The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 329 Breaking Through the City (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

At 2:50 p.m., outside Pingding County.

Hu Biao, Xiao Henan, Lao Ma, and Xiao Cui, the four time travelers, gathered together, each with an indescribable look of anxiety on their faces.

The reason they did this is simple: Hu Biao now holds a thick stack of telegrams in his hands.

One of them was several telegrams sent by the headquarters of our Party, which contained information about how various troops in the base areas had adopted numerous tactics, such as destroying roads and bridges, laying landmines, guerrilla warfare, and even ambushes.

However, the Japanese troops advanced very resolutely, showing a willingness to sacrifice casualties in order to fully reinforce Pingding County.

Each unit paid a considerable price, but could not hold off the Japanese reinforcements for long. It is hoped that the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment will pay attention to the pace of this battle to avoid being attacked from both sides.

The above statements from our Party are filled with concern and support for Hu Biao and his comrades.

The other part was sent by Yan Laoxi and the bald principal respectively.

First, they gave considerable affirmation to the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment's preparations for recapturing the county town and annihilating the Japanese Independent Mixed Ninth Brigade.

They said that the entire nation, both military and civilian, was eagerly awaiting news of their victory.

Secondly, aside from these verbal promises of free support, there was absolutely no other practical support, such as sending troops to tie down Japanese forces.

While reading these telegrams, Hu Biao and the other three even had a misconception:
Those were Yan Laoxi and the bald-headed principal. Those two cunning old devils couldn't wait for their Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment to suffer heavy losses against the Japanese in Pingding County.

The last part of the telegram was sent back by Zanana, Mr. Nanze, Lao Yu, Van Gogh, and others.

In their telegrams, they all indicated that the Japanese reinforcements were attacking with exceptional ferocity; therefore, given the serious inferiority in personnel quality, troop strength, and equipment, the blocking forces were currently suffering heavy casualties.

They fear they won't be able to hold out until dark, and hope Hu Biao will make preparations in advance.

It would be best to hurry and take down that damned Ping'an County.

Of the three different types of telegrams sent back, the first two were alright, but the last one made Hu Biao and the other three feel as if they were being cut by a knife after reading it.

Old Ma and Little Henan, the deputy battalion commanders of the special operations battalion and the first battalion, respectively, showed particularly strong reactions.

Although these blocking forces were only second- or third-line auxiliary units, a considerable portion of them were recruited and built up by the two of them.

We lived, trained, and fought together for quite some time.

They could even call out the names of many soldiers and knew some basic information about their personal lives and families.

Now, just thinking about these rookies struggling to hold on against the Japanese bombardment and superior forces, on the verge of being wiped out, makes me furious.

Of course! It's not that Hu Biao didn't want to launch an attack immediately and take Pingding County in one fell swoop.

After annihilating Fujioka Takekuma and the Independent Mixed 9th Brigade, the blocking forces could be withdrawn immediately, thus preserving some seeds.

The key issue is that it doesn't seem like the time is right yet.

The trenches dug towards the city walls outside the city were not being dug as quickly as they had initially anticipated.

The villagers who participated in the excavation must have done their best; however, the nearest moat to the city wall is still 120 meters away, and the furthest is 150 meters away.

Despite its seemingly unscrupulous design, this weapon has a maximum range of 300 meters.

But this thing doesn't have rifling, so accuracy is mostly a matter of luck.

Within 100 meters, the accuracy of this thing when launched is somewhat guaranteed; beyond that distance, the further away it is, the more unpredictable the accuracy becomes, and who knows where it will land.

Therefore, if an attack were launched now, Hu Biao was not certain whether the shells fired by the heartless cannon would land on the city wall and blast holes in it.

If they couldn't breach the city walls, wouldn't they have to carry ladders up the walls under the fierce firepower of the Japanese soldiers?

After all, the Japanese troops in the city still have nearly two thousand soldiers after Mina's plane bombed their artillery positions; if they can mobilize some wounded soldiers in an emergency, they can have several hundred more soldiers.

The scene of a fierce attack on a county town, and the potential casualties during the process, is enough to make one's scalp crawl just thinking about it.

But if we don't attack, and they keep dragging this out, Japanese reinforcements might break through the defenses at any time, turning this siege into a half-baked effort.

Finally, Hu Biao raised his wrist for the third time in a very short period of time.

Looking at the time, it was the same time he had gotten the watch from the corpse of the company commander in the recruit training camp during his first time travel.

Sitting to the side, Old Ma, who wore a black eye patch over one eye, looking like a one-eyed monster, finally couldn't hold back any longer and uttered a sentence that had been on his mind for a long time:

"Damn it! No, Commander Hu, let's take Pingding County immediately!"

Although Xiao Henan and Xiao Cui, who were standing to the side, did not say anything, their expressions showed that they also agreed with Lao Ma's suggestion, indicating that they could not wait any longer.

Under the expectant gazes of Xiao Cui, Lao Ma, and Xiao Henan, Hu Biao remained silent for about ten seconds.

Suddenly, he slammed his M35 helmet down hard, chipping off some paint, and yelled at the same time:

"When two armies meet on a narrow path, the brave one wins. So let's fight."

After shouting that, Hu Biao thought of something and added to Xiao Henan, "Why don't you stay here and take charge of logistics instead of fighting?"

Hu Biao's impromptu addition was definitely not meant to belittle Xiao Henan, this novice.

The glasses that Xiao Henan is currently wearing are DIY products made by twisting wire; and there is only one lens on the left eye, which is covered with fine cracks like a spider web.

To put it nicely, those eyes are full of wasteland vibes.

To put it bluntly, these days in Henan, you have to squint with one eye to see anything even a little further away.

To participate in the battle under such circumstances, to fight desperately against the ferocious Japanese devils, damn it! Isn't that a terrible sin?
Unexpectedly, faced with Hu Biao's kind offer, Xiao Henan became incredibly anxious and agitated, even blurting out his local dialect:
"You damn fool! How could you be so sure about the ball?"

The brothers are all working hard, what's wrong with you telling me to stay in the back and call out?

Besides, this attack doesn't have a main direction at all; it's a simultaneous all-out attack from all four walls. If I stay in the back, there are only three of you in total. Who will command the troops on the other wall?
"Either way, I'm going to die, so I'm going all in."

Seeing Xiao Henan's attitude, Hu Biao didn't object any further; after quickly giving instructions to the other three, the four of them headed off to different areas...

******
At 3 p.m. sharp, the villagers who were originally taking turns digging the trench were all forced to retreat through the long trench after receiving the latest order.

Throughout the entire process, Hu Biao saluted them with a straight military posture, saying "thank you" and "you've worked hard," which was the only thing he could do at the moment.

After all the villagers had left, Hu Biao crouched down and rushed into the trench, quickly moving forward along it.

At the same time, a large number of the main forces of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment also took the same action.

Among the crowd, several soldiers were dragging various items, such as wooden frames, wet cotton quilts, large oil drums, explosive packs, and even large stones weighing two or three hundred pounds.

At first glance, it contains all sorts of strange and unusual things.

Having witnessed this scene from afar, the Japanese commanders, including Fujioka Takekumura, on the city wall knew all too well that the enemy was finally about to launch an attack.

Amidst their shrill commands, one Japanese soldier after another raised their weapons behind the firing positions on the city wall.

However, due to the limited area of ​​Pingding County and the small space on the city walls, the number of Japanese soldiers currently deployed on the four city walls is only about four infantry companies, totaling more than 800 people.

In addition, there were 1,500 to 1,600 Japanese soldiers who were stationed in the city, ready to go up and provide support at any time.

On the other hand, numerous barricades were erected in the city, and firing positions were also set up on some high points, which can be regarded as preparations for street fighting after the city falls.

They adopted a stance of fighting to the bitter end and absolutely refusing to surrender.

As for why there are still so many Japanese soldiers waiting in the city? It's because the Japanese have organized all their wounded soldiers who are still capable of fighting...

At 3:15, the Subei Independent Regiment, having pre-positioned some heavy machine gun positions about 600-700 meters outside the city, suddenly raised their guns and opened fire on the walls of Pingding County without any warning.

The dense barrage of bullets sent brick fragments flying from the city walls.

The Japanese soldiers on the city wall, not to be outdone after being attacked, also began to fight back with heavy machine guns.

The other Japanese soldiers, armed with rifles, light machine guns, and grenade launchers, did not fire, but their attention was instinctively drawn to the heavy machine guns of the Subei Independent Regiment.

At that moment, some huge changes occurred.

First, outside Pingding County, empty cans or large wooden cup-like containers were thrown out from the dense trenches that resembled a spider web.

Upon landing, both the canned food boxes and the wooden cups immediately emitted large amounts of thick smoke.

Because of their sheer number, a thick cloud of smoke quickly formed a dozen meters away from the trenches, blocking the view of the Japanese soldiers on the city walls.

Even a fool could figure out that the Subei Independent Regiment was making a fuss over these strange plumes of smoke because they were planning something, or perhaps they were taking the opportunity to launch an attack.

In the first instance, the Japanese riflemen and light machine gunners didn't even need to be called upon.

They opened fire in the direction of the moat below the city, as they remembered it, attempting to kill their opponents hiding in the thick smoke. Unfortunately, they didn't realize that their frantic firing was having almost no effect.

Because after Hu Biao and many of his men rushed out of the trench, they did not immediately launch an attack.

Instead, they erected wooden frames about five or six meters away from the side of the trench, and then hung the wet cotton quilts on the wooden frames.

It was the kind of wooden frame that had at least two thick cotton quilts covering it.

In this case, even the Japanese Type 38 rifle, known for its penetrating power, might not be able to penetrate two layers of wet cotton quilts.

Hu Biao and the others, who were busy working from behind, were able to dig some sloping tunnels more safely.

It should be noted that not all of these sloping tunnels they were rushing to dig were actually used to place the Heartless Cannon.

The main reason was that the Subei Independent Regiment had only managed to obtain a limited number of empty oil drums during this period, and could only process a total of 87 unscrupulous cannons.

If the four walls are dispersed, the firepower density will be somewhat insufficient.

However, this problem is not a big deal and can be easily solved.

Based on our Party's experience in future wars with the bald-headed principal, even without oil drums, as long as we dig a slanted hole in the ground, we can still launch some lethal materials.

In addition to explosive charges, these lethal materials included wooden-handled grenades in sets of 40 and large stones weighing two to three hundred pounds each.

In short, in order to ensure that the salvo would be powerful enough, excluding cheap items like large rocks, Hu Biao and his men planned to use a total of 3.56 tons of explosives and 2600 wooden-handled grenades.

In a sense, this was also the reason why Zanana and her sniper units were short of wooden-handled grenades and explosive charges.

So hopefully, the power of this volley of shots won't disappoint Hu Biao and his men...

At 3:27, the thick smoke that had filled the trench had dissipated considerably, allowing the Japanese soldiers on the city wall to see the wooden frames that had been erected and the wet cotton quilts on them.

And in the back, there were those people who were subtly moving about.

Even though these Japanese soldiers had basically never suffered from the wrath of the unscrupulous cannons, they knew that what Hu Biao and the others were busy with was definitely not a good thing.

Instinctively, they immediately fired at the wooden frames and quilts.

After a burst of fire, they discovered that most of the bullets they found could not penetrate the quilt, and even if they managed to penetrate it, it would not have much impact on the people behind them.

Seeing this, the Japanese soldiers, despite their fear, actually became quite clever.

One by one, they shouted at the top of their lungs, "Grenade launcher!"

And believe it or not! With the indirect firepower of the grenade launcher, it was actually able to bypass those obstructing wooden frames and quilts and attack the opponents busy behind them.

But by this point, it was all too late.

Hu Biao glanced around and saw that, thanks to everyone's efforts, dozens of groups of people outside the eastern city wall were all ready to fire the "Heartless Cannon."

It is likely that the personnel responsible for the other three city walls were also prepared at this time.

He muttered to himself, "Thank goodness these Japanese devils didn't think to tie the city's residents to the walls, otherwise it would be really difficult to do anything now."

After muttering to himself, he drew a DIY flare gun from his waist and pulled the trigger.

Immediately, a signal flare shot into the air, reaching a height of 300 meters before exploding with a bang, spreading a cloud of red powder that could be seen from a great distance.

This signal flare was, of course, the signal for the attacking troops to begin firing in unison.

The next second, a number of people lit the fuses of the propellant.

Then, with the combined efforts of several people, they kicked and pushed over the wooden frame to prevent it from obstructing the trajectory of the launched explosive charges, grenades, and stones.

After doing all this, they lay face down on the ground with their hands over their heads, waiting for a crazy air bombing to begin.

The waiting time was short, at most ten seconds, before countless loud explosions rang out.

The propellant, consisting of five kilograms of black powder pellets, exploded, propelling various explosive devices rapidly forward.

The noise was so loud that even those lying nearby who covered their ears felt a buzzing in their heads.

However, when those 20-kilogram explosive packs were launched, along with bundles of 40 wooden-handled grenades, were also thrown out.

Even the latest model of the "Heartless Cannon," which is a type of cannon that contains 100 kilograms of explosives and is launched along with the can, exploded one after another.

That explosion was truly enormous, a deafening roar as if the sky had collapsed and the earth had cracked open.

Of course! Whether the explosion was loud or not is actually irrelevant. The key is where it landed and whether it caused a terrifying blow to the Japanese soldiers on the city wall.

The most crucial question is whether they can blast a hole in the city wall so that they can rush in.
Therefore, before the terrifying shockwave and flying debris from the explosion had completely subsided, Hu Biao, who was lying on the ground, looked towards the city wall.

Then he realized he couldn't see anything at all, because the area in front of the city walls was filled with smoke and dust...

At 3:33, after the smoke and dust had dissipated somewhat, Hu Biao, who could see the situation on the other side of the city wall, was overjoyed.

The effect of this salvo was much better than he had expected.

The city walls were covered with traces of explosions, and the sandbag fortifications were in disarray. There was no sign of any Japanese soldiers.

Even more impressively, three breaches were blasted into the eastern city wall, presumably the result of those latest, unscrupulous cannons with 100-kilogram explosive charges.

"Brothers, charge!" Hu Biao shouted, then grabbed his submachine gun and led the charge.

The 1,200 to 1,300 soldiers behind them also shouted and charged forward.

By the time Hu Biao had charged thirty or forty meters, the shouts of battle that resounded from all four directions outside Pingding County were already soaring into the sky.

Only then did he see a few Japanese soldiers standing up on the city wall; they were swaying and looked dazed.

It seems that the explosions just now have almost completely wiped out the Japanese defenders on the city wall.

Unfortunately, Fujioka Takeoma was lucky; he was only knocked over in the explosion and wasn't killed outright.

Even so, the moment this guy got up, driven by his survival instinct, he ran down the city wall and towards a barricade in the city.

He ran while coughing up large amounts of blood, his eyes filled with profound despair...

(End of this chapter)