usatvline Chapter 354: The situation is improving
Chapter 354: The situation is improving
5 month 20 day,
In the early morning, the sky was still shrouded in a gray mist.
But in this quiet morning light, the soldiers of the 388th Brigade are ready to go.
Li Yunlong stood in front of the command post, looking at Taiyuan city in the distance.
He knew what the liberation of this city meant to the entire war situation.
He took a deep breath and shouted, "Attack!"
Following Li Yunlong's order, the soldiers of the 388th Brigade rushed towards Taiyuan like a tide.
The tank regiment formed an infantry-tank coordination with an infantry regiment and launched a fierce attack on Taiyuan's outer defense line.
The tank tracks rumbled across the ground, and the soldiers followed closely behind, their guns pointed forward, ready for the coming battle.
The Taiyuan Airport, located in the south, was also under heavy artillery fire from the 388th Brigade.
On the artillery positions, large-caliber howitzers were pointed toward the sky, and the gunners were rapidly loading shells.
Following the commander's order, flames spurted out of the muzzles of the guns, and shells whizzed into the sky, cutting through the morning mist and heading straight for the Japanese airport.
"Aim at the runway and fire!"
Large-caliber howitzer shells whizzed from the sky towards the Japanese airport, slamming heavily into the runway and causing a violent explosion.
The explosion was deafening, and flames and black smoke rose above the airport, forming a series of horrifying scenes.
One large bomb crater after another completely destroyed the entire runway. None of the Japanese planes on the runway were spared and were all blown to ruins.
The wreckage and debris of the plane were scattered all over the ground, and the flames were mixed with unburned fuel. The entire airport fell into chaos.
In the tower of the airport, the Japanese commander looked out the window in horror and said, "Quick, call for support, our airport is under attack!"
However, his orders could no longer change the current situation.
The artillery fire of the 388th Brigade poured down like a rainstorm, and the defense of Taiyuan Airport quickly collapsed under such a fierce attack.
At the same time, the battle on Taiyuan's outer defense line also entered a fierce stage.
Although the First Army's defense force stationed in Taiyuan consisted of only one division and one garrison brigade, they were full of confidence and believed that the defense line they had built in advance could withstand any attack.
However, facing the tank and infantry-tank coordinated tactics of the 388th Brigade, their defense line seemed vulnerable.
The Japanese commander stood in the command post, his brows furrowed as he watched the unfavorable battle reports coming in from the front line.
He knew that traditional lines of defense were almost useless against modern tanks.
He quickly ordered the formation of a suicide bombing squad, ready to take extreme measures to die together with the tank.
Thousands of Japanese soldiers, with determination written all over their faces and bombs strapped to their bodies, were quietly waiting in the trenches for the arrival of the tanks.
They knew that these could be the last moments of their lives.
The artillery of the 388th Brigade continuously poured shells on the Japanese positions on the defense line, and the sound of explosions rose one after another, resounding through the sky.
The Japanese soldiers in the trenches could only hold the bombs tightly in their arms and pray that they would not be killed by the shells.
Their bodies huddled at the bottom of the trench, their hearts pounding with every explosion.
Thousands of Japanese suicide squad members suffered heavy losses under the fierce artillery fire. Before they launched the attack, the suicide squad members had lost 2/3 of their soldiers.
The remaining soldiers watched their comrades fall one by one, their eyes filled with tears and anger.
........
at the same time,
On the Dongshan defense line, the Japanese defense forces took quick action after receiving orders from the headquarters.
They knew that the artillery positions in Dongshan were their last line of defense and must be used to their maximum power.
The soldiers quickly turned all the artillery positions on the East Mountain and aimed them at the attacking tank troops.
On the East Mountain, the Japanese deployed 20 mountain cannons and 15 heavy cannons, as well as four fortress cannons with a caliber of up to 240 mm.
These fortress cannons were the Japs' powerful weapons in the Dongshan Fortress. One shot could create a huge pit more than 5 meters deep, with a killing range of more than 70 meters. The power was amazing, and the shells alone weighed 500 kilograms.
As the artillery on the East Mountain opened fire, shells whizzed towards the tank troops, causing violent explosions in the team.
“Boom boom boom…”
A violent explosion sounded in the tank team. In an instant, four huge craters appeared in the team. Three heavy Dragon tanks were blown over on the spot, and one was directly destroyed, with its turret blown away.
The surrounding soldiers were knocked to the ground by the powerful shock wave.
Everyone looked at this scene in shock. It was simply too amazing. What a huge caliber cannon this must be.
Li Yunlong and Chu Yunfei in the back gasped when they saw this.
"Fuck! Lao Li, the Japs moved the fortress artillery to Dongshan." Chu Yunfei said in shock.
“Old Chu, the fortress artillery in Dongshan is too threatening to us, we must destroy it.
Immediately order the Dongshan troops to launch an attack and capture the Dongshan Fortress." Li Yunlong ordered.
"Yes, Brigade Commander." Chu Yunfei quickly went down to convey the order.
After a while, there was another deafening roar on the battlefield. Two more tanks turned into fireballs under the Japanese artillery, and the steel wreckage flew everywhere.
"These little Japanese devils are really capable!" Li Yunlong said gritting his teeth.
The Japanese were cheering, as the fortress artillery on Dongshan Mountain gave them great confidence.
The soldiers on the battlefield high-fived each other in celebration, as if victory was already in sight.
Their commander also smiled proudly, thinking that the fortress artillery was their secret weapon that could turn the tide of the battle.
However, their excitement lasted less than 10 minutes.
Because the Dongshan Fortress was under fierce attack by the 388th Brigade, countless artillery shells whizzed towards the Dongshan Fortress and poured down like heavy rain.
"Aim at the enemy's artillery positions and fire!"
The enemy's artillery positions were hit hard first, and all the mountain artillery and heavy howitzers were completely destroyed almost in an instant.
There was continuous artillery fire and explosions, and the entire Dongshan Fortress was shrouded in smoke and flames.
Only the fortress guns installed in the bunkers survived.
These bunkers are made of thick concrete and are extremely strong. Ordinary shells cannot penetrate their shells.
Under the protection of the bunkers, the fortress artillery continued to pour fire on the troops of the 388th Brigade.
"Old Li, the artillery position has been destroyed by us, but the fortress artillery in the bunker is still firing. We need the cooperation of the infantry units to take it down." Chu Yunfei reported the battle situation to Li Yunlong.
"I understand, Lao Chu. Order the infantry to capture those bunkers for me at all costs!"
Li Yunlong knew that only by destroying these fortress artillery could the safety of the tank troops and the victory of the Taiyuan Campaign be ensured.
After receiving the order, the infantry unit immediately began to act.
Under the 388th Brigade's reckless attack, the Japanese on the Dongshan defense line were beaten back step by step. Their steps were disordered and their morale was low. They were unable to stop the attack of the 388th Brigade.
Although the Japanese had the advantage of terrain, the artillery power of the 388th Brigade was even more powerful. Almost every second, shells fell into the Japanese positions, like the scythe of the god of death, ruthlessly reaping lives.
"Artillery! Keep firing! Don't stop!" Chu Yunfei shouted in command at the front line.
The Japanese soldiers didn't dare to show their heads at all. If they dared to open fire, they would be bombarded by the enemy in the next second.
Under such circumstances, the assault troops of the 388th Brigade took over the entire defense line outside the Dongshan Fortress in less than two hours.
The remaining Japanese soldiers hid in the tunnels and dared not come out.
"Smoke! Force them out!"
An Eighth Route Army company commander commanded the soldiers, and they began to ignite smoke bombs and flamethrowers in an attempt to force the Japanese inside out.
The Japanese soldiers hiding inside couldn't bear it anymore. Tears streamed from their eyes due to the smoke and their throats were choked by the smoke and they couldn't stop coughing. Finally, they ran out one by one and were then killed one by one.
The loss of the Dongshan defense line led to the breach of the First Army’s most important defense line. Soon after, the defense line outside Taiyuan was also captured by the 388th Brigade.
The rest of the Japanese defenders retreated back to Taiyuan City, preparing for the final decisive battle.
"Old Li, we have taken over Dongshan!" Chu Yunfei reported to Li Yunlong excitedly.
"Good! Well done!
Now, we must make a concerted effort to capture Taiyuan!"
The situation on the entire battlefield is improving, and the independent column is about to capture the capital of Shanxi.
The soldiers' morale was high and they knew that victory was just around the corner.