The counterattack of the Kwantung Army

After listening to the chief of staff's explanation, the brigade commander's nervous heart relaxed a little. After a short period of contemplation, he spoke very approvingly.

"Yo Xi, Chief of Staff, you're right. Although the artillery fire of the people of China is very sharp. However, as long as we hold out until dawn, no matter how powerful their artillery units are, they will be the best targets in front of our Imperial Japanese Air Force. At that time, we will be able to launch a counteroffensive against the opposite China under the cover of aviation, recovering all positions in one fell swoop..."

"Hayi, Your Excellency the Brigade Commander is wise...."

The brigade commander who regained his confidence, after receiving an affirmative answer from the chief of staff. Without any hesitation, he commanded very confidently to the subordinates in front of him.

"Order, after the end of the shelling of China, the 1st Infantry Brigade will immediately enter the position and swear to block the offensive of the Chinans. In addition, tell the captain of the 1st Brigade that during the battle, it is necessary to guard against the artillery attack of the Chinese people and reduce the losses of the troops as much as possible..."

"Ha Yi, I'm going to give orders right away...."

Amid the rumbling of gunfire, more than two hours passed in a blink of an eye. Although the East China Field Army has a powerful artillery unit, as the Japanese army continues to change its defensive strategy, and at this moment, the little devils who are confronting the soldiers are all veterans of the Kwantung Army.

After a two-hour attack, the Seventh Corps once again suffered nearly 1,000 casualties. However, the whole offensive, apart from the killing and wounding of a large number of defenders, did not achieve any tangible results.

Inside the former enemy headquarters of the Sixth Corps. In front of the position, another regiment-scale attack, under the Japanese army's sworn counterattack, was like a wave that gradually dissipated, quickly defeated and retreated, leaving corpses everywhere in front of the Japanese position. Commander Chen Geng's hands clenched the telescope, and finally couldn't help but start to tremble.

With the retreat of the attacking forces. The troops could not capture the Japanese positions for a long time. Once again, it was shrouded in the powerful artillery fire of the East China Field Army. It's just that I don't know how much damage such a fierce artillery fire can bring to the Japanese army....

After putting down the binoculars and feeling the solemn atmosphere of the headquarters. Commander Chen Geng said to Han Liancheng, chief of staff beside him.

"Old Han. How many times has this been the offensive of the troops? ”

"It's the fourth time....the little devil who stuck to the position, as if he couldn't finish blowing up, just finished blowing up a batch, and followed closely. Another batch rushed up. What's more, after several battles, the little devil's counterattack firepower is becoming more and more tricky. In the battle just now, I carefully observed that we had so many artillery pieces in the air, but we only destroyed less than 10 Japanese firing points. Chief of Staff Han Liancheng replied with a look of hatred.

"The Kwantung Army is worthy of being the strongest in Japan. One of the most well-trained army units. When I saw it today, it really lived up to its name. However, even if the Kwantung Army on the opposite side arranges the position into an iron wall, I, Chen Geng, will break a gap for him today..."Chen Geng said with emotion.

However, as soon as his words fell, Chief of Staff Han Liancheng reminded him very carefully.

"Commander. With the combat effectiveness of our army, it is certain to break through the positions in front of us. It's just a matter of time, and after a few attacks just now, there will be an hour at most. The sky is about to dawn. When the time comes, carrier-based aircraft of the Japanese army. It will definitely come over our heads, and we, because of the arrival of Japanese carrier-based aircraft, will lose the only advantage in artillery fire..."

"Old Han, if nothing else, the arrival of the Japanese carrier-based aircraft will not only be as simple as losing the advantage of artillery fire for us. Judging from the situation just now, the Japanese army only sent a large group of troops to defend our four attacks. According to what we have learned, on the opposite position, there is a whole brigade of more than 7,000 elite devils. Therefore, I always felt that the Japanese army had never used their main forces, and that there must have been some kind of conspiracy brewing....", '

"Conspiracy, Commander, you mean that the Japanese intend to counterattack after the arrival of carrier-based aircraft. Regain the two lines of defense that we have worked so hard to occupy..."Chief of Staff Han Liancheng immediately realized something, and quickly asked rhetorically

"The counterattack is for sure... Such a good opportunity, as long as the Japanese commander is not stupid, he will definitely not miss it, and it will be more and faster, and they will still have absolute air superiority...."Chen Geng replied affirmatively. ..., followed by Han Liancheng, the chief of staff beside him, and ordered: "Old Han, immediately notify all artillery units to transfer." Be sure to disappear into the eyes of the Japanese army before dawn. In addition, the 17th Army was informed that, with the exception of one division of troops left to defend the defensive line we occupied, the remaining combat units would immediately retreat to the mountains and forests two kilometers away. ”

"Yes, Commander......"

When the sky was just getting dark, three black dots appeared in the sky. At the same time, three huge engine roars also overwhelmed the roaring guns on the battlefield and reached the ears of everyone on the ground.

For a time, the battlefield, which had been fighting all night, was quiet in a very short time. The troops of both sides of the enemy and ours also disengaged and withdrew to their positions at the first time.

In the former enemy headquarters of the Japanese army, looking at the rapidly retreating East China Field Army, everyone breathed a long sigh of relief, and their faces also showed a trace of relaxation.

"Brigade commander, our air reinforcements have arrived, and the people of China have finally begun to retreat...", the chief of staff said with an excited face.

"Yo Xi, the time has finally come for the Imperial Japanese Army to counterattack. The chief of staff immediately gave an order to the bomber crews that had come over to reinforce the Sino position to immediately carry out saturation bombing to avenge the warriors who died last night. At the same time, the higher authorities were asked to send reconnaissance planes to find the artillery positions in China and destroy them. Finally, notify all units to immediately count the casualties of the troops and prepare for the next counteroffensive. As the order was given, a confident smile quickly appeared on the face of the brigade commander.

"Hayi..."

The three light bombers, under the control of the three pilots and with a huge whistling sound, began to circle back and forth to drop bombs on the second line of defense that the East China Field Army had just occupied. In less than ten minutes, the entire position was completely enveloped in flames from the explosion of bombs.

Of course, with the aircraft as a weapon of war, the only remaining artillery of the entire brigade ....all kinds of mortars, not far behind, shot shells into the positions where the soldiers were hiding, and from time to time set off clouds of blood mist...

Seeing the position in front of him that had fallen into a sea of fire, the expression on the face of the brigade commander in the former enemy headquarters of the Japanese army can be said to be unusually rich, excited, excited, and happy...

However, at this moment, the chief of staff walked in quickly.

"Brigade commander, the battle damage has been counted. In the face of the four attacks of the Chinese people, we paid a total of more than 2,000 casualties. Of these, the direct losses (including the seriously wounded) were more than 1,500 troops. So far, the entire brigade still has more than 5,500 combatable soldiers, of which three infantry brigades are fully established..."

"Very good, although a lot of troops have been lost. However, we got through the most difficult moments. Next, it was time for our Kwantung Army to counterattack. I believe that the three elite infantry brigades of our Kwantung Army, which are fully staffed, with the reinforcement of air fighters, can completely deal a fatal blow to the opposing Chinese troops. The brigade commander said confidently.

"Your Excellency the Brigade Commander, please give the order.," said the Chief of Staff.

"Order: After the second wave of carrier-based bomber reinforcements arrives. The fourth, fifth, and sixth infantry battalions, under the cover of a bomber crew and a mortar squadron, launched a counteroffensive from three sides, east, west, and north, to the opposite positions in China. It is required that the three infantry brigades must completely annihilate all the Chinese troops on the second line of defense and recapture the second line of defense. Then, the three infantry brigades, under the cover of aerial bombers, continued to counterattack and completely drove the people of China out of our positions...."Quietly looking at the second line of defense that had turned into a sea of fire in front of him, the brigade commander ordered in a deep voice.

"Ha Yi, I'm going to give orders right away..."

As soon as the second wave of nine bombers flew over the battlefield, under the guidance of the ground communications troops, they launched an even more fierce bombardment attack on the 51st Division of the 17th Army, which was holding on to the second line of defense. Of course, in the process of bombing, three heavily armed infantry brigades, also at the first time, rushed to the place of attack and began to launch a surprise attack on the 51st Division under the cover of heavy weapons such as aircraft, mortars, heavy machine guns ....

"Division commander, the position of the 152nd Regiment was fiercely attacked by an infantry brigade of little devils. The bombs and shells of the little devils were like they didn't want money, desperately smashing them on our positions. Coupled with the fact that time is running out, we simply don't have time to build any fortifications on the position... In less than an hour, the 152 regiment paid more than a thousand casualties ... The position has reached a precarious point. Commander, what should we do next? On the battlefield filled with gunsmoke, the chief of staff of the 51st Division reported with an anxious face.

"Division commander, not only the 152nd regiment. The 151 and 153 regiments also suffered heavy losses. According to the Japanese army's attack method, in two hours at most, our whole division will have to explain here....Division commander, think of a way? The political commissar followed, also with an anxious face.

I saw the two anxious partners in front of me, and not far away, I saw the troops who were still fighting under artillery fire. The division commander's heart was also very anxious. However, before getting orders from his superiors, the only thing he could do was to hold on. Thinking of this, as the division commander, he could only shake his head helplessly, and then spoke.

"Commissar, Chief of Staff. Without orders, we can only hold on. In a word, the people are in the position, and we must not give up the position that we have worked so hard to fight to the little devils. In this way, there were three of us, one of us went to a regiment. In any case, hold on to the end..."

"Yes, division commander, the people are in the position ......."

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