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Chapter 428: Gatling Machine Cannon

With Johnston's categorical order, almost all of the remaining more than 700 guns of large and small calibers in the front-line artillery division that had not yet been transported were turned around and began to enter new shelling coordinates and adjust the high and low planes and direction machines. And with the fastest speed, they launched an artillery bombardment on the US Army units that were launching a large-scale offensive in the distance.

"Lao Li, I just received a telegram from the headquarters that the Fourth Cavalry Division, which was defending the southern hilly area, had encountered a large-scale attack by the Americans, and it was conservatively estimated that the Americans had invested more than 500,000 troops this time!" said An Ran, political commissar of the First Cavalry Division.

Hearing this, Li Zhenwu nodded solemnly, although Yili City is located on the shore of Lake Yili, but in addition to the lake within fifteen kilometers is relatively flat, the southward part is all undulating hills because it is backed by the remaining veins of the Appalachian Plateau, and the altitude is mostly between 200 and 400 meters, and after this hill extends 20 kilometers to the south, it is the source of the Achilles River, a tributary of the Ohio River.

Therefore, if the Americans wanted to break through the defense of Huo's army in Yili, in addition to the plains along the coast, it was the low and hilly areas adjacent to the plains.

In the past, the Huo Jiajun placed two divisions of garrison troops in this hilly area. Because it occupies the advantage of the terrain, it is condescending. So, after repelling several tentative attacks by the Americans at the beginning. There has been no major battle. Therefore, the fortifications here are simply digging some fortifications such as tunnels and obstacles.

Therefore, the Huojia Army's Northern Route Army did not pay much attention to the defense here, and even in the final stage of retreat, it concentrated all the artillery and most of the troops in front of the fortress where the Americans would launch a large-scale attack almost every hour. The 20-kilometer-long hilly defense line was garrisoned by only 20,000 troops of the 4th Cavalry Division. The defense is very weak.

This time, the Americans seized this loophole, and Johnston decisively abandoned the Erie Fortress, which had been attacked by many artillery fires, and only 30% of the defense capability remained. Instead, he concentrated all his main forces on the hilly area, and suddenly launched a large-scale attack on this place.

If it weren't for the fact that all the officers and men of the Fourth Cavalry Division had always maintained a high degree of vigilance, and that the division's more than 20,000 men had been equipped with a large number of mortars, light and heavy machine guns, submachine guns, and other large quantities of automatic firepower, and that sufficient ammunition had already been prepared. Coupled with the desperate blocking of all the officers and men of the 4th Cavalry Division.

I'm afraid the war was at the beginning. It has already been broken through by the large number of troops and the intensity of the fierce attack of the Americans.

"It seems that Lao Meng is in trouble this time!"

After listening to Li Zhenwu's words. An Ran also nodded, "But now that all the artillery of the artillery division is supporting them, the pressure on Lao Meng and them will be reduced a little at that time." ”

After a pause, An Ran said again: "But without the assistance of artillery, the pressure on us here, as well as Lao Rong's Seventh Cavalry Division, will be great." According to the telegram from the headquarters, it is likely that our front is nearly 140,000 cavalry troops of three cavalry corps under Johnston!"

After hearing this, Li Zhenwu nodded. The 140,000 cavalry was twice as many as their two ** cavalry divisions, even though they had lost a lot in the massive artillery bombardment just now. But because it is not long, I am afraid that the casualties of the three US cavalry divisions will not exceed 20,000 cavalry.

Therefore, in the next war, they will still face great pressure. Without artillery support, the brutality of the war was already predictable.

"Let them come! We have been resting for more than a month, and we have already rested enough! This time, let the blood of the Americans pay tribute to the blade of our First Cavalry Division!" Li Zhenwu said with a bloodthirsty expression as he looked at the American cavalry units surging up like a tide in front of him.

"Boom...... The fierce roar of gunfire, the sound of bullets piercing through the body and tearing flesh apart, the desperate cries before death, the sound of selfless fighting, and the sky red by artillery fire, intertwined into the most brutal battle in the nearly two months since the war began.......

Lying behind a fallen tree, Johnston watched his own charging troops in the distance, torn to pieces by the shells of the Chinese artillery unit, and when the rest dodged the bombardment of the shells and rushed to the front of the Chinese position, they would immediately be swept away by the large amount of machine gun fire that the Chinese had prepared for a long time, and could not threaten the Chinese defense line at all.

couldn't help but feel annoyed and punched the trunk of the tree in front of him, because it was too hard, the knuckles of the fingers were immediately raised by the surface of the hard tree, grinding the ground and blurring the flesh and blood. However, the pain in his hand could not replace the anger in his heart for the battle situation in front of him.

"Commander, the casualties of our soldiers are too great, do you see if we withdraw first, let the artillery destroy the Chinese positions above first, and then organize an attack. ”

After listening to the words of the staff officer next to him, Johnston shook his head fiercely, he knew that once the troops were withdrawn, then the soldiers who died in the early stage would be meaningless. Moreover, he had already noticed just now that although the situation on the defensive line of the Chinese troops on the opposite side seemed to be strong and indestructible, it was more about the advantage they had in weapons, but it was too poor in terms of numbers.

For a 20-kilometer defensive line, the average Chinese defense force on each kilometer is only 200 people. If it hadn't been suddenly blocked by the Chinese artillery unit, his troops would have defeated the squadron on the opposite side long ago.

"Give me the order at once, gather all the Gatling guns in the whole army, and pull me up all the guns of the artillery unit that are no more than 100mm in caliber!" Johnston quickly gave the order.

The Gatling machine gun was improved by the Americans on the basis of the Gatling machine gun after seeing the powerful light and heavy machine gun firepower of the Huo Jiajun. Because, as belligerents, they could not obtain the machine gun technology invented by Huo Jiajun, and they did not capture a complete machine gun on the battlefield. Therefore, in order to strengthen the firepower of its own troops, the U.S. War Department improved the Gatling machine gun designed and produced by the American Richard Jordon Gatling in 1860 in the arsenal in Princeton.

Although it was improved, its rate of fire was only 300 rounds, until half of the Huo family's fanged heavy machine gun, and the problem of ammunition jamming had not been completely solved.

However, it is also a very good infantry light weapon, which can meet the US Army's pursuit of machine gun firepower. So, even if it is not perfect, it is even at the bottom of the world in terms of the performance of the new generation of machine guns in the world. But the US War Department nevertheless produced more than a thousand and handed them over to the troops at the front. Moreover, the major arsenals are also organizing their best scientific research teams to improve it. It is expected that they will not fall behind in the fight against the Chinese machine guns.

However, it is a pity that until now, they have not come up with an excellent weapon comparable to the Huo family's poisonous fangs and heavy machine guns. Therefore, Johnston's Gatling cannon was still an old machine gun with a rate of fire of only 300 rounds per minute. And the number is not much, the original more than one million American Northern Front Corps is only 800 Gatlings.

After more than a month of fierce fighting, although it was often replenished from the rear, only 500 Gatling guns could be used now.

"Concentrate all the machine guns and small-caliber guns here, here and here!" Johnston explained, by the light of the oil lamp, to the officers beside him.

"The task of your three armies is to take these three positions in half an hour at all costs, understand?" Johnston saw that with the artillery support of this Chinese, it became difficult to fully break through the opposing defensive line. He immediately changed his strategy and began to concentrate all the automatic firepower and small-aperture artillery that could be used in his hands to take a key breakthrough. Expect to be able to win from point to point.

"Yes, Commander, we promise to complete the mission!"

Seeing the determined expressions on their faces, Johnston patted them on the shoulder, then gave them a military salute before letting them leave quickly. Time waits for no one, and in half an hour, it should be dawn. At that time, the Chinese airships will be able to provide guidance for their artillery fire, and the accuracy of shelling will be multiplied. And if they want to win this battle, they will have to pay more people and sacrifices. This is something Johnston does not want to see.

This time, though, Johnston was wrong. That is, even if it is bright now, and the airships under the command of the Northern Route Army of the Huo Family Army will not appear in the sky to provide fire guidance for the artillery. Because they have more important things to do.

At this time, located five kilometers behind the Yili Fortress, in the underground ammunition storage depot built by the Huo Jiajun, there were a large number of soldiers wearing the uniforms of the Huo Jiajun, carefully pushing a thing like a gasoline drum with a four-wheeled car, slowly transporting it to the surface, and then slowly advancing it into the bomb compartment of the Kunpeng airship that had been waiting for a long time next to it.

Standing on the airship, looking at the hideous skull marks on these big wooden barrels, the bombardier He Zhenning felt cold in his heart, he has been an airship soldier for a long time, whether it is training or actual combat, the bombs thrown out basically contain almost all the types within the Huo Jiajun, but like today, this kind of shell is not like a shell, but it weighs at least four or five hundred kilograms, and it is more like a bomb with a big gasoline barrel, but he has never heard of it.

"Captain, what is this thing?

Listening to He Zhenning's question, He Ran, the captain of the 'Kun No. 45 airship' leaning on the side of the spiral ladder, frowned, and said with a hint of fanaticism in his words: "This is called a white phosphorus incendiary bomb!" (to be continued......)