Chapter 115

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

On the Nanxiang artillery position, twenty-four Schneider M1929 155mm howitzers had deployed into combat formation.

The gunners quickly completed pre-firing preparations, and the loaders pushed the 44-kilogram shells into the gun barrels.

Lv Muzhi stood at the observation post, binoculars fixed on the target area. "Attention all regiments, base bearing 125, range scale 367, charge number one, Gun Number One, fire a test shot!"

"Gun Number One ready!"

"Fire!"

With a tremendous boom, the shell screamed through the night sky, exploding in a ball of fire about 200 meters southwest of the Japanese Hongkou Command Headquarters.

At the frontline, the Reconnaissance Company had already moved near the Japanese Hongkou Command Headquarters to observe shell impacts and correct fire in time.

Reconnaissance Company Commander Lv Ziqing immediately reported via radio: "200 meters southwest, near miss! Suggest reducing range scale by 2, direction right 003!"

Hearing the Reconnaissance Company's report, Lv Muzhi amended the order: "Attention all regiments, range scale 365, direction right 003, charge number one, First Company, volley fire!"

The four 155mm howitzers of the First Company roared simultaneously; two shells hit the west wall of the command headquarters building, while the other two exploded near the Hongkou Command Headquarters.

Amidst the tremendous explosions, concrete fragments flew everywhere, but the main building still stood.

"Target hit! Range scale unchanged, suggest left 001!" Reconnaissance Company Commander Lv Ziqing reported calmly.

"Attention all regiments, target west wall of command headquarters building, range scale 365, left 001, charge number one, all regiments, volley fire!"

Twenty-four heavy guns opened fire simultaneously, the deafening cannon fire continuous and unending.

Shells rained down on the Hongkou Command Headquarters; the half-meter-thick concrete walls began to crack, fragments constantly flaking off.

"Good hit effect! Cracks appeared in the wall!" Lv Ziqing reported excitedly, "Suggest continuing concentrated fire!"

Inside the Japanese Hongkou Marine Corps Command Headquarters, everything was in disarray.

The continuous bombardment of 155mm shells made the entire building shake violently, dust and debris falling from the ceiling.

The lights flickered, and communication lines were cut in multiple places.

Major General Okawa Shichiden stood pale in the command room, shouting at the signalman: "Contact the Third Fleet again! Request immediate artillery support! The Marine Corps Command Headquarters is about to fall!"

The signalman trembled as he replied: "Report to the Commander, the Third Fleet has not responded. The last contact was two hours ago, General Gu Chuanqing stated the fleet had withdrawn from the Huangpu River, asking us to hold the command headquarters and await the fleet's return."

"Damn it!" Okawa Shichiden slammed his fist on the operations table, "What is the situation at Yangshupu? What about the sailors at the wharf? Why aren't they rallying to us?"

"The Yangshupu Dock Area has been lost; currently there is no news, the defenders may have all died honorably, the enemy Chu Yunfei's Unit has occupied Yangshupu."

Bad news came in succession; the Japanese observation post reported that enemy armored forces were assembling at the northwest corner of the command headquarters.

Gunfire from the west was also getting closer; obviously, the enemy's multi-pronged attack had formed an encirclement.

Seeing the situation was dire, Okawa Shichiden immediately issued combat orders: "No, our artillery and tank unit cannot stay inside the command headquarters building; this way they cannot function at all. Order the Rapid-fire Gun Squadron to coordinate with the armored forces to block the enemy's armored forces at the outer perimeter, infantry hold the outer defensive line, don't let the enemy approach!"

The Youth Army's bombardment showed no sign of stopping; another 155mm shell directly hit the top floor of the building, punching through the top floor slab of this five-story building.

The entire command room shook violently, the operations maps on the wall fell down, and the command headquarters building was pitch black, obviously the power was out.

"Commander, the enemy artillery fire is too fierce, quickly move to the basement! I will have someone activate the backup power supply," Chief of Staff Oshima suggested.

After thirty minutes of bombardment, two large holes had been punched through the roof of the Japanese command headquarters building; plus the dive attacks from the Southwest Air Force in the sky, the two anti-aircraft guns on the roof had been destroyed, and the little Japanese devils no longer dared to show themselves on the roof.

Not a single glass window in the whole building was intact; dozens of crooked cracks leaked from the building; on the west wall, positions above the second floor were blown open with two large holes; the window at the northwest corner of the first floor was blown down by a 155mm howitzer shell, becoming a large hole.

The Japanese troops hastily advanced from the building and established positions.

Zhou Weiguo led the twelve Type 94 light tanks of the Armored First Company to attack the northwest corner of the Japanese command headquarters.

Lv Ziqing's Reconnaissance Company was scouting anti-tank fire and enemy positions ahead, and happened to encounter the Japanese troops advancing to block.

The Japanese had deployed two Vickers armored cars and four Type 94 light tanks northwest of the command headquarters, coordinating with a rapid-fire gun squadron and an infantry company for defense.

"All vehicles, Japanese armored targets spotted 300 meters ahead," Lv Ziqing reported to Zhou Weiguo via radio walkie-talkie.

The 37mm main gun of the 38T tank opened fire first; the first volley hit a Japanese Vickers armored car, the armor-piercing shell easily tore through its thin armor, punching straight through; the Japanese tank commander was unfortunately turned into a puddle of mud.

"The tank commander is down!" the little Japanese devil shouted inside the vehicle; the armored car had a hole at the front and back, the interior was covered in blood and flesh, a gruesome scene.

The soldiers of the Reconnaissance Company searched and attacked ahead, soon discovering the Japanese rapid-fire gun position together with armored cars.

Lv Ziqing ordered the Reconnaissance Company to fire on the Japanese positions to harass them, especially to pin down the Japanese 37mm rapid-fire guns.

"Eleven o'clock direction, Japanese rapid-fire gun!" Lv Ziqing loudly warned.

The Japanese rapid-fire gun squadron immediately counterattacked; four 37mm rapid-fire guns fired from behind cover, shells exploding near the Reconnaissance Company.

The Japanese infantry stationed there also counterattacked; light and heavy machine guns hidden everywhere began firing, the Type 11 light machine gun and Type 92 machine gun sounding off.

Lv Ziqing's Reconnaissance Company reacted quickly, taking cover among the ruins, opening fire to suppress the Japanese opposite; bullets striking the Japanese rapid-fire gun shields clanged.

A 37mm anti-tank gun carried along with the company was quickly pushed up; according to the previously indicated Japanese rapid-fire gun position, the gunner aimed precisely, one shell directly hit the Japanese rapid-fire gun, destroying it.

Seeing the Japanese rapid-fire gun destroyed, Lv Ziqing quickly waved his hand, ordering his anti-tank gun to change position.

The gunner, seeing this, together with his comrades, dragged the two legs of the anti-tank gun and retreated backward.

Sure enough, the little Japanese devil's grenade launcher came over.

However, every platoon of the Youth Army had set up grenade launcher teams; the Reconnaissance Company also had an 82mm mortar accompanying them, at this moment using indirect fire to bombard the little Japanese devils opposite.

At the same time, the position of the M2 heavy machine gun team was also set up; rat-tat-tat, the Japanese facing them couldn't raise their heads; the shield of the Japanese rapid-fire gun was directly penetrated by 12.7mm bullets, and the Japanese behind were blown to pieces.

With infantry pinning down the Japanese anti-tank fire ahead, Zhou Weiguo ordered the tank company to continue advancing.

The Japanese Vickers armored cars and little bean tanks met the 38T and appeared extremely weak.

The Japanese armored forces were destroyed one by one; the 37mm tank cannon easily penetrated the thin armor of the Type 94 tanks.

A Type 92 heavy machine gun position set up by the Japanese on the second floor of a building still resisted; bullets clanged against the tank armor.

The Reconnaissance Company's 37mm anti-tank gun had completed its position change; one shot at the remaining Japanese heavy machine gun position, and the Japanese Type 92 heavy machine gun team was buried among the collapsed bricks and rubble.

Under tank-infantry coordinated operations, the defense of the Ghost Navy Marine Corps in that direction rapidly collapsed.

Without heavy firepower support, the remaining several hundred Ghosts fled in rout, and the T Tank Company along with the Reconnaissance Company's infantry pursued them all the way behind.