ATPnovel Chapter 271 The 3rd Column finally made its move, and its first move was...
Chapter 271 The 3rd Column finally made its move, and its first move was...
The morning mist, like a layer of soaked gauze, clung to the fields and hills surrounding Ma Huiling Town.
Japanese soldiers lined up, waiting to receive freshly steamed rice balls.
The cook lifted the wooden lid, and plumes of white steam rose up, carrying the fragrant aroma of rice.
Some people rubbed their frozen hands, some yawned, and no one glanced long into the distant fog.
Watanabe no Tsuna's words were still echoing in Matsuura Junrokuro's ears—"How ridiculous, what a rabble."
Matsuura stood in front of the map, his fingertips lightly tapping the location of Wutai Ridge. He wasn't thinking about the insignificant 11th Army, but rather the 3rd Column that had never appeared.
Where is it? He vaguely felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
In the direction of Ma Huiling Town, as Matsuura Junroku was pondering this question, a shrill whistle shattered the morning tranquility.
"Whoosh—whoosh whoosh—"
The sound was like a horde of unseen demons swooping down from the sky, so sharp it sent chills down your spine.
A veteran suddenly looked up, his pupils contracted, and he shouted, "Artillery fire!!! Take cover!!!"
Before the words had even finished, the first batch of shells had already crashed into the camp.
"Boom!!!"
The flashes of light from the explosions shone brightly in the morning mist, like orange flowers that bloomed and then died down in an instant.
The earth trembled violently, the rice bucket was overturned by the blast wave, and the white rice balls rolled all over the ground, mixing with the soil, gravel, and blood.
A young soldier had just brought a rice ball to his mouth, but before he could even take a bite, a shell exploded three steps away from him.
He flew out like a tattered rag, and the rice ball disappeared without a trace.
The violent shockwave tore through the crowd, ripping some soldiers to pieces.
Blood mist spread out, mingling with the grayish-white morning fog to form a nauseating pink hue. Severed limbs and broken guns were everywhere.
Some people had their legs blown off and lay on the ground howling inhuman voices; others had half their bodies buried in the ground, their eyes wide open, their pupils blank.
After a round of shelling, a brief silence followed.
The survivor lay on the ground, his ears ringing, his mind blank.
Some tried to get up, but their legs were as weak as noodles. Some lay beside their comrades' bodies, trembling and muttering something unintelligible.
Then the second round came.
"Boom boom boom—"
The explosions continued, like an invisible giant hammer repeatedly pounding the earth. Ten minutes of artillery fire felt like ten years.
When the shelling finally stopped, the Japanese camps and positions on the outskirts of Ma Huiling Town were riddled with holes, like a tattered rag eaten by insects. Some of the soldiers who had been alive just moments before were nowhere to be found.
Before the Japanese troops could recover from the shelling, the roar of engines came from the depths of the fog.
The sound was deep and heavy, like the breathing of giant beasts. The fog, mixed with the black ash of gunpowder smoke, had turned a dirty grayish-white.
Behind the gray curtain, the outlines of armored vehicles gradually became clear, menacing and silent, like steel monsters emerging from another world.
The vehicle-mounted machine guns and cannons opened fire.
"Da da da!!! Bang bang bang!!!"
Bullets rained down on the Japanese positions. Soldiers who had just gotten up and were still looking for their guns were instantly mowed down.
Some people were rolling on the ground clutching their severed arms, while others were running backwards as fast as they could.
However, he was forced to a standstill by his own officers with knives.
A Japanese major brandished his katana and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"No retreat! Resist with determination!"
His voice sounded so thin amidst the gunfire, like a sparrow chirping in a storm.
Nobody listens to him anymore.
The Puma armored vehicle at the forefront rolled over barbed wire and sandbags, its massive wheels rolling over a wounded Japanese soldier.
The muffled thud was drowned out by the roar of the engine. The fleeing soldier was dragged under the vehicle, not even having time to scream.
The Bushido spirit was shattered by the shelling just now, and now all that's left is the most primal fear—run, run fast, get as far away from these iron behemoths as possible.
A Japanese veteran crouched in a shell crater, his hands covering his head, trembling all over.
He had participated in the Battle of Shanghai and seen tanks, but he had never seen such a tactic—armored vehicles would charge directly into the camp after artillery fire, giving you no time to organize a defense.
He closed his eyes and waited for the armored vehicle to run him over.
Behind the armored vehicles, a large number of soldiers from the Third Column charged forward.
Armed with submachine guns and Mauser rifles, they advanced rapidly through the grayish-white mist, stepping over gravel and bloodstains.
If they encountered Japanese soldiers still resisting, they would fire a burst of bullets; if they encountered soldiers kneeling and begging for mercy, they would go around them and hand them over to the recovery team behind them.
Their movements were clean and efficient, like a red-hot knife cutting into butter.
In less than half an hour, all three Japanese positions on the outskirts of Mahuiling Town were captured.
The remaining Japanese infantry battalion put up almost no effective resistance. Artillery bombardment shattered their formation, and armored assaults crushed their will.
The remaining Japanese infantry battalion put up almost no effective resistance. Artillery bombardment shattered their formation, and armored assaults crushed their will.
By the time the infantry of the third column charged up, the remaining Japanese soldiers were either fleeing, trembling, or already dead.
When Li Jianghe received the message in the command post at the rear, he was looking at a map.
He didn't show much expression, simply nodded, and then issued two commands. His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear, like a knife falling onto a chopping board.
"Order the troops to continue advancing north and capture the Minshan Township line. At the same time, closely monitor the movements of the Japanese troops in the Chaisang direction."
He paused after speaking, then added:
"Send a telegram to the Ninth War Zone Command, saying that our army has occupied Ma Huiling Town and the 11th Army has completely cut off the Japanese army's retreat route. We can launch a general offensive against the Japanese army in the encirclement."
The communications soldier stood at attention, saluted, and ran out of the command post.
Li Jianghe turned his gaze back to the map, his finger slowly sliding from Ma Huiling Town to the Minshan Mountains, then northward, pointing towards Chaisang and Jiujiang.
His lips twitched slightly, not quite a smile, but more like a sense of certainty—the net had been tightened, and now all that was left was for the prey to run right into it.
The sounds of gunfire in the distance had not completely ceased, but they had become sparse.
The morning mist was dissipating, and sunlight was filtering through the gaps in the clouds, illuminating the cratered and scorched earth of the battlefield.
Some soldiers from the Third Column squatted in front of the captured Japanese supplies, looking through rice balls and canned food.
Someone picked up a dusty rice ball, patted it, and put it in their mouth to chew. Children from poor families can't bear to see food wasted.
Meanwhile, in the Wanjialing and Liujialing directions, the two Japanese divisions within the encirclement were unaware that their retreat routes had been completely blocked.
Inside the Ninth War Zone Command, Chen Cheng looked at the telegram that had been sent, and his emotions became excited; he even laughed.
"Hahaha, Boling, Boling, they've made their move! Li Jianghe's third column has finally made its move."