Chapter 220: The Clash of Iron and Blood (Part 2)

“Fire…”
“Fire…”
The Japanese army concentrated twenty-one cannons to bombard the area. From a high vantage point, all that could be seen was white smoke rising from the Black Flag Army’s positions.
However, the effect of the Japanese artillery was limited. Each cannon fired an average of seven to eight shells. Though the barrage organized within just five minutes was impressive, it was not enough to threaten the Black Flag Army’s overall defenses.
With only seven to eight shells per cannon, the Japanese had to aim precisely, destroy the Black Flag Army’s fortifications, clear minefields and barbed wire, and suppress their artillery—all of which was barely sufficient for such a grand plan.
Soon, most of the Japanese cannons stopped firing, with only six or seven light cannons, which had more ammunition, continuing to fire rapidly. The cannons were repositioned time and again, firing once per minute to keep pressure on the entire battlefield.
In fact, the Japanese artillery officers had openly disobeyed Dai Shanyan’s orders. Since most of the shells were stuck in the rear and could not be sent forward, the original order had been: “Each cannon shall fire five shells!”
But the artillery officers were powerless to fire more shells. They had been informed that only a few dozen shells would arrive in two hours. They had to save ammunition for future battles, so they could only hope their cannons would hit targets on the first shot.
As the Japanese artillery changed targets, more and more Japanese troops appeared under the sun, prompting Ye Chenglin to exclaim, “Not inferior to the French formations in the Shanxi campaign!”
These Japanese troops combined German and French tactics. Yellow-colored units were clearly visible under the sun. The Japanese had mobilized four battalions from three infantry regiments, all armed with bayonets, slowly advancing.
They formed sixteen orderly company formations, with bayonets pointing forward, radiating a fierce fighting spirit. The officers violated regulations by drawing their personal swords and shouting, “Long live! Charge!”
Like a rushing flood, the four infantry battalions, full of courage and strategy, let out strange cries incomprehensible to the Black Flag Army. They surged forward like the tides of the Red River, arriving quickly and entering range of the Black Flag Army’s light artillery.
“Keep waiting!”
At that moment, all of the Black Flag Army’s artillery fell silent. Several artillerymen licked their lips, staring at the advancing infantry clusters with red-eyed determination.
An artillery company commander took a deep breath and cursed, “Damn it! I never thought anyone would still have such courage after Shanxi!”
The formidable formation of the four infantry battalions entered the range of heavy machine gun fire. Two ammunition boxes for machine guns were opened, ready to be emptied. Meanwhile, the operator of the Hotchkiss machine gun nervously whispered, “Hurry! Forward! Forward! Forward!”

These four infantry battalions were all carefully selected elite units, drawn from various divisions. They had now begun to respond—few started using the terrain and obstacles to fire at the Black Flag Army, while more infantry formations pressed forward with fierce determination. Small-scale gunfights broke out, with two infantry platoons at the Black Flag Army’s forward positions exchanging fire with the Japanese forces. Some of the Japanese artillery began pushing their guns forward to prepare for firing. The sound of gunfire grew intense; the two forward platoons of the Black Flag Army, using single-shot rifles, caused significant trouble for the Japanese, but the assault by the four infantry battalions could not be stopped by just two platoons. “Second wave! Enter battle!” On other fronts as well, sporadic battles were taking place, which relieved Naiki Hisaichi, the frontline commander: “The resistance of the Chinese army will not be enough to stop our advance!” As he spoke, two more infantry battalions rushed out of their fortifications and joined the offensive formation. Naiki Hisaichi saw that a fairly large-scale gunfight had begun. The Black Flag Army was well-equipped, firing hundreds of rifle shots per minute and causing heavy casualties among the Japanese vanguard squadrons. Yet he assured Oyama Iwao, “Sir, once we deploy our second wave, we will capture Dongguan today… I believe the total casualties will not exceed six hundred!” Naiki Hisaichi had already made a very pessimistic estimate of six hundred casualties. Although the Black Flag Army was well-equipped with some single-shot breech-loading rifles and put up some resistance, given the current situation, it seemed that only two or three hundred casualties would be needed to take their positions. All Japanese officers underestimated the combat strength of the Black Flag Army, with “well-equipped” being their final assessment. Though the Black Flag Army still had a small number of cannons unused, everyone believed it was only a matter of time before they were deployed. At that moment, to the Black Flag Army’s artillerymen, the vast array of Japanese infantry battalions before them seemed like the most delicious feast. They felt that even without aiming, a single volley could knock down a large number of enemies. Yet everyone bit their lips, watching the forward positions exchange fire with the Japanese and seeing their six or seven cannons firing weakly, while the officers focused their attention on the magnetophone telephones in the shelters. “Ring ring ring…” The artillery company commander quickly picked up the phone: “This is the Third Artillery Company… Understood, we will fire at the enemy immediately! We will carry out the order resolutely!” Almost simultaneously, the ringing of magnetophone telephones could be heard at dozens of infantry and artillery positions ahead of the Black Flag Army. The officers cheerfully picked up the phones: “Understood!” Everything was ready. The Black Flag Army didn’t even need to aim—positions had been pre-determined, and ammunition was ready: “Fire…” Although not as many as the total number of guns deployed by the Japanese, the Black Flag Army still concentrated seventeen various types of guns, not including the brigade’s light and heavy mortars, machine guns, Hotchkiss guns, and Maxim heavy machine guns.

At this moment, Oyama Iwa was discussing the issue of casualties with Nogi Maresuke: “To be pessimistic, I estimate that in addition to the dead, we’ll need to take care of six hundred wounded. Our medical team doesn’t have the capacity to handle such a large number of patients; we must…”
“Fire!”
The Black Flag Army’s overwhelming artillery barrage had begun, with a hail of shells descending amidst Oyama Iwa’s calm tone.
In that instant, tens of thousands of projectiles, ranging from 150-mm heavy mortars to rifle bullets, whistled through the air, composing a symphony of death with their precise trajectories.