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

Even Seishiro Itagaki couldn't understand it, so the chief of staff, with his blockheaded mind, simply went along with him and said:

"Commander, the Chinese love to play the trick of hiding their strengths, and Zhao Yunwen is probably no exception."

Itagaki Seishiro asked, puzzled:

"Why did he suddenly stop hiding? He's like a completely different person; it's so strange."

"Your Excellency, Division Commander, Zhao Yunwen is an extreme nationalist. Before the Battle of Shanghai, the Chinese were constantly fighting among warlords and infighting. Zhao Yunwen probably didn't want to fight a civil war, which is why he was hiding his true abilities."

Seishiro Itagaki suddenly realized:

"Goodness, now that makes sense. We need to get the intelligence department to figure out as soon as possible whether he dislikes fighting warlords or whether it's the Red Army that Chiang Kai-shek fears the most."

If it were the Red Army, they would definitely leave behind some incriminating evidence, even fabricated ones, just to make Chiang Kai-shek suspicious of him.

"We can't let him grow any further, or he'll become a stumbling block to the empire's rise to the top of the world!"

The chief of staff wholeheartedly agreed; he had never seen Itagaki Seishiro value a Chinese general so highly.

"Your Excellency, the Chinese are adept at infighting. Chiang Kai-shek was most wary of generals who had ties with the Communist Party. At best, they would be sidelined; at worst, they would be purged from within."

The Imperial intelligence service can exploit this; they don't necessarily have to defeat Zhao Yunwen on the battlefield.

"Yosh, this is a brilliant plan. I will mobilize all resources to make this happen."

The most urgent task is to defeat the Tiger Army on the battlefield and capture Zheng County. When will the 2nd Heavy Artillery Brigade arrive?

This is what Itagaki Seishiro is most concerned about right now. The battle on the front lines has reached a stalemate, and heavy artillery is the key to breaking the deadlock.

The chief of staff quickly replied:

"We can arrive before dark, rest briefly, and then be ready for battle tomorrow. However, there are rumors that the 16th Division headquarters was bombed by Chinese aircraft, resulting in over a thousand casualties, including General Nakajima who nearly lost his life."

The attack on the supply convoy reminded us that the Chinese have a capable guerrilla force behind the lines, and we must be on guard!

"Yoshi, telegraph the 21st Infantry Brigade, ordering it to send a strong force to protect the heavy artillery brigade, and at the same time send an air observation team to the south for vigilance. The heavy artillery brigade's anti-aircraft artillery group should be on standby around the clock to avoid being attacked by Chinese aircraft."

On the left flank of the Jialu River, the 644th Regiment's defensive line, the Japanese offensive has been going on for four days, but it has been lukewarm, with only a few hundred men each time.

The tactics were unchanging: infantry charged, then artillery bombarded; artillery bombarded, then infantry charged again—simple and brutal.

In every battle, someone dies. The river is filled with bloated corpses, the air is thick with the nauseating smell of decaying bodies, green-headed flies swarm about, and white maggots crawl everywhere.

To prevent bacterial infection, the regiment strictly ordered everyone not to drink unboiled water. The cooks provided each person with cooled boiled water containing herbs, one pot in the morning and one in the evening.

Although it was already June, all the personnel were fully covered in their military uniforms, and some even wore gas masks.

Everyone received a few antibiotic pills, which Zhao Yunwen redeemed from the system to minimize non-combat casualties.

Many people did not understand the military's orders, but they carried them out without question. The most significant result was that there were no large-scale non-combat casualties, let alone deaths from infection.

The 5th Division was not so lucky. Due to the large number of bacteria brought back from the river by the attacking personnel, a large number of people died from bacterial infections in the field hospitals. Subsequently, combat personnel developed symptoms such as diarrhea and fever, and non-combat casualties increased significantly, with dozens of people dying every day, which seriously affected the morale of the troops.

Guo Zhideng finally couldn't hold out any longer. Just then, he received news that the heavy artillery brigade had arrived. He immediately sent his chief of staff to raise a white flag and request a one-day ceasefire, and also to collect the bodies and disinfect the river.

After careful consideration, Luo Wen agreed to the other party's request. This land ultimately belongs to China, and hundreds of thousands of people live there. If a large-scale infectious disease breaks out, it will be the local people who suffer.

The 644th Regiment took advantage of the ceasefire to replenish personnel and supplies, and the fallen brothers were sent to the rear for burial every night. Their situation was better than that of the Japanese.

Both sides were pursuing their own agendas. During the ceasefire agreement, the bodies east of the Jialu River, including those on the river surface, were to be disposed of by the Japanese. The bodies on the mudflats and in the trenches on the west bank of the Jialu River were to be buried by the 644th Regiment for the Japanese, and then all of them were disinfected with quicklime.

The 322nd Division reported the temporary ceasefire to the military headquarters and received Zhao Yunwen's approval. As long as it could buy time, Zhao Yunwen would agree.

The 322nd Division suffered heavy casualties, and Zhao Yunwen transferred 1,000 new recruits from the training corps to them, who were then assigned by the division headquarters.

Zhang Yi immediately replenished the 644th Regiment with 500 men, the 643rd Regiment with 300 men, and left 200 men for emergency use.

After receiving an additional 500 men, the 644th Regiment's combat strength was restored to 90%, and with ample ammunition and food, it had the confidence to wage a protracted war against the Japanese.

The Xiao Rizi people are very serious and meticulous in everything they do, including handling corpses and disinfecting. They are very methodical and will bow to the guards to express their gratitude afterward.

Cheng Yu really wanted to shoot them all; they were all extremely hypocritical guys.

Time passed slowly, and Zhao Yunwen entered a meditative state again. The people in the command post were used to it and all thought he was plotting against the Japanese.

Xie Polu rushed over to report:

"Commander, the situation has been clarified. The First Reconnaissance Battalion has reported that they have discovered a large number of heavy artillery pieces along the railway line in the rear."

The First Reconnaissance Brigade damaged much of the railway between Kaifeng and Zhengxian, forcing them to take the Zhengkai Highway, which greatly reduced their mobility.

The Japanese army's ceasefire was likely because they were waiting for their heavy artillery, which numbered in the dozens.

Zhao Yunwen waved his hand and said:

"It's nothing serious, we'll deal with whatever comes our way! These 150mm heavy artillery pieces are very road-dependent and require specialized large-tonnage trucks for transport."

Its performance is outdated, with an effective range of less than ten kilometers, a slow rate of fire, and difficulty in repositioning.

Have the First Reconnaissance Battalion keep a close eye on them and try to get the coordinates of the artillery positions; leave the rest to the heavy artillery battalion.

Our heavy artillery battalion's 105mm mountain guns have a longer range than the Japanese 150mm howitzers. Once we get the coordinates, we'll strike first.

Zhao Yunwen had considered renting a bomber group to solve the problem, but then gave up. Since the heavy artillery battalion could handle it, he decided to focus on improving the coordination between the reconnaissance unit and the artillery and infantry.

He cannot solve all the problems for the troops like a nanny, which does not benefit the improvement of the troops' combat effectiveness in any way.

The system's dimensional reduction attack must maintain an air of mystery, like the Sword of Damocles, hanging over their heads to pose a greater psychological threat to the Japanese. At the crucial moment, a single strike is delivered, each blow causing the Japanese excruciating pain.

At the 5th Division headquarters, Itagaki Seishiro finally saw the heavy artillery brigade in place, which had been transferred from the Doihara Division.

With the support of the heavy artillery brigade, Itagaki Seishiro's back straightened, and that night he convened a meeting of veteran Japanese soldiers of regimental commander rank and above to plan the general offensive.

The old Japanese soldier lost his patience and waved his hands, shouting:

"Gentlemen, my Itagaki Division has lost all face at the Jialu River. The world is almost forgetting that we are the famous Steel Army!"

We must admit that our opponent is also exceptionally strong, having just been designated as the Tiger Legion, the most elite of the Chinese.

The battle at the Jaru River has been going on for four days; it's time to end it!

I have good news to share with you all: the 2nd Heavy Artillery Brigade is in position. To support the river crossing operation, the Commander has also dispatched the 1st Engineer Regiment, which was attached to the 14th Division. In addition, the 16th Division will also cooperate in the operation on the right flank.

My only requirement is to launch a full-scale attack in the morning and end the battle before dark!

All the Japanese soldiers stood up in unison, their fighting spirit soaring.

Nothing happened overnight. At nine o'clock the next morning, the Japanese soldiers, having eaten and drunk their fill, lined up and prepared to go.

The 2nd Heavy Artillery Brigade's position was set up eight kilometers away, with dozens of heavy artillery pieces divided into three squares. There were 36 150mm heavy howitzers alone, 24 105mm howitzers, and 24 anti-aircraft guns. Their firepower was nothing short of insane.

The dark muzzle of the cannon was pointed directly at the west bank of the Jialu River, and the ground was piled with opened shells, just waiting for Itagaki Seishiro's order.

Seishiro Itagaki, full of vigor, held his ancestral sword upside down. Before he could give any orders, a huge explosion came from the direction of the heavy artillery brigade's position, shaking the earth.

The old Japanese soldier Itagaki's eyes instantly filled with fear, and he cried out in alarm:

"Baka yarou, was there an earthquake?"