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

Upon receiving the order, the commander of the 2nd Heavy Artillery Brigade couldn't help but frown. The defending forces had artillery groups that threatened their safety. The Type 38 150mm howitzers had a range of only six kilometers, putting them at a significant disadvantage in artillery battles.

They had previously been thrashed by the Tiger Army's heavy artillery battalion, losing most of their 150mm heavy artillery. Forcing them to fire would be suicide.

The chief of staff noticed his concerns and leaned closer to say:

"General, Division Commander Itagaki requested heavy artillery support, but did not specify all artillery pieces. We can deploy only 24 105mm howitzers."

"Alright, Kitahara-kun is so thoughtful. Let's go with your plan. Telegraph the 3rd Field Heavy Artillery Battalion to fire on the city—but for safety, only twelve rounds!"

The brigade commander smiled. The 105mm howitzer has a very fast rate of fire, theoretically 5 to 6 rounds per minute, but in actual combat it fires two to three rounds per minute, so twelve rounds would only take six minutes.

In his view, the quality of Chinese artillerymen was low, and six minutes was absolutely safe.

Lieutenant Colonel Kitahara was very happy that his suggestion was adopted, and he turned around and left happily.

Not long after, the 24 105mm howitzers of the 3rd Heavy Artillery Battalion launched a fierce bombardment on the city and the outer defense lines, razing houses to the ground and destroying trenches.

Since the Japanese soldiers did not know where the defenders were hiding, they only conducted blanket artillery fire, resulting in relatively few casualties.

At the Huanggang Temple artillery position, five Schneider mountain guns were the first to react, and just three minutes later, they fired shells into the position of the 5rd Heavy Artillery Battalion, destroying two howitzers.

The Japanese battalion commander broke out in a cold sweat. As professionals, they were very familiar with the performance of the French Type 75 rifle. Its power was secondary; the most terrifying thing was its rate of fire: 10 rounds per minute.

"Baka yarou, Chinese artillery group, Huanggang Temple direction, fire back! Fire back!!"

The battalion commander knew that there was no time to evacuate, so he could only resort to violence in order to turn the tide with his numerical advantage.

The Type 91 105mm howitzer has a maximum range of 10300 meters, which is slightly longer than the Schneider M1923's 9600 meters, but the difference is not significant. However, it is at a disadvantage in terms of weight, with the former weighing 1500 kilograms and the Schneider M1923 weighing only over 600 kilograms, resulting in a large difference in mobility.

Schneider Mountain Gun launched a counterattack, firing several rounds of shells in a minute, destroying the Japanese artillery and killing the soldiers.

After losing seven or eight artillery pieces, the Japanese shells finally landed on the Schneider Mountain Artillery Company's position. The company had already finished firing and moved the artillery to another position using two mules, and the Japanese missed them.

The Third Heavy Artillery Battalion suffered a great loss, and the battalion commander was so angry that he yelled. They had always been the ones bombing Chinese people, and the feeling of being bombed was not pleasant at all.

Both sides engaged in a battle of wits and courage in the artillery duels. The Tiger Army Artillery Brigade gained a significant advantage thanks to its flexible tactics and Zhao Yunwen, its greatest asset.

The Japanese aircraft did not come to assist in the battle, so in the first phase of the artillery battle, they lost more than twenty cannons of various sizes, while the defenders only lost three Japanese-made 75mm mountain guns.

The five Schneider mountain guns that Zhao Yunwen redeemed from the system before the battle were of great merit, even more effective than heavy artillery.

If it weren't for the large number of Japanese-made artillery pieces he had captured, he would have been prepared to exchange them for some more.

Half an hour later, the artillery fire extended, and hundreds of Japanese infantrymen rushed toward the Jinshui River, preparing to force a crossing.

Li Xikai, the commander of the 645th Regiment, observed the situation with a cold eye. He had a wealth of combat experience and could tell at a glance that the Japanese were probing, so he did not use the artillery to intercept them.

The main force consisted of light and heavy machine guns and mortars. After firing, they would change positions. The Japanese had no idea where they were located and were simply led by the nose by the defenders. Most of their shells missed their mark.

After paying a heavy price, the Japanese infantry rushed to the Jinshui River, which was only 40 to 50 meters away from the opposite bank, with silt up to their waists deep.

It was difficult to gain speed in such silt. The Japanese soldiers tried to wade across the river, but half of their bodies were stuck in the mud, making them easy targets for the defenders.

The 323rd Division constructed a large number of bunkers with reinforced concrete within its defense zone, interspersed among houses and shops. From a distance, they looked no different from the surrounding buildings, but were only used in critical moments.

The soldiers raised their guns and fired, and Japanese soldiers fell one after another, and the Fifth Division was once again dominated by the Tiger Army.

Considering that the Kunisaki Detachment had been fighting for several days and suffered heavy casualties, the Sakamoto Brigade was replaced.

As a fresh force, morale was high from top to bottom. Even though it was just a probing attack, they were very dedicated and fought bravely one after another.

The 645th Regiment fought with greater composure, lying prone in their pre-prepared firing positions and firing steadily.

Machine gun fire provides suppressive fire, while riflemen and snipers protect the machine guns and incidentally take out the lives of Japanese soldiers.

The 645th Regiment's deployment remained the same: two infantry battalions at the front, an artillery company in mobile operations, and another battalion defending the second line. They didn't exert their full strength and easily held off the Japanese.

The battalion commander, Hirata Tsugio, who was in charge of the rear command, was as black as charcoal. As the saying goes, an outsider can see clearly. Despite the Japanese soldiers' fierce shouts, they were all making a lot of noise but doing little. The defending troops responded calmly.

The adjutant leaned over and said:

"Hirata-kun, let the warriors retreat! The Imperial Army's strength is too weak. They have already achieved their goal of probing. They cannot break through the defenses with this small force."

Hirata Tsujio was unwilling, but he still took his daughter's advice and ordered a halt to the attack.

The Japanese soldiers in front felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They took turns providing cover and broke off contact, taking most of the seriously wounded with them and leaving behind corpses everywhere. Hirata Tsugio admitted defeat.

Just as the Japanese soldiers retreated, a piercing whistle sounded on the position. The platoon leader kicked the new recruit Kong Dashan into a bunker and then hid inside himself.

The shells arrived as expected, hitting the main position in the first round, only thirty meters away from where Kong Dashan was hiding, making his head buzz.

"New recruits are afraid of artillery, veterans are afraid of machine guns," Kong Dashan said, his lips trembling uncontrollably.

"May Guanyin Goddess protect me, may the cannonballs stay away from me!"

This was Kong Dashan's first time participating in actual combat. He had been conscripted into the army; he had only come out to the market when he was unwittingly put into military uniform.

The recruit training camp didn't teach him much, only how to fire a gun. He didn't need to think about tactics or techniques; once he was on the battlefield, he was considered a "veteran."

After an unknown amount of time, the shelling finally stopped, and the squad leader roared:

"The Japanese devils are coming! Let's fuck them!"

Kong Dashan was still trembling with his butt sticking out. He didn't hear a word the squad leader said. The deputy squad leader, who was keeping watch, didn't bother to talk to him and kicked him away.

"Hurry up, do you want to die?!"

Kong Dashan had no choice but to rush out of his bunker. Looking around, he saw nothing but Japanese soldiers, swarming in densely packed, which reminded him of a locust plague.

Farmers fear locust plagues the most, as they devour everything edible, leading to famine.

As he thought about it, hatred welled up in his eyes, and he longed to wipe out all the locusts.

"Go to hell!"

"I'll kill you!"

Kong Dashan fired several shots, pulled the bolt—fired—pulled the bolt again, and fired once more.

Regardless of whether the shots hit or not, they continued until the magazine was empty and their backs were soaked with sweat.

The deputy squad leader pulled him into the trench, and then a shell fell, making a dull thud that made Kong Dashan's chest ache.

The deputy squad leader slapped Kong Dashan on the back, glaring and roaring:

"You little brat, you're asking for it! Aim carefully, bullets are precious!"

"What are you all standing there for? Fight the Japanese!"

Kong Dashan finally came to his senses. If it weren't for the deputy squad leader's experience pulling him back from the brink of death, he would already be a corpse.

"Fuck you, you dare to scheme against me? I'll kill you all!"

Kong Dashan was furious. He was the only son in the Kong family, and if he hadn't been conscripted, he would have been married long ago.

He pulled out a row of bullets, loaded them into the magazine, chambered a round, and his hand no longer trembled. He poked his head out again and fired a shot at the shifty-looking Japanese soldier.

This time, luck was on their side; they hit the Japanese soldier in the thigh, causing him to writhe on the ground in pain.

Another Japanese soldier tried to drag him back for treatment, and Kong Dashan roared:

"Did I agree to that? Go to hell!"

Pull the bolt—aim—fire, but the bullet missed the Japanese soldier who was trying to save him and instead killed the wounded soldier.

A blind cat stumbled upon a dead mouse!

Having finally killed one Japanese soldier, I turned my gun on another and gradually got the hang of it.

The Japanese army's three-pronged attack was halted, and the battle line stabilized on the open ground east of the Jinshui River. Colonel Katano Sadayoshi was furious and cursed loudly:

"A bunch of useless idiots! Send the Third Battalion to attack from the flank and seize the stone bridge!"