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

The atmosphere at the 323rd Division headquarters was very relaxed, with staff officers moving about with cheerful steps.

Zhao Yunwen stared blankly at the map of the Battle of Jiangcheng as usual, no one knew what he was thinking. Qiu Fengzi, commander of the 323rd Division, leaned closer and said:

"In the direction of Fujin Mountain, the Japanese should take their time collecting the corpses. Both sides agreed to a one-day ceasefire. It seems that the 16th Division has been badly hurt this time."

After being driven across the Shi River, the 13th Division has remained silent. The 645th and 646th Regiments are rebuilding their fortifications, and the replenishment regiment has buried the Japanese corpses exposed in the field.

Zhao Yunwen looked up from the map and said calmly:

"Leave the 13th Division alone as long as they don't cross the river. The 3rd Cavalry Battalion has been fighting continuously for more than ten days, and the soldiers are exhausted. Instruct them to withdraw and rest."

The task of harassing the Japanese rear was assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Battalion. Taking advantage of the ceasefire, a batch of ammunition was sent from the Xinyang direction, especially Schneider mountain shells and 7.62mm bullets.

Some medicine and canned food are also needed, replenished according to a two-week standard. Seriously wounded patients with stable conditions can also be transferred to the rear for recuperation.

Qiu Fengzi promptly passed the buck to Ma Weilan and continued:

"The results of the battle have been tallied. More than 500 Japanese soldiers' bodies were found, and many more were swept away by the river. We captured 18 artillery pieces, more than 600 guns, nearly 1000 mules and horses, and a certain amount of ammunition and supplies, including more than 1,000 poison gas shells."

Our casualties were only a few dozen, most of them were wounded, and only 18 brothers were killed. We have never fought a battle that was easy and decisive.

The 71st Army also sent a report stating that they had annihilated over a thousand enemy soldiers and captured a considerable amount of spoils. The 61st Division had done a brilliant job and achieved a resounding victory.

Zhao Yunwen smiled and said:

"In the 71st Army, the 61st Division is the most underrated unit, and its reputation is far inferior to that of the 36th and 88th Divisions, the former being a world-renowned German-equipped refitted division."

In terms of both equipment and the quality of its personnel, the 61st Division is no less than that of the 36th Division. Since Zhong Song took over as division commander in June, after several months of reorganization and training, its combat effectiveness has been restored to its peak, with veterans accounting for more than 6% of its personnel.

Chung Chung is a renowned and formidable fighter. With them holding the main position at Fujinshan, it wouldn't be difficult to hold out for half a month.

The 13th Division did not suffer many casualties this time, but its equipment and supplies, especially artillery, were severely damaged, and morale was low. It will not pose a threat to our defense zone in the short term.

I'm worried that the Japanese will abandon their flanking maneuver and launch a full-scale attack on Fujinshan with two divisions, which would put a lot of pressure on the 71st Army.

"Commander, if that's the case, how should we respond?"

"Just like before, let the mountain artillery battalion provide fire support. The captured 75mm mountain guns and mortars were organized into an artillery company and deployed at Yangjialing to provide flanking fire support for the Fujinshan operation."

The remaining six infantry guns were evenly distributed among the 645th and 646th Regiments to replenish supplies.

Each infantry regiment of the Tiger Army had spare artillery. It was not difficult to draw some of them to form an artillery company. This company had 8 mountain guns and 9 90mm mortars, a total of 17 artillery pieces, which was enough to give the Japanese a hard time.

Yangjialing is less than 3 kilometers from the main position of Fujinshan, which is within the range of both types of artillery, effectively adding 17 artillery pieces to the 71st Army.

Qiu Fengzi quickly grasped Zhao Yunwen's deeper meaning and added:

"With these 17 cannons, the Schneider Mountain Artillery Battalion was freed up and could be used to suppress the Japanese artillery from a distance."

The two artillery groups, working in coordination, can provide strong support to the 71st Army.

Zhao Yunwen raised his voice and said:

"That's right. We and the 71st Army are interdependent. As long as we cooperate well, the Japanese will have to pay with their lives if they want to break through Fujinshan."

"The two units together have 45,000 elite troops, while the 13th and 16th Divisions only have a little over 40,000. I want to see how many personnel and supplies they have to spare."

Zhao Yunwen was determined to wage a war of attrition against the Japanese. With 300,000 troops from the Fifth War Zone guarding the northern foothills of the Dabie Mountains on both flanks of Fujin Mountain, the Second Army had to overcome Fujin Mountain if it wanted to make any progress.

In Liuan City, Prince Renyan stared intently at Fu Jinshan, his eyes practically spitting fire.

The bad news that the 13th and 16th Divisions had suffered heavy losses had already reached them. It was inevitable that they would curse and swear. The old Japanese devils' so-called composure was all an act.

"Baka yarou, the 13th Division has utterly disgraced the Empire. As for the direction of Fujin Mountain, well, China does have an army, and the 36th and 88th Divisions are top-notch elites."

On the northern front, there was only the 323rd Division, holding a defensive line of twenty or thirty kilometers. The 13th Division not only failed to make a breakthrough, but also suffered heavy losses. They have completely disgraced His Majesty!

Prince Naruhiko was practically wailing like a broken record, so Chief of Staff Major General Machijiri Ryoki had to interrupt him, saying:

"Your Highness, the Tiger Legion has a cavalry unit that is formidable and elusive, posing a significant threat to our small infiltration forces. Dividing our forces to penetrate deeper into enemy territory is too risky."

The main force of the 323rd Division only guarded a few key points, with a clear objective: to block the Ye-Shang Highway.

North of the 323rd Division are the remnants of the 51st Army, the main force of the 59th Army, and the main force of Sun Lianzhong's Second Army Group, making it difficult for them to achieve anything significant.

A direct assault on Fujinshan was the quickest route, and as it turned out, the Tiger Army was even more difficult to defeat than the 71st Army.

In that case, it would be better to concentrate the main forces of two divisions to launch a strong attack on the Fujinshan position, while only sending one regiment on the northern front to feign an attack and contain the enemy.

With the fall of Fujinsan, the city is now exposed to the Imperial Army's might!

King Renyan's expression softened slightly, and he said sternly:

"Alright, that's settled then. Send a telegram to the 13th and 16th Divisions!"

After a three-day ceasefire, gunfire erupted again at the Fujinshan position as the Japanese launched a fierce attack.

The 16th Division's more than 40 artillery pieces bombarded the 71st Army's positions, while the 13th Division's artillery quietly locked onto Hill 203, ready to fire as soon as the mountain artillery battalion counterattacked.

The Japanese soldiers' little tricks did not escape the eyes of the Tiger Army's scouts. Although their artillery was well hidden, the coordinate parameters were still transmitted to the division headquarters by the 323rd Division's scouts.

Zhao Yunwen was very satisfied with this. Although his minimap was more accurate, it could not be used for him, otherwise the troops would lose this function.

The Tiger Legion's reconnaissance units are now capable of operating independently, penetrating deep behind enemy lines to ascertain the locations of Japanese command posts, artillery positions, and supply camps. They then transmit the coordinates back to command in a timely manner via radio, and finally, the artillery carries out the strikes.

Zhao Yunwen decided to strike first and eliminate the 105th Mountain Artillery Group, which posed a threat to the safety of the mountain artillery battalion.

"Send the coordinates to the mountain artillery battalion. Destroy the Japanese heavy artillery positions first, then the Yangjialing artillery group will support the 71st Army!"

East of the Shi River, at the position of the heavy artillery battalion of the 19th Mountain Artillery Regiment, rows of cannons were neatly arranged, their massive muzzles pointing directly at Hill 203, waiting for their prey to strike.

Since the 105mm mountain gun had a range of only eight kilometers, the Japanese had to risk moving forward, relying on the cover of night to maneuver, hiding in a small tree and using green plants for camouflage, so that they could not be found without close reconnaissance.

Battalion Commander Major Takayama was very proud of his masterpiece. He was an expert and knew the performance of the Schneider 1923 mountain gun very well. He had calculated the range in advance, and it was just enough to reach Hill 203.

The adjutant seemed a little impatient and said with concern:

"Why haven't the Tiger Army's artillery started providing support yet? Are they abandoning the safety of the 71st Army?"

Major Takayama said confidently:

"Don't worry, they'll lose their composure. Fujinshan is the core; once it's lost, there's no point in defending either the left or right flanks."

"But the 16th Division's artillery preparations are almost finished—"

"Boom boom boom..."

"Yosh, it's started—no, it's coming for us!"

The barrage of shells rained down, and the violent explosions swallowed their conversation. Major Takayama could hardly believe his eyes; the attack had come too strangely.

He witnessed firsthand how two 105mm heavy artillery pieces were blown to pieces, with bombs still falling in rows. These heavy artillery pieces were all imported, costing a lot of foreign exchange.

Major Takayama felt a pang of heartache, his heart trembling. Japan was resource-poor, with 80% of its military budget going to the navy, leaving only a small portion for the army. A division only had 16 heavy artillery pieces.

"Baka yarou! How did the Chinese find out?! Evacuate quickly!"

"Tooth Cat Disc!"

"Boom boom boom!"

Another volley of shells rained down, engulfing the three heavy cannons. Colonel Gao wished he could use his bare hands to block the shells.

The Japanese artillerymen disregarded their own safety, hurriedly reassembling the supports, harnessing mules and horses to the cannons, and attempting to move their positions.

However, they underestimated the rate of fire of the Schneider mountain gun, which could fire 10 to 12 rounds per minute in continuous fire and up to 20 rounds per minute in short bursts.

Before the scaffolding could even be retracted in a minute, more than a dozen rounds of shells came crashing down, nearly two hundred shells covering an area of ​​several hundred meters in radius, a super-saturation attack that destroyed both people and artillery.

Major Takayama was finally spared the pain of losing his own flesh, because he himself had been blown into mincemeat.

As soon as the artillery fire extended from the main position on Fujin Mountain, swarms of Japanese infantry, like locusts, surged up the hillside, densely packed and stretching as far as the eye could see.

A volley of shells roared in, blasting over a dozen fireballs into the midst of the Japanese troops. The chief of staff of the 61st Division shouted excitedly:

"Commander, it's the Tiger Legion's artillery group from Yangjialing! Have they moved their positions?"