ebookland Chapter 1073 Find the Weapon Point
Chapter 1073 Find the Weapon Point
The Japanese army's attention was entirely focused on these river gunboats, believing that these men might take the opportunity to land, so they kept their eyes on them from the beginning.
But little did we know that these guys were just testing us; the artillery regiment behind us was their main force.
So when river gunboats begin their attack, if there's no reaction from the opposite bank, it means the area is unsecured. But if someone digs up a clod of earth or pushes aside a rock to extend a machine gun, then the rapid-fire cannons on the river gunboats won't be idle; we'll have to unleash their full power.
Watching the explosions erupt one after another on the position, I realized that a single 30mm shell couldn't destroy a bunker, but the enemy had plenty of shells. One wasn't enough, so they'd use two; two weren't enough, so they'd use three; three weren't enough, so they'd fire in volleys. There was always a chance to blow them up.
"Baka yarou, stop firing! Who told them to counterattack without orders? Have they all gone mad?"
When the Japanese officers rushed onto the dike, they found that most of the hidden bunkers had already opened fire.
A quick glance was enough for them to understand that these river gunboats weren't there to fight. Their ships were heavily fortified and didn't have much firepower. After firing a couple of shots, they immediately headed towards the center of the river.
This was clearly meant to lure you in and expose your firepower. Unfortunately, these Japanese soldiers didn't realize it. When the river gunboats approached, they thought their chance had come. Some Japanese soldiers even ran to the riverbank to wait for the boats to come so they could throw grenades at them.
In areas deemed harmless, the Japanese deployed numerous anti-tank guns specifically to attack river gunboats. The gunboat pictured above already has several holes in it. It seems our assumption that the Japanese offered little resistance was wrong; look how weak their resistance is now—they just haven't revealed their true strength yet.
The artillery regiment was far from idle. Their observers were practically overwhelmed, recording the defensive coordinates of the opposing side while continuously relaying the coordinates to the liaison officer next to them, who then notified the artillery in the rear.
The artillery regiment's operations staff were probably the busiest. Based on information from observers, they had to correctly assign these targets to different units. Some were using 75mm infantry guns, so they could only attack the nearest targets; others were using 150mm heavy artillery. If several adjacent coordinates were too close, the heavy artillery would attack them all at once—after all, one shell landing would wipe out everything within a thousand square meters.
The previous attacks on the north bank of the Yellow River could be described as widespread, untargeted strikes, but this attack can now be described as a precision strike.
The arrival of a group of Japanese officers brought stability to the outposts that had not yet opened fire. They were also slow to realize that these river gunboats were not there for a decisive battle at all; otherwise, they would not have retreated so quickly. Ironically, some of us even brought out our most valuable weapons, and some flames even shot out from the opposite bank of the river.
If our infantry had attacked at this moment, the casualties would have been much greater. However, this provocation caused the Japanese to unknowingly expose a lot of their firepower, which allowed our artillery to deal with them and save the lives of many infantrymen. Otherwise, the losses would have been incalculable when you landed and attacked.
Several officers of the Second Army also set up an observation post at a distance. When they climbed up to the observation post, they saw that the bunkers inside the Japanese army were being targeted and eliminated.
Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant General Toyotomi also wanted to change all of this, but the problem was that we had too few 150mm heavy guns.
Using other artillery to attack would be completely ineffective.
This is actually a kind of fear of death among the Japanese. Both sides were using 75mm infantry guns, and the 72nd Army dared to fire. Why didn't you dare?
According to some high-ranking Japanese officers, this is the only batch of our artillery. If we run out, you won't be able to replenish it for two or three months. Even if you do replenish it, some of it will be dragged out of the warehouse, and those artillery pieces are almost as old as their grandfathers.
Therefore, in the eyes of many Japanese, artillery is extremely precious. If artillery is to be used on the battlefield, it must be at an extremely important moment, and it is clear that the time has not yet come.
On the other hand, the 72nd Army had already set up all fourteen newly delivered 150mm heavy artillery pieces, and their shells had also been delivered. According to the orders from the regimental headquarters, they were about to launch another large-scale artillery bombardment of the opposite bank.
Our previous bombardment had yielded some results, but it also allowed the Japanese to exploit many loopholes. So now we need to plug these loopholes. If the Japanese still have bunkers, then we need to use artillery shells to destroy all those loopholes.
"Officers, evacuate immediately! We've just received word that their bombers are coming too."
Several officers of the Japanese Second Army were preparing to go to the front line to inspect the situation and boost morale, but they heard that the bombers of the 72nd Army had arrived. They were worried that if they dropped some bombs weighing several hundred kilograms, even if they were affected, it would be a serious matter.
The officers exchanged glances, then dropped all pretense and, with the help of their staff, hurried back. If they were too slow and the pilots spotted them, they would be doomed.
In the distance, on the Yellow River embankment, many soldiers were lying prone on the north side to avoid artillery fire. As they turned around, they inadvertently spotted this group of officers.
These are the same officers who usually give us orders, always talking about loyalty to the Empire and the Emperor!
When danger comes, you guys are the first to run, and judging by the way you run, you've probably forgotten what you always said about sharing life and death with us. Now we have to face shells and bombs alone, what are you facing?
Although some ordinary soldiers dared not speak out, at least a thousand people witnessed the officers' escape, some with anger in their eyes and others with confusion.
Is what the 72nd Army's propaganda leaflet says true? Are we risking our lives to benefit those tycoons and politicians?
Aren't we His Majesty the Emperor's most important warriors?