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

Impulsiveness is the devil. Captain Hirakawa paid a heavy price for his rash actions, not only failing to make progress but also losing his life.

Pingchuan Squadron also suffered more than half its casualties, and the remaining soldiers obediently lay on the ground.

Xiao Hubei killed two more Japanese soldiers, but his heart was already calm and he no longer cared about his achievements.

He is now fighting the Japanese invaders not for personal revenge, but for the sake of all living beings.

Li Si even shot and killed three Japanese soldiers; his Gadlan rifle was enough to suppress half a squad.

Major Takei's face was so gloomy it could drip water; the garrison at Yangang filled him with despair.

It wasn't just the firepower; it also included individual soldier skills and tactics, fighting spirit, and squad coordination—a complete and utter defeat that chilled him to the bone.

"Wow, is this the true strength of the Tiger Legion?"

"Terrifying!"

Lieutenant Captain Yamamoto, deeply empathetic, said in a deep voice:

"Mr. Takei, Xinyang City is a strategic point on the northern front. The Imperial Army is determined to take it, and the Chinese will fight to the death to defend it."

Not only the Tiger Legion, but also the 17th Army Corps, known as the most elite force in China, will suffer heavy losses. The Imperial Army is destined to pay a heavy price; it will be a road paved with mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

"What Yamamoto-kun said is absolutely right. China is a thousand-year-old empire. Even though it is corrupt and decadent, it still has a profound foundation."

To destroy them, the empire will inevitably have to pay a heavy price and sacrifice a large number of warriors, including us.

Everything for the holy war!

Captain Yamamoto nodded and said nothing more. This was the kind of education they received from elementary school in the army; dying in battle was just going to report to the Yasukuni Shrine.

The Japanese offensive continued, and the line of fire between the two sides was reduced to a few dozen meters. Both sides were pouring bullets at each other, and casualties were rising steadily.

"Boom boom boom!"

Three 60mm mortar shells fell, and a Japanese light machine gun was blown away, killing three and injuring one of the four machine gun crew members.

Captain Yamamoto couldn't help but gasp; the garrison's extravagance exceeded his expectations.

"Mr. Takei, the small-caliber mortars of the Chinese are too much of a threat. They are even so extravagant as to use several cannons to destroy a machine gun."

Major Takei had noticed the problem long ago, but he was at a loss and said with a grim face:

"The Tiger Army's light mortar comes from the United States and is currently in service. I don't know how they got it."

With an effective range exceeding 1800 meters and a combat weight of only 20 kilograms, it is extremely mobile, capable of moving along trenches, posing a significant threat to machine gun positions.

"Mr. Takei, although the Imperial Army's Type 92 infantry guns can suppress it, their numbers are too few."

Now we can only hope for the Type 94 mortars, but catching them will be very difficult.

"Yamamoto-kun, this can't go on. Have the warriors retreat first. I'll go ask the regimental commander for tactical guidance and use special ammunition to solve this."

Also, see if we can call in air support; otherwise, Yan Gang will have to rely on human lives to fill the gap.

After witnessing the power of the M2 mortar, Major Takei finally made up his mind to retreat. With long-range firepower suppressed, continuing the fight would only increase casualties.

The defending troops hadn't even had their fill of fighting before the Japanese surrendered and retreated, leaving him shaking his head in disbelief.

"These Japanese devils are too weak, they're like tofu dregs."

Little Hubei casually pulled out an iron whistle, puffed out his cheeks, and blew it so loudly it made everyone jump out of their shell-proof bunkers.

The soldiers of the isolated battalion had long since developed muscle memory, and their figures darted into the anti-artillery bunkers in an orderly fashion, leaving only a few observation posts behind.

The Japanese artillery bombardment arrived as expected. The explosions sounded muffled. The experienced Xiao Hubei's expression changed drastically, and he blew the whistle again to warn of the gas attack.

The remaining observation posts were all experienced veterans, who also noticed the anomaly and hurriedly blew their iron whistles;

He then turned his body to the west, away from the wind, and deftly took out and put on his gas mask.

The soldiers huddled in the artillery shelter also put on gas masks to protect themselves, leaving the rest to fate.

The poisonous smoke had permeated the entire position, making it look extremely eerie and deathly silent, as if it had extinguished all life.

Major Takei was very satisfied with the effect of the shelling and said to Captain Yamamoto:

"Begin! Warriors, charge forth and slaughter all the Chinese!"

Captain Yamamoto said with concern:

"The Tiger Legion is equipped with gas masks, but we don't know if they can withstand it, so we should be cautious."

Major Takei said confidently:

"Don't worry, the Chinese are hiding in the trenches to avoid the shells. They didn't expect the Imperial Army to use special shells. By the time they realized what was happening, the poison gas had already been inhaled into their internal organs, and it was too late to put on a gas mask."

This is just a supplementary measure; it's enough to eliminate a portion of the Chinese. The infantry will ultimately be the ones to finish the battle.

"Hai, I request to lead the team up myself!"

"Yosh, Yamamoto-kun truly lives up to his reputation as a loyal and valiant samurai. Go forth, I await your good news!"

Captain Yamamoto strode away, and not long after, he led several hundred Japanese soldiers to the isolated battalion's position on behalf of the battalion headquarters.

At this time, the position was still shrouded in poison gas, a deathly scene.

Captain Yamamoto, wearing a long-nosed gas mask and holding his sword upside down, charged at the forefront.

The reason he personally led the charge was to obtain firsthand information on the effectiveness of special ammunition; he was extremely dedicated.

Officers inspire courage in their soldiers; if officers are not afraid to die, the soldiers will follow suit, and they quickly rushed to the front of the isolated army camp.

At this time, the poisonous smoke on the position had dissipated considerably, and visibility had greatly improved. The Japanese soldiers could see the movements of the enemy soldiers, and they were just waiting for Yang Guai's order.

Yang Guai's gunshot rang out without warning, instantly igniting the battlefield. The defending troops opened fire with all their might, using various light and heavy weapons to sweep the Japanese soldiers to the ground.

The Japanese soldiers wearing gas masks reacted noticeably slower, standing stiffly as they took the beating, as if they had been knocked senseless by a blunt object.

Upon hearing the gunshot, Captain Yamamoto rolled to the ground and nimbly hid in a shell crater on his right. He was covered in dust and looked quite disheveled, but he had escaped unharmed.

Bullets whizzed past his head; had he been even a fraction slower, he would be a cold corpse by now.

Captain Yamamoto looked ahead with lingering fear. The intensity of the defending forces' firepower exceeded his expectations, indicating that the special ammunition attack was generally ineffective and had not caused significant casualties to the defending forces.

"Baka yarou, the Tiger Army is indeed troublesome! Why don't their gas masks have big noses?"

Captain Yamamoto was shocked to discover that the gas masks of the isolated battalion were more advanced than theirs; he then noticed that the garrison's light and heavy weapons were well-balanced, the soldiers were well-trained, and there was no sign of panic.

On the other hand, their own side was surrounded by a large number of corpses and wounded soldiers, and the soldiers were firing indiscriminately, with their accuracy greatly reduced.

They panicked!

"You idiot, you piece of trash!"

"Where's the grenade launcher? Shoot down the Chinese machine gun!"

"Where's the machine gun? Suppress the firing positions on the flank and front!"

"Infantry gun..."

Captain Yamamoto kept shouting and gesturing wildly, which quickly caught Yang Guai's attention.

Although he hadn't shown his skills in a long time, he was still as sharp as ever, and slowly moved the Springfield rifle in his hand toward the target.

At a distance of over 200 meters, and crouching within a shell crater, this is almost the limit of the effective range of a regular rifle; any further and you can't even see a person clearly.

Before becoming an officer, Yang Guai was a renowned sharpshooter in the isolated battalion. Although Captain Yamamoto was cunning, he was now being targeted by death.

Although he reacted instinctively when the gun went off, he still couldn't escape the clutches of death.

The bullet hit the gas mask precisely where it was visible, and the enormous kinetic energy blasted half of the face into a fist-sized hole, which looked terrifying.

Yamamoto fell down with great resentment; the experience he had accumulated could only be taken back to the underworld.

The moment the gun went off, Yang Guai treated Yamamoto as if he were dead, not even glancing at him again. Instead, he turned his gun on another Japanese soldier, now a combatant, ready to fight without restraint.

Major Takei's smile vanished; the special ammunition had no effect on the defenders, as if they were invincible.

His hundreds of warriors were being ground to the ground, casualties were skyrocketing, heavy weapons were being suppressed, and he was helpless.

Time was passing slowly, and every minute and every second was agonizing. He wanted to withdraw his troops several times, but he couldn't bring himself to do it and stubbornly held on.

The soldiers of the isolated battalion lay prone in the trenches, continuously firing at the Japanese, as steady as a rock.

The 60mm mortar played a huge role in the firefight. Its effective range of 1800 meters became a nightmare for grenade launchers and light machine gun positions. The shrapnel kill radius of 15 meters meant that it did not need to be too accurate; it was enough to hit the surrounding area.

Major Takei, witnessing his machine gun and grenade launcher positions being destroyed one by one, could no longer remain calm and roared at the top of his lungs:

"Where are the infantry guns? Where are the mortars? Are they just for show? Shoot down the Chinese artillery!"

Major Takei was getting anxious. The entire battalion only had two Type 92 infantry guns and two mortars. This amount of firepower was enough to deal with other units that lacked artillery, but it was not enough against the Tiger Army.

The isolated battalion's artillery company alone had six artillery pieces, and each company had three light mortars, overwhelming the Wujing Brigade.

Before the infantry guns of the Wujing Battalion could fire more than a few shots, they were attacked by the artillery company of the isolated battalion. After one of their infantry guns was destroyed, they fled in panic.

Major Takei was completely out of options and could only have his communications officer call for artillery support.

"You idiot! Let the warriors retreat first, you're making a fool of yourself!"

"Send a telegram to the regimental commander requesting divisional artillery support to bombard the Chinese positions to the ground!"