Chapter 380: The Japanese Army Wants to Run

Shi Xiaomao's Artillery Company also followed the action.

An Artillery Company with eight 105mm howitzers can fire, but for marching, that few men are completely insufficient; a mechanized Artillery Company with about six 105mm howitzers can still be hauled along.

But Jiang Anguo's artillery position set up on the south bank of the Yangtze River was meant to provide fire support for Baiyang Town.

As for how Shi Xiaomao's Artillery Company followed the First Battalion of the regiment, it was because Shi Xiaomao saw the friendly forces marching on the opposite bank at Baiyang Town, perhaps there was a major movement.

Jiang Anguo had completely forgotten this unit.

The regiment immediately ordered the landing craft units to rush over from Yichang and bring Shi Xiaomao's artillery unit aboard first.

Indeed, they had taken too many howitzers, and after a final reduction, Shi Xiaomao's Artillery Company went directly with six 105mm howitzers, following the action.

The remaining howitzers were left at Baiyang Town for now.

"This battle is fought with gusto!"

"Heard it, my fellow countrymen and their brothers have already reached the foot of Jingzhou City."

"Jingzhou, you mean the Jingzhou of Guan Yu?"

"Got it, Division Commander, have we also gone north on the expedition!"

This battle served to showcase the confidence of the 150th Division; everyone shouldered brand‑new Mauser rifles, and even after several fights, the gun oil on the barrels was still there.

Baiyang Town is only twenty kilometers from Zhijiang; in one day the 448th Regiment of the 150th Division and the First Battalion of the Independent Regiment reached Zhijiang.

That was the day of the torrential rain, which caused Jiman Yixiong's First Battalion's firepower equipment to fall behind, and at Baiyang Town they experienced a proper Huaxia Army artillery baptism.

Heaven itself seemed to aid the Huaxia Army; after that rainy day, the weather stayed endlessly fine, as if the heavens were on the Huaxia Army's side.

The soldiers of the Japanese Army's 232nd Regiment, Third Battalion had long been restless; Regiment Commander Tajima was killed in action, and the remaining troops cowered in Zhijiang, unwilling to go out.

"Finally... finally the Division Commander's order arrived!" Last night, a Radio Order from Sasaki came: "Abandon Zhijiang, the whole army withdraws to Jingzhou!"

Kobayashi Takeo, as if granted amnesty, immediately ordered the packing of supplies, destruction of documents, and assembly of troops.

But they were too slow.

At dawn this morning, the sentry reported in panic: "China Army! A large number of infantry and... tanks spotted five li outside the city!"

Kobayashi rushed up the city wall; through the telescope he saw dust swirling, the barrel of a 105mm howitzer glinting coldly in the sun, and the Sichuan Army's gray‑blue uniforms surged like a tide.

"Baka! How are they so fast?!" he roared.

He knew that the defeat at Baiyang Town had zeroed the morale of the entire regiment; the Regiment Commander was killed, the First and Second Battalions were completely smashed by the China Army, and only a handful managed to escape.

Now trapped in the defenseless small city of Zhijiang, there is only a fight to the death.

"Take up your weapons! Aim at the China Army outside!" Kobayashi drew his sword and shouted, his voice betraying a tremor, "Imperial warrior, the jade shatters here!"

The only response was the sparse clatter of bolt pulls.

An old soldier whispered to his comrade: "Battalion Commander Jiman... has he already surrendered? I think I just heard him broadcasting..."

Another nodded: "Heard the First and Second Battalion Commanders are alive, eating plain rice at the Huaxia Army camp..."

Panic spread like a plague.

Kobayashi turned back and saw the soldiers' eyes wandering; some even furtively removed their ammunition belts, a signal of preparing to surrender.

He knew the situation was lost.

Meanwhile, outside the city, the regiment was observing the enemy through the telescope.

He said to the 448th Regiment's commander Xie Boluan: "Bring Shan Ben and Jiman up. Let them tell the townsfolk that the road home is still open."

Soon, two Japanese Army Lieutenant Colonels were brought to the front.

The loudspeaker was turned on, and the familiar Kumamoto dialect echoed across Zhijiang's walls:

"Kobayashi! This is Shan Ben! Stop resisting! The Huaxia Army treats prisoners well; the Regiment Commander was killed by the China Army, no, by the Huaxia Army! Think of our families!"

"Brothers of the Third Battalion! Regiment Commander Tajima has already fallen, for whom will you sacrifice yourselves? Lay down your weapons, we can still return together to Kyushu to see the cherry blossoms!"

A dead silence hung over the city wall.

Everyone stared at each other, unable to believe it, as more and more captured Japanese soldiers shouted the names of friends inside Zhijiang in Japanese.

The Japanese Army's divisions were formed, most coming from one area: the 39th Division; Infantry Regiment 231 came from Hiroshima, Infantry Regiment 232 from Hamada, Infantry Regiment 233 from Yamaguchi.

"Baka, you aren't doing the work of Imperial soldiers." Seeing an old friend appear among the China Army and urging surrender, Kobayashi Takeo's Bushido Spirit collapsed instantly.

It wasn't only Kobayashi Takeo; the soldiers of the Third Battalion felt the same.

Many of those friends and brothers are now in the China Army, apparently as prisoners; as for preferential treatment, sorry, you'd have to say 'no'.

Then the regiment would have these Little Devils eat 7.92mm bullets.

Having even one rice ball a day is already good; Jiang Anguo's principle for the prisoners is simply that they must not starve to death.

Now is the time to make use of these prisoners.

Now, surrounded on all sides!

Hearts are in panic!

"Shi Xiaomao, let the Artillery Company fire and crush them," the regiment felt there was no need to wait any longer.

He intended to deliver the final blow to the Japanese Army inside Zhijiang.

"Yes," Shi Xiaomao obeyed.

Boom!

Boom!

Six German-made 105mm howitzers roared simultaneously, their muzzles spouting flames over a zhang long, shaking the earth.

Six shells landed within the Japanese Army's positions.

One shell struck the head of a Japanese guard unit outside the city, and the explosion instantly engulfed the entire squad.

The shells mercilessly harvested the lives of Japanese soldiers.

While the captured Japanese were broadcasting, the Huaxia Army's Machine Gunners and Artillery had long already taken their positions on the battlefield.

Waiting only for the order to attack.

The roar of the MG42 machine gun instantly ripped the battlefield air; bullets poured down like a rainstorm, and wherever the tongues of fire swept, the Japanese Army's positions instantly became a furnace.

The distance between the two sides was only four hundred meters.

At this position, the MG42 was an invincible presence.

The moment the MG42 machine gun roared, the First Battalion's positions also began to press forward.

At the same time, the 448th Regiment had already bypassed Zhijiang's Left wing, that is, the north side, and simultaneously suppressed the Japanese Army inside Zhijiang.

Xiaolin Wufu stared in disbelief at everything unfolding before him, wondering why the fortifications built over years were so fragile under Chinese artillery fire.

The defensive weapons inside Zhijiang were few; all had been taken away by Tian Dao Xinfu, leaving only two infantry guns and a Grenade Launcher.

Opposite him, the Chinese forces were using heavy artillery to continuously bombard the positions.

As the 105mm howitzer fired, the mortars on the First Battalion's positions, whose ranges had already been measured, also joined the relentless bombardment.

This series of offensives was enough to crush Xiaolin Wufu's nerves.

It even caused him to temporarily lose the ability to command his troops in battle.

Even more desperate was that when Chinese aircraft appeared in the sky, the moment the P-38 Lightning showed up, the soldiers of the Japanese Army's 232nd Regiment completely collapsed.

Many soldiers even threw down their Type 38 rifle.

Even when sergeants behind them shouted insults or even fired, they still refused to stay a moment longer on the positions.

It was then that Xiaolin Wufu understood why Shanben Jianci and Jiman Yixiong surrendered to the Chinese forces: the Chinese firepower was too ferocious.

He thought that even the Imperial Guard Division's firepower in his army was not as strong as that of the opposing Chinese unit.

Xiaolin Wufu laughed and cried, noting that even Yichang's 13th Division had also been defeated at the hands of the Chinese forces.