The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 377 The Results of the First Electronic Warfare Operation (Two-in-One Chapter)

The actions of Lao San and Annie were essentially an electronic warfare operation, the first of its kind for the Subei Independent Regiment, and not particularly sophisticated.

Yet, in this rather unsophisticated electronic warfare, they achieved astonishing results.

Besides easily recapturing their lost positions, they also achieved some other victories, though Hu Biao and his men had no way of knowing about them for the time being...

The sky is about to fall! This is what happened after the 13th Air Group, which had just replenished its fuel and ammunition, began a frenzied bombing and strafing attack on the hilltop on the left flank.

This is the most genuine feeling in the heart of Japanese Major General Kawamoto Shichi.

As Hu Biao had predicted, this guy wasn't satisfied with just capturing the left flank hill.

Under his orders, the artillery units began moving ammunition and installing fuses, while the infantry knocked down a "marching pill," making all the necessary preparations for the attack.

The original plan was to have the artillery units open fire immediately after the planes arrived.

After a fierce bombardment and artillery barrage, a large battalion of troops broke through and continued their attack on the right flank hilltop and main position.

Even the lowest objective in our minds was to take down the hill on the right flank.

What happened? Those crazed pilots launched a frenzied bombing raid on the hilltops on the left flank where their own troops were stationed, with an intensity even greater than in previous battles.

In a very short time, the left flank hilltop became a hellish scene, and heaven knows how staggering the losses were.

In his anxiety and frustration, he couldn't even wait for his adjutant to relay the order; he turned around and personally rushed towards the communications station, which was fifty or sixty meters away.

Because they were concerned about minimizing losses, they all ran at speeds they had when they first enlisted.

After rushing to the communications office, he didn't care that he was panting from the intense running; his heart felt like it was about to jump out of his chest.

He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Quickly, tell the guys in the 13th Flight Group to stop immediately, they've bombed the wrong place!"

Perhaps due to excessive emotion, Kawamoto Nana's voice cracked at the end of his shout.

However, the next second, a communications soldier, looking like he was about to cry, hurriedly replied:
"General, I don't know what's going on, we've been trying to contact the 13th Flight Group, but we haven't received any response at all."

Upon hearing this, Chuan Yuanqi felt a sudden, inexplicable sharp pain in his chest, along with chest tightness and difficulty breathing.

His vision went black for a moment, and he almost fainted.

After calming down a bit, he yelled at the group of signalmen, "Keep making contact. If you can't get in touch with them in five minutes, you can expect to be sent down to the front lines and take up rifles to attack the hilltop."

Five minutes passed quickly.

Despite the interference from the equipment DIY-made by Lao San and Bo Shu, those poor Japanese signalmen exhausted all means but still failed to contact their own air force.

Fortunately, at this point, whether or not we can get in touch is no longer that important.

Under the leadership of Colonel Hashimoto, who had ulterior motives, all 31 aircraft ran out of ammunition in a short period of time.

Afterwards, they circled briefly around the hill on the left flank, observing the brilliant results they had achieved, before heading straight back.

Perhaps they mistook the stomping and cursing of the many Japanese soldiers from the Fifth Regiment on the hillside as cheers for themselves.

As Hashimoto Sugi left, she gave a flamboyant flap of her wings.

After clearly seeing the flapping of the wings, Chuan Yuanqi felt a stronger throbbing pain in his heart than before, along with difficulty breathing and chest tightness, making it difficult for him to even stand up.

It took him a full half minute to feel a little better.

Sensing something was wrong, he was about to call out to his adjutant, whose attention had been drawn to the left wing of the hill, to quickly summon the army doctor.

But it seems that God has finally opened his eyes today! At this critical moment, a new situation on the left wing of the mountain attracted Chuan Yuanqi's attention.

That was when Old Ma and Little Henan led their men up the mountain with almost no resistance.

Immediately, Lao Ma spotted a Japanese flag that, despite the bombing, hadn't been completely destroyed and was still flying on the position.

Are you kidding me?! Can you tolerate this?

He immediately rushed forward, ripped off the Japanese flag, threw it on the ground like trash, and spat a mouthful of bloody saliva onto it.

He roared, "Blind man, raise the flag!"

In fact, he didn't even need to say anything more. Xiao Henan, who had also seen the scene, had already come running over, carrying a "death flag" of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment.

Once the flagpole was planted on the position and the flag was swung, the flag of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment immediately fluttered in the wind.

This fluttering flag signifies that the position has once again returned to their hands.

This signifies the enormous price the Japanese had paid; the position they had just captured was lost again before they could even warm it up.

This scene dealt the most fatal blow to Chuan Yuanqi.

He felt like he couldn't breathe, and his heart was clenching as if being cut by a knife. Finally, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground completely.

By this time, his condition was finally discovered by others.

He rushed over, shouting in terror, "Medic! Medic! Come quick! Something's happened to the General!"

Ten minutes later, a Japanese military doctor lowered the stethoscope hanging around his neck and, with an expression and tone as if his father had just died, spoke to the group of Japanese officers surrounding him:

"Lord Chuanyuan Qi has died. He must have died from a sudden acute heart attack."

Upon hearing this, the Japanese officers of the 11th Infantry Regiment around them looked at each other, their hearts filled with indescribable bewilderment.

They didn't know whether their brigade commander had died in battle or from illness.

I don’t know whether the planned attack should continue, or what to do next.
Finally, everyone's eyes turned to the highest-ranking officer present, Colonel Koichiro Nagano, commander of the 11th Infantry Regiment.

(Previous information was incorrect; the unit that participated in the battle at Gaofeng Pass was the 11th Regiment, not the 9th Regiment. This is hereby corrected.)

To be honest, the reason why Nagano Koichiro was able to become a colonel and regimental commander was that his level was clearly much higher than that of the surrounding Japanese officers.

After a moment's thought, he seemed to have a good idea in mind.

Then, amidst the expectant gazes of his subordinates, he calmly and loudly proclaimed, "Immediately send a telegram to Division Commander Imamura Hitoshi, reporting the entire situation and requesting operational guidance."

To put it bluntly, this guy also didn't know what to do, so he asked his superiors, the Japanese, for instructions.

Then, with Nagano Koichiro's decision, the original attack plan naturally came to nothing...

Three hours later, when it was completely dark, the villagers from the surrounding area delivered various kinds of food to the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment on Gaofeng Pass.

In Nanning, a city only twenty or thirty kilometers away from here as the crow flies.

Commander Hitoshi Imamura of the 5th Division, speaking kindly and reassuringly to Koichiro Nagano, who had just returned after being notified by telegram:

“Nagano-kun, I know that the death of General Kawamoto Shichi and the lack of progress in the attack on Gaofeng Pass for many days cannot be blamed on you.”

Therefore, I recommend you, Commander-in-Chief Ando Rikichi, to temporarily assume the position of acting commander of the 9th Brigade.

Upon hearing this, Nagano Koichiro was so moved that he almost cried.

The main opponent was Hu Biao and the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment. Besides their terrifying fighting spirit, they also had a variety of tricks and methods.

They could even hack into their own radio communication channels, deceiving the air force into bombing their own positions.

This kind of outrageous tactic was something they had never encountered before, let alone heard of, making it utterly impossible to defend against. To blame Nagano Koichiro for the huge losses they suffered as a result would be incredibly unfair.

Before he could express his loyalty, Imamura Hitoshi's expression turned extremely serious, and he began to give him instructions:

"However, Nagano-kun, you must know that this position as acting brigade commander is not only an opportunity for you, but also a crisis."

According to intelligence, a large number of Nationalist troops, led by the Fifth Army, are currently rushing towards Nanning City, and the main force should arrive in about four days.

The Fifth Army was the only mechanized unit in the National Revolutionary Army. It had fought against the Empire many times and was very powerful.

Once their main force arrives, our army will have to devote a lot of energy to dealing with them. Before our reinforcements arrive, we will not have enough troops or equipment to continue supporting your offensive at Gaofeng Pass.

Therefore, you must capture Peak Pass within four days.

"If we succeed in taking it, I guarantee I will ask Commander Ando Rikichi to officially appoint you as the commander of the 9th Brigade; if we fail, then prepare to go to the reserve forces."

With a "Hai!", Nagano Koichiro gritted his teeth and accepted the order, mainly because at this point, he had no more conditions to negotiate.

With his acceptance of the order, the battle at Gaofeng Pass would enter its final, frenzied phase over the next four days.

Before bidding farewell and returning to the military camp at the foot of Gaofeng Pass that very night, Nagano Koichiro, as if struck by a thought, suddenly asked Imamura Hitoshi a question:
"Your Excellency, what punishment will Colonel Hashimoto Sugi of the 13th Air Group receive?"

Upon hearing this, Imamura Hitoshi said helplessly, "Nagano-kun, I know you are angry. In fact, I also want to shoot that idiot."

Although the Army Aviation Corps is under the command of our Army, it is relatively independent; the intrusion and interference of radio communications is essentially a technical issue.

So Colonel Hashimoto was only reprimanded and grounded for a month.

Faced with this result, Nagano Koichiro felt increasingly frustrated and could only leave in a hurry.

Nagano Koichiro, who had returned to the foot of Gaofeng Pass overnight to prepare for an attack early the next morning, was unaware that Hashimoto Sugi, the Japanese Air Force Colonel, was in an equally terrible mood.

Especially when she thought back to how she had secretly longed to go on a date with that 'Ms. Mina' back then.

And they bombarded the audience with such fervor, as if they were on steroids, that they felt like a huge joke.

So at this moment, he was in Nanning, in a Japanese officers' club that had only been established a few days ago, drinking sake in large gulps.

Unfortunately, this guy has a very low alcohol tolerance, and he was already quite drunk in no time.

At that moment, the conversation of several army officers at the next table, or rather, a single word, caught Hashimoto Sugi's attention.

A major, already somewhat drunk, spoke to a colleague:
"Kuroki-kun, I heard that your wife Mina back in Hiroshima just gave birth to a healthy son; this is wonderful news, you must have a few more drinks tonight."

Upon hearing this, the lieutenant colonel, who was called Kuroki-kun, immediately showed indescribable joy on his face.

Unfortunately, before he could properly show off to his colleagues how healthy and adorable his son was, as described in his wife's letter, his son was not yet ready to be born.

Hashimoto Sugi, now filled with endless resentment towards the name 'Mina', has erupted as if his tail had been stepped on.

He suddenly stood up from his seat, his eyes bloodshot, and began cursing at the people at the next table:

"All women named Mina are sluts and whores; and a healthy son? You've been fighting all this time, who knows how long it's been since you went back, who knows whose bastard he is, hahaha..."

Hashimoto Sugi's laughter was interrupted at the very beginning.

His vicious and piercing words enraged the army officers at the next table, especially Lieutenant Colonel Kuroki, after considering certain possibilities.

Before Hashimoto Sugi even chuckled twice, he had already stepped forward and given the other person a stun gun.

Enraged by the beating, Hashimoto Sugi immediately engaged in a fight with Lieutenant Colonel Kuroki. Soon after, several of Kuroki's colleagues joined the fray, turning the fight into a one-sided brawl.

The staff at the officers' club remained unusually calm in the face of what they were witnessing.

Aside from sending someone to notify the military police, everyone else just watched from a distance, showing no intention of even trying to break up the fight.

The main issue was that among the Japanese soldiers, it was commonplace for officers to beat soldiers, and it was also not uncommon for officers to fight each other, especially when both sides had been drinking.

They've seen this situation many times before, and they know that both sides are aware of the situation and won't go all out.

However, when the military police arrived and pulled Lieutenant Colonel Kuroki and the others away, they found that the unfortunate Hashimoto Sugi was already dead.

Lieutenant Colonel Kuroki and his men were clearly aware of their intentions when they attacked. Although their fists and feet rained down like raindrops, they were all aimed at non-lethal areas.

Hashimoto Sugi's luck is just too bad today.

A section of floorboard had come loose at some point, revealing a long, rusty nail, but the Japanese soldiers cleaning the area didn't notice it.

As he was knocked down by a punch, a nail pierced his temple, killing him instantly...

******
Two days later, around 12 p.m. on December 3, on the main battlefield of Gaofeng Pass.

"Damn it! Why isn't it raining yet? God, hurry up and do it!" AT cursed as he looked up at the billowing black smoke overhead.

By this time, he had lost count of how many times he had looked up that day and how many times he had uttered such a curse.

After finishing his rant, AT, holding a pull-out light machine gun whose barrel had just been replaced by the assistant gunner, began firing with exceptional skill.

A group of Japanese soldiers who rushed from the 11 o'clock direction to within 20 meters of the position were shot down, and the first two were knocked down.

They then firmly suppressed the advance of the remaining five or six Japanese soldiers.

According to the previous division of labor, the task of defending the front-line position was actually handled by Black Star, along with the three newbies, Lao San, Lao K, and Da Shou; Hu Biao and AT, among others, were to serve as the reserve team.

But everything changed starting yesterday morning.

The Japanese Fifth Division under Yamashita, unlike in the previous days when they only deployed limited forces to attack, began to become somewhat willing to pay any price.

Under such overwhelming offensive pressure, there was quickly no longer any talk of reserves on the front lines.

Almost all the combat personnel were now deployed to the two hilltops on the left and right, as well as the front line of the main position, and the two sides began a desperate battle.

Even when fires were lit and black smoke rose, the heavy machine guns were used for anti-aircraft defense without interruption, but the threat posed by the Japanese air force was still very great.

All the transmigrators who saw the gloomy sky early in the morning were eagerly hoping that it would rain soon, and that it would rain heavily.

Because the Japanese aircraft of that era, including the more advanced Zero fighter, were not designed with special protective measures against heavy rain.

Aircraft engines are typically open-type, and rainwater entering the engine can cause malfunctions.

When it rains heavily, it means the Japanese planes will stop flying, eliminating a huge threat.

Unfortunately, the heavy rain has yet to arrive; on the contrary, the position is about to be breached, making the situation even more critical.

...In defensive battles in the field, we always hope for rain, and the heavier the rain, the better.

Even if we do a good job of drainage in the fortifications, the trenches will soon become a muddy mess in heavy rain; if it goes on for a while, the trenches will be filled with rainwater and look like a muddy pond.

We were soaked to the bone, and the cold air seeped into our bones as we fought our battles.

If left untreated for too long, it can lead to trench foot; at first glance it may not seem like a serious problem, but in severe cases both feet can rot and even require amputation.

Even so, we still constantly hoped for rain, a heavy rain, so that at least the Japanese planes wouldn't appear in the rain...

...Excerpt from Hu Biao's diary collection "Hu Shuo"...

(End of this chapter)