Rise from eight hundred.

Chapter 1364 The house leaks and rains continuously (Part )

In the next two days, His Excellency Major General Hattori Akatsuki felt like he was simmering in a pot.

The Chinese did not completely gain the advantage in military strength and then rushed and attacked fiercely. If that were the case, that was what he wanted most.

As early as when the three major infantry brigades attacked Zishan, an infantry brigade joined an engineer regiment to start building fortifications in this area to deal with possible attacks from this direction.

Barbed wire and sufficiently complete trenches formed a defense line 3000 meters wide and meters deep. If the Chinese, who had no armor and only pure infantry, attacked by force, they would pay an unimaginable price.

As more Japanese infantry moved in, the defense line extended for another kilometer to both sides. Hattori Akatsuki no longer ordered the remaining 22 tanks to attack, but hid in specially dug tanks. In the semi-sunk bunker, it serves as a fixed fire point combat mission.

Unless the Chinese move anti-tank guns to the front line of the charge, no weapon can pose a threat to this steel fortress with a front armor thickness of more than 20 mm.

Hattori Akitaro, who suffered a heavy loss in the first battle, has already made plans to hold on. The real battlefield for the decisive battle has to be on the Zishan side. As long as the Chinese defense line of Zishan is conquered, the 1st Division will still have a chance. Restore the honor of the Empire's oldest division.

In the past two days, the more than 300 Chinese troops that were slowly surrounding them did not rush to launch an attack. Instead, they dug various fortifications day and night. What was clearly visible in Hattori Akitaro's telescopic view was that the Chinese trenches were approaching. At least meters.

That means that after three more days like this, China will be able to dig its trenches almost face-to-face with its defense line.

No barbed wire or trenches will work at that time. The Chinese can even jump into the first trench in less than ten seconds of charge.

Hattori Akitaro hopes to use artillery fire to prevent China's blatant excavation, but the current situation is that the artillery he has is even lower than that of China.

The Chinese almost regularly bombarded his subordinates' positions twice a day, especially the large-caliber mortars, which were a disaster for the infantry in the trenches.

It's okay if it falls outside the trench, but it also collapses part of the trench. The infantry can organize repairs immediately after the shelling. But if it falls inside the trench, the damage caused by the warhead weighing more than 18 kilograms is far beyond what the 75mm mountain gun can match. of.

The turbulent air waves were blocked by the trenches and then escaped along the trenches to both sides, and could even roll out the soldiers who were huddled in the trenches more than 20 meters away.

Every day, as many as 200 soldiers were killed or wounded in the trenches due to shelling. If the battle losses continued at this rate, the troops under his command would soon lose their combat effectiveness without waiting for China to dig trenches into their faces.

This should also be the most frustrating battle that the 1st Division fought when it first entered North China. It could only watch its opponent advance step by step, and was consumed and bled by endless artillery fire every day.

Hattori Akitaro may not have thought that this is the daily routine of the Japanese army entering China against the Chinese army. Relying on its heavy firepower, it continued to consume the Chinese army, which only had heavy machine guns, and then captured the position in waves, and then brutally pursued the retreating Chinese soldiers, and finally won.

The 683rd Brigade just reproduced this tactic as it was, but it frustrated the 1st Division.

If you want to say whether Hattori Akitaro wants to retreat at this time, of course he does, but as of today, he can no longer and dare not retreat.

The Chinese army has semi-surrounded his position from three directions. The nearest position is only more than 3 meters away. Soldiers from both sides have even set up rifles in the trenches and started a cold war.

This means that China has completely clung to him. If he dares to withdraw his main force from this position, China will definitely launch an all-out attack. The artillery fire and troops that China possesses also let Hattori Xiaotaro know that even if he leaves 1000 people in the position to break up the rear , I am afraid that facing the Chinese people who are attacking with all their strength, they will not be able to sustain it for half an hour.

The other 4000 people who have lost the protection of their positions are very likely to turn from an orderly evacuation to a rout under the pursuit of the Chinese. Then it may not be just the few thousand people who are finished, but the entire division will be destroyed by this powerful force. The Chinese took the fallback route.

Hattori Akitaro could only gamble that his reinforcements would arrive before the Chinese launched their final attack.

Yes, after the North China Command received the news that a large number of regular troops of the 4th Group Army were attacking from the Taihang Mountains, they also began to increase their troops in southern Hebei, and once again dispatched an infantry brigade led by the 1th Division's "Innocuous" Brigade and a B The infantry regiment of this division has a total of reinforcements.

The reason why it was Daekuma Yukinosuke again was because Duo Tianjun had no troops to send. Otherwise, the 'Wu Shang' brigade, which had already become famous in Japan's North China Front, would definitely continue to bask in the sun in cities such as Baoding.

Then again, Duo Tianjun pinched his nose and sent Major General Daxiong Yunosuke, but Daxiong Yunosuke was too lazy to go!

Who are those in the Four Elements Group? In the battle at Zhongtiao Mountain, the main force of the Si Xing Regiment had not yet come out. Instead, it relied on a force composed of pure recruits to defeat a group of proud main divisions in the empire. This time, the main force was used, and even the heavy artillery was used. It's all over, and the 1st Division, which crossed Shanhaiguan with great force, was also stunned!

And let’s do it! Daxiong Konosuke knows one thing better. If he wins this battle, the credit goes to the 1st Division. If he loses, he will have to bear the charge of insufficient reinforcements. Chun Chun is Duo Tianjun who has disliked him for a long time. Want to harm him.

As a front army commander, His Excellency Major General Daxiong may still have some concerns about him, but for a commander who is only a few days away from leaving office, he has no respect for the city of Osaka.

Therefore, Major General Hattori Akitaro's desire to wait for the arrival of reinforcements is considered as waiting for pigs. Two days have passed, and the 'No Shang' brigade is still gathering at Baoding Railway Station to wait for the arrival of the special train.

But this is definitely not the fault of the 'No Shang' brigade. Who allowed the Chinese guerrillas to blow up a full 1000 meters of railway track? The train did not have wings to fly. Thousands of people in the 'No Shang' brigade were not allowed to do so. Just wait at the train station!

But why the Chinese guerrillas did not bomb sooner or later, but just when the special train from Pingbeicheng was about to arrive in Baoding, they blew up this transportation artery. The reason is not understood.

Hattori Akatsuki wanted to wait for the arrival of Okuma Konosuke, but he really had to wait.

Generals such as Okabe Saburo and Hattori Akitaro have experienced what it means to have a leaky house and encounter continuous rain.

The one who came to Zishan to cooperate with the 1st Division was the 3th Infantry Brigade of the 5rd Division. Its brigade commander was Fusutaro Toshima, who was transferred from the 14th Infantry Brigade Commander of the 27th Division just a month ago. The commander of the major general brigade once participated in the Battle of Lanfeng with Dofei Yuan and made great achievements.

The Japanese North China Front Army Headquarters suddenly issued this transfer order. According to reliable internal information, both the base camp and the Front Army Headquarters were extremely dissatisfied with the 3rd Division Commander Susumu Fujita. They just used the Battle of Purple Mountain to build up Fusotaro Toshima's qualifications and popularity. , in order to replace Susumu Fujita as the commander of the 3rd Division in the near future.

As the saying goes, there is no smoke without fire. Since there is this news, it means that someone above thinks so. The reason for revealing the news in advance is actually just to see the reaction of the 3rd Division. In addition, Susumu Fujita has indeed stretched his hips in the past two years. Whether the division's performance in the battles of Tongguan or Zhongtiao Mountain was like shit.

In the past time and space, Futaro Toshima really took over as the commander of the 40rd Division in August 8. If there had not been the battle of Zishan, I am afraid that this turn in history would not have been a big one.

However, the man who was supposed to be the Minister of General Affairs at the North China Military Police Headquarters came to Zishan by accident. The gear of his destiny suddenly got stuck.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Numata-kun, inform Colonel Chiba that I will order the division's artillery to target the Chinese position and bombard it overnight, giving him the strongest fire support, but he must ensure that the high ground is captured before sunset tomorrow.

In addition, I will convey my true words to him. If anyone dares to disobey my military order, then I will ask him to break his belly and apologize to His Majesty the Emperor. No matter who he is, Numata-kun, do you understand? "Futaro Toshima roared at the brigade chief of staff with an extremely ferocious expression.

"Hi!" The lieutenant-general and chief of staff lowered his head so that no one could see his expression after being savaged by his immediate superior without any mercy.

Watching the Lieutenant Colonel and Chief of Staff leave, Toshima Fuotaro's eyes flashed with deep gloom.

He had imagined that he would encounter difficulties after transferring to the 5th Infantry Brigade, but in fact the difficulties were much greater than he imagined.

Whether it is the two colonel captains or the lieutenant colonel chief of staff, they are basically respectful on the surface, but their combat intentions have never been truly implemented.

For example, Futaro Toshima asked for two consecutive days of strong attacks without giving the Chinese a chance to breathe. As a result, the infantry regiment organized a strong attack that did not even last half a day. This kind of overt and covert violation also led to a consequence. Although the battle situation in the other two directions was They were also in a stalemate, but they managed to capture several small highlands, but the infantry brigade he led could not even touch the edge of the Chinese position.

Even if the Battle of Zishan did not achieve the goal of the Front Army Headquarters in the end, in terms of current record, he, the commander of the 5th Infantry Brigade, is the worst among everyone. I'm afraid, there are some shadows of people operating behind the scenes! A pair of eyes full of cruelty flashed through Futaro Toshima's mind.

Toshima Botaro endured it for nearly a week, and today he finally couldn't bear it anymore. He even told the Lieutenant Colonel, the No. 4 figure in the infantry brigade, and the Chief of Staff, "Whoever disobeys military orders will be asked to have a caesarean section to apologize." harsh words.

Although Futaro Toshima knew that this would make several generals under his command resentful and might move closer to that one, he could no longer care about that much at this time. He urgently needed to tell the story of his achievements in order to avoid war after the war. His wish to be promoted to the head of the 3rd Division failed. When he became the head of the division, Susumu Fujita's influence was completely wiped out. He believed that these resentments would be wiped out with the transfer of power.

Because the 5th Infantry Brigade was only playing auxiliary duties this time, the division sent 4 artillery squadrons with a total of 16 75mm mountain guns to accompany it. The main artillery support still relied on the heavy artillery of the 1st Division, but obviously, along with the 150 heavy artillery and With the continuous losses of 105 howitzers, the 1st Division is not enough to support the infantry of his own division. The 3rd Division will also be considered, so Toyoda Fusotaro can only pin his hopes on the artillery unit of his own division.

Fortunately, in the past few days, as a general who had been in the North China battlefield for two years, he was familiar enough with the tactics of the Four Lines Regiment, so he dispersed the four artillery squadrons in several places. Although this increased the investment in infantry defense, But at least no battle damage was caused by the retaliatory shelling by Chinese artillery.

This time, Futaro Toshima asked his 16 artillery pieces to focus their fire on a small high ground. The enemy on it would never exceed an infantry platoon. The area it was located in did not seem to be that critical. The left and right sides were rugged and difficult to navigate. The valley is not suitable for large armies to enter at all.

However, Futaro Toshima only learned that there are no cliffs after this highland after he captured several local Chinese farmers yesterday and asked them with death threats. Soldiers can enter with heavy machine guns and bypass the Chinese main defense line. side rear.

He might be able to complete the siege of the Chinese with a single point of destruction. He didn't believe that the Chinese could dig such an exaggerated defense on the other side of the mountain.

The reason why we chose to shell at night is because shelling during the day can easily lead to artillery retaliation from the Chinese. And at night, no one will see the thick smoke rising from the artillery position! How can the Chinese know the combat position of each artillery piece just by sound?

In order to prevent the artillery units from being damaged, Futaro Toshima also racked his brains. The 3rd Division, which had been beaten and gained experience points, was far stronger than the 1st Division that had just entered the North China battlefield.

But Futaro Toshima ignored a very important point. In addition to serving as eyes for reconnaissance, the scouts sent out by Tang Dao also shouldered the functions of raiding, killing and harassing.

As a special meritorious recipient of the Four Elements Regiment, the cook Pang Zilong, who showed his shooting talent in that defensive battle, would never have the chance to bake buns and make broth again.

Cook soldier Pang Zilong was eventually 'groomed' by Lu Sanjiang to the reconnaissance company and became a sniper!

The reconnaissance company is based on the infantry squad, but in addition to the infantry squad, there are also some special formations, such as snipers, fire support, assaulters, etc. These special formations are directly under the company headquarters and can be regarded as the elite of the elite. They are only dispatched when performing special tasks.

People like Mingxin, Niu Er, and Heizi have never been commanders, but regardless of their military rank or ability, they are the top of an elite company such as the reconnaissance company. Even a platoon leader like Shen Laoliu is still at the top of the list. When encountering Niu Er and Heizi in the army, they must stand at attention and salute.

And Pang Zilong, after being personally guided by Tang Dao and undergoing special training with Niu Er for a period of time, finally became a member of these special formations.

Pang Zilong had been lurking in the bushes at the foot of a hill for 24 hours, about 450 meters away from the Japanese artillery position stationed in this area.

Unlike other scout groups, Pang Zilong is equipped with a field radio. He sneaks into the battlefield with only one purpose, to find valuable targets and kill them.

The Japanese artillery was very cautious. There were only about 8 artillery pieces in this artillery position, but each gun was more than 200 meters apart. Unless a large number of artillery groups were used to concentrate fire, it would be difficult to kill them.

Especially the Japanese artillerymen actually learned to 'drill holes'.

Not only did they hide the artillery and shells underground, but they also hid people in the holes!

Pang Zilong, who was lying in the lurking spot, saw with his own eyes that his side shelled the area at least twice, but basically did not cause any major damage to the Japanese artillery.

Pang Zilong hasn't fired a single shot in the past 24 hours. It's not that he hasn't found valuable targets.

Rather, the commander has said that snipers are the elite among the elite, and are the commander's sword hidden in the darkness. Every time they are thrust out, the enemy's heart will bleed. But a sniper is not a one-time consumable. A real sniper can ensure smooth evacuation after killing the target.

During the day, Pang Zilong had already found the target he wanted, a Japanese lieutenant colonel, through the 4x scope mounted on the gun, which was made by German.

That was a Japanese military officer with a rank similar to that of Shangguan Chief of Staff. Of course Pang Zilong didn't want to miss such a prey.

However, even though Pang Zilong had aimed at the Japanese officer in the scope at least 4 times, Pang Zilong gave up.

There was no guarantee that he would escape unscathed after killing the target, especially since he had Lieutenant Kuroko by his side who was specifically escorting him.

Pang Zilong glanced three meters to his side with the corner of his eye, where Lieutenant Heizi was hiding.

Lieutenant Heizi, who had his face smeared with oil paint and shrank his head under the bushes, hid very carefully. If Pang Zilong hadn't known where he was, he wouldn't have known that there was a 1.9-meter-tall Shandong man hidden in the bushes.

As if sensing Pang Zilong's gaze, Heizi, who had been closing his eyes to rest his mind, opened his eyes, made a safe gesture to Pang Zilong with his curled hand, and then continued to close his eyes.

Pang Zilong really admired this man's tenacity. From last night to now, this 1.9-meter-long Shandong man seemed not to have moved much except for moving his fingers in the early morning to keep his joints flexible, like a hibernating bear.

In fact, Pang Zilong knew that he had moved, but as slowly as a snail. Unless someone kept their eyes on him for ten minutes, you would never know that the big man like a dead branch moved. Pass.

He moved not because he couldn't hold on, but to remove the stiffness in his joints and muscles and prepare for an attack that could be launched at any time. Every bit of muscle stiffness may cause the bullet in the gun chamber to deviate unpredictably.

That was guidance from Tang Tuanzuo, but Heizi's talent, even if placed in the future, would be good material for special forces. These were Tang Tuanzuo's original words, but he just replaced the future with the place where he had studied.

In order to ensure the safety of this super shooter who was second only to Tang Dao and Niu Er in the Four Elements Group, Lu Sanjiang asked Heizi to be Pang Zilong's partner in person.

Suddenly, Pang Zilong opened his eyes wide.

The originally silent Japanese artillery position suddenly became noisy, and fires were lit, with figures constantly flashing in the bright firelight.

Is this the rhythm of firing at night?

Pang Zilong's eyes flashed with joy. It was not easy for him to find a fighter plane, but the Japanese actually took the initiative to send it to him.

The sound of gunfire and darkness will be the best cover for his sniper.

Aim the muzzle of the gun wrapped in dead leaves into the distance. This is the location where the Japanese lieutenant colonel appears most frequently during the day. If you guessed correctly, that is the headquarters of the Japanese artillery.