readytorunbook Chapter 966 The calm before the storm is the most terrifying.
Chapter 966 The calm before the storm is the most terrifying.
"During the attack, if we see anything unusual inside the house, we throw two grenades at it and wait until we understand everything before continuing the search."
"To be honest, this is a great opportunity to test various tactics. Once we gain experience, we will be more confident in recapturing other major cities in the future."
"Wait, Lao Sun, can you help me analyze this? I suddenly have an idea that I can't even believe myself."
Upon hearing this, Chief of Staff Sun also had a bold idea, so he tentatively inquired:
"Wait, Commander, I also have an idea. Let me say it first and see if we're on the same page."
"The reason why the Eighth Route Army made such a big commotion and launched such a large-scale campaign was actually to test the corresponding tactics for siege warfare and street fighting."
“Since the beginning of this year, the Japanese have rarely attacked our Jin-Sui Army’s territory. Especially in the last two months, the Japanese forces seem to be shrinking. Moreover, we can hear news of the recapture of county towns from time to time in the newspapers.”
"It seems that those high-ranking officers must have sources of information that we don't know about. This battle, despite its large scale, is probably also a test, a test of the Japanese's bottom line."
It has to be said that the two of them were indeed thinking the same thing.
"Old Sun, that's what I think too, but we don't need to worry about these things. We're just small fry, so we should just do our own jobs."
"The urban street fighting that follows is actually quite simple: whoever has the stronger firepower and the more advanced weapons will have the advantage."
"A saying has always circulated in the Eighth Route Army's base areas: If you can solve a problem with artillery shells, don't use grenades; if you can use grenades, don't use bullets; if you can shoot the enemy, never think about hand-to-hand combat or bayonet fighting."
"Now our regiment is also approaching this level, equipped with a large number of mortars and recoilless rifles, as well as a considerable number of automatic weapons, giving us an absolute advantage over the enemy's defending forces."
"The only thing that worries me is the coordination between the various units."
After listening, Chief of Staff Sun pondered for a while before speaking, "There is no solution to this problem; we can only find it through continuous exploration."
"Fortunately, the brothers have been eating well during this period, and they have eaten a lot of meat, so their physical condition has improved. They have the strength to fight long marches and fierce battles."
"And those compressed biscuits, they even added white sugar to them, they're more extravagant than landlords, if you eat a small piece during a battle, it'll probably last you half a day."
"As for ammunition, there's no need to worry. We also have an absolute advantage in artillery, plus the support of the local people. We have the perfect combination of timing, location, and popular support. We are sure to win this battle!"
These advantages combined gave all the soldiers of the 358th Division boundless confidence. Coupled with the previous successful recapture of Languan and the killing of more than a thousand Japanese soldiers, the morale of the entire unit had reached its peak.
Now, what they need to do is consider how to achieve victory at the lowest cost, which would have been unimaginable in the past.
In the past, the principle was to hold the line at the greatest cost, even at the cost of everyone's lives.
After they finished eating, they originally planned to let the soldiers of the regiment wash up, but Commander Zhang refused.
There's no time for formalities on the battlefield. Besides, we'll be fighting again tomorrow. Right now, everyone just wants to sleep and get some rest.
Next, everyone in the group fell asleep, and some even dreamed in the middle of the night about annihilating the invaders, protecting their homeland, and avenging their grievances.
On the high ground of the camp, a large number of Echeng County militia and guerrillas were stationed around the area to protect these heroes who fought against the Japanese, so that they could get a good night's sleep.
However, the soldiers of the regiment also rested in shifts. Under such circumstances, no army could completely trust anyone except itself.
In contrast to the harmony on our side, Goose City was in complete chaos.
Since receiving the final farewell telegram from Languan, the regimental commander of the Tuqiao regiment has been caught in a dilemma.
The troops that attacked them this time were somewhat special. Although they belonged to the Jin-Sui Army in terms of unit designation, the situation was quite different.
During the attack on Languan, they actually used 100mm heavy howitzers, and a whole battalion of about 18 of them, which is something that only their division's artillery regiment could be equipped with.
In fact, a large number of firing positions on the Languan city wall were destroyed by heavy artillery, mainly because they never expected to be attacked by such powerful artillery from the Chinese army.
As for mountain guns, mortars, and recoilless rifles, these were not mentioned in detail in the telegram; it was only said that they were found all over the mountains.
If Languan couldn't withstand such artillery power, then Echeng would be even less able to.
Just as Regiment Commander Tsuchibashi was sending a telegram to the brigade commander requesting tactical guidance, he was strictly refused, because the entire Japanese division was under attack and there was no way to spare any troops for reinforcement.
What truly devastated the defenders of Goose City was the appearance of a Jin-Sui Army force of several thousand men behind them, effectively blocking the enemy's retreat.
Initially, the regimental commander of the Tuqiao Regiment sent out a company to launch a probing attack on the suddenly appearing Jin-Sui Army force, but they were beaten to a pulp by the vanguard battalion of the 2nd Regiment, resulting in more than 30 Japanese casualties.
Next, the Jin-Sui Army did not launch an attack on Echeng, but instead built defensive fortifications on the spot, which puzzled the Japanese.
However, since the retreat route had been cut off, the only option now was to hold out for reinforcements. The Tuqiao Regiment Commander ordered the use of the puppet troops, detectives, and some traitorous gangs in the city, and also conscripted a large number of civilians to frantically build city defenses.
In fact, many of the residents of Goose City had been notified to be secretly evacuated from the city half a month ago. However, there were too many people in the city, and we dared not take large-scale action for fear of arousing the enemy's suspicion.
The remaining civilians were also gathered in batches. When our troops attacked the city, they would report the corresponding location coordinates to the artillery to avoid accidental casualties.
Moreover, thanks to the rapid industrial development of the base area, a large number of our intelligence personnel were also stationed in Goose City, and a large amount of weapons and equipment were stockpiled, all in preparation for a coordinated attack from within and without when the troops attacked the city.
Even the strongest city walls can be breached from within, and Goose City is no exception. The leaders had already made secret preparations a year ago, and now is the perfect time to launch them.
Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night; the calm before the storm is the most frightening.