Chapter 487: Switchboard Operator

Ji Zhangjian also had a fiery temper; his old unit, the Gendarmerie 3rd Regiment, although it held the designation of a regiment, was actually organized as a brigade.

During the Battle of Songhu, Ji Zhangjian's old unit was almost completely wiped out!

Since then, he had been training troops in the rear and had not yet engaged the Japanese Army a second time; now, to annihilate the 106th Division, he had to go in person to crush the Japanese Army's arrogance.

Seeing Ji Zhangjian put on a steel helmet and take a submachine gun in hand, Feng Zhanhai understood that the other man was preparing to lead the charge himself.

When Ji Zhangjian walked out the door, he even turned his head to glance at Feng Zhanhai.

In Feng Zhanhai's view, this look from Ji Zhangjian seemed to be saying: "Kid, I am not like you, hiding inside the command post like a coward!"

"Guard!" Feng Zhanhai's eyes widened; as part of the Northeast Army, ever since he entered the pass with Young Marshal Zhang, the Northeast Army had borne a bad reputation, and he, Feng Zhanhai, had been scolded many times.

Now, Ji Zhangjian's manner clearly showed contempt for the Northeast Army.

"Guard... Guard, hurry up and get me a steel helmet."

Feng Zhanhai took the steel helmet and put it on, holding a box cannon in both hands, and was just about to head out when the door to the command post was pushed open!

Ji Zhangjian had returned; just as Feng Zhanhai was about to offer a few sarcastic remarks, he saw that not far behind Ji Zhangjian, there were actually men from the Sichuan Army Supervision Team following him.

The men from the Sichuan Army Supervision Team entered the command post, and a major said: "According to the orders of the National Revolutionary Army Second Route Army and the Sichuan Army 22nd Group Army, the division commander of every division must remain in the command post."

"Directing the battle of the entire division, you cannot personally lead the troops in a charge."

Major Li's gaze swept over Feng Zhanhai and Ji Zhangjian: "You two, you had better stay in the command post with peace of mind and put down your gear."

Ji Zhangjian sighed and handed the submachine gun to his guard!

Seeing the major from the Sichuan Army Supervision Team looking at him, Feng Zhanhai also handed the box cannons in his left and right hands to his guard.

The Japanese Army 106th Division was camping on several hills at Wanjialing; the troops at the very center were engineers, transport troops, and artillery.

Because the Sichuan Army had buried explosives and special smoke underground, the central part of the 106th Division was shelled, and after the explosives and poison gas bombs were detonated, a large toxic zone was formed in the central area.

Added to the influence of the terrain, when the night breeze blew, the Japanese Army camp was like a sandwich: the innermost layer was a toxic zone, then the second layer was a safe zone, and the third layer was a toxic zone again.

As a result, the Japanese Army 106th Division was directly divided into several areas by the poison gas.

If the several infantry regiments of the 106th Division wanted to link up, they had to cross the toxic zone!

The 106th Division command post at the very center had put on gas masks first during the first round of poison gas explosions, and during the second round of artillery strikes, they each found cover to dodge the shelling.

After the Republic of China Army's artillery strike ended, Matsuura Junrokuro immediately climbed up from the ground, counted the casualties, and had his guards immediately take the command post's radio and run toward the mountain.

The 106th Division command post was set up halfway up the mountain; now that this area had been hit by a poison gas attack, the foot of the mountain and the valley were filled with pervasive poison gas.

Matsuura Junrokuro intended to run to the mountain top and then planned to descend from the other side of the peak to re-establish the command post!

Climbing to the mountain top in one breath, Matsuura Junrokuro looked at his division's artillery regiment.

The five artillery regiments were all in the central area of the formation, prepared to provide fire support for the entire division, and the artillery positions were all halfway up the mountain.

Now the central area of the division was filled with pervasive poison gas, compounded by the bombardment of the Sichuan Army's large-caliber artillery!

Several artillery positions were now ablaze with fire; Matsuura Junrokuro knew that the artillery units were likely already finished.

When the Japanese Army's five artillery regiments were hit by the first round of strikes, the sharper Japanese soldiers immediately put on gas masks, and at the same time, the commanders immediately ordered the artillery to be relocated.

Of the 106th Division's artillery regiments, only the Mountain Gun Regiment 52 had a relatively complete organization, possessing 20 75mm Type 41 Mountain Guns;

The remaining artillery regiments were already mostly finished, with each regiment having only one or two guns left.

Because Matsuura Junrokuro had not yet set up the radio, the Japanese Army's command system was in chaos, and the Japanese defense line had already been breached by the Central Army, the Sichuan Army, and the Guangdong Army.

The Republic of China Army was in high spirits, fighting more bravely with every step!

Especially the Guangdong 4th Army, which had directly inserted itself into the Japanese first line of defense and formed a spearhead with the Sichuan Army 122nd Division; the Japanese Army and the Republic of China Army were now relying on the terrain to conduct an offensive and defensive battle.

Both sides' mortars and Type 92 Infantry Guns were firing at each other, while light and heavy machine guns continuously suppressed the other side.

Currently, in terms of firepower, the Japanese Army was at a disadvantage; on the Central Army side, once they could not take a Japanese position, they immediately called for the Sichuan Army's heavy artillery and the Central Army's heavy artillery.

Wang Yaowu, in the command post, saw that his subordinate 51st Division would call him by phone whenever their advance was blocked, saying they needed artillery support.

Old Wang had no choice but to contact the artillery units by phone, informing the frontline troops that they needed heavy artillery fire support.

It made Old Wang feel that he was no longer a division commander, but more like a switchboard operator, relaying messages between the frontline troops and the heavy artillery units.

With the smooth progress of the battle, the attacking armies' division, brigade, and regimental command posts were now moving forward one after another.

East Line!

Zhang Kang's regiment fought fast and hard; in the front, grenade launchers and mortars cleared the way, submachine guns and light and heavy machine guns provided fire suppression, and then the infantry advanced.

Especially the M2 Heavy Machine Gun and the Type 26 General Purpose Machine Gun; when this stuff was used against the Japanese Army, it was simply like adults hitting children—as long as they directed it at the weak points of the Japanese defense.

The Japanese defense would immediately show signs of loosening, and then the troops would press forward across the board, and they could quickly take the Japanese position.

The bunkers built by the Japanese Army did not play much of a role either; these makeshift bunkers were not reinforced concrete structures;

Facing 150mm heavy artillery and 105mm howitzers, these bunkers could not withstand a few shells before they were blown to collapse.

4th Army Headquarters!

Ou Zhen was using a telescope to look at the battle situation ahead; his troops' progress was going smoothly.

The 59th Division had successfully linked up with the Sichuan Army 122nd Division; the two armies had completely taken the Japanese Army's first line of defense on the East Line, and now both armies were charging toward the Japanese Army's second line of defense.

The 90th Division was currently attacking a commanding height of the Japanese Army; the Japanese Army entrenched on this commanding height was approximately one battalion.

This battalion of Japanese troops relied on the terrain to suppress the 90th Division's attack!

Ou Zhen put down the telescope: "Connect me to Chen Kan; ask him how much longer it will take to take the Japanese hill; if they can't take it within half an hour."

"He can stop being a division commander and just come to the army headquarters to feed the horses."

The communications soldier nodded: "Yes!"

At the 90th Division headquarters, Chen Kan was calculating with his staff officers how to resolve the current predicament.

"Division Commander, the latest order from the Army Commander."

Chen Kan took the telegram from the communications soldier's hand, and after glancing at it, his gaze turned to the others: "Gentlemen, the Army Commander has already issued me an ultimatum."

"Within half an hour, even if I have to break my teeth, I must take this hill for him."

"Now I order, concentrate all the division's artillery and bombard the Japanese hill."

"At the same time, contact the Army Commander by phone and have the Army Commander get in touch with the heavy artillery unit; the Japanese Army on the mountain has four Type 94 Mountain Guns, and our artillery cannot reach them."

"We need the assistance of the heavy artillery unit to destroy the Japanese Army's artillery position."

The Japanese artillery commander on the mountain utilized the height of the mountain to take advantage of inertia when the shells left the barrels, greatly increasing the range of the Type 94 Mountain Guns from an 8-kilometer range to 12 kilometers.

(End of this chapter)