Chapter 134

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

At the Luodian Command Post, Chen Cheng heard that the Imperial tank unit was coming to reinforce them, so he looked at Lv Muzhi: "Wei Yue, quickly withdraw the troops. That brigade you lent me from Liao Yaoxiang—I value it greatly; don't let the Imperial tanks ruin it."

Huang Wei also looked nervous: "Wei Yue... Commander, withdraw the troops. If I cause heavy casualties to the Youth Army because I stayed behind to cover a battalion of mine at Shizilin, I won't be able to bear the responsibility!"

Lv Muzhi waved his hand and looked at Liao Yaoxiang: "Liao Yaoxiang, what do you say? Shall I have Zhou Weiguo's Armored Tank Regiment sent over to give you some prestige?"

Liao Yaoxiang had by now reached the frontline command post by phone, nodding and smiling at Lv Muzhi: "Lu Commander, that won't be necessary."

The phone connected. Liao Yaoxiang stood with one hand on his hip and the other holding the receiver: "Hello! Battalion Commander Wang, what's the situation at the frontline now?"

On the other end of the phone came the voice of the Ambush Battalion Commander: "An Imperial battalion has already been firmly suppressed by me. My reconnaissance posts report that the enemy has sent out nine tanks, coordinating with an infantry squadron to come reinforce the Imperial battalion I've surrounded!"

After hearing this, Liao Yaoxiang clenched his fist and waved it in the air, saying: "Good! Hold on! Use the 37 anti-tank guns and 75mm infantry guns. I'll have your regimental commander send up the heavy mortar company and machine cannon company. Don't come back to see me until you've beaten these Imperials into a rout!"

"Yes! Liao Commander, just watch!"

Liao Yaoxiang hung up the phone, walked a few steps to stand before Lv Muzhi: "Reporting to Lu Commander, even without tank support, I can still annihilate the enemy army!"

Lv Muzhi was very pleased, pointing at Liao Yaoxiang while turning to look at Chen Cheng and Huang Wei: "Then let them give it a try?"

Hearing that Liao Yaoxiang had sent out a battalion of troops to bodily withstand the Imperial tanks, Huang Wei was stunned for a moment.

Chen Cheng, on the other hand, was very interested: "If that's the case, then I would very much like to move slightly forward to observe."

Luo Zhuoying immediately realized: "Chen Commander, you must not! You are the Group Army Commander. If any mishap occurs, what would become of my Fifteenth Group Army?"

Chen Cheng looked at Lv Muzhi: "Wei Yue, should Liao Yaoxiang's brigade be able to protect us?"

Lv Muzhi also wanted to see the first clash between his Youth Army and the Imperial Army: "Liao Yaoxiang, Commander Chen is calling on you."

Hearing this, Liao Yaoxiang walked to the map, looked at it, and pointed to an unnamed small highland: "The Ambush Battalion position is five kilometers from the Luodian Command Post. We'll advance three and a half kilometers to this small highland to observe the battle. That puts us about two kilometers from the enemy's line, which is reasonably safe. Any further forward and I can't do anything."

"Good! Just as you say!" Lv Muzhi immediately affirmed: "Get the phone to Suzhou Airport. Have Gao Zhihang send a squadron of planes for air cover. Commander Chen and I will supervise the battle from the rear!"

Liao Yaoxiang stood at attention: "Yes! My Youth Army Second Brigade will dispatch a regiment to escort the various commanders for forward observation! I'm contacting the tank regiment to send a unit over for security!"

Under the cover of night, more than ten trucks set out from near the Luodian Command Post, carrying the equipment and soldiers of the heavy mortar company and machine cannon company, rushing toward the Ambush Battalion's position.

At this very moment on the Ambush Battalion's position, the Imperial tank unit was advancing.

Seeing this, the Youth Army's Ambush Battalion pushed out three 37mm anti-tank guns, aiming at the Imperial tanks.

The Ambush Battalion Commander shouted: "All of you, fight well! Support is on the way. We've dug fortifications under Commander Liao for so long and eaten so much dust—it's about time we fought a battle!"

Nishizumi Kojiro, Squadron Leader of the Imperial tank unit, personally rode in a Type 89 Medium Tank, commanding the tank unit to coordinate with Imperial infantry in harassing the Youth Army's flank machine gun positions, planning to rescue the Yoshizumi Battalion from the Youth Army's machine gun fire.

Nishizumi Kojiro's tank squadron, this time, only dispatched eight tanks: three Type 89 Medium Tanks, three Type 95 Light Tanks, and two Type 94 Cavalry Tanks.

Nishizumi Kojiro arranged it this way to find an opportunity to clash with Lv Muzhi's armored forces and probe just how strong the Youth Army's Armored Tank Regiment really was.

According to currently available public intelligence, the Armored Tank Regiment has so far only shown one company of twelve T Tanks. As for other organizational intelligence, not a single detail is known.

Only by drawing out the Youth Army's armored forces—knowing oneself and knowing the enemy—can the Army Tank Battalion formulate targeted plans for subsequent operations.

"All personnel, pay attention. Pay attention to potential enemy tank units. Heighten vigilance!"

"Watch out for the enemy's anti-tank fire!"

"Yuki tank crew, move toward the enemy's right wing machine gun position and conduct a sweeping attack!"

Squadron Leader Nishizumi Kojiro issued orders from the rear while observing the Youth Army Ambush Battalion's pocket formation.

"Yoisho, surround three sides leave one. Truly ancient Eastern wisdom. The enemy's firepower is the most intense I've seen since joining the army. If the Yoshizumi Battalion tries to flee, they'll surely be wiped out to the last man!"

"Yuki, what are you doing! Move forward to probe the firepower, and push the accompanying infantry squad forward too!"

Crew Yuki drove a Type 95 Light Tank, using a six-cylinder air-cooled diesel engine, weighing 7.4 tons total, equipped with one 37mm tank cannon and two 7.7mm heavy machine guns. The thickest frontal armor was twelve millimeters, the thinnest six millimeters, barely able to withstand 7.92 rifle bullet attacks.

Tank Commander Yuki received the order from Squadron Leader Nishizumi Kojiro. Though very unwilling, he still started the tank and, under the protection of an infantry squad, drove forward. Another infantry squad followed behind another Type 89 Medium Tank, trailing at a distance in the rear.

The Type 95 Light Tank drove directly into the fields, trampling the rice paddies, intending to flank around from the side to ambush the Youth Army's machine gun position.

"Tank Commander Yuki, do we really have to charge to the very front? I heard the Navy idiots' Type 94 Light Armored Cars were turned into scrap iron by the Chinese army's tanks and anti-tank guns in a single encounter in the city..." Machine Gunner Kobayashi complained.

Driver Yamada also said discontentedly: "Yeah, Tank Commander, that bastard Squadron Leader clearly knows the enemy might have anti-tank weapons, yet still lets us charge straight up. Isn't this sending us to our deaths?"

Tank Commander Yuki scolded: "Damn it, carry out the order! How can Imperial tanks be compared to the Navy's thin iron boxes?"

The Imperial tank commander was also nervous in his heart. News of the Marine Corps tank unit being annihilated had long spread. Although his crew rode in a Type 95 Light Tank, it was no better than the Marine Corps' Type 94 Cavalry Tank. If the enemy had any decent heavy firepower, his crew would probably be shot into a beehive.

"Bastard, Yamada! You, drive slower. Let the infantry keep close. Driving too fast is dangerous!"

Driver Yamada stepped on the brake. The whole crew lurched forward from inertia, and Tank Commander Yuki's forehead directly knocked against the observation window.

"You stupid fool! I told you..."