novelAbuy Chapter 51 A pincer attack
Chapter 51 A pincer attack
"Company commander, the Japanese have resumed their advance!" Sun Ming reported to Yang Zheng.
"Very good, Da Hui, the rest is up to you!" Yang Zheng said to Zeng Da Hui, the third platoon leader.
Zeng Dahui patted his chest and assured him, "Don't worry, Company Commander, our Third Platoon guarantees we'll complete the mission!"
"Great, that's very energetic!"
Yang Zheng patted him on the shoulder, then mounted his warhorse and quickly left. He was going to the finish line, the location of the fire support platoon, to check it one last time. That was the location of the final battle, the place where the Japanese devils would be completely annihilated.
Right after Yang Zheng left, the harassment by the third platoon began, following the same routine of firing a few shots and then moving to a different location.
The tactic was old, but it was effective. The Japanese suffered few casualties, but the puppet troops walked with trembling legs, and their speed slowed down considerably.
Many officers of the puppet army even took off their military uniforms and put on ordinary soldiers' uniforms, hiding among the soldiers.
As for the reconnaissance troops sent out to investigate, they were cautious and hesitant, and as soon as they heard gunfire, they immediately lay down and stopped advancing.
The Japanese company commander behind them watched with a twitching mouth, utterly disgusted.
"Baka! Wellside Squad, immediately dispatch a small team to supervise the puppet troops' forward reconnaissance!"
"Hi!"
A small infantry squad quickly advanced and positioned itself behind the puppet army reconnaissance troops, their guns gleaming as they were pointed at them.
"Damn it, these... damn bastards are clearly using us as cannon fodder!"
A puppet army squad leader felt a chill run down his spine and couldn't help but curse under his breath.
But what good is cursing? You still have to work. The Japanese guns are no joke; they really will fire.
"How far is it from here to Changning Village?" the Japanese company commander asked.
An adjutant next to him immediately took out a map, examined it, and replied, "It's still 20 li away."
"Hmph! Order the puppet troops to speed up. They must reach Changning Village before nightfall." The Japanese company commander's face darkened; he was barely able to suppress his murderous urge.
"Yes, sir!" the adjutant replied immediately, then ordered the communications officer to relay the message quickly.
But how could they possibly move fast? Even with the Japanese soldiers constantly driving them away with their rifle butts, the puppet troops remained timid and hesitant, their eyes darting around, ready to find cover at any moment.
For them, survival is the most important thing.
"Slap! Slap!"
"Damn it, the Eighth Route Army is here again!"
With two gunshots, the puppet troops were thrown into chaos, desperately rushing towards the bunkers on both sides.
The chaos didn't end until about ten minutes later, when the puppet troops were reluctantly driven back to their tracks by the Japanese soldiers.
But resentment towards the Japanese was gradually building up.
This situation continued for another three hours, during which they had only traveled about 10 li (approximately 5 kilometers). Ahead lay the bend in the road where Yang Zheng had previously led his men to ambush the Japanese—a path Yang Zheng jokingly referred to as the "Ghost-Ambush Road."
At this moment, the soldiers of the first platoon, the second platoon, and the fire support platoon were already ready behind the Fugui Bend.
Six lightly armed rifles were held by the shooters and hidden on both sides of the road. Once they opened fire, they would form a crossfire pattern.
Nine grenade launchers and one Type 92 anti-tank gun were concealed under the trench in front of the road—500 meters from the bend.
Dozens of soldiers armed with rifles were concealed in a trench that had been dug in advance. The top of the trench was covered with wooden branches and shoveled turf.
From a distance, there was absolutely nothing unusual about it.
"Company commander, the enemy will arrive in 20 minutes," Sun Ming reported again.
"Very good, you can take this horse too. This time, your reconnaissance squad's mission is to cooperate with the third platoon to completely cut off the Japanese's retreat. This time, I'll give them a pincer attack!"
Yang Zheng pointed to the warhorses grazing and resting nearby and said.
"Yes, sir!"
Without saying a word, Sun Ming stepped forward, took the reins of the horse, and then quickly spurred the horse away, the sound of hooves heading towards the mountain path.
He will quickly bypass this area and, relying on the excellent qualities of his warhorse, appear behind the Japanese soldiers.
At this moment, Yang Zheng addressed the three platoon leaders who had gathered around, saying, "I'm sure you all know what the next mission is. The running around these past two days should be coming to an end. Go and prepare! Full firepower!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Company commander, don't worry! The comrades are fully prepared!"
"Company commander, just watch! The grenade launcher will hit its target perfectly!"
Chen Xiaoquan and the other two exchanged a glance, their expressions brimming with confidence.
About 20 minutes later, the Japanese and puppet troops finally made it to the vicinity of the "Fugui Road" bend.
Looking at the treacherous bend in the road, a perfect ambush site, the Japanese company commander's alarm bells rang loudly.
He waved to halt the marching troops, raised his binoculars, and carefully observed the hillsides on both sides and the situation behind the bend.
The hillside was sparsely vegetated, with scattered rocks visible, but it was quiet except for the rustling of the wind through the withered grass. The road behind the bend was obscured by the mountain, making it difficult to see clearly.
"Baka... It's too quiet." The squad leader frowned.
Two consecutive days of harassment had made him like a frightened bird, and he was wary of any terrain where the enemy might be hiding.
"Send three...no, five search teams! Thoroughly search the slopes on both sides and behind the bends! No main force is allowed to proceed without orders!"
Upon receiving the order, five search teams, each composed of a small number of Japanese soldiers and puppet troops, carrying guns and crouching low, cautiously made their way up the hillside and along the bends in the road.
They cautiously searched behind large rocks where people might be hiding, checked the bushes, and even threw grenades behind the bend in the road as a test...
Time ticked by, and the search teams returned one after another reporting: "No enemy traces found!" "Open space beyond the bend, no ambush!"
The Japanese company commander breathed a slight sigh of relief, but his suspicions remained.
He thought for a moment and ordered, "Coup troops, go first! Quickly pass the bend and establish a perimeter in the open area on the other side!"
The main force of the squadron, spaced 200 meters apart, will then proceed! Machine gun teams and grenade launcher teams, be ready to provide fire support at any time!
"Yes, sir!" The order was relayed.
Although the puppet troops were unwilling, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and rush towards the bend as fast as they could, with their necks hunched and their heads tucked in, under the pressure of the Japanese soldiers' gleaming bayonets and gun barrels behind them.
They just wanted to get out of this awful place as soon as possible.
Nearly two hundred puppet troops rushed around the bend in a chaotic manner, and apart from the disorderly footsteps and heavy breathing, they did not encounter any attacks.
Beyond the bend lies a relatively straight road with gentler terrain on both sides. A few hundred meters further on, there is a larger open area.
The puppet troops who passed through first felt a little relieved and, following orders, spread out on both sides of the road and assumed a guarded posture, although their eyes were still darting around in fear.
But they didn't see that just over 100 meters away, hundreds of soldiers hidden in the grass were intently waiting for the order to attack.
Seeing that the puppet troops had passed through smoothly and deployed, the Japanese company commander felt much relieved.
"It seems those rat-like Eighth Route Army soldiers only dare to snipe from afar. Hmph, just wait until we get to their hideout..."
A fierce glint flashed in his eyes. "Order: Main force of the squadron, quickly pass through the bend! Maintain formation!"
The main force of the Japanese troops began to run into the bend in relatively neat formation. The Japanese flag fluttered, and the helmets and bayonets reflected a cold light in the afternoon sun.
The column was quite long; the front column had already exited the bend and joined up with the puppet troops ahead, while the rear column was still at the entrance to the bend.
Just then, the last group of soldiers at the rear of the army that day—including mules and horses carrying some ammunition and the wounded, and a machine gun team covering the rear—had just fully entered the bend when a sudden change occurred!