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

The anti-aircraft artillery battalion naturally wouldn't give the Japanese a chance to retaliate. After firing for three minutes as quickly as possible, they swiftly withdrew, leaving the Japanese with a trail of damage.

Although it only had three minutes of firepower, the high rate of fire resulted in the firing of hundreds of 75mm shells, causing thousands of casualties in densely populated areas.

Before even reaching the defenders' positions, a large battalion had been wiped out, causing Nakajima Kesago to scream in pain and vow to make the defenders pay the price.

The remaining twenty-odd artillery pieces of the 16th Division bombarded the anti-aircraft gun positions, almost completely clearing them, but unfortunately, they achieved little.

The anti-aircraft artillery battalion had long since withdrawn to a distance of several hundred meters, unharmed.

The Japanese had no idea of ​​the effects of the artillery fire. Seeing that the anti-aircraft artillery battalion had fallen silent, they turned to support the front lines in order to get revenge.

By this time, the Japanese skirmishers had advanced to the river. Large and small assault boats, sampans, and wooden boats carried thousands of infantrymen to the other side. Engineers took the opportunity to build pontoon bridges, and those who could swim simply swam across in full force, surging towards the other side in a swarm.

The artillery of the 644th Regiment and its battalions opened fire on the Japanese troops, while light and heavy machine guns strafed along the riverbank, creating a dense barrage that swept down large numbers of Japanese soldiers.

The Japanese regimental artillery, infantry guns, and Type 92 heavy machine guns were also busy, unleashing their full firepower and inflicting heavy casualties on the defending troops. Both sides were suffering huge losses, and it was a matter of who would give up first.

Although the defending force consisted of only one regiment and was outnumbered, they were on the defensive and had a significant advantage. The attacking forces, apart from heavy firepower which could cause casualties, were simply being beaten one-sidedly, with an exchange ratio of at least five to one.

The situation was no better for the 5th Division on the left wing. The Kunisaki Brigade pressed forward with all its might, and thousands of men were stuck in the mudflats on both sides of the Jialu River. Every step forward required a heavy price. The mudflats and the river surface were littered with corpses and wounded, and cries of agony echoed everywhere.

The 644th Regiment suffered heavy casualties during the Japanese artillery preparation, but its main force remained intact, and its firepower was as fierce as ever.

The Japanese attacked for two hours but were unable to advance an inch beyond the anti-tank trench. The mountain artillery battalion and howitzer battalion provided fire support from time to time, but they would only fire two or three rounds before retreating, which made Itagaki Seishiro grit his teeth in frustration.

The Putian section could only accommodate this many troops; any more would be suicide missions. The 5th Division also had the 21st Infantry Brigade, which was the famous Sakamoto Brigade in North China, that was not deployed to the battlefield.

The engineer regiment, in cooperation with the Kunisaki Brigade, built a pontoon bridge. In addition, the pontoon bridge unit and artillery unit supported by the 14th Division brought the total number of troops directly deployed to the battlefield to nearly 10,000.

Seishiro Itagaki had never fought such a difficult battle. Tens of thousands of men would have been enough for them to sweep across North China. The magic of the "Steel Army" was gone, and the frost on his face could be scraped off.

The chief of staff, mustering his courage, suggested:

"Your Excellency, the Tiger Legion's firepower on the front is too fierce, and it will be difficult for our warriors to break through in a short time."

Should we send the Sakamoto Brigade to outflank the Yellow River dike from the north and attack Zheng County from the flank?

Itagaki Seishiro had considered this tactic before, but it was too risky, so he shook his head and said:

"The Chinese have deployed a large force on the northern front. Kunisaki previously sent a large battalion to launch a probing attack, but it was repelled by the Tiger Army's cavalry, resulting in the loss of several hundred men."

The commander of the 5th Cavalry Regiment stepped forward and volunteered for battle:

"Your Excellency Division Commander, the mere Chinese cavalry is nothing to fear. The cavalry regiment is confident in annihilating them."

Seishiro Itagaki, known as "the courage of the Japanese army" and known for his aggressive tactics, still cautiously shook his head and said:

"The northern Yellow River dike is not only guarded by Zhao Yunwen's cavalry, but also by infantry from two armies of the First War Zone in China. The supply of materials to the other battlefields cannot keep up."

Chief of Staff Colonel Takeshi Sakurada interjected:

"Your Excellency, the other Chinese troops have no intention of defending Zheng County to the death. They only want to hold western and southern Henan, and have already given up on eastern Henan and Zheng County."

In other words, only the Tiger Legion's cavalry regiment truly intended to defend Zheng County. By using a portion of the infantry as bait to lure the Chinese cavalry regiment into attacking, and then having the two sides locked in combat, the cavalry regiment would suddenly strike and annihilate them.

Without the cavalry regiment as a mobile force, Sakamoto's detachment could quietly outflank and seize the Yellow River dike, achieving a breakthrough from the flank and decisively defeating the Tiger Army.

Seishiro Itagaki was immediately intrigued; this plan was worth a try. Colonel Masashige Kojima, the cavalry regiment commander, was eager to try and volunteered for the mission again.

After a moment's thought, Itagaki Seishiro agreed to their plan and ordered the Sakamoto Brigade to send the 21st Infantry Regiment to cooperate in the operation, with the aim of annihilating the Tiger Cavalry Regiment.

Kojima Masashige gladly accepted the order and went to discuss the battle plan with the commander of the 21st Infantry Regiment. He had finally seized the opportunity to take the field.

In his day, cavalry was considered an aristocratic branch of the military. Although both were colonels, Kojima Masashige naturally assumed that he was the protagonist, and that the lowly infantrymen were only fit to be bait.

This time, he wants to prove to the world that cavalry is still the master of the battlefield!

After dismissing the cavalry regimental commander, Itagaki Seishiro turned his gaze back to the main battlefield.

It was already four o'clock in the afternoon, and the two sides were still fighting to the death. No one felt hungry.

The skirmish line of the Kunisaki Brigade had advanced to the riverbank, and the two sides engaged in close combat. Rifles, submachine guns, and grenades became the main weapons, and the fighting distance was reduced to a few dozen meters, resulting in a surge in casualties.

Regimental Commander Luo Wen was under immense pressure. The First and Second Battalions, which were holding the riverbank, had suffered more than half casualties, and the artillery company had also lost three cannons and more than a dozen artillerymen.

The Third Battalion, deployed on the second line, also suffered heavy casualties, and all 500 replacement soldiers were used up. Chief of Staff Liang Zhou suggested to him:

"Commander, the Japanese have been attacking like madmen for several hours. The two battalions on the river embankment have suffered heavy casualties. Should we request reinforcements from the division headquarters? Even a few hundred more new recruits would be helpful."

The river embankment could actually hold up, but Liang Zhou felt sorry for the many veterans who had sacrificed their lives, and he wanted to leave more strength for the first and second battalions.

Luo Wen was naturally aware of this, but he rejected Liang Zhou's suggestion and said in a deep voice:

"The division commander will consider the overall situation, so let's not cause trouble unnecessarily. Let's send a company from the 3rd Battalion as reinforcements!"

Even a company is better than none. Liang Zhou was about to go down and make arrangements when the military affairs officer rushed in excitedly and said:

"The division commander sent another 500 new recruits and told us to fight without restraint. The army commander said that as many as we lose, we will be replenished."

Liang Zhou was moved to tears. Only Zhao Yunwen in the Nationalist army would say such a thing: if the troops, supplies, and ammunition are replenished, the front-line troops only need to fight to the death with all their might.

"No need to worry about being left all alone after wiping out the army," he said excitedly.

"Great! With these five hundred new recruits, holding out for another two days shouldn't be a problem!"

Rowan also waved his fist and said:

"That's right. As long as we withstand this offensive, the Japanese will stop."

Our casualties were heavy, but the Japanese casualties were even greater, at least two or three times that of the Japanese. We could afford to trade our lives for theirs!

"The soldiers of the Third Battalion are not moving. Staff Officer Chen, go and meet the new recruits."

Then take them directly to the battlefield and replenish the First and Second Battalions on the spot!

"Yes, mission accomplished!"

After finishing his sentence, Staff Officer Chen excitedly turned and left. He had been watching others feast on killing Japanese soldiers in the headquarters for a long time, and he was itching to do it himself.

Staff Officer Chen was an officer who had just been transferred from Xue Boling's army group. He was a "sand" that Chiang Kai-shek had mixed into the Tiger Army. He was a graduate of the first team of the ninth class of the Central Military Academy, with the rank of major, and was at the age where he was eager to make a name for himself.

They didn't understand any political struggles; they only knew that Senior Zhao was their idol, and that being able to join the Tiger Army was their pride.

After leaving the command post, Staff Officer Chen went to receive the new recruits. After completing the handover procedures with the division staff, he led the new recruits straight to the river embankment defense line.

By the time they arrived, the area near the riverbank was already in complete chaos, and a fight was about to break out.

Staff Officer Chen knew there was no time to organize the troops at this moment, so he shouted:

"Brothers, follow me to fight the Japanese devils!"

The new recruits were in high spirits and had not yet experienced the cruelty of war. They followed Staff Officer Chen into the battle, where shouts of battle shook the heavens.

Although there were only 500 reinforcements, they were a timely help to the struggling First and Second Battalions.

The second battalion commander shouted excitedly:

"Brothers, reinforcements have arrived! Kill the Japanese devils!"

The soldiers followed suit, shouting in hoarse voices:

"Reinforcements are here! Kill the Japanese devils!"

The Japanese offensive was halted, their morale was significantly dampened, and the riverbank defenses became more secure as a result.

Kunisaki Noboru sighed deeply:

"The opportunity has been lost; let the warriors retreat!"