Chapter 280 The Independent Regiment and the 28th Regiment raided the important town in northern Shanxi!

Author: Lonely Jungle

Chapter 280 The Independent Regiment and the 28th Regiment raided the important town in northern Shanxi!

"Boom boom boom!"

Seven or eight minutes later, two more Japanese engineers who were clearing mines were killed. Taro Takeshita was speechless among the Japanese army.

"Do you know how to clear mines?"

Takeshita Taro watched as he passed through Mingjia Town and went north for less than two kilometers. He was stunned by the mines laid by the 303rd Regiment 1st Battalion along the road and on both sides for more than 20 minutes.

I'm getting a little annoyed waiting.

So, Colonel Kentaro Kikuta, the engineer commander of the division in charge of demining in front, was called forward, and he was scolded.

"Division Commander!"

Colonel Kentaro Kikuta, commander of the Engineer Regiment affiliated to the 41st Division, felt miserable and could only report in detail: "The enemy's mines laid along the road and on both sides are very disorderly."

"Although there are many landmines among them, our metal detectors have discharged them. However, there are still many landmines that cannot be detected by metal detectors, division commander!"

After a pause, Captain Kentaro Kikuta of the Engineer Regiment waved to the two Japanese engineers following him.

So, the two Japanese engineers who were following Kentaro Kikuta immediately brought over two ceramic mines.

"Division commander, this is a mine made of ceramic by the enemy."

Pointing to the ceramic landmines that the two engineers had brought over, Colonel Kentaro Kikuta, the commander of the engineering team, said to Taro Takeshita, an old devil: "So, we used metal detectors to clear mines before and buried them with landmines captured from the Imperial Army. We can clear them."

come out.".

"But the enemy is so cunning that our metal detectors cannot discharge the landmines made of ceramics. This is a mine that our engineers used to manually discharge with bayonets. However, it takes a lot of time, division commander."

Looking at the ceramic mines held in the hands of the two Japanese engineers, Takeshita Taro, division chief of staff Major General Tada Hideki and other Japanese generals all looked over.

"Baga Yalu, Xu Rui is indeed cunning, he can actually create such a mine, how powerful is it?"

Taro Takeshita asked with a gloomy face to the engineer commander, Colonel Kikuta Kenichiro.

"The power is no worse than mines made of metal such as iron shells, and it is very lethal. If one of our soldiers is injured, we need at least two soldiers to take care of the wounded and evacuate the injured soldiers to Mingjia Town behind!"

Kentaro Kikuta said helplessly.

"hateful!"

Takeshita Taro said through gritted teeth.

Unexpectedly, Xu Rui's 303rd Regiment would actually create such a weird landmine.

But it is undeniable that the lethality is indeed no worse than that of metal mines.

"Kikuta-san, how long will it take for your engineering regiment to clear mines all the way to the north to complete the demining work? The army can't always wait on the road for your engineering regiment to complete the mine clearance before moving forward."

At this time, Major General Hideki Tada, chief of staff of the 41st Division, asked Kentaro Kikuta.

"Chief of Staff, the ceramic mines planted by the enemy may account for almost half of all the mines planted."

Engineer Captain Kentaro Kikuta said helplessly: "Metal detectors can discharge landmines made of metal, but mines made of ceramics by the enemy cannot be discharged."

"To deal with the enemy's ceramic mines, we can only use bayonets and carefully clear the mines, which takes a long time. According to the current speed of mine clearance, it is estimated that it will not be possible until after 1:30 in the afternoon to reach the south bank of the Nanliu River Stone Bridge.

Over there at the bridge entrance, Chief of Staff."

Hearing this, senior Japanese generals such as Tada Hideki and Takeshita Taro all looked a bit sad.

Although it is said that mortars can be used all the way along the road to directly detonate the mines laid by the enemy.

However, how many shells would be wasted if we hit the south bank of the Nanliujiang Stone Bridge like this!

In particular, we have to fight all the way to the gate of Heyuan County. We have stored enough artillery shells for a month of fighting. I am afraid that we will not be able to support the attack to the gate of Heyuan County by then.

"Division Commander, what should we do?"

At this time, the commander of the 2nd Brigade, Shibata Ichiro, also asked Taro Takeshita.

The demining work was so difficult, and the enemy indeed had a way of delaying their army's rapid northward advance. The delay lasted until 1:30 in the afternoon, which happened to be when the sun was at its peak.

The army of Japanese soldiers lining up on the highway must be so dry that they are soaked in the sun!

"Kikuta-san, let your engineering unit retreat!"

Taro Takeshita thought for a while, gritted his teeth, as if he had made up his mind, and then said to Kentaro Kikuta.

"Yes, division commander!"

When Taro Takeshita said this, Kentaro Kikuta actually breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

The enemy's metal mines are easy to remove with metal detectors, but the enemy's ceramic mines must be carefully removed by hand with bayonets by their engineers.

But in this case, it really takes more than an hour of demining to reach the entrance of the south bank of the Nanliujiang Stone Bridge.

Now that Takeshita Taro said this, Kikuta Kenjiro also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ask the artillery captain Jiro Fukuto to mobilize mortars and blast me all the way north along the road and the fields on both sides. We don't have time for such slow demining!"

Taro Takeshita then said to Chief of Staff Hideki Tada.

"Division Commander, if we do that, we will consume a lot of mortar shells!"

Chief of Staff Major General Hideki Tada reminded.

"I will let the rear supply depot relay continue to follow my army and transport artillery shells."

Taro Takeshita waved his hand and gritted his teeth and said: "The headquarters has fully supported us. During the battle, all ammunition will be provided to us first."

Seeing this, Hideki Tada knew that what Taro Takeshita needed was to reach the south bank of the Nanliu River as soon as possible.

We cannot passively let more than 40,000 troops bask in the sun on the road because of the delay of some landmines.

"Yes, division commander!"

Taro Takeshita was not afraid of running out of shells, Hideki Tada nodded and said.

Then he immediately sent an order to Colonel Jiro Fukuto, the commander of the artillery regiment, and immediately mobilized more than thirty mortars in his artillery regiment to blast along the highway and both sides of the highway.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

As the mortar shells were smashed out of the barrel at high speed, they immediately landed heavily on the road in front of the Japanese army and in the fields and grass on both sides of the road, immediately exploding into clouds of sparks and gunpowder smoke.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!"

The explosion was so violent that it immediately detonated the mines buried in the fields and grass on both sides of the road from Mingjia Town to the south of the Nanliu River.

Then, Taro Takeshita, who was very satisfied, ordered the artillery regiment to continue the bombardment and clear the mines quickly.

This scene was also seen by the soldiers of the 303rd Regiment Reconnaissance Company hiding in the forest on the roadside more than 80 meters to the left of the highway. Especially the commander of the Reconnaissance Company was amazed.

"The Japanese are really not afraid of wasting artillery shells! Report this situation to the regiment immediately!"

Duan Peng was surprised for a moment and then said to the scout carrying the radio.

"Understood, company commander."

The scout nodded, then immediately went to the back and turned on the radio, immediately sending a report to the temporary field headquarters.

At this time, Xu Rui had received a secret telegram from Li Yunlong, commander of the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army, at the temporary field headquarters on Woyupo Mountain.

"Chief of Staff, Commander Li Yunlong sent a secret message that the Independent Regiment of the Eighth Route Army and the 28th Regiment have arrived near the Great Copper City, an important town in northern Shanxi, and can launch a raid on the Great Copper City at any time!"

After saying that, Xu Rui handed the secret telegram from the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army to Chief of Staff Luo Youdu, smiled and said.

"Their raids can be launched at any time!"

After reading the telegram, Luo Youdu said: "However, the more than 40,000 Japanese troops we are facing have not yet reached the entrance of the stone bridge on the south bank of the Nanliu River."

"Regiment leader, you can call back to the friendly commander Li Yunlong and ask him to contact the Independent Regiment of the Eighth Route Army and the 28th Regiment. When the Japanese army of more than 40,000 soldiers reaches the bridge entrance on the south bank of the Nanliu River Stone Bridge, we can attack the important town of Datongcheng in northern Shanxi.

What do you think about launching a surprise attack?"
Chapter completed!