Bright Sword: Iron Will 37

Chapter 37: Congratulations on Your Fortune, Old Liu!

After so many battles, the overall combat capability of the Second Regiment had risen steadily.

As soon as the gunfire started, three small Japanese squads on the artillery positions reacted quickly, hiding behind makeshift shelters, attempting a last-ditch stand.

“Grenade launchers!”

Liu Zhijian hid behind a tree; flying bullets struck the trunk, scattering wood chips.

Against this type of fortified position, grenade launchers were undoubtedly the best choice.

Their operational principle was the same as that of a mortar, but they were much lighter, about the same weight as a rifle. They could use both dedicated grenades and hand grenades, and were a core element of Japanese infantry tactics.

Under covering fire, the grenade launcher team quickly advanced, crouching down to load the grenades into the tubes.

Bang!

Missed!

The round landed about five meters to the right of the machine gun position.

Liu Zhijian shouted from the side, “Damn it, how did you shoot that?!”

“Did you put your eyes on your butt?”

Sweat poured down the grenade launcher’s forehead as he quickly adjusted his position.

Having missed, his position was now exposed, and the original firing point would undoubtedly become the main target of Japanese concentrated fire.

These grenade launchers were all captured from the Japanese army. The soldiers hadn’t received much training, so their performance was remarkably good.

Da da da!

The gunfire on the battlefield became increasingly intense, completely drowning out other sounds.

The second grenade hit its target precisely.

Bang!

Seeing the fire erupting from the machine gun position, Liu Zhijian quickly commanded, “Quickly, attack!”

“Spread out!”

Once the machine gun position fell silent, Japanese firepower immediately thinned out.

Gunfire gradually ceased.

“Commander, what about these cannons?”

The battalion commander approached, his face flushed.

Looking at the six neatly arranged Type 94 mountain guns, Liu Zhijian’s eyes burned with envy. “What do you think? Can we move them?”

The battalion commander shook his head, saying bitterly, “Too heavy, we can’t move them.”

Liu Zhijian frowned, hesitant.

In previous battles, the First Regiment always led the main attack, while the Second Regiment barely got a sip of the soup.

Now that they had finally captured a big fish, he didn’t want to give it up so easily.

Six mountain guns—that was practically an entire artillery battalion, all their light artillery.

“Send a telegram to the Second Battalion, send two companies to help, and also send ammunition.”

“Brothers, there aren’t many enemy troops; at most, it’s just a battalion-sized force!”

“We’ll hold our position here and attack the Japanese army with the units in front, making them spread thin!” Liu Zhijian ordered.

As the saying goes, a risky move can lead to victory.

As dawn approached, once Japanese air support arrived, the front-line defenses would be in critical danger.

In Tianzhen, a battalion’s attack relied entirely on the narrow terrain.

The battle of Tuanchengkou had even more favorable terrain for the attacking force, making the situation even more severe.

The current situation was even worse than the previous two battles.

A wide road snaked through the area, the terrain flat enough for the attacking force to fully deploy.

The Second Regiment’s main force had already deployed on the flank, sharing some of the pressure on the front line.

If the First Battalion held their ground here, the Japanese army would be attacked on three sides. Even if Baguan Zhengsi Lang himself commanded the front line, it would be a hopeless situation.

Liu Zhijian said, “Push these cannons into the woods behind us!”

These six 75mm mountain guns were now the Second Regiment’s prized possession and absolutely couldn’t be lost.

“Yes!”

“Heave ho! One! Two! Three!”

“Brothers over there, come give us a hand!”

“Come on, let’s all push together!”

The half-ton Type 94 mountain guns weren’t something you could just pick up and move.

Inside the Provisional First Brigade command post, Wang Feng’s lips curled into a slight smile.

On the overview screen, the Japanese command post near the front line was engulfed in a spectacular explosion, leaving behind only rubble.

It felt like playing World of Tanks, using long-range artillery to destroy enemy tanks.

This command post was incredibly well-hidden, set beneath a dense forest. Without a three-dimensional combat map, it would have been impossible to discover.

The Japanese command system was disrupted, and subordinate units began fighting independently, their attack formation immediately falling into chaos.

“Huh?”

Switching the view to the Japanese artillery position, Wang Feng let out a surprised sound.

In the bird’s-eye view, several soldiers, tiny as ants, were working together to push a mountain gun.

“This Liu Zhijian, he’s got a good idea.”

Turning to Zhao Fangyuan, who was studying the map, he said, “Send a message to Liu Zhijian; after destroying the artillery position, advance towards the Japanese rear.”

“Yes!”

The news of the destruction of the Japanese headquarters and artillery positions never reached the subordinate units. Even if the unit commanders noticed, without clear instructions, they wouldn’t turn back to provide support.

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If each unit tried to retreat, wouldn’t that turn into a large-scale retreat?

This demonstrates the importance of unified command.

After receiving the order, Liu Zhijian immediately carried out the mission.

He personally led the First Battalion to approach the Japanese rear flank while directing the main force of the Second Regiment on the flank to cooperate with the First Regiment’s frontal attack.

A three-sided pincer movement had been established.

Wang Feng’s planned offensive was like a pocket, three sides closed tight, with the mouth wide open.

The leaderless Japanese troops, facing the Provisional First Brigade’s frenzied counterattack, could only break out from the opening.

Wang Feng didn’t pursue the retreating Japanese troops relentlessly.

Dawn was approaching, and the Provisional First Brigade’s positions were crucial and would certainly be a primary target for Japanese air units.

To completely wipe out an infantry battalion would likely cost quite a few teeth.

As long as the Provisional First Brigade held its position, cutting off supply lines, the encircled Japanese soldiers would only die faster the more they struggled.

An hour later, several of the commanding officers who had been sent out returned to the brigade headquarters to report.

“Commander, my unit has completed its mission, we have not failed in our duty!”

“Well done!”

The situation was urgent. Besides quickly clearing the battlefield, they needed to prepare for the possible air raids.

As everyone was leaving, Wang Feng stopped Liu Zhijian.

“My Liu, the great regiment commander, I congratulate you on getting rich!”

“Six Japanese mountain guns, not bad!”

Liu Zhijian immediately sensed something was wrong, and spoke resentfully, “Commander, this…could you leave some for our Second Regiment?”

“Zhang Hu, with the few Japanese infantry cannons he captured, almost got a full cannon company for his First Regiment, always following the First Regiment around for every fight.”

“Our Second Regiment needs to get a share of the spoils!”

Wang Feng picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip. “Then what do you suggest?”

Liu Zhijian immediately said, “Quickly, let’s establish an artillery battalion in our Second Regiment.”

Wang Feng raised an eyebrow. “An artillery battalion?”

“You want an entire artillery battalion from just one regiment? Then my entire brigade should have an entire artillery regiment?”

Liu Zhijian waved his hand. “Commander, that’s not what I meant…”

Wang Feng continued, “Just hand over the six mountain guns. But you did a good job in this battle.”

“I have a reward for you.”

“When our new rifles arrive, the Second Regiment will get priority equipment. How about that?”

Liu Zhijian nodded, delighted. “Thank you, Commander, thank you, Commander!”

Wang Feng reached into his pocket and pulled out a whole pack of cigarettes. “For you.”

Liu Zhijian accepted them with both hands. “Pengyi brand?” (Pengyi brand cigarettes were a common high-quality cigarette brand in China)

“Thank you, Commander, thank you, Commander!”

(End of chapter)

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