HCB Chapter 231: Annihilation of the 114th Infantry Regiment of the 18th Division
Chapter 231: Annihilation of the 114th Infantry Regiment of the 18th Division
On the battlefield, all sounds were swallowed up by the roar of artillery fire and the air was filled with smoke.
Li Mingcheng stood on the command vehicle, his eyes fixed on the battle ahead.
Even if the two Type 95 light tanks fled frantically, they could only extend their lives for a dozen minutes before they were soon caught up by the tank company.
"Bang-bang!"
As the distance shortened, two 37mm armor-piercing shells finally hit a Type 95 light tank. The thin steel plate was torn, the fuel tank was damaged by hot shrapnel, and flames burst out from the inside.
The Japanese Type 95 light tank was destroyed. The Japanese driver who survived tried to climb out of the burning vehicle in a panic, but was immediately knocked down by the oncoming heavy machine gun fire.
Half of the devil's body remained inside the tank, while the other half hung outside, until it caught fire along with the tank.
Another Type 95 light tank soon followed in the footsteps of its companion. Under the salvo of multiple 37mm guns, the ammunition rack was hit, the turret flew up and "took off its hat in salute", and soon turned into a pile of scrap metal.
The rest of the Japanese soldiers who were riding in tricycles and trucks to lead the way also suffered a bad fate. They were either cut into pieces by the rain of bullets from multiple 12.7mm heavy machine guns, or blown into the sky by the high-explosion grenades fired from 105mm recoilless guns.
Even after dealing with two Japanese tanks, the tank company joined in the massacre of the remaining Japanese with coaxial machine guns and high-explosive bombs.
The fragile trucks and three-wheeled vehicles were all shattered into pieces by the dense bullets. Living flesh was shattered by the baptism of bullets and blood splattered everywhere.
"Keep going, fast!"
After defeating the Japanese vanguard, Li Mingcheng commanded his troops to rush towards the main force of the 114th Infantry Regiment without stopping for a moment.
And what is the 114th Infantry Regiment doing at this moment?
They had just stopped on the road when they received the news that their vanguard had been attacked.
The marching troops arranged in four columns were crowded on the road. A large number of cattle and horses dragging supplies and Japanese soldiers together blocked the dirt road.
"Everyone stop and prepare to defend on the spot." Colonel Tatsuo Yamada, the commander of the regiment, thought he still had some time to adjust the deployment.
However, just after he ordered the troops to disperse on the spot and prepare to build fortifications and fight, he found a group of round planes swooping down on them from low altitude.
"Devil, the devil is coming." A Japanese soldier screamed in horror.
The P-47, with its high ammunition loadout and eight 12.7mm aircraft machine guns, was secretly rumored by the Japanese to be a demonic aircraft that would bring destruction whenever it appeared.
A team of silver fighter planes swooped down from low altitude like demons, shocking the Japanese soldiers on the ground.
"Run!" The Japanese soldiers fled frantically. Some even dropped their weapons, not even caring about their equipment, and leaped off the road like rabbits.
Only the baggage trucks and those stubborn donkeys and horses that didn't know what an airplane was remained on the road.
Soon, P-47 fighters swooped down from the sky, releasing swarms of air-launched rockets, which slammed into the ground with trailing flames.
Accompanied by explosions, the ground was like a battlefield trampled by giants, and large amounts of flames and dust rose into the air in an instant.
The supply trucks and Japanese horses towing artillery were blown to pieces, and dozens or even hundreds of mules and donkeys pulling grain carts were also blown away. Blood and internal organs were scattered all over the road, as if it had been a bloody massacre.
"Scatter quickly, disperse." Colonel Tatsuo Yamada was extremely anxious. Seeing the chaos on the battlefield, he immediately ordered the deployment of heavy machine guns to fire into the air.
However, such resistance was clearly futile.
P-47 fighter planes shuttled across the battlefield like ghosts, dropping bombs indiscriminately. Each bomb was like a meteorite falling from the sky, bringing a doomsday-like impact and blasting the earth into potholes.
The Japanese who escaped were not much better off.
This is the rich central plains. There is no rainforest beside the dirt road but large farmlands and hills. The tall vegetation has long been cut down by the locals for fuel. Even if the Japanese soldiers leave the road, they have nowhere to hide.
安民军空军第 13 歼击机师第 88 大队的60架（1个大队下辖3个战斗机中队，每个中队20-22架战斗机）P-47们对着他们又是扫射又是投掷炸弹。
Faced with the bombs falling from the sky, the Japanese dared not gather together and could only flee in all directions.
Even the regiment commander, Colonel Tatsuo Yamada, could only order his troops to organize heavy machine gun fire into the air, and then hide under the protection of staff and guards, trying to avoid the doomsday judgment from heaven.
At this moment, this section of road has become a veritable 'Death Highway'.
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Half an hour later, only a few planes of the 88th Squadron were damaged by the 7.7mm Type 92 heavy machine guns' anti-aircraft fire. None of them were shot down. After emptying the ammunition they carried, they flapped their wings and swaggered away.
"KUSO! If I had a few large-caliber machine guns or the support of a flying regiment, I would never allow you to act so recklessly."
Colonel Tatsuo Yamada, covered in dust, stared at the departing P-47 of the Anmin Army and cursed loudly, but it was of no avail.
The Japanese army had neglected air defense construction since the day it was founded, and the consequences were obvious. The only few 13.2mm anti-aircraft machine guns and 75mm anti-aircraft guns of the 18th Division were left in Mandalay for air defense.
When it came to Yamada Tatsuo, the only things left were pure spiritual encouragements such as "nature", "bushido" and "base strength".
He looked at the devastated battlefield, the flames burning everywhere, the occasional truck explosion on the road, the charred Japanese horses and the shattered heavy artillery behind them. The tragic scene made him want to cry but had no tears.
Not to mention the Japanese soldiers who were ravaged by heavy machine guns and bombs.
He knew that the 114th Infantry Regiment was ruined.
However, before Yamada Tatsuo could gather the scattered soldiers again, Li Mingcheng arrived with the motorized reconnaissance battalion.
The 114th Infantry Regiment, which had been completely disorganized, could no longer resist.
The M16 self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicle advanced slowly, and the quad-mounted M2HB heavy machine gun fired crazily. Colonel Tatsuo Yamada was hit hard because there were many Japanese soldiers gathered around him, and was soon minced into pieces by several fire snakes composed of 12.7mm bullets.
The soldiers riding on the Bobcat assault vehicles ran around everywhere. When they encountered the Japanese who were gathering to resist, they fired a 105mm recoilless rifle at them. When the Japanese started to run away, they drove at full speed to chase them and shot them down from behind with submachine guns.
"Leave no one alive. We don't need prisoners in this battle. If we catch the Japs in the paddy fields, we'll drown them there. If we catch the Japs in the toilets, we'll drown them there. If we catch the Japs in the rain forest, we'll hang them there."
Knowing that these devils owed a blood debt in Nanjing, Li Mingcheng coldly ordered that the remaining devils of the 114th Infantry Regiment would have no way to escape.