Devil's Army

The lieutenant led more than 100 Japanese soldiers to retreat from the west gate of Shenze County and rushed all the way to Gao County. But before they reached Gao County, they heard fierce gunfire.

As a last resort, we had to take a detour and return to Shijiazhuang.

Gao County was flat and open, and was not suitable for defense. However, relying on his large number of troops, Division Commander Ichiro Shichida dug two defensive fortifications outside several gates of Gao County.

Deputy Brigade Commander Dai destroyed a Japanese artillery unit when he first arrived, but he didn't know if the Japanese had any more artillery units, so he had to hide the 150mm howitzer that had already crossed the river.

Deputy Brigade Commander Dai arranged the first regiment to attack the south gate of Gao County, the second regiment to attack the north gate of Gao County, and the third regiment to attack the east gate of Gao County.

At eight o'clock, a mixed squadron of fighters and bombers from the First Army flew over and began to bombard the Japanese fortifications outside the East Gate, South Gate, and North Gate of Gao County.

The Japanese army, which was not used to digging anti-aircraft fortifications, suffered heavy casualties under the fierce bombing of the First Army's aircraft.

After the First Army Air Force bombed the Japanese fortifications outside the city, the three regiments of the Second Brigade simultaneously launched an attack on Gao County.

The battles at the North Gate and East Gate by the Second and Third Regiments were feints, aimed at preventing the Japanese troops in the city from reinforcing the South Gate.

Soon, the commander of a regiment also launched an attack on Gao County, which was opposite the Hutuo River railway bridge.

One after another, mortar shells accurately fell into the Japanese fortifications.

The first company launched a fierce attack while the Japanese army was blinded by the bombing.

The Japanese troops in the fortifications resisted for a while, but were defeated and began to retreat towards the first fortification.

The mortar positions of the first regiment moved forward and continued to extend their firing, bombing the first line of fortifications of the Japanese army.

The soldiers of the first company did not stop and began to move towards the first fortification outside the south gate of Gao County.

A battalion commander suggested to the division commander Ichiro Shichida to use artillery units to reinforce the troops in the first line of fortifications outside the city.

Division Commander Ichiro Shichida asked back:

"Did you know that the large-caliber artillery of the Devil's Army crossed the Hutuo River?"

The captain was dumbfounded by the question, but the First Army Air Force had already returned by then, so he suggested:

"We can send a reconnaissance plane to investigate."

Division Commander Ichiro Nanada nodded. If the Devil Forces' large-caliber artillery did not cross the river, he would order the artillery units to suppress the Devil Forces' attack.

After a while, a Japanese reconnaissance plane was ordered to fly over to scout the situation of the devil troops at the various city gates of Gao County.

The Japanese reconnaissance planes flew diligently at low altitudes around several city gates of Gao County several times, but did not find the large-caliber artillery of the devil troops.

Division Commander Ichiro Nanada was preparing to bombard the demonic troops outside the city. However, he was more cautious and divided the only remaining artillery unit of the 20th Division into two. One began to fiercely bombard the attacking regiment outside the city, while the other quietly moved away.

The artillery of the Second Brigade quickly calculated the approximate location of the Japanese artillery positions in the city through the trajectory of the Japanese artillery shells, and sent a golden eagle to confirm it.

The golden eagle quickly transmitted the location coordinates of the Japanese artillery positions in the city.

At this time, the Japanese artillery was continuing to bombard a company of soldiers who were attacking the first fortification at the south gate of Gao County.

While attacking, the company commander asked the soldiers to disperse and try to hide in the craters created by the shells in front to avoid the Japanese artillery fire.

Soon, the four 150mm howitzers of the nd Brigade hidden in the woods roared.

One after another, large-caliber grenades with astonishing lethality attacked the Japanese artillery positions, tearing apart the 100mm howitzers and 75mm mountain cannons in the Japanese artillery positions.

The Japanese artillerymen on the artillery position were also blown away by the huge shock wave of the 150mm howitzer.

Under the precise guidance of the Golden Eagle, the Second Brigade's four 150mm howitzers launched three consecutive salvos at the Japanese artillery positions.

The cannons and trucks on the Japanese artillery positions were basically blown into pieces.

There was no trace of corpses at the center of the explosion, and the periphery of the artillery position was littered with the remains of Japanese artillerymen, broken arms and internal organs.

The explosion of the large-caliber howitzers at the artillery position was like a hammer, continuously hitting the chest of the Japanese captain.

It was he who encouraged the division commander, Ichiro Nanada, to bombard the devil troops, and now his artillery was met with a devastating counterattack from the devil troops. But the division commander, Ichiro Nanada, did not scold the battalion commander.

The terrain of Gao County was not suitable for defense, and he himself had the idea of ​​having artillery assist the infantry in defending the fortifications outside the city.

After the Second Brigade's 150mm howitzers destroyed the Japanese artillery positions, they began to bomb the Japanese first fortifications outside the south gate of Gao County.

The accurate 150mm howitzer fell into the Japanese second line of defense.

This line of Japanese fortification, which had no anti-artillery function, was quickly destroyed by the 2nd Brigade's large-caliber howitzers.

A regiment of soldiers quickly occupied the first line of defense of the Japanese army and began to attack the south gate of Gao County.

At this time, the division commander, Ichiro Nanada, had realized that he had no way to defend Gaoxian County and was thinking of retreating. However, his military honor prevented him from making up his mind to retreat.

Soon, the Second Brigade's four 150mm howitzers extended their firing and began bombing the south gate wall of Gao County.

Under the fierce bombardment of the Second Brigade's large-caliber howitzers, two places on the south gate wall of Gao County collapsed, and the Japanese troops on the wall also suffered heavy casualties.

Division Commander Ichiro Shichida then ordered his troops to retreat.