comparable to the Japanese Type 4 and 5 240mm heavy howitzers.

That thing can destroy concrete fortifications!

Moreover, many of the Japanese army's concrete fortifications were severely lacking in steel, making them even less defensive.

At Niangziguan, not only were the concrete fortifications destroyed by the Eighth Route Army's heavy howitzers, but even the main fortifications, which were made of high-quality materials, could not withstand the bombardment of the heavy howitzers. The 2nd Infantry Battalion of the 108th Brigade suffered heavy casualties.

Kasahara Yukio, Hirata Masahira, and a group of staff officers fell into deep thought.

If they had air superiority, they could also send out aircraft to bomb the Eighth Route Army's heavy howitzers.

However, now, the Eighth Route Army is most likely equipped with radar, and its aircraft are powerful, so the aircraft of the 3rd Flight Division dare not enter the airspace over North China.

Even reconnaissance planes dare not.

Yamamoto Ichiki maintained a blank expression, his face showing no change whatsoever. The Eighth Route Army's acquisition of heavy howitzers was within his expectations.

However, he couldn't think of a good solution for the time being.

"Yamamoto-kun," Tada Shun looked at Yamamoto and asked in a deep voice, "Do you have a plan to defeat the enemy?"

“If the North China Area Army had reformed its tactics earlier and each unit had formed elite special forces,” Yamamoto Ichiki said expressionlessly, “we could have easily destroyed the Eighth Route Army’s heavy howitzers by simply sending out a special forces unit.”

Thinking of this, Yamamoto Ichiki couldn't help but sneer inwardly. That old bastard Sugimoto Sangen didn't agree to his suggestion to innovate tactics, and now the consequences are coming, aren't they?
We hope that General Takeda Isamu will provide the General Staff with suggestions on innovative tactics and weaponry, so that the entire National Army can quickly innovate its tactics and weaponry.

Tada Shun's expression shifted: "Yamamoto-kun, your special forces have already launched an attack, haven't they? Could you contact them and have them destroy the Eighth Route Army's heavy howitzers in Xinxian? If they succeed, I will establish special forces units in all units of the North China Area Army and innovate tactics."

"General," Yamamoto Ichiki bowed, "The special forces have indeed launched their attack, but their target is the Eighth Route Army radar station. They have maintained radio silence since the mission began, and I have been unable to contact them. Their radios will only be turned on after the attack begins, but I believe they will complete their mission!"

Yamamoto Ichiki always had a mysterious confidence in the special forces soldiers he trained, believing that they could take on a hundred men and were omnipotent.

Therefore, Yamamoto always spoke very arrogantly, and when he spoke, he would either behead the Soviet Far East Command or the bald-headed Chairman of the Nationalist Government.

A sneak attack on an Eighth Route Army radar station would be a piece of cake.

"Yoshi." Tada Shun nodded. "As long as the special forces can destroy the Eighth Route Army's radar station, the aircraft of the 3rd Flying Division can enter the airspace over North China, and then there will be a chance to destroy the Eighth Route Army's heavy howitzers."

"Order the 9th and 108th Brigades to defend Xinxian County and Niangziguan at all costs. The 3rd Flying Division will provide them with air support."

"Hi!" (End of Chapter)