Devil's Army

Chapter 2003 Attack on the Outskirts of Yueyang 2

The Jiuling Mountains are a branch of the Mufu Mountains. The area is characterized by majestic mountains, rolling hills, and dense forests.

It consists of nine small hills, each several hundred meters high, with the Changwu Highway winding through them. It is a necessary route for the 3rd and 4th Regiments of the 1st Brigade to travel south to Hunan.

The road is flanked by towering mountains, creating a rugged terrain.

The Japanese army controlled the hilltops on both sides and stubbornly resisted the advance of the First Brigade.

Under the fierce attack of the 3rd Regiment, the Japanese army finally could not withstand the onslaught and retreated step by step.

Soon after, the Third Regiment attacked Jiulinggeng, Baogaishan, and Dayuanshan.

The Japanese army dug trenches and tunnels in the rocky hills here, using these natural conditions to build fortifications and hiding places to block the First Army's attack.

At the same time, they also used the complex surrounding terrain to set up various obstacles and lay landmines to slow down the army's advance.

The roads here are narrow, and the three regiments, in their pursuit, could not deploy their forces here. Moreover, they were blocked by the Japanese army's fierce firepower and landmines.

Soldiers from the Third Regiment who went forward to clear mines were constantly sniped by Japanese troops, which gave the Third Regiment Commander a major headache.

At this point, the second battalion commander proposed a plan to use handcarts to create a simple mine-clearing vehicle.

He then explained the manufacturing method of the mine-clearing vehicle to the Third Regiment Commander in detail.

Upon hearing this, the Third Regiment Commander punched the Second Battalion Commander in the chest and shouted:

"Battalion Commander Lu, that's great! You can join our First Army's Research Department."

“When we were kids, we were naughty. When we were herding cattle, we would sit on the backs of the oxen and fight with bamboo sticks. So I thought of adding logs to the front of the handcart, and the soldiers would hide behind the cart and push it forward. The logs could be used to clear mines.”

"Okay, you're in charge of this. Go and buy a few handcarts from the people."

"Yes!"

At 3 p.m., the soldiers of the 2nd Battalion launched an attack on the Japanese positions by pushing the mine-clearing vehicle designed by the 2nd Battalion Commander.

The Japanese troops fired fiercely at the soldiers of the Second Battalion behind the handcart, but the bullets all hit the cotton quilts covered with mud.

The machine gunners of the Second Battalion behind the handcart fiercely fired at the Japanese troops through the firing port.

While the Japanese firepower was suppressed, the rocket soldiers behind the handcart also bombarded the Japanese machine gun positions.

The logs rolling in front of the handcart occasionally detonated landmines on the path.

Once the logs were destroyed by the landmine, a second mine-clearing vehicle immediately followed.

Soldiers quickly reattached new logs to the first mine-clearing vehicle.

The soldiers of the Second Battalion used their homemade mine-clearing vehicles to clear a path, and under the cover of "makeshift tanks," they advanced to the front of the Japanese positions.

At the command of the Second Battalion Commander, the soldiers of the Second Battalion, who were hiding behind handcarts, shouted and charged toward the Japanese position.

Unable to stop the Japanese troops, the two sides engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat on the battlefield.

In the hand-to-hand combat, the veterans of the Second Battalion took the lead and fought fiercely against the Japanese army.

While the Second Battalion was engaged in a fierce battle with the Japanese army, the main force of the Third Regiment also continuously rushed onto the front lines.

The Japanese army could no longer hold out and retreated south.

The soldiers of the Second Regiment continued to advance and arrived at Elephant Trunk Mouth.

Elephant Trunk Mouth, together with Baogai Mountain on the right and Jiulinggeng on the left, form a triangular shape, creating a mutually supportive defensive posture.

This terrain allowed the Japanese troops to coordinate their attacks on the 1st Brigade, launching coordinated assaults from different directions.

Due to the terrain limitations, the soldiers of the 1st Brigade's 3rd and 4th Regiments were unable to fully deploy and block the Japanese troops from all directions.

This also made it difficult for the brigade to concentrate its forces and break through the Japanese defense line.

Seeing that the battle situation was unfavorable, the deputy brigade commander immediately adjusted the deployment.

He ordered the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions of the 3rd Regiment to attack the Japanese positions at Xiangbizui, Baogaishan, and Jiulinggeng respectively, while the 4th Battalion of the 3rd Regiment and its directly subordinate units were to serve as reserves and immediately go to support any battle that was not going well.