The 543rd Regiment went to the position, and after making some changes and reinforcements to some fortifications that were not very satisfactory on the position, it quietly waited for the Japanese attack on the position. After learning about the use of all artillery in the city, Tang Yikuan had some opinions on Li Yuanhong's practice of not daring to use artillery boldly for fear of being counterattacked by the Japanese army.

Because Wang Haitao has always emphasized the supremacy of firepower in battle, when he can use firepower to hit the enemy, he is not allowed to use the lives of soldiers to fight the enemy. This is also the difference between Wang Haitao's troops and other national army units. Other national army units did not care about the soldiers, and they were unable to equip them with powerful firepower, only Wang Haitao's troops were equipped with a large number of artillery and other heavy weapons at any cost.

The 91st and 92nd Divisions all had a lot of new German weapons, and mortars were also equipped with companies. Half of the 93rd Division is equipped with new German weapons, and mortars have been equipped to the platoon level, while the 90th Division is fully German equipment, and mortars are not only equipped to the platoon level, but also a considerable number. Each battalion of the 90th Division also had two 12.7 mm caliber Gaoping dual-purpose twin heavy machine guns, which were not available in other divisions.

At present, there are 24 Japanese-style 75-caliber mountain guns in Huaining County alone, as well as 24 Japanese-style 105-caliber howitzers, and no less than 2 or 300 mortars. The 542nd Regiment also had a separate field artillery battalion with 12 German-style 75-caliber field guns. In fact, the number of artillery in Huaining City has exceeded that of a division of the Japanese army, and it is only because the Japanese army has an independent heavy artillery brigade that Li Yuanhong does not dare to start using these artillery.

Tang Yikuan learned about the Japanese offensive during this period of time, and learned that basically every day there would be Japanese planes to help in the battle, and in the battle with the Japanese planes, although they also shot down more than 10 Japanese planes, their own losses were also relatively serious, and the Japanese planes carried heavy aerial bombs every time, and the power of this kind of bomb was huge, and within a range of several tens of meters around the explosion point, it was unlikely that the soldiers would survive. This is also an important reason for the heavy losses of the 277th Brigade.

Li Yuanhong's words made Tang Yikuan pay more attention to the matter of defense, and Tang Yikuan ordered all the Gaoping dual-purpose twin heavy machine guns of the brigade to be transferred to the city, build anti-air fortifications, and cooperate with the original Type 6 or 7 heavy machine guns to establish the first air defense fire network in Huaining County. Twenty vehicle-mounted anti-aircraft guns were built behind the city walls to create a second line of anti-aircraft fire.

After arranging the air defense task, Tang Yikuan divided the artillery into several positions, and the firing range of the artillery of different calibers was different, so it was set up separately, so that Mo could be notified to open fire at one position as needed. Heavy mortars were placed behind the walls to return fire from artillery fire that was covering the Japanese attack. Finally, the small-caliber mortars, because they could move flexibly, were all moved with the troops, and were used to fight the attacking Japanese infantry when needed.

Tang Yikuan issued the orders one by one, and his own officers followed the orders. Just when preparations were almost made in Huaining County, the Japanese 101st Division also completed the preparations, and the artillery wing of the division also set up an artillery position six kilometers away from Huaining County, and the 101st Infantry Brigade under the command of the brigade commander, Major General Sato Shozaburo, also entered the offensive position of the original 5th Division, and along with the 101st Infantry Brigade arrived at the offensive position, there was also an independent heavy mortar wing and a tank squadron.

On the Japanese offensive position, Major General Shozaburo Sato, the brigade commander of the 101st Infantry Brigade, was using a telescope to observe the Huaining county town facing him, and beside him was the wing commander of the artillery wing, Hidenosuke Yamada. After observing for a long time, Major General Shozaburo Sato turned to Hidenosuke Yamada and said: "Yamada-kun, the people of Shina are now completely relying on this city wall to block our attack, if we can't destroy this city wall, then it will be difficult for our soldiers to attack the city, can Yamada-kun's artillery destroy part of the city wall?"

Hidenosuke Yamada also observed the opposite wall, listened to Sato Shozaburo's question, and replied: "Your Excellency, Brigade Commander, if I concentrate the artillery of the whole company and bombard this wall for a long time, I may be able to destroy a section of the wall. Sato Shozaburo nodded and said, "Yo Xi, then ask Yamada-kun to command the artillery to start bombing, I won't send infantry to attack until the city wall is destroyed, that will only increase the casualties of the infantry." ”

Hidenosuke Yamada replied, "Hey, I'll immediately go and command the artillery wing to carry out an artillery attack." An hour later, the Japanese began shelling the walls of Huaining County. Most of the shells hit the walls and walls, and a small number landed inside and outside the walls. With the rumbling of the shells, the city walls also shook, and all the soldiers of the 543rd Regiment at the head of the city entered the anti-artillery holes, leaving only a few observation posts in the bunkers.

The soldiers of the 543rd Regiment were all veterans of a hundred battles, and this kind of shelling was simply pediatric for them. The regiment commander Tang Weimin listened to the sound of artillery and said to Tang Yiqiang, the commander of the first battalion beside him: "Listening to the sound of artillery, the caliber of small Japanese artillery is not large, and the damage to the city wall is not great with this kind of shell, don't worry." Tang Yiqiang replied: "Tuanzuo, I'm afraid that the city wall will not be able to stand after a long time, right? ”

Tang Weimin replied: "I think there will be countermeasures in the brigade, let's not worry about it, just be careful not to let the little Japanese attack." Tang Weimin was right, at this time, Tang Yikuan and Li Yuanhong were discussing countermeasures in the headquarters in the city. Tang Yikuan said: "Yuanhong, now this city wall is a very effective position to block the Japanese army, and we can't let the Japanese army carry out artillery bombardment so recklessly, it seems that we must also use artillery to strike at the Japanese artillery position." ”

Li Yuanhong said: "Brigade Commander Tang, in the attack of the Japanese army in front, heavy artillery was used, and the report of the reconnaissance regiment also made it very clear that the Japanese army has an independent heavy artillery brigade, and now the Japanese army's heavy artillery has not yet been used.

Tang Yikuan asked, "Then apart from using artillery to return fire, do you have any other good ways to stop the Japanese shelling?" Li Yuanhong shook his head and said nothing. Tang Yikuan said: "How can there be anything that is not sacrificed in a war? As long as it is worth it, then sacrifice is also necessary." If the Japanese army continues to bombard like this, the city wall will be finished sooner or later, and the sacrifices of the era will be even greater. ”

Hearing Tang Yikuan's words, Li Yuanhong could only say: "Okay, but I suggest that only part of the artillery be used, so that the artillery of Little Japan cannot shell so unscrupulously." Tang Yikuan smiled and said, "Of course I won't put all my eggs in one basket." After speaking, let his subordinates go down and find Liu Xiayu, the commander of the artillery battalion.

Liu Xiayu turned out to be the deputy company commander of the artillery company of the 542nd Regiment Fire Battalion, and naturally knew the old brigade commander Tang Yikuan. As soon as he entered the door, Liu Xiayu saw Tang Yikuan and shouted loudly: "Report to Brigade Commander Tang, Brigade Commander Li, and Artillery Battalion Commander Liu Xiayu was ordered to come and report!" Tang Yikuan looked at Liu Xiayu and said with a smile: "Yes, I became the battalion commander." ”

Liu Xiayu could only smile. Tang Yikuan continued: "Battalion Commander Liu, there is a task to be entrusted to you, you immediately send observers to the city wall, observe the azimuth coordinates of the Japanese artillery position, and then use the 105 howitzer to strike at the Japanese artillery position. Liu Xiayu's artillery battalion has not been able to fire a shell since it arrived in Huaining County, and it has long been holding its breath, when he heard that there was a task, he jumped up excitedly, and replied: "Yes, the artillery battalion guarantees to complete the task!" and then turned his legs and ran out.

Li Yuanhong hurriedly shouted, "Battalion Commander Liu, wait a minute." Your 105 howitzer position should be prepared to respond to Japanese artillery fire. Ten minutes after the shelling of the Japanese troops, if the Japanese troops did not return fire, they stopped the shelling and moved their positions. If the Japanese begin to return fire, they should move their positions with minimal casualties and abandon their artillery if necessary. ”

After Liu Xiayu hesitated for a moment, he saw that Tang Yikuan also nodded, so he replied: "Yes, Brigade Commander Li, I will definitely do a good job of protection." Then he turned and left. Liu Xiayu returned to the artillery camp, first sent two observation teams to the city wall, and then rushed to the 105 howitzer position. When the artillery of the position saw that the battalion commander was coming, they all surrounded him at once.

Liu Xiayu didn't wait for the artillerymen to speak, and first said loudly: "Brothers, the artillery battalion has a mission, and everyone is ready to shell the artillery positions of Little Japan!" Liu Xiayu's words made these artillerymen on the position cheer. Liu Xiayu also arranged for everyone to make preparations to prevent the Japanese artillery counterattack, and all kinds of protective measures were in place one by one. The shelling of the Japanese troops outside the city did not stop, and the continuous sound of explosions made the soldiers more eager to shell the Japanese artillery positions.

Finally, the observation team transmitted the azimuth coordinates of the Japanese artillery position from the city wall, and Liu Xiayu, who was already waiting anxiously, asked the gunner to aim according to the azimuth coordinates for a while, and then load the ammunition. When everything was ready, Liu Xiayu shouted: "Open the artillery!" Twenty-four 105 howitzers roared one after another, and one shell after another flew out of the barrel and flew towards the Japanese artillery position.

The Japanese shelling stopped, and the sound of explosions, gunsmoke, and fire were heard in the distance. The observer immediately sent the news of the hit back to the artillery battalion. Liu Xiayu knew that the first batch of shells had hit the target, and ordered the shelling to continue to be shelled according to the coordinates up and down. Perhaps the Japanese army was simmered, and the artillery battalion did not counterattack the artillery battalion after ten minutes of shelling, but Liu Xiayu still followed the order, stopped the shelling, and began to shift the position.

The sudden artillery counterattack in Huaining City surprised the brigade commander Sato Shozaburo on the Japanese position, and the Fifth Division did not encounter the defenders' artillery counterattack when attacking, so the commander of the Ito Masaki Division of the 101st Division did not guard against the defenders' artillery counterattack, and Sato Shozaburo naturally did not think of it. This artillery counterattack by the defenders caused the artillery wing of the 101st Division to lose half of its artillery, and the artillery also suffered many casualties. What is even more fatal is that the artillery wing does not dare to recklessly shell Huaining County as before.