Chapter 329: Dreaming of the First War, Datong Meat Grinder

On the outskirts of Datong City, the 26th Division's attack position.

Looking at the silent Japanese soldiers around him who were checking their equipment, Bao Guoguiting, commander of the fourth division of the Puppet-Mongolian First Army, silently wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Without him, it would be too oppressive.

After all, you can't expect a person who surrenders to become a puppet army to have any backbone.

"Master, it seems that the Japanese are determined to kill Tubal Road this time, and they actually dispatched two division-level troops at once."

"We must not participate in a battle of this level rashly. When a fight breaks out, let the brothers find a safe corner to hide."

"When gods fight, mortals will die."

In order to complete the tasks assigned by Okamura Neiji, Amakasu Jutaro mobilized a large number of puppet Mongolian troops in this battle.

In addition to the three local garrison divisions scattered throughout Suiyuan, all puppet troops including an artillery regiment and six cavalry divisions were present.

Hearing his deputy division commander's words, Bao Baogui Ting glared at him angrily.

"Hide? Are you thinking of something good?"

"Look at the Japanese around us. As long as someone dares to run away, they will definitely turn into a war team. By then, you will die faster than on the battlefield."

"Damn it, Jutaro Amakasu is really nothing. He took away my horse and the artillery regiment's cannon. Do you want me to fight the Eighth Route Army with my fists?"

As soon as these words came out, all the officers of the Fourth Division fell silent.

Their horses were temporarily requisitioned by the Mongolian army as early as a month ago. The reason given by the Japanese was also very simple. They only said that it was difficult for the cavalry to maneuver during the siege.

The transfer from cavalry to infantry made the precious court, who had always claimed to be a descendant of Genghis Khan, furious for several days.

There was nothing he could do, he had become a traitor who sold his ancestors for glory. Isn't it a natural thing for my master to take something away?

As for the mountain and field artillery of the artillery regiment?

It's like a meat bun beating a dog, and there is no return.

The army stationed in Mongolia was very wealthy before. Whether it was the 26th Division, the Cavalry Group or the Independent Mixed Second Brigade, they were all equipped with a sufficient number of barrel guns.

According to the nature of the Japanese, they naturally look down on the junk made by all nations of the puppet Mongolian army.

However, the situation is different now. The artillery equipment of the 26th Division is not fully equipped, and the superiors may not be able to come up with new equipment to supplement it for a while.

In desperation, Yano Otonzaburo had to confiscate the artillery of the puppet Mongolian army.

It's better than nothing, not to mention that twenty-seven mountains and field artillery are not a number that can be ignored by today's devils.

Looking at his silent subordinates, Baogui Ting hesitated for a moment and then spoke again:

"Brothers, although this battle is very dangerous and you will lose your life if you are not careful. But since ancient times, high risks have been accompanied by high rewards. Today may be a good opportunity for us to become bigger and stronger!"

"What's more, the main force in the battle is the Japanese! We are only responsible for supporting!"

"Although they usually stumble during raids, as long as they concentrate their forces to launch a general attack, they will definitely be a powerful army."

It seems that the above words have had some effect, or it may be that the Japanese have maintained their authority in the hearts of the puppet troops for a long time, and the Japanese Japs have regained their old feeling of being a fox and a tiger.

But what they didn't know was that the Japanese planned to use them as cannon fodder from the beginning.

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The perspective comes to the artillery position.

In order to ensure the safety of artillery and various types of artillery, the 26th Division put a lot of effort into building their positions.

The Japs first dug more than a meter down from the ground, and then used the excavated soil to pile up an arc-shaped protective wall.

In order to facilitate transfer, a ramp is left directly behind each position for artillery to enter and exit.

Considering that the troops had lost their air superiority, they also dug a number of rectangular air raid shelters, each of which could accommodate twelve people in hiding.

With the above series of operations, the Japanese thought that it would be difficult for the Eighth Route Army to discover their own artillery positions.

"Attention all squadrons! Your Majesty the Lieutenant General has an order! The general attack will officially begin in three minutes!"

Upon hearing this, the 26th Independent Field Artillery Regiment and the 27th Independent Mountain Artillery Regiment took action immediately.

The artillerymen first removed the camouflage nets on the artillery and pointed the muzzles at the Wuding Gate of Datong in the distance. Then we started to check various data and elements, and strive to gain something in the first round of bombardment.

"put!"

When three minutes were up, the artillery commander waved the flag in his hand vigorously, and eighteen Type 94 mountain guns, twelve Type 38 field guns and twenty-seven Wanguo-made cannons opened fire first.

Accompanied by a deafening sound, fireballs rose up in the sky full of gunpowder smoke.

"Boom boom boom!"

Looking at the positions being bombarded in the distance, all the puppet soldiers showed dumbfounded expressions.

For these unskilled losers, the full-speed salvo of nearly sixty barrel cannons was a spectacle they would never see twice in their lives.

"It's amazing. With so many cannons firing at once, no matter how strong the Eighth Route Army is, it still has to shed its skin."

"After the artillery blasted the infantry charge, the rhythm of the battle completely fell into the hands of the 26th Division."

"It seems that the master is right. The Japanese are too strong when they are serious! Maybe today is really a good opportunity. Maybe our First Army can restore its former glory."

The First Army of the Puppet Mongolian Army originally had four main cavalry divisions.

However, because the army commander Li Shouxin was courting death and tried to establish a relationship with the bald man behind the back of the Japanese, the first three divisions have now become local guards who are just waiting to die.

If the Fourth Division makes merit in this battle, the Japanese will definitely reward it.

The current situation on the battlefield also makes Baogui Ting feel at ease. While observing the battlefield with a telescope in his hand, he said to his subordinates:

"This is just the beginning. Now it's just small-caliber mountain and field artillery. There are still ten 105mm howitzers behind that haven't been fired. When the time comes, you will know what it means to plow the land!"

"Be alert for a while, and follow the Japanese as soon as the battle starts! It's okay to dawdle in the fight against the Seventh Route Army, but we must go all out in the fight against the Eighth Route Army!"

"If anyone dares to be cunning and sly, don't blame me, the eldest brother, for killing his relatives for the sake of justice!"

"Yes!"

The brigade and regiment commanders of the Fourth Division all expressed their determination in their voices, and each of them seemed full of morale.

While the two devils were talking, the artillery of the 26th Division was still firing, and the main position of Datong seemed to fall into a sea of ​​fire.

The division-level Type 91 105 howitzers on the rear artillery positions also joined the battle, and more powerful shells bombarded the fortifications in front from time to time.

At this moment, a major with a plaster flag on his head came to the garrison of the 4th Division. Before the puppet army greeted him, the devil said to himself:

"Baosang, after the first round of attack, your division needs to launch a charge with my brigade."

"Our mission is to destroy the city wall of Datong and open an offensive channel for subsequent troops. I hope you can muster up the courage to dedicate your life to His Majesty Tianhuang."

"Special equipment will be delivered to you in a while. If you have any questions, you can ask my chief of staff."

"Hi!"

Bao Guiting certainly had no right to refuse his master's words. And the words of the devil's major just now made him full of confidence in the upcoming war.

The so-called Imperial Army, including their puppet Mongolian Army or puppet Manchurian Army, is no different from cannon fodder.

Under normal circumstances, they need to rush to the front to clear the way for the regular army when there is a battle. The Japanese follow behind them and wait until the enemy's first wave of firepower ends before launching a charge.

But today, they actually attacked together with their master. This is the first time.

After the Japanese lieutenant colonel left, Baogui Ting said to his subordinates in front of him with a happy face:

"Look! The Japanese actually invited us to attack together, which shows that they are confident that they can break through the Eighth Route Army's position in one wave!"

"What's more, they have prepared special equipment! This must be compensation. I said that the locust army will not take our horses and artillery for nothing!"

"Brothers, you must play well and never let down the reputation of our First Army! After the battle is over, I will personally find the commander to ask for credit for you!"

Hearing this, the middle-level commanders instantly climaxed, and one by one rushed to the main attack position.

Suddenly, a Japanese captain wearing glasses came to the command post. His eyes were full of enthusiasm, and he was holding the so-called special equipment in his hand.

"Baosang, this is the secret weapon of our Japanese brother country. As long as you take it, even the most ordinary warriors can perform exceptionally in the attack, and even be fearless of life and death."

"This is a gas mask, I will teach you how to wear it later."

"The last one is a dynamite pack, which contains twice the amount of medicine used in normal times. Whether it can break through the wall of Datong later depends on whether it can work."

"Don't worry, Lieutenant General Yano has prepared enough equipment according to the number of people. Everyone has it, and the quality and quantity are guaranteed."

As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere in the command room of the Fourth Division instantly dropped to the freezing point.

Even the stupidest people now know what the Japanese are going to do. The combination of lollipop + gas mask + dynamite pack is clearly to use all of them as a suicide squad.

If you refuse, you will die on the spot. If you agree, you may survive, after all, there is a large group of regular troops to act together.

After a moment, Baogui Ting gritted his teeth and squeezed out an ugly smile.

"Hi!"

"Make sure to complete the mission!"

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At the same time, the captain of the 11th Independent Infantry Regiment, who was responsible for the first round of attack, also had a bitter look on his face.

At this time, the shelling had ended, and their regiment's attack had officially begun.

Through the gaps in the smoke of gunfire, he could see that a lot of firepower points suddenly appeared on the main position outside Datong, which had been plowed several times by mountain, field, and howitzers.

The enemy's infantry even returned to the trenches first, and those dense muzzle flames were devouring the lives of their own warriors.

"Damn, are these Eighth Route Army all rabbits? How can they dig holes so well?"

"In just over a week, they actually built a large number of fortifications. The first round of shelling just now didn't seem to work."

"Is the rumor true? Even an Eighth Route Army soldier can dig through the center of the earth?"

The scene in front of him made Kazuhiko Kumagai look more and more solemn.

Judging from the current situation, the fortifications prepared by the enemy can withstand the attack of 75mm artillery. The 105mm howitzer was the division's trump card, and its position could not be easily exposed.

Facing the dense firepower of the Eighth Route Army, both the main attacking infantry and the Imperial Army that followed the warriors in the charge were basically pinned down on the road to the charge.

The defense line composed of 60mm and 81mm mortars seemed to be an insurmountable natural moat, completely blocking the offensive pace of their regiment.

In just half an hour, the 11th Independent Infantry Regiment was forced to withdraw.

Yano Otosaburo was not a madman, so he naturally would not use light infantry with insufficient firepower to fight against the fortifications.

In terms of range, the grenade launchers of his own troops were not even as good as the 50mm mortars of the Eighth Route Army. Going hard would just send his soldiers to their deaths.

Although continuing to fire was likely to expose the artillery positions, and now only the 105 howitzer could deal with the Eighth Route Army's turtle shell, they couldn't just give up after one round of attack.

The 105 howitzer fired again, pointing out the bunkers and firepower that the infantry had just discovered.

But Kazuhiko Kumagai keenly discovered that there was no one in the bunkers opened by the howitzers, as if the Eighth Route Army had already predicted what was about to happen.

This feeling of being led by the enemy made the old devils furious.

A few 105mm shells in exchange for an empty civil bunker, this deal is a loss no matter how you calculate it.

Just as Kazuhiko Kumagai was about to issue the next order, his chief of staff came to the command post with the newly released casualty statistics.

"Sir, in the previous attack, our regiment suffered a total of 273 casualties. Among them, 152 people died, and the seriously injured have been sent to the division field hospital."

"The fifth and sixth divisions together suffered 390 casualties. Their morale is very low, and there is a high probability that deserters will appear if the battle continues."

After seeing the data, Kazuhiko Kumagai took a breath.

In just half an hour, the troops suffered nearly 700 casualties. According to the current casualties, his regiment may not even last a day.

"Baga, why are we fighting like World War I? What kind of meat grinder is this Datong!"

"Pass my order! Start the second round of attack in ten minutes! If Li Shouxin's troops dare to run, they will be shot on the spot!"

After giving the order, Kazuhiko Kumagai took a deep breath and forced himself to stabilize the anger in his heart.

The task given to him by his own division commander was very simple, which was to find the firepower point of the Eighth Route Army through attack. Then let the artillery in the rear destroy it, and so on.

To put it bluntly, the 11th Independent Infantry Regiment was also cannon fodder, but it was relatively advanced.

The attack just now did work. But there were 273 casualties, almost one-tenth of a full-strength infantry regiment. The price was too high.