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

The 16th Division's first attack ended in a disappointing fashion. Major General Shinohara was humiliated and gave Colonel Yamada, the commander of the main attacking force, a severe scolding. Then he began to analyze the reasons for the failure, which was a fine tradition of the Japanese.

"Yamada-kun, you go first!"

Colonel Yamada's expression had returned to calm. Having been scolded, he considered his responsibility over. After a moment of contemplation, he said:

"General, gentlemen, we must admit that we lack an objective understanding of the Tiger Legion, or rather, we have greatly underestimated them!"

Although Major General Shinohara was very displeased, he still pretended to be very humble, touching his mustache and saying:

"Well, Yamada-kun's ability to recognize this shows that this loss wasn't in vain. This is a debriefing meeting, so please feel free to speak your mind."

Colonel Yamada, having received permission, continued:

"The combination of fire and poison gas did not cause significant casualties to the Chinese defenders. Their soldiers hid in tunnels, each equipped with a special gas mask, and the forest was protected against fire."

The fighting spirit of the Tiger Legion soldiers was generally stronger than that of other Chinese armies, and even comparable to that of the Imperial Army, making them difficult to defeat easily.

The 323rd Division was very well equipped, with light mortars deployed down to the company level, and its number of light and heavy machine guns and ammunition supplies were comparable to those of the Imperial Army.

They built several fortifications on the protruding part of the hillside, which required the Imperial Army to attack from below. This meant that the warriors had to expose half of their bodies during the exchange of fire, making them easy targets.

Furthermore, the Tiger Army was highly trained, with its junior officers and soldiers possessing extensive combat experience, and its weaponry was well-balanced in both long-range and short-range engagements, leaving the Imperial Army with no advantage in open field battles.

Colonel Yamada rattled off several points, praising the Tiger Army highly. Most of the old Japanese soldiers were unhappy to hear this, but they didn't jump out to refute it because it was the truth, and even if there were some discrepancies, it was still quite objective.

Everyone's expression turned serious; many of these issues were objective realities that were difficult to resolve.

Shinohara turned his gaze to the Chief of Staff, wanting to hear his opinion:

"Taniguchi-kun, what's your opinion on how to handle this?"

Lieutenant Colonel Taniguchi, a staff officer of Major General Shinohara and a top student who graduated from the Army War College, possessed a broader perspective than the average person. After a moment of deep thought, he said:

"General, there is no shortcut. The Tiger Legion is an iron-blooded and powerful army, battle-hardened and an old adversary of our 16th Division."

Commander Zhao Yunwen was known as the "Wolf of China," cunning and ruthless. His troops were holding their own against the Imperial Army's top-tier divisions and now occupied advantageous terrain. If the Imperial Army wanted to capture Eagle's Beak Mountain, they would have to sacrifice lives.

You all must be determined to use mountains of corpses and seas of blood to destroy the elite 323rd Division.

Fortunately, China didn't have many elite troops like this. If the Imperial Army wanted to conquer all of China, it would have to defeat any powerful enemy. The Empire had millions of reservists and was an industrial powerhouse; China couldn't afford to engage in a war of attrition.

Lieutenant Colonel Taniguchi held a high position, and his words were equally irrefutable. Kondo Gen, commander of the 38th Infantry Regiment, stepped forward and said:

"What Mr. Taniguchi said is absolutely right. Even a centipede with a hundred legs does not die easily. The Chinese have been glorious for over a thousand years. Even though this great empire is corrupt and incorruptible, it still has a certain foundation."

The journey to destroy China will definitely not be smooth sailing. This is a war between nations, a contest of comprehensive strength between the two sides, and in reality, it will be a war of attrition.

Resources, population, industrial strength, and fighting spirit—if the Imperial Army wants to dominate the world, it must withstand any test and defeat any common enemy.

Zhao Yunwen and the Tiger Army are indeed very powerful, but they cannot withstand losses, especially in terms of equipment and supplies. Many of their weapons are purchased from abroad, and once they are depleted, they are difficult to replenish.

Therefore, we no longer want to take shortcuts; we must engage in a war of attrition with the Chinese, launching simultaneous attacks from the east and northeast. Through sustained, high-intensity combat, we will deplete the 323rd Division's manpower, supplies, and equipment. Victory will surely belong to the Imperial Army!

The other Japanese soldiers echoed this sentiment. As elite soldiers carefully cultivated by the Japanese, their vision and intelligence were worthy of their positions and ranks, and they all saw the root of the problem.

The strength of the Tiger Legion was an objective fact, and Major General Shinohara had made up his mind. His heart brimming with pride, he loudly proclaimed:

"Yoshi, my 16th Division is the elite. Don't forget the shame Zhao Yunwen brought to the Imperial Army. Let's wash it away with the blood of the Chinese!"

I will have the field artillery regiment provide maximum fire support, but the final battle will depend on you all. The 133rd Regiment will launch an attack from the front, while the 38th Infantry Regiment will attack from the northeast, continuing the assault until the Chinese are defeated.

From now on, I don't want to hear any casualty figures, only Eagle's Beak Mountain!

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

Several veteran Japanese soldiers stood up in unison, and the entire command post was filled with a murderous aura. The 30th Infantry Brigade was going to fight to the death.

Shortly after the meeting adjourned, a new offensive began, with shells raining down on Eagle Beak Mountain, not only on the mountainside but also on the summit.

This time, no special ammunition was used; just ordinary high-explosive shells were used, which were detonated back and forth.

This time, the defending artillery did not remain silent. Instead, they seized the opportunity to fire fiercely, unleashing hundreds of shells in a short period of time with great precision. Almost all of them landed in the area where the Japanese artillery positions were located, destroying more than a dozen 75mm mountain guns and making the Japanese wary.

On the front lines, the piercing whistles hurt the eardrums, driving squads of soldiers toward their positions. The Japanese were already on their way, and every second counted.

The sound of machine guns rang out first. Although the M1919 was a heavy machine gun, its 20-kilogram weight made it very maneuverable, and a strong man could carry it to his position.

Once set up, it can be fired. The 250-round ammunition belt ensures continuous firepower, and one machine gun can suppress the attack of dozens of Japanese soldiers.

Each company has six of these, along with three 60mm mortars, enough to hold off half a battalion.

More and more soldiers returned to their positions, the Japanese offensive was halted, casualties increased significantly, and the battle entered a mode favored by the defenders.

The Japanese infantry group failed to take advantage of the artillery fire to rush up the defending positions and could only endure the baptism of bullets in the open field, paying a heavy price for every step forward.

At the same time, the positions of the 646th Regiment in the northeast direction were also attacked by the regimental artillery, which was less powerful than the frontal artillery.

The terrain on the flanks is even more treacherous, with strange rocks everywhere and rugged mountain paths. It would be difficult to climb up even by hand, let alone fight a war.

The 38th Infantry Regiment deployed over a thousand men, almost filling the entire hillside. Although it was just a feint attack, they put in a great deal of effort.

The 31st Division's defense zone on the southern front was also busy, with the 9th Infantry Regiment continuing its attack on Yanjiashan, employing two sets of tactics as well.

Two battalions launched a frontal assault, while another infantry battalion attempted to flank the 93rd Brigade by flanking maneuvers, trying to find a mountain path to climb up the mountain and attack from the side.

Upon learning this, Chi Chengfeng ignored them and focused all his efforts on dealing with the frontal attack, leaving the flank to the Tiger Cavalry Regiment.

Chief of Staff Wang Huayu said with concern:

"Commander, the Japanese have about a large battalion of troops. Can the cavalry regiment handle them? Should we make some preparations in advance, just in case?"

Chi Chengfeng waved his hand and said:

"We should trust Commander Zhao. The Tiger Army is well-equipped. Although I have never seen their cavalry regiment, I imagine it is no less impressive."

The cavalry possesses superior mobility, and the open terrain to the southeast is suitable for cavalry operations. Even if they cannot annihilate the Japanese, it shouldn't be difficult to contain them.

Seeing that Chi Chengfeng was full of confidence, Wang Huayu didn't say anything more. Facing the strong attack of a regiment from the east, the 93rd Brigade was also under great pressure, and the reserve team could not be used easily.

In the nameless valley to the southeast, just as several hundred Japanese soldiers reached the foot of the mountain, the thunderous sound of horses' hooves approached. Major Hoshino, the battalion commander, paled and cried out in terror:

"Cavalry! Quickly form ranks!"

Encountering a cavalry force in the wild is no joke. The Japanese soldiers immediately stopped and hastily formed ranks at the command of their officers.

The first step is to set up heavy machine guns; this is crucial to stopping the cavalry charge.

The cavalry were running so fast that the Japanese soldiers had barely set up their machine guns when they appeared in their field of vision, a dense, imposing mass that sent shivers down their spines.

"Don't be afraid. Cavalry is nothing to be afraid of. They're just sitting ducks in front of heavy machine guns."

"Quickly, prepare for battle!"

The Japanese soldiers frantically pointed their guns at the approaching cavalry. Despite the presence of several Type 92 heavy machine guns on the perimeter, Major Hoshino was still unsure of what to do.

Infantry have a natural psychological fear of cavalry, regardless of how many light or heavy machine guns they have.

"Warriors, to your positions, prepare—fire!"

The machine guns rattled, and countless bullets sprayed towards the cavalry in the distance. Whether they hit them or not, it at least boosted their morale.

"Boom boom boom..."

A volley of shells fired from behind the cavalry, grazed their heads, and slammed into the Japanese machine gun emplacements.

Major Hoshino was completely dumbfounded. The attacking Chinese not only had cavalry, but also artillery, with at least a dozen mortars.

Mortars are the nemesis of heavy machine guns in field battles; their indirect fire does not hinder cavalry charges.

The combination of mortars and cavalry was too much of a threat to an infantry battalion without fortifications. The first round of artillery fire alone destroyed two Type 92 heavy machine guns. How could they possibly fight this battle?

Major Hoshino had the idea of ​​running away. Behind him were mountains, less than 500 meters away. If they could escape up the mountain, some of them could survive.

However, this order was difficult to give. While he was hesitating, several rounds of shells had already fallen, and the heavy machine gun position had been blown to pieces.

The thunderous sound of hooves was getting closer and closer; if we didn't run now, it would be too late!

"Fire! Hold the line!"

After giving the order, Major Hoshino led his battalion headquarters and ran off towards the mountains behind them.