Chapter 346

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Orders were quickly relayed to all units via telephone and radio.

"Everyone, aboard!"

"Take your positions!"

"Driver, in position!"

"Gunner, ready!"

"Loader, good!"

The Tank Assault Group was fully assembled, waiting for Qiu Qingquan to issue the assault order, accompanied by the thunderous cannon fire of the Youth Army.

In his ears was the overwhelming roar of the Youth Army's massive artillery cluster.

First came the twenty-four intimidating 155mm howitzers.

A muffled, thunderous boom rolled in, shaking the earth.

Massive shells tore through the sky, slamming hard into Japanese positions several kilometers away.

Every 155mm shell that landed blasted a huge column of smoke mixed with dirt, rubble, and debris from shattered fortifications; the shockwave swept across dozens of meters around, and the Japanese earth-and-wood fortifications were as fragile as paper under this level of bombardment.

The 105mm howitzer groups under each division fired even more shells, igniting continuous sheets of firelight and smoke and dust over the Japanese positions.

The explosions were so dense they were almost indistinguishable, and the positions of the Imperial Guard Infantry First Regiment of the Japanese army in the western suburbs of Huangchuan City were all shrouded in artillery fire.

This was artillery fire fiercer, more accurate, and denser than that of the Imperial Guard Division, hammering down repeatedly on the Japanese like an iron hammer.

The Imperial Guard Division infantry, who had just panicked from the air strikes, now fell into a purgatory of ground artillery fire.

Above the heads of the Imperial Guard Division, an air battle had broken out.

The fighters of the Youth Corps and the fighters of Tokugawa Yoshitoshi's Air Corps were like two sharp swords, trading blows in the sky.

Imperial Guard Infantry Regiment Commander Ushijima felt fear for the first time; the earth trembled, the sky was torn open, and he might not be the one laughing last in this battle.

Tokugawa Yoshitoshi's Air Corps failed to gain any advantage in defending the Imperial Guard Division.

The Soviet Air Volunteer Group likewise dispatched a fighter battalion for air support, fighting alongside the Youth Corps' BF109 fighters to contest air superiority over the battlefield.

On the ground, Japanese and Youth Army anti-aircraft guns both struck at the sky, only with different targets.

Japanese anti-aircraft guns struck at the aircraft of the Youth Corps and the Volunteer Air Force, while the Youth Army's anti-aircraft guns struck at Japanese fighters.

The Youth Corps' anti-aircraft positions had been carefully arranged, forming a fan-shaped screen around the roaring ground artillery cluster.

Dozens of 88mm anti-aircraft guns, 37mm rapid-fire guns, and 20mm machine cannons had their barrels all pointed at the sky, protecting the 155mm and 105mm guns that were firing.

The anti-aircraft gunners worked busily and in good order.

They swiftly turned the direction and elevation machines according to observation post directives; every shot brought violent recoil from the gun body and deafening booms.

The 88mm guns handled long-range interdiction, shells bursting into gray-black smoke clouds in the air.

The 37mm and 20mm guns formed a dense curtain of fire at medium and short range, blocking the diving Japanese warplanes.

A Japanese Type 95 fighter, relying on its agility, suddenly broke away from the air battle and dove toward the Youth Army artillery positions, clearly intending a death-strike.

But just as it found its dive angle, at least three 37mm guns and four 20mm guns locked onto it simultaneously.

Shell trajectories were clearly visible in the air, instantly weaving a curtain of fire around this Japanese warplane.

The Japanese warplane's fuselage shuddered, its wings were riddled with holes, then a ball of fire erupted from the engine area; the entire plane instantly lost control, trailing thick smoke and flames, and finally spun down toward the earth.

Meanwhile, under the stubborn protection of the Youth Corps' own airmen and the Soviet Volunteer Air Force's warplanes, several waves of Japanese fighter attacks failed to break through effectively.

This allowed the Youth Army's massive artillery cluster to carry out its fire strike missions without distraction.

Tons of shells rained down on the defensive positions of the Japanese Imperial Guard Infantry First Regiment; seen from afar, the Japanese positions had long been covered by unceasing explosions, firelight, and soaring smoke columns.

In the division command post, Imperial Guard Division Commander Lieutenant General Iida Sadakata's right eyelid twitched, and he felt very uneasy in his heart.

"Matsuzaki-kun! Get your heavy artillery ready for combat immediately, stand by to suppress at any time! Once the artillery stops, those Youth Army troops will charge up!"

Heavy Artillery Brigade Commander Major General Matsuzaki Katsuzaburo was equally anxious, but also helpless: "Division Commander! According to my observation, the Chinese air force and the Russians' planes have the upper hand in the sky, and our ground anti-aircraft fire isn't very effective either.

Earlier we received an air raid alarm and already pulled back the Heavy Artillery Brigade; now if we let the Heavy Artillery Brigade move forward to deploy, it would undoubtedly become a sitting duck for enemy warplanes!

The urgent task is to request more, stronger air support; retaking air superiority is what matters!"

"Damn it! By the time air support arrives, Ushijima's regiment's positions will already have been flattened!"

Just then, a Japanese staff officer rushed in: "Regiment Commander Ushijima called; enemy artillery fire density suddenly doubled, position fortifications damaged over sixty percent, casualties surging!

Requesting tactical guidance and emergency artillery support!"

"What?!" Iida Sadakata was very puzzled.

He had originally thought the Youth Corps' artillery strikes were already saturated, but unexpectedly they could be intensified?!

It was as if they intended to completely wipe the entire frontline position off the map!

At the Youth Army artillery positions, on a relatively concealed open space, the scene was shocking.

Two rocket artillery battalions had completed their final firing preparations.

Each battalion had twenty-four specially modified self-propelled rocket launcher vehicles, totaling forty-eight self-propelled rocket artillery vehicles, and the rocket shells were now fully loaded.

Although Lv Muzhi was promoting lighter rocket artillery within the Youth Corps, the Youth Army First Army was still equipped with truck-mounted self-propelled rocket artillery.

Forty-eight rocket artillery vehicles lined up in firing formation.

Qiu Qingquan shouted over the telephone from the rear position: "Fire!"

The on-site commander decisively waved down the red flag in his hand.

In an instant, rocket shells trailing bright tail flames, one after another, rushed toward the Japanese Imperial Guard Division's positions.

To the naked eye, the Japanese Army position was like a rising waterfall of flames, truly flames soaring high.

Listening with the ears, the rocket shells were like a swarm of vengeful bees, whistling as they swept past.

"My goodness..." Li Zhenxian put down his binoculars, swallowed hard, and turned to look at Qiu Qingquan beside him, who was likewise observing.

"Brother Yu'an, the Imperial Guard Division? The so-called Emperor's Guard Company?"

"In the face of this firepower, I reckon they're nothing more than a pot of steel meat soup!"

"The Youth Army is mighty! Lu Commander is mighty!"

Qiu Qingquan's face showed little pride; he looked at his watch.

"Division Commander Li, have your Commando prepare. After the artillery strike extends, follow my tank cluster and roll right over them!"

On the core position of the Imperial Guard Infantry First Regiment, Regimental Commander Colonel Ushijima Katsuji had just crawled out of a section of communication trench shaken into collapse, his head and face covered in mud, hearing almost no other sound besides the continuous explosions.

He trembled as he used his sleeve to wipe the floating dirt off the Artillery Observation Mirror, then barely managed to look forward through it.

The artillery strike had not stopped? Rather, it had extended backward!

On the horizon before the Artillery Observation Mirror, rolling clouds of sand and dust rose up.

Perhaps some Japanese soldiers would wonder, was a sandstorm coming?

But Regimental Commander Ushijima was quite certain: that was no sandstorm; it was the sandstorm kicked up when the Youth Army's Steel Torrent swept across the earth!