At the headquarters, Li Yunlong looked at the watch in his hand and loudly ordered: "Order the artillery group to stop shelling. The second battalion will press forward and cover with mortars and infantry artillery."
In order to facilitate observation of the battlefield situation, the headquarters has moved forward to a range of 1,200 meters away from the city wall.
It was already half past three, and an hour had passed since the cannon was fired.
During this hour, the artillerymen continuously moved their positions, aimed their cannons at the city wall, and opened more than ten gaps.
The gap that had been blown open during the day and blocked by Japanese and puppet army engineers was again blown open by artillery shells.
The northern city wall has been blasted with more than a dozen gaps, and the entire northern city wall is densely covered with craters caused by artillery shells, which looks terrifying.
It will be dawn in more than 2 hours, and the city wall must be captured within more than 2 hours.
Otherwise, Japanese planes could arrive at dawn to provide air support.
Although more than half of the Japanese aircraft were lost in the daytime battle, the Japanese still had close to 100 aircraft.
Nearly 100 fighter jets and bombers attacked simultaneously. Even if the Eighth Route Army added anti-aircraft guns, the anti-aircraft firepower was still very strong.
However, aerial bombs dropped by Japanese aircraft could still cause a large number of casualties to the Eighth Route Army's infantry.
If you want the infantry to avoid being bombed by Japanese planes, the only way is to occupy the city wall before dawn and rush into the city to start street battles with the Japanese and puppet troops.
If the city wall cannot be taken tonight, the same ground-to-air battle as during the day will happen tomorrow:
Japanese planes came again to bomb the Eighth Route Army's artillery positions. After bombing the artillery positions, Li Yunlong made another big profit. At night, he called for airdrops of supplies and used artillery to bombard the city wall.
If he had enough time, Li Yunlong would definitely do this.
After all, for every Japanese aircraft shot down, you can earn 3 mountain guns, 1 howitzer, a radio station and 10 tons of food.
Opportunities to make a fortune like this are rare.
However, what is most lacking right now is time. Japanese reinforcements are arriving non-stop. The troops he leads must capture Taiyuan in the shortest possible time.
As Li Yunlong's order was issued, the mountain artillery company and howitzer battalion stopped firing.
They were replaced by mortars and Type 92 infantry guns.
"put!"
As the platoon commanders of each company issued orders, on the artillery position, the artillery shells in the hands of the gunners fell into the barrels.
Boom boom…
Continuous rapid muffled sounds rang out, muzzle fireworks bloomed, and dozens of mortar shells cut graceful arcs in the air, whizzing towards the Japanese wall.
Without even checking whether it hit the target, the gunner took the shell from the ammunition hand behind him and stuffed it directly into the barrel.
The movements are skillful and neat, without any sloppiness.
Although mortar shells are far less powerful than mountain artillery shells and howitzer shells, mortars also have their advantages.
Easy to carry and fast firing rate.
The rate of fire of mountain artillery and howitzers is generally 5 rounds per minute, while an excellent gunner can fire a mortar once every 2 seconds.
Each mortar fires 30 rounds per minute, and there are dozens of mortars, which means more than 1,000 rounds per minute.
Taking advantage of the cover of artillery fire, the soldiers of the second battalion jumped up from the attacking position and charged towards the city wall without any charge bugles or shouts.
Shouting and blowing the charge horn at this time is equivalent to telling the Japanese and puppet troops that the Eighth Route Army is coming to attack the city.
However, the Japanese squadron leader responsible for guarding the city wall also figured out some of the Eighth Route Army's rules for attacking the city.
The mountain artillery and howitzers ceased operations and were replaced by mortars and infantry artillery, mostly in response to the infantry attacking the city.
The Japanese squadron leader ordered his men to withstand the artillery fire and fired a flare with a grenade. The lights under the city wall were illuminated like daylight.
Through the observation hole, the Japanese squadron leader saw numerous figures under the city wall, and the Eighth Route Army infantry was pressing up.
"idiot!"
"Kill me!"
The Japanese squadron leader ordered the Japanese puppet troops to get out of the hole where soldiers were hiding, and under artillery fire, they fired light and heavy machine guns at the Eighth Route Army under the city.
Dozens or hundreds of tongues of flame appeared in the shooting holes under the crenellations of the city wall, and dense raindrops of bullets streaked through the night sky, pouring down towards the soldiers of the Second Battalion of the New Regiment.
Fortunately, at this time, the soldiers of the Second Battalion of the New Regiment had already touched the trenches built by the Japanese and puppet troops outside the city, and jumped into the trenches and bomb craters one after another to avoid the rain of bullets coming from above.
In the telescope field of view, watching the soldiers of the second battalion being suppressed by the firepower of the Japanese and puppet troops on the city wall, Li Yunlong couldn't help but yelled: "F*ck!"
There is nothing we can do about this. Not only do the Japanese and puppet troops stand in a commanding position, they also have a solid city wall to rely on.
Even if more than a dozen gaps are blasted, it will still be very difficult to capture the city wall.
The Japanese and puppet troops could hide in the hidden soldier caves to defend themselves from artillery fire, but dozens of mortars and infantry artillery could not completely suppress the firepower points of the Japanese and puppet troops on the 3-kilometer city wall.
Although the puppet army's combat effectiveness is low and their fighting will is low, in defensive battles like this, the puppet army can still show some strength.
Unless the entire 3-kilometer city wall is demolished, this disadvantage cannot be changed.
However, it would take a lot of time and artillery shells to blow down the entire 3-kilometer city wall.
Chief of Staff Wang Dehou put down the high-power walkie-talkie and turned to report to Li Yunlong: "Report to the commander-in-chief, Wang Chengzhu applied for artillery fire. He said that howitzers and mountain cannons can be used to aim at the enemy's fire points and shoot directly at them, killing at least a dozen fire points at once."
Li Yunlong shook his head and narrowed his eyes slightly: "It's not enough to kill more than a dozen firepower points at once."
According to the current distribution of firepower points of the Japanese and puppet troops, there is probably a light and heavy machine gun firepower point every 30 meters.
There are almost 100 light and heavy machine gun fire points on the 3-kilometer city wall.
Although, howitzers and mountain cannons plus the Type 92 infantry cannon can kill almost 20 fire points with direct aim.
But the machine gunners of the Japanese and puppet troops are not fools. After being hit by the first wave of shelling, they will definitely fire a shuttle and change places, and will not give you time to fire the second and third guns.
However, the rate of fire of mountain artillery, howitzers and infantry artillery is slow. After firing a shot, you have to readjust the shooting elements. When you have adjusted the shooting elements, the Japanese machine gunner has changed his position again.
"What should we do?"
Zhao Gang raised his wrist and looked at his watch, a little anxiously: "It will be dawn in 2 hours, and we don't wait for time."
"There is a way!"
Suddenly, he shouted loudly: "Give me the order to pull up all the machine guns. The artillerymen should not fire yet. Wait until all the machine guns are ready before firing together."
Zhao Gang reacted quickly and asked: "Old Li, do you mean to use the machine gun to aim at the enemy's firepower point and shoot directly?"
"That's right!" Li Yunlong nodded, "Our 20mm machine gun has extremely strong armor-piercing ability. It can even penetrate the enemy's turrets and bunkers, let alone the crenellations of the city wall."
If these firepower points are not eliminated and the attacking troops pay a huge price, they will definitely not be able to capture the city wall.
The shooting holes under the crenellations of the ancient city wall were originally used as observation holes and for shooting arrows in cold weapon warfare. However, they are only used as machine gun shooting holes in modern warfare.
Therefore, the crenellations of the city wall are not thick at all. In terms of thickness, they are not as thick as the masonry blockhouses and gun towers built by the Japanese.
When Xing Zhiguo and Wang Dehou heard this, their eyes lit up.
Zhao Gang immediately said: "This method is very good. I suggest that it be promoted to the brother units of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd attack groups immediately."
Li Yunlong turned to Wang Dehou and said: "Chief of Staff Wang, please pass the order immediately and convey this method to Ding Wei, Kong Jie and Cheng Shifa."
"Yes!" Wang Dehou straightened his body, turned around and walked towards the high-power walkie-talkie.
As the command was issued, all the machine guns and soldiers of the entire Taihang 3rd Column were pulled outside the city wall under the cover of darkness.
More than 200 machine guns of the new regiment were placed about 800 meters away from the city wall.
On the 3,000-meter-wide front, a machine gun is placed almost every 15 meters. Every two machine guns form a cross fire, responsible for shooting a Japanese and puppet army's firepower point.
Each mountain artillery, howitzer and infantry artillery also aimed at a Japanese and puppet army firepower point.
In addition, although the 1st, 2nd and 3rd attack groups do not have as many machine guns as the new group, they each have 100 machine guns, which can guarantee that one machine gun can shoot one Japanese and puppet army firepower point.
Twenty minutes later.
The attacking force still made no progress.
Eighth Route Army Taihang 3rd Column, General Headquarters.
Wang Dehou covered the microphone of the high-power walkie-talkie and reported to Li Yunlong: "Report to the commander-in-chief that all the machine guns of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd attack groups are ready!"
The best way to use this method is for four attacking troops to fire at the enemy's firepower points at the same time.
Otherwise, when the Japanese and puppet troops react and come up with countermeasures, it will be very bad.
Li Yunlong nodded and said firmly: "Fire!"
Then, Wang Dehou picked up the walkie-talkie and said loudly: "Command command, fire!"
About 5 seconds after Wang Dehou finished speaking, Li Yunlong put his eyes in front of the periscope of the artillery mirror and saw.
Accompanied by the dense and rapid "Boom, Boom, Boom" firing sound of the machine guns, countless 20mm machine gun ammunition chain lines of fire instantly entangled towards the flames under the crenellations of Taiyuan's North City Wall.
Mountain artillery, howitzers and infantry artillery also opened fire almost simultaneously.
The explosion fireball and gunpowder smoke suddenly rose, accompanied by an explosion sound like landslides and ground cracking.
Under the sudden blow, the Japanese and puppet machine gunners had no time to react, and were beaten into piles of minced meat by the 20mm machine gun shells that suddenly passed through the crenels.
Almost all of the Japanese's more than 100 firepower points were misfired in less than 10 seconds.
"kill!"
Seeing this scene, the soldiers of the second battalion in the trenches jumped up and rushed towards the city wall with overwhelming shouts of death.
Machine guns on the city wall screamed wildly, pouring firepower towards the attacking troops.
But at the next moment, several bullet chain fire lines were wound towards the Japanese machine guns at the same time, and the fire points on the city wall soon went silent again.
The soldiers set up siege ladders on the city walls and gaps, and climbed up the walls along the ladders and gaps.
The Japanese and puppet troops lost the suppression of machine gun firepower. The 2nd Battalion, led by Zheng Yu, occupied the northern city wall with a wave of attacks.
Xing Zhiguo shouted happily: "We're attacking!"
"pretty!"
In the column headquarters, Li Yunlong also saw this scene through the artillery mirror and spoke with satisfaction.
Zhao Gang showed a smile on his face, glanced at Li Yunlong, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart: This kid Li Yunlong is really a bit of a genius in fighting.
The northern city wall, which was originally expected to take at least 2,000 to 3,000 casualties, was captured with less than 300 casualties.