As soon as the Japanese attack was defeated for the second time, the 28 Japanese guns located in the rear opened fire.
This time a 120mm howitzer was also added.
In the attack of the Japanese and puppet troops just now, some firepower points from the bunker of the new regiment joined in, and the side fire suppressed the Japanese machine guns until they could not lift their heads.
During the firefight, Shinichi's soldiers also discovered that the puppet troops were still the same group of puppet troops, without any change.
But this group of devils is really powerful in combat.
The Japs' grenades were incredibly accurate, and some of the grenades fired hit the machine gun fire points of the new group in the first instance.
This group has superb tactical coordination, their marksmanship is frighteningly accurate, and their machine gun firepower is stronger than the Japs in the second-line division.
Even though they had the firepower advantage to suppress the Japs, the new regiment also suffered some casualties during the Japs' attack.
Boom boom boom…
The artillery shells fell on the front slope position of the new regiment, and the intensive artillery fire shrouded the position in smoke.
The Japanese's 120mm howitzer, under the command of the Japanese observer, aimed at the bunker of the new regiment.
Because the Eighth Route Army's mountain artillery, howitzers, and heavy artillery had not yet taken action, even though the bunker was located on a higher ground, the Japanese did not dare to pull the 120mm howitzer over and aim directly.
When it comes to long-range shooting, there is no way to guarantee the accuracy of bunkers like shelling.
It often takes more than ten shells to hit one.
Under continuous bombardment from field artillery and howitzers, the bunker remained motionless.
These bunkers were made of cement and steel bars captured by the Xinyi Group from the Japanese, and were all built to thickening standards.
Even a 150mm howitzer has to hit ten or twenty shells in a row before it has a chance to be destroyed.
The maximum caliber of the artillery used by the Japanese to attack the new regiment this time was only 120 mm.
In the field of view of the artillery mirror, Major General Saburo Miura saw that those 120mm artillery shells landed near the bunker and exploded. Even if there were shells hitting the bunker, they did not overturn it.
When Miura Saburo couldn't see it, a new group of soldiers in the bunker had already entered the tunnel along the secret passage.
Although the Japanese artillery shells could not destroy the thickened turrets, the shells hitting the bunker and exploding on the outer wall of the bunker were extremely uncomfortable.
"Is this a reinforced concrete fortification?"
Miura Saburo frowned slightly.
The Eighth Route Army positions plowed by Baoshan artillery and field artillery were empty. The Eighth Route Army soldiers had already got into the tunnels, and the Locust Army was just wasting artillery shells.
The resources of the Japanese Empire are poor, and every cannonball is missing.
Seeing that hundreds of rounds of artillery shells were fired with little effect, Miura Saburo felt extremely troubled.
"Yes!" Chief of Staff Ohno Binfu put down his telescope and exclaimed, "It is indeed a reinforced concrete fortification, and it is also thickened. If you want to destroy this kind of fortification, you must use aerial bombs or 150mm howitzers to destroy it. destroy!"
Hearing this, Saburo Miura frowned even deeper.
He has seen a lot of these reinforced concrete bunkers recently. The First Army Yoshio Iwamatsu ordered many to be built around Taiyuan. It is said that they can withstand the bombardment of 150mm heavy artillery.
“How come Eighth Road has so much cement and steel bars?”
In addition to frowning, Miura Saburo also had deep doubts in his expression.
Although before the war began, the reconnaissance planes flying the 2nd Division conducted a large number of aerial reconnaissance over northwestern Shanxi. The Japanese army also knew that the Eighth Route Army was building positions and bunkers.
But I didn't expect that the Eighth Route Army's bunker would have difficulty even breaking through its defenses with a 120mm howitzer.
Binfu Ohno, who knew the inside story, said: "These cement and steel bars were originally assigned by Lieutenant General Iwamatsu, commander of the First Army, to the 36th Division to repair bunkers and gun towers to block the new regiment. Later, the 36th Division was One regiment attacked, and then thousands of tons of cement and steel bars were shot by the new regiment, and the 36th Division also suffered heavy losses."
"idiot…"
Cursing secretly, Miura Saburo took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in his heart.
Even if they were defeated, even such important supplies could be snatched away by the Eighth Route Army. The troops of the First Army were simply a bunch of trash.
Now these materials have been built into reinforced concrete permanent fortifications by the Eighth Route Army, which will cause big trouble for the 10th Division.
"Then how did the Eighth Route Army capture those thickened bunkers and gun towers along the road?"
Miura Saburo sounded puzzled.
Along the road from Heyuan County, he saw some fortifications. They were thickened bunkers and gun towers, and they looked intact.
These thickened bunkers and gun towers were not destroyed during the battle.
After the war, Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang discussed and decided not to destroy those thickened bunkers and gun towers for the time being.
If the county town is taken back by the Japanese in the future, the Japanese will definitely continue to stay in those thickened bunkers and gun towers. When the new regiment can knock them down, it will be a big fortune.
How can you only do business once?
Ono Binfu said: "According to Major General Hanagu, Chief of Staff of the First Army, the Eighth Route Army first used large-caliber heavy artillery to aim and fire directly, used smoke bombs to obscure the sight of the machine gunners, and the flamethrowers carried flamethrowers. Only then did they capture those thickened bunkers and blockhouse."
"Yoshi!"
Hearing this, Saburo Miura's expression changed from gloomy to bright: "This does provide an idea for our attack. There is an old saying in China: treat the person with his own medicine. If the third attack is unfavorable, use this again. A tactic!"
The Locust Army has smoke bombs.
The Locust Army also has flamethrowers.
Although intelligence shows that the Eighth Route New Regiment is equipped with gas masks.
But Miura Saburo still wanted to give it a try, because when the 10th Division attacked the national army a few years ago, the use of poison gas bombs was almost invincible.
As for the method of earthwork excavation mentioned by Ohno Binfu, it is too time-consuming.
According to reconnaissance, the Eighth Route Army has built many positions and bunkers at a depth of more than ten kilometers. This is just the beginning, and there are still tough battles to be fought later.
In the field of view of the artillery mirror, the Japanese army fired hundreds of artillery shells, but not a single bunker exposed by the Eighth Route New Regiment could be destroyed.
Miura Saburo coldly ordered: "Send the order, stop the bombardment and launch chemical bombs!"
The communications team immediately called the rear artillery positions and issued orders to launch chemical bombs.
Tens of seconds later, a sharp whistling sound passed overhead, flew towards the position of the new Eighth Route Army regiment, and then quickly exploded.
This time, the Japanese fired yellow and red gas bombs.
Red bomb explosions can release toxic gases that strongly irritate respiratory organs, commonly known as sneeze bombs; while yellow bombs release erosive poisonous gases that can cause ulcers in the skin and mucous membranes.
About 400 meters away from the Eighth Route Army position.
About 400 Japanese soldiers from two squadrons, all wearing gas masks, have arrived here and are ready to attack.
The Japs don't have many gas masks, and they won't equip them for the puppet troops, so all the people attacking this time are Japs, and there are no puppet troops.
I saw poison gas bombs spreading over the Eighth Route Army positions.
The Japanese squadron leader suddenly became enthusiastic and shouted loudly: "Your Majesty, the Locust is on board!"
The Japanese raised their rifles high and shouted loudly: "Your Majesty, the Locust, is on board!"
The excited and fanatical look was like seeing the Locusts with their own eyes. The Japanese soldiers of the Class A Division were more enthusiastic about Bushido and worshiped the Locusts than the Japanese soldiers of the Second Line Division.
Then, under the leadership of two Japanese squadron captains, more than 400 Japanese soldiers held rifles, dispersed their formation, and quickly rushed towards the new regiment's position.
…
"The Japanese have begun to attack, with about 400 troops and a distance of 380 meters!"
The Xinyi Group position was filled with poisonous gas, blocking the sight of the observation post, but the observers at the commanding heights of the mountain could have a clear view of the Japanese attack.
The observer immediately conveyed this situation to the first battalion using a low-power walkie-talkie.
As Zhang Dabiao's order was issued, this time it was still two companies responsible for going out from the tunnel to defend the position.
"Put on your gas mask and tie your sleeves and neck tightly!"
"Get into position!"
The two battalion commanders had rich combat experience and knew how powerful the Japanese gas bombs were. In addition to wearing gas masks, they also had to keep their skin from being exposed, otherwise they would be hit.
Within half a minute, all the soldiers were ready. Following the company commander's order, the soldiers wearing gas masks entered the position from the tunnel carrying weapons.
Although they entered the position, the enemy fired poison gas bombs at the position, which was like a thick fog and the visibility was not good.
but.
The soldiers were still undaunted in the face of danger. They pushed bullets into their chambers one after another, aiming in the direction where the Japanese came from, with stern eyes.
…
Li Mancang is a machine gunner in the first platoon of the third company of the first battalion. He is 24 years old and a native of Tianjiazhuang, Hebei Province. He uses an M1917 Browning heavy machine gun.
The same heavy machine gun used by John Basilone on Guadalcanal to kill more than 2,000 Japanese soldiers.
At this time, Li Mancang looked quietly at the Japanese soldiers wearing gas masks in the distance and rushing towards the new regiment's position through the gap in the bunker.
This group of Japanese soldiers were light on their feet and very fast, focusing entirely on the new formation shrouded in gas bombs.
During this period, the Japanese artillery troops continuously fired poison gas bombs at the Xinyi Regiment's position, allowing the poison gas to permeate the air.
The front of the position is not flat, but there are many uneven earth bags. Some of the earth bags have been transformed into thickened bunkers and restored to their original state, with no abnormalities visible.
This is flanking firepower specially prepared for the Japanese. There are six more bunkers like this on the flanks.
As the Japanese entered the shooting range, Li Mancang asked the deputy shooter to push away the brick blocking the shooting hole, then pulled the bolt, opened the safety, and put his thumb on the firing weight of the heavy machine gun with a stern expression.
Accompanied by the continuous firing sound of "gnaw gnaw gnaw", 250 bullets were continuously fed into the gun chamber, but when they came out from the other side, only the bullets were left without the bullets.
The bullet split into two parts, and the eggshell was thrown to the ground inside the bunker, but the bullet flew towards the Japanese infantry 150 meters away!
The machine gunners in the other six bunkers fired almost simultaneously. Through the shooting holes, Li Mancang saw that the Japanese who were caught off guard fell in large numbers in an instant.
Under the intense machine gun fire, even the formations of the Japs from the Type A division were suddenly disrupted, and then they fell into a pool of blood one by one.
