At four o'clock in the morning, the Japanese military headquarters.
In the camp, Takeuchi Renshan was wearing a kimono, sitting cross-legged on a soft cushion and carefully wiping his katana. A set of military uniforms were neatly stacked next to him like tofu cubes.
The camp was clean and simple, but it was very neat and tidy, almost spotless.
He is a rather mysophobic person, and can even be said to have some pathological perfectionism. Because of what happened yesterday, Takeuchi didn't get much rest all night. He got up early in the morning and kept thinking about how to deal with the situation at hand.
Now my side is in a bit of a slump, because the support troops have not yet arrived, and the fortress is being built, and it has not yet formed a large scale. Today, he is like a paper tiger, seemingly ferocious but without any advantage.
If they can seize this opportunity and launch a desperate attack, it's hard to say whether they can stop it.
It's a pity that as long as a row of people passes by the gentle slope in the southeast corner, they will be bombarded by the Chinese. It seems to be their forbidden land. No one is allowed to blaspheme.
In desperation, Takeuchi had to temporarily abandon the construction work of that position. Wait until the artillery troops arrive before making plans.
However, he still felt quite uncomfortable. For a person with perfectionism and obsessive-compulsive disorder, the lack of the southeast corner position was as painful as digging out a piece of flesh in his heart.
Fortunately, the two Chinese armies on the opposite side were also divided. They couldn't even do the most basic military cooperation, and they were even on guard against each other.
"Chinese people are so virtuous and are good at fighting among themselves. Let's wait for a while. Then it will be my chance to fight back."
Takeuchi sneered and said to himself. He has now arranged for soldiers to work in three shifts 24 hours a day. A standing passage has been built under the three lines of defense. With time and improvement, the entire Nantianmen will surely turn into a steel fortress. Then they won't be able to fight if they want to.
As everyone knows, Liao Mingyu and Yu Xiaoqing have the same idea, but their starting points are different.
Yu Xiaoqing wanted to preserve her strength and wait until she was fully confident before attacking. He regarded Nantianmen as a stepping stone for his career advancement. He can do this at any cost, but it must be the final word!
Liao Mingyu simply felt that his troops did not have the conditions to attack yet. If he forced an attack on Nantianmen now, even if he won, he would suffer 800 losses rather than gain. The Sichuan Army was his treasure and his brothers, and he was reluctant to take their lives to fill that bottomless pit.
But once the four battalions of the reinforced regiment are integrated, he will launch an attack on Nantianmen without hesitation. Because only when fighting can missions be issued, his troops can develop better.
Time passes slowly, and the dawn slowly rises from the sky...
At the same time, the Japanese army was on the ground. The Japanese were seizing the time to have breakfast. The commander of the regiment gave a fatal order to speed up the progress of the project at all costs and to work day and night.
So there wasn't much time left for them, and even eating was like a war. It must be resolved quickly.
"Koji, let's have another rice ball."
An older Japanese warrant officer handed the remaining rice ball to a young soldier.
"Ah? But, Brother Hideo, aren't you hungry?"
The young Japanese soldier Koji was a little embarrassed. But it was obvious that he was growing older and a limited breakfast could not satisfy his appetite at all. Although he really wanted to eat it, he couldn't be so rude.
"Take it, I'm not hungry. My stomach feels a little uncomfortable today. Eat quickly."
Hideo forcefully stuffed the rice ball into Hiroshi's hand. Looking at this eighteen or nineteen-year-old soldier, he couldn't help but feel something in his heart. His younger brother was also as old as him, but he didn't know if his younger brother who was in the Pacific battlefield was still there now. alive…
"Arigado! Brother Hideo." Haoji was so surprised that he took the rice ball and ate it hungrily.
Hideo smiled happily and turned to look at the Chinese position opposite, his brows furrowed and he couldn't help feeling a little emotional. This war has been going on for so many years, and now even these half-grown children have been dragged into the battlefield by the empire. I really don’t know how long we can hold on.
"Whoosh...whoosh..."
The brief contemplation did not last long, as the scream of artillery shells pierced the sky. Hideo came to his senses instantly.
"Anti-gun! Everyone retreat to the corridor! Be careful to avoid!"
A lieutenant next to him shouted loudly, and before he could finish speaking, rapid artillery shells fell on the position.
"boom!"
"boom!"
"boom!"
…
"Brother Hideo, what...what should I do?"
Explosions were heard everywhere, and Koji was so frightened that he shivered in the trench. Without saying a word, Hideo quickly grabbed Koji's hand and ran to the corridor behind. He was risking his life by staying in the position. Only entering inside would be considered completely safe.
"Boom...boom!"
Unfortunately, a cannonball exploded behind them. The huge shock wave knocked Hideo to the ground, and the splashed soil covered him like a mudslide...
"That's right, let's fight like this! Li Liansheng, let the raw melon eggs in the artillery camp get started later. You and the old artillerymen can take a few of them each. I don't ask how accurate they are, but you can at least fire a few rounds for me. That cart of artillery shells is enough for you to play with today, do you understand!?"
Liao Mingyu held the binoculars and looked at the Japanese who were blown up on the opposite position and felt so happy in his heart.
Then he also ordered that Krupp and the others should take the new soldiers to familiarize themselves with the use of artillery.
"I know, captain!" Li Liansheng quickly agreed.
Twenty or thirty 120mm mortars and 92-inch infantry guns set up a formation, firing shells at the little Japanese position on the opposite side non-stop. Shooting from top to bottom at their first and second line positions, the artillery shells can also gain some range.
"Krupp, come here! Keep an eye on the kid's artillery with the 105 howitzer. As long as the kid dares to fire, I will destroy them!"
Putting down the telescope, Liao Mingyu called Krupp and told him to get ready. The first two artillery battles caused heavy losses to the Japs. Now they should not be able to fight back, but they still have to be on guard.
"That is the high and low line. Turning this small wheel can change the angle of the gun."
"Son, why are you so stupid?"
"By the way, open the barrel and stuff the shells inside. Okay, stand away and cover your ears!"
…
Diagonal, loading, firing... The veterans are now taking the trouble to familiarize the new recruits with the use of artillery. If something goes wrong, they will be corrected in time. The new recruits are also growing in practice.
Of course, artillery cannot be trained in a day. Liao Mingyu has decided to fire more than ten or twenty artillery shells at the Takeuchi Regiment from time to time in the next period of time. While attacking their construction positions, he can also make them Our own artillerymen are gradually getting better at it, especially the training of new recruits. Only through practical operation can they make rapid progress.
…
Shaking his swollen head, Hideo slowly regained consciousness.
"Koji! Koji? Where are you?"
The blood on his forehead flowed down half of his face. He wiped it randomly, lay down on the dirt on his body and looked around.
What came into view was the devastation all over the ground, and a severed arm lying on the ground...
Pushing himself up with difficulty, Hideo crawled over on his hands and knees, and with trembling hands he grabbed the severed arm, only to see some rice remaining on the blackened severed hand.
"Baga!" Hideo lowered his head in pain. He buried his head deeply in his arms, choked and shed tears...
Takeuchi Renshan stood on the mountain peak and looked gloomily at the shelled position, clenching his fists tightly together.
The chief of staff next to him lowered his head and said to him cautiously: "Reporting to your Excellency, the commander of the regiment, the soldiers on the first and second defense positions have been withdrawn into the corridor. The casualties are not very large, but our construction schedule may be affected. Artillery... …Do you want to fight back against the Chinese?”
Takeuchi knew that their only two or three 75mm field guns did not pose a threat to the enemy, and the meaningless artillery battle was likely to be destroyed by the opponent's howitzers.
It is difficult for the remaining infantry artillery to shoot at the artillery positions on the peak of Jiqipo. Even if the infantry artillery was pulled to the hilltop opposite them and fired at them, the gain would outweigh the loss. After all, not only did the opponent have more artillery than we did, but there were also several 105 heavy guns hidden on the reverse slope, waiting for opportunities.
This opponent has good vision. He chose such a perfect garrison position, which really tortured him unspeakably.
"Forget it, let the infantry hide, the artillery doesn't have to fight back, and there won't be any more meaningless battle losses."
After weighing it for a moment, Takeuchi Renshan still gave the order rationally.
"Just wait two days, Yoshino-kun. The supporting artillery brigade will soon arrive at Nantianmen. When our Taisho 14 cannons arrive, it's time to counterattack them!"
