Chapter 447: Heavy Weapons of the Nation

The 14th Heavy Artillery Regiment was, in the original timeline, the second heavy artillery unit of China.

From the 10th Artillery Regiment to the 14th Artillery Regiment, these two heavy artillery units never missed a single major battle on the main front.

The first battle for the 10th Heavy Artillery Regiment was the Battle of Songhu; in late September, the 10th Heavy Artillery Regiment arrived at the front lines and, on the Songhu Battlefield, shelled the Japanese Racecourse Airport.

Two heavy artillery pieces fired dozens of shells in ten minutes, completely destroying the Japanese Racecourse Airport and becoming famous in one battle.

This battle also let the Japanese forces on the Songhu front know that the Chinese side had actually dispatched heavy artillery to participate in the war, and the Japanese Commander Matsui Iwane even issued a death order to the Army Aviation.

That was to destroy the Chinese heavy artillery at all costs!

The establishment of the 14th Artillery Regiment cost 20 million silver dollars, which, converted to current Renminbi, would be an expenditure of 2 billion.

Two heavy artillery units meant 4 billion Renminbi; in the then-impoverished China, the National Government spent so much effort to establish heavy artillery units that it almost emptied its coffers.

Now everyone is like Lv Fengxian; every soldier can take on ten!

These two thousand-plus Japanese Navy Marine Corps troops have decent weapons on them, especially the Type 92 Infantry Guns and mortars in their hands.

The Division Commander of the 3rd Division was out at the time and was not hit by the artillery fire, leaving him with his dog's life.

At the same time, in the 1944 counter-offensive campaign, the heavy artillery regiments also exerted no small advantage, successively dealing powerful blows to the Japanese forces in places like Nujiang and Songshan.

It completely covered the entire city of Changsha, causing the little devils who had broken into the city to suffer a devastating blow from the Chinese heavy artillery.

Following an order from Ning Dabiao, the barrels of the 24 heavy artillery pieces of the 11th Artillery Regiment let out a roar.

The 3rd Division Commander Zhou Qingxiang and the 10th Reserve Division Commander Fang Xianjue, who were guarding the area, requested support from the heavy artillery.

"Lao Zhang, are you eyeing the weapons of these two thousand-plus Navy Marine Corps troops?"

At the same time, the Japanese 3rd Division set up a front-line command post at Amiling, southeast of Changsha, which suffered a devastating blow from the Chinese heavy artillery, and several Japanese officers at the command post were killed.

An Infantry Regiment of the Japanese 3rd Division at Baishaling suffered a bombardment from the Chinese heavy artillery; relying on the advantage of artillery fire, the Chinese infantry launched a fierce attack on the Japanese regiment at Baishaling and annihilated it completely.

The heavy artillery units could only be deployed to the front in groups of four or two, but they still lived up to the reputation of "heavy weapons of the nation," dealing heavy blows to the Japanese invaders, raising our national prestige, and proving worthy of the nation!

"Transporting them back to Sichuan Province will also consume fuel and coal; just let my 26th Group Army take them, I guarantee the complete annihilation of these two thousand-plus little devils."

In the Battle of Kunlun Pass, the 14th Heavy Artillery Regiment participated, strengthening the artillery advantage of the 5th Army and allowing the 5th Army of the National Revolutionary Army to achieve a great victory at Kunlun Pass.

And then countless shells smashed down toward the ship where Fujiwara Koji was!!

Zhang Yun said jokingly, his eyes staring straight at Zhang Zhenhan.

The two detachments under his command were now suffering powerful artillery strikes from the Sichuan Army, especially the 105 mm Howitzers of the Sichuan Army, which caused no small damage to the Imperial Warriors.

Ning Dabiao's heart was also filled with emotion; 150 mm heavy artillery, this is the romance of the artillery!

"Report, Regimental Commander!"

They belonged to the local military system and lacked decent artillery; the Japanese Type 92 Infantry Guns and mortars were very advanced artillery pieces.

The two artillery regiments constructed crossfire artillery positions on Yuelu Mountain, using their powerful artillery advantage to destroy the effective strength of the Japanese 6th Division, forcing the remnants of the Japanese 6th Division to retreat.

In the Battle of Tongguan, the 10th Heavy Artillery Regiment destroyed the Japanese vanguard troops at Fenglingdu, and the artillery fire of the 10th Heavy Artillery Regiment completely suppressed the Japanese artillery.

"Heavy artillery is ready, please give the order, Regimental Commander!"

Then he led his detachment to begin retreating, executing the mission of leading the enemy forces into the bombardment range of the Imperial Japanese Navy's naval guns.

The Sichuan Army might look down on this stuff, but Zhang Zhenhan coveted it; the 26th Group Army was essentially expanded from the E Army.

How could the two detachments under his command withstand such a beating? The moment they were hit by the devastating artillery fire, Colonel Shibata Anrong immediately reported to Fujiwara Koji.

Looking at the heavy artillery pieces already set up on the position, each long barrel pointed toward the sky.

"Look, you Sichuan Army guys are now using Type 26 Submachine Guns, Type 26 General Purpose Machine Guns, M2 Heavy Machine Guns, and your rifles are also Mauser 98Ks."

Because of the limitations of conditions during the eight years of the Anti-Japanese War, the Chinese heavy artillery units could not achieve the "ten thousand guns firing in unison" like the Japanese Army.

This is the Japanese Navy Marine Corps; Zhang Zhenhan's troops had clashed with them before, and he suggested to Zhang Yun: "Lao Zhang, let's take them!"

"Target the Japanese ships on the river, five-round volley... Ready!"

Over two thousand Japanese troops were trying to run away, and Zhang Yun and Zhang Zhenhan both received reports from the front-line troops.

The Arsenal in Sichuan Province was already capable of manufacturing the Japanese Type 96 Heavy Artillery; Ning Dabiao believed that the heavy artillery units belonging to the National Revolutionary Army would only become more numerous.

"Hehe!" Zhang Zhenhan laughed: "Isn't it because my 26th Group Army is poor?"

The Navy Marine Corps under Colonel Shibata Anrong was not equipped with large-caliber artillery at all, only Type 92 Infantry Guns and mortars.

The victory of the Third Battle of Changsha owed much to the role played by the two heavy artillery regiments.

"I've already found out clearly about the little devils' Arisaka Type 38 Rifles; you Sichuan Army guys don't look down on them, and the captured weapons are all transported back to Sichuan Province to be melted down and remade."

In the Third Battle of Changsha, the 10th and 14th Heavy Artillery Regiments constructed artillery positions on Yuelu Mountain, providing firepower from a commanding height.

Facing the Sichuan Army's 75 mm Mountain Guns was already difficult enough, and now they were even using 105 mm Howitzers to bombard them.

The 10th Artillery Regiment rushed to support the Taierzhuang Battle and also achieved impressive results; in the original timeline, two shells from the heavy artillery destroyed the ammunition depot of the Segaya Detachment, leaving the Segaya Detachment in a desperate situation of running out of ammunition and food.

It forced the Japanese failure to cross Tongguan, achieving victory in the Battle of Tongguan!

Previously, the 26th Group Army had never received such treatment; every soldier's combat effectiveness instantly went off the charts.

The 10th and 14th Heavy Artillery Regiments on Yuelu Mountain had already measured Xiangya Hospital as a landmark building before the battle.

"These are over two thousand little devils; we cannot let them leave!"

The 3rd Division's progress was not smooth, and the situation of the Japanese 6th Division was no better; the Japanese 6th Division was on the Xiangjiang River bank in Changsha city, with its 23rd Regiment.

Right now!

"Fire!! ——"

Seeing that Zhang Zhenhan was sincere, Zhang Yun nodded and said: "Fine, I'll make the call; all the weapons of these two thousand-plus little devils will go to your 26th Group Army."

The troops under Zhang Zhenhan's command had a very painful time fighting the little devils tonight; whenever they encountered a fierce Japanese attack, they immediately called for Sichuan Army artillery support.

Hearing this, a gleam of light appeared in Ning Dabiao's eyes: "Good!"

"The whole regiment, listen to my command!"

Having suffered artillery strikes from the heavy artillery on Yuelu Mountain, that regiment suffered heavy losses!

The Japanese 6th Division, having broken into the city, launched a charge against the 3rd Division and the 10th Reserve Division of the National Revolutionary Army near Xiangya Hospital.

At this time, Fujiwara Koji received a report from the Navy Marine Corps, stating that Colonel Shibata Anrong indicated there were many Sichuan Army troops besieging Anqing City.

Zhang Zhenhan was a person Zhang Yun had already learned about from the Adjutant; he was a staunch pro-war faction member and a die-hard anti-Japanese general.

Regarding the weapons captured from the Japanese Army, more Japanese-style weapons could be allocated to Zhang Zhenhan.

(End of this chapter)