noffsinger Chapter 348: Taking Over the Small Kiln
Chapter 348: Taking Over the Small Kiln
"Report to the division commander, I have just confirmed the location with the reconnaissance battalion. They have reached the top of the mountain and are ready to start the operation!"
Ding Wei waved his hands vigorously.
"Great! Now we can do it on two fronts, and the speed will be faster! Order the armored infantry regiment and the mechanized infantry regiment to go into battle. With the experience gained by the first battalion, we are no longer afraid of the Japanese!"
Therefore, under the fire cover of the 13th Armored Division's artillery regiment, the infantry regiment and the mechanized infantry regiment took charge of hilltops and competed secretly with each other.
On the top of the mountain, the commander of the reconnaissance battalion, Ma Shuai, looked at the destroyed fortifications and began to ponder.
"Go down and see if these fortifications can be cleared. If they can, we'll go down from here!"
While giving out tasks, Marshal Ma had the soldiers change into puppet army uniforms, but with a white towel tied on their sleeves as a mark to identify friend or foe.
"Battalion Commander, we can go down, and it seems to be connected in all directions!"
Marshal Ma put on the puppet army's cap and loaded the Type 95 automatic rifle.
"Search and advance in company units, using rifles, grenades, and flamethrowers to clear the way!"
The soldiers filed in, crawled down through the fortifications, and climbed down four or five meters before reaching the bottom.
"Oh my goodness, at this depth, the Japanese can still fire from their firing points!"
Ma Shuai touched the wall of the concrete fortification. It was so thick, coupled with the rocky mountain outside, it was no wonder that their DW heavy artillery had some difficulty.
"go!"
Marshal Ma personally led the battalion’s guard platoon to take the lead.
Inside the Japanese's underground fortifications, there was a gap, big or small, every five or six meters. If you pushed hard with the butt of your gun, you could see the sky outside.
This type of curved fortification built against the mountain can just cover the opposite hillside, providing mutual cover and with almost no blind spots in firepower.
Marshal Ma carefully stuck his head out and took a look at the situation below. The armored infantry regiment and the mechanized infantry regiment had already begun to charge, and there were also chaotic footsteps and the sound of the Japanese soldiers whimpering in the fortifications.
"Hurry, hurry, speed up, the Japs are about to shoot!"
Marshal Ma immediately took the lead and walked quickly. Sure enough, just after turning the corner, with the help of the torches on the wall, he saw a squad of Japanese devils fiddling with two Type 92 heavy machine guns in front of two firing holes.
"Yoshi! Open the cover!"
As soon as the two firing holes were opened, the Type 92 heavy machine gun was pushed forward and began to spray flames outward.
As expected, several more soldiers fell on the hillside outside.
"Do it!"
General Ma took out a dagger and stepped forward with a dozen soldiers. When the Japanese were fighting happily, he walked behind them.
"What are you doing? Go move the supplies!"
"How about carrying the skull?"
"Nani?"
After Ma Shuai finished speaking, he stabbed the Japanese soldier's neck with a dozen daggers. The soldier floundered on the ground twice and died completely.
Marshal Ma wiped the bodies of the Japanese soldiers with the dagger, then dragged the corpses to a dark place, took out the firing pin of the heavy machine gun, and spoke to the company and platoon leaders behind him.
"Everyone, split up and resolve the battle as quickly as possible!"
A group of spirited puppet soldiers were dispersed to various locations of the fortifications.
Marshal Ma discovered that the Japanese in these underground fortifications had learned their lesson and would move to another location after each shot.
The best way to attack this kind of underground fortification is to break through from the inside.
With the help of the reconnaissance battalion from within, the Japanese underground fortifications are gradually being cleared out.
Finally, at around four o'clock in the afternoon, all the Japanese devils inside the fortifications were wiped out, more than a thousand puppet troops were captured, and the Xiaoyaotou Fortress was officially captured.
"Each regiment must quickly clean up the battlefield and not leave any trouble behind. Have the transport battalion pull the weapons and equipment back to the rear and equip the militia when the time comes!"
The various regiments responded and shot the Japanese soldiers who were not yet dead two more times.
"Commander, what should we do with the dead bodies of the Japanese?"
Ding Wei's face became gloomy when he looked at the bodies of the soldiers who died on the hillside.
"Chop off the heads and put them in a pile!"
The Japanese soldiers' heads were soon piled up into a small hill, and were specially placed in a place where they could be seen from the city of Taiyuan.
Yoshio Shinozuka and the Japanese officers in the city were horrified. They never expected that the independent column would be so cruel.
"Baga! These are a bunch of vicious demons!"
When Yoshio Shinozuka said this, he completely forgot the crimes he had committed in China!
He took a few deep breaths and forced himself to calm down. Now Taiyuan's life and death was in their hands!
"Contract the defense! Except for the Niutuo Village in the northeast of Taiyuan City, all other troops and the Imperial Army should be withdrawn into the city!"
It was night again, and as usual, Wang Meng reported the day's battle situation to Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang and asked about their situation.
Zhao Gang's side was still slowly advancing towards Xinxiang, making the Japanese unsure whether they should launch a heavy attack. Today, the 7th Armored Division captured another county town.
But Li Yunlong did not respond for a long time. After calling for a long time, it was discovered that Li Yunlong had taken his guard company and went 20 kilometers out of Niangzi Pass to conduct reconnaissance in Shijiazhuang!
"Nonsense! Send a telegram and ask him to return to Niangzi Pass immediately!"
Wang Meng looked at the distance between Niangzi Pass and Shijiazhuang. If they moved twenty kilometers away, they would be only one step away from Shijiazhuang. If they were discovered by the Japanese, the consequences would be disastrous.
Now Wang Meng can only pray that Li Yunlong will not act on impulse and come back safely.
At this time, Li Yunlong and a company of guards were hiding on the top of Langwo Mountain, monitoring the road below the mountain, and they became confused as they watched.
"Hey, why are there no devils on the road? They are all puppet troops? Did they all run away?"
At this time, the communications soldier ran over with a telegram and lay down beside Li Yunlong.
"Commander, Chief of Staff Wang and Political Commissar Zhao sent you a telegram asking you to return immediately!"
Li Yunlong put down the telescope in his hand in dissatisfaction and gave the communications soldier a cold look.
"Why are you in such a hurry? They are just making a fuss. How can our commander understand the enemy's movements if he doesn't go deep into the front line? Just tell them that the road is not easy to travel at night and we should go back tomorrow morning!"
After Li Yunlong finished speaking, he went on to study what these puppet troops were doing.
Wang Meng is now extremely anxious, feeling that something is going to happen!
"Where is Lao Xing's Sixth Armored Division located?"
"Reporting to the Chief of Staff, they have already cleared the county town south of Taiyuan. They are gathering their troops today and are preparing to arrive in Taiyuan city tomorrow as planned!"
"Order them to set off now. Leave one company behind in each county. Hand over all the captured supplies to them. Escort the prisoners directly to Pingshun. The main force must reach Taiyuan City before dawn tomorrow!"
Wang Meng thought it was not safe enough, so he immediately sent a telegram to the Second and Third Armored Divisions:
Order Zhang Dabiao's Second Armored Division to move towards Yangquan immediately after sweeping the southern county town of Yangquan;
Order Shen Quan at Niangzi Pass to lead a regiment to meet Li Yunlong.