“Battles have erupted everywhere, and things are truly getting heated in Jinbei.
All units report holding back the enemy reinforcements, but it’s unclear if Xiao Yun's 399th Brigade can capture Shuizhou City on schedule!”
At the headquarters, a group of commanders sat in the conference room, with staff officers constantly bringing in reports to be analyzed.
Overall, the situation is good. Regardless of the method, the 18th Group Army has successfully pinned down all enemy reinforcements from various directions, preventing them from reaching Shuizhou for now.
However, the remaining half-regiment in Shuizhou, relying on the fortified city, will have to be tackled by Xiao Yun's 399th Brigade alone.
The headquarters commanders were somewhat worried about this operation, fearing that it might turn out to be a costly failure.
After all, the entire 18th Group Army lacked experience in assaulting large cities.
Those during the Red Army period don't count, as the Nationalist forces’ combat effectiveness was vastly inferior to the Japanese.
During those days, they could consistently defeat the Nationalists with their superior forces using inferior numbers.
But now, fighting the Japanese often requires several times the number of troops to match them.
The gap is simply enormous!
However, at this juncture, all they can do is trust Xiao Yun and the 399th Brigade!
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The guard company is the 399th Brigade’s personal defense force, with the best equipment and combat strength.
Sending such a powerful force to the front line clearly indicates that they are going all-in!
After receiving 100 Jin-made Thompson submachine guns from Yan Xishan’s sponsorship, the guard company was essentially fully equipped with them, with the original weapons remaining only for light and heavy machine guns.
The retired Type 38 Arisakas could be given to other units or used to develop new units.
The 20 Mauser C96 pistols were collected by the brigade headquarters and issued as sidearms to mid-to-high-level cadres.
The Mauser C96 pistol, with its high magazine capacity, powerful firepower, long range, and sustained fire rate, completely outclasses the infamous "turtle box" – the Japanese Type 14 Nambu pistol – and has been widely favored by the Chinese military.
It's also the most common pistol among cadres of all levels within the 18th Group Army. Before this, the cadres of the 399th Brigade were also equipped with Mauser pistols.
However, they weren't genuine products but imitations made by domestic factories, with inferior performance.
Furthermore, most of them were old and worn out, with many rifling lines worn smooth.
The brigade headquarters replacing their pistols made many cadres and officers smile from ear to ear.
Currently, led by Huang Yun, the guard company’s soldiers, organized into combat teams of three, were charging towards the base of Shuizhou city walls in a skirmish line.
They were employing the three-three system, a highly effective tactic that had shocked the world during the later nation-building war.
This practical and effective tactic, tested on the battlefield, was naturally promoted within the 399th Brigade by Xiao Yun.
It was also reported to the headquarters, and is now being implemented in many units.
During the charge, the guard company soldiers fired their Thompson submachine guns continuously at the city walls, not aiming for high accuracy, but rather to suppress enemy fire.
Meanwhile, light and heavy machine guns and grenade launchers on the ground also provided fire support.
When using dedicated grenades, the grenade launcher had a decent range.
Similarly, the artillery battalion's shelling had not stopped.
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"Explosive packs, quick!"
Despite losing over 10 soldiers under heavy fire, the guard company finally broke through the Japanese’s firepower and reached the base of the city wall. Company commander Huang Yun caught his breath and shouted.
Soon, seven or eight soldiers carrying explosive packs piled them at the foot of the wall.
The guard company didn't have any specialized demolition experts, so they had to resort to the most basic method for dealing with thick walls – if the power wasn't enough, increase the quantity!
Seven or eight explosive packs were stacked at the base of the wall. The soldiers connected their fuses together and quickly lit them.
Sss...sss...sss…
The ear-piercing sound of the fuses burning echoed, and the guard company soldiers quickly ran along the base of the wall to both sides.
Just a few seconds later, the fuses burned out, and the seven or eight explosive packs detonated simultaneously.
Accompanied by a deafening explosion, that section of the city wall was completely blown apart, revealing a gap large enough for several people to pass through.
The guard company soldiers rushed forward, pouring through the breach and scrambling onto the wall via the broken section, their submachine guns spitting out fire.
The soldiers of the 811th Regiment, the Independent Regiment, and the 1st Regiment also poured into Shuizhou City through the gap opened by the guard company.