Devil's Army

Chapter 2034 Attack on Xinpu

After the artillery of the First Regiment arrived, it launched a fierce bombardment of the Japanese positions and fortifications on the north bank of the Liutang River, but was met with a counterattack from the Japanese artillery.

At this time, most of the First Army's air force was supporting the Sichuan Army's 364th Brigade and 11th Brigade in their attack on Haizhou, and searching for the Japanese Navy in Haizhou.

Although the battle entered a stalemate for a time, the 12th and 15th Brigades of the First Army tied down a large number of Japanese troops in Haizhou, providing flank support for the Sichuan Army's 364th and 11th Brigades' attack on Haizhou.

As the battle north of Haizhou intensified, the Japanese army faced an increasingly severe shortage of troops.

Commander Kuma Ota had no choice but to recall troops from the south. Japanese firepower on the north bank of the Liutang River was significantly reduced.

The regimental commander ordered the army air force soldiers and artillery to suppress the Japanese firepower on the riverbank, and the first, second, and third battalions of the regiment simultaneously crossed the Liutang River.

Under the cover of heavy artillery fire and Golden Eagle drones, the Japanese army was unable to withstand the fierce attack of a regiment of infantry.

After successfully crossing the Liutang River, the First Battalion continued its fierce attack on the Japanese positions from the front, while the Second and Third Battalions flanked the Japanese from the flanks.

Most of the Japanese troops who were holding the Liutanghe position were annihilated, and a small number retreated to the Xinpu line.

The Japanese army used the complex terrain along the Haizhou-Xinpu line—hills controlling roads, river networks blocking roads, railways choking the way, and seawalls shielding the shore—to form a multi-layered defensive system.

The terrain is distributed in a stepped pattern, with Haizhou being high and Xinpu being low.

The city center of Haizhou is at an elevation of 5–6 meters, while the southeast corner reaches 20 meters. Xinpu is mostly a 2.5–3.5 meter high marine plain, with a high northwest and low southeast, forming a natural slope that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Moreover, Jinping Mountain (south of Haizhou) and Yuntai Mountain (new Pudong) are eroded hills with steep peaks and crisscrossing valleys.

The Japanese 12th Independent Mixed Brigade, which had retreated from Xuzhou, set up crossfire points here and blocked the Tashan Ancient Road.

The Tashan Ancient Road is a vital route between Haizhou and Banpu, and it is fortified with a group of triangular bunkers to guard the winding passage.

The Xiyan River and Longwei River in Xinpu form a ring-shaped water system, with a channel width of 10-20 meters and a water depth of 2-3 meters, which divides the battlefield and restricts the advance of large army groups.

The ferry crossings and bridges served as natural passes, where the Japanese army laid mines and used firepower to blockade the area.

The area around Xinpu on the eastern section of the Longhai Railway is mostly salt flats and reed marshes, making it muddy and difficult to traverse. Heavy equipment of the army is prone to getting stuck in the mud.

Lacking artillery support, the regiment's offensive momentum was greatly reduced.

When the regiment reached the outskirts of Jinping Mountain and Yuntai Mountain, it was immediately spotted by the Japanese observation posts on the high ground and the artillery was notified to bombard the regiment's attacking troops.

Lacking artillery support, the regiment's attack was stalled. Fortunately, at this time, the Japanese air force searching for Japanese warships in Haizhou returned to base and launched a fierce bombardment of the Japanese artillery positions on Jinping Mountain and Yuntai Mountain.

The air force suppressed the Japanese artillery fire, and the soldiers of the regiment quickly broke through the Japanese defenses at Jinpingshan and Yuntaishan, advancing to the Tashan Ancient Road.

When the regiment reached the ancient road of Tashan, the Japanese army blocked its advance with stone walls and bunkers.

The following morning, a barrage of machine guns and rocket launchers fiercely swept and bombarded the Japanese troops in the stone walls and bunkers.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, a group of soldiers charged forward and engaged in fierce close combat with the Japanese troops inside the stone wall and bunker.

The Japanese troops, unable to withstand the attack, continued their retreat. They used the Yanhe and Longweihe rivers as water barriers and destroyed key bridges. They also constructed foxholes and machine gun positions on both sides of the railway, forming a horizontal fire network to block key railway crossings.

Under a fierce barrage of fire, a regiment of soldiers broke through the Japanese positions at Yanhe and Longweihe in the afternoon.

The Japanese troops retreated into the town and used the streets, buildings, salt flats, and reed marshes to fight a street battle with a regiment.