Chapter 122: An Artillery Duel!

This shift took Jiang Bai by surprise. A flicker of astonishment crossed his face, quickly replaced by deep contemplation as he calculated how to respond.

Considering the threat posed by the enemy warships, Jiang Bai decided against letting the 63rd Division act rashly. His expression grew more cautious, and a strategist’s fire burned in his eyes; he knew all too well that any reckless move could lead to unnecessary sacrifice.

Lieutenant General Kamio’s anxiety stood in stark contrast. When he arrived at the docks to oversee the operations, he berated the engineer unit commanders, ordering them to accelerate construction. His face was etched with impatience and fury, his eyes blazing with a heat that seemed to ignite the very air around him. The pressure he exerted left the engineers tense and worried, their frantic movements betraying a desperate sense of urgency. Despite the immense strain, they labored with the determination to fulfill his expectations.

After three days of intense preparation, the Japanese finally completed their mobilization—a development that brought a brief sense of relief to Lieutenant General Kamio. Throughout this period, Jiang Bai had refrained from intervening.

His fighting spirit rekindled, Kamio declared, "With this superior firepower, I want to see how you hold out this time!"

Having assembled a massive force, Kamio marched his troops north, determined to launch a ferocious assault on the 63rd Division’s defensive lines. To ensure an absolute advantage in firepower, he ordered all forty-eight large howitzers of the First Heavy Artillery Brigade to the front. Additionally, the 15th Brigade’s twelve 105mm light howitzers and twenty-three 75mm mountain guns, alongside the infantry regiment’s 75mm field guns, were positioned and ready. In total, the Japanese deployed 105 artillery pieces, including powerful 150mm heavy howitzers, to breach the front lines.

Upon the order of the heavy artillery brigade commander, "Concentrate fire, fire!" the deafening roar of cannons shattered the sky. The 150mm heavy howitzers led the assault, raining fire upon the 63rd Division’s infantry positions. Massive shells slammed into the 211th Brigade’s line, unleashing devastating shockwaves.

However, we had long since uncovered the enemy’s plans.

Wang Muzhi, acting with cool precision, had already ordered the soldiers of the 211th Regiment to withdraw to secondary positions, observing the enemy from safety. As the shells exploded, Wang could feel the earth trembling beneath his feet, as if a great, thumping heart were buried below, making it difficult for the soldiers to keep their footing.

A moment later, the artillery battalion commander approached, his face streaked with dust and anxiety. He reported that the enemy’s artillery positions had been fully identified and, with an expectant gleam in his eyes, asked if they could return fire.

A sharp light ignited in Wang Muzhi’s eyes. A slight, confident smile touched his lips as he gave his order, his voice filled with resolve and martial passion: "Excellent. Full counter-battery fire! I want to ensure the enemy’s artillery cannot fire a single shot more."

The order given, Wang’s expression grew even more determined, as if he could already see the victory ahead.

In an instant, the entire artillery force joined the fray—including two regiments equipped with fifty-two 150mm heavy howitzers, the 63rd Division’s own thirty-two 120mm howitzers, and fifty 75mm mountain guns. A violent artillery duel erupted. With every thunderous boom, propellant ignited within the chambers, hurling shells from the muzzles with immense force. Cloaked in smoke, the projectiles traced perfect arcs through the sky before slamming into the Japanese positions.

This duel began at the very start of the engagement. Unlike the visceral nature of close-quarters combat, the artillery war was uniquely brutal. Hidden behind the front lines, the gunners could not see the destruction they wrought, yet every shell that fell tore bodies apart, reducing men to ash. In the aftermath, only scattered bone fragments remained, unrecognizable as human.

Stunned by the 63rd Division’s sudden counter-attack, the Japanese gunners, who had been focused on the infantry lines, scrambled to pivot. Amidst the continuous roar, a life-or-death struggle unfolded. A 150mm shell struck a 75mm battery with pinpoint accuracy, triggering a massive explosion that obliterated two mountain guns instantly.

The battlefield was filled with the wounded, with medical teams working feverishly to save lives. Soldiers, caught between the urge to survive and the depths of despair, were rushed to rear-area hospitals. Others, tempered by the fire and blood, chose to hold their ground, loading and firing with mechanical, relentless focus.

To them, firing one final volley at the enemy was a better tribute than mourning their lost comrades. Faced with the cruelty of war, many green gunners saw their initial fear forged into a final, hardened resolve. They poured their hatred into the fire, vowing not to stop until the enemy was silenced. Every time a gun position was destroyed or a crewman blown away, the survivors’ eyes burned with an unyielding light, their oaths growing firmer with every shot, each round a testament to their desire for victory and their grief for the fallen.

Within a short span, both sides suffered heavy losses, but the Japanese artillery bore the brunt of the destruction. This was largely due to the 63rd Division’s deployment of high-range, high-precision heavy artillery; their fire was relentless, and whenever the Japanese prepared to fire, two shells were already zeroed in on them.

The Japanese quickly fell into a disadvantage, their losses mounting rapidly. When two 150mm shells were spotted heading for their ammunition depot, the Japanese gunners turned deathly pale. They shouted warnings to their comrades, faces twisted in panic as they desperately tried to shield the depot. In their despair, some attempted to block the lethal impact with their own bodies, but what could human flesh do against the force of a 150mm shell?

A deafening detonation followed, and the explosion of stored munitions leveled the surrounding battery positions. When the shockwaves subsided, a dozen guns were left as mangled, twisted wreckage. As the smoke cleared, the battlefield revealed itself as a hell on earth—a landscape of ruin and deathly silence.

When the Japanese commander received the report, his face turned ashen. A flicker of terror crossed his eyes, and he asked in disbelief, "How could we possibly be subjected to such overwhelming firepower?"