Resistance against Japan: Starting with the local militia

Chapter 73 Japanese Suicide Squad

"Reporting to the Commander, our attacking force has suffered a setback and heavy casualties. Judging from the intensity of the enemy's firepower, our unit appears to have encountered the enemy's main force," Chief of Staff Jersey reported.

"Yes, finding the enemy's main force means finding their supply train. The fact that the enemy is setting up an ambush here means their supply train is not far away."

"Your analysis is correct, Commander."

"Order the troops to accelerate the attack and break through the enemy's defenses as soon as possible," Fujino Kiichi ordered.

"Yes, Your Excellency, Commander."

"Commander, the attacking bastards have retreated!" Zhou Zhengbiao shouted.

"I see it! Let's move to a different position quickly, the Japanese are about to start shelling!" Li Yunfei ordered hastily.

"Yes, Commander, comrades, retreat immediately." Zhou Zheng-biao hurriedly organized the soldiers to move to the rear.

Just as Li Yunfei had predicted, the moment he stepped out of the position, the Japanese artillery barrage began.

"Damn it, those Japanese artillerymen reacted way too fast!" Zhou Zhengbiao cursed.

"Everyone, rebuild the defensive line. Once the Japanese artillery fire stops, the Japanese will be able to sneak up on us."

"Yes, Commander." Zhou Zheng-biao hurriedly arranged a new defensive line. Just as Zhou Zheng-biao finished setting up the new line, the Japanese invaders sneaked up again.

"Comrades, the Japanese are coming! Fire!" Upon seeing this, Li Yunfei grabbed his weapon and opened fire on the charging Japanese soldiers.

"Damn it, the Japanese are attacking way too fast."

"Communicator, notify the militia's artillery company and ask if they can take out the Japanese artillery. We can't hold out for long if they keep bombing us like this," Li Yunfei ordered.

"Yes, Captain."

"Zhou Zheng Biao, signal the flank harassment troops to keep harassing the Japanese marching column from the flank."

"Yes, Captain."

Wu Shui, the militia artillery company commander, who had been lying in ambush on a nearby hill, was intently watching the battlefield through binoculars. Before the battle began, Li Yunfei had instructed him to wait for his orders before firing.

While the Japanese mortar squad relentlessly bombarded Li Yunfei's blocking position, Wu Shui kept observing the Japanese positions exposed by the shelling and constantly calculating the best counterattack position in his mind.

At that moment, the communications officer from the Independent Regiment ran over.

"Report, Company Commander Wu, Regiment Commander Li asked if we could take out the Japanese artillery? The Japanese artillery is too much of a threat to them."

"Tell Commander Li that wiping out all the Japanese artillery is unrealistic, but wiping out a portion is still achievable," Wu Shui replied after a moment's thought.

"Yes, Company Commander Wu, I'll go back and report right away."

Wu Shui had just observed that the Japanese mortar positions were relatively scattered, making it difficult to destroy them all at once. Coupled with the Japanese battlefield reaction speed, Wu Shui felt that destroying even half of the Japanese artillery would be a stroke of good luck.

After the Independent Regiment's communications officer left, Wu Shui immediately gave the order:

"Attention, platoons, aim at the Japanese position directly ahead, one shot for calibration, three shots for rapid fire."

The soldiers of the militia artillery company immediately operated the mortars and aimed them at the exposed Japanese artillery positions.

Wu Shui's artillery company deployed three platoons, each with two mortars. This round of firing consisted of 24 mortar shells, enough to give the Japanese artillery a hard time.

After the militia soldiers adjusted the angle, Wu Shui gave the order to fire.

"emission."

The first volley of six mortar shells roared toward the Japanese artillery positions, and the sounds of "boom, boom, boom..." echoed as they exploded, illuminating several flashes of light in the darkness.

"Each platoon quickly adjusts its bearings and fires three rounds in rapid succession." Based on the positions illuminated by the artillery fire, the soldiers in each platoon quickly adjusted the firing angle of their mortars. Immediately afterward, the militia's mortar company unleashed another barrage of shells upon the Japanese.

"Not good, take cover immediately!" The artillery captain, who was directing the artillery attack, hurriedly ordered his soldiers to take cover and retreat quickly.

"Murata, quickly locate the enemy artillery positions and prepare to attack."

"Hay."

On the other side, the Japanese artillery positions quickly calculated the enemy's firing positions, adjusted the muzzles of their mortars, and prepared to counterattack.

"Everyone, quickly move to a different position." After successfully landing a blow, Wu Shui did not linger in the fight and instead ordered everyone to quickly move to a different position.

As expected, after Wu Shui moved his position, the Japanese mortar fire arrived as scheduled.

"Damn it, the Japanese artillery is really something else. Their shells seem to have eyes, chasing after us and firing at us," the platoon leader cursed.

"Alright, everyone, evacuate quickly. Get to the new position and prepare to support Commander Li. Next time, it won't be so easy for us to easily attack the Japanese artillery positions."

"Yes, Captain."

On the other side, at the Independent Regiment's blocking position, Li Yunfei smiled and said to Zhou Zhengbiao:

"Wu Shui is a good kid. Look how badly he bombed the Japanese artillery. If only we could recruit him into the Independent Regiment."

"Commander, you're overthinking it. I think these militia guys are completely devoted to their commander."

"Besides, Commander, aren't you afraid of getting in trouble with Commander Tang for trying to poach his men?" Zhou Zhengbiao rolled his eyes at his commander.

"What are you saying? I've never been afraid of anyone."

"I wonder who's so cowardly in front of the brigade commander," Zhou Zheng-biao muttered to himself.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Li Yunfei glanced at him.

“I agree with what the regimental commander said,” Zhou Zheng-biao chuckled.

"Commander, the Japanese are coming up again."

"Damn it, those Japanese devils are like leeches, sticking to us like glue. Comrades, give them a good beating!" Li Yunfei threw himself back into the battle.

The Japanese troops faced exceptional difficulties during this attack due to the lack of artillery support.

Due to the terrain, the Japanese troops could not deploy their formations and could only attack one company at a time. Moreover, Li Yunfei was as cunning as an eel and would slip away at any time, making it extremely difficult for Fujino Kiichi to fight.

"Baka! What are you doing? You were attacked by the enemy's artillery and suffered heavy losses!" Fujino Kiichi was already furious. When he heard that his artillery had been ambushed by the enemy's artillery and suffered heavy losses, he was so angry that he slapped the Japanese artillery captain one after another.

"What do you think, Chief of Staff Jersey?" Fujino asked.

"Commander, I noticed that the enemy troops were disinterested in fighting. We charged forward under artillery cover, and they retreated to continue fighting us."

"They want to use a series of blocking tactics to fight us and delay our pursuit. I suspect they want to buy time for the transfer of the supply train."

"Chief of Staff Jersey, your analysis is very accurate. By the way, when will the Taiyuan Command send aircraft to provide support?"

"Reporting to the Commander, the Taiyuan Command responded that they dispatched aircraft to provide support at daybreak this morning."

"Alright, now our problem is to catch up with the enemy's supply train as soon as possible. Once they escape into the deep mountains, it will be much harder for us to catch them."

"Chief of Staff Jersey, for the glory of the Empire, I order you to organize a suicide squad to attack the enemy," Fujino Kiichi said thoughtfully.

"Yes, Commander. I will immediately organize a suicide squad to break through the enemy's direction."

"Okay, once the suicide squad breaks through the enemy's defenses, the follow-up teams will immediately follow. The suicide squad should become a sharp dagger piercing the enemy's chest."

"Yes, I'll get ready right away."

After Chief of Staff Jersey left, he came to the front of the main force, gathered more than 100 Imperial Army soldiers, and addressed them:

"You are all the most sacred warriors of the empire. Now the empire needs you. Immediately seize the enemy's position. Long live His Majesty the Emperor."

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" The brats in front of Sawada had mad eyes, their voices ringing out again and again.

Chief of Staff Jersey personally tied headbands adorned with the Japanese flag onto the heads of the Imperial Army soldiers standing at the forefront. Then he shouted, "Kill the chickens!"

The group of Japanese soldiers wearing Japanese flags attacked Li Yunfei's blocking position like wild dogs that had broken free of their reins.

"Commander, these Japanese devils are like madmen, like they've been injected with chicken blood, what should we do, Commander?" Zhou Zhengbiao said while fighting.

"Damn it, it looks like the Japanese are desperate; they've even sent out suicide squads."

"Comrades, let's retreat. We're not going to fight these lunatics to the death. Notify Company Commander Wu to give me some artillery to bombard these bastards," Li Yunfei said with a sneer.

Upon receiving the order, the soldiers of the Independent Regiment quickly retreated to the rear.