The 9th Division of the Japanese Army, which was the main attacker, was supported by the artillery of the 4th Division, and similarly, the 6th Infantry Division of the Jilin Army, which was in front of the Xiliu defense, was also supported by the divisional artillery battalion of the 7th Infantry Division, bringing their number of 105-mm light howitzers to 72, twice that of the Japanese army. Of course, the number of 75-mm field guns was only a quarter of that of the Japanese army. However, the Jilin Army's 75-mm field guns had a rate of fire more than three times that of the Japanese Army's Meiji 31-year 75-mm field guns. If calculated in this way, the Jilin Army will not suffer a loss in artillery.

At 11 o'clock in the morning, Lieutenant General Katsuka Tsukamoto, commander of the 9th Division of the Japanese Army, who had completed the pre-war preparations, gave the order to attack, and for a time, hundreds of artillery pieces began to pour shells on the positions of the Jilin Army.

"Boom! Rumble! Rumble! ”

One by one, 105-mm light howitzers and 75-mm field guns were roaring, and one shell after another was whistling towards the position of the Jilin Army, and the piercing whistling sound produced by the shells cutting through the air at high speed was as if it were about to puncture people's eardrums.

"Shelling, hide!"

The officers and men of the Jilin Army on the position immediately drilled into the anti-artillery hole. Even those who didn't have time to get into the anti-artillery holes were lying dead on the trenches. Trenches that are more than 1.5 meters deep can still steadily resist the shells of field artillery. Of course, the defense against 105-mm shells, a little worse. If the shells fall directly into the trenches, that's a different story.

The defensive positions hastily constructed by the Jilin Army were not so strong. However, it was still enough to deal with the Japanese artillery fire. Together with the Jilin Army's own artillery, as soon as the Japanese shelling began, suppression began. As a result, the Jilin Army suffered few casualties under the heavy shelling of the Japanese army.

Less than five minutes after the start of the Japanese shelling, the artillery of the Jilin Army had already begun to suppress. As many as 72 105-mm light howitzers, using the company as a group, rained shells on the Japanese artillery positions. The 105mm howitzers equipped by the Jilin Army have a greater firing range than the old 105mm howitzers used by the Japanese army. This made it easy for them to bring the Japanese artillery positions into their range of attack.

When shells fell around their artillery positions, the Japanese could not help but panic. The officers and men of the 9th Field Artillery Wing and the 9th Field Heavy Artillery Brigade of the Japanese Army were okay and were able to continue firing. However, the 4th Field Artillery Wing and the 4th Field Heavy Artillery Brigade were some people who were panicked. If it weren't for the officer's bullet pressure, maybe they would have already slipped away.

"Boom! Rumble! ”

Two shells hit a Japanese artillery position, on which 12 Meiji 31-year field guns were deployed. The shock wave of the explosion of the shell swept the entire artillery position over. Countless Japanese artillery. It was directly lifted away, and the cannon was pushed to the ground. The Japanese artillerymen who survived were even more scattered and fled.

"Mom, the artillery fire of the people in China is too fierce to be able to fight down, otherwise, the little life will be over." This destroyed artillery position happened to be a position subordinate to the 4th Wing of the Japanese Field Artillery. The escape of these Japanese soldiers. It also affected the two adjacent positions, allowing the Japanese artillery fire. At one point, it weakened a lot.

"Baga, stop them, whoever dares to flee without obeying the order, they will be killed!" Lieutenant General Katsuka Tsukamoto yelled.

Groups of Japanese military policemen, armed with rifles, aimed at the artillerymen who were about to escape. Someone even erected a heavy machine gun.

"Tsukamoto-kun, they are all their own people, why bother? Go back and keep fighting! Hikaru Inoue stepped forward and scolded the artillerymen who fled without permission. Those artillerymen. I had to return to the position in despair and continue to attack. After all, those guys in the Ninth Division have a tendon in their heads, and if they dare not obey orders, those guys may really dare to shoot.

"Yaga, they actually dare to aim their guns at their own people, and when I return to Japan, I will definitely report them." A junior officer of the 4th Wing of the Japanese Field Artillery said angrily.

The other artillerymen also looked like they hated the same enemy. In their opinion, putting them in the most dangerous battlefield is undoubtedly killing them! One of the main reasons why they chose to serve as artillerymen was that they did not have to charge with rifles in the face of the enemy's bullets like infantrymen. In this case, the probability of surviving safely will undoubtedly be higher.

In the fierce artillery battle between the two sides, the Japanese artillery could not take advantage of it at all. The artillery positions of the 105-mm light howitzers of the Jilin Army were almost all arranged outside the effective range of the Japanese artillery, making it almost impossible for the Japanese artillery to destroy the artillery of the Jilin Army. Even if you occasionally hit the target, it's just luck.

As a result, the Japanese artillery was only able to pour artillery fire on the infantry positions of the Jilin Army. However, under the suppression of the artillery of the Jilin Army, the effect of the Japanese artillery bombardment was also very limited. In order to evade the artillery fire of the Jilin Army, they had to shift their positions at any time, which affected the efficiency of the fire. Combined with the loss of artillery and artillery, the Japanese shelling ended in a hurry for only half an hour.

"Yamaguchi-kun, this attack will be carried out by your brigade. Please be sure to break through the defenses of the Shina people. Lieutenant General Katsuka Tsukamoto said solemnly.

"Hey, Your Excellency the division commander, please rest assured, your subordinates will definitely break through the defense line of the Chinese people." Major General Katsu Yamaguchi, commander of the 18th Infantry Brigade of the Japanese Army, assured with a confident face.

Ten minutes later, the 14th Infantry Wing and the 36th Infantry Wing under the 18th Infantry Brigade of the Japanese Army launched an attack on the defense line of the 6th Infantry Division of the Jilin Army. Their main attack position was the section of the defense line defended by the 62nd Infantry Regiment of the Jilin Army.

As soon as the Japanese offensive began, nine 75-mm field guns of the regimental artillery battery of the 62nd Infantry Regiment began to rain shells on the Japanese. Although the artillery fire of the Jilin Army was also fierce, the formation of the Japanese attack was too scattered and did not cause too many casualties to the Japanese army. Those Japanese infantrymen, still under the leadership of the low-ranking officers of the Japanese army holding command knives, marched on their legs and quickly attacked the position of the Jilin Army.

It's just that soon they were within range of mortars. The battalion's 120-mm heavy mortars, the company's 80-mm medium mortars, and the platoon's 60-mm light mortars opened fire one after another, immediately plunging the Japanese army into a dense fire attack by the Jilin Army.

In the dense explosion of shells, countless Japanese infantry were blown up, and scattered shrapnel harvested the lives of these Japanese soldiers. Such a fierce artillery fire of the Jilin Army made the Japanese Army, which was fighting with the Jilin Army for the first time, a little uncomfortable. However, the fierce Japanese soldiers were not defeated because of this, but more like they stimulated their ferocity, making them scream like wild beasts and continue to attack.

At least, this ferocious style of play of the Japanese army could not be effective at all under the intensive firepower of the Jilin Army. Especially after entering the fire of light and heavy machine guns, the Japanese attack was like sending them to death.

Even if the formation is dispersed, there is still no way back in the face of crossfire from machine guns. Repeatedly, Japanese soldiers were shot and fell to the ground, ending their criminal lives.

"Baga, the firepower of these people is stronger than that of Lao Maozi!" Lieutenant General Katsuka Tsukamoto's face was gloomy. In the Russo-Japanese War, the strong firepower of the Russian army left a deep impression on the Japanese army, which made the Japanese army strengthen the construction of machine gun vitality after the war. But now, the Jilin Army is obviously equipped with much more machine guns than the Russian army!

"With so many machine guns, how many bullets do you need! Could it be that the people of China have reached such a point of wealth? Lieutenant General Hikaru Inoue muttered. Like many officers of the Fourth Division, he immediately began to calculate how many bullets and military expenses the Jilin Army would need to consume to fight such a battle. The final conclusion made Lieutenant General Inoue roll his eyes. If it were the Japanese Army, it would never have allowed such a waste.

The attack of the 18th Infantry Brigade of the Japanese Army, under the intensive fire of the Jilin Army, suffered heavy losses and had to choose to retreat.

Lieutenant General Katsuka Tsukamoto complained that the 4th Division did not launch a diversionary attack when the 9th Division was attacking, while Lieutenant General Inoue Hikaru believed that his decision was the right one. Otherwise, the soldiers of the Fourth Division would also be hit by the fierce fire of the Jilin Army, which would cause even more heavy casualties.

At noon that day, Wu Haoxuan arrived at the front line to inspect the troops.

"General Zhao, how is it? Can you withstand the Japanese attack, right? ”

"Young Marshal, the Japanese army attacked once in the morning, and it looked very fierce. However, we were still repulsed. Major General Zhao Tianlong said.

"That's supposed to be the Ninth Division. By the way, the 1st Heavy Artillery Brigade will arrive this afternoon. When the time comes, your stress will be relieved. Wu Haoxuan said with a smile.

As the most powerful artillery firepower of the Jilin Army, how could the 144 155mm heavy howitzers of the 1st Heavy Artillery Brigade miss the final decisive battle? When the time comes, it is time for little Japan to taste how fierce the artillery fire of the Jilin Army is.

"That's a good idea. However, young marshal, I propose to focus the blow on the 4th Division of the Japanese Army. If we can defeat the Japanese Fourth Division, maybe we will be able to take the opportunity to encircle the Japanese Ninth Division and eat them before they retreat to the camp. In this way, we will be able to gain the upper hand. Major General Zhao Tianlong said.

Wu Haoxuan nodded, after the heavy artillery brigade came to fight, it was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity. (To be continued......)

PS: The fourth update is here, the last three hours of double monthly passes, do book friends still have monthly passes? Smash them all at the fish! Thank you for the tips of Shuyi Geyi Bo Yuntian, Mei Luoxue, and N Xueyi N! Thank you for the monthly pass of book friends jaqq, CNMINYU, 13422718554, Niu A Niu, Sunny Day Fire Phoenix, Tang Tang 781206, Look at Ha Look Again, wuhongjun, and Liu Lijin of Dongshan Village, Ningxiang County!