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Text Chapter 893 The Mekong River is not a natural chasm (Part 2)

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    Not to mention He Hai, even Colonel Pride and the French officers and soldiers who were about to get on the bus back to Da Nang were shocked.  Amphibious tanks are not a new technology, but Europe has no equipment after research. Unexpectedly, today I not only saw other people equip them on a large scale, but also saw a crazy division commander using tanks as ships!  Soon, all seventy-two amphibious tanks and armored vehicles entered the river, and a long line clung to the east bank and flowed down the river.

    Zhang Liansheng¡¯s move was a sudden whim in a desperate situation. In fact, it is very dangerous to do so.  If they were attacked by artillery or planes on the way, the whole army would definitely be wiped out.  Fortunately, it was raining heavily outside now, so the probability of being discovered by a plane was minimized. However, the Japanese artillery fire made He Hai, who acted as a scout and guide, sweat.  In order to reduce exposure, the amphibious vehicle can only be turned on briefly when it enters the water, and then relies on water flow to propel it.  In order to speed up, the Marines in the vehicle even used paddles

    On the shore, the deputy division commander who stayed behind immediately took over the French artillery position. The 105 howitzers of the Second Division were also quickly deployed. The remaining more than 200 amphibious vehicles were also prepared to cross the river directly if they were discovered.  Perhaps due to the heavy rain and the control of the ferry, the Japanese army did not notice anything unusual here. An hour later, the amphibious convoy finally left the Japanese artillery fire circle. Zhang Liansheng, who personally led the team, immediately ordered the power to be turned on.

    The speed of the three amphibious armored vehicles in the water is 10 kilometers per hour. Coupled with the acceleration of water flow after heavy rain, the speed quickly exceeds 13 kilometers per hour after starting.  What really worries Zhang Liansheng is fuel, because the three types of vehicles can only last up to 80 kilometers in water.

    When the armored battalion, led by three Annan National Society guides and He Hai and other scouts, was like a giant beast that appeared and disappeared in the river, the twelve sea cavalry in Da Nang were also ready to go.  .  Except for the ten troop carriers, the other four were equipped with two Han-1 water-cooled heavy machine guns (Republic of China version 7.62 Maxim) installed on both sides of the fuselage, and two ammunition chains extended from the extra-large ammunition boxes.

    Originally, according to flight regulations, Sea Cavalry helicopters were not allowed to fly in such weather.  But after learning the information about the reconnaissance company.  Considering the importance of Meng Kong and the fact that no nearby troops could arrive within ten hours, Marine Corps Commander Dongfang Chen decided to use helicopter reinforcements to block the Yinlun troops trying to cross the Mekong River.  However, Dongfang Chen didn't know that his commander, Dahuobao, had already used the amphibious armored vehicle as a ship.

    After the machine gunner fastened himself and the aircraft with safety belts, the twelve Sea Cavalry flew westward despite the heavy rain.

    At the same time as the helicopter took off, Kondo Moto arrived at Mengkong half an hour earlier than He Hai expected.  Although the Mekong River is very long, there are not many places suitable for crossing it.  The main problem is not the currents and boats, but the lack of roads.  Although the Japanese army was good at fighting with small units, they did not dare to penetrate the vast tracts of primeval rainforest where there were no roads and even bicycles could not pass.  Therefore, there are not many places that can be crossed from Vientiane to Phnom Penh.  The closest one south of Champasak is Mengkong.

    Mengkong is actually an island in the middle of the river. The wide Mekong River is divided by dozens of large and small sandbars here, so the water depth is shallow and the flow is slow, which is very suitable for troops to cross.  Moreover, there is a dirt road in Mengkong that leads directly to Attapeu, and you can go around to the back of Champassak.

    The captain of the 38th Regiment, Gen Kondo, was a radical officer who came to power after the May 10th Incident, and he was also a die-hard mainlander.  The two failures made them, the mainlanders, resentful.  I have always believed that China is Japan's biggest mortal enemy, and there is no way to talk about the rise of an empire without defeating its old enemy.  Therefore, after learning that Germany had weakly defeated France, which had the largest army in Europe, it only increased the confidence to defeat its mortal enemy.  "Collect the boats and the rest are ready to cross the river." After arriving at Meng Kong.  He didn't want to waste a moment.

    "Your Majesty, Colonel, do you want to send someone across the river to investigate first?"

    ¡°No need, the Chinese gunboats are still in Saigon, there¡¯s no need to waste time.¡± Faced with the staff¡¯s reminder.  Kondo Yuan waved his hand.

    Kondo Yuan is confident because of the intelligence.  The stubborn French still use gunboats to block the entrance to the Mekong River.  Without warships and being in the middle rainforest area, the Chinese Army in Champasak could not quickly cross the rainforest and water network to reinforce here.

    After the order was issued, shouts and gunshots came from the fishing village near Mengkong. A large group of Japanese soldiers rode bicycles into the village and forcibly confiscated the fishing boats.  In order to seize the time, anyone who dared to resist was often shot to death immediately.  Hearing these gunshots, Kondo Yuan not only did not stop him, but also smiled.  The Thirty-Eighth Regiment is an infantry regiment with a long history. Even Prince Kunihiko Kunihiko has served in the regiment. If you don't even dare to kill people, how can you maintain combat effectiveness?

    Kondo Yuan didn¡¯t care about the sound of gunshots, but it alarmed a group of evil stars flowing down the river.  "Stop! Stop!" Hearing the faint sound of gunfire, He Hai, who was rushing in front, immediately shouted to stop and waved a flag to remind the main force a few kilometers behind him.  "Why did you stop?" The "Sea Snake" following behind slowly caught up. Zhang Liansheng got out of the tank and asked about the situation.

    "It should be gunshots. I'm afraid I miscalculated.I arrived in Mengkong ahead of schedule.  "He Hai blamed himself a little. Unexpectedly, the bicycle was faster than he thought, and the ambush originally prepared suddenly turned into an encounter.

    "Well done!" Zhang Liansheng didn't care at all. He had been suffocated by the weather these days.  It doesn't matter whether it's an ambush or an encounter, as long as you can fight and vent your bad breath.  So he immediately sent a signal and asked the "Otters" behind him to separate out a dozen vehicles to go ashore first and detour behind to block the Japanese army.  The conditions for the amphibious armored vehicle to land were very complicated and required a gentle slope on the sand, so it took a company of otters more than ten minutes to find a place to land.  After the roundabout troops entered the rainforest, Zhang Liansheng waved his hand, and the remaining troops immediately rushed towards Meng Kong at full speed.

    "Captain, there seems to be a sound behind you." Shirase Rongzo was standing on the fishing boat he had just collected. When he heard something moving behind him, he immediately put down the oar and pushed the captain who was holding a bag of sugar.  Sugar is an important strategic material, so the Japanese army will collect it from house to house wherever they go.  The team leader was so focused on the sugar that he didn't notice the low sound of the engine in the air.  It wasn't until Shirase reminded him that he stood up: "The machine ship, it must be the machine ship. Great! Yutachi-kun, prepare the machine gun! Shirase, turn around and get closer! Let's give the captain a surprise."

    After the corporal heard the sound clearly, he shouted excitedly.  You must know that what they collect are small fishing boats that can carry a few people at a time. If there is a machine ship, the troops will pass much faster.  The machine gunner immediately got down and mounted the Taisho 11 crooked light machine gun on the bow.  Shirase wondered as he turned the corner, Mengkong was not a town.  How could there be a plane?  Could it be the enemies who came down from Champasak?  That's not right. The ships in Champasak are all in the hands of the division commander, so where are they?

    When Shirase became increasingly uneasy, two "Sea Serpent" amphibious tanks had already bypassed the sandbar and appeared in view.  The low shape on almost flat water, and the white waves stirred up by the baffles, stunned Shirase and the captain. What was that?  "Artillery, it's artillery!" Before they could figure it out, the machine gunner who was taking aim yelled out in fright.  Because he saw that there was a thick barrel behind the baffle.

    "Fire!"

    Using the gun in the water slows it down, so the tanker immediately aims his coaxial machine gun at the oncoming boat.  "Hiss" In a sound like tearing cloth, two tongues of fire rushed out, and instantly water columns appeared beside Shirase's boat.  "China. It's China! Shoot!" The machine gun fire made the captain and Shirase instantly understand who their opponent was. The crooked machine gun on the bow of the ship immediately fired a string of bullets at the sea snake.  It should be said that the Japanese machine gunner's aim was better than that of the Marines who participated in the war for the first time. They quickly hit a string of sparks on the baffle and armor.

    "Baga, it's armor! Retreat!" When the commander saw that the machine gun had no effect, he immediately understood that these two turtle-like things were protected by armor.  But it was too late by now. Two hj32 machine guns quickly swept across the deck of the small fishing boat.  All five people, including Shirase, were killed.

    "Why is there the sound of machine gunfire?" The crisp sound of the machine gun immediately alerted Meng Kong's Japanese troops, and even Gen Kondo came out of the hut hiding from the rain.  You must know that after advancing south, the front line will be stretched and it will be difficult to supply.  Therefore, the Japanese army rarely uses machine guns.  "Baga! Go and see who is using the machine gun indiscriminately!" Kondo Gen thought someone was abusing the machine gun, and stamped the ground with his saber.  In order to speed up this time, he left behind a lot of heavy equipment.  They only brought a few split 37 rapid-fire guns and Type 92 infantry guns, and the infantry only had some heavy machine guns and grenade launchers.  Why are you willing to use machine guns on civilians?

    When a dozen Japanese soldiers rode bicycles toward the place where the gunshots were heard, two "Sea Snakes" had already rushed across the shoal and arrived at the Mengkong Sandbank.  "Look! Japanese troops, it's Japanese troops! Fire!" As soon as they passed the shoal, a large group of Japanese troops gathered at the fishing boat dock came into view. Seeing so many unsuspecting Japanese troops, the commander shouted excitedly.

    At this time, the Japanese troops on the dock also discovered two "Sea Snakes" with water jets spraying from the back. Many soldiers pointed and seemed to be discussing what they were.  When the sergeant saw the artillery on the "Sea Serpent", he suddenly shouted: "The internal fire boat is the internal fire boat of the China Navy! Avoidboom!" Before the sergeant who recognized the amphibious tank finished shouting  , two "Sea Snakes" have already fired.

    The rumbling explosions shattered Meng Kong's calmness. 70mm grenades continued to explode in the heavy rain, and the Japanese troops who were caught off guard were panicked.  But I have to say that the quality of the Japanese army is still very good, even slightly higher than that of the Second Marine Division that participated in the war for the first time. After a brief panic, they quickly found bunkers, especially the large number of counterfeit grenades after the first Sino-Japanese War.  The barrel counterattacked within minutes.

    The banging explosions stirred up a forest of water columns around the two "Sea Serpents". Since the "Sea Serpents" are three-person light tanks, the commander needs to take care of the work of the gunner. In addition, the driver is conducting suppressive and rapid fire against the enemy, so the driver temporarily takes over the command.  , immediately rushed to the shoal next to the pier, trying to get ashore.

      "Don't let them come ashore! Nagano, command your artillery! Concentrate all firepower, heavy machine guns!" Gen Kondo didn't expect to encounter a rare naval fireboat (Japan's name for amphibious tanks) here, and he couldn't even figure it out.  How did the other party cross the dense jungle and get here.  But even with all the doubts, he knew he couldn't let the "sea snake" come ashore.  Because the tanks after landing will be faster and more difficult to deal with.

    After the grenades, the Japanese Type 92 heavy machine gun also opened fire.  Thirty bullets were continuously stuffed into the gun chamber, and countless sparks were immediately shot out of the surface of the "Sea Snake" that was about to land.  But the 7.7mm Type 92 heavy machine gun is obviously unable to deal with tanks.  However, the Japanese army also has its own anti-tank weapons, which are two Type 94 37mm rapid-fire cannons towed by three-wheeled motorcycles and the Type 92 70mm infantry gun imitated from China.

    Both types of artillery are light weapons, and in extreme cases they can even be disassembled and carried manually.  Therefore, in order to strengthen the firepower, Kondo Geng specially brought a few guns, but there was very little ammunition.  I originally wanted to use it to attack the enemy after outflanking, but I didn't expect that it would have to be taken out now.  Due to the sudden incident, several cannons were still in a state of disassembly.  Therefore, Kondo Gen can only rely on machine guns and grenade launchers to deal with the "Sea Serpent".

    While the artillery was being assembled at the back, the two "Sea Snakes" in front had already started to land along the slope.  The Mekong River is not a sea. It has a large slope span and the soil on the shore is very soft due to continuous heavy rain. Therefore, the two Sea Snakes are still moving slowly at full power.

    "Blow it up!" Gen Kondo saw the two tanks slipping and immediately prepared to send people to blow up the tanks at close range.  When several Japanese soldiers rushed towards the tanks with grenades and explosive packs, a large number of amphibious armored vehicles suddenly appeared on the river.  "Fire, all tanks fire!"

    When Zhang Liansheng saw his two tanks trapped on the slope, he realized that he had miscalculated a very important thing!  The river beach is not a beach.  The slopes in many places are steep, and the silt is softer. The wheels of tanks and armored vehicles can easily damage the river bed, making it impossible to get ashore!  But now he can only bite the bullet and grit his teeth.  First, order the remaining "Sea Serpents" to open fire at full speed to provide support, and at the same time let the armored vehicles land first, so that the infantry can organize a defense line first and cover the landing of the tanks.

    With the addition of more than a dozen 70mm guns, a whirlwind suddenly rolled up on the shore.  Mud splashed, trees broke, and the fishing boats that were finally collected were torn apart in the gunfire.  Taking advantage of the opportunity of suppressed artillery fire, dozens of "Otter" amphibious armored vehicles began to charge down the slope.

    "Boom!"

    Zhang Liansheng¡¯s mistakes quickly paid the price.  Because at this time the Japanese army finally assembled the first Type 92 infantry gun.  After the first shell stirred up water jets on the slope of the water, he secretly thought something was wrong.  Although I believed that I could easily win as long as I waited for the roundabout troops to come over, the soft mud made it extremely difficult to rush down the slope.  Several times, it seemed that the soil on the shore was soft and slipping due to heavy rain.  After several consecutive misses, a 70mm grenade accurately hit the Otter's compartment.  The tarpaulin could not stop the shells at all, and the sixteen Marines in the carriage were immediately blown to pieces.  The car also slid violently and rolled sideways.  "Don't stop! Don't stop! Keep charging!" Captain Zhang's eyes turned red immediately upon seeing this.

    "Boom!" But before he could recover from the loss, another cannon shot came from the rain forest in the distance.  Watching the "Sea Snake" that had just washed ashore was destroyed by a 37mm anti-aircraft gun, it suddenly stopped.  "Combat defense artillery!" The armored battalion saw this.  Immediately all firepower was directed at the woods. The 70mm tank gun, 12.7mm heavy machine gun and general machine gun fired continuously, sending branches and leaves flying everywhere.

    "Third Platoon, follow me!" Seeing armored vehicles and comrades being killed one after another, infantry platoon leader Liu Lei was furious. Seeing that the Japanese artillery was suppressed, he immediately called on his comrades to rush forward. After running for a while, he immediately changed to crawling.  go ahead.  Soon, he climbed behind a big tree that was only about fifty meters away from the opponent. When he looked around, he saw that the Japanese artillery had not been blown up. Instead, it was preparing to reload under the command of a barking sergeant.  "What the fuck!" Liu Lei cursed secretly and gestured behind him to use a grenade to distract the Japanese army.  A few seconds later, six or seven grenades were thrown, and the explosion caused the Japanese artillerymen to fall down collectively.  Taking this opportunity, Liu Lei pulled the safety of the offensive grenade, holding a submachine gun in one hand and a grenade in the other, and rushed forward with a loud roar.

    The Japanese artilleryman who had just dodged the grenade saw a figure rushing towards him in the smoke. He picked up his rifle and fired a bunch of bullets.  But Liu Lei moved very quickly, running zigzag under the cover of his comrades, and bullets grazed his helmet several times.  In just ten seconds, he finally reached the throwing distance.  While throwing the grenade, he jumped forward and aimed a series of rapid fire at the Japanese artillery with the submachine gun in his hand.  With a loud roar, the Type 92 infantry gun shook twice and then one wheel fell off.  Before the Japanese soldiers could rescue him, Liu Lei got up again and rushed into the artillery position to sweep away.  "Long live His Majesty the Emperor! Onboard!" At this moment, several Japanese soldiers with bags hanging on their belts suddenly rushed out from behind the big tree on the left.The soldiers, without any reason, raised their bayonets and rushed towards him.

    These Japanese soldiers who had just heard the gunshots and rushed back from the fishing village were shocked. Liu Lei did not expect that there were other people hiding here. As soon as they turned around, the sharp bayonets pierced their ribs.  "Son of a bitch! Revenge for the squad leader! Charge!" Liu Lei's fall to the ground aroused the anger of his comrades. More than a dozen Marines swept all the way, beating several Japanese soldiers who sneaked up on the squad leader with bloody holes all over their bodies.

    Although the officers and soldiers of the Second Marine Division have been baptized on the battlefield for the first time and are much worse than the Army who has experienced the Central Asian battles, their fighting will and resilience are very strong. Under the cover of firepower, the infantry continues to expand the scope of their positions and protect the armored vehicles ashore.  But as the Japanese troops who had confiscated the ships returned one after another, the disadvantage of small numbers began to appear.  Facing soldiers returning from all directions, Kondo Motoya knew that this was a critical moment.  As long as the opponent's armored vehicles are not allowed to charge ashore, it is a victory, so he immediately drew his saber and ordered a charge.

    But he still underestimated the capabilities of the "Sea Serpent" and "Otter". Relying on light and heavy machine guns and artillery, this round of charge was beaten to pieces as soon as it was launched.  After the attack was broken up, a "Sea Serpent" finally climbed ashore with difficulty.  Upon seeing this, several Marines immediately braved the hail of bullets, picked up the hooks on the back of the tanks, jumped into the river, and used winches to pull the tanks trapped in the river ashore one by one.

    "Baga, go up again! Tell Mr. Zhongshan that China's internal fire boats must be captured." Seeing more and more armored vehicles coming ashore, Kondo Yuan gritted his teeth and ordered another charge.  He knew that crossing the river must have failed, but if he could destroy the armored battalion and capture the internal fire boat, it would definitely be a great achievement.  But his dream soon suffered a heavy blow. As tanks and armored vehicles came ashore one after another, the Japanese attack was immediately suppressed by more accurate tank guns. The houses and buildings on the dock were constantly hit by "sea snakes", and those hiding inside were  The Japanese soldiers were either killed or had no choice but to escape into the open and into the rain forest behind.

    At this moment, there was a buzzing sound in the sky, and twelve sea cavalry jumped into view from behind the woods.  The four sea cavalry temporarily modified into armed aircraft were stunned at first. They did not expect that there would be friendly forces here, and they also beat the Japanese troops back continuously.  Because the two troops were so close, they didn't know what to do for a while.  Fortunately, after Zhang Liansheng discovered the helicopter, he immediately informed the helicopter of its number via radio and asked them to help block the Japanese troops fleeing into the woods.

    When the eight troop transport helicopters were looking for open space, the four armed helicopters immediately changed their plans, turned around and flew over the Japanese retreat route to lower their altitude.  Seeing this kind of aircraft that can turn dexterously and hover for the first time, Kondo Motoya was stunned and felt a very bad feeling in his heart. Even the Japanese soldiers who were preparing to retreat raised their guns and prepared to hover at low altitude after seeing this.  The plane was shot down.  But the machine gun went off In order to ensure continuous firepower, the Sea Cavalry specially installed a water-cooled heavy machine gun so that it would be easier to replace the barrel.  Under the continuous fire from eight heavy machine guns, the bodies of the Japanese soldiers who raised their guns were swept to pieces, and they were killed without even half a charge.

    The appearance of the sea cavalry destroyed the confidence of the 38th Regiment to continue fighting. Seeing his soldiers being killed like snow under the attack of air machine guns and ground artillery fire, Kondo Gen's eyes were red but he had no choice but to  The remaining soldiers were ordered to ride into the woods.

    "You want to run! You want to run away from the person who beat me?! Rush, rush up! Let's see who is faster, my iron wheel or your silver wheel!" Zhang Liansheng, who had landed on the shore, finally felt relieved and wiped away cold sweat.  , ordered an armored charge.

    The remaining "sea snakes" immediately spewed out thick black smoke, venting all their frustration and anger. They increased their speed to 30 kilometers per hour and chased after the bicycle's butt.  Even the "Otters" and "Hunters" that dropped the infantry were operating at full capacity. Some cars had no machine guns at all, so the co-pilots leaned out of the car windows and fired at Japanese soldiers with self-defense submachine guns.  When a driver saw that his co-pilot was hit by a bullet, he rushed towards the Japanese army at full speed. The six-ton ??vehicle body directly crushed the bicycle and the person into pieces.

    Seeing the madness of this driver, other drivers in the armored battalion also stepped on the accelerator. The Silver Wheel unit, which had made a surprise victory in the Malayan Battle, was hit so hard that its wheels flew away and bodies were scattered.  Several Japanese soldiers were even hit by vehicles and sent flying more than ten meters high.  After an hour of fighting, the 38th Regiment's Yinlun sneak attack plan completely failed. By the time the outflanking troops arrived, Kondo Gen's Regiment had left nearly two thousand corpses behind. If it weren't for Yu Lin's help, the entire army would have been wiped out.

    "Keep chasing! Let's see who is faster!" Zhang Liansheng looked at the fuel gauge and gritted his teeth to chase away the Japanese soldiers.  (To be continued)
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