The air battle in the morning once again proved that the Cactus Air Force on Guadalcanal still has a strong combat effectiveness, and the skies on Guadalcanal are still dominated by them. But this victory did not bring everything to Ron and Vandergrift.

Joy. Ron was worried about whether the Japanese would use battleships to do this again after this attack. Vandergrift was worried about the wheels left by the wheels on the beach mentioned in Ron's aerial reconnaissance report.

Traces, because through the analysis of the photos, they determined that it was a 150mm heavy artillery. The Marine Corps was able to defeat the Japanese army in the previous night battles, and the overwhelming artillery advantage played a key role. If the Japanese army charged, there were

In terms of artillery support, this battle was really difficult to fight. And the truth was more terrifying than he knew. The Japanese brought to the island not only the cannons he knew from the tire tracks, but also an unknown number of tanks.

Ron vaguely remembered that after the battleship bombardment, Japan organized several heavy cruiser bombardments in succession, which also caused huge losses to the airport. If Japan continues to let Japan do this, the Japanese will probably become worse and worse.

The worse it gets. But if the Navy comes out to fight the Japanese again at night, to be honest, as long as head coach Nimitz has not replaced Gormley and replaced him with Halsey, there is probably no hope at all.

Vandegrift has some 5-inch guns in his hand. But if he wants to use that thing to compete with the Japanese fleet, without Vandegrift's objection, Ron himself thinks it is a stupid approach. Then bombing the enemy at night

What about the Fang Fleet? This plan met with unanimous opposition as soon as it was proposed. The reasons are as follows:

First of all, it is too dangerous to take off and land at night. Especially when the runway cannot be turned on. Secondly, it is also difficult to find the target. Furthermore, even if the target is illuminated with flares, at night, the pilot's judgment of the distance is prone to major deviations, whether it is diving.

Bombing or ultra-low-altitude ricochet bombing are extremely dangerous.

However, Ron did not intend to take the risk to carry out such an effective attack. He had his own considerations: even an inefficient counterattack, or even an ineffective counterattack, would cause interference to the enemy. His method was simple: use a seaplane to fly in

The Japanese fleet dropped flares from the sky in a bluff.

Sure enough, during the bombardment led by Mikawa that night, U.S. military aircraft dropped flares over the fleet. Mikawa was greatly shocked, and he was very worried that this was the Americans indicating targets for submarines. (After Kurita returned yesterday, he swore that he was indeed

A US submarine was discovered and attacked.) He immediately changed the fleet's formation and prepared to deal with the submarine. At this time, several B-17s flying from nearby islands flew over Guadalcanal. The sound of aircraft engines was heard again.

Mikawa was worried about an air attack. He also ordered the ships to prepare for air defense. After all this work, he looked at the time and thought, well, it was time to return. So he fired a few shots at random, and then left.

Although the night attack by the heavy cruiser behind was far less effective than the previous bombardment by the battleship, the Japanese army still took advantage of the fact that the airport was not completely normal and had limited dispatch capabilities to bring in more weapons and equipment. 15 150mm guns had already been landed.

, there are also two 100mm cannons, in addition to 4 field guns, 8 mountain guns, 12 anti-aircraft guns, and more than ten Type 95 light tanks. But the most important thing is: the famous murderer Tsuji Masanobu also

Came to the island. Tsuji Masanobu was here to supervise this decisive battle. According to his plan with the commander of the 17th Army, Hyakutake Haruyoshi, the outer strongholds of the US military were gradually cleared from the 16th, and a general offensive was launched in three directions on the 22nd. Among them, Maruyama

The lieutenant general personally led the main force of the 2nd Division to attack "Blood Ridge" (the main US military position, where the Ichiki detachment was defeated last time). In order to achieve a sudden attack, Tsuji Masanobu suggested Maruyama to take his troops through the dense jungle.

zone, quietly approaching the target.

Someone asked: "Can those 150 mm cannons be brought over?"

Tsuji Masanobu replied: "Of course I have to take it with me, otherwise why would I bring it up?"

"But can a 150mm heavy artillery penetrate such a dense jungle?" This person still had questions.

"What's so dense? Don't you see there's an opening over there?" Tsuji Masanobu was already a little impatient, "How about we go find the Engineer Corps and ask?"

How would you answer the commander of the Engineer Corps? In fact, you don’t need to ask Tsuji Masanobu to know. Because the rule of the Imperial Army is not to talk about difficulties. No matter how difficult it is, you have to say: Make sure to complete the mission! Otherwise, prepare to commit suicide. Obviously, the commander of the Engineer Corps

Although he was so hungry that he was skin and bones, he did not intend to commit seppuku. So he gave a reply that satisfied Tsuji Masanobu. Tsuji Masanobu also asked: "Can you arrive on time?" However, people felt that since they had already boasted,

If you don't do it, you won't stop, and then you will blow it further:

"No problem!" was another typical Imperial Army decisive answer.

Well, all the problems were solved. The imperial soldiers who had been hungry for almost half a month ate half of the long-awaited rice balls, and they all "opened the way".

The problem is, although Tsuji Masanobu is very good, from the Kwantung Army to the General Staff Headquarters, there are very few people he can't deal with. But this time he really met someone who didn't give him any face. This person is even more awesome.

Dude, it's called Tropical Jungle.

When the Maruyama Division opened the way, they discovered a very low-level, very embarrassing, and absolutely fatal problem: there was no map! The navy was overrun by the beautiful beasts not long after they arrived on the island, and they didn't even have time to draw it.

The map of Guadalcanal. After that, the calls we made were all near the coast. It didn’t matter if we didn’t have a map. Anyway, the navy had nautical charts.

But now, we have to go through the dense jungle. Along the way, wherever there are mountains, rivers, cliffs, and swamps, everything is dark. This is still a fight. But the order has been given.

It’s been given, then just leave it alone. Decades later, the head coach of the national pig team of a large country in East Asia once taught his players this way: “If you don’t know where to kick the ball? Then just kick it into the goal.

Kick it!" The Japanese Imperial Army knew this knowledge earlier - don't know how to go? Then just move forward!

The Maruyama Division plunged into the dense jungle.

At first, the trees were sparse and the ground was normal, but as the team gradually deepened, the jungle began to become denser. The tropical jungle was completely different from the temperate broad-leaved forest and subarctic coniferous forest that the Japanese were accustomed to. There,

In this type of forest, there are mainly tall trees, and it is not too troublesome for people to walk through them. But the rain forest is completely different. There are also various kinds of vines growing among the lush trees.

Their vines were intertwined with each other and weaved into a huge net. If the Japanese army wanted to advance, they had to use machetes to split the road one by one. These vines that have grown for countless years are unusually strong and tough, and sometimes encounter

When we arrived at a cane as thick as an arm, it took a long time to cut it off. After taking two steps forward, we encountered another one as thick as a thigh. Pity those in the Second Division.

The soldiers had to do such heavy physical labor after only eating half a rice ball. Many guys who were already weak from hunger fainted while chopping and could never stand up again. Moreover, the ground of the rain forest was covered with

It is thick, soft mulch. The mulch layer formed by fallen leaves accumulated over the years is very thick. Sometimes, if you accidentally walk in the wrong place, your whole body can sink into it.

However, there is a squadron of soldiers who don’t have to worry about cutting canes for the time being. Because their deputy captain is a super slasher. This deputy captain is called Shalu. He was originally a swordsman master. After the war broke out, he took the initiative to join the Imperial Army.

The army was sent here.

Sarul carried a sword that both Army Commander Hyakutake and Division Commander Maruyama coveted. It was said to be a treasured sword with a mouthful of eight knives (one can cut eight bamboos wrapped in straw mats). It is said that General Hyakutake

In exchange for leaving him in Rabaul, he hoped to get the sword, but Shahlu refused. It is rumored that Shahlu said impassionedly at that time: "The honor of a warrior lies in serving the battlefield and serving the country for seven lives. Stay behind.

, It’s really not my original wish.” General Baiwu was also very moved and gave him the glorious and arduous task of opening up a path for the large army.

However, Shalu, who was cutting vine bushes for everyone in the front, did not use his precious knife. The knife was originally hung on his waist, but after it got caught on a branch several times, he carried it on his back again.

Got on. And in his hand was a very ordinary machete. "The samurai sword should not be used to chop wood." This was his idea.

Although he is not using a sword, Cell's efficiency is still unmatched by others. Cell can split a thinner rattan into two pieces with just one slash. Even a rattan as thick as a thigh, Cell can

You can also split it into two pieces with one knife after carefully observing its growth texture.

From morning to noon, Shalu didn't know how many knives he had made. Now, he only felt that his tongue and nose were numb, and his stomach was already growling. After cutting a thick rattan, Shalu cut

Lu suddenly felt his feet go weak and almost fell to the ground. Shalu understood that his physical strength had reached its limit.

A pair of hands supported him and said, "Saru-kun, take a rest." Saru didn't have to look back to know that the person supporting her was Oiwa. A warrior should keep all his senses sensitive at all times.

"Thank you, I think I really need to take a rest." Shalu said.

Shalu walked to the side, found a slightly flatter place and knelt down. Whenever he sat down to rest, his posture when sitting must be correct.

Saroo and the others were working hard to clear the way in front, and they were half exhausted, but those behind them were not necessarily relaxed. Private Hiromichi Fujita was struggling to push the wheels of a Type 96 15cm howitzer. This gun weighs 4,140kg. Of course it is relatively

Due to its caliber, this is not heavy. You must know that the American M1 (Long Range Tom) 155mm howitzer of the same caliber weighs 13.87 tons. It is almost impossible to move it without vehicles and manpower alone. Alas, it is still the Japanese Empire

The technology is advanced.

But even if the Japanese artillery is relatively light and weighs more than 4 tons, it relies on manpower to push and pull it, and it is still in the jungle. It is still a very, very difficult, even unnatural thing. What? A tractor? On this kind of terrain

, it needs to be pulled by itself. What, horses? If there were fucking horses, how many people would starve to death in the Japanese Imperial Army?

A large group of obviously malnourished people lined up in a long row, using a thick rope to tug of war with the cannon. The ground of the rainforest was covered with fallen leaves. These things were very soft. Once something like the cannon was pressed up,

It would sink immediately. In order to enable the cannon to move forward on such terrain, the engineers cut down a large number of tree trunks and placed them under the wheels to prevent the cannon from sinking. However, various unexpected situations still occurred. On the uphill slope

At that moment, a rope used to pull the cannon suddenly broke, and the cannon immediately slid down. The seventeen or eight soldiers pushing the cannon from behind had no time to react. Except for two people, the others were mercilessly hit by the cannon.

to the ground, and then the cannon crushed them over again.

Private Hiromichi Fujita saw with his own eyes that Sergeant Taro Yoshino was knocked down and crushed by the cannon. Just now, Yoshino, like himself, had his head lowered and was struggling to push the wheel of the cannon. When the rope broke, he was knocked down before he could even react.

On the logs he had laid down not long ago, the wheel then ran over his waist, and the narrow spokes directly crushed him into two pieces. Only some flesh of his lower body was still barely connected to his upper body.

Yoshino howled miserably, and Private Hiromichi Fujita felt that all the hair on his body stood on end. He almost wanted to throw off the wheel and run away. However, old habits prevented him from moving. He saw an officer walking up to Yoshino and said to him

something, and then pulled out a pistol...

As the cannon rolled downwards, it deviated to the left from the path paved with tree branches. Its revolver first sank into the rot formed by years of fallen leaves, and then the entire cannon body veered sharply to the left.

Turning, both wheels sank into the soil, and then the entire cannon flipped up in the air under the influence of the huge inertia, and then fell down again... Several officers went up to check and concluded that the cannon had been completely damaged.
Chapter completed!