Southern guerrilla warfare: I led the Red Seventh Army Corps to amassed a million troops.

Unlike the methodical offensive on the south bank, the Red Tenth Army on the north bank displayed a fiery aggression in this siege.

If we can launch a fast attack, we will never launch a slow one; if we can launch a fierce attack, we will never launch a feint!

Because the positions on the north bank were not as deep and wide as those on the south bank, the Red Army was the first to run into the Nationalist army's bunker defenses.

Fortunately, this was something they had anticipated.

Last night, Su Yu reinforced their firepower significantly via the pontoon bridge, including a large number of mortars and shells, as well as six Type 41 mountain guns from the mountain artillery battalion.

On the north bank battlefield, gunfire raged all morning.

The Red Army's offensive was initially unstoppable, but as the battle lines were gradually advanced, the enemy's defensive strength began to rise rapidly.

The pace of progress inevitably slowed down!

At this moment, the 19th Division of the Red Army was undertaking the main attack on the front. A bunker stood in front of the position, spitting fire. Machine gun bullets were like an invisible broom, plowing the open ground again and again.

Large numbers of Red Army soldiers were trapped in trenches and shell craters, unable to lift their heads. If they showed even a little bit of their bodies, bullets would come after them, making the soil puff and smoke.

The soldiers fired their rifles from a distance, the bullets hitting the outer wall of the bunker, sending up a few sparks, but not even scraping off a piece of plaster.

The company commander, who was leading the team, lay prone on the edge of a shell crater and squinted as he observed for a while.

He discovered that in addition to the one in front, there were also three bunkers on the sides, rear, left, and right, forming a stable triangular fire network.

No matter which direction you charge from, you will be subjected to crossfire from at least two bunkers.

The company commander turned and shouted, "Don't rush up! Quickly, call for artillery support!"

The company's communications soldier bent over, hugging the side wall of the trench, and ran quickly toward the rear.

The news quickly reached the command center.

After listening to the staff officer's report, Xun Huaizhou quickly issued the order: "Approval for shelling. Blow up all the bunkers within the target area."

When the order was transmitted to the artillery positions behind the lines via telephone, the gunners were already ready.

Six Type 41 mountain guns were lined up in a row, their muzzles slightly raised, pointing towards the group of fortifications in the distance.

The first shell whistled out of the barrel and landed a dozen meters in front of the target, exploding into a cloud of dirt.

The observer quickly reported the correction parameters, and the gunners turned the azimuth mechanism to fine-tune the muzzle angle.

"put!"

The two shells were fired almost simultaneously, landing one after the other near the same bunker.

One of the shots hit the side of the bunker squarely, causing the brick and cement walls to shake violently, sending debris flying and dust billowing up.

The machine gun fire from the bunker abruptly ceased.

Immediately afterwards, a second round of shelling followed.

Another bunker was hit; the walls cracked, and half of it collapsed, revealing broken bricks and stones inside.

Seizing this brief window of opportunity, the soldiers leaped from the trenches and shell craters, crouching low as they charged forward.

Several light machine guns were positioned on the flanks, their muzzles firing fiercely towards the trenches, pinning down the Nationalist soldiers who were trying to organize a counterattack.

The following infantrymen, bayonets at their ready, charged into the trenches and engaged in fierce fighting with the remaining defenders.

Xun Huaizhou stood on the earthen slope outside the command post, holding up his binoculars, his gaze steadily fixed on the battlefield ahead.

He saw that several outer bunkers had fallen silent, and the soldiers were clearing the trenches section by section. Although the advance was slow, every step was firm.

Just as he was about to put down the binoculars, he suddenly caught something unusual through the lens.

Slightly to the left ahead, a slightly larger bunker had just been hit by a shell. When the shell exploded, a plume of smoke rose up, enveloping the entire bunker for a moment.

When the smoke and dust cleared, the bunker still stood there, with only some surface cement peeling off the walls; the overall structure remained completely intact.

Xun Huaizhou frowned and handed the binoculars to the staff officer beside him: "Take a look, what's going on? Why can't the shells penetrate that bunker?"

The staff officer took the binoculars and examined them carefully for a while.

"Commander, this should be a permanent fortification built with a large amount of reinforced concrete. Our Type 41 mountain guns have short barrels and low muzzle velocities, which are fine for hitting earthen fortifications and light armor. But for such heavily protected targets... they are indeed inadequate."

After a moment's thought, Xun Huaizhou made a decision: "Order the artillery positions to clear out all the small bunkers around that large bunker and isolate it."

"Order the frontline troops to concentrate their light and heavy machine guns and destroy its observation ports as much as possible to prevent it from looking out. Use mortars to fire smoke grenades to create smoke and dust cover. Demolition specialists should approach and try to take it down."

"Yes, sir!" the staff officer replied at attention, then turned and ran quickly toward the communications station.

The orders were relayed down the chain of command through telephone lines and messengers.

Not long after, the artillery positions at the rear adjusted their firing parameters.

Several shells bypassed the large bunker and accurately struck several smaller bunkers and firing positions nearby.

Brick and stone fragments flew into the air along with dirt, and the gunshots fell silent one by one amidst a series of explosions.

At the same time, the light and heavy machine guns on the front line turned their muzzles and aimed them at the observation port of the large bunker.

A barrage of bullets rained down, striking the concrete wall and sending up fragments and sparks.

Even through the thick walls, the machine gunners inside the bunker seemed to feel the overwhelming pressure, and their firing rhythm became noticeably disrupted.

The mortar crews were busy loading smoke bombs.

Shells landed in front of and on both sides of the large bunker, exploding into plumes of grayish-white smoke that completely enveloped the area.

Under the cover of smoke and dust, several demolition experts sneaked in from the flank.

They carried explosive packs on their backs, crouched low, and moved quickly along a ditch that had been repeatedly breached by artillery fire.

Bullets occasionally grazed the edge of the smoke screen, but their steps remained steady and unaffected.

Xun Huaizhou raised his binoculars again, his gaze piercing through the lingering smoke and dust, landing on the dark figure.

Just then, the curtain of the command tent was suddenly lifted.

Hu Tiantao strode in, followed by a young soldier from the communications platoon, panting as if he had just run a considerable distance.

Hu Tiantao walked straight up to Xun Huaizhou, her tone urgent: "Commander, the Chief of Staff wants to see you. He says he has something important to discuss with you."

Xun Huaizhou was slightly taken aback: "What is it? Is it more important than the current battle?"

The young soldier, having caught his breath, quickly replied, "The chief of staff said this matter is extremely important, and he requests that you come immediately."

Xun Huaizhou glanced at the bunker still shrouded in smoke through the binoculars, then at Hu Tiantao beside him. He took the binoculars down from his eyes and handed them to Hu Tiantao: "Alright, Tiantao, you're in charge here for now."

Hu Tiantao reached out and took the binoculars, replying crisply, "Don't worry, it won't cause any problems."

Xun Huaizhou didn't delay any longer. He turned around, walked out of the command post, and mounted his horse.

Hu Tiantao stood on the earthen slope outside the command post, raised his binoculars again, and before he could see the smoke-filled battlefield, he heard a loud explosion.