Chapter 1 The Tank Charge

Captain Taro Kamikata led the vanguard of the 1st Tank Regiment out of the north gate of Conghua County. The tanks bumped violently along the uneven road.

He had to slow down the entire column. For his tank unit, this opponent was proving somewhat tricky.

Yesterday afternoon, he and Captain Yosuke Matsutake's tank regiment simultaneously received orders to proceed to Conghua County and report to Major General Toshio Miyake, commander of the 104th Division.

At the headquarters of the 104th Infantry Division, they learned that a previous team of twelve tanks had been completely destroyed by the Chinese army.

It was said they were destroyed by artillery! Unfortunately, none of the Japanese soldiers from the Takeuchi Battalion who witnessed the scene survived, so the details remained unclear.

Even knowing only that they were destroyed by artillery was significant. Captain Taro Kamikata was very reluctant to be the first unit to move out.

But he couldn't defy Major General Toshio Miyake's orders. Fortunately, Captain Yosuke Matsutake's tank regiment was right behind him.

With a total of forty-eight tanks between the two regiments, it was a formidable armored force. Surely the Chinese army wouldn't dare attack again!

Major General Toshio Miyake certainly had no intention of using their two tank regiments as cannon fodder, nor would he dare.

Following closely behind the two tank regiments were two battalions from the 137th Infantry Regiment.

These two battalions were fully mechanized, with the infantry riding in trucks, easily keeping pace with the tanks.

This way, the tanks could charge ahead while the infantry provided flanking protection, eliminating the threat of Chinese infantry approaching the tanks to plant explosives.

The engine noise inside the tank, combined with the clatter of the tracks on the ground, made being inside extremely unpleasant.

Kazuo Ito opened the tank's top hatch, exposing half his body to the outside. The distant green hills were a welcome sight.

Tanks moved in front and behind him. The narrow road forced all the tanks to advance in a single file.

The noise was so loud that even shouting couldn't facilitate a conversation. The Japanese soldiers from the two tank regiments abandoned any thought of chatting.

They all cautiously watched the mountains ahead, half their bodies exposed.

Within those mountains, eyes equally wary were watching them. Platoon Leader Jing Liquan was reporting to the rear:

"The Japanese tank column is leading the way, with forty-eight tanks. Behind them are a hundred and four trucks, filled with Japanese infantry. Probably two infantry battalions.

The Japanese have mounted heavy machine guns and machine guns on the trucks."

Platoon Leader Jing continued his commentary, "Following the truck column is a Japanese cavalry force, nearly two thousand strong."

After a while, "Now comes the Japanese infantry, at least six thousand. More than the Japanese infantry that came yesterday.

Behind the infantry are Japanese cannons, a full forty-eight of them."

The Special Operations Brigade had become very familiar with Japanese artillery configurations in recent times. Forty-eight cannons was the standard layout for a Japanese division's artillery regiment.

"That must be the 104th Field Artillery Regiment." After a moment, Jing Liquan reported, "The Japanese have brought up another artillery unit. This time, the cannons are all large caliber. No Type 92 infantry guns, but still forty-eight cannons.

Twenty-four of them are 150mm howitzers."

Listening to Jing Liquan's report, Chief of Staff Wang explained to Division Commander Li Zhen, "The Japanese have really pulled out all the stops this time."

Lin Fan said with a smile, "Good. I was afraid they wouldn't come!"

Division Commander Li was still very worried about the hundreds of Japanese soldiers surrounded in the center. He asked anxiously, "Brigade Commander Lin! The trouble within is still unresolved!"

Lin Fan smiled calmly, "No need to rush. Just wait a little longer!"

After reporting the appearance of the two Japanese artillery regiments, Jing Liquan stopped reporting any troop movements.

Ten minutes later, Lin Fan asked, "Jing Liquan! Are any more Japanese soldiers coming out of the city?"

"Reporting! No more Japanese soldiers are coming out! The city gates are closed!" Jing Liquan reported.

Since the Japanese had deployed all their forces, Lin Fan said with a smile, "There are a lot of Japanese soldiers. It's not realistic to annihilate them completely.

But they've conveniently gathered together, which puts a lot of restrictions on their tanks, cannons, and trucks.

If we cut off their retreat on this line, those tanks and cannons won't be able to advance or retreat. So we need to destroy the Japanese tanks and capture their trucks and cannons.

As for how many Japanese soldiers can escape, that depends on how fast they can run.

It also depends on how many Japanese soldiers Division Commander Li and Division Commander Zhang can intercept."

Hearing Lin Fan's ambitious plan to confront the Japanese head-on, Division Commander Li and Division Commander Zhang became worried.

They looked at Chief of Staff Wang, who shook his head slightly, signaling them to remain silent.

The two division commanders remembered that their units hadn't been exposed yet and hadn't entered the battlefield. They were somewhat relieved.

If the situation turned bad, they could retreat immediately!

Retreating in the mountains, they believed the Japanese wouldn't be able to catch them. And this time, the Japanese were clearly targeting the Special Operations Brigade near Elephant Mountain.

Since the Special Operations Brigade, fighting on its home ground, wasn't afraid, they could observe for a while.

They still recalled the ambush below Mount Luofu. The Fourth War Area had been much better prepared then.

Remembering the defeat at Mount Luofu and comparing it to this ambush near Elephant Mountain, with more than a division of Japanese troops outside and hundreds of Japanese soldiers causing trouble within...

The future looked bleak!

Lin Fan didn't know what the commanders of the Fourth War Area were thinking. He continued to wait according to his own plan.

Waiting for the Japanese tank column to appear. The soldiers of the Special Operations Brigade were accustomed to such waiting.

Regiment Commander Zheng He, who was there to study with the 15th Regiment of the Special Operations Brigade, crouched low in the forest. Although he knew the Japanese tanks were too far away to hear him,

Regiment Commander Zheng still felt oppressed by the tense atmosphere. He whispered to Regiment Commander Shangguan Zhiwen, "The Japanese tanks are almost here. Aren't our soldiers going to enter their positions yet?"

Regiment Commander Shangguan Zhiwen said, "Not yet. Wait a little longer." Regiment Commander Zheng asked anxiously, "Why are your soldiers already in position?"

Regiment Commander Shangguan Zhiwen said with a smile, "Look at our soldiers. Since entering their positions, they've been quietly waiting for orders. Not one of them has peeked out to observe the enemy.

If your men can do that, they can enter their positions now."

Regiment Commander Zheng knew that his men certainly couldn't be that disciplined. Besides, in his opinion, sitting there idly wasn't very useful!

Regiment Commander Shangguan explained, "We're ambushing the Japanese. The main thing is to avoid detection before the battle starts.

If soldiers peek out, or even aim their weapons, the glare from their helmets and bayonets might alert the Japanese.

If that happens, we'll be exposed. So, until the order to fire is given, all soldiers must stay hidden, no smoking, no making fires, and no talking loudly."

Regiment Commander Zheng thought to himself: We've ambushed before! We didn't have so many precautions, and we still weren't discovered!

Regiment Commander Shangguan seemed to read his thoughts. He whispered, "You weren't discovered before! That was just good luck.

Good luck isn't always available on the battlefield. It's much better to prevent things from happening in the first place than to gamble on luck.

When the Special Operations Brigade fights, we never gamble on luck or hope that the Japanese make mistakes. We assume the Japanese are at their most cunning and fight with extreme tenacity.

That's why we've never been defeated by the Japanese!"

At the head of the Japanese tank column was Captain Kazuo Ito, whose tank was leading the way.

Regiment Commander Shangguan reported to Lin Fan, "Brigade Commander! The lead Japanese tank has entered our regiment's ambush zone."

"Observe carefully! Don't act rashly!"

The 1st Tank Regiment led by Captain Taro Kamikata and the 2nd Tank Regiment led by Captain Yosuke Matsutake entered the 15th Regiment's ambush zone on Pingtou Ridge.

Neither of the Japanese tank regiments noticed the ambush on the hills they were passing. The 15th Regiment, nearly three thousand strong, was lying in wait along the route.

When it came to ambushes, the Special Operations Brigade considered itself second to none.

The 15th Regiment remained hidden on the hills. Forty-eight tanks passed by, and they weren't discovered.

A hundred trucks passed by, and they weren't discovered.

Behind the hundred trucks was the Japanese cavalry. They also entered the ambush zone. These Japanese soldiers still didn't notice anything different about the road between Pingtou Mountain and Elephant Mountain compared to the road they had traveled before.

When the lead Japanese tanks were only a thousand meters away from the Japanese naval infantry led by Chūichi Suishō, Lin Fan finally ordered, "Artillery Regiment! Bombard the Japanese artillery at the rear of the column!

15th Regiment, all companies, open fire on the Japanese!

2nd Regiment, immediately insert yourselves from outside the 15th Regiment's encirclement to divide the Japanese forces.

186th Infantry Division, move immediately towards the north gate of Conghua County to block the Japanese retreat.

153rd Infantry Division, move immediately towards the east gate of Conghua County and launch a feigned attack on the county!"

With Lin Fan's orders issued, each unit began to move.

The sounds of cannon fire, "Boom! Boom! Boom!" echoed from behind Elephant Mountain. Division Commander Li Zhen, Division Commander Zhang Ruigui, and Chief of Staff Wang looked at Lin Fan in shock.

Only now did they realize that "Lin Fan had set up an artillery position behind Elephant Mountain."

They had heard how fierce this artillery unit was. Not because they were skilled, but because they had crushed an elite Chinese army unit fresh from training on the banks of the Yangtze River, leaving them utterly defenseless.

Lin Fan was already at the anti-aircraft gun. "Boom, boom, boom!" Continuous explosions erupted.

The anti-aircraft gun began to roar!

Hearing the gunfire, Captain Taro Kamikata immediately ordered the tanks to stop. He was trying to determine the source of the shots.

At that moment, shells began to fall from above.

The shells were concentrated on the tanks at the front and rear of their column.

Without waiting for Captain Taro Kamikata to issue orders, all the tanks began to turn their turrets towards the hills.

Kazuo Ito, at the very front of the tank regiment, was the first to be hit. He didn't even have a chance to duck before being blown away by the concentrated fire.

His tank was engulfed in flames. Not only was the lead tank destroyed in the first barrage, but the second tank behind it also stopped, motionless, in its tracks.

The gunshots had just sounded, and Captain Taro Kamikata had already seen casualties among his tanks. His anger was overwhelming. He urged his tank's gunner to quickly prepare shells, adjust the turret, and prepare to fire.

Several tanks in Captain Yosuke Matsutake's regiment behind him were also destroyed in the first barrage. Although Captain Yosuke Matsutake didn't see the wreckage of the tanks ahead, he could guess from the rising smoke that Captain Taro Kamikata's regiment had suffered losses.

What could Captain Yosuke Matsutake do in this situation? He could only signal all the tanks to open fire on the hills where smoke was rising.

His order couldn't be executed immediately. The tanks still needed to adjust. For them, hitting the Chinese positions on the nearby hills wasn't difficult.

That's what Yugo Teshima was thinking. He nervously drove his tank, positioning it diagonally on the road.

Now it was up to the gunner!

Lin Fan finished issuing his orders and saw that the Japanese tanks at the front and rear of the column had been hit.

Now he didn't need to choose. He began to bomb the Japanese tanks one by one from the rear. Division Commander Li Zhen, Division Commander Zhang Ruigui, and Chief of Staff Wang were witnessing this scene.

Lin Fan personally fired a shell, and a distant Japanese tank exploded in flames.

Division Commander Li Zhen watched Lin Fan fire ten shells, each hitting its target. He had long forgotten about the hundreds of Japanese soldiers in the Special Operations Brigade's encirclement.

His eyes were fixed on Lin Fan. The movements were so practiced. Lin Fan continued to fire, adjusting the angle and elevation of the cannon.

Three other soldiers methodically loaded the cannon, their movements perfectly coordinated.

Division Commander Li was dumbfounded. After a long while, he finally reacted and asked Division Commander Zhang, "Old Zhang! Have you ever seen anything like this?"

"No! My unit doesn't have anyone with this kind of skill. If Brigade Commander Lin fought like this, I believe those hundred-plus aircraft were really shot down yesterday," Division Commander Zhang said with a wry smile.

In fact, he had never believed that a hundred-plus Japanese aircraft could be shot down. He had thought that maybe ten or so enemy aircraft had been shot down, and then the results were exaggerated.

But now, seeing Lin Fan hitting the Japanese tanks as if he were firing at point-blank range, without missing a single shell,

He believed it! Chief of Staff Wang said with a wry smile, "Who would believe such a thing without seeing it with their own eyes?

I didn't believe it yesterday either. But they pointed to the wreckage of the planes and tanks, and I had to believe it. Even Commander Yu was skeptical.

Now, seeing Brigade Commander Lin's performance, I realize how ignorant I've been!"

The anti-aircraft gun wasn't far from them, and the men were speaking very loudly. But this didn't affect Lin Fan.

For Lin Fan, all his energy was focused on destroying the Japanese tanks.

But there were too many Japanese tanks. They were stopped on the mountain road, and some tanks were completely out of Lin Fan's view.

Lin Fan could only destroy the Japanese tanks that he could see. The remaining tanks hidden in the ravines would have to be dealt with by the companies of the 15th Regiment.

Yugo Teshima had just parked his tank when the commander of his tank, Kazutada Kito, immediately issued the order, "Bearing seventy, angle forty-seven."

Gunner Kazuo Oda struggled to crank the tank cannon. After adjusting it, he reported, "Bearing seventy, angle forty-seven, in position."

"High-explosive! Fire!"

"Boom!" A shell was fired, filling the tank with smoke. The tank recoiled.

"Cough, cough!" The Japanese soldiers inside the tank began to cough. Kazutada Kito ordered, "Again!" His tank was the first to open fire in the entire regiment.

This immediately attracted the attention of the heavy machine gun company on the hill. Company Commander Fei Wei pointed at the tank that had fired first and ordered, "First Platoon! Target the tank that just fired!"

"Yes!" First Platoon Leader Miao Chun responded loudly and immediately directed three heavy machine guns to fire on the tank.

Sergeant Kazuo Oda had just picked up a shell and was about to load it into the gun. Before he could align the shell, several bullets suddenly pierced the side of the tank and struck Kazuo Oda precisely.

Losing all his strength, Kazuo Oda couldn't hold the shell steady, and his left hand released it.

The shell fell headfirst, triggering the fuse inside the tank. Kazutada Kito, who witnessed this scene, didn't even have time to scold Oda.

He was blown into minced meat by the shell that suddenly exploded inside the tank. The entire tank was torn to pieces, and Yugo Teshima, Kazutada Kito, and the other Japanese soldiers inside were all blown apart.

Company Commander Fei Wei excitedly slapped the trench. "Well done!" He had just issued his order, and the bullets had already exploded the Japanese tank. He couldn't help but be thrilled by the speed.

It was indeed well done! "Keep firing! Hit the tank next to it! Hit the Japanese tanks that are backing up first."

Company Commander Fei had observed that the Japanese tanks were positioned diagonally on the road to better bombard the hilltop.

With this experience, he immediately shared his knowledge on the radio to the entire regiment. "The Japanese tanks need to be positioned diagonally on the road to fire their guns effectively. Hit the tanks that are backing up first."