Sword of Light: Humanoid Self-Propelled Artillery

Chapter 232 Successful Interception
boom!
A not-so-big explosion sent a minesweeper flying into the air.

This immediately deterred the other mine-clearing soldiers from clearing mines, and the engineering captain nervously reported to Du Yuming:

"Si Ling, the landmines laid by the Liberation Army are impossible to clear; they're all clay mines. Our mine detectors can only detect metal mines! So..."

Du Yuming waved his hand when he heard what the engineering captain said, knowing that what he said was true. The current technology could only detect metal landmines and could not detect non-metallic landmines such as clay ones.

Even decades from now, let alone now, there will be no detectors that can detect non-metallic landmines.

However, Du Yuming was, after all, Lao Zi's prized student, so he was quite capable. For this minefield, Du Yuming immediately thought of using tanks to clear the way. So Du Yuming immediately ordered two tanks to take the lead and crush the minefield.

boom! boom! boom! boom!
As the tanks crushed them, the clay mines exploded one after another, despite being loaded with TNT.

However, the clay shell still greatly reduces the explosive power, and it's only good for hitting ordinary infantry.

However, it is ineffective against tanks. It can't even break the tank's tracks, let alone destroy them.

These tanks are all American M24 Chaffee tanks. Although they are classified as light tanks, they still weigh eighteen tons, making them far superior to the tiny Japanese tanks that could possibly collide with them.

As the Chaffee tank swept through the minefield, Du Yuming's lips curled up in satisfaction with his method of clearing the minefield. However, his good fortune was short-lived. The Chaffee tank had only advanced three hundred meters when it ran over an anti-tank mine.

Anti-tank mines made with more than 50 kilograms of TNT were simply beyond the capabilities of Chaffee tanks.

The powerful explosion immediately blew the 18-ton Chaffee tank away. The driver, gunner, and other tank crew inside were all injured or killed by the shockwave, and even those who survived were nearly killed by the fall.

At this moment, the 18-ton tank also had its two tracks pointing upwards, and the huge impact force made its ground end up in the air.

Du Yuming stared at the tank, which had been blown three meters off the ground and rolled several times before landing upside down, and he was at a loss for words!
However, after glancing at the bushes on both sides of the road, Du Yuming spoke directly:

"Have the infantry march through the woods on both sides, not across the road!"

Immediately, a large number of people entered the bushes and thickets on both sides.

The soldier at the front of the line saw a dead tree branch as thick as an arm blocking his way but didn't pay any attention to it and just kicked it away.

Then I heard a faint but familiar ding sound.

In the few seconds that he was stunned, the fuse of the pineapple grenade expired, and then there was a loud explosion.

Shrapnel flew everywhere, killing not only the man who kicked the wooden stick but also injuring several soldiers following behind.

Although a grenade may only kill one person, sometimes injuries are more terrible than death, because it takes two people to carry one injured person.

The soldiers of Laoji were not the relief troops; even if they were injured and unable to move, two or more civilians would carry them.

However, this booby trap in the bush was just the beginning.

Sometimes, all you have to do is kick over a rock, and the pineapple grenade underneath it explodes.

Even worse, just ordinary tree branches suddenly exploded.

The unexpected explosions caught the soldiers off guard, which naturally dealt a heavy blow to the confidence of the veteran soldiers.

The old soldiers were unwilling to enter the bushes anymore. So, Du Yuming had no choice but to take a detour.

In this way, the one-day time difference that Du Yuming had painstakingly created through spreading false intelligence and launching feigned attacks would be leveled off by this twenty-kilometer distance.

While Wang Gensheng was setting up minefields to block Du Yuming's main force, the Third Field Army began a frantic pursuit.

In order to catch up with Du Yuming's troops, the 8th and 9th Columns of the Third Field Army got mixed up together, and in order to speed up the process, they simply threw away all the weapons and equipment that did not affect their combat.

For example, they threw away all their clothing, food, and equipment. You should know that the equipment carried by a field army soldier is completely different from that carried by a stationed soldier.

In addition to weapons and ammunition, field troops also carry canteens, food, and clothing needed for camping in the wild.

These items can weigh over ten kilograms, which may seem small, but they are only about twenty or thirty kilograms.

However, during long marches, especially when rapid pursuit is required, it will seriously affect their marching speed.

So after the order was given, all the clothing and rations that slowed down the march were thrown down.

Ding Dasheng, who had just been captured by the national army, then reformed, and then joined the relief army, asked in confusion:
"Ah! If we throw it away, what will we eat and drink on the way?"

In response, the class monitor said:
"This is not something you should be considering. Ding Dasheng, obey orders!"

Ding Dasheng reluctantly replied:

"Squad leader, are we risking our lives? This is all dry rations!"

Seeing Ding Dasheng's reluctance, Ding Dasheng's squad leader didn't force him, but explained:
“Ding Dasheng, in the past, for the guerrilla army, your backpack was your granary. When your backpack was empty, you ran out of food. Now, the entire liberated area is your granary. As long as you fight well, the people of the entire liberated area will bring you hot steamed buns and rice.”

Following his squad leader's explanation, Ding Dasheng threw down his backpack, and even threw away the food.

With all unnecessary burdens such as grain discarded, the speed increased significantly.

However, after running for a short while, Ding Dasheng believed his squad leader's words because when they entered another village, many villagers were already waiting at the village entrance with food in their hands.

Upon witnessing this scene, Ding Dasheng, a soldier who was originally quite hard-working, burst into tears. At that moment, Ding Dasheng understood for whom he was fighting and why he was fighting.

With the support of the people, the soldiers of the Third Field Army could travel light, and Wang Gensheng's minefields were also an important means of delaying the enemy.

It should be noted that Chenguanzhuang and Shuangduiji, where Huang Wei's army was besieged, are only 80 kilometers apart!

Therefore, once the two sides were brought together, the Third Field Army's forces did not arrive in time.

Then the Second Field Army, which was responsible for besieging Huang Wei's army, would be in trouble.

At that time, Du Yuming could take advantage of the time difference and coordinate with Huang Wei's army to severely damage the Second Field Army that was surrounding Huang Wei's army, or even turn around and annihilate the Second Field Army.

By then, even if the Third Field Army arrived, they wouldn't dare to move easily anymore. After all, with Huang Wei's army group added, Du Yuming already had 400,000 troops, which was no longer something the Third Field Army could easily handle.

(End of this chapter)