Chapter 156: The Decisive Bombardment

The setting sun was as red as blood, yet blood seemed even redder than it.
The earth trembled violently. Birds in the sky and beasts on the ground fled in panic, but there was nowhere to escape.
Shells rained down like hail on the Black Flag Army’s core positions. Barricades were destroyed one after another by artillery fire. The entire area was shrouded in black and white smoke, with explosions heard everywhere.
The sky turned gray, and the sun was barely visible. From the walls of Shanxi City, one could clearly see countless clouds of dust rising from the core positions, as the entire city shook violently.
“Get in touch with the Xiliu Infantry Regiment’s headquarters!”
“The Xiliu Infantry Regiment is unreachable.”
“The Hanhai Battalion’s lines are down!”
“The Xiliu Infantry Battalion’s lines are down…”
Under such intense bombardment, few telephone lines remained intact. Some line maintenance soldiers rushed to repair the damaged lines despite the artillery fire, but the French continued their bombardment.
Shells, even denser than hail, poured down on the positions. Barricades, trenches, and obstacles were all leveled instantly by the fierce artillery fire.
The Black Flag Army’s artillery fired recklessly, with each piece shooting over thirty shells. Some rapid-fire guns, ignoring their barrel lifespan, heated up completely red.
After waiting patiently, Liu Yu finally managed to connect with a frontline infantry company. But all that came through the phone was the deafening sound of artillery. In addition, a lieutenant was shouting loudly, “Everyone is deaf! I need artillery support! Request artillery support…”
The bombardment continued. The Black Flag Army only used one or two 82-mm mortars to launch occasional counterattacks, then quickly moved their positions.
During the brief lull in the bombardment, the French were satisfied with the results. The entire position had been destroyed, and blood could be seen everywhere, but they knew it wasn’t enough.
“Another round!”
After thirty minutes of relentless bombardment, the French fired four thousand shells of various sizes before continuing their attack. Still, twelve 90-mm guns kept targeting the Black Flag Army’s frontline positions.
Behind the artillery was the French army formation, lined up in order. Flags with glorious histories were unfurled, alongside colorful military banners following the French tricolor. Everyone stood in silence, watching the artillery barrage.
Some recruits might think no one could survive such bombardment, but veterans who had fought in several major battles knew that no matter how intense the artillery attack, some members of the Black Flag Army would survive. Whether they could win the battle depended on the bayonets and courage of these veterans.
Regiments were arranged in neat formations, with officers calling out, “One, two, three…”
“One hundred seven, one hundred eight… Our company has one hundred seventeen men present.”
Even the undisciplined Algerian indigenous infantry now stood cautiously, forming neat rows and waiting for the final inspection.
“A total of forty-two infantry regiments, 3,862 soldiers, are participating in this glorious attack!”

Amidst the roaring artillery, the solitary staff officer loudly announced the total number of soldiers participating in the assault: “My lord, allow me to lead this glorious charge!”
He snatched the staff officer’s rifle and pushed him forward forcefully: “Orderly, escort the commander!”
“Everyone, gather around me! Shoulder to shoulder—we are warriors!”
No matter from which angle one viewed this scene, it was utterly visually stunning.
3,800 soldiers formed a massive square formation—brave French soldiers, Algerian indigenous infantry known as the Lions of Africa, the always-reliable French Foreign Legion, and Vietnamese indigenous infantry tempered by war.
The formation was like a mountain, with bayonets forming a sea.
All raised their bayonets, shoulder to shoulder, with the French artillery creating a barrage of bullets in front of them.
The staff officer stepped forward, taking the lead of the entire formation. He unfurled a tricolor flag: “Follow me until everyone falls!”
Military music played, drums rang out, and amidst the evening breeze, he sang the Marseillaise at once.
“Children of the homeland, awaken! The days of light have come!”
“The tyrants who oppose us have raised banners of blood! Have you heard the cries of our soldiers fighting fiercely on the battlefield? Do they intend to storm among us and pierce the throats of our wives and children?”
“Arms yourselves, people! Form your own army! Forward! Forward! Let the enemy’s blood soak every trench on the battlefield.”
All French soldiers sang this war song along with him, and even some mercenaries who considered themselves French, Algerians, and Vietnamese joined in the singing.
“What do the traitors and puppets of the tyrants plan to do? Whom do they prepare shackles for? For us, the French! How cruel! They dare to enslave us again. What should we do?”
“Tremble, tyrants and traitors, the shame of all good people! Tremble, for the schemes of the traitors will be punished by justice. To oppose you, we enlisted in the army; French young heroes fall one after another, always ready to fight!”
“We offer noble sacrifices for our homeland, guiding and strengthening our hands of vengeance. Freedom—oh, precious freedom! Fight, holding your shield! Victory lies under our banners—show your courage! Come, watch your enemies fall and witness your triumph and glory.”
“We too must fight. When our elders are sacrificed, we will find their ashes and erect monuments for them. We cannot live in cowardice; instead, we shall share the same grave with them, carrying noble pride, avenging them, and following in their footsteps.”
The military songs rang out loudly. The ranks in blue uniforms and red breeches carried an unstoppable momentum. Some Algerians sang tunes with desert flavors, while the Vietnamese recited poems by Huynh Thuc Khang. As for the European mercenaries, they expressed their emotions through fierce shouts.
Accompanying them was renewed heavy artillery fire—the enemy forces ahead had already been devastated by their bombardment.
The formation continued forward.

“Bang!” Several bullets fired from the Black Flag Army’s ranks, but the singing grew louder, and the formation became denser. A few senior officers turned their caps to the left and shouted, “Forward!”
Si Ma Tai jumped out of the trench, covered in dust. His entire infantry regiment had suffered heavy losses in the previous artillery bombardment; many positions had been destroyed by shells, and soldiers were buried beneath them. But they had no time to worry about that.
He saw a magnificent scene beyond his wildest imagination: “Oh my God!”
“Fire!”
Both sides fired volleys of bullets, but the French artillery even brought themselves within rifle range and opened direct fire on the Black Flag Army’s positions.
One after another, the Black Flag Army’s firing positions came back online, but many were suppressed by the French after just a few rounds of firing.
Liu Yu was also frantically shaking the phone: “Can’t get in touch with Snow Position? Give orders immediately—get through right now! Send my guards to make the connection.”
He personally shook the phone, looking extremely anxious. Several guards rushed out at his command and headed toward the distant front lines.
“Snow Position is connected!” A communications soldier ran in, holding the phone line. “Snow Position is up!”
The fighting on the front lines had reached a fever pitch. The Black Flag Army’s gunfire had torn several gaps in the French formation, but the French soldiers reformed into tight ranks and pressed forward relentlessly.
The three infantry battalions at the core positions had already suffered heavy casualties. Despite fierce resistance, the French quickly crossed the minefields damaged by artillery fire and reached the edge of the positions.
“Snow Position is connected! Snow Position is connected!”
“What’s the situation?”
Everyone was in a flurry. Liu Yu grabbed the phone and ordered loudly, “No matter what happens, start the counterattack immediately—right now!”
He shouted at Liu Suiyun, “Send a signal—order a general attack!”
Several flares were fired, adding color to the sky. Soon, the distant relay stations also launched colored flares.
Inside the permanent fortifications made of reinforced concrete, hundreds of soldiers waited for orders. Liu Haohao held the phone and shouted, “Commander, listen! This is the best music, the most beautiful sounds!”
It was a symphony of French artillery fire, singing, and charges—along with their cheers right beside them. Their artillery had done an excellent job, successfully suppressing the Black Flag Army.
“The commander orders an immediate attack! Attack now!”
Artillery shells flew overhead, and they immediately got to work, pushing the heavy guns with all their strength. When they reached their prepared firing positions, they were greeted by the smell of smoke and dust.
In front of them were the French soldiers’ orderly formations. They were now just a short distance away from the Black Flag Army’s positions. With one more charge, they could capture the last and most crucial positions of the Black Flag Army.
The Black Flag Army’s positions continued to fire various types of shells intermittently, but their positions were extremely dangerous, and it seemed their communication had also been cut off.
Liu Haohao waved his arms vigorously, and the artillerymen loudly echoed his orders: “Twenty-two 60-mm mortars, ready!”

“Eighty-two mortars, twelve, are in position!”
“Six 100-millimeter artillery mortars, in position!”
“One 65-millimeter naval gun, in position!”
This was the entire arsenal of the Black Flag Army. Liu Haohao looked at the two steel guns that had been brought out; their barrels were already aimed at the French forces. All the guns were in good condition, with ample ammunition—everything was ready. He shouted orders, “Five-barrel Hatzis autocannons, two, in position!”
“Artillery! Fire—immediately!!!”