Chapter 116: Artillery Regiment Counterattack!

As the relentless bombardment from the Japanese artillery continued, Ichiro Ono, who had long been prepared, immediately led all the remaining troops in his battalion to stealthily approach the position.

These Japanese soldiers all crouched low, forming a loose skirmish line, advancing with a deliberate, shuffling gait.

The defending company commander, upon witnessing this, panicked and shouted urgently, “The Japanese are sneaking up! Counterattack quickly! Take them down!”

Hearing the commander’s call, the soldiers rushed out from their dugouts, returning to their positions and braving the artillery fire to fiercely repel the Japanese assault.

Amid the shelling, soldiers were repeatedly killed by exploding shells or caught in the blast shockwaves. Occasionally, a man would be thrown into the air, then fall back to the ground like a rag doll.

Casualties mounted rapidly.

Under such circumstances, it was exceedingly difficult for the defenders to hold off the Japanese advance with superior firepower.

The Japanese were not renowned without reason. In the early days of the war, their marksmanship was precise. At around 150 meters, they were almost always accurate, and at 100 meters, their shots were near perfect.

This was because every Japanese soldier underwent rigorous training before enlistment, focusing primarily on marksmanship and bayonet combat.

Moreover, in the early stages of the war, most Japanese soldiers were battle-hardened veterans with high military discipline.

In stark contrast, the Chinese soldiers of the Republic, apart from a small fraction who had simple training, were mostly conscripted peasants handed a rifle and declared soldiers.

Such troops lacked basic military discipline; some didn’t even know how to operate their weapons properly.

Consequently, at the beginning of the war, whenever Japanese forces encountered Chinese units, a single charge often forced the defenders into a disorderly retreat.

Returning to the present, the Japanese had now formed a skirmish line, advancing in groups of three, kneeling on one knee and firing toward the defensive position.

Many Chinese soldiers were hit, screaming as they collapsed into the trenches.

“Damn it! Hold your ground, brothers! We cannot let these bastards break through!” The commander’s face was tense with anxiety as he shouted.

Yet inwardly, he was even more worried: “Didn’t the regiment commander say the artillery would support us? Why hasn’t it opened fire yet? Without support, we’ll lose this position!”

No one knew the company commander’s thoughts, but at his shout, the soldiers silently continued their fierce defense, instantly replacing any comrades who fell to the enemy.

Under these conditions, the Japanese offensive momentum was finally stalled—albeit only temporarily.

However, the Japanese, clearly desperate, unleashed a furious barrage of firepower onto the position, making the defenders’ counterattack arduous.

“You sons of bitches, come on! I’ll send you all to hell!” The machine gunner gripped his Czech light machine gun and poured relentless fire into the advancing Japanese ranks. Seven or eight of them failed to dodge and were shot, their bodies convulsing before collapsing lifelessly.

He pulled the trigger with mad fervor, as if possessed, suppressing the Japanese advance for a time.

“Baka! Take him down! Kill this Chinese bastard!” The Japanese company commander, hidden behind cover, shouted in frustration, wildly brandishing his command sword.

Bang!

A Japanese soldier knelt on one knee and fired a single, precise shot that struck the machine gunner.

The man, caught in his frenzied firing, was suddenly hit in the heart. The bullet swiftly destroyed his heart, and he fell backward, the machine gun still spitting out rounds that now sprayed uselessly into the sky.

“Damn it!” The company commander’s face twisted with rage as he roared, “Where the hell is our artillery? Damn it! Where’s our artillery? Bomb the Japanese artillery positions for me!”

After such a long delay without cannon fire, his unit had already suffered heavy losses. The company commander’s fury boiled over, and he could no longer restrain his curses.

While the commander fumed, not far behind the defending position to the left rear, over twenty artillery pieces had been trained on the Japanese.

This was the artillery position of the Independent Brigade’s 2nd Battalion.

The Independent Brigade’s artillery regiment was split into two parts by Chen Qingzhi—one stationed here and the other within the town.

At this moment, Li Yabin, the battalion commander of the 2nd Battalion, anxiously asked an officer standing before him, “Is Commander Chu ready?”

“Commander, Chu is ready. They’ve already locked onto the Japanese artillery positions and can open fire at any moment,” the officer replied earnestly, then added, “Commander Chu said that communication between the two battalions is difficult. He’s watching our actions, and once we begin firing, his battalion will immediately provide support.”

“Good! Then order them to commence firing at once!” Li Yabin said, his tone edged with urgency.

The 2nd Battalion operated smaller-caliber guns, whose range was insufficient to reach the Japanese artillery. To effectively suppress the enemy guns, Li Yabin had coordinated with Commander Chu’s 1st Battalion. However, this arrangement had already caused a significant delay, and Li Yabin worried about the condition of their frontline comrades.

At Li Yabin’s command, the artillery crews swiftly aimed at the Japanese advance route. Soon, dozens of heavy, muffled booms echoed as shells streaked toward the enemy.

Simultaneously, within the flat expanse of Dingyuan County, dozens of large-caliber artillery pieces were being set up.

The cold gleam of their fierce barrels shone under the sunlight, tilted upward and faintly aimed at the Japanese positions.

Throughout Dingyuan County, besides the Independent Brigade’s artillery regiment, no other unit possessed such a formidable array of artillery.

This was none other than the artillery regiment’s 1st Battalion.

On a wooden observation platform beside the battery, a young officer surveyed the distant battlefield.

When he saw the sudden streaks of light soaring through the sky, he turned and ordered the officer behind him, “Li’s battalion has begun firing. It’s our turn to act!”

“Give the order for the troops to open fire immediately. Hit them hard! Destroy the Japanese artillery positions!”

This was Chu Xingge, commander of the artillery regiment’s 1st Battalion. He had already been notified by Li Yabin of the 2nd Battalion to begin firing as soon as they did, so he hesitated not a moment.

At Chu’s command, the artillerymen, long prepared, loaded shells into their guns. With each sharp, thunderous blast, dozens of shells roared forth from their barrels…