Chapter 214: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 214 Mustard Gas King

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

At the hour just before dawn, the Yamamoto Battalion returned to the frontline position in dejection.

Upon returning, they saw the ground covered with roasted corpses, most of them Japanese soldiers from the Sato Battalion; had the remnants of the Yamamoto Battalion not fled fast enough, they too would have become a pile of barbecue.

"Ugh~"

A little Japanese soldier cried as he vomited against the trench wall.

Battalion Commander Yamamoto, angry at his incompetence, stepped forward and kicked that Japanese soldier: "Clean up the trench, gather all friendly corpses together, do not block the transportation line!"

The Japanese soldiers endured their nausea and carried away some Japanese corpses roasted to charcoal; some corpses were not fully burned, and when squeezed by external force they squeaked and oozed oil, making the living little Japanese soldiers feel sick to their stomachs, one by one unable to eat breakfast.

Battalion Commander Yamamoto returned to the position, recalling the anti-artillery fortifications left by Chen Cheng's troops on the Luodian battlefield that he had seen, and immediately ordered his subordinates to learn the methods of Lv Muzhi's troops, digging simple anti-artillery caves on the trench side walls, lest Chu Yunfei launch another artillery strike.

"Report to Battalion Commander Daidaizhang Ge Xia, special shells are ready, ready to fire at any time!" A Japanese messenger stepped forward to report.

Battalion Commander Yamamoto waved his hand down fiercely: "Send all the special shells to the Youth Army's position for me, I want to make them wish they were dead!!!"

The dozen or so mortars brought by the little Japanese soldiers simultaneously fired mustard gas shells at Chu Yunfei's position, while Battalion Commander Yamamoto hid in the trench, using a periscope to observe the attack effect of the mustard gas.

Lieutenant General Fujita Susumu, the Third Division Commander, was on an artillery observation post set up in the rear, likewise paying attention to this gas warfare, after all this was a big killing move he had prepared for Lv Muzhi.

"The explosive power doesn't seem very great..." Fujita Susumu said standing behind the artillery observation mirror.

In Fujita Susumu's view, at the landing spots of those gas shells rose one puff after another of pale yellow smoke.

Behind Fujita Susumu stood Major Shimada, commander of the Mortar Battalion, with hands hanging down standing at attention.

Hearing Fujita Susumu's words, Major Shimada immediately explained: "Hi! Division Commander Ge Xia, though the power doesn't look great to the naked eye, the gas will spread immediately; look, the smoke is spreading, drifting toward the enemy position with the morning breeze."

Fujita Susumu adjusted the angle of the artillery observation mirror, and indeed saw those faint yellow-white smokes, close to the ground, slowly drifting toward the Youth Army's trenches and bunkers.

A report came from the Japanese artillery observation post beside them: "The gas coverage area matches the predetermined target, wind speed and direction are stable, dispersion is good."

Seeing Chu Yunfei's position being constantly devoured by mustard gas, Fujita Susumu finally felt satisfied: "Hehe, I heard mustard gas is the Mustard Gas King; about how long will it take to poison the Youth Army soldiers opposite?"

Major Shimada immediately answered: "Report to Division Commander! Mustard gas is not immediately effective; it needs time to penetrate and make contact."

"Although it takes effect slowly, its advantage is that gas masks cannot effectively defend against mustard gas; mustard gas will pass through the Xia Guo soldiers' uniforms and enter the body through the skin; this will be a slow and painful destruction."

"About... half an hour later, the enemy will begin to show symptoms of skin redness, swelling, and blisters."

"If they do not wear gas masks, their respiratory tracts and eyes will also suffer severe burns, and the enemy will almost lose combat capability!"

Youth Army, Wufu Defense Line, frontline position of Chu Yunfei's unit.

With the advance warning from last night, Chu Yunfei was prepared against the little Japanese soldiers' use of mustard gas, and grassroots officers at all levels were also very vigilant, lest they be carelessly poisoned by the little Japanese soldiers.

When the first wave of mustard gas shells exploded on the position, everyone noticed the relatively dull explosion sound of the gas shells.

Especially the strange yellow smoke rising with the gas shell explosion, the Youth Army's ranks immediately rang out with alert voices.

"Gas! Yellow smoke! Mustard gas!"

"Don't panic, carry out operations according to the No. 2 gas defense plan!"

Without much urging, under the command of grassroots squad and platoon leaders, all soldiers exposed in the trenches put on their gas masks one by one.

No one panicked and shouted; only hurried footsteps and equipment clashing sounds; the Youth Army soldiers, by squad and platoon, ran along clearly marked channels toward the sturdy concrete gas-proof fortresses with heavy sealed doors.

Inside the fortress, space was somewhat cramped, but the ventilation system had long been activated; the electric motor emitted a low hum, and air filtered through multiple layers was continuously sent in, maintaining internal air pressure higher than external, effectively preventing gas from seeping in.

Soldiers wearing masks silently found their seats, checked their weapons, and occasionally looked outside through observation holes or periscopes.

On the trenches and key firepower points, it was not completely unmanned.

There were still hundreds of soldiers, wrapped from head to toe in airtight rubber gas-proof suits, wearing huge goggles and special filter canisters. They were small units guarding key firepower points on the position.

The five hundred sets of professional gas-proof suits allocated to Chu Yunfei's brigade came into use at this time, lest the little Japanese soldiers take advantage of the gas cover to rush up.

With the help of these professional gas-proof suits, firepower points at all levels still had men on duty.

The muzzles of MG34 machine guns and M2 heavy machine guns still protruded from firing ports, and the barrels of 37mm anti-tank guns still pointed in the direction the Japanese army might attack from.

Chu Yunfei's command post was set up in the rear, not within the gas coverage area.

Watching the gas envelop his frontline position, Chu Yunfei also broke into a cold sweat; although these gas defense facilities had been tested when completed, after several rounds of bombing by the little Japanese soldiers, it was uncertain whether their functions were still normal.

Chu Yunfei counted the time; twenty minutes had passed since the Japanese gas shells covered the area; he picked up the telephone and called the frontline: "Hello, No. 1 Gas-Proof Bunker? This is Chu Yunfei; has the little Japanese soldiers' gas caused you any major harm?"

On the other end of the phone came a muffled voice: "Report to Brigade Commander, currently in No. 1 Gas-Proof Bunker, the brothers feel good! ~"

Chu Yunfei called every telephone in each gas-proof fortress, and finally put his heart at ease: it seemed this hurdle could be passed!

The Chief of Staff walked forward at this time, reporting the latest intelligence he had received from the frontline: "Brigade Commander, reconnaissance is clear; after we raided the Japanese positions set up at the frontline last night, at dawn a small group of little Japanese soldiers secretly ran back again, about four hundred men!"

Hearing this, Chu Yunfei thought it was exactly what he wanted; just as he had no place to test fire, the little Japanese soldiers came running up themselves.

"These bastards are unrepentant and dare to come back?! Have the artillery prepare; get ready the captured gas shells and mortars from yesterday, and fire them out together with the mortar high-explosive shells!"