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

Lieutenant General Isogai seemed to have sensed some danger, which was why he hadn't ordered reinforcements yet. He wasn't as brainless as Masao Tajima.

Instead of immediately replying to Dibujiagui, he asked a seemingly unrelated question:

"The Tiger Legion has been fighting continuously for half a month. In your opinion, how long can their supplies last?"

In modern warfare, logistics are key. Lieutenant General Isogai, after witnessing the attack on his own convoy, thought about the supplies needed by the defending troops.

Colonel Tsutsumi quickly replied:

"Commander, this is a very confusing place."

The Tiger Legion has 30,000 men. With food and supplies for both men and horses, and continuous combat, their supplies must be running low.

But judging from the last counterattack, they seem to have plenty of shells left, which is truly unbelievable.

Upon hearing Tsutsumi's words, Lieutenant General Isogai also noticed the problem: the Tiger Army did not seem to lack food and ammunition, which was illogical.

He dismissed his unrealistic fantasies. An army needs supplies before it can move. The Tiger Army has 30,000 men; Zhao Yunwen can't just conjure up food and ammunition out of thin air.

"Tsutsu-kun, there must be something we don't know about this. For example, when the main Chinese force retreated, they left the unused grain and ammunition to the rearguard Tiger Army."

"That should be the case. It is the division commander who understands this best. Now it is clear."

But these provisions and ammunition were limited, and they estimated they were almost exhausted, which is why they decided to harass the Imperial Army's supply lines and force them to withdraw!

The fact that Ti Bujia drew inferences from one instance to another confirmed the suspicion that the Tiger Army's food and ammunition were about to run out. Lieutenant General Isogai deeply agreed, and while stroking his beard thoughtfully, he said:

"Even if it's not all used up, there won't be much left. The daily consumption of 30,000 troops is no small amount."

"The embankment is not sturdy enough; this might be the decisive factor in the Imperial Army's victory!"

The two chatted back and forth, their thoughts suddenly clearing up, their worries vanishing, smiles spreading across their faces, and their spirits becoming high.

Di Bujiagui quickly devised a countermeasure:

"Your Excellency, the main force of the Chinese army has retreated to the west and south, effectively abandoning Zheng County and shifting its strategic focus to Jiangcheng."

The Chinese government can no longer supply the Tiger Army; their resources are dwindling with each use. Now, there are two options to choose from.

Lieutenant General Isogai was not angry at Tsutsumi's cryptic remarks, but instead gave him face and adopted a humble attitude of seeking advice.

"As expected of a top student who graduated from Lu University, Mr. Ti Bujun has come up with two strategies in such a short time. I would like to hear more about them."

Di Bujiagui said in a showy manner:

"The middle strategy is to reinforce troops, intensify the offensive, and accelerate the consumption of Tiger Legion's supplies. It is estimated that the outcome will be clear in a few days."

The advantage of this strategy is that it can lead to a swift victory, but its disadvantage is also obvious: the Imperial Army will suffer heavy casualties.

Lieutenant General Isogai said very cooperatively:

"Alright, that's a middle-of-the-road strategy. Surely there's a better one?"

Di Bujiagui straightened his chest and said:

"Indeed, the best strategy is to encircle them without attacking, and wait for the Tiger Army to run out of food."

"At that point, they'll be like a starving tiger, too weak to move. They'll abandon the city and flee without the Imperial Army even needing to attack. Then the Imperial Army can pursue them relentlessly and cripple the Tiger Army with minimal losses!"

Lieutenant General Isogai's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed in admiration:

"This plan is brilliant. It can not only severely damage the Tiger Army, but also reduce the casualties of our warriors. It only takes time."

The Imperial Army has plenty of time!

Lieutenant General Isogai finally made up his mind. As for the 10th Regiment, he had already thought it through; he would simply withdraw from it.

Just as Lieutenant General Isogai was preparing to order the withdrawal of the 10th Regiment, a sudden burst of gunfire erupted ahead, and the deputy chief of staff rushed over to report:

"Your Excellency, the Chinese suddenly launched a flank attack on the 10th Regiment from the south of the city, and the defending troops on the front responded in kind, making the offensive extremely fierce."

Tajima-kun called requesting tactical guidance!

"Baka yarou, how long has it been, and they can't hold on anymore?"

"Useless, a bunch of useless trash!"

Lieutenant General Isogai's good mood was completely ruined, and his rhythm was disrupted.

The 10th Regiment can withdraw voluntarily, but it cannot be defeated in this way, as it would trigger an uncontrollable chain reaction.

The army was in complete disarray, and Lieutenant General Isogai dared not take the risk.

We need reinforcements! We must hold on!

"Hurry up!"

Lieutenant General Isogai roared at the top of his lungs, and Tsutsumi Kagi hurriedly went to give the order: reinforcements were needed as quickly as possible.

The first reinforcements sent up were the 63rd Infantry Regiment, which, along with the 10th Infantry Regiment, belonged to the 33rd Infantry Brigade, also known as the famous Setani Brigade.

The Setani Brigade was almost completely wiped out at Taierzhuang. After several months of replenishment and rest, its combat strength has been restored, at least on the surface.

Inside the city, the resounding bugle calls echoed through the sky, while the sounds of gunfire and shouts of battle shook the heavens.

The 322nd Division's counterattack was perfectly timed. The 10th Infantry Regiment was on the front line, and it was locked in a fierce battle with the 648th Regiment of the 324th Division.

With its organizational structure and command in disarray, and its soldiers and teachers in decline, the Japanese had virtually no chance to fight back when the 649th Regiment, a fresh force, launched a powerful attack from the flank.

The balance was broken, and defeat was imminent.

The 648th Regiment on the front also sounded their bugles, shouting slogans as they advanced from west to east.

The 649th Regiment, like a sharp ox-horn knife, cut the Japanese in half, and then sent out a battalion to chase after them.

The main force, together with the brothers of the 648th Regiment, encircled and annihilated the Japanese troops who had been cut off.

The 649th Regiment's tactics were very pragmatic: eliminate as many groups as possible.

The remaining Japanese soldiers of the 10th Regiment were chased all the way by the pursuers and fled eastward for their lives.

When the fleeing soldiers were driven to the city wall, the 63rd Regiment of reinforcements arrived, and artillery shells followed.

In an attempt to stabilize their position, the ruthless Japanese soldiers resorted to indiscriminate artillery fire, using artillery fire to halt the defenders' pursuit.

The effect was indeed good, but some Japanese soldiers were killed, and the pursuing troops were also bombed and had to stop to avoid the shells.

After the 3rd Battalion of the 649th Regiment ceased its pursuit, it switched to defense on the spot, buying time for the main force to encircle and annihilate the Japanese troops within the encirclement.

The 10th Regiment had become a frightened bird, and the remaining soldiers, under the machine gun fire of the 63rd Regiment, changed sides and fled to escape.

The 63rd Infantry Regiment successfully took over the battlefield, and due to its ruthless tactics, it was not affected by the retreating soldiers.

The Japanese commander, thinking of taking advantage of the chaos to counterattack the defending troops, ordered the vanguard battalion to continue advancing westward, which led to a collision with the 3rd Battalion of the 649th Regiment.

The Third Battalion was already on high alert, with light and heavy machine guns lined up and firing, bullets raining down on the Japanese soldiers like a storm.

A large number of Japanese soldiers who charged ahead fell, and the Japanese soldiers behind them finally calmed down and began to seek cover to fight back.

The Japanese counterattack was contained by the Third Battalion. The two sides fired at each other at a distance of about 100 meters, and both sides suffered casualties.

Behind the Third Battalion, the hundreds of Japanese soldiers who had been cut off were at their wits' end. The remaining soldiers were surrounded in a small area, and any grenade thrown at them could kill several Japanese soldiers.

Major Nakata's face was covered in gunpowder smoke, and his triangular eyes were bloodshot. He was surrounded by only a hundred or so men, completely exposed.

As the defending troops prepared for their final attack, Major Nakata, unwilling to die in obscurity, immediately drew his sword and roared fiercely:

"Warriors, soldiers of the Empire must never be taken prisoner; they must die on the way to victory."

The time has come to serve Your Majesty. Join me in attacking the Chinese.

"Your Majesty the Emperor, be prepared! Seriously!"

The remnants of the Japanese soldiers drove the demons mad, and they shouted "Banzai!" before charging towards the defending troops' positions with bayonets in hand.

Facing them was the 1st Battalion of the 648th Regiment. Seeing the Japanese soldiers practically delivering themselves to their doom, the one-armed battalion commander, Qin Haitao, coldly shouted:

"Open fire! Send those sons of bitches to hell!"

In the past, he would have definitely raised his broadsword to meet the Japanese soldiers, but now he doesn't dare.

Commander Wang had warned him long ago that if he dared to act recklessly again, he would be dismissed from his battalion command and sent to the division headquarters to be fed horses.

Qin Haitao wasn't stupid, so he would use a gun instead of a knife whenever possible.

The battalion opened fire with full force, using light and heavy machine guns, rifles, and submachine guns to fiercely sweep the Japanese troops.

The Japanese soldiers fell in rows, and Major Nakata, who was at the forefront, was riddled with bullets.

The gunfire only stopped when the last Japanese soldier was killed; the entire battalion had used up tens of thousands of bullets.

They traded tens of thousands of bullets for over a hundred Japanese soldiers. If Zhao Yunwen knew this, he would definitely scold them for being spendthrifts.

"We must clean up the battlefield; not a single one can escape!"