EBE Chapter 121: Blood and Fire Collision (1)
Chapter 121: Blood and Fire Collision (1)
The 656st Battalion of the th Regiment was the front-line unit. When the first bomb from a Japanese plane fell, all the officers in the front-line trenches shouted at the soldiers to quickly hide in the anti-artillery holes. However, the subsequent coverage of Japanese infantry artillery fire made the officers and soldiers in the front-line trenches experience what modern warfare is.
Due to the dense water network in Shanghai, the groundwater level is relatively high. When the soldiers were digging trenches, they found that groundwater was seeping up just over one meter into the trenches. This had a significant impact on all the officers and soldiers. Many soldiers were unwilling to continue digging deeper trenches. Although they dug deeper under the supervision of officers at all levels, they still had not reached the corresponding standards. In addition, the soil in Shanghai was relatively soft, and the excavation of anti-gun holes was also very unsatisfactory.
Although officers at all levels had anticipated the ferocious firepower of the Japanese army, they did not expect that the Japanese army would use so many artillery pieces in the first attack. Some anti-artillery holes, due to their soft soil, could not withstand the baptism of Japanese artillery fire and collapsed directly, burying the officers and soldiers inside. Fortunately, the soil was soft, and most of the officers and soldiers were able to climb out of the loose soil pile on their own after being buried.
The Japanese army's preparatory artillery fire lasted only about five minutes. As soon as the artillery fire became sparse, the surviving observation post left in the trench blew the whistle, which meant that the Japanese attacking force had been discovered. All surviving officers and soldiers had to immediately enter the previously preset positions for defense.
Colonel Hachiro Tagami and Lieutenant Colonel Akira Yamagami were watching the attacking troops with binoculars at the front of the 34th Regiment's departure position. Hachiro Tagami was not very satisfied with the artillery's fire support, which only lasted less than five minutes. He carefully watched the soldiers of the Second Company of the First Battalion, and asked, "Mr. Yamagami, what's going on? Why did the artillery battalion stop firing after firing for such a short while?"
When the Chief of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Yamagami Bin heard the commander's question, he knew that the commander was very dissatisfied with the artillery support just now, but he could only say helplessly: "Your Excellency, although the artillery battalion has completely landed and arrived at the designated location yesterday, they do not have enough artillery shells. Currently, each gun only has a basic amount of ammunition. Therefore, for this firepower reconnaissance, the artillery cannot provide sufficient artillery support as required by the drill manual."
After hearing the explanation from Yamagami Akira, Colonel Hachiro Tagami understood that artillery landing was not as easy as infantry landing, and he had no good solution for this situation. Now landing craft were continuously transporting the follow-up officers and soldiers of the 3rd Division ashore, and there was not much transportation capacity to ensure the supply of artillery ammunition to the front-line troops. Fortunately, his attack this time was just a tentative reconnaissance.
"Well, thank you for your hard work, Yamagami-kun. After this offensive reconnaissance is over, you will need to urge the troops in the back to transport the artillery shells as soon as possible. At the same time, tell Brigade Commander Ueno to provide us with naval gun fire support for the subsequent attack. In this way, I think our progress will be very rapid." Colonel Tagami Hachiro still kept his eyes on the attacking troops in front, and explained to Yamagami Akira the matters that needed to be dealt with.
After hearing the order from the regiment commander, Yamagami Bin immediately stood at attention and replied that he understood, then continued to observe the battle on the front line with a telescope.
Li Maocai, the battalion commander of the 656st Battalion of the th Regiment, came to the front-line trench with a Mauser pistol. He had just asked someone to find the st Company Commander Wang Dequan. He had been hiding from artillery fire in the second-line trench for a long time, but as the Japanese artillery fire covered him, he became more and more uneasy. There were too many artillery shells from the Japanese. He had participated in the Central Plains War in the past, and even the most intense fighting was not as fierce as today's artillery fire. He was not sure whether the Japanese were preparing for a test attack or a large-scale attack, so as soon as the artillery fire stopped, he immediately brought a platoon of people from the second company in the second-line trench.
Li Maocai observed the front-line trenches. The Japanese were too cruel. The bombardment made the front-line trenches look unsightly. Smoke was everywhere in the trenches, and some soldiers' bodies were lying in and out of the trenches. Fortunately, he brought a platoon with him, otherwise the whole company might not be able to withstand the Japanese attack.
"Battalion commander, why are you here?" Company commander Wang Dequan ran to Li Maocai with dirt on his face and asked.
When Li Maocai saw Wang Dequan's appearance, his heart sank, and he hurriedly asked, "Wang Dequan, are you okay? How many people are left in your company?"
"Battalion commander, I'm fine. The anti-artillery cave was just collapsed by Japanese artillery fire. I just counted and there are about 75 people left in our company." Wang Dequan was a little depressed. His company was fully staffed, but more than 40 people were killed by Japanese artillery fire before they even saw the Japanese.
After hearing Wang Dequan's report, Li Maocai became even more worried. They had just come into contact with the Japanese army, and more than a platoon of soldiers had been killed. Although casualties were inevitable in war, this was too fast. But he couldn't blame Wang Dequan in front of him. He didn't expect the Japanese artillery fire to be so fierce, and he was still not well prepared.
While communicating, the two men directed the soldiers to shoot at the attacking Japanese troops.
"boom"
Li Maocai saw that a heavy machine gun position fifteen meters to his right was hit. The gunner was lying on the machine gun and was probably dead. The deputy gunner was injured and fell in the trench, screaming. The medical soldier also ran over there to treat the wounded, risking being hit.
"Wang Dequan, we can't let the heavy machine gun stop. Send someone to continue operating the heavy machine gun. Also, fire a bullet belt and then move the position. The Japanese cannons are damn accurate." Li Maocai pulled Wang Dequan over and gave the order.
After receiving the order, Wang Dequan immediately called two soldiers to follow him to the heavy machine gun position. Within half a minute, Wang Dequan and the two soldiers moved the heavy machine gun to another preset position. After installing the ammunition belt, the heavy machine gun resumed its firepower output.
However, less than two minutes after the heavy machine gun began to fire, two small bombs fell on the heavy machine gun position, killing one soldier on the spot. Shrapnel also cut a hole in Wang Dequan's forehead, and blood immediately flowed down mixed with the dirt on his face. Wang Dequan had no time to bandage the wound, and hurriedly called on the surviving soldier to help move the heavy machine gun and prepare to move to the next preset position.
Li Maocai saw it clearly just now. It was a grenade launched by a Japanese soldier with a grenade launcher. It was so accurate. He just carefully estimated that the distance was about 120 meters. Even at such a long distance, they could still hit so accurately. It seems that the Japanese soldiers are indeed well-trained.
"Well, very good, Yamagami-kun, let the warriors of the first battalion withdraw. The goal has been basically achieved." Colonel Tagami Hachiro put down the telescope in his hand and ordered Yamagami Akira.
The Japanese army blew the whistle to retreat in the rear, and the soldiers of the Second Squadron, who were firing at the Chinese army in the front, retreated in an orderly manner under the organization of the officers.
Seeing the Japanese retreat, Li Maocai ordered to stop shooting. He had just witnessed the Japanese retreat, which was like a textbook. He asked himself if his first battalion could not retreat in the same situation. But he had no time to sigh. He needed to immediately organize officers and soldiers to repair the trenches and transport and rescue the wounded. At the same time, he asked people to notify the second company in the second trench to come up and the first company to retreat for repairs.
From the moment the Japanese planes dropped bombs on the 102nd Division's positions, Zhang Wenwu stood outside the village with a telescope, watching the Japanese planes that were dive-bombing and strafing in the air. He was worried about his brothers on the front line. Judging from the fierce preparatory artillery fire, the officers and soldiers on the front line were under tremendous pressure. After the gunfire in the front stopped, Zhang Wenwu took out a cigarette, lit it, and started smoking. He returned to the quartermaster's office and stayed there for less than an hour. He saw a group of wounded soldiers being transferred from the front to the temporary field hospital at the division headquarters.
Zhang Wenwu was just about to go to the field hospital to see if there was anything he could do to help when he heard a roar in the distance. Oh my god, those damn Japanese planes are coming again.
Li Maocai had just explained to the second company commander the areas that needed special attention and then retreated to the second-line trenches. He needed to see how many people were left in the retreating first company so that he would have an idea of the situation.
"Wang Dequan, how many people are left in your company?" Li Maocai found Wang Dequan who was bandaging his head, and asked while handing him a cigarette and lighting it.
"Battalion commander, I just asked someone to count carefully. There are still 65 people left in our company who can participate in the battle. The second platoon leader was killed, and Deputy Company Leader Liu was seriously injured and sent away." After Wang Dequan finished reporting to Li Maocai, he smoked depressedly. This battle made Wang Dequan feel too frustrated. The Japanese fired a barrage of artillery shells, and then retreated after a while of shooting, making him feel like he had no strength to use.
After listening to Wang Dequan's report, Li Maocai fell silent. This time, the Japanese army was obviously launching a tentative fire attack, but even so, almost half of his company's men were killed. At this rate, his battalion would be completely destroyed if it was attacked by the Japanese army five more times.
"Enemy plane, enemy plane." The observer in the trench loudly issued a warning to everyone.
Li Maocai took a look at the Japanese planes flying over and quickly ordered the troops to hide in the anti-artillery holes. Those who did not have anti-artillery holes squatted in the trenches to prepare for defense.
At the departure position of the 34th Regiment of the Japanese Army, the regiment commander, Colonel Hachiro Taue, was giving instructions to the captain of the 1st Battalion, Major Masakawa Hiraharayagi.
"Mr. Pingyuan, you have seen the firepower reconnaissance just now. The defense of the Chinese army on the opposite side is still well organized, but their heavy firepower is obviously insufficient, and there is no strong support from artillery. Judging from the firepower of the Chinese defenders, they should have only one company of soldiers in the front-line trenches. The naval aviation will launch an attack first, and then I will let the artillery battalion fire all the shells. Your task is to strive to break into the Chinese army's position in one go and occupy it. Do you understand? I hope that Mr. Pingyuan will let our regiment bring the first victory for the Third Division after the landing." Colonel Hachiro Tagami seriously ordered Pingyuan Yanagi Masakawa.
"Please rest assured, Commander. My First Battalion will definitely occupy the positions of the Chinese army opposite and win the first victory after the landing for our glorious Third Division." Jungheung Masagawa stood at attention and bowed excitedly.