Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 147 Brutal Firepower

Just as Liang Zefeng was marveling at the command ability of the opposing army's commander, Li Yunlong also encountered trouble.

At first, he and his new regiment did gain some advantages with their flexible tactics, but everything changed when a cavalry squadron suddenly appeared.

Even the most agile soldiers of the New First Regiment couldn't outrun a horse. Soon, several soldiers who were trailing behind were overtaken by the Japanese cavalry and fell into pools of blood.

"Zhang Dabiao...quickly seize that earthen slope in front and hold off the Japanese devils there!"

On a slightly gentle slope, Li Yunlong, panting, pointed to a hillside ahead and roared at Zhang Dabiao.

"Understood... I'll personally lead the men over there and hold off the Japanese." Zhang Dabiao responded and was about to leave, but before he could take two steps, Li Yunlong grabbed him.

"Remember... speed is crucial, and bring the two Type 92 heavy machine guns as well."

"it is good!"

Watching Zhang Dabiao's figure disappear quickly, Li Yunlong felt a pang of annoyance.

It's often said that greed is harmful, and that's truly a wise saying.

If they can't stop that cavalry unit behind them, the New First Regiment will suffer heavy casualties today.

Just as Li Yunlong was secretly regretting his actions, a shrill whistling sound ripped through the sky.

Six streaks of gray-white smoke wove a net of death across the blue sky, landing on the cavalry that were giving chase.

"Boom boom boom..."

The blast wave overturned three warhorses, their bellies twisted at an eerie angle, their manes splattered with blood and foam.

A Japanese staff officer wearing glasses was also hit by a bomb; his briefcase was blown into the air, and the papers fluttered like white butterflies in the smoke.

The Japanese battalion commander leading the troops did not panic when he saw that his troops were being shelled. Instead, he ordered a company to rush towards Liang Zefeng's location.

Soon, a large group of Japanese soldiers in khaki uniforms swarmed toward them, like a swarm of locusts startled.

"Hey... those little devils underestimate us too much. They dare to go head-to-head with such a small force."

Liang Zefeng sneered.

Before he could give the order, the heavy machine guns that were already waiting in the wings opened fire.

The roar of the 12.7mm Browning heavy machine gun echoed throughout the surrounding valleys.

The copper casings of the bullet belt gleamed in the sunlight, and the red-hot barrel rippled through the air.

A bullet as thick as a thumb plowed through the bushes, scattering broken grass and bits of flesh everywhere.

Just as a short lieutenant raised his saber to order his troops to charge, a huge hole, the size of a bowl, suddenly burst open in his chest. As the tip of the saber pierced the soil, his kneeling body was still leaning forward due to inertia.

The M2HB Browning heavy machine gun, nicknamed "Old Godmother," is no joke. With a kinetic energy of up to 18,000 joules and a muzzle velocity of 930 meters per second, it can easily penetrate light armor, concrete bunkers, vehicles, and low-flying aircraft.

Its two-thousand-meter range gives it a very flat trajectory and extremely strong suppressive power, making it a natural enemy of cavalry.

When the nine M2HB heavy machine guns opened fire, the Japanese cavalry, who had been aggressively pursuing the New First Regiment, scattered like startled rabbits and could no longer regroup for a charge.

When cavalrymen go from being in groups to being alone, or when they lose speed, their threat level drops dramatically.

As an excellent commander, Li Yunlong's battlefield insight and reaction speed are beyond doubt. When he discovered that reinforcements had arrived, he immediately ordered his troops to stop retreating without hesitation and launched a counterattack against the Japanese army.

Amidst the resounding bugle calls, more than a thousand soldiers of the New First Regiment and over six hundred soldiers of the Sixth Battalion surged toward the Japanese army like a tidal wave.

Li Yunlong narrowed his eyes, his bayonet-like gaze piercing through the chaotic battlefield.

He saw at least thirty warhorses, now without their masters, running around like headless flies, their hooves trampling over the scattered Japanese flags.

In the distance, a Japanese captain was futilely waving his sword, his roars drowned out by the roar of a Czech light machine gun.

"Tear this hole open for me!"

After the Japanese cavalry squadron was defeated, Li Yunlong pointed to a small earthen mound in front of him, which was a defensive line hastily set up by the Japanese army.

He kicked aside a Japanese soldier's corpse at his feet, then fired a final shot at another Japanese soldier's corpse that was still convulsing on the ground.

After that shot, the corpse finally stopped convulsing.

He surveyed his surroundings and, seeing the Japanese troops hastily retreating, ordered the bugler, "Sound the charge!"

"Drip drip drip... Tap drip drip..."

The moment the bugle call tore through the air, the soldiers of the New First Regiment charged towards the Japanese troops ahead like tigers descending a mountain.

Under the combined attack of two powerful forces, this Japanese army also went berserk.

They resisted desperately, some pretending to be dead to avoid the search, and would shoot any lone soldier they encountered.

Some people formed groups of three or five, using various terrains to launch ambushes.

It is worth mentioning that this behavior was entirely spontaneous by the Japanese soldiers, rather than being directed by officers. This shows that even second-rate units like the Independent Mixed Brigade of the Japanese Army were quite combat-effective during this period.

But faced with the overwhelming tide of militia and the New First Regiment at the entrance, no matter how tenacious the Japanese army's resistance was, it could not change its fate of defeat.

Acrid smoke and the smell of blood drifted across the front line as nine Willys Jeeps came to a stop on a sloping hill about 400 meters from the battlefield.

Immediately, the M2HB heavy machine gun on the roof began to spew fire, and soon the heavy barrel began to turn dark red, with thick, long bullet casings splattering like soybeans onto the scorched mud.

A Japanese soldier huddled in a shell crater, his head pressed tightly to the ground, too afraid to lift his head.

The roar of machine guns from the Chinese army opposite him was like a dull knife scraping against his eardrums. With each burst of fire, he could see the bodies of his comrades around him being torn apart like rag dolls.

Dust, blood, flesh, and gravel flew everywhere. A young private had just jumped out of his cover when a hole the size of a bowl burst open in his abdomen, revealing his blue intestines. The long intestines left a long trail on the ground after being stained with blood.

"Mom...I want to go home!"

Faced with overwhelming firepower, the Japanese soldiers could no longer hold out, and some began to run back, marking the beginning of their collapse.

"Commander... the Japanese devils have escaped!" Zhang Dabiao shouted excitedly to Li Yunlong.

"What are you waiting for... go after them!"

Li Yunlong loved to take advantage of people who were down on their luck. Not only did it result in fewer casualties, but it also yielded more spoils. He wouldn't let anyone get away with it.

The soldiers of the New First Regiment lived up to their reputation as soldiers trained by Li Yunlong. They quickly split into two groups: one group continued to pursue the enemy, while the other group began to clean up the battlefield.

(End of this chapter)