Chapter 39: Evacuating the County Seat and Ambuscading Japanese Reinforcements Again

Because Zhang Yun had previously dispatched a reconnaissance squad along the Pingliao Highway toward Liao County, and yesterday had arranged for three more squads, including Old Zhang’s, to advance south along the mountain trails, his system map page had already captured geographic data for several kilometers on both sides of the road between Heshun and Liao County.

Therefore, as Zhang Yun led his unit rapidly forward along a path parallel to the Pingliao Highway, he constantly cross-referenced the map in his mind, searching for an ideal ambush point.

The effective range of the 82mm mortars and the Type 92 infantry guns is approximately 2.8 kilometers. Considering the accuracy of the shelling, the convenience of visual calibration, and the ease of withdrawal, the ambush site needed to be roughly 1 to 1.5 kilometers from the road.

To maximize the opportunity for multiple ambushes, Zhang Yun led his troops forward for about 17 or 18 kilometers before finally selecting the first site.

It was a relatively secluded path, but by crossing the hillside near the road, one could observe the highway below, and there was enough brush to conceal the artillery. Utilizing the high-angle trajectory of the mortars and infantry guns, they could easily strike a long, winding stretch of the road below.

An excellent position!

The artillery squad quickly constructed firing positions near the mountain path, while the veterans pushed further out to form a defensive perimeter. The recruits and militia members instinctively formed long lines, ready to pass shells forward at a moment's notice.

The preparations for the ambush were completed with ease.

Zhang Yun arranged observation posts ahead and, while waiting for the enemy to arrive, allowed the soldiers a brief rest. Having fought continuously since yesterday and throughout the early morning, the men were exhausted, and many had begun to doze off.

About half an hour later, the scouts in front reported back urgently.

"The Japanese are coming! The Japanese are coming!"

Everyone snapped to attention, the soldiers preparing for the ambush and ensuring they remained concealed.

A moment later, several sidecars appeared on the road, moving slowly. One of the Japanese soldiers in a sidecar was firing a machine gun into the surrounding area.

Fire reconnaissance—a typical Japanese tactic. Everyone was accustomed to it and ducked behind cover to avoid being spotted or hit.

The Japanese reconnaissance scouts failed to detect the ambush force one kilometer away and soon continued their advance.

Shortly after, about seven or eight hundred Japanese soldiers appeared, marching in two columns, moving forward in a grand procession.

Zhang Yun used his Zeiss high-magnification binoculars (enhanced by the loot system, which had replaced his previous gear with a superior pair of binoculars and specialized artillery sights) to observe the enemy closely. He noted that the formation was methodical: infantry in the front, infantry protecting the artillery in the center, and the supply train in the rear.

What surprised Zhang Yun even more was that this force of over 700 men was carrying two Type 92 infantry guns and two Type 41 mountain guns, pulled by mules in the middle of the formation.

Zhang Yun quickly realized what was happening.

The Japanese 105th Regiment must have learned yesterday that the recruit platoon possessed a significant number of mortars. The Japanese regimental commander had likely specifically ordered the support troops to bring Type 41 mountain guns to suppress the platoon’s mortar fire. After all, compared to the 2.8-kilometer range of infantry guns and mortars, the Type 41 mountain gun has a maximum range of 6,300 meters, sufficient to suppress the platoon’s firepower and seize control of the artillery battle.

"Dachuan, do you see the enemy's cannons?" Zhang Yun alerted his artillery squad leader, Wang Dachuan.

Using the specialized artillery sight, Wang Dachuan also spotted the two infantry guns and two mountain guns. As a former professional artilleryman from the Northeast Army, Wang had an almost keen intuition for artillery warfare. He instantly grasped the enemy's intent and realized that these two Type 41 mountain guns were his squad’s greatest threat and must be neutralized first.

He replied to Zhang Yun, "Platoon Leader, watch me take them out!" He then turned to the artillery crews, including Wang Chengchu and Li Tianduo, and shouted, "Adjust coordinates, prepare for Point 1!"

"Point 1" was simply a pre-marked section of the road, allowing them to expedite the adjustment of firing parameters for the mortars and infantry guns.

Wang Dachuan estimated the enemy's speed and, factoring in the flight time of the mortar shells, calculated the lead. Suddenly, he roared, "Point 1, continuous fire! Concentrate fire!"

"Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!" Within moments, six mortar shells and one infantry gun shell were hurtling toward the enemy position.

Before the shells even landed, the whistling sound of them cutting through the air alerted the Japanese, who scrambled in chaos to hit the ground.

However, the attack was too sudden. Before the enemy could organize any defensive measures, the shells landed amidst the four Japanese cannons, erupting in sparks and causing the surrounding Japanese artillerymen to scream in agony.

At that moment, the skilled gunners of the artillery squad displayed an extraordinary rate of fire, pouring shells onto the enemy position at a rate of 30 rounds per minute, while the Type 92 infantry gun fired its 3.8-kilogram shells at a rate of 6 to 8 rounds per minute.

In the middle of the Japanese column, the artillery unit was completely enveloped in fire. All four cannons were overturned by the shockwaves of the explosions, and the surrounding gunners were decimated, a gruesome sight.

Zhang Yun’s loot-bonus system was refreshing its data incessantly. Within moments, he had gained one Type 92 infantry gun and one Type 41 mountain gun, along with over 50 shells and various pistols and rifles.

From the data, Zhang Yun knew the Japanese artillery unit had been wiped out, and many surrounding infantry had also been neutralized.

Wang Dachuan, who had been monitoring the results, seemed to exhale in relief upon seeing the enemy artillery destroyed. He then ordered the crews to slightly adjust their parameters, spreading the fire outward as shells continued to rain down on the Japanese.

The shelling had lasted nearly a minute. As elite troops of the early Japanese invasion, the soldiers had already identified the location of the artillery position.

The commander of the 1st Battalion of the Japanese 105th Division, Kawazawa Jiro, who was at the front of the column, let out a furious roar at the sight of the carnage among his artillerymen.

"Baka! It’s a large force of the Eighth Route Army! 1st Company, attack the enemy artillery position immediately! All other units, provide cover!"

Having lost their artillery, the Japanese troops were seething with hatred toward the position nearly 1.5 kilometers away. However, due to the terrain, the infantry could only approach the artillery position slowly along the mountain paths and slopes.

In this situation, the artillery squad fired with even greater composure. Although the effectiveness of the shelling had diminished as the enemy scattered and found cover, stray Japanese soldiers were still being blasted away by the fire.

Seeing that the ambush had achieved its primary goal, Zhang Yun decided to quit while they were ahead. He ordered the veterans of the 1st Squad to provide covering fire while the rest of the unit retreated northward along the path.

In just two or three minutes of shelling, they had fired over 150 mortar shells and 20 infantry gun shells. The unit's load was now lighter, their mobility improved, and the 450-plus soldiers quickly retreated northward.

They hadn't gone more than two or three kilometers when the men of the 1st Squad reported that about 200 Japanese soldiers were pursuing them, while the remaining Japanese were lingering on the road, clearing the battlefield.

Zhang Yun and Liu Changqing estimated that the bombardment had killed over 100 enemies and wounded at least another hundred. Nearly one-third of the 800-man reinforcement force had been neutralized.

Even Zhang Yun was surprised by the success of the ambush. It was clear the Japanese had never expected the Eighth Route Army to possess such extravagant firepower, and their lack of caution had allowed Zhang Yun to pull off a surprise attack.

Next time, the Japanese would likely split up their artillery to avoid being wiped out in one go, thereby losing their ability to counter-fire.

Zhang Yun contemplated this, cross-referencing the terrain on his map. He felt it would be difficult to wipe out the 200 pursuing Japanese at the moment.

After all, he only had about 100 veterans. Nearly 200 recruits lacked rigorous training and marksmanship, and the combat effectiveness of the militia transport team could not be guaranteed. Although Zhang Yun now possessed over a dozen machine guns and held a certain firepower advantage, the elite nature of the Japanese infantry could not be underestimated.

If they were dragged into a static battle, the remaining hundreds of Japanese would likely converge, putting his recruit platoon at a disadvantage.

Zhang Yun consulted with the deputy platoon leader and the squad leaders. They decided to continue luring this group of Japanese southward along the path. If the pursuing force became separated from the main body of the enemy, they would turn around and wipe them out first.

If the pursuit slowed down, they would take a shortcut and strike the main Japanese force again!