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

At Shimenkou, the general offensive began as scheduled, with shells raining down, flames raging, and thick smoke billowing into the sky.

The Japanese used a large number of incendiary bombs, mixed with high-explosive bombs and poison gas bombs, as if they wanted to wipe the defending troops' positions off the map.

The trenches were destroyed in sections, and the anti-artillery bunkers were hit directly from time to time, burying the soldiers hiding inside alive. Some soldiers were set on fire by incendiary bombs, letting out painful screams. War showed its most terrible side.

The mountain artillery battalion on Hill 203 then launched a counterattack. Despite being outnumbered, they dealt a heavy blow to the Japanese artillery, almost overwhelming the Japanese with more than thirty artillery pieces.

After losing five or six artillery pieces in succession, the Japanese hastily ended their bombardment and fled in disarray. The Schneider mountain guns once again demonstrated their might, crushing the Japanese small-caliber artillery.

Considering that the Japanese division headquarters still had 105mm mountain guns, the mountain artillery battalion only fired a dozen rounds before moving away. The Japanese artillerymen's plan failed, and by the time their shells landed, the mountain artillery battalion was already hundreds of meters away.

The Japanese artillery preparations did not have the desired effect, but the infantry offensive still proceeded as scheduled. More than two thousand infantrymen almost filled the front line, and the hillside was covered with yellowish-brown figures.

The 646th Regiment Commander, Sui Youlan, remained calm, as if the swarms of Japanese soldiers, as dense as locusts, were as weak as chickens and dogs. He coldly gave the order:

"Fire!! Twelve rapid-fire rounds to shatter the Japanese devils' arrogance!!"

The twelve cannons of the directly subordinate artillery company were already prepared, their dark muzzles pointed at the Japanese soldiers on the hillside. They were deployed on an unnamed hill to the southwest, waiting for orders from the regimental headquarters.

The Japanese skirmishers were advancing rapidly when artillery shells arrived unexpectedly, instantly exploding among the crowd. Clusters of flames engulfed the fragile carbon-based creatures, each explosion blasting out large swathes of them.

With the arrow already on the bowstring, the Japanese soldiers could only silently endure the onslaught, charging forward under heavy fire, their comrades being torn to pieces from time to time.

"Baka yarou, how come the Chinese have so many cannons?"

There were more than a dozen artillery pieces on Hill 203 in the northwest, and now more than a dozen more have appeared in the southwest, which has made Major General Yamada, who is making a desperate gamble, somewhat vulnerable.

The chief of staff could only comfort him by saying:

"General, these are all Type 92 infantry guns and Imperial-made 75mm mountain guns. They should have been captured by the Tiger Army. There are definitely not many shells, so they can't fire more than a few rounds."

The Chinese have used all their artillery to block our advance, which means they have reached their limit. If we continue the attack, we will definitely defeat the 323rd Division!

Major General Yamada said through gritted teeth:

"The Tiger Army has thoroughly enraged me. I'm telling the warriors, the Yamada Brigade doesn't need any prisoners; wipe them all out!"

This was a life-or-death struggle between two Eastern nations, a contest of resilience. The artillery fire could not stop the Japanese advance; the blood of their comrades only drove them to greater frenzy.

Machine gun fire erupted, dozens of jets of fire like the Grim Reaper's scythe, efficiently reaping the lives of the Japanese soldiers.

With a force of over two thousand, the death of two or three hundred wouldn't scare the Japanese soldiers; they continued to charge forward recklessly.

As the distance between the two sides increased, more and more short-range weapons joined the battle, greatly increasing the firepower density, which could no longer be overcome by sheer numbers.

The Japanese infantry could only lie obediently on the ground; those who were stubborn had already become corpses, or were curled up on the hillside struggling in pain.

The scene was one of utter devastation, with countless corpses lying scattered everywhere.

Colonel Shinji Satomi's smile vanished. If angry glares could kill, the defending troops' positions would have been razed to the ground long ago.

"Baka yarou, why haven't the Chinese supplies been affected?"

This was something that Colonel Satomi couldn't understand. They had been fighting for five or six days, and the defenders seemed to have an endless supply of ammunition. Anyone would be apprehensive in that situation.

The senior staff officer continued, "..."

"Commander, the Tiger Army uses imported weapons and has a large number of automatic weapons. Their ammunition consumption rate is far higher than that of bolt-action rifles. They won't last much longer; they've already reached their limit."

Logistics supplies don't just appear out of thin air; even if they were well-prepared, at this rate of consumption, they're almost at their limit.

Shinji Satomi wholeheartedly agreed, his expression softened considerably, and his resolve hardened.

"Then let our warriors keep wearing down the Chinese ammunition. Be patient, wear them down slowly. Once they run out of ammunition, they'll be lambs to the slaughter!"

The Japanese commander at the front of the defending troops thought the same thing. Instead of charging blindly, they lay on the ground and fought at a loss, letting the bullets fly for a while longer.

At 3:30 PM, a breakthrough was achieved in the Yangjialing direction, and several hundred defending troops fled in disarray. Liang Jiaoye finally regained his confidence, but it was his senior staff officer who cautiously reminded him:

"Commander, there's something fishy going on here. The Chinese only have a few hundred men; there's no reason for them to be routed. It's not like the Tiger Legion's style."

Eager to prove himself, the two horns wouldn't listen and impatiently said:

"It's perfectly normal that a few hundred remnants couldn't stop the attack of two battalions of the Ghost Army. Yangjialing is the gateway to Hill 203; we must seize this opportunity and pursue them quickly!"

"Don't let the Chinese artillery escape; I've got my eye on their Schneider artillery!"

After finishing his speech, Ryokaku Yosaku laughed triumphantly. He had been suppressing his emotions to the extreme and desperately needed a great victory to boost his morale.

On Hill 203, Li Xikai, the commander of the 645th Regiment, lowered his binoculars. The soldiers of the Second Battalion had performed admirably; it was their turn next.

The Japanese target was the mountain artillery battalion, the most precious asset of the entire Tiger Army, which could not be lost.

The command only gave them orders that the artillery could not withdraw too far. This was bait; otherwise, Hill 203 would be worthless, and the Japanese would not have sent a large force to fight it to the death.

Thinking of this, he said to the chief of staff:

"Let the artillery fire a few rounds first, then use firepower to intercept!"

The chief of staff accepted the order and left. Not long after, the regimental artillery company began firing at the Japanese, killing and wounding many of them.

The Japanese soldiers of the 65th Regiment became more and more excited as they pursued, and even the bombardment of twelve artillery pieces could not extinguish their fervor. They were determined to capture Hill 203.

After paying a certain price, the Japanese finally reached the foot of Hill 203, which attracted intense firepower and killed a large number of the Japanese soldiers who charged ahead.

The remaining forces hastily retreated, breaking off contact, until the main force arrived.

The Japanese troops began to deploy their forces and make serious preparations for the attack. They had to take the strength displayed by the defenders of Hill 203 seriously.

At 4:30 p.m., the attack began, following the same old routine: artillery bombardment followed by infantry assault.

Although Hill 203 is not large, its cross-section is several hundred meters wide, with two small hills connected on the left and right. To outflank the hills from the valleys on both sides, one must first capture the hills.

The 2nd Battalion of the 645th Regiment, which had previously suffered a defeat at Yangjialing, retreated to the mountains on both sides. Together with the original garrison, their strength was considerable, with an average of three infantry companies and one artillery company on each hill.

The main force on Hill 203 in the central route consisted of the 1st Infantry Battalion, the regimental artillery company, and the mountain artillery battalion, with a company from the 3rd Infantry Battalion as a reserve force.

The 645th Regiment was the first to arrive in the Fujinshan area. After arriving, they began to repair fortifications. After several days of work, systematic earthworks were built on Hill 203 and the hills on both sides, with trenches, anti-artillery shelters, and ample food and ammunition.

Liangjiaoye took over command, and as soon as the artillery fire spread, he couldn't wait to issue the order for the infantry to attack.

The first battalion was in the center, the second battalion was on the flanks, and the third battalion served as a reserve, with artillery providing support – a fairly standard operation.

The First Battalion had been completely wiped out at Yangjialing. Afterwards, veterans were drawn from two other battalions to form a framework. After receiving reinforcements from the division headquarters, the battalion was restored to its original structure. Battalion Commander Major Kamei was eager to turn the tide and personally led the charge.

More than 700 Japanese soldiers formed two attack echelons, with machine gun companies and infantry artillery platoons providing fire support from one kilometer away.

Most of the Japanese soldiers were supplementary troops and supply troops. Their tactical skills were different from those of field troops. The supplementary troops had only come from the mainland before the war and were all misled by the public opinion on the island.

Mochizuki Jiro was only seventeen years old and had previously been a middle school student. He always believed that victory in the holy war was in sight, so he always held his chest high when charging forward, and his eyes were full of contempt as he looked at the cautious veterans.

"A bunch of cowards! Where did that bullying attitude they usually have for new recruits go?"

Gunfire erupted from the hilltop in an instant. Caught off guard, a large number of Japanese soldiers were shot down. Private First Class Mochizuki hurriedly lay down and luckily escaped the attack.