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

The 17th Army Corps and the Tiger Legion were not under each other's command. Although the higher command helped coordinate, Hu Shoushan completely ignored Bai Jiansheng and only listened to the principal.

Bai Jiansheng could not control the orders from the command headquarters, which were selectively obeyed.

Hu Shoushan was always the leader among the Whampoa Military Academy students. He Zhonghan was the best in literature, and Hu Shoushan was the best in military affairs. He was the first to become a major general brigade commander, a lieutenant general division commander, and an army commander, and the only war zone commander.

The principal had several students who ranked second, but there was no dispute about who ranked first: Hu Shoushan, the future "King of Northwest China".

Zhao Yunwen suddenly emerged and seemed to be overshadowing him. With one guarding the northern front and the other the southern front, coordination became very important. This was the reason for Hu Shoushan's visit; reminiscing was just a pretext.

Hu Shoushan's question seemed more like a test for Zhao Yunwen, who put away his smile, walked to the map, and said:

"Brother Shoushan, please take a look. The enemy's Second Army is advancing on two fronts. On the eastern front are the 16th and 13th Divisions, and the 10th Division is accompanied by the Laigu Brigade."

The Japanese army launched its main attack with the 16th Division, while the 13th Division and the Raigani Brigade held back, advancing along the Shangxin Highway, while retaining the possibility of flanking attacks to the northeast and southeast.

My unit's first line of defense is at Luoshan, defended by the 324th Division, the artillery brigade, and the cavalry regiment. The forward position is at Zhuganpu. The Zhugan River is a natural barrier. As long as we blow up the bridge at Zhuganpu, the Japanese will have to cross the river, and I can attack them while they are crossing.

The main position was set up at Rengang…

Hu Shoushan nodded repeatedly, putting away his last trace of contempt and placing Zhao Yunwen on the same level as himself, no longer regarding him as a "discarded member of the sect".

Zhao Yunwen then posed a question:

"Brother Shoushan, at the crucial moment of the battle, the Japanese can detach a force to attack the junction of our defense zones from the northeast, cut off the connection between the two forces, and defeat them one by one."

This junction is located on the high ground east of Pyeongchang Pass, and it's extremely dangerous!

Hu Shoushan also saw it and said very generously:

"Brother Yunwen, let my troops defend this place! The Tiger Legion is facing the pressure of two divisions alone, and its strength is slightly insufficient."

"Brother Shoushan, the Guangshan defense line is also under great pressure. The northern line is a plain, which is easy to attack but difficult to defend. The main force of the 17th Army Corps cannot be moved."

The 22nd Army Group is poorly equipped. I suggest we send the 30th Division to defend it. They fought very well at Taierzhuang and are old rivals of the 10th Division.

I'll send another cavalry regiment to assist in the defense; that will ensure the safety of the border region!

Hu Shoushan's eyes lit up after hearing this; this was indeed the best candidate. He immediately made the decision:

"The 30th Division will assist in the defense of Huangchuan's flank. Let them retreat to the high ground east of Pingchang Pass. It only takes them more than ten miles to march. There is enough time. I will go and communicate with Commander Bai."

Furthermore, we will establish communication links between our two units so that we can support each other when needed, with the 22nd Army Group serving as the general reserve.

Zhao Yunwen also stated:

"Then let's do it this way. You and I, brothers, will join hands to defend Xinyang City. As long as we're here, the position will stand; our Tiger Legion will not retreat!"

Hu Shoushan held Zhao Yunwen's hand tightly and said:

"When brothers are of one mind, their strength can break metal. I, Hu, will never let the Japanese devils cross the line."

The fighting in Huangchuan is tense. The 59th Army has reached its limit, and it's only a matter of time before we lose our positions. I need to set up defenses in Guangshan ahead of schedule. Farewell!

After seeing Hu Shoushan off, Zhao Yunwen turned his attention to the eastern front, and was not worried about the northern front. The Japanese only had the main force of the 10th Division and lacked the Raigani Brigade, while Hu Shoushan had the 17th Army Corps and the 22nd Army Group, so holding the position should not be a problem.

The 323rd Division withdrew to Wusheng Pass, south of Xinyang, to rest and reorganize. This would block the Japanese from making a southward outflanking maneuver, protect the Tiger Army's retreat route, and preserve the possibility of flanking the Japanese.

There's no need to worry about the south, north, or west; we only need to hold off the enemy on the eastern front. The variables are the northeast and southeast directions, where the Japanese can send out a unit to flank us.

The northeast direction will be handled by the 30th Division. Given their previous cooperation, there shouldn't be any problems with coordination between the two sides.

Thinking of this, he said to Wang Guohua, the commander of the 324th Division:

"The key area is the Shangxin Highway. People should be evacuated to the mountains or safe areas in the south as much as possible, and their safety will be protected by the security battalion."

We'll just hold the key points and ignore the small groups of Japanese soldiers trying to infiltrate and outflank us; the reconnaissance regiment and the various security battalions will handle them.

The cavalry regiment dispatched a battalion deep into the Japanese flank and rear to conduct mobile operations, harassing supply lines and logistics depots.

Wang Guohua said with a resolute expression:

"Don't worry, Commander! The 324th Division has made extensive preparations in the early stages, allowing them to wait in comfort. With the support of the artillery brigade and cavalry regiment, holding off two devastated divisions shouldn't be a problem."

Zhao Yunwen said calmly:

"In the Battle of Xinyang, we must not only win, but win decisively, without incurring too many casualties. The veteran soldiers of the Tiger Army are invaluable for sustaining a protracted war."

When the army expands, these veterans will become platoon and squad leaders, tasked with preserving the unit's vitality as much as possible.

As the 16th Division drew ever closer, the atmosphere in Luoshan grew increasingly tense. The people were mobilized, and the county's population and supplies began to be transferred. The war was drawing ever closer.

At Qingtiangang, the Japanese soldiers finally cleared the landmines after a great deal of effort, but at a heavy cost. The reconnaissance company of the 646th Regiment, which was covering the rear, also completely abandoned the position.

The 20th Infantry Regiment continued its advance, while the 646th Regiment harassed them along the way, attacking intermittently and halting frequently. The advance was as slow as a snail's pace, and it took them three days to reach Yangang.

This is now the outpost of the 324th Division, defended by the 648th Regiment, while the 646th Regiment has successfully completed its rearguard mission.

After a brief rendezvous with the 648th Regiment, they marched in large strides toward Wusheng Pass to return to their unit.

The Japanese vanguard battalion advanced rapidly along the highway, but was ambushed at Yangang. They retreated, leaving behind more than a hundred corpses. The intelligence was quickly relayed to the command of the 20th Infantry Regiment.

The senior staff officer said, referring to the map:

"Yangang is located on the west bank of Zhugan River, north of Shangxin Highway. It is a natural ridge that runs east-west and is about two kilometers wide from north to south. Looking south, one can overlook the entire highway. Machine gun positions are set up on the south slope, which can block the highway."

The south side is surrounded by paddy fields and low-lying areas, which makes it difficult for the Imperial Army to approach.

A dirt road on the west side of Yangang leads directly to the town on the east bank of Zhuganpu. The bridge is located in Zhuganpu; holding this position allows for easy retreat across the river, making it a crucial passage for attacking Luoshan.

Regimental Commander Nanbu Shokichi nodded repeatedly and said:

"Yoshi, this must be the outer perimeter of Luoshan. The Chinese won't hold out to the death, and the Imperial Army has no good options but to launch a full-scale attack."

"Let the Takei Brigade investigate first!"

At the forward position of the 648th Regiment, Yang Guai, the deputy battalion commander and second company commander of the isolated battalion, coldly stared at the Japanese soldiers. They hadn't fought the Japanese for a while, and like a pack of wolves that hadn't had meat in a long time, the Japanese soldiers down the hillside were definitely easy prey.

The soldiers of the isolated battalion were well disguised, wearing straw hats made of twigs on their M35 steel helmets, blending into the ground.

The Japanese soldiers seemed to know there was danger on the mountain, and they were very cautious as they made their way forward.

The terrain of Yangang consists of three undulating hills from east to west, with the height increasing in stages. The forward position was set up on the top of the first hill.

The position looked unremarkable, but it was actually a hidden gem. Two trenches were built on the eastern hillside, and machine gun emplacements were extended deep into the mountain, resembling tunnels, so that indirect artillery shells could not hit them.

There was a firing position every so often in the trenches. People could lie on the position and shoot or throw grenades with only half of their heads showing.

The trenches were connected by longitudinal communication trenches, which were about sixty meters apart.

All the gun barrels were aimed at the Japanese soldiers, like slowly moving targets, just waiting for Yang Guai's order. He was the commander of the front line.

As the Japanese skirmishers drew closer, Yang Guai saw that the time was right and decisively opened fire, instantly shattering the silence of the battlefield.

Several M1919 Browning machine guns spewed long tongues of fire, forming crisscrossing barrages in front of the lines, sweeping down swathes of Japanese soldiers.

Major Takei, who was directing operations from the rear, couldn't help but frown. He had expected it, but he still hadn't anticipated that the "storm" would come so fiercely.

"Damn it, the Chinese were well prepared. They have built a complete fortification complex, with at least six heavy machine guns and a large number of light machine guns. Their troop strength is no less than a battalion."

Major Takei is not an expert in the field; he has his own ability to read the battlefield, but he doesn't have many ways to "solve the problem."

"Quickly, note down the locations of the Chinese firing positions and send an infantry artillery squad to destroy them!"

Major Takei's first thought was to destroy the defenders' firing positions, otherwise the battle would be impossible to win.

Before long, the heavy machine gun company of the Takei Battalion joined the battle, providing continuous fire support to the infantry group, with bullets kicking up clouds of dust on the hillside.

Under the cover of heavy machine guns, the skirmishers advanced with difficulty, braving a hail of bullets, each step forward costing them blood.

The artillery positions of the isolated battalion were located behind Hill No. 2, which provided a commanding view and a wide field of vision, with the Japanese machine gun positions all within the range of the artillery.

The Japanese machine guns were firing merrily when several artillery shells came crashing down from the mountain, accurately covering the position, and the smoke and fire from the explosions engulfed the Japanese soldiers.

Two heavy machine guns were destroyed, and twenty or thirty Japanese soldiers were killed or wounded, which frightened the Japanese soldiers into hastily relocating.

"Baka yarou, move quickly!"

"Boom boom boom..."

The second volley of shells fell, and the machine gun company commander's voice was swallowed up; no matter how fast they reacted, they couldn't outrun the shells.