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

Northeast of Guangshan, at the artillery position of the 5th Heavy Artillery Brigade, the heavy artillery that had just been swaggering was now trembling under the barrage of fire.

Rows of 105mm high-explosive shells fell, exploding large areas with each explosion. The Japanese soldiers' cumbersome 150mm heavy artillery was destroyed by the fire, and the thick barrels were flung into the air by the shockwave before crashing heavily to the ground.

The Japanese artillery commander was dumbfounded, his head was buzzing, and the scene in front of him was completely unreal, as if in a dream.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

"Where did the Chinese get their Schneider heavy artillery units?"

He was an artillery expert, but there was no intelligence record of the Chinese purchasing large quantities of Schneider heavy artillery, and the 17th Army Corps was not equipped with them. Where did these heavy artillery units come from?

"Boom boom boom..."

Another volley of shells fell, destroying two more heavy artillery pieces. The bodies of the artillerymen were scattered all over the ground, most of them torn apart, their heads and bodies separated, not even a complete skeleton remained.

"Baka yarou, move quickly!"

"Hurry! Protecting the artillery is the priority!"

Japan lacks resources, and every heavy artillery piece is its lifeline; saving the artillery is far more important than saving lives.

It no longer matters where the Chinese got their artillery; the shells are still falling in rows, and the Japanese are heartbroken.

The artillerymen were disoriented from the bombardment, but they still braved the fire to clean up the mess and try to move the artillery pieces.

However, their movements were clearly outpaced by the rate of fire of the heavy artillery. Before they could move, a new round of shells came crashing down, and the scene was once again filled with the dramatic spectacle of artillery destruction and casualties.

Schneider heavy artillery was not only powerful and had a long range, but its rate of fire was also faster than that of Japanese artillery. Although French artillery was not as famous as German artillery, its performance was much better.

Japanese artillery was all copied from French designs; the difference between a fake and the real thing.

At this moment, the Tiger Legion's heavy artillery battalion position was a scene of bustling activity. The artillerymen were skillfully loading and firing shells, and in just a few minutes, they fired more than a dozen rounds of shells, catching the 5th Heavy Artillery Brigade off guard.

The heavy artillery battalion was the Tiger Army's trump card unit; when it struck, it was deadly. The Japanese 5th Heavy Artillery Brigade's position was filled with smoke and flames, with artillery destroyed and people killed—a human tragedy.

Seeing that the time was right, the battalion commander decisively ordered a halt to the shelling and a rapid withdrawal.

The artillerymen quickly packed up the supports, harnessed the cannons to mules and horses, and dragged them away, giving the Japanese no chance to retaliate.

The Schneider 105mm M1918 mountain gun weighs only a little over 700 kilograms. It can be pulled by mules or horses, or it can be disassembled into eight parts and carried by eight mules for rapid mobility, making it easy to go up mountains and down to the countryside.

The heavy artillery battalion chose a position close to the main road, with flat terrain, more than seven kilometers away from the Japanese artillery positions, which was conducive to concentrated fire and easy to move.

The 5th Heavy Artillery Brigade was a large organization with numerous artillery pieces. Due to time constraints, the mountain artillery battalion could only destroy a portion of it before moving to a new position and waiting for a new opportunity to fire.

At the position of the First Army of the 17th Army Corps, the Japanese artillery fire suddenly stopped, and faint explosions could be heard from behind the Japanese lines. The infantry also hurriedly withdrew from the battle.

They didn't know what had happened, so the commander immediately sent out a reconnaissance team to investigate. The results they obtained made them ecstatic, and they quickly reported it to Army Commander Li Tiejun.

Li Tiejun burst into laughter after hearing the good news:

"Hey, you little devils, you've finally met your match!"

Li Tiejun is from Meizhou, and in his excitement he even uttered his local dialect, creating a joyous atmosphere in the command post.

"Brother Yunwen is reliable and fought well! He has done my First Army a great favor, and everyone in my First Army owes him a debt of gratitude."

Li Tiejun's words resonated with everyone, and the chief of staff followed suit, saying:

"That's right. It's said that the Japanese heavy artillery was bombed badly, with corpses of men and horses everywhere. Those big guys were blown to pieces, and the rest were so scared that they fled in panic and never dared to bare their teeth at our troops again."

Li Tiejun also excitedly said:

"With the Tiger Army's heavy artillery battalion holding them back, the Japanese had to think twice before firing from behind. This was an invisible threat."

Report this good news to Commander Hu immediately; Brother Shoushan must also accept this favor.

Good news also arrived at the Tiger Legion headquarters, with Xie Polu reporting excitedly:

"The reconnaissance team has confirmed that they destroyed at least twenty heavy artillery pieces, killing and wounding hundreds of artillerymen. That's enough to make the Japanese cringe!"

After listening, Zhao Yunwen smiled and said:

"Very good, the mountain artillery battalion has done a great job this time, crushing the arrogance of the Japanese!"

Tell the brothers in the heavy artillery battalion to keep an eye on the 10th Division and find an opportunity to strike the Japanese infantry a few more times, so that the sword of Damocles hangs over their heads.

The battle is scheduled for three days. After three days, we will withdraw to Luoshan to assist in the battle. That's all we'll do for the 17th Army Corps.

Lupin then chimed in:

"I think it's feasible. Three days won't have a significant impact on the Luoshan battlefield. With the mountain artillery battalion and anti-aircraft artillery battalion there, there won't be any major problems on the eastern front."

The artillery brigade has four artillery battalions: the mountain artillery battalion and the anti-aircraft artillery battalion are stationed at Luoshan, the heavy artillery battalion is supporting Guangshan, the howitzer battalion is stationed at the core position of Xinyang City, and the supply battalion is accompanying the team for support.

Zhao Yunwen's support for the 17th Army Corps was also to stabilize the northern front and prevent the flank from being attacked.

"As long as the north and northwest are safe, Xinyang City will be as solid as a rock, and my Tiger Army can concentrate on dealing with the war on the eastern front."

Regular support should be provided to the 17th Army Corps; artillery can be dispatched again if necessary. The reconnaissance regiment should keep a close watch on the Japanese movements.

At Zhuganpu, a new offensive continued along the central route. The 9th and 133rd Regiments attacked the Rengang defense line from a distance of several kilometers. The 647th and 651st Regiments also made no attempt to hide, meeting force with force and water with earth.

Division Commander Fujie Eipu was very satisfied with the speed at which the pontoon bridge was built, asserting:

"The pontoon bridge will be completed in two days at most. At that time, the Imperial Army will be able to send troops and supplies across the river in a continuous stream to maintain the offensive for a long time. It is only a matter of time before the Rengang defense line is breached."

Seeing that Fujie Eipu was in high spirits and in an optimistic mood, the chief of staff went along with him and said:

"In the end, war is all about supplies. There is no fortress that cannot be breached, let alone Rengang, which is just a small hill. They cannot stop the 16th Division's advance!"

After saying that, he changed the subject:

"The front is deadlocked, and most of the defenders' mobile forces are tied down. It's time for the 13th Division to launch a surprise attack from the flank."

Fujie Eipu immediately approved Nakazawa Saburo's suggestion:

"Alright, as you say, telegraph Yoshizumi-kun of the 13th Division to cross the river immediately and launch a flanking attack on the flank of the defending troops."

This is the key to breaking the deadlock, and Fujie HP has high hopes for it.

The pontoon bridge continued to extend westward, and soon the project was more than halfway complete. Suddenly, a volley of shells flew in from the northwest and landed on the pontoon bridge as if they had eyes, reducing the bridge and the people to ashes.

"You bastard! This is outrageous! You have no sportsmanship!"

Fujie Eipu felt offended again, as he was completely disregarded as the division commander. He was so angry that he blurted out trash talk, abandoning all pretense of being a general.

Shells continued to fall in rows, the pontoon bridge was blown beyond recognition. It was built quickly, but destroyed even faster, and many engineers perished in the process.

Enraged, Fujie Eipu immediately ordered the artillery to return fire. Shells flew in volleys toward the mountain artillery battalion's position, but most of them were blocked by the higher-altitude Ryuzan, and the effect was minimal.

The mountain artillery battalion had already moved, and relying on its superior mobility, it engaged the Japanese artillery, effectively hindering the Japanese infantry offensive.

On the southern front, the vanguard of the 13th Division was secretly crossing the river. The defending troops were unable to divert their forces to intercept them and could only let them carry out their plan.

Deputy Division Commander Qin Qingwu loudly ordered:

"Have the 1st Battalion and the regimental artillery company hold off the Japanese and protect the flanks!"