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

On the outer perimeter of the 103rd Brigade, volleys of shells rained down from the sky, destroying semi-open earthworks and leveling trenches. Many Japanese soldiers were killed or wounded, and many more were buried by the collapsed trenches.

The cavalry regiment's attack gave the Japanese a big "surprise." They never expected the cavalry to have so many artillery pieces. Caught off guard, their defenses were too weak. Relying on a single trench and a company of Japanese soldiers was nothing short of wishful thinking.

The squadron responsible for the outer defense line was stunned by the bombardment. Before they could react, the thunderous sound of horses' hooves came crashing down on the artillery positions.

Sporadic gunfire erupted in a chaotic commotion, doing nothing to stop the cavalry from approaching. Such a powerful impact was beyond the capacity of a hundred or so Japanese soldiers to withstand.

Many Japanese soldiers didn't even have a chance to fire their guns. The cavalrymen charged in like a whirlwind, their sharp sabers raised high. With each swing, a round head would fall to the ground.

After the infantry lost sufficient firepower, the cavalry's natural advantage over the infantry was amplified to an extreme degree, and the battle became a one-sided massacre.

The Japanese soldiers were fleeing for their lives, but their speed was a joke in the face of the galloping warhorses. The warhorses neighed, the sabers flew, and the fleeing Japanese soldiers were cut down one by one.

A small number of remnants fled toward the core position, followed closely by the cavalry, their momentum unstoppable, their battle cries deafening.

Inside the command post, Major General Yamada completely panicked, shouting at the top of his lungs:

"Baka yarou, hold on!"

"Fire! All machine guns! Everyone, push forward! We must stop the Chinese cavalry's attack!"

"You bunch of trash, you bastards!"

The chief of staff shouted in a daze:

"General, no one expected that the Chinese cavalry would have so many cannons; even an infantry regiment wouldn't have much."

Major General Yamada raised his hand and slapped him twice, roaring:

"You bastard, what's the use of saying all this now? Can you even hold out?"

"General, the cavalry cannot cross the defensive line composed of machine guns and trenches, but the Chinese have a large number of artillery pieces. The warriors cannot hold out for long. The safest course of action is to withdraw the main force regiment and, with the help of both inside and outside forces, annihilate the Chinese cavalry."

The chief of staff's words seemed to have given Yamada a lifeline, and he immediately gave the order:

"Quickly, send a telegram to the two regiments, ordering them to rush to reinforce and cooperate with the brigade headquarters to encircle and annihilate the Chinese cavalry."

The chief of staff rushed off to call for reinforcements, but Major General Yamada was still uncertain, worried that reinforcements wouldn't arrive in time.

The Japanese soldiers in the core positions were firing wildly. The darkness gave them the greatest fear. Their only support was a few carefully prepared anti-cavalry trenches. The trenches, more than two meters wide, along with heavy machine guns and barbed wire, were a nightmare for cavalry.

As the cavalry approached the core of the Japanese positions, the intense Japanese fire cooled their feverish heads. After losing more than a dozen riders, the commander leading the breakout called a halt to the attack and retreated two or three hundred meters, disengaging from the Japanese porcupine formation.

The cavalry regiment's plan was not to rely on a cavalry charge; the best outcome would be to pursue the enemy and break through their lines as much as possible, but it wouldn't matter if they encountered strong resistance.

After inflicting heavy losses on the outer Japanese forces, the cavalry regiment had successfully compressed the Japanese defenses into a small area of ​​less than two kilometers in radius.

The Japanese soldiers huddled in the trenches, trembling with fear. They pinned their hopes on reinforcements, thinking that if they held out for just one more hour, the reinforcements would arrive.

At the entrance to Ishigaki, Colonel Shinji Satomi had received a telegram from the brigade headquarters and was greatly shocked, but he was still unwilling to withdraw his troops.

"Could there be a conspiracy here? The Chinese are using a tactic of attacking Wei to rescue Zhao; it's too obvious!"

The senior staff officer agreed with Colonel Nosato's assessment, but he still expressed his own thoughts:

"Commander, the General's safety is of utmost importance, and we cannot afford to take this risk."

Besides, Shimenkou is not going to be captured anytime soon, so it's better to do a favor and both carry out the order and get out of the predicament.

Saving the brigade headquarters is a great achievement; it's never too late to make a comeback later.

"Oh dear, it was my oversight. Immediately issue the order to halt the attack and rush back to reinforce."

After listening to advice and having a good meal, Colonel Satomi finally made up his mind, and the senior staff officer breathed a sigh of relief.

He had long since given up on fighting, and the brigade headquarters' telegram requesting reinforcements gave the 104th Regiment a reason to retreat.

Meanwhile, in the direction of Hill 203, the 65th Infantry Regiment also received orders, and after weighing the options, Liangjiaoyezuo also voluntarily abandoned the attack and led his troops back to reinforce.

Upon learning that two main regiments were returning to reinforce, Major General Yamada finally felt relieved. What reassured him most was that the guard battalion had blocked the cavalry regiment's offensive.

The chief of staff also took the opportunity to appease him, saying:

"General, the brigade headquarters is now secure. The Chinese cavalry have been kept out of the defensive line. Warhorses are ultimately made of flesh and blood; they are nothing but cannon fodder in the face of heavy machine guns."

"Now the Chinese can only rely on artillery fire. The Imperial Army has thousands of garrison troops, plus strong fortifications. Let alone a cavalry regiment, even if the entire 323rd Division were brought over, they wouldn't be able to break through the defenses in a short time."

After hearing what the chief of staff said, Major General Yamada had a new idea in mind:

"Telegram to the 104th and 65th Regiments: The brigade headquarters will hold back the Chinese cavalry. They should find a way to surround the Chinese cavalry from the outside and eliminate them from within."

Since they're here, let's not let them leave!

"Boom boom boom..."

Major General Yamada's expression changed drastically. His words were interrupted by a series of explosions as the Tiger Cavalry Regiment launched an artillery barrage on the Japanese positions.

The atmosphere in the command post became tense again, but Major General Yamada and his men remained confident that they could hold out until reinforcements arrived.

Shells rained down in rows, some of them special shells. Upon hitting the ground, they released large amounts of poison gas. The pale green smoke rolled silently and surged along the ground, enveloping the entire position under the cover of night. It crept into every blind spot of the trenches, leaving no place to hide.

Although the Japanese soldiers were equipped with a large number of gas masks, they never expected the cavalry regiment to use poison gas. They were caught off guard and by the time they realized what was happening, it was too late.

The first soldier to inhale the poison gas clutched his throat, his lungs feeling as if they were being crushed by scorching iron filings, the intense suffocation instantly gripping his body. Piercing screams echoed, shattering the deathly silence of the battlefield. The poisoned soldiers' eyes bulged and bloodshot, bloody foam constantly oozing from their mouths and noses, their throats emitting hoarse, broken gurgling sounds.

The Japanese soldiers frantically scratched their necks, tearing at their flesh, and bloody gashes quickly appeared. Some soldiers scratched their necks until the flesh was torn open, yet they still couldn't breathe. One after another, the soldiers collapsed to the ground, their bodies convulsing violently, their limbs twisting and curling uncontrollably, their fingertips digging desperately into the mud and trench walls, their nails breaking and their finger bones exposed.

In just a few breaths, the core position of the 103rd Brigade headquarters was littered with corpses. The surviving soldiers wept and writhed in agony, their strength rapidly fading away. Enveloped in thick, poisonous smoke, the entire position became a silent, deadly inferno.

The Japanese soldiers inside the command post were the last to notice; the chief of staff cried out in alarm:

"General, it's poison gas!"

Major General Yamada's pupils contracted sharply, his body went cold and stiffened, and his earlier confidence in holding out for reinforcements vanished completely. He cursed angrily:

"You idiot! I'm going to file a complaint with the League of Nations!"

"Baka! Where did they get their poison gas from?"

The chief of staff was already poisoned, but he was still shouting loudly:

"Where are the gas masks? Send them over quickly to protect the general!"

Major General Yamada was terrified at this moment. He had used poison gas the most times and knew the terrible consequences of inhaling it. He frantically tried to hold his breath and cover his mouth with his hands, but it was too late. He had inhaled enough poison gas to be fatal.

Screams echoed throughout the command room, a scene resembling hell on earth. One by one, the Japanese soldiers collapsed from poisoning. Old Japanese soldier Yamada even ripped open his own throat, his facial muscles contorted with pain. He endured the greatest suffering in the world before his death, his eyes bulging out.

Outside the position, the cavalry commander, worried that the warhorses and personnel would be exposed to poison gas, decisively ordered a retreat without even cleaning up the battlefield.

Shortly after they left, the 104th Regiment arrived first. At this time, there was still a lot of poison gas left on the position. Because it was night, the Japanese did not notice it until someone was poisoned.

The officer in charge realized something was wrong. The position was deathly silent, and the air still smelled of poison gas. The horrific sight of his comrades on the ground made him feel as if he had entered hell.

"Baka yarou! Poison gas! The brigade headquarters has been attacked with poison gas!"