Bright Sword: Iron Will 105

Chapter 104: Assault! [Subscription Request!]

January 21, 2025

Chapter 104: Assault! [Subscription Request!]

From a bird’s-eye view, Wang Feng constantly monitored the battlefield situation.

The defending troops on the west bank of Chi River, under Chu Yunfei’s command, used small boats to quickly cross the river.

The Japanese troops on the east bank retreated two kilometers. Seeing the Chinese army cross the river and establish a bridgehead, they were caught in a dilemma and could only leave the majority of their forces to continue guarding the Chi River.

The scale of the war further expanded.

The remaining troops were transported by the motor transport unit, quickly moving to the rear.

A pleased look appeared on Wang Feng’s lips. He decided to add fuel to the fire. He called for a messenger.

“Urgent! To the Chi River front command post! Concentrate superior firepower. Deploy heavy artillery, mountain artillery, infantry artillery, and mortar units to quickly crush the Japanese defensive line on the east bank and close in on the flanking units! Don’t save ammunition!”

As time went on, the materials captured by various units had been tallied.

The lengthy list left Wang Feng speechless.

It felt like three years without a single sale, then a huge windfall.

Truly worthy of the Japanese army from the Beijing-Shanghai region – they were incredibly wealthy.

Food, supplies, and other provisions were countless. The captured polished rice alone amounted to nearly ten tons.

A large batch of military equipment was also seized.

Type 38 Arisaka rifles, light and heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, and grenades were piled up like mountains.

There were over 1,000 rounds of various artillery shells and grenades.

The only drawback was the lack of heavy artillery shells larger than 105mm. These strategic suppression weapons weren’t easy to obtain.

A rare find indeed.

With a sudden abundance of resources, Wang Feng’s issuance of combat orders became much more generous.

The Japanese troops participating in the night raid on Chi River on the front line were at most the size of a regiment. A large number were contained by the river-crossing troops.

Very few were able to return to the rear for reinforcements.

A Japanese regiment in the Mingguang area was on its way south.

Limited by the viewing distance of the three-dimensional combat map, Wang Feng could not observe this unit’s situation.

But what did it matter?

Over 6,000 soldiers were stationed in Chihe Town, plus they had received advance intelligence and were prepared.

Coupled with the advantage of fighting on home ground, the east bank of Chihe Town was within range of long-range artillery fire.

These two Japanese regiments simply couldn’t make much of a splash.

While friendly forces fought fiercely, the 31st Army was also busy.

The 138th Division took advantage of the chaos to cross the Chi River at night and launched an attack towards Mingguang.

The Japanese troops were caught completely off guard.

The battlefield situation was changing, necessitating revisions to the existing operational plan.

Wang Feng called for Sergey: “Order the Third Mountain Infantry Battalion to deploy half of its forces to the eastern hills to participate in the encirclement of the Japanese command post.”

“The other half will advance westward, turning from defense to attack!”

Sergey nodded.

The Japanese reinforcements from the east bank of Chi River numbered at most two or three hundred. Deploying a thousand-strong force to intercept them was truly overkill.

Wang Feng glanced at the time.

3:30 AM.

There were about three hours until dawn.

“It’s time to launch a general attack on the Japanese army. The battle must be over within two hours!”

After analyzing the available intelligence, he had a clear understanding of the detailed deployment of Japanese troops.

Their cards were essentially laid bare.

The specific deployment was as follows:

One Japanese infantry regiment was conducting a night raid on the east bank of Chi River. Another regiment attempted a flanking maneuver, but was firmly blocked.

Another regiment was scattered in the eastern hills.

Based on the battle situation, the Japanese army should have reduced its size before the battle. The troops involved in the night raid were the remaining elite forces.

The thousand or so Japanese troops resting in the rear were mostly lightly or seriously wounded, along with a small number of logistical support troops.

In the 31st Army’s direction:

One Japanese infantry regiment was heading south for support, and another was stationed in Mingguang on standby.

A total of five infantry regiments—equivalent to a brigade’s strength.

Sergey’s expression was energized: “Commander, I request to personally go to the front lines to supervise the battle!”

Wang Feng hesitated for a moment: “Zhang Hu is in the hilly region. You go to the Third Mountain Infantry Battalion and cooperate with Chu Yunfei to attack the Japanese army.”

“Don’t linger. Make use of the advantage of long-range firepower and quickly break through the defense line.”

“Completely annihilating the Japanese army is best. If that’s not possible, disrupt their formation and cause chaos as much as possible.”

“After dawn, Japanese reinforcements are likely to arrive. We must withdraw from the battlefield in time.”

Wang Feng gestured on the map with his hands, his fingers drawing lines across the Japanese defense lines, splitting them into two sections.

Although it was 1938, both sides were still using outdated warfare methods.

As the saying goes, World War I was the peak of defensive warfare, while World War II saw the rise of high-speed offensive warfare.

The combatants currently lacked high-speed assault forces. Even cavalry and motorized infantry were scarce. They could only rely on infantry and artillery to advance the front lines.

This method of assault was very inefficient. Once the Japanese army built temporary fortifications, it would easily prolong the fighting.

Sergey nodded.

After realizing the limitations of human wave tactics, he had been studying new infantry breakthrough tactics.

A tactic deviating from traditional infantry tactics, using short but precise artillery barrages to attack enemy defensive weak points, supplemented by the infiltration of assault infantry.

This tactic had been seen in Russia during World War I.

Specifically, in 1916, the Brusilov Offensive against the Austro-Hungarian Empire by Russia.

In this offensive, the Russian army suffered about 500,000 casualties, the Austro-Hungarian Empire 1.1 million, and the German Empire 350,000.

The Brusilov Offensive marked the peak of Russia’s achievements in the First World War.

Afterwards, due to domestic problems, Russia was forced to withdraw from the war.

Unfortunately, Russia did not gain any inspiration from this battle. Sergey, for the purpose of improving tactics, brought this peak battle of the Tsarist Russia back.

He truly grasped some of the essence.

Wang Feng waved his hand and smiled: “Act quickly. I’ll wait for your good news at the command post.”

This battle could essentially be considered settled. The combat group and the 31st Army had mobilized a combined total of over 20,000 soldiers, using more than four times the number of troops to launch a flanking and surprise attack on the over 5,000 Japanese soldiers on the east bank of Chi River.

From the current situation, even if the Japanese commander was possessed by Amaterasu, they would be powerless to change the tide.

The perspective shifts to the bird’s-eye view interface.

The breakthrough battle in the hills was nearing its end.

The training during this time was not in vain. The coordination and breakthrough capabilities of the Righteous Army had reached a new height.

Zhang Hu led his troops, driving the scattered Japanese troops throughout the hilly region like a flock of sheep, onto a single defensive line.

The friendly troops regrouped and launched an assault on the Japanese army’s final defense line.

Under Zhang Hu’s command, the troops formed an assault formation, with infantry scattered in the front, and machine gunners and grenadiers providing support from the rear.

To adapt to the situation, he dispersed the original organization, selecting elite soldiers and dividing them into three temporary assault teams.

The first team consisted of less capable soldiers whose task was to determine the location of the Japanese positions and launch a surprise attack.

The second team was made up of elite troops, led by Zhang Hu himself. After discovering enemy weak points, they would quickly advance and break through the weak points in a short time.

The third team had moderate strength, and its main task was to support the second team and protect its flanks.

After a large gap appeared in the Japanese defenses, the remaining troops would follow behind.

Zhang Hu led his troops in continuous forward advances, constantly discovering and exploiting weak points in the Japanese defensive deployment until the entire defense line was breached.

Wang Feng watched the entire battle through the bird’s-eye view.

It was indeed commendable.

After the troops upgraded to “Well-trained,” the enhanced breakthrough and coordination capabilities were vividly demonstrated at this moment.

At this time, the vanguard led by Zhang Hu was only five hundred meters from the Japanese command post in a straight line.

However, due to the complex terrain, a hill stood between them.

Wang Feng switched his perspective to closely observe the troops.

Zhang Hu, after breaking through the last Japanese defense line, was panting from exhaustion, but he dared not rest for a moment. While walking forward, he loaded bullets into his magazine.

A soldier approached: “Commander, what should we do next?”

After loading the last bullet, Zhang Hu pulled the bolt, looked around.

There were more than seventy soldiers left beside him.

The high-speed breakthrough tactic yielded pleasing results, but at a significant cost.

He remembered that when they first launched the assault, the entire second team had two hundred men.

“Give me the map!”

“Yes!”

Two soldiers unfolded a makeshift map.

Zhang Hu searched for the coordinates in his memory on the map: “The Japanese command post is nearby. Let’s go over this hill and take a look!”

“Act now! Quickly!!”

Behind them, hundreds of soldiers were still entangled with the Japanese troops. They had to destroy the Japanese command post as soon as possible.

At his command, even though the soldiers were exhausted, they maintained their assault formation and ran quickly.

Inside the friendly command post, Wang Feng showed a satisfied smile.

This was precisely the kind of elite force he wanted.

Compared to the previous troops, the difference was like heaven and earth.

He couldn’t imagine how powerful their combat capabilities would be if the troops’ level were raised to the highest.

Watching Zhang Hu getting closer to his target,

Wang Feng shifted his perspective to the Japanese command post in advance.

Numata Tokushige was flustered and restless in his tent.

He didn’t understand why the situation had suddenly taken a sharp turn for the worse.

An hour ago, the situation was still very favorable.

Since learning that the Chinese army had established a bridgehead on the east bank of Chi River, the entire unit seemed to have completely collapsed.

One infantry regiment was firmly pinned down, one was guarding the Chi River, one was on its way, and one was trapped inside Mingguang City.

The only troops he could truly mobilize were a makeshift regiment composed of wounded soldiers and logistical support troops.

A staff officer rushed in: “General, a Chinese force has broken through the lines, less than three hundred meters away from us. We must retreat!”

Numata Tokushige gritted his teeth, his face ashen.

Though he didn’t want to admit defeat, the facts were undeniable; it wasn’t something he could change simply by wishing.

The situation was urgent, leaving no time for hesitation. After only two or three seconds of contemplation, Numata Tokushige gave the order to retreat.

All supplies and materials were abandoned.

Only a map was carried to prevent them from losing their way in the emergency.

The command post was instantly deserted. Including the clerks and guards, a total of over fifty people, fled hastily to the north.

According to intelligence, the 31st Army only besieged Mingguang City and did not attack the logistical support positions.

A heavy artillery regiment and hundreds of support troops were still there.

Under the cover of night.

Numata Tokushige impatiently urged: “Hurry up!”

“Baka!”

“Hurry up! Increase your speed!”

“Anyone who slows down the march will be executed by military law!” Numata Tokushige pulled out his pistol, threatening the clerks behind him.

Army clerks also participated in military training, but their duties were not strenuous. Their physical fitness was far inferior to that of frontline combat soldiers.

But no matter how much he yelled, the speed of the troop movement didn’t improve.

The road was too muddy. Every step sank deep, requiring considerable effort to pull the foot out.

Numata Tokushige was frantic but only dared to complain verbally, not daring to shoot.

For the sake of concealment, the entire unit didn’t even dare to use flashlights, moving through the hills in the dark.

The clerks, unable to see the road, were constantly tripped by stones, falling in the mud.

Firing a shot at this moment would be tantamount to revealing their position.

Rustling!

A sound came from the surrounding bushes.

Numata Tokushige, like a startled bird, quickly turned his head towards the source of the sound.

Sweat dripped down his forehead.

Not only him, but the entire unit was enveloped in a tense and oppressive atmosphere.

Numata Tokushige looked at the clerks behind him, and hardened his heart: “Guards, follow me!”

He intended to abandon these men and flee alone.

As soon as he finished speaking, the staff officer’s eyes widened: “Sir. This…”

In the darkness, Numata Tokushige’s face was gloomy: “Nanta Jun, these people are left to you.”

“Take care!”

Then he beckoned to his guards to follow him.

He was the military commander, the brigade commander. Even if others had objections, they wouldn’t dare to speak out openly.

Bang!

A gunshot suddenly rang out from behind. Numata Tokushige suddenly ducked, his eyes terrified, his whole body trembling.

The Chinese army had caught up!

Thinking of this, Numata Tokushige unconsciously tightened his grip on his pistol.

He didn’t want to end up like Kunisaki Noboru, captured by the same Chinese army.

Behind.

Zhang Hu led a group of soldiers running wildly through the mud.

As professional mountain warfare troops, this mud was nothing.

After discovering that the command post was empty, they immediately followed the footprints.

In the darkness, Zhang Hu, using the moonlight, vaguely saw moving shadows in the distance.

“There! Fire!”

The assault soldiers immediately assumed a crouching position and began firing into the shadows of the night.

Visibility was poor, and there were no lights or torches, only rifles. Even if they used up all their ammunition, they wouldn’t necessarily be able to kill many Japanese soldiers.

Zhang Hu turned and shouted: “Grenade launchers!”

“Infantry cover!”

The grenade launcher team in the rear ran up, roughly estimated the distance, and fired two rounds.

By the light of the exploding grenades, Zhang Hu barely saw the troops in front.

Several Japanese soldiers hastily returned fire, sporadic bullets flying toward their side.

Zhang Hu: “Advance fifty meters!”

Upon hearing the command, the soldiers didn’t charge forward blindly, but instead advanced in turns, providing mutual cover.

As the sound of gunfire grew closer, Numata Tokushige’s face turned pale.

The gunfire from the opposite side was intense and the firepower abundant.

Once they were engaged, with the enemy having confirmed their position, the probability of escaping was extremely low.

The moment the gunfire rang out, the staff officer ignored the mud and immediately fell to the ground. Bullets flew over his head. After hurriedly identifying Numata Tokushige’s position, he crawled towards him like a dog.

“Sir! What should we do now?”

Numata Tokushige closed his eyes tightly, taking a deep breath, remaining silent.

He felt indecisive.

He gripped his pistol tightly, forcing himself to calm down.

Listening to the intense gunfire, most of it coming from afar. The sound of gunfire from their side was becoming increasingly sparse.

In less than two minutes, the accompanying guards were almost all dead.

The clerks pulled out their pistols and fired wildly into the darkness.

The range of a pistol was no match for a rifle.

The enemy’s gunfire was getting closer, and Numata Tokushige’s breathing became rapid.

Cold sweat covered his entire face.

In his terror, the fate of Kunisaki Noboru flashed through his mind.

A lieutenant general, without even a decent funeral…

Thinking of this, Numata Tokushige suddenly opened his eyes, struggled for a few seconds, and then shoved the pistol into his mouth.

He took a deep breath.

He mumbled something, but his voice was loud: “Tenno Heika Banzai!” (Long live the Emperor!)

Bang!

A gunshot, the bullet deviating upward, pierced through the side of his head. His skull exploded, white brain matter splattering.

The staff officer was observing the enemy situation while looking over his head and didn’t realize what was happening. His face was splattered with blood and brains.

Feeling the bloody smell in his nostrils and mouth, the staff officer was dazed.

He then pried open Numata Tokushige’s right hand, took the pistol, and gripped the handle.

He opened his mouth and shoved the barrel inside.

“For the Emperor!”

Bang!

The bullet exited from the back of his head. Due to the angle, his death was much cleaner than Numata Tokushige’s.

The two gunshots from behind attracted the attention of the clerks in front.

The brigade commander had committed suicide.

For a moment, everyone stopped their futile resistance. In the darkness, they looked around.

Although no one spoke, the atmosphere was suffocating, everyone thinking the same thing.

Bang!

A third gunshot rang out.

The sudden gunshot sent shivers down everyone’s spine.

Bang!

Someone set an example, the fourth, fifth, sixth…

Gunshots rang out intensely, and in a short while, everyone fell into a pool of blood.

(End of Chapter)

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