Chapter 117: Wipe Out the Ninth Mountain Artillery Regiment!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

With unparalleled momentum, the shells were launched from the barrels. Like shooting stars, they streaked across the sky, leaving a trail of light before crashing down toward the Japanese artillery positions.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

As the shrill whistling sound cut through the air, the Japanese mountain artillery regiment, which had been firing recklessly, looked up in alarm. At the sight that met their eyes, everyone was stunned. Dozens of shells, cloaked in immense destructive power, descended from the heavens like falling stars.

Boom!

When the first shell struck the ground and detonated, the Japanese soldiers finally snapped out of their shock. A moment later, shrill screams echoed across the entire artillery position: "Baka! It’s the Chinese army’s artillery! They’re shelling us! Quick, take cover!"

The frantic cries of the Japanese were so piercing that they momentarily drowned out the sound of the explosions. Yet, no matter how much they screamed, the shells continued to rain down.

Dozens of shells landed in the vicinity. As it was the first ranging salvo, more than half missed their mark, but several struck the Japanese positions with lethal accuracy. The explosions obliterated the nearby soldiers, leaving nothing but scorched earth, while their cannons were reduced to heaps of scrap metal.

"Baka! How can the Chinese army possess such large-caliber artillery?" Looking at the scale of the destruction, it was clearly the work of 105mm howitzers—a caliber that qualified as heavy artillery even within the Japanese military.

As the commander of the mountain artillery regiment, Qin Shanxi was experienced enough to identify the caliber at a single glance. Yet, because he understood the implications, his entire body began to tremble. The fact that the Chinese army had 105mm artillery was, for them, a catastrophic development.

However, Qin Shanxi had no time to dwell on this. His position had been compromised, and he had to relocate immediately. If he didn't, once the Chinese forces adjusted their range, the next wave of shells would be devastating. Ignoring all else, he bellowed, "Quickly! Move the artillery! Get the guns out of here!"

The Japanese soldiers scrambled to comply, but their cannons were heavy and cumbersome; there was no way to relocate them in such a short time. They had only managed to move a few pieces when the thing Qin Shanxi feared most came to pass.

Another shrill whistling filled the air as dozens of shells, carrying the force of an apocalypse, smashed into them. This time, the shells landed with pinpoint accuracy directly onto the regiment's position.

Following the detonations, soldiers who hadn't managed to flee were swallowed by the blasts, vaporized instantly without a trace. The Japanese mountain guns suffered heavy losses, with over a dozen hit directly and rendered useless. Watching this, Qin Shanxi’s heart bled. These cannons were the lifeblood of his regiment. With such losses, he wouldn't just lose his chance at a promotion; his unit would likely be disbanded entirely.

Qin Shanxi was consumed by despair, but the worst was yet to come. As the relentless barrage continued, the secondary explosions began. The Japanese had stored their ammunition right next to the cannons for easier loading, a habit that now ensured the total annihilation of their regiment. The piles of shells were ignited, triggering chain reactions. Each explosion tore up vast craters ten meters wide, consuming nearby soldiers who didn't even have time to scream before they vanished into thin air.

"It's over... everything is over. My mountain artillery regiment is finished." Watching the scene, Qin Shanxi’s face turned deathly pale. He collapsed to the ground, his body swaying, muttering to himself in a state of catatonic despair.

***

At the front-line positions of the First Regiment, the battalion commander finally let out a sigh of relief as he saw their own artillery open fire, blanketing the advancing Japanese troops. He didn't let his guard down, however, instead urging his men to keep up the pressure.

"Brothers, keep firing! Our artillery is hitting them; now is the time to beat a drowning dog! Let them have it!" the commander roared, cradling a machine gun and spraying fire at the Japanese.

The attacking Japanese battalion had been making strong progress with the support of their mountain artillery, but once the Chinese artillery battalion began its bombardment, their situation turned dire. Countless shells rained down on their path of advance, effectively covering the entire unit. Under the barrage and the infantry fire, the Japanese soldiers couldn't lift their heads, and their casualties mounted rapidly.

"Baka! How can the Chinese army have so much artillery? Why aren't our guns firing back? Why haven't they destroyed the Chinese batteries?" Major Ono Ichiro shouted in fury.

No sooner had he spoken than he saw dozens of shells rising from the direction of Dingyuan County, streaking like light across the sky before crashing down behind his position. That direction... Ono’s heart turned cold. He knew exactly what lay in that direction—it was the location of the Imperial Mountain Artillery Regiment.

"It's over! The Imperial Mountain Artillery Regiment is finished!" Ono thought, paralyzed by despair. He couldn't even bear to look at what would happen next.

As if to confirm his fears, a massive flash of light erupted from the Japanese artillery position, followed by a thunderous explosion. From his vantage point, a massive mushroom cloud rose into the air, momentarily illuminating the entire sky.

The defensive troops on the front line saw the spectacle clearly, feeling the ground tremble beneath their feet.

"Good heavens, is that our artillery?" one soldier murmured, his eyes fixed on the scene in a trance.

The battalion commander was equally stunned, his face etched with shock. The formidable Japanese artillery that had kept them pinned down had been wiped out just like that? It seemed unbelievable, yet the massive mushroom cloud still glowing in the distance forced him to accept the truth.

He took one last look, his heart racing. The shock of this day was too immense. He knew that the image of that massive inferno was something he would never forget, remaining vivid in his memory for the rest of his life.