ATPnovel Chapter 74 A Shock from the Central Training Corps
Chapter 74 A Shock from the Central Training Corps
But after defeating the Japanese army last time, the soldiers were greatly encouraged.
Moreover, they now have artillery firepower that can provide support at any time, which gives them even more confidence to hold out.
Sixteenth Division, Nakajima Kesago looked at himself in the mirror. His hairline had receded even further, his temples were turning white, and his head was completely bald.
"I'm getting old."
He couldn't help but sigh.
"What's the progress at Zhongshan Gate?"
Division Chief of Staff Nakazawa Mitsuo began:
"Not good. Although we have stable control of the city wall, we have encountered obstacles when advancing towards Yijiang Gate."
The Central Training Corps, which had been in retreat, was somehow suddenly organized and launched a counterattack.
The several blocks that our troops had originally occupied were also captured by the enemy in a counterattack.
At this point, he added something.
"By the way, the enemy lacks anti-tank capabilities, so when they fight our tanks, they always use close-range demolition."
Putting down the mirror, Nakajima Kesago suddenly stood up, staring at the map, and said:
"Let the armored forces continue their offensive, giving the enemy no time to breathe."
Although the Central Training Corps is strong, they are short of ammunition and are just a group of remnants; they are not a threat.
"Most importantly, we can't let the Sixth Division gain the upper hand."
As Nakajima Kesago said this, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
"In a way, we were lucky. We were facing the leaderless Central Training Corps, not Li Jianghe's Provisional Third Regiment."
The troops stationed at Yuhuatai and Zhonghua Gate are the real headaches.
Nakazawa Mitsuo had naturally heard of Li Jianghe and the Provisional Third Regiment he led.
"This enemy is indeed formidable, capable of driving the 114th Division, the 6th Division, and the 9th Division to despair and leaving them helpless."
He nodded in agreement.
"Even so, once our army breaks through the Zhongshan Gate line, we can cut off the enemy's retreat. It's only a matter of time before they are wiped out. At that time, you might even need to treat Mr. Tani Hisao to a drink to express your gratitude."
Nakajima Kesago chuckled and said:
"That old fox is cunning and treacherous. I'm worried that he might put laxatives in my drink out of jealousy."
As they were speaking, gunshots and explosions came from the direction of Zhongshan Gate.
Nakajima Kesago walked out of the command post, which was a bunker on Zijin Mountain, offering a panoramic view of the battle situation in Nanjing.
"I'd like to see how many enemy lives they have left to stop our tanks from advancing."
As he said this, he picked up his binoculars and looked toward the advance of the armored forces in the direction of Zhongshan Gate.
At this moment, a large number of Japanese troops, under the cover of artillery fire, were hidden behind Japanese Type 97 medium tanks and Type 95 light tanks, advancing side by side along several streets.
Ahead, some destroyed tank wreckage can still be seen.
Around the tank were the corpses of a large number of Nationalist soldiers.
It is easy to imagine how many Nationalist soldiers sacrificed their lives to destroy this one tank.
This sight, as seen by Nakajima Kesago, further boosted his confidence.
Just as confident as he was were the armored units advancing with the 16th Division.
During their last attack, they confirmed an important piece of intelligence—the enemy did not have anti-tank guns.
In that case, these Japanese armored units would be fearless and could rampage across the battlefield.
As for those enemy soldiers who exploded during the charge, although their courage was commendable, their chances of success were extremely low given the skillful coordination between infantry and tanks.
On the other side, the soldiers of the Central Training Corps also had sweat beading on their palms.
The suicide squad has been organized, and each member is carrying a cluster grenade.
These grenades, three to five at a time, could be used to destroy Japanese tank armor when approached after the fuses were pulled.
The problem is how to get within range of the tank's throw.
They usually line up in a row, and when one falls, the next person continues to rush forward, trading human lives for time.
Even so, whether it will succeed is another matter.
The soldiers had already written their wills and were prepared to die.
At this moment, some people were staring at the approaching tanks, while others trembled slightly, yet gritted their teeth and tried to overcome their fear.
Most people were reminiscing about their parents and younger siblings.
"My son, I've made you some new shoes. Do they fit?"
"Brother, here's some hawthorn, it's really sweet."
His younger brother picked hawthorns from the mountain to send him off.
"Brother, can't you leave tomorrow? You haven't even had a chance to drink at my wedding tomorrow yet."
Those were the words my younger sister said the night before she got married.
Silence, a silence before resolutely facing death.
Until the roar of the tank grew louder and louder as it passed through their neighborhood.
The soldiers placed their palms on the cluster grenades.
The letter home has been written; regardless of whether it can be delivered, they must fight this battle.
Just as the suicide squad members decided to launch their attack, a cannon shot suddenly rang out.
A Japanese Type 97 medium tank, which was in the lead, was hit by a shell right in front of them.
After the vulnerable frontal armor was pierced, shrapnel and intense flames poured into the cramped cockpit.
The tank suddenly lost control and ran directly over the Japanese troops on one side.
Then came the second shot, the third shot...
At the same time, Panzerfaust 60mm over-caliber combat missiles were launched and exploded around the Japanese tank units.
Some of the shells fired pierced through Japanese tanks, while others landed among Japanese soldiers.
Wherever it went, one could hear the screams of soldiers and the detonation of artillery shells.
The reinforcements were the ones that Li Jianghe had called in.
The anti-tank guns opened fire first, and the rocket launcher squads that arrived on the battlefield also used their Panzerfaust 60s to bombard the Japanese tanks.
In urban warfare, the Panzerfaust 60 is even more effective than anti-tank guns because it is easier to conceal and can be launched in a projectile motion.
As long as they are fired in the general direction, 10 Panzerfaust 60s can form a covering firepower, effectively killing Japanese armored targets and accompanying infantry.
The Japanese armored forces, which had been arrogant and thought themselves invincible, had four tanks destroyed and dozens of Japanese soldiers killed or wounded in an instant.
Inside the building where the suicide squad was located, the team members were all dumbfounded.
Something's not right. What's going on with the anti-tank gun shells?
Unidentified weapons were also bombarding the Japanese troops, engulfing the advancing Japanese tank units in explosions and flames.
Are there still such well-equipped troops in Nanjing?
Impossible. In Nanjing, the best-equipped unit is our Central Training Corps. We are the elite of the elite.
At this moment, someone said:
"The 3rd Provisional Regiment, Commander Li's 3rd Provisional Regiment is better equipped than ours. Battalion Commander Long is Commander Li's man, so this must be reinforcements he invited."
"So, we don't have to die?"
"A member of the suicide squad asked."
"Look at you, so pathetic. You don't dare to blow up the Japanese tanks without reinforcements?"
"Company commander, that's not what I meant. It's just that you're such a grown man, and I'm still a virgin. It would be such a waste for you to die like this."
Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter, and the previously tense atmosphere relaxed considerably.
At that moment, a soldier ran over and spoke to the suicide squad members who had failed to die.
"Commander Long said that reinforcements have arrived. The suicide squad should not rush to die, but prepare for defense and counterattack."