Chapter 443: Imminent Danger

Now, the factory construction in Sichuan Province has achieved breakthrough progress, thanks to the blueprints provided by Yu Hua and the cooperation of high-level workers recruited from Europe!

Today, Sichuan Province is already capable of producing trucks, and the Sichuan Army units are also beginning to equip their divisional artillery battalions with trucks step by step.

Even the current National Government is ordering trucks from the Sichuan Province automobile factory; the National Revolutionary Army's artillery regiments have had many of their trucks destroyed by the Japanese Army after several battles.

Nowadays, many artillery regiments simply do not have enough trucks, and purchasing them from abroad is many times more expensive than buying them from the Sichuan Province automobile factory.

Especially since the Japanese Army's fleet is still wandering in Chinese waters, purchasing trucks from overseas makes them very susceptible to being sunk by the little devils' Navy. Nowadays, buying trucks from Sichuan Province not only saves costs but is also faster than purchasing them from overseas.

Zhang Yun and Zhang Zhenhan chatted idly while the two of them smoked a cigarette together.

Just at this moment, Zhang Zhenhan discovered the roar of engines; he saw that on the road, the Sichuan Army's trucks were towing artillery pieces and approaching them.

The artillery pieces towed behind those trucks had their barrels pointing straight into the sky, as if they were about to pierce the heavens.

Now, he also deeply understood the sense of helplessness felt by the previous Commander, Matsui Iwane.

Everything was proceeding according to the Sichuan Army's plan!

"Ready!"

"Therefore, many Imperial Warriors feel that wearing a Gas Mask is very troublesome and leave the Gas Mask to one side. So, during the enemy's Special Smoke attack tonight, many Imperial Warriors..."

He also encouraged the Imperial Army of the Central China Area Army that when conducting offensive operations, if they discovered a position they could not take, they could use Special Smoke on a large scale.

"Commander, the 6th Division has been surrounded by heavy forces of the Sichuan Army. The enemy has used Special Smoke against General Inaba Shiro, and the 6th Division is now in imminent danger."

"Nani?!" Hata Shunroku widened his eyes: "Special Smoke... the 6th Division is in imminent danger!"

Hirahara Daio bit the bullet and knocked on the door of Hata Shunroku's rest room; in recent days, any Japanese Army officer who disturbed Hata Shunroku's rest had been slapped across the face several times by the Commander.

"You must rescue the 6th Division; the action must be fast. This time, do not get entangled in fighting with small enemy units during the rescue."

At this moment, the 6th Division was being retaliated against by the Sichuan Army, which made Hirahara Daio feel as if his own cheeks had been slapped swollen.

Hirahara Daio could only honestly lower his head and let the Commander have his way.

At this time, at the headquarters of the Japanese Army's Central China Area Army, Japanese Army Staff Officer Hirahara Daio received a telegram from the 6th Division.

Hearing this, the corners of Zhang Yun's mouth lifted, revealing a curve, "Aim for the Japanese Army warships on the river, fire all the Special Smoke, and then follow up with five Conventional Shells; let's see the effect first."

Now it was his turn; these Sichuan Army troops were truly damn difficult to deal with, catching one off guard!

Seeing Hirahara Daio standing at the door, Hata Shunroku didn't say a word before landing two slaps, the sound ringing out with a crisp *slap-slap*.

"At the same time, the artillery battalion will aim all their guns at the Hada Detachment inside Anqing City. After firing all the Special Smoke, fire five High-Explosive Shells; let's see the effect."

Hirahara Daio's words were not finished before he was interrupted by the furious Hata Shunroku!

"Hai!" Hirahara Daio nodded: "Commander, they are currently located at this position!"

At this time, Hata Shunroku slumped into his chair; this time he truly felt that encountering the Sichuan Army, this difficult opponent, was indeed not easy to handle.

Now that the 6th Division had been bombed by Poison Gas Bombs, Hirahara Daio's head began to ache!

He had just boasted in front of Commander Hata Shunroku that the Hada Detachment had used Poison Gas Bombs to attack the Sichuan Army in Anqing City, and the Sichuan Army had not used Special Smoke to counterattack, which indicated that the information previously claimed by the Sichuan Army about possessing Special Smoke was fake.

"Yes!" After receiving the order, the Company Commander saluted Zhang Yun.

There was also the time he mocked Terauchi Hisaichi in the Pingjin Region, saying that the several major divisions under his command had actually been beaten so miserably by the Sichuan Army.

"Hai!" Hirahara Daio nodded: "Yes... Commander, the Imperial Warriors of the 6th Division have never encountered a Special Smoke attack on the Chinese battlefield."

Anqing City!

The artillery company's Company Commander came before Zhang Yun, "Report to the Division Commander, the 105mm Howitzer is now set up, please give the order!"

"Baka!" Hata Shunroku roared: "What is it?"

Previously, the Hada Detachment stationed in Anqing City had sent a telegram reporting the capture of Anqing City and the total annihilation of the Sichuan Army within the city, without having encountered any Special Smoke retaliation from the Sichuan Army.

Hirahara Daio received this telegram and was directly stunned!

The airport was surrounded by heavy forces of the Sichuan Army; at the same time, the Sichuan Army units also fired Special Smoke at the airport. The 6th Division was now suffering heavy losses and requested tactical guidance from the Central China Area Army.

Regarding the meaning Hirahara Daio ultimately wanted to express, Hata Shunroku was very clear: it was that the Imperial Warriors had never encountered a poison gas attack and did not value gas defense at all.

"Baka!"

The combat situation, which was originally favorable to the Imperial Army, had suddenly turned into this; the battlefield situation had reversed in an instant.

Whenever the Japanese Army encountered a thorny positional battle, they would often have their artillery units fire Special Smoke at the Chinese Army; for example, during the Battle of Songhu, the Japanese Army had used poison gas against the Chinese Army to take Chinese positions.

"Boom, boom, boom!! —"

"This cannon is big!"

"According to our previous combat deployment, we were prepared to launch a counter-encirclement against the Chinese Army."

"Hai!" After bowing and scraping, Hirahara Daio left the headquarters!

"Immediately telegraph the Independent Mixed Brigade to rescue the 6th Division at once; abandon the previous combat plan."

He did not dare to delay Inaba Shiro's tactical guidance telegram for even a moment and hurriedly went to find Commander Hata Shunroku.

Seeing Zhang Zhenhan's exclamation, Zhang Yun also smiled with satisfaction; thinking back, when he first saw this 105mm Howitzer, he was in the same state.

Zhang Zhenhan let out a sigh of exclamation; the 105mm Howitzer was a cut above the 75mm Mountain Gun.

Hata Shunroku had not been in a good mood lately; whenever someone disturbed his rest, he would resort to slapping faces to soothe his mood.

With the Sichuan Army's attack tonight, the 20,000-plus Imperial Warriors of the 6th Division were likely in grave danger; as a Commander, he was very clear about the power of Special Smoke, after all, on the Chinese battlefield.

The 6th Division had already been totally annihilated by the Sichuan Army once during the Battle of Taihu; if they were totally annihilated by the Sichuan Army again now, that would be a disgrace to the Japanese Army!

For a division to be totally annihilated by the enemy twice, the high-ranking officials at General Headquarters might just send him back to the country to feed pigs and raise horses.

"Where has the 11th Army's brigade reached?" Hata Shunroku roared: "Tell them to hurry and rescue the 6th Division."

With a "Crack!" sound, the door to Hata Shunroku's rest room opened.

After the 105mm Howitzers arrived, under the command of the artillery commander, the Sichuan Army artillery immediately began to construct a howitzer position.

At the same time, the artillery battalion of the Sichuan Army's New 133rd Division also received the order, and all artillery fire was aimed at the Japanese Army in the city.

"Fire!"

The four 105mm Howitzers, under the Company Commander's order, pulled the firing lanyards on the guns!

(End of chapter)