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

After dark, the Japanese, unwilling to accept defeat, launched another night attack. The two sides fought fiercely for most of the night, during which they secretly used special ammunition, causing considerable casualties to the defending troops.

From then on, Zhao Yunwen issued a military order that anyone who heard the sound of artillery should wear a gas mask to avoid being ambushed by the Japanese.

The battle lasted until 3 a.m., when the Japanese soldiers finally ran out of steam and retreated in defeat, leaving behind hundreds of corpses.

The fighting in the direction of Fujinsan lasted until dawn, with casualties on both sides, and the 16th Division did not gain any advantage.

After daybreak, the Japanese offensive continued, with intermittent fighting, for several days until the morale of the 16th Division was exhausted.

The 36th Division, which was on the main battlefield, suffered nearly half of its casualties, and the 88th Division suffered more than 30% casualties. The soldiers were exhausted.

Song Yingguo simply replaced the 36th Division with the 61st Division, starting the first rotation. The 36th Division rested and served as a reserve force.

The 61st Division had been conserving its strength and was in high spirits. Although it was not a German-trained division, it was still an elite force of the Central Army. During the Battle of Lanfeng, it belonged to Gui Yongqing's 27th Army and had a total strength of more than 12000 men.

The two divisions used the cover of darkness to hand over their positions, having already lost their forward positions and retreated to the hillside.

Chen Ruihe and Zhong Song, two old classmates from the second class of the Whampoa Military Academy, whispered together for a while. Chen Ruihe mainly introduced the Japanese and their own defenses, while Zhong Song listened carefully and occasionally chimed in.

Chen Ruihe finally asked:

"Brother Changqing (alias), the Japanese like to launch night raids. How do you plan to deal with this after taking over?"

Zhong Song was from Zhejiang Province. He was a well-known fierce general in the Nationalist Army and one of the few "repeaters" in the Whampoa Military Academy. He was originally a first-term student, but due to serious injuries in battle, he was transferred to the second term to complete his studies.

In other words, the graduates of the first and second cohorts all regarded him as a classmate, and he had a wide network of connections in the military.

Zhong Song already had a plan in mind; having a full-strength division under his control, how could he not have ideas? When his old classmate asked, he didn't hide anything and revealed the truth directly:

"Naturally, we must retake the front-line positions. I have two plans on how to do it. One is to take the initiative and launch an attack, which would be led by our unit if the Japanese do not launch a night attack."

Another strategy is to feign weakness. I can wait until the Japanese are at midnight and let them attack first. I can pretend to be unable to hold out, abandon my current position, and launch a counterattack while they are still unstable.

The Japanese soldiers were unaware that we had rotated our troops; they assumed it was just exhausted soldiers from before. A counterattack would surely have unexpected results, or at the very least, allow us to recapture our forward positions.

Chen Ruihe's eyes lit up after hearing this, and he added:

"Brother Changqing, the second option is the optimal solution and can achieve a surprise effect."

I suggest leaving only a small force in the middle, one regiment on each of the left and right flanks, and another regiment and artillery battalion in the core position, so that the Japanese can suddenly open fire after they capture the middle.

"By capturing the ambushes on both flanks and attacking the Japanese from three sides, we can surely inflict a heavy blow on the enemy."

Zhong Song laughed heartily and said:

"Brother Rongguang and I have the same idea; this is what we call great minds think alike."

"The Japanese devils want to launch a sneak attack? I'll give them a big surprise. Mark the coordinates in advance, and when the Japanese press their advantage and attack the core position, use machine gun emplacements to hold them off before opening fire."

The two brothers quickly finalized the counterattack plan, and then Chen Ruihe took his leave.

"Brother Changqing, the position is officially being transferred to you. I wish you a resounding victory tonight!"

After seeing Chen Ruihe off, Zhong Song began to arrange his troops:

"Chief of Staff Zhu, have the 361st Regiment send out a battalion to guard the central position. After being attacked by the Japanese, they should feign defeat and retreat to the core position. Make sure to give them proper instructions. After retreating to the core position, they should clear the way to the artillery on both flanks."

The main force of the 361st Regiment, along with the division's artillery battalion, guarded the core position, while the 362nd and 363rd Regiments hid on the left and right flanks, contracting their defensive line and awaiting the order to attack.

The supplementary regiment was located on the northwest side of the core position, serving as a reserve force and assisting the 323rd Division of the Tiger Army in defending Shimenkou…”

At the headquarters of the 16th Division, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, the division commander, was discussing a night raid with a group of veteran Japanese soldiers.

Chief of Staff Colonel Mitsuhiro Hisaburo explained using a map:

"Although the fierce battle during the day did not achieve the expected results, it did capture the forward position of Fujinshan in the central route and severely damaged the defending troops."

The 36th Division had been fighting fiercely for ten days and was already at its limit. Moreover, after multiple replenishments, the 61st Division, which served as a reserve force, had lost most of its strength.

The central route remained the focus of the attack, to be carried out by the Sakai Brigade. The Shinohara Brigade dispatched the 38th Infantry Regiment to attack the right flank, effectively pinning down the 88th Division.

The 22nd Field Artillery Regiment will provide support, while the 133rd Regiment will serve as a reserve.

The 133rd Regiment was originally the 33rd Infantry Regiment. However, the regimental flag was captured by the Tiger Army and the regimental unit was disbanded. The Japanese headquarters, in a self-deceiving manner, created the 133rd Regiment.

Primarily tasked with replenishing troops, their combat strength had never fully recovered, so they could only serve as substitutes. The regimental commander, eager to turn the tide, volunteered for battle:

"Your Excellency Division Commander, the 38th Regiment has been fighting for days and the soldiers are exhausted. Why not let the 133rd Regiment take their place and attack the right flank?"

The warriors have been resting and recuperating for over a month, and their fighting spirit is high. Please give us a chance, we beg you!

Division Commander Lieutenant General Fujie changed his mind and decided to give the 133rd Regiment a chance to prove itself. He nodded and said:

"Yoshi, I can feel the overwhelming fighting spirit of Yamada-kun and the warriors. It's time for the 133rd Regiment to turn the tide!"

Your opponent, the 88th Division, is one of China's top elite forces. The shame can only be washed away with the blood of the enemy!

The right-wing attack will be carried out by the 133rd Regiment, while the 38th Regiment, as a reserve force, will rest for several days. They must capture the second line of Chinese defense before dawn and advance the front line to the vicinity of the mountaintop.

Fujie Emi was cautious and did not shout the slogan of capturing Fujinsan in one fell swoop, but the regimental commanders below him thought differently. Koji Ken, the commander of the 9th Infantry Regiment, jumped out to express his opinion:

"Commander, taking down the second line of defense is only the bare minimum. I am confident that I can capture the entire Fujin Mountain in one fell swoop!"

The commanders of the 20th Infantry Regiment, Nambu Shokichi, the commander of the 133rd Regiment, Yamada Kizo, and the commander of the 22nd Field Artillery Regiment, Osuga, echoed each other, all full of confidence. On the contrary, the two brigade commanders were seen as mere tools, their faces showing displeasure.

Fujie Hewlett pretended not to see it and immediately devised a battle plan:

"The final assault is scheduled for 2 AM, gentlemen. This battle will decide the fate of the world. I entrust this to you!"

After Lieutenant General Fujie finished speaking, he bowed to the Japanese soldiers, who then stood up and shouted slogans:

"I am willing to serve His Majesty the Emperor!"

After the meeting, the Japanese began their final preparations for the attack. The chief of staff contacted the 13th Division in the name of the division headquarters to coordinate the operation. The regiments secretly moved into position and the artillery was set up.

Both sides were using the cover of night to deploy troops, and the Japanese soldiers' little schemes could not escape Zhao Yunwen's notice; they were all on his minimap.

His 20-kilometer night vision range covered the entire Fujinshan battlefield, and no move by the Japanese soldiers could escape his keen eyes. He also clearly observed the 61st Division's response, muttering to himself:

"Brother Changqing truly lives up to his reputation as the top general of the Nationalist Army; his skills are extraordinary!"

He didn't intend to remind Chung Chung, because the 61st Division was already prepared, and the 323rd Division only needed to hold back the 13th Division.

Zhong Song was a late bloomer. In the Battle of Fujinshan in another timeline, the 61st Division did not have many opportunities to perform on the northern front and failed to hold Shimenkou. He truly made a name for himself in the Northwest, chasing after Runzhi and the Central Committee.

At 2 a.m., the 16th Division’s general offensive began as scheduled. The 22nd Field Artillery Regiment opened fire, and shells rained down on the 61st Division’s positions, igniting the darkness with the flames from the explosions.

At the same time, the 13th Division also launched an attack on the Shimenkou position. Gunfire and artillery roared, making a great commotion, but Zhao Yun could tell at a glance that they were bluffing.

He decided to play along and ordered the 646th Regiment to also feign weakness, abandon the first and second lines of defense, and retreat to the core position to lure the Japanese into committing more troops.

The Japanese offensive was most successful at Fujin Mountain. After launching the ground attack, the firepower of the defenders on the second line of defense was significantly reduced, as if they had suffered heavy casualties from the shelling.

Major General Sakai astutely seized the opportunity and ordered the 9th and 20th Regiments to launch a full-scale attack, divided into three echelons, to continue their fierce assault.

The 1st Battalion of the 361st Regiment fought desperately to resist, but due to the vast disparity in troop strength and firepower, they were routed after suffering over a hundred casualties.

The first wave of Japanese troops successfully stormed the second line of defense, but they were not satisfied and instead relentlessly pursued the first battalion.

The two subsequent echelons did not stop either, rushing aggressively towards the core position on the mountaintop without spreading out to the flanks. Their intention was clear: to take the summit in one fell swoop.

Under the cover of darkness, the routed soldiers of the 1st Battalion fled to both flanks, clearing the center and allowing the 361st Regiment's firepower to directly confront the Japanese.

The commander had been waiting for this moment and excitedly gave the order:

"Open fire! Give them a good beating!"

The Second and Third Battalions and the artillery company unleashed their full firepower, countless tongues of fire spewing from the darkness, dealing a heavy blow to the Japanese infantry and leaving the hillside littered with Japanese corpses.

Zhong Song had been waiting for this moment, and he loudly gave the order:

"Chief of Staff, send signal flares to both flanks! Full division attack! We're launching a counterattack!!"