Maybe too many viewers have paid attention to the tunnels of Gaojiazhuang, but many people have ignored another detail frequently given in the movie "Tunnel War" - the devil's turret!
At the beginning of the movie, under a bird's-eye shot, the columns of Japanese artillery towers also make us realize how difficult the environment of the battlefield behind the anti-Japanese enemy line is. A small plain covered so many turrets and pillboxes that it is no exaggeration to say that our Eighth Route Army and local anti-Japanese forces operating here were under Japanese fire almost all the time.
And when the camera zooms in closely, the audience once again realizes that the turret is not a simple high-rise building, and the surrounding defense is also quite strict.
1. For example, in this set of shots, the outer perimeter of the turret is a wide moat, and it is obvious that these Japanese turrets are built along the river. Their presence not only blocked the entire river, but also made it more difficult for us to capture the Japanese artillery towers. Because there were not enough ships and other tools, it was difficult for our anti-Japanese forces to cross this river under the blockade of Japanese fire.
2. In this picture, although there is no moat here, a long blockade ditch has been dug around the perimeter of the turret. Approaching the width and depth of two zhang, if in actual combat, the attacking units cannot achieve individual crossing, they can only cross with the help of ladders or bridges.
Even the Japanese troops in the turret were able to enter and exit through the drawbridge. If our side does not have the tools, but tries to approach the turret by jumping into the blockade ditch and climbing up, such an attack will be tantamount to suicide under the condescending fire blockade of the Japanese turret.
The amount of work is extremely large to block the ditch
3. Of course, the construction of turrets along the river requires the help of natural conditions to dig a long blockade ditch, and it takes a lot of manpower and financial resources. If these resources were not available, the turret in this picture would have appeared.
Since there was no blockade on the perimeter, the Japanese could only intercept it with the help of barbed wire. However, compared with the previous two types of turrets, this turret in the picture also has another advantage - in the early years, there seems to be a rammed earth city wall. On the basis of the city wall, the Japanese army built artillery towers on top, and its height and fire coverage were greatly increased.
Rammed earth walls with turrets
As the villain boss in the movie, the turret of the Black Wind Outlet stronghold belongs to the third category, and it belongs to the enhanced version. Because the city wall of Heifengkou is not a traditional rammed earth city wall, but a brick-covered and stronger city wall.
Under the protection of such a strong wall, the Japanese army built artillery towers above, at least for the Eighth Route Army and local armed militias, which lacked heavy firepower, it was completely difficult to capture such a stronghold.
The stronghold of the Black Wind Outlet in the movie
It is precisely because of this that the Japanese army in the Heifengkou stronghold has been fighting against us for many years, and our side has also spent a long time working hard, first digging the tunnel under the nose of the Heifengkou stronghold, and then using the internal response to sneak attack the Heifengkou stronghold. If there were no such elements, it would be impossible for the militia and the Eighth Route Army in Gaojiazhuang to take the Heifengkou stronghold through a strong attack.
After looking at the exterior of the Japanese artillery tower, what was the scene inside the Japanese artillery tower? In a conversation between Commander Tang of the puppet army and Captain Yamada, we also saw many scenes inside the artillery tower.
On the first floor of the turret, a light machine gun with a crooked handle and a shooting hole were displayed in front of the audience. Contrary to the traditional understanding of many viewers, in this picture, there is a platform made of bricks under the shooting hole, which is obviously intended to create a better environment for the light machine gun.
But in addition, considering that the attacking team's firepower may penetrate the turret when the two sides are firing at each other, this platform also provides protection for the Heavy from fire in order to prevent the attacker from hitting the Heavy inside the turret by punching through the wall.
When the camera came to the second floor, this was Captain Yamada's office area, which could be regarded as the private space of this black wind nod. Due to the frequent meetings here, there are several other chairs and tea sets at Captain Yamada's table. On the wall of the second floor, we can clearly see a portrait of a Japanese woman, and as Captain Yamada's personal area, he is certainly qualified to make some private arrangements here.
On the right side of the lens, a conspicuous screen sits there, and we don't know what's behind it. But considering that the turret may be closed if necessary, it is possible that behind the screen is a bed, a bathtub, or a temporary toilet.
The essence of many old movies of that year can become classics is not only because of the professionalism of the movie itself, but also because many witnesses will try their best to restore the truth when writing the movie.