Yueno Motoo, a main heavy machine gunner in the machine gun company, felt much safer and more confident firing his weapon with such a relatively secure defensive position.

Although the space was cramped and operating the heavy machine gun wasn't as smooth as usual, staying alive was definitely more important than operating the heavy machine gun perfectly.

Of course, he wasn't the only heavy machine gunner on this defense line. The entire machine gun company had a total of twelve heavy machine guns, although several heavy machine gunners had already been killed in action today.

But the heavy machine guns were still intact, and all twelve of them were firing at this moment, targeting the Special Operations Brigade troops slowly approaching two hundred meters away.

At the same time, there were also twenty-odd light machine guns, providing supporting fire. With so many machine guns firing simultaneously, the scene was truly spectacular.

Company Commander Hu Xiong listened to the "duk, duk, duk!" sound of the heavy machine guns at the front, mixed with the denser clanging of enemy bullets hitting the carts.

Each bullet that struck the carts sent a strong force surging through, putting tremendous pressure on the soldiers pushing them.

Although the enemy machine gun bullets couldn't penetrate the iron plates protecting the front of the carts, the sheer volume of fire made it impossible for the soldiers to continue pushing the carts forward.

Through the gaps, he could see thirty or forty enemy machine guns firing. "This enemy unit has some serious firepower!" Company Commander Hu Xiong commented.

They had just annihilated a similar machine gun company, and now they were facing another one. "How many of these units do they have?"

Company Commander Hu Xiong didn't know, and neither did Company Commander Ren Ce. All they could do was order the mortars to bombard the enemy's machine gun line.

They had three companies, fifteen mortars, and six infantry guns bombarding the enemy's machine gun positions, but the effect was minimal.

This time, the defensive works of the Lukian and Naoe machine gun companies had all been dug into individual pits. Only a direct hit inside their fortifications could kill the enemy soldiers.

Mortar shells exploding three or four meters away from their fortifications weren't effectively harming the enemy.

Company Commander Hu was getting anxious and requested a round of bombardment on the enemy's defense line from the regimental commander via the radio.

Standing on Elephant Hill, Lin Fan observed the enemy's defense line at this location. Through binoculars, he could clearly see that the enemy's fortifications were like individual pits connected by a passage.

These enemy-built trenches were unique, which explained why they could hold their ground despite attacks from two companies from the front and two from the sides.

The distance from Lin Fan's position to the second defense line of the Kawauchi Takuya Battalion was over two kilometers, still within mortar range.

Lin Fan had his men bring two mortars and began his own show.

Battalion Commander Kawauchi Takuya was still on the third defense line, urging his men to reinforce the fortifications. Although he was preparing the third defense line, he didn't relax his attention on the second defense line.

Seeing that the Lukian and Naoe machine gun company had finally stopped the attacking forces, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"As long as we can hold, as long as we hold the line, the entire naval landing force will at least have some room to maneuver."

The fact that the Kawauchi Takuya Battalion had stabilized the rear defense line was good news. Commander Fukiishi Shiro felt somewhat relieved.

At least it gave them a little time to break through towards Tsunghua. The performance of the Yoshioka Taiichi Battalion, the most combat-effective unit in the entire landing force, had been poor today.

Two infantry companies had been sent out in succession, but they hadn't been able to advance even a single step. They hadn't even been able to set foot on the enemy's thin defense line, let alone break through it.

This greatly disappointed Commander Fukiishi Shiro. The commander's expression was noticed by Battalion Commander Yoshioka Taiichi, who was anxious.

He loudly ordered, "The Nishisonji Umisachi Machine Gun Company, the Takahashi Yuya Infantry Company, and the Suzuki Haruo Artillery Company, attack with all your might! You must break through the enemy's defense line!"

This time, Battalion Commander Yoshioka Taiichi was sending out all of the battalion's remaining forces. He was going all in.

Even the unarmed Suzuki Haruo Artillery Company was sent out. This company's artillery had just entered the ambush zone and had been taken care of by the Special Operations Brigade.

The dozens of surviving artillerymen from the artillery company had been quick to abandon their cannons and run away during the bombing.

These dozens of soldiers were now ordered to pick up the weapons of the dead and join the infantry in the breakout.

After receiving the order, the soldiers of the Nishisonji Machine Gun Company immediately changed positions. They had originally formed a defensive perimeter around Commander Fukiishi Shiro.

Compared to breaking out and saving their lives, that perimeter was no longer as important. After receiving the order, Company Commander Nishisonji Umisachi immediately led his troops behind the Takahashi Yuya Infantry Company.

Of course, the machine gun company wouldn't be charging in the front. That was the job of the infantry company. The machine gun company's task was to provide fire support from behind.

The soldiers of the Takahashi Yuya Company stopped three hundred meters away from the defense line set up by Division Commander Shi Junxia, waiting for Company Commander Nishisonji Umisachi to catch up.

They sought his opinion: "Nishisonji-kun! Where do you plan to position your machine gun company?"

For the machine gun company, three hundred meters was acceptable, and even closer would work. Company Commander Nishisonji Umisachi clearly wanted to break through the first company's defense line as quickly as possible. Without hesitation, he said, "One hundred meters forward. My machine gun positions will be there!"

Company Commander Suzuki Haruo seemed to be nonexistent. His opinion wasn't even asked when the two company commanders were discussing the matter.

Company Commander Suzuki Haruo no longer had his usual weapons. He had been urging his men to pick up the scattered Type 38 rifles along the way.

No one knew what he was thinking, but his expression was always grim, as if he was very dissatisfied with his men.

His company, with seventy-odd soldiers remaining, followed closely behind the Takahashi Yuya Infantry Company, mimicking their every move.

Hearing the two company commanders discussing the matter, he couldn't help but think that if the cannons were still there, such a thin defense line could be breached with just two rounds of artillery bombardment.

But now, he had to lead his men to charge forward and open a gap. The thought of this pained him. His cannons!

Company Commander Takahashi Yuya waited until all of the machine guns in the Nishisonji Umisachi Machine Gun Company were in position and began firing before ordering Company Commander Suzuki Haruo, "Your company, attack!"

Battalion Commander Yoshioka Taiichi's decision to have the artillery company advance together against the front line was clearly meant to use them as cannon fodder.

Therefore, Company Commander Takahashi Yuya ordered these soldiers to charge in the front, while he would lead his elite infantry company from behind, minimizing casualties to prepare for the battle after breaking through the enemy's defense line.

He had seen what happened to the Ito Company and the Four Companies. The artillery company was there to clear the minefield.

Hearing Company Commander Takahashi's order, Company Commander Suzuki Haruo didn't dare to object. From the moment Battalion Commander Yoshioka Taiichi ordered these artillerymen to pick up their rifles and advance,

Company Commander Suzuki Haruo knew that his company's position in the entire battalion had deteriorated, dropping directly from the most important to the least important unit.

Artillerymen without cannons were indeed useless. If the fighting weren't so intense, these artillerymen might still be able to enjoy protection.

But in this desperate struggle for survival, these artillerymen without cannons could only become cannon fodder.

With a million bizarre thoughts running through his mind, Company Commander Suzuki Haruo had no choice but to accept Company Commander Takahashi Yuya's order.

"Hai!" Company Commander Suzuki Haruo replied, immediately leading the seventy-odd soldiers carefully forward to attack.

The Kobayashi Kanta squad was sent to the forefront of his company, with Sergeant Hexako Yugi and Sergeant Kitata Taro leading the way.

Although they hadn't been attacked from the front along the way, these two soldiers were still very afraid.

Sergeant Hexako Yugi complained, "We're artillerymen, technical soldiers who operate cannons. Now they're making us charge in the front as cannon fodder. It's so unfair!"

Kitata Taro also echoed, "When we survive this, I'm going to report it. I'm going to expose the Marine Corps' use of artillerymen as cannon fodder in the newspapers."

"Yeah! This is a complete disregard for skill! Just because the cannons are gone doesn't mean they can mess with us grunts!" Hexako Yugi was furious when he mentioned this.

"It's the commanders' incompetence. They knew there were heavy Guomindang forces here, and they still led us into their encirclement.

They didn't think about breaking out when we were ambushed, which is why all our cannons were destroyed," Sergeant Kitata Taro said everything on his mind.

They had completely let go now: from artillerymen to cannon fodder, all the soldiers in the Suzuki Haruo Company understood.

Their company would suffer heavy casualties, and their chances of survival were close to zero.

They had seen what happened to the previous two infantry companies, and at this point, the soldiers weren't afraid of anything anymore.

Their dissatisfaction with Commander Fukiishi Shiro surged like a tidal wave, and more soldiers joined in the denunciation of the officers.

It had to be said that the soldiers felt much more relaxed as they vented their frustration during the denunciation of the officers, alleviating the feeling of waiting for death.

If the First Company Commander hadn't ordered his men to open fire on the enemy, killing several soldiers, these soldiers might have been able to remain immersed in the pleasure of venting their emotions.

But the gunshots shattered their brief dream. The reality was that they were less than a hundred meters away from the front line, and the defenders' machine guns were firing.

The soldiers of the Nishisonji Umisachi Machine Gun Company, who had been waiting for this opportunity, immediately began to suppress the First Company's firepower.

With forty light and heavy machine guns firing, the First Company's firepower was immediately suppressed.

Except for the six heavy machine guns that stood firm, protected by shields that made them impervious to bullets, and continued to fire at the charging soldiers,

The First Company's remaining rifles and light machine guns were all suppressed by the enemy machine gun company and couldn't raise their heads.

Company Commander Shi was getting anxious: "Mortars! Infantry guns! Rocket launchers! Bombard them all!"

The soldiers of the Suzuki Haruo Company received support from the rear, and the pressure they faced was greatly reduced.

However, the soldiers of the Kobayashi Kanta squad were frustrated that the machine guns of the Nishisonji Umisachi Company were now focusing their fire on suppressing the six heavy machine guns on the opposite side.

But the six heavy machine guns on the opposite side didn't care and aimed their fire solely at them, the charging cannon fodder.

This forced the soldiers of the Kobayashi Kanta squad to slow down their advance and crawl on the ground.

Company Commander Takahashi Yuya's order was: "Even if you have to crawl, crawl forward!"

He issued this order to the Suzuki Haruo Company in front of him, as well as to his own men.

Although the Takahashi Yuya Company hadn't entered within a hundred meters and hadn't been the focus of attack, some of the bullets fired by the six heavy machine guns still managed to strike the enemy soldiers.

This forced the soldiers to spread out, and some soldiers simply lay motionless on the ground.

After Company Commander Takahashi Yuya's order was issued, they had to crawl forward even if they were lying on the ground. He was well aware of the situation facing the entire Marine Corps today.

Of the four battalions of the Marine Corps, the soldiers remaining in the Uchida Kamehides Battalion numbered less than a squad. They had been completely crippled and couldn't be counted on.

The Kawauchi Takuya Battalion was guarding the rear and couldn't spare any soldiers to reinforce them. The Fujito Yaki Battalion was attacking the hill, and they had suffered heavy casualties and couldn't spare any soldiers either.

His company was the last hope for the entire Marine Corps to break out, so Company Commander Takahashi Yuya didn't dare to be negligent in the slightest.

He only wanted the Suzuki Haruo Company to clear the way ahead so that his unit could successfully charge to the fortifications in front.

As long as they could charge forward, he was confident that he could open this path!

Company Commander Suzuki Haruo certainly understood that artillery wouldn't be used as cannon fodder unless the situation was extremely dire.

At this point, he could only urge the entire company to crawl faster, and faster.

There were also benefits to having these artillerymen crawl forward. When the entire cannon fodder company began its attack, some soldiers didn't even have weapons.

After crawling for a distance, the fallen soldiers along the road had all left behind weapons, and the cannon fodder company had managed to gather enough weapons.

Squad Leader Kobayashi Kanta didn't crawl at the very front of the formation. At the very front were still Hexako Yugi and Kitata Taro.

Seeing more and more enemy corpses in front of them, Hexako Yugi felt somewhat afraid. "Is this what infantry attacks are like every time?"

He asked, trying to ease his tense mood. He didn't expect Kitata Taro to actually answer:

"No! This time we don't have artillery support, so they can only brute force their way through, which is why so many have died.

They wouldn't have had to die originally. When our cannons were destroyed, the entire army should have retreated immediately. That way, we could all have survived."

Kitata Taro was also very willing to talk. He could hear the bullets whizzing over his head, and he didn't know when those bullets would drop a few centimeters and he would be finished.

The fear in his heart was impossible to express, and he could only relax by chatting.

"So many enemy soldiers have died here! What did they encounter?" Sergeant Hexako Yugi asked as he crawled along with his head lowered.

They didn't dare to raise their heads when they spoke. Kitata Taro pushed an enemy corpse blocking his path on top of another corpse in front of him.

He temporarily created a position to block bullets, and then he dared to raise his head slightly to look around. There were corpses everywhere.

"I don't know! Maybe they encountered artillery bombardment!"

Turning his head and seeing his ingenious method, Sergeant Hexako Yugi followed suit and used corpses to build a bunker, and then he breathed a sigh of relief.

When the two of them stopped, the soldiers following behind quickly gathered around, and they rested behind the corpse-built bunker.

After Squad Leader Kobayashi Kanta came up, he also rested, but in less than five minutes, he received the order from Company Commander Suzuki Haruo: "Advance! Continue to advance!"

Their destination wasn't here, but the fortifications fifty meters away!

Company Commander Takahashi Yuya, who was still a hundred meters away, saw that the soldiers of the Suzuki Haruo Company were consciously continuing to advance.

A touch of appreciation finally appeared on his face: this cannon fodder company was still brave!

Just as he was thinking this, Sergeant Hexako Yugi, who was lying in the very front, saw a package in front of him suddenly move, and a wisp of smoke rose, along with the familiar smell of burning gunpowder.

Then the package suddenly expanded in front of his eyes: "Boom!"

The huge explosion was deafening, but Sergeant Hexako Yugi didn't hear the loud noise. He only felt his body light as a feather.

His body flew up into the air, and Hexako Yugi saw Kitata Taro flying up like him, with the soldiers of the Kobayashi Kanta squad beneath them.

A large black shadow attacked the entire Suzuki Haruo Company. Now, Hexako Yugi knew how the soldiers he had seen earlier had died.

Like the Suzuki Company, they had been blown up. Hexako Yugi was blown into the air by the blast wave, flying more than ten meters away before crashing heavily to the ground. This time, he would never survive.

Kitata Taro, who had been blown away like him, was no better off. Both soldiers had died when they hit the ground.

The entire Suzuki Haruo Company had encountered their first directional mine, but the casualties for the entire company weren't actually that great.

Because all of the company's soldiers were crawling on the ground, this greatly protected them. Even so, the Kobayashi Kanta squad, which was closest to the blast, lost more than a dozen soldiers.

Company Commander Suzuki Haruo didn't hesitate and ordered: "Continue to advance!"

They were only about thirty meters away from the fortifications in front of them. They could only hope to survive if they charged in.

The sound of landmines exploding in front rang out. Company Commander Takahashi Yuya was first startled, then pleased: as long as the cannon fodder company cleared all the landmines, his infantry company would have a chance to charge forward.

Company Commander Takahashi Yuya ordered: "Speed up and catch up!"