Bright Sword: I built Italian cannons for Li Yunlong

Some villagers did put up a resistance, but their homemade guns were no match for standard weapons. Before long, those villagers with homemade guns were shot dead one by one.

What enraged Kong Jie even more was that he saw several Japanese soldiers dragging two young women out of a house.

The woman's cries could be faintly heard even from this distance.

In another direction, several Japanese soldiers were dragging bags of grain from the villagers' homes, their menacing smiles reflected in the firelight.

"You beast!" Kong Jie spat out the two words through gritted teeth, his eyes bloodshot.

A company commander crouched down and came over, his face grim: "Regimental commander, should we fight or not? We outnumber them, about three to one."

The second platoon leader said, "These are the Japanese regular troops. They not only have light machine guns and grenade launchers, but also mortars. We didn't bring heavy firepower, so it might not be easy for us to fight them."

Kong Jie put down his binoculars, looked at the firelight in the village and the faint figures of villagers fleeing desperately, and then looked at the Japanese army's orderly formation.

Without much hesitation, he issued the order.

"Fight! The civilians are still inside! But we can't just charge in!"

He quickly gave the order: "Divide into three groups. One group will flank from the left ridge and take out the machine gunner on that roof. The second group will hold the area from the right. The third group will follow me and attack from the front."

The battle broke out instantly.

The Eighth Route Army suddenly opened fire from three directions, catching the Japanese army off guard. After a brief period of chaos, the Japanese army immediately displayed astonishing combat skills.

Instead of retreating in panic, they quickly organized a crossfire network using the houses and terrain.

The machine guns turned around, and the grenade launchers and mortars fired shells with a "thud," which landed on the hillside where the Eighth Route Army was lying in ambush.

Even with a significant numerical disadvantage, the Japanese army's firepower, individual tactics, and psychological resilience far surpassed those of the puppet troops.

Even when surrounded, they showed no signs of collapsing; instead, they tightened their defenses and stubbornly resisted using superior firepower.

Through his binoculars, Kong Jie clearly saw the Japanese communications soldier calling for backup.

This place was close to the Zhengtai Railway, and the Japanese Nakamura Regiment was stationed nearby. It would only take half an hour for the enemy to arrive after receiving the signal. So if we didn't want to be surrounded by the Japanese, we had to fight quickly.

However, reality often falls short of expectations.

"Commander! We can't advance on the left flank; the Japanese machine guns are too tight."

"The right side too."

"Five soldiers were injured or killed in the third squad."

Bad news kept coming in.

Kong Jie's eyes were bloodshot as he looked at the Japanese defense line that was so close yet impenetrable, and then at the increasingly faint sounds of resistance coming from the village.

"Damn it... damn it." He slammed his fist into the ground.

The company commander, his face smeared with blood and dirt, walked over, his voice hoarse: "Regimental Commander... Japanese reinforcements could arrive at any moment... We..."

The other soldiers also looked over at this moment.

Everyone wanted to ask whether to evacuate or not, but those three words felt like a thousand pounds, stuck in their throats, and they couldn't say them no matter what.

This is reality, after all. No one can tear apart Japanese soldiers with their bare hands, nor can anyone be invulnerable to bullets and bullets.

On the main battlefield, the casualty ratio between the National Revolutionary Army and the Japanese army was 6:1.

Even if the Eighth Route Army soldiers had a stronger will, they could not bridge such a gap.

In addition, in order to travel light and arrive quickly, they did not bring any heavy weapons. Even Molotov cocktails were not brought much because they were worried that the clay pots would be damaged during the forced march.

If they hadn't occupied a favorable position and been in a commanding position, they would have been the ones to suffer a crushing defeat.

Kong Jie suddenly looked up, glaring at the company commander: "We are the Eighth Route Army! Can we just turn around and run away while the Japanese devils are harming the people?!"

The company commander lowered his head, his fists clenched: "But... if we keep fighting, we might also..."

"We have to fight, even if it costs us everything!" Kong Jie roared, but after he finished shouting, a painful struggle flashed across his face.

As a commander, he knew that if he could not achieve a quick victory, once enemy reinforcements arrived, he would not only be unable to save his men, but would also lose his entire company.

But as a soldier and a member of the Communist Party, how could he...

Just then, a burst of gunfire came from the side and rear.

"This is……"

Kong Jie looked in the direction from which the gunshots came.

"It's Zhang Dabiao and Consultant Zhou!"

"Why are they here? This is ridiculous!"

Kong Jie was worried about Zhou Zhen's safety and was somewhat anxious.

However, what's done is done, and there's no point in saying anything now.

When Zhou Zhen and Zhang Dabiao led half of the soldiers of the Second Company to the hillside near Yangshugou, the scene before them made everyone gasp in shock.

The village was ablaze with fire and thick smoke.

About seventy Japanese soldiers, dressed in standard khaki uniforms and wearing caps with tassels, were firing outwards from the houses at the village entrance using skillful and experienced tactical maneuvers.

Although they were few in number, two Type 96 machine guns blocked the main road into the village, and three grenade launchers and two mortars frequently and accurately fired shells at possible Eighth Route Army assembly points.

Kong Jie's troops were pinned down on the earthen embankments and rocks surrounding the village, making it impossible for them to organize an effective offensive.

The bodies of more than a dozen Eighth Route Army soldiers were already lying on the ground.

What was even more disturbing was the scene in the village: in the open space at the village entrance, the bodies of many villagers lay scattered about, including the elderly and children...

"You beast! I'll fuck your grandma!" Zhang Dabiao's eyes instantly turned red, and he drew his gun, ready to charge.

"Wait! Don't be impulsive." Zhou Zhen grabbed him and pressed his hand down. His heart was pounding, and he was filled with anger and nausea, but he forced himself to remain calm and observe.

"You need to find a way to help Commander Kong deal with these Japanese devils as soon as possible."

With Zhou Zhen's reminder, Zhang Dabiao calmed down.

Zhang Dabiao carefully scanned the core area held by the Japanese army.

The Japanese soldiers were clever; they hid behind the relatively sturdy brick houses and stone mill fortifications at the village entrance, making it difficult for the Eighth Route Army's rifles and grenades to kill them effectively.

"Look, the Japanese formation is very stable. Although Deputy Regiment Commander Kong and his men outnumbered each other, they were completely suppressed because they lacked heavy firepower and could not break through."

Looking at the exchange of fire, Zhang Dabiao said with some concern.

"So what do we do?"

Although Zhou Zhen was not familiar with military tactics, he could tell that Kong Jie was having a very difficult time in his attack.

Zhang Dabiao pondered for a long time before slowly speaking, but hesitated at the end.

"We brought machine guns with us, which can temporarily suppress the Japanese machine gun fire from our superior position, but..."

"But what?" Zhou Zhen pressed.

"However, the enemy has grenade launchers and mortars, so our machine gun fire cannot suppress them for long. We need to change positions from time to time, otherwise we will be easily destroyed by the Japanese artillery fire."

"I need to take advantage of the enemy's suppressed firepower and lead the team to move towards the enemy's position. Once we get close, we can use your Molotov cocktails to take care of the enemy."

"That just means I won't be able to spare anyone to protect you, and you'll also need to move with the machine gun team, which might..."