On October 12, 1899, the 16th and 17th Divisions of the Northern Dispatch Army of Japan, under the cover of three independent heavy artillery brigades and the artillery of the divisions of the Northern Dispatch Army of Japan, launched an attack on the Dingbei Army on the front line of the Sikhote Mountains in the Far Eastern Province, and the Japanese army chose to focus on the attack near the Eagle Gorge in the Sikhote Mountains.

At 8:30 a.m., the Japanese dispatch army from northern China concentrated more than 1,000 artillery pieces with a caliber of more than 75 mm and began a fierce artillery bombardment of the Dingbei Army's position near the Eagle Gorge, about 100 kilometers southwest of the Wild Boar River Wharf.

The 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 8th and 14th Divisions of the five A Divisions of the Dingbei Army built a defensive position more than 10 kilometers long in the Sikhote Mountains according to the topography, and the fortifications about 2 kilometers near the Eagle Gorge were the key points of defense of the Dingbei Army, because the entire Sikhote Mountains, unless it was a few hundred kilometers around, the most suitable place for a large army to march through the Sikhote Mountains was the Eagle Gorge.

Eagle Gorge is a canyon in the Sikhote Mountains, the narrowest part of the whole canyon is more than 40 meters, and the terrain in the canyon is flat, the hills on both sides are not high in elevation, the Dingbei Army expected that Eagle Gorge will definitely become the focus of the Japanese attack, so not only built 3 positions in the east of the mouth of the Eagle Gorge, but also built a large number of fortifications on the hills on both sides of the Eagle Gorge, and even on the passage in the Eagle Gorge, 8 positions were built with the hill fortifications on both sides, and it was the third division that guarded the positions near the Eagle Gorge, Several other divisions will also be able to reinforce the 3rd Division at any time.

The 5 Dingbei Army A integrated divisions guarding the front line of the Sikhote Mountains. The 2nd and 14th divisions sent only part of their troops, and the 2nd division was to defend Vladivostok with only 1 infantry brigade and 1 heavy artillery brigade armed with 40 155-mm heavy howitzers. Coming to the front line of the Sikhote Mountains, the 14th Division had other parts of the Far Eastern Province to guard, and only one infantry brigade was sent over, so the task of resisting the Japanese mainly fell on the 3rd, 7th, and 8th Divisions, which were all over the army.

"Boom-boom-boom-" Countless shells fell on the first line of positions built by the Dingbei Army outside the mouth of the gorge east of the Eagle Gorge during this period, and the bombed positions were dusty, and many trenches dug by the Dingbei Army were blown up. Fortunately, there were not many officers and soldiers in Dingbei on the position, and most of the officers and soldiers in Dingbei were hiding in the anti-artillery holes. Therefore, the 10-minute artillery bombardment did not bring many casualties to the officers and men of the 1st Regiment of the 3rd Division guarding the first line of positions outside the gorge.

The Japanese artillery bombardment did not think about how much damage it could bring to the Northern Army, but mainly had some meaning to give courage to the Japanese infantry in charge of the charge, and with the end of the shelling for ten minutes. The 16th Division of the Japanese Army first sent 1 brigade of troops to carry out the first tentative attack.

More than 500 Japanese officers and men soon approached a distance of 5 to 600 meters from the first line of positions outside the mouth of the Eagle Gorge, when shells from the artillery of the Dingbei Army fell on the head of the Japanese assault group.

In addition to the artillery of the 3rd Division, there are also artillery units of the 7th Division, as well as the heavy artillery brigade of the 2nd Division, which is equipped with 40 155-mm heavy howitzers, not counting the mortars of the 2 divisions, but more than 650 artillery pieces with a caliber of more than 75 mm, and there are 120 155-mm heavy howitzers such as big killers.

However, for the tentative attack of the Japanese army. These guns, with a caliber of more than 75 mm, did not shoot, and for the Japanese troops of the 1 brigade, it was not worth revealing the location of the artillery positions. Rather, on the first line of positions outside the mouth of Eagle Gorge, the regiment guarding the position belonged to 88-mm mortars and 60-mm mortars, and shelled one brigade of the charging Japanese army.

Although the more than 500 Japanese officers and men of this brigade were very scattered, they were also bombed by the sudden mortars, and the losses were not small, but the Japanese officers and men did not stop at all. Shouting "onboard", he rushed to the position of the Dingbei Army in front.

As the charging Japanese approached the position, the light and heavy machine guns on the position began to fire fiercely. One by one, the Japanese army fell 100 meters away in front of the first position outside the mouth of the Eagle Gorge, and soon the first tentative attack of the Japanese army was repulsed, and less than 100 Japanese officers and soldiers of more than 500 Japanese officers and soldiers of one brigade could retreat, and this was still the commander of the 16th Division, Yamanaka Nobuyo, ordered this Japanese brigade to stop attacking, otherwise this brigade was likely to be completely wiped out in front of the position of the Dingbei Army.

Yamanaka Nobuyi and the division commander of the 17th Division, Senba Taro, were both in a hidden headquarters behind the battlefield, using binoculars to observe the effect of the tentative attack, but at this time, the two of them had already put down their binoculars, their faces were solemn, and Yamanaka Nobuyi said: "The firepower of the Dingbei Army is indeed strong, this kind of artillery called mortar, the power is not weak, it is still a curve-based artillery, which can attack targets behind the shelter, we should build the army of the Yì Empire to equip this mortar." ”

"I heard that several divisions attacking Sakhalin have already built a base camp for the Imperial Arsenal to develop this kind of mortar," Senba said. Now our tentative attack this time was in vain, and the large-caliber artillery of the Dingbei Army was not used at all, and this temptation was repulsed. ”

In addition to testing the reality of the first line of positions outside the mouth of the Eagle Gorge of the Dingbei Army, the Japanese army's exploratory attack also aimed at drawing out the firing of the Dingbei Army's large-caliber artillery, so that the Japanese artillery observers could find the location of the Dingbei Army's artillery positions, and then bombard the Dingbei Army's artillery positions.

Yamanaka Xinyi said in a deep voice: "It seems that the strength of one brigade cannot pose any pressure on the first line of positions of the Dingbei Army outside the mouth of the Eagle Gorge, I think that the strength of one wing must be dispatched below to arouse the pressure of the Dingbei Army, so that their large-caliber artillery must support the front-line positions, alas, the terrain here cannot send more troops to charge at the same time." ”

Senba Taro nodded and said, "It seems that there is only one wing to be dispatched, Yamanaka-kun, let my 17th Division launch an attack!" In addition, I am ready to let the artillery shell the positions of the Dingbei Army all the time. ”

Yamanaka Nobuyi nodded and said: "I agree with Xianba-kun's Jianyi, although firing artillery all the time will make the warriors close to the position of the Dingbei Army easy to be injured by mistake, but it can bring a continuous blow to the defending Dingbei Army, and this kind of charge under artillery bombardment can show the bravery of our Great Japanese Army, and it is easy to break through the enemy's position." ”

Subsequently, the 17th Division of the Japanese Army dispatched the strength of 1 wing, and under the cover of artillery fire, launched an attack on the first line of positions outside the mouth of the Eagle Gorge.

This time, the artillery of the Dingbei Army with a caliber of more than 75 mm finally opened fire, and these artillery hidden in the Sikhote Mountains not only fired shells at the heads of the charging Japanese troops, but also bombarded the artillery positions behind the Japanese troops according to the coordinates given by the artillery observers of the Dingbei Army.

Soon after, the observers of the Japanese artillery also told the Japanese artillery officer who commanded the artillery of the Dingbei Army the coordinates of the artillery position, and the tragic artillery battle between the Dingbei Army and the Japanese army began. The artillery of both sides basically fired a few shots, and then they had to move their positions, otherwise they would immediately be bombarded by the covering shells of the opposing artillery.

The Japanese artillery had 3 independent heavy artillery brigades and a large number of 75-mm guns drawn from 18 divisions, making the Japanese artillery more than 1,000 guns and occupying an advantage in numbers.

However, although the artillery of the Dingbei Army was only more than 650 guns, and the number was weak, the position of the artillery position of the Dingbei Army was blocked by obstacles, and the effect of the Japanese artillery bombardment was not so ideal.

The 17th Division of the Japanese Army dispatched 1 wing to attack in less than 20 minutes, and the wing of more than 2,000 people was left with less than 300 people, and even the first position outside the gorge of the Eagle Gorge of the Dingbei Army did not rush up, at this time the 16th Division then sent a wing to join the attack.

It turned out that the remnants of the Japanese officers and soldiers of the 17th Division did not receive an order to retreat, so they had to follow the newly reinforced wing and continue to attack the first line of positions outside the mouth of the Eagle Gorge of the Dingbei Army, regardless of casualties.

Half an hour later, the 17th Division sent another wing to join the attack team, and the Japanese artillery, except for a part of the artillery battle with the Dingbei Army, the remaining artillery has not stopped bombarding the first position outside the mouth of the Eagle Gorge of the Dingbei Army, bringing a lot of casualties to the officers and men of Dingbei who guarded the 1 regiment of this position. You will enter the first line of positions outside the mouth of Eagle Gorge to resist the frantic attack of the Japanese army.

Due to the limitation of the terrain, it is impossible for the two sides to invest too many troops at one time outside the mouth of the Eagle Gorge, and the Dingbei Army is better, they are the defending side, as long as enough defensive troops are placed on the position.

However, the Japanese army, as the attacker, had to choose the tactics of adding fuel to the army, and one wing after another was sent up, and then these wings were sent up, and they would be severely damaged in a short time.

Because Japan has vigorously propagated the spirit of bushido in recent years, the current Japanese army is much stronger in combat and more tenacious in combat consciousness than a few years ago, and within a few hundred meters of the first position outside the gorge of the Eagle Gorge, layers of Japanese officers and soldiers have not only not weakened the Japanese offensive, but even aroused the wildness of the Japanese army...... (To be continued) R655