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

The following morning, the Japanese offensive continued on both the northern and southern fronts of the gorge, but it was all bark and no bite.

The attacks were all brief and ineffective, with little investment of resources, resulting in minimal casualties on both sides.

The drawn-out battle lasted all day, until the 13th Division arrived in the afternoon, at which point the Japanese had already ended their attack.

There was no trouble that night; the garrison remained calm and focused on repairing the fortifications.

Both the 323rd Division and the 31st Division realized that this was just the calm before the storm; the quieter the Japanese were, the bigger the tricks they were about to pull.

It was another morning when the rumble of engines came from the sky and the piercing sound of anti-aircraft whistles rang out on the position. Squads of soldiers nimbly crawled into the artillery shelters in an orderly manner without any major panic.

The defenders had barely taken cover when a dozen bombers emblazoned with the Japanese flag flew overhead, raining down bombs that engulfed the entire position in smoke and fire.

Despite being bombed by more than a dozen aircraft, the gorge position could still hold out.

The Japanese planes they used only carried 400 kilograms of bombs each, and even a dozen or so planes would only carry a few thousand kilograms. Dropping them on such a large battlefield was just to make a show of force.

After dropping their bombs, the arrogant Japanese soldiers swooped down and strafed the defending positions, making the Japanese infantrymen's blood boil and causing them to yell and scream.

"Mikado Itaya!"

"Holy War, Begone!"

"The aerial warriors are truly awe-inspiring!"

Morale soared, which is why King Minahiko sent his air force to assist in the battle. After a prolonged siege, morale was low, and air support was exactly what they needed to boost it.

The defending soldiers huddled in their bunkers, silently enduring the bombing. In mountainous terrain, aerial bombing was generally ineffective; most of the bombs landed in the towering mountains, and the gains were insufficient to cover the cost of the bombs and fuel.

After emptying their ammunition, the aircraft arrogantly departed, followed by a barrage of artillery shells falling, far exceeding the intensity of aerial bombardment.

Inside the 323rd Division headquarters, Qiu Fengzi said in a deep voice:

"The Japanese are really going all out. Judging from the noise, there must be dozens of artillery pieces. They might have used the artillery of the 13th and 16th Divisions."

Zhao Yunwen nodded and said:

"As expected, once the 13th Division arrives, the Japanese will definitely launch a major offensive, aiming to take the gorge in one fell swoop."

"It's no big deal. We'll deal with whatever comes our way. Send a generator to the mountain artillery battalion, and if we catch one, we'll beat his mother to a pulp!"

The mountain artillery battalion occupied the surrounding high ground, and its super long range of 9600 meters encompassed all the Japanese artillery, which, although outnumbered, was still lethal.

Qiu Fengzi signaled Ma Weilan to go and relay the order, while he accompanied Zhao Yunwen to watch the battle and adjust the deployment as needed.

The mountain artillery battalion had previously lost four Schneider guns, and a salvo from 12 guns would have been enough to give the Japanese a hard time. The first salvo hit the 16th Division's artillery position and destroyed three howitzers.

Then came the second and third rounds, each one hitting a vital spot, causing the artillery regimental commander to scream in pain:

"Baka yarou, retaliate quickly!"

"Target on the mountaintop, fire! Blow them up!"

There was no time to retreat; the only option was to suppress the enemy from the opposite direction and rely on numbers to win. The artillery of the 13th Division was also taken aback and immediately diverted some of its firepower to provide support.

The mountain artillery battalion fired only six rounds, taking less than a minute, and then quickly moved away. By the time the Japanese artillery shells came, they were already hundreds of meters away.

The Japanese bombed the plants and flowers, but gained nothing and instead exposed themselves.

The mountain artillery battalion adopted guerrilla tactics, attacking and then leaving, seizing opportunities to launch several more attacks, making the Japanese artillery hesitant to strike and greatly reducing the pressure on the infantry.

After being bombed, the Japanese became much more cautious and dared not fire continuously in the same spot. They fired intermittently, which greatly reduced the effectiveness of their artillery preparation.

Yan Jiashan, Chi Fengcheng, and others watched with great excitement, while Major General Wang Huayu, the chief of staff, said enviously:

"The Tiger Army's artillery was extremely accurate, and most of the shots landed in the area of ​​the Japanese artillery positions, giving the Japanese a sound beating."

The fact that the Central Army could hold its own against the Japanese artillery shows how well-equipped it was!

Chi Fengcheng said solemnly:

"Commander Zhao is different from other Central Army soldiers. He acquired much of his advanced equipment with his own money, sacrificing his family's wealth for the country. He deserves everyone's respect, and I, Chi Fengcheng, admire him!"

Wang Huayu looked a little embarrassed. He was just envious. This is a common problem among Chinese people: they are not worried about scarcity but about inequality.

The Central Army occupies the best resources, so it's inevitable that the local armies will have some complaints. However, the Tiger Army's equipment was funded by Zhao Yunwen and the Zhao family themselves, so others have no right to be jealous.

"Commander, the Japanese have launched a ground attack! There are so many of them!"

Major General Kang Faru, the deputy division commander, eased the tension and drew everyone's attention back to the battlefield.

On the hillside, countless Japanese soldiers surged towards the front lines. Chi Fengcheng's expression turned grim, and he coldly shouted:

"Signal to artillery battalion: six rapid-fire rounds—fire!"

The chief of staff hurriedly accepted the order and left, while the deputy division commander stayed with Chi Fengcheng to continue watching the battle.

The 31st Division only has two regiments and one battalion at Yanjia Mountain, totaling more than 3,000 men. The rest are its directly subordinate units. Chi Fengcheng is already considering sending two more battalions from the 181st Regiment to reinforce them.

Kang Faru also thought of this and asked Chi Fengcheng for instructions:

"The Japanese are coming in strong; should we send more men?"

Chi Fengcheng nodded without further hesitation and said:

"Transfer the entire 181st Regiment here. With the Tiger Cavalry Regiment watching from the southeast, it won't take more than two regiments to protect the flank of the city."

"If necessary, send in the 182nd Regiment and fight the Japanese devils to the death!"

The attacking force on Yanjiashan was the 26th Infantry Brigade of the 13th Division. They had suffered heavy losses at Fujinshan. Although they had been replenished, their main regiments were severely understaffed, especially the supply, engineer, cavalry, and artillery regiments.

The battle at Fujinyama didn't go well, and everyone in the 26th Brigade was eager to prove themselves. Chief of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Chiba confidently stated:

"The garrison at Yanjia Mountain is just a ragtag division. Rumor has it that many of their soldiers are still using broadswords and spears. Their firepower is clearly not on the same level as the Tiger Legion or the 71st Army. To deploy two regiments at once, General, you are giving them far too much credit!"

"Chiba-kun, you must not be careless. Even a lion must use its full strength to hunt a rabbit. If we can't even take down a small place like Yanjia Mountain, where will the 13th Division's reputation stand?"

Brigade Commander Numata Tokusatsu put on a show of force, not taking the 31st Division seriously at all. The two divisions had a division of labor, each attacking a mountain, and whoever broke through the position first would be credited with the greatest merit.

"General, the two regiments already outnumber the 31st Division, which shows that we take them very seriously. Even if the Chinese are defeated, they have reason to be proud."

Major General Numata nodded and said:

"Let's wait and see!"

As the two men spoke, the Japanese skirmishers had advanced to the front of the defending troops' positions. Gunfire erupted, and the 93rd Brigade unleashed its full firepower. Japanese soldiers fell in droves, and Major General Numata's expression became increasingly tense.

Yan Zijing, the commander of the 185th Regiment, discovered that the Japanese were weaker than he had imagined, their tactics were rigid, and their formations were too dense, revealing their true colors as soon as they were attacked.

Initially, I was a little apprehensive about facing several thousand Japanese soldiers head-on, worried that I wouldn't be able to hold them off. Now, I feel more confident, and my tone has become more relaxed:

"Chief of Staff Pan, have you noticed that these Japanese soldiers are acting strangely? They're like green recruits. We've really struck gold this time."

Chief of Staff Pan Feng took a closer look and indeed it was true, and excitedly said:

"I had heard the division commander say before that the 13th Division was decimated by the Central Army at Fujin Mountain, and now it seems to be true."

Most of the reinforcements are greenhorns; we're not afraid of any more of them.

Yan Zijing still advised him:

"We must not underestimate the enemy. Even ants can kill an elephant. Tell the brothers to remain calm and fight back. We must drive the Japanese away."

They all think they're dead. If anyone dares to back down, don't blame me for showing no brotherly loyalty!

A hundred meters from the front, the Japanese soldiers could no longer advance. Corpses were piled up on the ground. Their morale, which had been boosted by injections of chicken blood, was quickly depleted. New recruits are only suitable for fighting when the wind is favorable.

Although the Japanese reserves and contingents had received basic military training, none of them had ever participated in actual combat. They were just a bunch of weaklings in front of the veteran soldiers of the 185th Regiment.

The defenders fought very steadily, lying prone on the trenches with only their heads showing, not firing easily, but every shot hit its mark.

The machine guns were even more cunning, firing short bursts of three to five rounds at a time, as if they had eyes; the moment a Japanese soldier showed his face, he was killed.

Chi Fengcheng transferred all twenty Type 92 heavy machine guns provided by the Tiger Army to the 93rd Brigade, ten for each regiment, greatly enhancing their firepower. Combined with Maxim heavy machine guns, they completely suppressed the Japanese infantry.

The Japanese soldiers on the other side either fired blindly or lay on the ground trembling, unmoved by the officer's urging.

"You bunch of cowards! Charge! Or you're all dead!"

The captain could no longer stand it; they were not at all like elite troops. Enraged, he kept driving his soldiers to attack, even resorting to military law.

Private First Class Kitajima knew he couldn't survive any longer, so he had no choice but to climb out of the shell crater, grab his gun, and charge forward through the hail of bullets.