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

When Brigade Commander Nie saw the equipment and supplies brought by the 646th Regiment, he couldn't help but stammer and ask:

"Are these all for us?"

Zhao Yunwen smiled faintly and said:

"This is only a portion; we can't bring that many."

Chi Fengcheng held Zhao Yunwen's hand tightly and said:

"The 31st Division will obey Commander Zhao's orders!"

This is exactly the effect Zhao Yunwen wanted. Things that can be solved with money and equipment are no problem at all!

Zhao Yunwen put away his smile and said:

"Commander Chi, we're all fighting the Japanese, there's no need to stand on ceremony."

"Take me to see your defenses before the Japanese arrive."

Zhao Yunwen left the 646th Regiment to hand over equipment and supplies to the 31st Division, while he himself went with Chi Fengcheng and others to inspect the positions. Although the Japanese had suffered a great loss, it would not change their westward strategy.

Limited by the performance of its equipment, the 31st Division's deployment lacked depth and could only be described as mediocre.

After Zhao Yunwen took over, adjustments were naturally needed. He had some ideas in mind, so he confided them to Chi Fengcheng. Upon hearing Commander Chi nod repeatedly, he immediately expressed his opinion:

"We will follow Commander Zhao's orders!"

Half a day later, the main force of the 71st Army arrived. After greeting Zhao Yunwen, they went to Shawo and Xiaojieling to rest and reinforce their defenses.

If the gorge is lost, the next key point will be the sand dunes.

The main force of the 323rd Division retreated to the gorge before nightfall, disappearing into the mountains under the cover of darkness, as if they had also withdrawn.

The 31st Division prepared for battle as usual, waiting for the Japanese to arrive.

Just as Zhao Yunwen had predicted, the Japanese made only a slight adjustment before continuing their westward advance along the Ye-Shang Highway, with their target being Shangcheng, the temporary headquarters of the Fifth War Zone Command.

On the outer perimeter of the gorge, the guard detachment of the 31st Division was the first to engage the Japanese, resulting in casualties on both sides.

The guard unit has achieved its objective and is now rapidly retreating to its position at the gorge entrance.

Several hundred Japanese soldiers arrived aggressively and launched an attack on the 31st Division's position, only to be met with a crushing defeat.

The soldiers of the 31st Division relied on the treacherous terrain of the mountains on both sides and used their rudimentary weapons to repel the Japanese vanguard, killing and wounding more than a hundred Japanese soldiers.

Seeing that the garrison at the gorge was well-defended, the Japanese vanguard abandoned their attack and retreated several hundred meters to confront the 31st Division.

The main force of the 20th Infantry Regiment of the 16th Division arrived one after another. Colonel Nambu Shokichi, the regimental commander, was furious and gave the vanguard battalion commander, Major Tanaka, a severe dressing-down.

"You idiots! A bunch of useless trash! You've completely disgraced the Imperial Army!"

After venting his anger, Nanbu Shōkichi turned to his senior staff officer and asked:

"Kurihara-kun, do you have any information on the garrison at Aoyama Gorge?"

Major Kurihara quickly replied:

"Yes, it was the 31st Division of the 30th Army, a miscellaneous unit under Sun Lianzhong's Second Army Group, which suffered heavy losses at Taierzhuang."

Their strength had not yet recovered; their total force numbered only five or six thousand, and their equipment was extremely rudimentary. Due to a shortage of firearms, many soldiers were still using broadswords, and they were renowned for their swordsmanship.

Colonel Nanbu, instead of being angry after hearing this, laughed and said:

"Tanaka-kun, is this the powerful garrison you spoke of!"

Are you terrified by the Chinese sword?

Major Tanaka, ashamed, was about to perform seppuku on the spot when Colonel Nambu slapped him several times and yelled at him:

"You idiot! Seppuku is a cowardly act!"

"It's just a ragtag division; the Southern Regiment can easily defeat it. There's no need to wait for the main force to arrive; launch the attack immediately!"

Colonel Nambu completely disregarded the 31st Division, but Senior Staff Officer Major Kurihara still reminded him:

"Commander, should we wait for the artillery regiment to arrive before we attack?"

The 31st Division was considered a star unit in China, skilled in defense. It once held its own against a regiment of the Isogai Division at the Battle of Taierzhuang, demonstrating its formidable fighting prowess.

Colonel Nambu said impatiently:

"Times have changed. The 31st Division's strength has declined significantly, and its equipment has been severely damaged. It is definitely no match for the Southern Regiment."

My mind is made up; launch the attack immediately!

Major Kurihara said no more, nor did he believe that Colonel Nambu had underestimated the enemy. In the Japanese army, battle plans were always made based on a 6:1 ratio of combat strength between the two sides.

In other words, a regiment's opponent should be a force of 2 men, with 3 against 6, the advantage is too obvious.

Out of respect for the "star" troops of China, the Southern Regiment also used a field artillery battalion, with four howitzers and six Type 92 infantry guns lined up in a row. Colonel Nanbu wanted to use artillery to talk to the Northwest Army's broadswords.

On the 31st Division's position, Chi Fengcheng coldly watched the Japanese soldiers' performance and snorted:

"Those little devils are as arrogant as ever, completely outmaneuvered by Commander Zhao. It's time to teach them a lesson!"

The chief of staff then continued:

"Commander Zhao is quite skilled at fighting the Japanese in the Central Army. This time, by taking advantage of their unpreparedness, he has a high chance of taking down the Japanese vanguard."

"Boom boom boom..."

"Boom boom boom!"

The explosion interrupted their conversation. The Japanese attack had begun, with shells raining down and thick smoke billowing up. Colonel Nambu nodded repeatedly, this was the source of their confidence with a six-to-one advantage.

"Kurihara-kun, we can begin! Let the warriors charge forward and slaughter all the Chinese!"

The 20th Infantry Regiment's attack was simple and brutal: after the artillery bombarded the infantry, the entire regiment pressed forward, completely disregarding the poorly equipped 31st Division.

The 31st Division fought desperately, unleashing both light and heavy firepower, but with only a few mortars and a dozen machine guns, they were no match for the Southern Regiment's all-out attack.

In less than half an hour, after just one charge, the 31st Division could not hold out and suffered a complete rout, fleeing in disarray along the main road through the valley.

"Too weak, utterly vulnerable!"

"Commander, the 31st Division is not that vulnerable. Be careful, it might be a trap."

"Kurihara-kun, you think too highly of them. The backbone of the 31st Division was broken at Taierzhuang long ago, so this performance was exactly what I expected."

"No need to hesitate any longer! Let the warriors advance along the main road, storm the mall, and capture Bai Jiansheng alive!"

Colonel Nambu's target was never the 31st Division, but the war zone command post in Shangcheng. The gorge was just a matter of charging in.

Seeing that the defending troops had been defeated, the Japanese soldiers roared and poured into the valley. They could break through the three-mile distance in no time.

On Eagle's Beak Mountain, a commanding high point in the northwest, Zhao Yunwen was observing the enemy situation through binoculars. Only after all the Japanese soldiers had entered the encirclement did he coldly give the order:

"It's time to close the net, fire!"

On the main road inside the valley, the Japanese troops advanced rapidly in three columns, with more than two thousand men almost filling the entire area. Outside the valley, only the artillery, the regimental headquarters, and two infantry companies remained as guards.

The mountain artillery battalion's target was the 20th Regiment's command post and artillery positions; it wasn't their turn to deal with the Japanese soldiers in the valley.

As soon as the cannons fired, the Japanese soldiers in the valley looked at each other in disbelief. Before they could react, the artillery of each regiment slammed into the Japanese ranks, instantly killing a large number of them.

The officer screamed in terror:

"Enemy attack! There's an ambush!"

What terrified him even more was that countless bullets sprayed from the mountains and forests on both sides, raining down bullets, and his companions around him were cut down like wheat.

Mountain gun shells, mortar shells, infantry shells, and grenades rained down on him in a desperate manner. He tried to rally his men to fight back, but no one listened to him.

They were all running around like headless flies, trying to escape. The space in the valley was very narrow, and there were ambushes on both sides, with bullets flying everywhere.

The officers broke through to the west with the main force, facing ambushes from the north and south flanks with every step forward. The valley was littered with corpses, and the pungent smell of blood was nauseating.

The officers seemed to be pushed forward by an invisible hand. After most of them died, the view suddenly opened up, and they finally rushed out of the valley, as if they had just escaped from the gates of hell.

"Open fire! Send these sons of bitches to hell!"

Commander Nie gave a cold shout, and the soldiers of the 31st Division, who had been waiting in full battle array, opened fire. The officers' eyes were filled with despair; there was no way out.

Several machine gun bullets hit his body, which finally freed him from living in fear.

The soldiers of the 31st Division, who were previously fleeing for their lives, have transformed into Northwest wolves, catching all the Japanese soldiers who escaped from the valley and cutting off their last escape route, as easily as hunting.

East of the valley, the 20th Infantry Regiment was in complete chaos. Colonel Nambu was no longer as arrogant as before; his eyes were unfocused, and he looked disheveled.

The change came so suddenly, like a bolt from the blue, that it left his head buzzing. He shouted, "What's wrong?"

"Baka yarou, what on earth happened?!"

The senior staff officer stammered:

"Commander, we've been tricked! There's an ambush in the valley!"

"Wasn't the 31st Division defeated?"

Colonel Nanbu asked a question that sounded almost idiotic, then plopped down on the ground, muttering to himself:

"It's over, completely over!"

The resounding bugle call rang out, and countless shouts of battle echoed through the mountains, striking fear into the hearts of all who heard them.

"Yay, meow disc!"

"Hurry and send reinforcements!"

Colonel Nambu was gesticulating wildly, as if he had grasped at a straw. Fortunately, the senior staff officer remained calm and ordered several guards to help him escape.

The main force of the regiment is trapped, and relying on two companies to counterattack is just suicide.

Colonel Nanbu's life must be saved, otherwise he will bear joint responsibility and will have no choice but to commit seppuku.

The Japanese soldiers outside the valley on the east side fled in disarray, and the last hope of the besieged Japanese soldiers was shattered. The 323rd Division launched a final encirclement and annihilation of the remaining enemy forces.