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

Jialu River, Putian section, right wing

The 16th Division arrived late and launched an offensive, but the 643rd Regiment calmly fought back and held the Japanese troops back outside the western river embankment.

The Japanese troops attempted to cross the river several times, but were repelled each time, suffering heavy casualties.

At the 16th Division headquarters, Nakajima Kesago was very dissatisfied with the performance of the 19th Brigade and shouted:

"Useless, utterly useless! They can't even cross a small river like the Jialu River, how can they talk about conquering all of China?"

"Nakazawa-kun, have you figured out the background of this Tiger Legion?"

Nakajima Kesago has just received intelligence and has finally figured out that the opponent is not the First Army as before, but the Tiger Army, which he has never heard of before.

Nakazawa Mitsuo had done his homework long ago; he had extensive connections within the staff system and had obtained top-secret information.

"Your Excellency, the commander of the division, it is rumored that the Tiger Legion was originally Zhao Yunwen's 107th Division. Judging from their combat style and firepower configuration, it is indeed them."

Nakajima Kesago took a deep breath and said:

"Oh my god, it's them. What a small world! That explains why Itagaki-kun asked for help. He must have suffered quite a loss."

"Your Excellency, the Tiger Army comprises three divisions and nine regiments, along with artillery, cavalry, and supply regiments, with a total strength exceeding 26,000 men. It is temporarily taking over the defense of Zheng County from the First Army."

Nakajima Kesago, a man of the world, said with a disdainful expression:

"A mere 20,000 men dare to stand against the Imperial Army's advance? The Imperial Army has four infantry divisions and two mixed brigades. Who gave Zhao Yunwen the courage?"

This is not because Nakajima Kesago is arrogant, but because four infantry divisions are enough to repel hundreds of thousands of Nationalist troops. It is a strategic force. No matter how capable the Tiger Army is, it is impossible for them to fight four against one.

"Your Excellency, Division Commander, Zhao Yunwen is very cunning. They blew up all the bridges on the Longhai Railway and Zhengkai Highway in advance and held the Jialu River to the death."

The Imperial Army can deploy at most two divisions; the Jialu River defense line must be breached.

Nakajima Kesago's expression had returned to normal, because he knew this matter couldn't be rushed, and he immediately instructed Nakazawa Mitsuo:

"Nakazawa-kun, the key to this battle lies in the artillery. Although the Jialu River is a natural barrier, the surrounding area is all plains, and the Chinese defenders are exposed to the powerful artillery fire of the Imperial Army."

"Let's show our strength with steel! Immediately send the 20th Mountain Artillery Regiment to make a high-profile appearance and bomb the Chinese positions flat!"

Nakazawa Mitsuo was thrilled to hear this; the 20th Mountain Artillery Regiment alone had 48 artillery pieces of 75mm or larger.

"Hey, I'll make the arrangements right away. Use the cannons to flatten the Tiger Army's positions."

After bowing, Nakazawa Mitsuo strode away, while Nakajima Kesago was filled with anticipation for the impending barrage of artillery fire.

At the 643rd Regiment's position, the soldiers had just repelled the Japanese attack and were huddled in the trenches to avoid artillery fire.

This wasn't their first time dealing with the Japanese, and they knew their attack patterns well: the infantry would charge, then the artillery would bombard.

Sergeant Zheng Hailong looked relaxed, a reed dangling from his lips, playing a tune no one could understand.

Private First Class Hu Xiaoming was a new recruit, a member of the Sichuan Army who was added to the ranks during the Lanfeng Campaign.

Compared to the relaxed Zheng Hailong, Hu Xiaoming was much more nervous. The veins on his hand gripping the steel gun were bulging, and his lips were trembling uncontrollably.

When they left Sichuan, the clan chief gave his only son a flag with the character for "death" on it. This was a way of showing their resolve to die, and everyone was determined to die.

Hu Xiaoming shouted the slogans, but he didn't want to die. He was terrified; not only were his lips trembling, but his legs were also shaking.

He felt ashamed of his body's reaction. He was seventeen years old, and if his family hadn't been poor, he would have been a father of two by now, but he had never even held a woman's hand.

Thinking of women, he subconsciously touched his chest, where he had 12 silver dollars hidden. These were the military pay he received after joining the 107th Division, which he hadn't had time to mail home yet.

If I save for a few more months, I'll have enough to marry a wife.

Zheng Hailong seemed to have discovered his little scheme and said teasingly:

"Hu Xiaoming, are you thinking about women?"

Hu Xiaoming's face instantly turned as red as a monkey's bottom, and he offered a guilty explanation:

"Nonsense, only a son of a bitch would think about women!"

After hearing this, everyone couldn't help but burst into laughter. They were indeed young and couldn't take a joke. Thinking about women in the army wasn't a shameful thing.

Zheng Hailong's expression suddenly changed drastically. He heard the sound of shells piercing the air and roared:

"Take cover, those bastards have opened fire!"

"Boom boom boom..."

A volley of 75mm mountain artillery shells rained down from the sky, instantly covering the Hexi position. The explosions made Hu Xiaoming's head buzz.

He instinctively covered his head with his hands, as if that would protect him from the shells.

The trenches, which were mainly made of sand, offered them limited protection; whether they survived depended on how tough they were.

The Japanese used divisional artillery, with dozens of mountain guns of various sizes bombarding the defending troops' positions with unbridled force.

Zhao Yunwen had no intention of accommodating the Japanese. He quickly obtained the coordinates of the 16th Division's artillery positions on the minimap, and immediately had Xie Polu send them to the artillery regiment. With a grim face, he gave the order:

"Those little devils are too arrogant! Telegraph the heavy artillery battalion and let those bastards taste what it's like to be bombed!"

Xie Polu didn't know where Zhao Yunwen got the intelligence, but he didn't ask any unnecessary questions. Those in positions of power all have their own secret channels, and one shouldn't ask what shouldn't be asked. This is something a chief of staff should be aware of.

Shibalipu Heights, Heavy Artillery Battalion Position

The twelve 105mm mountain guns were already in position, their massive muzzles pointing straight to the sky. Each gun crew was ready and waiting for the order.

The communications officer rushed in and reported loudly:

"Battalion Commander, urgent telegram from headquarters!"

The heavy artillery battalion commander remained calm after reading the telegram, but his eyes betrayed his undisguised joy. He roared at the top of his lungs:

"Adjust firing parameters immediately using the following coordinates!"

Each gun crew quickly adjusted its firing parameters, and only after all guns were in operation did they report in turn:

"Cannon number one is ready!"

"Cannon number two is ready!"

.....

"Cannon No. 12 is ready!"

"fire!"

Without the slightest hesitation, the battalion commander, who had complete trust in the operation of each artillery group, decisively ordered the artillery to fire on the target area.

The cannons roared, the earth trembled, and the first volley of shells was fired, whistling as they flew toward their target.

At the position of the 20th Mountain Artillery Regiment, the Japanese were bombarding the west bank of the Jialu River. Smoke filled the air above the position, and artillerymen could be seen working everywhere, some even shirtless as they carried shells.

The commanders mechanically issued orders; they had long been trained to be cold-blooded killing machines.

Each artillery group acted in accordance with orders, and the organization was very tight, showing that they were well-trained.

"fire!"

As soon as the artillery commander gave the order, a volley of shells came straight at them, giving them a momentary illusion. They were clearly attacking the Chinese positions, so why were the shells coming at them?

"Boom boom boom..."

Shells rained down, and the violent explosions turned the Japanese positions into a sea of ​​fire. Several cannons were destroyed, and a large number of artillerymen were torn to pieces.

The artillery commander then realized what was happening and shouted in terror:

"Enemy attack! It's a heavy artillery barrage!"

"Quickly, from the southwest, counterattack—counterattack!"

His roar was swallowed up by the second round of artillery fire, this time with greater precision, directly covering the core area of ​​the artillery position and causing the shells to explode.

The heavy artillery battalion suffered a devastating blow; almost all sixteen 105mm mountain guns were destroyed, and hundreds of artillerymen were killed or wounded—a loss greater than the loss of artillery itself.

The battalion commander was incredibly lucky to survive, but faced with the hellish battlefield, he would rather have died.

"Damn it! I have failed His Majesty the Emperor's trust!"

He pulled out a Nanbu pistol and blew his own head off. This time, the gun didn't jam, allowing him to die peacefully.

The Japanese devils' nightmare was not over yet. After destroying the Japanese heavy artillery battalion, the gun barrels turned to the 1st Mountain Artillery Battalion.

By this time, the Japanese soldiers were already in a panic. They didn't know what had happened and were just scurrying around like ants on a hot pan.

The Japanese attempted to counterattack, but it took time to locate the defending artillery positions and even longer to adjust the direction of the guns. Even the most elite artillery would need at least five rounds.

The heavy artillery battalion gave the Japanese no time at all, and besides, the 75mm mountain guns were out of range, so they could only passively take hits.

After the Japanese calculated the parameters, they discovered this fatal weakness, which frightened the commander so much that he immediately ordered a relocation.

But it was too late. Twelve shells hurtled towards the Japanese position. The Japanese regimental commander tried to stop them with his bare hands, shouting in despair:

"don't want!"