The artillery position of the 5th Brigade of the Independent Field Heavy Artillery was spread out on the west bank of the Fei River, in a long and narrow shape from north to south. The entire artillery position was about two kilometers long from north to south and over one kilometer wide from east to west.
If you think that cannons are placed in rows like those in movies and TV shows, you are wrong.
In fact, the construction of artillery positions has strict requirements. First, you have to ensure the firepower, secondly, you have to consider concealment, and then you have to consider mobility. After the attack, you have to evacuate, right? Due to these conditions, it is impossible for gun emplacements to appear in rows like in movies and TV series.
In actual combat, the artillery positions are spread over a wide range.
Therefore, the heavy artillery brigade occupies a very large area.
Therefore, don’t think that the heavy artillery brigade has a lot of people with more than 8,000 people. In fact, evenly distributed across the entire position, the density is only 0.oo4 people per square meter, which is 4 people per 1,000 square meters. Considering that the two heavy artillery brigade belongs to Each infantry brigade has to stick to the periphery of the artillery position, so the personnel density of the entire artillery position is even lower.
At this moment, the entire artillery position was brightly lit in the north, west and south directions. More than 5,000 Japanese artillerymen were digging tunnels in full swing. Only the east side next to the Fei River was relatively silent.
Although it has been sunny in recent days and the water level of Feihe River has also dropped, it is still very high compared with the dry season. At the same time, the water surface is also much wider than during the dry season. At this time, the width of the Feihe River from east to west is sufficient. It's more than a thousand meters.
Because of this, Kameda Eiichi dared to focus the main defensive energy on the remaining three directions, leaving only a small amount of defensive force in the east.
The garrison force allocated to the east was already small, and it became even sparser when spread across the two-kilometer-wide front. Therefore, the Japanese only set up sentries every 100 meters on the west bank of the Fei River as a warning.
However, on the stone bridge across the Fei River on the northeast side of the position, Kameda Eiichi placed an infantry squadron plus a heavy machine gun squadron, because not only was there the only stone bridge spanning the east and west, but also the heavy artillery brigade's The headquarters, ammunition depot and parking lot are also near the stone bridge and are among the key protection targets.
An infantry squadron plus a heavy machine gun squadron, plus a dangerous location like Shiqiao, are more than enough to defend against the attack of general troops, but it is a bit inadequate to defend against the attack of the Langya Squadron, because the Langya squadron They won't attack from the stone bridge stupidly.
Due to insufficient troops, the Japanese only set up dozens of sentries on the west bank of the Fei River. There was a sentry about every 100 meters, and every five sentries had a seven or eight-meter-high sentry tower.
Each sentry tower was also equipped with a searchlight, which shot back and forth non-stop.
Such defensive measures are not strict, but for the Wolf Fang Squadron, they are still not enough.
At around four o'clock in the morning, the darkest time before dawn, a row of slightly protruding reed poles suddenly floated on the surface of the Feihe River. Such a row of reed poles, no bigger than a finger and only a few inches above the water, was broad daylight. It may not be possible to see it, not to mention it is still at night or the darkest time before dawn
A row of more than a hundred reed poles slid slowly under one of the sentry towers. The searchlight on the sentry tower also illuminated this row of reed poles, but the Japanese sentries guarding the sentry tower did not notice it at all, leaving the row of reed poles alone. The reed poles continue to move downstream along the west bank of the Fei River.
Downstream of the sentry tower is the headquarters of the Japanese heavy artillery brigade.
At a certain moment, when the searchlight on the sentry tower turned to the east bank of the Fei River, and when the entire west bank became pitch black, the row of reed poles suddenly disappeared into the water, and then, one after another, black shadows disappeared silently. Breathlessly, they emerged from the turbid river water and landed one after another.
When the searchlight on the sentry tower turned back again and shone on the west bank of the Fei River, the more than a hundred figures who had come ashore lay down one after another. The grass-green military uniforms they wore perfectly blended with the wild grass on the west bank of the Fei River. , the Japanese sentries guarding the sentry tower still found nothing unusual.
When the searchlight on the sentry tower turned to the east bank of the Fei River again, the row of a hundred or so figures quickly stood up from the weeds again, and then quickly divided into two groups, one group went straight to the heavy artillery brigade headquarters in the northwest. Ammunition depot, another group came straight towards the stone bridge in the southeast.
(Dividing line)
Kameda Eiichi personally took charge and directed the Japs of the 2nd Heavy Artillery Regiment to dig tunnels to the south of the position. However, after digging for more than an hour, not even a single tunnel was dug.
At this time, Kameda Eiichi felt something was wrong.
No, the soil on the west bank of Feihe River is loose and easy to dig. Logically speaking, several tunnels of the Independent Regiment should have been dug in front of their positions long ago. The tunnels of both sides should have been dug through long ago. How could it be that until now, both sides Haven't met yet? Didn't their tunnels dig deep enough
However, Kameda Eiichi quickly overturned this judgment, and the tunnel was already deep enough.
Then, there is only one explanation left. The independent group on the opposite side is not actually digging the tunnel seriously.
The independent group is just showing off! Just a show? Why do they do this? Thinking of this, a huge question mark appeared in front of Kameda Eiichi.
Is this Xu Rui up to another conspiracy
Just when Kameda Hide was puzzled, a dull gunshot suddenly rang out from the direction of the brigade headquarters behind him. Because the two sides did not fire at each other at this time, they were only digging tunnels, so this gunshot The sound seemed very abrupt, and the distance it came out was also far enough.
This sudden gunshot was like a thunder, exploding in Kameda Eiichi's head.
Kameda Eiichi's IQ is actually quite high. The moment he heard the gunfire, he had already thought of Xu Rui's real intention, to attack in the east and attack in the west. Damn it, this is a plan to attack in the east and attack in the west!
In an instant, Kameda Eiichi hurriedly ordered: "Baga, we have fallen into a trap. We have fallen into the Chinese people's trick of attacking from the east to the west. Go back, go back to the artillery position quickly, go back quickly..."
The Japanese artillerymen who were busy and sweating nearby looked at Kameda Eiichi in confusion, obviously unable to react. The tunnels were dug perfectly, why did they have to return to the artillery position
Kameda Eiichi immediately jumped to his feet and roared: "Go back to the gun position, quickly go back to the gun position, go back!"
At this time, the bewildered Japanese artillerymen finally came to their senses, and one by one they quickly dropped their engineer pickaxes. They didn't even have time to put back on the military uniforms they had thrown aside, so they turned back shirtless. Run to their respective gun positions, and run faster than a rabbit.
However, no matter how fast they ran, it was already too late.
(Dividing line)
The gunshot just now was an accident.
Each Japanese gun is a combat unit, and it has a gunner, usually a second lieutenant.
Although Kameda Eiichi sent most of the Japanese artillery to dig tunnels outside the position, the gunners of each gun did not leave, but stayed to guard their respective cannons.
This is also related to Japan's strict and almost perverted military regulations.
Because the Japanese army's military regulations clearly stipulate that if the cannon is lost while the people are there, all the Japanese in the entire combat unit must pay for the lost cannon.
Historically, there was such an incident in the Anti-Japanese Base Area in Central Hebei.
One of the Japanese artillery squads lost a Type 92 infantry cannon. Since they had no way to go back and deliver it, they had no choice but to find the Eighth Route Army and pay for it. Of course, the Eighth Route Army would not sell it. In the end, all the Japanese artillerymen in this squad were shot. Yes, they were shot. , there are not many Japanese who really dare to commit seppuku. Most of them are shot by the military police in the end. Otherwise, when the Japanese commit seppuku, there is no need to send military police to guard the side with guns.
Each of the Japanese cannons had a gunner, and they hid relatively secretly. When the Langya Squadron passed the emplacement of one of the cannons, they were shot at close range by the Japanese gunner.
The gunshot fired by the Japanese gunner destroyed the operation of the Wolf Fang Squadron. Leng Tiefeng originally wanted to sneak outside the headquarters of the heavy artillery brigade before taking action. In this case, the chance of success would undoubtedly be greater. Some, but the sudden gunshot ruined his good deeds.
But it doesn't matter, because they have penetrated deep enough into the Japanese position.
The Japanese gunner aimed at Leng Tiefeng, who was at the front of the team, but the first shot in the darkness was not accurate. When he pulled the trigger again, the southern-style pistol jammed. The veteran was also lucky, and he was lucky enough to save his life. .
The Japanese artilleryman hurriedly threw away his southern pistol and tried to pick up his rifle, but he had no chance.
Leng Tiefeng rushed into the artillery position with a single step. The 38-type bayonet in his hand stabbed viciously at the vital part of the Japanese gunner's vest. The Japanese gunner just bent down to pick up the 38-type cover. He couldn't dodge and immediately struck. After being stabbed through the heart by Leng Tiefeng, he immediately screamed and collapsed to the ground.
However, the death of this Japs gunner was worth it, because the shot he fired just now had alarmed all the Japs in the entire heavy artillery brigade. The next moment, gunshots rang out from several artillery positions dozens of meters away. As the sound rang out, balls of muzzle flame bloomed.
Anyway, it has been exposed, so the Wolf Fang Squadron simply stopped hiding.
Leng Tiefeng gave the order, and the soldiers, the Siberian tigers, and the boa constrictors immediately each brought a firepower group, each with two portable imitation Czech light machine guns, and opened fire violently in front of them. The firepower of the gun positions in front was immediately blocked. With full suppression, the assault team of Langya Squadron took the opportunity to rush in and pounce on each gun emplacement.
The snipers of the sniper team quickly dispersed, each looking for a sniper position.
As soon as the Langya Squadron opened fire, Sun Changhe also opened fire.
Sun Changhe's Guard Platoon also participated in the surprise attack this time. Their mission was to seize the stone bridge and clear obstacles for the main force of the Independent Regiment to advance. Compared to the Langya Squadron, the Guard Platoon's task was easier. After all, the Japanese guarding the Stone Bridge were , the fortifications are all arranged outwards, and there is a lack of sufficient defensive protection in the face of a sudden attack from behind. (To be continued.)