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

"Division Commander, it's Chinese...Chinese artillery fire!"

Di Bujiagui screamed in terror as shells rained down, as if slapping them hard in the face. It was truly a case of joy turning to sorrow.

The Tiger Army's shells seemed to have eyes, landing precisely on the Japanese artillery positions and blasting the cannons into pieces.

Rensuke Isogai, who was waiting to see a good show, was dumbfounded; the reversal came too quickly.

While the Japanese were concentrating their artillery fire, Zhao Yunwen was also preparing to unleash a powerful attack, firing first and completely disrupting the Japanese offensive rhythm.

The artillery brigade deployed five Schneider mountain guns and thirteen 105mm heavy guns to concentrate fire, firing more than a dozen rounds of shells at top speed before quickly withdrawing from the position.

Hundreds of shells ravaged the Japanese artillery positions, detonating many shells stored in the open and destroying more than 30% of the Japanese artillery, resulting in heavy casualties among the artillerymen.

The Japanese offensive was abruptly halted. What followed was a frantic cleanup: moving artillery, rescuing the wounded. By the time everything was done, it was almost dark.

Lieutenant General Isogai's face darkened further as his chief of staff reluctantly reported the battle losses to him:

"Six 105mm mountain guns, nine 75mm mountain guns, and four howitzers were destroyed. 116 artillerymen were killed or wounded, and more than 20% of the artillery shells were lost."

"Enough! You bastard! Why are the Chinese shells so accurate? And why did they have to hit them right before the Imperial Army opened fire? This is blatant provocation!"

Someone must have leaked the secrets; the intelligence department must be held accountable.

Lieutenant General Isogai was furious. Before the bombs even started, the Chinese were being bombed first. This was a bad omen.

Di Bujiagui reluctantly asked for instructions:

"Should the attack still begin as scheduled?"

That's so tactless! He really knows how to rub salt in the wound. I really want to slap that old devil Isogai.

"Damn it, it's getting dark! What's the point of fighting? Let's clean up this mess and fight again tomorrow!"

Di Bujia left in a panic; if he stayed any longer, he would be severely scolded.

The bad news quickly reached the Fifth Division. Itagaki Seishiro and others were filled with mixed emotions. Sakamoto Junxin said with lingering fear:

"Zhao Yunwen's military tactics are unpredictable, and the Tiger Army is one of the strongest armies in China. In the future, it will surely become a major threat to the empire."

Major General Guozhi continued, saying:

"It is already like this. Gentlemen, count how many warriors have fallen under their guns, and how many elite troops have been decimated."

I have a feeling that the upcoming battle will not go as smoothly as predicted, and the 10th Division might suffer heavy losses.

After hearing this, the Japanese soldiers exchanged glances and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, finally no longer having to face those reckless Tiger Army soldiers.

Itagaki Seishiro seemed to have aged several years in an instant, and asked in a deep voice:

"Sakurada-kun, have the casualty figures for the urban warfare been released yet?"

This is also what the old Japanese soldiers are most concerned about. After ten days of continuous fighting in the city, all four infantry regiments have fought with all their might, and the casualties will be considerable.

Sakurada Takeshi's face immediately fell:

"1855 people were killed in action, 376 were seriously wounded, and more than 30% of the equipment was lost."

The reason for such a high casualty ratio was that the retreat was too hasty, and all the seriously wounded were abandoned in the city and treated as dead in battle.

The old Japanese soldier Ban Tan still couldn't accept this result. He had led half a division to sweep across North China, and the casualties were not this heavy.

Zheng County was his Waterloo!

Seishiro Itagaki said listlessly:

"Everyone, disperse. I believe Isogai-kun will fight well in the upcoming battles. The Fifth Division is no longer involved for the time being."

The casualties in each regiment were heavy, and the main force retreated to the west of the Jialu River to rest and await further orders.

Sakamoto Jun and Kunihiro breathed a sigh of relief; it was best to stay away from the Tiger Army.

The 10th Division was dealt a heavy blow, and their feverish heads gradually calmed down. Their opponent was the Tiger Army.

Lieutenant General Isogai warned his men not to underestimate the enemy!

The 10th Division launched another attack, but this time it was much more low-key. Its artillery positions were scattered in many places, and the preparation time for artillery fire was greatly reduced, showing some hesitation.

The Tiger Army's artillery brigade only used a few Schneider mountain guns to contain the enemy; although the number was small, the threat was real.

With an ultra-long range of 9600 meters and extremely high mobility, the Japanese really dared not underestimate it.

The artillery barrage lasted intermittently for two hours, destroying large areas of the city's surface buildings and leaving behind ruins and devastation.

Taking advantage of the brief respite during the Japanese commander's change of command, Wan Guoliang finally made contact with the main force and successfully transferred the two wounded soldiers.

After these wounded soldiers were gathered together, they were all sent to field hospitals for treatment, and the vast majority of them survived.

As Liu Yun left, she held Wan Guoliang's hand tightly, unwilling to let go for a long time, her eyes filled with tears.

"Brother Liang, I wouldn't be alive today without you."

Wan Guoliang patted Liu Yun on the shoulder:

"Brother, as long as you're alive, there's hope. Trust in the commander!"

Liu Yun nodded emphatically:

"Trust the commander!"

After seeing off his wounded brothers, Wan Guoliang, now free of burdens, realized how hungry he was.

Fortunately, supplies from the rear arrived, including ammunition, food, water, and first-aid medicines.

After Wan Guoliang had eaten and drunk his fill, he found a quiet spot, leaned against a pile of rubble, and fell fast asleep.

No one had time to bother him; the continuous fighting had exhausted all his energy, like a tightly wound spring.

Once they loosen up, their fatigue becomes apparent, and many people fall asleep while eating, with a fragrant meat bun still in their mouths.

The bruised and battered sheep shank swallowed seven fist-sized buns before lighting a cigarette and enjoying it.

It had been a long time since we had eaten wild food. The meat buns and hot porridge that were urgently sent from the rear were a delicacy. After the meal, we would have smoked a cigarette and not want to trade it for anything.

Platoon leader Yin Qiucheng came over, Yang Guai shook him off with one of his arms, and then asked:

"How many brothers are left?"

Yin Qiucheng took several deep breaths to briefly numb his nerves before speaking:

"Forty-two seriously wounded soldiers were sent down. All the able-bodied men in the company are here, 91 in total!"

133 men! The full strength before the battle was 208 men. 75 men were killed or went missing. More than half of them were seriously wounded or killed. This does not include the lightly wounded.

The half-smoked cigarette that Yang Guai was holding slipped to the ground. The Second Company had never suffered such heavy casualties before; it was even worse than Nanjing.

Yin Qiucheng continued to smoke in silence. The isolated battalion was at the forefront, suffering the heaviest casualties in the entire division.

Since taking on the heavy responsibility at Sihang Warehouse, the Lone Army Battalion has always been at the forefront of every battle, fighting countless battles, and few of its original brothers remain.

Yang Guai didn't want to say a few polite words to comfort his old friend, so he swallowed the words back down. At this moment, any words would be superfluous.

He pulled the cigarette pack out of his pocket again and found there was only one cigarette left. After putting it in his mouth, he casually crumpled the shrunken cardboard box into a ball, clenching it tightly until the veins on the back of his hand bulged.

Neither of them spoke again, neither wanting to disturb the rare tranquility.

There were no gunshots, no life-or-death battles. The soldiers, survivors of countless battles, lay sprawled about, the sunlight shining lazily on the ruins.

"Chirp—Boom!"

A shell streaked across the sky and crashed heavily to the ground, instantly creating a deep crater.

Calibration rounds!

Yang Guai's pupils suddenly contracted, and he screamed in terror:

"Enemy attack—take cover!"

Wan Guoliang scrambled to his feet, grabbed his gun, and swiftly rushed towards the tunnel entrance. Even when jolted awake from his sleep, he could find a place to save his life in the first instant.

Wan Guoliang darted into the tunnel in two quick steps, consciously hiding himself to avoid blocking the way for others.

A large number of shells are about to fall; every second counts!

Before everyone could find cover, shells rained down from the sky, turning the world upside down.

Almost all the survivors of the isolated battalion were veterans, and they all had their own ways of survival. Even if they couldn't get into the artillery shelter, they would shrink into the shell crater and leave their lives to fate.

The shelling continued relentlessly for two hours, during which the Tiger Army artillery group also returned fire, making its presence felt.

Many houses were reduced to ruins, but no one was so heartbroken as to feel sad; survival was the top priority.

Outside the city gate, at the starting position, a group of Japanese soldiers were confidently conducting a ceremony, their commander spitting as he spoke:

"Warriors, the time has come to shed your blood for the holy war. His Majesty is watching you from afar."

Charge forward and kill all the Chinese—thrust!

The emotions of the cannon fodder were instantly ignited, and they shouted in unison:

"Itaiya!"

"His Majesty the Emperor Itaya!"

The Japanese soldiers poured into the city with murderous intent. Yang Guai roared from inside the artillery shelter:

"The Japanese devils are coming! Let's fucking kill them!"