"Boom! Rumble! "Da Da Da!" The sound of mortars and heavy machine guns rang out, wantonly slaughtering the soldiers of the 11th Brigade of the 2nd Division of the Japanese Army who were crossing the river. Soldiers were shot and fell into the river, staining the river red. There is still a distance of less than 20 meters, but for the Japanese soldiers, it has become an insurmountable moat.

"Rush! Rush over to me. "The captain of the 11th Brigade, a young officer in his thirties, who was short but strong, brandished his command knife and ordered loudly.

Under his order, the Japanese soldiers braved the rain of bullets and bullets of the Western Sichuan Army, and flowed to the other side of the river step by step. If it is on flat ground, the distance of more than 20 meters can be crossed in a few seconds. But in a river more than half a meter deep, it takes much more time to cross this distance. Not to mention the powerful firepower of the Western Sichuan Army. A large number of Japanese soldiers fell on the way to the charge.

However, the casualties of their companions not only did not make these Japanese timid, but on the contrary, they aroused the wildness in their hearts, making them like wild wolves, howling and attacking the south bank of the Jiujiang River.

In less than ten minutes of the battle, the 11th Brigade of the 2nd Division of the Japanese Army had already lost more than half of it. Until now, no one has successfully crossed the Jiujiang River and stepped on the defensive position of the Western Sichuan Army.

"Order the troops to withdraw! The firepower of the Western Sichuan Army was too strong, and without preparation for the charge, it was just for the soldiers to die! The commander of the 2nd Division, Sakuma, who was watching the battle, said in the middle.

The retreating trumpets sounded, and the attacking Japanese troops retreated like a tide. However, in the process, many people were killed by the Western Sichuan Army. At the time of the attack, there were more than 1,000 people in a brigade, and when they withdrew, there were less than half of them left.

"General, the firepower of the people of China is too strong, and there is a river blocking us, we can't break through their defense!" Captain of the 11th Brigade. With red eyes, he reported to Sakuma Zuo Matthew.

Compared with the Western Sichuan Army, the equipment of the Japanese army was simply several levels worse. The current Japanese army is basically equipped with Murata single-shot guns. It needs to be loaded with one shot, and the rate of fire is extremely low. Although now the Japanese army has begun to equip the Murata 22-year repeating gun, but so far. Only the Guards Division and the 4th Division were equipped. The rest of the troops. This single-shot pistol is still used. Although in last year's battle, they captured a lot of repeating rifles from the Qing army, especially Mauser rifles, but because of the difference in bullets. In order not to increase the pressure on logistics, the Japanese army did not change its outfit at all. In terms of artillery, during the First Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese army had less than 500 cannons, while the Manchu Qing had more than 1,700. The Japanese captured a large number of artillery from the Manchus, but their artillery was greatly improved. But compared to the Western Sichuan Army, their artillery still seemed quite weak.

"The artillery was ordered to open fire and clear the way for the infantry to attack. The remaining five brigades of the 4th Brigade are ready to attack! Lieutenant General Sakuma Zomathew ordered. The strength of the western Sichuan seemed to be beyond his imagination, and he suddenly realized that it was not as simple as he thought to break through the defense line of the western Sichuan army.

Nine a.m. The Japanese army began a large-scale artillery bombardment of the defensive line of the Western Sichuan Army. Originally, each division of the Japanese army only had 24 field guns, 2 mountain guns, and a small number of 90-mm mortars. The artillery used by the Japanese Army was originally mainly the old German Krupp gun, and the Osaka Arsenal successfully imitated two bronze receded guns from Italy and other countries. Among them, 70-mm field artillery with a maximum firing range of 5000 meters, and 70-mm mountain artillery with a maximum firing range of 000 meters. But after defeating the Manchurian army last year. The Japanese Army acquired a large number of advanced artillery pieces of the Qing army, including the most advanced German Krupp tube-retreat rapid artillery and so on. As a result, the number of artillery pieces equipped with each division of the Japanese army reached more than 60.

And the western Sichuan side. The artillery battalions of each division are armed with 2 55-mm heavy howitzers and 6 05-mm light howitzers. The artillery batteries of the regiments, armed with 6 05-mm light howitzers and 6 Type 2 infantry guns. The artillery platoons of the battalions below were also armed with two Type 2 infantry guns and two 20-mm heavy mortars. This allowed each division of the Western Sichuan Army to have 2 55-mm heavy howitzers, 54 05-mm light howitzers, 6 Type 2 infantry guns, and 20-mm heavy mortars. Among them, the heavy mortar was finalized and equipped with troops only last year, and was named the Type 94 heavy mortar. Type 94 20-mm heavy mortar, weighing 94 kg, shells weighing 65 kg, firing range up to kilometers. The number of artillery pieces of each division of the Western Sichuan Army has far exceeded that of the Japanese Army, and this does not include the 60-mm light mortars and 0-mm medium mortars equipped with the platoons below. It's just that the 23rd Division needs to defend a 4-kilometer-long defensive line, while the Japanese 2nd Division only needs to choose a section of position to attack.

"Boom! Rumble! "One by one, the shells fell on the positions of the first battalion of the 22nd Regiment of the Western Sichuan Army. For a time, the smoke of gunpowder enveloped the kilometer-long position of the first battalion.

By the time the Japanese began shelling, the Western Sichuan Army had already drilled into the anti-artillery holes that had already been dug. The Japanese artillery was less powerful, and even the anti-artillery holes of the civil structure were enough to withstand the Japanese shelling.

"Grandma's, the little devil has started shelling, and I don't know if the first battalion can stop it. The artillery battery was ordered to return fire, and at the same time requested reinforcements from the artillery battalion at the division headquarters. Lu Hanyuan, the commander of the 22nd regiment, ordered.

A few minutes later, the 22nd artillery battery of the 6-mm 05-mm light howitzer opened fire. Infantry guns did not fire because of their range.

"Boom!" A shell landed on the Japanese artillery position, and several Japanese soldiers who were operating a field gun were blown away.

Subsequently, several shells fell and smashed on the Japanese artillery positions, destroying two field guns and one mountain gun. More than a dozen Japanese artillerymen were killed.

"Suppress! Suppress enemy fire! The commander of the field artillery wing of the 2nd Division of the Japanese Army ordered loudly. The Japanese field artillery quickly turned its guns and suppressed the artillery positions of the Western Sichuan Army. The mountain artillery, because of its range, continued to bombard the positions of the 22nd Battalion.

"Boom! Rumble! Rumble! "The artillery of both sides, you and I went back and forth, and there was an exciting artillery battle, and the artillery company of the 22nd Regiment was equipped with 95mm light howitzers, although powerful, but they were too few to compete with the large number of field artillery of the Japanese Second Division. Fortunately, at this time, the divisional artillery battalion of the 23rd Division opened fire, which alleviated the crisis.

As soon as the two 55-mm heavy howitzers and six 05-mm light howitzers of the artillery battalion of the 23rd Division opened fire, the artillery positions of the Japanese Second Division were immediately plunged into a sea of fire. In particular, the shells of the 42-kilogram 55-mm heavy howitzer, every time they explode, they will create a crater more than ten meters wide, and all living creatures within a radius of tens of meters cannot escape.

"Baga, a division of the Western Sichuan Army, is actually equipped with so many heavy artillery!" Lieutenant General Sakuma's face turned pale. The firepower of both sides is not a level at all. If the war continues in this way, the Japanese army will really suffer too much.

In the rear of the Second Division, General Aritomo Yamagu, who was watching the battle, was also shocked by the firepower of the Western Sichuan Army, although they had received some information about the firepower of the Western Sichuan Army before, but they all scoffed. A division is equipped with so many cannons, how much money and how much steel does it cost! With Japan's resources, it is certainly impossible to achieve such luxury. So, they also believe that the information obtained is completely exaggerated. But now, they are not recognizing the facts.

"Order Lieutenant General Katsura Taro's 3rd Division and Lieutenant General Nozu Michikan's 5th Division to also attack and share the pressure on the 2nd Division!" Yama County Youpeng ordered. Since the Japanese Army does not have an advantage in terms of firepower, it only needs to give full play to the superiority of troops. The Western Sichuan Army on the other side of the Jiujiang River had only one division, and he had eight divisions in his hands. The strength of the army is full of twice that of the Western Sichuan Army!

"Boom! Rumble! "With the Japanese 3rd and 5th Divisions joining the battle, the entire Jiujiang River defense line was plunged into the flames of war. The Japanese army launched a large-scale artillery bombardment of the defense line of the Western Sichuan Army. Although the artillery battalion of the 23rd Division of the Western Sichuan Army was powerful, it was difficult to defeat the four hands with two fists and was never able to take care of the entire front. In order to preserve the strength of the artillery, the 05-mm light howitzers had to be withdrawn by a kilometer and the fire was directed at the Jiujiang River, instead of the artillery positions of the Japanese army. Of course, the 55-mm heavy howitzer has a slightly longer range and can attack the Japanese with impunity.

At 0:00 in the morning, the 4th Brigade of the 2nd Division of the Japanese Army, in addition to the 11th Brigade, found a fierce attack on the defense line of the 22nd Regiment of the Western Sichuan Army. They resorted to a pig attack, also known as a wave attack, which means that it continues like a wave until the target is crushed.

Five infantry brigades, forming five attack waves, rushed into the Jiujiang River and struggled to attack the opposite bank. The light and heavy firepower of the 22nd Battalion of the 2nd Regiment of the Western Sichuan Army opened fire in an instant. A large number of shells fell in the ranks of the Japanese attack, and the Japanese soldiers who were blown up turned on their backs. The heavy machine gun let out a low roar, and it was even more wanton harvesting lives. One by one, the Japanese soldiers were shot and fell into the river. As more and more Japanese soldiers were killed, more and more corpses piled up in the river, and the Jiujiang River, which was not wide, was almost blocked by the corpses of Japanese soldiers, and the river was completely dyed bright red.

"Attack! Offensive! "A large number of Japanese soldiers, ignoring the deaths of their comrades, led by officers of all ranks, launched an attack on the opposite bank like crazy. The Japanese artillery also bombarded the defense line of the Western Sichuan Army to provide support for the infantry.

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