Sunshade

76 Kilometers from previous battle, Obstacles faced by Nasu Detachment were
nothing, a road that had to pass through the hills stopping Recon Regiment.

They stopped because the road they had to take is a wide field without trees and
stones for their cover.

Uphill and steep terrain made artillery and vehicles unable to reach that place.

Since supplies were running low, there was no other choice but Nasu’s detachment
but to attack.

There is no detour to attack from aside.

There were no additional regimental reinforcements.

There is no more time.

After Infantry Regiment had lost a lot of soldiers, brute force attack is not an
excellent strategy.

Taise and his recon regiment prone on the hillside, ready to receive orders.

It was a long afternoon, and order did not come.

“Gochō, are we going to move tonight?”

Ask one private to his squad leader.

“Hell if I know, we don’t even know if that hill up ahead is safe or not.”

“What if there be mines too?”

“Don’t be stupid! from beginning we have found no mines.”

Taise, who overheard the conversation, approached them cautiously.

“You go ahead! Inspect that area if there are mines around.”

“So- Sōchō.”

They saluted while being surprised.

“What are you waiting for? Go ahead!”

“Ro- Roger that!”

Despite his fear, he tried to plod. Using a bayonet, he began to stabbing the ground.

He trembled in fear every time he stabbed the ground.

Step by step, stab by stab.

Sweat dripped down his face.

The squad leader watching him from behind.

After 500 meters, he turned to look back. He waving his hand, signaling that area
is safe. With a sense of relief, he returns with a jog.

But bullet shot through his head. He died on the spot and Taise could only duck his
head to hide.

“Report to general immediately! Snipers are up on the hill.”

After knowing enemy was hiding on the hills, then the best option was to move
forward at night.

Night that pitch black so entire regiment couldn’t see anything in front of them,
but the order to sneak out had been given.

Recon squad leaders led their soldiers forward. They were crawling without help of
any light, except from the reflection of moonlight.

Night was tense, crickets are stridulating, and cold of the mud.

But halfway through, the lead team accidentally crawled through the tripwire, so the tripflare set off fireworks that looked like a fountain of fire.

Simultaneously, Ordnance mount gun projectiles hit them.

Even without orders from their commanders, they immediately retreating from
the battle. Muddy ground made it difficult for them to run.

Hail of bullets was unavoidable.

Leading company was unsustainable.

Smell of mud had become smell of blood.

From top of hills it looks like hundreds of firefly lights.

I glimpsed them being wiped out.

Stray bullet only grazed Taise's left arm.

The recon regiment returned to the mountainside with loss of life that cost nearly
2 companies.

Once recon regiment found out where the enemy was, there was no other choice
but to charge forward at the cost of everything. The plan was to deploy entire
army with assist of artillery blind fire.

Taise sent a private to request for an artillery squad support and request a spotter to follow his platoon.

By trying to remember the enemy’s position based on his glance.

By trying to remember the enemy’s position based on his glance. He giving an
annotated map of where cannon projectile’s targets should be dropped.

The private deftly ran towards the back line.

After request was approved by major general Nasu, reinforcements finally arrived,
even though there were only 2 infantry squads.

Despite being injured, Taise led a recon platoon with 18 personnel and an additional member of a spotter.

Artillery squad prepared Type 92 Battalion mountain Gun even from below the
mountainside.

“ATTACK!”

Everyone ran in unison from behind the slope.

Sound of explosion of mountain cannon covers up the screams of the soldiers.

“Take cover behind that puddle!”

Platoon Taise lay down for cover in the puddle formed from cannon projectile
explosion, even though their number was now only 7 personnel.

On other hand, the projectile fired by artillery squad missed 700 meters and instead shot the joint regiment which was running towards allies.

One projectile fell right on the two soldiers who were left behind.

One died, and the other groaned in pain as his leg was severed.

“Spotters!”

Aim the artillery at the smoke over there!”

Even though Taise couldn’t see enemy which hiding in the hills, Smoke from the enemy’s artillery couldn’t be hidden.

“Roger that!”

The spotter took out the Artillery Azimuth Calculator and started recalculating.

“Calculation Completed”

“You! Send it to artillery squad immediately!”

After a while, mount gun’s attack support stopped. Then the sound of the cannon
projectiles can be heard before finally hitting the foothills repeatedly. Apparently
that recalculation results are still wrong.

“What are you doing! Hurry and recalculate! If you get it wrong once again,
I’ll kill you!”

Taise lost his composure. The joint regiment run out of time.

“Calculation completed”

he gave new coordinates to Taise with shaking hands.

“You! Send it Immediately!”

“Roger that!”

When he just stood up, a bullet went through his head.

The snipers hit him.

“You! Replace him!”

With fear, he crawled to take that message, then ran with all his might.

Platoon Taise was left with only him and the spotter.

“Sō- Sōchō, if I fail again, are you really going to kill me?”

with fear, he ventured to ask.

“Why? Are you afraid to die?”

“Indeed, I don’t have dignity, but I admit it I’m terrified”

“Then you deserve to die because if I were you, I’d be more afraid to fail at my duty
than dying in war.”

Then he burst into tears after hearing his commander’s words.

“What are you crying for? If you don’t stop crying, I will order you to charge forward to enemy line.”

Front line of attacker was crushed, Soldiers who had lost their command line scatted.

Finally, after enduring for so long, Projectile cannon from artillery squad hit the target.

“Return to artillery squad! Good job, your duty is done.”

“Thank you, Sōchō.”

Allies, who had been bombarded, were used as an opportunity to attack by the joint regiment.

After successfully entering the forest, Imperial Japanese Army began to
counterattack.

Because his left arm is injured, Taise can only use Nambu sidearm.

“Why are you here? Didn’t I tell you to going back?”

“I- I’m not afraid to die anymore! I will dedicate my whole life to the emperor.”

“Fine, but you must listen to all my orders.”

“I understand!”

Allies retreated first before front-line soldiers climbed up the hill.

“Sōchō, enemy has fled.”

“You’re right, it looks like General Imamura managed to conquer the capital.”

“Hearing that Batavia has been captured, they are surrounded, that’s the reason they withdrew.”

I have lost all personnel.

Can I still be called a commander?