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

"You idiots, you're all useless, a bunch of useless trash!"

"If you can't even break through a small stone gate, what use are you to the Empire?"

Colonel Shinji Satomi gave the several battalion commanders a severe dressing-down, and no one dared to say a word.

"Baka yarou, are you mute? Speak up!"

Major Nishimura, the battalion commander, was the first to step forward and speak:

"Commander, the Chinese have too many mortars, especially the M2 light mortars, which have a range of over two kilometers and pose a huge threat to light and heavy machine guns."

I roughly counted, there were twenty or thirty of them. They could either concentrate their firepower or be used separately. The Imperial Army's machine guns would be destroyed after only a few bursts of fire.

In addition, the Chinese also had a large number of snipers. In just a few hours, the Nishimura Battalion lost two company commanders, five squad leaders, four executive officers, and nearly half of its machine gunners, grenade launchers, and sergeants of all ranks were killed or wounded.

If this continues, all the officers and veterans will be wiped out. How can we continue fighting then?

The Second Battalion, which was the main force in the attack, suffered the most casualties, including the pain of seppuku. The other two battalions also suffered considerable losses.

"What?! A sniper? Are you sure those backward Chinese have a sniper?!"

The senior staff officer said solemnly:

"The defenders at Shimenkou are very strange, not only in their bizarre tactics, but also in their unique equipment."

The Imperial Army possessed a diverse array of equipment, including 75mm mountain guns, Type 92 infantry guns, Browning heavy and light machine guns, Czech-made light machine guns, French Brown 81mm mortars, and American-made 60mm M2 mortars and Springfield sniper rifles. While varied, these weapons seemed to effectively counter the Imperial Army's equipment in actual combat, rendering our efforts ineffective.

Major Nishimura added that there were also a large number of German-made submachine guns and M1 Garand semi-automatic rifles, which are considered advanced equipment in active service in Europe and America.

By the way, on Hill 203, there are also more than a dozen Schneider M1923 mountain guns. They have a long range and high accuracy, and can even hit the docks east of the river. They can hit farther than the Imperial Army's mountain guns!

After listening, the crowd whispered among themselves, mostly saying that the woman was too difficult to deal with and they were at a loss.

Colonel Satomi is on the verge of losing his temper. These people only raise questions, no one offers solutions, and their endless chatter is infuriating.

"Baka yarou, are you still the warriors of the Empire? These miscellaneous goods from all over the world are nothing compared to the Empire's powerful industrial strength."

I will request another air support from the division headquarters, and the artillery regiment will also assist. Let's see what a true industrial powerhouse looks like!

Major Nishimura's eyes lit up, and he immediately began to flatter him:

"The wing commander has the best ideas. The stone gate is full of field fortifications, which cannot withstand the bombardment of heavy aerial bombs."

"As long as we bomb the Chinese positions to the ground, all those international goods will be destroyed. That's what you call overwhelming force!"

The other battalion commanders echoed this sentiment and volunteered for the mission, as it was a chance to reap the rewards without lifting a finger, and no one wanted to fall behind.

Colonel Shinji Satomi then turned his gaze to the senior staff officer:

"Quickly, request tactical guidance from the division headquarters!"

"Hai! Commander, please wait a moment. I'll go call for help right away. It would be best to use incendiary bombs to burn the Chinese positions to ashes."

After the senior staff officer finished speaking, he hurried away, and the battalion commanders were also full of anticipation for the upcoming battle.

Two hours later, Zhao Yunwen's minimap was covered with dense black dots, dozens of them, coming from the southeast, indicating a large-scale operation.

These are all warplanes from the Central China Army, which usually bomb large cities like Jiangcheng. This time, they've come to the little-known Shimenkou because of Prince Renyan's influence.

"You son of a bitch, you really think highly of me! You think you can bully me because I can't do anything to you?"

Zhao Yunwen then called the system:

"Which two types of fighter planes did the Japanese use? Could the P-38 Lightning fighter defeat them?"

[Host, the main force of the Japanese is the Type 96 carrier-based aircraft, with 24 of them. The rest are Type 98 dive bombers, with a speed of 410 kilometers per hour and a bomb load of 300 to 450 kilograms, for a total of 48 aircraft.]

The P-38 was a fighter jet from the early 1940s, a generation ahead of the Type 96 carrier-based fighter, with superior performance in every aspect—completely outclassing it!

Zhao Yunwen now felt more confident. He had considered using the Soviet-made Il-16, which would be easier to fool the Japanese, but then decided against it.

The Il-16's performance advantage is not obvious, he immediately said:

"System, lease two squadrons of 48 Lightning fighters. One squadron will handle the escort fighters, and the other squadron will destroy the bombers. Is that enough?"

[No problem, the Air Force's fighter jets have a much higher generational combat capability than the Army's. 24 against 24, the advantage is on our side!]

The system was clearly mocking him, and Zhao Yunwen immediately retorted:

"Get out of here and get to work!"

[Host, just you wait! Not a single one will be spared!]

Zhao Yunwen was still very confident in the combat capabilities of the P-38 Lightning fighter group. The "Type 96 Attack" was a product of the Japanese in the 1930s. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, due to the outbreak of the World War, military technology was stimulated by the needs of war and advanced by leaps and bounds, advancing by one step every year and a "generation" every five years, completely overwhelming them.

Thirty kilometers southeast of Fujinshan, a group of P-38 fighter jets emerged from the clouds and intercepted the Japanese aircraft like gods descending to earth, and the two sides immediately engaged in air combat.

The battle was a foregone conclusion, a one-sided massacre. Japanese planes fell from the sky like dumplings being dropped into a pot, and Type 98 dive bombers scattered like chicks in the face of an eagle, only to be easily caught up by the "Lightning" bombers, which could travel at speeds exceeding 600 kilometers per hour, and then blown up with their machine guns.

24 "Lightning" bombers pursued 48 bombers, and the advantage was in our hands. In the end, they were all shot down under Zhao Yunwen's watchful eye.

Zhao Yunwen muttered to himself:

"These contribution points were well spent!"

He had been holding back his actions, waiting to make a big move. The Central China Army only had a little over 300 aircraft deployed in the Battle of Jiangcheng, and in this battle, 72 of them were destroyed. That was enough to make the old Japanese devil, Tsukuru Junliu, feel the pinch.

As for whether the Japanese would notice something was wrong, he no longer cared. After all, things in the air are unpredictable and no one can say for sure.

[Host, mission complete. 72 enemy aircraft shot down, 107 pilots and crew members killed, 24 aircraft deployed, total time taken 67 minutes.]

Does anyone object to deducting 36000 contribution points?

Zhao Yunwen said with great dissatisfaction:

"Why are you always a few minutes late? I suspect you're using precise timing."

Is there any evidence?

"There's no evidence."

[Host, why are you slandering someone without any evidence?]

Zhao Yunwen was speechless. The cold system voice sounded again:

[Silence indicates no objection. 36000 contribution points will be deducted, leaving a current balance of 1792700 points.]

Zhao Yunwen waved it away, not wanting to get worked up over the system. He was used to the system's precise score control every time.

At the 103rd Brigade headquarters, Major General Yamada failed to see the "Air Warrior" he was looking forward to. He sent multiple telegrams urging him to arrive, but was eventually scolded by Division Commander Ogisu Ritsuhei.

The general idea is that without air warriors, we can't fight a war.

Major General Yamada was extremely frustrated, but finally the chief of staff persuaded him:

"General, aircraft are needed on every battlefield right now, so it's normal that the small Shimenkou area doesn't attract much attention. Fortunately, the division commander has promised to provide more artillery support, which should meet our needs."

Major General Yamada's expression softened, and he said to the Chief of Staff:

"Immediately send a telegram to Satomi Shinji and Ryokaku Gyodo, and launch a general offensive at 2 PM. The mountain artillery regiment will provide them with the strongest firepower support."

The 104th Infantry Regiment launched the main attack on Shimenkou, while the 65th Infantry Regiment dispatched two infantry battalions to attack Yangjialing on the flank. After capturing it, they were to directly attack Hill 203 and make sure to destroy the Chinese artillery positions.

Leave an infantry battalion to protect the brigade headquarters. The Chinese have a large number of cavalry hidden on the northern front; take appropriate precautions to prevent the brigade headquarters from being attacked.

As orders were issued, Yamada finally lost patience and decided to launch a full-scale attack on the 323rd Division's defensive line.

The troop movement of five entire infantry battalions could not be kept secret from the 323rd Division's informants, and the Japanese did not intend to hide it either; it was basically an open secret.

Intelligence gradually reached the command center, and even Qiu Fengzi had figured it out, saying with certainty:

"Commander, the Japanese are going all out; they're coming on strong!"

Zhao Yunwen calmly and composedly said:

"When soldiers come, we will block them; when water comes, we will dam it. It's just an infantry brigade; the 323rd Division can hold it off."

Telegram to the 645th and 646th Regiments: Make sure to keep the Japanese troops on the position. If necessary, the position in the Yangjialing direction can be abandoned, allowing the Japanese troops to enter, and then retreat to Hill 203.

The same applies to the Shimenkou position. Before nightfall, they gave the Japanese a taste of victory, then abandoned the first and second lines of defense and retreated to the core position.

After dark, the cavalry regiment will launch a flank attack on the outer defenses of Yamada's brigade headquarters, forcing them to retreat to a radius of two kilometers. Then, they will use the captured 90mm mortars to deliver a big gift to the Japanese...