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

Fujinshan, 71st Army Headquarters

The Japanese offensive had just ended, but it was still weak and ineffective. The 36th Division on the front had hardly faced any pressure, and the 88th Division was merely going through the motions. The reserve 61st Division had not yet been deployed. Song Yingguo had never fought such an easy battle before.

He knew the reason better than anyone else, Chief of Staff Chen Sunong said excitedly:

"Commander, we've figured it out. Senior Zhao's side has won another great victory. We just received the battle report forwarded by the 323rd Division."

The commotion that occurred last night on the west bank of the Shi River was due to a cavalry raid on the headquarters of the 103rd Infantry Brigade, which killed over two thousand men, including the brigade commander, Major General Yamada.

As fate would have it, the cavalry regiment's shells luckily hit the Japanese poison gas depot, detonating a large number of poison gas shells.

The Japanese soldiers, caught completely off guard in the darkness, were all poisoned to death by the leaking gas from their own quarters.

The crowd cheered. The Yamada Brigade's reputation was already well-known, and their atrocities in China even surpassed those of the infamous Kumamoto Division.

Song Yingguo also happily said:

"The Yamada Brigade deserved what they got; it was just a matter of time! Everyone says Instructor Liu is a lucky general, and now it seems Brother Yunwen is just as deserving."

Since Brother Yunwen led the 323rd Division to take over the defense of the northern front, they have undertaken almost 60% of the offensive operations and annihilated more than 70% of the enemy forces. One has to admire them!

In fact, 70% of the information was already kept secret, but it was rare for Song Yingguo to say it personally, as it concerned the 71st Army's war achievements and reputation.

"Commander, with the 323rd Division holding the enemy at the flank, the battle for my 71st Army at Fujinshan on the southern front is much easier. The Japanese have been clearly just going through the motions these past few days, sending only three to five hundred men each time, resulting in minimal casualties on both sides."

Chen Sunong told the truth. He used to think that Zhao Yunwen's fame was all hype, but now he admired him from the bottom of his heart.

Song Yingguo said in a relaxed tone:

"Now it's easy to explain. The Japanese suffered such a big loss last night, so they're naturally listless today. Brothers, you can relax a bit, but we can't be careless."

The Japanese were determined to take Fujin Mountain. If they ran into a wall on the northern front, they might shift their main attack to the southern front.

The telegram instructed the 36th and 88th Divisions to take advantage of the Japanese army's distraction from the southern front and to quickly restore the fortifications destroyed by artillery fire. It also instructed them to learn from the 323rd Division and to dig more anti-artillery tunnels on the reverse slopes and foxholes inside the trenches.

I have decided to select some key personnel from each division to go to the 323rd Division to learn from their experience. Don't be shy; humbly learn defensive warfare from the Tiger Army. Nothing is more important than saving your life.

At this point, I will personally coordinate with Brother Yunwen. Given our brotherly relationship, he shouldn't refuse. Chief of Staff, you are in charge of implementing this.

In particular, the 61st Division, which serves as a reserve force, could send more personnel to exchange and learn from them.

He had barely finished speaking when the communications director strode in and loudly reported:

"Commander, an urgent telegram from Commander Bai!"

Chief of Staff Chen Sunong immediately took it, signed for it, and handed it to Song Yingguo, saying as he did so:

"Commander Bai is raising the bar for us; his demands are quite high!"

After reading it, Song Yingguo's expression turned serious, and he murmured in a low voice:

"Commander, should we speak with Commander Zhao?"

Song Yingguo shook his head and said:

"There's no need. If Brother Yunwen were afraid of fighting the Japanese to the death, he wouldn't have brought the main force to reinforce us. Our 71st Army can't afford to be inferior."

"Reply to Commander Bai, saying that my 71st Army is determined to defend the Fujinshan defense line to the death; we will hold the position as long as we are here!"

Chen Sunong nodded emphatically and said:

"The commander is absolutely right. When our 30,000 soldiers of the 71st Army took on the heavy responsibility of defending Fujinshan, we never thought of leaving alive; we were determined to fight to the death!"

"Chief of Staff Chen, forward the orders from the headquarters to all divisions, and report the great victory of the 323rd Division in annihilating the Yamada Brigade together to boost morale."

Tell the brothers, our 71st Army is the Nanjing Guard Force, we cannot be outdone by the Tiger Army!

Inside Lu'an City, the headquarters of the Japanese Second Army was brightly lit, with battle maps spread across a long table, and the sound of staff officers running back and forth could be heard constantly.

Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko, dressed in a general's uniform, exuded an barely suppressed anxiety as he pointed his finger sharply at the mark of Mount Fujin on the map.

"The 13th Division has fought fiercely for many days, but still cannot break through the Fujin Mountain defense line! The Chinese army's resistance is unexpectedly tenacious. The Yamada Brigade headquarters was ambushed by Chinese cavalry and a special bomb was detonated, resulting in the sacrifice of Mr. Yamada and thousands of brave warriors for His Majesty. The losses at the front are extremely heavy, and this stalemate cannot continue."

Standing to the side, Chief of Staff Major General Ryoki Machijiri bowed and spoke with a restrained tone of advice, his expression solemn.

"Your Highness, the mountainous terrain on the northern slopes of the Dabie Mountains is extremely unfavorable to the Imperial Army. The Chinese defenders rely on high ground fortifications, and the suddenly appearing Tiger Cavalry is constantly harassing us from the outside, so our flanks are never at peace. If we continue to launch a relentless attack, the losses of the 13th Division will be further exacerbated."

We should temporarily regroup our troops and wait for all reinforcements to arrive before launching a general offensive.

Prince Higashikuni turned around abruptly, his voice rising several decibels:

"Wait? The Imperial Army has no time! The General Headquarters and the Central China Expeditionary Army are both hoping for a breakthrough on the northern front. The timetable for the Battle of Jiangcheng cannot be delayed. Commander Hata Shunroku has urged us repeatedly. How can we stand still and watch the opportunity slip away?"

Machijiri Ryoki frowned, continuing to argue his case logically:

"But Your Highness, our warriors have suffered heavy casualties, and our repeated charges have only resulted in a devastated front line. Even if we capture Fujinshan, our troops will lose the momentum to continue advancing towards Shangcheng and Xinyang."

Prince Higashikuni, his face grim, interrupted the chief of staff.

"We can't delay any longer in the direction of Fujinshan; we must reinforce them! Order the 16th Division to reinforce immediately, and the 13th Division to maintain the offensive and not give the Chinese a chance to breathe."

Once reinforcements arrive, concentrate all forces to crush the Chinese defenses at Fujinsan. I will take full responsibility.

Machijiri Ryoki's lips moved, as if he wanted to persuade him again, but seeing the prince's unyielding expression, he could only lower his head and raise his hand in a salute.

"Yes, Your Majesty! I will go and make sure it is done right away. I will not let the new king down again."

At the Central China Expeditionary Army Headquarters, General Hata Shunroku, unable to contain his anger, roared:

"Damn it, a bunch of useless idiots! They've lost a full seventy-two fighter jets and still haven't found any useful information about the Chinese aircraft. Are their intelligence departments all incompetent?"

Major General Masazo Kawabe, the Chief of Staff, said in a deep voice:

"It's not just the losses of the air force; the 13th Division suffered heavy casualties due to the prolonged siege of Fujinsan and Shangcheng on the northern front, and Major General Yamada even died for His Majesty."

Hata Shunroku was mature and steady in character, always cautious in his actions, not fanatical or reckless, and he valued the losses of his troops.

Kawabe Masazo, as his deputy, was known for his pragmatism, was proficient in intelligence and logistics, and was well aware of the disadvantages of mountain warfare. He reported the true casualties on the northern front to Hata Shunroku without excessive concealment.

"King Riverside, how much do you know about the Tiger Army and General Zhao Yunwen?"

As the commander of an army group, Hata Shunroku was not considered a worthy opponent by generals like Zhao Yunwen and Song Yingguo. His opponents had to be at least theater commanders, not even army group commanders.

Kawabe Masashi was an expert in intelligence. Although he hadn't obtained information about the mysterious aircraft group in a short time, so he changed the subject, he still knew a lot about Zhao Yunwen and said in a deep voice:

"Lieutenant General Zhao Yunwen graduated from the first class of the Whampoa Military Academy and has now become a pillar of the Chinese resistance. He is only thirty years old and has risen to power very quickly. Just a year ago, he was only a colonel and the head of the security regiment. He rose to his position by stepping over the corpses of the Imperial Army."

He was an extreme nationalist, cruel by nature, a recognized tactical mastermind, and a veteran of countless battles with an undefeated record.

It is said that Zhao Yunwen's father was a senior official of the Chinese government. He studied in the empire in his early years, then abandoned politics for business and is now the head of the Zhao Group in the United States.

Because of their overseas background, they were able to smuggle back a lot of prohibited weapons, which made the Tiger Army well-equipped. They had two Schneider mountain artillery battalions with sixteen to twenty mountain guns, as well as 75mm mountain guns and howitzers captured from the Imperial Army. Each regiment also had several mountain guns and a large number of mortars.

The entire army had over a hundred artillery pieces.

After hearing this, Hata Shunroku couldn't help but take a deep breath, and his expression became even more serious.