Of course, this does not mean that the artillery, engineers, and baggage troops of the Japanese army have no combat effectiveness, but they are second-line troops after all, and there is a big gap between them and the first-line infantry in terms of military skills and tactical capabilities.
What's more, the Japanese army has no habit of equipping artillery and other logistics units with light and heavy machine guns. It is impossible to stop the mercenary group of more than a thousand dragons with their 38-type rifles that need to be pulled and loaded every time they fire. The fierce and fierce elites launched a sudden and rapid attack from behind the Japanese army.
Moreover, there were more than 4,000 well-equipped soldiers of the Second Regiment of Zhang Huzi following the attack, and Commander Huang of the 139th Division of the 32nd Army led more than 5,000 people to lay a dragnet in the outer areas to catch the Japanese army's fish that slipped through the net.
This was the reason why Zhou Wen decided to completely annihilate the Japanese 14th Brigade.
Therefore, after the Japanese army launched its first attack, the brothers of Team 1 led by Zhou Wen were already scattered around the Japanese defensive positions. One was to detect the movements of the Japanese army and the situation of the defensive positions. Every move of the Japanese army could not escape their eyes.
Another purpose is to conceal battlefield information to prevent the Japanese army from discovering the 2nd Squadron and Zhang Huzi's 2nd Regiment hiding more than ten kilometers away.
Therefore, even in the darkest time before dawn when he could not see his hands, Meng Yuting, as the battle commander, was well aware of any movement of the Japanese army, deployed calmly, and began to launch a counterattack against the Japanese army on the top of the mountain.
Just after the Japanese 4th Battalion set off from the foot of the mountain, Hattori Jiro also issued an order to put the rear camp on high alert.
All soldiers from the artillery brigade baggage squadron and the baggage squadron and engineer squadron directly under the brigade headquarters were ordered to take over the security duties of the camp, and patrols and various light and dark sentries were dispatched in the east, west and north directions.
Even some artillerymen issued rifles to guard and protect the artillery positions.
Because Hattori Jiro knew that after sending out the last reserve team of the 4th Brigade, the defense force of the entire brigade's rear camp would become very weak. It was also the most dangerous time. Even if it was gambling, there was no risk. reason.
There is another hidden worry in Hattori Jiro's mind, that is, the small elite Chinese unit suddenly disappeared for two days on the march. In these two days, the camp was never attacked by cold guns and artillery. But Hattori Jiro knew in his heart that this did not mean that this elite small force went back to sleep or withdrew, because soldiers on patrol had been missing in recent days.
Hattori Jiro judged that this small Chinese force was probably hiding not far from his camp. They obliterated all factors that could detect their whereabouts, just like a pack of wolves staring at their prey, with sharp fangs open, waiting. When the prey shows weakness, it pounces and delivers a fatal blow.
However, Hattori Jiro does not think that this small Chinese force has the ability to conquer his base camp defended by nearly 2,000 people in one fell swoop. No matter how powerful their combat power is and how clever their tactics are, the number of people is too small. There is no trick in this kind of head-on confrontation. A tough battle is not something that an army of hundreds of people is capable of.
What's more, Hattori Jiro also has a certain degree of confidence. Although the 1st and 2nd Battalions have basically lost all their combat infantry, the machine gun squadrons of the two brigades have been preserved intact.
Two machine gun squadrons, a total of 24 92 heavy machine guns, are all deployed at several commanding heights in the camp, which can basically block the attack lines in all directions, and a large number of thickening and reinforcement protective measures have been taken on the machine gun positions. In the Chinese army In the absence of artillery support, it can be said to be impregnable.
While Hattori Jiro was vaguely worried about this small Chinese force that did not follow common sense, he was also somewhat looking forward to the Chinese force coming to attack the camp. By then, these twenty-odd heavy machine guns would let them know the strength of the Imperial Japanese Army. sharp.
Unfortunately, he didn't know that this time it would be not just a small Chinese special force with dozens of people who would deliver the fatal blow from behind, but also more than 1,000 members of the Second Division of the Mercenary Regiment who had experienced the Songhu War of Resistance, and their combat strength and The equipment far exceeds that of the Japanese army's elite Tigers, and there are more than 4,000 officers and soldiers of the Second Regiment of the Model Brigade, which is best at attacking. There are also more than 5,000 officers and soldiers of the 139th Division on the periphery.
Looking at the current Republic of China, such a strike group of tens of thousands of people is already considered the most powerful combat force. Under the eyes of Hattori Jiro, with the mercenary regiment in the west, Zhang Huzi's second regiment occupied the north and The attack posture from the east was fully developed.
This was Zhou Wen's purpose of concealing battlefield information, which was to turn the Japanese into blind and deaf people on the battlefield, and the vast forests of the Yanshan Mountains became the best camouflage to avoid Japanese aircraft detection.
The advantages of special operations are fully demonstrated at this moment.
At this time, the gunfire and explosions on the top of the mountain became more intense, and the flares and tracer bullets from both sides complemented each other and flashed in the night sky.
The Japanese 4th Battalion also hurried to the halfway point of Phoenix Mountain.
Since the first line of positions on the mountainside had been occupied by our own side and they were eager to rush to the top of the mountain to support the trapped friendly forces, the Japanese army did not adopt a skirmish formation. Instead, several squadrons crowded closely together and swarmed toward the top of the mountain.
The machine gun squadron established a machine gun position on the original defender's position. Their purpose was to secure a retreat for themselves. If the attack on the top of the mountain failed, they would cover the retreat of the Japanese army.
Just as nearly a thousand Japanese troops were struggling to climb the mountain, several more flares suddenly rose into the sky.
The Japs' captain was an experienced commander. He knew at a glance that it was a flare fired by a mortar. It had a much wider illumination range than a gun flare. Moreover, after the flare rose into the sky, a small parachute would automatically pop up. , greatly reducing the falling speed and providing longer illumination time.
The most critical thing is that the position of these bright flares is exactly in the sky halfway up the mountain. Most of the entire Phoenix Mountain is exposed to the light, and the figures of nearly a thousand Japanese troops of the 4th Brigade are also completely exposed. Nothing left.
The Japanese captain's face instantly turned paler than the light of the flare, and he shouted loudly: "Spread out and take cover!"
However, the screams of countless shells tearing through the air instantly drowned out his weak roar.
"Boom boom boom..."
Dozens of artillery explosions rang out in the Japs cluster almost simultaneously, and dozens of bright fireworks rose into the sky, accompanied by bodies or stumps flying in the air, as well as flesh and blood separated from the bodies, and then a wave of Then there were waves of cannonballs, and waves of flying limbs and flesh, as if a fireworks feast was staged on Phoenix Mountain.
