The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 453 A Different Beginning (Two Chapters Combined)

...My companions and I have gone through too many time-travel journeys.

Compared to our previous time-travel experiences, this one at the end of 1930 was rather insignificant in terms of duration, the number of troops involved, and the scale of the battle.

Yet, this very journey through time left an incredibly deep impression on us.

Even many years later, the scenes from that time travel will still appear in our minds from time to time, as clear as if they just happened yesterday.

Some of those scenes, when recalled, left us unable to let go for a long time, and all we could do was light up one cigarette after another, each one tasting exceptionally bitter...

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

In a familiar sense of spatial distortion, Hu Biao didn't even have time to open his eyes; but after feeling his feet stepping onto solid ground again.

He remained calm and composed, showing no sign of panic on his face.

Indeed! There's nothing to panic about at the very beginning of the journey.

Having already traveled through time seven times, making him a true veteran of the time-travel world, he was certain that they had successfully traveled to the War of Resistance against Japan.

As for the specific year and the current location, I don't know.

However, Hu Biao was not worried at all, because with his rich experience in time travel, he could just ask any fellow villager about it.

Then, based on this information, we can formulate a more detailed plan to fight the Japanese.

After all, in each of their previous transmigrations, the period immediately following their arrival in this world was safe enough to allow them to familiarize themselves with the current time and background.

However, Hu Biao was proven wrong in no more than half a second, realizing that his previous experience was completely useless.

He had just opened his eyes and hadn't even had time to see his surroundings clearly.

Also, it needs to be clarified that besides myself, who survived the last time travel, there are thirteen other people including Annie, Black Star, Old K, AT, Uncle Bo, Old Yu, Warehouse Manager, Mo Shuiyan, Xiao Cui, Thug, Guard, and Old Third.

In addition, there are those comrades who died in battle in the time-traveling team, who have now joined the time-traveling journey.

How many newbies are there this time, and what is their quality like?

Suddenly, in this moment that Hu Biao considered absolutely safe, a series of gunshots rang in his ears.

The gunfire wasn't particularly intense or frequent, suggesting the battle wasn't large-scale.

However, based on his combat experience, Hu Biao could easily distinguish that most of these gunshots were from Japanese weapons such as the Type 91 light machine gun and the Type 38 rifle.

Especially that Type 91 light machine gun; the gunner's firing rhythm was excellent, producing a series of beautiful shots, clearly showing he was a seasoned veteran with this weapon.

These seasoned veterans mostly came from the Japanese army.

The battlefield was at most four or five hundred meters away from them.

Based on all of the above, Hu Biao could basically conclude that this was the very beginning of their journey, and they had already encountered a battle with the Japanese, which was completely different from their previous experiences.

All of the above situations occurred within a very short period of time.

Because the battle was taking place so close by, Hu Biao didn't have time to ponder why that mysterious being was being so unreliable this time.

How come I've only just transmigrated here, yet I'm already facing the Japanese invaders and a terrible battle?

Instinctively, he lay down on the ground, pulled an M1911 pistol from his waistband under his cotton coat, turned off the safety, and prepared for battle.

Even as he moved, he didn't forget to shout in a low voice, "Down! Everyone, get down immediately and prepare for battle!"

When Hu Biao shouted the above sentence, many other voices echoed.

Every member of the time-traveler team prepared for battle upon hearing the gunshots; even those without guns drew daggers and bayonets, while simultaneously issuing warnings.

Even the four who joined last time – Old K, Old Three, the Guard, and the Thug – remained the same.

Given this situation, it can only be said that every single member of the time-traveler team is an extremely elite warrior.

Amidst these unanimous voices, Hu Biao's initial nervousness at encountering the Japanese soldiers immediately after his transmigration miraculously subsided.

No other reason than that! As long as I have such a group of elite partners by my side, there's nowhere in the world I can't go...

A minute later, Hu Biao put down his binoculars.

In the past minute, he had had enough time to understand the current situation on the battlefield and make a decision in his mind.

They were currently located behind a small mound.

In addition to the thirteen survivors from the previous time travel, four more veterans – Huang Adi, Van Gogh, Xu Feng, and Mr. Nan Ze – have joined this time to qualify for the time travel.

There were also six men and two women, a total of eight complete novices.

We didn't have time to observe more details, but we can say that people ranged in age from their twenties to their forties, and the age range was much better than last time.

If all are added together, the number of people who traveled through time this time is as high as 25, which is once again breaking the record for the number of people in a time-traveling team.

Every single one of them was wearing patched and tattered cotton-padded jackets and old cotton-padded shoes.

Everyone carried bundles of various sizes or bundles of firewood, dressed like poor people from the northern regions, looking extremely disheveled.

The battle took place about four hundred meters away from their Tomato Concept location, on the edge of a large reed marsh.

A small squad of about fifty or sixty Japanese soldiers was attacking a group of people in the reeds.

Because of the large expanse of yellowing reeds blocking their view, Hu Biao and his men were still unable to discern which side the group of people in the reed marshes belonged to.

However, this point is actually not very important.

In those days, anyone who could pick up a gun and fight the Japanese devils was a hero, a comrade, and someone Hu Biao was willing to go up and help out.

And they need to take immediate action; they can't procrastinate any longer.

According to Hu Biao and his team's observations, there were only about ten Hanyang rifles, Type 38 rifles, Mauser pistols, and a Czech light machine gun firing in the reed marshes.

Such weak firepower was no match for a small squad of Japanese soldiers. If they didn't act quickly, these men would be wiped out in just a few minutes.

So the moment Hu Biao put down the binoculars, he uttered a series of concise commands:

"Immediately distribute weapons and ammunition and arm them."

Then Xiao Cui, you stay here to watch over these newbies and make sure they don't cause any trouble; the rest of you, each do your part and start fighting, giving those heroes some support.

As soon as Hu Biao finished speaking, Uncle Bo, Van Gogh, the warehouse manager, Xu Feng, and Black Star immediately opened the huge pile of firewood next to them.

As they expected, all the weapons that Uncle Bo and the warehouse manager had purchased and brought with them were now hidden in these piles of firewood.

Others opened some unusually heavy packages and found a large amount of ammunition and grenades inside.

At this point, there was no time for politeness. Everyone quickly armed themselves according to their respective duties in the battle.

Aside from the fact that each person has a pistol, which is considered standard equipment.

Bo Shu and Cang Guang each picked up an original Mauser sniper rifle with a 6x scope.

Black Star and Xu Feng each picked up an MG34 machine gun, and called over Lao San and Lao K to temporarily act as their assistant gunners.

Mo Shuiyan picked up a Type 87 grenade launcher and carried a bag full of special-purpose grenades.

The other team members were each equipped with an MP28 submachine gun, which was made in Germany and used 7.63mm pistol ammunition.

After everyone had armed themselves, a few anti-tank rifles and pistols, seven or eight M1 Garand rifles, and a good amount of ammunition remained in the pile of firewood and some packages.

It can be said that now that the time traveler team has more funds for procurement, the weapons and equipment they prepare each time are much better.

Even so, they didn't rashly arm the newbies with the extra weapons and equipment; they planned to observe the situation more thoroughly before making any decisions...

******
After Hu Biao and his men quickly completed their preparations, they immediately went into battle.

With their outrageously rich combat experience, formidable individual skills, excellent teamwork and coordination, and superior equipment that could completely overwhelm the Japanese, the ensuing battle was entirely a foregone conclusion.

The first to make a move were the snipers from both Uncle Bo's and the warehouse manager's teams.

After each finding a spot to lie down and serve as a sniper, the two exchanged a glance before firing, having already reached a tacit understanding:
Uncle Bo suppressed the Japanese soldiers on the left, and the warehouse manager suppressed the Japanese soldiers on the right. Whoever failed to fight well was a dog.

After assigning their respective areas of responsibility, the two pulled the triggers almost simultaneously.

A Japanese lieutenant platoon leader who was directing the attack, and a veteran Japanese soldier who was preparing to fire a melon grenade from a grenade launcher; after a jolt, both men were knocked to the ground like wooden stakes.

It should be noted that the light machine guns equipped by this Japanese squad were actually Type 96 light machine guns.

Everyone could then be fairly certain of one thing: this Japanese squad came from some second-line garrison units, not from any elite Class A division.

The reason is simple: during the entire Second World War, the Japanese only produced a little over 29,000 Type 96 light machine guns.

And after discovering that this thing was too unreliable and couldn't even beat the Czech-made rifles of the National Revolutionary Army, production was completely stopped in 1930.

They began full-scale production of the improved Type 96 light machine gun and the Type 99 light machine gun.

Then, this type of light machine gun was basically phased out and given to some second-line garrison troops, while the first-line troops were basically equipped with the Type 96 and Type 99 light machine guns.

In later generations, whenever the Japanese light machine gun is mentioned, people think of the Type 96 light machine gun, but this is only due to the influence and misleading effect of many movies and TV dramas.

However, these Japanese soldiers in front of us are just a small squad of second-line troops.

They performed quite well despite being suddenly attacked from behind.

Some of the Japanese officers and veterans roared and spontaneously took over some of the command, calling on their comrades to make some excellent responses.

Apart from the two squads of Japanese soldiers and the group of unknown friendly troops who continued to attack the reed marshes, the rest of them found cover on the spot and turned their guns in this direction.

There was only a brief moment of panic, but things quickly returned to normal.

Unfortunately, the Japanese soldiers' excellent response was completely ineffective against such a powerful opponent, making the subsequent battle as easy as a game.

Leaving aside the two snipers, Uncle Bo and the warehouse manager, each with a sniper rifle in hand, it was as if the King of Hell had called their names; every time they fired, a Japanese soldier was either killed or wounded.

These Japanese soldiers were either sergeants or veterans, or machine gunners and grenade launcher operators.

Xu Feng and Hei Xing, however, were a couple of seconds slower than the two snipers, and they also started firing.

The MG34 general-purpose machine gun lived up to its nickname "Old Hill's Chainsaw," unleashing a hail of bullets with its distinctive "zzzz" roar.

Despite having about 30 Japanese soldiers on their side, they were being driven back by two MG34 general-purpose machine guns.

But do you think they can escape this fate by lying there pretending to be dead? Think again.

With Mo Shuiyan's intelligence and learning ability, after traveling through so many times and fighting so many battles, how could his accuracy in using a grenade launcher not be inferior to that of some Japanese veterans with only primary and secondary school education?

They are naturally much stronger, comparable to some of the Japanese aces.

In a very short time, Mo Shuiyan fired five special-purpose grenades at the Japanese soldiers lying prone.

As a result, four shots hit the target, taking down at least seven Japanese soldiers who were lying behind obstacles, too afraid to even look up.

During this process, Hu Biao and his colleagues naturally did not remain idle.

There were nine of them in total, which formed three three-person combat teams. With textbook-perfect formation and coordination, they charged towards the Japanese side.

Before long, they rushed to within a hundred meters of the Japanese soldiers, within the effective range of their submachine guns, and unleashed even more intense firepower upon them.

In short, despite the fact that Hu Biao and his team only deployed 16 combat personnel this time, they were still fighting.

However, once the fighting started, the entire battle flowed as smoothly as mercury, and the Japanese side couldn't even slightly hinder Hu Biao and his men's advance.

The battle lasted for two or three minutes, and of the thirty-odd Japanese soldiers who turned to block them, only a handful remained.

Although this squad of Japanese soldiers had quite good morale and individual combat skills, they completely lost their fighting spirit after suffering such a fierce attack in a short period of time.

The remaining twenty or so people looked terrified.

They made unintelligible noises and fled in different directions.

Their actions were tantamount to courting death against Hu Biao and his men, whose marksmanship was merely a basic skill.

Are you kidding me?! They may be fast on their legs, but can they outrun a bullet?
Amidst the rhythmic gunfire, these Japanese soldiers were easily killed from behind.

Finally, a Japanese private first class was shot in the back of the head by two snipers, Uncle Bo and the warehouse manager, leaving a brilliant spray of blood. He staggered to the ground.

The battle that Hu Biao and his group had just experienced ended completely the moment they arrived.

As was his habit, Hu Biao removed a half-empty magazine and replaced it with a brand new one, shouting to his comrades:
"Is anyone injured? If so, shout it out quickly."

Faced with Hu Biao's question, Huang Adi replied somewhat dejectedly, "Bad luck, my left arm was slightly grazed by a bullet, I didn't even need a band-aid."

Then, no more sounds came out.

This means that in this battle, Hu Biao and his men achieved the result of annihilating a Japanese squad at the cost of only one person being grazed by a stray bullet.

So, was the battle they encountered at the very beginning of this journey a perk arranged for them by that mysterious being?

Regardless of whether it is true or not, such a beautiful battle result can be considered a very good start for this time travel.

Not only were more weapons, ammunition, and supplies replenished, but the morale of the new recruits was also greatly boosted.

That's why everyone was in a pretty good mood after the battle; and with that good feeling, they started to divide up the tasks and get busy.

Hu Biao, Annie, and the thug started walking towards the reeds, intending to see who the Japanese had been fighting with.

AT, Van Gogh, Lao Yu, Guard, Mr. Nanze, Huang Adi, and a few others began cleaning up the battlefield.

Picking up a Type 38 rifle with a bayonet from the ground, stabbing the Japanese soldier's corpse with the bayonet first, was the first way to loot the various spoils of war from his body.

Uncle Bo, Black Star, Warehouse Manager, Mo Shuiyan, and several others found themselves unable to carry everything, even with their weapons, equipment, and numerous packages.

They greeted the group of eight novices—six men and two women—and helped them carry the remaining packages.

Then everyone set off together, beginning to move closer to and join Hu Biao and the others.

Hu Biao, Annie, and the thug walked forward for thirty or forty meters and then they saw the friendly forces fighting the Japanese.

After getting a rough idea of ​​the situation, I immediately felt a jolt of fear.

Not only because of the people in front of them, but also because the current situation looks quite bad; under the corpses all over the ground, there seem to be only seven or eight survivors, and each of them is injured.

More importantly, the style of their uniforms was actually the same as that of the 18th Group Army of our Party.

Therefore, based on these circumstances, it can be inferred that the area they are currently in is actually one of our Party's bases in the north.

Because this battle was more like an encounter rather than an ambush by our party, this base area is now facing a Japanese mopping-up operation.

Hu Biao was about to ask a question about these issues.

Suddenly, a very tense warning voice rang in their ears, probably from AT: "Japanese air raid! Everyone take cover immediately!"

Upon hearing the warning sound, Hu Biao couldn't help but look up and immediately saw a Japanese Type 97 fighter jet swooping down from a height of several miles away.

Upon seeing this thing, Hu Biao's scalp tingled instantly.

It wasn't that they were worried about their own safety; they only needed to take three or four steps forward to disappear into the thick reeds; they could just find a spot to squat down and the Japanese pilots in the sky wouldn't be able to see them at all.

The crucial issue is that Uncle Bo and his team are leading eight complete novices, carrying large and small bags as they approach.

They were still more than two hundred meters away from the reeds, and there was no time to hide inside; Hu Biao was really worried about them, especially the novice among them, who might cause some trouble...

(End of this chapter)