Chapter 111: You’re Worried The Brigade Commander Will Congratulate You On Getting Rich, Huh? Haha
Rumble!
Rumble!
Rumble!
…
Regimental Commander Kuroshima’s cavalry regiment’s iron hooves pounded the earth, their rumbling sound like thunder from the heavens.
The warhorses galloped like lightning, as fast as a gust of wind, charging rapidly from the horizon.
Behind the dust storm, there were tanks and armored vehicles of the mechanized troops, rumbling as they advanced with full hearts of rage!
Further behind were the infantry regiments.
Although they were as exhausted as dogs, the Japanese invaders’ infantry gritted their teeth and ran, like a pack of wounded wild beasts.
“Regimental Commander, Captain Fujita has sent an urgent telegram!”
The signalman handed the newly received telegram to Kuroshima Morita.
Kuroshima Morita snatched it, looked at it, and his eyes immediately blazed with fire: “Damn it, the accursed ones!”
According to the telegram, the Third Regiment had already been routed.
Even more crucially, there was an iron smelting plant in the Third Regiment’s area of jurisdiction.
Now, this iron smelting plant had also fallen into the hands of the Eighth Route Army.
“You all continue to advance.” Kuroshima Morita ordered the cavalry troops to continue forward. He went to the armored vehicle of Ueno no Mura and said to Ueno no Mura, “Ueno, Captain Fujita has just sent news that the Third Regiment has been defeated, and the iron smelting plant in their area has also fallen into the hands of the Eighth Route Army.”
“What, what did you say!” Ueno no Mura looked at Kuroshima Morita with extreme shock, “Kuroshima, the Third Regiment has been defeated? There is an iron smelting plant in their area?”
This was the front line of the Third Regiment being attacked, and they were actually defeated.
As for the iron smelting plant, it was even more important to the Empire; how could it be allowed to be tainted by the Eighth Route Army!
“Mine No. 9 is lost, and the iron smelting plant must not be lost again.” Kuroshima Morita roared, “We must hurry over and take back the iron smelting plant!”
Revenge by destroying the Eighth Route Army was secondary!
The iron smelting plant was the most important!
It was crucial for the Empire’s logistical supply of iron!
“Damn it, it seems I have to switch places with you.” Ueno no Mura gritted his teeth.
The reason Ueno no Mura’s mechanized troops were behind Kuroshima Morita was that the roads were not smooth, and the convoy could not accelerate to the maximum, otherwise, they would easily overturn.
Also, if the speed increased, fuel consumption would also increase.
Fuel was already insufficient, so they had to conserve it.
Therefore, Ueno no Mura’s mechanized regiment was marching at a pace slower than the cavalry.
Now that the iron smelting plant had fallen into the hands of the Eighth Route Army and the Third Regiment had been defeated.
Ueno no Mura had to take the risk to reinforce them as quickly as possible, and concerns about fuel consumption had to be completely discarded.
Under Ueno no Mura’s command, the mechanized troops rapidly accelerated, overtaking Kuroshima Morita’s cavalry regiment and rumbling forward.
“Regimental Commander Kuroshima, has something happened?” Seeing the mechanized troops accelerate, Kasahara Koizumi, the Regimental Commander of the 22nd Regiment behind him, asked Kuroshima Morita, “Could it be that my defense zone has already fallen?”
His defense zone was short of troops, and its fall was inevitable.
Although Kasahara Koizumi had already anticipated this, he still had to ask again.
“The Third Regiment has been defeated, there is an iron smelting plant in their area, and the iron smelting plant has also fallen into the hands of the Eighth Route Army.” Kuroshima Morita did not mention anything about Kasahara Koizumi’s defense zone at all; his pathetic defense zone was meaningless compared to the iron smelting plant.
“What, the Third Regiment has been defeated!!” Kasahara Koizumi was extremely shocked.
He of course also knew that the Third Regiment’s area had an iron smelting plant, as the Third Regiment and the 22nd Regiment belonged to the Fourth Brigade, and their defense zones were adjacent.
The defenses around the iron smelting plant were not weak, yet they were also breached by the Eighth Route Army!
“I know you are very tired, but please make an effort. I will go ahead.” Kuroshima Morita said no more and rode forward.
“Damn it, warriors, make an effort, charge!” Kasahara Koizumi also understood the significance of losing the iron smelting plant and roared from within.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
…
Just as Kasahara Koizumi was urging his infantry forward, the mechanized regiment at the very front was ambushed.
They detonated mines buried on the road.
Originally, the road was not smooth, and when the armored vehicles accelerated to their maximum, the vehicles would bounce violently.
When the tires were hit by a mine, the vehicles immediately lost balance; some overturned on the spot, while others rolled to the side into ditches.
Suddenly, two motorcycles and two armored vehicles were taken out of the combat sequence.
“Regimental Commander, this must be the cunning Eighth Route Army laying mines on the road, should we send engineers to clear them!” someone immediately asked Ueno no Mura.
“Damn it, the cunning Eighth Route Army, they want to prevent us from reinforcing!” Ueno no Mura roared furiously, “Stop for now.”
Kuroshima Morita, who was behind them, arrived, and Ueno no Mura said to Kuroshima Morita tactfully, “Kuroshima, you see, the Eighth Route Army has laid mines on the road.”
Kuroshima Morita naturally understood what Ueno no Mura meant.
Although the cavalry’s warhorses were precious, the Empire’s armored vehicles were even more precious.
With mines laid on the road by the Eighth Route Army, it would be too inefficient for engineers to clear them; clearly, this would not do.
The best method was to have the cavalry’s warhorses step on the mines in front.
A look of heartache flashed across Kuroshima Morita’s face, and he immediately ordered, “Send a group of warhorses to clear the mines in front of the mechanized troops.”
“Regimental Commander, our warhorses used for mine clearing, isn’t that a bit too…” some soldiers could not accept it.
After all, they had been with their warhorses day and night.
To have their warhorses step on mines, they naturally felt reluctant.
“Damn it, execute the order!” Kuroshima Morita naturally understood that using warhorses to clear mines would be a great blow to the soldiers’ morale, but time was of the essence, and it had to be done this way.
Under Kuroshima Morita’s pressure, a group of warhorses were selected and used by the mechanized troops as mine-clearing vanguards.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
…
As the mechanized troops advanced, mines were indeed continuously cleared on the road ahead.
Each explosion of a mine meant the fall of one or two warhorses.
Kuroshima Morita’s expression twitched uncontrollably: “Damn it, after we retake the iron smelting plant, I will use all these Eighth Route Army soldiers to pay tribute to my warhorses!”
Ueno no Mura comforted him, “Kuroshima, please calm down.”
…
“Damn it, these Japanese invaders are really ruthless! They actually used warhorses to clear mines, what a waste of resources.” Li Yunlong watched this scene, feeling immense pain in his heart.
“Old Li, what are you heartbroken about?” Ding Wei looked at Li Yunlong, “The horse meat from these Japanese invaders tastes good. After they pass, our soldiers can pick up the horses and eat the meat.”
“Old Ding, what do you know!” Li Yunlong cursed, “In my eyes, the warhorses of the Heidao Cavalry Regiment will sooner or later be mine. You say these Japanese invaders are using warhorses to clear mines now, aren’t they sacrificing my warhorses!”
“Old Li, it’s just a small Heidao Regiment.” Ding Wei comforted him, “I could give you a cavalry battalion before, and I can give you another cavalry regiment later.”
In Ding Wei’s opinion, it was indeed a pity that Kuroshima Morita’s warhorses were used for mine clearing.
But there were so many Japanese cavalry troops, why worry about not capturing more warhorses?
“Forget it, forget it, even if you give me a cavalry division, I don’t want it anymore.” Li Yunlong remembered something unhappy.
“Hahaha.” Ding Wei laughed heartily and directly exposed him, “Are you worried about Brigade Commander Get Rich?”
Ding Wei already knew that he had given Li Yunlong the cavalry battalion from Wanjia Town.
The moment Li Yunlong brought the warhorses of the cavalry battalion back, the brigade commander called and left Li Yunlong with only one company’s worth of horse equipment; the rest was happily accepted by the brigade commander.
The Heidao Cavalry Regiment cleared the mines, but the trouble did not end there.
Boom!
A Hell Cannon shell burst in the middle of the mechanized troops.
Although this was an assault-type shell, and its power had been somewhat weakened by Li Muzhi, the effect was still excellent.
This shell accurately hit a medium tank, which was instantly blown into a fireball and flew into the sky.
The shockwave from the explosion overturned two small “little bean” tanks in front and behind.
These two “little bean” tanks spun like tops to the side and collided with two other “little bean” tanks.
These two “little bean” tanks were severely deformed by the collision and lost their combat capability.
This was not all.
The fireball that was blasted into the sky fell down and, by sheer chance, landed on a truck.
This was not an ordinary truck; it was a truck transporting ammunition!
Boom!
This ammunition transport truck exploded with a bang.
The power of this was much greater than the lethal shells of the Hell Cannon.
A mushroom cloud rose, and the shockwave spread violently in all directions, carrying dense carriage fragments and bullets that shot out with a “swoosh” sound.
The “little bean” tanks and armored vehicles were penetrated, let alone the trucks.
After a burst of sparks and screams, a quarter of this mechanized unit’s combat power was directly wiped out!
A full quarter!!!
Seeing this tragic scene, Ueno no Mura’s lungs exploded with anger. He waved his commanding sword towards the direction from which the shells came and roared, “Damn it, attack! Destroy that damned Eighth Route Army heavy artillery!”
Kuroshima Morita quickly stopped him, “Ueno, please calm down.”
“Kuroshima, how can you ask me to calm down? My tank regiment came out, and before we could kill a single enemy, we suffered such a heavy blow. How can I calm down!” Ueno no Mura’s saliva flew everywhere.
Earlier, when he saw the warhorses being blown up, he had advised Kuroshima Morita to calm down.
He had not expected that so soon, it would be the other party’s turn to advise him to calm down.
If the knife is not cutting your own flesh, you cannot feel the pain.
When the knife cuts your own head, you can only roar with rage; calmness can go as far away as possible!
This was a tank regiment!
Fighting against the regular army of China, they were invincible and never defeated!
We crushed the regular army of China.
But in this rear area security operation, without killing a single Eighth Route Army soldier, they were so heavily damaged by the Eighth Route Army. It was a testament to our strong psychological resilience that we didn’t spit blood on the spot.
Kuroshima Morita roared, “Ueno, can’t you see? This is intentional by the Eighth Route Army. They are using heavy artillery to harass us, just to divert our attention! Ueno, calm down. Is it more important to destroy the Eighth Route Army’s heavy artillery in front of us, or to recapture the iron smelting plant?”
A Japanese officer next to Kuroshima Morita also said to Regimental Commander Ueno, “Regimental Commander Ueno, the Eighth Route Army’s heavy artillery is clearly providing cover for their transportation of materials from the iron smelting plant. We cannot fall for their treacherous scheme!”
“Damn it, damn it, damn it!” Ueno no Mura eventually had to suppress his inner rage and abandon the idea of a full-scale attack on the Eighth Route Army’s heavy artillery.
A small portion of the troops were dispatched to intercept the Eighth Route Army, the damaged armored vehicles were pushed to the side to clear the road for the vehicles behind, and the convoy continued its journey.
