Chapter 521: Siege of Pingmana (7)

At the same time, the other two groups of soldiers were also fighting the Japanese Army in different tunnels.

Battalion Commander Liu Zhenhua of the Second Battalion of the 600th Regiment led his soldiers, mistakenly entered a Japanese Army supply tunnel, and met the Japanese Army's tenacious resistance; the Japanese soldiers used supply crates as cover, firing wildly to stop the Expeditionary Force soldiers from advancing.

"Brothers, throw Hand Grenades!" Liu Zhenhua shouted.

Several fighters immediately took out Hand Grenades, pulled the fuses, and threw them toward the Japanese soldiers' cover point.

Boom—

A few huge blasts ripped the supply crate open, the Japanese soldiers were blown to a bloody mess, and their firepower instantly waned.

"That's how we fight!"

"Charge!"

The Second Battalion fighters seized the chance and surged forward; a fighter used his Bayonet to stab a Japanese soldier lying on the ground, the soldier having been stunned by the explosion.

The Japanese soldier was jolted awake by the Bayonet, blood gushing from his mouth, "Baka!"

Psshh!

Another Bayonet thrust precisely pierced the Little Devil's chest, killing the Little Devil utterly.

"Don't waste time, remember, aim for the Little Devil's vital points!" the Squad Leader said.

"Yes, Squad Leader."

At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded from afar, and more Japanese soldiers, hearing the news, rushed over to launch a counterattack against the Second Battalion fighters.

Battalion Commander Liu Zhenhua immediately ordered, "Withdraw to the tunnel corner, use the terrain for defense, await support! Tell First Battalion Commander Deng Qiang that we have encountered Japanese reinforcements, request support!"

At the same time, he also ordered the Machine Gunner to set up a machine gun at the crucial opening, opening fire at any Japanese sighted.

In such a narrow terrain, carrying a machine gun is actually very difficult and impractical, but fortunately they brought the MG42 General Machine Gun.

One machine gun can hold a tunnel.

The Japanese soldiers went berserk, and the Expeditionary Force soldiers also went berserk, even harsher than the Japanese.

Above the Trench, Dai Anlan stood on the high ground, watching the underground tunnel battle closely through a telescope.

Hearing the report from the radio, his eyes darkened, and he immediately ordered, "Relay the order: Artillery units fire again, focusing on the Japanese Second Defensive Line's surface fortifications to pin down the Japanese reinforcements!"

At this moment, only by cutting off the Japanese Second Defensive Line's reinforcements can the First Battalion and Second Battalion have a chance to occupy advantageous terrain and hold the captured tunnel.

"Have Liu Shaofeng coordinate the battalions for mutual support, and break through the First Defensive Line as soon as possible; do not give the Japanese any breathing room!"

"Yes! Division Commander!" Liu Shaofeng responded immediately, swiftly coordinating battalion forces to support the units locked in fierce combat.

Inside the underground tunnel, Deng Qiang learned that the Second Battalion had met Japanese reinforcements, immediately dispatched a portion of his soldiers to assist, and led the remaining troops deeper into the tunnel.

Along the way, they constantly faced Japanese resistance; every meter forward cost a heavy price, the fighters' bodies stained with blood and mud, many wounded or fallen, yet their morale did not waver, and they pressed on bravely.

"Battalion Commander, the tunnel exit is ahead; it should be the Japanese First Defensive Line's surface position!" a fighter shouted excitedly, pointing at the light ahead.

Deng Qiang felt a surge of joy and immediately ordered, "Everyone prepare, charge out of the tunnel, seize the position! Remember, MP40 Submachine Gun concentrated fire to suppress the Japanese, riflemen provide cover, Bayonet ready for melee!"

The fighters immediately readied themselves; Deng Qiang led the charge out of the tunnel, the MP40 Submachine Gun spraying wildly, catching several Japanese sentries at the tunnel exit off guard, who fell instantly.

Immediately after, the fighters surged out of the tunnel, launching a charge against the Japanese First Defensive Line positions.

"Bad! The Chinese have broken out!"

The Japanese soldiers in the position saw this, panicked instantly, raised their guns and shouted, "Quick! Hold the position! Don't let them get up!"

"Brothers, kill! Capture the First Defensive Line!" Deng Qiang shouted, leading the fighters in a brave charge; the MP40's spray, the rifle fire, the Bayonet clashes, and the soldiers' shouts intertwined, echoing across the sky of Pingmana.

A Japanese squad leader brandished his sword, roaring as he charged at Deng Qiang, "Chinese, I'm going to kill you!"

Deng Qiang sneered, sidestepped the squad leader's sword, aimed his MP40 at him, pulled the trigger, "Just you? How dare you!"

A hail of bullets struck the squad leader's body; he let out a howl and collapsed into the mud, his sword falling nearby.

With the squad leader gone, the Japanese fell into chaos, morale plummeted, many soldiers began to retreat, yet a stubborn few clung to cover and resisted fiercely.

The Expeditionary Force fighters seized the opportunity to launch a fierce assault, using the MP40 to suppress Japanese fire, using Bayonets for close combat, gradually seizing Japanese cover and widening the breach.

"Battalion Commander, we've captured a Japanese cover!" a fighter shouted excitedly, brandishing his rifle, his face full of victorious joy.

Deng Qiang nodded, his tone firm, "Good! Keep advancing! Expand the breach, receive other units, and completely take the First Defensive Line!"

At this moment, the Second Battalion, with the support of reinforcement units, repelled the Japanese reinforcements, moved toward the First Defensive Line, and the two forces merged, their fire becoming even fiercer; the Japanese resistance grew weaker, and the First Defensive Line positions were gradually seized by the Expeditionary Force soldiers.

Above the Trench, Dai Anlan saw the Japanese First Defensive Line positions hoisted with the Expeditionary Force's flag, and his face finally relaxed a bit.

Inside Pingmana City, Song Jing Xiu Zhi, upon learning that the First Defensive Line had been breached by the Expeditionary Force, turned ashen, slammed his fist onto the table, and snarled, "Baka! Waste! A bunch of waste! How could the Chinese break through the First Defensive Line!"

Song Jing Xiu Zhi hadn't expected that within just one day, the defensive positions he had meticulously arranged, the First Defensive Line, would be taken by the Chinese army.

"Regimental Commander, the Chinese seem to have switched attacking units; our intelligence reports that the opposing unit designation has changed to the 200th Division!" the staff officer said.

"Nani!" Song Jing Xiu Zhi exclaimed, not expecting the Chinese to switch to a different attacking unit.

No wonder the firepower is far fiercer than the first wave; the artillery hasn't stopped since the beginning.

There were even several howitzers that landed not far from Song Jing Xiu Zhi.

"Regimental Commander, what should we do? The Chinese assault is fierce, our soldiers' casualties are heavy; should we immediately dispatch the reserve unit to retake the First Defensive Line?" the staff officer asked anxiously.

Song Jing Xiu Zhi's eyes were cold, his tone vicious, "Send my order: the reserve unit must deploy immediately, retake the First Defensive Line at all costs! Tell the soldiers, anyone who retreats dies! Even if we exhaust all forces, we must drive the Chinese out; they must not advance another step!"

"Hey!"

A fiercer melee is about to erupt on Pingmana's First Defensive Line, with Expeditionary Force fighters gripping their weapons, steadfastly holding the hard-won position, their eyes full of resolve.

They know that only by bravely slaying the enemy can they break the deadlock, capture Yangon soon, and bring glory to the motherland.