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

In the city, at the military headquarters, Zhao Yunwen, as usual, was hunched over a map, deep in thought, holding an enamel mug containing roasted soybeans.

He eats a few beans while looking at a map, saving himself the trouble of eating a meal. I don't know where he picked up this bad habit.

Xie Polu walked into the command room with cheerful steps, grabbed a handful of roasted soybeans from Zhao Yunwen's enamel mug, and ate a few; they were quite delicious.

Zhao Yunwen, with a nose even more sensitive than a dog's, turned his head and said with a smile:

"Good news?"

Xie Polu asked in astonishment:

"How do you know? Can you really predict the future?!"

"Old Xie, it's written all over your face, hurry up and stop being so mysterious!"

Xie Polu then spoke seriously:

"The Military Commission has issued a commendation order, awarding you the Second Class Yunhui Medal. In addition, there are 6,000 replacement soldiers, all of whom are veterans drawn from the First War Zone, including 500 technical soldiers."

The principal has really paid a hefty price this time!

After Xie Polu finished speaking, he handed the telegram to Zhao Yunwen, who was so happy after reading it that his mouth almost stretched to the back of his head.

With these five thousand veterans, plus the three thousand new recruits he had previously gathered, his three empty regiments were now settled, and he immediately made the decision:

「立即着手组建649到651团，军官和骨干从另外几个团抽调，322师辖643、644、649团，323师辖645、646、650团，324师辖647、648、651团。

The three newly formed regiments were all equipped with Japanese weapons, which allowed them to clear out some of their spoils inventory. They were temporarily not equipped with 60mm mortars but instead with grenade launchers, with three in each platoon.

Each battalion is equipped with three Type 6 infantry guns, and each regiment is equipped with six Japanese-made 75mm mountain guns and six Type 6 infantry guns, all of which are Japanese-made.

Each regiment has approximately 2500 men, with the remaining 1500 men being transferred to the 322nd Division to complete the regimental formation.

After considering it in his mind for a moment, Xie Polu said:

"Commander, if we replenish the force with more than 2500 men, the entire army will still have more than 1800 men remaining, not including the more than 1500 wounded."

Zhao Yunwen asked, bewildered:

"Are there still so many people? These seriously wounded soldiers are all treasures. As long as they recover, they can become squad leaders."

After the seriously wounded recover, they will not return to their original units. Instead, they will all be assigned to the training team as instructors. The extra 1800 people will also be included, and starting today, they will be upgraded to a training regiment.

The army comprises three infantry divisions, with its directly subordinate units including an artillery brigade, cavalry regiment, training regiment, reconnaissance regiment, supply regiment, guard regiment, engineer battalion, communications battalion, and field hospital. The original independent regiment was reorganized into a guard regiment, responsible for guarding the army headquarters.

Each division directly commands three infantry regiments, with subordinate units including reconnaissance companies, supply companies, guard companies, communications companies, engineer companies, medical teams, and the division headquarters, totaling 9000 personnel.

The artillery brigade directly commands 5 battalions with over 2600 personnel, a cavalry regiment with 1500 personnel, a reconnaissance regiment with over 1300 personnel, a supply regiment with 2500 personnel, a guard regiment with 2500 personnel, a training regiment with approximately 2 personnel, an engineer battalion with 500 personnel, a communications battalion with 500 personnel, a field hospital with 600 personnel, and a headquarters with over 800 personnel.

The entire army has a full strength of about 4 men. If we add the seriously wounded to that strength, how many men would be left?

Xie Polu took out the personnel register and quickly calculated, soon arriving at the answer.

"There are still more than 2100 people left. Apart from more than 1500 wounded, almost all of them have been recruited."

Zhao Yunwen nodded and said:

"Very good, let's follow this standard and implement it as soon as possible."

The Japanese have just captured the Jialu River, and their main force will have some time to launch an attack on the Jinyu River defense line. Is it difficult to complete the reorganization within 24 hours?

Xie Polu straightened his back and replied:

"Mission accomplished!"

Zhao Yunwen only set out a general plan; the remaining work was extremely complicated, including the selection of officers at all levels for the newly formed three regiments, the allocation of equipment and supplies, etc. Xie Polu and the staff of the headquarters were required to implement it, and the list was submitted to Zhao Yunwen for approval.

The regimental commander was appointed by the Military Commission. Previously, he was the main force regimental commander of the Eastern Reserve Corps. Some of the battalion and company commanders were drawn from within the organization, while others were reserved for outsiders.

Chiang Kai-shek clearly intended to infiltrate the camp, and Zhao Yunwen could not outwardly comply but inwardly defy him, lest he arouse suspicion.

Zhao Yunwen didn't really care. These new officers were all graduates of the Whampoa Military Academy, his junior brothers. As the senior brother, he had plenty of ways to win them over.

Some die-hards were either marginalized or assigned to be suicide squad leaders; Zhao Yunwen was no saint.

At the Jinshui River defense line, the Japanese vanguard brigade, somewhat overconfident, dared to charge recklessly with only a few hundred men. As a result, they were dealt a heavy blow by the defending troops and fled back in disarray, leaving behind more than three hundred corpses.

When the battle results were reported to the 323rd Division headquarters, Qiu Fengzi didn't take it to heart. He had already received orders from the army headquarters and was in high spirits. He said to his chief of staff, Major General Ma Weilan:

"You and your staff will provide full support. The 650th Regiment will not participate in combat for the time being, but will be used as a reserve force."

The 645th and 646th Regiments should be replenished to their original strength of 2508 men. The Japanese should be more subdued for a while after being beaten, but not for long. We need to act quickly; the 650th Regiment must be combat-ready within two days.

Qiu Fengzi spoke with much more confidence. Half a year ago, during the Battle of Zijin Mountain, he was just a colonel and chief of staff.

Since following Senior Zhao, he has made several leaps in just a few months. He is now a lieutenant general and division commander in the Tiger Army, and his military command has been promoted to major general.

After the 650th Regiment arrived, the entire division was fully staffed with 9000 men, well-equipped, well-supplied, and had a bright future, living the life of a first-class division.

Ma Weilan was also in a good mood. He was now the division chief of staff. No divisions in the Tiger Army had been assigned deputy positions yet, so he was definitely the number two person in the entire division, not just a figurehead with no say.

Qiu the Madman entrusted him with a heavy responsibility, and he immediately patted his chest and said:

"Rest assured, Commander, the mission will be accomplished!"

Qiu Fengzi and Ma Weilan were old acquaintances from the Training Corps and worked together seamlessly. He could rest assured that he could entrust the work to Ma Weilan; he only needed to fight well.

The Jinshui River was the second line of defense. The military ordered them to hold it for more than three days, and then open the main road to let the Japanese soldiers into the city.

The Jinshui River is the outer defense line of the city. Its source is in Laohugou, Meishan in the southwest. It flows from southwest to northeast, passing through Caiwang, Duizhou, along Shunhe Street and Yinghe Street into the city. When it reaches the center of the crossroads, it turns northeast, closely following the outer side of the city wall, passing outside the North Gate and west of Yanzhuang, and finally flows into the Jialu River.

Upstream in the southwestern suburbs, loess hills, farmland, and scattered villages are scattered throughout. The urban section is densely packed with shops and residential areas on both banks, with roads running close to the riverbanks. North of the city, outside the city, are farmland and low-lying areas, with flat and open terrain.

June is not yet the flood season, so one can wade across the river alone. There are no natural defenses, but it is also not convenient for attacking, as the mud is very deep.

Prior to this, the 323rd Division had already evacuated the residents of the city and built a defensive line relying on shops and residential areas on the west bank, controlling Huanggang Temple in the southwest as a commanding height.

The 645th and 646th Regiments were deployed to the left and right, while the 650th Regiment served as a reserve. After the adjustments, Qiu Fengzi had more cards to play and was confident that he could hold out for three days.

At the 5th Division headquarters, Seishiro Itagaki was also studying the city's defenses. Chief of Staff Colonel Takeshi Sakurada explained:

"A part of the 11th Infantry Regiment encountered Chinese resistance while crossing the Jinshui River. This area should be the outer defense line of the city, with no natural defenses, so the number of troops should not be too large."

Zhao Yunwen's decision to abandon the defensively advantageous Jialu River and retreat to the Jinshui River is somewhat puzzling; I interpret it as a prelude to abandoning Zheng County.

Since meeting Zhao Yunwen, Itagaki Seishiro had clearly lost the confidence he previously had in regarding the Chinese army as worthless, and instead spoke cautiously:

"Let's fight it out first. Zhao Yunwen is cunning and has two full divisions. He won't admit defeat easily."

Colonel Takeshi Sakurada bowed deeply.

"Your Excellency the Division Commander is right; I was too hasty! The Kunisaki Brigade is ready; may we launch the attack?"

Itagaki Seishiro waved his hand and said:

"No rush, let's wait until the 16th Division arrives. Send them a telegram. My 5th Division will be responsible for attacking the central and northern fronts, while the 16th Division will attack the city from the southeast and southwest."

For once, Itagaki Seishiro did not launch a preemptive attack, but waited for the 16th Division, waiting for them until they finally arrived late.

The 10th and 14th Divisions, as the second echelon, were largely inactive throughout the entire operation, while the two Kwantung Army brigades had already returned to their original units and gone back to the Manchurian region.

As if by prior arrangement, the two divisions launched a fierce attack on the outer positions of Zheng County almost simultaneously. Parts of the 323rd and 322nd Divisions fought back, and the outer battle officially began.

The Japanese troops amassed hundreds of artillery pieces of all sizes and bombarded the city relentlessly. Shells rained down from the sky, threatening to flatten the city.

Zhao Yunwen, not one to tolerate the Japanese, ordered the artillery brigade to retaliate with full force, providing them with precise coordinates. This gave them the upper hand in the artillery battle, infuriating Itagaki Seishiro, who roared in anger:

"Baka yarou! Let the 2nd Heavy Artillery Brigade open fire and raze the Chinese artillery positions to the ground!"