"Boom", a Japanese Type 92 infantry gun sounded again in the valley.
Following this shot, the cannon body sat back, but was pinned in place by the cannon hoe behind it.
As smoke and dust rose, another Japanese soldier moved forward carrying a shell, but was immediately stopped by the Japanese commander.
So far, they have only fired more than ten artillery pieces in total, but the Japanese commander believes that this is enough. After all, there is only one regiment of the Northeast Army in Ningyuan City.
If the Northeast Army did not lose the Fengtian Arsenal, then the Japanese Kwantung Army would still be a little more afraid. After all, the Northeast Army has all kinds of aircraft, artillery, tanks and vehicles.
However, with the September 18th Incident, the Northeast Army's military production base was occupied by the Japanese Kwantung Army with less than 200 troops.
Without logistical supplies, the Northeast Army is like a tiger without teeth. So what does the Japanese Kwantung Army have to fear?
What's more, the artillery bombardment was just a plan designed by the Japanese army to knock down the mountain and shock the tiger.
Ningyuan City is just a small county town. There is no danger to defend it. If they fire artillery shells into the city again, how will the Northeast Army react?
At this time, in Ningyuan County, regiment leader Liu Cheng was looking at a collapsed house with a sullen face. Soldiers were busy rescuing people from the ruins.
Unfortunately, a Japanese artillery shell hit the military camp, and dozens of officers and soldiers in that house were killed or injured.
"Captain, we can't hold on here any longer. If the Japanese fire a few more shots, our casualties will definitely be heavier. Let's break out." His chief of staff advised from the side.
Liu Cheng did not expect that his group would be surrounded by Japanese troops in Ningyuan City.
Liu Cheng's original plan was to stand firm and wait for reinforcements. Although Zhang Liancai's company lost most of his company and Zhang Liancai was killed, the soldiers who returned reported that the dozen or so stragglers he had gathered had already escaped.
Liu Cheng had no reason not to believe that the dozen or so stragglers would not go to Suizhong, the nearest city to Ningyuan City, to find reinforcements.
The distance from Ningyuan to Suizhong is only 200 miles. If the dozen or so skirmishers were not stupid and instead found horses to carry them, the reinforcements would have arrived within two days of holding on.
But now the Japanese army actually fired artillery shells into Ningyuan City. How could this small square city with its narrow streets withstand such a bombing by the Japanese army?
"Ah——" An injured soldier was pulled out from the ruins by his companions. His whole body was choked with dust, but his feet had been turned 180 degrees. That was the explosion of his ankle. broken.
Liu Cheng became upset.
"Hurry up and save people. Break out in an hour and rush out from the northeast." Liu Cheng ordered.
"Commander, why are you rushing out from the northeast?" His chief of staff was puzzled.
To the northeast is where the Japanese troops are coming. There should be a lot of Japanese troops there, right? This was the thought of his chief of staff.
"To the west is the boundary of the Japanese artillery. Are you charging to death from there? You don't think that the Japanese artillery can hit four or five miles but not one or two miles?" Liu Cheng asked rhetorically.
His chief of staff could only say "yes".
In fact, it doesn’t matter which direction we break out from? They are now trapped in a dangerous city. Who knows in which direction the Japanese army has deployed more troops?
At this time, just to the west of Ningyuan City, the Japanese artillerymen who had temporarily completed their bombardment mission were resting.
But at this time, a Japanese soldier screamed. When other Japanese soldiers looked over, they saw that the Japanese soldier had turned around and pointed to the west and shouted.
There is no need to look in the direction pointed by the Japanese soldier.
Just because it's so obvious.
All the Japanese soldiers saw a few wisps of faint blue smoke rising from behind the low hills just a few hundred meters away to the west.
The longest range of the Type 92 infantry artillery used by the Japanese artillery was about five miles, and the Northeastern Army in the city did not have artillery, so when they fired into the city, they chose a distance that was not too far or too close - Ningyuan. A place three miles away from the city.
This is a valley surrounded by low hills.
Since they only arrived here at dusk yesterday, as an artillery position, there were naturally alert sentries surrounding it.
However, the sentry was only placed on the hill behind the position. The sentry looked west and saw only hills, so he didn't take it seriously.
But now there is green smoke rising from the other side of the hill. What is going on?
The Japanese commander thought for a moment and then issued an order. He ordered six Japanese soldiers to go to the place where the green smoke was rising to check.
The number of Japanese troops besieging Ningyuan City is certainly not small, but not large either. What's more, their artillery is still several miles away from Ningyuan City. What are they doing with so many troops?
Now there is only one detachment of infantry protecting their Type 92 infantry gun, and the rest are artillery.
A detachment of the Japanese army is equivalent to a squad of the Chinese army, with a full complement of only thirteen people.
The Japanese commander felt that the five soldiers he sent out were a lot.
Nowadays, almost all the large and medium-sized cities in the three eastern provinces have been occupied by the Japanese army. As the saying goes, "Tempers are acquired by habit." Even the Japanese army currently besieging Ningyuan City only has one squadron. As for the others, they are all puppet troops. Now The Japanese army is very arrogant!
Five Japanese soldiers, led by a commander, headed towards the place where the green smoke was rising. However, when they bypassed the front hill, they discovered that the few wisps of green smoke were still on the hill in front. The back of.
This is a hilly area with very dense woods. At this time, the Japanese army discovered that there was a winding mountain road in the woods. They had not noticed it at all.
The five Japanese soldiers kept their distance and moved forward with rifles in hand. When they climbed to a high hill, they saw a dozen houses in the valley.
Only then did they realize that there was a small village here!
As they talked, several Japanese soldiers recalled that they escorted the infantry artillery to the open land outside the hill yesterday evening. At that time, they did not see any smoke rising behind them.
I guess it was the Chinese people who saw the war breaking out here and didn't dare to light a fire.
But they can't always eat cold food, so today they couldn't help but start cooking.
Seeing that the origin of the green smoke had been found out, the Japanese commander Cao wanted to lead his men back, but at this moment a Japanese soldier pointed forward and shouted, and the remaining Japanese soldiers followed his directions. I saw a goat tied to a big tree in front of a farmhouse!
Several Japanese soldiers became excited at the same time. Commander Cao waved his hand, and they left one soldier on the mountain to guard with a gun. The remaining four men walked down the high hill with guns in hand.
Although it was war time, they took it for granted that it was only a matter of time before they captured Ningyuan City. They didn't mind taking advantage of it and plundering this small village with only a few households.
