Industry began in 1937

The upper reaches of the Mazhai River, Nanshan Mountain.

This is a relatively independent but strategically located hilltop beside the river valley east of Yingtou Village, guarding the only road leading to Yingtou Village.

The mountain is not particularly steep, but the slope on the side facing the valley is larger, offering a wide view and making it easier to block the road below.

If this mountain is not captured, the Japanese column will be exposed to the threat of fire from above and will find it difficult to pass safely.

Pan Zhankui deployed the main force of the First Battalion on the slopes and ridges facing the valley in the south of the mountain, constructing several simple blocking positions.

The cold wind howled across the mountain ridge, stirring up the snow on the ground.

The soldiers lay prone in the cold trenches and individual bunkers, their breath instantly turning into frost.

They gripped their weapons tightly, mostly captured Type 38 rifles or old "Hanyang Rifles" and "old-style rifles." The bayonets under the muzzles gleamed with a cold, eerie blue light in the dim daylight—they were the standard-issue extended bayonets of the "Gouzi" rifles, firmly attached to the gun barrel, with thick blades and blood grooves.

Beside them lay rows of "iron lumps" wrapped in coarse cloth, their wooden handles blackened by hand sweat—these were "Gouzi-made" hand grenades.

"Battalion Commander, the Japanese vanguard is 800 meters away and is deploying!" the observation post reported in a low voice.

Pan Zhankui lay prone in his designated command position, holding up the captured binoculars, and calmly observed the situation.

Yellow tides are surging and spreading across the open valley on the eastern side of Nanshan Mountain.

The Japanese troops were clearly aware of the threat posed by the hilltop. Instead of rushing down the road, they stopped outside firing range and dispersed into formation.

The infantry began to construct simple machine gun positions. Several Type 92 infantry guns and a number of grenade launchers were unloaded from the mules and horses, and the muzzles were slowly raised and aimed at the Nanshan position.

"Damn it, trying to clear the way with artillery fire." Pan Zhankui spat, put down his binoculars, and ordered each company to be on guard against artillery fire! Tell the comrades to stay calm and let the Japanese get close before engaging them! Prioritize their machine guns and grenade launchers! As for grenades, only throw them on my orders, and if you're going to throw them, make sure you hit your target!

The order was passed on silently.

The battlefield was even quieter, with only the sound of the cold wind whistling through the rocks.

The soldiers pressed their bodies tightly against the cold ground, silently counting their heartbeats, waiting.

"Thump! Thump! Thump thump thump—!"

The Japanese infantry guns and grenade launchers opened fire! Shells and grenades, with their piercing whistles, rained down on the Eighth Route Army's positions!

The explosion sent flames and smoke billowing up the hillside, sending rocks and dirt flying everywhere!

Soldiers continued to be killed or wounded in the smoke and dust of the explosions, but the position was deathly silent. No one panicked, and no one fired back indiscriminately.

Everyone is gritting their teeth and persevering, waiting for the best opportunity to counterattack.

The shelling lasted for about ten minutes, plowing away the topsoil and vegetation on the hillside.

The artillery fire began to spread.

Under the cover of a large number of light and heavy machine guns, the Japanese infantry, in skirmish line formation, with bayonets fixed on their rifles, crouched low, began to rapidly approach the road and gentle slope area at the foot of Nanshan Mountain!

The tan figure leaped and flashed among the gray-brown riverbank and rocks, getting closer and closer! Five hundred meters, three hundred meters, two hundred meters...

These old Japanese soldiers are still very skilled in their tactical maneuvers.

"beat!"

Pan Zhankui roared, almost simultaneously with the Japanese soldiers stepping into the minefield they had laid out on the road down the mountain! "Boom! Boom—!" Several muffled explosions echoed through the valley, and rubble mixed with the remains of Japanese soldiers flew into the air!

The Japanese army was thrown into chaos!

Almost as soon as the smoke from the landmine explosions had cleared, a dense burst of flames suddenly erupted from the Nanshan position!

The sound of machine guns and rifles firing in unison rang out like popping beans!

Bullets rained down from above, spraying water like water onto the chaotic Japanese troops!

The first few Japanese soldiers screamed and fell to the ground.

The Japanese light and heavy machine guns immediately opened fire in return, the bullets scattering sparks from the rocks in front of the Eighth Route Army's position, pinning the soldiers down so much that they could barely lift their heads.

The Japanese troops were well-trained. After a brief period of confusion, under the command of officers and flag signals, they quickly found cover such as rocks, set up machine guns, and exchanged fire with the mountain. At the same time, they sent out small groups of soldiers to try to find gentle slopes on both sides to climb up and launch a flanking attack.

The battle instantly intensified!

Bullets whistled through the air as they fired at each other, and grenades from grenade launchers exploded intermittently on both sides' positions.

With their superior firepower, the Japanese troops gradually stabilized their position and attempted to push their way up the hillside little by little.

"Grenades! Ready—" The shouts of the company and platoon leaders rang out amidst the gunfire.

When the Japanese vanguard, using rocks and slopes for cover, closed in to within fifty meters of the first line of defense, even able to clearly see the ferocious faces beneath the enemy's helmets—

"Throw!"

At a command, hundreds of wooden-handled iron lumps were hurled with all the might by the soldiers from behind cover and through crevices in the rocks! A dark mass, like a flock of startled crows, traced arcs and hissed as they landed behind the rocks where the Japanese troops were gathered, in the ditch, and on the hillside!

"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!"

A series of even more intense and frequent explosions resounded on the hillside and at the foot of the mountain!

Unlike ordinary black powder grenades, which have a relatively dull loud bang and rely mainly on shock waves and a small number of large fragments for killing, the pre-formed fragment grooves of the "Gouzi" grenade play a key role in the explosion!

The cast iron projectile was torn apart more evenly and violently, and countless tiny and deadly fragments were ejected from the flames and black smoke of the explosion!

These high-speed flying fragments of death created a larger and more comprehensive killing zone!

"ah--!"

"My eyes!"

"Medics! Medics!!"

Behind the rocks and slopes where the Japanese troops were temporarily taking refuge, came even more shrill and intense screams than before!

Pre-fragmented shrapnel caused terrible damage to unprotected body parts. Many Japanese soldiers, even when hiding behind cover, were hit in the head, neck, and arms by shrapnel that came from above or the side, resulting in either death or serious injury!

Several newly established Japanese machine gun positions were hit by a barrage of grenades that exploded in mid-air or rolled into the bunkers, instantly killing the gunners and assistant gunners, and silencing the machine guns!

The hillside terrain hindered the Japanese evacuation to some extent and amplified the power of grenades, especially these fragmentation-enhanced grenades. The Japanese army's fierce offensive momentum was abruptly and violently crushed by this sudden and exceptionally fierce grenade rain!

"Good! Well thrown!" a platoon leader shouted excitedly from the position. "This new thing is awesome! Much better than the ones Yan Xishan made!"

Many veterans who had participated in previous battles were even more shocked. They clearly felt that the grenades used this time had a crisper and louder explosion, and the fragments flew faster and denser, making their killing effect far superior to the Shanxi-made grenades or even some early Nationalist army grenades that had been captured in the past.

This is better than the best hand grenades we've ever used! Many soldiers had this thought in their minds.

"Comrades! The Japanese are stunned! Fix bayonets! Charge down with me and drive them out!" Seizing the moment when the Japanese firepower was suppressed and their formation was in disarray, the company commander leaped out of the trench, picked up his bayoneted rifle, and roared as he launched a counter-charge against the enemy group less than thirty meters below!

"kill--!!!"

The clarion call to charge rang out!

Hundreds of Eighth Route Army soldiers, like tigers released from their cages, charged down the ridges and slopes with gleaming bayonets! Those "gouzi-made" extended bayonets became the most fearsome weapon for the Japanese army at this moment!

Unlike the slender Type 30 bayonet of the Japanese army, and unlike the various miscellaneous bayonets captured by the Eighth Route Army in the past, the "Gouzi-made" bayonet is longer, thicker, and sturdier, with a deep blood groove, giving it a significant advantage in close combat!

"Pfft!" "Snap!" "Ah—!"

In close combat, blood and flesh flew everywhere! The Eighth Route Army soldiers, with their overwhelming momentum, used their superior height to thrust and parry with their extended bayonets!

The Japanese soldiers, still in shock and facing unfavorable terrain, quickly fell into a disadvantageous position in the fierce hand-to-hand combat.

Japanese soldiers were repeatedly stabbed in the chest and had their throats ripped open, screaming as they rolled down the hillside.

Eighth Route Army soldiers, in groups of three, stood back to back, providing cover for each other. With bayonets pointed, the Japanese army was forced to retreat in disarray!

"Retreat! Retreat now!" Seeing that the charge had been thwarted, the grenade attacks had caused heavy casualties, and the Japanese commander was at a disadvantage in hand-to-hand combat, he had no choice but to order a retreat.

The remaining Japanese soldiers scrambled down the hillside, leaving behind dozens of corpses and wounded soldiers, as well as two damaged heavy machine guns.

The first attack was repelled.

A suppressed cheer rose from the position, but it quickly subsided.

The soldiers quickly retreated to their positions, rescued the wounded, reinforced their fortifications, and collected weapons and ammunition abandoned by the Japanese army, especially the precious bullets and grenades.

Medics moved across the battlefield, bandaging the wounded. Fallen comrades were carefully carried to the rear.

Pan Zhankui showed little joy as he calmly observed the Japanese troops who had retreated down the mountain, were regrouping, and were calling for more intense artillery support.

He knew that the victory just now was largely due to the advantage of the terrain, the unexpected grenade barrage, and the ensuing hand-to-hand combat.

But the Japanese army's strength was far from exhausted, and even more brutal battles were yet to come.

He touched the few remaining "Gouzi-made" grenades at his waist, then looked at the wooden-handled weapons that the soldiers on the position also had very few left. He knew that the fierce hurling just now had almost used up half of their stockpile.

The defense that follows will be even more difficult.

"Hurry up and repair the fortifications! Collect ammunition from the Japanese! Be careful of artillery fire! The Japanese will be coming back soon!" Pan Zhankui shouted in a hoarse voice, his gaze fixed on the southeast, in the direction of Gouzi Village.

He didn't know how many more grenades and bayonets could be sent from there, but the battle just now had proven how decisively these seemingly crude weapons from the blacksmith's shop in the back mountain could unleash at crucial moments.

The cold wind was still biting, carrying a strong smell of gunpowder and blood.

At the foot of Nanshan Mountain, the corpses of Japanese soldiers and the abandoned equipment testify to the ferocity of the battle that had just taken place.

On the opposite side of the valley, the muzzles of the Japanese cannons slowly rose again, aiming at the hillside that had just been baptized by blood and fire.

The real test has only just begun.