Chapter 304

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

The convoy slowly crossed the bombed-out railway embankment and entered a relatively open harvested field.

It was eerily quiet all around, with only the noise of tank engines.

Chisaki Daitai-chō sat calmly on a Type 97 Medium Tank, unaware that his tank had already been spotted by the Youth Army's observers.

A Type 89 Medium Tank moving forward cautiously shuddered first, then a dazzling ball of fire erupted from its front armor and burst out from the tank's rear!

This Type 89 Medium Tank was actually pierced through by a single shell!

That wasn't even the most terrifying part—the shell that pierced the Type 89 Medium Tank continued flying and happened to hit the front armor of a Type 95 Light Tank fifty meters behind.

With a boom, the Type 95 Light Tank's turret was blown straight off.

One shell, two Japanese tanks destroyed!

"Enemy attack!"

Chisaki Isamu's heart pounded: "What's going on? This is a joke?! One shell, two tanks?!"

The Japanese didn't even discover the exact position the shells came from.

However, the attack did not stop.

Almost at the same time the first Type 89 Medium Tank was destroyed, shell after shell exploded in the ranks of Chisaki's Tank Battalion.

Daitai-chō Chisaki hadn't even seen where the Youth Army's tanks were!

"Baka! What kind of gun is this?!" Chisaki Isamu was shocked and angry.

Not seeing the enemy's gunfire flames, the enemy's distance was absolutely several li away!

Ordinary 37mm anti-tank guns absolutely could not have such accuracy and power at such a distance, let alone destroy a medium tank in one hit!

He searched desperately, but on the open fields, apart from a few wisps of lingering gunpowder smoke, he couldn't see any flash or sign of artillery firing at all. The enemy cleverly used terrain and camouflage, with a shooting distance far beyond ordinary anti-tank guns!

Three li away, on the 88mm dual-purpose gun position, observers held rangefinders and calmly reported correction parameters: "Target, Type 97 Medium Tank, azimuth unchanged, distance 3200 meters……"

The gunner repeated the commands, and the gun crew adjusted the heavy barrel steadily like a rock.

Thanks to precise optical rangefinders and pre-calibrated firing data, plus these veteran gunners who survived from the Jiangyin Battery, the Youth Army's 88mm guns showed terrifying efficiency in anti-tank combat.

Boom! Another shell left the muzzle, and seconds later, the shell flew into the ranks of Chisaki's Tank Battalion.

The Youth Army infantry responsible for covering the artillery position lay in foxholes or hastily dug trenches, listening to the heavy and precise cannon fire coming from afar ahead, watching fireballs and thick smoke rising on the horizon, exchanging glances with each other.

A Battalion Commander was observing with binoculars, watching the fire erupting in the distance, and couldn't help but look surprised and delighted.

A veteran holding a Zhongzheng Rifle clicked his tongue: "Good grief, our anti-aircraft gun laid flat, at such a distance, hitting the little devils' Iron Turtles is like cracking walnuts."

The Battalion Commander said with a smile: "That's called professionalism......

We just need to stay here and guard this place well, don't let the Imperial Infantry sneak over."

At this moment, Chisaki's Tank Battalion terrifyingly discovered that there was also enemy anti-tank fire nearby!

"Daitai-chō! Two o'clock direction, muzzle flash spotted! Less than a kilometer!"

On positions closer to the Japanese, 37mm anti-tank guns were placed for anti-tank combat, and the infantry also fired madly at the Japanese ranks.

M2 Heavy Machine Guns, 20mm autocannons, 37mm anti-tank guns, and the 88mm dual-purpose guns in the rear launched a head-on blow against Chisaki's Tank Battalion's tanks.

There was no need for the Youth Army's tanks to act personally.

Daitai-chō Chisaki personally served as tank commander of a Type 97 Medium Tank; the vehicle was rattled by machine gun bullets, and he only saw behind a low earthen ridge in the distance what seemed like a blurry tube outline flash by, then immediately, the side armor of a Type 97 Medium Tank not far to his left exploded with a large hole, and thick smoke billowing from inside instantly filled the observation window.

"Retreat! Leave this open ground!" Daitai-chō Chisaki was so frightened his back was soaked in cold sweat; he finally realized he hadn't run into an ordinary anti-tank position, but a hunting ground specially set for him!

Daitai-chō Chisaki's order came quickly, but the Youth Army's artillery fire was faster.

An 88mm shell accurately hit Chisaki's tank crew who were hastily reversing; the shell struck the weak point where the turret connected to the hull, huge kinetic energy tore open the armor, plunged into the interior and exploded with a bang.

Daitai-chō Chisaki only felt the tank he was riding in was struck hard by an invisible giant hammer, the whole hull shook violently, then came a wave of heat and fire bursting in the darkness.

The last thing he heard was the short screams of other crew members inside the vehicle, then he lost consciousness.

After hearing this news, the Mechanized Rapid Detachment Commander Colonel Sakai felt it was unbelievable; unexpectedly, the Youth Army hadn't even deployed their armored forces, and the tanks he sent out were repelled.

In this battle, he lost nine tanks, the Tank Battalion Commander died on the spot; fortunately, the troops weren't stubborn and soon knew when to retreat.

"Report to Colonel Sakai, Division Commander Isogai Rensuke demands we launch a full-scale attack on the Youth Army; they're preparing to break out!" The signal corpsman walked over holding a telegram.

The Staff Officer said: "What can we do? The Youth Army is too strong; we absolutely cannot form effective pressure on them."

Colonel Sakai glanced at him and said: "Forget about the Tenth Division; our Division Commander Tsuchiya Yuan has said that the latest strategy of the Front Army Headquarters is: use Xuzhou as a trap to attract and encircle and annihilate the main force of the Shina army.

The Tenth Division's struggle has already successfully attracted several times the enemy forces including the Youth Army. The longer they hold out, the better for the overall situation.

And our 14th Division, this mobile force, its true value lies in cutting off the enemy's retreat and completing the final encirclement.

Now wasting precious tanks and manpower on Liao Yaoxiang's preset solid defensive line is the greatest betrayal of the Front Army's strategy.

Send a telegram to Division Commander Isogaya; the north-south pincer plan is temporarily cancelled; the 20th Division is on its way to reinforce.

Hold on and there's hope!"

At this moment, at the Tenth Division headquarters, Isogai Rensuke felt like he was being toyed with like a monkey.

Originally agreed, at dawn they would jointly launch a north-south pincer attack on Liao Yaoxiang's Youth Army First Army with the vanguard of the 14th Division, helping him break out.

But now the 14th Division actually stood him up!

At the same time, the latest news reported by Detachment Commander Seyatai-taichō was that Lv Muzhi had committed at least two hundred heavy guns, which almost made him faint from fright.

"Hold on and there's hope? Bastard! Several hundred heavy guns, how can I withstand?!

Emperor, have you abandoned us?!"