Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Bloody Rice Balls

However, the brief tranquility of the previous truce was soon broken by the national army's counterattack.In order to recapture the lost positions, the national army gradually approached the area north of the Xianggui Highway, concentrated and pieced together the forces of the Xichan Temple, Suyanjing, Huayao Mountain, Yueping Mountain and other positions, intending to throw all their eggs in one basket and break the front line occupied by the Japanese army. position.The counter-offensive deployment was completed at about 9:00 a.m., and then the counter-attack was officially launched. The national army's counterattack was so fierce that even Japanese officers such as Lieutenant Izaki, who had graduated from a military academy and had a long battle experience, had never experienced it.Recalling the counter-offensive part of the positional warfare drilled in the military academy back then, it took less than 20 minutes to repel the invaders, and it ended easily.The real exercise is the exercise, step by step, follow the rules, how can it compare to this confrontation.Temporary retreat, desperate struggle, repeated, once, twice, three times, countless times, it seems endless, when will it end!

Since 9:00 am, the bullets and artillery shells fired from the rear positions of the national army are as dense as rain.The art of launching mortars of the national army and the way of falling bullets amazed the Japanese officers and could not be imitated; the continuous changes in the organization and configuration of various weapon firepower and concentrated fire nets also dazzled the old opponents of the 10th Army. August 2nd was the longest day in the life of Lieutenant Izaki and his subordinates.In broad daylight, in this narrow position, all the officers and soldiers of the 10th Squadron sent by the 3rd Battalion of the 218th Wing were exposed without reservation, and they all became live targets for the national army's shooting.Direct, lateral, oblique, and multi-layered three-dimensional shooting from Xichan Temple and other positions enveloped the Izaki Squadron in a sea of ​​bullets and flames.

Lieutenant Izaki and others couldn't stop, unable to advance or retreat, so they had to hide in the trenches and reluctantly used a few grenades to fight back, or bowed their heads and bent down with the 96 crooked light machine gun for a while, and then blindly strafed.The Japanese soldiers could only be like a group of beaten gophers, walking back and forth in a narrow trench, defending carefully, forming a step forward with the national army, and taking two steps back; Jing Qi and others felt that the battle was very aggrieved, and they all wanted to rush out of the trench to fight for the road.However, the net of death woven by the hail of guns and bullets from the five positions of the national army on the side and rear is devouring life all the time, who dares to be careless.At this time, the spirit of Bushido has long given way to the passion for survival.He looked at the Chinese soldiers who were tens of meters away and wanted to rush over, but they were suppressed by the machine gun fire from the Xiaojiashan position behind the Japanese army, and could only crouch in the trenches to fight.As a result, the two sides have become a stalemate of mutual suppression.

In order to break the deadlock, the national army saw that the grenade could not destroy or repel the Japanese army hiding in the horizontal pit.So they switched to concentrated and violent mortar bombardment to strike.The top position of Tianma Mountain is a long and narrow platform about 30 meters long from east to west and about 8-9 meters wide from north to south.The national army divided the platform from east to west, with an interval of 5 meters. Together with the south slope of the platform, which is about 4-5 meters wide, it was designated as the location for the shell rotation; then, starting from the vicinity of the fort at the west end, The bombardment was concentrated from west to east in sequence; later, it was determined that the command position of Lieutenant Izaki was in the central part of the platform, and the bombardment was concentrated from the east and west ends to the middle.

Izaki, a talented student of the Imperial Army University, the elite of the pretentious young officers, first experienced the fine, excellent and very artistic shooting strategies and techniques of the 10th Army of the National Army.Lieutenant Izaki believed that the imperial army was very good at using the grenade. Now that the actual combat has proved to be ineffective, he has mixed feelings in his heart, full of surprise, admiration, shame and fear.Whenever the cannonball exploded, only Qu Qi would bow his head and dodge in a panic.What kind of person is the opposing artillery commander?He seems to have the wisdom of a god, and he is really a man!I can't help but feel respect in my heart, and I really want to see the true face of Lushan Mountain.However, this is wishful thinking.

Just as the officers and soldiers of the 10th Squadron of the Japanese Army were huddled in the trenches, tremblingly praying for God's blessing, hoping that the shells would not fall on them, the bombardment of the national army suddenly stopped.However, before the Japanese soldiers had time to rejoice, a large number of national army grenades flew from the center of the platform and the reverse slope, and some grenades exploded in the air, causing great casualties to the Japanese army.It turned out that at the same time as the shelling, a death squad of the national army had already touched it.I really admire the bravery and wisdom of these Chinese soldiers. It is not easy to break through the blockade and climb a 15-meter-high cliff to carry out a counterattack!

The Japanese army couldn't help throwing a few grenades back.But it quickly ran out.The national army seemed to save ammunition, and it seemed to be ridiculing and contemptuous of the Japanese army, gradually reducing the amount of bombs dropped.Afterwards, the national army focused on attacking the bunker on the west side, and the grenade barrage also covered the west slope of the platform.Soon, the national army bravely regained the position of the bunker on the west side, and then turned the direction of attack along the trench to the bunker on the east side, and gradually advanced to the second corner of the trench.This is the last line of defense of the Japanese No. 10 Squadron.

It was almost noon, and the fierce sun was roasting the earth and all attachments on it.Both leaves and grass curl up to reduce water evaporation.At this moment, the Tianma Mountain position from the center of the platform to the east end was occupied by the Japanese army. Lieutenant Izaki looked at the 12 remaining soldiers who were so hungry and thirsty, and the faces of each of them were deformed by fear under the scorching sun. It was pitiful and ridiculous. Everyone's faces were covered with sand and dust from the explosion of shells and grenades, like big cakes with soybean flour; The crystallization of sweat.

Izaki didn't care to appreciate it carefully, and hurriedly ordered Corporal Honda to move forward as the bomber, grasp the last three grenades, and stand by to throw them; next to Honda was Senior Soldier Zhongshan, holding a 96-type light machine gun, aiming at the corner, ready to shoot at any time ; as the supreme commander of the position, Izaki, who also served as the machine gun ammunition man, ranked third; behind him were 10 Japanese soldiers trembling with tension, lined up in the trench. In order to compete for the control of the corner of the trench, the two sides that are within easy reach are staring at each other and dare not attack easily.After a stalemate for a while, the death squads of the national army rushed over one by one.But they were all swept down by the machine guns of Zhongshan's first-class soldiers, and the number of fallen national army soldiers at the corner soon reached 8.

So the bombardment started again.The dense shells and grenades fell, and the sand rose up, flying all over the sky, falling on the neck, back, and getting into the ears, nose, and mouth, like the yellow sandstorm on the Mongolian plateau, which is terrifying and uncomfortable, and suffocating. Izaki hurriedly shouted: "Mr. Zhongshan, cover the machine gun with a towel, and cover the spare magazine. If it is stained with sand, you will be blind; everyone, pay attention, as soon as the shelling stops, the Chinese soldiers will come to kill you immediately." ;Everyone should be vigilant, and be ready to climb up the trench and fight the bayonet with the Chinese soldiers at any time. Therefore, we must first dig the pedals on the trench wall!"

It turns out that the fortifications built by the national army are the same everywhere, the trenches are deep and narrow, as if attacked, it is inconvenient to move, and they are passive everywhere. The torrential shelling finally stopped, and the Chinese soldiers rushed to the bunker one by one from the west slope of the platform, and first threw grenades in the trenches to the area defended by the Japanese army.Due to the close proximity, the national army's head protrudes or retracts when it advances, and it is vivid.The Japanese army thought to themselves, how good it would be to have grenades again; how ideal it would be if they could climb up the trenches and sneak out! However, there is only one dead end to climb up.The bullets from Xichan Temple and Huayaoshan positions have eyes!It was clear that the Chinese soldiers were attacking along the winding trenches, and the Japanese army huddled like a hedgehog.We can only hope that the machine guns of Zhongshan's upper class soldiers will not misfire.God bless it! The third counterattack of the national army was around 1 pm, and it lasted for nearly forty minutes.Still first there was fierce bombardment and grenade barrage, densely intersecting fire nets, and then infantry swarmed forward in the dust from the shells, each of them was full of courage, and everyone was extremely brave, attacking wave after wave. . The situation of the Japanese army on Tianma Mountain was watched by the commanders of the 116th Division Iwanaga, the 218th Regiment of the Needle Valley Regiment, the 3rd Regiment Watanabe Regiment, and other commanders through binoculars.But there is nothing to do.Whenever the national army launches a new round of offensive, the dust is flying and it is thought that the jade of the 10th Squadron is shattered.But when the gunpowder smoke cleared, the sound of crazy Type 96 machine guns was heard again.This performance received special praise from Yan Yongwang: "Ah, yes, those are soldiers from us and Leshan!" The national army's offensive started and stopped, just like a Chinese opera.During the battle, eating and excreting seemed to be forgotten. August 2nd was indeed the longest day, and he was deeply embedded in Izaki's mind.Drips and grains of rice have not been taken in, and the urine and stool are saved.The piss comes out of the sweat from the pores, blending with the red dust on the face, blending into a camouflage-like makeup. After three rounds of attacks by the national army, the Japanese No. 10 Squadron had less than 20 people left.The 3rd Battalion made rice balls and sent them to the front line in bamboo baskets.At this time, delivering food to No. 10 Squadron was a difficult and dangerous task. The national army snipers from Xichan Temple and Huayao Mountain behind the position had long been eyeing them and waiting for them. As soon as the Japanese supply team appeared, they would immediately become The soul of the innocent under the gun seems to be dying with a bamboo basket in his arms, and he is returning to Fusang!On the advance line of the assault attack along the No. 10 Squadron, I don't know how many food delivery soldiers fell down.It was not until 9 o'clock in the evening that the Japanese army reluctantly sent the bamboo baskets to the Tianma Mountain position.Looking at the blood-stained and air-dried rice balls, the Japanese soldiers still gobbled up those hard human blood rice balls, as if they were the most delicious food in their lives, and they will never forget it!Although some were choked to tears. Before the Japanese samurai had time to digest, the gunshots of the national army's counterattack rang out again.