Chapter 132

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

For a time, within the originally quiet Shizilin Position, explosions erupted one after another, firelight flickered, and the Japanese soldiers were thrown into confusion by this sudden strike, panicking as they sought cover, triggering even more traps in the chaos.

"Baka, don't panic! It's booby traps!"

"Move carefully, watch your footing!"

"Retreat from the Shizilin Position along the original route!"

Experienced Japanese veterans shouted, maintaining order.

"Report! The enemy is retreating westward!" A Japanese scout reported to Battalion Commander Yoshizumi Ryosuke.

After confirming there were no organized defenders left on the position, Colonel Yoshizumi was very pleased and reported to Regimental Headquarters: "Colonel Cangyong Lianzuozhang, my forces have occupied the core position of the Shizilin Battery; the defending enemy used booby traps to delay the Locust Army, and the remaining troops are fleeing westward in collapse. Requesting instructions!"

Soon, the order from Regimental Commander Kuranaga Naritomo arrived: "Yoshizumi, well done! The enemy is fleeing in panic. I judge their remnants must be retreating toward Luodian. Your forces should immediately organize troops to search and pursue westward, annihilating them as much as possible in the open field, while sweeping the route to Luodian!"

Eager for merit, the Yoshizumi Battalion immediately took action, using the First Company as the vanguard, advancing along the dirt road and fields west of the position toward Luodian, and launched the pursuit.

Colonel Yoshizumi judged that the Xia Army was retreating in haste, their formations were chaotic and morale low—exactly a good opportunity to gain military merit.

However, the Japanese did not know they were charging headlong into the ambush circle carefully arranged by Liao Yaoxiang's Second Brigade.

This battalion dispatched by Liao Yaoxiang was well-equipped; Zhongzheng rifles went without saying, and just the MG34 General Purpose Machine Guns and the powerful M2 Browning Heavy Machine Guns were enough to make the Japanese suffer.

Not to mention grenade launchers, 82mm mortars, and even 37mm anti-tank guns and 75mm infantry guns equipped to deal with armored targets and fortifications.

"Your Excellency, the enemy ran so fast that during the day they still had a division, but by night only a battalion remained, and now they've completely run away. Our Great Japanese Empire Locust Army is truly invincible!"

The First Company Commander was in high spirits, looking up at the moonlight, and happily said to Battalion Commander Colonel Yoshizumi.

"Naturally. Now the enemy must have been terrified by our joint sea, land, and air offensive, and can only use booby traps to delay our pursuit. Advance quickly and seize military merit!"

When the vanguard of the Yoshizumi Battalion entered the ambush area, the machine gun positions on both flanks could already strike the target, but according to the battalion commander's pre-battle order, the machine gun positions were not exposed in advance.

Only when the Japanese had fully penetrated did the Ambush Battalion formally issue the attack order.

"Fire!"

In an instant, countless tongues of flame spat out from the dark fields on both sides of the road.

The little Japanese were stunned; under the gunfire's illumination, those with sharp eyes could even see the faces of the Xia Guo soldiers!

"Ambush!"

"The enemy really knows how to stay calm, waiting until this close to open fire. Outflank the flanks!"

Before the Japanese commander's voice faded, the MG34 machine guns on the machine gun positions on both wings began to fire, slicing through the Japanese marching column at the waist.

Immediately after, the deep and powerful staccato of the M2 Heavy Machine Gun joined in, and the 12.7mm large-caliber bullets easily tore the Japanese soldiers and their weapons apart.

The Japanese army was facing such weapons for the first time.

"What's going on? Is that a machine gun? I can't tell the type from the sound! Where are our machine guns?!" A sergeant shouted while lying on the ground.

"Has anyone seen the enemy's machine gun position? Ogawa-kun! Use the grenade launcher quickly!"

"Miyada Squad, launch an assault on the right wing!"

Many of these Japanese had been to Shanghai five years ago; back then, the Xia Guo Army used Hanyang 88s and Czech-style Maxims, etc. Today, judging by sound, the Japanese veterans found the weapons used by the Xia Guo Army very unfamiliar.

Before the Japanese grenade launchers could take effect, the indirect fire of the Ambush Battalion began to work.

Mortar shells and grenade launcher shells fell into the Japanese ranks one after another, exploding into balls of fire and dirt.

Some Japanese lying on the ground were flipped over by shells, while others were blown to pieces, missing arms and legs.

Colonel Yoshizumi lay in a shell crater, watching the scene before him in disbelief.

The ferocity of the enemy's fire, the tightness of their organization, and the excellence of their equipment completely exceeded his expectations.

Where was this the remnants of a defeated force? It was clearly an elite main force equipped with large numbers of automatic firearms and heavy support weapons!

"Baka! We've fallen into a trap!"

"All lines withdraw! Retreat to Shizilin!" Yoshizumi Ryosuke roared.

But by now the Japanese lines had already been torn into pieces by the flanking machine gun fire, and under such fierce fire, orders could not be effectively transmitted.

Colonel Yoshizumi shouted himself hoarse, but almost no units carried out his orders.

A few squads attempting to organize a counterattack were knocked down by flanking machine gun fire as soon as they stood up.

Seeing that nothing could be done, Yoshizumi Ryosuke, on one hand, had people risk their lives to notify each company and squad to retreat, and on the other hand, lay on the ground and moved backward, preparing to retreat.

Meanwhile, in Shizilin Forest behind the ambush position, Colonel Kuranaga Naritomo, commander of the Sixth Regiment, had already successfully taken position.

Seeing the huge commotion coming from ahead, Regimental Commander Colonel Kuranaga Naritomo ran to high ground, held up binoculars, and began observing.

Colonel Kuranaga Naritomo felt increasingly wrong the more he looked: this firepower sounded too fierce; he knew his own troops, and the Yoshizumi Battalion should not have such firepower.

This firepower did not belong to the Japanese Yoshizumi Battalion, so the answer was obvious: such fierce firepower belonged to the Xia Guo Army!

Colonel Kuranaga Naritomo lowered his binoculars, beads of sweat already covering his forehead, and while constantly twisting his neck, he unbuttoned his collar: "Baka, the weather in Shanghai is really hot. How did the Xia Guo Army suddenly become so unfamiliar?!"

Other battalion commanders present also realized the situation was bad. Although the veterans were of high quality, facing such powerful firepower, the veterans were not supermen, and no one could take bullets with their flesh or withstand shells.

"Have the tank forces landed?" Colonel Kuranaga Naritomo asked.

A staff officer stepped forward to answer: "The tank vanguard has already gone ashore!"

Colonel Kuranaga Naritomo immediately ordered: "Send them to assist Colonel Yoshizumi's Third Battalion, and also send a company to coordinate with the tank forces in combat. You must rescue the Third Battalion from the enemy's curtain of fire!"

At this moment, a Japanese officer suddenly remembered something and said: "Colonel Excellency, we have fallen into a trap. The Third Battalion may have encountered the Youth Army of Lv Muzhi's forces. According to reports, the Marine Corps has also encountered such firepower before."

"Lv Muzhi? You fellow, you're really cunning, only appearing until inland?"