“The devils from Shuozhou have sent out a whole regiment. It seems Xiao Yun’s plan of drawing them out is going smoothly. Hopefully his 399th Brigade can chew this hard bone down!”
At the Eighth Route Army headquarters, the deputy commander-in-chief also received the intelligence about the Shuozhou devils’ deployment, and couldn’t help but think to himself.
If Xiao Yun’s 399th Brigade could eat up this entire regiment of devils according to the pre-determined plan, it would be of paramount strategic importance to the Eighth Route Army!
After all, the previous victory at Pingxing Pass, commanded by 101, only eliminated over 1000 devils, equivalent to the size of a regiment.
And it wasn't even a fully organized regiment, its value was much lower in comparison.
............................
Just as the Japanese Saito Regiment had fully entered the ambushing circle, following Xiao Yun's order.
The artillery company, which had been prepared for a long time, unleashed their fifteen mortars with their barrels pointed at the previously calculated firing coordinates.
One after another, the shells whizzed through the air, slamming into the Japanese ranks.
The shrapnel from the explosions flew in all directions, reaping the lives of Japanese soldiers.
At the same time, from the main position on Niu Jiao Peak, the guards company and the 812th Regiment’s 1st Battalion soldiers also frantically poured bullets onto the Japanese ranks.
Numerous machine guns and submachine guns spewed fire, raining bullets down on the Japanese troops below.
The Japanese, who were already exhausted from the forced march, gasped for breath, and fell victim to the steel and iron symphony played by the artillery shells and bullets.
Due to their stretched-out formation and excessive physical exertion, they couldn't organize a counterattack immediately.
The first wave alone had wiped out almost 200 Japanese soldiers.
Saito Hiroyuki, who was still dreaming of being commended by the regiment commander, division commander, and even the First Army Commander, Shinozuka Yoshio, was suddenly brought back to harsh reality.
He was now pale with anger, a loss of 1/5 of his force was too much for even a regiment commander to stomach.
He couldn’t care about the Watanabe detachment and Yamamoto detachment that needed reinforcements anymore. He only wanted to wipe out the Eighth Route Army ambushers.
He observed that the Eighth Route Army on Niu Jiao Peak, though possessing powerful firepower and being definitely elite troops, didn't seem to have many soldiers.
They had inflicted such heavy losses on him because they had a lot of automatic firepower and artillery, and they had taken them by surprise.
Once they reacted, it would be the end of the Eighth Route Army on Niu Jiao Peak!
But right now, the Eighth Route Army's artillery bombardment was too fierce. Under such circumstances, the troops couldn't form up to retaliate.
They could only temporarily move closer to the high ground opposite Niu Jiao Peak, pull back a bit, and use cover to form up and return fire.
Otherwise, under the Eighth Route Army's firepower, casualties would only increase further.
Once the losses were too heavy, forget about earning merits, his position as regiment commander would be in jeopardy. He might even be required to commit seppuku to apologize to the Emperor!
Under the command of Regiment Commander Saito Hiroyuki, the Japanese soldiers of Saito Regiment approached the 341st High Ground where the 812th Regiment had set up their ambush.
On the reverse slope of Niu Jiao Peak, the artillery company, following Xiao Yun's instructions, extended their barrage at 10-second intervals and 50-meter increments.
The newly recruited artillerymen hadn't even fired a single shot before they were already working as ammunition carriers.
The veterans of the artillery company, however, quickly adjusted the position of the barrels, based on the firing coordinates announced by the artillery company commander, Zhang Jixian.
Each shell, as if it had eyes, roared through the air, smashing into the Japanese troops who were approaching the 341st High Ground.
The constant barrage from the sky and the bullets fired from behind drove these little devils crazy. They limped towards the 341st High Ground, as if they wished their parents had given them two more legs.
“Barrage extension! This is an artillery tactic that even the Imperial Army’s elite artillery units may not be able to master!
Those Eighth Route Army soldiers on Niu Jiao Peak are truly elite main forces!”
Saito Hiroyuki, under the cover of some of his men, retreated toward the 341st High Ground, feeling a sense of awe as he witnessed the shells landing close behind him.
In his impression, the Eighth Route Army was rustic and impoverished. Each soldier barely had a few rounds of ammunition to spare.
Artillery was practically a foreign concept to the Eighth Route Army. With their meager resources, they were still capable of bombarding them with artillery and even using advanced tactics like barrage extension.
Once they deployed on the 341st High Ground, he must annihilate the Eighth Route Army, preferably capture their commanders.
That way, he might have a chance to redeem himself!
Saito Hiroyuki thought as he ran for his life.