Blood-Red Front

"Boom!" "Boom!"...

Around 10 a.m., a violent explosion covered the battalion's position.

"Commander, what's going on?"

Upon hearing the explosion, Guan Jianchu ran into the regimental headquarters.

"Heavy artillery." Lin Zhiyuan looked at Zhen Dong with a serious expression.

"Heavy artillery?!" Guan Jianchu's expression changed drastically.

Heavy artillery and mountain guns are two completely different concepts. The 6th Regiment's position could withstand the bombardment of 75mm mountain guns, but against heavy artillery, it was no different from being made of paper.

One shell would turn both the position and the houses in Lujia Town into pieces.

"Commander, should we order the First Battalion to retreat and let the newly promoted troops fight in the town?"

Once the enemy was let into Lujia Town, the Chusheng Army's heavy artillery dared not fire easily.

Moreover, even if the houses were reduced to ruins, the 6th Regiment could still fight in the ruins.

"It's not the right time yet," Lin Zhiyuan shook his head.

"Our mission is to hold Lujia Town for three days. If we let the enemy in now, it will be much harder to fight later. We must at least hold out through this day."

The newly promoted army held an absolute numerical advantage, and if they were to engage in close-quarters combat in urban warfare prematurely, it would not be a good thing for the 6th Regiment.

"Commander, if we continue like this, the First Battalion might be wiped out by the heavy artillery of the newly formed army."

"Then let's change our tactics," Lin Zhiyuan said.

"Have the First Battalion adjust its forces, with the main force all moved to the rear, and only one squad sent to the front at a time, then reinforcements sent forward one by one."

Guan Jianchu's expression changed. Replacing them one by one meant sending them to their deaths one by one.

However, he did not raise any objections, because this was probably the best option for the 6th Regiment at the moment, and also the only option to reduce casualties.

"I will personally go to the First Battalion to take command." Guan Jianchu decided to go to the front line.

This time, Lin Zhiyuan did not refuse, but added: "The troops should be positioned in the rear, but the firepower should be positioned in the front."

"Machine guns, grenades, and submachine guns should all be prioritized for use on the front lines to make up for the shortage of troops with firepower. The mountain artillery battalion will provide fire support at any time."

"clear!"

Guan Jianchu nodded emphatically, then walked out of the command post.

……

The artillery bombardment by the newly promoted army lasted for an hour, and the front-line positions of the first battalion were repeatedly bombarded.

The bunkers and houses on the position had all been destroyed.

The soldiers responsible for guarding and defending could only hide in the ruins, behind broken walls, or even lie directly on the ground.

Inside the 41st Regiment headquarters, Hasegawa looked at the 6th Regiment, which was still holding out under heavy artillery fire, and sighed with emotion.

"Xia Jun's 6th Regiment is really tough."

"When I set off by boat from outside the pass, I heard that the Xia army on the Binxi battlefield could fight to the death even when the entire army was wiped out. At the time, I thought it was a rumor, but now it seems that the Xia army should not be underestimated."

Hasegawa's expression appeared to be one of praise, but a shadow of gloom had already settled over him.

The propaganda in the early days of the dynasty claimed that as long as Binxi was captured, the Xia Kingdom would surrender voluntarily and pay a large sum of reparations.

Hasegawa had thought so before, but now he feels it might not be so easy.

However, the chief of staff standing to the side did not share Hasegawa's thoughts. Instead, he said casually, "Regimental Commander, people can never be as tough as steel. The enemy's stubborn defense and command will only cause more casualties."

"Yes!" Hasegawa nodded, as if to encourage himself, "We have an absolute advantage in manpower and firepower, and the enemy cannot stop our attack."

"Order the 2nd Battalion to prepare; the shelling is about to cease. Take advantage of the enemy's disorientation from the bombardment and rout them in one fell swoop!"

"Hi!"……

A few minutes later, the heavy mortars stopped firing, the mountain guns began to move back, and the newly promoted infantrymen shouted as they charged out of their positions.

"The enemy is coming up! Company 1, move into position immediately!" Guan Jianchu shouted.

The battalion commander personally led the team, and the soldiers braved the artillery fire, following the trenches to reach the front line.

"Fire! Fire!"

Intense firepower erupted instantly, and a barrage of bullets instantly covered the entire position.

Hasegawa frowned as he watched the fierce battle.

"How is this possible? With such intense shelling, how can there still be so many people on the enemy's positions?"

"Commander, I'm sure the artillery barrage was very effective," the chief of staff said. "The enemy's ground fortifications have been destroyed."

"Then tell me, where did people come from?"

"Uh... I think it's highly likely that the enemy is constantly sending troops to the front lines," the chief of staff guessed.

"Commander, this is actually good for us. The more they fill the front lines, the greater the damage the artillery will inflict."

"That makes sense." Hasegawa thought it was possible.

"Keep the troops at high firepower. Once the artillery has cooled down, request another shelling. I want to see how many Xia soldiers can be thrown in as cannon fodder."

"Hi!"……

Because of Hasegawa's orders, the newly promoted army at the front gritted their teeth and persevered, launching wave after wave of offensives.

Lin Zhiyuan was not idle either. Under his command, as soon as the heavy machine guns of the newly promoted army dared to move forward, the mountain artillery battalion would immediately launch a barrage.

When there were no heavy machine guns, the grenade launcher squads and even light machine gun teams of the newly promoted army were among his targets.

The 2nd Battalion attacked for half an hour, losing half of its heavy machine guns and all nine grenade launcher squads.

The grenade launcher is the core pillar of combat for newly promoted soldiers at the squad and platoon level. Without the grenade launcher, newly promoted infantrymen can only exchange bullets with the 6th Regiment.

However, the heavy machine guns of the newly promoted army had been driven out of the way by Lin Zhiyuan, while the heavy machine guns of the 6th Regiment were still alive and well in their underground bunkers.

Faced with the continuous suppressive fire of heavy machine guns, the newly promoted army paid a heavy price for every step forward.

With the artillery finally ready again, the newly promoted army breathed a sigh of relief and withdrew swiftly like a tide.

Upon seeing this, Guan Jianchu immediately ordered his troops to retreat, leaving only a few men to hold the line once again.

Heavy artillery shells followed closely behind, and the battalion's position was once again engulfed in explosions.

……

The bloody battle between the two sides continued until sunset, when Guan Jianchu returned to the regimental headquarters covered in gunpowder.

During the afternoon's battle, there were several critical situations, and Guan Jianchu had to go to the front lines to fight as well.

"Old Guan, please sit down, please sit down."

Lin Zhiyuan took the iced tea from Shangke and poured a cup for Guan Jianchu.

"How is the First Battalion doing? Are they still able to fight?"

"The soldiers' morale remains high, and they are determined to fight to the death."

"However, I feel I can't keep going any longer."

"The First Battalion suffered very heavy casualties. The battalion commander, the second company commander, and the third company commander were killed in action, and more than half of the platoon-level officers were also killed. Now, there are less than 100 men still able to fight."

Lin Zhiyuan's hand trembled, and water spilled outside.

Who is the military commander of the First Battalion now?

"I combined the first battalion into a company, and the company commander, Ma Daxi, was in charge of command."

After a moment of silence, Lin Zhiyuan nodded emphatically.

"Retreat! The entire regiment retreats into the interior of Lujia Town to engage in street fighting and attrition warfare with the enemy."

"There are still some stretcher teams and migrant worker groups in the north of the town. Let them carry the seriously injured people away."

The operations staff officer standing nearby immediately relayed Lin Zhiyuan's orders.

……