The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 545 Performance in Close Combat (Two-in-One Chapter)

"Damn it! Are these Japanese devils cockroaches? So many grenades were thrown at them, and they still didn't die."

Watching the scene unfold as one Japanese soldier after another charged out from the dusty, smoke-filled area ahead, brandishing Type 38 rifles with bayonets and howling.

Ji Shouxing, a newcomer, couldn't help but utter such a curse.

It should be noted that, as the deputy battalion commander of the supplementary battalion, he originally had the same task as Zhi Xiang, which was to supervise the battle team.

Unlike Zhi Xiang, despite Ji Shouxing's large and burly physique, resembling a bear, he was remarkably agile and fast when running through the muddy rice paddies.

Like a wild boar charging into a vegetable patch, it rampaged wildly and darted far away in a flash.

As they rushed forward, they were perhaps struck by the shocking sight of their brothers' casualties.

My heart was filled with pain and anxiety. I don't know where the courage came from, but I actually picked up an M1 Garand rifle and rushed past many people to the front, intending to personally take on the Japanese.

As for the task of acting as a supervisory team, he completely forgot about it in a moment of impulsiveness.

Fortunately, the brothers in this direction all braved the Japanese bullets and pressed forward desperately. There were no deserters and no series of terrible consequences occurred.

Just over ten seconds earlier, Ji Shouxing and his brothers had hurled all four wooden-handled grenades they were carrying at the Japanese soldiers on the dirt road.

Including the wooden-handled grenades that the other brothers managed to smash, there were at least thirteen or fourteen thousand of them.

Good heavens! Even though Ji Shouxing had seen many special effects blockbusters in the modern world, that explosive scene still made him feel incredibly excited.

First, a barrage of wooden-handled grenades, smoking in the air, rained down on the dirt road.

After they landed, there were continuous explosions all over a section of dirt road that was about three miles long; it was as if this section of dirt road had suddenly erupted like a volcano.

Upon witnessing the scene described above, Ji Shouxing felt an indescribable sense of exhilaration.

His main concern was that the Japanese soldiers would be completely wiped out by the barrage of grenade explosions.

In the following period, they did not need to employ any third phase of operations to compress the Japanese into the village and detonate the pre-buried explosives to wipe them out in one fell swoop.

Everyone just rushed up and cleaned up the battlefield a bit.

After all, given the terrifying number of wooden-handled grenades they had hurled in such a short time, each of the Japanese soldiers from the 68th Infantry Regiment could have been hit on the head with at least four.

With such an astonishing number, how could they possibly kill these Japanese soldiers even if they were blown up? Did they really think they were all cockroaches?

However, Ji Shouxing's above idea was quickly proven wrong by the Japanese soldiers, who were truly indestructible.

Having run out of grenades, Himegami continued charging forward until he was only eleven or twelve meters away from that section of dirt road when the grenade explosions in front of him had basically stopped.

It wasn't that in such a short time, everyone had already thrown away all the wooden-handled grenades they had.

No way! At least two thousand brothers who were at the rear hadn't even had time to throw a single grenade.

It wasn't that they didn't want to throw it, but they were worried about accidentally injuring their own personnel who were already rushing onto the dirt road.

Even so, Ji Shouxing didn't think there were many survivors left.

Just then, he saw thick smoke and flying dust from the explosions on the dirt road and in the surrounding area.

One after another, Japanese soldiers charged out with bayonets at their heels, howling like wild beasts, their steps faltering as they launched a counter-charge.

This completely unexpected situation left Ji Shouxing somewhat bewildered...

"Hey! These little devils are still as fierce as before. They won't behave until they're completely dead; but soon enough, their fighting strength will be far less than these."

As Chen Tang watched the Japanese soldiers rush out of the smoke, he muttered a curse under his breath.

Compared to the immense shock Ji Shouxing was feeling, this seasoned veteran was incredibly calm, not even lifting his eyelids.

Yes! Chen Tang was not at all surprised by the Japanese soldiers' reaction and behavior.

The main reason was that he observed a certain detail:
On both sides of the dirt road, the local villagers built a water ditch about 50 to 60 centimeters wide and about one meter deep to irrigate the large number of paddy fields along the road.

This canal is actually a natural trench.

If the Japanese soldiers managed to hide inside in time, crouch down, and cover their heads, the grenades would hardly cause them any real harm unless they happened to land in the ditch.

There's no other way! The explosive charge in a wooden-handled grenade is limited.

Even the famous Gongxian-made wooden-handled grenade only contained 50 grams of TNT.

The hand grenades used by the Hunan branch of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment were only a small portion of genuine arsenal goods obtained from the Guangxi clique, and these were the type filled with TNT.

The larger quantity consisted of homemade products filled with black powder granules.

Regardless of which type of grenade it was, the shockwaves and vibrations they produced were not enough to cause any real damage to the Japanese soldiers hiding in the ditch.

Seeing a barrage of grenades coming their way, the Japanese soldiers, amidst shouts from veterans and junior officers, jumped into the ditch.

In summary, that was the grenade rain; the explosions were terrifying.

It did inflict considerable damage on the Japanese, but the idea of ​​ending the battle with just one round of grenades was somewhat naive.

Here, let's use an analogy that might not be entirely appropriate:
In the TV series "Bright Sword", the Independent Regiment besieged the Yamazaki Battalion, which had already been decimated.

Approaching by tunneling, they threw 3600 grenades in one go. It was only through the subsequent full-scale assault that they were able to eliminate the remaining few hundred Japanese soldiers in the Yamazaki Battalion.

Therefore, when they saw these Japanese soldiers charging with bayonets, Chen Tang and the other veterans remained calm.

What's there to panic about? If grenades can't kill them, we can take them down using other methods.

With this in mind, Chen Tang held up a DIY shotgun in his hand. It was actually a homemade gun with the stock and barrel shortened and the remaining barrel reinforced with several iron hoops.

He pulled the trigger on the Japanese soldiers who had just charged out.

A loud gunshot rang out, followed by a plume of choking white smoke.

The brothers around him, who were also holding one of these DIY shotguns, were only half a second slower than Chen Tang, but they all pulled the trigger.

At the same time, thousands of these DIY weapons opened fire, creating a cacophony of unique gunshots; the choking white smoke enveloped those at the forefront.

It's unclear how many people were choked and coughed on the spot, giving it a bit of a battlefield feel reminiscent of Napoleon's era.

Of course, the white smoke and choking are minor issues. The key point is that each DIY shotgun barrel is filled with at least a dozen irregularly shaped iron balls.

After thousands of DIY shotguns fired simultaneously, another hail of iron pellets rained down on the Japanese soldiers who were only seven or eight meters away.

Then, a scene that everyone found incredibly delightful unfolded.

The Japanese soldiers who launched a counterattack were instantly felled row by row; it was almost as if they had been blinking when the first few rows of Japanese soldiers fell to the ground, probably numbering in the hundreds.

The sheer ferocity of their attack terrified even the Japanese soldiers charging behind them.

Although they did not completely stop, they became unusually hesitant and slow.

Their faces were filled with extreme panic, as if even the 'marching pills' they had taken before the battle had no effect at this moment.

The above scenario illustrates that what goes around comes around.

In the previous period, the Japanese soldiers fired wildly at Hu Biao and his men, taking down their brothers who were struggling and charging in the muddy rice paddies one by one. How satisfying it must have been for them!

Now that Hu Biao and his men have endured the most difficult and agonizing period, it's time for these Japanese devils to pay the price.

The only downside is that these modified DIY shotguns, although they all use cardboard cartridges for easier loading, are not suitable for this type of shotgun.

After firing all the pre-loaded bullets, and given that both sides are about to collide, there's no time to quickly reload.

However, this was not a big deal for the members of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment.

If we can't shoot, then we'll chop; as long as we can kill the Japanese soldiers, that's fine.

Chen Tang swung his arm and slammed his DIY shotgun, now empty of bullets, down like a stick, without caring whether he hit any Japanese soldiers.

He pulled out a large knife weighing four pounds and one ounce from behind his back, forged by a blacksmith in a rural area of ​​Xinning.

After shouting "Kill!", he went out towards the Japanese soldiers.

At the same time, on both sides of this dirt road, countless shouts of "Kill!" rang out, coming from thousands of soldiers of the Hunan Provincial Supplementary Regiment of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment.

All the pent-up frustration, anger, and hatred towards the Japanese invaders that had been building up inside them as they charged forward were unleashed in a single roar of "Kill!" Amidst the deafening shouts, various long swords—broadswords, goose-feather sabers, Miao swords, Dong swords, Yao swords, and more—that had been carried on their backs were drawn into their hands.

They reflected the moonlight and charged toward the invaders who did not belong to this land.

Bayonet fighting, a combat method that was only frequently seen on the Eastern Front during World War II, has finally begun...

*****
Speaking of which! Although Chen Tang is a veteran in the transmigrator team.

However, since he participated in the two time travels during the Battle of Shanghai and the Sihang Warehouse, he has only gained the qualification to continue in this time travel.

If you calculate it carefully, his physical abilities were only improved twice by that mysterious place.

So the question is, how did this seasoned rookie perform in close combat? The answer is, very well.

For these transmigrators, their individual combat strength depends on the comprehensive enhancement of their abilities by the mysterious being, which is extremely important.

However, personal training and self-discipline are equally important.

So, even though Chen Tang only had his physical fitness improved twice, he never relaxed his training during the time he was unable to participate in the time travel.

Countless mornings and nights, he shed countless drops of sweat in the gym and combat training hall.

After a few months, not only did his skills and physical fitness recover to the level he had when he was a PLA special reconnaissance soldier.

In fact, when you really think about it, he is far superior, and he has even mastered a powerful "Eight Wind-Breaking Swords" technique.

He charged at a Japanese private, and the two were now only four or five meters apart.

The Japanese soldier suddenly stopped, assumed a textbook-perfect stance, and was about to thrust his bayonet at Chen Tang.

Faced with such a crisis, Chen Tang simply pushed off the ground with both legs, increasing his already rapid speed even further.

He relied entirely on speed to overpower his opponent, and before the Japanese private could even draw his bayonet, his broadsword had already slashed out fiercely.

The knife struck the Japanese private first class squarely in the face, leaving a horrific wound that sent him sprawling to the ground with a scream.

Then, Chen Tang didn't look to the left, but it was as if he had an extra eye on the left side.

The broadsword, its blade still stained with blood, was swiftly deflected to the left, just enough to dodge a bayonet that was thrust fiercely at his chest.

Having withstood the fatal blow, the counterattack began immediately.

He gripped the knife handle with his right hand, while his left hand pressed down on the back of the blade. With both hands exerting force together, the sharp blade slid swiftly across the rifle.

The Japanese soldier thrusting his gun from the left had no time to react.

Several fingers on his hands were severed by the sharp blade. The excruciating pain caused him to let out a shrill scream like a pig being slaughtered, which was particularly jarring to Chen Tang's ears.

Fortunately, the people of Chentang were quite nice; they didn't blame the Japanese soldier at all.

Because the screams from the Japanese soldier had only just begun, he twisted his wrist and slashed horizontally again, cutting deep into the target's neck and severing his trachea and blood vessels.

The ear-piercing screams were forcibly shut down in this way.

The passages and words describing the close-quarters combat at Chentang are quite long, but in reality, it all happened in just three or four seconds.

In such a short time, he had already cut down two Japanese soldiers with a single sword in hand, proving that he was worthy of being a veteran member of the transmigrator team.

In fact, since the melee began, all the veteran transmigrators have performed quite brilliantly.

Even for Xin Huo, this was only his second time transmigrating. Before that, he was just a second-generation rich kid who was just lying around doing nothing, not a very experienced veteran.

Now, with a large sword in hand, he had managed to make a Japanese lieutenant look rather pathetic. It seemed that if they fought a few more rounds, he could kill his opponent.

However, the most outstanding performers were the three girls in the team.

Zanana, this humanoid female tyrannosaurus, has no doubt about her abilities in melee combat.

Even when others glanced at her battle group without realizing it, they couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the Japanese soldiers, even though they knew they deserved to die.

No other reason than that it was too tragic.

Zanana didn't use any long sword at all, because even the longest and heaviest five-foot Miao sword was too light and unwieldy for this girl.

Given the limited time, the blacksmiths in Xinning didn't have time to make her a long sword that was heavy enough and easy to use.

So in the current battle, she simply held the Solothurn anti-tank rifle, which was 215 centimeters long and weighed 53.35 kilograms, upside down and swung it around.

At this moment, the image of an ancient 'enemy of ten thousand men' was fully embodied in this girl.

She had no intention of fighting the Japanese soldiers one-on-one; instead, she brandished her heavy Solothurn anti-tank rifle and charged headlong into the Japanese ranks.

Wouldn't she be surrounded and attacked by the Japanese soldiers? Not at all, she was the one who single-handedly attacked a group of Japanese soldiers.

With the Japanese soldiers staring in terror, there were only two possible outcomes for the bayonets they thrust at her.

The first scenario involves the rifle being struck by the butt of a swinging weapon during the thrust; immediately, a sharp pain shot through the web of the hands, and the weapon was knocked away on the spot.

Even a Type 38 rifle that has been shot off will suffer from problems such as the handguard falling off and the barrel bending.

This demonstrates the astonishing power of the Solothurn anti-tank rifle that Zanana wields.

The second method involved some Japanese soldiers thrusting their rifles with all their might, reaching the furthest possible distance, with the tip of the bayonet still at least forty or fifty centimeters away from the target.

The reason this happened is quite simple.

Zanana's arms were longer than theirs, and her weapon was also longer. The combination of these factors resulted in a scene resembling an adult beating up a child.

Faced with this situation, some Japanese soldiers instinctively took a step or two forward.

Then they were sent flying, suffering comminuted fractures in the areas they were hit in.

In such close combat, where only melee weapons are available, Zanana is practically a battlefield bug until her stamina runs out.

Anne's words contrasted sharply with her previous experience of traversing the battlefield outside Zijing Pass and wielding a samurai sword to kill people.

At that time, she hadn't had a proper rest for a long time and had various injuries, so her condition was worse than usual. However, Anne's condition was better than ever before.

With a katana in hand, she effortlessly executed various techniques such as the Kesazhan (艈裟斩), Tsubame-gan (燕反), and Inazuma (稻妻). Although these were all basic moves, her speed was as fast as lightning, making her incredibly lethal.

In short, it means using the Japanese swords and their swordsmanship to kill the Japanese, just like cutting melons and vegetables.

The wonderful sensation of that process made Annie's face turn an alarming red, as if she were about to fly away with pleasure.

The only thing that made her somewhat regretful was that while the Japanese samurai swords were fast, this speed was entirely due to the fragility of the blades, making them somewhat useless on the battlefield.

Annie unleashed a powerful slash, severing a Japanese soldier's right arm at the shoulder.

However, because the angle of his strike was slightly off, the katana in his hand broke in two.

She had to take two steps back, using her toes to pick up a Type 38 rifle that she had just used to kill its owner; although the girl had practiced bayonet fighting, she was no longer as flamboyant as before.

As for Mina, Hu Biao's mistress, how did she perform so well? What can one say about that?

Last time when they went through the pillbox, Annie did it to draw the Japanese soldiers' attention and prevent them from discovering their disguise, so that she could successfully get close.

It's not like she just pulled open her floral cotton-padded jacket to reveal her assets hidden under the milk basket, and the result was actually quite good.

After being punished by Hu Biao, she dared not do it again; however, Annie mentioned this incident to her cousin after returning home.

This is what is meant by "the speaker may not mean anything by it, but the listener may take it to heart."

After several failed attempts to kill a Japanese major with her goose-feather saber during the battle, Mina, in a fit of anger, ripped open her uniform with a savage motion, revealing her trembling... well, you know.

Then, taking advantage of the Japanese major's momentary lapse in concentration, he stepped forward and cleaved the man to death with a single blow.

Then, having tasted success, Mina continued fighting with her uniform open, and the results were consistently excellent.

Did she feel embarrassed about doing such a thing?
What's there to be embarrassed about? When she's swimming on the beach and in the pool in the modern world, her outfits are way more revealing than this.

The fabric was just some small pieces of cloth and rope, less than half the size of what we have now.

The reason these Japanese devils are reacting so strongly is simply because they're ignorant; they're all a bunch of bumpkins...

(End of this chapter)