The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 423 Steam Roller Tactics (Two-in-One Chapter)

At 3 p.m., Hu Biao, Hei Xing, and AT, who were in different areas and each leading and commanding a commando team, fired a signal flare into the air.

Three signal flares shot into the sky with a piercing whistle and exploded suddenly in mid-air.

It immediately attracted the attention of all 58,000 people from both China and Japan in the entire Dadong Township Basin.

Then, the people on both sides reacted after a maximum of one second of stunned silence, and each made some different responses.

This marked the start of the most important and crucial battle in the Battle of Guinan.

On the Nationalist side, the moment they saw the signal flare, the artillery commanders on the artillery positions instinctively shouted "Fire!"

They shouted it out with such force, as if they were trying to vent all the frustration and anger in their hearts.

For example, in order to avoid being discovered by Japanese planes in the past few days, they could only hide in the dense forest like rats, and when they were hungry they could only gnaw on dry rations, and their mouths had long since become so bland.

There were so many mosquitoes while I was sleeping, they were almost enough to carry me away, and that was the least of my worries. Spicy snacks would also crawl all over me all the time.

However, what angered them the most was that the 18th Division had committed countless atrocities in Nanjing, Guangzhou, and many other parts of China, and it was time to pay the price.

These blood-stained bastards must die here today.

Upon receiving such an order, mountain guns, field guns, howitzers, and mortars on multiple artillery positions immediately entered their fastest firing mode.

Because the rate of fire was so fast, the barrel and cannon quickly became scorching hot.

When the loaders accidentally touched the gun barrel with their arms while loading shells, they were immediately burned with many large and small blisters.

But it was as if their arms weren't their own; they continued to load and fire shells at top speed.

They used this method to express all their anger, revenge, and punishment towards the Japanese.

Just as Hu Biao had previously instructed the communications company to issue orders to all participating troops: once the artillery fire begins, it is time for the entire army to launch an attack.

Now the general offensive against the Japanese has officially begun, amidst the loud roar of engines and the sound of horses' hooves.

The assault team, led by Hu Biao, Annie, Lao Ma, and the thug, charged out from the southwest.

The assault team, led by Hei Xing, Mo Shuiyan, Lao K, and the warehouse manager, charged out from the northeast.

The assault team, led by AT, Xiao Henan, Shouwei, and Xiao Cui, charged out from the southeast.

Three assault teams, totaling more than 4,000 men, charged towards the Japanese 18th Division, which was only a few miles away, like three sharp knives.

They all had only one thought in their minds: forward, ever forward, as long as they lived.

Meanwhile, the remaining troops of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment, along with various units of the Central Army and the Guangxi Army, totaling more than 32,000 men, broke out from different hidden areas in regiments.

Of these troops, apart from three regiments, approximately 4,600 men rushed towards the small basin where Dadong Township is located, the entrance and exit points in the north, south, and east directions.

We prepared to block these three passes, cutting off any escape route for the Japanese soldiers.

The remaining 27,000 men roared battle cries and charged towards the 18th Division from all directions.

However, compared to assault troops aided by tracks, wheels, and horse legs, they were slower as they relied entirely on their own two legs to run.

Of course! It won't be much slower.

Amidst the deafening battle cries and boundless rage against the Japanese invaders, these infantrymen felt as if they possessed inexhaustible strength, their legs moving at breakneck speed...

On the Japanese side, after seeing three signal flares suddenly rise, a signal that the Nationalist army was finally about to launch an attack, they realized that the Japanese were about to succeed.

Division Commander Seiichi Kuno breathed a long sigh of relief, and his mental state immediately improved.

The reason for this was twofold. On the one hand, the inexplicable sense of danger in his heart grew stronger and stronger over time, to the point that it made him quite apprehensive.

I had a feeling that the Nationalist troops lying in ambush nearby were about to launch an attack at any moment.

However, he found it difficult to bring up the reason why the troops should halt their advance.

This kind of mental pressure caused the Japanese lieutenant general, Kuno Seiichi, considerable pain; but now that the attack had finally arrived, he felt an inexplicable sense of relief.

After all, the worst has already happened, how much worse can it get?

On the other hand, after the three signal flares were launched, the officers and soldiers under his command did not need to say anything more; they had already made some excellent responses according to the pre-established emergency plan.

The marching column, stretching for three kilometers, immediately came to a halt.

Apart from the two squadrons at the front and rear, they immediately found and constructed natural obstacles on the spot to serve as defensive positions.

The long line in the middle, with an astonishing number of people, took off running at top speed, rushing down the dirt road and heading further away.

Their actions were not only to avoid the shells that were now falling wildly onto the road with a piercing shriek, but also to reduce casualties among their own personnel.

Another crucial function is to occupy some high ground on both sides of the road.

And relying on these high grounds as key points, a defensive line can be built in the shortest possible time.

To be honest, some of the Japanese soldiers in the 18th Division truly lived up to their reputation as elite troops with combat capabilities comparable to Class A divisions.

At this moment, the overall reaction capabilities of the officers and soldiers, as well as their morale and individual skills, were indeed quite impressive and remarkable.

However, on the other hand, in order to divert the Japanese reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft, enough time was gained for the artillery units to be deployed and mobilized.

Hu Biao staked the last bit of the Nationalist Air Force's resources on it, as if he were making a desperate gamble.

They were sent to launch a surprise attack on the Japanese fleet in Beihai Port, a mission with a near-certain death.

Therefore, with cannons now firing at full power, how could the Japanese possibly evade them with such petty tricks?

The Nationalist artillerymen, who had already calculated the firing parameters and clearly assigned their respective areas of responsibility, opened fire with all their might.

The shells they were directing seemed to have eyes, landing precisely on the dirt road and the surrounding area.

In the chaos, the Japanese soldiers managed to escape down the dirt road and trample through the fields to reach a more distant place, mostly avoiding the damage from the artillery shells.

However, the tanks, trucks and wagons carrying supplies, and artillery being towed by the 18th Division were simply not capable of doing that.

As the incoming shells rained down, they were either overturned or directly hit.

In particular, the trucks carrying ammunition were hit by artillery shells and immediately exploded violently, the power of which destroyed all the surrounding Japanese soldiers and equipment.

This means that in the first three minutes of the Nationalist army's artillery bombardment...

The 18th Division's ammunition reserves, tanks, artillery, and other heavy equipment carried during the march were almost entirely destroyed.

After three minutes of shelling, the Nationalist army's shelling paused briefly.

However, that wasn't a good thing for the Japanese either.

The artillerymen simply readjusted the angle and direction of their guns according to the pre-arranged battle plan, and began firing at some hills and other high ground on both sides of the dirt road.

Therefore, many Japanese infantrymen had to carry their heavy Type 92 machine guns with great difficulty as they climbed up some hills and other high ground by the roadside.

The heavy machine gun has just been set up, ready to serve as the core firepower point for defense.

A shell came hurtling towards them, landing before they could react.

The heavy machine gun was blown to pieces, and the machine gun team members were thrown into the air like toy dolls, dying before they even hit the ground.

The coordinates of these mounds had been calculated by the artillerymen in advance.

In short, in the artillery barrage that Hu Biao and his men had carefully prepared, the Japanese 18th Division did not suffer too great a loss in terms of manpower, with only a little over a thousand casualties.

For the 14,000-plus men who were fighting before the war, it was nothing.

However, the loss of heavy equipment and ammunition reserves in the team was a very serious matter.

When Lieutenant General Seiichi Kuno, who had hastily whipped his warhorse and fled to the back of a hill, saw all the losses he had suffered, he almost fainted.

"Damn it! Did they concentrate all the artillery and shells from the entire Guinan battlefield here? Are they planning to use them all against our 18th Brigade and wipe us all out?"

Amidst the constant explosions of massive packages and the screams of his men, Kuno Seiichi felt a deep sense of despair, realizing he was filled with utter regret.

He regretted not speaking up when the naval aircraft carriers withdrew just over two hours earlier.

Even though he knew perfectly well that this situation might be a conspiracy by the enemy, he still stubbornly led the 18th Division into this damned basin.

He regretted that just over ten minutes earlier, when he had a premonition that a huge crisis was about to strike, he had not immediately ordered the army to stop advancing and evacuate to the surrounding areas to dig and build shelters.

If that were the case, how could the 18th Division's ammunition reserves and heavy equipment have suffered such heavy losses?

If there were a pill to undo regrets in this world, even Lieutenant General Seiichi Kuno would probably be willing to spend everything to buy one.

However, the crucial question arises: is there a pill to undo regrets in this world? No.

Even the less-than-serious "regret pill," the kind used for sexual intercourse, wasn't developed until 34 years later.

Not to mention the proper regret pill that can turn back time, which Kuno Seiichi can buy.

Therefore, it was destined that this Japanese lieutenant general would be unable to undo his previous wrong decisions...

******
Unfortunately, at 3:05:12 PM, the highly effective shelling ceased.

There was no other way! Even before this battle, Hu Biao and his men had repeatedly made requests to Commander Bai and even the bald-headed principal to replenish their artillery shells of various calibers.

Commander Bai and the bald-headed principal also did their best to supplement them.

However, the railway in Guangxi Province currently only extends to the Liuzhou area, which is 300 to 400 kilometers away from Dadong Township, so transportation can only be carried out by road.

Given the terrible road conditions these days, the trucks have a meager carrying capacity.

There were also issues such as the need to conceal their movements during the day when transporting goods by truck to avoid being detected by the Japanese air force.

Anyway, before the war started, the artillery units' ammunition reserves were not enough to last five minutes, but the remaining amount was really not much, and they needed to be used in some critical areas.

At that moment, in his endless despair, Seiichi Kuno suddenly looked up in disbelief; then, a look of ecstatic joy, as if he had survived a catastrophe, appeared on his face.

He felt that the whistling sound of incoming artillery shells in the air seemed to have decreased considerably.

At first, I couldn't believe it, but when I saw that the number of shells falling was decreasing and it was about to completely subside.

Seiichi Kuno finally realized what was happening:
Thank goodness, the Nationalist army's artillery is out of shells! At least the Nationalist army's shells are severely insufficient, and they can no longer use the deadly saturation bombardment they used before.

With that in mind, given the remaining strength of the 18th Division commander, defeating the opponent was no longer an option.

However, holding out for a day or two should definitely not be a problem.

In reality, they didn't need to hold out for that long at all.

If we can hold on for just one more hour, the large crater on the runway of Weizhou Island Airport should be filled in again, and the planes will be able to take off.

After all, it's not a concrete track; repairing an earthen track is much simpler.

With the support of those aircraft, the 18th Division will be able to retreat slowly.

Once they withdraw from this basin and hold that pass, they can return to Beihai Port to rest, boost morale, replenish equipment and ammunition, and even manpower.

Then we'll fight those damned Nationalist soldiers again and regain our face.

He refused to believe that, as long as they didn't suffer such an ambush again, the mighty 18th Division was no match for the National Revolutionary Army.

As for the fate of the Fifth Division in Nanning and the remnants of the Taiwanese Mixed Brigade, he couldn't care less; the heavens would protect them.

With a feeling of elation as if they had survived a disaster, and seeing large plumes of smoke and dust rising from several directions, they quickly approached this place.

It should be a situation where the Nationalist army's attacking forces are about to charge up.

For the first time since the shelling, Kuno Seiichi finally issued an order:

"Quickly, quickly, quickly! Organize a defensive line immediately. Anyone who can pick up a gun, go up and organize a defensive line. We must hold off their attack."

Trust me, our air support will arrive in at most an hour.

After the voice fell, many Japanese officers and veterans also shouted out the same order, so that every Japanese soldier on the battlefield could hear it.

In this order, it was clear that an astonishing number of Nationalist troops were charging from all directions, and the Japanese soldiers on the scene were all unleashing their inherent ruthlessness.

Or perhaps, it was the Japanese soldiers' bestial, savage nature that erupted.

In a very short time, they formed a tortoise-shaped formation in the township office and surrounding areas of Dadong Township, which was about three kilometers long, one kilometer wide, and covered a total area of ​​three square kilometers.

That's right! It's a defensive position like a tortoise formation.

Even though the Japanese had suffered huge losses in terms of ammunition reserves and heavy equipment, the amount of ammunition each Japanese soldier carried was still enough for them to hold out for a long time.

In addition, the Japanese troops of the 18th Division now have about 13,000 men left.

With so many troops concentrated in a mere three square kilometers of territory, it's beyond description as simply a dense and abundant force; it's as impenetrable as an iron barrel or a tortoise formation.

So the key to this battle has developed into this situation.

Within an hour, before the Japanese air force arrives, can Hu Biao and his men break through the Japanese tortoise formation and completely entangle themselves with them?

This left the Japanese air force helpless, too afraid of friendly fire to launch ground attacks, and even less able to cover the escape of Japanese tanks...

"This piece of junk is as slow as a donkey." Sitting in the driver's seat of the T-26 tank, Annie grumbled in frustration.

Nothing special! This is a Russian-made tank with a small interior space.

It was very awkward for Annie, who is 1.75 meters tall and has legs longer than Hu Biao's, to squat inside. It was easy for her to bump her head if she wasn't careful.

She was mentally prepared for this, and even wore a tank hat that offered some protection against impacts.

The key issue is the T-26 tank, which has a top speed of only 30 kilometers per hour, slower than a small electric scooter in a modern world.

Annie drove all the way here, even though she had the accelerator floored to the maximum.

The engine was panting heavily like an old ox, and thick smoke was constantly billowing from the exhaust pipe. This thing couldn't go fast at all, and it didn't have the high-speed driving feel that was originally expected.

This situation changed when they were about four or five hundred meters away from the hastily organized Japanese defensive line.

Because the Japanese opened fire, a Type 96 light machine gun fired a burst of bullets at the lead tank, the one Annie was driving.

The Japanese machine gunners were quite elite; they managed to hit the tank's frontal armor from such a distance.

Unfortunately, the 65mm Arisaka bullets of the Type 96 light machine gun had limited power and were clearly unable to penetrate the 15mm thick armor on the front of the tank.

The bullets merely struck the armor, sending up a string of sparks before being deflected.

At the same time, the three-man crew inside the tank heard a series of 'clanging' sounds of bullets hitting each other.

Amidst the sound of the impact, Annie's eyes lit up as if a magical switch had been flipped, and she became even more excited.

He shouted, "Boss Hu, the road roller tactics are officially starting!"

After saying that, Annie picked up the kettle beside her, pushed aside the cork strainer, and downed more than half a pound of the richly flavored gecko wine in one go.

The girl had her reasons for drinking so much: the tank would be shaking quite violently for various reasons in the coming days.

She didn't have time to remove the sieve every time she drank gecko wine.

So if the kettle is too full, it will be a problem if it spills when you come back.

Of course! How much Annie drinks is not important; what's important is that with her shout, the famous "steamroller tactic" of the Russians, which would later become renowned, was officially put into practice in this world...

(End of this chapter)