Rise From Eight Hundred

Several people walked out of the command post covered by camouflage nets, looking at the hilltop 1,500 meters away that was constantly covered by artillery fire, and the already frowned brows became even more gloomy.

The Japanese army came earlier than they thought, and they set up artillery and bombarded wildly, which fully expressed their firm attitude and showed that they had conducted sufficient reconnaissance on the defense of the Niangzi Pass front.

Perhaps, in the corners that cannot be seen by the defense line, the Japanese scouts have arrived for more than a day!

"Everyone, over there, a command post will be established with Shangguan Yun as the commander-in-chief, and Tan Tai Yunshu and Teacher He as deputy commanders-in-chief. If the regiment headquarters cannot be contacted immediately, the opinions of the three of them will be the final decision." Tang Dao glanced at the defense line shrouded in smoke, and turned back to say to his three capable subordinates.

"For the main position of Niangzi Pass, as we have discussed before, Deputy Commander Lei will be responsible for the front-line command of our regiment; Director Ye will be responsible for coordinating the replenishment of troops in various positions at the regiment headquarters, and he must also ensure that the flank positions do not give the Japanese army a chance to attack and enter our defense line with a small force. Director Zhuang will be responsible for ensuring the military supplies used by the entire army on the front line. Everyone should do their job!"

"Yes!" The three stood at attention and nodded.

Except for Ye Chenghuan, who also served as the chief of staff, who continued to stay in the regiment headquarters, Lei Xiong and Zhuang Shisan stopped talking nonsense, and each took a guard squad waiting outside and ran to the command post they had set up.

According to the regulations of the Four-Line Regiment Headquarters, in this wartime, the several major officers of the Four-Line Regiment must be escorted by a guard squad wherever they go.

You know, with the current defense line of the Four-Line Regiment, the width of the front position alone has reached 4,800 meters. If you add the dozen high grounds on the flanks, the total defense line is as long as 7.8 kilometers, and the entire defense area has reached an astonishing 10 square kilometers, which is several times larger than the area of ​​the small town of Songjiang that defended against the attack of the 100,000-strong army of the 10th Army of the Japanese Army!

The larger the defense area, the looser the troops will be, and the more they can resist the bombardment of the Japanese heavy artillery or bombs, but it also brings greater risks. The Japanese army may be able to find the gaps between the battlefields and drill into the defense line to attack and destroy!

Of course, the Four-Line Regiment also took precautions against this. Not only do all non-combat units have certain defense capabilities, but the baggage battalion has also taken out most of its troops to conduct armed patrols on the mountains within the defense line in addition to transporting necessary supplies.

The two big babies, "Hammer" and "Guaiguai", were also specially arranged by Tang Dao to stay in the field hospital 2 kilometers away from the front line. Whether they have hearing or sense of smell, they are far superior to humans, and are definitely the best defensive beasts.

Tan Tai Ming Yue was also very smart. The two big babies were one inside and one outside. When the danger was less during the day, the two of them wandered around in the camouflaged position of the medical company. At night, Hammer entered the trench of the medical company's guard platoon, and 'Guaiguai' was driven to the wild hundreds of meters away from the position.

At night, if the Japanese came to attack, they would never doubt a wild boar, right? Even if the wild boar was a little bigger.

On the first night, 'Guaiguai' didn't understand it a little bit, and howled loudly outside the position with grievance. On the second night, I don't know if he met the same kind in the wild. When he returned during the day, the excitement on his pig face...

In other words, the Four-line Regiment was actually fully prepared from the outside to the inside!

"Captain, I'm in charge of the regiment headquarters, where are you going?" Ye Chenghuan saw that Tang Dao was about to turn around and leave, so he asked hurriedly.

It was really that Tang Tuanzuo's combat style was different from what he had experienced before. The combat style of the 80th Army has always been 'Brothers, follow me! ', it does not require the highest commander to stay in the safe rear command post, but where the commander is, the command post is there, even if it is on the front line.

But Tang Tuanzuo, on the other hand, handed over the command post responsibilities to him, the director of the political department and chief of staff, and took his guards, signalmen and a field radio. I wonder where he is going?

Isn't he going to the front line again? But hasn't the battle started yet?

Everyone in the 921st Division said that he was a warmonger. He liked to lead the troops from the beginning when he was a squad leader and kept the habit until he became the division commander. But compared with this person, I don't know where he is. He has never been in the command post in the four-line regiment for several consecutive battles. Thinking of this, the director of the night school felt a pain in his balls.

"I'll go over there to see how the Japanese are arranging their troops! They used the 105 heavy artillery right at the beginning, which is a demonstration for me! Why can't I go and see how awesome they are!" Tang Dao pointed to the front, his eyes full of murderous intent!

The rumbling sound of the artillery now could not be made by a 75mm mountain gun, it must be a 105mm howitzer, but with the specifications of the 21st Division, a Type B division, he should not have it, unless it was added by the North China Front Army.

Tang Dao guessed right!

As the commander of the newly formed 21st Division, which was only established in July, Lieutenant General Washizu Matsudaira could not be compared with the lieutenant generals of the permanent divisions in terms of status and command level, but he was a little noble who finally got this position by persevering in paying tribute to the elders of the Army Department for a year.

Since receiving the order half a month ago to lead the division to the south to reinforce the Central China Expeditionary Army to participate in the Jiangxia War, he was very panicked.

He knew very well that in order to defend the rich six provinces in Central China, the Chinese had emptied their wealth. It was not easy to fight with 700,000 or 800,000 troops. His newly established division was actually like cannon fodder when he went to such a battlefield.

Especially looking at his small artillery regiment, all equipped with 75mm mountain cannons, Lieutenant General Washizu Matsudaira is not feeling well.

The divisions were still gathering in Baoding and were on standby. The Army Lieutenant General, who had risen to the position by giving gifts, went to the Front Army Staff Headquarters and cried with tears in his eyes, complaining that the personnel establishment was too small and the heavy equipment was too poor, which made Saburo Okabe at the same level. I couldn’t help but smile, but I could only offer kind words to comfort him!

As a result, Washizu Matsudaira, who had no idea what a face was, was brave enough anyway, and even ran to General Sugamimoto, who had already made a plan to destroy the Chinese counterattack army, and howled, which made General Sugamimoto feel quite angry. Embarrassing, it was the first time for even him to see such a weird player.

But don't tell me, the law of 'crying babies get milk' applies everywhere. After this guy stayed in Pingbei City for ten days, Saburo Okabe, who was so annoyed, finally gave it to him according to Yuan Shanshan's wishes. This product is supplemented by four 105 howitzers.

Originally, it was to be supplemented to the Fifth Division, but in the end, it was cut off halfway by this shameless guy!

According to the establishment of the Japanese Army, only the elites in the permanent divisions are qualified to be equipped with 105 howitzers. For example, the 10th Division of the 5th and 6th Divisions. The artillery wing is actually equipped with 48 artillery pieces, 36 of which are 75mm mountain guns or field guns, 12 are 105 howitzers!

The 105 howitzer, which weighs 1,800 kilograms with its gun body and frame, is not like a mountain gun that weighs several hundred kilograms and can only be pulled by a packhorse. This kind of big thing requires a truck, which requires more investment in both manpower and material resources.

Otherwise, a permanent division would have about 28,000 soldiers?

Perhaps, the newly formed 21st Division is the first B Division of the Japanese Army to be equipped with 105 howitzers. Needless to say, it is very energetic.

Lieutenant General Washizu Matsudaira was also very proud of himself. Ever since he put his face in his pocket, he felt relaxed.

You see, not only do we have heavy artillery now, but even combat missions have become easier. We no longer have to serve as cannon fodder in the giant meat grinder on the Jiangxia battlefield, but to attack the Jindong Chinese army, which is far inferior to our own in strength.

The reconnaissance planes of the front army had already conducted reconnaissance on the Chinese army in eastern Shanxi the day before yesterday and yesterday. The Chinese people have a very keen sense of smell on the battlefield and did not continue to move forward into the North China Plain, thus avoiding being surrounded and annihilated on the plain battlefield.

But it was too late for them to run away. The mountains are a double-edged sword for any army. They give you good concealment but also hinder your marching speed!

Therefore, the Chinese people's smartest choice is to build a blocking position based on the mountain topography, but it is nothing more than stubborn resistance.

They did the same thing a year ago, but regardless of whether they were in northern Shanxi or eastern Shanxi, the defense lines deployed by hundreds of thousands of troops were mercilessly penetrated.

But this time, the front army dispatched three and a half divisions. Such a huge force is even qualified to fight a decisive battle with the 200,000 troops deployed by the Chinese army on the last line of defense in Shanxi Province, let alone the troops that broke into eastern Shanxi. There are only tens of thousands of Chinese troops.

To use the exact words of Lieutenant General Songpei Jiujin at the wine table last night at Jingxing County with several of his left-wing captains: "Gentlemen, although the victory of this battle is certain! But I hope you will not relax at all!" Three days later, we will drink wine from the wine cup made from the enemy’s supreme commander’s head! May the empire’s military fortune be prosperous!”

In plain English, it means: Although the revolution is going to succeed, you still need to continue to work hard!

Even Tang Tuanzuo's head has been booked to be used as a wine glass in advance, and it only takes three days. If you include necessary steps such as removing and drying the meat, it would only take about two days to break through the defense line at Niangziguan.

Therefore, the 83rd Infantry Regiment, the vanguard of the 21st Division with high morale, has only just arrived 1,000 meters in front of Niangziguan. The entire infantry regiment has not yet begun to dig trenches, and it is still 7,000 meters away from the front line of Niangziguan. The four 105 howitzers that the artillery wing at Michu had just acquired roared impatiently.

As for the coordinates of Niangziguan's defense line, as early as yesterday, top soldiers had already reported.

The Sihang Regiment has scouts, and the 21st Division is not stupid. As early as three nights ago, when the entire division got on the train and headed for Jingxing, its reconnaissance regiment was the first to get on the special train.

The reconnaissance wing can be regarded as a freely combined organization in the B division. It can consist of a 130-man cavalry squadron, two 160-man motorized squadrons, a 100-man truck transport squadron and a 130-man wing headquarters. The formation of a 730-man level reconnaissance wing can also be replaced by a 950-man pure cavalry wing.

But it is obvious that a 950-man level cavalry unit requires more than 1,000 horses. With subsequent investment in horse feeding and other inputs, military expenditures are much higher than those of three-wheeled motorcycles and trucks that only drink fuel.

Lieutenant General Washizu Matsudaira is better at settling accounts than anyone else, so he would be willing to spend such a large amount of money to build an organization sequence that also has reconnaissance functions.

You see, a small expenditure can also be exchanged for a big return. The reconnaissance soldiers carried on three-wheeled motorcycles can also approach the Chinese defense line unnoticed and feed back the general area of ​​the Chinese defense line to the division headquarters.

‘That’s the one who blasted him with cannons! ’ Washizu Matsudaira planned to give the Chinese some color before the infantry even appeared.

Maybe the appearance of the 105 howitzer will make the Chinese people burst into tears!

Indeed, the power of the 105 howitzer is huge. When a shell weighing about 20 kilograms hits it, even if the mountain is made of hard rock, it will create a crater as deep as a mile!

The buildings on the ground, including the machine gun bunker built by the engineers of the Fourth Line Regiment using steel plates, logs, sandbags, and soil, are not enough to see in front of such large-caliber artillery shells!

Within half an hour, the Japanese 105 howitzer actually only fired 50 shells, but the ruins that still existed on the Niangzi Pass completely disappeared, and the turbulent air waves completely flattened them from the pass!

If the combatants had not been ordered to enter the anti-slope trench or tunnel at the first sound of the cannon, these dozens of artillery shells alone would have been enough to cause heavy casualties to the front-line infantry.

But despite this, the soldiers who were only more than 100 meters away from the top of the mountain were also dizzy by the thunder-like sound of the artillery. Some soldiers who had not had time to insert special earplugs in their ears had a buzzing in their ears. Until long after the Japanese bombardment ended, the sound could not be heard normally!

Special earplugs can be regarded as a pioneering work of the Fourth Army's military industry. They can reduce the decibels by 60% on the battlefield, which is extremely effective in reducing the hearing loss of soldiers.

However, the shortcoming is that when the squad leader shouts an order, he also needs to tap the soldier on the shoulder to make a gesture, which reduces the efficiency of command operations!

It's just that when the battle is fierce on the battlefield, the effect of shouting is almost useless. The soldiers either listen to the iron whistle or the charging horn or watch the platoon leaders lead by example. Compared with its advantages, this shortcoming does not matter.

Of course, earplugs are quite good to use in winter, and can even keep warm in a cold helmet, but in summer, when the forehead is sweating, few people take the initiative to wear them unless it is during war.

This is the huge power of the 105 howitzer. Even though it only fired dozens of rounds, the mountains more than 1,000 meters high were shrouded in gunpowder smoke.

"Yo Xi! Order the Artillery Regiment Hamasaki Daizuo not to be stingy with artillery shells, and continue bombarding for an hour to let the Chinese know the power of our imperial army, and cover the deployment of the 83rd Infantry Regiment!" On the hilltop about 2,000 meters away from the front line of Niangziguan On the ground, a middle-aged Japanese soldier with a big belly looked into the distance with a telescope and a smile on his face.

Apart from Lieutenant General Washitsu Matsudaira, the only person in the entire 21st Division who could issue military orders to a Japanese military commander, the commander of the infantry regiment Major General Nagano Kameichiro who commanded three infantry regiments, was probably the only one with this qualification.

But obviously, such a big belly and such self-confidence are not the characteristics of a second-in-command. Those are often characteristics only possessed by a first-in-command.

Due to confidentiality and other reasons, the fat man whose collar badge was removed was none other than Lieutenant General Washizu Matsudaira, who claimed that he would use Tang Tuanzao's head as a wine glass in three days.

As for why a senior commander in charge of 19,000 Japanese troops was willing to take huge risks to arrive so close to the front line, to put it bluntly, it was the stimulation given to him by the four 105mm howitzers he cried for.

This lieutenant general division commander, who had only served as chief of staff to a major general, had never fought in a war at all, and had never even set foot outside the country.

This fight is actually the first fight in his life, can you believe it?

He couldn't wait to see how the enemy army would be wiped out by the heavy artillery he shamelessly begged for!

As a result, the then supreme commander of the 21st Division actually arrived at the front line first with the forward troops, at least 10 kilometers ahead of his second-in-command, Major General Nagano Kameichiro.

And under his desperate urging, the artillery regiment ran faster than an infantry regiment!

Of course, this guy is not a fool. He knows that artillery, a precious weapon, cannot be separated from the protection of infantry. It is covered by three infantry squadrons, and it still stays in an area 7,000 meters away from the front line, just to prevent it from being attacked by the Chinese. Infantry or artillery counterattack.

And he himself will never stay at the forefront, but it is still okay to stay 2,000 meters away and observe this grand fireworks led by himself and observe the Chinese defense line by the way.

"Without fear of the danger of nearly ten thousand enemy guns and guns, the Lieutenant Commander will watch the fireworks of the Empire's victory from afar!"

Lieutenant General Washitsu Matsudaira had already thought of the news headlines that would be sent to domestic newspapers by the army reporters who were following the division headquarters.

"Your Excellency Lieutenant General, let's leave quickly! All divisions still need your command!" A middle-left-level staff officer approached the cheerful Japanese fat man and suggested in a low voice.

He actually wanted to say it was dangerous here, but considering the interest of a certain fat lieutenant general, he chose to use his words very euphemistically.

"Baga! Don't you think this fireworks is beautiful?" Washizu Matsudaira glanced at the staff and security personnel surrounding him with dissatisfaction, and he was not guilty at all.

As such a calculating person, how could Washizu Matsudaira not understand the euphemistic words of his entourage?

But there was an infantry regiment with thousands of people in front, and two infantry squadrons directly under the division headquarters with hundreds of people on the mountainside and at the foot of the mountain. Who could do anything to him?

On the contrary, if it weren't for the existence of these disappointing guys, he could have set up a coffee table on the top of this beautiful hill, brewed a cup of green tea from Kyoto, and watched the fireworks 2,000 meters away, letting his companions A reporter accompanying the army took two photos. What kind of bravery must that be?

If Tang Tuan were to sit here, he would definitely say this: You are really a sperm in your underwear, you can only show off!

Really, the fat guy with a smell of cunt didn't know at all that a tall figure also climbed to the top of a mountain 1,800 meters away from him.

A 6x German telescope was in his hand.

A military telescope worth more than 1,000 US dollars, with a viewing distance of up to 2,000 meters!

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