Bright Sword: Japs, times have changed

The companies of the independent battalion made preparations according to Lin Qiang's plan, and the Japanese soldiers also tactfully arrived at the front line of the Xiaowangzhuang position.

The fact that they had not been bombarded along the way put their worries at ease and the captain Uratoichiro suddenly became braver. He ordered the team to advance at full speed.

The Japanese entered the firing range of the Second Company, but because of Lin Qiang's order, Qiangzi and others could only watch the Japanese pass by them.

Not only him, but also Wu Zhe, Wang Qiang, Xu Lang and others were the same. They did not receive the order to shoot.

Only Zhang Yuntian's team was authorized to shoot, because if they went further, they would reach the temporary command post in Xiaowangzhuang.

"Da da da……"

The sound of light machine gun fire rang out, and the few Japanese soldiers in the front fell to the ground.

As the gunshots rang out, Zhang Yuntian issued an order: "Except for the first platoon, no one else is allowed to shoot. Anyone who disobeys orders will be punished by military law!"

"Zhao Dapeng, your mission is to stop the devils and not allow them to advance even a single step!"

Zhao Dapeng, the platoon leader of the third company, replied confidently, "Don't worry, company commander. I will never bring shame to our third company. If I fail to complete the mission, you can just shoot me!"

It sounds like a fantasy that a platoon could block a Japanese infantry battalion, even though this Japanese infantry battalion did not carry heavy weapons.

But that is something that regular troops cannot do. The independent battalion’s team is different. Even if it is just a squad, it cannot be understood from the perspective of regular troops.

Zhao Dapeng commanded his team to stop the Japanese troops with all their might, hoping to scare the Japanese into submission with just one round of shooting.

At once, a row of prepared light machine gun fire points, individual trenches, and foxholes opened fire at the same time.

"Thud, tug, tug... tug, tug..."

“Pah…Pah…Pah…”

The Japanese troops who were advancing in an orderly manner a second ago suddenly fell into chaos, looking for places to hide from bullets.

However, it was too late. With the help of a row of powerful firepower, hundreds of Japanese devils were killed in a few breaths, and the death toll was still increasing.

At close range, dense firepower networks are the most lethal. The remaining devils used the corpses as cover and, with this as support, fired back at a row of positions.

Lin Qiang was observing the situation on the battlefield with a telescope at the front of the command post. The process from disrupting the Japanese army to launching a counterattack took less than a minute.

Moreover, in the chaotic sound of gunfire, even if the commander gave orders, they could not be transmitted to the Japanese in time. However, even in such a situation, the Japanese launched an effective counterattack in just one minute.

This combat capability is indeed something that the Eighth Route Army lacks.

Of course, not all Japanese troops have this combat capability. If that were the case, the hardships of the War of Resistance would be unimaginable.

What Lin Qiang didn't know was that this Japanese army unit that came to test Xiaowangzhuang was a unit under the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the 4th Brigade of the Japanese Army.

This third regiment is the Sakata regiment that was wiped out by Wang Chengzhu with a single shot on Cangyun Ridge. It is also an old enemy of Lin Qiang.

After the Sakata Regiment's commander Nobutsu Sakata and chief of staff were killed in the bombing, Li Yunlong led his troops to break through, causing heavy losses to the Sakata Regiment. After the battle, they stayed in Ping'an County to rest and recuperate.

The team's organization has not been disbanded because it is maintained by Yamamoto Ikki. He has always wanted to reorganize the Sakata Unit to cooperate with the special forces' combat missions.

However, Lin Qiang's arrival completely disrupted Yamamoto Ikki's plan. The weapons and equipment brought by train to reorganize the Sakata Regiment were divided up by Lin Qiang, Ding Wei and Kong Jie.

Subsequently, Yamamoto Ikki suffered repeated setbacks and the plan was delayed again and again.

Until the 7th Brigade was eliminated, the situation in northwestern Shanxi changed drastically. The Japanese mobilized a large number of troops into northwestern Shanxi, and the Sakata Regiment was able to be reorganized.

The Sakata Regiment should now be called the Yamamoto Regiment, and the regiment commander is none other than Yamamoto Ikki.

After many failures, he realized that when a small elite force faced a large number of enemies, its combat effectiveness was not even as good as that of an infantry company.

Unless you can catch the opponent off guard every time, but such opportunities are rare.

The reality made Yamamoto temporarily put aside the affairs of the special forces team, and instead volunteered to lead the team to attack the independent battalion base.

Whether it was the remnants of the original Sakata Regiment or the newly appointed regiment commander Yamamoto Ikki, they all had a great hatred for the Independent Battalion. The defeat in Cangyunling was regarded as a shame for the Sakata Regiment, and the Japanese were thinking about revenge all the time.

Yamamoto Ikki's heart for special operations was also shattered because he was defeated by Lin Qiang many times. Now that there is a chance for revenge, Yamamoto Ikki and his devils immediately attack after getting permission.

Of course, Yamamoto Ikki was not a fool, so he sent a battalion of troops to test the waters, and he himself was meeting with the brigade commanders of various brigades in Laiyuan County.

The Japanese Army's 4th Brigade and the 17th Brigade gathered in northwestern Shanxi. In addition, Yoshio Shinozuka drew troops from various places to replenish the 9th Brigade, which had suffered heavy losses, and had already arrived in Xiangyang County.

In addition to the three brigades, several regiments arrived in northwestern Shanxi one after another.

If Lin Qiang had a long-range missile, he would only need one shot to wipe out the entire senior commander of the Japanese army, and the Japanese plan would be defeated.

Unfortunately, there is no if in this world.

On the battlefield of Xiaowangzhuang.

Uratoichiro seemed to be frightened by something, his face was pale and he was protected by the Japanese behind him.

He hadn't fought for a long time, and when the gunshots rang out, he recalled the tragic scene on Cangyun Ridge.

The regiment commander, the chief of staff and several lieutenants were all killed by a single artillery shell. He was very worried that he, who had escaped the disaster before, would die in the same way today.

So much time had passed, he thought his inner trauma had long since healed, and he still thought so before the battle broke out.

However, no matter how miserable Uratoichiro was, he quickly recovered. After learning about the current situation, he was somewhat displeased: "Baka! This Eighth Route Army is really cunning. They deliberately lured us deep into the enemy camp."

The squadron leader nearby calmly analyzed, "Pu Youjun, this Eighth Route Army unit has impressive firepower and numbers. With such formidable firepower, continuing the attack rashly will only result in greater casualties."

"Our mission was to test the independent battalion's defensive deployment. Now that our goal has been achieved, I suggest a quick retreat to preserve our strength for a chance at revenge in the future."

"Humph!"

Uratoichiro snorted coldly, "Let's let them go for now. Now that our goal has been achieved, notify the troops and retreat quickly!"