Quartermasters can also fight the devils

Chapter 122: Blood and Fire Collision (2)

The Japanese planes in the sky began to drop bombs on the positions of the 656rd Battalion of the th Regiment below. After all the planes had taken turns dropping bombs, the Japanese mountain artillery and field artillery opened fire at the same time. This artillery fire was more intense than the previous attack.

Li Maocai was in the anti-artillery cave, sitting on an empty ammunition box, smoking a cigarette, feeling the shells falling and exploding above his head. The vibration of the explosion shook the dirt on the anti-artillery cave onto his military cap and shoulders. Li Maocai was now a little uncertain about his previous judgment. He felt that at this rate of bombing, his Third Battalion would not be able to withstand five attacks by the Japanese army, and probably would not be able to withstand even three. The shells were hitting like they were free. He decided that after the Japanese artillery fire stopped, he would take the Third Company to reinforce the Second Company and strengthen the frontier defense force.

After returning to the starting unit, Major Harukahara of the First Battalion of the Japanese Army immediately ordered the First Squadron to attack the right wing of the Chinese Army, and the Second Squadron to reinforce a squad of the Third Squadron to attack the left wing of the Chinese Army. The two 70mm Type 92 infantry guns and the machine gun squadron of the infantry artillery squad were under his command to provide fire support. The two squads of the Third Squadron and the Fourth Squadron were in reserve, ready to reinforce at any time.

The positions of the 211th Regiment of the 657th Brigade were not the focus of artillery fire in the previous exploratory attack by the Japanese army, and the subsequent Japanese fire reconnaissance was also carried out by only a small team of Japanese soldiers. Facing the first attack by the Japanese army, although the officers and soldiers of a company of the 657th Regiment in the front-line trenches responded calmly under the command of their respective superiors and did not show too much panic, they still lost people in this fire reconnaissance attack by the Japanese army. The only thing to be thankful for was that their defense area was not the main target of the Japanese army.

The artillery preparation before the formal attack of the Japanese army had severely damaged the front-line positions in front of the 102nd Division. After a full fifteen minutes of bombardment, the Japanese artillery fire became sparse. When Li Maocai saw that the Japanese artillery fire was about to stop, he stood up suddenly, rushed out of the anti-artillery hole and shouted: "Zhao Laosan, take your third company to reinforce me, quickly!"

Li Maocai had to get anxious. Judging from the Japanese army's preparatory artillery fire, this time the Japanese were going to launch a formal attack. He hadn't heard any whistles from the front-line trenches until now, which made him worry about how many people were left in the second company in the front-line trenches after the previous artillery attack. To be on the safe side, he decided to take the third company to reinforce as soon as possible and prepare for the worst.

The Japanese artillery fire did not stop completely, but continued to extend its firing backwards. When Li Maocai led the third company to run forward quickly through the communication trench, he heard intensive gunfire from the front-line trench. This made Li Maocai feel relieved a little, because the gunfire meant that the second company on the front-line position still had the strength to fight.

When Li Maocai arrived at the front-line trench, the Japanese attacking force was less than 150 meters away from the position. Li Maocai quickly asked the third company commander Zhao Laosan to command the troops to fill the remaining firing positions in the position, and then pulled over a soldier who was shooting at the Japanese and asked: "Where is your company commander Sun?"

The soldier was shooting at the Japanese army with red eyes when he was suddenly pushed back by someone. He immediately became angry and turned around to curse when he saw that it was his battalion commander Li Maocai. He quickly swallowed back the curse and shouted, "Battalion commander."

When Li Maocai saw that the soldier did not hear his question, he thought that the Japanese artillery fire might have temporarily deprived his hearing, so he shouted again: "Where is your Captain Sun? Where is he?"

The soldier finally heard Li Maocai's words clearly, and then he said loudly: "I don't know, Captain Sun just asked us to come out of the anti-artillery cave, and then I haven't seen him since."

When Li Maocai saw that the soldier didn't know either, he asked the soldier to continue shooting, while he himself continued to encourage the soldiers along the trench to shoot at the attacking Japanese army.

The firepower of the Japanese army was so fierce that behind the attacking troops, the eight heavy machine guns of the machine gun squadron of the first battalion of the Japanese army, under the command of Pingyuan Yanagi Masakawa, continuously poured bullets into the defenders' positions, and the two infantry guns attacked the heavy machine gun positions of the defenders. In such a short time, three heavy machine gun positions of the Chinese defenders were destroyed by the infantry guns. This made the situation of the Chinese defenders, who were already at a disadvantage in firepower, even more dangerous.

The second company commander, Sun Bisheng, wearing a helmet, ran to Li Maocai, who was directing the soldiers to shoot, and shouted loudly: "Commander, commander, the Japanese firepower is too fierce, and the brothers have suffered heavy casualties."

Li Maocai shrank back into the trench, then asked loudly, "How many people are left in your company?"

"Commander, I just took a rough count and found that there are only more than 50 people in our second company. Battalion commander, ask Commander Guo for help. The Japanese are about to attack." Sun Bisheng cried and spoke loudly to Li Maocai. He had no choice. Not only were the Japanese artillery powerful, but the soldiers' guns were also very accurate. In just over ten minutes of the exchange of fire, he saw with his own eyes that a heavy machine gun group had replaced four shooters. In addition, in order to avoid the attack of the Japanese infantry artillery, the heavy machine guns could not even fire through a supply belt before having to move their positions. This greatly affected the fire suppression against the attacking Japanese army.

Li Maocai's heart sank when he heard Sun Bisheng's report. He was well aware of the Japanese army's attack power and individual shooting level. Now the Japanese army was getting closer and closer to his position. In some places, both sides could attack each other by throwing grenades. After making an estimate in his mind, he loudly ordered Sun Bisheng: "Captain Sun, send someone to the back to call up the first company and all the remaining people who can move. Everyone must put on bayonets. The firepower of the Japanese is too strong. We can only put them in front and fight them closely, and drive them back with bayonets. At the same time, send someone to ask for help from Captain Guo, and ask him to send reinforcements as soon as possible."

Li Maocai knew that he had to ask for help from the regiment commander. Although the regiment commander had initially given him the task of holding the position for at least one day, the current situation was that he could not even hold out for one day, and it was uncertain whether he could withstand the Japanese attack. Asking for help would make him lose face, but if he lost the position, it would not be a matter of face. As for retreat, he had never thought about it. If he dared to abandon the position without authorization, he would definitely die.

After hearing the order, Sun Bisheng quickly found a soldier and asked him to convey Li Maocai's order. He then took a rifle from a dead soldier in the trench and started shooting at the Japanese troops in front of him.

Three minutes later, Wang Dequan and the rest of the company rushed over to join the shooting at the Japanese. Li Maocai saw that the Japanese were less than 30 meters away from his position, so he shouted loudly: "Brothers, put on bayonets, put on bayonets."

Pingyuan Yanagi Masakawa watched the attacking troops progressing smoothly and getting closer and closer to the positions of the Chinese defenders. He shouted excitedly with a face full of excitement: "The third squadron reinforces the second squadron, charge, quickly, charge." He saw that the firepower of the opposing Chinese troops was severely suppressed by his own troops. What he needed to do now was to rush into the positions of the Chinese army in one go and try to eliminate the Chinese troops on the positions in one go. In this way, he would become famous in the Third Division.

Pingyuan Yanagi Masagawa was just imagining that he would be commended by the brigade commander or even the division commander when he heard a signalman running over to report, "Captain, the commander of the regiment asked me to inform you that the artillery battalion has run out of ammunition. Until it is replenished, there is no way to provide artillery attack support."

After hearing the news, Pingyuan Liu Zhengchuan waved his hand indifferently to indicate that he understood. He now felt that even without the help of the artillery battalion, he could successfully capture the Chinese army positions opposite. It was no longer important whether there was artillery support or not. The brave warriors of his first battalion would bring him infinite honor.

Li Maocai picked up a rifle with a bayonet fixed and shouted loudly: "Brothers, follow me and let the Japanese see the courage of us Chinese men. Charge!"

Following Li Maocai's order, all the officers and soldiers of the first battalion who were still able to move rushed out of the trenches holding rifles with bayonets, and rushed towards the Japanese army that was close at hand, shouting.

When the Japanese saw the Chinese defenders launching a charge, they also climbed up from the ground and stood up one by one, and rushed forward under the command of their respective officers. Almost instantly, the two teams were engaged in a melee. As the two armies came into close combat, the heavy machine gun positions and infantry artillery in the rear of the Japanese army also stopped firing to prevent accidental injuries to their own people.

There are only more than 200 combat troops in the first battalion combined. After the previous battle, the second squadron of the Japanese army responsible for the attack was strengthened by a small team and now has only about 230 soldiers who can fight. It can be said that there is not much difference in the number of people between the two sides.

However, the physical fitness and bayonet fighting skills of the Japanese army were superior to those of the Chinese army. Moreover, the Type 38 rifles used by the Japanese army were longer than those of the Chinese army, which gave them some advantages in close combat.

As soon as the two sides fought, Li Maocai felt the Japanese army's skills in bayonet fighting. He was facing a Japanese soldier who was about 1.65 meters tall. Although the Japanese were not tall, they were sturdy. Feeling the force of the opponent's rifle, Li Maocai knew that he could not compete with the opponent in strength, so he used his quick movement to constantly avoid the thrusts of the Japanese soldiers on the opposite side. When the Japanese soldier stabbed forward fiercely, Li Maocai dodged to the left suddenly, and then the rifle in his hand stabbed forward from the lower left, and the bayonet was fiercely stabbed into the Japanese soldier's stomach. The Japanese soldier immediately fell to the ground in pain. Li Maocai hurried forward and stabbed the Japanese soldier twice, killing him on the spot.

But the overall situation of the Chinese army is not optimistic. Basically, it takes two or three soldiers to deal with one Japanese soldier. In a one-on-one situation, most of the Chinese soldiers are in a passive position.

Just when Li Maocai stabbed the Japanese soldier to death, a cry of killing came from behind. Commander Guo Ruixin of the 656th Regiment personally led a battalion of officers and soldiers, wearing steel helmets on their heads and holding rifles with bayonets in their hands, and rushed up to engage in a melee with the Japanese army. With the arrival of reinforcements, the morale of the officers and soldiers of the first battalion was greatly boosted, and they immediately fought the Japanese army in front of them desperately.