Even if I'm a useless bum at Whampoa Military Academy, I'll be invincible in the War of Re

Thirty li east of the city, along the Putian section of the Jialu River, lies the 322nd Division's defense line.

Originating in the Songshan Mountains of Xinmi, the Jialu River flows through Laoyachen in the western and northern suburbs of Zheng County. It makes a sharp turn in the north of the city and traverses the entire territory of the eastern suburbs, Putian, and Zhongmu. It is the only natural horizontal barrier east of Zheng County that runs across the Zheng-Kai Plain, perfectly cutting off the Japanese army's attack route from Kaifeng and Zhongmu westward into Zheng County.

In the Putian section, the Jialu River is almost like a horizontal carrying pole, blocking the Japanese army's westward advance into Zheng County. The Longhai Railway and Zhengkai Highway both cross the river perpendicularly, meaning that all of the Japanese army's road and rail attack routes had to cross the river, with no possibility of detours.

The 322nd Division deployed its defenses along the north side of the river from north to south. In the first instance, it blew up the Jialu section bridge of the Longhai Railway and three bridges on the Zhengkai Highway, leaving only a few narrow shoals. The Japanese soldiers had no choice but to forcibly cross the river.

The vanguard battalion of the 5th Division attempted to cross the river at shallow waters but was strongly repelled by the river defense forces of the 322nd Division, leaving behind more than a hundred corpses.

At the 644th Regiment headquarters, Regiment Commander Luo Wen was observing the terrain through binoculars. He was quite satisfied with the natural defensive line before him. Chief of Staff Liang Zhou introduced it to Luo Wen:

According to official measurements from 1927, the main channel was about 26 to 27 meters wide at the top and 21 meters wide at the bottom. During the dry season, the water depth was 2.5 to 3 meters. The riverbed was soft and silty, making it impossible for cars and tanks to wade across. Only a few shallow areas were barely passable during the dry season.

The riverbank opposite was wide and open, with the new and old sandbars combined spanning several hundred meters. Large tracts of unprotected sand made the Japanese troops, who were crossing and gathering, completely exposed to our artillery fire.

This is a huge advantage for the defending side. Luo Wen couldn't understand why they would give up such a natural defensive line, but now that the commander has taken control of the defense of Zheng County, they can go all out and fight the Japanese for three hundred rounds.

Thinking of this, he said seriously:

"The biggest threat comes from the Japanese artillery and aircraft. The Japanese will definitely focus their shelling on the river embankment. The west bank is also a river beach, and the trenches are prone to collapse, so we need to dig more foxholes."

The reverse slope of the riverbank is the best place to hide. Everyone has to dig two foxholes. Tell the brothers not to be afraid of hardship; digging more trenches means less bloodshed!

Liang Zhou wrote down all the key points Luo Wen mentioned. After the Japanese vanguard was driven back, there would still be some time before the main force arrived, enough time for the whole regiment to repair a lot of fortifications.

The military headquarters, a huge sand table filled with small blue and white flags, with the Jialu River as the boundary, the Japanese on the east side and the Tiger Army and friendly forces on the west side;

Xie Polu, holding a baton, introduced himself to the crowd:

"The first main defensive line is the Putian defense line along the Jialu River in the east of the city. This is the main direction of the Japanese attack and a necessary passage. It is defended by the 322nd Division."

The wide riverbed of the Jialu River served as a natural barrier, and the open riverbed forced the Japanese armored groups to concentrate their attacks on a few bridges and shallows, perfectly countering the large-scale deployment of mechanized forces. They could only cross the river using traditional infantry assaults, and the greatest threat came from the Japanese heavy artillery.

My suggestion is to leave the reconnaissance regiment on the east bank, equipped with warhorses, to harass the Japanese rear supply lines and provide the artillery regiment with the coordinates of the Japanese artillery positions.

All bridges were destroyed, and anti-tank ditches were dug and mines were laid in all water crossings.

Each infantry battalion along the river was equipped with a rocket launcher squad, which hid on the reverse slope of the riverbank, constructed concealed firing positions, and ambushed tanks at close range.

The artillery positions were set up in the southwest of Huanggang Temple in the rear, with the main focus on striking the artillery positions that posed the greatest threat to us. The cavalry regiment was deployed in the northwest of Mangshan and the Yellow River dike area to carry out the outer layer of mobile defense.

The low hills of Mangshan and the Yellow River's suspended dike are the only high ground on the north and east sides of Zheng County, overlooking the eastern Henan plain. This allows for the early detection of Japanese armored columns and infantry groups dozens of kilometers in advance. The dike also horizontally blocks the Japanese troops crossing the river on the north bank, preventing them from outflanking and encircling the area from the north.

The second buffer line of defense is along the Jinshui River and the Longhai Railway. The Jinshui River runs across the north of the city, forming a second horizontal water barrier. The Longhai Railway roadbed is 2 to 4 meters above the ground. The railway station and freight yard are large areas of brick and stone buildings, which can be used as support points for the defense line. The defense is set up in stages.

To the west lies the foothills of Mount Song, where tens of thousands of friendly troops are stationed, ready to launch a flanking attack on the Japanese at any time.

The second line of defense was held by the 323rd Division, with the Independent Regiment deployed on the southern front to prevent a small number of Japanese troops from flanking the city defenses through the muddy terrain.

The third line of defense was the rammed earth city wall of the old city, which was 5 to 8 meters high and had a moat around it. The city had dense streets and alleys, which could be used for street fighting. It was defended by the 324th Division, the general reserve force.

The artillery regiment's positions were located at Huanggang Temple and Shibalipu Heights in the southwest. This was the highest point in the city, more than ten meters above the eastern plains, and its field of vision covered the entire eastern Henan offensive direction. The Guizishan field artillery had difficulty countering the artillery positions on the high ground.

The heavy artillery battalion's long-range artillery could strike Japanese rear supply lines, artillery positions, and troop concentration points. These positions were often camouflaged and dispersed to avoid being attacked by Japanese heavy artillery groups and aircraft.

This defense plan was devised by Zhao Yunwen and the military's staff team after a long night of hard work. It was the general strategy for the defense of Zheng County, and everyone had a clear understanding of it after listening to it.

Then it was Zhao Yunwen's turn to speak:

"Brothers, there are no fixed formations in warfare, just as there are no fixed shapes in water. Battlefields are static, but people are dynamic."

These are just things on paper. In actual combat, you still need to use tactics flexibly. You can't just passively defend. Appropriate counterattacks are the key to stabilizing the defensive line.

As I said before, in large-scale military operations, strict military discipline is essential. Each division must obey the unified deployment of the military headquarters, cooperate with each other, and fight in a coordinated manner.

Many people are pessimistic about our Tiger Army's ability to wage large-scale defensive warfare on the plains. We are determined to shatter the myth of the Japanese's invincibility in plains warfare. We must hold out for half a month and successfully complete the mission assigned to us by the Military Commission. Does everyone have confidence?

"have!"

"have!!"

"have!!!"

"Very well, meeting adjourned!"

After dismissing everyone, Zhao Yunwen turned his attention to the main battlefield, the Jialu River defense line. In order to defend the Pinghan Railway, he had spared no effort in mobilizing all forces, including the system. He didn't want the Japanese planes to come and cause trouble, nor the heavy artillery groups. If there was an opportunity, he wouldn't mind renting a group of bombers for air strikes.

On his miniature map, several Japanese divisions, like packs of wolves, were rushing straight towards the Jialu River defense line.

Fortunately, the Japanese had just broken through the line east of Zheng County on the Longhai Railway, and a large amount of strategic materials and heavy artillery could not be quickly transported to the battlefield, so the defending troops did not have to bear the pressure of heavy artillery for the time being.

On the left flank, the 644th Regiment's defensive line, the main force of the 5th Division has arrived. It is their old rival, the Guozhi Brigade. They have completed their replenishment and their strength has recovered to more than 90%.

As the Japanese soldiers fell in rows, the two field artillery battalions accompanying the Guozhi Brigade's attack opened fire with all their might, 32 75mm howitzers bombarding the riverbank defense line, intending to flatten the western riverbank.

The soldiers huddled in the trenches, silently enduring the attack. Fortunately, the Japanese were unaware of the defenders' deployment, and their artillery fire was inaccurate, resulting in most of the shells being wasted.

Guozhi Deng was a veteran general in the army, and he naturally knew that such aimless bombing was a waste of shells, but he wanted to let the defenders see the Japanese's powerful firepower and seize the initiative.

Guo Zhideng was unaware that the garrison had been replaced by the Tiger Legion. He still thought it was Li Tie's First Army, as indicated in the intelligence report, so he decided to come up and give them a taste of their power.

After firing dozens of rounds of haphazard bombing, Guo Zhideng, still not satisfied, gave the order for the infantry to charge.

More than two thousand Japanese soldiers were divided into two echelons, north and south, and surged toward the riverbank like a tide. Those at the front carried assault boats, one boat per squad, and they were very fierce.

Luo Wen, holding up his binoculars and watching the Japanese soldiers' performance, coldly shouted:

"Open fire! Shoot them dead!"