Suburbs of Muzhou.
The defensive lines of the 5th Division and the 34th Brigade had been overwhelmed by artillery fire, resulting in heavy casualties. In addition, the artillery barrage turned all the trenches, pillboxes and makeshift bunkers into ruins, with corpses scattered everywhere. The strong smell of blood stimulated the olfactory buds of every living being.
At this moment, the 5th Division and the 34th Brigade together numbered less than 10,000 men. Many Japanese soldiers were gripped by fear. In this sudden and massive artillery barrage, they had lost all hope, and death awaited them.
"Beep beep beep beep beep beep—!"
"Enemy tanks are coming!"
"Quickly push the anti-tank gun out!"
Amidst Nakamura Akito's shouts, hundreds of Type 94 anti-tank guns appeared on the position.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
The 6th Artillery Division unleashed a barrage of shells on the positions of the 5th Division and the 34th Brigade, creating towering waves of fire.
The shelling lasted for about half a minute before it ended.
"Boom—"
"Buzz buzz buzz buzz—"
The 39th and 40th Heavy Armored Regiments lined up in a row, with more than two hundred Char B1 heavy tanks and FCM 2C heavy tanks slowly advancing.
The infantry of the 2nd and 5th Infantry Divisions followed and advanced.
"Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang-!"
"Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang-!!"
"Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang-!!!"
Hundreds of Type 94 anti-tank guns fired simultaneously, and the dense shells fell like hailstones on the heavy tanks in front of them.
However, Nakamura Akito was dumbfounded when he saw the scene before him.
"What's going on?"
"Damn it, it's not penetrable?"
The armor-piercing high-explosive shells of the Type 94 anti-tank gun were unable to penetrate the outer steel plates of the enemy tank.
Nakamura Akito rubbed his eyes in disbelief, then pinched Yoshikawa Taro next to him, before confirming that he wasn't dreaming. It really was true that the armor-piercing explosive shells of the anti-tank gun couldn't penetrate the steel plates of the enemy tank!
Nakamura Akito immediately realized something was wrong.
The next moment, high-explosive shells detached from the heavy tanks, trailing long plumes of flame as they hurtled toward the Japanese artillery positions.
"Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang—!"
"Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom—!!"
"Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom—!!!"
Bright flames shot into the air, and the shockwave from the violent explosion instantly swept across the entire position.
Caught off guard, the Japanese soldiers were blown to smithereens. Some quick-thinking ones managed to escape in panic, but they were met with a burst of light and heavy machine gun bullets and fell dead in the smoke and blood.
"Kill, kill, kill—!"
"Give them a good beating!"
Nakamura Akito drew his sword and roared hysterically, "If I back down today, I might as well die!"
"Da da da... pa pa pa pa pa pa...!"
"Rumble rumble rumble..."
The Japanese soldiers under Nakamura Akito's command finally began a desperate resistance, with hundreds of Type 92 heavy machine guns and dozens of mountain guns opening fire and firing wildly in an attempt to stop the tanks from getting closer.
"Kill! Kill all the Japanese devils!"
Inside the tank compartment, Xu Zhiguo, commander of the 9th Reserve Armored Division, roared at the top of his lungs.
He drove his FCM 2C heavy tank under the cover of artillery fire, crushing and killing all the remaining Japanese soldiers along the way, which terrified Nakamura Akito.
Soon, they broke through the Japanese army's first line of defense and were about to crash into the second line of defense.
At that moment, a sharp whistling sound suddenly rang out from behind the Japanese position, followed by a series of booming sounds.
"Reinforcements have arrived!"
"The 4th Tank Division!!!"
"Our tanks!!!"
Nakamura Akito's face lit up with joy, and he quickly turned his head to look. About five hundred tanks from the 4th Tank Division had appeared on the position.
Nearly 300 Type 95 light tanks and 200 Type 97 medium tanks.
The Type 97 medium tank is 5.516 meters long, has a maximum speed of 38 km/h, and is equipped with one 47 mm main gun and three 7.7 mm machine guns.
"Haha, reinforcements have arrived! Reinforcements have arrived!"
"Hahaha!"
"Reinforcements have come to our rescue!"
"We've got this in the bag!!!"
Three Type 97 medium tanks opened fire simultaneously, hitting a Char B1 heavy tank. In an instant, bursts of dazzling flames erupted, accompanied by a deafening roar, and the massive blast wave sent several comrades flying.
Nakamura Akito, however, paid no heed to any of that, only shouting excitedly, "The reinforcements are here! The reinforcements are here! We're still alive! We won't die!"
"quick--!"
"Quickly order a suicide squad to be formed! Wipe out all these tanks!"
"Kill them all!"
"Kill them all!!"
The Japanese soldiers' eyes turned red, and they rushed out of the trenches carrying explosive packs and grenades.
In an instant, flames soared into the sky and explosions continued. The Japanese suicide squad began to use their own flesh and blood to block the gaps in the heavy tanks, trying to buy themselves some breathing time.
It has to be said, this trick really worked.
"Boom!!"
One heavy tank after another billowed black smoke, their tracks warped from the explosions.
Xu Zhiguo knew that the Japanese had committed all their main forces.
"Order the 37th and 38th Medium Armored Regiments to flank the enemy from both sides," Xu Zhiguo immediately issued the battle order.
"kill--!!!"
The next moment, more than 500 tanks of various types from the 9th Armored Forces poured out.
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