“旅长, this time we’ve made a fortune! We completely wiped out an entire company of Japanese soldiers, capturing over 1000 Arisaka rifles, 30 Type 96 Light Machine Guns, 34 grenade launchers, 9 Type 92 heavy machine guns, two Type 92 Infantry Cannons, 200,000 rounds of ammunition, over 3,000 hand grenades, and more than 170 shells!”
On the battlefield beneath the mountain, Chen Yun Feng, the commander of the 811th Regiment, reported to Xiao Yun with a joyful expression.
From the start of the war, Xiao Yun had outmaneuvered the Saito Company, leaving them with little chance of counterattack. The weapons, equipment, and ammunition they carried were mostly seized by the 399th Brigade.
This battle alone would leave the 399th Brigade overflowing with supplies, especially in terms of ammunition.
After a fierce battle that depleted their ammunition reserves by almost half, the 399th Brigade was able to replenish and even have some surplus, enough to sustain two more battles of this scale.
The capture of such a large amount of light and heavy machine guns would push the firepower of Xiao Yun’s forces to the next level.
Beyond that, the capture of the Type 92 Infantry Cannons was what Xiao Yun valued most.
The Type 92 Infantry Cannon had a 70mm caliber and fired high-explosive shells weighing 3.8 kilograms, with a range of up to 3 kilometers.
Looking at these figures alone, it might not seem like much, but it has a significant advantage – it’s lightweight!
The entire cannon weighs only about 200 kilograms, and can be disassembled into multiple parts for transport by mules or horses. In a pinch, it can even be transported by manpower, making it ideal for mountain warfare.
Furthermore, the Type 92 Infantry Cannon is relatively short, measuring no more than 60 centimeters even with the gun shield. Removing the shield leaves it at a height of only around 50 centimeters, making it easy to hide.
Its low profile and short barrel give it a wide field of fire, allowing it to be used as a direct-fire weapon or as a curved-trajectory gun.
In other words, this thing can also be used as a mortar, deployed on reverse slopes.
And because of its origins as a howitzer, its trajectory is more stable than that of a mortar, making it an excellent infantry support weapon.
For the 399th Brigade, which would be operating in the Lüliang mountain range for a long time, this was practically the cannon of their dreams!
Furthermore, the Type 92 Infantry Cannon has an advantage that regular mortars can’t match: it can be used in direct fire mode!
It poses a serious threat to the Japanese pillboxes!
It can be said that with these two Type 92 Infantry Cannons in hand, the Japanese pillboxes would no longer be an impenetrable turtle shell in the face of Xiao Yun’s 399th Brigade.
They would merely be a piece of fat hanging by a thread, ready to be devoured whenever Xiao Yun wished!
Xiao Yun nodded in satisfaction and then said, “How are the casualties?”
“Report, 旅长, we lost 65 comrades in this battle, with 180 wounded, including 32 seriously injured. Most of the losses occurred during the charge.”
Chen Yun Feng’s emotions also dipped slightly when speaking of the casualties.
“They were all heroes. We must collect their remains and bring them back to the base for burial. Also, gather their information. They sacrificed themselves to protect our homeland, and their names must not be forgotten. Once we return to the base, the proper pensions must be given to their families!”
Xiao Yun ordered.
Though he felt a pang of sadness, he did not let it paralyze him.
As the saying goes, “A merciful person cannot be a leader, and a benevolent person cannot control finances.”
As an outstanding commander, he had witnessed countless casualties from the Northern Expedition until now. He was no longer the ordinary person from the 21st century who had just arrived in this time period.
Moreover, the casualties were not excessive, especially compared to the gains achieved in this battle.
Normally, even elite units of the Eighth Route Army could only achieve a 1:1 casualty ratio against the Japanese in an ambush situation with some numerical advantage.
In comparison, this battle could be considered a miracle.
This was the benefit of his tactical command ability reaching 90 points, pushing him into the super-elite category.
While he could have won this battle even before, his casualty numbers wouldn’t have been as controlled as they were now.
This ambush on Niu Jiao Feng was entirely according to his plan.
With foresight on his side, the Japanese heavy firepower advantage was completely negated, and instead, they were caught off guard by the artillery company of the 399th Brigade, suffering heavy losses.
Therefore, achieving such a huge victory was not surprising.
Had it not been to prevent the Japanese from becoming desperate and destroying their equipment after learning of their imminent defeat, thereby triggering a charge, the casualties of this battle would have been even lower.
“Yes, 旅长！”
Chen Yun Feng did not dare to be negligent in the face of Xiao Yun’s orders and immediately responded with a serious expression.