allonlinenovel Chapter 924: The Fall of Hiroshima
Chapter 924: The Fall of Hiroshima
At four o'clock in the morning, the night was as dark as ink. In silence, the 3rd Panzergrenadier Regiment completed a fatal blow to the front position. As the last line of defense was breached, the huge steel torrent roared around the winding trench positions outside the city like a beast that had broken free from its restraints, and officially headed towards the core area of Hiroshima city.
Under the moonlight, the tracks of the armored vehicles left deep marks on the snow, and every roar of the engine was like the horn of the god of war, announcing the approach of victory.
Captain Sack stood on a command vehicle, staring at the outline of the city shrouded in darkness ahead with a sharp gaze. He knew that the next battle would be even more difficult, but the dawn of victory was in sight.
"Attention, all battalions. We are about to enter the military zone on the edge of Hiroshima city." Regimental Commander Sack issued an order to the entire regiment via radio. "Two Fuso infantry regiments, with nearly 10,000 troops, are waiting there, ready to fight us to the death. But we have only one mission - break through their blockade before dawn and officially attack the city!"
His voice was transmitted through the radio waves to the entire armored corps. Upon hearing his words, the soldiers tightened their grip on their weapons.
They knew that this was a tough battle, but no one backed down because they were the elite of the SKELETON DIVISION, an invincible force on the battlefield.
Captain Sack continued to deploy tactics: "First Battalion, Second Battalion, you will serve as the vanguard, using your armored advantage to directly attack the enemy's defense line, and make sure to tear a hole in the shortest possible time. The Third Battalion will be responsible for flank cover to prevent the enemy from outflanking from both sides. Artillery Company, immediately find a favorable position to set up artillery arrays to provide fire support for the infantry."
As the order was issued, the 3rd Armored Grenadiers Regiment quickly adjusted its formation and charged the enemy's defense line according to the established tactical plan. Artillery fire roared, armored vehicles roared, and soldiers shouted loud slogans and engaged in fierce exchanges of fire with the enemy. On this land baptized by war, a new round of battle officially began.
In the core area of the Fuso defense line, commander Major General Nakajima stood in front of the makeshift command tent, looking solemnly at the dim lights of Hiroshima city ahead, his heart filled with anxiety and determination.
He clenched his fists and kept repeating the order that had almost become his catchphrase through the loudspeaker: "We must defend Hiroshima to the death and never let the enemy set foot in! This is our home, our glory!" However, although his voice was full of power, the only response he got was the soldiers' low responses and the occasional sound of artillery fire in the night sky, all of which silently told of the low morale.
The outer defensive positions, which were once considered an impregnable barrier, were now as fragile as paper. Half a division, nearly 20,000 soldiers, collapsed in just a few hours under the fierce attack of the 3rd Panzergrenadier Regiment. Soldiers were either injured or killed, and the firepower points on the defense line were destroyed one after another, leaving only ruins and lingering smoke.
"Can we...really hold on to this place?" a young soldier whispered to his comrade beside him, his voice full of fear and doubt.
"I don't know, but we must try our best." The comrade's answer was equally heavy, but his eyes were unusually firm, "For the sake of our family and our country, we can't give up!"
At this moment, a mortar shell pierced the night sky and landed precisely in front of the fortifications at the edge of Fuso's position. The shock wave from the explosion instantly stirred up a cloud of floating snow and dust, and also brought the soldiers' thoughts back to the cruel reality. The battle officially began.
Soldiers of the 42rd Armored Grenadier Regiment rushed towards the enemy camp like a tide, with the unique "click" sound of the cloth tearing machine (MG machine gun). According to the established tactical arrangement, they were divided into several assault teams, using the cover of tanks to flexibly insert between the enemy camps. The coordinated operations of infantry and tanks made it difficult for the enemy to resist, and the defense line was constantly torn and broken.
At the same time, the 1st Panzergrenadiers also received good news. After a hard battle, they finally completely broke through the situation, annihilated more than 20,000 enemies, and successfully advanced into Hiroshima from the northwest. This news was like a shot in the arm, greatly boosting the morale of the entire army.
"Well done, 1st Panzergrenadier Regiment!" Upon hearing the news, Regiment Commander Sack immediately informed the entire regiment via radio, "We have now attacked from both sides, and the enemy has no way to retreat. All soldiers, listen up, speed up and advance, and make sure to occupy the city of Hiroshima before dawn!"
As the order from Captain Sack was issued, the offensive of the 3rd Panzergrenadier Regiment became more fierce. The soldiers shouted loud slogans and launched the final charge towards the core area of Hiroshima city.
At nine o'clock in the morning, the sun finally broke through the thick clouds and sprinkled on the ruins of downtown Hiroshima.
The subordinate units of the two ace divisions, the Skull Division and the Revitalization Division, finally joined forces in this chaos and scorched earth after a night of desperate fighting.
Their flags fluttered in the morning breeze, like a horn of victory, announcing the complete collapse of Hiroshima's defense line and the change of ownership of the city.
Soldiers stood in the streets, hugging or patting each other on the shoulders to celebrate this hard-earned victory.
Their faces were filled with fatigue, but their sparkling eyes revealed unprecedented pride.
The military uniforms had long been soaked with snow and water, mixed with blood stains splashed during the battle, making them look particularly dishevelled, but this dishevelled appearance became a testimony to their bravery and fearlessness.
"We did it!" a soldier shouted excitedly. His voice, though hoarse, was full of power. "Seven and a half hours. It took us only seven and a half hours to annihilate the four enemy divisions stationed in Hiroshima!" This sentence spread quickly among the crowd like a warm current, arousing an even stronger resonance.
The soldiers around nodded one after another, their faces filled with indescribable joy. Some silently wiped the blood off their weapons, while others lowered their heads and stared at the ground beneath their feet, as if remembering the glory of this moment.
The commanders stood on high places, looking at the scene of victory before them, their hearts filled with emotion.
In the center of Hiroshima, the atmosphere in a makeshift but solemn joint division headquarters was warm and solemn. The sun shone through the cracks in the makeshift roof onto the long table with a tactical map spread out. The golden light and the red arrows on the map complemented each other, seemingly silently telling the glorious victory.
Division Commander Ike, the iron-blooded commander from the Skull Division, and Division Commander Li Feier, the wise and brave general of the Revitalization Division, were standing in the center of the division headquarters at this moment, and both of them were shining with excitement and joy that could not be concealed. They took a step forward at the same time, and then hugged each other tightly, as if to pass on the joy of victory to each other and to everyone present.
"Li Feier, we did it!" There was a tremor in Ike's voice, which was the emotional release after the victory. "Hiroshima, this once indestructible city, now belongs to our territory!"
"Yes, Ike. This happened faster than expected." Li Feil responded. His smile showed both pride in victory and emotion for the tacit understanding and cooperation among his comrades. "In half a month, we overcame many difficulties and finally captured Hiroshima."
The surrounding staff officers, signalmen, and soldiers who had just returned from the front line all stopped and looked at them with admiration and envy. They knew that this hug at this moment was not only an expression of the personal emotions of the two division commanders, but also the highest praise for the heroic struggle and selfless dedication of all the soldiers in the entire Hiroshima Battle.
As the hug ended, Ike and Li Feil smiled at each other, as if all the fatigue and hardship disappeared at this moment.