Chapter 34: Heavy Artillery?
The area around the church was shrouded in thick gun smoke, with the air filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder.
The once majestic and magnificent building was now battered and scarred by artillery fire, its gray walls mottled with black scorch marks, several glass windows shattered into pieces, leaving only precarious remnants.
The ground around the church was littered with corpses strewn in all directions, some in Japanese army uniforms, others in German-made field uniforms of Chinese soldiers, their faces contorted, as if silently recounting the brutality of this war.
Weapons scattered on the ground gleamed coldly, including broken rifles, discarded grenade pins, and several grenades that had not been detonated lying quietly nearby, like silent witnesses in a nightmare.
In the distance, massive cannon blasts echoed through the air, tearing through the thick smoke, while flames rising around the church danced like ghosts, making this battlefield even more eerie and terrifying.
Nagano Yuichiro stood not far away, his long-tense expression gradually relaxing. As he looked toward the church, a smile of anticipation and victory finally appeared.
This place that had brought casualties and shame to the 11th Infantry Regiment was about to be conquered by him and his soldiers.
He glanced around and saw his own soldiers advancing step by step toward the church, said to be hiding many beautiful female students, under the cover of heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, and artillery.
Nagano Yuichiro even had it planned in his mind: after occupying the church, he would bring several female students from it back to the regiment headquarters to comfort the meritorious warriors of the 11th Regiment.
And for himself, as the highest commander of the 11th Regiment, picking two of the most beautiful girls first wouldn’t be excessive, right?
Just as Nagano Yuichiro was feeling complacent, by the window of a house over a hundred meters behind him, Hasegawa put down his binoculars and let out a light hum.
His deputy, the company commander who had come with him that morning, said indignantly, “Deputy Regiment Commander, after the battle ends, I suggest you enter the church first to prevent Colonel Nagano from acting recklessly.”
Hasegawa was silent for a moment, then countered, “What reason would I use to stop Nagano after I go in first?
The victor naturally has the right to pick spoils first. No matter what, we did fail today. Nagano and his men captured that church at a huge cost, and that’s undeniable.”
“But…”
The company commander grew anxious and wanted to speak, but Hasegawa raised his hand to stop him.
“Enough, say no more. It’s decided. Worst case, I’ll explain to the Regiment Commander myself when we get back to headquarters.”
“Hai!” The company commander was still indignant and wanted to say more, but under Hasegawa’s stern gaze, he had no choice but to shut his mouth.
Just as the company commander lowered his head in sullen anger, a low whistling sound pierced the quiet, as if foretelling some ominous sign.
Immediately after, a black shadow suddenly descended onto the open ground in front of the church, chilling like the arrival of the Grim Reaper. With a massive boom, a deafening explosion tore through the air.
The violent explosion sent thick gun smoke billowing up, and the huge shockwave instantly hurled three advancing Japanese soldiers into the air.
When these three Japanese soldiers crashed heavily to the ground, they were already three corpses.
Hasegawa’s face changed immediately, and the lieutenant beside him cried out in alarm, “Heavy artillery… Chinese heavy artillery!”
Both were experienced soldiers, all too familiar with the sound of artillery. Just from the whistling of the shell in the sky, they could roughly judge the caliber of the incoming artillery and even predict the shell’s landing distance from them.
Not to mention, the shockwave and thick smoke from that shell’s explosion were clearly felt even by them over a hundred meters from the blast point. This was definitely a shell with a caliber over 100 millimeters.
Hasegawa grabbed the lieutenant’s arm and angrily said, “This is the Chinese artillery’s ranging shot. Quickly notify Nagano to withdraw the 11th Regiment, or it will be too late!”
“Boom… boom boom…”
Hasegawa proved worthy of his experience as a mid-level officer, reacting swiftly, but unfortunately, less than a minute after his words, shells began falling one after another.
Each shell that crashed down brought a deafening roar and shrapnel flying in all directions, turning everything around into ruins.
The Japanese troops, who had been advancing in a skirmish line toward the church, were truly suffering under this barrage.
The M2 107mm mortar equipped to Su Yaoyang’s heavy mortar company this time actually had another nickname: M2 4.2-inch 107mm chemical mortar.
Originally designed to fire chemical munitions like gas shells, it was later adapted for conventional high-explosive rounds due to international conventions and combat needs.
Due to its large caliber, its high-explosive rounds weighed 12.7 kilograms, with power far exceeding contemporary 81mm mortars.
Its blast radius could reach 50 meters, severely damaging targets within the area.
Without solid fortifications for cover, few in a radius of dozens of meters could survive.
Shell after shell exploded nonstop around the church, instantly disrupting the previously smooth Japanese attack formation.
Even more deadly, due to the dense Japanese attack formation, nearly every shell took out several Japanese lives, filling the battlefield with their screams in an instant.
Guns and corpses were scattered everywhere, some uniforms torn to shreds, some faces twisted and deformed by explosions, a horrific sight too horrific to behold.
“Retreat quickly… retreat quickly…”
The sudden artillery strike not only inflicted heavy losses on the attacking 11th Regiment but also caught Nagano Yuichiro, who was about to savor victory, completely off guard.
“Regiment Commander, Chinese reinforcements have arrived. It must be Chinese reinforcements. What should we do?” The regiment chief of staff hurried over to ask.
“Order the troops to withdraw alternately immediately. No more attacks.” Nagano Yuichiro issued the order on the spot.
“Hai!”
It must be said that Nagano Yuichiro’s order was issued very timely, and the 11th Regiment lived up to its reputation as a veteran elite unit, executing it decisively and resolutely, but two legs were still far slower than shells.
Shell after shell kept landing in the Japanese ranks, the ravaging metal shrapnel and massive shockwaves continuously claiming Japanese soldiers’ lives, making their retreat extremely difficult.
While the 11th Regiment’s Japanese troops were withdrawing in panic, at a spot over 200 meters from them, a low, rough voice rang out.
“Fix bayonets to rifles, pull grenade safety pins halfway! Just like in previous battles, each squad combat group stick tight to your squad or platoon leader or assistant squad leader!”
The temporarily appointed squad and platoon leaders were all shouting loudly, waiting only for the artillery to stop before charging toward the church.
