northernbook Chapter 899: Clearing Tactics Approaching Dafeng Mountain
Chapter 899: Clearing Tactics Approaching Dafeng Mountain
The 98th Infantry Regiment of the Mountain Eagle Division, braving the biting cold wind and flying snow, resolutely set out on the journey to the Dafeng Mountains from the top of Cangli Peak. On the top of the peak, the wind was howling, as if even the air was frozen.
The mountains were covered in silver. The heavy snow in recent days seemed to be the most ruthless cover-up of nature, almost completely erasing the traces left by the fire a few days ago. However, even in this seemingly peaceful and peaceful snowy area, the traces of the fire could still be vaguely seen - the charred pine and fir trees fell in all directions on the snow slopes, and their branches were particularly dazzling under the cover of snow.
The snow was so deep that it reached half a meter, making the march extremely difficult.
But the soldiers of the Mountain Eagle Division did not back down. They quickly took countermeasures and cleverly tied wooden boards to the bottom of their boots. These wooden boards not only increased the contact area with the snow and improved walking stability, but also greatly reduced the physical exertion of the soldiers when walking in the snow.
They walked steadily, stepping on the snow silently, like a group of ghosts traveling through the snow, heading towards the depths of the Dafeng Mountains.
As night falls, the Dafeng Mountains are covered with a thick layer of snow, and the only sound in the silence is the whistling wind.
The 98th Infantry Regiment of the Mountain Eagle Division has crossed the biting cold wind of Cangli Peak and quietly entered the core area of the Dafeng Mountains.
Under the cover of night, the soldiers of the forward reconnaissance battalion dispersed and carefully searched for any possible enemy.
Suddenly, a few quick and loud dog barks broke the silence. Several well-trained snow military dogs gathered in front of a snow slope, barking wildly.
The soldiers gathered together quickly, secretly alert.
Led by an experienced veteran, they began to carefully dig through the snow. As the snow was peeled off layer by layer, the scene before them was shocking - hundreds of naked bodies were buried under the snow.
Their faces were distorted, but there was a strange smile on the corners of their mouths, as if they had experienced some indescribable hallucination before dying.
"These...these are soldiers from the Fuso troops." A soldier whispered.
"Preliminary judgment is that they should have wanted to try to leave the mountain from Cangli Peak, but due to lack of supplies and serious unpreparedness, they eventually suffered from hypothermia, resulting in large-scale deaths." Another officer said in a deep voice. He squatted down and carefully checked the guns and equipment scattered next to the corpses.
"Following the traces they left the mountain, perhaps we can find the remnants of the large force." A scout suggested, with a sharp light in his eyes.
"But the problem is that several days of heavy snow have covered all footprints without a trace," a soldier pointed out worriedly.
"However, we can make a preliminary inference based on their equipment and the state of their death." The officer said after a moment's silence, "Preliminary inference is that they should be coming from the Xiaowenshan area in the north. We can try to head there and look for traces of the enemy."
The efficiency and decisiveness of the reconnaissance team were quickly reported back to the regiment headquarters. The regiment commander, Keningan, stood in front of a simple map with a frown on his face.
After thinking for a moment, Keningan suddenly raised his head and issued an order in a loud voice: "The entire army will immediately advance to the vicinity of Xiaowen Mountain. We must surround and annihilate the enemy as quickly as possible!"
At this moment, deep in the Xiaowen Mountain, a deep crevice became a temporary safe haven for the Fuso soldiers. But this temporary peace could not cover up the despair and fear in their hearts.
The huge cracks in the rocks barely blocked the raging snow outside, and a few weak campfires swayed in the cold wind, providing only a faint warmth. In the light of the fire, the soldiers' faces were as pale as paper, and their eyes had lost their former spirit, replaced by endless fatigue and fear.
Squadron leader Nagasawa Kun paced back and forth, trying to talk to the soldiers with his hoarse voice, trying to inject a glimmer of hope into this desperate atmosphere. "Comrades, we are the bravest warriors of the empire. We have paid too much for the emperor and the empire. We cannot give up at this moment!"
His words were encouraging and helpless, but obviously, they didn't have much effect, and the soldiers' eyes were still empty and numb.
At this moment, a soldier could no longer endure the torture of cold and hunger. He looked down at his feet. His toes had turned black due to frostbite. The pain and anger made him lose his mind. "Damn it! This damn place is not for humans! Our equipment and food were all destroyed in that damn forest fire! Now we are required to be loyal to the emperor? To serve the empire? What kind of honor is this? It's just sending us to our deaths!"
He roared, turning his inner despair and anger into hysterical roars.
Chang Zekun's face instantly turned livid. He knew very well that at this moment, any loss of control of emotions could lead to a greater crisis. He quickly stepped forward and tried to comfort the out-of-control soldier: "Calm down! I understand your pain, but we must remain united. Only by working together can we find a way out and survive!" His voice was earnest and stern.
However, the angry soldier did not appreciate it. He struggled to push Nagasawa Kun away and continued to curse loudly, even attracting other soldiers to join in.
For a moment, the crevices were filled with noise and chaos, and the previous discipline and order were gone.
One soldier finally broke down, his tears mixed with snot helplessly sliding down his face, breaking the dead silence around him.
Food! We need food! If this goes on, we will all starve to death here!"
Ozawa Kun's face turned pale in an instant. He turned around abruptly, grabbed the collapsed soldier's shoulder, and slapped him loudly with all his strength.
This slap not only hit the soldier's face, but also felt like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's tense nerves.
"Calm down!" Xiao Zekun's voice was low and powerful. "If we go out rashly, we will only die in the snow! The empire will not forget us, we will definitely wait for supplies and rescue!" He tried to use this belief to support the soldiers' shaky will.
However, this slap did not quell all the commotion. Another soldier, with bloodshot eyes, shouted hysterically: "The headquarters has lost contact with us! In this situation, insisting on is simply courting death! If we don't find a way out ourselves, everyone will die here!" His voice echoed in the narrow crevice, like the whisper of death, which made people shudder.
The soldiers began to whisper, and their already tense nerves became even more fragile. Some people's eyes flashed with hesitation, and they began to question their superiors' decisions and the empire's promises. Ozawa Kun stood there, motionless, letting the cold wind blow on his face. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his heart.
At this time, any wavering could lead to the collapse of the entire army. He had to stand up and rally the soldiers' will with a more resolute tone and actions.