Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 264 Counterattack (2)

The loss of air superiority was disastrous for the 6th Division.

They no longer had any air support, which left them completely exposed to the guns of the Shanxi militia aircraft.

"Woooooooo..."

A piercing siren wailed in the sky as an SBD2 descent from 3,000 meters, its heavy bomb gleaming brightly in the sunlight beneath its belly.

"boom……"

At an altitude of over 800 meters, an aerial bomb weighing 726 kilograms broke free from the aircraft's hook and fell toward the ground.

The sky seemed to be torn apart the moment the bombs fell.

The bomb began to fall rapidly under the pull of gravity.

At first it was just a small black dot, but in the blink of an eye it turned into the shadow of death that loomed over the Japanese positions.

The soldiers of the 13th Regiment of the Japanese Army, who were desperately firing at the Shanxi militia who were counterattacking from the position, looked up and saw the black dot growing larger and larger in their pupils. Some began to scream, some froze on the spot, and many more frantically ran towards the cover.

But no matter what they did, it was too late. The moment the warhead hit the ground, time seemed to freeze.

Immediately afterwards, a blazing white fireball rose from the epicenter, exceeding thirty meters in diameter, engulfing everything around it in a temperature of two thousand degrees.

The nearest machine gun positions were torn apart like paper, with sandbags, helmets, rifle parts, and human remains thrown hundreds of meters into the air.

The shockwave spread in a ring, collapsing trenches and shattering bunkers wherever it passed. A dozen Japanese soldiers who hadn't had time to lie down were blown away like rag dolls.

The crater at the center of the explosion was five meters deep, and the surrounding soil was sintered by the high temperature into a glassy hard shell.

No living thing within a 50-meter radius survived—three gun crews operating Type 92 infantry guns instantly vaporized, leaving only three charred humanoid silhouettes on the ground.

A hundred meters away, the command post of a battalion headquarters looked as if it had been trampled by a giant. The log roof collapsed completely, and the radio and maps inside turned to ashes in the firelight.

The shockwave continued to spread outwards, overturning an ammunition storage site 200 meters away and triggering a chain of explosions.

The smoke gradually dissipated three minutes later.

The battlefield was littered with burning wreckage and twisted corpses. A deafened Japanese sergeant staggered out of the ruins, his uniform still smoking, his face covered in blood.

In the distance from the explosion site, some Japanese soldiers who had miraculously survived wandered among the ruins like sleepwalkers. Some dug out buried comrades with their bare hands, some held their mutilated limbs and wept bitterly, and many more knelt on the ground with blank stares, muttering to themselves at the scorched earth of the battlefield.

In a distant observation post, a captain from the Shanxi militia lowered his binoculars and drew a red circle on the battle map with satisfaction.

This bombing site, codenamed "Iron Hammer," will be forever erased from the Japanese defense system.

In a more distant underground bunker, Nakano Hidemitsu, commander of the Japanese 13th Regiment, looked at the disappearing defensive nodes on the sand table and knew that the defensive line was now defunct.

"Bagaya Deer!"

He couldn't help but curse out loud. Nakano Hidemitsu slammed his fist into the breastwork wall in front of him, his bloodshot eyes filled with rage.

They originally thought that with the strength of their 6th Division, taking down a city garrisoned by a local militia would be a piece of cake. However, after fighting for more than a week, they not only failed to take down the enemy's outer defenses, but were even forced to retreat by the enemy's counterattack.

He had given up hope of capturing the enemy's position; instead, he was racking his brains about how to preserve the strength of the 13th Regiment. "Regiment Commander, it's a call from the Brigade Commander," a staff officer rushed in to report.

Hidemitsu Nakano strode to the telephone, picked up the receiver, and said, "Brigadier General..."

"Nakano-kun, how's the situation on the position?" The voice of Major General Nishiyama Yushiro, the brigade commander, came through the microphone.

"Brigade Commander, the situation is very bad." Nakano Hidemitsu's voice sounded very frustrated.

“Since yesterday, Chinese planes have been circling and bombing our heads with impunity, but we haven’t seen a single plane.”

Just now, a Chinese dive bomber dropped a super heavy bomb, instantly wiping out one of my squadrons.

The Chinese infantry, under the cover of tanks, pressed forward relentlessly. If this continued, the 13th Regiment would be wiped off the Imperial Army's roster before tomorrow.

"Baka..." Nishiyama Yushiro on the other end of the phone roared angrily, "Nakano-kun, do you know what you're saying?"

"Of course I know, but what I said is the truth." Nakano Hidemitsu raised his voice:

"The 13th Regiment has been fighting a fierce battle with the Chinese army for more than a week. Do you know how many men are left in the regiment that originally numbered 3,800?"

Before Nishiyama Yushiro could answer, he said, word by word, "Less than two thousand men... In other words, the troops we painstakingly trained and reorganized over a year on our home soil have now been reduced to their original state."

I don't even know how to explain this to the division commander. Brigade commander, please tell me, what should I do?

Nishiyama Yushiro paused for a moment, then sighed softly: "Nakano-kun, I already know about your situation. In fact, it's not just your 13th Regiment; the 47th Regiment is also in a bad situation."

The fighting strength of the Shanxi militia has truly exceeded our expectations. I will report to the division commander.

During this period, your regiment cannot withdraw immediately. You must obtain the division commander's permission before you can withdraw, understand?

"I will do my best," Nakano Hidemitsu replied, his tone somewhat heavy.

“It’s not just about doing your best, it’s about holding on.” Nishiyama Yushiro’s tone was quite stern. “If the entire division’s defense line collapses because of the 13th Regiment, you know what the consequences will be.”

"Hai!" This time, Nakano Hidemitsu's tone was much more serious. He knew that when Nishiyama Yushiro said these words, it meant that the situation was already very serious.

"Alright, that's all for now." After saying that, Nishiyama Yushiro hung up the phone.

Nakano Hidemitsu pondered for a long time while holding the microphone, then called over his staff officer and ordered all troops, except for the observation posts, to enter the artillery shelters and wait until the Chinese planes have left before coming out.

Also, tell the artillery company to take cover. Those four Type 92 infantry guns they have are now the only heavy weapons in our regiment; they must be protected."

"Hai."

"Commander, the Chinese have attacked us again! The First Battalion requests reinforcements!" Suddenly, a staff officer rushed into the command post and shouted.

"Order the Third Battalion to send a company to reinforce the position. They must hold the line!" Nakano Hidemitsu gritted his teeth and drew a company from the few remaining reserves.

Watching the staff officer take his orders and leave, Nakano Hidemitsu thought for a moment, then went to the wall, took off a helmet and a sword, and strode outside...

(End of this chapter)