Chapter 112: Firing the First Shot of Dingyuan!

Akiyama Yoshimasa obtained Yoshikara Ryoho’s approval and returned to his brigade, immediately beginning to organize his soldiers for an attack.

To him, the Chinese were nothing more than a group of ignorant, inferior wretches. When faced with the mighty army of their empire, all such rabble ought to do was stand obediently in place and wait to be slaughtered by imperial soldiers. Why resist?

In his eyes, daring to resist the slaughter at the hands of imperial soldiers was an act of the utmost defiance, and such defiance demanded a price.

As far as Akiyama Yoshimasa was concerned, the Chinese people deserved to be killed by them—and being killed by them was even an honor.

Yet now, the wretches he despised had actually dared to resist, annihilating his Seventh Regiment in its entirety. To Akiyama Yoshimasa, this was the most humiliating disgrace imaginable.

He wished he could rush before the Chinese army at once, wipe them all out, and capture the culprit behind it all. He would personally cut off the man’s head and subject him to the most vicious torture.

He would make the Chinese understand that anyone who dared resist or anger the soldiers of their empire would pay a terrible price!

After inspecting the forward positions outside Dingyuan County, Akiyama Yoshimasa discovered that an entire regiment was stationed outside the city walls. He immediately gave a contemptuous smile.

“These despicable Chinese truly have no idea how to stay alive. If you had stationed yourselves inside the city to defend it, I might have had to spend a little more time and pay a somewhat greater price. But defending from outside the city? That is simply idiotic!”

Akiyama Yoshimasa shook his head disdainfully, then directly mobilized a company of soldiers and sent them charging forward.

He did not even arrange a probing feint. He knew nothing about the distribution of the defenders’ firing positions, yet he launched a direct assault all the same.

There was no denying it—Akiyama Yoshimasa was recklessly arrogant.

In his view, although the defenders numbered an entire regiment, they were no more than a hollow shell.

He probably believed that if the soldiers of his empire fired a few shots into the air, the Chinese army would be frightened into wetting themselves and fleeing in panic. Forget resisting—they would wish only to run as far away as possible!

They had encountered situations like this before. Before an imperial assault, the Chinese army would shout slogans about defending their positions to the death. But before the fighting even began, after only a few shots had been fired, the opposing forces would already have vanished without a trace.

Akiyama Yoshimasa believed the defenders at Dingyuan would be no different.

Besides, even if they did resist, how could a rabble of peasant soldiers who had received barely any training hope to withstand the assault of the elite warriors of the Great Japanese Empire?

What could they possibly use to hold them back?

Those crude weapons in their hands that looked like nothing more than firewood poles?

Ridiculous!

Akiyama Yoshimasa thought this with disdain.

At that moment, the Japanese company was ready. Under the officers’ command, they shouted in unison, then lowered their rifles, crouched over, and crept toward the position.

First Regiment Position

When the Japanese company crept within range, the lookout on the position spotted them immediately. A shrill cry spread across the entire defensive line:

“The Japanese are coming!”

“Prepare for battle!”

Hearing the warning, Fang Xiaodong, who had been smoking in the trench, instantly changed expression. He crushed the cigarette viciously between his fingers and shouted loudly.

The soldiers of the First Regiment immediately focused their attention and braced themselves. Lying prone along the trench, they watched the approaching Japanese soldiers while quietly working the bolts of their rifles and taking aim, waiting for Fang Xiaodong’s order.

Holding a pair of binoculars, Fang Xiaodong studied the enemy’s numbers and movements. A cold smile crossed his face.

“How arrogant.”

According to the Japanese army’s usual method of warfare, they would generally begin an attack with a round of artillery suppression. They would then send troops forward in a feint to determine the locations of the defenders’ firing positions before concentrating their main force against them.

But the Japanese attacking now had neither conducted artillery suppression nor launched a feint. They had simply organized a company of soldiers and sent them swaggering straight over.

They were practically throwing their lives away.

The Japanese commander was astonishingly arrogant.

Fang Xiaodong gave another cold laugh. A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes as he said in a low voice, “Damn them. Since those Japanese devils are so arrogant, let’s give them a taste of what we can do! Pass the order down: let them come closer before opening fire. Once they reach roughly one hundred meters from the position, hit them hard. Leave not a single one of them alive!”

“Yes, sir!” an officer beside him replied solemnly, saluting.

After issuing the order, Fang Xiaodong continued, “Send word to the artillery battalion. Tell them to watch for the Japanese guns. If the Japanese open fire first, pin down their position and blow them apart!”

“Yes, sir!”

Another soldier acknowledged the order, nodded, and then crouched low as he hurried through the trench.

Once he had finished giving his instructions, Fang Xiaodong lay along the trench and observed the distance of the Japanese troops. He had already worked the bolt of his rifle and was aiming at one of them.

Soon, when the Japanese had advanced to roughly one hundred meters, Fang Xiaodong waved his hand. Along the trenches of the forward position, several soldiers suddenly brought out seven or eight Czech light machine guns.

Click! Click!

More than a dozen soldiers mounted the guns. The bipod legs beneath the barrels unfolded and were planted directly on the sandbags. After attaching the ammunition belts, they aimed at the approaching Japanese.

Once the machine guns were in position, Fang Xiaodong raised his hand and fired. One Japanese soldier took a bullet through the heart and collapsed on the spot.

Then Fang Xiaodong shouted at the top of his voice:

“Open fire! Hit them hard!”

The moment the order was given, the soldiers raised their rifles and began firing.

The mounted machine guns erupted at the same instant.

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

The dense thunder of gunfire rang across the entire battlefield. Seven or eight Czech light machine guns fired together, weaving a solid wall of bullets that sealed off every approach along the Japanese line of advance, leaving not a single gap.

Bullets poured toward the Japanese like rippling waves.

The Japanese had advanced so brazenly that they were completely unprepared for such fierce firepower. For a moment, they could not react, and one after another they were struck down.

The first rank was caught entirely off guard. Bullets tore into their bodies, making them convulse as if electrocuted before they stiffened and collapsed to the ground.

Those behind them were no luckier. The bullets came in endless waves, one after another, striking the unprepared Japanese soldiers and sending them screaming to the ground.

Some were fortunate enough to avoid a fatal wound, but bullets had shattered their shoulders, legs, or arms. They fell writhing in agony, howling miserably.

“Damn it! The Chinese have machine guns! Quick, quick—get down!”

Hearing the screams, the company commander directing the assault shouted in panic.

As he spoke, he hurriedly threw himself flat. The instant he hit the ground, a burst of bullets swept over his head, causing a cold sweat to break out across his back.

He had almost died right there!

Relieved at having survived, he was also consumed by humiliation and fury.

They were the warriors of the Great Japanese Empire. How could they allow themselves to be suppressed by the Chinese army?

They had to strike back!

With that thought, the company commander shouted loudly:

“Damn it! Quickly, bring up our machine guns! Fire! Fire!”