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

Under Itagaki Seishiro's strict orders, the Japanese carried out indiscriminate artillery bombardment, not only to vent their anger, but also to prevent the defending troops from counterattacking and to stabilize the front line.

After the 323rd Division drove the Japanese soldiers down into the river, they stopped. The fleeing soldiers were blocked from the front and back, and were slowed down by the mud. They were shot dead by the pursuers on the bank like live targets. The bodies covered the river and the mudflats, which was a shocking sight.

After the Japanese launched their artillery barrage, the pursuing troops quickly retreated into trenches to avoid the shells, and the artillery took the opportunity to counterattack.

Fearing they would be targeted, the Japanese artillery hastily ceased their bombardment, and both sides dropped their guns, bringing the battle to a close.

After the ceasefire, everyone licked their wounds, especially the 5th Division, which was the main battlefield and suffered the greatest losses.

Upon receiving the battle damage report, Itagaki Seishiro completely broke down and roared:

"You bastards! You disgrace to the Empire! You've completely disgraced the Steel Army!"

Five thousand men were deployed for the attack, along with the division's artillery and the 2nd Field Heavy Artillery Brigade, but they failed to even breach the small Jinshui River, and instead suffered heavy losses.

The Sakamoto Detachment, which had once swept across half of North China and routed more than a dozen Chinese divisions, was no longer as formidable as before, suffering over 1,200 dead and 300 wounded. The 5th Field Artillery Regiment lost seven artillery pieces and more than 200 dead or wounded, while the Heavy Artillery Brigade lost 133 men and four artillery pieces.

In just one attack, less than six hours later, the Itagaki Division lost nearly two thousand men and eleven cannons. Such a war of attrition was too much for the Itagaki Division to handle.

The casualties of the 16th Division are estimated to be high; the Jinshui River has become a meat grinder.

Sakurada Takeshi quickly tried to cover it up:

"Your Excellency, the Chinese casualties are no less than those of the Imperial Army, and their losses are even greater."

The existence of the Tiger Legion and Zhao Yunwen has become the empire's greatest threat. China has hundreds of millions of people and almost no industry. The reason it has been able to hold on until now is because of the Nationalist government's two million troops struggling to keep it afloat.

Most of these armies were useless and crumbled at the first blow. Only a few were capable of fighting, and the Tiger Legion was one of them, and the most capable of fighting.

Once their forces are exhausted, China will have no more troops to fight. The Imperial Army can afford to lose tens of thousands of brave soldiers. Once China loses its Tiger Army, its morale will collapse.

In the long run, this is beneficial to the Imperial Army.

Seishiro Itagaki's expression softened somewhat, and he continued following Colonel Takeshi Sakurada's train of thought:

"Yoshi, Sakurada-kun has a long-term vision. That's right, Zhao Yun has become the empire's confidant. China has vast strategic depth and an inexhaustible source of manpower. The longer the war drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be for the empire."

We must crush the fighting spirit of the Chinese. We can afford to lose a few thousand men in the Itagaki Division!

Two thousand men were transferred from the supply and engineering regiments to supplement the Sakamoto Brigade, in order to restore its combat effectiveness as soon as possible.

When the offensive resumes, it will be the end for the Chinese!

After convincing himself, Itagaki Seishiro became spirited again. With millions of reservists in the country, the two thousand men he had just lost were nothing.

"Zhao Yunwen, I'd like to see how long you can hold out!"

The casualty statistics for the 323rd Division have also been released, and Chief of Staff Ma Weilan's voice was somewhat somber:

"The 645th and 646th Regiments suffered 377 dead and 221 seriously wounded. The 650th Regiment and artillery also suffered considerable casualties. In total, the losses amounted to more than 800 people, 7 light and heavy artillery pieces, more than 300 guns, and 9 bunkers were destroyed."

The seriously wounded have received proper medical treatment, and the lightly wounded are able to fight after their wounds have been treated.

Qiu Fengzi was also heartbroken after hearing this. Five hundred were killed and more than three hundred were seriously wounded, which was equivalent to wiping out an entire infantry battalion.

Fortunately, the Tiger Legion had its own field hospital with ample supplies. After treatment, most of the more than 300 wounded soldiers were able to return to the battlefield and become valuable backbone personnel. Even the disabled personnel could do what they could in the supply regiment.

Qiu Fengzi is now capable of handling things on his own. Although he felt a little sad, he didn't complain too much. Seeing that Ma Weilan had already arranged for the wounded, he added:

"You did a good job. All the brothers who were injured or killed must be registered and reported to the military headquarters."

The Japanese casualties were at least twice ours; there were no fewer than a thousand corpses lying in the river alone. The weather was getting hotter, and these corpses soaking in the river could easily spread infectious diseases. We sent someone to inform the Japanese that we allowed them to collect the bodies for half a day, and that we wouldn't fire before nightfall.

"Commander, there are still many seriously wounded soldiers inside. The Japanese will definitely take them back when they come to collect the bodies, and once they recover, they will become another menace."

Qiu the Madman waved his hand and said:

"It's alright. In such a harsh battlefield environment, seriously wounded soldiers will contract various diseases. There are no effective medicines that are more valuable than gold. If three out of ten survive, they will be lucky. This is just right to wear down and drag down the Japanese."

Ma Weilan instantly understood the situation: seriously wounded soldiers were a double-edged sword, and it didn't matter if they were rescued by the Japanese.

The military headquarters reported the battle results of the 322nd and 323rd Divisions one after another, listing both the number of enemy troops killed and their own casualties and losses clearly. The number of enemy troops killed was only an estimate.

Zhao Yunwen glanced at it and then handed it over to the headquarters for safekeeping. The exchange ratio was within his acceptable range, and even if the score was 1 to 1, they would continue to fight.

He was determined to wear down the Japanese. The 5th and 16th Divisions were both standing divisions, especially the Itagaki Division, which was mostly composed of well-trained veteran Japanese soldiers. Killing one of them would be a bonus.

"Chief of Staff Xie, send a telegram back to Zhang Yi and Qiu Fengzi: keep fighting like this. Don't be afraid of casualties. Our losses are heavy, but the Japanese losses and attrition are far ahead. They'll have their moment of reckoning."

Lupin said with a smile:

"I reckon Seishiro Itagaki is already wailing in despair; they can't afford to fight such a war of attrition."

Everyone burst into laughter after hearing this, and the previous somber atmosphere was swept away. For the Chinese, as long as the Japanese devils paid the price, that was enough.

During wartime, there's not much room for sentimentality. It's a life-or-death national war, with the continuation of the nation as the primary goal. Anyone can be sacrificed, including themselves.

Zhao Yunwen put away his smile and said:

"Brothers, the Japanese invaders' war potential is far from reaching its limit. We have a long way to go."

The Chinese people are not fully awakened either. With 400 million compatriots, we have an inexhaustible supply of soldiers. We are willing to risk our lives to eliminate the Japanese invaders. Why would we care about those jars and pots?

"The Japanese devils want Zheng County? Give me your lives!"

At the Jinshui River defense line, the Japanese soldiers were collecting corpses, creating a very oppressive atmosphere that would significantly impact morale.

The defending soldiers were equally disheartened, as many of their comrades had turned to dust, lying quietly on the soil irrigated with their blood.

Company Commander Zhang Yaoda was busy readjusting the deployment, while Luo Guangxu was silently wiping the machine gun. Apart from two other brothers who had been sent to the field hospital, he and the machine gun were the only ones left in the platoon.

As long as he's there, Class 5 will always be there!

Only a little over 150 soldiers remained in the entire company capable of fighting, most of whom perished inside the bunker. A dozen or so seriously wounded soldiers were evacuated, which can be considered as leaving some seeds for the Second Company.

Zhang Yaoda was mentally prepared to wipe out the entire organization; as long as the military orders remained, the Second Company would fight to the death and not retreat.

A brief silence fell between the two sides. The Japanese soldiers were casually collecting the corpses, then burning them all together. Zhang Yaoda frowned in disgust.

Private First Class Iguchi carefully picked out a few handfuls of ashes and placed them into the urn, afraid of disturbing his friend Jiro Numata. He wanted to personally take his friend home after the holy war was won.

Whether the ashes are from Numata or not is not important; what matters is the sense of ritual, which represents a kind of craftsmanship.

He and Jiro Numata were both in the reserves before the war. They formed a deep friendship on the ferry to China and were almost sworn brothers.

The Sakamoto Detachment was almost wiped out in the Battle of Taierzhuang, and a new generation of officers and soldiers were replaced, which refreshed their understanding of the situation.

This is completely different from the propaganda we hear in China. What happened to the promise of rapid advancement and invincibility?

They also said that the holy war would definitely end before the end of the year, and everyone could return to their hometowns to celebrate the New Year with boundless glory.

At least Numata Jiro can't go back. The battle lasted for ten days, from the Jialu River to the Jinshui River.

Most of his friends who came with Private First Class Iguchi have died, and he no longer hopes to gain glory; he only asks to live.

After the ashes were placed in the container, the quartermaster gave each person an extra rice ball to boost morale.

Private First Class Iguchi wolfed down the rice ball, knowing it might be his last meal.

It soon got dark. Due to the heavy casualties during the daytime attack, Brigade Commander Sakamoto decided to switch to nighttime. The extra rice balls couldn't be eaten for nothing.

At midnight, when it was pitch black, Private First Class Jingkou, carrying a rifle with a bayonet gleaming coldly, trudged towards the Jinshui River, his steps uneven.

The garrison seemed unaware of their presence, which greatly excited Private First Class Iguchi, who silently prayed:

"Thank God, all the Chinese are asleep and can't see me, can't see me!"

Private First Class Iguchi had unknowingly crossed the river and was now stuck in the mud, only forty meters away from the riverbank. Victory was within reach.

Suddenly, several shooting stars streaked across the night sky, then burst into brilliant bloom, illuminating both banks of the Jing River as bright as day, dazzling many people.

Light and heavy weapons opened fire almost simultaneously, and thousands of bullets hurtled towards the Japanese soldiers. Private First Class Iguchi's eyes were filled with fear.

It seems there's no going back. I wonder if anyone will even collect my body.