12dz Chapter 291: Attack Blocked
Chapter 291: Attack Blocked
Ding Wei looked at the excited captain and said to him seriously:
"Captain, how confident are you that you can take down the front position now?"
The regiment commander had been hiding in the front for an hour and already had a good idea of the effects of the bombing and shelling.
"Division Commander, I just saw that the number of bunkers destroyed is only about one floor. It will be difficult to attack by force, but I would like to make a statement on behalf of the regiment. Even if we fight to the last man, we must take down Linfen City!"
Ding Wei nodded. There will definitely be difficulties, but we can’t be afraid to move forward just because of the difficulties!
"That's great, but we can't act recklessly and play with the lives of the soldiers."
Ding Wei took the regiment commander to the front line and arrived at the regiment's blocking position.
Through a high-powered telescope, Ding Wei saw that the Japanese bunkers were all on the other side of the moat.
Because the inner city of Linfen was higher than the outer city, the height of those bunkers was originally higher than the positions of a regiment. In addition, there were deep moats. As long as a large troop group moved up, they would become living targets for the Japanese anti-tank guns, heavy machine guns and infantry artillery.
"Division Commander, you see there are so many anti-tank cones over there. Even if the armored division comes, there is nothing we can do. Make up your mind. My regiment will fight to the death!"
Ding Wei slowly put down the telescope and clenched his palm into a fist.
"Okay! You will take the lead, but it's not real fighting, but firepower reconnaissance. Find out all the enemy's firepower points!"
"Yes!"
At nine o'clock in the morning, sixty 105mm howitzers of the st Infantry Division's artillery regiment collectively launched a fierce bombardment on the Japanese enemy's moat.
Under the cover of howitzers, a regimental commander led a battalion and moved quickly towards the moat.
In order to avoid accidentally hitting their own people with the howitzers, the artillery regiment gradually extended its artillery fire to the distance.
When the cunning Japanese saw that the artillery fire had subsided, they immediately crawled out of the anti-artillery holes and air-raid shelters, began to repair the fortifications, and set up light and heavy machine guns.
At this time, the charging battalion had already rushed to a position 100 meters away from the moat and was about to reach it.
However, the Japanese light and heavy firepower began to pour ammunition on the charging first battalion. The soldiers dodged back and forth, but still a small number of them were knocked down by the dense ammunition.
"Hidden! Hidden!"
The soldiers hid in the bomb craters one after another, but the Japanese's firepower points were all from top to bottom, and the effect of the bomb craters was not obvious. Many soldiers were still killed or injured by the artillery fire from high above.
The combat staff officer beside the regiment commander ignored the Japanese artillery fire and bullets, and frequently looked up to record the Japanese firepower points.
"Captain, the Japanese have a lot of infantry guns, anti-tank guns, and heavy machine guns! We have almost recorded them above the moat, and now the only thing left is under the moat!"
The regiment commander pinched a handful of soil and made up his mind.
"Damn it, the signalman called for infantry artillery fire support to cover us as we rush forward and take a look!"
Under Ding Wei's unified deployment, the artillery battalions of the three regiments began to continuously fire artillery shells in the direction of the first battalion's attack, temporarily suppressing the enemy's firepower.
A regiment commander and a combat staff officer stared at the blast and shrapnel from the artillery fire, rushed to the moat, leaned over and looked down, and both gasped.
A huge number of mines were found in the moat that had been plowed by aerial bombs and artillery!
Even if the infantry descended into the moat via ladders, they would inevitably be blown to pieces by mines.
Moreover, on the opposite side of the moat, there were not only the bunkers they had just seen, but also densely packed shooting holes below. It seemed that the enemy's fortifications had at least two floors.
Even if an aerial bomb knocked down the first layer, the firepower from the lower layer could still kill all the soldiers of the independent column that entered the moat.
This is not counting the countless landmines!
"Did you write it all down?"
"I've got it down, Captain!"
The regiment commander took another look at the situation in the moat and pushed the combat staff officer.
"withdraw!"
But the operations officer remained motionless, with his face buried in the dirt.
The regiment commander turned him over and saw a huge bullet hole in his face.
"Fuck him!"
A regimental commander picked up the map marked by the combat staff and gave the order to retreat.
A whole battalion went up, and only half a battalion was left!
The regiment commander wiped the dirt off his face and handed the map with marked firing points to Ding Wei.
"Commander, the enemy is more prepared than we thought. There are at least two layers of underground bunkers, and the moat is full of mines."
Ding Wei took the map and his expression became even uglier. He patted the regiment leader on the shoulder.
"You have suffered a lot of losses this time, but your sacrifice is very meaningful, because with your map, our other troops can reduce casualties."
Ding Wei was not giving them cheap consolation. This map was indeed very useful, especially the mines in the moat.
If the three infantry divisions had not discovered the mines in the moat, but instead rushed into the minefield like a tiger descending from the mountain, then there would only be four words waiting for them: annihilation.
"Commander, our regiment will continue to take the lead in the attack and avenge our fallen comrades! Consider it my plea to you on behalf of our fallen comrades! They died in such a tragic way!"
Ding Wei nodded, hugged the crying tough man, and sent him out of the command center.
The situation of the moat was immediately reported to the other two infantry divisions, and a copy was sent to the independent column headquarters.
According to Li Yunlong's estimation, the four sides of Linfen City are almost identical, and it is impossible to leave any flaws.
"Damn it, the Japanese have spent a lot of money. Have they turned all the mines they robbed in Shanxi into cement, steel bars and mines?"
Wang Meng lowered his head and began to ponder. Breaking through from the outside might come at a very painful price.
Moreover, according to experience, to attack such a large "fortress", one must have several times more troops than the defenders. Now, there are only half of three understaffed infantry divisions besieging Linfen, which is basically the same number as the Japanese and puppet troops.
"Old Li, this battle is not easy to fight!"
"The situation is more complicated than we thought. We didn't expect that even 105mm howitzers and aerial bombs couldn't blow up the city wall!"
"Old Li, now is not the time to talk about this. The most urgent task is to find a way to break the city. If there is no suitable solution, maybe we should consider withdrawing from Linfen to reduce unnecessary casualties!"
Li Yunlong fell into a state of anxiety.
If we were to give up Linfen, it would be a huge blow to the morale of the troops, and the territories we have gained would also be threatened by Linfen.
Moreover, if the independent column wants to expand northward, it will inevitably have to pass through Linfen.
Therefore, Linfen must be taken!
"First, order the three infantry divisions to stop attacking and focus on clearing out the enemies around Linyi!"