Rise From Eight Hundred Chapter 1332

What caused such heavy losses to the 10th Division was the MG42 general-purpose machine gun that must bear the brunt.

This is not the first time that a general-purpose machine gun has been used on the battlefield. The soldiers of the Japanese 10th Division had already experienced the power of the MG34 general-purpose machine gun in the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain. In that battle, Longyan used a general-purpose machine gun to kill nearly a thousand soldiers. The Japanese infantry who did not believe in evil were all killed on that hillside.

But the dead can't tell their colleagues how terrifying a high-speed machine gun hidden in a fortified building can be.

This time, the Japanese infantry who adopted the wave-style attack have completely realized it.

The three-man team with bipod MG42 squad machine guns located in the third trench of the front line did not use flexible shooting positions this time.

Because the Japanese army gave them enough time, the three-person team, with the assistance of each squad of infantry, dug an 'L'-shaped fortification. The entire fortification sunk into the ground for nearly 1.8 meters, and the top of it was covered with crossbars as beams. Cover the raincloth with loess, and pile three layers of sandbags around the shooting hole. The entire light machine gun fortification will never be more than 0.5 meters above the ground!

Unless a light machine gun fortification that is strong enough to withstand heavy machine gun fire is hit frontally by a 70mm infantry gun, only super marksmen can cause damage to the machine gunners inside.

As for this kind of low-profile machine gun fortification, no one can guarantee that the Japanese infantry artillery can hit it with one shot unless it gets as close as 600 to 700 meters to the front line.

However, China also has 60-guns with a range of up to 1,300 meters in the front-line trenches. Although this small cannon is not powerful individually, its rate of fire is amazing. A skilled artillery team can fire 20 shells in one minute.

When two infantry artillery pieces were bombed into the sky by three Chinese 60-guns as they approached the front line and fired 50 rounds of artillery shells, the Japanese infantry artillery recently only dared to get closer to within a thousand meters.

After discovering that the threat from infantry artillery was greatly weakened, the fortifications with hidden MG42 machine guns spewed out tongues of fire unscrupulously, killing all Japanese infantrymen who came within 300 meters of the first Chinese trench. object.

The Fourth Line Regiment once again refreshed the Japanese infantry's inherent impression that the Chinese army usually waits until the infantry reaches more than 100 meters before shooting. If they want to reach the Chinese trenches, they have to crawl on the ground from more than 300 meters away.

When they finally advanced to an area about 150 meters away from the Chinese defense line in a hail of bullets, they entered the range of the infantry again.

The infantrymen of the 10th Division saw for the first time the precise shooting skills of the infantrymen of the Fourth Line Regiment. Even though they had lowered their bodies as low as possible, they still did not know how many people were hit by a single shot from the Chinese infantry while they were crawling forward.

Even though there are many brave veterans who choose to lie on the ground and shoot at the Chinese, hoping to use their precise shooting skills to cause damage to the Chinese infantry, the Chinese soldiers' shooting skills are not inferior to them in the first place, and secondly, they are not inferior to them. There are trenches for protection, and there are many precision shooters hidden in the Chinese trenches. Once they find a target that poses a threat to their defense line, they will often have several guns aimed at it. It is simply a matter of death.

Yoshio Shinozuka, who had enough tanks, certainly would not let his men die in vain. After completing two consecutive rounds of probing attacks at noon, he dispatched 18 tanks as the vanguard.

In this kind of plain, tanks with thick enough steel plates are the undisputed kings. No matter how ferocious the firepower of the MG42 machine gun is, and how fast the rate of fire of the 60-gun is, the Type 89 tanks on the front line are not afraid at all.

In addition to the sufficient protection provided by the 30mm armor at the front of the tank, the short-barreled 57mm gun equipped with the tank is also indestructible, and there are no fortifications that can block its bombardment.

After carefully observing the battlefield, Yoshio Shinozuka's first choice was the frontal position of the Chinese army!

The trenches on the frontal position are crisscrossed, and there are many visible fortifications, which are far stronger than those on the flanks and rear.

After careful consideration, Yoshio Shinozuka did not choose to avoid the edge and use the two wings as a breakthrough point. However, this time it was not a matter of pride. If he wanted to fight, he would fight the strongest one, but Yoshio Shinozuka was very suspicious that this was another imperial confidant. Big trouble dug a hole for him.

The trench fortifications on the frontal position look very complete, but in fact the main troops are placed on the two wings, just waiting for him to get into the trap.

“I want to catch you by surprise.” Yoshio Shinozuka, who has become wiser, decided on tactics and put 3 infantry brigades, 6 89 tanks and 4 94 tanks on the frontal position.

So, Yoshio Shinozuka and his 3,000 infantrymen and 10 tanks, who took it for granted, ran into the copper wall as a matter of course.

The six 89 tanks were indeed majestic. The roar of their engines at full power resounded throughout the battlefield, and the ground could be felt shaking violently dozens of meters away from the tanks.

The 57 mm short-barreled tank gun fired several shots in succession, blasting smoke from the machine gun fortifications that protruded more than 1 meter from the ground behind the defense line.

6 tanks led 4 squadrons of more than 700 Japanese troops all the way to 150 meters in front of the first trench!

You can easily reach the first trench as soon as you look at it. The machine gun fortifications and 12.7mm heavy machine gun fortifications located behind the defense line suddenly erupted into flames.

At a distance of 500 meters, it has completely entered the range of the 20mm machine gun and 12.7mm heavy machine gun.

The 30mm armor is indeed thick and strong enough. When a 12.7mm heavy machine gun's finger-thick bullet hits it, sparks will only appear. If it is in the dark, it will definitely be comparable to brilliant fireworks.

But for the Japanese armored soldiers, this 'ding' sound hitting their ears is tantamount to the grin of death.

Just because you can't get through now doesn't mean you won't be able to get through in the future!

"Fight back! Fight back!" The radio of Tank 89 was filled with the slightly panicked roars of the Japanese armored soldiers.

It's just that tanks like tin turtles have to rely on the observation window in front of the tank to confirm the target, and they are too close to the Chinese front-line trenches.

“Bang!” Yang Bicheng, who was hiding in the second trench, fired his first shot on the battlefield today.

What he hit was not a person, but a tank!

This precise shooter who has become a first-class sharpshooter only used one shot to hit the extremely narrow observation window of an 89 tank 250 meters away. The bullet accurately shot through the observation window and penetrated a man who was putting his face against the observation window. Look out the window into the eyes of the unfortunate guy in the distance.

There was no scream or struggle. The high-speed rotating warhead penetrated the fragile eyeball and the brain tissue behind it, then blew a big hole in the back of the head and hit the steel plate inside the tank. A cloud of blood mist exploded in the small interior of the tank. , sprayed the remaining three Japanese armored soldiers on their faces.

Because of great fear, Japanese tank drivers instinctively braked, and the stopped tanks immediately became the best targets.

The two 20mm cannons adjusted their muzzles and fired their respective projectiles at the Type 89 tank in one go.

More than 60% of the bullets as thick as a cigar were deflected by the arc of the steel plate, but six or seven bullets still penetrated the steel plate.

The large warhead penetrated the steel plate at high speed and entered the inside of the tank, causing a terrible splash inside the tank. The death of three Japanese armored soldiers who had not yet awakened from the fear of their companions being shot was even more tragic. They were almost killed by the flying huge warhead. Tear it apart!

If the presence of an 89 tank was not enough to cause panic among the Japanese army, then when the four 40mm anti-aircraft guns on the Mo Songzi Air Defense Company position 1,000 meters behind the position also moved their muzzles under the command of Tang Tuanzuo, Laying it flat and using it as a flat-firing cannon would be a nightmare for armored soldiers.

Anti-aircraft guns are used as anti-tank guns, which can be seen everywhere on the battlefields of World War II. For example, the 88mm FLAK anti-aircraft gun made by the German Empire was praised as one of the best anti-tank guns after the war, capable of penetrating at a range of 2 kilometers. Transparent to 840mm armor.

Although the Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft gun is not as powerful as its big brother, the 88mm anti-aircraft gun, it has a combat record of penetrating 50mm armor at a distance of 1,000 meters after being equipped with armor-piercing projectiles in actual combat.

Sure enough, when the four 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns were flattened to participate in anti-tank combat, the Type 89 tank was like a chicken and a dog, without any resistance.

In less than a minute, a turning Type 89 tank was hit on the side and rear, revealing a hole the size of a fist. The high temperature caused by the friction between the high-speed warhead and the steel plate instantly ignited the oil. In less than 10 seconds, the entire tank Thick smoke billowed from the tank, and flames shot out nearly two meters high.

A Japanese tank driver escaped from the top of the tank with his body covered in flames. He jumped off the tank and rolled on the ground wailing. The Japanese infantry who followed behind also tried to help him extinguish the flames on his body, but it was obviously in vain.

It's not that the fire was too big, but that there was no mercy on the battlefield. Once the Japanese infantry broke away from the protection of the tanks, bullets rained down immediately. At least four Japanese infantry were swept down, and they could only watch helplessly as their bodies were on fire. The tank soldiers gradually became motionless, and a burnt smell with a strange aroma reached their noses along with the smoke.

In the end, only two 89 tanks were able to escape. The four 89 tanks stayed in front of the position. They were either gradually burned into steel frames by the ignited fire, or they were silent and motionless, like turtle shells with their flesh and blood hollowed out. .

This is true for the 89 tank, not to mention the Type 94, a light tank that strictly cannot even meet the standards of an armored vehicle.

Under the crazy pursuit of the 12.7mm heavy machine guns and 20mm machine guns, the four Type 94 light tanks basically shot holes everywhere, leaving them all on the position.

The situation of the 4 Type 89 tanks and 4 Type 94 tanks invested on the two flanks was slightly better, at least half of them were returned.

“Attack, attack again!” Yoshio Shinozuka, who suffered continuous blows, could no longer maintain a calm attitude. He did not believe that any Chinese army could block his offensive at all costs.

Throughout the afternoon, Tietou's Yoshio Shinozuka and Tietou's Japanese troops conducted as many as 4 rounds of attacks on the frontal positions of the Fourth Army Regiment. At the cost of losing an average of 2 infantry squadrons per attack round, it will not end until the **** dusk.

The 28 MG42 machine guns belonging to the 7 infantry platoons of the Fourth Regiment on the front line consumed a total of nearly 80,000 rounds of ammunition. On average, each machine gun fired more than 2,800 rounds of ammunition, and the barrel alone was replaced as many as 7 times.

If you include the infantry, in this afternoon alone, the total ammunition consumption of the seven infantry platoons was roughly 150,000 rounds, while the ammunition consumption of the more than 3,000 officers and soldiers of the 80th Group on both wings was only a quarter of theirs.

It can be said that the Japanese army, which lost nearly 2,000 infantry, was completely defeated by crazy bullets this time. In addition to air superiority, the Chinese side was no longer weaker than the 10th Division in terms of light or heavy firepower.

This point, even if Yoshio Shinozuka desperately doesn't want to admit it, he can only accept this reality in the face of facts.

What can we do if we recognize the facts clearly?

Yoshio Shinozuka, who lost nearly 4,000 troops in the beginning, is now riding a tiger. To withdraw now is to completely admit the defeat. If you accept the fact of defeat in this battle, the consequences may be more serious. The Chinese people inspired by this will only get worse in the future. It has become more and more unscrupulous in the countryside, and may even spread from southern Hebei to the entire northern China.

Not to mention that he, the lieutenant general and division commander, cannot bear the consequences, Commander Tianjun will be implicated for many years.

Therefore, Duo Tianjun, who received the loss report of Shinozuka Yoshio, strictly ordered the 10th Division to continue to encircle and consume the enemy forces in the encirclement circle. The two mixed brigades from Baoding and Shimen will set off to attack the 10th Division in the future. The division provides support.

Furthermore, a heavy artillery regiment will be dispatched from Pingbeicheng and will arrive on the battlefield in 6 days at the latest.

This is a reassurance for Yoshio Shinozuka, who is seven or eight years old!

Even if the two mixed brigades still have to leave two cities to garrison, they can still have a strength of 10,000 troops, and the heavy artillery regiment is even more powerful.

You must know that in the early days of the war, the entire Japanese Army had only 6 heavy artillery brigades, and the Japanese North China Front Army had only two in total. Among them, the 6th Heavy Artillery Brigade was blown up by the Chinese in a sneak attack at the end of the Songhu Battle.

At present, the North China Front Army only has one heavy artillery brigade, which is placed in Pingbeicheng like a treasure and will not be dispatched unless it is an important battle.

The heavy artillery brigade has two heavy artillery regiments. Each heavy artillery regiment has 2 brigades and 6 squadrons, equipped with 24 150mm howitzers.

As long as these 24 heavy artillery pieces arrive at Zhaojiazhuang, no matter how many and deep trenches the Chinese dig, they will be bombarded to pieces!

He was not rebuked by the commander of the army, but received this forced aid. On the 18th, the haze on the 18th was gone. Lieutenant General Xiaozuka Men lying on the marching bed.

It's a pity that the beauty didn't even last an hour. His Excellency Lieutenant General Shinozuka Yoshio's good mood disappeared with several earth-shaking explosions.

As his unlucky chief of staff hurriedly walked in, Lieutenant General Yoshio Shinozuka, who was already looking angrily at the sky in the distance, finally knew that the small elite troops left by the Chinese on the outer battlefield had indeed begun to act like a monster.

10 minutes ago, they actually carried out a sneak attack on the artillery regiment position defended by an infantry brigade, and used small-caliber mortars to bombard the artillery shell storage points from a distance of 500 meters.

That must have been something they lurked nearby during the day and spied on it. Therefore, in a premeditated and despicable sneak attack, two 500-round artillery shell storage points were detonated.

Although the position was safe, the disaster caused by the explosion of the artillery shells destroyed five mountain cannons and killed more than 140 imperial artillerymen.

“According to the order issued by the division commander during the day, three infantry squadrons from Morita Battalion have gone to support.” Colonel Chief of Staff had just finished speaking.

The eyes of the two of them looking at the distant night sky were stung by the sudden appearance of brilliant tracer bullets, followed by the faint sound of blazing gunfire.

"No, there's an ambush!" The expressions on the two Japanese generals' faces were ugly at this time, and their mother opened the door for Nan Kan - Nan Kan was at home.

'Surround the point and call for reinforcements! ' The tactics that the Chinese had performed countless times on the battlefield in North China actually appeared again this night.

Furthermore, it is better to use a small number of troops to fight a superior force.

“The Chinese are really a bunch of crazy people!” Yoshio Shinozuka really has a hard time understanding how the Chinese think.

"Immediately order the Kurokawa Brigade and the Hebian Brigade to go to support and kill all the Chinese who dare to attack. I will hang all their corpses in front of this position as wind chimes!" Shinozuka Yoshio angrily punched the On the trenches.

Then, the unlucky Japanese Lieutenant General with a broken finger was also on the list of injured.

But obviously, the Chinese did not intend to engage in a fierce battle. After less than 10 minutes of violent bombardment, they took advantage of the cover of night and their familiarity with the terrain to escape.

The two Japanese infantry brigades that came in a hurry fell into the air. After a reluctant search, they carried the dead and wounded back to their positions. When the Chinese appeared at the artillery position again, they appeared like immortal beasts.

Japanese infantry: Is it over yet?

Japanese artillery: You guys should hurry up! It's me who gets beaten, okay?

So, the smart Japanese army, this time with two infantry brigades and tanks as escorts, attacked the artillery position 3,500 meters away.

The Chinese naturally slipped away again.

The Japanese infantry will not return this time and will camp nearby. If anyone dares to come again, the cliffs will surround them in one go.

As a result, field trenches were dug in the middle of the night, and the tired and desperate Japanese infantry became the target of attack.

The Chinese almost always come here at a pinch. At 4 o'clock in the morning, less than 30 minutes after the Japanese infantry fell asleep, a row of mortar shells came over. It is unknown how many people were killed, but the sleepiness that had just brewed was gone. It is true.

Of course, compared with their lives, nothing is important. The more than 5,000 Japanese soldiers far away from the main position stayed up until dawn with their little eyes wide open.

But they are not at a loss. The two dark circles under the eyes of Lieutenant General Yoshio Shinozuka, the division commander who committed suicide and broke his fingers with one punch, can almost be used to pretend to be China's national treasure in the future.

As the sun rose, Yoshio Shinozuka, who had listened to the sound of gunfire all night, felt even worse.

As if they knew that the 10th Division was going to call a truce today and wait for reinforcements to arrive, the thousands of Chinese troops staying 8 kilometers away actually made some changes.

Fortunately, there were only three to four thousand people, and Yoshio Shinozuka, who quickly sent two infantry brigades to deal with it, looked calm.

“It was discovered that a Chinese army was advancing at high speed, with a strength of not less than 5,000, and it was less than 30 kilometers away from the Zhaojiazhuang battlefield!”

But before 9 o'clock, a message sent by an aerial reconnaissance plane after returning left Yoshio Shinozuka stunned.

Zhaojiazhuang already has all the main force of the Chinese regular army. What other regular army with a strength of 5,000 is there?

If there is, there is only one possibility, and it is the one that just appeared at the eastern foot of Taihang Mountain the day before yesterday.

But then, isn't there an infantry brigade under the command of Okuma Konosuke to contain and block the attack?

Lieutenant General Yoshio Shinozuka's mind was really buzzing at that moment. (End of chapter)

Chapter end

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