klisemfg Chapter 110: Defense of Morao Valley
Chapter 110: Defense of Morao Valley
The gunfire startled the resting Sardin camp, and everyone was at a loss as to what to do. They nervously picked up their weapons and prepared on the spot. A soldier in charge of the northern guard came over and reported to Sardin that they had spotted a Japanese convoy heading south along the highway.
Sardinma ordered the entire battalion to deploy along both sides of the road and establish defensive positions. At the same time, he and Robert climbed to a high place to observe the situation of the Japanese army.
The Japanese army was disturbed by the gunshots and the convoy stopped beside the road. Indistinctly, dozens of Japanese soldiers also spread out along both sides of the road, taking a defensive posture.
Sardin placed two mortars on a high ground and also brought up the battalion's only machine gun and placed it there. Robert quickly contacted his superiors and soon received detailed information.
It turned out that the Japanese army had captured the city of Aizawl and was expanding to the surrounding areas. The Southern Front Command ordered all units to retreat in an orderly manner, attracting the Japanese army to the designated ambush area west of Aizawl, preparing to launch the strategy of luring the enemy into an ambush again.
The war zone did not anticipate that the Japanese army would attack Longlai to the south. At this moment, fierce fighting was going on outside Longlai. The Japanese attacking forces were two regiments of the 1st Division. The British Indian 27th Division had a very hard time defending. If the Japanese army attacked from the north along the Ailon Highway, the Longlai front would likely collapse.
Fortunately, there is a temporary airport on the outskirts of Longlai. An Allied brigade-level force has been airlifted to Longlai and is strengthening Longlai's defense. The reserve 9th Division has set off and is moving eastward from Sidagond. It is expected to arrive in Longlai in a day and will counter-encircle the lightly equipped Japanese 1st Division.
The headquarters ordered the Sadin Camp to hold the Ailon Highway node area and delay the Japanese army's southward advance as much as possible. A task force battalion of the Allied First Army has set out and is expected to arrive at the outskirts of Longlai before dawn, and then move north along the highway to support the Sadin Camp.
The mission was clear: the Sardin Battalion must hold the Ailon Highway until noon tomorrow. It was now 4:2 AM, and the Japanese advance team, unaware of the Sardin Battalion's situation, would certainly not dare to launch an attack without authorization. The Sardin Battalion must use the two to three hours before daybreak to establish defensive positions and prepare for an interception.
According to the map, this area, with the exception of the Kaladan River Valley, is actually relatively flat and hilly. However, due to the tropical rainforest, many areas are undeveloped and remain in their original state. The Ailon Highway is the most important transportation line in this area.
The current location of the Sardin Camp, called "Molao Valley" on the map, happened to be the highest point in the vicinity, though only a few dozen meters above the mean. The Sardin Camp had to prevent not only Japanese attacks along the highway but also those that ventured through the jungle for a surprise attack.
Sardin and Robert smiled bitterly, but their military consciousness made them start making arrangements immediately without giving it much thought. Fortunately, they were the main force of trench defense and they built fortifications very quickly.
At dawn, the Japanese army arrived. Commanding the troops was Kujuro Fugaoka, a battalion commander of the 115th Division. After observing the enemy's defenses, he gave the advance commander a slap in the face.
The enemy clearly lacked heavy firepower, their positions clearly having been recently repaired, and they likely had less than a battalion's worth of troops. Although the advance team consisted of only a few hundred men, they possessed numerous artillery pieces, particularly two 100mm vehicle-mounted rapid-fire cannons, which clearly demonstrated their ability to crush the enemy.
Bugang cursed Ono Masao (the advance captain) as a pig. Now that the enemy has initially repaired their defensive positions, the Japanese attack will cost a greater price!
Without hesitation, Bugang ordered the artillery to open fire and had Ono lead the advance team, using cars as cover, to push forward from the front of the road. At the same time, he ordered another squadron of Japanese soldiers to immediately enter the jungle, open another road, bypass the enemy and launch a surprise attack.
"Boom-boom-boom--", the Japanese artillery fire quickly covered the simple positions of the Sardin camp, and several soldiers were killed or injured.
Sardin did not order his troops to counterattack. The ammunition and firepower of Sardin's battalion did not allow him to waste it on aimless resistance.
After a round of artillery fire, the Japanese army, using several military vehicles as cover, began to attack the Sardin camp along the highway.
At 300 meters, 200 meters, and 150 meters, Japanese vehicle-mounted machine guns and rapid-fire cannons opened fire, sending a hail of bullets scattering a cloud of gravel and mud in front of the Sardinian Battalion. Under the relentless suppression of officers at all levels, the soldiers of the Sardinian Battalion withstood the Japanese's provocative attacks, hiding themselves tightly and waiting for the Japanese to enter a favorable area.
The Japanese vehicles stopped about 100 meters from the Sardin camp. Faced with the enemy's seemingly silent position, the Japanese soldiers were somewhat bewildered and extremely nervous. Ono hid behind the wheel of a vehicle, his right hand tightly gripping a pistol, his left hand constantly wiping the sweat from his forehead, his eyes constantly looking back at his superior, Major Bugan, hoping for his order to slow down the attack.
Bugan was actually hesitant. The enemy was too treacherous, and he was also afraid that they had heavy firepower. If a charge resulted in the loss of a squad or more, he would be unable to report to his superiors. However, his superiors ordered them to cross the Ailon Road as quickly as possible and march on Longlai. This was a strict order, and Bugan had to obey.
So, Bugang made up his mind and issued an order to attack Xiaoye in front!
With a wave of Ono's hand, a squad of 5 to 60 Japanese soldiers rushed out from behind the car and quickly rushed towards the Sardin camp's position!
Sardin calmly gave the order to open fire. The single Bren light machine gun made a tearing sound, and bullets rushed towards the rushing Japanese troops.
"Da da da——", "Bang——bang——bang——", the sounds of rifles and machine guns from the Sardinia Battalion rang out in an interlaced manner. After the charging Japanese soldiers were knocked down, they immediately crawled on the ground. At the same time, the Japanese machine guns and grenade launchers also opened fire, and the Sardinia Battalion's position was once again under the coverage of the Japanese firepower.
"Boom!" A Japanese grenade landed accurately in the trench. Sardin was quick-witted and rolled on the ground, avoiding the attack of the Japanese grenade. However, a soldier next to him was not spared and was swept out of the position by the shock wave of the explosion and fell in front of the battle line.
"Boom!" Another grenade landed in front of the battle line, and the flying debris knocked down a soldier who was aiming and firing. His comrades rushed over to help him bandage his wound.
More enemy grenades landed around the position. Although the makeshift trenches blocked most of the shells, the intensive enemy fire still claimed the lives of many young soldiers.
Robert quickly rushed over and nodded to Sardin, indicating that the mortars could no longer be hidden. Sardin hardened his heart and gave the order to counterattack the Japanese artillery fire!
"Boom-boom--", two 60 mortars fired several grenades in short bursts. The shells flew in an arc and landed accurately on the Japanese vehicles. "Boom-boom", a few explosions were heard, and the machine guns and rapid-fire guns on the Japanese vehicles immediately went silent.
Sardin had made arrangements for the artillery crews early in the morning. After each of the two artillery groups fired two shells, they immediately dispersed and hid. Sure enough, the Japanese mountain artillery and 120 mortar shells flew in quickly and exploded around the previous position!