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

At Erdaogou, the 10th Infantry Regiment suffered a crushing defeat. Three battalions of the 646th Regiment attacked from both flanks, and the remaining Japanese soldiers fled for their lives, their corpses covering the riverbank.

The Third Battalion, which had not fully crossed the river, hurriedly retreated to the north bank. The regimental headquarters, artillery battalion, supply company, and other units fled for their lives in a chaotic manner. Many Japanese soldiers died in the river, and their bodies floated on the surface, a horrifying sight.

The second battalion on the left wing was also driven across the river, suffering heavy casualties. The first battalion fared the worst, with only a few dozen men escaping back.

Almost all of the cannons and supplies carried by the 10th Regiment sank into the river, and the bodies of men and horses blocked the river channel.

Colonel Mori, who had narrowly escaped death, was ashen-faced. He drew his pistol to apologize to the Emperor, but a senior staff officer swiftly snatched it away and advised him:

"Commander, this is not your fault. Your movements were leaked in advance and you were ambushed by the cunning Chinese."

The Chinese are catching up; let's retreat first!

Colonel Mori looked up to the sky and howled in despair:

"I have no face to see Your Excellency, General!"

The senior staff officer was too lazy to play along anymore. With a wave of his hand, several guards grabbed him and ran. The Tiger Legion was almost here; survival was the priority.

The remnants of the 10th Regiment abandoned all their burdens and fled lightly. The 646th Regiment pursued them from two directions, chasing them all the way across the river before stopping.

The reason they had to cross the river was to retrieve the cannons and supplies from it, and to gather the mules and horses that were still alive, as they could also eat the dead horses.

The 646th Regiment left one battalion to guard the battlefield, while the rest of the troops cleaned up the battlefield, treated the wounded, and tallied the results of the battle.

Watching from afar, Bao Qiu, the madman, also breathed a sigh of relief, his heart finally at ease. The 323rd Division had won a complete victory.

At the main position at the gorge, the Japanese offensive continued, completely unaware that their flanking maneuvers had ended in a crushing defeat, and they were still indulging in wishful thinking.

At Yanjia Mountain on the southern front, the 93rd Brigade's defense line was stabilized with the return of the supplementary regiment.

The supplementary regiment bombarded the Japanese with captured artillery, overwhelming the 13th Division with firepower and preventing them from gaining any advantage.

Fighting from night until noon, the 93rd Brigade not only did not lose its core position, but also killed a large number of Japanese soldiers.

The 16th Division in the direction of Eagle Beak Mountain made considerable progress, capturing half of the valley in the central route and taking the first line of defense on the left, compressing all the defenders to the peak.

This was actually Zhao Yunwen's deliberate act, luring the main force of the Japanese army up the mountain, keeping them pinned down, and waiting for the bad news from both flanks to reach the 16th Division headquarters, at which point the great counter-offensive would begin.

Everything is ready, except for the east wind!

Outside the 16th Division headquarters, Fujie Eipu, with his stubble beard, glared at Eagle Beak Mountain, his triangular eyes filled with malice.

He was now in a dilemma; if he advanced, he could not break through the last line of defense, and every charge would cost a huge amount of blood.

Retreat was unacceptable; the 16th Division's humiliation at Yingzui Mountain would undoubtedly become a disgrace in his military career.

Most importantly, he still clung to a last glimmer of hope.

"Nakazawa-kun, judging by the time, the 10th Regiment should have reached their outflanking position by now. Why haven't they launched their attack yet?"

Fujie Eipu's tone was anxious, and Colonel Nakazawa Saburo quickly comforted him:

"Haven't received any news yet, it should be soon!"

His words had barely faded when the communications officer rushed in, flustered. A sense of foreboding washed over Fujie Eipu, and he coldly shouted:

"You idiot! What kind of behavior is this, all flustered and in such a hurry? Tell me slowly!"

The communications staff hurriedly reported:

"Commander, urgent report from the 10th Division's Raiya Brigade!"

Nakazawa Saburo took the telegram, waved it away, and after reading it, his whole body trembled. He stammered, "..."

"It's bad news. The 10th Division's flanking force has been heavily attacked by Chinese troops and suffered heavy losses. The 10th and 63rd Regiments have both suffered more than half their casualties, and heavy equipment and supplies have been severely lost. They are temporarily unable to fight again."

"Baka yarou, what did you say?!"

"Impossible, absolutely not! Has China increased its troop presence?"

Fujie Hepburn's voice was almost a roar. Regardless of the reason, the result was clear: the flanking maneuver had ended in a crushing defeat, and there was no need to continue fighting head-on.

"Your Excellency, there must be some intelligence we don't know about here. The 323rd Division cannot possibly have the spare strength to divert troops to severely damage the 10th Regiment. It seems that the Fifth War Zone has reinforced the Xiakou area again."

The enemy situation is currently unclear; the attack should be halted immediately, and the situation should be ascertained before resuming the battle.

Nakazawa Saburo's suggestion was conventional, but Fujie Eipu's decision was not easy to make. They had barely maintained their current favorable situation, and were just one step away from making a final mistake.

"Let's see...maybe..."

"Your Excellency, the 16th Division is no longer able to break through Eagle's Beak Mountain, and the Raigaku Brigade cannot support us either."

If we wait for Chinese reinforcements to return to defend our positions, the situation will become passive!

Nakazawa Saburo no longer cared about hierarchy; his words were like a wake-up call. Fujie Eipu abandoned all illusions and coldly gave the order:

"As you say, let the warriors retreat!"

After giving the order, Fujie Heipu slumped into a chair like a lump of mud, his back hunched, looking as if he had aged several years.

Nakazawa Saburo said no more, turned around and went to give the order, which was also forwarded to the 13th Division.

At the 323rd Division headquarters, good news kept pouring in, and the atmosphere became unusually relaxed. Although they were currently being suppressed by the Japanese, everyone was full of confidence in victory.

Maweilan said excitedly:

"Commander Qiu nearly decimated the 10th Regiment at Erdaogou, killing over a thousand Japanese soldiers, capturing more than a dozen field guns, over eight hundred rifles, and ammunition and supplies piled up like mountains. He made a fortune, enough to make that old Japanese devil Lai Gu feel the pinch."

Zhao Yunwen was also in high spirits. The left and right wings had achieved great victories one after another, severely damaging the two regiments that had launched a flanking attack. The balance had been broken, and the opportunity he had been waiting for had appeared.

The east wind is rising; it's time to launch the final strike!

"Staff Officer Ma, get the artillery ready. The 645th and 650th Regiments will launch a counterattack after the artillery fires and drive the Japanese several miles away!"

"Immediately send a telegram to the 31st Division and the Cavalry Regiment, instructing them to launch a full-scale counterattack!"

"I'm going to fight back!!"

On the mountainside of Eagle Beak, the Japanese troops who had been attacking earlier began to retreat. Suddenly, the artillery groups of the 645th and 650th Regiments, which were being used in concentrated force, launched an attack, hurling volleys of shells into the Japanese ranks.

Originally, the Japanese soldiers were retreating in an orderly manner, but after being bombed, their morale plummeted, and they accelerated their retreat. Some even stumbled and fell to the ground in their panic.

As the clarion call to charge sounded, soldiers of the 645th and 650th Regiments leaped out of their trenches and charged towards the Japanese invaders like an overwhelming tidal wave.

The defenders' counterattack accelerated the Japanese panic, disrupted their rhythmic retreat, shattered the long-held balance, and soon turned into a chaotic rout.

The Tiger Army's counterattack was too fierce, and their advance was extremely fast, putting immense pressure on the Japanese.

A second lieutenant screamed in terror:

"The Chinese are attacking! Run!"

"You bastard! How dare you disrupt the morale of the army! Die!"

The battalion commander cleaved it in two with a single stroke, but could not stop the Japanese from their rout.

The tide had turned; from the moment Fujie Hewlett-Packard gave the order, a complete rout was inevitable.

Thousands of Japanese soldiers took off running, tumbling and crawling, and many were trampled to death by their own men.

Two regiments of the 323rd Division seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, and the outcome of the battle was no longer in doubt.

At the same time, the 93rd Brigade and the Supplementary Regiment also launched a counterattack, driving the 13th Division out of their positions and causing the Japanese to retreat in defeat.

At the critical moment, the cavalry regiment charged out from the flank and rear, and the thunderous sound of their hooves terrified the Japanese soldiers.

An orderly retreat turned into a complete rout, and the cavalry regiment's flanking attack from the flanks and rear was the death of the Japanese soldiers, who charged wildly with their horses' speed.

Wielding sabers, they slaughtered Japanese soldiers, their heads rolling down the battlefield. At the same time, they cut off the fleeing Japanese army in half, coordinating with the infantry to encircle and annihilate the remaining enemy forces.

The southern garrison was limited in strength; they would be content to capture a few hundred Japanese soldiers and then surround and slowly annihilate them.

The counterattack on the northern front was even more intense. Zhao Yunwen was intentionally conserving his strength. After retreating to the core position on the mountaintop, the pressure was greatly reduced. Relying on powerful firepower, a single regiment was able to hold off the Japanese offensive. The 650th Regiment had been storing up strength.

During the counterattack, the 650th Regiment was in high spirits, pursuing the enemy most fiercely and annihilating the most enemy soldiers, chasing them for several kilometers.

As the gunfire gradually subsided, the hard-won victory was met with cheers from the soldiers, their voices echoing through the sky.

"We've won!"

"We've won!"

"Down with the devil!!"

"Victory in the War of Resistance is inevitable!"

Slogans came one after another, and together they weathered the most difficult days, finally achieving a triumphant moment.

After the cheers subsided, they began cleaning up the battlefield, treating their own wounded, and finishing off the seriously wounded or feigning dead Japanese soldiers.

Zhao Yunwen was also very happy, but his vision could not be limited to the gorge. After the successful counterattack, he was already planning to abandon the position and deploy new battle plans.

As the battle results were gradually tallied, the relevant data was laid out before Zhao Yunwen. After reviewing it, he exclaimed loudly:

"Well done, brothers! In this counterattack, we killed over 2000 Japanese soldiers on both the northern and southern fronts and captured countless spoils!"