16: Chapter 16: What happened to the tanks instead of the armored vehicles?

A full 3 anti-tank guns!

Don't think for a second that this number is small.

In the eyes of the Eighth Route Army and even most Nationalist Army units, this amount of firepower is simply despairingly luxurious!

Many of the Nationalist Army's crack divisions have nothing more than a few decrepit mountain guns and field guns as their entire inventory, and anti-tank guns are even rarer than phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

As for the Eighth Route Army, if a main force regiment has one or two mortars, it's considered well-off.

Anti-tank guns? They wouldn't even dare to dream of them!

Yet a Morita Battalion, equivalent to a reinforced battalion, is equipped with a full 3 anti-tank guns!

At this moment, Japanese Soldiers are frantically using sandbags to reinforce machine gun nests and artillery positions.

Other Japanese Soldiers are cutting down trees to set up obstacles.

For the Japanese, building triangular caltrops out of steel bars and cement is clearly beyond their capabilities.

It's only in Europe and America that they can afford steel caltrops; for the Japanese, a few wooden stakes nailed together is good enough.

Of course, it also has to do with the level of warfare on the Chinese battlefield.

Never mind tanks, the Nationalist Army doesn't even have many armored cars, so wooden stakes are plenty.

Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Morita patrols the position with a grim expression, his military sword at his side.

He had just learned of the 'great humiliation' that occurred in Beijing, and a surge of suppressed rage was stuck in his chest with nowhere to vent.

"baka! A mere unidentified armored car, acting so rampant in the heart of the Imperial Army! That idiot Abe Sho deserves to die!"

He cursed under his breath, then straightened his back, his face recovering the arrogance belonging to an 'Imperial soldier'.

"However, their luck ends here!"

He spoke to the adjutant and company commanders beside him, his tone filled with disdain and confidence:

"Gentlemen! The enemy merely caught us off guard! In the face of true Imperial Army Bushido spirit, any opportunistic tricks are futile!"

"Our anti-tank guns have a caliber of 37 millimeters, enough to tear apart any armored car!"

"If they dare to come, this will be their grave! I will smash them to pieces and wash away the shame of Beijing!"

"Let those rats who only know how to hide in the shadows and take potshots see what a truly upright and honorable battle is!"

"Hai!"

The surrounding Japanese officers responded in unison, their faces bearing the same arrogance and confidence.

In their view, they were resting while the enemy exhausted themselves, occupied favorable terrain, and possessed absolutely superior anti-tank firepower.

Intercepting a lone armored car, wouldn't that be as easy as reaching for something in one's pocket?

This wasn't arrogance, but absolute confidence stemming from their position of strength!

A battalion intercepting one armored car?

Could this possibly fail?

You have to know, on the front lines, a Japanese battalion can even go head-to-head with a Nationalist Army division!

Sometimes, a Nationalist Army division is even chased by a Japanese battalion!

...

Meanwhile, the scene shifts to Shen Wang.

Boom, boom, boom—

Dust billowed on the official road!

The 99A galloped wantonly, as if it were frolicking.

The large V8 water-cooled diesel engine erupted in a low roar, propelling the nearly sixty-ton body and demonstrating astonishing mobility.

"Brother Shen, this... this vehicle is so powerful!"

"It's more powerful than any vehicle I've ever driven in Beijing!"

Sha Zhenjiang shouted excitedly, his face flushed with excitement, like a big boy who had just received his dream toy.

After Shen Wang's instruction, Sha Zhenjiang had already learned how to drive the tank.

Of course, just the basic version.

But in the era of the War of Resistance, where there was no need to follow any traffic rules, it was enough.

You just step on the gas, and leave the rest to the big V8.

Looking at Sha Zhenjiang's side profile, which still carried a hint of childishness, Shen Wang couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

At only eighteen or nineteen, wasn't he still just a child?

On the other side, Ding Zhijian and Meng Guanglin were squeezed into the commander's seat.

The two were not as excited as Sha Zhenjiang; their faces carried a trace of worry.

"Old Ding, we've been charging out of the city for half a day now; the Japanese must have set up a dragnet ahead."

Meng Guanglin's tone was somewhat heavy.

"There are only four of us and one tank. No matter how powerful it is, can we force our way through?"

Ding Zhijian nodded, his brow equally furrowed: "Mr. Shen has shown us great kindness; we must not let him take any more risks for us."

He took a deep breath, seemingly having made up his mind, and turned to Shen Wang, who was familiarizing himself with the fire control system in the gunner's seat, and said:

"Mr. Shen, I have a proposal. When we encounter the Japanese checkpoint later, the three of us will drive the tank to attract the main Japanese firepower, and you can take the opportunity to break out through the mountain road on the other side!"

"We can only repay your kindness in the next life!"

At this moment, Shen Wang was sitting in the gunner's seat familiarizing himself with the 99A's fire control system. Hearing Ding Zhijian's words, a warm current flowed through his heart, but he shook his head.

"No need, we will charge through together!"

Hearing Shen Wang's words, a warm current also rose in Ding Zhijian's heart.

This unsung hero he had only just met was actually willing to die with them. He was a real man.

But he still said: "Mr. Shen, you don't have to feel bad. Our lives were saved by you in the first place. In any case, we cannot drag you down with us."

Meng Guanglin also immediately chimed in: "Yes, Mr. Shen! To be able to know a hero like you, we have no regrets even in death! To be able to slaughter a few more Japanese Soldiers by your hand before we die, it's worth it!"

"Brother Shen, please listen to Brother Ding!" Sha Zhenjiang also said through gritted teeth, his eyes full of reluctance, but his tone was incomparably firm.

Listening to the three of them speak one after another, vying to use themselves as bait to secure a chance of survival for him, Shen Wang felt both touched and helpless.

These most lovely people!

He sighed: "Alright, alright, I know you mean well, but do you know that compared to our lives, this tank is actually the most important thing!"

"Three of you, please remember, no matter what, you must not let this tank fall into the hands of the Japanese!"

Come on, this is a 99A!

If it fell into the hands of the Japanese, Shen Wang didn't dare to imagine what would happen.

Ding Zhijian and the others were taken aback upon hearing this, feeling somewhat puzzled.

This tank certainly looked incredibly fierce, but was it really more important than human lives?

Didn't the Japanese have quite a few tanks too?

Seeing the three of them confused, Shen Wang knew he had to reveal some of the truth.

He patted the inner wall of the armor beside him and asked: "Do you know how thick the frontal armor of this tank is?"

The three shook their heads.

Shen Wang said word by word: "Equivalent protection, over one thousand millimeters!"

"One... one thousand millimeters?"

Ding Zhijian and Meng Guanglin were instantly stunned.

They had some knowledge of military equipment and fully understood what this number meant!

But Sha Zhenjiang was still somewhat confused and asked blankly: "Brother Shen, one thousand millimeters... how much is that?"

Shen Wang smiled. In this era, the concept of millimeters was not yet widespread, so he had to use a more intuitive explanation:

"About... three feet thick!"

"Three... three feet?!"

This time, even Sha Zhenjiang was so shocked he almost jumped up.

Good heavens, three feet of armor thickness?

Since when is armor thickness measured in feet?

You have to know, the Japanese Type 97 tank has an armor thickness of less than one inch!

Yet the tank they were driving had an armor thickness of three feet? Dozens of times that of the Japanese tanks?

The three of them were dumbfounded for a good while!

Sha Zhenjiang almost drove the tank into a ditch!

The news Shen Wang brought was simply too shocking!

"My goodness!"

"No wonder... no wonder such a big iron lump can only seat three people..."

"Terrible!"

After the shock, the three immediately realized why Shen Wang had said earlier that this tank must not fall into the hands of the Japanese.

Ding Zhijian's expression was unprecedentedly solemn: "Mr. Shen, you are right! Such a divine weapon is far more important than our lives! It must absolutely not fall into the hands of the Japanese!"

The Japanese Soldiers' equipment was already formidable enough; if they possessed such a terrifying tank, would there even be any way to fight?

The three exchanged glances and instantly reached a consensus.

"Mr. Shen! You drive the tank and leave! The three of us will get out and attract the Japanese's attention!" The three said in unison, their tones resolute.

Listening to these familiar words, Shen Wang felt moved, heartbroken, and amused all at once.

"No, after talking for so long, did I just waste my breath?"

"Our armor is three feet thick, why are we still running?"

"Just go and f*** them up, that's it!"

"..."

The three were taken aback by Shen Wang's bold words, then suddenly realized!

That's right!

With such absolute defense, why were they still thinking about running?

It's those Japanese Soldiers who should be afraid!

...

On the Fangxian Pass position, the Japanese Soldiers were busy while chatting.

Their tone was relaxed.

"I heard that armored car in Beijing is a bit weird, running extremely fast?"

"Hmph, no matter how weird it is, it's just an armored car!"

"See that? The 37mm big guy is specialized in curing all kinds of defiance!"

"In Songhu, in Jinling, have we knocked out few Chinese armored cars with this gun?"

"Those thin tin boxes fall apart with one shot!"

"That's right! The Chinese only deserve to hide in the dark and take potshots. Once the Imperial Army gets serious, they either flee or wait for death! This time will be no exception!"

"Battalion Commander Morita is personally in command, with three anti-tank guns waiting for them. If they dare to come, they are walking right into a trap!"

"I heard that armored car rescued a few important Communist Bandit criminals?"

"Heh, perfect! Let them all be buried in this valley, saving us the trouble of hunting them down!"

"To be able to die at the hands of our Imperial elite is their honor!"

The Japanese Soldiers chatted unreservedly.

It's just an armored car, what's the big deal!

Time passed bit by bit.

The defensive line at the pass was finally set up.

Three anti-tank guns, over a dozen light and heavy machine guns, and countless wooden stakes of various sizes...

In the eyes of the Japanese, as long as the enemy dared to appear, they would absolutely not be able to escape!

And just at this moment, the ground suddenly vibrated.

Then, a roar that the Japanese had never heard before came from far to near.

Immediately after, they saw a dark green tank appear on the horizon.

The Japanese Soldiers defending the pass were a bit confused.

Didn't the telegram say an armored car?

Damn it... how did it become a tank?