Chapter 293: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 293 Sun Liren: I Also Studied Civil Engineering

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Boom! Boom!

Massive cannon fire erupted over the defensive force positions at the Huaihe Railway Bridge; Takashima Battalion's devils never expected such a ragtag regiment to possess this kind of firepower.

Takashima Battalion had to use anti-aircraft guns to strike the Xia Guo Air Force in the sky while defending against these two so-called ragtag regiments on the ground.

Although the two reinforced regiments brought by Sun Liren had no cannons, they brought many mortars.

Among them were ordinary 82mm caliber mortars, as well as 120mm caliber heavy mortars!

The explosive power far exceeded Japanese expectations; the timber-structured machine gun emplacements were directly blown away, and the exposed artillery positions were given special attention.

Furthermore, the 20mm Oerlikon machine cannon opened fire! Incandescent warheads whipped across the Japanese frontline positions like whips, sandbags shattered into fragments, and brick-and-stone coverings were peeled away layer by layer.

"This firepower... wrong!" The contempt on Major Takashima's face froze instantly; where was this the firepower of a Chinese ragtag force?

This artillery density and shell power even exceeded the support firepower their own battalion possessed!

"The enemy has a large number of machine cannons!" an experienced veteran shouted in terror.

Before the Japanese could recover from this fierce and precise artillery preparation, a loud charge bugle pierced through the lingering echoes of explosions.

Sun Liren decided on a quick battle and quick decision; he had to take the railway bridge quickly to prevent the Ninth Division on the opposite bank from coming to reinforce.

The Youth Army's charge wave surged forth amidst smoke and dust.

Their charge was not a loose human wave, but conducted by squad and platoon units with alternating cover, at extremely high speed.

Even more shocking to the Japanese was that these ragtag soldiers, besides rifles, actually had a considerable number of submachine guns and machine guns; bullets like splashing water instantly suppressed the remaining firepower points at the Japanese frontline.

At the machine gun positions behind the Youth Army, M2 Browning Heavy Machine Guns and MG34 General Purpose Machine Guns were set up to provide cover.

"Fire! Stop them!" Major Takashima shouted hoarsely, his command sword producing a whistling sound as he swung it.

The Japanese fought back desperately under the leadership of officers and veterans; the sounds of Type 38 rifles and light and heavy machine guns merged into one.

In the distance, Commander of the Fifth Division Sun Liren, at a temporary observation post, lowered his telescope.

Although it was two reinforced regiments attacking one Japanese battalion, he still felt a tremor at the attack efficiency and fierce combat power of his two reinforced regiments; this was a fighting power more shocking than the Tax Police Corps he had once served in.

The entire force obeyed his command like an arm and finger, striking wherever pointed, and in his hands it was like adding wings to a tiger.

Sun Liren's heart surged; the knot of depression accumulated during the Battle of Songhu was swept away in an instant.

While the Youth Army's frontal charge attracted attention, a small group of elites had already infiltrated to the rear flank of the position, using hand grenades and close-range sweeping fire to clear the trenches.

Major Takashima watched the position being breached piece by piece, watched soldiers fall in droves under the enemy's fierce short-range fire; his heart sank bit by bit into the valley bottom.

Terrifying, too terrifying!

Familiar, too familiar!

This was not the enemy's ragtag force; this was clearly the Youth Army he had encountered on the Songhu Battlefield!

"They're here!" Major Takashima shouted in surprise.

"It's the Youth Army!" A Japanese veteran also realized something was wrong.

"Send a report to division headquarters! The Huaihe Railway Bridge has encountered an enemy main force assault! Request support!" Major Takashima's words had just finished when, with a rumble, earth and stone flew.

The battalion headquarters' signaller and several staff officers were killed on the spot; Major Takashima was also overturned by the air wave, his head heavily striking the wall, and he fainted.

Less than two hours later, Sun Liren ordered the signaller: "Report to Colonel Qiu: The northern end position of the Tianjin-Pukou Railway Bridge has been taken; we are clearing out remaining enemies and consolidating the position.

My forces have completed the first step task of cutting off the Japanese Thirteenth Division's land retreat route!"

Afterwards, Sun Liren stood beside the ruins of the Japanese frontline command post just taken, holding up binoculars to observe ahead at the Tianjin-Pukou Railway Bridge revealing its massive body in the morning mist.

Several places on the bridge body hit by aerial bombs were emitting black smoke, but the main steel beam structure still stubbornly stood across the river.

Although vehicles could not pass, infantry could still pass through.

"This won't do; the railway bridge must be completely blown down!" Sun Liren ordered the Engineer Battalion Commander.

In the sky, Xia Guo Air Force planes occasionally dropped bombs on the big bridge, but they could never blow down this reinforced concrete railway bridge.

The Engineer Battalion Commander said: "Report to Division Commander, this big bridge has a very high protection level; aerial bombing is not precise. If TNT demolition is used, I cannot fully guarantee it either, because a very large amount of explosives is needed to be certain."

Sun Liren thought of something; Lv Muzhi sending him to cut off the railway bridge over the Huai River had a reason!

Taking out the railway bridge construction blueprints Lv Muzhi had prepared for him, Lv Muzhi had already circled several points on the blueprints.

Sun Liren understood at a glance.

The lines on top were neat, the data detailed; even key rivet points, prestressed rebar layout, and concrete grade were marked.

Such large railway bridge structures were solid; regular artillery fire and aerial bombs, unless directly hitting key nodes, were difficult to completely destroy in one go.

Sun Liren had a solid foundation from the Civil Engineering Department of Tsinghua University and had once worked at an American bridge company.

It could be said that Sun Liren and Lv Muzhi were colleagues, both civil engineers.

"Here, here, and here," Sun Liren's finger pointed to two inconspicuous connection nodes in the middle section of the bridge on the blueprint, then pointed to the distant bridge piers.

"These few positions are the key force transmission points of the entire bridge, and also relatively weak links... and this bridge pier's bearing part with the beam body has little margin of resistance to horizontal impact in design."

The Engineer Battalion Commander beside him listened somewhat dumbfounded; he was an expert at fighting, building bridges, and demolition, but seeing such precise weakness analysis of a complex bridge on the battlefield was the first time.

His gaze toward Sun Liren involuntarily carried a few points of surprise and admiration: "Division Commander, you... understand this too?"

Sun Liren didn't lift his head, his tone flat: "I learned a bit of the basics before. Commander Lu sending the blueprints means it's very clear.

We advance with light equipment and carry limited explosives; use explosives, but use them in the right places. You blast according to the few places I pointed out; twice the result with half the effort, and you can completely blow down this big bridge in one go!"

The Engineer Battalion Commander listened with boiling blood; this kind of technical work was more exciting and challenging than simply blowing up bridge piers.

"Yes! Division Commander! Guarantee to complete the task!"

The Engineer Battalion's soldiers immediately set out; under Sun Liren's guidance, the Huaihe Railway Bridge underwent precise blasting and finally collapsed with a tremendous crash.

"Success!" the Engineer Battalion Commander shouted excitedly, his gaze toward Sun Liren filled with worship, "Division Commander! The places you pointed out were truly divine! One blast and it collapsed!"

The Engineer Battalion Commander was extremely excited, using the least explosive to blow up the biggest bridge.

No wonder Lv Muzhi appointed Sun Liren as division commander of the Youth Army Fifth Division—it turns out he still has this specialty!