Rise from eight hundred.

The first thing that caught Fang Xianjue’s eyes was a hilly mountain area made of artificially piled loess!

"These mountains are all built based on the results of terrain surveys outside the southern city of Hengyang. Due to terrain limitations, the width may not be enough, but the height is no different." Tang Dao said, pointing to these mountain fortifications.

Fang Xianjue's gaze at this moment was fixed on these earthen hills that had been cut into cliffs of nearly 90 degrees, his eyes full of horror.

The sides of these hills facing the attacking side are cliffs, so if people at the foot of the hill want to go up, they can only climb up by using ladders or stacking human ladders, which is very troublesome. But in fact, this is just the smallest link in this mountain fortification.

On top of the cliff, there are trenches and communication trenches that extend in all directions, connecting all the trenches together to form a main mountain defense position!

At the hub of the trench, there is a 1.8-meter-deep foxhole with a simple bullet shelter next to it. Judging from the 1-meter-thick soil layer in the bullet shelter, it should be no problem to defend against 75mm mountain artillery.

"Sir, this is to prevent the Japanese army from becoming angry and using concentrated artillery fire to attack our main positions in the mountains. It is used for a small number of observation posts and officers and soldiers who remain on the front line to block the enemy." Facing Fang Xianjue's puzzled look, Tang Dao explained.

"This type of single-soldier bullet shelter has been specially tested by our regiment using live ammunition from various types of artillery. If it is topped with wooden boards and beams as thick as human legs, it can prevent a 75mm mountain artillery attack from the top.

Of course, if there is enough time, we can also build an underground fortification with reinforced concrete and fill it with a 1.5-meter-thick soil layer, which can protect against 105mm howitzers and 150mm heavy artillery."

After going around the back of the mountain, Fang Xianjue finally understood why Tang Dao had only left fortifications to defend against artillery fire for the observation post on the main position.

It turned out that Tang Dao hid its main forces behind several mountains.

On the hillsides behind several mountains, there are hidden underground tunnel fortifications, in which the main forces are hidden. They can replenish troops at any time on the reverse slope of the hillside to the main position in front according to the needs of the battle. The movement is secretive and rapid, and the enemy opposite the position cannot see it at all.

Most importantly, this reverse slope tunnel has sufficient protection to minimize the Japanese artillery and air threats.

  This kind of mountain fortification is good at both offense and defense!

"It's really amazing that someone can design this kind of mountain fortification. I have learned a lot. Your regiment has so many talented people, which is really enviable." The top students who graduated from the third term of Whampoa Military Academy could only admire sincerely at this time.

According to his rough estimate just now, if he deployed an infantry battalion on such a mountain, he would need at least two infantry regiments plus an artillery battalion to assist in capturing this position. He even felt that the 5 to 1 attack and defense ratio was a bit unfavorable.

Tang Dao smiled slightly, pointed to the front of the mountain and said, "There are fortifications there. Commander Fang, go take a look and give some suggestions."

When we approached the bottom of the cliff and the saddle between the hills, the deep trench, 5 meters wide and deep, came into view. There was a layer of water in the trench that was as deep as the calves.

"Go, drain the water so the commander can see more clearly." Tang Dao waved at Shi Dakuan.

As the soldiers opened the drainage valve, the layout at the bottom of the trench gradually became apparent, and Fang Xianjue took a breath of cold air.

There were wooden boards laid flat at the bottom of the deep trench, and they were covered with steel nails pointed upwards. Although they were covered with mud, Fang Xianjue was convinced that anyone who stepped on them would have their feet pierced, not to mention the cowhide boots equipped by the Japanese army, even a pair of iron boots would not work.

On the battlefield, if your feet are injured and you can't walk, the outcome is predictable.

In addition to this "sinister" arrangement, the outer walls on both sides of the deep trench are made slightly differently. The side facing the enemy is slightly tilted outward to facilitate human bodies to slide down, while the side facing the defenders is made upright at 90 degrees, just like a shrimp and crab trap, easy to enter but difficult to exit.

  Standing at the bottom of the trench where there were no nails, looking up at the top of the 5-meter-high trench, Fang Xianjue, a veteran soldier, couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. If he were to fall into such a desperate situation on the battlefield, with sharp steel nails covered by water under his feet, which would pierce his feet, and he would be unable to get out, what should he do?

As Tang Dao's finger pointed, the battle-hardened Tiger General broke into a wry smile. My goodness, this Tang Dao doesn't leave anyone any chance to survive!

It turned out that there were bunkers at the end and turning point of the deep trench, two-thirds of which were embedded in the cliff and one-third extended into the trench. They were built with steel plates, logs, stones, reinforced concrete and covered with loess on the outside, making them hidden and solid.

There were four machine guns placed at the firing ports on both sides of the bunker facing the trench, with all the muzzles pointing inside the deep trench.

Japanese soldiers could basically not see the bunker before entering the deep trench, but as soon as they entered they would be strafed by machine guns in the firing holes on both sides of the bunker.

Even 70mm infantry guns would find it difficult to destroy such strong fortifications, not to mention the grenades and hand grenades carried by the infantry.

To put it bluntly, if you encounter this thing in a deep trench, you can only wait for death.

Following Tang Dao into this fire bunker that had been built with great effort, he found that the interior was much larger than Fang Xianjue had imagined. The bunker was equipped with a shooting room, ammunition room, shelter room, and an upward tunnel leading directly to the main position on the mountain. This passage could ensure the replenishment of all food, clean water, ammunition and other supplies in the bunker, and could also transport troops and send soldiers to the rear.

"This bunker is well designed, but I'm afraid there isn't enough time!" Fang Xianjue sighed after he finished visiting the bunker.

"Although this configuration is time-consuming and labor-intensive, it allows the soldiers in the bunker to fight with peace of mind without worrying about being disposable items. When facing the enemy, their morale can remain high." Tang Dao said.

"Moreover, as long as there are engineering design drawings and enough raw materials, the engineering troops can just follow the drawings and an engineering platoon can build such a bunker in two days. My Fourth Bank Regiment has 2 people, but we have been an engineering corps for a year. As long as we have enough materials, it won't take ten days or half a month to build such a bunker. Just give me a week and I can build it all over the south of the city."

"Haha! Good, that's what I've been waiting for you to say, Captain Tang. When the Japanese attack, the deep trenches and bunkers in the mountains south of the city will all be handed over to your Four-Line Regiment. All the people in the 10th Reserve Division, from the commander Ge Youcai on down, are at your disposal. You, Captain Tang, can even take General Ge with you to carry the heavy load." Fang Xianjue laughed loudly.

The sharper the Tang Dao fortifications were, the greater the damage to the Japanese army would be. He was even confident that if an infantry regiment owned this piece of fortifications, a Japanese infantry brigade would be beaten to a bloody pulp if it came to attack.

Fang Xianjue even felt impatient, hoping that the Japanese would fight in Hengyang as he and Tang Dao had imagined.

Yes, perhaps even this fierce general did not realize how much influence his best friend who died in the Battle of Changde last year had on him. It was so great that he would rather let the war devastate the land of Hunan Province than fight the Japanese army to the death, to avenge his best friend and to demand revenge on the Japanese for the three children left behind by his best friend.

Fang Xian was by no means a saint, he also had selfish motives, and he was extremely eager to use a battle to prove to General Xue, who was deliberately trying to drive him out of the 10th Army, that his judgment of the battle situation was correct, and that General Xue was extremely wrong.

  Although this proof is extremely cruel and requires countless soldiers to sacrifice their blood and lives!

But, war, will it not come just because you don’t want it?

Obviously not, the flames of war always need lives as fuel and casualties as rain, before they can gradually die out. This is an era that is determined by the will of a few people, and most people can only go with the flow. Even brave generals like Fang Xianjue and Tang Dao can only try their best to maintain a little clarity in this storm, holding the gun in their hands tightly, trying to break through the storm that constantly devours lives and see the day when peace will finally come.

"At this moment, we have the support of Liuzhou Airport behind us, so air supremacy can be guaranteed. It is extremely risky for the Japanese army to fight during the day, so sneak attacks in the dark will become the Japanese army's main combat method. These broken walls and deep trenches are very clear during the day, but the vision is restricted at night. It is one thing to observe during the day, and it is another thing to react when they are close at hand." Tang Dao made his final summary statement after taking Fang Xianjue to see all the mountain defense positions and firepower deployments.

At this moment, Fang Xianjue's mind was already showing a scene from the actual battlefield.

The firepower configuration of the positions developed by the Sihang Regiment was basically based on the principle of "concealment first". Regardless of whether it was the entire main position or the deep trench, all light and heavy machine guns were required to fire sideways, and direct fire was strictly prohibited. They formed a cross-fire network to cover each other to prevent the Japanese from discovering the firing holes and eliminating the firing points with infantry artillery.

This also reflects the defensive firepower strategy of the Tang sword, which is not based on "blocking", but to let the Japanese army in to fight with the cooperation of carefully designed field fortifications.

The whole attack route of the Japanese army was controlled by the firepower net composed of light and heavy weapons of the defenders. When the Japanese army began to charge, they could only crawl forward under the direct firepower composed of rifles and submachine guns of the infantry. The Japanese army that was lucky enough to pass through this firepower net reached the 90-degree cliff and had to attack upwards by setting up ladders or stacking people. At this time, they would face the cross-machine gun fire from the cliff and the overwhelming grenade cluster bombing.

When the Japanese soldiers were dazed by light and heavy machine guns and grenades, they could only look for shelters everywhere to hide temporarily in order to survive. At this time, they would roll into the trenches without thinking. The Japanese soldiers thought that as long as they entered the trenches, the defenders could not see them or hit them, and they would be safe. However, they did not realize that once they entered the trenches, they would die faster.

  The six-centimeter-long steel nails at the bottom of the trench would make them feel like they were dying of pain, and the simultaneous firing of eight machine guns in the bunkers on both sides of the trench would form a whip that would sweep down the Japanese army like dominoes!

But for the Japanese troops who have already attacked this place, they will be oppressed and driven away by machine guns, grenades and mortars in the main position above, or they will be strafed by machine guns below. It is a dilemma for them to choose one of the two.

For an adult with enough thinking ability, they don’t want to choose any of them, but they have no choice. The most common approach is to face the challenge head-on, and then become a victim under the gun above or below.

This kind of broken wall and deep trench is like a well-designed killing machine. Every step is cautious and murderous. Tactical skills are nothing in the face of such fortifications and firepower configuration.

Unless the Japanese flattened the mountain with artillery and killed all the defenders on the mountain, it would be possible for them to rush up.

The image of the dead bodies of the Japanese soldiers who attacked the mountainous area south of Hengyang City appeared in Fang Xianjue's mind.

"Brilliant! The people who designed these defensive trenches are truly geniuses. Can I meet them?" Fang Xianjue stood on the broken wall, feeling extremely excited.

"Except me, several chief officers of the regiment went out to purchase supplies a few days ago. The Japanese are coming, so we have to make some preparations in advance?" Tang Dao said with a smile.

He couldn't tell the person in front of him that these trench designs were not created by anyone else, but by him, his chief of staff, and the commander of the engineering battalion.

  And this deep trench in front of the broken wall will have a name in the future, called "Fang Xian Jue Hao"!

It was precisely in the face of this killing machine that Yokoyama Isamu's 11th Army of 10 troops suffered heavy losses.

It was once recorded in time and space that before approaching the city of HY, the Japanese army suffered a staggering loss of more than 4 people in the battle for the suburbs alone. This number included the killed Lieutenant General Sakuma, commander of the 68th Division of the Japanese Army, the disabled Chief of Staff of the 68th Division, Colonel Harada Sada, and the killed brigade commander, Major General Shima Genkichi.

"Okay! No one else can prepare for a rainy day to the extent you do, except you, Captain Tang." Fang Xianjue nodded.

"Then tell me now, what should the 10th Army do now. If it is necessary to make some positions in the suburbs of Hengyang in advance, I can arrange for the 3rd Division and the 10th Reserve Division to deploy first. But I can't do anything in the city now, after all, that is Mayor Zhao's territory. Although he is my good friend, he is also under the command of Commander Xue. If there is a big move in Hengyang City, it will be difficult for him to explain to Commander Xue who said that there will be no big battle in Hunan Province."

"My opinion is exactly the opposite of Commander Fang's." Tang Dao shook his head.

"At this time, the Japanese army must be full of spies inside and outside Hengyang City. If the 10th Army builds key fortifications in the south of the city now, the Japanese army will have enough time to adjust their deployment. It would be better to wait until the Japanese army's combat intentions are completely exposed before building.

But in Hengyang City, there was no time to waste. If building fortifications above ground didn't work, then they would start underground.

For example, starting from the 10rd Division headquarters of the 3th Army in Hengyang City, from now on, they should immediately and secretly dig underground tunnels to ensure that even if all the ground telephone lines are blown off, there will still be signal soldiers who can reach various positions through the tunnels, and even transport troops to the occupied positions through the tunnels.

In short, when the day comes for street fighting, these underground passages will be of great help to our defenders."

"You must have gotten the inspiration from the tunnel warfare in southern Hebei! I heard that your Four-Line Regiment in southern Hebei led the common people to hollow out the underground of the entire village, and defeated the Japanese." Fang Xianjue said.

"Hehe! Commander Fang is a little wrong. It's not the underground of the entire village, it's all the underground. When my Four-Line Regiment was ordered to leave North China, eighty percent of the villages in southern Hebei had interconnected tunnels, so the military and civilians could be transferred at any time. We used the excavated loess alone to build hundreds of artificial hills, which we hollowed out and made a lot of shooting holes in them, so we could shoot at the Japanese troops running across the fields from a high vantage point at a long distance." Tang Dao chuckled.

Fang Xianjue took a deep breath and gave Tang Dao a thumbs up sincerely.

No wonder this person suggested that he dig a tunnel in Hengyang City. It turned out that he almost hollowed out the underground of the entire southern Hebei.

No wonder the Japanese North China Front Army, which had nearly 30 troops, was unable to defeat the Four-Line Regiment in the Taihang Mountains, and was even defeated by the Four-Line Regiment in the plain area of ​​southern Hebei.

The Tang sword is like a monkey that runs away when it is scratched in the mountains, and a fox that burrows into the ground when it is bitten in the plains. Who can defend against it?

With such a brave general and a strong army to support him, no matter how many people Yokoyama Isamu brings, I will break all his teeth.

In the evening when the sky was filled with sunset glow, the Lieutenant General Senator who was about to become famous all over the world suddenly became extremely confident.

However, perhaps even he himself did not expect that Yokoyama Isamu, who had just regained the position of commander of the 11th Army, was also staring at Tanzhou and Hengyang at this time.

The eyes of this Japanese Army lieutenant general, known for his tenacity, were also full of determination.

Everyone has a chance to fail and start over, except him, the reinstated military commander. He must succeed in one battle! (End of this chapter)