The War of Resistance Against Japan: Special Operations Battalion Traverses Shanghai and Slaughters

The Japanese 22nd Field Artillery Regiment had extremely fierce artillery fire.

An artillery regiment had more than 2,000 Japanese soldiers, equipped with 36 Type 38 10cm field guns with a range of 12,000 meters.

It was also equipped with twelve Type 92 10cm howitzers with a range of over 18,000 meters.

In fact, both of these cannons had a caliber of 105mm and were extremely powerful, but the Japanese were used to calling them 10-centimeter caliber cannons.

Upon receiving the brigade commander's order, Mikuni Nakabu hurriedly ordered the artillerymen, who hadn't even had breakfast yet, to immediately bombard the Nationalist army's positions.

Furthermore, to ensure the accuracy of their artillery fire, the Japanese also launched two huge observation hot air balloons.

As a result, guided by the observation posts on the Japanese hot air balloons, most of the artillery shells accurately hit the targets on the Chinese army's positions.

Many of the fortifications that had been built were destroyed under the intense shelling of the Japanese, resulting in huge casualties.

What's most hateful is that the Japanese also launched many incendiary bombs.

These incendiary bombs not only destroyed the wooden fortifications, but also ignited the soldiers' clothing, resulting in many Nationalist soldiers being burned alive.

Besides the First Brigade guarding Tiger Cave, the Second and Third Brigades were also stationed at Zijin Mountain.

Due to limited troop strength, Commander Gui of the Training Corps could only deploy his limited forces to the first, second, and third peaks, which are the three commanding heights.

When Long Fei received Xie Qiang's report and prepared to order the firing of poison gas shells at the Japanese 20th Infantry Regiment and the 22nd Field Artillery Regiment from the rear,

The Training Corps stationed at the third peak of Zijin Mountain, specifically the 5th Regiment of the 3rd Brigade, led by Luo Yufeng.

After running out of ammunition, Battalion Commander Luo ordered everyone to fix bayonets and engage in hand-to-hand combat with a battalion of the Japanese 20th Regiment that had charged onto the position.

Unfortunately, outnumbered, Luo Yufeng's battalion fought a desperate battle, but all the soldiers, from Battalion Commander Luo down, died heroically for their country, and the Third Peak fell into the hands of the Japanese.

Zhou Zhengqiang, the brigade commander of the First Brigade, was instructed by Long Fei to send a telegram to Commander Gui, informing him that the First Brigade, the 41st Division, and other troops were preparing to launch an attack from behind the Japanese.

Gui Si ordered the brothers on defense to put on the gas masks they carried with them.

However, Zhou Zhengqiang received this terrible news from Commander Gui. Filled with righteous indignation, he hurriedly informed Long Fei of the news.

After gritting his teeth and observing through the binoculars, Long Fei said to Zhou Zhengqiang.

"Commander Zhou, the most important high points on Zijin Mountain are the first and second peaks, which are still in the hands of the Training Corps."

"As long as these two commanding heights are not lost, the northeastern gateway to Nanjing will be safe."

"Don't worry, Battalion Commander Luo and his brothers will not have sacrificed in vain. We will avenge them now."

After saying that, Long Fei turned to Xu Peng and asked, "Deputy Regiment Commander Xu, is there a problem with the wind direction?"

"Commander, no problem. I just checked. The wind is blowing from the northwest, so the smoke won't blow towards the Nationalist army's positions."

"Okay, launch immediately. Add another thousand to the original two thousand poison gas shells."

"Furthermore, I order the brothers who do not have gas masks to stay where they are."

When the commander of the 20th Regiment of the Japanese army, Nobuaki Ohno, saw that his troops had captured the Third Peak, he hurriedly reported to the brigade commander, Tatsumi Kusaba.

Kusaba Tatsumi knew that the soldiers had launched the battle without having eaten breakfast. Now that the third peak had been captured, he ordered Ohno Senmei to have his troops rest on the spot and launch an attack on the second peak after they had eaten breakfast.

The three-nation direct service also received orders from the brigade commander, who gave them a verbal commendation and told them to hurry up and have breakfast and rest before launching an artillery bombardment on the second peak defended by the Chinese army.

Just as the Japanese soldiers were enjoying their breakfast in high spirits after their victory,

A whooshing sound came from the sky, followed by a dense barrage of poison gas bombs falling among the Japanese soldiers.

It was already broad daylight, and although the Japanese soldiers quickly realized they had been attacked with poison gas.

They all took out gas masks and put them on their heads for protection.

But the poison gas released from three thousand poison gas bombs is no joke.

Moreover, the Japanese soldiers had already inhaled some poison gas before putting on their gas masks.

Therefore, at least half of the Japanese soldiers in the 20th Regiment showed relatively serious symptoms of poisoning.

These poisoned Japanese soldiers kept crying, their eyes were completely unable to open, and they were also suffering from nausea and splitting headaches.

They frantically tore at their gas masks, but tearing them off only allowed them to continue inhaling the toxic fumes, worsening their poisoning.

Within seven or eight minutes, all three thousand poison gas shells had been launched.

Wearing gas masks, the Special Operations Battalion and the New First Battalion, along with the First Brigade and the First Reserve Regiment, launched an immediate attack on the Japanese.

At this point, the Japanese soldiers were completely unable to defend themselves and could only allow the enemy to shoot and stab them at will.

The Japanese 22nd Field Artillery Regiment was in a worse situation than the 20th Regiment.

Because artillery units typically build their positions behind infantry lines, they have very few opportunities to engage the enemy directly.

Therefore, the Japanese artillerymen were not issued gas masks at all.

This resulted in a large number of deaths from poisoning in the Japanese 22nd Field Artillery Regiment.

When Zhou Zhengqiang led the officers and soldiers of the First Brigade to the position of the Japanese 22nd Field Artillery Regiment, they found that there were very few Japanese soldiers still alive.

Thinking of the entire Luo Yufeng battalion's deaths, Zhou Zhengqiang picked up an MP18 submachine gun and started firing at the fallen Japanese soldiers.

Zhou Zhengqiang also wanted to call on his brothers to kill all the Japanese soldiers and avenge Luo Yufeng's battalion.

Unfortunately, he was wearing a gas mask, so no matter how much he shouted, no one could hear him.

However, when the officers and soldiers of the First Brigade saw that their brigade commander showed no mercy to the Japanese, they also joined in the massacre.

Some soldiers, fearing the Japanese soldiers were feigning death, not only fired finishing shots at them but also stabbed them hard in the chest or back with their bayonets.

The Japanese observation balloons that were in mid-air were riddled with bullets, and the Japanese sentries on them were killed by more than a dozen machine guns.

Still not satisfied, the officers and soldiers of the First Brigade brought out mortars, placed them under the hot air balloons, and fired a few shells, destroying both hot air balloons immediately.

The Special Operations Battalion, the New First Battalion, and Zhou Weiguo's Reserve First Regiment were tasked with dealing with the Japanese 20th Regiment that had occupied the Third Peak.

Although most of the Japanese soldiers in the 20th Regiment were only poisoned and not killed, they were basically unable to resist.

No one showed any pity or sympathy for the Japanese soldiers. They cut them down like melons and vegetables, and it took them less than half an hour.

They wiped out the Japanese 20th Regiment and the 22nd Field Artillery Regiment on the third peak.

After the battle ended, the third peak was recaptured.

By this time, the poison gas had already dissipated, and Long Fei instructed Ding Zhipan to take his 41st Division and immediately rendezvous with the Training Corps.

After quickly clearing the battlefield, all troops gathered behind the third peak and awaited further orders.

At this moment, Zhou Zhengqiang, along with Long Fei, Ding Zhipan, and Zhou Weiguo, arrived at Commander Gui's headquarters.