Chapter 33: Outnumbered
Accompanied by a loud bang, it seemed as if a huge object had smashed heavily onto the ground, causing Song Mei and the others, though in the cellar, to still feel the ground shaking.
Song Mei, who was drinking glucose, staggered, but luckily she reacted quickly, supporting herself with her left hand on the table used as an operating table, thus avoiding falling. The glucose bottle in her hand also dropped to the ground.
Xiao Lu was not so lucky; without any support, she slipped and fell on her butt to the ground, crying out in pain with an “ouch.”
In an instant, the entire cellar was in chaos.
“Quick… get up quickly, check on the wounded right away!”
After the shaking stopped, Song Mei quickly instructed the students to check on the wounded, while she herself went out of the cellar door to check the situation.
But only after she exited the cellar did she discover that the original pointed roof of the church had long vanished, a large dark hole now starkly appearing before her eyes. It turned out that the top of the church had been hit by Japanese artillery shells, resulting in a large hole being blasted in the roof.
“Oh no… the Japs have brought out their artillery.”
On a street about a mile away from the church, Zhang Zhihao, who had finished changing into new uniforms, looked at the church that had just been blasted with a large hole and shouted out involuntarily.
“Yes… and if this subordinate didn’t see wrong, it should be the Japanese Type 97 81mm mortar.” Xiong Junfeng added from the side.
The two were indeed experts at handling artillery; they could tell at a glance what kind of gun had hit the church.
Seeing the two casually identify the type of artillery, Su Yaoyang asked puzzledly: “Why is it a mortar hit and not a Type 92 infantry gun or other artillery?”
“The commander may not know.” Xiong Junfeng explained:
“If it were direct-fire artillery that hit, the hole blasted in the church roof would be slanted flat rather than a ninety-degree hole. Only shells exploding almost at a ninety-degree downward angle can cause this kind of damage to a building.
And the Japanese army currently has only three types of mortars equipped, and only the Type 97 mortar has the power to cause this kind of damage. If it were the other two heavy mortars, the damage would be more than this.”
Watching Xiong Junfeng speak eloquently, Su Yaoyang felt both shocked and fortunate. These two guys were treasures; with them, it would be much easier for him to form an artillery unit in the future.
Wanting to test their capabilities, he pointed at the church and asked: “You’ve seen the current situation. The Japs are launching a full-scale attack on the church. Do you have any good ideas to relieve them?”
Xiong Junfeng coughed lightly: “Commander… this subordinate only knows how to fire artillery. Problems involving tactics and strategy… this subordinate really…”
“What about you…” Su Yaoyang turned to Zhang Zhihao, who gave an embarrassed smile.
Seeing their reactions, Su Yaoyang sighed inwardly.
He was still too hasty. As the saying goes, specialization has its focus; breaking out involves too many aspects. If these two really had that ability, they wouldn’t just be artillery commanders.
“Commander, what should we do now?” Xiong Junfeng and Zhang Zhihao asked simultaneously, as the several hundred soldiers around them who had just finished changing uniforms also looked toward him.
Looking at the shells occasionally landing around the church and the intense gunfire, Su Yaoyang was momentarily at a loss.
He was a complete novice at warfare. Now, having him command over four hundred soldiers to fight the Japanese face-to-face was like a young bride entering the bridal sedan—his first time.
His mind raced through several loops, trying hard to recall all the films and TV shows he had seen in his first half-life, including anti-Japanese divine dramas, but after half a minute, he still felt his mind was blank.
For a moment, he even wanted to give up, but thinking of the nearly two hundred people including Xiao Lu, Song Mei, Li Gaoyuan, and a group of soldiers and female students waiting for his rescue, he couldn’t bring himself to say such irresponsible words.
Finally, his gaze returned to Zhang Zhihao and Xiong Junfeng, and suddenly his eyes lit up.
He was indeed an outsider at commanding combat, but weren’t there two excellent artillery talents right here?
He quickly asked: “Xiong Junfeng, Zhang Zhihao, did you bring the artillery I placed in the courtyard?”
Zhang Zhihao quickly replied: “Report to the commander… all six U.S.-made M2 107mm mortars have been brought, but the shells are a bit few, only three base numbers.”
“That’s enough!”
Su Yaoyang nodded: “I’m now assigning you one hundred men to form a heavy mortar company, with Zhang Zhihao as company commander and Xiong Junfeng as deputy company commander.
Your company’s task is to carry a radio set and set up the artillery position within twenty minutes, then wait for my order to provide artillery support to the church with the guns. Can you do it?”
“Report to the commander, no problem!” The two responded in unison.
As experienced artillery officers, once the commander issued the combat mission, they would naturally complete it on their own.
They selected one hundred men at the fastest speed, formed a temporary heavy mortar company, and then busily began setting up the artillery position.
Then Su Yaoyang also used this time to organize the remaining three hundred or so men into two infantry companies, appointing two second lieutenants who had previously served as platoon leaders as company commanders.
Finally, he appointed more than ten who had served as squad leaders and veterans as squad and platoon leaders, and thus a temporarily assembled team was formed.
“Wang Shouxin, Li Qingxiang.”
“Here!”
Two officers in their thirties with dark skin stepped forward; they were the ones just appointed by Su Yaoyang as company commanders.
“Twenty minutes from now, the heavy mortar company will begin shelling. After the shelling ends, follow me to charge toward the church. As long as we link up with the brothers in the church, that’s victory. Can you do it?”
“Rest assured, commander, the brothers guarantee to stick close to you and not fall behind.”
Looking at the two thumping their chests loudly, Su Yaoyang inwardly had some doubts: these guys wouldn’t sell him out halfway, would they?
But he had no other options now; after all, this was a team temporarily assembled for fifty silver dollars, unfamiliar with each other, let alone coordination.
But fortunately, these people had at least been soldiers before, so they had the most basic tactical movements and experience—at least better than his amateur self.
As time passed bit by bit, the Japanese attack on the church not only didn’t weaken over time but became even more fierce.
Through the binoculars, Su Yaoyang clearly saw countless Japanese troops swarming toward the church under the cover of heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars, and Type 92 infantry guns, with dense bullets hitting the walls producing crackling sounds.
Although the defenders fought back fiercely, due to their extremely small numbers, their counterfire grew weaker and weaker, while the Japanese pressed forward step by step, seemingly about to rush into the church gate.
