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

At dawn, the battlefield was cleaned up and the results were tallied. Chief of Staff Wang Chao excitedly reported to Zhou Shiyuan:

"Commander, we've struck it rich! We've captured over a dozen artillery pieces, including four 75mm howitzers, eight Type 92 infantry guns, six mortars, over three thousand shells, over eight hundred rifles and pistols, as well as a large amount of ammunition and supplies—equipment for almost two battalions and combat supplies for a regiment."

More than 1300 Japanese corpses were found, while our side suffered only a few dozen casualties—a complete victory!

Zhou Shiyuan had seen a lot in the training brigade and had won many great battles with Zhao Yunwen, but none of them were as glorious as this.

With a supplementary regiment, they severely damaged an entire Japanese field regiment, suffering only a few dozen casualties. No one would believe it if you told them.

This was a glorious moment for the replenishment regiment, and even more so for Zhou Shiyuan. After this battle, his position as regimental commander was firmly established.

Zhou Shiyuan clenched his fist, suppressing the joy in his heart, and gave the order in a trembling voice:

"Chief of Staff Wang, all personnel are to be withdrawn to Beiling to support the 93rd Brigade's operations. Take all spoils of war and report the victory to headquarters immediately!"

At dawn, the 10th Infantry Regiment of Erdaogou had arrived.

Because they had to take a long detour and got lost due to the high mountains and long roads, they wasted a lot of time before finally finding the ferry crossing.

Once they cross the river, it will take less than two hours to reach the flank and rear of Eagle Beak Mountain, where they can coordinate with the 16th Division to launch a pincer attack on the 323rd Division.

Colonel Mori Suehiro, commander of the 10th Infantry Regiment, was annoyed by the course of this flanking maneuver, but still smiled and said:

"Yoshi, the process was tortuous, but the result was wonderful. Immediately order the crossing."

The order of crossing the river was: the first infantry battalion, the second infantry battalion, artillery, supply and regimental headquarters, and the third infantry battalion.

The river isn't deep; we can wade across directly. Hurry, we can't give the Chinese any time to react.

"Hai!"

The senior staff officer strode away with his saber slung over his shoulder. Not long after, the first battalion of over a thousand Japanese soldiers began to cross the river. In order to speed things up, the second battalion advanced on the right flank almost simultaneously.

The river was not wide, but the water was waist-deep. The Japanese army's supplies and artillery were all transported by mules and horses, so they were able to cross the river very quickly.

In just over ten minutes, two battalions of Japanese soldiers crossed the river and immediately went on the defensive, covering the artillery, supply trains, and regimental headquarters as they crossed.

Colonel Mori rode a tall, chestnut-colored horse across the river, looking very imposing.

More than 300 mules and horses, carrying equipment and supplies, led the way, blocking the river channel which stretched for several hundred meters from east to west.

Just as Colonel Mori's warhorse reached the middle of the river, the sound of artillery shells whistling through the air came from the northwest, extremely piercing.

He was a seasoned warrior, and upon hearing the voice, he knew it was coming for him. He was so frightened that his face turned pale, and he almost fell off his horse.

A dozen or so Schneider mountain shells whistled into the river, and the herd of mules and horses instantly panicked, running in all directions in the river.

"Enemy attack! From the southwest! Cross the river quickly!"

Colonel Mori immediately saw through the attackers' intentions: to destroy the 10th Regiment's artillery and supplies. Without these heavy weapons, the 10th Regiment's combat strength would be greatly reduced.

Attacking them while they are crossing the river would cause the greatest chaos and damage the morale of the Japanese troops.

The senior staff officer, well-informed and experienced, shouted loudly:

"Commander, this is an M1923 Schneider mountain gun emplacement. In China, only the Tiger Army possesses this equipment!"

Upon hearing that it was the Tiger Legion, Colonel Mori's heart tightened, and he roared:

"Cross the river quickly!"

"Order the First and Second Battalions to attack the flanks! Charge!"

Colonel Mori quickly made a decision to force a crossing of the river and engage the ambush troops in open battle.

The Japanese soldiers were confident in their own abilities and considered themselves invincible in open field battles. The 10th Regiment had no way out but to charge forward.

Shells continued to fall in volleys, killing and injuring large numbers of mules and horses, sinking equipment and supplies into the river, and the rest fleeing in all directions.

The 10th Regiment's marching formation was completely disrupted. The regimental headquarters personnel who crossed the river with the supplies suffered heavy casualties. Even Colonel Mori was thrown into the river by his frightened warhorse, and the command system was temporarily paralyzed.

Then the artillery fire shifted, targeting the Japanese soldiers crossing the river, shattering their orderly formation. Each round of shelling felled many Japanese soldiers.

On the left flank, the first battalion of Japanese soldiers advanced rapidly to the southwest, their target being the mountain artillery battalion's position.

After freeing up space, the second battalion switched to defense to cover the crossing of the river by the following troops.

The right flank also roared with the sound of artillery fire. Although the intensity of the artillery bombardment was not as great as that on the left flank, it posed an equally significant threat.

A loud bugle call sounded, and a large number of ambushes appeared on the left and right flanks, numbering in the thousands. They were the troops that Qiu Fengzi had brought to block the attack.

The left flank consisted of a mountain artillery battalion, a supply battalion, and the 1st Battalion of the 646th Regiment, with a total strength of about 2,000 men. They were equipped with 12 Schneider mountain guns, 4 Type 92 mountain guns, 2 Type 92 infantry guns, 4 Type 20 mortars, and a large number of Browning machine guns and 60mm mortars, making them heavily armed.

The right flank consisted of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 646th Regiment and their directly subordinate artillery company, equipped with 24 mountain guns, infantry guns, and 20mm mortars. This heavy firepower was used to launch long-range strikes against the Japanese and to cover the infantry assault of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions.

The Japanese soldiers of the Second Battalion initially tried to launch a counterattack, but were bombarded by the concentrated use of 24 artillery pieces, resulting in heavy casualties and their formation being disrupted.

The soldiers of the Second and Third Battalions formed two square formations and advanced side by side. They formed an inverted triangle attack formation with three men in a group, two in front and one behind. The large triangle formation nested within the larger triangle formation, and the soldiers and groups cooperated tacitly. As far as the eye could see, the mountains and fields were full of people.

This is the Tiger Legion's standard "three-three system" attack formation, which advances rapidly under the organization of officers and non-commissioned officers, with overwhelming momentum.

The same applies to the left flank. The 1st Battalion of the 646th Regiment attacked the Japanese from both sides, while the supply battalion protected the mountain artillery battalion. The main force of the assault was the 646th Regiment, which launched a pincer attack from the southwest and southeast.

The Japanese were not to be outdone. Although their formation was disrupted by the artillery fire, they still met the 646th Regiment's counter-charge head-on, with shouts of battle filling the air.

Qiu Fengzi held up his binoculars, watching the two torrents collide, his expression as resolute as steel.

The first close-quarters combat took place on the right flank, with two infantry battalions facing a battered and ravaged company. Gunfire erupted like popping beans as both sides charged and fired, with men falling one after another.

The second battalion commander charged ahead, his saber held high. He was excited by the confrontation; close combat and bayonets clashing were finally putting his swordsmanship to good use.

The Japanese soldiers, armed with Type 38 rifles, attempted to win using their expertise in close combat. Despite being outnumbered, the Japanese were full of confidence.

The submachine guns and Garand semi-automatic rifles equipped by the 646th Regiment displayed their prowess, and they could even fire M1918 automatic rifles while holding them at a gun. Before the bayonet fighting that the Japanese were looking forward to could even happen, most of them were wiped out by the artillery fire and rapid-fire weapons of the 646th Regiment.

Bolt-action rifles were completely suppressed, and the closer the distance, the greater the disadvantage, with casualties far exceeding those of the Tiger Army.

When the two sides were locked in a fierce battle, the Second Battalion had only 400 men left, while the two battalions of the 646th Regiment still had more than 1300 men who could fight, giving them a clear advantage in numbers.

After the two torrents collided, the Japanese were even more desperate. The Tiger Legion never fought alone; they always fought in groups of three. Two men would hold bolt-action rifles and protect the Japanese in front, while the semi-automatic riflemen or submachine gunners would bring up the rear. All they had to do was fire at the Japanese. The extremely fast rate of fire prevented the Japanese bayonets from getting close.

The Japanese battalion commander's proud swordsmanship was rendered useless. When his katana struck the bolt-action rifleman with lightning speed, the semi-automatic rifleman trailing behind fired several shots, turning him into a bloody mess.

The Japanese were overwhelmed and quickly swallowed up by thousands of elite troops, who pushed forward relentlessly.

The right wing was the first to decide the outcome. Before the third battalion from the other side of the river could arrive as reinforcements, the second battalion was almost completely annihilated in the melee, leaving only a hundred or so survivors who fled in disarray.

At this time, the left flank also engaged in combat. Although the Tiger Army only had one infantry battalion, the Japanese were still at a disadvantage. The long-range suppression power of the mountain artillery battalion was too strong. Most of the Japanese died under the bombardment, and their formation was thrown into chaos, unable to form a cohesive force.

Colonel Mori could hardly believe his eyes, and he cursed in frustration:

"You idiots! A bunch of useless trash, a disgrace to the Imperial Army!"

The senior staff officer held his hand and said:

"Commander, the Second Battalion has been severely damaged, and the First Battalion is also at a disadvantage. Order a retreat immediately!"

"By the time the Chinese from the southeast arrive, it will be too late!"

Colonel Mori roared in frustration:

"The Imperial Army hasn't been defeated yet; the Third Battalion is crossing the river to reinforce them!"

"Commander, it's no use. Defeat is inevitable. If we don't retreat now, our entire army risks annihilation!"

"Boom boom boom..."

"Boom boom boom!"

Two volleys of shells fell into the river, and the Third Battalion was also shelled, thrown into chaos. Colonel Mori, struck dumb, lost all hope and frantically shouted:

"Retreat! Retreat quickly!"

"Give the order to the Second Battalion!"

The Second Battalion, already engaged in fierce fighting, was in a state of morale collapse and crumbled immediately upon receiving the order to retreat. Seeing this rare opportunity, the First Battalion Commander raised his arm and shouted:

"The Japanese devils have been defeated! Brothers, charge!"