Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 353 I can't hold on much longer.
At a temporary rest stop on the left flank of the attack on the hilltop, militia soldiers who had just withdrawn from the front lines were panting heavily against the muddy slope. A young private, his face still bearing the smoke and excitement of battle, was complaining to his platoon leader with a displeased expression.

"Platoon leader, what's going on? We were about to take that hill after one more charge, and we could even see the Japanese machine guns have fallen silent. Why are we suddenly being ordered to retreat?"
"Isn't this just ridiculous? We've let a sure thing slip away!" His tone was full of incomprehension and resentment.

Hearing his subordinate's complaint, Cao Dawang, who was carrying a Thompson submachine gun with fresh mud still stuck to the receiver, immediately turned around and glared at him fiercely.

"What nonsense are you spouting, kid!" Cao Dawang glared at him fiercely. "When did it become your place to question orders from above? There are reasons why the higher-ups do things this way!"

He poked the gun barrel into the air and continued to lecture, "Besides, didn't you see the rain had stopped?"

You blockhead, don't you know what this means? It means that our cannon maker and the bird maker in the sky can get to work.

"The higher-ups are being considerate of us, wanting to spare our brothers some blood by using artillery! You don't even have the nerve to kowtow and thank the Commander-in-Chief and Chief of Staff, and you dare complain here? I'll kick you to death!"

The private was reprimanded by his platoon leader and immediately deflated like a punctured balloon. He gave an embarrassed smile, scratched his head, and dared not say another word. The surrounding soldiers burst into laughter.

Indeed, as Cao Dawang said, it happened even faster and more violently than he had anticipated.

They had barely stepped back, barely had time to sit down, and in less than ten minutes, the long-awaited shelling began.

First came a sharp, ear-piercing whistling sound, growing louder as it approached, like countless invisible steel dragons sweeping across the sky.

Immediately afterwards, the earth shook violently!
One after another, shells including 155mm heavy howitzers, 105mm howitzers, 75mm mountain gun shells, and even 107mm mortars spoke up, raining down like hailstones on the hilltop they had been unable to conquer.

"Boom...boom..."

The violent explosions rang out in one after another, shaking the entire earth.

The mountain's outline, which had been clearly visible just moments before, was instantly swallowed up by a column of black smoke rising into the sky and the flames of an explosion.

The massive shockwave whipped up a cloud of mud, like a black tsunami, mixed with countless scorching shrapnel, shattered rocks, and all sorts of unrecognizable objects... tree remains, fragments of fortifications, and human tissue... forming a curtain of death that completely enveloped the entire mountain.

In that storm of steel and fire, a Japanese machine gunner who had just poked his head out to fire was hit directly by a 155mm shell before he could even scream. The huge explosion instantly disintegrated him and his Type 92 heavy machine gun into a cloud of blood mist and parts.

Elsewhere, a Japanese infantry squad hiding in a makeshift artillery shelter was detonated by a 105mm shell that had penetrated the entrance. The violent explosion occurred from the inside; the earthen cave bulged up like a balloon being blown up, then burst open with a roar, spewing out mud mixed with pieces of flesh and limbs.

Many more Japanese soldiers were killed instantly by the first round of shelling, or torn to pieces by countless high-speed shrapnel, falling into pools of blood. In the core area covered by the shelling, some unfortunate soldiers didn't even leave behind intact bodies; they were directly vaporized and blasted into powder by the terrifying heat and shockwave.

Cao Dawang and his soldiers stared in disbelief at the apocalyptic scene before them. The private who had been complaining just moments before was now deathly pale, his mouth agape, and his body was even trembling slightly.

"My God..." he murmured, his voice filled with shock and lingering fear.

Cao Dawang grinned, revealing a set of teeth stained yellow by cigarette smoke, his face beaming with undisguised elation and pride.

He patted the private's helmet and laughed loudly, "Kid, see that? Do you still think it was a loss to withdraw?"

The devastating bombardment continued, seemingly without end.

The entire mountain was completely covered by thick smoke and dust. Only during the intervals between explosions could one vaguely see the mountain being leveled inch by inch.

Amidst the deafening roar of artillery fire, the Eighth Route Army's New First and New Second Regiments also trudged up the mountain through the mud.

Kong Jie led the soldiers of the New Second Regiment to the right flank, while Ding Wei led his New First Regiment to the area on the left flank where Cao Dawang and his men were located.

As soon as the Eighth Route Army soldiers reached the halfway point of the mountain, the artillery bombardment began.

Many Eighth Route Army soldiers had never seen such dense and fierce artillery fire in their entire lives.

Many of the young soldiers' faces showed a mixture of shock and envy.

Many people gripped their rifles tightly, staring at the distant hilltop repeatedly plowed by flames and steel, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

Ding Wei, the regimental commander known among Li Yunlong and Kong Jie for being "cultured" and quick-witted, was also experiencing a surge of emotions at this moment.

He suppressed his shock and, guided by the militia officer, quickly found Li Gaoyuan, the commander of the First Regiment of the Shanxi Militia, who was in charge of the attack on this area.

Li Gaoyuan had already received Su Yaoyang's call, and when he saw Ding Wei coming over, he quickly went to greet him.

"Is this Commander Ding? I am Li Gaoyuan, the commander of the First Regiment of the Shanxi Militia! Welcome!"

Li Gaoyuan extended his hand, his voice loud and clear, showing no airs whatsoever despite being the "host".

"Commander Li, I've long admired your name."

Ding Wei also gripped his hand tightly and shook it vigorously.

Amidst the booming artillery fire, the two exchanged a few brief pleasantries before Ding Wei got straight to the point, adopting an extremely humble and even modest attitude, saying, "Regimental Commander Li, before we came here, our brigade commander gave orders that our New First Regiment is here to cooperate with your army in this operation."

"Where you point, we'll go! Whatever you need us to do, just tell us, and we'll do it without hesitation!"

These words greatly increased Li Gaoyuan's goodwill towards this Eighth Route Army commander. He could tell that Ding Wei's humility was genuine, not just polite formalities.

Li Gaoyuan smiled and put his arm around Ding Wei's shoulder, saying, "Commander Ding, you're too kind! We're both brother units fighting the Japanese, there's no need for anyone to cooperate with anyone else! The commander's intention is for our brothers to fight side by side and learn from each other!"

He pointed to the militia soldiers behind him who were distributing ammunition and hot food, then to the Eighth Route Army soldiers who were stunned by the shelling, and continued, "I see that your brothers have also been marching all the way, and are tired and hungry."

Therefore, the shelling is expected to continue for another twenty or thirty minutes.

"Let the brothers replenish their strength while we have this time, have some hot soup, and eat some dry rations. We've prepared some compressed biscuits and canned beef; Commander Ding, please don't mind."

Ding Wei's eyes lit up upon hearing this. He had been worried about how his troops would fight on empty stomachs, but he hadn't expected the other side to be so considerate. Without any hesitation, he immediately said gratefully, "Thank you so much! Commander Li, this is truly a godsend!"

Soon, boxes of military rations were delivered to the soldiers of the new regiment.

When the soldiers of the Eighth Route Army first opened the can of beef and smelled the aroma of meat, many of them immediately began to feast.

While the soldiers were replenishing their energy, Li Gaoyuan and Ding Wei squatted beside an ammunition box, spread out a simple attack route map, and, using the flashes of artillery fire, quickly discussed their next attack plan. "Commander Li, in my opinion, once the shelling stops, our New First Regiment can launch the main attack from this direction!" Ding Wei volunteered.

Li Gaoyuan shook his head, rejecting his suggestion: "Commander Ding, I appreciate your good intentions, but this kind of fighting won't work."

He drew on the map with his finger, "After such a long bombardment, even if the Japanese soldiers on the mountain are not all dead, they are basically stunned, and their fortifications are almost destroyed."

What's needed now is not a direct assault, but a rapid, multi-pronged breakthrough to divide and eliminate the remaining enemy forces.

He proposed his own plan: "My idea is that after the shelling extends, our two units will be mixed together in platoons."

Your Eighth Route Army brothers are accurate marksmen with a tenacious fighting spirit. They are responsible for precision shooting and the final hand-to-hand combat.

Our militia has fierce firepower; each squad is equipped with automatic weapons and machine guns, responsible for suppressing fire and demolishing targets.

We'll comb through the mountain from foot to summit like a comb, giving the Japanese no chance to catch their breath or reorganize their defenses. What do you think?

Ding Wei's eyes lit up when he heard this.

This tactic perfectly combines the strengths of both armies, inflicting maximum damage on the Japanese army.

He slapped his thigh: "Okay... let's do it this way!"
Commander Li, your plan is excellent, I completely agree!

The two men exchanged a smile, and a simple, efficient joint operation plan that maximized the advantages of both sides was quickly finalized amidst the deafening roar of artillery fire.

The continuous rain that had lasted for several days suddenly stopped, and the sun pierced through the clouds. This was an absolute blessing for Su Yaoyang and Brigade Commander Chen at the foot of the mountain.

But for Masaharu Honma and the 27th Division, this might not be a good thing.

The rain stopped, which meant that his biggest cover and ally had disappeared.

Those damned Shanxi militia planes could appear overhead again at any moment and rain down bombs.

The heavy artillery that terrified them would also be unsealed and bare its fangs at them.

Inside a makeshift, dilapidated tent, Masaharu Honma's face was so gloomy it seemed to drip water.

"Send a telegram to the First Army Headquarters and Commander Tada... Send another telegram!"

He roared at the communications officer, "Tell Commander Tada and Commander Iwamatsu that our unit is surrounded by a superior enemy and our retreat has been cut off! I need air support! I need tactical guidance! I request that headquarters spare no effort to open a path to survival for the 27th Division!"

As he sent this almost desperate telegram pleading for help, he poured all his last madness into the only possible opening... Panlong Ridge.

"Order the reserves to commit them all to the attack, at all costs, and take Panlong Ridge! Before the Chinese army completes its encirclement, they must open up a retreat route for me!"

With Honma Masaharu's order, the Japanese offensive on Panlong Ridge suddenly entered a frenzied, white-hot phase. This was no longer a probing attack, but a "suicide charge" where everything was at stake.

On the mountain ridge, Li Yunlong's Independent Regiment suddenly faced unprecedented pressure.

"Kill me..."

Japanese soldiers, bayoneted Type 38 rifles and with bloodshot eyes, surged toward the Independent Regiment's position in waves.

They no longer cared about casualties, no longer sought cover, and simply charged upwards madly.

"Fire! Give them a good beating!"

On the position of the First Battalion, Li Yunlong roared angrily in his already hoarse voice.

In the previous battle, his left arm was hit by a stray bullet, and blood had soaked half of his uniform, but he seemed not to feel the pain. His other hand was still tightly gripping the Mauser pistol, and he continued to fire at the Japanese soldiers who were charging at him.

"Da da da... Bang! Bang!"

Czech light machine guns, Type 38 rifles, Hanyang rifles... all the weapons capable of firing were desperately spitting fire.

The first group of Japanese soldiers who charged forward fell like felled wheat, leaving behind a field of convulsing corpses in front of the position.

However, the gaps they left behind as they fell were immediately filled by soldiers rushing up from behind.

The next batch of Japanese soldiers, stepping over the corpses of their comrades, continued their howling charge upwards.

Under this relentless and frenzied offensive, the Independent Regiment's casualty figures began to rise rapidly.

A young soldier had just stabbed a Japanese soldier who had climbed onto the position to death with his bayonet. Before he could even pull out the bayonet, he was shot in the chest by another Japanese soldier from the side. He looked down in disbelief at the blood blooming on his chest, swayed, and fell to the ground helplessly.

"Medic... medic... where the hell is the medic?" A squad leader, holding his wounded comrade, shouted hoarsely, but his shouts were quickly swallowed up by the sound of a grenade exploding.

Faced with the Japanese army's frenzied attacks, which were purely based on killing, Eighth Route Army soldiers kept falling from the bullets.

The battalion's positions were jagged and interlocking, and fierce hand-to-hand combat broke out in many places. The soldiers used bayonets, rifle butts, stones, and even their teeth to engage in the most primitive and bloody battles against the charging enemy.

Li Yunlong's eyes were bloodshot. He kicked away a Japanese soldier who tried to grab his leg, and then smashed another Japanese soldier's head with the butt of his rifle.

Blood and brain matter splattered all over his face, making him look like a demon crawling out of hell.

However, the disparity in troop strength was too great.

Despite the desperate resistance of the Independent Regiment's soldiers, the position was being gradually eroded.

The casualties of the First Battalion have been so heavy that they have exceeded 60%. The once dense defensive line has now become sparse, with gaps everywhere.

Looking at the approaching Japanese troops and then at the few remaining wounded brothers around him, Li Yunlong knew that the First Battalion was about to collapse.

(End of this chapter)