Canteen System Assistance Notes

Guo Shun was now in a backlit position, and the view below was particularly clear. He watched from the side of the sight as the instructor and his men crouched forward, rummaging through the pile of fallen Japanese corpses like children picking up wheat ears in a wheat field.

"What's an egg bomb? Didn't the captain say we can make them in the Taihang area now? We don't have to use them like the Japanese, which require a knockdown."

The deputy captain was much older than Guo Shun and had seen more: "The last time I took people to get equipment, you wouldn't have known it. In Changzhi, the belt lathes were creaking, and the grenades and machete bombs were carried by one person, and they fell down like rice being threshed.

"Each person carries a box, and we brought back a lot. I guess there's a portion of mine in the bombs we used today." However, this kind of boasting did not satisfy Guo Shun. He curled his lips:

"That's nothing! The cultural studies class taught us that Huinong, in our border region, produces the most firearms and ammunition! Not to mention grenades, they even make water-jet rifles with mirrors! If I had that thing, I'd definitely be branded 'General Zhu's Shooter'!"

According to the assessment standards of the Eighth Route Army, after firing three times at a distance of 100 meters, a score of 26 rings is considered an "excellent shooter", 28 rings is considered a "special shooter", and a full score of 30 rings is considered a "General Zhu's shooter" - this is the highest honor for a sharpshooter. As the best shooter in the Lingchuan Brigade, Guo Shun, who is only a teenager, always felt that he only got a "special shooter" because the old slide in his hand was too bad.

"Okay... After this fight, we'll file a report and have them pick out the most accurate Type 38 rifle for you. Then you can go talk to the captain of the county brigade and have them transfer the connection to our Sixth Branch School, hey." The deputy instructor patted Guo Shun on the back. "It's a pity, Xiao Shunzi. I teach math and blasting. If you learn shooting, I guess it won't be my turn to teach you... Xiao Shunzi? Guo Shun? What's wrong?"

Guo Shun didn't answer directly. He squinted his eyes and stared down the mountain, carefully distinguishing what was happening. "Deputy instructor, look down there! Japs, Japs! Why are they moving again?"

The sun had already set, leaving only a sliver of blood-red light in the sky, illuminating Shuangdi Village at the foot of the mountain. The entire 72-turn mountain road had long since been lost in shadow. In this remaining light, the Japanese troops at the foot of the mountain were clearly more numerous than on previous occasions.

"The devils are about to attack again, with so many of them! Aren't they afraid of death? They really haven't learned their lesson!"

Guo Shun spat in disdain. In the two previous battles, the Japanese had charged valiantly, but neither had been able to break through our defenses. He believed the winding, narrow mountain path would turn the Japanese into immobile targets. Shooting them would be like firing at human targets from the field—easy. And the Japanese had attacked from above, but after two battles, our army hadn't lost many men.

"Something's wrong...something's wrong with these devils..."

The deputy instructor was waving a small flag down the mountain and blowing a whistle, calling the instructor and other soldiers who had just gone down to seize the supplies to return quickly. He frowned and observed, "Why is their formation so messed up? It's much messier than the previous two times. One squad, one team... two teams, three teams..."

He counted slowly. With his naked eye, he couldn't clearly spot the Japanese troops already climbing. He could only roughly estimate the number of troops assembled at Shuangdi Village, but the number of Japanese troops he could see far exceeded the combined total of the two previous attacks. "Damn, more than four squads, at least a squadron-level charge... No, this batch is gone, there's more!"

The light gradually dimmed, and the scene of Shuangdi Village began to blur and become difficult to see clearly. The deputy instructor's brows were furrowed deeply. The situation began to become strange. He thought of the scene that some veteran Red Army soldiers had told him at the Engineering School in Fushe.

"You must understand that at that time, the enemy will be like waves, surging forward in waves, fearless of death, until they break through our lines. In such a situation, the test of defense will become purely physical formulas and equations, and the human factor will be greatly weakened."

"What's the big deal... On this mountain road, we wouldn't be afraid of even a whole battalion of Japanese invaders!" "Guo Shun!"

"Here!" Guo Shun, who had been nonchalant just a moment ago, shuddered and almost stood at attention. The good-tempered deputy instructor just a moment ago seemed like a completely different person, transformed into the strict instructor he had been during his recruit training. "Go call the instructor and the team leader!"

The instructor of the Sixth Branch School and the captain of the County Brigade rushed over and held a brief meeting.

Listening to the serious discussion, Guo Shun was a little confused. Having been in the army for just over a year, he had mostly fought smooth guerrilla warfare. The most intense battle he had experienced was participating in the annihilation of a small group of Japanese troops who had retreated into the mountains. The defeated Japanese soldiers at Shentouling were surrounded in an unnamed ditch, surrounded in a circle, and screamed in incomprehensible Japanese.

In his view, the arrogance of the Japanese army and even the seriousness and prudence of the captains and instructors were somewhat "unnecessary."

The devils are also human beings. They will die if shot. What is there to be afraid of?

If they dare to invade, it would be like encountering a jackal in the mountains. Wouldn't it be better to kill them?

With the confidence characteristic of a new generation of warriors in this time and space, Guo Shun pulled the bolt of his rifle and glanced at the bright yellow bullet in the chamber. He then flipped through his belt clip, finding a single clip containing four magazines and five rounds. However, the grenade pouch he was carrying was empty—he had already thrown all of them, exploding at least seven or eight.

"Big Brother! Give me some grenades!"

He shouted to the soldiers who had just climbed back from the mountain.

Chapter 200: Will versus Madness (Part 1)

By this time, the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade, far away in Licheng, had been completely destroyed. Chasing and annihilating the scattered and fleeing troops no longer required the presence of a large, noisy main force. However, in order to create layers of traps to lure the enemy and then surround and annihilate them, Chen Shukang deployed a large number of main forces from the base area, thereby creating an absolute advantage over the enemy in local battles and preventing any complications during the annihilation.

This was a very wise and correct decision. However, one objective consequence was that our main force, comprised of experienced veterans, was not present in the Baixing blocking battle. On the summit of Hill 72, the main force was roughly divided into two groups: a company from the Lingchuan County Brigade, all combatants, and the Sixth Branch Training Team, also composed entirely of combatants. Currently, only three men had been killed in the recent battle, and there were several wounded, so the combat effectiveness was basically intact.

Among them, the ones closest to the main force level are the more than 80 instructors and students of the Sixth Branch Teaching Team.

"Comrades, fellow villagers, the Japanese are about to attack again! Those carrying ammunition, please go to the back first. There may be falling shells in the front!"

The messenger shouted from the road behind the hill. This was a temporary supply point and wounded treatment point, located on the reverse slope, which was relatively safe. "Except for the Yokogawa Village District Team, everyone else should retreat first!"

"Our county brigade has about 180 people in total, plus the 80 or so from the training team, for a total of over 260 people. We've also deployed a squad at the Eighteen Cylinders to prevent the Japanese from jumping overboard... We also have a reserve force of over 100 people from the district squad..."

Guo Shun, clutching a newly assigned Type 38 rifle, joyfully gazed at his "new companion," paying no particular attention to the discussion among the commanders behind him. A comrade who had been collecting ammunition approached him and tossed him two Japanese grenades and a Type 38 rifle—although it was bloodied and showed signs of wear and tear, it was far superior to the old case.

"Our main force isn't here either... When will the main force arrive?"

"According to the plan, our main force will encircle and annihilate a Japanese brigade in the north! Return here after the battle—we need to hold this position for at least three days and three nights. Our superiors have placed the blocking point at Bend 72, hoping we can use our small numbers to hold off the greater force, freeing up our forces to completely break even a single finger of the Japanese... Comrades, what we do is an indispensable part of the overall battlefield!"

The gun barrel...wasn't crooked, looking good. The Japanese chrysanthemum pattern was still there. Hey, I heard that the chrysanthemum pattern was a mark only the Japanese emperor could have. I guess it's similar to the imperial seals of the Qing Dynasty. Guo Shun found a rag, wiped the gun, and checked the bullets. Now he had two rifles in his hands. The old one still had four clips, the new Type 38 rifle had two clips, and seven or eight rounds of scattered ammunition. He was quite wealthy.

Okay... let's do this for now. Night battles are close, so we can't fight head-on. The Japanese can't send too many people in a single wave. Pay attention to the distribution of ammunition. We can hold out until the main force returns!

The battlefield meeting was over, and the Japanese soldiers at the foot of the mountain had completely vanished into the night. A thin mist began to drift across the mountain, and combined with the moonlight, the 72-turn mountain road had a strangely enchanting quality. The road spiraling toward the valley seemed to lead to some unknown abyss—and the Japanese soldiers seemed like demons climbing out of the abyss, their eyes gleaming green, their mouths dripping with saliva and blood.

Guo Shun's mindset was calm. The confidence of a newborn calf fearless of a tiger and the composure of someone who had seen many storms and waves were completely different, but the difference between them and his own was not significant. He laid his newly acquired Type 38 rifle flat and loaded it with a magazine. Seeing his calmness, the assistant instructor, who had just returned, said nothing more, simply patting him on the shoulder: "Wait a moment, wait for the signal before firing, understand?"

"The comrades just now set up a trip wire at the corner at the bottom of the mountain and buried a kerosene fire. If the Japanese step on it later, you will open fire from there!"

"Okay! Deputy Instructor, I'll pick on the officials and beat them up!"

Guo Shun took a few deep breaths, preparing to calm himself. According to his previous estimate, it would take the Japanese at least an hour to climb halfway up the mountain. Now, they still had at least ten minutes. He peered through the crosshairs, searching for the hazy figure in the moonlight.

However, at this moment, a ball of fire suddenly lit up on both sides of the road. After a pause, the sound of explosions came from that side.

His vision was briefly blinded by the sudden increase in brightness, but soon, beneath the glare, a group of rolling shadows appeared—Japanese soldiers, but they didn't look like Japanese soldiers. Guo Shun was surprised to find that the Japanese soldiers, who had marched upright in an orderly manner in the morning, had become a group of pushing and shoving soldiers. Most of the Japanese soldiers now crouched and rushed up the mountain headlong, not caring about forming a straight line. Some even used their hands and feet, rolling and crawling.

What's going on?

Before this doubt could even register in his mind, Guo Shun opened fire. According to the previous plan, these bonfires were primarily located 300 meters away from the main position. It would take a while for the Japanese to rush up through the winding mountain path. At this point, skilled marksmen like him would open fire first, targeting the leading commander and grenade thrower.

Although the Japs were now faster than before, it did not prevent Guo Shun from firing.

He aimed at one of the helmeted men, who looked like either a grenade thrower or a scout. He gave his rifle a gentle push on the man's shoulder and fired a bullet. However, the bullet whizzed past the man's head and struck someone behind him instead.

"Unlucky, this gun is a little off."

Guo Shun fired again, but the bullet still went a little to one side, it seemed the rifle had some hidden damage. With the next shot, he corrected it to the other side of the target.

Finally hit the Japanese soldier wearing a helmet.

The bullet successfully struck the Japanese soldier's chest, and the charging figure suddenly froze. Normally, a lung shot would have caused him to collapse instantly, writhing on the ground with violent coughing and blood loss. Within the vertical frame of the Type 38 rifle, the Japanese soldier also stumbled and fell to the ground.

But the next second, he actually twisted and twitched, and slowly climbed up: The devil was yelling something unclear, blood foaming at the corner of his mouth, and he continued to charge up the slope! "Damn it, this devil is evil!"

Guo Shun quickly pulled the bolt, ejected the bullet, and loaded a new one. He adjusted his rifle slightly and continued shooting at the man. This time, he aimed at the Japanese soldier's thigh. After a shot, a stream of blood spurted out from the Japanese soldier's leg. He fell to the ground and rolled over. However, the man rolled twice before lying flat on the ground. Then, he continued to crawl towards the pass, using his hands and feet!

"Onboard!" "Onboard!"

Uncharacteristically, even from such a distance, the Japanese launched a swift charge. The following Japanese showed no sign of helping, and many even howled, stepping on their still-living teammates as they charged towards the hilltop position! Although the narrow mountain path prevented the Japanese from forming a dense charge formation, they managed to squeeze out a roughly two-row formation, with groups of about twenty or so men spaced out, ignoring the incoming fire from the hilltop. At the same time, grenades began to rain down near the narrow position.

--―-—-―-

"Fire! Fire! Don't hide!" someone shouted. "Smoke bomb!"

The "one-man-lift" turtle fist first fired a round of smoke bombs, which passed over the charging Japanese army group and blocked the vision of the grenade throwers behind them. Our army's vision was limited at night, and it was impossible to find those hidden grenade throwers in time to carry out effective "anti-artillery" battles. However, as the smoke dissipated, the mountain wind blew it into a smoke river rushing down along the 72 bend, greatly reducing the hit rate of the grenade.

The riflemen on the mountain opened fire, continuously blasting the Japanese troops charging down the switchbacks. Guo Shun was no exception. As the intensity of the battle intensified, he noticed something unusual tonight: the Japanese troops' tactical movements were no longer regular, and they were even firing less often. However, in contrast, their ability to withstand bullets had increased significantly, and their movements had become unnaturally agile.

I could have knocked him down with one shot, but now it takes two or three shots - unless I hit a vital part like the head, otherwise, this person who should have been seriously injured can still stand up!

He gritted his teeth and tried his best to aim and fire at the Japanese soldiers at the bend in the mountain road: once they were hit in a place where they needed to adjust their center of gravity, no matter how hard they twisted, many of them would inevitably roll down the mountain, and might even knock down a few people at the foot of the mountain.

“Drip—drip—”

There was a whistle. He didn't know who blew it, but the meaning of this command had become instinctive to Guo Shun. He put down his Type 38 rifle and took out the egg grenade he had just acquired. He gritted his teeth and pulled off the safety on it. Then he knocked it against the butt of the rifle and flung it out.

Not afraid of bullets, how about grenades!

A dense stream of grenades hurled from the mountaintop ricocheted off the rock walls, rolled along the mountain path, and then unleashed indiscriminate shock waves and fragments everywhere. Some grenades had even been held for a while before exploding mid-air. The resounding blasts echoed through the valley, and even the most frenzied organic lifeforms could not withstand such destructive power: the first wave of the Japanese attack, over a hundred men, was completely wiped out.

"Deputy Director! Deputy Director!"

Guo Shuncai felt himself sweating profusely. He hurriedly glanced at the deputy instructor beside him. However, the latter's eyes were still fixed on the mountain below—on the smoke-filled battlefield, a second wave of shadowy heads emerged. "There are still devils! Don't let up!"

Chapter 201: Will versus Madness (Part 2)

"The Japs are coming again! Prepare for battle!"

This was the third wave of the assault, and the most stressful. The Japanese had already launched two consecutive attacks, expending approximately two hundred men, but they were all killed under the barrage, ultimately unable to advance an inch. After the first wave's advance was halted by grenades, the second wave followed closely behind. With muffled cries of "Get aboard," they stepped over the bodies of the previous wave and charged forward. With the same fearlessness and the same strange frenzy, the Japanese invaders seemed a different species from the day before, advancing under the intense rifle fire.

Perhaps the sheer intensity and bloodiness of killing over a hundred people in a row was too much for this unit, primarily engaged in combat against puppet troops and a small number of Japanese troops. During the second attack, the Japanese approached within fifty meters of the pass. At that point, two Hotchkiss machine guns on the salient opened fire, striking the Japanese from behind and ultimately relieving much of the pressure on the front lines.

The militiamen, who were also blood-thirsty, took this opportunity to throw another dense barrage of grenades, pushing the Japanese army back.

This time, the Japanese seemed to no longer care about the grenades and explosives launched by the "one-man-carry" turtle fists. As the front was blocked, the Japanese troops in the rear no longer maintained effective spacing to prevent explosions. They crowded, even pushed, like a wriggling maggot, advancing towards the mountain - although every step would come at a heavy price, this group of people who seemed to know no pain had already made up their minds to fight by purely exchanging their lives for ammunition.

"Fire, shoot!"

The battle instantly became intense.

Guo Shun no longer cared about carefully aiming at the enemy's vital points; he fired almost instinctively. As soon as his sights locked onto a figure, he subconsciously pulled the trigger. The Type 38 rifle trembled slightly, giving him a strong push, and a bullet was ejected. Guo Shun didn't even bother to care whether the enemy was fatally wounded. As long as the enemy was still standing and still charging forward, he aimed and fired.

Under the muzzle of his gun, next to the trip-fire kerosene barrel used for lighting, the bodies of the Japanese were scattered all over the path, and the blood had gathered into a trickle.

The stream flows down the mountain - this should have been a bloody battle site.

However, at this moment, the scene seemed even more bizarre because of the drug-addicted Japanese invaders who were charging forward one after another, stepping on blood and corpses.

"Ding-ding-ding—a grenade!"

Pull, knock, throw—moves that had seemed unfamiliar on the training ground were now impeccable. Following the whistle, Guo Shun, like a programmed robot, unleashed another grenade toward the Japanese troops descending the mountain. With the rattle of the Hotchkiss machine gun, scores of Japanese soldiers fell, only to be joined by more. His "one-man-picking" turtle fists struggled to suppress the tricky-angled Type 99 rifles, leaving him no time to focus on the front lines. In a blink of an eye, the Japanese had already surged into the final 50 meters.

"Board! Board!"

The Japs' voices were clearly audible, and Guo Shun could even see the bayonets flashing in the fire and explosion, as well as the eyes that seemed to be turning green! It was said that the Japs were extremely fierce in bayonet fighting, and only the main force could compete with them. Guo Shun didn't dare to imagine whether his militia soldiers could defeat the Japs if they really rushed up the pass.

He didn't have time to think, he aimed at someone and pulled the trigger. But the Type 38 rifle in his hand only made a "click" sound, without the familiar recoil.

"Bullets...bullets! Damn it, bad luck!"

Guo Shun threw away his Type 38 rifle and picked up his old case. The bullets his comrades had found were already exhausted. Although there were comrades carrying supplies behind the mountain, how could they deliver ammunition in this tense battlefield? "Did this devil eat gunpowder or just pretend to be dead? Why are they so reckless?"

Amidst the clamorous background noise, the assistant director's voice sounded like a mosquito's buzz, but he heard the next sentence very clearly: "Quick! Combine the thunder!"

Someone picked up a box with a handle. However, a bullet hit his head and the soldier immediately fell backwards and fell to the ground. Guo Shun didn't think twice, dropped his rifle and rushed over. The soil and gravel in the trench were already full of bullet shells and sticky, bloody things. Guo Shun had no time to care about it anymore. He hugged his fallen comrade

Roll him over and pull the start switch from his tightly clasped hands.

Come on, press it down hard!

"He Lei!"

Bang!

The "This Side Facing the Enemy", nicknamed the "Big Knife Mine", appeared on the battlefield of the Anti-Japanese War more than ten years earlier. Built on the premise that the Eighth Route Army took the iron lunch boxes from the canteen, this warhead, equipped with directional charges and recycled metal, could sweep all standing life within a fan angle of more than 50 meters and 100 degrees.

It was loved by all the bases, and in the Taihang base, this thing was further developed: the arsenal in Changzhi chose a larger deep-bottom toast mold, increased its size and weight, and became a real broadsword mine, which could even destroy unprotected military trucks. At this time, this thing was installed in rows on both sides of the mountain road thirty or forty meters away from the top of the mountain. Under the touch of electric current, it instantly killed at least twenty or thirty Japanese lives.

But the Japanese troops are still charging forward!

"The Japs are charging us in waves, divided into two groups, spaced out in front and behind. Their intention is to deplete our ammunition before engaging us in hand-to-hand combat. Just now, I went down and discovered that the Japs ahead didn't even have much ammunition! Comrades, we've killed so many Japs tonight. Their commander is determined to fight us to the death!"

When the deputy instructor had just gone down to search for bullets, he had noticed this situation and urgently informed everyone on the blocking position of the situation. In response, some people looked serious, some were slightly frightened, but most people showed expressions of determination and resoluteness.

Guo Shun had forgotten his original state of mind. He simply wanted to send these damned bastards to hell. If they were having a seizure, let the grenades sober them up! He reached for the grenade bag beside him, but found nothing. With a click, he crumpled the bag tightly, but apart from the already stained cloth, he found nothing.

"Nonsense! Where's my grenade?"

This guy, who scored 28 rings in a 100-meter shot with an old slide and won the title of "Special Shooter" of the Taihang Military Region, no longer thought about his "precious rifle" at this moment. He just wanted to throw bigger and heavier explosives on the heads of the Japanese soldiers at the foot of the mountain.

"Xiao Shunzi! Go on!"

The deputy instructor swiped a bundle of explosives from behind and threw it over. The locals of Yokogawa Village had tied it into a large bamboo stick, resembling a shortened blasting tube. Tong Guoshun tore off the fuse and hurled it down the winding road below the mountain. Meanwhile, at the blocking position on the front road, the instructors and cadets of the training team were rolling logs and large rocks down the mountain.

There was a rumbling explosion. Under the dual effects of gravitational potential energy and chemical energy, tree trunks tumbled down the mountain, rocks bounced and broke, and the explosive pack thrown by Guo Shun exploded at the foot of the cliff, the blast wave even felt on the battlefield - thank goodness for the difference in terrain, otherwise such an explosive would have definitely injured our own people. Continuous - Update q@q@group@book@collection@81317*5933

At this point, there are two pieces of information that can be told to the Japanese: the good news is that the Eighth Route Army on the mountain has run out of grenades; the bad news is that they have started throwing explosive packs and rolling logs.

By this point, the Japanese had already expended nearly three squads in their third charge. Including the previous two assaults, they had already squandered nearly a squadron's worth of manpower that night. The winding mountain road at Turn 72, from the 400-plus meters leading to the final 50-meter "death zone," was densely packed with all manner of people: the dead, the not-quite-dead, the drugged...

In the last few dozen meters, the bodies of the Japanese soldiers seemed to be blocked by an invisible line and finally stopped there. If they were normal Japanese soldiers, they should have given up the attack at this time, waited for the arrival of follow-up artillery and air support, and then took their time to attack. Or they should have rationally given up the attack and alternately covered the retreat.

Unfortunately, the commander of the Mizuhara Brigade and the 8th Independent Mixed Brigade were no longer "normal Japanese troops".

The fourth wave of Japanese attack appeared on the steep mountain road, and at the same time

At the same time, there was the sound of grenades whizzing through the air.

This time, the Japanese vanguard wore their signature "Military Luck" headbands, and were even led by sergeants armed with samurai swords and pistols. Meanwhile, our troops at the pass, engaged in hours of adrenaline-fueled, high-pressure combat, were not only running low on ammunition, but the mental strain they endured had already surpassed the average human's endurance.

Guo Shun's hand holding the gun was already shaking. This time, he finally witnessed the extent of the brutality of the Japanese invaders who had occupied half of the country in battle.

The feeling of fear finally spread from the bottom of his heart and turned into a hissing sound.

Xiang's venomous tongue wrapped around his body, making him feel cold in his hands and feet, his scalp numb, and he wanted to turn around and run away.

However, the deputy instructor's voice was like a ray of light piercing the night, illuminating the encroaching darkness:

"Comrades, don't be afraid! The devils are cruel in order to oppress and enslave us, but we are brave in order to defend our country!" "The base is behind us, and we have no way to retreat!"

"Hold on, get close and hit!"