Sword of Light: Humanoid Self-Propelled Artillery

Chapter 86: Military Quilts and Blankets

"Wang Gensheng, you really have to go! The Japanese didn't suffer many casualties during the day! At least the Japanese from the other two battalions haven't moved yet!"

Wang Gensheng nodded solemnly after hearing this:

"That's why we have to take action. At least we have to make those devils bleed!"

Wang Gensheng also calculated that during the day today, the New Second Regiment had caused no more than two squadrons of casualties to the Japanese.

But Wang Gensheng was also in a difficult situation. Under the direct fire of the Japanese, many machine gun bunkers were destroyed.

In addition to killing the machine gunner and assistant machine gunner in the machine gun bunker, several light machine guns were also destroyed. More importantly, three machine gunners from the machine gun fire group that Wang Gensheng used to supplement the firepower of the third battalion were also killed.

This naturally made Wang Gensheng very sad. You know, since the establishment of the special cavalry company, no one has been sacrificed. Unexpectedly, three of them were sacrificed in this battle.

Fortunately, the opportunity for revenge has come, and tonight is an extremely suitable night for a night attack.

There was no moon and there were thick dark clouds, so the visibility was greatly reduced. You could only see human figures within ten meters, but not even human shadows beyond twenty meters.

However, although such visibility means that Wang Gensheng can only rely on his spiritual perception to perceive things within a hundred meters.

But don't forget that there is also Li Xiu in his special forces team who has night vision.

"How are the Japanese's night defenses? Can we penetrate them? Also, are the Japanese artillery positions still in place?"

Li Xiu, who was lying on the roof with Wang Gensheng, did not answer. Instead, after observing carefully, he replied:
"The arrangement isn't very good. There aren't many sentries, only two in a group. As long as we take care of those two and keep the noise down, we can easily break through the Japanese encirclement! As for the Japanese artillery positions, they're still there! The Japanese artillerymen really like their guns! They even fell asleep right next to the Type 92 infantry gun!"

Wang Gensheng nodded in satisfaction after hearing this, and then ordered Baili Xiu and others:
"Alright then, tell the assault team to rest in the first half of the night, and then follow me in the second half to wipe out the Japanese artillery positions! As for the firepower team, they've worked hard during the day, so they don't have to come with us tonight!"

"Yes!"

So the assault team of 38 people, plus the guide Li Xiu and Wang Gensheng himself, a total of 40 people, set off at midnight.

Because Li Xiu observed very carefully, Wang Gensheng and his men took action just after the shift change.

Wang Gensheng threw two flying knives at a distance of fifty meters. The two Japanese sentries fifty meters away were shot in the head and died without a sound.

Then, under the leadership of Li Xiu, they successfully approached the Japanese artillery position.

At this moment, the captain of the artillery position was sleeping soundly with his command knife in his arms!
Unlike ordinary soldiers, the artillery captain had a great advantage, which was that he could sleep in a tent. Yes, this was the captain's privilege, while the other Japanese soldiers could only sleep on the ground covered with blankets.

That’s right, it’s different from the Eighth Route Army. You should know that the Eighth Route Army has marching blankets, the kind that are folded into tofu blocks.

For example, when the troops were moving, they would pack the blanket into the shape of a bomb and carry it on their backs.

However, the Japanese did not have this habit. Although the quilt was very warm, it was heavy and large in size and was not suitable for carrying.

What's more, unlike the Eighth Route Army, the Japanese had made careful research for field combat, so each soldier was equipped with a marching backpack.

During World War II, the standard supply pack carried by Japanese soldiers weighed ten kilograms, containing food and essential supplies to sustain them for seventy-two hours. These seemingly ordinary marching backpacks actually carried the essential supplies that sustained the troops' survival and combat effectiveness. Faced with the rigors of the battlefield, every piece of equipment was a matter of life and death, and every supply was invaluable.

Soldiers kept their backpacks attached to their backs during marches and battles, and even in life-or-death hand-to-hand combat, they never took off their heavy loads.

As a mobile supply system on the battlefield, the design and application of military backpacks reflect the military strategies of different eras. Throughout military history, this equipment has evolved from basic to sophisticated, from general to specialized. This transformation not only demonstrates humanity's progress in adaptability to warfare but also reflects the trajectory of innovation in military technology.

The Japanese army's standard-issue "Showa 5-style" marching backpack was widely praised by officers and soldiers for its unique design and practical performance. Made primarily of specially treated high-quality cowhide, it boasts exceptional abrasion resistance and maintains stability in extreme weather conditions. Its surface is also waterproof, effectively blocking moisture and ensuring the safety of its contents.

The backpack's innovative design is particularly striking in its internal construction. Its wooden frame offers a dual advantage: stability under heavy loads while maintaining a clean, contoured silhouette. Its structure is specifically optimized for marching and maneuvering, ensuring stability even when running or crawling, preventing any compromise in a soldier's mobility.

The Showa 5-style backpack achieves efficient loading through scientific spatial planning. Its interior is meticulously divided into multiple functional areas, allowing soldiers to organize supplies according to volume and usage requirements. Common supplies such as drinking water, rations, and personal care items are conveniently located, while emergency equipment such as first aid supplies and ammunition are stored in concealed yet easily accessible areas. This layout significantly enhances the user's self-protection capabilities in actual combat environments and enhances their response efficiency in emergencies.

Because the Japanese soldiers had marching backpacks, a more prominent problem was that they did not carry enough weight. You know, compared with light marching blankets, although quilts have a good warming effect, they are also very heavy.

You should know that a marching backpack weighs ten kilograms and that does not include bedding, blankets, weapons and ammunition. An ordinary Japanese soldier only has a marching backpack to ensure basic living supplies.

There was also a Type 38 rifle, grenades and hundreds of bullets. The total weight of these combat weapons and ammunition was almost ten kilograms.

If we add a quilt weighing ten pounds, or even a quilt weighing twenty or thirty pounds when wet, such weight will obviously greatly limit the movement speed of the Japanese soldiers.

So compared to quilts made of cotton, the Japanese chose blankets that were good at keeping warm and were also very light, even less than one kilogram, and easy to carry, as a warming tool when resting in the wild at night, to replace marching blankets.

Of course, although the Japanese marching blankets were very good, the Eighth Route Army's quilts were not bad either, and the quilts had another function, which was bulletproof.

(End of this chapter)