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

In the city, Colonel Kondo rode his tall horse into the city in high spirits, and then announced in a grand manner that he had occupied the Fifth War Zone Command and annihilated thousands of enemy soldiers.

That evening, the 16th Division headquarters moved into the city, and Kondo's regiment took a short rest before continuing its advance along the Shangye Highway. Their next target was Luoshan.

Shortly after leaving the city, a senior staff officer delivered the latest intelligence on the area surrounding Xinyang:

"Commander, the main force of the 10th Division is advancing south along the Gushi-Huangchuan Highway and is engaged in fierce fighting with the 59th Army of China in Huangchuan."

The Fifth War Zone Command was retreating to Xinyang City. After Zhao Yunwen's troops fled Shangcheng, they fled west along the Shangxin Highway. Their next stop was Luoshan, which was the outer defense line of Xinyang.

The distance from Shangcheng to Luoshan County is about 120 kilometers. The terrain slopes down from east to west, leaving the Chinese with no natural defenses.

Colonel Kondo was very satisfied after listening and nodded, saying:

"Alright, speed up the march, march 30 kilometers a day, and get to the outskirts of Luoshan City in four days."

After reviewing the map, Colonel Kondo was unusually optimistic. Once the natural barrier of the canyon was captured, they could then march on Xinyang City.

Yangang, Field Command Post of the 646th Regiment

Regimental Commander Sui Youlan was leading a group of officers in discussing harassment tactics when the regimental military affairs staff officer came to report:

"The vanguard of the Japanese troops has already left the city and is still twelve kilometers away from the harassment zone. Judging from the number, it is the 38th Infantry Regiment, with about two thousand men."

The marching formation was divided into three echelons: over a thousand infantrymen led the way, followed by artillery and supply trains, and finally, over a thousand infantrymen brought up the rear.

Sui Youlan's gaze shifted to the map, where the military staff professionally marked the location of the 38th Regiment and the coordinates of the main force of the 16th Division.

After a moment's thought, Sui Youlan said:

"You see, starting from Shangcheng County, along the Shangxin Highway are Yangang, Chunhepu, and Luoshan in sequence. These are some important nodes."

The distance from Shangcheng County to Yangang is about 35 kilometers. The terrain here is mainly hilly and ridge-like, making it ideal for ambush operations.

From Yangang to Chunhepu, it is about 30 kilometers, and the terrain gradually descends, entering the edge of the plain. From Chunhepu to Luoshan County, it is about 35 kilometers, and the terrain is mainly plain.

The 324th Division established several solid defensive lines between Luoshan and Xinyang City. Our regiment's mission was to intercept the Japanese troops in stages between Shangcheng and Chunhepu.

Yangang is covered with undulating hills covered with shrubs and miscellaneous trees, which are convenient for troops to hide. Between the hills are large rice fields and low-lying areas. The highway runs through the town. There are no large mountains on the flanks, so the Japanese can outflank and encircle the town from multiple directions. Therefore, it is not advisable to hold the town to the death.

The main force of the cavalry regiment (minus one battalion) will cooperate with our troops in combat. Both sides must strengthen cooperation and joint defense. If there are not many Japanese troops that have made outward maneuvers, the cavalry regiment will eliminate them.

If the numbers become too large for the cavalry to handle, the infantry regiment must abandon its blocking position and retreat. During the retreat, it should lay many landmines to delay the Japanese pursuit...

This tactic was tailor-made by Zhao Yunwen for the 646th Regiment, a standard guerrilla warfare approach, which everyone nodded in agreement.

Shangxin Highway, ambush position of the 2nd Battalion of the 646th Regiment

A large contingent of Japanese soldiers was advancing in force, with gullies and overgrown trees on both sides of the road.

The soldiers of the Second Battalion lay in ambush among the bushes on both sides, their bodies camouflaged with vegetation. Their M35 steel helmets were reflective, blending into the ground, and they could not be spotted unless they were right up close.

The Japanese troops were arranged in three columns, with each company forming an echelon, ready to expand to the flanks at any time, while the artillery and battalion headquarters were protected in the middle.

They quickly entered the ambush zone, and Deputy Battalion Commander Yu Xiaole, barely suppressing his excitement, came to ask for instructions:

"Company commander, may we begin?"

Second Battalion Commander Gu Lei estimated the distance, shook his head, and said:

"No rush. We'll open fire after most of the Japanese soldiers have entered. If there are too many, aim for their heads. Follow my orders!"

The Japanese had a whole regiment, but Gu Lei wasn't so arrogant as to try and overwhelm them with his small force. He was pragmatic, so he led the vanguard and lured them to pursue along the main road.

Time passed slowly, and Yu Xiaole's heart was in her throat. The footsteps of the Japanese soldiers were getting closer and closer, and an invisible pressure was pressing down on the soldiers' hearts.

Yu Xiaole was worried that someone might not be able to withstand the pressure and alert the enemy, but Gu Lei was full of confidence. The 646th Regiment was a veteran with extensive combat experience, and most of them were old soldiers. This was nothing to worry about.

Just as Xiao Le was about to lose her temper, Gu Lei finally spoke:

"Signal the artillery battery to fire!"

Yu Xiaole excitedly accepted the order and left. Before long, the first volley of shells crashed into the long line of shells, hitting the middle and cutting it in half.

The Shinohara Battalion was suddenly hit hard, causing considerable chaos. Shells rained down, exploding everywhere among the soldiers. Although the number of Japanese soldiers killed was not large, the resulting chaos was devastating.

Major Shinohara screamed in terror:

"Enemy attack!"

"Hold on!"

The sound of artillery fire was the order, instantly igniting the battlefield. The entire battalion opened fire, sweeping a dense hail of bullets towards the Japanese soldiers.

Major Shinohara rolled into the ditch, narrowly avoiding a barrage of bullets, but there was no smile on his face.

The attack came without warning, leaving Shinohara's battalion completely disoriented. The soldiers scattered like headless flies, the command structure collapsed, and he couldn't even muster a few dozen men.

The adjutant scrambled over, his eyes darting around in panic, and stammered:

"Shinohara-kun, the Chinese firepower is too intense, the warriors are in disarray, what should we do?"

Major Shinohara was also experiencing this for the first time. He was completely bewildered by the Chinese people's lack of martial ethics, and after hearing this, he cursed loudly:

"Baka yarou! Stay calm, quickly gather your warriors for a counterattack, and hold out until the main force arrives!"

Major Shinohara made it sound so easy, but the troops were in complete chaos. Company and platoon leaders were fighting their own battles and couldn't form a united front. They could only passively take hits. What could the adjutant possibly use to rally the troops?

The sudden turn of events quickly affected the main force of the regiment. Colonel Kondo was searching for the cause through his binoculars when a senior staff officer rushed in to report:

"The Shinohara Battalion has been ambushed by the Chinese, suffering heavy casualties. Requesting tactical guidance!"

"You bunch of useless trash! This is a Chinese harassment tactic, hold your ground!!"

"Order the Third Battalion to seize the high ground on both flanks and protect the safety of the regimental headquarters."

Colonel Kondo saw through the Tiger Army's intentions, but that didn't solve the problem. He could only order the Second Battalion to reinforce, while the regimental headquarters, artillery, and supply troops switched to defense on the spot.

The gunfire ahead intensified, and Colonel Kondo's expression became extremely grim. He could only hope that reinforcements could turn the tide of the battle.

The communications soldier reported that the First Battalion had suffered heavy losses but was still holding on.

Colonel Kondo ordered another reconnaissance, and soon the scouts reported that the Second Battalion had arrived at the battlefield and the situation had been stabilized.

Senior staff officer's excited report:

"Commander, the Chinese have been driven back, and the Shinohara Battalion is regrouping and giving chase!"

Colonel Kondo's expression softened somewhat, but he remained somewhat worried and loudly ordered:

"Have the second battalion follow, just in case!"

The Japanese suffered a great loss. They were always vengeful and quick to anger. Major Shinohara gritted his teeth and roared:

"You idiot! You think you can just run away after taking advantage of us? You really think the Imperial Army is easy to bully!"

"Quickly give chase! Don't let the Chinese get away!!"

Major Shinohara was already furious. In a short time, they had suffered more than two hundred casualties. Who could swallow this insult?

Company Commander Captain Miyamoto persuaded him:

"Don't pursue a cornered enemy; beware of a trap!"

"Baka yarou, this is a harassment tactic by the Chinese. What waves can a few hundred people make?"

"Pursue them quickly! The second battalion is on its way!"

Captain Miyamoto thought about it and agreed. They were not alone; they had the support of the entire regiment. In open field battles, they could easily defeat several times their number of Chinese soldiers.

The Shinohara Battalion no longer hesitated and launched a full-scale attack. The performance of the ambushers reassured them.

The Second Battalion initially fought very well, taking advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness to kill a large number of Japanese soldiers. However, after the Japanese reinforcements arrived, they stopped fighting, abandoned their armor and weapons, and fled in disarray. They even threw away the captured Type 92 heavy machine guns, and left their backpacks, weapons, and ammunition scattered all over the ground.

The Japanese soldiers were getting more and more engrossed in their pursuit. The routed soldiers of the Second Battalion fled along the main road and unknowingly entered a depression.

The depression resembles a bathtub, stretching about a kilometer from east to west and varying in width from north to south by several tens of meters, with a height difference of three to five meters between it and the hills on both sides.

This type of terrain is common in the surrounding area, and the Japanese soldiers did not notice anything unusual. They only wanted to catch up with the fleeing soldiers and avenge being ambushed.

Shinohara's battalion plunged into the depression, followed by the second battalion a few hundred meters behind, and then the main force of the regiment. Major Shinohara, fearless, rode his large horse at the very front.

After the Japanese soldiers rushed into the depression in a chaotic manner, gunfire erupted again from both sides, and bullets rained down. Only then did Major Shinohara come to his senses.

This is a classic trap to lure the enemy; anyone with a basic understanding of military affairs can see it, but he was caught up in it and unaware of it.

Not recognizing the true face of Mount Lu!

"Baka yarou! Enemy attack! Quickly retreat!"

Major Shinohara's eyes were filled with fear, and he was filled with regret. This time, he didn't pretend anymore and directly ordered a retreat.

Saving your life is the most important thing!

Sui Youlan had prepared a feast with great care; since the guests had already come, how could he let them leave?

The entire regiment unleashed its full firepower, wiping out the entire Japanese troops of Shinohara Battalion. Corpses littered the ground, and blood flowed like a river.

The second battalion commander seemed to sense the intense killing intent as well, urging his troops to quickly reinforce, and he drove at almost the maximum speed.