Bang～Bang～Bang!
With a gunshot from Xiao Yun, the soldiers of the Guard Company, who had already prepared themselves, pulled their triggers, sending bullets fiercely towards the Japanese devils below.
The first volley alone wiped out thirty or forty devils.
As veterans of the Long March, their marksmanship was guaranteed!
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"Three rounds rapid fire, fire!"
The artillery company commander, Zhang Ji Xian, had already prepared his artillery positions and issued the command the moment he heard the gunshots.
Boom～Boom～Boom!
Eighteen shells from six mortar cannons roared through the air, crashing down on the devils trapped in the encirclement.
The lead truck, targeted for special attention, was instantly blown to pieces. The same fate befell the rear truck, which was also destroyed.
The entire Japanese transport convoy was caught between a rock and a hard place. The soldiers had the high ground and were now in a position to capture the devils like turtles in a jar.
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More than twenty devils, demonstrating their excellent military training, managed to survive the first round of firepower and shelling.
They quickly jumped out of their vehicles, taking cover behind the trucks and rocks, returning fire on the Guard Company soldiers.
This Japanese transport detachment numbered around sixty. Aside from Type 38 rifles, they were also equipped with three grenade launchers, two Type 11 light machine guns, commonly known as "歪把子" (crooked handle).
After the initial attack, they still had two grenade launchers and one "歪把子" remaining operational.
They were now setting up these weapons as fire support points to launch a counterattack on the soldiers.
However, before these hastily-prepared "歪把子" and grenade launchers could even fire a shot, they were spotted by the assault platoon, which possessed automatic firepower.
In an instant, twenty Mauser pistols and ten Jinzao (made in Shanxi) Thompson submachine guns unleashed a storm of metal towards the three fire support points, turning several devils into sieves.
"Sound the charge! Go down and reap the harvest! Remember, avoid close combat as much as possible. If you can use bullets, don't use bayonets. The devils are good at hand-to-hand combat!"
Xiao Yun issued the command. His Guard Company soldiers were all old Red Army veterans from the Long March, each one exceptionally valuable and deserving of the title of "squad backbone".
This company of a hundred men, with its old soldiers guiding the new, was enough for Xiao Yun to expand into a thousand-strong miscellaneous regiment.
Each soldier was a precious jewel, and the loss of any one would cause Xiao Yun great pain.
The early war-era Japanese troops were undoubtedly the elite of the elite. Their marksmanship and hand-to-hand combat skills were unrivaled in the Asian battlefield.
While the soldiers of this era were taller and stronger, they were malnourished and lacked strength, not even matching the shorter stature Japanese devils in physical prowess. Their bayonet skills were also inferior.
Often, three PLA soldiers were needed to overcome one Japanese soldier in close combat.
Only veteran elites could stand toe-to-toe with Japanese devils in hand-to-hand combat, even gaining the upper hand.
"Yes, Brigade Commander!"
As the resounding charge horn rang out, the Guard Company soldiers descended like tigers from the mountain, their assault platoon's powerful firepower serving as their spearhead. They launched their charge towards the devils hiding behind cover, targets that were difficult to hit.
Throughout the charge, the assault platoon's Lugers and Thompson submachine guns, along with two other platoons' Czech machine guns, provided continuous fire suppression, keeping the devils pinned down, unable to lift their heads.
This charge was as smooth as a farmer harvesting wheat.
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"Retrieve six 80mm mortar cannons and their corresponding shells. Drop-off location: the Japanese transport trucks in front!"
Seeing that the soldiers had wiped out all the devils, while the battlefield was yet to be cleared, Xiao Yun used his reward from congratulating Li Yun Long on his good fortune, six 80mm mortars and their ammunition, which he had withdrawn.
He then walked down towards the battlefield on the road, accompanied by the Guard Company commander, Huang Yun.
"Comrades, clear the battlefield quickly. Take anything you can. Don't let the devils' uniforms go to waste either. Take them back, dismantle them into cloth, dye them, and make new uniforms!"
The soldiers, like industrious bees, scurried across the battlefield, meticulously clearing the entire area.
They didn't even miss the shells on the ground. These shells, sent back to the headquarters' arms factory, could be used for making refurbished ammunition.
Although its range was shorter and its accuracy was lower, a good salve is still a good salve, right?
Many units couldn't even get three rounds of refurbished ammunition per person. This is why the Japanese mocked the Eighth Route Army as "three-shot Eighth Route".
"Brigade Commander, Company Commander, come quick! This truck has cannons inside! Lots of them!"
Suddenly, a cheer erupted from one of the trucks.